Gan Ling'er lowered her head and said, "This... servant... uh, my name is Gan Ling'er, and these two are my junior brothers— Bing Yu and Hai Hongfen."
The two Nascent Soul Puppet Body seemed even more timid, repeatedly kowtowing but daring not to speak.
Mei'er recalled how terrified she was when she first met Li Qiang while hiding in the castle. Overwhelmed with sympathy, she said gently, "Don't be afraid. My brother is a good person; he would never bully anyone."
Gan Ling'er and the other two relaxed slightly upon hearing this, but remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to move.
Li Qiang's eyes suddenly flashed with golden light, sweeping over the three of them. Bing Yu happened to glance over and was so shocked by the golden light in Li Qiang's eyes that he fell to the ground with a thud, his whole body trembling violently.
Li Qiang said calmly, "The three of you have all been cursed with the Soul-Nailing Incantation. Who has your original life-bound artifact? Hmm, it must be in Bi Wuzi's hands. Hmph! This little trick can't scare anyone. Get up, I'll help you remove the Soul-Nailing Incantation."
The three looked up in disbelief; in their experience and knowledge, it was impossible. All three of them were made of animal hides, bones, and flesh, and although they were shaped into human form, their faces were extremely ferocious.
Gan Ling'er's ugly face showed surprise, "Immortal... this... can it work? Oh, I didn't mean that... Thank you for your mercy, Immortal! Thank you for your mercy, Immortal!"
Not only were the three of them puzzled, but even Mei'er was astonished. She flew back into Li Qiang's arms and whispered, "Brother, can it really be untied? The Soul-Nailing Incantation is very insidious; if it's not untied properly, they'll be in big trouble." She didn't know that Li Qiang was proficient in Puppet Technique, and more importantly, he was also skilled in untying techniques—this was from the Qi Junsha Sect, and his current strength was more than enough.
A blue star-shaped token flew out of Li Qiang's hand. It was a treasure he had received in the Great Illusion Buddha Realm. Later, he learned from the jade Jade Pupil Slip given to him by Qi Junsha that it was a very peculiar treasure called the Illusory Star Soul-Suppressing Plaque. At that time, he also received a suit of armor and a flying sword, which were part of the same set as the Illusory Star Soul-Suppressing Plaque: the Illusory Star Battle Armor and the Illusory Star Sword.
The Illusory Star Soul-Suppressing Plaque is a very strange magical Law Treasure. It can be used to cultivate a puppet body, and it has a unique characteristic: it can break the restrictions placed on a puppet body by others. That's why Li Qiang was so confident. The token flew out, and a streak of white starlight shot out from its seven sharp points, enveloping the three of them.
Despite her extensive knowledge, Mei'er had never seen this Law Treasure before. However, she sensed its power. This Law Treasure seemed to be specifically designed for those with a Nascent Soul Nascent Soul. Even though she was Spirit Sword Body, she could feel the power of this Law Treasure, which made her secretly alarmed.
Gan Ling'er was struck by starlight, and his whole body went numb. He couldn't speak or move. He was terrified. At this moment, even an ordinary person could kill him with a knife, because his Nascent Soul was imprisoned in the puppet body.
Li Qiang gently comforted you, "Don't be afraid. The puppet bodies you have are the real burden. Once they're gone, Bi Wuzi won't be able to help you."
As he spoke, a series of explosions rang out, and the three of them screamed in agony. Countless pieces of rotten flesh and broken bones flew everywhere, and the three Nascent Soul stood blankly in the air.
Li Qiang laughed, " Mei'er, you take the three of them. I'll make Bi Wuzi suffer a bit." With a wave of his hand, the white light emitted from the star tablet rolled up the broken bones and rotten flesh on the ground into a pile. Li Qiang then shot out a tiny Heavenly Fire Purple Flower and shouted, "Go!"
With a deafening roar, a streak of blood-red light shot outwards, faster than an arrow, exploding as it went.
As the restrictions on Gan Ling'er and the other two were removed, they also lost their puppet bodies. The three of them were filled with sorrow and dared not escape, standing there blankly.
Li Qiang asked, "Your Nascent Soul have all been severely damaged, making it impossible for you to continue cultivating as Loose Immortal. I have an idea; I wonder if the three of you brothers would be willing to listen?"
The three could hardly believe their ears, because Li Qiang actually called them brothers. Gan Ling'er said, "Immortal, as long as we can survive, we will follow your orders." Bing Yu and Hai Hongfen also nodded in agreement.
Li Qiang laughed and asked, " Mei'er, do you still have any Form-Transforming Mushroom?"
Mei'er nodded and said, "Brother, you want them to cultivate their Spirit Body? Great! That way, Mei'er will have company. Mei'er still has some Form-Transforming Mushroom, just enough for four Nascent Soul." She handed Li Qiang a small crystal bottle, inside which the Form-Transforming Mushroom were a wisp of faint black smoke, floating up and down.
Gan Ling'er and the other two knew that the best way out right now was to cultivate into Spirit Body. Their only concern was that if they cultivated into Spirit Body now, they would have to follow Li Qiang until they cultivated into Spirit Sword Body and could then be independent. They didn't know Li Qiang's character, and if he used his Spirit Body to forge weapons, they would be powerless to resist. The three of them were truly terrified of Bi Wuzi and had many reservations about powerful experts.
Li Qiang waited quietly for the three men's reply.
Gan Ling'er hesitated, but Hai Hongfen hadn't spoken until now, suddenly said, "I'm willing to cultivate into a Spirit Body. Alas, I can't take it anymore." After their puppet bodies were removed, their Nascent Soul souls were exposed in the air, and their insufficient power made them extremely uncomfortable.
Mei'er grew impatient and said in a coquettish voice, "You three are so indecisive, it's not pleasant at all. It would be easy for my brother to wipe you out, he wouldn't need to go through all this trouble..." The little girl was angry at their hesitant appearance.
Gan Ling'er and the other two were so frightened that they cried out repeatedly, "We're willing to cultivate Spirit Body! We're willing to cultivate Spirit Body!"
Li Qiang opened the bottle cap and waved his hand, shooting three black lines into the bodies of the three Nascent Soul. Mei'er, who had been through this before, loudly offered guidance. She had her own insights into cultivating the Spirit Body. Under Mei'er's guidance, Gan Ling'er and the other two quickly turned to cultivating the Spirit Body.
Gan Ling'er's skill was the best among the three, and he was the first to disperse his form. Mei'er said, "Brother, give him some Mystic Ice Essence first to help him solidify his body."
Li Qiang hurriedly took out the Mystic Ice Essence, wrapped a drop in it, and shot it to Gan Ling'er. Before long, Hai Hongfen and Bing Yu also successfully dispersed their forms, their Nascent Soul turning into wisps of black smoke that kept gathering and dispersing. After obtaining the Mystic Ice Essence, the three of them quickly formed Spirit Body and floated around in the air.
Li Qiang hung the star token around Mei'er's neck and laughed, "They'll be your junior brothers from now on, following you. Remember! Don't bully them."
Mei'er beamed with joy. "Hehe, I'm a senior sister now! Gan Ling'er, Hai Hongfen, Bing Yu, come here! Come here! Pay your respects to your senior sister, hee hee!"
Gan Ling'er and the other two were surprised that Mei'er would be so happy. They were only at the initial stage of Spirit Body cultivation, barely able to conjure clothes, and were far behind Mei'er's Spirit Sword Body cultivation. Mei'er, on the other hand, could already use Law Treasure.
Gan Ling'er sighed, "I'm content to have reached this point. Gan Ling'er greets Senior Sister!"
Mei'er said proudly, " Gan Ling'er, you're the second junior brother, Hai Hongfen is the third junior brother, hehe, Bing Yu is the youngest junior brother. Okay, from now on we're senior and junior siblings, you guys have to be good."
Li Qiang couldn't help but laugh. Mei'er looked like a mischievous little girl, but she spoke in a very mature way. The joy on her little face was like that of a little Wawa who had just received her favorite toy.
Li Qiang said, "Strange, the immortal formation seems to have completely stopped. We can leave the formation and have some fun with Bi Wuzi." He released golden light to cover Mei'er and the other three, and in an instant, he had already teleported out of the formation.
Chaos reigned within the Immortal Palace. Bi Wuzi was preparing to flee with all the Nascent Soul Puppet Body when suddenly, a bolt of lightning, composed of flesh and blood, blasted him to the ground. The jade tablet he clutched shattered—it was the original life-bound tablet of all the Nascent Soul. A spark of Heavenly Fire scorched his arm. Terrified, Bi Wuzi, having mastered the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation, knew the power of Heavenly Fire. Gritting his teeth, he severed his arm with his flying sword, grabbed a nearby servant, and threw it at him. The purple flame, after burning his arm, then reached the servant, who was reduced to ashes with a single cry.
With his original natal tablet destroyed, the Nascent Soul Puppet Body lost control and scattered in all directions. Bi Wuzi knew that Li Qiang was behind it, and he became even more frightened. He didn't care about taking anything with him and fled for his life alone.
Li Qiang arrived at the main hall of the Immortal Palace and asked, "Where is Bi Wuzi?"
Several mortal servants stepped forward tremblingly and replied, "The immortal has already left... Immortal, please spare our lives."
Li Qiang shook his head and said, " Bing Yu, gather all the servants in the Immortal Palace and, if possible, let them go home."
Those ordinary servants were completely stunned, never expecting Li Qiang to let them go.
Bing Yu bowed respectfully and said, "Yes, Immortal Lord."
Li Qiang waved his hand. "Don't call me 'immortal' or 'superior immortal.' Just call me 'Big Brother,' like Mei'er does. I don't have that many rules here."
Gan Ling'er and the others were probably seeing this kind of person for the first time, and they were both surprised and curious.
Bing Yu hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "Yes, Big... Big Brother." After saying that, he didn't dare to look at Li Qiang once, and turned around and floated out the door.
Li Qiang paced back and forth in the celestial palace with a serious expression. Mei'er, seeing this, couldn't help but fly to his side and ask, "Brother, what's wrong?"
Li Qiang reached out and picked up Mei'er, laughing, "I'm trying to figure out how to leave here. Oh, by the way, Gan Ling'er, do you have a teleportation array here?"
Gan Ling'er said, "Immortal... uh, brother, there should be a teleportation array..."
Li Qiang exclaimed in surprise, "Really? Where?"
Gan Ling'er was so frightened by Li Qiang that she floated to the side, only to later realize that he seemed excited. All of them were terrified of Bi Wuzi's bullying; that kind of Nascent Soul body tempering was not something ordinary people could endure, especially the few Nascent Soul Nascent Soul still had their minds intact. They remembered every torment they suffered.
Mei'er shouted, "Second Junior Brother, tell me quickly! Tell me quickly! Where is the teleportation array?" Having finally gotten a chance to show off her eldest sister's power, how could Mei'er give it up?
Li Qiang looked at Xiao Mei'er in his arms, both amused and exasperated. Her gesturing was truly amusing. After Mei'er, Mei'er turned her head and saw Li Qiang's amused expression. She became embarrassed, and a blush rose on her face.
Gan Ling'er smiled wryly, "I heard the old immortal mention before that there's an ancient teleportation array outside the Battle Circle Continent, apparently in the west. However, no one has ever left the Battle Circle Continent; this place was sealed off by the old immortal long ago. I don't know if it's true or not."
Hai Hongfen added, "The old immortal once said that this is the most remote planet. He warned us cultivators not to be delusional, as there is no escape from here. He said he would personally destroy the teleportation array to prevent us from leaving."
Li Qiang nodded and said, "That's not a problem. As long as some things can be left behind, I have a way to restore it. Hmm, where in the Immortal Palace did the Old Immortal used to live? Take me there."
Gan Ling'er said, "The place where the old immortal lives is sealed off. None of us can open it, not even Bi Wuzi. He's tried many times to no avail..."
Li Qiang exclaimed happily, "That's great! Maybe there's some information or stuff we need inside. Take me there quickly!"
Mei'er excitedly replied, "Great! Second Junior Brother has done a great job. Senior Sister will reward you later, hehe."
Gan Ling'er Hai Hongfen led Li Qiang and Mei'er along the rainbow bridge between the mountains to a small mountain at the very edge. Here, clear springs flowed, pine and cypress trees flourished, orchids and magnolias exuded fragrance, and strange rocks were scattered everywhere. It was not as exquisite and beautiful as the fairy palace, but rather appeared elegant and natural.
Li Qiang nodded and said, "This place is wonderful; it truly lives up to its reputation as a dwelling place for immortals."
A small stone pavilion is carved into the cliff. Beyond the pavilion is a pool of clear blue water. Behind the pool, an ancient plum tree with gnarled roots sprouts tender green leaves, and its branches shade a small, elegant house not far away.
Gan Ling'er stopped by the pool and said, "You can't get through from here. Bi Wuzi tried desperately to get in, but he only gave up after several Nascent Soul Puppet Body died." He was still shaken.
Li Qiang squinted and scanned his surroundings, carefully examining them with his Divine Sense. He discovered that the abode was shrouded in two formations. The outer formation was defensive and deceptive, while the inner formation faintly exuded murderous intent.
Mei'er said, "As expected of an array set up by immortals, brother, this kind of array is very difficult for cultivators to break."
Gan Ling'er asked in surprise, "You can understand this kind of immortal array?"
Mei'er's eyes widened. "What did you say? You can't even call me 'Senior Sister' anymore? Humph!"
Gan Ling'er was so frightened that she hurriedly said, "Uh! Senior Sister! How could Senior Sister know about this formation?"
Mei'er said proudly, "I'm the senior sister, of course I know more. The outer layer is the Hundred Turns Formation, and the inner one is the Baleful Intent Severing Formation. Hmm, it's just that there are Immortal Method added in, Mei'er doesn't understand."
Gan Ling'er and Hai Hongfen secretly admired Mei'er's extensive knowledge. They didn't know much, only that these were the Hundred Turns Formation and the Baleful Intent Severing Formation. Mei'er was right; these two formations had left all the cultivators in the Immortal Palace helpless.
Li Qiang had heard of these two formations before. After thinking carefully, he took out a Jade Pupil Slip to examine it and had a thorough understanding of them. These two formations were activated by immortal spiritual energy, unlike cultivators who activated them with True Essence Power, which was why Mei'er wasn't sure. After finding the relevant spiritual incantation, he smiled and said, "Let me give it a try."
He made a hand seal, and a golden light shot out. The moment the golden light touched the array, it seemed to melt into water, causing the Hundred Turns Formation to ripple. The air itself seemed to distort and deform. With a slight rolling sound, the Hundred Turns Formation vanished without a trace, revealing the Baleful Intent Severing Formation, which was flashing red light inside. Li Qiang was very satisfied. He found that the Divine Yi Power was even more useful than Immortal Spiritual Qi in terms of cultivation level.
Hai Hongfen exclaimed in surprise, "Oh no, it's broken! It's broken!"
Mei'er waved her little hand. "What's all the fuss about? You're so ignorant. My brother has broken through even more powerful formations than this. You just haven't seen them."
After breaking the Hundred Turns Formation, Li Qiang's confidence soared. He once again activated his spiritual incantation, and amidst the flashing red light, a series of crisp explosions rang out. Everyone's eyes lit up as a milky-white shrine slowly rose from the wisps of green smoke. At the entrance of the shrine stood a silver cauldron half a person's height. Inside, the shrine was spotless, with a pale blue mat woven from the famous Soul-Soothing Grass, a very precious material.
Mei'er flew in first, circled the room, and said disappointedly, "Brother, there's no Jade Pupil Slip."
Li Qiang slowly walked into the abode. It was his first time entering the dwelling of an immortal. There were only two words to describe it: "Simple". There was nothing superfluous, and the room was clean and tidy. Apart from the mat on the floor, there was nothing else.
Gan Ling'er and Hai Hongfen glances, neither of them expecting the immortal's abode to be empty.
Mei'er couldn't help but ask, "Third Junior Brother, come here. Your senior sister wants to ask you, where does that old immortal still live? Does he have a study or a cultivation ground or something?"
The Spirit Body of Hai Hongfen kept gathering and dispersing. "Senior Sister, the Old Immortal only has this one place to live, there is nowhere else."
Li Qiang sat down cross-legged, feeling an invisible sense of urgency. He had been on this planet for almost two years, and if Dainan Fengyu had gotten rid of Qian Shanyong, she would find him soon. Even without Fixed Listening Pearl's guidance, as long as he was still on this planet, she wouldn't have any trouble finding him.
Although he had already reached the Second Desire Heaven realm, Li Qiang knew in his heart that he was far inferior to immortals. He estimated that his current level was enough to escape; before, when pursued by immortals, he didn't even have the chance to escape. He thought again, "What if I can't find the ancient teleportation array, or the teleportation array is completely destroyed? I'll still have to rely on my own strength; otherwise, I'll be in trouble sooner or later."
Li Qiang asked, " Mei'er, do you know about the Star-Fixing Disc?"
Mei'er, mimicking Li Qiang, sat cross-legged on the ground, touching the mat with her little hands, seemingly quite fond of it. She replied, "I know, the ancient texts record that this is a legendary artifact commonly used by immortals. There are similar things in the Cultivation Realm, but they are far inferior."
Li Qiang took out the Star-Fixing Disc he had received in the treasure room and said, "This is the Star-Fixing Disc, but I've never used it before and don't know how to use it."
The Star-Fixing Disc looks strange, like a flattened turtle, slightly smaller than a palm, and very inconspicuous in its black color.
Mei'er took it and examined it from all angles. She said, "Brother, I don't know how to use it. This thing looks so strange."
If Li Qiang hadn't seen it at Dainan Fengyu's place, he wouldn't have known how precious it was. After thinking carefully, he remembered that Dainan Fengyu had placed the Star-Fixing Disc on the back of his hand. He tried to use his Divine Yi Power to absorb it, Star-Fixing Disc suddenly lit up and attached itself to the back of his hand. Looking at the Star-Fixing Disc on the back of his hand, Li Qiang was dumbfounded; he still didn't know how to use it.
Mei'er had seen similar magical Law Treasure in the Cultivation Realm before, and she reminded him, "Brother, use your Divine Sense to see... However, if your cultivation level is insufficient, it's best not to try, or you'll get lost inside."
Li Qiang, who had been searching for the mechanism outside the Star-Fixing Disc, suddenly understood upon hearing this and praised with a smile, " Mei'er is truly amazing; she knows everything."
Li Qiang sent a Divine Sense into the Star-Fixing Disc. In an instant, he saw countless galaxies, as if he had arrived in the depths of the universe. He was extremely surprised and thought to himself, "This must be a three-dimensional map of interstellar space." He examined it carefully but couldn't find a clue. His knowledge of astronomy and the universe was almost zero. He had never studied it before, and the only thing he vaguely remembered was the Milky Way. He couldn't understand anything else.
But Li Qiang couldn't even find the Milky Way. With a slight movement of his Divine Sense, the entire universe began to rotate, and countless galaxies rushed towards him. The feeling was even more exhilarating than watching a science fiction movie. It was truly remarkable that so many galaxies were condensed into a small Star-Fixing Disc. Li Qiang knew that the key things he was missing were the coordinates of his own planet and the coordinates of Sealed Fate Planet. As long as he found these coordinates, there would be hope for his escape.
Li Qiang's Divine Sense wandered around the star system on the Star-Fixing Disc. He found it amazing; as long as he selected a star, he could immediately close the distance to it, no matter how far away the star was. As he continued to look around, he couldn't help but sigh. It was so vast that he couldn't even touch the edge. Eventually, he even lost his sense of direction and had no choice but to withdraw his Divine Sense from the Star-Fixing Disc.
Li Qiang opened his eyes and saw Mei'er staring at him with her big eyes, seemingly lost in thought. He waved his hand in front of her and laughed, " Mei'er, what are you daydreaming about?"
Mei'er's words startled him. "Brother, it's been over twenty days, and you're only just waking up? What wonderful things have you seen that you didn't want to leave?"
Li Qiang sighed, "I'm lost! Oh dear!"
Mei'er blinked her big eyes and asked, "Is it big inside?"
Li Qiang stood up, paced back and forth a few steps, and said, "It's not just big, it's boundless, with no end in sight. The worst part is—we can't determine where we are. Unfortunately, there aren't any landmarks here."
Mei'er said, "Brother, I want to go inside the Illusory Devil Pearl. Gan Ling'er and the others can help me. Although the Blue Light isn't here, maybe Mei'er will find it in the future. Hmm, can brother come in too?" She looked at Li Qiang expectantly. If Li Qiang could transform and go inside, she wouldn't be afraid.
Li Qiang took out the Illusory Star Battle Armor and Illusory Star Sword, and said with a smile, " Mei'er, I've reforged this armor and flying sword; they're quite special. You should be able to wear them."
Mei'er's eyes lit up immediately, and she exclaimed in surprise, "What beautiful armor! My goodness! It's even transparent—hehe, it suits Mei'er perfectly." As Spirit Body, she was born with the ability to transform in countless ways, so she didn't care about being spied on.
Taking the armor, she said, "Brother, I need to cultivate before I can wear it, hehe, Mei'er will start cultivating right away. This is the first time Mei'er has seen this kind of armor before, brother, where did you get it?"
Li Qiang handed her the flying sword and laughed, "It was in the Great Illusion Buddha Realm. Hehe, I didn't recognize this treasure back then. I guess the owner of the armor was still trapped in the Illusory Devil Pearl. The things he learned were very strange, and it seemed to have some kind of connection with the Spirit Ghost Realm."
Mei'er put on the armor piece by piece. She was only the size of an eight or nine-year-old child, and the armor looked huge and cumbersome on her.
Li Qiang barely managed to suppress his laughter when he saw Mei'er, clad in full armor, fly off the mat and hover at a height of one meter. Suddenly, Blue Light flashed across her body, and she opened her mouth to exhale a cloud of pink mist that enveloped her entire body.
The Illusory Star Battle Armor suddenly radiated colorful light, and it visibly shrank down section by section. After about half a day, Mei'er had completely finished her cultivation, and she slowly landed on the ground.
Li Qiang couldn't help but shout, "Great! Our little Mei'er is even prettier than a princess! That's wonderful!"
Mei'er's armor was now fully fitted, with a seven-colored halo flowing slowly within it. Her headdress was adorned with cloud patterns, and two long, plain ribbons hung down on either side. Mei'er's expression was radiant; she had completely shed the timidity she had shown in the castle, and her face was filled with a confident smile.
Li Qiang was momentarily captivated, his heart filled with tenderness. He suddenly recalled Qi Junsha's words, and indeed, he felt a sense of pride as a father.
Mei'er turned around and shouted, "Hidden!" In the blink of an eye, she disappeared without a trace.
Li Qiang exclaimed in surprise, "Huh, this armor can become invisible? Amazing! Incredible!" The fact that the armor could become invisible was something Li Qiang hadn't expected.
Mei'er quietly flew closer to Li Qiang, but Li Qiang reached out and hugged her, laughing, "Little girl, you can't hide this from your brother."
Mei'er revealed herself and said in surprise, "Brother, this is impossible. Mei'er has been very careful."
Li Qiang smiled and shook his head, saying, "This isn't a matter of being careful or not, but rather a difference in cultivation level. Hehe, unless the opponent is an immortal, ordinary invisibility won't fool me." He had comprehended the various realms of the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation, and it could be said that he had reached a very high level in terms of realm, but his actual skill level was still relatively poor. His current situation was what is known as having high aspirations but low abilities.
Mei'er said excitedly, "Brother, shall we go into the Illusory Devil Pearl?"