The Ying Lineage was located in the inner city. With disciples from Extreme Chasm Cliff leading the way, Li Qiang, Luo Duyu, and the Devil Venerable Chiming quickly arrived at the Ying Household's gate. The Ying Household members guarding the gate were greatly surprised to see Luo Duyu arrive. They immediately went inside to announce his arrival and opened the gate to invite them in.
Li Qiang looked around. The Ying Household was still the same as before, with no apparent changes. Many members of the Ying family were coming and going in the courtyard, and they all looked at them curiously when they came in. After a while, Ying Buli, the patriarch of the Ying Household clan, came out to greet them.
Upon seeing Li Qiang and Luo Duyu, Ying Buli's expression changed slightly. He stepped forward, bowed, and led the group into the reception hall.
After everyone sat down, Ying Buli kept his head down and remained silent. Luo Duyu showed a slight displeasure on his face, but forced a smile and said, "Brother Ying, what's wrong? Aren't you welcoming us?"
Ying Buli smiled wryly, "Sect Leader Luo, the Ying Household has already done everything you instructed..."
Luo Duyu was greatly surprised and asked, "What did I say? What did I say?"
Ying Buli was also taken aback. He beckoned to a disciple and whispered a few words of instruction to him.
Luo Duyu's face immediately turned ugly; he had, of course, heard what Ying Buli said.
A moment later, the disciple brought over a jade token, Ying Buli said, "Give this to Sect Leader Luo."
Luo Duyu examined the jade token briefly, then shook his head and said, "It is indeed the token of the Extreme Chasm Cliff, but I have never issued this token before. Where did it come from?"
"This was sent by disciples of Extreme Chasm Cliff two years ago. They ordered the Ying Household to expel Ying Hui's family and forbid them from living in the inner city. They were expelled to the outer city. I went to see Sect Master Luo about this, but the disciples of Extreme Chasm Cliff wouldn't let me in." His tone was very flat, dry, as if he were talking about someone else's business.
Luo Duyu understood almost immediately, and his face trembled with anger.
Li Qiang understood that this was a trick of falsely conveying an imperial edict. He said, "So Luo Jiping is so petty. He's been cultivating for so long and still can't let go of his attachments. No wonder he looked at me like I was a ghost just now."
The Devil Venerable Chiming chuckled and said, "This kid is not bad, I like him. Luo boy, how about giving him to me?" He always seemed to thrive on chaos, but no one paid him any attention.
Luo Duyu was pondering how to punish Luo Jiping, this audacious brat, when he heard the words of the Devil Venerable Chiming. He was so shocked that he broke out in a cold sweat and simply didn't know what to say.
Li Qiang asked, "Are Dan Boyu and his wife living in the outer city now? Are they doing well?"
He didn't actually care where Dan Boyu lived. As long as his family was alright, he wouldn't pursue Luo Jiping. He wouldn't take a narrow-minded person like Luo Jiping to heart.
Ying Buli knew that Li Qiang Divine Ability incredibly powerful, but he never expected that Li Qiang would still remember Dan Boyu's family. He couldn't help but feel moved.
Under pressure from the Extreme Chasm Cliff and his Lineage, he was unable to protect Ying Hui's family's right to reside in the inner city, so he had no choice but to move them to the outer city. Ying Hui was a very strong-willed woman, and from then on, her family never returned to the Ying Household. He had secretly gone to visit them before, but Ying Hui did not give him a friendly look, which made him very sad.
Luo Duyu felt extremely embarrassed. He stood up and said, "Brother Ying, it was my oversight. I apologize. Extreme Chasm Cliff will be responsible for building a house in the inner city so that Dan Boyu's family can return to live there." He then said to Li Qiang, "Senior Muzi, it's all my fault. Ji'er caused this trouble, so I should take responsibility."
Li Qiang didn't care about such things. He laughed and said, "Forget it, why should you take responsibility? As long as Boyu's family is alright, it doesn't matter where they live. Go back and warn Luo Jiping not to bully others. If he doesn't change this temper, he'll suffer when he meets a formidable opponent. Brother Ying, may I ask where your Ying Household in the outer city?"
Luo Duyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and the expression on his face relaxed.
As the current patriarch of the Ying Household, Ying Buli dared not pursue the matter Extreme Chasm Cliff would have serious consequences.
Cultivation Lineage who can live in the inner city enjoy many intangible benefits. The biggest advantage is that the inner city is full of Spiritual Qi, and cultivation in the inner city progresses much faster than in the outer city. No Lineage is willing to give up their residence here easily.
He said, "I'll go and ask Dan Boyu and his wife to come back..."
Li Qiang interrupted him, saying, "I'll go myself. You can just send a disciple who knows the way to guide me."
Li Qiang's actions were hard for Luo Duyu and Ying Buli to understand. Given his current status, in Linming Planet, if he said a word, no sect leader would refuse to come, no matter who they asked. Yet he went to visit an unknown nobody in person. They really couldn't understand what he was thinking.
Ying Buli stood up and said, "I'll accompany you, senior."
The outer city is another canyon in Snow Dragon City, much larger than the inner city, and all mortals and low-level cultivators live in the outer city.
It was a long, crescent-shaped Great Gorge Mouth, its shape very strange, like a crescent-shaped comb, each tooth of which was a huge rock wall, arranged very neatly, as if it had been cleared by Law Technique. Walking through the canyon, you could see rows of steep rock walls, like rows of neat high-rise buildings.
The protruding rock walls are covered with rows of caves of varying sizes. From below, the crisscrossing passages are all constructed of logs. Countless passage platforms protrude from the rock walls, and many thick ropes connect the parallel rock walls. People can be seen moving back and forth between the two walls along the ropes from time to time, which looks extremely dangerous.
The entire canyon gave Li Qiang a strange feeling; this form of living was an eye-opener for him.
Compared to the caves on the steep cliffs, the buildings on the canyon floor were a mess, with houses built haphazardly and crowded together like a bunch of dirty rags stuffed on the ground.
The word "slum" popped into Li Qiang's mind. He felt that this place was even dirtier and more chaotic than a slum.
A crowded and noisy crowd surged through the canyon. There were vendors hawking their wares, fishermen carrying fishing gear, and groups of ragged children running and playing in the narrow streets. Various sheds were set up along the street, from which steam rose and emitted strange food smells.
A chaotic atmosphere washed over him, and Li Qiang sighed softly, "So this is the world of mortals."
Luo Duyu said, "Senior Muzi, it's quite chaotic here. Sigh, there are too many people in Snow Dragon City." He then instructed a disciple beside him, " Luo Heng, go and call Fei Yunte over."
Luo Heng responded and flew away quickly.
Li Qiang said, "Let's walk over there."
Luo Duyu hesitated, "Uh, cultivators generally don't walk through the streets; they fly. This..."
Li Qiang ignored him and descended from the sky onto the street.
Luo Duyu said helplessly, "Let's go down too, sigh." They followed closely behind and landed on the street.
Li Qiang landed on the narrow street and realized how vast the difference was between himself and the ordinary people here.
He had recently been in contact with immortals and grandmaster-level cultivators, and even the Devil Venerable Chiming was Demon Venerable from the Black Devil Realm. He had almost forgotten that he was once an ordinary mortal. At this moment, he was filled with countless emotions.
As they landed on the street, it was as if a drop of water had fallen into a pan of oil. The crowd erupted in chaos, with adults and children alike scattering backward as if Li Qiang and his companions were a plague, something to be avoided at all costs.
Looking at their attire, Li Qiang suddenly realized that their clothes were far too luxurious compared to the ordinary people here. Each person's clothing and decorations were exquisite, some even shimmering with a faint iridescent light.
He smiled wryly, "No wonder cultivators don't come here."
The Devil Venerable Chiming Lord sniffed and looked around. He immediately spotted an animal tied to a wooden post. It was a Snow Spore, a specialty of Snow Dragon City, and it looked a lot like a dromedary camel.
He grabbed Snow Spore's head and stuck his fingers in. Snow Spore let out a mournful cry and was instantly sucked dry by the Devil Venerable Chiming, leaving only a layer of skin.
He smiled happily and said, "This tastes pretty good."
With a loosening of his grip, a pile of Snow Spore' skin and bones fell into the muddy water on the ground with a thud.
A middle-aged woman dressed in a tattered black-gray leather robe screamed as she rushed out of a dilapidated shed on the side of the street. She was holding a wooden stick and yelling as she struck at the Devil Venerable Chiming.
Everyone was stunned, even the Devil Venerable Chiming was dumbfounded, as the woman had smashed a stick into his head.
The Devil Venerable Chiming Lord grinned, "Since you dare to hit me, then I won't be polite." He raised his hand and grabbed at the woman's head.
Li Qiang said calmly, " Xiao Ming, you dare!"
The Devil Venerable Chiming's hand hovered in the air, refusing to fall. The woman's staff was thrown to the ground by the recoil, and she burst into tears.
Li Qiang walked over, casually took out a Coiled Dragon Coin, and said, "Sorry, my companion was just joking. Here, take this money as compensation."
The Devil Venerable Chiming reluctantly withdrew his hand; if Li Qiang hadn't stopped him, he would have definitely drained that woman dry.
A Coiled Dragon Coin could buy about a few Snow Spore. The woman stopped crying, took the money, and ran back into the shed.
Li Qiang suddenly felt uneasy. Why didn't he care when the Devil Venerable Chiming killed that animal? Wasn't it a life too? He took a deep breath, a feeling of helplessness welling up inside him.
There was another commotion on the street as a group of people ran from a distance and quickly arrived in front of Li Qiang and his group.
Luo Heng, a disciple of the Extreme Chasm Cliff, descended from the sky and pointed at the newcomer, saying, " Fei Yunte has arrived."
The group of people who arrived all looked like thugs, bowing and scraping with obsequious smiles. The leader was actually a Nascent Soul Realm stage expert, probably Fei Yunte.
Li Qiang was getting annoyed. He said unhappily, "Why all this commotion, Brother Ying? Let's go."
He ignored the people who came and walked forward alone.
Ying Buli gave a wry smile and hurriedly followed, saying, "Senior, Boyu and the others live at the very back. Please follow me." He took the lead and led the way.
Luo Duyu waved his hand, and the group dared not say anything more. Even the three sect leaders of Extreme Chasm Cliff obeyed his orders; who would dare to provoke them?
They followed obediently behind, and the group marched past in a grand and conspicuous manner.
The street gradually widened, and the surrounding buildings became fewer and fewer. After passing through a wooden fence, a huge rock wall finally appeared before them.
Compared to the chaotic rock wall in front, this rock wall looked much cleaner, with neat wooden frames arranged in layers, and the caves carved to the same size. On the ground below the rock wall, many fruit trees and flowers were planted.
"Most of the people living in the back are beginner cultivators, Boyu's family is also here," said Ying Buli.
Li Qiang said, "Alright, Brother Luo, Brother Ying, Old Chi, let's go up. The rest of you can disperse."
Fei Yunte was a cultivator who had just entered the Nascent Soul Realm. His demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant, after all, a cultivator who could reach the Nascent Soul Realm could not be too bad in terms of realm.
He said, "We'll wait downstairs, Sect Leader Luo. Just let us know if you need anything."
Although he was the designated manager of the outer city, he spent more time cultivating than managing affairs. Usually, his subordinates handled miscellaneous matters. He wouldn't have come out if Luo Duyu hadn't arrived.
Ying Buli took the lead and flew up, with Li Qiang and the others following closely behind.
There were many novice cultivators around, some of whom were learning to fly. Those like Li Qiang and his group, who did not fly with flying swords and whose flying speed was extremely slow, were obviously experts.
Someone immediately shouted, "Look everyone, a master is coming!"
Soon, many cultivators emerged from the cave in the rock wall, and someone exclaimed, "Heavens! It's Senior Luo Duyu from the Extreme Chasm Cliff!"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Brother Luo, you're quite famous here. Are these cultivators from family traditions or from sects?"
Luo Duyu swayed slightly and flew to Li Qiang's side, saying, "Most of the cultivators here have inherited their skills from their families. Every Jialong year, various sects come here to select disciples. Each cultivation sect sets up a teaching ground here to find disciples with good aptitude. Our Extreme Chasm Cliff has eleven teaching grounds in the outer city. Hehe, I sometimes come here to take a look."
Some novice cultivators passed by Li Qiang and his group, greeting them warmly.
Li Qiang observed carefully and found that they were just flying back and forth between the two walls, just as clumsy as he was when he first started learning to fly on Heavenly Court Star.
Soon, Li Qiang and his companions flew to the upper part of the rock wall and landed on the protruding log corridor. It was noticeably colder up there than down, and the wind howled as it swept past.
The cultivators who were practicing flying in the air also landed and followed behind, watching curiously.
Every seven or eight meters along the rock face is a cave with entrances that are round, semi-circular, square, or rectangular. Each cave has a different entrance, and most of them have simple protective barriers.
Walking up the corridor to the end, at a circular doorway, Ying Buli stopped and turned back, saying, " Boyu's family lives here."
Behind them, cultivators whispered among themselves, "It's Mr. Dan's family. They've come to see Mr. Dan." "Sister-in-law Ying is really something." "Hey, that's strange. Weren't they driven out of the Extreme Chasm Cliff? Why would Sect Master Luo come?" The crowd discussed among themselves.
Luo Duyu looked very embarrassed. He couldn't explain anything. Since he took the position of the third sect leader of Extreme Chasm Cliff, he had rarely been talked about like this.
Ying Buli went up and knocked on the door, but there was no response for a long time.
Li Qiang scanned the area with his Divine Sense and said, "No one's home..."
A short cultivator flew up from the lower corridor and said, "Seniors, Mr. Dan and his family have moved away. Xiao Yong told me this quietly a few days ago."
Li Qiang asked in surprise, "They moved away? Where did they move to?"
The man said, "It seems they've moved to Wondrous Dragon City, and Xiao Yong is a little unhappy about it."
"My little sister is too stubborn," Ying Buli sighed.
Luo Duyu was extremely embarrassed. He secretly vowed to teach Luo Jiping a lesson when he got back. How dare this brat be so audacious! No wonder his cultivation progress had been so slow in recent years. With this worry, how could he make any progress?
Li Qiang didn't want to pursue the matter with Luo Jiping; he felt that ultimately, it was his and Xuan Long's fault.
He said, "I'm also going to Wondrous Dragon City, so I'll stop by and visit their family. Brother Luo, I'd like to exchange some mid-grade Immortal Stone with you. Hehe, I've lingered in Linming Planet for too long; it's time for me to go back home." Speaking of his hometown, Li Qiang felt a pang of sadness. Where was his true hometown?
If I were to return to Earth now, who knows what it would be like by then?
Luo Duyu smiled and said, "The Appraisal Pavilion at Extreme Chasm Cliff has Immortal Stone, so you don't need to worry, Senior. Extreme Chasm Cliff will take care of everything."
The Devil Venerable Chiming curled his lip and muttered, "They're really generous..." Then, not wanting to be left out, he shouted, "Old Luo, could you give me some high-grade... no, top-grade Immortal Stone?"
Li Qiang laughed and scolded, "Top-grade Immortal Stone? Those are extremely rare and hard to come by. Are you deliberately causing trouble?"
Luo Duyu smiled wryly, "The Top-Grade Immortal Stone Appraisal Pavilion doesn't have any, and even the High-Grade ones aren't plentiful. Linming Planet doesn't produce Immortal Stone anymore; we have to go to other planets to mine them, which is very expensive."
The Devil Venerable Chiming, who was always causing trouble, revealed a disdainful expression. "Looks like nobody's trying to curry favor with me, Old Chi, hmph."
Li Qiang said, "Ignore him, he's getting more and more worked up."
Luo Duyu dared not offend the Devil Venerable Chiming; who knew what kind of mischief this guy might get up to?
Li Qiang said, "Let's go back."
He knew the location of the inner city. A golden light enveloped everyone, and they were instantly teleported to the plaza in the inner city.
Ying Buli doesn't know how to teleport yet, but he knows that the power to teleport someone must be extraordinary. Few cultivators from Lineage like theirs can reach the Spirit Severing Realm stage. He admires a super expert like Li Qiang from the bottom of his heart.
The inner city square remained unchanged, with wisps of heat rising from the jade-paved ground. Unlike last time, however, there were many cultivators meditating on one side of the square, and the surrounding shops were bustling with cultivators coming and going.
Having just come from the outer city, Li Qiang felt somewhat unaccustomed to the stark contrast between the two. The city was clean and tidy, everyone's clothes were exquisite and beautiful, and their expressions were relaxed and carefree, showing no signs of the pressures of life.
Li Qiang spotted Gong Yifu's shop and felt a sense of familiarity. He recalled the scene of refining jade talismans with Xuan Long in the shop and couldn't help but walk over.
The shop was crowded, Gong Yifu was proudly shouting, "... With this kind of jade talisman, haha, I might not be invincible, but I'd have few rivals. Oh, and this jade talisman too, it was personally crafted by the immortal Xuan Long of Luo Heaven High Immortal... Has anyone seen one before? A celestial talisman!"
"And this one, this was crafted by Senior Muzi, it's comparable to a jade talisman from an immortal... Uh, heavens! It's Senior Muzi..." He suddenly saw Li Qiang walk in and was immediately stunned.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Brother Gong, please continue! Hehe, well said."
Gong Yifu blushed and smiled, "Senior Muzi is here, how dare I show off? Please come in! Please come in!"
He greeted them warmly. The surrounding cultivators immediately made way for him, and many greeted Li Qiang in a friendly manner.
Li Qiang couldn't resist his playful side again. He knew that long-term cultivation had made him less and less human, so he still wanted to interact with people as much as possible whenever he had the chance.
Li Qiang sat down next to Gong Yifu and said, "Everyone, sit down. I'm free today, so I'll be the boss for once. Haha, Immortal Refining Talismans for sale! Grab them while you can!" Not only Gong Yifu, but even Luo Duyu and Ying Buli were dumbfounded, and the surrounding cultivators immediately erupted in commotion.
Gong Yifu was the first to regain his senses. He said loudly, "Alright, let's watch Senior Muzi refine talismans." He ordered a junior apprentice to fetch a lot of materials.
Luo Duyu eagerly sat down next to Li Qiang, while Devil Venerable Chiming pushed Gong Yifu aside to sit on the other side; he also enjoyed watching the excitement. Ying Buli sat down next to Luo Duyu, and the cultivators in the shop sat or squatted around Li Qiang, all watching with great curiosity.
Luo Duyu asked in a low voice, "Senior, are you really going to refine talismans to sell?" He was very confused. A master like Li Qiang would not need to do this at all. He should not lack anything. Even if he did, he could find anything with his abilities. However, he was also very curious about Li Qiang's talisman-refining skills.
Li Qiang said with a grin, "Of course it's true! By the way, a jade talisman... depending on its quality and function, it's all exchanged for a mid-grade Immortal Stone. Whoever offers the most gets it. Alright, let's begin. The first jade talisman starts at one mid-grade Immortal Stone."
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. Muzi was simply spouting empty words; he hadn't even brought anything yet and was already asking for a price—it was really going too far.
Without hesitation, Gong Yifu shouted, "I'll offer two Immortal Stone!" He had witnessed Li Qiang's abilities before and wasn't worried that Li Qiang couldn't refine it; he was only worried that he didn't have enough Immortal Stone to exchange for it.
Upon hearing Gong Yifu offer two Immortal Stone in exchange, the atmosphere immediately became lively, with someone shouting, "Three!"
Li Qiang said, " Old Chi, you watch and see who bids the highest."
The Devil Venerable Chiming had never seen such a bidding method before. He shouted excitedly, "I'll go! I'll go! Anyone who dares to try and cheat, I, Old Chi, will eat them alive!"
This guy started spouting nonsense as soon as he opened his mouth. Fortunately, the cultivators here didn't know he was the great demon lord of the Black Devil Realm and thought he was joking. No one was afraid, except for Luo Duyu, who was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. When the Devil Venerable Chiming said he would eat people, he really meant it.
Gong Yifu immediately shouted, "Four pieces!" He wished Li Qiang would give him all the jade talismans.
Luo Duyu couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Twenty yuan."
Li Qiang laughed loudly and shouted again, "Who else offers a higher price? Sect Leader Luo offered twenty yuan, is there anyone offering more?" Everyone present fell silent.
Putting aside how many Immortal Stone Luo Duyu offered, given his status in Snow Dragon City, which cultivator would dare to compete with him?
Li Qiang didn't care. He took out several large pieces of Even Pure Red Stone that he had found in Beiling Mountain, rubbed them together slightly, and a ball of golden light enveloped the Even Pure Red Stone. He added a few more materials for refining talismans and began to make jade talisman materials.
Because he used Divine Yi Power to refine it, and because he had learned Xuan Long's techniques, the jade talisman material he produced was already extraordinary.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, as Li Qiang's method of cultivating jade talisman materials was something none of them had ever seen before.
There are two basic forms of jade talisman material: one is naturally formed, and the other is refined. High-quality naturally formed jade talisman material is hard to find, and its quality varies greatly. Natural jade talisman material is generally used to make non-offensive jade talismans such as protective amulets, while refined jade talismans are of relatively lower quality, but their quality can be controlled, and they are mainly used for attack.
The golden light gradually faded, revealing a jade talisman.
It was an oval-shaped jade talisman, resembling an elongated copper coin, with a faint red glow radiating from it. Although it was just a piece of jade talisman material, its perfect quality had already stunned everyone.
Luo Duyu sighed, "Even if you offered twenty mid-grade Immortal Stone, or double that amount, you still couldn't get such perfect jade talisman material."
Li Qiang smiled and said, "Next is the array inscription. What kind of attack talisman does Brother Luo want?"
Luo Duyu smiled and said, "Senior, please feel free to choose whatever you like. The more powerful the better."
Li Qiang nodded and casually drew a formation in the air. As the formation was completed, a spherical golden lightning array took shape.
Li Qiang pointed his finger and said softly, "Chirp!"
The golden lightning array suddenly shrank, and with a crisp sound, the jade talisman landed in his hand.
Just then, a voice came from the doorway. "Give me this jade talisman, I'll offer you one hundred mid-grade Immortal Stone."