In front of each of the four people were about ten Sacred Fruit Olive, three slices of Saliva-Gathering Crystal Ganoderma, and various legendary rare fruits, exotic treasures, and spirit medicine.
Qian Shanyong lit up with joy. He bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your generous gift, sir." With a wave of his hand, he swept everything off the jade table.
These precious items were treasures used for alchemy, but Qian Shanyong didn't really care about them. What pleased him was Heavenly Aunt's attitude. Since she was willing to bring out these good things, it meant that she didn't mind him bringing people to see her.
The Old Immortal Tianshi and Dainan Fengyu also put away the treasures on the table. The two stood up to express their gratitude, Heavenly Aunt smiled without saying a word.
Li Qiang picked up the items one by one, examining them from all Saliva-Gathering Crystal Ganoderma, he asked, "What's this? Heh, young man, you're too ignorant to recognize it."
Qian Shanyong said, "This is the Saliva-Gathering Crystal Ganoderma, a divine and precious medicine; this is the Sacred Fruit Olive, also a divine fruit, extremely rare. If used to make medicine, it can produce a divine elixir. Even in the Immortal Realm, these treasures are extremely difficult to find. You should thank the Venerable One."
Li Qiang put away the treasures on the jade table and said with a grin, "Thank you, Heavenly Aunt."
The Heavenly Aunt said calmly, "It's fate that we've met. Kid, let me remind you, hurry up and find a way to improve your cultivation, or you'll be in big trouble. This is the Beiye Pill Cauldron; I'm giving it to you."
A fist-sized Pill Cauldron appeared in her hand and slowly flew down onto Li Qiang's jade table.
The three immortals stared in disbelief.
Qian Shanyong sighed, "A cauldron that can refine divine elixirs..."
Tianshi and Dainan Fengyu exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with confusion. They couldn't understand why Heavenly Aunt would give Li Qiang this extraordinary treasure.
The Beiye Pill Cauldron was a three-legged cauldron about the size of a fist, entirely vermilion in color, neither gold nor stone, and its material was unknown. Li Qiang held it in his hand and looked at it. He knew that this was an extremely difficult cauldron to refine. Mei Youbing, the grandmaster of alchemy in Rejuvenation Valley, had once mentioned this kind of cauldron, which was the best Pill Cauldron cauldron in legend.
Li Qiang remained silent for a moment. He couldn't figure out Heavenly Aunt's intentions, and he didn't know why she would give him such a precious gift on their first meeting. He scratched his head and said, "Hehe, Heavenly Aunt, I don't know how to use this."
The Heavenly Aunt smiled and said, "I know that even among immortals, not many people know how to use it. This is the Beiye Heavenly Scripture; you can read it right here."
A thin, silvery object flew from the Heavenly Aunt's hand, and she said, "Return it to me after you've written it down."
Li Qiang wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by. He picked it up and glanced at it before being completely bewildered. He looked up awkwardly and said, " Heavenly Aunt, what kind of writing is this? I can't understand it." As he spoke, a thought suddenly struck him; he felt as if he had seen this kind of writing somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where.
The Heavenly Aunt smiled and said, "Try it with your Divine Sense."
Following instructions, Li Qiang used his Divine Sense to discern the text and immediately sensed a strange fluctuation. In an instant, he understood that these words were not meant to be read, but rather to be conveyed through Divine Sense.
Li Qiang quickly figured out how to refine the divine pill, but it was completely impossible for him to describe it, because this kind of teaching could only be understood intuitively and could not be explained in words.
He returned the Beiye Heavenly Scripture to Heavenly Aunt, put away the Beiye Pill Cauldron, and asked, "Is there anything else you need, Heavenly Aunt?"
The Heavenly Aunt said, "I have no further instructions. When you have the chance, refine some divine pills yourself. They will be very useful soon. Remember, the sooner the better. The spiritual spirit medicine I gave you should be enough. There are also some auxiliary spirit medicine that can be found in the Cultivation Realm. Go find them yourself."
Li Qiang had countless questions in his mind, and he couldn't help but ask, "Are you a deity?" He was really curious. Heavenly Aunt could freely travel to all realms, and her Divine Ability were so great, she must be a deity.
Heavenly Aunt shook her head and said, "I am the Primordial Hermit, not a deity."
Li Qiang didn't believe it and pressed further, "What's the difference between the Primordial Hermit and the Divine Man?"
Qian Shanyong interjected, "The Venerable One is indeed not a deity. I have cultivated for so many years and have never seen a deity. Boy, let me put it this way, deities are not people like us can see them."
Li Qiang was still persistent and asked again, "If you're not a god, how can you access the Divine Realm?"
Heavenly Aunt suddenly found Li Qiang quite troublesome. She laughed and said, "It's just a corner leading to the Divine Realm, a very small area. It's difficult to go any deeper. My cultivation is still a bit lacking. Fortunately, the place I discovered has a lot of spirit medicine. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if that's the Divine Realm."
Only then did Li Qiang understand, and he sighed, "That's quite an extraordinary ability, Divine Ability of books and diagrams."
Qian Shanyong said, "Venerable Master, what should I do? Please enlighten me." He seemed to have mustered up his courage to speak.
Old Immortal Tianshi and Dainan Fengyu both looked at Heavenly Aunt.
Heavenly Aunt chuckled and said, " Qian Shanyong, I advise you not to fight with Gu Xing. You can only return to the Immortal Realm when Azure Emperor breaks through to the final realm. If you go back now, the punishment Azure Emperor will give you will probably not be as simple as being subjected to the Heavenly General Wheel."
The mask on Qian Shanyong's face turned crimson one moment and pale the next. He tried to hold back, but he couldn't help himself and said, "Master, back then, Shanyong followed your orders and delivered a message to Qi Zheng, which angered him so much that he exploded. Because of this, I fell out with Gu Xing. You... you... Master, you can't abandon me."
The Heavenly Aunt's smile vanished, and she said coldly, "Are you blaming me?"
Qian Shanyong smile and said, " Shanyong wouldn't dare, I just wish to ask the Venerable One for guidance on a way out."
Li Qiang watched in disbelief. He knew Qian Shanyong's strength very well, and he had never seen him beg for help so humbly before. A sense of fear and doubt arose in Li Qiang's heart. Just who was this Heavenly Aunt? She actually disregarded Luo Heaven High Immortal Qian Shanyong and treated him like a servant. It was simply unbelievable.
Moreover, judging from their conversation, it seems that the immortal's self-destruction back then was closely related to Heavenly Aunt, and Qian Shanyong was merely a tool. Li Qiang became secretly wary, wondering if Heavenly Aunt would also use him.
Heavenly Aunt said, " Qian Shanyong, although the Azure Emperor is very angry with you, he will thank you in the future. As long as you can get through this, hehe, you will thank me in the same way."
Li Qiang watched coldly, secretly sighing to himself that even Qian Shanyong had the strength of Heavenly Aunt Heavenly Aunt, he wouldn't need her guidance at all.
Back then, Qian Shanyong and Dainan Fengyu chased him all over the world. If they had the strength they have now back then, would they have dared to treat him like that?
Qian Shanyong smiled bitterly, helpless. Heavenly Aunt simply refused to tell him how to deal with the pressure from the Immortal Realm. Still unwilling to give up, he asked again, "Master, does this mean that the Azure Emperor already knows that it was because of me— Qi Zheng— that he self-destructed?" He looked at Heavenly Aunt with a sliver of hope.
Heavenly Aunt smiled and said, "Of course, the Azure Emperor once tried to send someone from my Ringed Jade Heaven to the Cultivation Realm, but I didn't agree. I've delayed for you for so many years, shouldn't you be ready by now?"
Qian Shanyong sat down in despair and said, "Fortunately... fortunately I didn't go back. If I had returned to the Immortal Realm now, alas... it turns out the Azure Emperor already knew."
Dainan Fengyu and Old Immortal Tianshi were still unaware of what was going on, but Li Qiang roughly understood. Because it concerned the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation, he paid special attention.
Heavenly Aunt revealed a mischievous smile, "Of course the Azure Emperor knows, because I told him."
The mask on Qian Shanyong's face was distorted. He grabbed the jade table in a fit of rage, and with a "crack", the jade table shattered into powder.
The Heavenly Aunt laughed even more heartily.
Xian Rong shouted, " Qian Shanyong! This is the warm jade table I made! Why did you smash it? You have to pay me back!"
Li Qiang touched the table; the surface was indeed warm. He couldn't help but say, " Old Qian, if Heavenly Aunt isn't lying, she's already made a promise to you. What are you still angry about?"
Qian Shanyong was completely dazed and no longer remembered Heavenly Aunt's words. He asked, "What promise?"
Heavenly Aunt looked at Li Qiang appreciatively and said, " Qian Shanyong is blinded by his own involvement; let him think it over slowly."
Qian Shanyong wasn't stupid; he was just confused by a series of events.
Taking a deep breath, Qian Shanyong closed his eyes and pondered, gradually calming down.
Li Qiang thought for a moment and then asked the question that concerned him most, " Heavenly Aunt, what exactly is Xinbo Cape in West Ji?"
Tian Gu smiled gently; she knew Li Qiang was eager to know about Xijixinbojiao's situation.
She didn't answer Li Qiang, but instead instructed Xian Rong, "Go and fetch a bottle of Soul Crossing Liquid." Xian Rong responded and disappeared.
Li Qiang stared at Heavenly Aunt, but she wouldn't answer, and he was at a loss for what to do.
The fragrance of the flowers grew stronger. Heavenly Aunt slowly said, "There are some things I cannot say. Once I do, the consequences will be beyond my control. Xinbo Cape in West Ji... you'll have to find the answer yourself."
Li Qiang's face showed extreme disappointment.
Heavenly Aunt laughed and said, "Young man, I'm doing this for your own good! The price of revealing the mystery is that my word doesn't count; everything depends on your own efforts, otherwise it's all just empty talk."
Qian Shanyong opened his eyes and said calmly, "That's right, I understand what you mean, Master. Hehe, forgive my Shanyong, it's only now that I've grasped your good intentions. Shanyong know how to respond now."
Heavenly Aunt nodded slightly. "As expected of Luo Heaven High Immortal, you awakened very quickly. Just go ahead and do your best, but remember one thing: protect this boy until that day comes; he is your only hope."
Qian Shanyong nodded and said, "Yes, Venerable Master, I will wait until that day."
Their conversation was like a riddle; Li Qiang couldn't understand what they meant, so he scratched his head, deep in thought.
A short while later, Xian Rong returned and handed Heavenly Aunt a small bottle of golden liquid.
The Heavenly Aunt held it up in her hand and looked at it, then laughed and said, " Li Qiang, do you have two Loose Immortal friends who are about to be reincarnated?"
Li Qiang asked in surprise, "How did you know? That's right, my master and elder brother are to be reincarnated, Gu Xing agreed to use the Heaven-Defying Treasure Mirror to help them reincarnate."
The Heavenly Aunt said, "I obtained this bottle of Soul Crossing Liquid a long time ago. I have no use for it, but your friend can use it when he reincarnates, so I'll give it to you. Soul Crossing Liquid is a divine item that allows the reincarnated person to fully retain their consciousness and have an excellent foundation after reincarnation. The method of use is very simple: just let the Soul Crossing Liquid invade their Divine Sense."
Li Qiang was overjoyed. His biggest worry was Big Brother Mo and his master Qi Junsha, fearing that something might go wrong when they were reincarnated. With this treasure, he could finally rest assured.
Li Qiang stood up with a broad smile and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you for your generous gift, Heavenly Aunt. I am extremely grateful."
Heavenly Aunt smiled and said, "No need to be so polite. I just hope to become friends with you. I wonder if I have the honor."
Everyone was stunned.
Li Qiang, however, remained clear-headed. He knew that Heavenly Aunt must have wanted something from him for giving him so many benefits, but he didn't hesitate at all and immediately said, "It's my honor. I will certainly obey Heavenly Aunt's orders."
Heavenly Aunt frowned slightly and said, "You're not being sincere! Fine, I was being presumptuous."
Li Qiang blushed deeply. Indeed, because Heavenly Aunt had displayed such formidable strength, he had felt a sense of unease and wariness towards her from the very beginning. He hadn't expected Heavenly Aunt to be so astute, seeing through his insincerity at a glance. He sat down silently, offering no explanation.
The Heavenly Aunt said, "Alright, you can go now. Perhaps we'll have another chance to meet again." She seemed somewhat impatient.
Qian Shanyong stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."
Li Qiang and the others had just stood up and hadn't even spoken when Heavenly Aunt said, "You'd better watch yourselves," and then vanished.
Xian Rong and Xian Xi stretched out their small hands, gesturing as if to see the guests off.
Xian Rong said, "Please stand still and don't move."
Xian Xi ran to Li Qiang's side and quietly slipped him a small round ball, whispering, "Brother, use your Divine Yi Power to blast it open when things are most dangerous, remember that?"
Li Qiang also transmitted his voice, "Can it save a life?"
Xian Xi nodded with a grin and transmitted her voice, "Little brother, remember to bring me some toys next time."
Li Qiang was amused by him and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Definitely, definitely."
Xian Xi and Xian Rong both smiled happily.
Xian Rong said, "It's started, don't move."
In an instant, all the flowers on the platform flew up and formed a huge flower tornado, and the surrounding air fluctuated violently. Li Qiang and the others waited motionless.
Xian Xi and Xian Rong said in unison, "See you again someday."
Two small figures vanished in a flash of light, while at the same time, fluttering flowers engulfed Li Qiang and his companions.
Li Qiang felt a blur before his eyes, and a rich floral fragrance wafted towards him. In just an instant, everything vanished without a trace.
Looking at the planet not far below, Li Qiang exclaimed in surprise, " Heavenly Court Star?"
Qian Shanyong said, "Don't be surprised. The Venerable One's supernatural Divine Ability are beyond your imagination. She is someone who has obtained Law Power and Divine Ability."
The Old Immortal Tianshi shook his head and said, "Alas, in front of her... I can't even breathe properly. I feel like a child. Alas..." He sighed repeatedly.
Dainan Fengyu said with lingering fear, "Brother Qian, why have you never mentioned this before?"
Qian Shanyong said, "I can't say. It's your destiny to meet her. In the end, you still benefited from this kid's success." He pointed at Li Qiang.
Li Qiang laughed, "What benefit am I supposed to get? This lady almost killed me! Goodness, she's really something. This is the first time I've ever felt so restrained. Strange, why would she pay attention to nobody like us? I can't figure it out!"
Qian Shanyong said, "Let's go back to the Sacred City. Kid, you should come along too."
Li Qiang said, "I'm not going. There are still some things I haven't figured out. I'll go back to Sealed Fate Planet once I've thought them through. If you need anything, you can come find me at the Ancient Sword Academy or the Chongxuan Sect."
Qian Shanyong didn't press the matter. He handed Li Qiang a flat needle and said, "If you want to find me, just throw this needle. As long as you're in the vicinity of Sealed Fate Planet, the three of us can get there immediately."
Li Qiang asked with a grin, "Why does Heavenly Aunt need you to protect me... Never mind, it seems you won't tell me anyway. With a bodyguard like you, what do I have to fear? Goodbye." With a flash of golden light, he headed towards the Heavenly Court Star.
Watching Li Qiang disappear, Qian Shanyong suddenly sighed, "What a pity, that kid doesn't know anything..."
Dainan Fengyu asked curiously, "Brother Qian, what doesn't he know?"
Qian Shanyong suddenly realized what was happening and quickly covered it up, saying, "Hehe, it's nothing, I was just sighing for a moment. Let's go."
Li Qiang landed beside a great river, the most famous river in the Green Basin, called the Qingwei River, which runs through three countries in the basin. Li Qiang landed right in the reeds by the river, and the Heaven-Pillaring Divine Armor on his body shone brightly.
Li Qiang transformed into a scholar, still holding a folding fan in his hand.
The reeds swayed in the breeze. Li Qiang darted to the shore and realized it was already early summer. He couldn't help but sigh, "Immortals truly have no sense of time. In just a short leap by Star Radiance, time has passed like an arrow."
The Qingwei River was wide, and mist shrouded its surface. Li Qiang walked aimlessly along the bank.
After meeting Heavenly Aunt, Li Qiang Qiang's doubts only grew.
No one was willing to reveal the mystery of Xinbo Cape in West Ji, as it concerned the safety of their master and Big Brother Mo; Qian Shanyong was clearly acting under the orders of Heavenly Aunt, which caused the immortal cultivator to self-destruct in anger, but he couldn't figure out the reason; also, Heavenly Aunt mentioned that the Azure Emperor was about to break through to the final realm—was the Azure Emperor also cultivating divinity?
Li Qiang's mind was racing like a windmill as he tried to make sense of things.
He was particularly puzzled by the fact that Heavenly Aunt had given him the Beiye Pill Cauldron and the Soul Crossing Liquid, because Heavenly Aunt had no reason to give him these peerless treasures for no reason; there must be some explanation.
Li Qiang thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation. He sighed deeply. The current situation was not as simple as when he first entered the Cultivation Realm. Since he started cultivating to godhood, he had truly faced many difficulties.
Around noon, Li Qiang spotted a small wooden ferry crossing ahead. The crossing was deserted, with no boats in sight. Beside the crossing was an extremely simple shed with a cloth banner hanging from a thin bamboo pole. The banner had the character "tea" written on it. Inside the shed were about ten rough square tables, where a few merchants and passersby were sitting sparsely.
Unable to make sense of things, Li Qiang felt somewhat agitated. Looking at the pergola not far away, he slowly strolled over.
The pergola was built under a tall locust tree, where a gentle breeze brought coolness. Li Qiang walked to an empty table, sat down, and gazed at the Qingwei River outside, falling into deep thought once again.
"Uncle, uncle..."
Li Qiang gently waved his folding fan and asked, "What?"
It was a little girl of eleven or twelve years old. She came up to Li Qiang and asked, "Uncle, would you like some tea? Our tea is very famous. Would you like a pot?"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Then let's have a pot."
There weren't many customers in the pavilion, but Li Qiang's attire was quite unique. Dressed in white, he looked neither like a scholar nor a merchant, and it was impossible to tell whether he Gusong Kingdom, the Litang Kingdom, or the Great Han Kingdom. Everyone's eyes were on him.
Actually, it's not Li Qiang's fault, because he simply didn't understand the local customs and traditions.
The little girl was wearing blue homespun clothes, which had faded a bit from washing, but she looked very neat. She was carrying a large copper kettle with difficulty, going back and forth to pour water for the guests.
The shopkeeper was an old man with gray hair and a somewhat hunched back. He was boiling water on an earthen stove next to the shed.
The young girl was busy running around, her face covered in fine beads of sweat, her clear, childlike voice constantly greeting the guests, showing that she was very capable.
Li Qiang watched silently, feeling that the secular world was beginning to feel unfamiliar. The teapot on the table was a rough pottery pot fired in an earthen kiln, and the large rough pottery bowl looked dark and murky, making it impossible to tell what color the tea was when it was poured into the bowl.
Li Qiang couldn't help but sigh, "Where in the Cultivation Realm could you find something so crude?"
Fortunately, there weren't many customers. After greeting everyone, the young girl put down the large copper kettle she was carrying and ran to the old man to fetch firewood.
A rapid sound of hooves approached, and everyone in the pavilion looked towards the dirt road. In the distance, dust billowed high as a black steed galloped towards them.
A horse neighed and stopped by the pergola. A handsome young man jumped off the horse, tied the reins to a tree trunk, dusted himself off, and walked into the pergola.
Li Qiang immediately noticed the longbow slung across the young man's shoulder—it was the Crystal Origin Bow he had forged in the Black Prison! It was the weapon he had given to Lin Fenghe. Li Qiang instantly understood that this young man must have some kind of relationship with Lin Fenghe.
The young man looked around, then walked straight to Li Qiang's table and said, "Brother, do you mind if I sit down?" Li Qiang smiled and nodded. The young man pulled over a wooden stool, sat down, and called out, "Shopkeeper, bring some tea quickly!"
Li Qiang said, "My tea hasn't been touched, you can drink it first."
The young man didn't stand on ceremony. He touched the teapot and laughed, "Warm? Good, I'm so thirsty." He picked up the teapot, poured it directly into his mouth, and drank the whole pot of tea in one gulp, praising, "Excellent! The water is good, the tea is good!"
The young girl had already brought over a pot of tea and placed it on the table.
The young man casually pulled out a small piece of silver and said, "Little girl, here you go. Do you have anything to eat?"
Li Qiang watched with great interest.
The little girl seemed a bit surprised and said, "Uncle, a pot of tea only costs ten copper coins, I don't have change for the silver you gave me."
The young man said nonchalantly, "If you can't make change, that's fine. Just bring us whatever food you have."
The little girl ran to the old man with a big smile and quickly brought him a plate of eight large steamed buns, a dozen boiled eggs, and a plate of braised pork.
The young man seemed extremely hungry. He grabbed a steamed bun, took a bite, and mumbled, "Okay, keep the change. Make me another serving as provisions." After saying that, he glanced back the way he came.
Li Qiang sensed that something was wrong, but seeing how quickly he was eating, he didn't press the matter.
In about ten minutes, the food on the table was almost gone. The young man let out a satisfied burp, let out a long sigh, and said, "That was so satisfying! Little girl, can the ferry still run?"
The little girl said, "Uncle Yan, the ferryman, has something to do at home and won't be here until the afternoon. You'll have to wait a bit, sir."
The young man looked back at the road he had come from and said, "Young lady, where can I find a ferry? I need to cross the river now."
The little girl said with difficulty, "Uncle Yan is on the other side of the river, and there's no way to contact him now."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Are you in such a hurry to cross the river because you have something to do?"
The young man looked anxious. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said loudly, "Whoever can find a ferry, I will pay ten taels of silver."
The people in the pavilion immediately started talking amongst themselves.
The little girl said, "Uncle, it's no use. Only Old Man Yan has a ferry here; the others are all fishing boats..."
The young man said urgently, "A fishing boat will do, as long as it can cross the river."
The old man who was boiling water came over and said, "The fishing boats are all gone; they've gone fishing."
The young man was stunned. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Well, I guess I'll have to give it a shot."
He stood up, took off the Crystal Origin Bow from his body, and walked out of the shade.
Li Qiang was even more certain that this young man was in trouble.
Not long after, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came again from afar.
The young man stood at the ferry crossing, holding the Crystal Origin Bow, watching the dust rising in the distance, a confident smile on his face.