Li Qiang felt a sense of familiarity and warmth towards that dark-colored pearl; he was already very close to it.
Mei'er said, "Brother, let me help you get it!" She saw that Li Qiang was making a hand seal, so it was impossible for him to get it himself.
Li Qiang didn't speak; in fact, he couldn't answer at all. All his mental energy and strength were focused on controlling the shimmering golden ball. He could only nod slightly in acknowledgment.
Mei'er conjured a small hand and was about to pluck the precious pearl when Li Qiang suddenly let out a soft snort, startling Mei'er into quickly withdrawing her hand.
The pearl suddenly swelled, and countless beams of azure light shot out from it. In an instant, the surrounding scenery changed. Mei'er discovered that Li Qiang was standing on rolling waves. Looking up, she found herself on the sea, where countless sea monsters churned. Occasionally, large winged fish would leap out of the water. Above them was a huge, dark sphere emitting a bluish-green light. It was clearly the pearl, as it could not hide itself from the golden light sphere.
Li Qiang shouted, "Merge!" The golden sphere he condensed flew rapidly toward the precious pearl.
Mei'er knew that the situation just now was extremely dangerous. If she had grabbed that precious pearl, her entire Spirit Body might have been sucked away.
The golden sphere disappeared into the precious pearl, and the sea suddenly darkened. Mei'er discovered that Li Qiang was already holding the dark pearl in his hand, and everything around them, in its true form, was revealed again.
Mei'er exclaimed happily, "Brother, we did it! Hehe, brother is so amazing!"
Li Qiang held the precious pearl, suppressing it with his True Essence Power, making it unable to answer for the time being.
The bead seemed alive, constantly twitching in his hand. Li Qiang remembered that besides this dark bead, the Supreme Radiance Shuttle was another treasure that would move around in his hand after he caught it.
A thought struck him, and he suddenly remembered something: the string of beads Kubo had given him.
He took out the string of egg-sized Linked Beads, and the fist-sized dark-colored bead immediately stopped beating and suddenly emitted a blue light. The eighteen brown beads also lit up, emitting a red light, with the blue and red lights intertwining. Li Qiang quickly and forcefully channeled his True Essence Power into the string of beads, and a layer of purple light enveloped the bead string.
Seeing Li Qiang take out the string of beads, and recalling the Eighteen Demon-Extinguishing Hands he had just used, Mei'er sighed deeply and said to the little Sea Demon, " Blue Light, your master is amazing! See that? That's Mei'er Illusory Devil Pearl. Once my brother has finished cultivating, we can go inside and live there. There must be countless souls Spirit Body, and Nascent Soul souls inside. You must help me when we go inside!"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "What is Mei'er saying? Why are you muttering to yourself? Tell your brother." He stood in the center of the hall, looking refreshed, with the string of beads shrunk down and tightly wrapped around Li Qiang's neck.
Mei'er said sweetly, "Brother, that bead is one of the most famous treasures of the Buddha Sect, called the Illusory Devil Pearl. It can trap Spirit Body and souls, and the inside is also an illusion, just like what we saw earlier. However, only souls can enter, and to get out, the person controlling the bead must allow it. Congratulations, brother, you are now the master of this bead. In the future, Mei'er can also go in to cultivate and help you manage the Spirit Body and souls inside. Hehe, even Blue Light can go in."
The Illusory Devil Pearl was the core of the Great Illusion Buddha Realm's array. After Li Qiang took it, the Great Illusion Buddha Realm, lacking its core, immediately ceased operation, meaning it was completely broken by Li Qiang.
There were countless fragments of bones and treasures on the ground, left behind by people who had entered the illusion and died in the formation over the millennia. Among them were also the skeletons of many monsters, which were spirit beasts trained by cultivators. They too could not escape the power of the illusion.
Mei'er said, "There are so many Law Treasure here, brother, can Mei'er pick them up?"
"Of course we should pick them up! It was so hard to get it to break, it's a waste to leave it here, hehe. Let's split up and pick them up. Mei'er, you know so much, don't miss any good stuff. This is your storage belt, take a look and see if there are any good storage bracelets."
Mei'er laughed with delight. In her previous life, she had entered the Buddha Sect ruins to collect treasures, and now the opportunity had finally come. Overjoyed, she immediately flew off Li Qiang's shoulder.
The entire hall had thirty-four pillars, each as thick as a person's embrace, their surfaces carved with cliffs, mountains, and flowing water. Faint white clouds drifted above the ceiling. There were two to three hundred skeletons on the ground. Every time Li Qiang picked up a relic from a skeleton, he would pile the scattered bones together and melt them away with Heavenly Fire. Along the way, he discovered quite a few things.
Those who could reach the illusionary realm were all quite skilled in cultivation and carried a lot of equipment. Li Qiang discovered a very peculiar phenomenon: none of these deceased cultivators had any crystals on them.
Upon careful consideration, he suddenly realized: Although cultivators can go without food and water, they still need an energy supply. If they lack energy for many years, their physical body will gradually atrophy, and it will also hinder the cultivation of their Nascent Soul.
Within the illusion, people often involuntarily engage in fierce battles due to changes in their State of Mind, resulting in enormous energy consumption. Most terrifyingly, because the illusion absorbs all energy, cultivators cannot absorb any energy within it except for the crystals they carry. Many people, driven to desperation, can only Liberation by Violence, but even they cannot withstand the power of the Illusory Devil Pearl and are swept into it. Therefore, once someone enters this place and is trapped, there is almost no way to escape.
Li Qiang secretly felt lucky; if he hadn't mastered the Eighteen Demon-Extinguishing Hands, he certainly wouldn't have been able to escape such a terrifying illusion.
Mei'er exclaimed excitedly from the other side, "Brother, I found a bracelet! It's so beautiful! There are so many things inside! Oh my! It's the ' Heaven-Reaching Flame Wheel,' brother! This is a treasure... brother..." The little girl flew over excitedly, handed Li Qiang a black disc, and then giggled as she flew off to search for treasures again.
It was a palm-sized black disc, exquisitely crafted, covered with red patterns that looked beautiful against the black background. The center of the disc was slightly raised, and the edge was decorated with sharp teeth arranged in alternating patterns of silver-white and bright red.
Li Qiang used his True Essence Power to probe it and immediately determined that it was a rare treasure. Although he didn't know how to use it yet, he was amazed by its ingenious design.
Putting away the Heaven-Reaching Flame Wheel, Li Qiang continued his search, quickly clearing away the items and skeletons on the left. He noticed a pile of withered bones scattered near a large pillar, so he went over and found the armor left behind by this person quite interesting. It seemed to be made of transparent plexiglass, with rainbow-like halos flowing inside, making it very exquisite and beautiful. The armor felt very soft to the touch, as smooth as silk.
Picking up the armor, Li Qiang immediately stored it in his bracelet. The skeleton fell out of the armor, and Li Qiang discovered three more items: a bracelet, a flying sword, and a blue star-shaped plaque.
Li Qiang had already mastered the art of sword forging and had considerable insight into flying swords. This particular flying sword was shaped like a needle, with a flattened tail resembling a shovel—a very unusual appearance. The materials used in its forging were also unlike anything Li Qiang had ever seen before; it resembled armor, was semi-transparent, and had a seven-colored halo within its blade. Li Qiang couldn't help but sigh, even as a member of the Chongxuan Sect, whose greatest skill was weapon forging, he still didn't understand many of the strange magical Law Treasure in the Cultivation Realm.
The bracelet was only a finger's width wide, with a delicate emerald green color. He tried it on. The bracelet wasn't very spacious, much smaller than his own Tanbo Bracelet. There were still quite a few items inside, but only one thing interested him: a Jade Pupil Slip. He didn't have time to examine it and left it in the bracelet.
Li Qiang couldn't figure out what was so special about the blue star-shaped card, so he casually put it away.
Li Qiang and Mei'er spent most of the day cleaning up the items. The abundance of their haul exceeded their expectations. Li Qiang alone collected over a hundred flying swords, along with many other weapons and armor, as well as some rarer items. Li Qiang was most interested in the Jade Pupil Slip, which he collected more than ten of.
Mei'er was overjoyed. Compared to the items she had collected, her previous equipment was utterly worthless and terrible. Everything here was far superior to what she had before.
After shrinking down, Mei'er flew back to Li Qiang's shoulder and sat down. Smiling, she took out a thumb-sized elixir and said, " Blue Light, this is for you, the Jade Marrow Pill... it's a good thing."
Li Qiang laughed and asked, "What is the Jade Marrow Pill? Is it a medicine?"
"This is the first time Mei'er has seen this either, but Mei'er knows it's specially for spirit beasts to eat, and it can increase their power. I just found several big bottles, hehe, perfect for currying favor with Blue Light."
The little Sea Demon swallowed the elixir, nestled beside Mei'er, and continued to sleep soundly with its eyes closed.
Mei'er wiggled her little feet, stroking Blue Light's head with one hand, and laughed, "All you do is sleep, you little lazybones!" As she spoke, she looked around, then suddenly cried out excitedly, "Brother! Brother! Look!"
Li Qiang turned his head and saw a shadow leaning against the farthest pillar, as if a person was meditating cross-legged.
Li Qiang asked, " Mei'er, didn't you see that area just now?"
Mei'er shook her head repeatedly and said, "No, I thought my brother had already gone to see him."
Li Qiang flew out of the Star-Absorbing Sword and slowly walked over. It was a person sitting cross-legged, completely naked, without armor or a flying sword. His hands were forming a strange hand seal above his groin. Only a thin layer of skin remained on his skeleton, and his white hair dragged down to the ground. He looked like he was already dead.
Mei'er noticed the hand seal he was forming and exclaimed in surprise, "Brother, this is the ' Hundred-Spirit-Shaking Awakening Seal,' a self-imposed seal that's very rare!"
Li Qiang sighed, " Mei'er, I really need to learn from you. Mei'er is truly amazing; you know everything!"
Mei'er felt a little embarrassed by Li Qiang's praise and said in a sweet voice, "Brother..."
Li Qiang teased her deliberately, asking loudly, "What did Mei'er call me for?"
Just as Mei'er was about to startle, she suddenly caught a glimpse of the man moving slightly, and screamed in fright, "He... he moved!"
Li Qiang was so startled that he took a step back.
The skeletal figure suddenly opened its eyes, staring intently at Li Qiang. Its mouth moved as if to move, then it grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth—a smile that sent chills down one's spine; it was like a skull opening its mouth. Mei'er trembled with fear, too terrified to utter a word.
Li Qiang quickly calmed down and asked, "Friend, how long have you been trapped in this formation?"
The man struggled to turn his head, his neck cracking. He seemed to want to say something, but no sound came out. He looked very distressed, a pleading look in his eyes. Li Qiang didn't understand him and asked, "Do you need help? What do you need me to do? Tell me." He was confused for a moment; if the man could speak, he wouldn't have waited until now.
The man's eyes were fixed on Li Qiang, and his mouth opened again, finally emitting a hoarse and unpleasant "gag" sound. No one could understand what he was saying, and his eyes revealed a sense of despair.
After a moment's thought, Li Qiang finally understood. Suddenly, two pieces of water-attribute Jade Tide Stone appeared in his hand; they were top-grade Immortal Stone.
Mei'er exclaimed in surprise, "Brother, what are you doing with these Immortal Stone Immortal Stone? They're very hard to find; they're top-grade Gemstone!"
The man sitting cross-legged seemed to blaze with rage the moment he saw the Immortal Stone, like a starving man suddenly presented with a sumptuous feast. Li Qiang squatted down in front of him and placed the Immortal Stone in his hand. The man nodded slightly to Li Qiang, and his neck cracked again with a terrifying sound.
Mei'er muttered to herself, "Brother is so generous, giving away top-grade Immortal Stone so easily. What if he doesn't have enough for himself?" Now, she considers everything from Li Qiang's perspective, and she feels that her brother is at a disadvantage.
" Mei'er, this person is amazing. Look at the patterns around him; they depict yellow sand dunes and deserts. He probably buried himself underground and imprisoned himself to minimize the power of the illusion. That's why he's been able to endure this long. What determination and perseverance that takes! This person is truly incredible!"
Mei'er said with a grin, "But he's not as good as my brother. He broke the illusion as soon as he came in. He can't compare to him." Her flattery skills were no less than Nashan's, and she seized every opportunity to praise him.
Li Qiang shook his head and said dismissively, "If we hadn't learned the Eighteen Demon-Extinguishing Hands, we would have been in even worse shape than him. We were just lucky."
He was well aware of the power of illusions; the transformation of one's State of Mind was something that ordinary cultivators could not resist. The reason Li Qiang was able to break through the illusion was thanks to his extensive network of friends and the many strange and wonderful things he had learned. In truth, he was still quite afraid.
Mei'er and Li Qiang hadn't spent much time together, but she trusted him completely and considered him her closest confidant. Suddenly remembering something, she smiled and said, "Brother, the Heaven-Reaching Flame Wheel that Mei'er just found—it's a treasure!"
Li Qiang nodded and said, "That's right. This Law Treasure seems to be dual-purpose; it can be used for attack and also for protection. I'll cultivate it when I have time in the future." Mei'er giggled, feeling quite proud.
Although the man possessed the Immortal Stone, his long-term confinement had left him on the verge of death. He was unable to absorb the Immortal Stone's energy, and in his anxiety, his upper and lower teeth chattered rapidly, making a "clattering" sound.
Li Qiang sensed something was wrong, turned around and was startled. He said, " Mei'er, you protect him. He won't survive without help." Before Mei'er could answer, he sat cross-legged next to the man and poured his True Essence Power into his body.
The man's Microcosm was about to dry up, and his Nascent Soul looked weak and powerless. Li Qiang carefully pushed his Microcosm to rotate. Fortunately, Li Qiang was very careful; if he had been too eager, he might have done more harm than good. Gradually, the man's Microcosm began to rotate with difficulty.
Li Qiang discovered that his Microcosm was different from others; it consisted of countless colorful streaks of light spiraling around his Nascent Soul, though the streaks were dim. Li Qiang knew he was nearing the point of losing his cultivation; after self-imposed confinement, he would be unable to Liberation by Violence. If no one helped him, his final outcome would be extremely tragic, the last thing any cultivator wanted: his cultivation would vanish, his spirit would dissipate, he would achieve nothing, and even his Nascent Soul would dissipate into nothingness.
Mei'er and Blue Light both flew into the air, on guard. Mei'er was very nervous, afraid that some powerful thing might break in at this moment. Because she had undergone Liberation by Violence at the Nascent Soul Early Stage realm, her cultivation level was far below that of a master. She was very disapproving of Li Qiang's actions. In her opinion, it was already very generous of Li Qiang to give her Immortal Stone. In this dangerous place, Li Qiang actually dared to reach out to save people. She was really worried.
With Li Qiang's help, the man gradually recovered. His body radiated colorful light, and in the light, his white hair stood on end like a giant hedgehog. Most astonishingly, his skeletal frame became fuller, and large patches of dead skin peeled off his face and body, revealing tender new skin underneath.
Li Qiang released his grip and began to recover, holding two Immortal Stone. He had just expended a great deal of his True Essence Power. He realized that the other person's cultivation level was far superior to his own; he was likely a Spirit Severing Realm stage expert.
Li Qiang was the first to recover, stood up, and asked, " Mei'er, is everything alright?"
Mei'er waved repeatedly to Li Qiang from a corner, calling out, "Brother, come quick! Come quick!"
Li Qiang started to leave, but then stopped, put down a set of clothes next to the man, and then flew to Mei'er's side. "What is it?"
Mei'er transformed into a little girl half a meter tall, standing at the foot of a wall looking at something, while constantly beckoning Li Qiang over with one hand.
Mei'er noticed that Li Qiang had come to her side, but without turning around, she said, "Brother, look over there, isn't it strange?"
It was a swirling mass of yellow gas, about a meter square, hovering around the base of the wall, as if it were surging in from outside, then occasionally retreating.
Li Qiang didn't understand what this was either, but one thing he was clear about was that this gas was completely different from the illusionary murals in the entire hall; it was definitely independent. He pondered for a moment and said, " Mei'er, we can't possibly understand everything here. I think we should be careful."
Mei'er jumped back onto Li Qiang's shoulder, grinning, and said, "If I don't understand, then so be it. Mei'er still feels safe with her brother." It wasn't a matter of whether or not to be careful; she was terrified of everything in the ruins that she didn't understand.
Suddenly, someone chimed in, "I know what this is!"
Li Qiang was startled and slightly moved aside. The person who spoke had silently appeared beside him without him noticing. Li Qiang asked, "Have you recovered?"
The man nodded and said, "Although I haven't fully recovered, it's fine now... Um, I... I owe you a favor, and I'll definitely repay you when I have the chance." His tone sounded somewhat arrogant.
Mei'er snorted angrily, "A favor? Nonsense, it's a life-saving grace..."
Li Qiang coughed, interrupting Mei'er, and said dismissively, "It was nothing, don't worry about it. Hey, what's that yellow cloud?"
The man blushed slightly. He hadn't expected Li Qiang to say that, and he felt quite ashamed, but because of his high status, he couldn't quite let go of his pride. He said, "This is one of the five great secret caves of the Buddha Sect, guarded by the Great Illusion Buddha Realm. This yellow gas is called ' Buddha Dust,' a treasure that works in conjunction with the illusion. When the illusion is broken, this thing emerges."
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "The core of the illusion array is an Illusory Devil Pearl. If you take that Illusory Devil Pearl, congratulations, you can enter. Only those who wear the Illusory Devil Pearl can enter this secret cave; others cannot."
Mei'er stared at the man, lost in thought. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she blurted out, " The Seven Daoists Under Heaven... White-Haired Wu Chen... You are Wu Chen, one of the Cultivation Realm!"
The man retreated repeatedly, hissing, "Who is Wu Chen? I am not!" His fierce reaction surprised even Li Qiang.
Mei'er said with certainty, "I have seen your image in the Jade Pupil Slip. You are Wu Chen!" The man's face turned red and then green, looking both embarrassed and sad.
Li Qiang quickly realized what he meant. For a senior expert to be rescued by a junior was indeed an embarrassing situation. However, Li Qiang was unfazed by his intense reaction and said with a grin, "Hey! Of the seven masters, I've only rescued two. What's there to be embarrassed about?"
Wu Chen was taken aback and asked, "Who's the other one?" He had unintentionally admitted that he was one of them.
" Old Freak Daoist Qi Junsha... you should know him, right?"
Before Wu Chen could speak, Mei'er exclaimed in surprise, " Old Freak Daoist Qi Junsha? Heavens! The number one of the seven masters, the one with the best chance of surpassing the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, brother, you rescued him too?" The little girl's eyes widened; she couldn't believe it was true.
Wu Chen was speechless for a long time. Of course he knew who Qi Junsha was. Although the seven masters were not particularly close, they all knew who they were.
Wu Chen asked in surprise, "Is he still alive? Hasn't he undergone the tribulation?" He knew that the Old Freak Daoist was already a super expert in the Body Integration Realm, and should have surpassed the Tribulation Transcendence Realm by now.
Li Qiang said, "Tribulation? He doesn't need it anymore; he's already cultivated to become Loose Immortal."
Wu Chen was speechless for a long time before finally saying, "Ah! What a pity! What a pity!" A hint of joy even appeared on his face.
Mei'er noticed the joy on Wu Chen's face and was puzzled. Li Qiang, however, understood. Having been in the business world for many years, he had a keen eye for people and couldn't help but sigh inwardly: It seems there's quite a bit of open and covert competition among the seven masters.
After Qi Junsha's Liberation by Violence, he became Loose Immortal, meaning he could never transcend the tribulation to reach the Mahayana Realm. Although Wu Chen's cultivation level was lower than his, especially since he was trapped in the Great Illusion Buddha Realm, his cultivation not only did not increase at all, but even regressed significantly, almost leading to his complete demise. However, he preserved his physical body, allowing him to continue cultivating until he reached the tribulation and comprehended the Mahayana. This was something Qi Junsha could never achieve, and the joy on his face reflected this.
Li Qiang laughed and said, " Qi Junsha... hehe, is now my master."
Wu Chen stared at Li Qiang for a long time, making Li Qiang feel uneasy.
Wu Chen sighed deeply, his white hair fluttering even without wind, and said, "This Old Freak Daoist is frighteningly shrewd; he's incredibly lucky to have found such a disciple." He also saw that Li Qiang's potential was extraordinary, and couldn't help but feel envious of Qi Junsha.
Li Qiang said with a grin, "I am Li Qiang from the Chongxuan Sect. I pay my respects to you, senior." Wu Chen and Qi Junsha were both highly skilled peers, so it was not inappropriate for Li Qiang to address him as a senior.
Wu Chen, "Are you a core member of the Chongxuan Sect?"
Mei'er screamed, "Brother, you're from the Chongxuan Sect! He... he's also from the Chongxuan Sect... you're family!"
Wu Chen stretched out his hand, revealing his Soul-Releasing Dragon Ring on his finger. Li Qiang stretched out his hand as well, revealing his Soul-Releasing Dragon Ring. Wu Chen was overjoyed; being rescued from the illusion by his own brother made him feel no sadness at all. He chuckled and said, "Brother, who's your guide?"
Li Qiang was also very happy. He greeted him warmly, "Hello, elder brother! My guide is Fu Shan, Fu Chongbi."
Wu Chen was completely stunned.