Xuan Long thought for a moment and said, "Let's make a more powerful talisman." The jade talisman slowly rose from his palm, and he traced lines in the air with his right index finger. The immortal energy shooting from his fingertip quickly formed an array.
Because Li Qiang had learned the Immortal Spirit Instruction, although only fragments, he understood the array Xuan Long had inscribed—an array that drew upon the power of nature. Gong Yifu, however, couldn't understand it; this was the first time he had ever seen someone refine talismans like Xuan Long.
The array formed by the immortal energy gathered in the air without dispersing. Xuan Long lightly tapped his finger, and the array suspended in the air rapidly shrank, gradually forming a small ball that shone with dazzling light like a bright pearl.
He flicked his finger, and with a soft, crisp sound, as if a glass had been shattered, the shimmering array was pressed into the jade talisman.
Li Qiang couldn't help but clap and cheer, "Fantastic! So that's how you make talismans! Senior Brother is amazing, haha." His master, Qi Junsha, had also used this technique before, but it was a large-scale teleportation array. Compared to Xuan Long's miniature array, the difference in difficulty was obvious. Xuan Long's skill was clearly far superior to Qi Junsha's.
Xuan Long was overjoyed by Li Qiang's praise. For millennia, no one had ever praised him like this. Although he didn't care whether others appreciated him or not, he was still very happy to receive praise. He waved his hand to retrieve the jade talisman, handed it to Gong Yifu, and said, "Take a look."
The jade talisman had turned a deep crimson, like autumn leaves or the sunset over the western mountains; it looked so perfect.
In an instant, Gong Yifu and Li Qiang were both captivated. It was truly amazing that a simple jade talisman could be crafted into such a form. Xuan Long was indeed worthy of being called Luo Heaven High Immortal.
Gong Yifu stared blankly at the talisman in his hand, muttering, "Impossible... Such a perfect talisman... It couldn't have been made by a human..." He was completely mesmerized.
Li Qiang asked, "Senior brother, I'm impressed. What kind of talisman is this?"
Xuan Long laughed and said, "I don't know what it's called either. I just made it on a whim. You should be able to understand this formation, right?"
Li Qiang nodded and said, "I recognize it. It's similar to the Thunder-Gathering Formation in the Cultivation Realm, but there are some subtle differences. It should be unique to your region." He knew that this array was a celestial array, and from this he realized that the arrays in the Immortal Realm and the arrays in the Cultivation Realm are of the same lineage, only that the arrays in the Immortal Realm are more refined and more powerful.
Gong Yifu hand holding his head and the other holding a talisman, staring blankly into the distance. He was completely absorbed in the scene, oblivious to what Xuan Long and Li Qiang were doing or saying.
Li Qiang asked Xuan Long a few more questions about crafting, and then immediately began crafting. He first crafted many blank jade talismans, which had various shapes and attributes. Xuan Long, having nothing else to do, also helped him cultivate quite a bit. Then, the two of them used their Divine Ability to add various array formations and incantations to them.
Gong Yifu glanced up unintentionally and was immediately stunned. The two men seemed to be racing, crafting talismans one after another with incredible speed. Both inscribed arrays and incantations in mid-air, then shrank and disappeared into the jade talismans. With a series of crackling sounds, the talismans were completed. He rubbed his eyes hard, wondering if he was dreaming.
The two quickly finished cultivating the blank jade talisman, and seemingly still wanting more, they almost simultaneously reached out and took the jade talisman that Gong Yifu had taken out to refine as well. However, the two were very careful, because the jade talisman made by Gong Yifu was of poor quality and could not contain powerful formations; it could only be used to set up small formations of moderate power.
This is where the difference between the two becomes apparent. Xuan Long, being an immortal, possesses extraordinary skill, and the talismans he creates are still very powerful. Li Qiang, on the other hand, is full of ingenious ideas. For example, he combines lightning and fire to create a fire-lightning talisman.
Gong Yifu watched, feeling dizzy. The difference between the talisman-making methods he had learned and those of these two was simply too great. They could make talismans as if they were doing whatever they wanted, and they could even combine two different types of formations into a single jade talisman. He felt like he was dreaming.
Li Qiang gained a lot; he learned many talisman-making techniques from the Immortal Realm, comprehended some basic immortal incantations, and understood many principles. He happily laughed, "Alright, I've used up all the jade talismans."
He picked out dozens of talismans and handed them to Gong Yifu, saying, "These are for you. Hehe, we've used up all your jade talismans."
Gong Yifu blankly, still not fully awake. Suddenly, the ground trembled violently, and all the talismans in Gong Yifu's hand scattered to the ground. He slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Huh? What happened?"
He finally came to his senses and hurriedly began to pick up the talismans.
Suddenly, the earth shook again.
Li Qiang rushed out the door first, only to see a sky-filling array of sword lights converging on the plaza, where dozens of cultivators stood in the center.
Xuan Long followed Li Qiang out. When he saw the cultivators in the square, he couldn't help but say, "Good heavens, they are all cultivation experts, at least at the Spirit Severing Realm..." Before he could finish speaking, the entire Snow Dragon City trembled.
The Radiant Rock Heart Formation, faintly visible on the plaza ground, also flickered with a bluish-white light. Xuan Long exclaimed in surprise, "It seems something is connected to the Radiant Rock Heart Formation. Strange... no one is attacking." He extended his Divine Sense to search a wide area and said, "I see."
Li Qiang asked curiously, "What?"
Xuan Long said, " The Water-Gathering Immortal Formation beneath Heaven-Sealed Lake outside the city is related to the Spirit Vein here. Someone is breaking the array, and it has affected this place."
More and more cultivators gathered in the square. A tall, imposing man shouted from above, "Everyone quiet down! Please welcome Grand Master Luo Duqi of the Extreme Chasm Cliff!"
The entire square immediately fell silent.
A cultivator clad in a snow-white robe slowly rose into the air. He was Luo Duqi, a grandmaster of Snow Dragon City. He roared, "Cultivators of Snow Dragon City, listen up! Our Snow Dragon City faces annihilation! If we do not unite, our home, our Snow Dragon City, will cease to exist! Beneath Heaven-Sealed Lake lies the Spirit Vein Spirit Vein of our Snow Dragon City Snow Dragon City, the very foundation of our existence. Yet, a Loose Immortal seeks to monopolize Heaven-Sealed Lake! I do not know what lies beneath Heaven-Sealed Lake Heaven-Sealed Lake, but everyone understands that if he breaks the seal beneath it, our Snow Dragon City will be utterly destroyed. What should we do?"
Someone shouted, "Let's fight him!"
Immediately, all the cultivators in the square roared. Tens of thousands of cultivators roared together, and the momentum was truly terrifying.
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "Brother, just you wait and see." He was already prepared to join in, because with Xuan Long around, all the problems would be solved as long as he stepped forward. So Li Qiang decided to help Snow Dragon City this time.
He leaped into the air, rapidly circling above the plaza. Soon, other cultivators followed, and gradually, more and more joined in, forming a massive circle of sword light above the plaza, a truly magnificent sight. Then Li Qiang shouted, "Charge!"
A thunderous roar suddenly echoed in the sky, "Charge!" All the cultivators were filled with fervor, and they raised their flying swords and charged out of the city.
Li Qiang silently teleported back to Xuan Long's side and said, "That Loose Immortal has incurred public wrath, but if he really fights to the death, the casualties in Snow Dragon City will be heavy. Brother, you should let him leave."
Before Xuan Long could speak, a figure appeared before them, saying, " Luo Duyu greets the two seniors."
Li Qiang knew that Extreme Chasm Cliff would definitely come to Xuan Long and him for help, so he smiled and said, "Brother Luo, no need to be so polite."
Luo Duqi also teleported over. He already knew that Xuan Long was an immortal, and respectfully bowed, saying, " Luo Duqi of Extreme Chasm Cliff greets Immortal Luo Heaven High Immortal and Senior Muzi."
Xuan Long asked in surprise, "How did you know I was Luo Heaven High Immortal?"
Luo Duqi took out a small black token with gold trim and said, "This is a token passed down from a senior from Extreme Chasm Cliff. The senior should know about it, right?" He handed the token over.
Xuan Long tilted his head, took the token, examined it carefully, and remained silent for a long time. Luo Duqi and Luo Duyu waited anxiously.
Xuan Long finally remembered and said, "I didn't expect you to be descendants of Luo Xian. That guy came back?"
Luo Duqi breathed a sigh of relief. He was most afraid that Xuan Long would ignore the Library Society. As long as he knew the ancestor of Extreme Chasm Cliff, Snow Dragon City would be saved. He repeatedly bowed and said, "Please help us, Immortal. The cultivators of Snow Dragon City will be eternally grateful."
In fact, the cultivators of Snow Dragon City could drive away that Loose Immortal, but there would be many casualties. Luo Duqi really didn't want Snow Dragon City to suffer a major blow. With Xuan Long there, as long as he was willing to take action, that Loose Immortal would definitely be scared away.
Xuan Long said with difficulty, "Brother, I can't just make a move. He's Loose Immortal; without the Azure Emperor's decree, I can't touch him unless he provokes me first..."
This was the first time Li Qiang had heard such a claim. He laughed and said, "Brother, you're not talking nonsense, are you? You can't touch him, but how dare you touch me, and make such a huge scene? Oh, so I'm not Loose Immortal, and that gives you the right to attack? This is infuriating!"
Xuan Long couldn't help but kick him. "First, you're not an immortal; second, you really did offend me back then."
Li Qiang jumped aside. He thought about it and realized he was right; he had tried to break the formation of the main vein of Ling Mountain, which was why he had provoked Xuan Long.
He rolled his eyes and said, "Alright, since you won't take action, I have a plan. However, you have to follow my instructions, and you can drive away that Loose Immortal without lifting a finger."
Xuan Long truly had no way to intervene. As Luo Heaven High Immortal, he wasn't like ordinary immortals who could act as they pleased. He said, "Fine, as long as I don't intervene, you can do whatever you want."
Luo Duqi and Luo Duyu looked at Li Qiang with gratitude. They never expected that this senior from another land, Muzi, would help Snow Dragon City in such a way.
Luo Duqi said, "Senior Muzi, everyone in Snow Dragon City will obey your command."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "No need. You guys go lure that Loose Immortal out first, and I'll take care of the rest."
Most of the cultivators in the square had left the city, with only a few experts from the Extreme Chasm Cliff remaining. Luo Duqi and his companion led the remaining experts and teleported out of the city.
Xuan Long laughed and said, "I'll listen to you now. Tell me, what should I do?"
Li Qiang couldn't help but feel a little smug; the Luo Heaven High Immortal was actually willing to follow his orders. He smiled and said, "All I need is for you to revert to your original appearance, without any disguise, and then follow me."
Xuan Long asked in surprise, "It's that simple?"
Li Qiang nodded and smiled, "It's that simple."
Xuan Long stretched out his arms and yawned. In an instant, his appearance changed drastically, and he returned to the way he looked when he first met Li Qiang, with immortal armor protecting him and a golden immortal sword circling around him.
As soon as he returned to normal, the unparalleled aura that followed made Li Qiang feel immense pressure. Then, he heard a "thud" not far away. Li Qiang turned his head and saw Gong Yifu lying at the shop entrance. He was so frightened that he fainted.
Snow Dragon City, Luo Duqi led tens of thousands of cultivators to surround Heaven-Sealed Lake.
Heaven-Sealed Lake was now shrouded in a layer of pale blue light, like an inverted bowl. Hundreds of powerful cultivators were patrolling inside the light barrier, and the Loose Immortal had already breached the Water-Gathering Immortal Formation.
With Li Qiang's promise, Luo Duqi felt much more confident. The last thing he wanted to see was the cultivators of Snow Dragon City suffering heavy losses. He shouted, "Please, Old Xian, come out and speak!"
The cultivators inside the light barrier ignored Luo Duqi's words and continued to hover within it.
Luo Duqi raised his hand and shouted, "Break it!" He shot out a string of lightning bolts, striking the light barrier below. Immediately afterward, tens of thousands of cultivators from Snow Dragon City attacked simultaneously. The experts used their own refined divine lightning, while the cultivators of ordinary cultivation used talismans or refined thunderbolts. Instantly, lightning flashed and thunder roared across the entire sky above Tianfeng Lake, colorful light radiated everywhere, and booming explosions resounded through the heavens.
The protective barrier on the lake, made of some unknown material, immediately flickered with a bluish-white light when struck by lightning and fire. Inside, it seemed as if water was rapidly twisting and rotating, dissipating the force of the explosion. The cultivators inside the barrier pointed and gestured, appearing quite pleased.
Li Qiang and Xuan Long hovered high in the sky. Li Qiang laughed and said, "That thing down there must be a celestial artifact, otherwise it would have been blown up long ago."
Xuan Long nodded and said, "That's right, it's a celestial artifact called the Floating Goblet Helm. It shouldn't have been crafted by Loose Immortal. This celestial artifact is quite good; those cultivators wouldn't be able to break it."
Li Qiang said, "Brother, go and take it down. Hehe, this doesn't count as you directly intervening, right?"
Xuan Long shook his head and said, "According to the rules of the Immortal Realm, one cannot forcibly take another immortal's Law Treasure without a reason. He is Loose Immortal, which is still considered an immortal, so I cannot take his Floating Goblet Helm."
Li Qiang was dumbfounded. Did the Immortal Realm really have such a bizarre rule? He said, "That can't be right. Why would Qian Shanyong and Dainan Fengyu steal my things? They're immortals, after all."
Xuan Long smiled slightly, "They have a reason to act. Any immortal would try to snatch what you've obtained. As for why... figure it out yourself."
Li Qiang was too lazy to understand the rules of the Immortal Realm. He grinned and said, "Then tell me how to break this Floating Goblet Helm, and I'll take it down. You old man have this rule and that rule, but I don't... Strange, why don't the immortals talk to me about rules? It's such a headache!" He was really Qi Ingestion. From Qian Shanyong and Dainan Fengyu to Xuan Long, none of these immortals were polite to him, including that Lonely Old Immortal he had never met. He guessed that the old immortal wouldn't talk to him about rules either.
Xuan Long couldn't help but chuckle. Everything this kid did was taboo, yet he complained that others didn't follow the rules. He said, "Alright, alright, stop blaming everyone. I'll tell you how to break the Floating Goblet Helm's curse."
Li Qiang was overjoyed. What he wanted to learn most right now was how to deal with immortal artifacts. As for whether he could collect Floating Goblet Helm, he didn't care.
The Floating Goblet Helm is a water-attribute immortal artifact, best countered with earth-attribute immortal lightning. Fire-attribute lightning would also work, but not as effectively. Xuan Long taught Li Qiang the five hand seals, saying, "These are five commonly used immortal techniques in the Immortal Realm. Divine Yi Power is even more powerful than immortal Divine Yi Power energy, so it can completely control these five techniques. The Five Immortal Thunders combines all five techniques; it's the most basic method in the Immortal Realm. You've got a good deal, kid."
Li Qiang hurriedly memorized it. He discovered that the Immortal Spirit Instruction he had collected in the Brilliant Swift Immortal Formation was a very strange method, no wonder it was so difficult to learn. It turned out that what he lacked was the basic technique.
He studied the newly acquired spiritual technique repeatedly in his mind and quickly grasped its secrets. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "I once saw Loose Immortal use the Immortal-Gathering Thunder; it was truly astonishing. I wonder what the power of the Five Immortal Thunders is. I'll go try it out."
Xuan Long tilted his head and said, " The Immortal-Gathering Thunder was cultivated using the instincts of Loose Immortal. How can it compare to the Five Immortal Thunders of the Immortal Realm? The difference between the two is huge. You'll understand later."
After Li Qiang cultivated the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture, what he lacked was the method to use it. With the spiritual technique from the Immortal Realm, he could unleash his power. He rapidly formed hand seals, and Xuan Long, seeing this, cried out in fright, "Brother, don't use it recklessly! There are many people below!"
Li Qiang made a face and laughed, "I didn't use my Divine Yi Power, hehe, I was just familiarizing myself with the spiritual techniques. It would be embarrassing if I made a mistake."
Luo Duyu moved up from below and said anxiously, "Senior, we can't break the restrictions below. Alas, I don't know what that is. This is the first time I've ever seen such a protective shield. Can you please help us? That Loose Immortal is about to break through the Spirit Vein of Snow Dragon City." He was extremely shocked. The true face of the immortal was even more majestic and powerful than he had imagined. He could barely stand in front of Xuan Long.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Brother Luo, please ask everyone to step back. I'll try and see if I can break it."
Luo Duyu was overjoyed. After thanking him, he hurried down to find Luo Duqi to report the news. Soon after, all the explosions stopped.
Li Qiang scratched his head and said, "It seems like we should go down now. Brother, come with me. I'm too scared to go alone."
Xuan Long was both amused and annoyed. This little guy was talking nonsense. If he was afraid of someone with his strength, wouldn't everyone else be scared to death?
Xuan Long was too lazy to waste words with him and slowly flew downwards.
Floating Goblet Helm's restrictions were extremely powerful, capable of converting all attacks. The cultivators from the Loose Immortal faction on the frozen lake floated on the surface with ease. After the cultivators from Snow Dragon City retreated, they all looked up, knowing that Snow Dragon City must have some new tricks up its sleeve. However, they didn't take the cultivators from Snow Dragon City seriously. With the protection of the Loose Immortal's immortal artifact, the cultivators had no way to break through.
Both Li Qiang and Xuan Long were protected by immortal armor, their bodies shrouded in golden light. The two slowly stopped above the light barrier.
Li Qiang dispersed the protective golden light emitted by the Supreme Radiance Shuttle and shouted, "Please, Old Xian, come out and speak!" He used the sound technique of Heavenly Melody City, which contained the Divine Yi Power in his shout. His voice did not seem loud, but Floating Goblet Helm's light shield suddenly fluctuated violently. The voice quietly penetrated the light shield and exploded.
No one could have imagined that the sound alone would be so terrifying; the thick ice on the lake actually cracked open amidst the shouts. The cultivators inside the protective barrier were thrown into chaos. They hadn't expected Snow Dragon City to be able to summon an immortal, and they knew that disaster was imminent. One of the cultivators raised his hand and sent out a cyan Law Treasure, which shot straight towards Heaven-Sealed Lake —an urgent distress signal.
Xuan Long also dispelled his protective golden light and laughed, "Not bad. To be able to control the fluctuations of sound like that, you're quite the expert."
Li Qiang was quite pleased to receive praise from Xuan Long, as it proved that his cultivation was still quite good. He chuckled naturally, "Hehe, they should take this seriously now, right? After all, you're Luo Heaven High Immortal, they have to give you face no matter what."
After waiting for a full ten minutes, no one spoke, and the Loose Immortal did not come up.
Xuan Long tilted his head and said, "They don't care about you, they ignore you."
Li Qiang said with a wry smile, "Your boss won't lift a finger, he's just standing by and watching the show, damn it, watch me!"
The cultivators of Snow Dragon City flew very high, watching Li Qiang and Xuan Long from afar, placing great hopes on them. In particular, Luo Duqi of Extreme Chasm Cliff was a master who was about to undergo tribulation. Once he reached the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, he would have to go into seclusion to cultivate and would have no time to care about Snow Dragon City. He very much hoped that Xuan Long and Li Qiang could eliminate the hidden dangers in Snow Dragon City.
Li Qiang raised his hand and unleashed a string of Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder. As the blue light flowed, Floating Goblet Helm Shangzhou easily neutralized the force of the Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder.
Xuan Long laughed, "Don't use those tricks from the Cultivation Realm, they're useless."
Sure enough, the cultivators inside the light barrier breathed a sigh of relief. This level of attack was really quite ordinary, and they all relaxed.
Luo Duyu said doubtfully, "Brother, it seems Senior Muzi is not capable. We still need to ask Senior Xuan Long to take action. If this drags on any longer, the Spirit Vein will be destroyed, and our Snow Dragon City will be finished."
Luo Duqi knew in his heart that Xuan Long would not make a move, and he said in a low voice, "Don't rush, just watch." In fact, he was more anxious than anyone else.
Li Qiang spread his hands and said with a grin, "Let's try the ultimate move taught by the Immortal Boss."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Long turned around and flew upwards without saying a word. Li Qiang said inexplicably, "Why are you running? Really, can't you stand by your brother and cheer him on?" Without thinking much, he raised his hand and made a hand seal.
Xuan Long chuckled inwardly. He knew that this was Li Qiang's first time learning the Five Immortal Instructions, and judging from his expression, he would definitely not only use one technique, but all five at once.
Although the Five Immortal Instructions are entry-level thunder techniques in the Immortal Realm, the power of unleashing all five techniques simultaneously depends on one's cultivation level. Li Qiang used the Divine Yi Power, and Xuan Long knew its power; getting too close was dangerous, so he ran away to avoid being affected.
Li Qiang had no idea about any of this. He immediately launched into a five-in-one attack, and once the Five Immortal Instructions began, they could not be stopped.
These five immortal techniques are not difficult; the difficulty lies in using immortal spiritual energy as a foundation. Li Qiang possesses a higher level of divine Divine Yi Power than immortal spiritual energy, making them easy to use. However, this is his first time using the Five Immortal Thunders, and he couldn't control the timing. He used all his strength to manipulate the immortal techniques at an astonishing speed. This was a habit he learned from the Buddha Sect tradition of layering talismans; if he wasn't fast, he wouldn't have enough time to complete the movements. Yet, he actually applied this to the Five Immortal Thunders techniques.
After finishing the first incantation, Li Qiang didn't feel anything. He continued to cast the incantation until the last Earth Immortal Thunder completed. Li Qiang felt a sudden heaviness all over his body, as if an immense force was enveloping his hands. The power in his body surged out like a wild horse unleashed.
He lacked experience and casually released the spell.
With a crisp "crackling" sound, countless small, dark spheres appeared around him, a sign that the Water Immortal Thunder was about to explode. Li Qiang suddenly realized something was wrong; he had forgotten to press the Water Immortal Thunder downwards. Startled, he pushed down with both hands, and the Water Immortal Thunder began to explode.
Countless black water spheres spun in the air, forming a huge aerial water vortex with a deafening roar. Li Qiang was almost sucked in. He quickly moved to the sky and saw Xuan Long with a smile on his face, looking gloating.
Li Qiang couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. Who said immortals wouldn't do bad things?
The water vortex rushed towards the light barrier like a tornado. As expected of a celestial artifact, the Floating Goblet Helm shone brightly with azure light. The two forces collided violently, and before the Floating Goblet Helm's azure light could unleash its full power, the swirling water suddenly transformed into countless giant logs, crashing down continuously. Five types of celestial lightning shifted and transformed in succession, finally coalescing into an extremely dazzling sphere of light that struck the light barrier directly.
The Five Immortal Thunders finally erupted.