The atmosphere inside the Buddha Sect temple was unusually tense.
Li Qiang knew that the Evil Qi of the Devil Venerable Chiming Lord was enough to arouse suspicion. What was most troublesome was that this guy didn't bother to hide it at all. He was eager for others to attack him so that he could retaliate in a justifiable way. Li Qiang knew his thoughts better than anyone.
Li Qiang wasn't about to let him lash out. He said calmly, "He's my prisoner. You don't need to worry about him."
"Prisoner?"
Guo Lihuang and the others found it hard to believe; judging from the arrogant attitude of the Devil Venerable Chiming, how could he possibly be a prisoner?
Guo Lihuang stared intently at the Devil Venerable Chiming, slowly raising a half-foot-long sharp needle in his hand. The needle emitted a silvery-white light, Qingjing exclaimed, " The Devil Detection Needle!"
Li Qiang secretly admired this man's high level of vigilance. However, Li Qiang was unwilling to let him reveal the Devil Venerable Chiming's trump card. He suddenly teleported to Guo Lihuang's side, snatched the Devil Detection Needle and put it into his bracelet. He then grabbed Guo Lihuang's shoulder, which was covered in armor, and slapped him several times with a series of slaps.
Guo Lihuang was stunned by Li Qiang's slap. The armor on his shoulder was crushed by Li Qiang. Before he could come to his senses, he was kicked in the abdomen and crashed into a stone pillar next to him with a "thud".
Li Qiang cursed fiercely, "Don't you keep your word? How dare you!" At this point, he couldn't care less about anything else; now he could only rely on his strength to suppress them.
All the cultivators present were stunned. Li Qiang's domineering display was simply unbelievable. Only the Devil Venerable Chiming was overjoyed. He stood behind Li Qiang, jumping up and down and cheering, "Fight! Well done! Beat him hard!"
Li Qiang suddenly delivered a side kick, sending the Devil Venerable Chiming flying as well.
Guo Lihuang's junior brother, Guo Lipang red eyes, let out a long roar and shot out a flying sword. The scene immediately descended into chaos. The cultivators at the Port Gate quickly formed a sword formation and retreated to one side, while the cultivators of the Hundred Multitudes Alliance retreated to the other side. Only the disciples of the Buddha Sect looked around blankly, at a loss.
Yao Xueweng was dazzled by the scene and hurriedly advised, "Let's talk this out, let's all talk this out, don't fight, calm down." But no one paid any attention to his shouts.
Qingjing shouted, " Buddha Sect disciples, come here!" The Buddha Sect disciples then reacted and immediately gathered around Elder Qingjing.
Qingjing added, "Go and invite the Buddha immediately."
The armor on Guo Lihuang's body shattered, making a crisp cracking sound. He was extremely angry and leaped up, shouting, "You've gone too far! Prepare the Sword Gathering Formation!" The flying swords of more than twenty cultivators from the Port Gate immediately linked together, forming a streak of azure light that rapidly circled the outer edge of the sword formation. Everyone knew that the experts from the Port Gate were going to fight to the death.
Li Qiang was never one to back down from trouble. He slightly trembled, revealing the Extinction Heaven Armor. The golden light of the Supreme Radiance Shuttle suddenly shone brightly, dazzling and brilliant. He chuckled and said, "Want to fight? Ha, I'm itching for a fight. None of you are allowed to interfere, especially you, Old Chi. If you dare to lay a hand on me, don't blame me for being impolite."
The Devil Venerable Chiming lay on the ground, stretched lazily, spread his arms, and said listlessly, "I'll just watch the show, okay? Dude, with these people... you still need to wear immortal armor and use immortal artifacts? That's a bit over the top, haha!"
He couldn't understand Li Qiang's actions. With Li Qiang's immense strength, he didn't need to use immortal armor or artifacts; he could easily crush these cultivators. The Devil Venerable Chiming wished he could take action for Li Qiang. He kept rolling his eyes, a dark red light flickering within them.
Guo Lihuang could even give the order to attack, he saw Li Qiang, clad in celestial armor, fly out of his celestial artifact. His legs went weak, and he finally came to his senses. The opponent's strength was far beyond what they could possibly withstand. What right did he have to fight against him?
Guo Lipang asked anxiously, "Senior brother, are you injured? Let's fight him to the death together!" He began to direct the movement of the sword formation.
The flying sword formation at the Port Gate is quite unique. The sword formation composed of flying swords is extremely powerful. A sword formation composed of more than twenty Nascent Soul Realm stage cultivators can rival the attack power of a Spirit Severing Realm expert. If the expert commanding the sword formation is also strong, the power of the sword formation can even withstand Body Integration Realm expert. The three major sects of Jinyang City all have this characteristic and are good at using sword formations.
Guo Lihuang had long heard of Li Qiang's rampage in Wondrous Dragon City. He knew his opponent's strength was far beyond what their few dozen men could handle, especially with the Buddha Sect elders preparing on the sidelines. He was certain of defeat once the fight began. He resolutely shouted, "Let's retreat! We'll talk about it back there!"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Hey, not bad, you haven't lost your mind yet. It's best to go back as soon as possible. You should call your boss over; I want to talk to him."
Guo Lihuang remained silent and led his fellow disciples to retreat. The experts of the Hundred Multitudes Alliance also dared not say anything and followed suit.
Elder Qingjing looked troubled, knowing that this meant the Buddha Sect sect had offended two major sects at the same time.
The Devil Venerable Chiming was even more disappointed. Only then did he understand why Li Qiang had worn the immortal armor; it turned out the kid was trying to scare them away. He lazily jumped up and wandered aimlessly around the inner hall, glancing around furtively with a sly look on his face.
Li Qiang said nonchalantly, " Qingjing, go and tell someone to teleport the people from Crimson Planet over here..."
Before Qingjing could speak, a large group of Baldy men rushed in from outside the door. The leader was a tall man who was bald, wearing a loose brown robe, holding a string of black beads in his hand, and had an angry expression on his face.
As soon as he entered the inner hall, he shouted, "Elder Qingjing, what exactly is going on?"
Yao Xueweng quietly told Li Qiang, "He is the current Buddha of the Buddha Sect Bo Ruoye."
Li Qiang nodded calmly, observing the situation.
Elder Qingjing hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Buddha."
Bo Ruoye glanced around and first spotted Li Qiang, who was wearing immortal armor, then he saw the Devil Venerable Chiming. As the sect leader of the Buddha Sect sect, he immediately sensed something was amiss. He pointed at the Devil Venerable Chiming and shouted, "Who is he?"
Qingjing was speechless; he didn't know how to answer.
Li Qiang stepped forward slowly and said, "He is my prisoner, so what?"
Qingjing was inwardly groaning; he didn't know how to explain, so he just stared blankly at the two of them.
Bo Ruoye was secretly surprised, but he forced himself to ask, "Who are you?"
Li Qiang didn't want to waste any more words and showed off the Buddha Finger he was wearing.
Bo Ruoye trembled. He stared intently at the Buddha Finger, and after a long while, he finally raised his head. "You... you're from the Tanbang Buddha Sect?"
Li Qiang nodded and asked, "What is your relationship with the Buddha Sect of the Western Continent?"
Bo Ruoye forced himself to remain calm. He raised one palm and said, "Buddha, have mercy. The Buddha Sect of the Western Continent are the holy land of all Buddha Sect disciples. Unfortunately, we have long lost our way back and are unable to contact the Tanbang Buddha Sect sect. Bo Ruoye greets the Grand Elder." His voice trembled slightly. Being able to meet someone from the Buddha Sect holy land meant that they could make contact with the holy land, and the development of the local Buddha Sect would have a clear direction.
Li Qiang said, "Although I am not considered an elder of the Buddha Sect, I have deep ties with the Buddha Sect in the Western Continent, and I have been entrusted by the Buddha Sect sect to find Buddhist disciples in this realm..."
Bo Ruoye was somewhat confused. "Searching for the Buddha's disciples of this realm? Where have the Buddha's disciples of the holy land gone?"
Li Qiang gave a brief introduction to the Buddha Sect in the Western Continent, and concluded by saying, "It seems you are unaware of what happened on Tanbang Star. However, you are the only branch of the Buddha Sect sect I have encountered. I have Buddha Sect scriptures and some Buddha Sect treasures here, which I will pass on to you when I have some free time."
Bo Ruoye could hardly believe his ears. He finally understood what Li Qiang meant: his lineage of the Buddha Sect could receive the most authentic lineage.
He clutched his chest, his expression shifting rapidly. It took him a full ten minutes to catch his breath before he finally managed to say, "Quickly, invite the Grand Elder into the Buddha Hall to speak. Elder Qingjing, immediately notify all the staff to assemble outside the Buddha Hall." He then respectfully added, "Grand Elder, please!"
Yao Xueweng said, "I'll wait here for my disciples to teleport over."
After giving a few instructions to his subordinates, Elder Qingjing immediately went to notify the high-ranking officials of the Buddha Sect.
The Devil Venerable Chiming looked on in surprise and said in a strange tone, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Brother, your methods are truly brilliant, amazing! You can fool people with just a few words. I, Old Chi, admire you. When will you teach me a trick... Huh, damn it, nobody's paying attention to me." He looked around awkwardly and found that no one was paying attention to him, as if he were invisible.
The Buddhist hall is located behind the inner hall. It is the most important place in the Buddha Sect. The building is very ordinary, but it is shrouded in several layers of restrictions.
Li Qiang couldn't help but think of the Buddha Sect ruins in the Western Continent. The remaining buildings on the surface stretched as far as the eye could see, and the underground structures were even more incredible. The Buddha Sect ruins here were simply incomparable; the difference was too great. Moreover, he sensed that Bo Ruoye's cultivation level was not high, only at the Spirit Severing Realm stage. As a sect leader, his realm was too shallow.
Li Qiang remembered that when he first met Elder Zhi in the Great Illusion Buddha Realm, his unfathomable cultivation left a deep impression on him. After those experts left, it would have been impossible for the Buddha Sect not to decline. If he hadn't been the one who had the good fortune to meet Elder Zhi, it would have been only a matter of time before the Buddha Sect was completely annihilated.
The Buddhist hall was very clean, with no furniture or decorations. There were only about twenty prayer cushions on the floor, one in the middle that was purplish-black, and the other cushions around it that were pale yellow.
Bo Ruoye invited Li Qiang to sit on the purplish-black futon, Li Qiang shook his head. He wouldn't be foolish enough to sit in the Buddha's seat. He casually took out the futon he had collected in Heavenly Melody City —the famous Buddha Sect treasure, the Purple Condensation Canon, a Buddhist treasure left behind by the Buddha Sect patriarch—and tossed it on the ground before sitting cross-legged on it.
Bo Ruoye immediately recognized it as the treasure of the Buddha Sect patriarch. He began to truly believe that Li Qiang wasn't lying; almost every high-ranking Buddha Sect disciple knew of the Purple Condensation Canon, as the scriptures recorded its special aids to cultivating Buddha Sect Cultivation Method. He stammered, "Great... Great Elder... this... is the Purple Condensation Canon?"
Li Qiang had only intended to find a cushion, but he inadvertently took out this Buddha Sect treasure. He chuckled, "It really is the Purple Condensation Canon. Hehe, I almost forgot about it."
Bo Ruoye couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Alas, Elder, this is one of the most famous treasures of the Buddha Sect, and you... you actually forgot about it? This is... how can this be explained?" He found it unbelievable; this Elder was simply wasting a treasure.
The Devil Venerable Chiming also entered the Buddhist hall. Li Qiang forced him to squat by the wall, but the guy wouldn't stay still for a moment. He disturbed the peace, saying, "Hey, that Buddha, why don't you just ask him? He seems very generous... Wahaha, hahaha." He guessed that Li Qiang would definitely be reluctant to part with it and deliberately wanted to make him sad.
Li Qiang looked at the Devil Venerable Chiming with a half-smile. His attitude towards treasures was always that they were only valuable if they were useful; he didn't care about things he couldn't use. The Devil Venerable Chiming hadn't known Li Qiang for long and didn't understand Li Qiang personality, which was why he said such a thing. Little did he know that Li Qiang had given away far too many treasures.
Reminded by the Devil Venerable Chiming, Bo Ruoye's eyes revealed a longing.
The Devil Venerable Chiming said nonchalantly, "Don't look at me, I'm not your treasure. Whether you give it to me or not... hehe, it's none of my business." He leaned against the corner of the wall and sat down, hugging his calves with both hands and resting his chin on his knees, looking like he didn't care what anyone did to him.
Li Qiang was amused by him; this guy could be annoying at times, and hilarious at others. He laughed and said, "Fine, I'll give it to you. I don't really have much use for the Purple Condensation Canon anyway."
Bo Ruoye could hardly believe it. He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Elder, is this true?"
His expression was so serious that Li Qiang didn't even realize what he meant. "What? Really?"
The Devil Venerable Chiming released his hands from his knees and clapped his hands, saying, "Playing dumb, huh? Haha, talking big!"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Even Buddha is persistent, huh? I always keep my word, so the Purple Condensation Canon will remain here."
Bo Ruoye's Baldy turned red, and he said embarrassedly, "Hehe, it's because this is a Buddhist treasure left by the Buddha that I lost my composure a bit."
The Devil Venerable Chiming laughed heartily, slapping the ground with his hand and saying triumphantly, "No matter what, you're missing a treasure. I'm thrilled!"
After holding back for a long time, Bo Ruoye finally couldn't help but ask, "Elder, who is he? Is he really a prisoner?"
The Devil Venerable Chiming stared at Bo Ruoye with ill intent, then suddenly interrupted, "Bah! Me, a prisoner? If I were a prisoner, he'd be nothing more than a jailer, not someone to imprison me. Ah... I'm so unlucky!" He started to feel depressed again.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Ignore him, he's been imprisoned by the Luo Heaven High Immortal. Xiao Ming, there's no use in Qi Ingestion. Even if I were the jailer, I'd be better than you, a prisoner. Stop complaining, it's useless!"
Bo Ruoye was startled. Imprisoned by the Luo Heaven High Immortal? What kind of person would need the Luo Heaven High Immortal to imprison them? He simply couldn't understand it.
The Devil Venerable Chiming stood up, pursed his lips, and said, "Don't look so confused. I am the Devil Venerable Chiming of the Black Devil Realm, wahahaha, hahahaha!" He grinned and laughed as if venting his anger.
Li Qiang shook his head helplessly; it would be strange if this guy wasn't scary.
Li Qiang said, "Alright, alright, going around telling everyone I'm the Devil Venerable Chiming, who are you trying to scare? How can you be so shameless? Great Gods and Devils of the Black Devil Realm, a grandmaster of demons, Devil Restraint by someone, and you still have the nerve to laugh! If it were me, I would have found a hole to crawl into long ago, to avoid making a fool of myself. Haha, you're such a pathetic, incompetent, and useless Demon Venerable!"
Enraged by Li Qiang's sarcastic remarks, the Devil Venerable Chiming roared in the Buddhist hall, pacing in circles like a trapped wild beast. This was the first time he had been so severely attacked since becoming Great Gods and Devils, and he had no way to retaliate. He was filled with hatred and didn't know what to do. His strange eyes kept scanning back and forth, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Li Qiang waved his hand. "You'd better go sit over there quietly, and don't make things up if you don't have anything to say."
Bo Ruoye, holding the Baldy, plopped down on the prayer mat, completely stunned. Seriously? The Devil Venerable Chiming of the Black Devil Realm was the most evil figure in legend, and here he was, alive and well, standing in the Buddhist hall! Even more terrifying was Li Qiang —how dare he humiliate and mock the Devil Venerable Chiming like this? It was utterly unbelievable.
Bo Ruoye felt his head spinning. Why did the Luo Heaven High Immortal want to Devil Restraint Devil Venerable Chiming? How did this guy get into this realm? What did the Devil Blood Baleful Intent Mist outside Jinyang City have to do with him? He was completely confused.
The Buddhist hall was completely silent, except for the occasional strange groans from the Devil Venerable Chiming.
Li Qiang patted Bo Ruoye on the shoulder and said, "Let's keep the identity of the Devil Venerable Chiming a secret for now. I don't want to see anyone attacking him. Also, these Buddha Sect Jade Pupil Slip and some Buddhist treasures are for you. We'll be leaving here soon. The Buddha Sect has some hidden places on other planets, which are also recorded in the Jade Pupil Slip. You can go and find them when you have the chance."
Bo Ruoye thanked him repeatedly. He examined the Jade Pupil Slip he had just received and couldn't help but feel overjoyed.
He was, after all, a master of the Buddha Sect, and could distinguish the genuine from the fake at a glance. All the things Li Qiang gave him were Buddha Sect masterpieces. It seemed that Buddha Sect would soon flourish under his leadership.
Elder Qingjing rushed in and said, "Buddha, Grand Elder, something terrible has happened! The experts from the Port Gate and the Hundred Multitudes Alliance have surrounded the Buddha Sect. They accuse us of protecting a demon..."
The Devil Venerable Chiming, who was feeling unwell, jumped up upon hearing this and yelled, "Oh ho! They're right, I am the demon! Just hand me over, it's none of your business!" He even put on a righteous and awe-inspiring air.
Li Qiang was so angry he almost vomited blood. If the Devil Venerable Chiming were released, probably not a single person in the entire city would survive. Not to mention people, everything that was alive would be wiped out. These people simply didn't know what they were doing.
Bo Ruoye smiled bitterly, "Elder, Jinyang City is in chaos right now. Countless people outside the city are trying to get in. They are being slaughtered indiscriminately by those who have been corrupted by demons, and there are even cultivators among them. Alas, if the city falls into chaos as well, many people will die."
Elder Qingjing said, "All the experts from the Buddha Sect have returned and are now guarding outside. The situation is very critical. Please, Buddha, make a decision quickly."
Li Qiang sneered, "Hmph, since they're so eager to see me, I'll reluctantly oblige. Old Chi, you go too, but you're absolutely forbidden from making a move, understand?" He didn't feel comfortable leaving Devil Venerable Chiming; who knew what kind of trouble that guy might cause? It was safer to keep him by his side.
The Devil Venerable Chiming Outer Dao, "Haha, I understand, I understand. But what if they want to hit me? Can I fight back? Heh heh." He still relentlessly searched for a way to make a move.
Li Qiang said, "You're immortal, so what does it matter if they hit you a few times? Don't fight back!"
The Devil Venerable Chiming roared, "Hmph, I won't do it! Anyone who dares to lay a hand on me will face the consequences! I don't want to be utterly humiliated."
Outside the main gate of the Buddha Sect was a large open space. The Devil Venerable Chiming rushed outside and exclaimed happily, "Wow, so many people! Hey hey, I like it!"
Bo Ruoye and Qingjing, who were following closely behind, felt their scalps tingle. This guy was simply a freak.
The cultivators at the Port Gate set up three large sword formations outside, Hundred Multitudes Alliance also set up two large sword formations. The Buddha Sect disciples seemed bewildered. Although they had also set up formations, they were typical defensive formations. Several high-ranking deacons were also confused, and they had no idea why.
Li Qiang secretly transmitted his voice to Bo Ruoye, saying, "Don't step forward. If things go wrong, just deny any connection with me. There shouldn't be anyone here who can stop us."
His meaning was clear: he didn't want a conflict between the Buddha Sect and the cultivators here; at worst, he would just leave with the Devil Venerable Chiming.
Bo Ruoye frowned slightly. He knew Li Qiang meant well, but as a sect leader, he couldn't do such a thing. He said firmly, "You are the Grand Elder of our Buddha Sect Buddha Sect, and also our benefactor. Although the Buddha Sect is weak now, we are absolutely not afraid of trouble."
The Devil Venerable Chiming, always eager for chaos, shouted applause, "Good! You have guts and guts! Don't worry, I'll help you!"
No one paid any attention to the Devil Venerable Chiming.
Bo Ruoye stepped forward slowly and said in a deep voice, "Please welcome Brother Yan Zao from the Port Gate and Brother Ku Zhaohan from the Hundred Multitudes Alliance."
Two streaks of sword light flashed from the opponent's sword formation.
Li Qiang was slightly moved. He realized that both of them were experts above the Spirit Severing Realm, and Yan Zao seemed to have reached the Integrated Body Early Stage stage.
The atmosphere was extremely somber. The sword formation leaped up, its light soaring into the sky, illuminating the surroundings with a kaleidoscope of colors. The sound of flying swords whistling through the air was deafening. Bo Ruoye walked to the center of the arena, where Yan Zao and Ku Zhaohan landed in front of him. Both were clad in armor, their expressions extremely tense.
Ku Zhaohan whispered, "Brother Ruoye, didn't you know that the man surnamed Chi who was teleported here today is a demon?"
Bo Ruoye was stunned. He didn't know how to answer and turned to look at Li Qiang helplessly.
Yan Zao asked sternly, "Brother, what's wrong with you?"
Bo Ruoye smiled wryly, "This... this, could you two brothers please come in and talk?" The two of them took a step back almost simultaneously, but their eyes were fixed on Devil Venerable Chiming and Li Qiang, who were standing in front of the Buddha Sect sect's gate.
Li Qiang sighed inwardly. He slowly summoned the Extinction Heaven Armor, and with a wave of his hand, a faint golden light swirled around his body.
Since entering the initial stage of the Three Extinctions Heaven and reaching the so-called Undying Heart realm, this was the first time he had exerted his full power. The Golden Venerable Divine Heart began to beat violently, and the azure Extinction Heaven Armor seemed to ripple and surge like seawater. With the surging of the Golden Venerable Divine Heart, circles of faint golden light scattered out.
Li Qiang slowly walked forward.
The Devil Venerable Chiming Demon Lord followed closely behind with a grin, a faint red glow emanating from his arm. This guy had prepared hundreds of lesser demons, ready to be released at any time to harm people, but he dared not make a move yet because he was wary of Li Qiang. He thought that if Li Qiang lost his mind, then he could go on a rampage without restraint.
After acquiring the Golden Venerable Divine Heart, Li Qiang's strength was now comparable to that of Loose Immortal. The Golden Venerable Divine Heart functioned much like Nascent Soul, allowing Li Qiang to precisely control his power; Divine Yi Power was no longer an elusive thing.
As the Golden Venerable Divine Heart throbbed and surged, his Divine Yi Power became increasingly refined.
A golden whirlwind seemed to rise around Li Qiang. At first, he seemed a little awkward, but soon the whirlwind spread outwards. As the whirlwind expanded, an overwhelming tension was squeezed outwards.
The Devil Venerable Chiming, being the closest, was the first to lose his balance, staggering back several steps and cursing, "What the hell is that?"
Once he had steadied himself, Li Qiang had already reached the center of the arena.
Bo Ruoye, Yan Zao, and Ku Zhaohan practically tumbled backward, while the Devil Venerable Chiming couldn't help but burst into laughter, greatly admiring Li Qiang's tough stance.
Bo Ruoye was utterly shocked. He had no idea that Li Qiang was Muzi, the one who had caused such a ruckus in Wondrous Dragon City. Such strength was simply too formidable. Suddenly, he realized that Li Qiang didn't want a real fight; he was intimidating the cultivators present.
Li Qiang said coldly, "You must leave immediately..."
Before he could finish speaking, the entire sky suddenly darkened.
Someone exclaimed in alarm, "My God! The massive defensive formation of Jinyang City has been breached!"
Everyone looked up at the sky and saw a large patch of reddish clouds floating above the city.
Amidst the Devil Venerable Chiming's jubilant laughter, a look of despair appeared on the faces of every cultivator.
The demonic calamity has arrived.