Li Qiang sent the man flying with a single move, then let out a long roar as the Star-Absorbing Sword Mist surged towards Lei Tianxiao and the others.
Lei Tianxiao pointed his flying sword at the attack, but the moment it touched the Star-Absorbing Sword Mist, he sensed something was wrong. The Sword Mist was far too strange; his flying sword couldn't withstand its corrosive Sword Mist at all, as if it were tightly bound by a sticky force. He shouted in a panic, "Attack together!"
The people behind Lei Tianxiao dared not use their flying swords, but instead kept throwing out Yin Thunder.
There are two types of Yin Thunder. One type is made by collecting Yin energy and refining it, which can be thrown out when needed. The other type is made by condensing one's own True Essence Power through a special cultivation method, somewhat like Li Qiang's Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder. They used the first method, Yin Thunder that was refined in advance.
Suddenly, Yin Thunder roared and lightning flashed across the sky, creating a deafening explosion. They paid no heed to the fate of the camel caravan below.
Li Qiang, mindful of the camel caravan below and fearing they might be accidentally injured, shouted, " Golden Lotus Jade Throne!" and unleashed this Buddha Sect treasure.
The cultivators present weren't particularly powerful, but they all knew their stuff. The moment Li Qiang unleashed his Golden Lotus Jade Throne, Lei Tianxiao knew he was doomed. He simply couldn't understand how Li Qiang could possess so many treasures; the Golden Lotus Jade Throne seemed to be a legendary Buddha Sect treasure.
To protect the camel caravan below, Li Qiang unleashed the Ten Thousand Lotuses Bloom Spirit Technique. The Golden Lotus Jade Throne transformed into countless beams of golden light, showering the earth. In an instant, the desolate Gobi Desert was filled with life, as countless golden lotuses bloomed.
The two female cultivators were also shocked. This was a superb technique of materialization, something that only a master could possibly perform.
Lei Tianxiao's flying sword could no longer hold on, but he dared not retract it, because the Star-Absorbing Sword Mist was tightly binding his flying sword. If he retracted it, the Sword Mist could easily kill him.
This flying sword was forged with his heart and soul, and he absolutely couldn't bear to give it up.
A white, nine-aperture sphere flew out; it was the Nine-Aperture Soul-Seizing Orb. Several wisps of dark red smoke drifted out from it, followed by a mournful wail. Eight phantom figures bared their fangs and claws as they pounced on Lei Tianxiao.
Lei Tianxiao his finger, and the Soul-Capturing Ball shot out eight beams of white light. He pointed at Li Qiang and shouted, "Clumsy!"
Li Qiang smiled slightly. He had even seen demons before, so this kind of soul-refining stuff was a piece of cake for him. The Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder was the natural nemesis of these Nascent Soul fierce souls, not to mention that it also contained the Buddha Sect treasure Devil-Slaying Thorn.
Lei Tianxiao had already retrained his Nine-Aperture Soul-Seizing Orb, and he had also seized several Nascent Soul, so he considered himself very powerful.
Li Qiang unleashed eight bolts of Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder, laughing loudly, "You bastard, is that all you have besides this?"
The Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder Nascent Soul Thunder roared, and the shrill screams of the Nascent Soul Fiends were terrifying. The eight Nascent Soul Fiends flew back and pounced on Lei Tianxiao, about to retaliate. Just then, Lei Tianxiao's flying sword was also completely shattered by the Star-Absorbing Sword Mist. He was so frightened that his soul almost left his body, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, retreating desperately.
Lei Tianxiao was no longer able to retrieve his Nascent Soul Spirit. He suddenly grabbed a companion and threw him at the pursuing Nascent Soul Spirit Spirit, while he himself quickly fled into the distance.
The uncontrolled Nascent Soul Spirit lunged at the scapegoat, instantly devouring and gnawing him into a pile of bones.
With a wave of his hand, Li Qiang sent the little Sea Demon monster flying like an arrow, a flash of Blue Light, devouring the two Nascent Soul fiends.
The other cultivators fled in terror, never expecting Lei Tianxiao to use his companions as shields. The fight ended in less than a quarter of an hour. Li Qiang waved his hand, and the Golden Lotus Jade Throne transformed into a light shield, covering the swirling Nascent Soul Spirits. The little Sea Demon spat out its inner core within the light shield, sweeping away the Nascent Soul Spirits Spirits like a whirlwind.
Li Qiang finally breathed a sigh of Lei Tianxiao go.
Li Qiang retrieved the little Sea Demon and the Golden Lotus Jade Throne, glanced at the camel caravan below, and knowing they were safe and sound, turned and flew away into the distance, ignoring the two cultivation girls.
They hadn't flown far when they heard a sharp shout from behind, "Hey! Stop right there!" The two cultivation girls quickly caught up.
The girl in the lead exuded an unusual shrewdness and cunning. When Li Qiang first saw her, he had already categorized her as one of the difficult types.
The other girl looked a bit childish and quiet; she seemed like the easygoing type.
Li Qiang's eyesight was now exceptional. After experiencing so many people and events, he had developed his own set of rules for doing things. From the unparalleled confidence and superiority emanating from the two girls' expressions, he concluded that they must be cultivators from some major sect. Not wanting to provoke them, he hovered in the air, watching the two girls without moving.
The girl in the lead wore beautiful armor, with bright red patterns covering the silver-white surface. Her long hair was held back by a green bird-shaped hairpin with outstretched wings, and a red pearl was held in the bird's beak. The pearl shimmered with a faint red light, making her fair face look gorgeous and charming.
Li Qiang had to admit that the girls in the Cultivation Realm were all exceptionally beautiful. If he brought one back to Earth, even the biggest stars would pale in comparison.
Another, slightly younger girl was dressed similarly and even looked alike, but she was easily distinguishable by her demeanor. She said softly, "Sister, we should go now..."
The girl in the lead said, "Little sister, what's the rush? Let me find out before we leave... Hey, junior brother, which sect are you from? You didn't even greet us before turning and running away. How rude!"
She took advantage of the situation from the start, addressing him as "Junior Brother" before even introducing herself.
Li Qiang looked at her, both amused and exasperated. This girl was too shrewish and unreasonable. Although he had only helped the caravan for its safety, he had still managed to lend them a hand. Not only did she not say thank you, but she even came after him to demand an explanation.
Li Qiang sighed, "Young lady, is something the matter?"
The girl immediately cried out, "Little brother, don't talk nonsense! Who's a little girl? Hey, you've taken care of those bad guys, leaving us sisters with fewer opponents to practice with. What do you suggest we do now?"
Li Qiang said, "You're from Sealed Fate Planet, right? Little girl, don't run around like that, it's dangerous. Go back if you're alright." He seemed concerned and his expression was very friendly.
"Sister, let's go..." The little girl felt embarrassed; she thought Li Qiang's words made a lot of sense.
"Little sister, you... you can't tell? This guy is cursing at us! Hey! What do you mean, 'little girl, don't run around'... Hmph, don't think you're so great just because you have a few good Law Treasure. We sisters are just as good!" she shouted excitedly.
Li Qiang found it amusing; these two young girls were interesting, judging from their appearance to be disciples who had just come out of their sect for training.
He said in a serious tone, "Of course, you two young ladies are obviously from prestigious sects, you must be extraordinary. I only intervened because I was afraid of hurting the innocent camel caravan. Hmm, I didn't expect to steal your business." His words were even more sarcastic.
The girl shouted again, "Whose brother are you? Humph, how dare you take advantage of me! What kind of deal is this? We sisters aren't robbers! You! Apologize right now!"
Li Qiang couldn't help but smile slightly. He found it quite amusing that such a beautiful girl was being so unreasonable with him. "Oh, okay, sorry! Sorry!" But his tone was completely insincere, clearly just a perfunctory reply.
He then said, "Sorry, I have something to attend to, so I won't keep you two company any longer. Hehe, goodbye!" Without waiting for their reply, he quickly flew away.
Just then, he heard the girl behind him shout, "Don't run! You haven't answered me yet!" Li Qiang quickly channeled his true energy, and his flying speed suddenly increased, disappearing into the distance in an instant.
The Little River Willow Oasis is located near the Red Rock Petrification Mountain Range, within the territory of the Qingfeng Kingdom.
This oasis was formed by the melting snow and ice from the Red Rock Petrification Mountain Range. On the other side of the mountains lies the famous Frozen Plain. There is a city on the oasis— Sangshan City, the treasure trove of the Qingfeng Kingdom. It is a must-pass for camel caravans and a gathering place for merchants.
The nearby mountains also contain gold mines, and gold prospectors usually sell their gold here. It is also a place for selling stolen goods, with pawnshops lining the streets of town, and bandits from all over bringing their loot here to pawn for money.
Li Qiang entered the city around noon. Although there were soldiers guarding the city gate, they did not question pedestrians or collect any entrance tax. It seemed to be an undefended city.
The cobblestone pavement was deeply rutted by wheels, the streets were narrow, and the crowds were shoulder to shoulder, many of them carrying knives and swords. Li Qiang walked along, looking around. He liked the scene very much, as if he had returned to ancient times, feeling both strange and familiar.
What Li Qiang found most interesting was that there were many Qingfeng Kingdom with long braids, as well as Gusong Kingdom wearing turbans and Great Han Kingdom wearing leather armor, all dressed in a variety of styles.
In fact, his own attire was also incongruous. Before even reaching the oasis, he changed his clothes again, with his hair tied up in Seven-Sword Gold Ring, which was the abbot's emblem of the Ancient Sword Academy. His black hair was loose and draped over his shoulders, and he wore clothes and trousers made of Silver Perilla suede from Heavenly Melody City. His boots and belt were also rarely seen here.
Many pedestrians on the street looked at Li Qiang. His attire was too peculiar, and what was most strange was that his clothes seemed to shimmer with a faint silver light. Li Qiang ignored the stares of the crowd and only focused on the restaurants and gambling dens lining both sides of the street.
He walked to a large restaurant. The restaurant was very grand, a rare three-story brick and wood structure. The signboard above the door read " Triumphant Tower ". The entrance had an open space compared to other restaurants, and there was a row of simple stables next to it. There were five or six waiters standing at the door, and there didn't seem to be many customers inside.
The waiters and waitresses at the restaurant entrance had sharp eyes. The moment they saw Li Qiang, they knew he was a wealthy young master—luxuriously dressed, with fair skin and no trace of worldliness. They immediately greeted him, "Young master, you've arrived! Please come upstairs!"
Li Qiang had only intended to take a look, but seeing the waiter inviting customers, he thought, "I'll just check out this restaurant."
Upon entering the restaurant, Li Qiang realized he couldn't stand the smell; it was a strong, fishy, and gamey odor.
There were several tables of guests drinking and eating in the lobby on the first floor. He didn't say a word and walked upstairs. The wooden stairs were very narrow and made a strange "creaking" sound when he stepped on them.
Upon reaching the second floor, Li Qiang nodded in satisfaction and found a table by the window to sit down.
A waiter wiped the table attentively and asked, "Sir, what would you like to order?"
Li Qiang had no appetite whatsoever; with his current level of cultivation, he no longer needed any food. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Do you have any fruit or anything like that?"
The waiter was stunned; he had never seen anyone come into a restaurant and ask for fruit. He smiled wryly and said, "Sir, we don't sell fruit here, only wine, dishes, and noodles."
Li Qiang tossed out a two-ounce piece of gold and said, "Then let's go to the street and buy it!"
This was the first time the waiter had ever seen a customer bring gold to a restaurant to buy fruit. His hands trembled as he picked up the gold from the table, bowing and scraping as he said, "Sir, please wait a moment, I'll be right there." He practically tumbled downstairs.
Suddenly, there was a soft sound from the back window. Li Qiang turned his head and couldn't help but smile wryly. It was those two cultivation girls; they had actually followed him into the restaurant.
Li Qiang scratched his head, suppressing the urge to speak, and continued looking at the street scene outside the window, pretending not to know the two of them.
Two girls sat opposite Li Qiang, the one in the lead glaring at him fiercely.
Li Qiang suppressed a laugh, coughed once, and still remained silent.
The girl was so angry that she kept poking the table with her slender, smooth, and white fingers, but the table couldn't withstand her force and soon many small holes appeared.
Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer. "Hey! You're so strange. We're not monsters, why are you running away? Are you afraid we'll bully you?"
Li Qiang's gaze swept back and forth between the two women's faces, nodding repeatedly as if deliberately teasing them, as if to say, "You're right, you two are indeed monsters, and I'm afraid you'll bully me."
"Hey! You... you're being unreasonable..." She had never seen a cultivator like this before.
Li Qiang realized things were going badly; the girl was about to explode. He quickly smiled and said, "May I ask where you two ladies are from? And what are your names?" He feigned ignorance, which made the girl next to him laugh. The girl's anger immediately festered, and she could only roll her eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
"You go first!" Unable to find a reason to get angry, she resorted to this argument.
Li Qiang wouldn't allow her to find a reason to get angry. He smiled and said, "Brother, I am a cultivator from the Sealed Fate Planet Ancient Sword Academy. My name is Li Qiang." Although he gave his name and sect, he still couldn't resist taking advantage of her.
The two girls were surprised to learn that Li Qiang was from the Ancient Sword Academy. For nearly a hundred years, cultivators from the Ancient Sword Academy had rarely ventured out, and the abbot's insignia on Li Qiang's head could only be recognized by the sect leaders of various major sects. Ordinary cultivators would not be able to identify it, and neither did the girls.
Li Qiang deliberately adopted a humble attitude and said, "As for the two young ladies, if you are willing to tell me what you want to say, please do so; if you are not willing, I will not force you."
He kept referring to himself as "brother," which infuriated the girl. "I'm your senior sister! Humph, according to the rankings on Sealed Fate Planet, the Ancient Sword Academy is after our Wise Heng Palace, so you have to call me senior sister."
Li Qiang found it amusing; this girl was truly competitive. In fact, the Cultivation Realm has always been rather muddled about seniority. Apart from those within their own sects who were very clear about it, everyone outside just called each other whatever they wanted.
Li Qiang was too lazy to argue with her, so he casually agreed, "Alright! Alright! Alright! So you're a senior sister from the Wise Heng Palace. I was blind to your true nature. Hmm, hello senior sister!"
When Li Qiang relaxed his grip, the girl was immediately at a loss. She had been holding back, ready for a verbal battle, but Li Qiang gave up so easily. However, the expression on his face was despicable; that half-smile was enough to drive anyone crazy.
Before she could even speak, her junior sister said apologetically, "Senior brother, I'm sorry... We are disciples of the Wise Heng Palace, practitioners who have left the world to cultivate. My senior sister's name is Ye Fengling, and her nickname is Ling'er..."
Ye Fengling shouted, "Junior Sister! You... how could you even mention someone's nickname!"
Her junior sister shrank back in fright and whispered, "Senior sister... when you say the name... don't you have to say it in full?"
Li Qiang almost burst out laughing. These two girls seemed to be going out for the first time and knew nothing. He said, "Hmm, very good. Your senior sister's name is Ling'er. What's your surname, young lady?" He felt like a big bad wolf, trying to get information out of the girls.
The girl looked at her senior sister and said, "My name is Yun Yu, my nickname is..." She didn't dare to say it.
Li Qiang asked with a grin, "Is her name Yu'er?"
Yun Yu blushed and asked, "How did you know?"
Li Qiang held back his laughter. This little girl was really too interesting. At this point, even a fool could guess her nickname, yet she still asked how he knew.
Ye Fengling realized that Li Qiang was too cunning, and she kept ruthlessly threatening him in her heart.
Li Qiang laughed, " Ling'er, the tabletop is riddled with holes." Ye Fengling had poked countless small holes in a hardwood octagonal table.
She huffed, "Who taught you to bully us... Humph! Hey... You... What did you call me? Don't call me Ling'er!"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "If you don't want to call, then don't." He then asked, " Ling'er, how did you end up fighting with the people from Qianjie Star?"
Ye Fengling said angrily, "Who told them to talk like that... Wait! You called me Ling'er again!"
Li Qiang spread his hands and laughed, "Hehe, I was careless, sorry! Sorry!" The two continued to banter.
There was a sound of footsteps on the stairs, and a waiter carrying a large tray filled with local specialty fruits appeared. He suddenly saw Ye Fengling and Yun Yu, and was so startled that he dropped the tray.
Li Qiang released a burst of True Essence Power to support the plate, and with a gentle wave of his hand, the large tray floated lightly onto the table. He said, "Please have some fruit."
The waiter, as if possessed, staggered back to the top of the stairs, only to be met with a scream, "Thud... Thud! Thud! Thud!" as he fell down the stairs.
Li Qiang sighed, "Mortals cannot bear to see fairies." He then gently lifted the two of them up.
Loving beauty is a girl's nature, and upon hearing Li Qiang's words, Ye Fengling's anger immediately dissipated. She waved her hand and said, "You know how to talk! Little sister, let's eat some fruit."
Yun Yu said shyly, "Sister, didn't Master say that we shouldn't eat food from strangers?"
Ye Fengling chuckled, "He's not exactly an outsider, he's a junior brother from the Ancient Sword Academy. What's so special about eating a few pieces of fruit from him? Little sister, eat up!"
Yun Yu said shyly, "Then I'll eat it."
Li Qiang was dumbfounded as the two of them started eating. They ate so fast! A large tray of fruit was devoured by the two of them in less than ten minutes, as quickly as autumn leaves falling in the wind.
Ye Fengling clapped her hands and said happily, "Although it's not anything special, it's been a long time since I've eaten so heartily."
Yun Yu nodded in satisfaction, "Yes, the fruit here is very sweet and delicious." After finishing their meal, the two of them returned to their ladylike demeanor.
This was the first time Li Qiang had ever seen such a free-spirited young woman. He admired their natural disposition and felt that this was true happiness. He watched them with a smile, saying nothing, until they finished eating, at which point he asked, "Where are you two sisters planning to go?"
Ye Fengling casually replied, "Not necessarily. Hmm, I think I'll just go with you. We'll have food to eat and you'll be good at fighting. Yes! That's decided." A sly glint flashed in her eyes.
In fact, when Li Qiang used the Golden Lotus Jade Throne, Ye Fengling had already decided to entangle Li Qiang. She was extremely shocked that Li Qiang actually possessed such a legendary Buddhist treasure.
In the past hundred years, various sects on Sealed Fate Planet have been vying for rankings and competing with each other. Each sect is very concerned about the strength of the others. When Ye Fengling learned that Li Qiang was a cultivator from the Ancient Sword Academy, her first thought was to find out the situation. So she immediately decided to follow Li Qiang to see just how strong he was.
Li Qiang had no idea that Ye Fengling was so cunning. He had an important mission on his way back to Heavenly Court Star; he had to deliver the Sea Soul Agate to the Star Palace, and he didn't want to be followed by two tails. Just as he was in a dilemma, he suddenly heard someone tiptoeing up the stairs. He coldly asked, "Who's lurking around on the stairs?"
Before he could finish speaking, another heavy thud came from the stairs. Li Qiang sighed, "Sigh... coming into the crowd without any disguise will get you killed."
Ye Fengling chuckled, "It's all your fault! We usually dress up when we go to the market town, but you ran so fast that we sisters didn't have time. Hehe, besides, you can handle anything, we sisters won't bother with you." She had a look of complete confidence on her face.
A gruff voice boomed from downstairs, "You bunch of useless bastards! So what if you saw two pretty women? You're all swooning? Damn it, I've seen it all... I've even seen a sage! Come on! Follow me upstairs and take a look!"
Li Qiang was sitting with his back to the stairwell. He laughed and said, "See? You've gotten yourself into trouble, haven't you? Hehe, this looks like a shady place..."
Ye Fengling pouted her red lips, looking unhappy. "Hmph..."
Li Qiang added, "Be careful you don't get kidnapped and made a bandit's wife..."
Ye Fengling gritted her teeth and said, "You... he dares!" This guy actually dared to mock her. Ye Fengling was furious. Before she could retaliate, a group of people rushed over noisily.
Li Qiang, too lazy to argue with these people, said, "I'm leaving now, excuse me!" He went out the window and flew towards the Qingfeng Kingdom.
He left without warning. Although he didn't dislike the two pretty girls, he decided to slip away first for Mo Huaiyuan's safety.
Ye Fengling was furious; this guy had actually run away again. She grabbed Yun Yu, and with a flash of sword light, a large hole appeared in the roof, and the two of them passed straight through.
A faint, eerie scream could be heard coming from below, "... My house... damn it..."
Ye Fengling asked, "Little sister, which direction did he escape in?"
Yun Yu said, "Sister, let's forget it. We're not familiar with him, so let's not pursue him... He's already been very polite."
"What do you know, kid? I need to find out where he got this Buddha Sect treasure. That guy's cunning and slippery. Hurry up, little sister."
Yun Yu said helplessly, "Okay, sis, wait a minute." She flicked her fingernails in all directions, and four beams of white light shot out.
She formed a hand seal, closed her eyes slightly, and softly shouted, "Hurry!" The hand seal was like a spider lying in its web, quietly waiting for its prey to make a move.
After a moment, she withdrew her incantation and said, "They went that way."
Li Qiang spent a long time entangled with the two girls, but he was in a very good mood. If it weren't for Mo Huaiyuan, he wouldn't have been willing to fly away like this. It had been a long time since he had encountered such a free-spirited girl who would playfully tease him. He found it quite fun.
He flew swiftly, when suddenly, a thought struck him, "These two little girls still won't let me go. Strange, how did they catch up?"
Ye Fengling and Yun Yu followed closely behind, with Yun Yu's Thousand-Thread Spirit Instruction keeping a close eye on Li Qiang from afar.
Ye Fengling said smugly, "Let's see where you can run to!"
This was the first time Yun Yu had ever seen her senior sister so persistent in doing something. She cautiously reminded her, "Sister, what if we anger him by following him like this? We can't beat him."
"He dares! He dares to hit people from the Wise Heng Palace? Hmph, Master won't let him get away with this." She spoke harshly, but hesitated for a moment. She knew Li Qiang's strength clearly; he was considered a master in the Cultivation Realm, especially since his Law Treasure were even more extraordinary, not something an ordinary person could withstand. But thinking of that brat's hateful expression, she said fiercely, "Chase him! I don't believe he dares to do anything to us sisters!"
Li Qiang muttered to himself, "Alright, then don't blame this old man for giving you a hard time, hehe!"
He mimicked Qi Junsha's tone and, at the same time, slowed down his flight speed.