Gu Xing understood in a flash. He said, "After all, you've cultivated the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture, so it's not surprising that you can see through illusions. Look where Xuan Long has gone." It turned out that he didn't have Li Qiang's ability to see through the illusions here.
Li Qiang looked intently again and said, "Brother Xuan Long has gone in."
Qi Junsha asked in a low voice, "My dear disciple, how far is the Illusory God Hall?"
Li Qiang laughed, "Almost there, almost there. Master, why aren't you saying anything?" He was very curious. Qi Junsha was always so arrogant, and his sudden silence made Li Qiang feel very uncomfortable.
Qi Junsha sighed softly, without answering Li Qiang's question.
Mo Huaiyuan said with a wry smile, "Fifth brother, if I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have gone to break the Star Palace's great formation in the first place. Alas, I've dragged you into this."
Li Qiang glanced at him and said unhappily, "What are you implicating me with? Why can't you let it go, brother..." His master and elder brother both seemed a bit depressed, which was something he didn't want to see.
Actually, if Gu Xing and Mo Huaiyuan had no connection whatsoever, they wouldn't care. At worst, they could just fight it out and see who lived and died. But the current situation didn't allow them to act recklessly. After all, Gu Xing was Mo Huaiyuan's elder, and they couldn't even think of resisting.
The group quickly arrived at the outer hall of the Illusory God Hall. Stepping into the outer hall, the scenery behind them vanished, leaving only a sky full of stars.
The Illusory God Hall hangs alone in space. No one can see the entire temple; all that can be seen are enormous pillars emitting a ghostly blue light, stretching upwards until the top of the temple is obscured, seemingly shrouded in a thin layer of white mist. The upper parts of the pillars gradually disappear into the mist, while the ground is a refreshing pale white, with a light mist rising from it. Everything seems so unreal.
Gu Xing cautioned, "This isn't the real temple yet. Everyone, look clearly at that line on the ground and follow it. Don't step outside the line."
Upon closer inspection, Li Qiang noticed a faint line shimmering with a very pale silver light on the white ground. It was easy to miss if one wasn't careful, and he knew that if he stepped outside the line, he would likely experience another illusion.
The group followed Gu Xing inside, passing through a cluster of large pillars, and a wide plaza appeared before them. Xuan Long was standing in the center of the plaza, waving to everyone.
Gu Xing said, "Alright, everything will be fine once we reach the plaza. You can move around freely. This is the central plaza of the temple. Look, that's the Illusory God Main Hall. However, no one can enter, not even immortals. It's a true divine and illusory land inside."
Seeing Li Qiang's eager expression, Mo Huaiyuan quickly pulled him back and warned, "Fifth Brother, don't wander around. If you get lost here, no one can save you."
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "How did you know I wanted to go in? Hehe, never seen a real temple before? I'm curious."
Qi Junsha shook his head repeatedly and said, "You brat, don't think you're safe just because you have the Divine Eye. There are too many things here that we don't understand. Be careful, curiosity will get you killed."
Li Qiang actually had no intention of entering the Illusory God Main Hall. In the Wild Plains of Tanbang Star, in the Great Illusion Buddha Realm of the Buddha Sect, he had experienced the power of the illusion. If it weren't for the Eighteen Demon-Extinguishing Hands, he would probably still be struggling in the Great Illusion Buddha Realm.
He was well aware of the power of illusions, and this was the Illusory God Hall, where even immortals were cautious; he dared not act rashly. Li Qiang knew that among these people, he was the least knowledgeable; even Mei'er, hiding in the Fire Essence Immortal Armor, knew more than him. He said, "Master, I won't run around, hehe, don't worry."
Mei'er flew out of Li Qiang's arms and pointed towards the Illusory God Main Hall, exclaiming, "Brother, the temple is so beautiful! I wish we could go inside and take a look!"
Gu Xing turned his head and said, "Little girl, every immortal who has been here has tried to enter the temple. As far as I know, no one has succeeded yet. The Guardian Divine Beast in front of the main hall alone have kept most immortals out. This plaza is the only safe place in the entire temple. You'd better stay here obediently."
Mei'er stuck out her tongue, made a face, and said in a sweet voice, " Mei'er knows, thank you for the reminder, senior, hehe."
The Spirit King and the Ghost King whispered a few words to each other. The Spirit King walked up to Li Qiang and said, "We've been out for too long; we must go back..." He took out the Demon-Slaying Bow and added, "This Demon -Demon-Slaying Bow..."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "I've already given the Demon-Slaying Bow Mei'er. You're her master, so don't ask me what to do. Hehe, thank you both for coming to help. If there's anything in the Spirit Ghost Realm that needs my help, just let me know."
Mei'er clung to Li Qiang's arm and said coquettishly, " Mei'er doesn't want to go back now, Grandmaster, Little Master, you should go back first. Mei'er wants to play outside a little longer."
The Twin Spirit and Ghost Venerables already doted on her, and with Li Qiang protecting Mei'er, they were both quite at ease.
The Ghost King instructed, " Mei'er, don't play for too long."
The two Venerables bid farewell to Gu Xing, Xuan Long, Mo Huaiyuan, and others. Li Qiang then used a magic incantation to send the two Venerables back into the Illusory Devil Pearl.
Xuan Long said, "I just did some calculations. The Illusionary God's Side Hall is about to open. We're quite lucky this time. It seems like no immortals have come here for a long time. We should have accumulated quite a bit of Sweet Divine Dew, and the Sacred Fruit Olive should be ready to bear fruit soon. With our strength, we should be confident in collecting these divine items."
Gu Xing remained calm and nodded slightly, saying, "It's almost done. Ever since the Reverse Passage was blocked, people from the Immortal Realm have been unable to come to the temple, so no one should be able to collect these divine items."
Li Qiang didn't know what kind of divine treasure they were talking about. He was a little confused and couldn't help but ask, "Aren't there still a few immortals in this realm? Why don't they come and collect them?"
Xuan Long said, "To enter the side hall, it takes the combined efforts of at least three immortals. Immortals in this realm all follow their own paths and don't gather together to come to the temple. Therefore, no one will collect the divine items here."
Gu Xing glanced at Li Qiang, his expression growing increasingly serious. He asked, "Boy, what level of Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation?"
Mo Huaiyuan and Qi Junsha suddenly felt uneasy and didn't know what to say.
Old Xian Xian's mouth gaped open in utter astonishment. It was the first time he had ever heard of cultivators practicing the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation; it was completely beyond his imagination.
Li Qiang said nonchalantly, "The third realm of the Second Desire Heaven, the Ordinary Heart, seems to be showing signs of breaking through to the Three Extinctions Heaven recently. Gu Xing Star, I've already cultivated to this level anyway, so you can do whatever you want with me." His indifferent attitude made Gu Xing laugh coldly in anger.
Gu Xing sneered, "Hmph, what can I do to you? Because of this Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation for Cultivating Gods, I was punished by the Azure Emperor. The Cosmic Azure Field Grand Formation of the Star Palace is impossible to break without immortal spiritual energy. Ha, you actually managed to break the array and even see through the Law Technique barriers in the Jade Pupil Slip, and then cultivated the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture that even immortals find difficult to cultivate. I truly admire you, kid. Back in the Immortal Realm, I've been thinking that I must meet this person and see just how powerful he is..."
Li Qiang couldn't help but interrupt him, saying smugly, "Boss Gu Xing shouldn't be disappointed after seeing me, right? Am I even better than you imagined? Haha, hahaha... uh..." Before he could finish laughing, Gu Xing kicked him and sent him sprawling.
Xuan Long couldn't help but burst into laughter, Gu Xing also couldn't suppress a smile.
Mo Huaiyuan stepped forward and said, "Grandmaster, all of this..."
Li Qiang jumped up and said, " Gu Xing Lone Star, you just said you admired this kid and then kicked me. You're not as good as you seem. I'm wondering, how did you know I cultivated the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation in the Immortal Realm? Can you predict the future?" He quietly pulled Mo Huaiyuan aside, signaling him not to step forward.
Mo Huaiyuan sighed deeply in his heart. He made up his mind that even if it meant turning against Gu Xing, he would rescue Li Qiang. He decided to go all out, and his expression relaxed.
Gu Xing said, "I don't have such great abilities. It was the Azure Emperor who told me. Hmm, you are indeed remarkable. You had a celestial sign at the very first step of cultivating divinity. Let me tell you, the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation for Divinity Cultivation is the Cultivation Method cultivated by the Azure Emperor. Even ordinary immortals don't receive celestial signs when cultivating it. You are just a cultivator, yet you received a celestial sign to assist you in cultivating the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture, which alarmed the Azure Emperor. Do you understand? Once the Azure Emperor notices you, you can't hide anything from him."
Mo Huaiyuan and Qi Junsha exchanged a glance, utterly shocked. They had actually made Li Qiang practice the Cultivation Method that the Azure Emperor cultivated; they truly didn't know what they were thinking. They looked at Gu Xing with worry, wondering what other shocking things he might say next.
Actually, Li Qiang had already come to terms with it after talking with Xuan Long, so he wasn't surprised by Gu Xing's words. He still said with a grin, "Kid, I'm curious. Did you reincarnate as an immortal and cultivate to Qian Shanyong again in order to return to the Immortal Realm? Do you have a grudge against Qian Shanyong? Also, did you found the Great Illusion Star Sword Sect?"
Gu Xing was dumbfounded by Li Qiang's question; he simply couldn't imagine how Li Qiang knew all this. His face turned somewhat pale as he slowly sat down cross-legged, saying, "Everyone, sit down. Kid, you're certainly very curious. I'll answer your question, and then we can talk about your matter."
Xuan Long sat down next to him.
Li Qiang plopped down next to Gu Xing and shouted, "Listen to a story! Everyone, listen to a fairy tell a story! Haha, now we'll have something to brag about, haha!"
Gu Xing then realized that Li Qiang was extremely difficult to deal with. This little guy was truly reckless. In the Immortal Realm, ordinary immortals would respectfully address him as "Master." He had never seen such a bold and reckless fellow before.
Mei'er leaned against Li Qiang's chest, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter. She giggled incessantly, finding her brother's tone utterly amusing.
Qi Junsha knew Li Qiang's temperament best. He shook his head with a wry smile. Li Qiang was also unrestrained in front of the immortals. Thinking back to when he first met him, the little guy was just like that. He sighed and sat down next to Mo Huaiyuan, wondering if he was becoming more and more timid.
Gu Xing said, "You know the Eighteen Luo Heaven High Immortal, right?"
Li Qiang casually replied, "I know, I know. You're the third-ranked Luo Heaven High Immortal. Tell me quickly, let's start with the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation."
Gu Xing glared at him and said irritably, "Kid! What's your hurry? Shut your mouth!"
Li Qiang wasn't angry. He whispered something in Mei'er's ear, which made Mei'er giggle nonstop.
Mo Huaiyuan quickly tugged at Li Qiang, signaling him to listen to Gu Xing.
Gu Xing then said, "Long ago, an immortal stole the Azure Emperor's cultivation manual..."
The story begins with the Azure Emperor issuing an edict to capture that Gu Xing, and continues until that immortal accidentally explodes in the Reverse Passage Reverse Passage, sealing it off.
He said bitterly, "That immortal was already on the verge of self-destruction. It was Qian Shanyong ambushed him with the Hundred Marshes Yue. The immortal was defending against my Heaven-Defying Treasure Mirror and couldn't handle it. In his anger, he self-destructed. Xuan Long and I were both seriously injured at the time. After I escaped outside, I didn't expect Qian Shanyong to attack me. Helpless, I could only hide, so I fled further and further away."
Li Qiang was a little confused. He asked, "Why did Qian Shanyong attack you?" But in his heart he thought: Who knows if you're just talking nonsense? Anyway, no matter what you say, I can't verify it. I'll just treat it as a story.
Gu Xing shook his head and said, "I still don't understand why he attacked me. This time, after opening the Reverse Passage and returning to this realm, I didn't expect to encounter him and Dainan Fengyu fighting as soon as I came out. After seeing me, the two of them attacked me at the same time. However, this time I had the Immortal-Beating Hammer bestowed by the Azure Emperor. Alas, because it was my first time using it, I didn't control it well and made a mistake, actually breaking open a Reverse Passage leading to the Black Devil Realm. I was busy plugging the leak, and the two of them took the opportunity to escape. If Xuan Long hadn't arrived in time to help, I would have caused a great disaster."
Li Qiang chuckled, "You're really unlucky. You got beaten up and don't even know why. Hehe, did you offend him in your past life?"
Mei'er interjected, "Brother, let Senior Gu Xing Star continue. How did you reincarnate later?" The little girl loved listening to stories, and she was genuinely curious.
Gu Xing lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and said, " Qian Shanyong kept pursuing me relentlessly. I escaped to an unnamed planet, but I was utterly exhausted, and my injuries were getting worse. Left with no other choice, I hid underground and used the Particle Diffusion Technique to enter a state of annihilation..."
Xuan Long exclaimed in surprise, "Using the Particle Diffusion Technique? I see."
Li Qiang asked, "What is the Particle Diffusion Technique '?"
Xuan Long said, " The Particle Diffusion Technique is about sealing oneself off so that no one can find you. However, Gu Xing is seriously injured, and if he uses the Particle Diffusion Technique again, it will be difficult for him to recover his power. No wonder he had to reincarnate; it was a last resort."
Gu Xing said, "Yes, after I was freed from the Particle Diffusion Technique, I realized that I could no longer recover, and it was impossible for me to even leave this nameless planet. So I had no choice but to build an underground palace and quietly reincarnate."
His tone was a mix of helplessness and relief, suggesting he didn't dislike being reincarnated.
Gu Xing continued, "Because I was well-prepared, cultivation after reincarnation was very easy. Ironically, Qian Shanyong never expected that I would reincarnate and start cultivating again. He must have thought I was still struggling to cultivate, so he went to great lengths, not only starting to cultivate a large number of cultivators, but also using deception to migrate people to various planets in an attempt to find my whereabouts. Ha, I only took a few hundred years to cultivate to the Mahayana Realm, and before he could find me, I had already ascended again."
Li Qiang suddenly recalled the inscriptions he had seen when he first entered Heavenly Court Star, and thought to himself, "So Qian Shanyong was the real mastermind. After the Gu Xing ascended, a long time passed before Mo Huaiyuan came to this planet and entered the Star Palace. Later, Earthlings migrated to this nameless planet, which became the Heavenly Court Star we know today."
He couldn't help but marvel at the grand scale of the battles between immortals. It seemed that the prosperity of Sealed Fate Planet, a gathering place for cultivators, was actually thanks to Qian Shanyong.
Mei'er clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Senior is amazing!"
Gu Xing's fierce face softened. He closed his eyes slightly and said, "After returning to the Immortal Realm, I was summoned by the Azure Emperor. The Azure Emperor reprimanded me for keeping a copy of the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation. For this, I was punished by being forced to cultivate on the Heavenly General Wheel in the Azure Emperor Palace. Although I suffered greatly for it, I also regained my original power. Recently, I was summoned back by the Azure Emperor and ordered to return to retrieve the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation and the Heaven-Defying Treasure Mirror."
He suddenly opened his eyes and stared at Li Qiang, saying, "Now let's talk about you. Do you still have the Heaven-Defying Treasure Mirror and the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation?"
Although Li Qiang was somewhat prepared, he still couldn't help but tremble slightly. He knew that what was coming would eventually come.
He nodded and said, "That's right, everything is here with me. However, I'd like to hear what punishment the Azure Emperor... the supreme leader of the Immortal Realm, has for this young man. Hehe, if it's not too excessive, I'll let it go. But if... um..." Everyone understood what he meant. If the Azure Emperor's punishment was unacceptable to him, he wouldn't comply.
The instinct to bargain was ingrained in Li Qiang's very being. As a businessman, he was determined to fight for what he could at such a critical moment.
Once Li Qiang got into a negotiating stance, he was quite professional. Gu Xing, Xuan Long, and Old Xian all found Li Qiang incredible; he actually dared to bargain with the Azure Emperor's edict.
Only Qi Junsha was fully aware of Li Qiang's intentions. He was very anxious. He shared the same thought as Mo Huaiyuan: since things had come to this point, they had to protect Li Qiang no matter what and would never let him suffer.
Gu Xing suddenly burst into laughter. "Kid, I really don't know if you're numb and ignorant or just an idiot. You dare to oppose the Azure Emperor's words? What audacity!" He stood up, as if he was about to make a move.
Li Qiang didn't even lift his eyelids, waving his hand and saying, "Sit down and talk! Sit down and talk!" as if Gu Xing was throwing a tantrum at someone else.
Gu Xing was taken aback by what he said for a moment before sitting down again.
Li Qiang said leisurely, " Gu Xing, your temper is too much. It doesn't matter if I'm mentally challenged or an idiot, but why should I listen to the Azure Emperor? He's not my father, you..." Before he could finish speaking, Gu Xing punched him and knocked him over. Mei'er was caught off guard and fell out of his arms. Enraged, she raised her hand and threw a yin Yin Thunder at Gu Xing.
No one expected Mei'er to suddenly make a move, Gu Xing was caught off guard and was knocked over by the Yin Thunder.
This level of Yin Thunder couldn't harm him at all, but being knocked down by a little girl was quite embarrassing for Gu Xing, and his face darkened.
Mei'er herself was terrified. She had just unleashed the Yin Thunder completely on a whim. She darted back into Li Qiang's arms and hid inside the Fire Essence Immortal Armor, too scared to come out.
Li Qiang lay on the ground, slapping the ground hard with his hands and laughing loudly, "Good! Good! Good! Haha! Hahaha!"
Xuan Long originally wanted to plead for Li Qiang, but seeing his expression, he seemed to sense something and held back from speaking.
Gu Xing Star couldn't understand why Li Qiang was so bold.
In fact, when Li Qiang was knocked down by Gu Xing's punch, he realized that the Azure Emperor would never make things difficult for him. Otherwise, given Gu Xing's temperament, he would not have had the patience to talk to him so much, and he would not have brought him to the Illusory God Hall at all.
With Gu Xing and Xuan Long's cultivation levels, the rest of them were no match for them, especially since Gu Xing possessed the Immortal-Beating Hammer given to him by the Azure Emperor. They estimated that if they were hit by the hammer, they would be nearly dead even if they didn't die. Once he understood this, Li Qiang immediately felt relaxed and couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
Gu Xing felt a wave of discouragement. After all, he had experienced becoming an immortal twice. Seeing Li Qiang's actions, he knew in his heart that Li Qiang had seen through his trump card and that he could no longer threaten him.
Gu Xing said coldly, "Kid, get up. Stop pretending to be crazy and you'll make me look down on you." Although he secretly admired the kid for seeing through everything so quickly, he couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.
To everyone's surprise, Li Qiang didn't care at all. He got up with a grin and said in a gentle manner, "Sorry, everyone, don't take offense. I'm just a bit impulsive, hahaha!" He couldn't help but burst into unrestrained laughter again.
Everyone stared in disbelief, utterly bewildered. Mei'er peeked out and asked, "Brother, why are you so happy?"
Li Qiang said happily, "After a storm, the sky clears and the air is fresh and pleasant. How could I not be happy, brother?" Mei'er was completely baffled.
Xuan Long laughed and said, "Brother, you are indeed extraordinary. I am happy for you. But how did you know what Lord Gu Xing was thinking?"
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "I'm a complete idiot, that's what Gu Xing Lone Star said, haha."
Gu Xing said helplessly, "Kid, you're pretty good!"
Upon hearing this, Mo Huaiyuan and Qi Junsha both breathed a sigh of relief, meaning that Gu Xing would no longer make things difficult for Li Qiang.
Li Qiang said, "Boss Gu Xing, what is the Azure Emperor's decree? Tell me!"
Gu Xing said, " The Azure Emperor has never understood why cultivators would receive celestial omens when practicing the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation. Therefore, he decreed that if you can continue cultivating without Qi Deviation, the Azure Emperor is willing to accept you as his disciple."
Everyone was stunned. No one expected that Gu Xing would say such a thing. The Supreme Azure Emperor of the Immortal Realm actually valued Li Qiang so much.
No one knew that the Azure Emperor had already cultivated to the final stage of the eighth level of the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture — the Eight Immortals Heaven —and would soon enter the Nine Divine Heavens Recommendation Chapter. He had never seen anyone truly cultivate the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture before, so he valued this suddenly appearing Li Qiang very much.
Li Qiang was also stunned; he hadn't expected this outcome. After a long pause, he finally asked, "What would happen if I Qi Deviation?"
Gu Xing calmly said, "Then leave it to fate. You can only succeed; if you fail, everything is meaningless. Therefore, your enemy is yourself. If you are defeated by yourself, don't blame anyone else; it's your own problem and has nothing to do with others."
His words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.
In that instant, Li Qiang suddenly realized that he was merely a test subject. It was only because he had triggered a celestial omen while cultivating the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture that the Azure Emperor of the Immortal Realm had become curious. He did not truly intend to take him as a disciple, but rather wanted to see if cultivators could actually master the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture.
Li Qiang was filled with emotion. He realized that the Immortal Realm was far from the wonderful place he had imagined. The Azure Emperor's attitude made him realize once again that no matter where you are, you can't rely on the favors of others. Only by working hard can you gain a foothold.
Mo Huaiyuan and Qi Junsha both understood the meaning behind Gu Xing's words. Although they didn't speak, they both cursed Azure Emperor as a scoundrel in their hearts.
Gu Xing said, " The Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation you obtained before was only a part of it. The Azure Emperor ordered me to bring you the true Heavenly Recommendation Scripture. However, you must memorize it here, because the true Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation cannot be allowed to fall into this realm."
He handed Li Qiang something that looked like a blue bamboo scroll.
Li Qiang was secretly delighted. He didn't care what the Azure Emperor's attitude was towards him. With the official Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation, he could avoid many detours in the future. As for the consequences of failing to cultivate, that was not something he was considering.
Gu Xing said, "Please return the Heaven-Defying Treasure Mirror to me."