Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

Seven days have passed since the last secret report was sent.

Pingyang County, Jingshi.

Dongfang Weiwo sat cross-legged, and after circulating his internal energy for thirty-six cycles, he slowly finished his practice.

The foundation of the initial stage of the Divine Meridian has become more solid after seven days of refinement, and the meridian network has progressed from "initial formation" to "stability". The power generation technique of the second move of the Overlord Fist, "Earth Split", has also become more and more proficient. With a punch, the ground cracks for ten feet, and the broken stones are scattered like hidden weapons.

But he was still not satisfied. After the Earth-Splitting Technique, there should be a third move—that move would combine the essence of the first two moves, driven by the power of the divine veins, and pour all the power into the opponent's body the moment the fist touches the target, destroying everything from the inside.

He vaguely grasped the threshold, but was still one step away from the finish line.

Not urgent.

He opened the system panel—

Current energy points: 867,000.

Nothing has changed from seven days ago. Without new battles, energy points will not increase.

But 867,000 is enough to do one thing.

Dongfang Weiwo remained silent for a long time.

It's not hesitation, but weighing the options.

The Azure Dragon Society currently only has two branches—the First Branch, headed by Shangguan Jin Hong in Pingyang County, and the Second Branch, headed by Chai Yu Guan in Guangling Prefecture. These two grandmasters are already behemoths among the small and medium-sized forces in the thirteen prefectures of the west, but they are far from enough in the face of the five top-tier forces.

The standoff at Black Wind Ridge won't last forever. Once the Green Wood Sword Sect and the Blood Nether Sect determine a victor, the winner's gaze will inevitably turn to Guangling Prefecture. At that time, the Azure Dragon Society will need more than just the strength to defend one or two prefectures; it will need the strategic ability to expand in multiple directions simultaneously, forcing its opponents to be overwhelmed.

Two halls are not enough.

He needs more strong individuals to develop the Azure Dragon Society.

"System," Dongfang Wei murmured to himself, "Exchange for two Golden Summonings."

The numbers on the system panel suddenly jumped – 867,000 became 667,000.

Two golden lights appeared in the void.

From the first burst of golden light, a tall, slender man emerged.

His exact age was indiscernible; his face was effeminate, with a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. He wore a wide, black robe, the hem trailing on the ground, and walked with a light, airy gait, as if his feet didn't touch the ground. Most unsettling were his eyes—eyes devoid of any emotion, his gaze as if looking at a doll to be manipulated at will.

"Lord Xiaoyao." The man bowed slightly, his voice soft as a whisper, "Greetings, young master."

Dongfang Weiwo looked at him.

He already knew who this person was without needing any introduction.

The owner of Doll Manor is a madman who makes dolls from living people.

In his original world, he captured martial arts masters and brought them back to his manor, cut off their limbs and shut down their senses, turning them into "living dolls" for display, which he used for his amusement.

He never sought fame or power; he only enjoyed one thing—turning people into objects to be manipulated at his disposal. That thrill of complete control fascinated him more than any martial art. Wherever he went, an indescribable chill permeated the air, as if even the air itself feared him.

Peak Grandmaster, half-step Grandmaster.

The man who emerged from the second golden light exuded a completely different aura. He was tall, with a square face, thick, ink-black eyebrows, and a powerful, imposing gait. He wore a dark red brocade robe, and his murderous aura was almost tangible, clearly indicating that he was a powerful and ruthless figure who had long held a high position and wielded the power of life and death.

"Lei Sun greets Your Excellency."

Lei Sun. Head of the Six and a Half Hall, and successor of the Crimson Sand Divine Palm.

In his original world, he rivaled the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, controlling the capital's underworld for decades. He acted without regard for rules, only for profit. Allies could be betrayed at any time, and enemies had to be eliminated completely.

He has a widely circulated saying: "It's better to forge your own path than to ask someone to give you one." His Crimson Sand Palm is extremely fierce and ruthless; with a single strike, sand and stones are burned, leaving no room for retreat. Just like his character: either don't fight at all, or fight to the death, until you're battered and bruised.

Late stage of Grandmaster.

Dongfang Weiwo looked at the two people in front of him and slowly nodded.

Four masters.

Shangguan Jin Hong is at the mid-stage of Grandmaster, but his actual combat strength can reach the late-stage of Grandmaster.

Chai Yuguan's cultivation was unfathomable. Although he rarely made a move, his feat of killing Zhao Tianxiong with a single palm strike was enough to prove that he was at least a late-stage Grandmaster. Xiaoyao Hou was a peak Grandmaster, a half-step Grandmaster. Lei Sun was a late-stage Grandmaster.

The four halls stand separately, each developing its own path. They compete with each other, yet unite against external threats.

He doesn't need to worry about how they develop, how they fight for territory, or how they seize resources. These four powerful figures are better at these things, more enthusiastic about them, and will do them more ruthlessly.

All he had to do was set a direction.

"The Azure Dragon Society currently has two branches."

Dongfang Weiwo spoke up, "Shangguan Jin Hong of the First Moon Hall, Pingyang County. Chai Yu Guan of the Second Moon Hall, Guangling Prefecture. Xiaoyao Hou will be the head of the Third Moon Hall, and Lei Sun will be the head of the Fourth Moon Hall. Each of you will choose your own territory and develop your own power. I will not restrict what methods you use, nor will I restrict which direction you expand in."

His voice was calm, but his words were enough to make the entire thirteen western prefectures tremble.

"I only want one result—by the time the two major powers end their standoff at Black Wind Ridge and free up their resources, the Azure Dragon Society will have already spread across half of the western region."

By then, if they want to uproot the Green Dragon Society, they'll have to cut down all four stakes buried deep in the ground at the same time. Cutting down one will only cause the other three to drive even deeper.

The Carefree Marquis smiled slightly, a smile that seemed to lower the temperature in the quiet room by several degrees: "Four stakes? Don't worry, young master, this one will be driven the deepest. I've always liked to hide things where others can't find them—of course, I enjoy even more letting others discover that all their things have been replaced with mine."

Lei Sun glanced at him, his expression unchanged: "Mr. Sanyue, you have quite the arrogance. How about we see who controls more territory in three months?"

"interesting."

Marquis Xiaoyao turned his head, his doll-like eyes fixed on Lei Sun. "Since Hall Master Lei wishes to compete, I, Marquis, will gladly oblige. However—what price will the loser pay?"

"Drive as you please."

"Alright." Marquis Xiaoyao smiled. "Then it's settled."

Dongfang Wei did not stop them.

This is exactly what he wanted.

The four powerful figures each had their own ambitions and their own methods.

Shangguan Jin Hong is power-hungry, Chai Yu Guan is unfathomable, Xiaoyao Hou enjoys manipulating people's hearts, and Lei Sun is domineering and ruthless. Such people are time bombs in any faction, and sooner or later they will turn against their masters.

However, under the constraints of a system that demands absolute loyalty, their ambitions and methods will only translate into the driving force for expansion. The fiercer the internal competition, the more rapidly the Azure Dragon Society will grow.

"The initial manpower for March Hall and April Hall will be fifty elite soldiers each drawn from January Hall and February Hall."

The Way of the East:

"First, establish a solid foundation. As for recruiting and building up your ranks, that's up to your individual abilities. Pass a message to Hall Master Shangguan and Hall Master Chai—competition is competition, but when faced with external enemies, we must unite against them. I will personally deal with anyone who sabotages our own people at a crucial moment."

"Yes."

The two responded in unison.