To become a true master, self-discipline is essential, and one must not indulge in their own desires. Whoever can best control their desires will become the most successful person. Although this saying is not an absolute truth, it still makes a lot of sense.
Nodding firmly in agreement, confirming his commitment to abstinence before achieving greatness, Xin Yun continued to ponder the second rule, summarizing the experiences of his previous life. This second rule came to him quickly.
Building power is a must. As the saying goes, "A fence needs three stakes, a hero needs three gangs." While a large number of troops aren't always useful, having allies is essential. However... while power must be established, it should not be exposed to the public eye.
In his previous life, the forces Xin Yun had built were enormous, commanding an army of a hundred thousand. However, as Xin Yun's power rose, troubles followed one after another.
When power grows too large, it's difficult to hide and has to be put out in the open, constantly facing all manner of ambitious attacks and sabotage from the shadows. The suffering was indescribable—Xin Yun still remembered the nightmare-like feeling all too well.
Power must be built, but since the masses strategy is useless, this time he would focus on a small, refined group, and definitely would not expose it. This life, it was his turn to covertly harm others. Guerrilla tactics? Xin Yun knew them better than anyone else in this world.
Now that he thought about it, it seemed somewhat sad. In his previous life, Xin Yun's army of ten thousand had been relentlessly tormented and shattered by a small team of about a hundred. That's right... tortured, shattered! Although they were few in number, each member was incredibly powerful. They would hit and run, never engaging in prolonged combat. Even with Xin Yun's great army, they were thoroughly broken within three years.
Uh-huh, uh-huh... nodding repeatedly, Xin Yun clenched his fists tightly. He was determined to find a hidden corner to establish his base, a place that nobody could find. From then on, only he would strike others, and no one else would be able to harm his foundations.
As for the choice of the base, heh heh... there was no need to choose. As a person reborn, Xin Yun already had the best option waiting for him to take over—the place later known as the world's number one blessed land. It was absolutely secluded, easy to defend and hard to attack, rich in resources, with beautiful scenery—too many advantages to list...
Thinking of this, Xin Yun laughed excitedly. The second rule was to choose a hidden corner to build a dark force. In this life, only Xin Yun would deceive others, and no one would be able to deceive him.
Next came the third rule. Since he had chosen to build a small force, the selection of personnel must be considered carefully. With limited numbers, each member had to be extremely elite.
For the reborn Xin Yun, nothing excited him more than selecting personnel. Heh heh... Out of the Nine Great Experts, he couldn't do without admiring his top three favorites!
First was Yi Luo Xiang, who ranked sixth. That's right... she was at the bottom of the well, less than ten meters away from Xin Yun. At all costs, even if he had to drag her, he couldn't let her go. If not as a wife, then as a teammate, she had to be kept.
Then came the one who ranked seventh, the Phantom Witch Queen, known by her real name Yan Qingying. Although her ranking was lower, her abilities were too special. In a one-on-one situation, she might only rank seventh, but in terms of her role in a team, she was undoubtedly first and irreplaceable!
However, for the time being, she was out of reach. She should have been taken away by the Demon Dragon Clan from the brothel, and wouldn't appear until two years later. Heh heh... with only a small amount of money, he could buy her services; such a bargain was unique and unparalleled across the two worlds Xin Yun had experienced.
As for the third, who else but the one ranked third, His Majesty the Peacock King, Ming Xuan—who was actually the most powerful. If he wished, Xin Yun could quickly win him over, but... Xin Yun dared not do so.
Ming Xuan became the unparalleled powerhouse of his day largely due to his environment. It was precisely because he was constantly bullied, deprived of dignity and respect, that he cultivated so desperately, achieving those extraordinary, transcendent techniques. If he had been taken in too early, perhaps the lack of such experiences would have led to mediocrity.
Of course, Xin Yun had considered taking him in and tormenting him personally, but Xin Yun was afraid. He feared that one day the boy would suddenly become formidable, turn the tables, and simply take him out. Even if that didn't happen, the prospect of Ming Xuan leaving in anger was something Xin Yun could not accept.
The most dazzling dragon—Peacock King Ming Xuan, the most beautiful dragon—Flash Butterfly Yi Luo Xiang, and the Cruel Dragon—Demon Queen Yan Qingying, these were the three invincible chariots in Xin Yun's mind. Once they were all under his command, heh heh... what else in this world would he need to fear? Thinking about this, Xin Yun couldn't help but break into an uncontrollable, beaming smile.
Of course, some might ask, if he could recruit them, why not bring over all the Nine Great Experts? Wouldn't that be even more impressive? Even more dominant?
Honestly, Xin Yun had considered this, but anyone using their knees to think would know it was impossible.
Simply put, those guys were not only powerful in strength but also came from families with even mightier backgrounds. It was laughable to think of taking them in. It wasn't even about taking them in—Xin Yun might not even be welcomed if he tried to join their ranks.
Among the Nine Great Experts, only three hailed from grassroots origins. The others had backgrounds too profound for Xin Yun to fathom. Moreover, as a fan of Yi Luo Xiang, Yan Qingying, and Ming Xuan, Xin Yun only researched these three. As for the others, even if he wanted to investigate, he probably wouldn't find any leads.
With Xin Yun's current abilities, Yi Luo Xiang, Yan Qingying, and Ming Xuan were definitely within his grasp to recruit. The others were not a matter of unwillingness but incapability, nothing more.
In terms of personnel selection, there were virtually no regrets. With the addition of these three titans, no one else was needed, at least not in the main force. Heh heh... Once Xin Yun successfully assembled all this, imagine how formidable a team with three of the Nine Great Experts would be! The mere thought sent shivers down one's spine.
Next was the fourth point: wealth was still necessary. As the saying goes, money isn't everything, but without it, everything is nothing. However, in this life, Xin Yun didn't want to waste his energy on such trivial matters. Money had to be earned, but seizing a few opportunities would suffice. At other times, even if money needed to be made, it should be interwoven with improving one's strength. If it couldn't aid in that, then earning money was of no consequence.
"Ha..." As he mulled over these thoughts, Xin Yun subconsciously yawned, his consciousness beginning to fade. After all, he was still only a seven-and-a-half-year-old child. After such a long day, he was indeed sleepy. Although there were many things he hadn't figured out yet, there was still plenty of time ahead.
Shifting his body, he found a comfortable position and lay down. Soon the steady snoring of Xin Yun could be heard.
He didn't know for how long he had slept, but eventually... Xin Yun was woken by a cacophony of noise. Blearily opening his eyes, he saw four boys tipping their heads back, cupping their hands to their mouths like megaphones, and shouting loudly towards the mouth of the well, trying to call for someone to rescue them.
Observing this scene, Xin Yun couldn't help but curl his lip in disdain. The battle outside had already ended, and everyone was dead. It would be more than half a month before someone would come here and rescue them. Until then, he thought, just endure...
Xin Yun turned back and continued to sleep. As for the tragedy in the village outside, he felt no emotions towards it any longer. His previous life of iron and blood had long accustomed him to death; the small skirmish outside was nothing in his eyes.
If it had been just one day earlier, those nuisances outside could have been eliminated by him alone, but now, he had returned to the past and had become a seven-and-a-half-year-old child who hadn't even summoned his dragon yet. Resigned, indeed...