Li Qiang grabbed a man bundled in a thick fur coat and asked, "Where is the Peace Inn?"
The man had been hurrying along and jumped when someone suddenly grabbed him. He was about to curse, but when he looked up at Li Qiang, he swallowed the words. He was quick on the uptake: nobody wore such thin clothing in a place where dripping water froze into ice, much less the fine robes of a wealthy young master. Without considerable abilities, he would have frozen to death long ago.
"Young master, keep going straight ahead and take two turns." Then he caught sight of Hua Meiniang and Qin Xiaohuan, and his eyes immediately glazed over. He stood there foolishly, watching them disappear into the distance, repeating to himself, I'll tell Xiao Guizi when I get back. I saw fairies today. So beautiful, so beautiful! His drool had already frozen, but he never noticed.
The three moved extremely fast; more accurately, they glided over the ground. After two turns, they indeed spotted a tall pole in the distance, flying a blue banner bearing four black characters: Peace Inn.
In the blink of an eye, all three were inside.
Innkeeper Wang stood behind the counter, warming his hands around a copper hand warmer. Business was slow, and he was idly ordering the waiter about to amuse himself. Thinking there would hardly be any customers that evening, he wondered whether he should visit Widow Zhao's house to warm himself up. The pleasant thought brought a smile to his face.
Without a sound, three people suddenly appeared before him. Lost in his pleasant thoughts, Innkeeper Wang shook with fright, sending the copper hand warmer flying. "Ah! What?" he cried. Patting his chest with both hands, he exclaimed, "Oh, you'll frighten a man to death! Oh dear, oh dear, my heart nearly flew away!"
Li Qiang reached out and stopped the copper hand warmer in midair. With a gentle wave, he set it steadily on the counter without spilling a speck of ash. "Innkeeper, have a man and a woman stayed here these past few days?" Innkeeper Wang stared blankly at the two women behind him, tongue-tied.
Only then did Li Qiang realize how devastating Hua Meiniang and Qin Xiaohuan were to ordinary people. If cultivators wanted good looks, they only needed to make slight adjustments during the Nascent Soul Realm. Moreover, cultivation itself went against heaven, bringing even greater changes to their bearing. It was hard for them not to attract attention, especially female cultivators.
Already anxious, Li Qiang could not help shouting when he saw the innkeeper's entranced expression. "Hey!" He inadvertently used a little True Essence Power.
Innkeeper Wang immediately came to his senses. Li Qiang's shout shook dust from the entire building, set the beams creaking strangely, and left his ears roaring. He pleaded, "My little lord, my little ancestor, don't shout! Please stop! If you shake the building down, I'll lose my livelihood!"
"Bring me your guest register." Li Qiang's unease kept growing, and his agitation grew stronger still. Innkeeper Wang's hands trembled with fright, his mind in complete turmoil. He reached inside the counter but simply could not get it out.
Li Qiang's hand tore open the counter like a steel claw. He found the register inside and checked the first few pages. Sure enough, they were not there. His heart alternated between icy cold and burning heat, his face turning pale and flushed by turns. He had long regarded Zhao Hao and Mei Jingjing as his own family. They were the people he cared about most here.
Qin Xiaohuan could not help offering reassurance. "Perhaps they haven't arrived yet. Shall we wait a little?"
Li Qiang barely restrained himself from roaring. Glancing at the trembling innkeeper, he casually tossed him a silver ingot.
Hua Meiniang had remained silent. She was curious about who could make him so concerned. She could not remember anyone ever worrying about her like this, and she actually felt a little jealous of the people on his mind.
Li Qiang looked blankly around. His usually capable brain had become a basin of paste, hopelessly muddled. "What should I do? What should I do?" he murmured, completely losing his composure.
"Perhaps this isn't the right inn," Hua Meiniang said softly. "Could you have remembered wrong?"
"That's quite possible," Qin Xiaohuan added. "Don't worry. Let's keep looking."
Li Qiang could no longer concern himself with anything else. Leaving the building, he sprang into the air, summoned all his True Essence Power, and roared, "Zhao... Hao... where... are you...? Answer me...!"
It was hardly a sound a human could produce. The words exploded as soon as they left his lips, rolling through the heavens like thunder. Even Qin Xiaohuan beside him was forced back by the shock. Above and below, in every direction, echoed, "Answer me... answer me..."
Crushed Stone City seemed to awaken. Everyone heard the shout and came out to see what had happened.
Hua Meiniang knew this was bad. Heavenly Court Star was currently crawling with cultivators, and Li Qiang's unrestrained shouting could easily invite trouble. Still, she admired people like him and did not care what it might attract.
A long cry rose from outside the city, not far away.
The cry was full of defiance. Already seething with agitation and unease, Li Qiang flared with rage at the provocation and answered with a heaven-shaking cry, refusing to give an inch.
A streak of white light flashed, and a young man appeared before them.
He wore bright red battle armor and had large, commanding eyes. A ribbon was tied around his head, and his expression was openly challenging. He held a short black rod tipped with a small red ball, some unfamiliar exotic weapon.
He paused, not expecting three cultivators in the air. Spotting Hua Meiniang, he looked startled. "Senior Hua, it's you. Forgive this junior's intrusion." He thought, How strange. Hua Meiniang always travels alone. Why does she have company this time? Just my luck! If they want to howl like ghosts, that's their business. Why did I have to come meddling?
"So it's Qin Bantong," Hua Meiniang said with a half-smile. "What, itching for another fight? Last time you fought the Poison Incantation Sect with Law Treasures, if I hadn't struck you with a Love Flower, would you still be shouting so merrily now? Always stirring up trouble. Watch out, or your master will give you a beating."
Qin Bantong regretted coming bitterly, but still had to thank her. Inwardly, he thought resentfully, You're the ancestor of troublemakers yourself! Who could possibly compare with you when it comes to stirring up trouble? You're famous throughout the cultivation world for it! He knew that once Hua Meiniang became unreasonable, she paid no heed to right or wrong, so he grew even more deferential.
Seeing that Hua Meiniang knew him, Li Qiang could no longer vent his anger on him, which left him feeling even worse.
Qin Bantong bowed. "If there's nothing else, Senior Hua, this junior will take his leave."
He wanted to run, but Hua Meiniang would not let him. She laughed sweetly. "No hurry, no hurry. You came charging over so fiercely, and now you're leaving before we've exchanged three sentences? Are you toying with your big sister?"
Li Qiang interrupted. "Brother Qin, have you seen a man and a woman? The girl carries a long white whip."
Qin Bantong shook his head. "No, but a group from Qianjie Star recently headed toward the Frozen Plain. I don't know whether they have anything to do with the people you're looking for." He was very pleased that Li Qiang had called him brother, unaware that Li Qiang habitually addressed everyone that way.
"Should we investigate?" Qin Xiaohuan asked. "Perhaps that group really is involved."
"What would people from Qianjie Star be doing on the Frozen Plain?" Hua Meiniang mused. "They know perfectly well there's Cold Gang overhead and you can't fly there. Where could they be heading on foot?"
Li Qiang almost immediately remembered that Mei Jingjing's sect was in Rejuvenation Valley on the Frozen Plain. Slowly calming down, he asked, "Did you recognize anyone in that group?"
Qin Bantong considered. "There were a dozen or so. A few looked familiar. Hmm, Su Ziqi, Lan Di, and Chen something. I can't remember clearly."
Li Qiang sighed, utterly at a loss. Qin Bantong clapped his hands. "Right! Feng Zhihao and An Lang were there too. I didn't know the others."
Li Qiang's heart suddenly jolted. Wasn't An Lang the Mei Household's sworn enemy? He hurriedly asked, "Are you certain it was An Lang?"
None of them understood his interest in An Lang. Qin Bantong nodded. "I couldn't have mistaken him."
"An Lang is my friend's enemy," Li Qiang said anxiously. "Her sect is in Rejuvenation Valley on the Frozen Plain. I'm going after them to investigate. I'll take my leave."
"Let's go together," Qin Xiaohuan said softly. "There are many of them. You'll be at a disadvantage chasing them alone. Sister Hua, what do you think?"
Hua Meiniang already had plans of her own. "Good, we'll go together. Qin Bantong, you're coming too. Aren't you always looking for fights? Follow your big sister, and you'll have plenty."
Qin Xiaohuan inwardly shook her head. Sister Hua was truly addicted to trouble. Nothing had happened yet, and she was already preparing for a fight.
Li Qiang was greatly surprised. He had never imagined Hua Meiniang would help him like this. Considering that his own strength was indeed insufficient, their three helpers would greatly improve his chances, so he hurriedly thanked them.
Qin Bantong agreed without hesitation. Fighting and competing with Law Treasures were his favorite things.
Unable to wait, Li Qiang flew toward the Frozen Plain. Behind him, Hua Meiniang shouted, "Boy, you can't fly! Come down!"
Li Qiang was extraordinarily fast and plunged straight into the Cold Gang. The swirling Gang winds immediately forced him down.
Crack! Li Qiang asked blankly, "What was that? Why did I fall?" His bewildered expression made the other three struggle to suppress their laughter.
Holding back a smile, Qin Xiaohuan explained, "Young Master Li, you can't fly on the Frozen Plain. There's Cold Gang overhead. You must put on your battle armor before entering. The Frozen Plain is very dangerous."
Everyone donned their battle armor. Qin Bantong asked in surprise, "Brother Li, your armor is unusual. It looks like the Billowing Essence Battle Armor."
Qin Xiaohuan had always found Li Qiang's armor peculiar and could not resist asking, "The Billowing Essence Battle Armor? Is there something special about it?"
"The Billowing Essence Battle Armor is a legend. Supposedly, it contains the soul of heavenly water. Its Instrument Refining method was lost long ago. Where did you obtain it, Brother Li?"
Not only Qin Xiaohuan but even Hua Meiniang grew curious. "How come I've never heard of it? What's special about this armor?"
"Let's talk as we walk," Li Qiang said. He thought, Even I don't really understand what the Billowing Essence Battle Armor can do. The jade eye slip Mo Huaiyuan gave me didn't seem to mention any special functions.
Understanding Li Qiang's anxiety, they immediately headed onto the Frozen Plain.
Qin Bantong continued, "I read an account of it. Its greatest feature is an ultimate defense called Heavenly Soul Shattering Rush. No matter how great the danger, it can save its wearer once. But I've never seen it myself, so I don't know whether it's true."
"Nonsense! I think you've gone mad dreaming of good armor and made it up! Ultimate defense? What rubbish!" Hua Meiniang laughed dismissively.
Qin Bantong muttered something aggrievedly.
Hua Meiniang glared. "What did you say? Louder! Your big sister can't hear."
Qin Bantong jumped aside. "Nothing! This junior said nothing!" His innocent expression made both Li Qiang and Qin Xiaohuan laugh.
His anxiety easing considerably, Li Qiang asked, "Brother Qin, which direction did that group from Qianjie Star take?"
"They seemed to be heading northwest."
The Frozen Plain was a peculiar place. The entire plain rose and fell, filled with massive ice sheets and fissures. It was bitterly cold year-round, and its winds struck like chopping knives and cleaving axes. An ordinary person would freeze into an ice stick within moments of entering. Even cultivators could not withstand such intense cold without battle armor.
To resist the bitter cold, all four made their armor emit faint halos.
Qin Bantong's armor looked the warmest, flickering with red light.
Hua Meiniang's armor was the loveliest, her pink peach-blossom armor wreathed in mist.
Qin Xiaohuan wore plain white armor. Its shimmering silver light set off her lovely face, making her look unearthly and untouched by worldly dust.
Li Qiang's Billowing Essence Battle Armor was different from all the others. Its glittering blue light flowed like ocean tides, carrying an air of effortless grace.
Suddenly, a strange howl came from afar. Hua Meiniang's expression changed dramatically. "Circulate your power at full strength! The Cold Gang overhead is coming down! Hold hands! Little sister, deploy the White Cloud Barrier!"
She seized Qin Bantong's armor collar with her left hand and Li Qiang's arm with her right, shouting almost frantically, "You two brats, stop moving!" Pushing Li Qiang with her right hand, she added, "Quick, take my little sister's hand!"
Qin Bantong felt Hua Meiniang was making far too much of it. What was so formidable about Cold Gang? Besides, being held by his armor collar like a chick was truly humiliating.
Li Qiang understood nothing, but he heard the unease in Hua Meiniang's voice. Anything that could unsettle even her was certainly no fun. He obediently took Qin Xiaohuan's hand. Her face flushed slightly as she raised her hand and released the White Cloud Barrier.
The shrill whistling drew closer. The sky darkened, and the earth trembled uneasily. Fist-sized chunks of ice were flung into the air, whirling and circling with strange cracking sounds.
Pressure descended from the sky, forcing almost everything to the ground amid a chaotic clatter.
Suddenly, everything fell silent.
An intense unease immediately filled their hearts. Almost simultaneously, Hua Meiniang and Li Qiang shouted, "Watch out!"
Boom! The invisible Cold Gang crashed down. A raised ice sheet near them seemed to take a blow from a heaven-sized hammer, exploding and tearing to pieces like paper. After a brief pause, the torrent roared and rolled toward them.
Snow mist filled the sky, mingled with countless ice fragments that shot toward them like sharp arrows. Qin Bantong's face changed color.
The thunderous rumbling reminded Li Qiang of a great avalanche. "Everyone, crouch!" he cried urgently. He knew standing offered too much resistance; crouching would reduce the force somewhat.
"Circulate your power and anchor yourselves to the ground!" Hua Meiniang shouted too.
In those few moments, the Cold Gang reached them.
Instantly, all four suits of armor blazed with dazzling light. Qin Xiaohuan gave a muffled groan, blood trickling from her lips. Alarmed, Hua Meiniang shouted, "Little sister, withdraw the White Cloud Barrier! I'll hold the front!"
The impact was simply too tremendous for human strength to withstand. That single collision had inflicted considerable internal injuries on Qin Xiaohuan. The four stood like a great arrowhead, splitting the Cold Gang down the middle. The divided currents curled away along either side, gouging two deep trenches into the hard ice beneath them.
Within moments, Hua Meiniang could no longer hold out. Seeing the danger, Li Qiang hauled her back and shouted, "I'll take over! Brother Qin, get ready!"
Only when he stood at the arrow's point did Li Qiang understand why it was so difficult. The force and pressure were virtually endless, as though a supreme expert were attacking him.
In an instant, Li Qiang felt his blood boil. Wave after wave of crushing pressure left him unable to catch his breath. He immediately sank his consciousness into his Nascent Soul, frantically driving it to resist. The Shadow Dream Armor also began working, allowing him to withstand the impact for the moment.
The other three were astonished that Li Qiang could actually withstand such powerful Cold Gang.
None of them knew he had three layers of armor. Li Qiang poured True Essence Power ceaselessly into the Billowing Essence Battle Armor, and the tides flowing within it began spinning rapidly. Since the Purple Flame Heart had absorbed the power of Heavenly Fire, clusters of flame appeared amid the blue light. Gradually, the flames grew larger, and the Billowing Essence Battle Armor suddenly turned pale gold. Strangely, Li Qiang felt the pressure lessen considerably.
"The Billowing Essence Battle Armor can actually evolve on its own," Qin Bantong murmured. "Unbelievable."
Slowly, the Cold Gang weakened, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Hua Meiniang said, "We were lucky. I never expected the boy's armor to be this good. We've escaped a calamity." Qin Xiaohuan remained silent, quietly circulating her power to recover.
The Cold Gang departed as quickly as it had arrived. The four silently surveyed the devastation around them, all feeling afraid.
Li Qiang silently offered an Immortal Stone. Qin Xiaohuan nodded her thanks, took it, and slowly absorbed its power. Qin Bantong laughed. "This is my first time encountering such terrifying Cold Gang. If it happens again, we'll be in trouble."
"Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting?" Hua Meiniang snapped.
"Uh..." Qin Bantong smiled wryly.
Carried on the wind, faint rumbling came from the distance.
All four expressions changed. Hua Meiniang murmured, "Strange. Why is so much Cold Gang descending?"
Li Qiang suggested, "Couldn't we use the Earth Traversal Technique? Wouldn't that let us avoid the Cold Gang's impact?"
Hua Meiniang sighed. "That won't work. Underground, it's all ice sheets and fissures. Traveling that way would be far too slow."
"Then we can go underground when the Cold Gang comes and come back up after it passes. Wouldn't that be much better than enduring it head-on?"
Qin Xiaohuan finished circulating her power and interjected, "I don't know the Earth Traversal Technique. That's why we haven't used that method."
"I don't know it either," Qin Bantong said. "Unfortunately, I didn't bring a Law Treasure for traveling underground this time."
Li Qiang thought fast. "Let's dig a deep pit and shelter in it." Everyone immediately accepted the idea.
"I'll go first," Qin Bantong volunteered. Eager to show off his treasure, he raised his short black rod. The red ball at its tip shot out a white beam. When it touched the icy ground, the light sank into it. A moment later, Qin Bantong shouted, "Open!"
A string of muffled thunderclaps rose from deep underground. With a splash, a jet of muddy water erupted, steaming hot. Caught unprepared, all four were drenched from head to toe.
Hua Meiniang burst into curses. "You brat! Your great-aunt doesn't want a mud bath! Clumsy oaf... you... I could wring your neck!" Li Qiang had seen Hua Meiniang lose her temper on Mars. Seeing it again, he felt no aversion at all, only great amusement.
Qin Bantong scurried away like a rat, clutching his head and repeatedly begging for mercy.
The four looked at one another. All their earlier beauty and elegance had vanished. Someone gave a snort of laughter, and as though their laughter nerves had been plucked together, all four burst into helpless peals.
Almost simultaneously, they circulated their power and shook their armor, flinging off the muddy water and restoring their original appearance.
The rumbling grew louder, mingled with strange "qiaqia" sounds. Li Qiang suddenly remembered what Zhao Hao had once said at the prince's residence. He smiled bitterly. "Looks like we've hit the jackpot again."
"What?" Qin Xiaohuan asked in surprise.
"The monster, Qiaqia Ice."
Hua Meiniang confirmed it too. "That's right. Qiaqia Ice monsters. Not one-a whole pack."