Li Qiang led the Spirit King Grand Venerable and the others back to the Illusory Devil Pearl. The Ghost King Grand Venerable observed for a moment and laughed, "Hehe, this Ghost King understands now, so that's how it is."
The Spirit King Grand Venerable nodded repeatedly, saying, "Indeed, indeed, I understand now."
Mei'er giggled, "Little Master, don't just say half of what you mean. Tell Mei'er, what do you know?"
The Ghost King Grand Venerable and smiled wryly, "Little Master? Mei'er, your Master is quite old now. By worldly standards, he's been cultivating for thousands of years. Just call him Master, don't call him Little, it sounds awkward." He was very unhappy and felt he had been taken advantage of.
Li Qiang laughed, "Calling you 'Little Master' is a sign of affection, can't you even tell? You're such a clueless ghost king."
The Ghost King Grand Venerable cackled twice, then thought for a moment, and realized, "Isn't that right? Calling me 'Little Master' is definitely more affectionate than 'Grand Master.'" He perked up again and quickly said, "Then let's call you 'Little Master,' cack... squeak!"
The Ghost King Grand Venerable continued, " The Spirit Ghost Realm in the human world is represented by two types of people: spirit transmitters and guides. This Illusory Devil Pearl is based on the Soul-Collecting Pearl used by guides. It only has such effects after being re-cultivated by a master. The person who cultivates this pearl must be an extraordinary master."
The Spirit King Grand Venerable carefully observed the surrounding environment and instructed, " Spirit Marshal Heavenly Mist Flower, set up a Spirit-Transmitting Formation here, and set up another one when you return to the Spirit Ghost Realm. This will make it very convenient for you to come and go. Also, build a spirit palace for Mei'er in the Illusory Devil Pearl, so she can stay here whenever she wants to see her brother."
Spirit Marshal Heavenly Mist Flower bowed in response.
The Ghost King Grand Venerable's cultivation was roughly the same as the Spirit King Grand Venerable's, but when it came to subordinates, he was far inferior. Seeing the Spirit King Grand Venerable's behavior, he couldn't help but feel anxious and angry. He quickly took out a string of black beads and handed them to Mei'er in a flattering manner. " Mei'er, this is a gift from your little master. There's a ghost in each bead that can play with you and serve you, hehe... uh..." He suddenly realized that this was inappropriate and immediately stopped his strange cries, carefully looking at Mei'er.
Mei'er smiled and accepted the string of beads, saying, "Thank you so much, Master. From now on, Mei'er will be able to see my brother more often."
The Spirit King Grand Venerable chuckled and said, " Mei'er is the best girl. If you need anything in the future, just tell Grandmaster. As long as Grandmaster can do it, little Mei'er can rest assured."
The Ghost King Grand Venerable looked at Mei'er expectantly, Mei'er then said to him, "Little Master, Mei'er also thanks you for the beaded string. Mei'er likes it very much." The Ghost King Grand Venerable couldn't help but laugh heartily.
Li Qiang couldn't help but chuckle. The effect he had anticipated was already there: two great venerables from the Spirit Ghost Realm were vying to flatter Mei'er. It seemed that Mei'er's days ahead wouldn't be so difficult.
Li Qiang said, " Mei'er, from now on you will cultivate in the Spirit Ghost Realm. Come out and talk to your brother whenever you have time. Be good, okay?"
Mei'er's biggest worry was whether she would be able to see Li Qiang often. Knowing there were no problems, she relaxed and happily said, "Okay, brother, this is the beginning of my translation of the Immortal Spirit Instruction. I'll work on the rest when I have Mei'er. Keep this Mei'er with me, brother, be careful." She handed Li Qiang a Jade Pupil Slip and added, " Mei'er added Law Technique to it; this is a spiritual manual. Without it, no one can understand it."
After carefully putting away the Jade Pupil Slip, Li Qiang gave a slight bow and said, "Farewell, Your Excellencies. Goodbye, Mei'er."
He used a magic spell to return to the celestial palace.
Just as he stopped in the room, another Spirit Marshal and a Spirit General flew out of the Illusory Devil Pearl. They were the same Spirit Marshal Xianmu and Spirit General Panshi he had met when he first entered the Spirit Ghost Realm. Li Qiang asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
Spirit Marshal Xianmu bowed and said, "By order of the Spirit King Grand Venerable Lingwang, Xianmu and Panshi are here to serve the Great Venerable World-Wreaking Demon King."
Li Qiang was startled. "What? Serve me? Hey, I have hands and feet, I don't need to be served. You can all go back."
Spirit General Panshi said, "Not only are we Xianmu's subordinates, but also my men are all Your Excellency's attendants. Please don't send us away. We are the guardians of Lady Mei'er's spirit palace within the Illusory Devil Pearl. Your Excellency, please feel free to dispatch us if needed."
Li Qiang scratched his head, and suddenly he understood. The Spirit King Grand Venerable was not only flattering Mei'er, but also her brother. He couldn't help but shake his head, which showed how difficult it was to find a successor in the Spirit Ghost Realm.
After Li Qiang cultivated to the state of "Ordinary Heart," he regained his original State of Mind and said with a grin, "What 'Demon King'? That sounds awful. ' Spirit Marshal Xianmu,' 'Spirit General Panshi,' please forgive my previous offenses, brothers. I apologize to you both."
Spirit Marshal Xianmu was speechless, Spirit General Panshi was terrified. They couldn't tell whether Li Qiang was mocking them or sincerely apologizing.
Spirit Marshal Xianmu stammered, "This... this... Sir, I dare not... I dare not accept this." In the Spirit Ghost Realm, the Spirit King Grand Venerable and the Ghost King Grand Venerable are gods, with exalted status. Li Qiang dared to fight against the two great venerables, which caused a sensation throughout the entire Spirit Ghost Realm. In effect, he had gained a status as high as the two great venerables. How could Xianmu and Panshi not be afraid of him?
Li Qiang knew that their views couldn't be changed overnight, so he said gently, "How about this, you two stay with me, but you can't be like this now, you need to change, okay?"
Spirit Marshal Xianmu bowed respectfully, the highest form of etiquette in the Spirit Ghost Realm. He raised his hands high, bent over, and bowed his head, looking like a captured prisoner, which was quite comical.
Li Qiang couldn't help but chuckle, "What are you doing?" Xianmu and Panshi meticulously completed their bows and replied in unison, "As you command, sir!"
Li Qiang said helplessly, "Well, how about this? You can call me Big Brother. We don't call people 'Great Master' here. I like it when you call me Big Brother."
Spirit Marshal Xianmu seemed slow to grasp the situation, and said, " Xianmu dares not disobey the Spirit King Grand Venerable's order, please forgive me, sir."
Li Qiang sighed, "Fine, whatever you want. But we still need to change our appearance; otherwise, we'll scare people to death if we go out like this."
Spirit Marshal Xianmu's appearance was indeed extraordinary. Having reached the Spirit Marshal realm, he possessed a unique color—blue eyes. His long black hair cascaded to his waist, and his face was deathly pale; he looked like a monster. He wore black armor with white patterns and held the Seven Souls Hook. Thankfully, he wasn't riding his ghostly beast, or he would have looked even more terrifying. Spirit General Panshi wasn't much better; his face was covered in a gray beard, and black mist swirled around him. He held a hammer the size of a watermelon, making him almost indistinguishable from a ghost.
Neither of them had ever lived in the secular world and didn't know what form they should take. They looked at Li Qiang helplessly, not daring to move.
Li Qiang made a hand seal, and the Illusory Devil Pearl automatically flew back to his neck, silently disappearing into his skin. He turned around and saw the two of them still standing there, blinking and looking dumbfounded. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Hey, you two are acting strange, huh? You seem really nervous. Tell me what's wrong."
Spirit Marshal Xianmu felt like a fool. He said awkwardly, "My lord, what form should we take? We don't know. This is our first time in the mortal world."
Spirit General Panshi nodded and said, "Yes, yes, sir, we have never left the Spirit Ghost Realm."
Li Qiang realized his mistake. "Oh dear, that was my oversight. Hehe, how about this, you two, as soon as you see someone, immediately transform into their appearance. Let's go, we'll go outside the Battle Circle Continent."
He put away the Heavenly Silk Purple Gold Xun outer garment. Spirit Marshal Xianmu glanced at the Soul-Soothing Grass Mat on the ground and hesitated, "My lord, should we... take this away?"
Spirit General Panshi then noticed the unusual nature of the mat on the ground. He exclaimed in surprise, "This is a Soul-Soothing Grass Mat! In the Spirit Ghost Realm, this is a rare treasure! My God! It's so big!"
Li Qiang was no longer interested in these treasures. He laughed and said, "Take them if you like."
Treasures are scarce in the Spirit Ghost Realm, and even if they are, they are usually obtained by two Great Venerables first. Xianmu and Panshi were surprised by Li Qiang's generosity. Without hesitation, they accepted the Soul-Soothing Grass Mat and followed Li Qiang out of the Immortal Palace.
Upon landing on the plains below the celestial palace, Li Qiang suddenly remembered something. He said, " Old Pan, go to the Spirit Ghost Realm and bring back a Spirit Body. He's in Mei'er's bracelet; his name is Gan Ling'er."
Spirit General Panshi said, "Yes, sir, please escort me into the Illusory Devil Pearl."
Li Qiang made a hand seal, and a flash of green light appeared, Spirit General Panshi to return to the Illusory Devil Pearl.
Spirit Marshal Xianmu laughed, "My lord, you are essentially carrying a passage that allows you to reach the Spirit Ghost Realm at any time. Fortunately, you are a friend of the Spirit King Grand Venerable, otherwise..." He dared not continue.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Don't worry, I don't want to fight with you two Grandmasters again."
Li Qiang determined the direction. He vaguely remembered that Gan Ling'er had mentioned the ancient teleportation array in the west. He released golden light to cover Spirit Marshal Xianmu and teleported westward.
A golden light flashed, and Li Qiang landed on the gentle slope. This was Spirit Marshal Xianmu's first time in the mortal world, and he was interested in everything. His head turned around and looked around, once even turning 360 degrees, which almost made Li Qiang laugh to death.
The surrounding area consisted of only some withered, sparse bushes, with a few small wild animals roaming among the vegetation. This already greatly surprised Spirit Marshal Xianmu, who exclaimed, "This place is wonderful, much better than the Spirit Ghost Realm. Everything here is full of life."
Li Qiang laughed, "I never imagined Xianmu's mind could turn like that, haha, just like a windmill, it's really interesting." Spirit Marshal Xianmu was unaware of Li Qiang's speaking habits and didn't know that he was always completely uninhibited.
He said respectfully, "We Spirit Body can all do this, you'll get used to it, sir." His reserved manner left Li Qiang speechless.
Spirit Marshal Xianmu asked, "My lord, which way should we go?"
Li Qiang said, "Wait a moment..." A beam of green light shot out from the Illusory Devil Pearl around his neck, Spirit General Panshi arrived with Gan Ling'er.
Gan Ling'er's Spirit Body was clearly inferior to Xianmu's. He bowed and asked, "Brother, what brings you here?"
Spirit General Panshi shouted, "Don't be rude to the lord!" Gan Ling'er was so frightened that she took a step back and lowered her head deeply.
Li Qiang was displeased. "What are you doing? I told him to call me 'Big Brother,' how was he being rude? You're not allowed to bully people here, understand?" The last sentence clearly carried a warning.
Spirit General Panshi trembled. He had suffered greatly at Li Qiang's hands and was terrified of him. Seeing Li Qiang's stern tone, he was so frightened that he repeatedly agreed and dared not say another word.
Li Qiang said, " Gan Ling'er, I remember you said the ancient teleportation array is in the west. Do you know roughly where it is?"
Gan Ling'er smiled wryly, "It's been too long. Although we were teleported from there, we can't remember the exact location anymore. We can only search for it slowly."
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Alright, we'll take our time looking."
Spirit Marshal Xianmu interjected, "My lord, as long as we send out my men and Spirit General Panshi, we can quickly search this area. What do you think, my lord?"
Li Qiang laughed, "Hehe, alright, but don't disturb the people here." He used a magic spell to send the two back to the Illusory Devil Pearl to gather his subordinates. The special feature of the Illusory Devil Pearl is that Spirit Body and ghosts cannot freely enter or leave without the owner's permission.
Gan Ling'er floated into the air, looked around, and after a long while, landed and said, "Brother, there are many troops far ahead, it looks like they're fighting. Should we avoid them?"
Li Qiang shook his head and said, "Don't worry about them, we just need to find the ancient teleportation array." He was very anxious. The longer they stayed on this planet, the more dangerous it would be. Who knew when Dainan Fengyu would return? Once she returned, it would be difficult for him to escape. He knew very well how big the gap was between himself and an immortal.
Spirit Marshal Xianmu and Spirit General Panshi, along with their subordinates, surged out of the Illusory Devil Pearl, numbering five hundred Spirit Sword Body. They lined up before Li Qiang. Spirit Marshal Xianmu first bowed to Li Qiang, then ordered the Spirit Sword Body to bow in the same manner, the highest form of etiquette in the Spirit Ghost Realm. Li Qiang smiled and returned a greeting common in the mortal world. The etiquette of the Spirit Ghost Realm was truly amusing; he couldn't help but laugh every time he saw it.
Spirit General Panshi assigned tasks, and soon these Spirit Sword Body transformed and dispersed underground to search everywhere.
Li Qiang said, "Let's move forward, instead of just standing here waiting. Xianmu, you'd better stay invisible to avoid attracting attention."
Spirit Marshal Xianmu and Spirit General Panshi became invisible. Their level of invisibility was undetectable to ordinary mortals and cultivators below the Nascent Soul Realm, but it couldn't fool Li Qiang. Li Qiang walked forward alone.
It was the season when the dry season was about to end. After being scorched by the scorching sun throughout the dry season, the earth was withered and desolate. The rising heat carried away the moisture from the surface, and the withered trees and wild grasses swayed in the hot wind, as if calling for the arrival of the rainy season.
Following the earthen slope forward, passing through a dry grove of trees, an endless grassland came into view. A gust of wind blew by, and the waist-high wild grass swayed and bent in the wind, revealing Li Qiang's solitary figure. He slowly walked into the depths of the grassland.
Soon, the Spirit Sword Body searching everywhere emerged from the ground one after another, constantly reporting their progress. Li Qiang's thoughts, however, had already flown to Sealed Fate Planet. He was thinking about his group of brothers, his master Qi Junsha, his older brother Mo Huaiyuan, and also Brother Fu and Brother Hou. He wondered how they were doing now.
He felt a slight worry, fearing that Qian Shanyong and Dainan Fengyu would come after them. If that happened, it would be a great calamity for the Cultivation Realm.
Spirit Marshal Xianmu floated behind Li Qiang, while Spirit General Panshi floated far ahead, taking the initiative to scout ahead.
Another Spirit Sword Body came to report that he had discovered a strange place, but he was unsure if it was an ancient teleportation array.
Upon hearing this, Li Qiang perked up and laughed, "Great! Thank you! Where is it? Take me to see it."
The Spirit Sword Body, flattered, said, "It's just ahead, sir, please follow me, but..."
Spirit Marshal Xianmu shouted, "Reply to your question directly, sir, and stop beating around the bush!"
The Spirit Sword Body hurriedly replied, "Yes, Spirit Marshal Commander, there's a battle going on there, with many soldiers."
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. You can go now. Gan Ling'er, where did you cultivate before?"
Gan Ling'er drifted closer to Li Qiang and said with a wry smile, "Our hometown is quite peculiar; it's called the Illusory Tree Planet."
Li Qiang asked curiously, " The Illusory Tree? What Illusory Tree?"
Gan Ling'er said, " The Illusory Tree —that is, the entire planet is a giant tree. We call it the Illusory Tree, or the Divine Wood."
Li Qiang exclaimed in surprise, "There are actually trees like this? That's really strange. An entire planet has only one tree; it's unimaginable!"
Gan Ling'er hesitated slightly before saying, "Brother, I've left something here that I brought from my hometown. You'll see when you see it." He carefully took out a Little Hei a fingertip, and gently stroked it. Although he was invisible, Li Qiang could still see it clearly, and a look of reluctance appeared on his face. He made a hand seal, and the object turned into wisps of green smoke that rose up, and the phantom of a planet hovered in front of Li Qiang, slowly rotating.
It was a green planet, the scenery on the illusory image exquisitely detailed. The entire planet resembled a dark green hydrangea, with layers upon layers of green leaves covering the land. Li Qiang suddenly understood. "The roots are the center of the ball, the branches support the earth, and the leaves are the ground. This is a wooden planet. Wow! That's truly amazing. The cultivators there must all have a wood-type physique."
Gan Ling'er's voice was sorrowful. "Yes, our Illusory Tree Planet has more than a dozen layers of ground. Most of the cultivators there have wood-attribute physiques, and their cultivation Cultivation Method are mostly wood-based. That time, we were captured by the Old Immortal and more than a dozen cultivators were brought here. Only after arriving at the Immortal Palace did we learn that there were cultivators from other places. Although our sect of cultivators has high cultivation levels, our magical power and Law Power Law Treasure are relatively weak, so we can't compete with other cultivators. Only Bing Yu and I have memories left. Hai Hongfen is a cultivator from another place. Alas! I don't know if we'll ever be able to go back."
Li Qiang comforted me, "Don't be sad. I might visit your hometown someday. I'm also eager to see the essence of wood. It's interesting that such a planet exists. Perhaps you'll all be traveling through interstellar space with me someday, and we might visit your hometown sometime, haha."
Gan Ling'er released the incantation from his hand, and with a soft "pop," the illusory image vanished. He said bitterly, "This is my last small piece of Divine Wood. It can only conjure up my memory of my hometown once; I'll never see it again."
Li Qiang said, " Gan Ling'er, don't be sad, everything will be alright, I have confidence." In fact, he had no confidence at all. Not only were the two immortals, Qian Shanyong and Dainan Fengyu, not easy to fight, but there was also the master of this immortal palace, the Lonely Old Immortal Tianshi. If he returned, he wouldn't have a good time either. Li Qiang not only destroyed the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation, but also broke into the old immortal's treasure room. Putting everything else aside, just taking that soft leather document containing the Immortal Spirit Instruction would make the old immortal not let him go.
Spirit Marshal Xianmu remained silent, secretly rejoicing at having arrived in the mortal realm. It was far more novel than the Spirit Ghost Realm; the colors of the land and plants here were dazzling. He mustered his courage and said, "My lord, Xianmu hopes to stay with you. I... I don't want to return to the Spirit Ghost Realm. This place is simply too wonderful." He looked at Li Qiang anxiously, fearing Li Qiang would refuse.
Li Qiang is always easygoing with his friends. He joked, "Okay, but... can you be a little more casual with your words? You're always so serious, it's making me uncomfortable, Xianmu. I'm really curious..."
Xianmu said respectfully, "Please speak, sir."
Li Qiang said with a grin, " Xianmu, can you smile for me? I've only ever seen you two Grand Venerables smile, you don't seem to smile much. How about you smile? Hey! Don't make that face, can't you smile?"
Spirit Marshal Xianmu was taken aback by Li Qiang's words. He stood there stunned for a long time before finally grinning and letting out an unpleasant laugh. Then he said, "Sir, we can laugh, but why do we laugh?"
Li Qiang waved his hand helplessly. "Forget it, forget it, your smile is really ugly." He found that the Spirit Body in the Spirit Ghost Realm seemed to lack joyful experiences, were lifeless, and were not the object of jokes.
Spirit Marshal Xianmu was so panicked that he didn't know what to do.
Spirit General Panshi the front and said, "My lord, the battlefield is just ahead. Shall we go?"
Li Qiang said, "I can already hear the drumming noise. Come on, let's go take a look." He couldn't wait to find the teleportation array; he didn't want to get involved in the war in the mortal world.
In the distance came the faint sound of drums, and a large cloud of yellowish-brown dust rose. Li Qiang walked forward quickly, his steps seemingly slow but actually fast. In just a few dozen seconds, he arrived at the edge of the battlefield. Stopping, he noticed that the ancient teleportation array was located in the middle of the two armies' confrontation. It was badly damaged. He couldn't help but worry that once the two armies started fighting, even the damaged teleportation array might not be left.
Li Qiang squinted and looked around. He saw that the two opposing armies were several hundred meters apart, with a dry riverbed in between. The terrain was high on both sides and low in the middle. Each army occupied a high ground, and there were countless people in the densely packed formation. In front of them were almost all heavily armored cavalry.
Large energy stones were scattered in the center of the cracked riverbed. To the average person, they were just some bluish-black stones, but cultivators knew that they were the foundation stones for constructing teleportation arrays. As long as they were rearranged and Immortal Stone were placed on top, they could be activated immediately.
Upon seeing this, Li Qiang felt a surge of excitement; this was an ancient teleportation array! He felt there was hope for his escape.
Suddenly, the sound of bugles blared from both sides, accompanied by shouts of "Ya-ha!" and "Ya-ha!" Li Qiang knew that a charge was about to begin.
Gan Ling'er said anxiously, "Big brother, once they launch an attack, the ancient teleportation array will be unable to be restored!"
This was Li Qiang's only chance to leave Goulan Planet, and he would never give it up. With a flash of golden light, he teleported into the broken teleportation array, threw out the Heavenly Silk Purple Gold Xun, first covering the ancient teleportation array, and then walked out to observe with peace of mind.
Just as the two armies were about to clash, a figure gleaming with golden light suddenly appeared in the middle of the riverbed. Immediately afterward, a bluish-green dome stood in the center of the riverbed. Soon, the golden light quietly dissipated, and a person wearing strange armor stood beside the dome. What was particularly peculiar was that the person's face was covered with a blackish-purple mask, and he seemed to be leisurely watching the spectacle.
Neither commander could order a halt. With the final bugle call, the heavy cavalry charged down the gentle slope, their iron hooves pounding the earth with a terrifying tremor. Their roars of "Ya-ha!" were exhilarating.
Gan Ling'er had fought countless battles with the two nations of the Battle Circle Continent. He had commanded the Monster Legion and the Heavenly Crow People, and was most familiar with the warfare here. He asked in bewilderment, "Strange, why are the Chelie Kingdom and the Mengzhan Kingdom fighting? These two countries have never clashed before." He hadn't considered that once the Battle Circle Continent was broken, everything would be out of control. The puppet nations, having gained freedom, would begin to fight for their own interests, making war inevitable.
Li Qiang suddenly leaped up, waving his left hand. A golden light rose like a golden screen, blocking the armies on both sides. The heavy cavalry on both sides couldn't stop and continued their mad charge forward. That primitive attack method was truly terrifying. Even Spirit Marshal Xianmu and Spirit General Panshi praised it highly. Xianmu couldn't help but say, "My lord, why stop them? The feeling of this impact is really good."
Li Qiang was left speechless, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Soon, the two cavalry forces drew near. A shout rang out from the Mengzhan Kingdom cavalry, "Throw axes!" Countless short axes flew out. At the same time, a shout also came from the Chelie Kingdom cavalry, "Volley fire!" A dense barrage of javelins was fired by the cavalry.
Then, almost simultaneously, the cavalry of both countries crashed into the golden screen with a loud bang. The cavalrymen on both sides fell off their horses as if they had hit a wall of bronze and iron. Instantly, there was shouting and neighing, chaos ensued, and all the soldiers were stunned.
Li Qiang spotted a familiar face and exclaimed, " Shanxiong! How could it be you?"