The Even Pure Red Stone was polished to the size of a fist, its texture almost transparent, allowing one to clearly see what was inside. The stone was hollow, filled with a transparent liquid, in which two soft, jellyfish-like creatures, each about the size of a finger, swam. One was pale gold, the other pale silver, their bodies shimmering with a beautiful, ethereal light; they were truly stunning.
The four people passed it around and examined it, but none of them recognized the creature inside the stone.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Brother Xuanyuan found this; you can keep it."
Although Xuanyuan Yiqing really wanted it, he was still aware of his limitations and repeatedly shook his head, saying, "Senior, even if I discovered it, I don't have the ability to cut open the Crimson Stone. Please keep it."
Li Qiang laughed nonchalantly, "Alright, I'll keep it for now and figure out what it is later."
Dan Boyu said, "This is really strange. How can we not find the main Spirit Vein of Beiling Mountain? This place is really weird." He touched the wound on his thigh, frowning. Although the wound had scabbed over, it was still a little painful.
Xuanyuan Yiqing picked up some of the larger red stones from the ground, saying without looking up, "I haven't heard of anyone finding the main vein. We're just trying our luck. Even Pure Red Stone are good things too, don't you want them?"
Bai Shengzhen asked, "Really? I want one too... Oh dear, my Storage Bag is almost full, what am I going to do?"
Li Qiang casually took out a storage belt and handed it to Bai Shengzhen: "Use this storage belt."
He then asked Xuanyuan Yiqing, "What is the use of the red stone?"
Bai Shengzhen was deeply moved. His Storage Bag was something his father had gone to great lengths to get, and it had limited capacity, so he couldn't put much in it. Owning a storage belt was a luxury he never dared to dream of. He never expected that Li Qiang would give him one so casually, as if he didn't care at all.
Xuanyuan Yiqing couldn't help but think to himself, "Senior Muzi is such a sucker. How can he be so carefree and generous? In Wondrous Dragon City, a good storage belt is worth five thousand Coiled Dragon Coin, and he just gives it away so easily. I can't believe it." However, he dared not take advantage of him now, as he was in awe of Li Qiang's strength.
He said, " Even Pure Red Stone is an excellent material for making jade talismans, as it can contain a large amount of True Essence Power. This piece of red stone is of the highest quality."
This was the first time Li Qiang had heard of this. He laughed and said, "So that's how it is. I've looked for similar materials before. Okay, I'll collect some too."
Fortunately, there were enough red stone fragments, and the group quickly collected all the remaining red stones on the ground.
The four of them spent most of the day in the canyon before continuing their descent. Li Qiang led the way, Bai Shengzhen walked in the middle, and Xuanyuan Yiqing and Dan Boyu followed closely behind.
Li Qiang's eyesight is now extraordinary; ordinary restrictions and formations cannot escape his divine eyes. However, what puzzles him is that there are faint traces of a formation here, but it is extremely well hidden and seems to Fusion with the surrounding environment, making it difficult to distinguish. If this was set up by a cultivator, it would be truly ingenious.
After passing through the canyon, Li Qiang realized something was wrong. He smiled wryly and said, "This is where we came in! I'm sure there's a large-scale formation here, like a bewildering array; it's a very impressive technique."
The other three had far less understanding of formations than Li Qiang; this kind of invisible formation that relied on the power of nature was beyond their comprehension.
Xuanyuan Yiqing hesitated for a moment, "Let's leave. Linming Planet has many strange aspects; it's better to be careful."
Li Qiang was somewhat unwilling. He knew he wouldn't have another chance to visit Beiling Mountain, and it would be a real shame not to see the main branch of the mountain. He said, "Wait for me, protect me."
He sat cross-legged and, for the first time, used his Divine Sense to explore a wide area. All the surrounding scenery flowed through his mind like movie scenes, and his Divine Sense rapidly expanded.
Xuanyuan Yiqing and the other two stood guard nervously to the side, as a large-scale Divine Sense search was extremely dangerous.
Bai Shengzhen suddenly tugged at Dan Boyu and whispered, "Look, senior... oh my, he's emitting golden light!" The golden light on Li Qiang's body was Divine Yi Power used for protection, which was no longer a cultivator's technique. The three of them naturally couldn't understand it, so they were extremely surprised.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li Qiang suddenly trembled, and the golden light around him suddenly brightened, gradually becoming dazzling. In the distance, there seemed to be faint thunder.
Suddenly, with a loud "bang," the golden light emanating from Li Qiang knocked Xuanyuan Yiqing and the other two to the ground.
A series of thunderclaps rang out in the distance, and the explosions grew closer and closer. Li Qiang's whole body shone like the sun. He leaped up from the ground and shouted, "Break!" The arm guards he had refined in the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation transformed into countless purple rays, shooting in all directions.
Bai Shengzhen was so weak from the golden light that he covered his head and screamed in terror.
Dan Boyu and Xuanyuan Yiqing were more skilled, and the two of them protected him from the left and right. They were also terrified and didn't know what Li Qiang was doing.
Li Qiang's arm guard was the first magical Law Treasure he had crafted that possessed divine properties. Even when he was surrounded by so many cultivators in Wondrous Dragon City, he didn't dare use it, fearing that its destructive power would be too great. But this time, he had no choice but to use it.
His Divine Sense touched the array here, and the array was immediately activated. He almost got lost inside, but in an instant he suddenly understood that this was a great array set up by an immortal.
Fortunately, he was no longer a cultivator; he had the foundation of divine cultivation and had entered the formation through a split spirit. As soon as the formation was activated, his main body reacted immediately. He felt that his usual Law Treasure were no match for this kind of formation, and had no choice but to use his arm guards to break the formation for the first time.
The purple light shot into the immortal array like a dancing sprite. Although it did not completely break the array, it successfully withdrew its Divine Sense and blasted the outer perimeter of the immortal array into a mess.
Li Qiang, his expression serious, retracted his arm guards and said, "We need to get out of here quickly, this is a huge problem!"
He had barely finished speaking when someone else chimed in, "That's right, you're in big trouble!"
A dazzling golden light appeared before the four of them. Li Qiang was greatly surprised. He knew that the person who had come was an immortal. Before the person dispersed the protective golden light, he could not identify who he was.
Xuanyuan Yiqing and the other two stared in disbelief. They were just low-level cultivators who had never seen an immortal before and had no idea that the dazzling golden light in front of them was an immortal. They thought it was some kind of monster.
The three of them stood frozen, not daring to move an inch.
Knowing he couldn't avoid it any longer, Li Qiang steeled himself and said with a grin, "Are you Dainan Fengyu or Qian Shanyong? I didn't expect you to live here..."
The golden light trembled slightly.
Li Qiang suddenly realized he had said the wrong thing, and he hurriedly corrected himself, "You wouldn't happen to be the Old Immortal Tianshi, would you... Ah, could it be Xuan Long?" Actually, he was still very flustered, and he actually named all the immortals he knew.
The golden light suddenly dissipated, revealing the person inside. The person coldly said, "Boy, I am Xuan Long! You actually know Dainan Fengyu, Qian Shanyong, and Tianshi, who are you?"
Xuan Long realized that this kid was no ordinary person, given that he could rattle off the names of so many immortals at once.
Xuan Long's immortal armor was incredibly imposing, his entire body covered in pale golden scales, making him resemble a strange spirit beast. A dozen barbed blades were embedded in his back, interlocking to form a fan shape. His long hair was neatly combed, gathered into two strands that cascaded over his shoulders, and a string of black and red beads hung from the top of his head to both sides. His face gave off a rock-like feeling, hard and cold, like a marble statue.
Li Qiang suppressed his unease and said, "So it's Senior Xuan Long. This junior greets you." He cupped his hands in greeting.
Xuan Long sized Li Qiang up and down. After a while, he said, "Boy, you actually have immortal armor protecting you. Who are you? Speak up!" He was a little impatient.
Xuanyuan Yiqing and the other two were crushed to the ground by Xuan Long's imposing aura, their bodies trembling violently. Bai Shengzhen was even more terrified and fainted.
Li Qiang was annoyed. Why did all the immortals act like such idiots, each one of them so arrogant?
His face also turned cold, and he said icily, "I am Muzi. If there is nothing else, senior, we will take our leave." Although he was intimidated by Xuan Long's aura, he was still able to resist with his own strength.
Xuan Long was amazed. Most cultivators couldn't even speak properly in front of him, but this kid seemed completely unconcerned. He couldn't help but want to test his skills. "Kid, you're quite arrogant. Dare to come with me?" He couldn't tell what level Li Qiang was at; he didn't seem like a cultivator, nor did he seem like Loose Immortal.
Li Qiang smiled bitterly to himself. He knew Xuan Long wanted to test his skills, and he was well aware that he would be exposed as soon as he did. But he couldn't escape it, so he could only say, "I dare! What's there to be afraid of? However, if you let the three of them leave, I'll go with you."
Xuan Long said, "Those three can't leave. They'll come in with us. You're all here to find the main vein of Mount Ling, right? This time, you'll get to see as much as you want." He waved his hand, casting a golden light around the four of them, and said softly, "Go!" before teleporting away.
Xuan Long landed on the ground with the four of them. It was an open space about a hundred meters in diameter. The ground was made of Even Pure Red Stone. Smoke filled the surroundings, and many trees and strange rocks could be vaguely seen. A faint fragrance of flowers drifted in the wind. It was unclear where the breeze came from, but it did not affect the flowing mist around them at all.
At the edge of the red stone plain stands a small house, which, upon closer inspection, is actually carved from a single piece of red stone.
Li Qiang stopped and calmly said, "You three go into the hut and remember not to come out. The immortal senior doesn't like us and wants to bully us. Humph! I'll play along." He started acting tough again.
He was indeed furious. Every immortal he encountered seemed to be against him, and he was fed up with constantly running away from them. He was determined to risk everything and fight back.
Xuan Long remained silent, observing coldly from the sidelines.
Xuanyuan Yiqing was the one who could hold on the best among the three. He struggled to his feet, dragged Bai Shengzhen and helped Dan Boyu, and staggered towards the hut. Once inside, he immediately felt relieved.
Dan Boyu said in a low voice, "We need to sit down and rest quickly. Sigh, how did we get involved with an immortal? It's unbelievable."
Bai Shengzhen also woke up. He didn't dare to say anything and immediately sat down cross-legged to meditate. Only then did he realize that this place was unusual. The room seemed to be filled with invisible Spiritual Qi, which continuously replenished his True Essence Power. He felt as if he was sitting in a huge Immortal Stone, and his power increased rapidly.
Soon, Xuanyuan Yiqing and Dan Boyu also discovered the benefits of this place and immediately sat cross-legged to practice their internal energy.
Xuan Long pressed his hands down slightly, and the entire Red Stone Plain was instantly imprisoned.
Li Qiang's divine eyes saw clearly; there was nowhere to escape—above, below, to the left, right, front, and back. Knowing he wouldn't get away with it, he boldly retorted, " Xuan Long, you don't need to make such a fuss, do you? In this realm, you can do whatever you want, so why bother with us nobody?"
A slight smile appeared on Xuan Long's ancient face as he said, "You've got some issues, kid. You dare to oppose an immortal and still manage to come all the way to Beiling Mountain alive. Kid, let me see what you're capable of!"
He crossed his arms and said casually, "Don't say I'm bullying you. Let you make the first move."
Li Qiang cursed inwardly, "If an immortal is this strong, is this guy just putting on an act? Fine, I'll give you a real scare." He looked helpless and said, "You're an immortal, and I'm a cultivator. It's normal that I can't beat you, but..." He deliberately left half a sentence unsaid, waiting to see Xuan Long's reaction.
Xuan Long pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized and said, "Alright, if you can make me move, I'll let you go."
Li Qiang was overjoyed. Knowing that this was a rare opportunity, he immediately said, "Hmm, this is going to be difficult... Take this!" He suddenly attacked, and the Supreme Radiance Shuttle transformed into a golden lightning bolt that struck Xuan Long's head. At the same time, two faint purple rays flew out from under his feet and silently shot towards Xuan Long. This was his ultimate move, the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire.
Xuan Long was indeed surprised. He hadn't expected Li Qiang to not only have immortal armor protecting him, but also the immortal artifact Supreme Radiance Shuttle for attack. However, he didn't care about this level of attack.
He slightly swayed his shoulders, and a sharp spike flew up from his back, transforming into a ball of silver light to meet the Supreme Radiance Shuttle. At the same time, he also noticed the two purple lights shooting towards him.
The silver light struck the Supreme Radiance Shuttle, Li Qiang felt an incomparably powerful force rushing towards him, something he simply couldn't resist. With a deafening roar, Li Qiang's body flew backward like a leaf blown by a strong wind.
Just as Xuan Long had sent Li Qiang flying, the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire beneath his feet arrived. He had indeed been careless, never expecting Li Qiang to possess such a domineering weapon. Almost instinctively, he leaped to dodge, and a ball of earthy yellow light appeared beneath his feet, enveloping the incoming Heavenly Fire.
Li Qiang laughed loudly, "So you're afraid of Heavenly Fire too, huh? Haha! Uh..." Before he could finish speaking, the Heavenly Fire had already been extinguished by Xuan Long.
Enraged, Xuan Long coldly said, "You brat, how dare you try anything funny? Fine! Today I'll teach you a lesson and show you the power of an immortal!"
Li Qiang shouted, "Damn it! Even immortals don't keep their word!"
Hiding in the small hut, Xuanyuan Yiqing was the first to recover. He peeked out from the doorway. Hearing Li Qiang's cursing, he was terrified, thinking, "Senior Muzi is really something, daring to curse even an immortal! Oh dear, has he gone mad? We're doomed now, the immortal will definitely beat him to death." He was not only worried about Li Qiang, but also about himself, because after Li Qiang was dealt with, the three of them would definitely not escape either. He couldn't help but groan inwardly.
Xuan Long chuckled coldly, "I always keep my word. But since you have the ability to make me move, hehe, you're qualified to have a match with me."
With a swift movement, a crystal-clear, multicolored mountain peak appeared in his hand. He shouted, "Taste my Flying Peak! Go!"
Li Qiang was shocked. He gritted his teeth and used his Divine Yi Power to conjure a giant axe with the help of the Star-Absorbing Sword, and had the audacious idea of splitting the sacred mountain in two with the axe.
Xuan Long smiled and shook his head, saying, "Kid, you're useless!"
The small, five-colored mountain rose above Li Qiang's head, making a strange "rumbling" sound. It grew larger and larger, and a thought suddenly flashed through Li Qiang's mind, "Isn't this the Five-Finger Spirit Mountain of the Tathagata Buddha? Damn it! I've become Sun Monkey!" He used all his strength to slash wildly at the magical axe that had appeared.
The Five-Colored Mountain Peak was crafted by Xuan Long at Beiling Mountain. It is not yet fully completed. When not in use, it is just a fist-sized Spirit Stone called Flying Peak. Xuan Long took it out specifically to test it because he found that Li Qiang's cultivation level was neither high nor low, which was just right for him. He could take this opportunity to see if there were any shortcomings in Flying Peak.
Because Li Qiang infused the axe with Divine Yi Power, its nature was completely different. Even now, Xuan Long hadn't realized that Li Qiang had cultivated the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation; he had been careless once again.
Flying Peak emitted a dazzling light. Li Qiang stared intently at the giant axe he had conjured and shouted, "Open!"
"Crack! Bang! Bang... Boom!" A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth.
With just one strike, Li Qiang felt completely exhausted. He took a deep breath and immediately recovered. Flying Peak retreated slightly, then he made a hand seal, commanding the giant axe to strike again.
Xuan Long's expression changed drastically. He suddenly exhaled a breath of immortal energy, pressed down with his left hand, and shot out a beam of yellow light from his right hand, striking Flying Peak. He exclaimed in surprise, "Good lad, he's actually Divine Yi Power!" He now understood why Li Qiang knew the names of so many old friends.
Flying Peak suddenly became transparent. The giant axe that Li Qiang had conjured shot through the air without touching Flying Peak at all. It was too late to turn back, and Mount Ling descended upon them.
In desperation, Li Qiang decisively abandoned the Star-Absorbing Sword and replaced it with the Supreme Radiance Shuttle for protection. In an instant, the spiritual peak pressed down upon him.
Li Qiang's only feeling was terror, as if an entire mountain was pressing down on him, and he felt like he was about to be crushed. He desperately urged his Divine Yi Power to circulate rapidly, but the fatal thing was that he couldn't breathe. As long as he could take a breath, he could recover immediately.
With a sudden thought, he mustered his last bit of strength to activate his arm guard, and countless purple rays shot out, causing the spirit peak to rise. In that instant, Li Qiang finally gained a precious chance to catch his breath.
This arm guard is arguably Li Qiang's best Law Treasure. He spent six months refining it with Divine Yi Power in the eye of the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation. Although he used the Chongxuan Sect's Heart Refining Method, because the foundation of the refining was Divine Yi Power and Heavenly Fire, this Law Treasure possessed certain properties of a divine artifact, and its power was naturally extraordinary.
Xuan Long was also taken aback. He hadn't expected that Li Qiang could withstand the immense pressure of Flying Peak. He couldn't help but secretly admire him; this little guy was quite remarkable.
He chuckled, "Kid, bring out whatever treasures you have, hehe, let this old man see them." His feelings were somewhat complicated. It was truly remarkable that this little guy could withstand his half-real, half-feigned attacks. He decided to hold back, and besides, he felt that Li Qiang had many secrets. He didn't want to destroy this strange kid for the time being, but he still needed to teach him a lesson.
Xuanyuan Yiqing and the other two hid in the small house and looked out. They saw a delicate and exquisite mountain flying in the air. The mountain did not look big, but it was carved with great detail. The mountain shot out colorful rays of light downwards. They could vaguely see Li Qiang bent over, half-kneeling on the ground, raising his arms. Wisps of purple light came out of his arms, and his whole body was flashing with golden light. He seemed to be struggling to support himself and looked very tired.
Xuanyuan Yiqing whispered worriedly, "Oh no, it seems Senior Muzi can't hold on much longer."
After recovering slightly, Bai Shengzhen crawled to the doorway. He stared blankly, muttering to himself, "How can there be such a battle? Sigh, I don't understand it. Strange... I hope the senior is safe and sound. Sigh!"
Dan Boyu shook his head and clicked his tongue, rubbing his hands together incessantly. He said with a wry smile, "Sigh, we can't even stand properly in front of immortals, they're truly amazing."
Li Qiang was so overwhelmed by the pressure from the spirit peak that he saw stars and was completely unable to use any more Law Treasure. He now truly understood how vast the gap was between himself and an immortal.
First, Supreme Radiance Shuttle was forced back into his body, the Fire Essence Immortal Armor burst into flames, and the arm guards were pushed to their limit in defense. His whole body crackled and popped, it was a head-on confrontation.
Li Qiang's skill was far inferior, and it was clear that he was about to be overwhelmed.
Xuan Long said calmly, "Admit defeat? You're quite remarkable, managing to block Lingfeng's attack. Oh, you even dare to take it head-on? Fine, let's go again!" He drew a circle in the air with both hands and said, "Spin!" Flying Peak began to spin rapidly.
Li Qiang cursed inwardly, unable to speak or admit defeat. The immense force that had been pressing down on him suddenly surged from all directions. He knew that if he continued to resist, he would be severely injured, if not killed. In a flash of inspiration, he sank his mind into the realm of the Second Desire Heaven, and in that instant, he seemed to cease to exist.
Xuan Long exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? There's that trick too! Good!"
He raised his hand and shot out a golden beam of light, then summoned back Flying Peak.
The golden light enveloped Li Qiang, transforming into seven golden threads that bound him to his forehead, neck, hands, feet, and waist, Li Qiang instantly immobile.
Xuan Long cradled the fist-sized spirit peak in his hand, tilted his head, and looked at Li Qiang for a moment. A satisfied smile appeared on his face. After seeing Li Qiang open his eyes, he said, "Kid, don't move around. This thing can hurt..."
It wasn't just pain; there were also numbness, itching, soreness, astringency, swelling, and all sorts of other strange sensations. Li Qiang stumbled and fell to the ground, all those bizarre feelings surging into his mind at once. He had cultivated immortality and divinity for so long that his mind was already unyielding. He gritted his teeth, slowly straightened up, and stared coldly at Xuan Long without saying a word.
Xuan Long clicked his tongue in amazement. His seven golden threads were a replica of a famous immortal artifact in the Immortal Realm — the Immortal-Binding Rope (https://m•hetushu•com. com). Although it was far inferior to the Immortal-Binding Rope, it had many strange features added. Even ordinary immortals would find it difficult to endure being bound by it. He never expected that Li Qiang could withstand it.
In fact, Li Qiang was also desperately trying to hold back. His hands were trembling violently, and he secretly hid them behind his back, clenching them into fists to prevent Xuan Long from seeing. He had a gentle exterior but a strong interior; the more powerful his opponent, the more frantic he became.
He was extremely uncomfortable from the seven golden threads, and an inexplicable anger surged to his head. He secretly released the Heavenly Fire from his arm guard to burn the golden threads, his eyes flashing with golden light as he stared intently at Xuan Long.
Xuan Long felt a chill run down his spine as he watched the boy's body erupt with Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire, burning the golden threads. He couldn't help but sneer, " Heavenly Fire is just a rather domineering elemental substance. It's not very useful against immortal artifacts that have been refined. Heavenly Fire may be very powerful in your Cultivation Realm, but it poses little threat to us immortals. If you don't believe me, then keep burning it." He waved his hand dismissively.
Suddenly, a strange and varied sensation surged through him like a tide, quite different from the discomfort he had just experienced. Li Qiang tried to immerse his mind in the Second Desire Heaven realm, but he was horrified to discover that due to the intense stimulation of the golden threads, he was completely unable to enter that realm.
He forced himself to endure for a moment and said, "Have you had enough? You... are you ever going to stop? Damn it!" His voice was already trembling.
Although Xuanlong didn't understand what "fuck" meant, he also knew that it was not a good word. He opened his mouth and laughed, showing his white teeth, like a fierce leopard yawning.
He rubbed his hands together, somewhat excitedly saying, "Damn! Still dare to be stubborn? Come on! Let me show you what dizziness feels like, spin me around!"
As if pulled by an invisible rope, Li Qiang suddenly rose into the air and began to spin rapidly, his speed increasing, even creating a "whooshing" sound in the wind.
Li Qiang spun into a spherical phantom in the air, and from within the shadow, he could be heard cursing incoherently. "Xuan... Xuan Long! You... you... shameless! You..." As his speed increased, his words gradually became inaudible.
Xuan Long seemed quite pleased. After a while, he suddenly pointed a finger and shouted, "Freeze!"