Ancient Sword Academy has a special large teleportation array. After bidding farewell to everyone, Li Qiang was teleported to Heavenly Court Star.
Upon arriving at Heavenly Court Star, Li Qiang discovered that it was a desolate Gobi Desert, with the teleportation array hidden among the rocks, making it difficult to spot without careful observation.
This wasn't the location of the ancient teleportation array from Mars to Heavenly Court Star. At first, he thought he had teleported to the wrong place again, but then he realized that was impossible. A major sect like the Ancient Sword Academy was very meticulous in its work and wouldn't make a mistake.
He carefully tried to discern the direction, but to no avail. He thought to himself, "I should ask someone." So he got up and flew forward quickly.
The Gobi Desert is extremely desolate. The reddish-brown earth is swept by the dry, scorching wind, which whips up red soil and sand that fly through the air. Occasionally, a few birds can be seen flying by in the distance, seemingly unable to bear the desolate and bleak landscape.
Fortunately, Li Qiang didn't care about the high temperature. He flew high in the sky, his eyes scanning the earth like an eagle. After flying for a long time, he didn't see a single ghost. Li Qiang couldn't help but smile bitterly, thinking that he seemed to be lost.
After flying for a while longer, he vaguely heard a clanging sound.
He flew towards the sound and saw a camel caravan slowly heading east. Li Qiang smiled happily; finding the caravan would make things much easier.
He was about to land directly when he changed his mind. He thought, "If I land rashly like this, I'll scare the caravan to death. I'd better land in front of them and wait."
Li Qiang quietly flew ahead and landed, then immediately changed into the clothes of the Heavenly Court Star. Suddenly feeling playful, he lay down on the ground, closed his eyes, and pretended to be unconscious.
Gradually, the clanging sounds of the camel caravan grew closer, and someone cried out, "Look! There's a dead man!" Footsteps and shouts of commands to the animals filled the air.
Li Qiang chuckled inwardly, finding it quite amusing to play dead.
A hoarse voice rang out. "What a mess! Keep an eye on your animals! Qi Tuozi, Wang Laogun, come with me." Footsteps stopped beside Li Qiang.
Li Qiang glanced over and saw three men dressed in black robes surrounding him. The old man leading them held a machete. He nudged Li Qiang lightly with the machete and said, "Strange! There's no dirt on him, and his clothes are clean. It's really strange. It looks like he fell from the sky."
Li Qiang secretly praised him, thinking, "He truly is a man from a camel caravan; he's experienced in traveling and spotted something amiss at a glance."
One of them said, "Old whip master, give him some water; perhaps he's fainted from the heat..."
Another person said, " Wang Laogun, it's still a long way to the next water source. If one more person comes to drink water, it will be even harder for us. Let's not worry about it and go!"
Wang Laogun was a little angry. " Qi Tuozi, we can't just stand by and watch someone die, can we? Use my water..."
Old Man with the whip said, "What's all the noise about? Shut up! Hey, Wang Laogun, give him some water, wake him up and ask him... Strange, how did he end up here all by himself? It's been several days' journey, and there's no water or food in the Gobi Desert... It's unbelievable."
A strong stench of sweat wafted over, and a large hand lifted Li Qiang by the back of his neck, shoving the rough opening of a leather water pouch into his mouth. The water inside had a fishy, foul smell, and Li Qiang immediately spat it out. He dared not pretend any longer; this was worse than being beaten. He feigned a heavy breath and repeatedly thanked them, "Ah... thank you, brothers! Thank you for saving my life!"
Li Qiang sat up abruptly and asked, "Https://m. hetushu. com Where is this? Can you tell me?" He didn't look like someone who had just woken up from a coma.
The three men on the road simultaneously took a few steps back. The old man gripped his cleaver tightly and shouted fiercely, "Who are you?"
Li Qiang waved his hand and laughed, "It's none of your business... I'm just lost!"
Wang Laogun's water pouch fell to the ground. He drew his long knife from his back and pointed it at Li Qiang. The three men looked on with wary expressions.
Li Qiang shook his head, finding the idea of fun no longer appealing. He bent down to pick up the leather water bag from the ground and said, "Brothers, don't be so nervous. I really am lost. Can we travel together?" His refined and scholarly appearance made it hard for anyone to associate him with bandits and robbers.
Wang Laogun took the water bag and asked suspiciously, "Young man, how... how did you get here all by yourself?"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Hey, I already said I'm lost. Which way should I go next, towards the library?"
The old camel driver refused, saying, "Alright, since you're lost, I'll tell you... head in this direction, and you'll reach the Little River Willow Oasis in five to ten days. Young man, your origins are unknown, so our caravan dares not take you in. Please leave!"
Qi Tuozi said, "That's right, do as you please. Our caravan doesn't take in people with unclear identities."
Wang Laogun said, "That's not a good idea. He's all alone, doesn't know the way, and has no food or water. He's doomed to die in the Gobi Desert..."
Qi Tuozi interrupted him, saying, "What does it matter to you whether he lives or dies? The caravan doesn't have any extra food or water. If something happens, he'll just be a burden."
Wang Laogun seemed stubborn. He sheathed his long knife and said, "I'll take him, alright? My camel caravan will distribute the food and water to him; everyone else doesn't need to contribute!"
Qi Tuozi shouted, "Old whip-wielder, look! Look! That old bachelor's being stubborn again! I don't care, I'm not giving him a drop of water!"
Old Man Zhang sighed and said, " Wang Laogun, if it weren't for your bad temper... oh well, take him if you want." He and Qi Tuozi turned around and walked towards the camel caravan.
Li Qiang had originally planned to ask for directions and fly there himself; he hadn't expected the camel caravan to take him in. Wang Laogun's generosity and kindness put him in a difficult position. After thinking for a moment, he decided to travel with them for a while and then quietly leave at night. He thanked them, saying, "Thanks, brother!"
Wang Laoguan smiled honestly and said, "Little brother, come with me."
The caravan has resumed its journey; they will not delay their trip for a stranger.
Wang Laogun led Li Qiang to his camel and said, "Young brother, could you lend a hand and keep an eye on these camels?"
The tall camels are similar to camels, with humps and wide wooden frames on top. Each camel carries four bags tied with straw ropes, which are hung on the wooden frames on both sides.
Li Qiang asked, "Brother, what kind of goods are you carrying?"
Wang Laogun said, "Rock salt blocks, and some specialties of the Chu People."
This caravan was formed by seven small caravans, with more than two hundred camels and horses and more than thirty people. They transported rock salt from the Chu People deep in the Gobi Desert. This road used to be very difficult to travel, not only because of the extreme heat and lack of water, but also because of the many bandits and local tyrants. Only in recent years has it become a little calmer, so caravans have started to travel on this ancient trade route again.
Wang Laogun was the head of one of the small camel caravans. His caravan had more than forty camels and horses and employed six helpers, so he was short-handed. After Li Qiang joined, he was immediately assigned to drive the animals.
Li Qiang had no objection to this. He enthusiastically took the reins of the camel and horse and happily started driving.
The camel caravan members were all very poor people who joined out of sheer desperation to make a living. This nomadic life was not only arduous, but their safety was also frequently uncertain. If they encountered sandstorms, water shortages, getting lost, or disease, they were left to their fate. If they encountered bandits or sand tyrants, they were even more unlucky; it was common for them to disappear without a trace. Therefore, anyone with a chance to survive would not join a camel caravan.
Li Qiang greeted his men, but they didn't speak, only nodded in acknowledgment, a slight smile appearing on their dark faces, seeming very friendly. Li Qiang asked curiously, "Brother, why aren't they saying anything?"
Wang Laogun explained, "It's hot, and water is limited, so everyone tries to talk as little as possible. If there were no water here, people would die." This was based on his experience.
As dusk fell, a rosy glow appeared on the horizon, adding a touch of enchanting color to the Gobi Desert.
The camel caravans that were moving forward gave the order to rest on the spot and set off again early the next morning, and each caravan immediately got busy.
Li Qiang, who knew nothing about it, said, "Brother, just let me know if you need anything. I don't know how to do it." The men all laughed. After a long day of work, they could finally rest and eat, and their mood relaxed.
The camels were led in a circle, and the crew began unloading. The campsite was instantly bustling with activity, the neighing of the camels, the shouts of the crew, and the jingling of the camel bells all blending together to create a lively atmosphere.
With six men, plus Wang Laogun and Li Qiang, they had to unload the cargo from more than forty camels and horses—a physically demanding task that most people couldn't handle.
Seeing that Li Qiang looked weak and frail, Wang Laogun let him lead the camels while he and his men unloaded the goods. After unloading the goods from more than a dozen camels, Wang Laogun and his men were all drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Each camel carried about 600 jin of goods, and unloading continuously made them feel very tired.
One of the workers was rather thin, and he was panting heavily as he said, "Uncle Wang, please... please give me some water, I'm so thirsty..." The other workers also looked at Wang Laogun, and it was clear that they were extremely thirsty.
Wang Laogun wiped his sweat and said, " Xiya, you talk too much. You've only done a little work and you're already complaining. Look at the other camel caravans, they've almost finished unloading. Keep up the good work, and once you're done, each of you will get a ladle of water."
Wang Laogun then led over another camel and horse, saying, "Come on! Hurry up!" He handed the reins to Li Qiang.
The Xiya wobbled over, his thin body almost floating. Li Qiang couldn't bear to watch any longer and said, "Little brother, come here, you hold the reins, let me try."
Wang Laogun only wanted someone to unload the goods; it didn't matter who it was. The camels had been carrying goods all day, and they needed to be unloaded quickly so the animals could rest. Otherwise, if a camel died from exhaustion, the goods would be wasted, and no one could carry the goods across the Gobi Desert.
Li Qiang's performance greatly surprised Wang Laogun. Despite his frail appearance, he single-handedly unloaded the entire load from the camel. He had his men hold up the wooden frame, and then, carrying a bag in each hand, he lifted the load off the camel. He then moved to the other side and carried another bag in each hand.
Watching him pick up the goods, it was as if the bags were filled with cotton. Wang Laogun and his men all knew that each bag weighed more than 150 jin (75 kg).
Soon, the goods were unloaded from the more than forty camels and horses. Several workers tidied up the piled-up goods, opened a large bundle of hay, and busied themselves feeding the camels and horses.
The Xiya had already started a campfire in the center of the camp surrounded by camels and horses.
Wang Laogun patted Li Qiang on the back and laughed, "Brother, you've got some real strength! I didn't realize." His voice was hoarse from thirst.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "It's nothing." For him, it really was nothing; with his cultivation level, lifting even the heaviest goods was no problem.
Wang Laogun was carrying a soft leather water bag, and all the men were staring at him.
Wang Laogun plopped down in front of the campfire and said in a hoarse voice, "Bring me the water ladle."
The six men simultaneously stretched out their hands, each holding a gourd ladle. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, making Li Qiang burst into laughter.
Wang Laogun carefully poured half a ladle of water for each person and asked, "Young man, do you have anything to hold the water?"
Li Qiang reached behind his back and quietly took out a stainless steel teacup from his bracelet, saying, "I have one!" He himself didn't understand why he was getting involved.
The Xiya exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, these Jingjing things are so pretty!"
Wang Laogun poured Li Qiang a large glass of water and said, "Everyone, drink sparingly. We still have six or seven days of travel ahead, and there won't be any water along the way. Now we have one more person. You've seen this brother... Oh, by the way, what's your name?"
Li Qiang smiled and said, "My surname is Li, Li Qiang. Please take care of me."
Wang Laogun said, "You all saw Brother Li unloading the goods just now; he's got real strength. Xiya, you need to reduce your water and food intake. Brother Li did all the work today. Damn it! Don't frown; the camel caravan always prioritizes the capable ones. Go! Get me some dried flatbread."
The Xiya distressed and dared not argue. In the camel caravan, the leader had the final say. Any member who disobeyed would suffer a terrible fate; the worst punishment was being abandoned on the Gobi Desert.
The Xiya lowered his head and drank the water from the ladle in small sips; his lips were cracked and bleeding.
Wang Laogun took a mouthful of water and swallowed it after a long while, seemingly very reluctant to do so.
Li Qiang never imagined that a ladle of water would be so precious.
The Xiya took out a stack of dried noodles from the bag, carefully holding the water ladle in one hand and supporting the dried noodles in the other. He had just said, "The noodles are here... Oops!" when his foot stepped on a pebble and he fell down. The ladle of water splashed onto the ground and quickly seeped into the sand and gravel.
The Xiya was stunned. He sat down on the ground and began to sob.
Wang Laogun couldn't help but curse, "Are you an idiot? Are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me? Damn it, if everyone were like you, how would we ever get out of the Gobi Desert? We might as well just dig a hole and bury ourselves... that would save us a lot of trouble."
The other men didn't dare to utter a sound, listening to Wang Laogun's outburst of anger.
Li Qiang couldn't bear to watch any longer. He walked over to the Xiya, handed him his teacup, and said, "Little brother, here you go, don't cry..."
The Xiya stared at Li Qiang in disbelief; he had never met such a kind person.
Wang Laogun sighed, "Brother Li, forget it, you've given it to him. What are you going to drink? Xiya, come here, I'll give you another ladleful, sigh..."
Actually, Wang Laogun is quite soft-hearted; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken Li Qiang in.
The other guys all stared at Li Qiang. His actions were too unusual—giving his water to someone else. In the Gobi Desert, this was tantamount to suicide. They had never seen such a fool before. However, his actions also won the favor of these guys.
The Xiya handed the teacup back to Li Qiang, saying, "Brother, thank you, but I can't drink your water."
Wang Laogun picked up the dry flour cakes from the ground, dusted them off, and gave two to each person.
Li Qiang took it and saw that it was a flatbread the size of a small pot lid, about two fingers thick, and as hard as a brick.
The Xiya then took a handful of pickled radish strips and distributed them to everyone.
Li Qiang clutched the flatbread, amused. He didn't need to eat these things, and he was leaving soon anyway, so there was no need to hide anything. Why should he compete with these poor people for food?
Xiya said, "Big brother, eat up, or you'll be hungry tomorrow." Li Qiang had just handed him water, Xiya thought he was a good person.
Li Qiang quietly poured water for Xiya and gently shook his finger, signaling him not to refuse. Xiya was surprised and burst into tears; he was so thirsty.
Wang Laogun said, "The night watch will be the same as always. This time it's the three of you. Brother Li will start tomorrow."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "I'll keep watch tonight, you guys just rest."
Wang Laogun and said, "No, we can't break the rules."
Li Qiang smiled and made no further demands.
The campfire gradually dimmed; night had fallen.
Seeing that everyone was fast asleep, Li Qiang prepared to leave.
He had just stood up when the Xiya beside him woke up and asked, "Big brother, where are you going?"
"Why aren't you asleep? You won't have the energy to herd the livestock tomorrow. Go to sleep."
"I can't sleep, brother. Where are you from? Why did you come to the Gobi Desert?"
Knowing he couldn't leave now, Li Qiang sat down and asked, " Xiya, how old are you?" changing the subject.
"I'll be sixteen soon."
"You're still a child, why are you doing hard labor in a camel caravan?"
A bitter expression crossed the Xiya's face as he said, "My family died in a fire, and there's no one left. Uncle Wang took pity on me and brought me to the camel caravan to get some food." He licked his lips and added, "It's just that I'm very thirsty on the road, but otherwise it's alright. The flatbread is plentiful."
Li Qiang took out the stainless steel teacup, put in two solid water balls he had bought on the Tanbang Continent, and slammed it in his palm. With a "whoosh," the cup was filled with water. He handed it to Xiya and said, "Drink."
The Xiya could hardly believe it; he thought Li Qiang was playing a magic trick. He took a sip; the water was clear and sweet, without a trace of any strange taste. He looked at Li Qiang with admiration and excitedly asked, "Big brother, how did you do that? Did you conjure it up? Can you teach me?"
Li Qiang smiled and shook his head, saying, "This can't be conjured up. Go drink it and go to sleep."
The Xiya held the teacup and drank it down sip by sip.
A gust of wind blew by, Li Qiang faintly heard a muffled rumble of thunder, very weak. He asked in surprise, "Why is there thunder? Is it going to rain here?"
The Xiya said, "Thunder? Impossible... It's never rained here." He handed the teacup back to Li Qiang.
"I can't be mistaken, it must be thunder. Well, this is for you."
The Xiya exclaimed happily, "Give it to me? Oh! Thank you, big brother!"
After a while, another gust of wind blew in, much stronger than before, kicking up dust and gravel from the ground. The muffled tremors could be clearly heard, and the camel and horse neighed loudly. Wang Laogun sat up and listened intently.
Li Qiang asked, "What happened?"
Wang Laogun cursed and shouted for his men, throwing the campsite into chaos.
Li Qiang stared thoughtfully in the direction of the thunder. Wang Laogun called out, "Brother Li, come quickly and lend a hand, a sandstorm is coming!"
Li Qiang hurried over. Under Wang Laogun's direction, the group formed a small circle around the camels and horses, and then surrounded the goods on the outer layer. After a flurry of activity, the camel caravan, which consisted of seven teams, was divided into seven groups, forming seven circles.
Wang Laogun's team, thanks to Li Qiang's help, was the first to finish. He said nervously, "When the sandstorm comes, everyone huddle inside your robes, don't get up, don't run around, understand?"
Amidst the chaos, the sky gradually brightened, the distant thunder subsided, the wind quietly died down, and all around was silent.
Li Qiang suddenly exclaimed, "This isn't a sandstorm tide!"
Wang Laogun said doubtfully, "Something's not right, it's strange!" The other workers also started discussing it amongst themselves.
The Xiya exclaimed, "Look, everyone! Wow! It's so beautiful!"
Wang Laogun shouted, "Everyone, lie down! That's immortals fighting!"
Li Qiang had already noticed that it was two groups of cultivators fighting with swords, and he asked, "Do you see this often?"
Wang Laogun said, "I've seen it twice already. Last time, it was two immortals fighting in the sky, which terrified us. Luckily, they ignored us."
Li Qiang was secretly astonished. He wondered what had happened on Heavenly Court Star that so many cultivators were fighting. Could it be that a divine artifact was about to be unearthed?
He looked up and saw seven or eight cultivators besieging two female cultivators. It was clear that the two girls were quite powerful, but there were too many opponents, making it difficult for them to defend themselves. The fighting cultivators gradually flew over the camel caravan, and violent thunderclaps echoed across the vast Gobi Desert.
The Xiya cried out in fear, "They can thunder! They can thunder!"
Wang Laogun quickly covered his mouth and whispered, "Are you out of your mind? Don't make a sound!"
Li Qiang suddenly spotted a familiar face – it was Lei Tianxiao from Qianjie Star, the guy who had once chased him relentlessly. He was still wearing his Heavenly Firmament Battle Armor, and a jade-green flying sword was darting up and down. Li Qiang couldn't help but tense up.
In the chaos of battle, a Yin Thunder struck the camel and horse herd, and with a deafening explosion, the camels and horses were instantly torn to pieces.
Wang Laogun said in a trembling voice, "Heavens! It's Qi Tuozi's camel caravan... Oh no..." He saw a streak of blue Yin Thunder flying towards his caravan and couldn't help but shout in alarm.
Li Qiang cursed, "Bastard!" He raised his hand and unleashed a bolt of Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder, which struck the Yin Thunder precisely. The loud bang in mid-air startled everyone.
Li Qiang raised his hand, donned the Billowing Essence Battle Armor and the Radiant Sun Ring, and leaped into the air, shouting, "Damn it! Can't you see there are people down below?"
His sudden outburst terrified Wang Laogun, who kept muttering, "What a sin! What a sin! I actually made the immortal do the work... What a sin!"
The Xiya was even more excited. He had always felt that Li Qiang was no ordinary person, and now it was finally confirmed. He held the teacup that Li Qiang had given him, muttering something to himself.
Lei Tianxiao suddenly spotted Li Qiang and almost didn't recognize him. Hearing Li Qiang's cursing, he snapped out of his daze and said menacingly, "I thought it was someone else, you brat! You think you're so great? Let's see how you escape this time!"
Little did he know that Li Qiang was no longer the rookie who had just arrived on Heavenly Court Star; he had become a completely different person.
Li Qiang smiled faintly and said, "It's not necessarily me who's escaping this time!" He exuded extreme confidence and powerful aura.
Lei Tianxiao was startled, feeling something was off. Li Qiang gave him a completely different feeling than before; it was the aura of a cultivation master.
A cultivator beside him, oblivious to his own mortality, cursed, "Let me handle this brat! Elder Lei, you stay back for me!"
The two girls looked curiously at Li Qiang, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, whispered a few words to each other, and watched the commotion with smiles.
The cultivator, clad in dark gray armor, pointed a flying sword, its tip a mix of yellow and green, and charged forward.
Lei Tianxiao, wanting to see Li Qiang's current strength, said from behind, "Be careful!"
Li Qiang's Star-Absorbing Sword Mist Sword Mist mist surged forth, appearing dreamlike and shimmering with silvery-purple light under the rising sun.
Lei Tianxiao was taken aback. He shouted, "Be careful! It's True Illusion Sword Qi!"
Li Qiang sneered, "It's too late."
The moment the man's flying sword touched the True Illusion Sword Qi, it shattered like a moth drawn to a flame, producing several crisp explosions before falling to the ground as Mars flew. Li Qiang raised his hand and unleashed two Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder, which the man had no time to defend against. Demon -Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder is a commonly used technique in the Buddha Sect; if mastered, it can be unleashed with a mere thought, making it incredibly fast.
"Boom! Boom... Bang!" The man was blasted back by the two bolts of Divine Thunder, and fragments of his armor fluttered down like a rain of flowers, a truly beautiful sight.
With a single move, he had the man dead or unconscious. Lei Tianxiao could hardly believe his eyes. How had this brat become so powerful?