Li Qiang's first reaction was "Impossible."
It should be noted that Fu Shan is a master of the Mahayana Realm. Unless he fights with an immortal, he is unlikely to get into trouble. He knows most of the immortals in this realm. Even if he fights with Loose Immortal, he can escape if he can't win. Besides, Loose Immortal generally don't mess with the Mahayana Realm cultivators.
Furthermore, Fu Shan has friends all over the world. If something happened to him, it wouldn't be completely silent. Wu Chen is his mentor. If Fu Shan really had something to do with him, would he have time to come here and gossip with me?
A few thoughts flashed through Li Qiang's mind, but the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. " Brother Fu is in trouble? That seems unlikely, brother, are you kidding me?"
Wu Chen couldn't help but pat Li Qiang on the shoulder and praise, "You're smarter than a ghost! Never mind, I was just teasing you... Hey, brother, you've really gone too far. You didn't come to the Chongxuan Sect when you got to Sealed Fate Planet, and you didn't come to the Chongxuan Sect's headquarters when you got to Sleepless City. Hey, are you even a master of our Chongxuan Sect? If your Brother Fu really got into trouble, would you even come back?" The old man grumbled.
Li Qiang blushed at his words, scratching his head and muttering, "Nothing happened, sigh, I just got back, haven't had a chance to go back yet... Hey, Brother Wu, I apologize, uh... this... that..."
He started to change the subject with a grin. Actually, Li Qiang had been putting it off because Fu Shan was not currently at the Chongxuan Sect, and although he was a core member of the Chongxuan Sect, he had never been back.
White-Haired Wu Chen, clicked his tongue and said, "Tsk tsk, you can even blush, huh? Haha, come back to the Chongxuan Sect with me!"
Mei'er rushed in, her voice sweet and charming, "Grandpa Wu, it's me, Mei'er!"
Wu Chen trembled at the sight of Mei'er. He was terrified of Mei'er; the last time in the Great Illusion Buddha Realm, Mei'er nagging nearly drove him insane, and he still felt lingering effects from seeing Mei'er. He forced a smile and said, "Oh, it's Miss Mei'er, hehe, long time no see."
Li Qiang dared not refuse any longer. He said, "Alright, I'll go back with Brother Wu for a bit. Mei'er, go and call Zhao Hao."
Two people stood behind Wu Chen, watching Li Qiang and his brother chat and laugh with admiring eyes.
Wu Chen slapped his forehead and laughed, "Oh, I got so angry at this kid that I lost my mind, haha. Come here, brother, let me introduce you, so you won't be clueless when you get back to the Chongxuan Sect. This is our Chongxuan Sect's most authentic lineage brother, Brother Misila. Their lineage is responsible for guarding Sealed Fate Planet, unlike our lineage, who all run around everywhere."
Misila was a tall and robust young man. Li Qiang could tell at a glance that he was already a master in the Spirit Severing Middle Stage.
Li Qiang smiled and said, "Hello, Brother Mi."
Misila smiled and said, "Hello, brother. In our Chongxuan Sect, it doesn't matter which faction we belong to; we're all brothers."
Wu Chen has now reached the Integrated Body Middle Stage Realm and is about to undergo tribulation. He seems to have changed a lot, appearing much more composed and gentle than before, and even enjoying joking around. He pointed to the person next to Misila and said, "This is Brother Fu's eldest disciple Liu Dayue."
Liu Dayue had a rather otherworldly air about him; by all accounts, he looked like a young man in his early twenties, except for his long beard. He respectfully clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "Junior Uncle, this disciple is from Fengyang, born during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty."
Li Qiang was stunned. He stammered, "You... you are... you're from my hometown?"
Li Qiang's appearance made everyone in the room laugh.
Liu Dayue smiled and said, "I heard from Master that Junior Uncle hasn't been away from his hometown for long, and I've been eager to see him."
Li Qiang smiled bitterly to himself, thinking, "The cultivation disciples of the Ming Dynasty sound really scary. It feels like talking to a senior who crawled out of a coffin, and they even call me Junior Uncle. It's simply unbelievable."
Li Qiang asked, "Have you gone back?"
Liu Dayue shook his head and smiled wryly, "I haven't been back. I've been assisting Uncle Mi at the Chongxuan Sect, so I haven't had a chance to go out."
Wu Chen explained, "Every core brother's eldest disciple has the obligation to stay in the Chongxuan Sect and assist the brothers of Misila's lineage in guarding the sect. Hehe, brother, your eldest disciple will also be going there."
Li Qiang discovered that the affairs of the Chongxuan Sect were extremely complicated. If he had come to the Chongxuan Sect when he first entered the world of cultivation, he would definitely have figured out the sect's affairs. But now he didn't care at all. He smiled and said, " Dayue, I will go back in the future. When that time comes, I'll take you with me."
According to the rules, Liu Dayue must reach the Integrated Body Early Stage before he can leave the Chongxuan Sect. However, with Li Qiang's words, Misila will not stop him. The core brothers have a very high status in the Chongxuan Sect, and their words carry a lot of weight.
Zhao Hao and Qian Chi'ou entered the room.
Because of Li Qiang and Fu Shan's relationship, Qian Chi'ou had a good relationship with the Chongxuan Sect. He and Misila seemed to be very familiar with each other, exchanging greetings as soon as they met. Qian Chi'ou's words were quite interesting. "Brother Mi, I can't give you Junior Brother Zhao. He's now the head of our Ancient Sword Academy's Golden Qilin Sword Academy. If you go, what will happen to my Golden Qilin Sword Academy?"
Misila laughed, "It's not that I want Zhao Hao, hehe, it's just the rules of the Chongxuan Sect... Who told Zhao Hao to be so capable? Or I could have Paben instead." The two had probably discussed this matter beforehand, so they started bargaining as soon as they met.
Li Qiang said, "Strange, they seem to be my disciples. What are you fighting over?"
Wu Chen said, "Brother, you don't know, your disciples are all outstanding. Zhao Hao, Hong Qian, Paben, Zhao Zhi, and even Nashan and Tange are all well-known rising stars on Sealed Fate Planet. They each have their own unique characteristics. If it weren't for Brother Fu stopping us, the Chongxuan Sect would have already come to the Ancient Sword Academy to snatch them away. Hehe, you decide what to do."
Qian Chi'ou shook his head and said, "Junior Brother Paben is the representative of the Ancient Sword Academy in the Sleepless City, and also the future head of the Hidden Root Academy. He would only be doing odd jobs at your Chongxuan Sect. He would be better off staying at the Ancient Sword Academy where he can make a difference. He can't go."
He refused outright. It seemed that he wouldn't let go of any of his junior brothers, let alone Zhao Hao and Paben.
Misila wasn't angry. He looked at Li Qiang with a smile and said, "Brother, this is your disciple. How about this, I'll let the others go, but you have to send at least one disciple. Otherwise, you won't have any disciples to take care of you when you return to the Chongxuan Sect."
Wu Chen knew that Li Qiang was unfamiliar with the rules of the Chongxuan Sect, so he explained, "Each core brother has his own disciple who stays behind in the Chongxuan Sect as a representative to manage the sect's affairs."
Li Qiang asked, "How many factions does the He-Tu-Shu Chongxuan Sect actually have?"
Wu Chen sighed, "You deserve a beating! You still don't know how many factions the Chongxuan Sect has. Currently, the Chongxuan Sect has six factions; it once had nine. Three of these factions have no successors, and this is still under discussion. If a suitable candidate is found, these three factions can continue the lineage. Of the six existing factions, only Misila's faction guards the Chongxuan Sect. The other brothers can leave as long as there's nothing wrong with the sect. However, if the Chongxuan Sect issues an edict, they must return to the sect to help as soon as they receive it."
Misila added, "Each branch of the sect has its own designated residence within the Chongxuan Sect, which must be managed by disciples from their own branch. So, brother, your disciple..."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "I understand. So, Brother Wu and Brother Fu both have disciples here, but I don't, is that right?"
Wu Chen laughed and said, "I no longer have any disciples. Dayue can also leave once he reaches the Body Integration Realm, so our lineage... will be left without anyone to manage things."
Li Qiang raised his hands and said repeatedly, "I understand, I understand, I've committed a grave sin, brother, Brother Mi, I'll bring my disciple here, don't worry, I really didn't know, ignorance is no excuse..."
Qian Chi'ou immediately became anxious upon hearing this. "Junior Uncle, you are the Abbot of our Ancient Sword Academy! My junior brothers cannot go!"
Zhao Hao and the others didn't dare to interrupt; they could only follow Li Qiang's instructions.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "I also took in two disciples at Linming Planet. Hehe, they'll be back soon. I'll arrange for them to join the Chongxuan Sect then. Haha, luckily I have a lot of disciples!"
Qian Chi'ou immediately felt relieved. In any case, Zhao Hao and the others were finally able to stay. You must know that these people are now the backbone of the Ancient Sword Academy. He has spent countless efforts and is counting on them to revitalize the Ancient Sword Academy. He cannot bear it if any of them are taken away by the Chongxuan Sect.
Misila said with a hint of regret, "It's a pity. I've always had high hopes for Zhao Hao and his group. Hehe, brother, your disciples are truly outstanding."
Li Qiang felt a surge of pride, thinking his brothers were truly admirable. He said, "Brother Mi, don't worry, my two disciples are also excellent."
Liu Dayue said, "That's great! Finally, a junior brother is coming! Sigh, ever since Senior Brother Bian left the Chongxuan Sect, I've been hoping for another junior uncle so I could have a junior brother."
Wu Chen said, " Dayue, once your junior brother arrives, you can relax a bit. I'll be leaving Sealed Fate Planet soon to travel, and I might even undergo tribulation outside. You'll have to focus more on matters within the sect. Let's head back to the Chongxuan Sect's headquarters first. Brother, let's have a good chat; we might not have another chance like this."
Li Qiang nodded and said, " Chi'ou, you stay here and greet the cultivators from various sects who have come. My brother, Brother Mi, and I are going to the Chongxuan Sect. Mei'er and Ling'er are coming with me. The rest of you can wait for me here."
Qian Chi'ou led a group of junior brothers out. He was in a great mood, no longer worried that these junior brothers would go to the Chongxuan Sect.
The group moved to the Chongxuan Sect's headquarters, and only then did Wu Chen notice the Old Immortal Tianshi. Because the Immortal was well disguised, neither Wu Chen nor Misila realized that this guy was an immortal.
Li Qiang didn't care anyway. He used to travel around with the Devil Venerable Chiming, so having one more immortal wasn't a big deal.
Misila glanced at the Tianshi and couldn't help but ask, "Brother, who is this friend? Introduce him."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Don't worry about him. I still don't know what he's up to. Just pretend he doesn't exist. Oh, and don't mess with him either. That guy is formidable." Mei'er and Ling Baihui were chatting away when they heard Li Qiang's sarcastic remarks about Tianshi, and they couldn't help but laugh.
The Old Immortal Tianshi had a blank, expressionless face; if he were to become thick-skinned, no one could match him.
Wu Chen also became curious. He looked closely at Tianshi, his expression gradually becoming serious. He asked in confusion, "Strange, he doesn't seem like a cultivator at all. I can't even see through his cultivation level. Brother, who exactly is he?"
Li Qiang said, "Who else could it be? Someone whose cultivation level even I can't see through, who else could it be? He's an immortal!"
Wu Chen and Misila both took a step back; Li Qiang's words were truly astonishing.
Although Wu Chen was well-traveled and knowledgeable, he had rarely seen immortals. He never expected that the follower-like fellow behind Li Qiang was actually an immortal. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Brother, you are simply... simply..." The old man didn't know what to say. He felt that Li Qiang was simply outrageous and extremely disrespectful to an immortal.
The Old Immortal Tianshi coldly said, "Ignore me, all of you. Just pretend I don't exist." He was very unhappy, but he couldn't show it, so he didn't bother to waste words with Wu Chen and the others.
Mei'er chuckled at the worried look on Old Immortal Tianshi Xian's face. She had seen many immortals before, and this little girl had once dared to use Yin Thunder to blast Luo Heaven High Immortal Gu Xing. She was not afraid of immortals at all.
Mei'er said, "Grandpa, just ignore him. Immortals are all a bit strange, hehe."
Wu Chen and Misila felt a chill run down their spines; this brother and sister were definitely freaks.
When cultivators see immortals, they feel a sense of awe, just as mortals do when they see cultivators. However, Li Qiang and his sister are no longer cultivators, so they don't care at all.
Li Qiang said, "Old Immortal, you don't need to be so serious. How about we make a deal?"
The Old Immortal Tianshi already regarded Li Qiang as an equal, so he wouldn't completely ignore Li Qiang's words. He asked, "What kind of deal?"
Li Qiang smiled slightly.
Tianshi couldn't help but start to have doubts. Although he didn't know Li Qiang well, he knew this guy would be difficult to deal with. He watched Li Qiang warily.
Li Qiang said, "Tell me, if Heavenly Lord Lijin comes, will you two start fighting?"
Tianshi gave a wry smile, thinking to himself that it was far more than just a simple fight. He had tricked Heavenly Lord Lijin possession, and if he were to be pursued to this realm, he would be in deep trouble.
But he didn't want Li Qiang to know any of this, so he said, "A fight? No way!" But in his heart he was thinking, "He'll imprison me."
Li Qiang looked at him skeptically. "No way? Oh, I see."
Li Qiang knew that the Old Immortal Tianshi must have something to hide, otherwise he wouldn't be following him so closely. His eyes darted around, and Li Qiang smiled, "Let's put it this way, if Heavenly Lord Lijin comes, wouldn't the consequences be severe?"
The rage in Tianshi's heart grew stronger and stronger. He could no longer control his illusory appearance and revealed his true form. "Whether it's serious or not... is none of your concern!" That enormous aura immediately spread out.
Wu Chen and the others were forced to retreat repeatedly by the aura emanating from the Old Immortal Tianshi. They were extremely shocked. These people were all experts at the Spirit Severing Realm or the Body Integration Realm, yet they were completely unable to withstand the power of the Tianshi Immortal.
Only Li Qiang and Ling Baihui remained calm in the arena, while even Mei'er couldn't stand it and drifted backward.
Li Qiang clapped his hands and said, "Impressive! Truly impressive! If you're still this good even if Heavenly Lord Lijin comes, then I'll be truly impressed."
No one knows why Li Qiang provoked Tianshi. In fact, Li Qiang had a purpose. He now understands very well that the key to interacting with immortals is strength. Without strength, it is impossible to deal with immortals. He must reach some tacit understanding with Tianshi. In the future, whether it is Heavenly Lord Lijin who comes looking for him or something changes at Gu Xing, Tianshi will be a variable. He hopes to be able to take the initiative.
The Old Immortal Tianshi wished he could slap this arrogant brat to death. He coldly said, "It's not shameful to be afraid of Heavenly Lord Lijin. Even the Luo Heaven High Immortal would fear him. Hmph, of the seven Immortal Realm Heavenly Lord of the Immortal Realm, apart from a few powerful ones, who isn't afraid of them? Kid, if you ever had the chance to witness the power of Heavenly Lord, you wouldn't say such things."
Li Qiang thought to himself, "Do you even need to tell me? Last time, Gu Xing said to ask Heavenly Lord Fanqi to destroy the Great Gods and Devils. I already knew how powerful Heavenly Lord was."
He said, " Tianshi, you're only following me now to Suppressing Tranquility Intent Origin. The Heavenly Lion Divine Beast will never acknowledge you as its master, so there's no use in you following me. If you're so capable, then take Little White under your wing. I won't interfere."
The Old Immortal Tianshi said with deep regret, "You've already given it the Zhen Tai Suppressing Tranquility Intent Origin Suppressing Tranquility Intent Origin, which means it can completely control the monsters within it. How am I supposed to subdue it? This is the first time I've ever seen such a fool! Alas, if I had known that this little thing was the key, I would have refined it no matter what! What a pity, what a pity!"
You see, if the Old Immortal Tianshi Shi had complete control over the Suppressing Tranquility Intent Origin, he wouldn't need to fear the Heavenly Lord Lijin anymore. With the monsters within the Suppressing Tranquility Intent Origin, he would be able to withstand the Heavenly Lord Lijin's attacks. Even if he couldn't defeat him, he could use the monsters to hold off the Heavenly Lord Lijin and take the opportunity to escape.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "You don't understand. Even if Heavenly Lord Lijin came right now, the Heavenly Lion Divine Beast might not obey his commands. Do you understand?" After saying that, he ignored Tianshi and beckoned everyone to go into the room.
The Old Immortal Tianshi stood there blankly for a moment, then suddenly smiled and muttered to himself, "Oh, so that's how it is... This kid's methods are quite clever... Alright, since that's the case, I can't let you go any further; I'm sticking with you from now on..."
Tianshi transformed back into a cultivator, calmly entering the room. Ignoring what Li Qiang and the others were saying, he went to a corner of the room, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and drifted off into his own world.
The layout of the Chongxuan Sect Ancient Sword Academy's residence, probably intentionally made to be uniform during construction. The only difference is that the Chongxuan Sect's residence is black, giving it a dignified and elegant feel. The main hall's reception room is over a hundred square meters, and unlike the Ancient Sword Academy, it contains many strange and unusual items.
After everyone sat down, Li Qiang asked, "Brother Mi, how many people are there in our Chongxuan Sect now?"
Misila looked somewhat uneasy. "We can only contact sixteen of our core brothers. Four of them have reached the Mahayana Realm, seven have gone out to travel and cultivate in seclusion, and currently only four are on Sealed Fate Planet. One of them has gone out to find his next generation of brothers. Of the four core brothers on Sealed Fate Planet, besides the three of us here, there is also Brother Chen Zhifeng, who is guarding the Chongxuan Sect. The others are disciples and followers of the core brothers, numbering about a few hundred. Alas, our manpower is dwindling."
Wu Chen said, "Brother, logically speaking, you still need a long time to cultivate your Foundation Establishment Law Treasure. However, with your current knowledge and cultivation, you are fully capable of being a guide. The most important task for every core brother of the Chongxuan Sect is to find the next generation of brothers. This is your duty and an inescapable responsibility. These words should have been given to you by Brother Fu, but he is not here. As his guide, I have a responsibility to tell you. Consider how to proceed. In addition, you can go back to the Chongxuan Sect. There are special books there that record how to cultivate Foundation Establishment Law Treasure. You can refer to them."
Li Qiang stood up and said respectfully, "Yes, I will do my best to find a suitable brother." He paused and then asked, "Brother, are there any restrictions on finding core brothers? What kind of people can't we take in?"
Misila interjected, "Brother, there are no restrictions. As long as you think it's okay, then it's fine. But if you don't handle it well, it will affect the inheritance of your lineage, so you need to be careful."
Wu Chen nodded and said, "I found Fu Shan to be my brother, and Fu Shan found you to be his brother. If I hadn't been trapped in the Great Illusion Buddha Realm, I probably would have ascended long ago and wouldn't be able to see your achievements now, haha. To be honest, I'm very proud of you two brothers. You've both done us proud. Brother Fu has also reached the Mahayana Realm. Although I don't know your cultivation level yet, it seems quite remarkable..."
Before he could finish speaking, someone interrupted, "More than impressive, humph, even I'm not confident I can match this kid's cultivation..."
Everyone in the room looked at the Old Immortal Tianshi sitting in the corner, who seemed unconcerned and said, "You can continue. There's no need to discuss this little fellow's cultivation level. He's a disciple appointed by the Immortal Realm Azure Emperor of the Immortal Realm. As for his cultivation level... figure it out yourselves."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "We're not comparing cultivation levels, this is just a conversation between brothers..."
Wu Chen and Misila could no longer sit still. They stood up and exclaimed in unison, "What? The Azure Emperor's disciple?"
This brother has done far too many unbelievable things. A disciple of the Azure Emperor? That's just too shocking. Both of them had strange expressions. If Li Qiang really is a disciple of the Azure Emperor, then the Chongxuan Sect will truly be famous throughout the Cultivation Realm.
In fact, Li Qiang had many doubts about what the Azure Emperor said. Based on his business experience, he always felt that cheap deals offered to him were often problematic, and that buying cheap things meant losing out. This idea was deeply ingrained in Li Qiang, so he was very cautious about the Azure Emperor's claim of taking on disciples and was not complacent.
Mei'er didn't care about any of this. She and Li Qiang had seen a lot of things together, and she no longer cared much about these legendary figures. Mei'er wasn't like this before. Perhaps it was because after she cultivated to the Spirit Marshal, her realm was different from before. In addition, she was the heir of the Spirit Ghost Realm and would become the supreme ruler of a realm in the future. Therefore, the little girl couldn't stand Wu Chen and the others' exaggerated reactions.
She chuckled and said, "Grandpa, what's the big deal? My brother doesn't care at all."
Li Qiang said, "Forget about the Azure Emperor taking on disciples. Hmm, I need to consider refining a Foundation Establishment Law Treasure. Brother Mi, Dayue, let's go back to the Chongxuan Sect. I need to check the refining manuals. Also, Mei'er is participating in the Dao Technique and Law Technique Grand Competition, so she can stay in Sleepless City. I'll come back after I've finished reading the manuals and cheer her on."
Wu Chen shook his head and said, "Even if Mei'er participates, it won't make any difference. She..."
Li Qiang interrupted him, "Brother, Mei'er participating in the competition is just a wish of hers. Winning, losing, and the prizes are not important. What's important is that she fulfills her wish."
Wu Chen was speechless. She thought to herself that it was really strange for Spirit Body to participate in the Dao Technique and Law Technique Grand Competition of the Cultivation Realm. If the judges of the Sacred City found out, they would definitely disqualify her from the competition.
Li Qiang whispered to Mei'er, " Mei'er, you can just play around in the Sleepless City. I'm going back to the Chongxuan Sect. Um, I'll have Little White protect you. Ling'er's cultivation is very good. If you two sisters are together, no one will dare to touch you." He gave her repeated instructions, afraid that something might happen to Mei'er.
Mei'er was already used to temporarily leaving Li Qiang, so she obediently nodded in agreement and left with Ling Baihui.
Misila hadn't expected Li Qiang to return to the Chongxuan Sect immediately. He said happily, "Perfect timing! I still have some things to take care of at the sect, so I'll accompany you back, brother. Hmm, there's a special teleportation array here, very convenient."
The group got up and went outside, with Tianshi following closely behind.
As Li Qiang walked, he pondered, "What kind of Foundation Establishment Law Treasure should I cultivate? No matter what, I must cultivate a unique treasure."