The ancient teleportation array on Tanbang Star has a very peculiar location, nestled in the mountains beside the Heavenly Road Grassland, and is easily spotted from the air. It is a mountain peak resembling a stone pillar, surrounded by steep cliffs, with a large platform at the summit. Ordinary people cannot climb up there; it is probably only cultivators who can fly there.
Zhao Hao and Hong Qian led their brothers to this place, where they landed at the foot of the mountain and waited for Li Qiang and the others to return.
Zhao Zhi seemed very excited; after being away from home for so long, he could finally go back.
Suppressing his excitement, Zhao Hao directed everyone to arrange the campsite.
Han Jin was deeply moved and said, "We're going home now, old man. When we get back to the capital, you must come to the Weiyuan Escort Agency."
Zhao Hao laughed and said, "Brother, that's for sure. I haven't seen my children and grandchildren in a long time. I wonder how they are doing?"
Zhao Zhi chuckled from the side, "Actually, it doesn't matter whether I go back or not. I plan to follow the boss in cultivating immortality; wherever he goes, I'll follow."
Han Jin nodded and said, "Yes, that's what I think too."
Tange and Kubo sat together, both hesitant. Tange was worried about his Tanda, while Kubo couldn't let go of the Grand Alliance. However, they both knew that if they left Li Qiang now, their path of cultivation would not be long.
Tange asked, " Kubo, are you going with the boss?"
Kubo nodded, then suddenly shook his head.
Tange nudged him with his shoulder, "Hey bro, you better explain yourself! All this nodding and shaking your head, are you coming or not?"
Kubo sighed, "Well, I don't know what to do either. Are you coming or not?"
Tange lay down, looking at the steep mountain peaks, feeling a surge of unease.
Kubo bent down and gave him a push. "Are you coming or not? Just say something."
Tange said lazily, "Let's talk about it later. Hey, look up there!" He suddenly stood up and exclaimed, "It's the old man!"
As soon as Qi Junsha landed on the ground, she started yelling, "Where did my good disciple go?"
Zhao Hao rushed over and bowed respectfully, "Grandmaster, you've finally arrived!"
Everyone gathered around him warmly, greeting him and saying hello one after another. Qi Junsha was so happy that her eyes narrowed and she couldn't stop smiling.
Hong Qian said, "Grandmaster Uncle, Grandmaster Uncle hasn't arrived yet, he'll be here soon."
Qi Junsha chuckled and said, "That brat dared to abandon his master and run off on his own. Hehe, I'll settle the score with him later."
His unreasonable tone made everyone laugh; he was the one who ran off on his own, yet he blamed his apprentice. But no one dared to argue with him.
Qi Junsha then said, "Who knows what kind of bad things this brat did in the Western Continent? Tell me."
Hong Qian knew more about Li Qiang's affairs, and he said, "Grandmaster Uncle, hehe, I know some things... but... hehe..." He meant that there were some things he didn't know either.
Qi Junsha urged impatiently, "Stop stammering! Speak quickly!"
Hong Qian always respected his teacher, and he hurriedly told Qi Junsha everything that had happened after Li Qiang arrived in the Western Continent.
When the conversation turned to seeing disciples of the Ancient Sword Academy on the Heavenly Road Grassland, Qi Junsha interjected, " Ancient Sword Academy? You mean the Ancient Sword Academy? What are they doing here?"
No one knew that Qi Junsha was originally a master of the Ancient Sword Academy, and they all found his reaction very strange.
Qi Junsha inquired about the Ancient Sword Academy in great detail, but unfortunately Hong Qian didn't know much and only gave the same few sentences over and over again, which made Qi Junsha very unhappy.
When pressed further, Hong Qian raised his hands in surrender, saying, "You can ask them yourself later. I only met them once; I know nothing else."
Qi Junsha laughed and scolded, "You're so stupid! Forget it, the little guy just doesn't finish what he starts. What did you do next?"
Hong Qian was both amused and exasperated by his words, and continued his story. This time, Qi Junsha didn't interrupt. After finally waiting for Hong Qian to finish, Qi Junsha rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought, trying to guess who the Overwhelming Annihilation Patriarch really was. Hong Qian didn't know much about many things, so he didn't provide Qi Junsha with much information. If Li Qiang were here, Qi Junsha wouldn't have to rack his brains like this.
Qi Junsha suddenly looked up and said, "Hehe, the brat is back." Sure enough, a whooshing sound came from the sky, and two beams of light landed on the ground.
Li Qiang spotted Qi Junsha immediately and exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, where have you been hiding?"
The crowd burst into laughter; his tone was exactly the same as Qi Junsha's just now. The master and disciple really had a tacit understanding.
Mei'er was extremely surprised; it was the first time she had ever seen such a handsome young man. She flew to Qi Junsha's side and said sweetly, "Little brother, what's your name? Hehe, you're so cute!"
Everyone, including Li Qiang, was stunned.
Qi Junsha was also extremely surprised, "Huh? It's actually Spirit Body, that's so rare."
Mei'er laughed and said, "You're making a fuss over nothing! Little brother, call me 'sister' so I can hear you."
Li Qiang scooped Mei'er up in his arms and quickly said, " Mei'er, don't talk nonsense. He is my master."
Qi Junsha circled around Mei'er, a mischievous grin on his face, and said, "Little girl, how dare you take advantage of this old man, hehe."
Li Qiang shouted, "You're not allowed to make a move on her! Who told you to make yourself so beautiful..."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Mei'er then realized that he was the Old Freak Daoist Qi Junsha. Terrified, she transformed back to the size of a thumb, flew to the little Sea Demon's side, and hid inside the little Sea Demon's blue feathers.
Qi Junsha looked on with a greedy expression and said, "My good disciple, how did you subdue this Spirit Body? Hehe, it's a good thing, a really good thing."
Li Qiang said irritably, "Who subdued her? She's my sworn sister. Mei'er, come out, don't be afraid of him... call him 'Master Uncle'."
Mei'er flew out again and nervously said, "Greetings, Senior Uncle!" She immediately hid again, knowing that she had been too rash.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Don't be afraid of him. He's my master; he won't bully you."
Mei'er dared not come out again.
Qi Junsha grinned and took out a jade bottle. He opened the cap, and a wisp of pink smoke drifted out. He said, "Little girl, come out. This old man doesn't stoop to the level of a junior. Look what this is?"
Mei'er peeked out from the Sea Demon's blue feathers and exclaimed in surprise, " Dragon Rich Incense! Wow! It's Dragon Rich Incense!"
Qi Junsha exclaimed in admiration, "Excellent! Excellent! This little girl has remarkable knowledge; she even recognizes this. Would you like this old man to help you forge a spirit sword?"
Mei'er was almost overjoyed. With a "whoosh," she flew off Li Qiang's shoulder, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, Uncle-Master! Thank you, Uncle-Master!"
Mei'er knew that if she relied on her own strength to cultivate the spirit sword, it would take at least a hundred years. With Qi Junsha's help and the addition of Dragon Rich Incense, her Spirit Body could quickly leap to the high realm of the Spirit Sword Body, and Spirit Body cultivation level could also be greatly improved. How could she not be happy?
Li Qiang was overjoyed and stepped forward to hug Qi Junsha, chuckling, "Master is the best!"
Unexpectedly, Qi Junsha kicked Li Qiang away and angrily shouted, "Damn it, how dare you hug an old man like me..."
Geng Feng clapped and laughed, "Haha, he's Little Madman, what wouldn't he dare to do?"
Li Qiang scratched his head awkwardly, not expecting Qi Junsha's reaction to be so intense. He laughed self-deprecatingly, "Hehe, hehe, you old man can be shy too... uh..." He realized he had said the wrong thing again and hurriedly ran away, "Hey, Master... waaaaah... help!"
A streak of azure light flew from Qi Junsha's hand, shooting towards Li Qiang. Li Qiang unleashed his Star-Absorbing Sword Mist, parrying as he fled.
Qi Junsha pointed a finger at the blue light, "Hehe, you naughty brat! Let's see how this old man teaches you a lesson... Huh, True Illusion Sword Qi... Good heavens, where did you learn that?"
Li Qiang had no time to answer; the azure light posed a tremendous threat to him. Just a touch of it sent shivers down his spine.
Qi Junsha made a grabbing motion in mid-air with her palm, and the azure light immediately transformed into a light screen.
Li Qiang felt the pressure increase dramatically, so he raised his hand and slashed wildly, sending out five or six streaks of red light.
Qi Junsha exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, where did you learn the Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder... Huh? There's also Devil-Slaying Thorn inside... My good disciple, did you see people from the Buddha Sect?" In a flash of blue light, the Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder was completely neutralized by him.
The crowd gasped in surprise, with Zhao Hao and several of the senior disciples shouting frantically.
Qi Junsha said casually, "Master is disciplining his disciples, what are you shouting for? You're making a fuss over nothing! My good disciple, come here! Hehe, where did you learn the Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder?"
Li Qiang wasn't fooled. He immediately replied, "I'm self-taught, you know. Let me make it clear first, the Buddha Sect sect has already left this world; you can't possibly find them anymore."
The others couldn't understand what "this realm" meant, but Qi Junsha did. He was filled with emotion, knowing that the Buddha Sect had obtained that divine artifact.
Qi Junsha beckoned Mei'er over and said, "Little girl, remember, after you learn the Spirit Sword Body, you must not kill indiscriminately, understand?"
Mei'er readily agreed.
Qi Junsha chuckled, "You're getting off easy, little girl. After you've mastered the Spirit Sword Body, you need to cultivate in seclusion for a while to consolidate it, because you didn't progress to this realm gradually."
Qi Junsha used his strength as Loose Immortal to transform Mei'er, which greatly helped Mei'er. He raised his hand and threw the jade bottle into the air. The jade bottle made a crisp cracking sound, and a strange fragrance was released. A cloud of pink mist floated up and down.
Qi Junsha said, "Little girl, don't just stand there, fly inside quickly!"
Mei'er excitedly agreed and flew into the thick fog without hesitation.
Tange had been restless the whole time. When he saw Nashan return, he was like seeing a savior. He grabbed him and pulled him aside, saying, " Old Na, give me some advice. Sigh! I'm thinking of staying."
Nashan's face turned pale, and he shouted, " Tange, you... you dare! Don't you dare be like that guy Kankanqi! Brother, let's go together. We'll have a chance to come back later. If you stay here... I... no! You can't stay! Brother..."
Despite their seemingly antagonistic relationship, the two actually have the best bond among the group. Nashan, now truly enraged, grabbed Tange and refused to let go.
He dragged Tange to a large tree and said viciously, "If you dare stay, I'll never forgive you..."
Tange said with a wry smile, " Old Na, sigh! I also want to go with the boss, but what about my brother? He's still waiting for me to go back and help him..."
Nashan interrupted him, saying, " Old Tan, listen to me, come with us. After you've achieved success in your cultivation, I'll come back with you. We two brothers get along the best... Without you, I don't want to cultivate anymore."
Tange said, "I'd better ask the boss."
Nashan grabbed him tightly, terrified. "Damn it, don't ask the boss! Just ask me!"
He knew perfectly well that his boss would never try to keep him, just like with Kankanqi last time. If his boss had tried to keep him, Kankanqi would never have stayed on the Tanbang Continent.
Under his persistent pleading, Tange finally gritted her teeth and said, "Alright, but you have to come back with me next time, okay?"
Nashan laughed happily, "Hehe, no problem, definitely! Definitely!"
Stimulated by the Dragon Rich Incense, Mei'er 'Spirit Body began to truly solidify. With the help of a master like Qi Junsha, she cultivated her own Spirit Body Primordial Spirit —a fist-sized spiritual pearl that emitted a soft pink light.
Zhao Hao asked in a low voice, "Master, where is Mei'er?"
Li Qiang pointed to the spirit pearl floating in the Dragon Rich Incense, "That's Mei'er. Interesting, she actually possesses a spirit Primordial Spirit; she must be very powerful."
Gradually, the Dragon Rich Incense was absorbed into the spirit pearl, which shrank to the size of a pigeon egg and flew erratically in the sky.
Qi Junsha shouted, "My good disciple, accept my Spirit Body Primordial Spirit!"
Upon hearing this, Li Qiang leaped up, and as soon as he was in the air, the bead flew into Li Qiang hand automatically.
Li Qiang landed beside Qi Junsha and asked, "Master, when will Mei'er be able to take human form?"
Qi Junsha chuckled, "You have the strongest primordial yang energy. If you keep it close to your chest, it will be closest to you. Hehe, after you take human form, it will recognize you as its father."
Li Qiang was extremely surprised, "You mean... I should hatch Mei'er?"
Qi Junsha laughed triumphantly, "That's right! You could say that, haha." Everyone found it unbelievable.
Li Qiang smiled and shook his head, saying, "Let them hatch. I've seen plenty of strange things in the Cultivation Realm anyway. Hehe, it would be nice if we could hatch a daughter." He took out a piece of Heavenly Gold Essence that he had kept in his Buddha Finger and quickly smelted it with Heavenly Fire.
No one expected Li Qiang to refine something at this time, but Qi Junsha suddenly understood and couldn't help but sigh, "You're spoiling her like this now, hehe, you'll have a lot of headaches to deal with later."
Li Qiang didn't answer, Heart Refining an exquisite chain and making a hollow pendant to hold the spirit pearl. He then hung it around his neck before smiling and saying, "Alright, all done! Master, let's go to the summit. Zhao Hao, you take command."
The ancient teleportation array at the summit was very large, and anyone could stand inside. After Qi Junsha went up, he began to adjust the teleportation position.
Kubo pulled Li Qiang and Hong Qian aside and said, "Boss, Master, I plan to stay on the Tanbang Continent. If I leave too, what will happen to the Grand Alliance?"
Li Qiang said, "Well, that's good. Kankanqi and the others also need someone to guide them. I'll have Hong Qian come back to find you later. These things are for you." He took out more than a dozen storage belts and more than a dozen flying swords and handed them to Kubo.
Nashan secretly rejoiced that he had dissuaded Tange earlier; otherwise, Tange would definitely have stayed. He grabbed Tange and said, "Let's go see how the old man activates the teleportation array."
Tange was pulled aside in a daze, not seeing Kubo leave.
Qi Junsha shouted from within the formation, "Come in quickly! We're leaving!" Everyone rushed into the formation. Just as Li Qiang was about to speak, Qi Junsha triumphantly yelled, "They're leaving! Haha!"
This was an unfamiliar place. As they looked around, they saw rolling green hills and dense forests.
Li Qiang felt puzzled; this place seemed different from the Heavenly Court Star. He asked, "Master, have we arrived at the Heavenly Court Star?"
Qi Junsha asked in surprise, "Who said we were going to the Heavenly Court Star? This is Sealed Fate Planet."
This time, not only Li Qiang shouted, but Nashan and Zhao Hao also shouted.
Li Qiang exclaimed, "You're really something, old man! We're going to the Heavenly Court Star!"
Qi Junsha chuckled, "I'm the master, what I say goes! We'll go to Sealed Fate Planet first, then to the Heavenly Court."
Li Qiang asked, "Is there something you need, sir?"
Qi Junsha said, "I'll take you to the Ancient Sword Academy."
Li Qiang suddenly realized that his master was homesick.
He glanced at Zhao Hao and the others, who were all dejected, and knew they felt the same way. After hesitating for a moment, Li Qiang said, "Master, I'll go back with you. Let Zhao Hao and the others return to Heavenly Court Star first, okay?" Qi Junsha only needed Li Qiang with him; he didn't care whether the others came or not.
Geng Feng said, "I'll stay with Little Madman." Hong Qian and Paben didn't leave either.
Li Qiang discussed with Zhao Hao, instructing him to take his men back to the Gusong Kingdom and stay at his home. He also urged them to seize the time to cultivate their skills, as their strength was still too weak. Nashan did not ask to stay this time, as he was also very homesick.
Qi Junsha activated the teleportation array again, sending Zhao Hao and the others away. Then he said to Li Qiang, "Let's go!" With a flick of his sleeve, a flash of blue light appeared, and instantly everyone vanished.
Sealed Fate Planet is a very peculiar place. The entire planet is covered with towering mountains and very little flat land. Without the ability to fly, it is virtually impossible to move around here. There are also some indigenous people who mainly live by hunting.
Throughout the continent of Sealed Fate Planet, there are countless cultivation sects of varying sizes, as well as many so-called cultivation families. Sealed Fate Planet is a place where hidden talents abound, among which the seven most famous cultivation sects are the most renowned.
The seven major cultivation sects refer to those powerful factions with numerous disciples.
Ancient Sword Academy was very famous on Sealed Fate Planet, once ranking second among the seven major sects with thousands of disciples. However, since the Old Freak Daoist Qi Junsha was imprisoned, Ancient Sword Academy's ranking among the seven major sects has plummeted, from second to sixth place, and it almost got squeezed out of the rankings.
Qi Junsha was ranked first among the experts on Sealed Fate Planet who had not yet undergone tribulation, making him an extremely powerful cultivator.
Ancient Sword Academy is located on the western side of the Five Elements Mountain Range, one of the most famous blessed lands on Sealed Fate Planet. Its terrain is rugged and vast, surrounded by mountains with numerous caves and ravines. A Spirit Vein spring flows underground, nourishing all things, making everything vibrant and full of life. The area designated by the Ancient Sword Academy is extremely large, with two layers of restrictions preventing outsiders from entering. To enter, one must first go to the Ancient Sword Academy Sword Gathering Town, where disciples of the Ancient Sword Academy will guide them through the mountain gate's teleportation system to reach the Ancient Sword Academy.
Sword Gathering Town is a small town built alongside the Ancient Sword Academy. The town is nestled against the mountain, and in the center of the town is a small teleportation array, which serves as a means of transportation connecting the major sects and cities of Sealed Fate Planet. Most of the houses in the town are constructed using Law Technique, and their designs are quite diverse.
Every two years, a group of people from other towns come here to become disciples and cultivate immortality. The "Opening Ceremony" of the Ancient Sword Academy, which takes place every two years, is held for this kind of disciple recruitment event.
Qi Junsha and the four of them landed in Sword Gathering Town. It was during the biennial "Opening the Mountain Gate" festival, and the town was bustling with activity. Countless people came from all over the country, some to become disciples, some to offer congratulations, and many more to do business.
Geng Feng said, "It's really lively here, there are quite a few people."
Qi Junsha overwhelmed with emotion and said, "This is the opening of the mountain gate; the town is much bigger than before."
Sword flashes could be seen in the sky from time to time. Hong Qian said, "Goodness, there are so many cultivators here who can fly with swords. Uncle, look..." Several cultivators landed from the sky and swaggered into a shop.
Qi Junsha said, "Don't make a fuss. Most people here cultivate immortality, and many of them know how to fly with swords."
Li Qiang sighed, "It seems this is a world of cultivators."
Paben remained sullen; he had not yet recovered from the grief of losing his daughter.
Qi Junsha didn't bother to find the disciple in charge of reception; instead, he led Li Qiang and the other three directly to the mountain gate of the Ancient Sword Academy.
Upon seeing the mountain gate from afar, Li Qiang couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "Wow, what a huge archway!"
The archway-like structure in front of the mountain gate is actually a treasure. It is the key to the outer ring of restrictions in the entire Ancient Sword Academy. It is crafted to be magnificent and very eye-catching.
Qi Junsha shook his head and said, "It's getting more and more extravagant. If cultivators focus on these kinds of things, what's the point of cultivating? Sigh! Each generation is worse than the last."
Upon arriving at the mountain gate, five or six cultivators blocked their path. One of them, dressed in black robes and wearing a gold belt, stepped forward and asked, "Excuse me, esteemed guests, do you have an invitation from the Ancient Sword Academy?"
Qi Junsha didn't let Li Qiang speak, and looked the disciple up and down, saying in an old-fashioned tone, "You're a disciple of the Golden Qilin Sword Academy? Hmm, only at the Spirit Quiescence Realm." The other disciples, unsure of his background, dared not be rude.
Qi Junsha then asked, "Who is the current head of the Ancient Sword Academy? Tell me."
Many visitors were heading into the mountain, Qi Junsha and his group happened to be blocking their way. As the crowd gradually grew, the disciples began to panic. Li Qiang, unsure of his master's intentions and unable to get a word in edgewise, could only wait quietly on the sidelines.
A cultivator holding the invitation interrupted, "Are you going in? If not, move aside! Don't block the way."
Geng Feng was displeased and turned his head, saying, "Stop talking nonsense! Go wait over there! We were here first, you know?"
The cultivator shouted, "Hey, who are you? You dare to block the gate of the Ancient Sword Academy? You've got some nerve! Come and have a match!" He suddenly spat out his flying sword.