The Sacred King's Residence's Mansion is a self-contained place, usually very quiet. But since Li Qiang returned, it has become lively, with officials coming to visit in an endless stream, especially Cheng Zizhong and Lin Fenghe, who frequently come to seek advice.
Because of the instability within the court of the Gusong Kingdom, a master was needed to keep order. Even though Li Qiang was eager to leave, he couldn't go now. He had promised Hou Pijing that he would take care of the Gusong Kingdom. Since the Holy King was not here, he had no choice but to stay in the capital. Fortunately, there was a super master like Mo Huaiyuan who he could consult at any time, so he was able to relax for a rare moment.
When he had nothing to do, Li Qiang would go to the study where Mo Huaiyuan lived in seclusion. The two brothers would chat and talk, and they lived a relaxed and carefree life.
Zhao Hao ordered a training ground to be built in the back garden of the Sacred King's Residence's Mansion. Mo Huaiyuan set up a restriction, and no outsiders could enter except for his own brothers. Kong Hou and Kudu led a group of the Buddha Sect disciples to cultivate there. Li Qiang often explained and guided them, and Mo Huaiyuan would also come to check on them from time to time.
Time flies, and winter arrived in the blink of an eye.
On this day, the temperature suddenly dropped, the wind was biting, and the sky was overcast with dark clouds. As evening approached, large snowflakes began to fall. Li Qiang stood on the platform of the library and reached out to catch them. As the snowflakes fell into his palm and slowly melted into water droplets, a sudden wave of sadness washed over him, and an uncontrollable longing for home surged into his heart.
Mo Huaiyuan said calmly, "Missing home? Cultivators have no home."
Li Qiang said sadly, "Yes, cultivators have no home. I know that, I understand, but I still can't help but think about it. The years of cultivation are endless, the soul is immortal, the body is immortal—it's truly unimaginable!"
Mo Huaiyuan shook his head and said, "The soul is immortal, the body is immortal... Heh heh, that's nonsense."
Li Qiang turned and walked back into his room, grabbed a piece of fruit, took a bite, and asked in confusion, "Why is it nonsense? Haven't you lived for thousands of years, bro?"
Mo Huaiyuan sighed, "If a cultivator doesn't reach the Nascent Soul Realm, the result is death. Reaching the Nascent Soul Realm is considered stepping into the hall of cultivation, but it doesn't guarantee everything will be fine afterward; death is still possible. Being killed by a master, having problems in cultivation, dying from Qi Deviation —even if you reach the Mahayana Realm, you can still die from carelessness. Like when I saw the Heavenly Fire, I thought I was fearless with my power, and I didn't have a pure Yin Law Treasure, so I still died, my physical body died..." He recounted a series of deaths, leaving Li Qiang dumbfounded.
Li Qiang smiled wryly, "Yes, every step is fraught with danger, like walking on thin ice, defying the heavens. Hehe, cultivators also have a tough time, but they are much better off than ordinary people."
Reflecting on his own experiences, he wholeheartedly agreed with what Mo Huaiyuan said: cultivators are much the same as people in the secular world; they all have to rely on their own efforts, otherwise everything is in vain.
Mo Huaiyuan laughed and said, "Don't think about it too much. The snow has already piled up. Let's go for a walk."
The two brothers flew downstairs, and the eunuchs and maids guarding the study immediately stepped forward to pay their respects.
Li Qiang said, "You all go to your rooms. It's cold outside. You don't need to stand guard every day. I'll give the order if you need anything." These eunuchs and maids all knew that this new master never put on airs, rarely made any demands, and was always kind to people, so the servants in the mansion respected him very much.
The palace maid unfolded the cloak in her hands, intending to drape it over Li Qiang and Mo Huaiyuan. Li Qiang waved his hand, indicating that they didn't need it, and walked straight towards the back garden with Mo Huaiyuan.
The Sacred King's Residence was completely covered by heavy snow, and apart from the sound of the falling snow, all around was quiet.
Li Qiang deliberately stomped heavily on the snow, just to hear the "crunch, crunch" sound under his feet. He laughed and said, "Brother, when I was a kid, I both loved and hated snowy days the most."
Mo Huaiyuan floated on the snow, moving with effortless grace, leaving not a trace on the ground. He laughed and asked, "Why?"
Li Qiang grabbed a large chunk of snow and made it into a snowball. "The land is frozen for miles, the snow is vast and the scenery is magnificent. I love this kind of sacred scenery, hehe. But because my family was poor back then, we lacked food and clothing, and my parents would start to worry as soon as winter came, so I also hated snowy days. Fortunately, my younger brother was never afraid of the cold. No matter how cold the weather was, wearing only a single layer of clothing was enough." He threw the snowball.
The back garden was large, with artificial hills and a pond. The water in the pond had not yet frozen, and against the backdrop of the white snow, the water looked as black. Turning past a huge artificial hill, they came to the corridor by the pond, both of them completely covered in snow.
The corridor was open on both sides, and the heavy snow swirled in the wind, covering the floor of the corridor. What a heavy snow!
A faint red light flickered in the distance; that was the protective red light of the training ground. The back garden was the heart of the Sacred King's Residence's Mansion, invisible from the outside.
Mo Huaiyuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky with a bewildered expression. He said, "Brother, I know you miss home. I need to cultivate for a while and reach a certain level before I can reincarnate. Don't worry, I will definitely take you back."
Li Qiang laughed, "Brother, next time you meet my master, hehe, he'll probably be your junior. The seniority system in the Cultivation Realm is a complete mess. If you two Loose Immortal meet, hehe, don't get into a fight, no one can stop it."
Mo Huaiyuan smiled. Because he had avoided the most severe Heavenly Tribulation, he didn't need to rebuild his body and thus completely retained the characteristics of his original form. In this respect, Qi Junsha was no match for him. However, he was more reserved and didn't have the youthful exuberance of Qi Junsha. He laughed and said, "Brother, he will probably become your disciple in the future."
Li Qiang was taken aback, but then immediately understood: if Qi Junsha was dissatisfied with his current Loose Immortal realm, and Mo Huaiyuan possessed the Heaven-Defying Treasure Mirror, then he might very well reincarnate and start over.
He scratched his head and said, "My master might not be willing to reincarnate, but we can ask him. If he's willing, I'll do my best."
"Don't worry, he must have had no other choice but to cultivate as Loose Immortal. If he gets a second chance, he definitely won't let it go."
Li Qiang recalled what Qi Junsha had said and nodded, "Yes, he didn't dare to undergo tribulation because he had killed too many people, so he Liberation by Violence his body and cultivate Loose Immortal. His situation is different from yours, brother."
Li Qiang and Mo Huaiyuan still had a heavy burden on their hearts: the immortal who destroyed the Star Palace.
Mo Huaiyuan has been studying the two immortal artifacts he obtained recently. He knows that once he begins his reincarnation, he must fully activate the Heaven-Defying Treasure Mirror. At that time, he will not be able to conceal the activation of the mirror, and it will definitely alert that immortal.
Li Qiang asked, "Brother, have you figured out the Jade Pupil Slip you got from the cloud table?"
Mo Huaiyuan shook his head and said, "It might be an excerpt from a Immortal Realm text, but I don't understand what it's saying. However, I can still decipher it given me time. As for that bracelet, it's empty, which is really unexpected."
Li Qiang took out a elixir, which he had obtained from his whisk. "Brother, what kind of elixir is this? Do you recognize it?"
Mo Huaiyuan was greatly surprised. "This is the Heavenly Spirit Seed of the Buddha Sect. Where did you get it? Years ago, I asked Elder Hui of the Buddha Sect for one, but he refused to give it to me. We even made a bet about it, and I won."
Li Qiang asked, "What is the use of the Heavenly Spirit Seed?"
Mo Huaiyuan laughed and said, "It's for idiots."
Li Qiang was extremely surprised. "Brother, did I hear that right? It's for idiots? How could that be!"
Mo Huaiyuan said, "If you have someone close to you whom you want to cultivate immortality, but they are an idiot, what would you do?"
Li Qiang was a smart man, and upon hearing this, he immediately understood. This was a kind of elixir that enhanced intelligence; if a fool could take it and become a smart person, then wouldn't an already smart person become even more powerful after taking it?
He immediately thought of something and laughed, "Brother, now you don't have to worry about reincarnation anymore, haha."
Mo Huaiyuan laughed, "What are you thinking? Hehe, I definitely won't be a fool in my next life."
Li Qiang kicked the snow off the ground into the pond with his toes and said seriously, "Who knows what might happen? It's always good to be prepared. I don't want any mistakes to occur, otherwise, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
Mo Huaiyuan was touched, but he didn't want to say anything, and the two fell silent for a moment.
The crunching sound of footsteps on the snow came from a small patrol of guards. They spotted two figures standing in the corridor from afar and immediately tensed up. One of the guards shouted, "Who goes there?" The other guards immediately scattered and surrounded them.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "It's none of my business, we're just enjoying the scenery."
Mo Huaiyuan, caught off guard by Li Qiang's reply, burst into laughter and said, "Brother, you're really funny, haha! Looking at the scenery... interesting."
The guards gathered around and realized it was Li Qiang. They immediately bowed and greeted him. One of the guards said with a smile, "Your Highness, it's cold in the back garden. Why don't you go back inside to warm up?"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "It's so late and everyone is still patrolling. You must be tired. Well, we're heading to the training ground anyway, so you don't need to worry about us."
Mo Huaiyuan had no patience for dealing with these guards, and he grabbed Li Qiang's arm and said in a low voice, "Let's go!"
The guards' eyes blurred, and the two figures vanished without a trace. Now they all knew that this prince was elusive and extremely powerful, so they were used to it and regrouped to continue their night patrol.
The training ground was a large platform. After being restricted by Mo Huaiyuan, it appeared from the outside as just an empty space without snow, emitting a very faint red light. It was impossible to see what was inside or to enter.
Mo Huaiyuan and Li Qiang suddenly appeared in the training ground and saw all the brothers meditating cross-legged, and there wasn't even a snowflake in the ground.
Li Qiang whispered, "Everyone has made great progress recently. Many have reached the Illumination Stage or Fusion Realm, and a few have even reached the Spirit Quiescence Realm, where they can already cultivate their own flying swords. Hehe."
Mo Huaiyuan said, "How can you be so extravagant, giving them elixirs and then expecting me to help them circulate their energy? It would be difficult for these people to fall short. If the Cultivation Realm were all like you, hehe, it would be complete chaos. Let me tell you, from now on you should let them cultivate on their own. Things that are easily obtained are hard to cherish."
Zhao Hao was the first to spot Li Qiang. He quickly stood up, and then Kong Hou and several other Buddha Sect masters, including Kudu, also noticed Li Qiang's arrival and gathered around him.
Mo Huaiyuan had never participated in the conflict between Daoism and Buddhism, so he did not discriminate against these Buddha Sect disciples. He was already familiar with some Buddhist masters and had a good relationship with the Buddha Sect. Moreover, he also knew many Buddha Sect techniques.
The cultivation practices of Daoism and Buddhism share many similarities, especially in their basic cultivation methods, where there are even more commonalities. However, the cultivation methods of the Buddha Sect and Daoist practitioners each have their own strengths.
Li Qiang had a deep understanding of this, having studied the Jade Pupil Slip left by Elder Zhi, and greatly admired Buddha Sect.
Kong Hou and Kudu admired Mo Huaiyuan greatly; he was the person they respected most besides Li Qiang.
Li Qiang pulled Mo Huaiyuan to sit cross-legged, and everyone gathered around them.
Li Qiang glanced at Nashan, then suddenly remembered something: he had promised to accompany him home, but Na Shan hadn't mentioned it. Li Qiang couldn't help but wonder, "What's wrong with him?"
Mo Huaiyuan said, "Brother, what are your plans for these brothers and friends? I've been wanting to ask you about this for a while. You can't keep them with you forever."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Brother, I've already made all the arrangements, hehe."
Mo Huaiyuan smiled. He found that Li Qiang was very capable in handling things. Judging from his methods of dealing with problems, he shouldn't have to worry about what would happen after his reincarnation.
Li Qiang coughed and said, "Everyone, please be quiet. I have something to say."
The training ground fell silent; no one knew what their leader was going to say.
Li Qiang said, "After we fought our way out of the Black Prison, we brothers have always been together. We've been through a lot together. Although you call me 'Boss,' we all know in our hearts that I've never considered you as subordinates. We're brothers, we're friends! But since you all call me 'Boss,' I, as the boss, have to arrange a way out for you brothers. I wonder if you're willing?"
He found it amusing; the way the guy kept calling himself "boss" sounded like something a bandit leader would say—it was incredibly offensive.
Nashan cried out, "Boss, you can't do this! I don't care what others do, I 'Old Na not going anywhere else. I'm just going to cultivate with you, Boss. Otherwise, I'll become a bandit and a tyrant!"
The training ground erupted in commotion, with someone shouting, "Boss, you can't leave us behind! I'm sticking with you!"
Someone else shouted, "That's right! That's what I thought too. I don't even know where my home is, so where else can I go? I'll just follow the boss." A cacophony of voices erupted.
Actually, some people wanted to leave, but hearing so many people shouting, even those who wanted to leave didn't dare to say it.
Mo Huaiyuan chuckled. Li Qiang was a little stunned, but mostly touched. He said, "Quiet down, everyone!"
It was still noisy.
Suddenly, Li Qiang cursed, " Nashan! Damn it, how dare you threaten me, huh?" The training ground immediately fell silent.
Nashan, terrified, clung to the Baldy and muttered, "Who told you to ignore us...?"
Li Qiang scratched his head, gave Mo Huaiyuan a wry smile, and looked at him.
"Don't look at me, it's your decision. Hehe, letting these guys out is either your own fault or something else entirely."
Li Qiang said angrily, "Damn it, you all do as I say, no objections allowed! Objections are invalid!"
Mo Huaiyuan laughed heartily and said, "Brother, is this a solution? Haha!"
His gang of brothers all looked worried, knowing that their leader was being unreasonable again.
Nashan muttered something unintelligible, but Tange was perfectly clear-headed. He nudged Nashan with his shoulder and whispered, "You're so stupid! When has the boss ever abandoned his brothers? It's all your yelling that made him angry."
Nashan thought about it and realized that Li Qiang hadn't done anything to wrong anyone, so he chuckled and said, "I was just worried."
Li Qiang said, "I have three options for you to choose from." He looked at everyone's reactions, held up one finger, and said, "First, some of our local brothers, if you want to go home, you can go back, or you can come back, no problem at all; second, those who want to be officials, I can arrange for them to be placed in the Attendant Hall of the Gusong Kingdom; the last option is to come with me to Sealed Fate Planet, where I will arrange for everyone to enter the Ancient Sword Academy to cultivate immortality, how about that?"
After a moment of silence, the crowd erupted into noise again.
Tange laughed and said, " Old Na, what do you think? I was wondering if the boss would just abandon us. What are you going to do?"
Without hesitation, Nashan said, "Anyway, I'm going with the boss to Sealed Fate Planet. Old Tan, find a chance to come home with me. Damn it, it's been too long, I'm really afraid to go back."
Tange patted him on the shoulder and said, "Going back is a good thing, what's there to be afraid of? Don't worry, I'll go back with you."
Since witnessing the tragic state of Paben's home, Nashan had been uneasy. Since arriving in the capital, he had hesitated countless times, fearing that returning home would reveal some unforeseen tragedy. He smiled bitterly, "If only the eldest brother could come back with me... sigh!"
Li Qiang, with his sharp ears, had already overheard Nashan's words and immediately chimed in, " Nashan, I'll go back with you. I'll have Brother Mo take us there."
Mo Huaiyuan smiled slightly and nodded to indicate that there was no problem.
With his boss's personal promise, Nashan was so excited that he did three somersaults on the ground, grinning widely and chuckling foolishly. He stammered, "Thank... thank you, boss, hehe, Old Tan... tomorrow... tomorrow come with me to go shopping for a gift... hehe, hehehe!"
Zhao Hao said, " Nashan, go to the jewelry store tomorrow, and I'll have them make some jewelry for you to take to your sister-in-law."
Zhao Zhi, Han Jin, and others also said they would prepare some nice gifts for Nashan.
Nashan touched his Baldy, tears welling up in his eyes. He felt everyone's concern for him once again. He stood up and repeatedly bowed in gratitude. Since leaving the Black Prison to cultivate immortality, he had changed. The dark and vicious thoughts in his heart had diminished, and he no longer viewed people and things with the same malice as before. Now, he could no longer live without these brothers who had fought alongside him.
Kong Hou said, "Boss, let's go to Sealed Fate Planet together."
Li Qiang nodded and said, "No problem. I'll arrange separate places for you to cultivate in seclusion at the Ancient Sword Academy. Zhao Hao, you talk to each of the brothers, and don't force anyone. Then let me know the results."
Zhao Hao said loudly, "Did you all hear that? Go back and think it over carefully. Whether you stay or leave, I'll talk to everyone tomorrow."
Li Qiang stood up and said with a smile, "All the brothers who have reached the Early Illumination Stage, stay here. The rest of you, go sit down and meditate."
As everyone knows, the cultivation realms of cultivators are divided into eleven levels: Illumination, Light Opening, Fusion, Heartbeat, Spiritual Tranquility, Nascent Soul, Out-of-Body, Divide of Spirit, Integration, Tribulation Crossing, and Mahayana. Most of the people present have surpassed the Early Illumination Stage. Including Kong Hou and his group, there are as many as seventy or eighty people. Only a few people with poor aptitude have not yet reached it.
Everyone stared at Li Qiang, wondering what he was up to. Even Mo Huaiyuan was curious.
Li Qiang said, "Brother, I need your help. I'm preparing some flying swords and Law Treasure for everyone. You have a good eye, so please tell me which flying sword is suitable for whom."
Everyone present was stunned. A flying sword? There were at least seventy or eighty people in the room. What kind of extravagant gesture was this?
Mo Huaiyuan was startled by his words and said, "Brother, how many flying swords do you have to give away? There are plenty of people here."
Li Qiang obtained over a hundred flying swords in the Great Illusion Buddha Realm, but keeping them was of no use. These brothers had followed him for so long, and their cultivation was on track. After arriving at Sealed Fate Planet, they would all enter the Ancient Sword Academy to cultivate. Without good flying swords, wouldn't they be inferior to others? Li Qiang would never let his brothers suffer any injustice.
Nashan was incredibly excited. He had reached the Early Fusion Realm and knew that learning to fly with a sword meant he could fly, something he had always dreamed of.
He exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, the boss is really something else! Everyone has a flying sword, that's incredible, hehe."
Li Qiang casually arranged a row of flying swords around him, and in an instant, the training ground was filled with precious sword light.
He didn't dare take out the top-grade flying swords, only the better ones. It wasn't that he was stingy, but that the best flying swords were easily coveted. Even such flying swords were already very powerful for novices like them who were just beginning their cultivation journey.
Mo Huaiyuan looked at the flying sword on the ground and sighed, "Brother, what you're doing isn't good for their cultivation. Fine, I'll help you out. Alright, everyone, listen up, I'm about to remove the restrictions on the flying swords. Remember, you have to find a way to collect them yourselves. After you collect one, immediately step aside to cultivate. No one is allowed to try and collect a second one, understand?"
Everyone readily agreed, and they were all excited, each secretly putting in their best effort.
Li Qiang thought to himself, "This is good. Using the spirituality of the flying swords to let everyone choose their own swords is indeed a brilliant move."
Mo Huaiyuan lived up to his reputation as a rogue immortal. He exhaled a Loose Immortal of immortal energy, and with a light wave of his sleeve, dozens of flying swords on the ground hummed and suddenly soared into the air, like a bursting firework.
The flying swords darted about wildly, causing chaos throughout the training ground.
Li Qiang exclaimed, "It's beautiful, so beautiful! Even I'm itching to touch it, haha."
Zhao Hao and Kong Hou didn't move. Kudu hesitated for a moment, then stopped. Their skills were higher, and they were embarrassed to compete with these beginners.
Mo Huaiyuan laughed and said, "Only you, brother, have such a grand gesture. Hehe, no one would believe it if I told them."
Li Qiang glanced at Zhao Hao and the others, and laughed, "Why are you all standing there? Didn't I tell you guys not to snatch? But no Law Treasure, you have to grab with your hands."
The group exchanged glances and almost simultaneously leaped out. They had been embarrassed earlier; no one would complain about having too many Law Treasure. With Li Qiang's words, it would be strange if they didn't try to snatch them.
Nashan's one eye was wide open, his hands sweating with nervousness. There were so many flying swords, the air filled with rapidly flashing blades, dazzling the eye and making it impossible to tell which was good and which was bad. He blindly chased after them, shouting incoherently, "This one's mine! Damn it, it got away, sigh... this one's good! Hey, Zhao Zhi, you're too fast, don't bump into me..."
With his exceptional skills, Zhao Zhi was the first to grab a flying sword. It was an oddly shaped sword, six inches long, with a pale silver blade and three interlocking small holes in the center. It felt icy cold in his hand, and a chilling sword Sword Qi pierced his skin.
Zhao Zhi was overjoyed and immediately stepped aside, sat cross-legged, and began cultivating his first flying sword. Everyone had already learned the method of cultivating flying swords, but they just hadn't had their own flying swords yet.
Tange stared at a fiery red flying sword. He couldn't fly, so he could only desperately follow below, waiting for it to come down. He craned his neck and charged around on the large platform, knocking over countless large people. Finally, the red light couldn't break through the restrictions of the training ground and turned to fly down.
He shouted nervously, "This red one is mine! Nobody can take it! Wow, it's mine!" He lunged forward and grabbed it without thinking. His hand touched the sharp blade and immediately cut a large gash, but he ignored it and laughed happily as he held onto the red flying sword.
Li Qiang shook his head, beckoned Tange over, and said, "Your palm is cut; go get it bandaged."
Tange grinned and chuckled, "It's okay, I have a flying sword too, haha. By the way, boss, what kind of flying sword is this, and what's its name?" He gripped the flying sword tightly, his face turning bright green with excitement.
Mo Huaiyuan laughed and said, "You can name it yourself. It's impossible for it to know its original name. This isn't a famous flying sword."
Tange said, "Then I'll call it the Fire Cloud Sword, haha, that's a good name, I like it."
Nashan still couldn't catch a single one, and in his desperation, he kept yelling, "Flying sword! Flying sword! Please... have mercy, don't go so fast! My Old Na's eyesight isn't good... I can't see clearly! Damn it!"