After four days of continuous marching, they encountered not only monsters but also very few animals along the way. Even the officers couldn't get fresh meat after each day's camp. The Tufu, with a gloomy face, also sensed that something was wrong. Li Qiang heard from the guide that there used to be large herds of animals here, but this time it was strange; they had already ventured deep into the heart of the plains, yet they couldn't see anything.
Li Qiang had long sensed a strange, forbidden power on the plains. Fortunately, he had cultivated the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture, so this forbidden power could not affect him. If he were still a cultivator, he might not even be able to launch his flying sword.
After several days without encountering any monsters, the soldiers relaxed their guard, chatting and laughing among themselves. Everyone seemed quite relaxed, and the entire unit didn't appear to be on a hunt. Only the officers' mood grew increasingly heavy.
The Tufu rode up to Li Qiang and said with a wry smile, "This is the first time I've ever encountered something so strange..."
Li Qiang suddenly raised his hand to stop him from speaking, and tilted his head to listen to something.
The Tufu asked in surprise, "Brother, what's wrong?"
Li Qiang's expression suddenly turned serious, and he shouted, "Everyone, prepare your weapons! Something's coming!"
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar, and the scout Falcon Squad galloped back. Bianchongya shouted from a distance, " Heavenly Crow People! Heavenly Crow People!" His voice was urgent and terrified. Immediately afterward, screams of agony came from behind, the cries of soldiers who had fallen behind.
Li Qiang drew his two-handed greatsword and shouted, "I'll go take a look!" He flicked the reins, and the Fierce Azure Horse neighed and galloped forward.
The Tufu, a seasoned veteran, drew his short-handled axe and quickly rallied his troops with a loud roar. There was no time to build any fortifications; he arranged his men in echelons, awaiting the Heavenly Crow People's charge. He cursed incessantly; he wasn't afraid of monsters, but he hadn't expected the Heavenly Crow People to appear.
Li Qiang and Bianchongya Tooth passed each other on horseback. Bianchongya cried out in terror, "Don't go! Don't go! Danger!"
As he spoke, Li Qiang rushed over and shouted, "You guys get back to your units right now! I'll be right back!" His voice was very calm.
As Bianchongya Tooth galloped wildly, he shouted, "Watch out!" I couldn't help but admire his courage.
Ahead lay a sparse grove of trees. As soon as Li Qiang rushed into the woods, he saw several soldiers who had fallen from their horses, running back frantically. Li Qiang also saw the so-called Heavenly Crow People, creatures he had never seen before. They couldn't be considered human at all; their round heads were covered with fine, bluish-green scales, much like an owl's head. Their two round eyes gleamed with a brownish light. Their bodies were human-shaped, also covered with bluish-black scales, and their hands and feet were connected by a soft membrane, making them look like bats. They were incredibly bizarre, with long, sharp claws on their hands and feet that gleamed coldly. Their cries were shrill and piercing.
The Fierce Azure Horse charged into the forest and began to neigh in fear.
There were seven Heavenly Crow People in the forest. They were incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, they had already blocked the way for the fleeing soldiers. These soldiers were all from the Falcon Squad. They were only wearing soft leather armor and their weapons were just short blades. The men stood back to back in despair, trying to make a last-ditch effort.
The green shadows flashed rapidly around the soldiers, too fast for the average person to see. Li Qiang was also very fast; he leaped off his horse and shouted, "Here I come!" He charged straight at the Heavenly Crow People, his greatsword gleaming with silver light.
Two azure figures flashed by, as fast as lightning, but unfortunately, they encountered Li Qiang. Li Qiang clearly saw that the soft membranes on the Heavenly Crow People's bodies seemed to be able to glide through the air. At this moment, a soldier was dragged out of the crowd by a Heavenly Crow People. Li Qiang's eyes swept over him, and he couldn't help but be furious.
The soldier was bitten on the back of the neck by a Heavenly Crow People, screaming in agony as he futilely swung his weapon. Li Qiang didn't have time to think; his greatsword flashed with silver light. He wielded the sword with one hand, and the sixty-pound two-handed sword felt like a thin stick in his hand as he slashed at the charging Heavenly Crow People.
In the blink of an eye, the two Heavenly Crow People swept past in the sword light, crashing into the trees behind them with a thud. Their bodies flew out in all directions, spraying dark red blood everywhere. Instantly, the forest was filled with a foul, sour, and fishy smell.
At the same time, Li Qiang flicked his free hand, and a beam of golden light shot into the body of the Heavenly Crow People who was holding the soldier. With a sharp roar, the Heavenly Crow People exploded, and the soldier in its hand fell to the ground, his neck a bloody mess, and he had already lost consciousness.
The other four Heavenly Crow People quickly leaped onto nearby tree branches and roared angrily at Li Qiang; they had probably never seen such a powerful human before.
Li Qiang shouted to the soldiers, "My horse is over there, ride it away quickly!"
The soldiers were stunned, as if in a dream, unable to comprehend how such an incredible silver light could shatter three Heavenly Crow People in an instant. One of the soldiers, quick to realize what was happening, shouted, "Run!"
While confronting the remaining four Heavenly Crow People, Li Qiang said in a deep voice, "Come back! There's another wounded comrade here!" The soldiers had only run a few steps when Li Qiang's voice boomed in their ears. They were already trembling with fear, so they had no choice but to grit their teeth and go back to lift the wounded soldier and stumble away.
A rustling sound arose in the woods. Although Li Qiang stood motionless, he knew that countless things had entered the forest. The sharp cries of the four Heavenly Crow People grew louder and louder. Li Qiang's Divine Sense flickered, and he realized that the area was now surrounded by these strange creatures. He also noticed other odd creatures, but he didn't see a single monster.
Li Qiang hesitated. If he were to go on a killing spree, not many of these creatures would survive, but he didn't want to reveal his identity as a cultivator. As he hesitated, he heard an extremely piercing scream, and countless Heavenly Crow People swooped down.
Li Qiang sighed, raised his greatsword, and shouted, "You're courting death!"
The sixty-pound greatsword danced, unleashing a large silver ball of light, like a bright, clear moon. In an instant, a mournful howl echoed through the forest, its tragic sound causing the soldiers lined up far away to tremble.
With a single strike, more than ten Heavenly Crow People were shattered, and the remaining Heavenly Crow People were terrified by the sight, letting out frantic howls. Li Qiang slowly retreated.
More and more Heavenly Crow People gathered in the forest. Li Qiang noticed something moving behind him. He flashed and teleported to the edge of the forest, only to realize that the thing behind him was another kind of creature. He only glanced at it and determined that it was a puppet with combat capabilities that was being controlled.
He had carefully studied the Jade Pupil Slip given to him by Qi Junsha, and was very familiar with the puppet body and was also quite proficient in Puppet Technique.
The puppets that appeared here were three black humanoid figures, wearing tattered armor and even protected by cyan-yellow flying swords. Li Qiang knew he had gotten himself into big trouble again; this was Nascent Soul Puppet Technique, a puppet form that was very difficult for anyone without at least the Spirit Severing Realm to master.
These three Nascent Soul Puppet probably didn't expect Li Qiang to teleport. Deep laughter came from their three dark mouths. One of the Nascent Soul Puppet flew back, another flew behind the Heavenly Crow People, and only the tall puppet in the middle pointed at the flying sword and shot it towards Li Qiang.
Li Qiang was not afraid of such an attack. He swung his greatsword horizontally and slashed. The Nascent Soul Puppet had no idea who its opponent was. The flying sword and the puppet body were cut in two by Li Qiang's greatsword. It should be noted that Li Qiang's greatsword contained Heavenly Gold Sand, making it incomparably sharp. How could its small puppet body possibly withstand it?
Once the puppet body is destroyed, the Nascent Soul is also destroyed. This Nascent Soul was imprisoned within the puppet body; it would be annihilated immediately upon encountering a powerful opponent. Li Qiang slowly retreated towards the main force.
The Tufu, assuming Li Qiang was definitely not coming out, was furious with the soldiers who had retreated when Jipi suddenly shouted, "He's out! He's out!" Li Qiang was seen slowly retreating from the woods, dragging his long sword with one hand.
The Tufu gasped, "Damn! Brother, that's way too much! Shanxiong! Shanxiong! You lead a team to prepare for backup..."
The trees at the edge of the forest trembled violently, and hundreds of Heavenly Crow People poked their heads out. The Tufu cursed and ordered, "Longbowmen, prepare! Riders, prepare to charge!" The soldiers sprang into action. Shanxiong, wielding his enormous triangular shovel, shouted loudly.
As Li Qiang retreated, he shouted, "Hold the line! Don't panic!"
A strange, long howl rang out, and the Heavenly Crow People on the tree frantically pounced on the retreating Li Qiang. Countless blue shadows shot down from the tree, their sharp, piercing cries filling the air.
The Tufu yelled, "Brother, run! Quick... Wow, what is that... Haha, amazing!"
All the soldiers stared at Li Qiang in disbelief. Many of them had participated in the once-in-a-decade war and knew the strength of the Heavenly Crow People. An attack from a hundred Heavenly Crow People would be impossible to withstand without the combined efforts of thousands of valiant soldiers. These creatures were too fast; only by trapping them with a large force could they be dealt with.
They had never seen a single person fight against hundreds of Heavenly Crow People with just a sword.
Li Qiang's greatsword was like a Soul Chaser; no Heavenly Crow People could get close to him. As soon as a flash of silver light appeared, a Heavenly Crow People would be killed. He slowly retreated, and the Heavenly Crow People that rushed up behind him were killed one after another. Gradually, the Heavenly Crow People no longer dared to approach him, but just followed behind, roaring incessantly.
When the Tufu saw so many Heavenly Crow People, a thought suddenly occurred to him, "Is this a trap?"
A soldier galloped in to report that countless monsters had appeared behind them, cutting off their retreat and making the situation suddenly dire. This was a plain with no natural defenses and no reinforcements; it was practically a dead end.
The Tufu cursed, "What bad luck! I've become the prey, damn it! Listen up, brothers, don't get any more cocky ideas this time, kill them all!"
Li Qiang shouted, "Prepare to charge back! Remember, don't stop, retreat quickly!" He had already retreated back to the ranks. Jipi led over his Fierce Azure Horse, and Li Qiang mounted it, saying, " Shanxiong's squadron and I will cover the rear. Tufu, you lead the charge back." He then said to Jipi, "You stay with Captain Tufu, be careful not to get separated."
Jipi knew that Li Qiang was looking out for him; the risk of falling behind was the greatest, and once he was separated from the group, there would be almost no hope of survival. He silently saluted on horseback and rode towards the middle of the column.
The Tufu shouted, "Brother, Shanxiong, take care!" He turned his horse around, commanded the army to change direction, and the horn blew out a stirring "dudu" sound.
Li Qiang reined in his horse and said expressionlessly, " Shanxiong, make sure the wounded are gathered together and don't fall behind."
Shanxiong replied in a deep, resonant voice, "Understood!" He was utterly impressed by the strength Li Qiang had just displayed.
A company of soldiers consists of about three hundred men, divided into three squads. Shanxiong's company is a heavily armored cavalry unit equipped with steel armor, and the soldiers are all armed with short-handled battle axes. They are a cavalry force specializing in offensive operations. Li Qiang did not understand that different types of soldiers have very different roles, and he actually left an offensive cavalry unit behind to cover the rear.
At the Tufu's command, arrows rained down on the monsters blocking their path. Among these monsters were the Saber-Toothed Hao that Li Qiang had seen before, as well as the Gold Crystal Horn Beast he had seen on Heavenly Court Star. The other monsters were all ones he had never seen before. These monsters charged in from all directions, and could be described as overwhelming.
Li Qiang felt that there weren't this many monsters even in the Heavenly Road Grassland. What was terrifying was that there were many Nascent Soul Puppet Body directing the monster horde, and many Heavenly Crow People were mixed in among them.
Shanxiong pulled hard on the reins and shouted, "Steady! Don't panic..."
After a volley of arrows, the Tufu roared, "Brothers, charge!" His short-handled, thin-bladed axe gleamed coldly. The heavily armored squadron at the front shouted and spurred their mounts forward. Three hundred iron cavalry charged simultaneously; the mere sound of their hooves pounding the ground was exhilarating, let alone the wild shouts of "Yaha! Yaha!"
All the officers charged ahead with their weapons drawn, their fearless frenzy immediately inspiring all the soldiers.
Li Qiang, brimming with heroic spirit, roared, " Shanxiong! You charge in too! I'll cover the rear!"
The Shanxiong was startled. "What?"
Li Qiang glanced at the Nascent Soul Puppet and knew that due to the restrictions, they could only fly a little, and the flying swords could only shoot a few meters. However, this was still too powerful for mortals. If they were allowed to attack freely, this army of 1,200 people would definitely not be able to return alive. Seeing this situation, he knew he could no longer hide his strength.
The Tufu charged ahead into the horde of monsters, his thin axe flashing coldly as he chopped off a monster's head. He was overjoyed by the axe's sharpness and spurred his red Fierce Azure Horse, charging madly forward.
Li Qiang shouted, "Damn you, you Shanxiong! Get the hell out of here!" He hung his two-handed greatsword on his horse, took to the air with his hands free, and chased after the Nascent Soul Puppet Body with a long howl.
Shanxiong was dumbfounded. It was the first time he had ever seen a person fly into the sky. Then, he saw something even more unbelievable: Li Qiang raised his hand and unleashed a beam of red light. With a deafening roar, more than a dozen Heavenly Crow People were blasted into the air.
The Shanxiong was greatly encouraged. With a strange cry, he immediately turned his horse around and directed his soldiers to chase after the Tufu's gang. He now knew that with Li Qiang covering their retreat, there would be no problem.
The Divine Thunder unleashed by Li Qiang was far more powerful than before. With just a tiny bit of his Divine Yi Power, the Divine Thunder exploded with earth-shattering force. Seven or eight Nascent Soul Puppet Body rapidly surrounded him. Li Qiang smiled slightly, and the Star-Absorbing Sword transformed into countless silver stars that swirled around his body. He said in a deep voice, "Who is your master?"
One of the Nascent Soul Puppet Body said, "You... you... who are you?" It wasn't speaking the local dialect, but the language commonly used in the Cultivation Realm.
Li Qiang, surprised, said in the same language, "Who is your master? Stop attacking immediately, or don't blame me for unleashing a massacre." The aura he exuded filled the Nascent Soul Puppet Body with awe and fear. One of the puppets let out a long, thin shriek, and the frenzied monsters immediately stopped attacking and then scattered in a panic.
The Nascent Soul Puppet Body said, "Immortal, please wait a moment." The other two puppets turned and flew away quickly at a low altitude.
Li Qiang asked curiously, "Why do you call me an immortal?"
The puppet replied decisively, "Only the master and the immortals are exempt from these restrictions."
Li Qiang understood that after cultivating the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture, he was no longer the same as other cultivators. Both his realm and level were far superior, and the Law Technique used to restrict cultivators might be useless against him.
The monster suddenly fled, startling the Tufu. He brandished his thin axe and shouted, "Stop attacking! Stop attacking!"
Shanxiong rushed over to report, "Captain, the monsters have scattered, haha!"
The Tufu said, "Assemble the team, count the casualties... Damn it, that's weird, Shanxiong, what was that rumbling sound just now?"
Shanxiong was completely bewildered. He couldn't explain it at all, and he didn't understand why Li Qiang could create a thunderbolt with his bare hands. He could only shake his head and remain silent.
Fortunately, the encounter with the monster was brief, and the team suffered few casualties, with only a few dozen lightly or seriously injured and five or six dead. The Tufu said, "I'll go check on Big Brother." When he arrived at the back of the group, he saw a large group of soldiers gathered together discussing something. He angrily cursed, "What the hell are you doing? Are you all bored out of your minds...?" The soldiers were so frightened that they quickly scattered.
The Tufu spotted Li Qiang flying in mid-air and exclaimed, "What's going on? Brother, you're flying!"
Li Qiang landed in the air and walked up to the Tufu. "Brother, you should take your men and go back quickly. It's a pity I can't go with you. Please tell General Jipo that you thank him for his help all along. Also, give this two-handed greatsword to that General Shaya, hehe." He knew that once his strength was exposed, the military camp would no longer be a safe haven.
The Tufu was dumbfounded, stammering, "Brother, you... you're not going back? I... I, damn it! How am I going to explain this to you, sigh..."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "How you put it is your business. I just borrowed your camp for a while to rest. It's a pity... I was planning to stay longer. Hmm?"
A green light flashed across the horizon. Li Qiang was very curious, wondering whether the owner of this place was a cultivator or Loose Immortal. He took to the air and waited quietly.
The newcomer hovered in front of Li Qiang. He was a cultivator clad in armor. Li Qiang's expression shifted slightly, recognizing the newcomer as a powerful cultivator, at least at the Spirit Severing Realm. He wore emerald green armor and a black cloak trimmed with gold. He had a round face and round eyes, giving him a gentle appearance.
The man looked at Li Qiang in surprise. He couldn't understand why Li Qiang wasn't affected by the restrictions here, nor could he see through Li Qiang's cultivation level. He cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask your name?" He spoke in the common language of the Cultivation Realm.
Li Qiang said, "My name is Li Qiang. I just arrived on Goulan Planet. May I ask who you are?" He was overjoyed. The presence of cultivators meant that this planet had connections with the Cultivation Realm, which greatly increased his chances of leaving.
The man was first surprised and doubtful, then his face lit up with joy. He said, "My God, how did you get here? Do you have a teleportation array? I've been trapped here for thousands of years... My name is Bi Wuzi."
Li Qiang's heart sank. What did it mean to be trapped for over a thousand years?
He sighed deeply, "Brother Bi... Ah, let's not talk about that for now, can you let this army go?" His eyes gleamed with golden light.
Bi Wuzi didn't notice Li Qiang's suddenly sharp gaze. He looked at the group not far away and said, "Since Brother Li has pleaded for them, then forget it. Let them go back quickly. Um, Brother Li, may I invite you to be my guest?"
Li Qiang felt relieved; if this guy hadn't agreed, things would have been really difficult. He nodded in agreement, thanked him, and then flew to the Tufu's side, saying, "Brother Tufu, you should go now. If there's a chance, we'll meet again. The owner here has agreed to let you go back."
The Tufu said with a bitter face, " Shanxiong, you guys go back and talk to him for me, otherwise, the general will skin me alive! Ugh, this is terrible!"
Li Qiang smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, brother, goodbye."
The Tufu ordered all the soldiers to line up and salute Li Qiang.
Bi Wuzi was very surprised along the way. He could tell that Li Qiang was not an immortal, but he couldn't figure out why the restrictions here had no effect on him. He was able to fly freely here because he had a magical Law Treasure specifically designed to resist the restrictions, but he couldn't do so at high altitudes. He saw that Li Qiang flew very easily and freely, and the restrictions here seemed to have no effect on him at all.
Bi Wuzi said, "Brother Li, you... you didn't feel the restrictions here?" He couldn't help but ask.
Li Qiang countered, "Do you know why this place is restricted?"
Bi Wuzi sighed, "Of course I know the reason. This is one of the reasons I'm trapped here. Alas! I don't know how Brother Li got here. The Battle Circle Continent is a completely forbidden continent. This is the playground of immortals, their place to play. I am just... just a prisoner, just a servant." His tone revealed resentment and helplessness.
Li Qiang nodded inwardly. He had long sensed that there was something strange about this place, but he still had some doubts. "Brother Bi, are there many immortals here? Why are they doing this?"
In Li Qiang's mind, even if immortals are not very compassionate, they should not be very perverted. Although he was being chased around by the two immortals, Dainan Fengyu and Qian Shanyong, he did not think that immortals were very bad or cruel.
Bi Wuzi remained silent for a long time, his expression tinged with gloom. He swayed his cloak and said, "Brother Li, perhaps I don't know how many immortals there are in this realm, but from what I've seen... there's at least one. He calls himself the Lonely Old Immortal Tianshi. He's the one who created this Battle Circle Continent. He..." He couldn't help but shudder, as if he were very afraid.
Li Qiang also fell silent. Bi Wuzi shook his cloak again. "He captured over a hundred cultivators from many places, but I'm the only one still alive... The others, alas, were all refined into Nascent Soul Puppet Body. If he hadn't needed a steward, I would have been finished too."
Li Qiang was shocked. "How is this possible? Immortals are killing cultivators at will?" He simply couldn't believe it.
Bi Wuzi's face was full of bitterness. "We are people from the next level. The Lonely Old Immortal said that he doesn't care about things from the next level, just like we cultivators treat mortals, and mortals treat animals. Whether to kill or not is just a matter of a single thought."
Li Qiang suddenly thought of a question and asked, "Is that... Lonely Old Immortal at home?" He understood that as soon as he made a move, the immortal would immediately realize that he had cultivated the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture, which would be like him handing himself over to his death.
Bi Wuzi said, "He hasn't been here for hundreds of years. I wonder where he's gone to cultivate in seclusion. Never mind him. How did Brother Li come to Goulan Planet?" He seemed very concerned about this question.
Li Qiang said calmly, "Like you, I was captured and dumped on this planet."
Bi Wuzi suddenly stopped in mid-air, screaming in fright, "What? What? It's the Lonely Old Immortal... Oh my god, what should I do?"
"It's not the Lonely Old Immortal, it's another immortal. She seems unaware of the Battle Circle Continent."
Bi Wuzi clutched her chest, looking at Li Qiang in fear. "Brother, you scared me to death!"
Li Qiang said thoughtfully, "It's a pity I don't know about the Star Path, otherwise we could have left this place."
"The Old Immortal's Palace has Star-Fixing Disc, but I don't know how to use it; my skill isn't enough."
Li Qiang exclaimed with delight, "Ah... haha, a Star-Fixing Disc? I didn't hear wrong, did I? Haha, with Star-Fixing Disc, there's a way!" He danced with joy.
Bi Wuzi stared in disbelief for a long while before saying, "Don't be so happy yet, the Star-Fixing Disc is restricted."
Li Qiang's eyes gleamed. "Hey! Just break the restriction!"
Bi Wuzi saw the golden light in his eyes and was terrified. He was stunned. What kind of strange power was this? He had never even heard of it before.
He forced a smile and said, "If that's the case, then that would be wonderful." He turned his head away, a ruthless glint flashing across his face.