Li Qiang himself had lost count of how many times he had teleported. At each teleportation array, he would record the planets that he sensed. Now, all he wanted was to run as far away as possible, so that the immortals would not be able to find his trace.
Because each teleportation consumes more than a dozen Immortal Stone, his bracelet quickly ran out of Immortal Stone. The consumption of mid-grade Immortal Stone was particularly high. He estimated that he could teleport a maximum of three more times before he would run out of mid-grade Immortal Stone, leaving only some top-grade Immortal Stone.
According to the records on the Star-Fixing Disc alone, there are hundreds of planets with teleportation arrays, but so far he hasn't even found a trace of Sealed Fate Planet. He has only visited a few dozen of these planets, most of which are uninhabited.
Each time he teleported, Li Qiang would call Spirit General Panshi to help him activate the formation, while he would focus on studying the Star-Fixing Disc. Gradually, he discovered some of the Star-Fixing Disc's secrets.
On the planets marked with small red dots on the Star-Fixing Disc, the teleportation arrays are generally associated with life forms, which may be animals or plants; while the teleportation arrays marked with other colors are mostly on transitional planets, some of which may have special features that Li Qiang simply doesn't understand.
Li Qiang desperately needs Immortal Stone, otherwise he won't be able to leave. He doesn't dare to use teleportation yet because the distance is too far and he's not confident in his ability to do so.
After leaving Goulan Planet, he wandered around like a headless fly, having already crossed two star systems. Whether he could return to Sealed Fate Planet was still unknown. Fortunately, his current cultivation level was quite good, allowing him to explore with a calm mind.
Standing inside an unnamed teleportation array, Li Qiang said somewhat helplessly, "There's only one red dot. Hopefully, this is a planet inhabited by cultivators, so we can find the Immortal Stone. By the way, Old Pan, hasn't Mei'er come out of seclusion yet?"
Spirit General Panshi respectfully replied, "Lady Mei'er is almost at the Spirit General realm; it will be a while before she emerges from seclusion."
He hesitated for a moment and asked, "My lord, we only have enough Immortal Stone for two more teleportations. What will we do if there are still no cultivators on the next planet?"
Li Qiang smiled wryly and said, "Let's take it one step at a time. The chances of finding someone on a teleportation array that shows a red dot are higher. If it's still Savage Wilderness wasteland, we only have one chance. However, this planet ahead is very large."
He hadn't expected to escape to such a place; so many nameless, desolate planets, not only without people, but also without animals or plants.
Spirit General Panshi said, "You'll only know for sure when you see it for yourself, sir."
Li Qiang couldn't help but laugh. He noticed that in the Spirit Ghost Realm, only the two Grand Venerables and his little Mei'er could joke around; the other Spirit Body were all serious and unsmiling. He chuckled, "Never mind, let's go take a look."
He carved a line of words on the nearby rock. "I was here." Then he returned to the teleportation array and activated the formation.
This is an unfamiliar place. The teleportation array is built at the bottom of a canyon, hidden among a pile of rocks, and cannot be detected by anyone other than a cultivator.
Li Qiang stood in the center of the formation with a wry smile. On both sides were towering cliffs reaching into the clouds, devoid of any vegetation or animal activity. He summoned Spirit General Panshi and said, " Old Pan, this is terrible. It seems like another uninhabited planet."
Spirit General Panshi said, "My lord, use the remaining Immortal Stone to activate the formation and search for the presence of nearby planets. Perhaps you'll find a planet inhabited by cultivators."
Li Qiang had no choice but to take out the last dozen or so Immortal Stone and hand them to Spirit General Panshi, then he focused his attention on the Star-Fixing Disc. After a short while, Spirit General Panshi activated the formation.
Li Qiang examined the area carefully and found that this time, over a hundred planets were responding, with small dots of various colors present, but no red dots. Li Qiang knew that planets displaying multicolored teleportation arrays were usually desolate, with most lacking even oxygen, let alone life.
After a while, Li Qiang waved for Spirit General Panshi stop the formation. He retrieved the Immortal Stone and shook his head helplessly, saying, "It's impossible to go any further. It's very strange; many planets nearby have teleportation arrays. Old Pan, explore this planet first. Go back and inform Spirit Marshal Xianmu that I need your subordinates if necessary. Hehe, let them help me prospect for minerals."
Spirit General Panshi nodded and said, "Yes, sir, I will go back and inform them immediately."
Using the Spirit Sword Body for prospecting was the only method Li Qiang could think of. The Spirit Sword Body was born to be an earth walker, making it perfect for excavating underground treasures. But who could have so many Spirit Sword Body at their disposal? Only Li Qiang had that capability.
Li Qiang retrieved Spirit General Panshi, marked it on the Star-Fixing Disc, and with a flash of golden light, he teleported outside the teleportation array.
The ground was covered with rock fragments of all sizes, with some water pooling at the bottom of the rocks, but nothing else.
Li Qiang looked around in disappointment. The world was unusually quiet, with only a gentle breeze brushing against his face.
Li Qiang pondered for a moment. He noticed that there was air and water suitable for human habitation, and the temperature was around 20 degrees Celsius, but why was it so desolate? He thought about it for a while but couldn't figure it out.
Spirit Marshal Xianmu, accompanied by five Spirit Sword Body subordinates and Spirit General Panshi, flew out of the Illusory Devil Pearl. Spirit Marshal Xianmu bowed and said, "My lord, Xianmu has arrived on orders."
Li Qiang was helpless against these two; they were extremely respectful and unfriendly upon first meeting. He nodded and said, " Old Pan already said so, right? I need Immortal Stone, so I'll have to trouble you to help me find them, otherwise I'll be stuck on this planet."
Spirit Marshal Xianmu said, "My lord, as long as there are Immortal Stone on this planet, everything will be easy. Xianmu will do his best to search." Before Li Qiang could say anything more, he immediately ordered five hundred Spirit Sword Body to dive underground to search.
Spirit General Panshi also volunteered to sneak underground. He was extremely skilled and could search a large area.
Li Qiang wasn't worried about them getting separated; with the Illusory Devil Pearl, they wouldn't lose their way. He laughed, "Let's leave it to fate, Xianmu. Let's check further afield." With a flash of golden light, Li Qiang teleported much farther this time.
This time, the teleportation landed on a high slope. Li Qiang dispelled his protective golden light, Spirit Marshal Xianmu was the first to exclaim, "My lord, look!"
Countless towering peaks appeared on the horizon, like seeing a big city in the distance from one's hometown. There were also many strange black dots in the sky, as if something was flying.
A joyful smile appeared on Li Qiang's face. No matter what it was, as long as it was a sentient being, he felt a sense of kinship with it. If it was a cultivator, that would be even better.
Li Qiang knew that going there wearing the immortal armor wouldn't work; it would be too conspicuous. He turned to Xianmu and said, " Xianmu, go find Old Pan. Don't come over without my summons. I'll go check it out."
Spirit Marshal Xianmu responded and disappeared underground to find Spirit General Panshi.
Li Qiang put away his immortal armor, changed into clothes from Heavenly Melody City, and then teleported there.
This planet is located near the famous Lesser Lin Heaven Illusory Star Divine Formation and is also a gathering place for cultivators. Like Sealed Fate Planet, many of its residents are cultivators. However, unlike Sealed Fate Planet, this is a true center for cultivators. If this place is compared to an international metropolis, Sealed Fate Planet can only be considered a medium-sized city.
This planet is called Linming Planet.
Within the Star-Fixing Disc, Li Qiang sensed the immense size of this planet. He was thrilled as he watched the sword shadows flashing across the sky, knowing that he had finally returned to the world of cultivators. However, he was unaware that he had inadvertently arrived at the sacred land of cultivators— Linming Planet.
There are no roads on the planet, only jagged rocks everywhere. Every few hundred meters there is a huge castle-like building, but upon closer inspection, it is quite different from a castle. Strictly speaking, its shape is more like a pagoda, and its colors are also varied, each one is different. Some are shining, some are dark and dull, much like defensive pagodas.
Knowing that this was a world of cultivators, Li Qiang felt less apprehensive and calmly flew into the air to observe.
Surrounded by countless spires, Li Qiang finally saw a huge city in the distance, and he smiled happily.
Suddenly, five cultivators flew out of a spire and quickly surrounded them. The leader, a burly man in black armor, asked, "Where did you come from?"
Li Qiang was overjoyed and said, "I am a cultivator from Sealed Fate Planet. Hehe, this is my first time visiting your esteemed land. Could you tell me what this place is?"
The five cultivators were filled with awe upon hearing this. They thought, "You're joking! How could you possibly have gotten here from outer space without extraordinary abilities?"
The burly man at the head of the group became noticeably more friendly. "So you're cultivators from afar. This is Linming Planet, a holy land for cultivators. We are the guards of Wondrous Dragon City. Please follow me, and I'll escort you into the city."
On the way, the burly man told Li Qiang that Wondrous Dragon City was an open and prosperous city for cultivators. There were many such cities on Linming Planet. This city welcomed cultivators with genuine skills and knowledge, especially those who came from afar, and had special people to receive them.
Linming Planet is home to countless powerful predecessors, truly a place where dragons and tigers hide. Even an inconspicuous little girl might have the cultivation level of the Spirit Severing Realm. Unless you have the strength of an immortal or Loose Immortal, it's better to play it safe here. You might encounter an unknown cultivator who could put you in a life-or-death situation.
The city is full of arenas for duels, and here you are welcome to test your magical Law Treasure.
The city's buildings were densely packed together, seemingly without any planning. The building materials were also varied, and each building was different and strangely shaped. It was probably because many of the cultivators here were from other places and had brought their hometown's architectural styles with them.
The streets here are very narrow, with only a large square in the city center. Most of the people walking on the streets are beginners in cultivation. There is another group of people here, ordinary people who are unable to cultivate; they are the lowest class in this city.
Li Qiang roughly estimated that the city had several million people. According to the guard, there were more than 200,000 cultivators alone. And that was just the cultivators in Wondrous Dragon City. The number of cultivators on the entire planet was countless.
Even powerful experts like Loose Immortal wouldn't dare to act recklessly on this planet. The defensive formations built in every city are incredibly impressive and can completely withstand attacks from Loose Immortal.
Wondrous Dragon City has no ruler, but twelve experts with cultivation levels above the Integration Body Integration Realm form a Cultivation Union. All major matters are decided by these twelve individuals, who represent the twelve major sects of Wondrous Dragon City.
Soon, the group arrived at a spacious courtyard. The burly man went inside, and a moment later, a cultivator emerged, smiling and bowing, "Welcome, guests from afar. I am Xuanyuan Yiqing, here to receive guests from afar."
Li Qiang felt a sense of goodwill towards the cultivators of Wondrous Dragon City; they seemed very hospitable. He also warmly stepped forward to greet them, smiling and saying, "I am Muzi from Sealed Fate Planet." He used an alias again.
You have to understand that Li Qiang's fame is currently too great; it would be disastrous if the immortals found out.
Xuanyuan Yiqing then said, "I'm sorry, cultivators from afar must undergo a test to determine their cultivation level. Of course, if the guest is unwilling, we will not force them, but the Broad Pivot Court will be unable to accommodate them."
Li Qiang didn't want to reveal his cultivation level, and he hesitated. Xuanyuan Yiqing continued, "We just want to confirm your cultivation level so we can give you an identification mark. In Wondrous Dragon City, cultivators with the mark of a cultivation master have many advantages, even buying cultivation items is much cheaper. Well, if you don't want to, we won't force you. Hehe, after all, everyone who comes here is a guest."
The burly man who brought Li Qiang also advised, "Brother Muzi, the test here is not malicious; why not give it a try?"
Li Qiang couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to agree, "Alright, I'll do as Brother Xuanyuan says."
Xuanyuan Yiqing smiled and said, " Muzi, please!" He looked very excited and turned to walk to the back.
After passing through several rows of houses, there was a competition arena shrouded in Blue Light.
The arena was a huge square stone platform with sides of 100 meters, protected by a small array. There was an open space within 100 meters around it, with a very tall flagpole. A string of lantern-like objects, emitting a white glow, hung from the top of the flagpole. A cultivator walked to the flagpole, made a hand seal, and struck the lantern-like objects, which immediately emitted a red light.
Along the way, many cultivators came out of the rooms, and soon more than a dozen cultivators followed behind Li Qiang.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Brother Xuanyuan, why are there so many people here watching the show?"
Xuanyuan Yiqing said, "These are all cultivators from other cities, temporarily residing here. Recently, you are the only cultivator from another region to come to Wondrous Dragon City, so everyone is quite curious."
Li Qiang didn't know how information was transmitted here, but he saw more and more cultivators flying in, and he had already sensed that some of them were experts.
Upon entering the arena, Xuanyuan Yiqing invited Li Qiang to sit down and rest. He smiled and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting a moment. I've already sent someone to inform the Cultivation Union, and an expert will be here soon."
The cultivators who had followed also came in and sat down cross-legged. It seemed that tests and competitions were frequently held here, and these cultivators were regulars. More and more cultivators arrived, but fortunately, there was plenty of open space around, and everyone sat down cross-legged to meditate. Li Qiang asked curiously, "Who are they?" He was referring to the cultivators outside the competition arena.
Xuanyuan Yiqing said, "Those are all local cultivators who received the news. Brother, you are a cultivator from another region, so the local cultivators all want to observe and broaden their horizons."
Li Qiang smiled bitterly to himself, "Isn't this just watching a monkey show?" He had originally planned to keep a low profile, but who knew that he would be tested as soon as he arrived in Wondrous Dragon City? It was truly unexpected.
Xuanyuan Yiqing sat down next to Li Qiang. Worried that Li Qiang might get impatient, he told him about Wondrous Dragon City and Linming Planet.
Wondrous Dragon City is Linming Planet's largest city, but also its most peripheral city.
Linming Planet has five major cities. The first is Snow Dragon City, located in the Snow Dragon Mountain Range, with a population of over ten million, including as many as three hundred thousand cultivators. The second city is Descending Wood City, located in the southern forest, with the smallest population of only two million, but still boasting over two hundred thousand cultivators. The third city is Jade Sea Hidden Dragon City, situated at sea, with a population of over four million, including around two hundred thousand cultivators. Wondrous Dragon City ranks fourth. The last city is Jinyang City, the largest in terms of area, with the largest population of over thirty million ordinary people who live by agriculture, and only one hundred thousand cultivators.
Li Qiang was amazed. There were hundreds of thousands of cultivators here. No wonder this place was called a holy land for cultivators. The cultivators on Sealed Fate Planet could not compare.
He asked, "Are there any cultivators from Sealed Fate Planet here?" This was his biggest concern.
Xuanyuan Yiqing laughed, "There are countless cultivators from various cultivation planets here, too many to count. You'll have to find them yourself. Cultivators who can travel from outer space to this place are all extraordinary experts. For example, I can't even see through your cultivation level right now."
In fact, Li Qiang himself didn't know what level his cultivation had reached; he could no longer be considered a cultivator.
Xuanyuan Yiqing stood up and said, "They've arrived. Brother Muzi, let's go greet them together."
Li Qiang was not one to put on airs. He smiled and stood up, "Alright, Brother Xuanyuan, please!"
He noticed that one of the three people who arrived was a Spirit Severing Realm stage expert, and he was shocked: to test an outsider, they actually had to send Spirit Severing Realm expert; this place was truly extraordinary.
Three people descended from the sky. Xuanyuan Yiqing stepped forward and respectfully said, " Xuanyuan Yiqing greets Elder Heng Heavenly Cultivation Garrison."
The man said solemnly, " Yi Qing, no need for formalities. Please introduce the guest."
Li Qiang carefully examined the three men. Elder Heavenly Cultivation Garrison, who was in the lead, had a serious expression. He had two thick, black, and shiny sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a square face, and a head of black hair that was strangely coiled on top of his head, with a lock of hair hanging down to his shoulders on each side. He wore a light blue robe embroidered with various unknown patterns, and a wide belt around his waist. What was rather peculiar was that there were two red plaques stuck on his shoulders.
The other two were also experts, a man and a woman; Li Qiang estimated they had cultivation levels at the Leaving the Body Realm.
Xuanyuan Yiqing introduced with a smile, "This is Elder Heng Shifeng of Heavenly Cultivation Garrison in our Wondrous Dragon City. These two are first-level martial cultivators of Heavenly Cultivation Garrison, Feixue and Mi Dongku."
Before Xuanyuan Yiqing could introduce himself, Li Qiang bowed and said, "I am a cultivator from Sealed Fate Planet, named Muzi. It's a pleasure to meet you!" He spoke as an equal.
Heng Shifeng was very puzzled; he couldn't discern at all how high Li Qiang's cultivation level was. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Brother Muzi, when did you arrive in Wondrous Dragon City?" Unable to ascertain Li Qiang's cultivation level, his tone unconsciously became polite.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "We just arrived in Linming Planet today and are already in Wondrous Dragon City. We haven't been to any other places yet."
Heng Shifeng secretly delighted. In recent years, no cultivators from other realms had come to Wondrous Dragon City. He wondered what the cultivation level of the people who came this time was. If they were experts, Wondrous Dragon City's strength would increase.
Cultivators from other lands often possess cultivation methods that are not well understood by the locals. Through mutual exchange and learning, they can inspire local cultivators, and the benefits are self-evident.
Li Qiang asked, " Elder Heng, do you sell Immortal Stone here?"
Heng Shifeng's serious face broke into a slight smile, "The immortal Immortal Stone in Linming Planet have long been exhausted. They are only found on nearby planets. However, these planets are controlled by the five major cities. Therefore, only cultivators from these cities can purchase the Immortal Stone here. Cultivators from outside the city must pay a high price to acquire them. Of course, if Brother Muzi can pass the test, he can enjoy the same treatment as cultivators from this city, and perhaps even better."
Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the competition area. Someone shouted, "It's starting, hurry up!" Another yelled, "When does the sparring begin? Let's do a test first!"
Li Qiang asked in surprise, "Sparring? What do you mean?"
Xuanyuan Yiqing said somewhat embarrassedly, "After passing the elder's test, all the cultivators in this city hope to have the opportunity to Law Technique with you. Hehe, this is a learning method used by the cultivators in this city, please don't take offense."
Li Qiang had never cared about the magical Law Treasure; he nodded and said, "Please."
Elder Heng Shifeng smiled and said, "Actually, my test is very simple. Brother Muzi, please come over. This is a Profound Restriction Stone; just leave your mark."
Li Qiang was startled. This was the first time he had ever seen the Profound Restriction Stone. It was recorded in many Jade Pupil Slip. It was a very peculiar thing. It was extremely hard and was a good material for forging armor. He did not expect that the cultivators of Wondrous Dragon City would use it as a test item. It seemed that there were many good materials for forging weapons here.
This Profound Restriction Stone is a large cylindrical object, as tall as a person and as wide as three people. Its dark surface is covered with many marks, the most obvious being dozens of palm prints of varying depths.
Li Qiang asked, "How do I do this?" He genuinely didn't know.
Elder Heng Shifeng said, "We cannot use magic Law Treasure or Law Technique; we can only rely on our cultivation power to leave a mark on it in mid-air."
Li Qiang immediately understood that this required using pure True Essence Power to leave a mark on it. Without the cultivation of the Leaving the Body Realm, it would be impossible to leave a mark, and the depth of the mark could reflect the skill level of the person who made the mark.
Li Qiang felt troubled. He had never tried this before and didn't know how deep his skills were. After cultivating the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture, he knew that he was different from cultivators.
The entire venue fell silent, everyone waiting for Li Qiang to make his move.
Feixue, the female cultivator who came with Heng Shifeng, smiled and said, "Mr. Muzi, there's no need to be modest. In Wondrous Dragon City, the higher your cultivation level, the more respect you receive. Please don't hold back." She seemed to have noticed Li Qiang's predicament.
Looking at the Profound Restriction Stone, Li Qiang suddenly thought of a way to understand Profound Restriction Stone characteristics.
He said, "Oh, the rocks are all bumpy and uneven, it's not easy to work on them. Let me straighten them out."
He walked to the Profound Restriction Stone and gently touched its surface a few times. His hand was filled with Divine Yi Power, and with a soft "rustling" sound, the surface of the Profound Restriction Stone was smoothed out by him.
Li Qiang had a bad feeling. When he rubbed it, he felt a rough texture, which meant that the Profound Restriction Stone was extremely hard, something he hadn't expected.
Heng Shifeng dumbfounded. This was the first time he had ever seen someone casually touch the Profound Restriction Stone and easily wipe away the marks on it. What kind of skill was this? It was truly amazing. He knew very well that with his Early Spirit Severing Realm cultivation, it would be impossible for him to do this even if he tried his best, unless he used the power of Law Treasure.
Li Qiang took a few steps back and asked, "How deep of a mark do I need to leave to pass?"
Heng Shifeng was stunned for a moment, then said, "Of course, the deeper the better." He couldn't fathom Li Qiang's cultivation level at all.
Li Qiang only unleashed two-tenths of his Divine Yi Power, as he was unwilling to reveal his strength. However, even with such force, a deep palm print, three centimeters deep, was left on the Profound Restriction Stone, as if it had been poured out of a mold.
The three of them, including Heavenly Cultivation Garrison, were stunned; they had never seen such miraculous power before.
Heng Shifeng examined him carefully, but to his dismay, he still couldn't discern Li Qiang's cultivation level.
After a long pause, Heng Shifeng said, "Brother Muzi is indeed a master. On behalf of Heavenly Cultivation Garrison of Wondrous Dragon City, I welcome you. You can enjoy the highest treatment for cultivators in Wondrous Dragon City. This is the token, the Crystal Dragon Plaque."
As soon as he finished speaking, the cultivators gathered outside the arena were in an uproar. In Wondrous Dragon City Wondrous Dragon City, only experts at the Spirit Severing Realm or above could enjoy such treatment. This was the first time in nearly ten years that an outsider had received such treatment.
Someone shouted, "Everyone, go back and prepare! The grandest Law Technique competition in Wondrous Dragon City is about to begin!"
Someone else exclaimed, "Great! We can finally witness the cultivation Law Technique from another realm!"
The entire audience erupted in commotion.
Li Qiang was confused and asked, "Brother Xuanyuan, what do they mean by this competition? Does it mean all the cultivators in the city are coming?"
Heng Shifeng explained with a smile, "It's not that you're coming now. Because you've received the highest honor in Wondrous Dragon City, Wondrous Dragon City will hold a special competition just for you to hone your cultivation Law Technique. This is the highest honor a cultivator from another region can receive in Wondrous Dragon City."
Li Qiang inwardly groaned; he was now in a bind, hoping this place had no connection with those immortals.