Li Qiang laughed and said, "Don't rush. You should start cultivating the Illusory Star Sword first. Also, I need to take care of some matters in the Immortal Palace before we go in."
Mei'er nodded and said, "Yes, that's good. Mei'er still has a lot of Law Treasure to cultivate, hehe, otherwise I won't know how to fight."
Li Qiang, along with Gan Ling'er and Hai Hongfen, flew out of the monastery. He waved his hand, scattering Heavenly Silk Purple Gold Xun to protect the monastery. Seeing Bing Yu arrive as well, he asked, "Have all the people from the Immortal Palace been seen off?"
Bing Yu bowed and replied, "They've all been released. We've given each of them some of the valuables here; they shouldn't have to worry about making a living back home."
Hai Hongfen said, "Brother, a few days ago, one of my junior brothers ran back. He was also a puppet. He told me that the jade tablet in Bi Wuzi's hand inexplicably exploded, so he could no longer control them, and that's why everyone ran away. I heard that the forbidden zone on the Battle Circle Continent has been lifted, and many people are migrating outwards. Some border troops from the Mengzhan Kingdom and Chelie Kingdom are also vying for territory, and it seems quite chaotic."
Li Qiang walked slowly along the mountain path. The scenery here was serene and refreshing. As he looked around, he asked, "Where is your junior brother?"
Hai Hongfen said, "I tried to persuade him to stay, but he packed his things and ran away. He said he could never trust anyone again and would just live on his own for as long as he could. Alas, it's all Bi Wuzi's fault."
Gan Ling'er said, "Junior brother, stop talking. Bi Wuzi will eventually fall into the demonic path."
Li Qiang stopped and remained silent for a while before saying, "Go and seal off the Immortal Palace. No one will come here again."
After speaking, Li Qiang fell silent again. He stood there quietly, and a strange feeling emanated from him. Even Gan Ling'er and the other two, who were Spirit Body, strongly felt it. They dared not say anything more, bowed respectfully, and immediately went to seal off the Immortal Palace. Fortunately, the spiritual incantation was readily available, and the formation was also complete. The three of them quickly sealed off the entire Immortal Palace.
Li Qiang stared silently into the distance, an unusual calm washing over him. It was as if everything in the world was far removed from him, and nothing could hold him back. In that instant, Li Qiang understood why the original owner of this place was called the Lonely Old Immortal —it was a kind of unspoken loneliness and solitude, a feeling that swallowed everything like the darkness of night.
As dusk settled, Gan Ling'er Gan Ling'er the other two returned to Li Qiang's side. They found him still standing there, but with a faint golden light emanating from him, as if he were about to ride the wind away. The three of them dared not disturb him and stood quietly behind him, waiting.
Li Qiang stood there like that for the entire night.
A ray of sunlight shone on Li Qiang's face, and Li Qiang seemed to be suddenly awakened. He twisted his neck, feeling confused: it seemed like he had only been in a daze for a moment, and it was already dawn? He said to the three people behind him, "Let's go back."
Gan Ling'er and the other two suddenly felt a sense of fear, sensing a coldness and Sha Qi emanating from Li Qiang, as if they would have nowhere to escape if he simply extended a finger. They were unaware that Li Qiang had officially entered the second realm of the Second Desire Heaven —the realm of the Heart of Darkness.
Back at the hermitage, Mei'er was still floating in mid-air. It was clear that the Illusory Star Sword had merged into her body. She seemed to have grown a little more, looking about eleven or twelve years old, and her charming allure was beginning to show. Li Qiang knew that once she cultivated to the appearance of a young girl, her Spirit Sword Body would be fully formed, and her allure at that time would be much stronger than when she was in her Spirit Body.
Mei'er opened her eyes and excitedly laughed, "Brother, it's so amazing! Mei'er feels like she is a sword... Brother, look!" In an instant, the room was filled with colorful light, as brilliant as the morning glow, and the cold, eerie Sword Qi floated in the room along with Mei'er's giggling laughter.
Li Qiang focused his mind slightly and immediately caught sight of Mei'er's nimble sword. He chuckled, " Mei'er, your sword technique still has a problem. Be careful, this is different from the sword technique of a cultivator. You can transform into countless forms!"
Bing Yu Gan Ling'er whispered, "Senior brother, senior sister is so amazing! Sigh, when will we be able to cultivate to that level?" The three brothers huddled in a corner of the room, watching Mei'er refine her sword. All three of them were extremely envious of Mei'er's achievements. In the Spirit Ghost Realm, reaching Mei'er's level was already considered very good.
The sword light that filled the room dissipated, Mei'er's spirit sword suddenly shrank into a ball of light. Mei'er shouted, "Disperse!" The ball of light exploded with a bang, shooting out a blinding light. Small balls of light, about the size of a fist, floated around the room.
Li Qiang praised, "Amazing! Mei'er is truly amazing! She understands so quickly and is so clever!"
The sphere of light dissipated, Mei'er hovered gracefully in the air, her charming face revealing a rare air of heroism. She threw herself into Li Qiang's arms and said sweetly, "Brother, can Mei'er enter the Illusory Devil Pearl now? Hmm, brother, strange... why do Mei'er feel a little afraid of you?" She possessed the Spirit Sword Body, and her senses were most sensitive.
Li Qiang smiled slightly and said, " Mei'er, anyone can be afraid of me, but Mei'er won't."
Mei'er shook her head, feeling strange herself. She chuckled, "Hehe, of course Mei'er believes you! Come here!"
She beckoned Gan Ling'er and the other two over, adopting the air of a senior sister, and said, "Here, consider this a gift for your junior brothers. Start cultivating now, and in a little while, I'll take you to a nice place to play, hehe." Her mischievous look sent a chill down the spines of the three once-expert cultivators.
Li Qiang found it amusing. He discovered that Mei'er quite enjoyed being the eldest sister and bossing people around. When he first met her, she wasn't like this at all; she had a pitiful look on her face. He hadn't expected that she would still have this hobby after cultivating the Spirit Sword Body. This was quite similar to Hua Meiniang.
Mei'er handed them three Cold Pearls, which she had refined using the Yin-cold energy of the Mystic Pearl. They were of great help to the Spirit Body. After the Nascent Soul was transformed by the Form-Transforming Mushroom, they all belonged to the Yin-cold body. If they had a Mystic Yin treasure attached to their body, it would be of great benefit to their cultivation, just like when Li Qiang first met Mei'er and gave her the Mystic Pearl.
Gan Ling'er and the other two were both surprised and delighted. They bowed and thanked her, saying, "Thank you for the gift, Senior Sister." The three of them took the Cold Pearl and immediately swallowed it, then stepped aside to begin their cultivation.
Mei'er giggled smugly. Luckily, there were no ordinary people around, or she would have been in big trouble. The deeper her skill, the greater her allure.
Li Qiang took down the Illusory Devil Pearl and laughed, "I spent a lot of effort cultivating for this bead. Hehe, things from the Buddha Sect are always a bit unexpected." He handed the bead to Mei'er, " Mei'er, haven't you always wanted to see it? Now you can. However, you can't activate it yet, otherwise, the three of them will be involved."
Mei'er looked curiously at the Illusory Devil Pearl in her hand. Inside, a bluish light shimmered, smoke swirled, and the bead flickered and faded, reflecting a faint Sea City —it was incredibly beautiful. She exclaimed wistfully, "Wow! This will be Mei'er's home from now on! Brother, have you been inside yet?"
Li Qiang joked, "That's Mei'er's little nest. I wouldn't dare go in without the mistress's permission."
Mei'er said coquettishly, "You're my brother, hehe, I really don't know what it's like inside, Mei'er can't wait!"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "It should be similar to the Great Illusion Buddha Realm inside, a very large and wondrous world. I've never been inside before. From now on, you'll be the queen of this world. Mei'er, do you like it?"
Mei'er clapped her hands and cheered, "Great! Of course Mei'er likes it! Hehe, Queen? It's fun, so much fun!" She gently stroked the Illusory Devil Pearl, a longing expression on her face.
Gan Ling'er finished her cultivation first and respectfully came over to thank her, saying, "Thank you, Senior Sister, I've finished my cultivation." Immediately afterward Hai Hongfen and Bing Yu also floated over to express their gratitude.
Li Qiang carefully examined the three of them and said, "Your cultivation is still not enough. Here, Mei'er, take this string of Hidden Soul Beads. If you encounter danger, the three of you can hide inside them."
Mei'er exclaimed happily, "That's great! Mei'er was worried that the three of them wouldn't be able to handle it, but this is perfect! Come on! Give it a try!"
Gan Ling'er smiled bitterly to himself. It was really embarrassing for a grown man like himself to be reduced to needing a little girl to protect him. He nodded and said, "I'll give it a try first." He suddenly turned into a black line and disappeared into the Hidden Soul Beads in the blink of an eye.
Mei'er said, "Not bad, not bad, these beads are fun! You two come in too!"
Hai Hongfen and Bing Yu looked at each other helplessly, then transformed into black lines and hid inside the bead.
Mei'er casually put the Concealing Hidden Soul Beads on her wrist and said, "Alright, brother, let's go in. It's a pity the Blue Light isn't here. Mei'er misses it so much." She couldn't stop thinking about the little Sea Demon, considering it her good friend.
Li Qiang tossed out the Illusory Devil Pearl. This Buddha Sect treasure immediately swelled upon release, hovering between Li Qiang hands, a bluish-green pearl the size of a soccer ball. Li Qiang sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and concentrated. After a while, he shouted, " Mei'er, get ready! We're going in!"
A beam of crystalline azure energy shot out, Mei'er suddenly realized that Li Qiang had vanished. A chill ran through her as she was struck by the azure energy, her vision momentarily darkening. Then, a flash of white light appeared, Mei'er found herself standing in a hazy, azure mist, surrounded by a gloomy, lifeless atmosphere. She tensed immediately, forming a hand seal and softly chanting, "Go!" Her Illusory Star Battle Armor was summoned, and she cried out, "Brother, where are you?"
The surrounding mist suddenly churned, and countless Jiujiu shadows chirped.
Although Mei'er possessed the Spirit Sword Body, she was still a girl. She turned pale with fright, raised her hand to protect herself with the Illusory Star Sword, and shouted, "Who... who are you? All of you, Mei'er... get out here! Brother! Brother... where have you been?!" She was momentarily confused with fear; with her Spirit Sword Body cultivation, she shouldn't have cared about these things at all.
As the surrounding scenery gradually became clearer, Mei'er looked around in a panic and found herself seemingly standing in a delicate and exquisite openwork artificial mountain. Before her were countless huge holes, large holes nested within smaller holes, layer upon layer, endless. Wisps of black smoke from the Form-Transforming Mushroom drifted from each hole, creating a strange atmosphere.
Mei'er sensed something was wrong here, so she floated towards the cave entrance, trying to find an exit.
Suddenly a dark shadow pounced, Mei'er screamed. The Illusory Star Sword seemed to explode and scattered. The dark shadow roared loudly, its voice like thunder.
Mei'er suddenly realized that this was Spirit Body, a far cry from her own Spirit Sword Body. She angrily said, "Do you want to die?! Surrender now and apologize to me... How dare you scare me?"
The Spirit Body squeaked and howled. It had no idea what Mei'er was saying, but it had already sensed that Mei'er was not someone to be trifled with and was instinctively a little afraid of Mei'er. Spirit Body are mutated Spirit Body without minds that grow stronger by devouring other Spirit Body.
Seeing that the Spirit Body seemed very unwilling, Mei'er angrily said, "If you don't surrender, I'll destroy you!"
The Spirit Body drifted backward, letting out another strange "quack quack" cry. In an instant, countless bizarre beasts flew out from the cave entrances from all directions, all of which were also in Spirit Body form.
Mei'er was terrified of these strange and eerie things. They were ugly and fierce-looking, and she was so scared that her whole body went limp, and her voice trembled with tears. "Do you want to die? My brother is here... He'll beat you to death... Don't come any closer... Waaah! Mom!"
Mei'er closed her eyes, and the sword light around her surged wildly like crashing waves. Her spirit sword was extraordinary; any souls that got close were immediately shredded. However, the little girl was afraid and dared not open her eyes.
After being scattered and retreated, the soul reassembled. Mei'er's flying sword was sufficient for self-defense, but much less effective for offense. If the opponent was a cultivator, Mei'er's spirit sword would be extremely threatening, but the Spirit Body is ever-changing, and the spirit sword could only injure him but not destroy him.
Just then, Li Qiang's voice rang in my ears. " Mei'er, hehe, don't be afraid of them, use Spirit Incantation Arrow Lightning to blast them."
Mei'er was overjoyed. As soon as Li Qiang arrived, her confidence and courage soared.
She opened her big eyes and shouted, "You wicked things, watch out for my skills!" She waved her hand and unleashed a series of Spirit Incantation Arrow Lightning lightning arrows. These Spirit Incantation Arrow Lightning were formed from the icy energy of the condensed Mystic Pearl, and their power was extraordinary.
The charging evil spirit was struck by the Spirit Incantation Arrow Lightning, and as if imprisoned, it could no longer transform or change its form.
Li Qiang then said, " Mei'er, use the Illusory Star Sword!"
Mei'er's spirits lifted, and as her sword flashed, the souls of those beasts roared in despair. The consequence of being unable to change was that they were completely shredded by the sword light, and a large group of souls were instantly wiped out.
The Spirit Body turned to flee, only to see Li Qiang appear behind it with an icy expression. "Don't run. You dare bully my little sister? You've got some nerve."
Without him making any move, the Spirit Body couldn't move at all. It screamed in terror, and Li Qiang reached out and grabbed it, pulling the Spirit Body into his palm.
Mei'er suddenly shivered. Once again, she felt that Li Qiang was terrifying, and she kept repeating in her mind, "This is my brother, Mei'er is not afraid, not afraid."
A wisp of black energy swirled and struggled in Li Qiang's palm, its roar growing fainter. Li Qiang showed no pity, calmly saying, "Form!" The black energy was compressed into a black bead by a thin layer of golden light. If Mo Huaiyuan had seen this, he would likely have been astonished. Even Loose Immortal would find this difficult to achieve; forcibly condensing Spirit Body into a bead was tantamount to completely stripping that Spirit Body of everything—a truly cruel method.
Li Qiang handed the Evil Spirit Orb to Mei'er and said, " Mei'er, practice with it; it's a very good weapon."
Mei'er shrank back in fright and whispered, "Brother, Mei'er is scared." Li Qiang was unaware that after advancing to the second realm of the Second Desire Heaven, the Heart of Darkness, his State of Mind had changed drastically. An invisible indifference filled his heart, but he felt a special tenderness for Mei'er, a feeling that was hard to change.
Li Qiang said gently, " Mei'er, don't be afraid. This space is strange, like a passage. Hmm, maybe we've stumbled into a mysterious place. We need to be careful." As he spoke to Mei'er, the coldness and loneliness emanating from him vanished.
Mei'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She could feel Li Qiang's sincerity; it was the kind of care only a family member would show. Mei'er took the Evil Spirit Pearl and asked curiously, "Brother, why can you come in too? Cultivators with physical bodies shouldn't be able to enter the Illusory Devil Pearl. It's so strange."
Li Qiang said, "I don't know either. I originally planned to enter with my divine sense, but I didn't expect my true body to come in as well. It's really strange. Come, Mei'er, come with me. This place seems different from what I imagined. It feels very strange." After learning the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation, Li Qiang can no longer be considered a cultivator. The concept of a cultivator cannot explain his cultivation level and realm.
Mei'er threw herself into Li Qiang's arms. A golden light flashed, and Li Qiang teleported inside with Mei'er.
This is a blue-black world, where everything is blue and black. There are mountains, water, and plants, but their shapes are very strange, giving people an eerie feeling.
Mei'er wrapped her arms around Li Qiang's neck, looking around. After a while, she said, " Mei'er likes the atmosphere here, but the scenery is so cold and icy, Mei'er hates it. Brother, is this the world of the Illusory Devil Pearl?"
Li Qiang nodded, then shook his head.
Mei'er was confused and asked with a smile, "Brother, what do you mean by nodding and shaking your head?"
Li Qiang patted her back and said, " Mei'er, this place seems strange. I'll take you over there to take a look..." He quickly moved over.
Mei'er stared in disbelief at the enormous blue void before her, a dark blue vortex swirling within, its depths unknown. After observing it closely for a moment, she suddenly exclaimed, "I understand! Brother, this is the path to the Spirit Ghost Realm! My goodness! The Illusory Devil Pearl is truly remarkable; it actually contained the passage within itself!"
Li Qiang was slightly taken aback and asked curiously, " The Spirit Ghost Realm? There really is Spirit Ghost Realm? What kind of place is that?"
Mei'er said, "I also saw it in the ancient books. Legend has it that there are countless passages to the Spirit Ghost Realm. Nascent Soul can't go there; only ghosts and Spirit Body can. It seems that even gods can go, but it's very difficult to come back. Strange, how did you get here, brother?" The little girl's knowledge was indeed extensive, and Li Qiang felt inferior to her.
Li Qiang pondered that it was probably because the Spirit Ghost Realm could no longer stop him after he cultivated the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture. His curiosity was piqued. " Mei'er, do you want to go and take a look?"
Mei'er giggled and said, "If brother goes, Mei'er will go!"
Li Qiang was the kind of person who acted first and thought later. Once he made up his mind, he didn't care about the consequences. He put Mei'er down, summoned the Fire Essence Immortal Armor, and said, " Mei'er, come up to your brother's shoulder. Let's go inside and take a look. Haha, this is really interesting."
Mei'er flew to Li Qiang's shoulder in response, then turned into a tiny person again. She transmitted her voice, "Alright, brother, be careful."
Flying out of the Supreme Radiance Shuttle, Li Qiang was enveloped in golden light and laughed, "Let's go play in the Spirit Ghost Realm." He then plunged headfirst into the void.
A tremendous rotating force pulled Li Qiang inside. The Supreme Radiance Shuttle rapidly pushed aside all approaching forces, and Li Qiang shot forward like an arrow. He knew that if he were still a cultivator, this unparalleled force could easily tear him apart. He wondered: why could Loose Spirit, so weak, pass through such a violent passage?
Mei'er gripped the Fire Essence Immortal Armor tightly, she was very nervous. The howling around her was deafening, and she could feel the overwhelming power. She secretly glanced at Li Qiang, only to see a cold look on his black mask, as if he didn't care about the noise and roar at all.
Mei'er couldn't understand why her brother seemed like a completely different person. She had never noticed such a terrifying aura emanating from him before. She prayed silently over and over again. "I hope my brother doesn't fall into demonic possession during his cultivation."
Suddenly, he felt a lightness around him, Li Qiang was surprised to find himself surrounded by complete darkness, unable to see anything. He said in a deep voice, " Mei'er, can you see?"
Mei'er said nervously, "Brother, I can't see either, but Mei'er can feel it."
Li Qiang sneered, "Hmph, watch me." He suddenly activated the Supreme Radiance Shuttle, and a dazzling golden light shone from his body.
The surrounding scenery was revealed under the golden light, with large clumps of black mist all around, churning and undulating as if writhing with life. There was nothing else. Li Qiang hadn't expected the Spirit Ghost Realm to be like this, and he was greatly disappointed.
Mei'er shouted, "Brother, look!"
Suddenly, the churning black mist split open, creating a wide and deep passage. A flash of azure light appeared, and a group of ten Spirit Sword Body slowly floated over.
Li Qiang stood silently, watching without uttering a word, emanating that chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine. The Spirit Sword Body strongly sensed this aura, Mei'er was filled with worry; her brother was acting strangely again.
The approaching Spirit Sword Body surrounded Li Qiang, and then a flash of light revealed a tall figure. It was a burly man wearing armor-like clothing, surrounded by a shimmering blue mist. His figure appeared and disappeared intermittently, his face indistinct, seemingly that of a middle-aged man with a thick, pale gray beard—a rather strange appearance. He rode a pure black horse, also shrouded in black mist, which appeared to be a ghostly beast.
Mei'er whispered in her voice, "Brother, that person is Spirit General, much stronger than Mei'er. Be careful!"
Li Qiang couldn't understand the difference between Spirit General and Spirit Sword Body, but he could sense that Spirit General's skill was very high. Mei'er was right; Spirit Sword Body was far inferior to Spirit General. He still stood there, his coldness chilling to the bone, his eyes flashing with ruthless golden light, inspiring awe in all who beheld him.
Although the Spirit General was a master of the Spirit Ghost Realm, he was terrified by Li Qiang. The intense threat emanating from him was something that ordinary Spirit Body could not tolerate. The ten Spirit Sword Body that had arrived earlier had already retreated far away and were still trembling. Let alone drawing their swords, simply being able to stand was considered a remarkable achievement. He looked at Li Qiang with suspicion.
Li Qiang dispersed the golden light protecting him, revealing his crimson-black Fire Essence Immortal Armor.
This was a cold and gloomy world. His immortal armor, being a manifestation of Fire Essence and possessing the power of Heavenly Fire, emitted extraordinary heat. In particular, his dark purple-gold mask, at first glance, appeared black and gloomy with a purple glow, and strangely exuded a chilling aura, which was truly terrifying.
The Spirit General dared not be careless, and made a series of chirping sounds like birdsong. Immediately, three Spirit Sword Body quickly retreated into the rolling mist.
Li Qiang transmitted his voice to Mei'er: " Mei'er, what did he say? I don't understand."
Mei'er also transmitted her voice, "Strange, Mei'er doesn't understand either. I only know the general idea. He asked those three Spirit Sword Body to find something, but Mei'er doesn't know what it is."
Li Qiang coldly asked, "Who are you?"
Spirit General to spin rapidly, the mist enveloping his body revealing his mix of excitement and fear. His steed, the ghostly horse, also reared up and neighed repeatedly.
The Spirit General cried out in disbelief, "This is impossible! Who could possibly enter the Spirit Ghost Realm?"
Li Qiang asked in surprise, "Huh? I understand what you're saying... Don't make such a fuss. Why can't I enter the Spirit Ghost Realm? You're making a fuss over nothing!"
The Spirit General's voice changed. "You... you... are you a god?"
Li Qiang coldly replied, "Does that mean someone who isn't a god can't come?"
Mei'er was extremely surprised. Her brother was so different from usual. She knew that Li Qiang usually loved making friends and had never been so unfriendly upon first meeting someone. What was wrong with her brother? She was anxious and couldn't help but fly out.
Upon seeing Mei'er, Spirit General suddenly flew into a rage, roaring, "How dare you! You actually dare to take over the Spirit Sword Body!"