The Lonely Old Immortal's palace is located in a lake in the center of the plain. The lake is very large, and in the center of the lake are three steep peaks that rise abruptly from the water, like a giant fork emerging from the lake bottom. Bi Wuzi explained that the Lonely Old Immortal's palace is on the top of the peak.
The two flew towards the summit. Li Qiang noticed that Bi Wuzi was having difficulty flying, so he supported his arm, gave a soft shout, and the two instantly teleported to the summit.
Bi Wuzi was shocked again. "Brother Li, you can actually teleport here? Alas, due to the restrictions here, I have never been able to learn it... The old immortal has been restricting our cultivation to prevent us from escaping."
Standing atop the peak, Li Qiang looked around and felt a sense of unease. The summit was deserted, with only a few low-lying trees swaying in the wind. Having experienced many strange occurrences, he knew it wouldn't be that simple, and waited patiently. Sure enough, Bi Wuzi formed a hand seal. "Chirp!"
Li Qiang took a step forward, and the surrounding scenery changed dramatically. The three solitary peaks were still there, but the upper half of each peak was a magnificent palace, with jade pillars and emerald eaves, radiating brilliance. Light clouds surrounded the foot of the peaks, and rainbows even connected the solitary peaks.
Li Qiang sighed, "This is the celestial palace? It exudes an air of opulence."
Bi Wuzi understood the implication: Li Qiang felt the place was too luxurious and tacky.
Bi Wuzi said, " The Lonely Old Immortal's name is Tianshi. He's a very strange immortal. Sometimes I feel like he's more like a demon than an immortal. His actions are too wicked. Fortunately, he hasn't returned for hundreds of years. Alas, time really is hard to endure." A faint sorrow appeared on his face.
Li Qiang's mind was entirely focused on the Star-Fixing Disc. He knew that once he obtained this treasure, he could leave Goulan Planet. He said impatiently, "Brother Bi, how about we take a look at the Star-Fixing Disc first?"
Bi Wuzi smiled and said, "Brother Li, don't be in a hurry. Let me show you around this celestial palace." He seemed very enthusiastic.
As they walked, Li Qiang saw many male and female servants from the secular world. As soon as they saw Bi Wuzi, they prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to look up, as if they were very afraid.
Li Qiang asked curiously, "Brother Bi, how did these people get here?"
Bi Wuzi said, "Oh, this is the old immortal's order. There must be servants in the immortal palace to serve you at any time. The old immortal doesn't trust cultivators, so he brought these mortals here. They dare not and have no ability to resist."
Li Qiang said softly, "Damn it." He was utterly disgusted by this bullying behavior.
The two entered the main hall, where Li Qiang noticed some other cultivators, though their cultivation levels were quite low. Bi Wuzi explained that these were disciples he had secretly taught. From the main hall, they entered the mountain's interior, which was hollow. Bi Wuzi said, "The old immortal's treasure is below, in a fiery pit. Hehe, it's very hot down there, Brother Li, be careful."
Li Qiang nodded and said, "It's alright, let's go down."
Bi Wuzi once again formed a hand seal, and a white light flashed, followed by clusters of crimson light surging around them. Li Qiang suddenly felt something was wrong, because Bi Wuzi didn't move, and in that instant, he was teleported to a world of fire.
Li Qiang remained calm. He had a natural affinity for fire and had never been afraid of it. The surroundings were ablaze with red; under the scorching heat, the air rose like boiling water. Li Qiang's clothes instantly turned to ash, and the Fire Essence attached to his arm began to stir restlessly. A thought struck Li Qiang, and he suddenly understood something. He shouted, "Transform!"
As he shouted, the Fire Essence transformed into a crimson Fire Essence Armor that draped over Li Qiang's body, instantly bringing Li Qiang a refreshing coolness. He looked up and roared, " Bi Wuzi! Speak!" The sound waves he unleashed with his Divine Yi Power spread out like thunderclaps amidst the leaping flames.
A phantom slowly appeared before Li Qiang. Bi Wuzi, like a spirit, stared at Li Qiang in astonishment and said, "This is the first time I've seen someone so unfazed by the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation. How strange. Hehe, but you probably won't last long. Even with the power of Loose Immortal... haha, you still won't be able to withstand it!"
Li Qiang asked coldly, "Why is that?"
Bi Wuzi roared, " The Battle Circle Continent is mine! Nobody can interfere here!" His round face was twisted and deformed in the steaming heat, making him look extremely ferocious.
Li Qiang couldn't help but chuckle, never expecting Bi Wuzi to be so foolish. He calmly said, "So this so-called Lonely Old Immortal is just something you use to deceive people?"
The surrounding flames gradually turned from crimson to white, and the temperature rose higher and higher. The color of Li Qiang's Fire Essence Armor also became more vibrant red, as if countless red sprites were dancing inside the armor.
Bi Wuzi's illusory figure shifted uneasily, muttering, "Strange, how could this be?" He gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "That bastard Lonely Old Immortal, one day he will die by my hand, hmph!"
Li Qiang suddenly realized, "You probably killed all the other cultivators, didn't you?"
Bi Wuzi sneered repeatedly, "They're all a bunch of self-righteous fools, and I took them all down one by one! Haha, you couldn't escape either, could you?"
Li Qiang suddenly teleported to an unfamiliar place, where flames raged just as fiercely. He heard Bi Wuzi's voice say, "It's no use. This is a celestial array. Unless you are an immortal, cultivators cannot escape." A phantom appeared in front of Li Qiang.
At this point, Li Qiang calmed down. He suddenly laughed and said, " Bi Wuzi, you're stupid! Even if you trap me, what will you do when the Old Immortal returns? You think this little fire can hurt me? You idiot!"
Bi Wuzi was surprised that Li Qiang could withstand such terrifying heat without even using his flying sword, simply by wearing a strange crimson armor. He had once lured a Spirit Severing Realm Soul stage companion into the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation, but that person only lasted ten days before the array refined his body. He looked at Li Qiang somewhat bewilderedly for a long time before saying, "Don't be so smug, hmph! This is only the power of an immortal array. I will treat you well, my esteemed guest, and let you taste the power of the Thousand-Layer Fire first."
The surrounding scenery spun rapidly, and layers upon layers of flames rushed in from all directions.
This was the first time Li Qiang had ever seen such clear and bright flames. The flames were layered one after another, distinct and undisturbed by each other. The flames were even divided into seven colors, burning over swiftly like a rainbow of fire, which was breathtaking to watch.
Bi Wuzi sneered, "Heh heh, even experts at the Body Integration Realm have to avoid the Thousand-Layer Fire. Little guy, you're out of luck! Who gave you permission to interfere in the Battle Circle Continent? Let me tell you, the Battle Circle Continent is mine, they are all my servants, my property. Anyone who dares to cause trouble, I'll refine them! Hahaha!"
Li Qiang sneered, " Bi Wuzi, you're a frog in a well! There are many things in this world you don't know. Even if I stand still, this little fire won't hurt me in the slightest. Let me tell you, I'm the reincarnation of the God of Fire! I'm not afraid of any fire, no matter how big! I'll play with fire with you after I've figured things out."
Bi Wuzi hadn't expected Li Qiang to be so difficult to deal with. He couldn't understand why the raging flames emitted by the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation, almost comparable to Heavenly Fire, had no effect on Li Qiang. Li Qiang seemed to be a ball of fire himself; using fire to burn fire was a very strange thing. He couldn't help but feel flustered, as if he himself was the one trapped, not Li Qiang. He shouted in exasperation, "Fine! Let's try and see who's stronger!"
The Thousand-Layer Fire instantly engulfed Li Qiang, who felt the Fire Essence cheering and leaping with joy. In fact, Li Qiang had already sensed the power of the Thousand-Layer Fire; it actually contained Yin Fire that could harm Nascent Soul. Unfortunately, Bi Wuzi did not know that Li Qiang was no longer a cultivator. Since cultivating the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture, Li Qiang had already entered another level, a realm that Bi Wuzi could not even imagine.
Li Qiang felt a large amount of pure fire energy transferred from the Fire Essence Armor. Overjoyed, he immediately sat cross-legged and sank into the first realm of the Second Desire Heaven, where he had been stagnant for a long time.
The first three realms of the First Brahma Heaven are the Foundation Establishment realms. With the help of Qi Junsha and Mo Huaiyuan's immortal spiritual energy, Li Qiang easily passed through them. However, he stagnated at the first realm of the Second Desire Heaven, the Heart of Initial Movement. He had skipped the Immortal Cultivation realm and directly entered the Divine Cultivation realm, which was too difficult for him to overcome through solitary cultivation. It was only with the pressure of the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation that he truly had a turning point.
The fire energy transformed from the Fire Essence was immediately absorbed by Li Qiang. In less than the time it takes to eat a meal, Li Qiang's whole body shone brightly, and the color of the Fire Essence Armor changed from bright red to purplish red, emitting a faint purplish-gold light. It also began to metamorphose.
Bi Wuzi stared blankly at Li Qiang, filled with regret. He had been too hasty; he should have first assessed his opponent's strength before making a move, which would have given him a much better chance of success. Now, he felt stuck, unable to gain or lose. His illusory figure circled Li Qiang twice before slowly disappearing.
Bi Wuzi stood before a huge jade wall in the inner palace, lost in thought.
This jade wall is the central hub of the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation. It resembles a fiercely burning mural, from which all the changes within the array can be clearly seen.
Li Qiang is currently positioned in the northeast corner, and the radiance emanating from him has illuminated the entire inner palace. Reflecting the flames within the jade wall, Bi Wuzi's expression shifts between light and shadow.
Finally, Bi Wuzi made up his mind. He said fiercely, "No matter what kind of monster you are, I'll trap you to death first... Hmph! I'll suppress you into the Fire Eye first!" Four strangely shaped spirit beasts were carved on the four corners of the jade wall. Bi Wuzi activated them one by one. The spirit beast in the upper left corner first spat out a red bead, which shot into the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation. Then, the other three spirit beasts also spat out their respective spirit beads. Instantly, the jade wall quietly disappeared into the wall.
Bi Wuzi arrived at the main hall of the Immortal Palace, where several puppet figures were waiting. Bi Wuzi's cold gaze swept over them, and the puppet figures immediately lowered their heads.
They were all high-level puppets with their own consciousness and thoughts, but after being turned into puppets by Bi Wuzi, they no longer dared to resist.
Bi Wuzi said with a gloomy face, "The attack on the Mengzhan Kingdom is postponed. The plains are sealed off, and anyone who enters is to be killed."
Several puppet figures knelt down and replied, "Yes!"
If Li Qiang could see the spirit beasts surrounding the jade wall, he would definitely recognize them— the Great Flame Spirit Beast he had seen on Heavenly Court Star. After the four carved spirit beasts spat out spirit pearls, the entire Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation was sealed off. This type of array is a popular Fire Spirit Formation in the Immortal Realm, generally used by immortals to store and protect treasures; it is very difficult for cultivators to resist. Bi Wuzi was short-sighted; he had never dared to enter it before, only secretly learning some of the techniques for operating the array. He did not know the true power of the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation, otherwise Li Qiang would not have been able to enter so easily.
Li Qiang was unaware of the changes within the immortal array; he was completely immersed in the first realm of the Second Desire Heaven. Gradually, the Thousand-Layer Fire quietly extinguished, and he was teleported by the array to the eye of the fire. Bi Wuzi activated the power contained within the Four Divine Beasts, but because Li Qiang was cultivating his spirit, the Spirit Pearl lost its target, wasting this enormous energy. Bi Wuzi was not an immortal and could not replenish the energy in time, thus creating a significant flaw in the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation.
Bi Wuzi was unaware that the formation had completely stopped. He only knew that once the four spirit beasts released their spirit pearls, the formation would be sealed. The energy emitted by the four spirit pearls could destroy any living being within the formation. He just needed to wait a while before opening the formation to check.
He never expected that Li Qiang could completely disappear. The spirit orbs couldn't find Li Qiang at all, nor could they return. The four spirit orbs wandered around the immortal array like ownerless ghosts, and soon their energy was exhausted and they were lost in the immortal array.
With the help of the Fire Essence Armor, Li Qiang successfully cultivated the first realm of the Second Desire Heaven, the Heart of Initial Movement, and began cultivating the second realm Heart of Darkness. Only then could he be considered to have officially stepped into the gate of divine cultivation.
The most unexpected gain was the Fire Essence, which actually evolved into a living immortal armor. Li Qiang opened his eyes and found that the raging fire around him had completely disappeared, and he was sitting in a huge room.
The room had no doors or windows, and strangely, despite the lack of any artificial lighting, it was as bright as day. The walls were made of translucent, dark purple crystals. Li Qiang, now quite knowledgeable, recognized this as the rare Ink Fire Purple Cloud Crystal. He also possessed a small piece in his Buddha Finger, a gift from Elder Zhi. It was an exceptionally rare item, capable of containing immense heat energy.
In the center of the room stood a square pillar, also made of Ink Fire Purple Cloud Crystal. Beside the pillar was a strangely shaped altar, a vibrant vermilion color. Above the altar was a ball of purple, swirling, and burning Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire, quite different from the one Li Qiang had seen in the Star Palace before. The Heavenly Fire here was a much deeper color, seemingly full of wildness.
Li Qiang already had a deep understanding of the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire. He could tell at a glance that the Heavenly Fire on the altar was far more powerful than the Heavenly Fire in Purple Flame Heart, like wild beasts, one tamed and the other untamed. Li Qiang was very careful this time and dared not touch the Heavenly Fire casually.
Li Qiang circled the room several times but found nothing else. He realized he was trapped there.
The room formed by the Ink Fire Purple Cloud Crystal was the Lonely Old Immortal's treasure room, located directly below the Fiery Eye. Bi Wuzi hadn't expected to send Li Qiang here; he had no idea such a secret room existed. However, this treasure room was extremely dangerous. Once the formation inside was triggered, it would be very difficult to deal with. Fortunately, Li Qiang had been very cautious and hadn't rushed into action, though he vaguely sensed the murderous intent within.
Li Qiang waited for Bi Wuzi's next attack, but there was no response for a long time. He carefully released his Divine Sense to investigate and discovered that this was a treasure room, because there were unusual fluctuations in the walls on both sides. What he cared about most was the Star-Fixing Disc. With it, he could escape this planet. After much consideration, Li Qiang decided to risk searching for the treasure.
Suddenly, the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire on the altar emitted a deafening rumble. Li Qiang sensed something was wrong; the sound of the Heavenly Fire was very similar to the strange sound he made when he shot out the Heavenly Fire Purple Flower. He quickly spat out the Supreme Radiance Shuttle, and a golden light gathered around him, much like the golden light on an immortal. The Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire suddenly exploded, scattering countless tiny sparks.
After a year of training, Li Qiang had basically mastered the characteristics of the Supreme Radiance Shuttle. It was also a fire-type immortal artifact, which was compatible with his physique.
Because it was cultivated using Heavenly Fire, the Supreme Radiance Shuttle was completely unaffected by the scorching heat of the Heavenly Fire. Li Qiang stood on the ground, not daring to move, letting the tiny Heavenly Fire dance around him. Some of the Heavenly Fire flew into the golden light of the Supreme Radiance Shuttle, only to be immediately repelled by Supreme Radiance Shuttle.
The wisps of Heavenly Fire swept across every corner of the room, then gathered again with a soft pop, returning to the altar. Li Qiang secretly rejoiced; thankfully, the Supreme Radiance Shuttle possessed the properties of Heavenly Fire, and the Heavenly Fire hadn't detected anything amiss. If it were a cultivator, they might not have been able to withstand it at all. Immortals might not be afraid of Heavenly Fire, but once the Heavenly Fire was triggered, the subsequent array ambush would definitely be activated, and resolving it would require a major undertaking.
Li Qiang studied the treasure room carefully, but he felt somewhat at a loss as to where to begin. He knew the treasure was hidden inside the Ink Fire Purple Cloud Crystal, but he didn't know the incantation to open it, so he could only sigh in frustration. He was no longer a naive young man. If it were two years earlier, he might have acted recklessly, but now he was much more cautious. He knew the power of immortal treasures, and he wouldn't take action until he had a clear plan.
He didn't know how much time had passed, and he still had no clue. During this time, the ball of Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire on the altar erupted seven times. Li Qiang gradually realized that this ball of Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire Heavenly Fire the key to this room, and he decided to collect it. His first thought was of the Purple Flame Heart in his arm, and the second was of the Fire Essence.
When Li Qiang collected the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire at the Star Palace, its energy was already very weak. Over thousands of years, the burning and tempering of the Supreme Radiance Shuttle had consumed much of its energy. At its weakest, Li Qiang had luckily collected it using the Purple Flame Heart. But the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire before him was different. With its wild energy fluctuations, Li Qiang knew at a glance that this thing was powerful. Therefore, he was very careful. He understood the power and characteristics of the Heavenly Fire more thoroughly than any other cultivator.
Li Qiang took out the Purple Flame Heart Purple Flame Heart; he had now basically figured out its structure.
Fu Shan truly lived up to his reputation as a grandmaster of artifact crafting. This top-tier Foundation Establishment artifact was exquisitely designed. The materials Purple Flame Heart were astounding, not to mention the ingenious conception and the arduous cultivation process. Li Qiang sometimes wondered if he had the determination and perseverance to cultivate such a treasure himself. The only flaw Li Qiang could find was that Fu Shan cultivated the Purple Flame Heart with Samadhi True Fire Samadhi True Fire, which was based on True Essence Power. Li Qiang, on the other hand, now possessed even more remarkable Divine Yi Power, and he decided to cultivate the Purple Flame Heart anew.
The Samadhi True Fire is gone. Since the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation that Li Qiang obtained is a chapter on the Foundation Establishment of cultivating gods, without specific methods of application, he can only rely on the Law Technique and spiritual techniques he mastered during his cultivation journey to cultivate.
He was fully aware of the enormous gap between them, but there was nothing he could do at the moment, because Purple Flame Heart was already filled with Heavenly Fire, so he could no longer use Heavenly Fire to cultivate. So he began to try a new method of refining weapons—using Divine Yi Power as the furnace and base fire for refining weapons.
A golden light appeared before Li Qiang, Purple Flame Heart flew from his hand and entered the golden light. Li Qiang closed his eyes and sat upright, sinking into the Second Desire Heaven realm, controlling it entirely with his mind. He discovered that the power of the Divine Yi Power was indeed extraordinary; however he wanted it to change, the Purple Flame Heart could change accordingly, which was truly wondrous.
The true foundation of the Purple Flame Heart is not fire, but cold; Li Qiang only recently discovered this secret. He still has three Mystic Pearl. He will first take out one to strengthen the cold foundation of the Purple Flame Heart, and then use the six defensive formations from the Eighteen Demon-Extinguishing Hands to reinforce the outer layer of the Purple Flame Heart Purple Flame Heart, making it even more solid and reliable. Even Elder Zhi probably didn't expect Li Qiang to use talismans in this way.
Then, Li Qiang began to change the shape of the Purple Flame Heart. He modified it into a Purple Flame Heart -gold arm guard and left behind a small array for the Fire Essence to hide in. Li Qiang was not used to this cultivation method at first, but gradually he felt its wonder. That is, he could do whatever he wanted. As long as he could think of it, his Divine Yi Power could perfectly create it. He liked this method more and more.
Li Qiang was unaware that the modification of the Purple Flame Heart was the first thing he had cultivated that came close to a divine artifact. Although it was not a true divine artifact, it already possessed the characteristics of one.
He spent six whole months practicing making this arm guard.
During this time, Bi Wuzi forcibly activated the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation, but found no trace of Li Qiang. He searched in front of the jade wall for a long time but couldn't find a single trace. He only sensed something was wrong with the array, because it hadn't completely stopped operating and was still slowly running. He couldn't figure out why, and he didn't dare to enter the array to check, feeling uneasy. He also didn't dare to completely stop the array, because if Li Qiang was still alive, he could immediately teleport out. He was terrified of Li Qiang's strength, so he could only guard the Immortal Palace every day, not daring to go anywhere else.
That day, Li Qiang opened his eyes and looked with satisfaction at the newly cultivated arm guard in his hand, which shimmered with a faint purple-gold light. He then looked at the ball of Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire, feeling a little hesitant. He wanted to take it but was afraid of being damaged by the unparalleled energy of the Heavenly Fire. To be on the safe side, he summoned the Fire Essence into the arm guard, gritted his teeth, and threw the arm guard into the Heavenly Fire.
In an instant, the entire room was illuminated, and the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation was activated. Even the Fire Essence couldn't withstand this kind of Heavenly Fire, and it immediately retreated into the hiding place that Li Qiang had left for it inside the arm guard. The wild Heavenly Fire emitted a violent roar, and the Heavenly Fire inside the arm guard immediately surfaced.
The Heavenly Fire inside the arm guard was a pale purple flame, while the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire outside was a deep purple. The two colors of Heavenly Fire blended together, forming a strange purplish-white color.
Li Qiang suddenly sensed something was wrong; the arm guard couldn't withstand the Heavenly Fire outside and seemed to be melting. He quickly channeled his Divine Yi Power, sending a ray of golden light directly at the arm guard. This time, the Heavenly Fire didn't reach him. With the Supreme Radiance Shuttle protecting him, things were different. The Divine Yi Power condensed on the surface of the arm guard, and the arm guard underwent strange changes. Li Qiang began to feel strain. With a series of strange "beep beep pop" sounds, the arm guard emitted a deep purple-golden light.
A thunderclap suddenly rang out, and the ball of Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire vanished without a trace. To Li Qiang's delight, a dark purple arm guard shimmering with a dark, eerie golden light appeared before him. He had successfully retrieved the Heavenly Fire and even cultivated an arm guard whose function he himself couldn't quite understand.
With a slight thought, the arm guard quietly fastened onto his left arm. He then tried to summon the Fire Essence, and in the blink of an eye, a set of black immortal armor with a dark purple-gold luster protected his entire body. Strangely, this set of immortal armor, transformed from the Fire Essence, also had a black mask covering its face.
Li Qiang laughed heartily, which would be terrifying to anyone watching, as every expression was clearly displayed on the mask, making it seem as if the mask itself was alive.
With the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire gone, the core of the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation was destroyed. Even the immortals who set up this array probably couldn't have imagined that someone could capture such a powerful Heavenly Fire. Two cloud-shaped tables quietly emerged from the walls made of Ink Fire Purple Cloud Crystal on either side. Instantly, the room shimmered with precious energy. Li Qiang immediately spotted the Star-Fixing Disc on the left cloud-shaped table and was overjoyed, knowing that his escape was likely.
He walked to the cloud-shaped table and saw two items on it: a Star-Fixing Disc and a paperweight-like object, about a foot long and three fingers wide, engraved with countless monsters, with swirling, elusive clouds inside. Both items were enveloped in a faint golden light, which Li Qiang knew was a protective seal.
He tried to forcefully break the Supreme Radiance Shuttle. With a loud bang, Li Qiang was dumbfounded; the Supreme Radiance Shuttle couldn't be broken. In desperation, he reached out and grabbed it.
His palm was filled with Divine Yi Power, as if he had crushed a balloon. With a soft "pop," he grasped the Star-Fixing Disc.
Li Qiang laughed heartily; Divine Yi Power was so effective that his confidence soared.
Suddenly, his chest trembled violently. Li Qiang looked down and was both surprised and delighted to see that Mei'er's spirit pearl had moved.