It was a humanoid monster, shrouded in thick black mist, which Li Qiang immediately recognized as newly formed demonic mist. It roared and kept crashing into a huge rock, letting out a loud roar with each impact, seemingly in great pain. The rock was covered with rotting flesh and blood, and a stench permeated the air.
Li Qiang was extremely surprised. He could tell at a glance that this must be a cultivator who seemed to have entered the initial stage of demonization. Because he had a strong physical body that he could not transform, he tried to smash his bones and flesh to complete the initial cultivation of a demon.
Li Qiang walked forward step by step.
The man seemed to sense Li Qiang's presence. He immediately stopped his attack and stared fiercely at Li Qiang through the black mist, a faint blood-red light flashing in his eyes.
Li Qiang noticed a large cave not far away, from which wisps of steam were rising. He suddenly realized that this person had failed his tribulation but had managed to preserve his body and avoid complete annihilation thanks to a powerful magic Law Treasure. In desperation, he had resorted to using the power of a demon to cultivate again, which was why he was in such a sorry state.
Most cultivators who fail to transcend tribulations are unwilling to turn to demonic cultivation. Moreover, there are very few scriptures on demonic cultivation, and it is impossible for anyone but those with a keen mind to collect them. Therefore, while their minds are still clear, most cultivators will choose to give up completely or allow the demon to take over their bodies. When the time comes, they will enter the Black Devil Realm.
Only a very few cultivators would choose to cultivate demonic arts when they are unable to transcend tribulations, like the person before them.
On his way back from Linming Planet, Li Qiang had consulted with the Great Gods and Devils Chiming of the Black Devil Realm about the demon's cultivation process. Therefore, he was very clear about the level of demon cultivation of the person in front of him. It was a process of transformation. His Nascent Soul had not yet fully Fusion with the demon, and his strong body was also hindering the demon's further invasion. That's why he used the method of hitting the rock to solve the problem.
The man's excitement upon seeing Li Qiang was obvious.
The man roared and charged forward like a maddened beast.
Li Qiang waved his folding fan, and an invisible force blocked the man. However, the enormous impact also surprised Li Qiang, who realized that the man's skill was extraordinary.
With a slight thought, his War Soul Saber transformed into a colorful ring, binding the man. Li Qiang asked, "Who are you?"
The man seemed to have lost his mind. He roared and struggled, but the War Soul Saber was far different from ordinary Law Treasure. The power of the divine weapon even made immortals feel troubled, let alone someone who had just begun cultivating demonic arts.
During the struggle, the black mist on the man's face suddenly dissipated, and Li Qiang exclaimed in shock, " The Old Man Baihuang?"
The man stopped struggling abruptly, as if struck by something heavy. Suddenly, he shouted, " Bai Huang! I am Bai Huang!"
Li Qiang never expected that the Old Man Baihuang would be hiding here undergoing his tribulation. It seems that he has been trapped here for a long time after failing his tribulation.
Li Qiang felt a pang of pity. Regardless of what Old Man Baihuang had done in the past, he never expected that someone with the cultivation of a grandmaster would suffer such a tragic fate after failing to transcend the tribulation.
Li Qiang tapped his palm with his folding fan, thinking, "I can't let Bai Huang cultivate demonic arts smoothly, otherwise the entire Heavenly Court Star will suffer."
The Old Man Baihuang roared, "You... you... kill me now..." In an instant, he seemed to regain his senses.
Li Qiang said, "Is there anything else you need to tell me? I'll take care of it for you."
The Old Man Baihuang suddenly became agitated, wailing in agony, "I... I'm fine... I... please don't tell anyone... My Law Treasure are all in the cave, I'm giving them to you, just... kill me... kill..."
Li Qiang no longer hesitated. He knew that cultivators in the early stages of demonization were in extreme pain, a suffering that ordinary people could not endure. Old Man Baihuang was indeed a grandmaster, as he was able to regain his senses under such circumstances.
He clasped his hands together and shouted, " Bai Huang! As you wish!"
The colorful circle formed by the War Soul Saber suddenly shone brightly, causing the earth to tremble. A dazzling golden light flashed, and the body of Old Man Baihuang was pulverized. In an instant, Bai Huang used the power of the War Soul Saber to dissolve his physical body Nascent Soul, completely Fusion with the demon, but he could not escape the confinement of the War Soul Saber.
Li Qiang calmly activated the Demon- Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder. A series of Divine Thunder flew into the forbidden zone, and a thunderous roar exploded. The nascent demon was blasted to pieces, turning into wisps of remnant souls that drifted away.
Killing Bai Huang has no impact on Li Qiang's current cultivation level, because it was about destroying a demon, not killing a person.
A cry suddenly rang out in the sky, a Blue Light flashed, and the scattered souls were swept away.
Li Qiang was both surprised and delighted. "A little Sea Demon? Blue Light!"
After circling once in the air, the little Sea Demon pounced on Li Qiang's shoulder and murmured affectionately against his cheek.
Li Qiang laughed heartily. He sensed that the little Sea Demon was much stronger than before, and was almost transforming into a spirit beast.
The little Sea Demon was shimmering with a sapphire blue light, its round eyes sparkling with silver light. Its feathers were also different from before; each feather had a dark gold thread, which shone brightly against the sapphire blue light. This was a sign that it was about to cultivate into a spirit beast.
Li Qiang fed it a magic pill, gently stroked its little head, and was filled with emotion.
Both the human and the beast were very happy.
After playing for a while, the little Sea Demon suddenly flew up, circling around Li Qiang with a reluctant cry, its tone revealing a faint sadness. Then, it suddenly transformed into a blue flash and disappeared without a trace.
Li Qiang understood that after so many years, the little Sea Demon had become accustomed to living alone and no longer wanted to depend on humans.
A huge crater appeared on the ground, left by the War Soul Saber when it annihilated Old Man Baihuang.
Li Qiang sighed deeply. If the Old Man Baihuang had cultivated into Loose Immortal after his Liberation by Violence, the outcome would probably have been better than this. However, someone like him would never be willing to cultivate into Loose Immortal.
The result of forcibly undergoing the tribulation was that Qi Deviation; the grandmaster disappeared from the world.
Li Qiang slipped away and entered the crypt left behind by Bai Huang.
This is a huge void created by Law Power, about the size of a tennis court. It's clear that many formations were once set up inside, but they have all been broken.
The entire ground and walls were yellowish-brown, formed by Law Technique, and had excellent protective properties. Some Law Treasure were scattered on the ground, Li Qiang picked up casually.
He didn't have many Law Treasure. Before undergoing his tribulation, Bai Huang left his own Law Treasure on Qianjie Star, and only brought some treasures for the tribulation.
Li Qiang found a flying sword, a top-grade flying sword with both earth and wood properties, which seemed to be Bai Huang's personal flying sword. He also found seven small yellow and white flags, which were Law Treasure used for setting up formations. One of the flags was already damaged.
In a corner, Li Qiang found a bracelet and a bottle of Sea Agate.
Li Qiang picked up the bottle of Sea Agate and suddenly understood.
Old Man Baihuang had actually made preparations long ago: if he failed to Liberation by Violence the tribulation, he would disintegrate and become Loose Immortal wandering immortal. It's just unknown why he failed to do so, which led to him being attacked by the demon and ending up with his soul scattered. It was truly pitiful and lamentable.
The bracelet left by the Old Man Baihuang is better than Li Qiang's, and like Fu Shan's Mustard Seed Bracelet, it is also a treasure.
Li Qiang examined the bracelet; it contained mostly various materials, from crystals to spirit medicine, and also quite a few Law Treasure. Li Qiang couldn't examine them all at once, so he put the bracelet away and slipped outside.
Li Qiang casually sealed the cave entrance and then continued on his way.
Since the advent of humankind, the vast majority of people on Heavenly Court Star have lived in the Green Basin, with only a small number residing in the Green Basin areas. Other places, such as the Frozen Plain, are extremely uninhabitable due to their harsh climate and environment.
Li Qiang walked aimlessly forward, unconcerned about any dangers ahead. With his current strength, there was nothing he could fear.
Having traversed countless desolate mountains and crossed numerous lakes and rivers, Li Qiang rarely encountered humans along the way. Instead, he saw many monsters roaming the mountains and wilderness, but he had completely lost the desire to hunt them.
Because Li Qiang had mastered the control over his Heart of Slaughter, he had this realization for the first time: realms can be controlled, and when one's cultivation surpasses the requirements of a realm, controlling that realm is entirely possible.
What's troubling him most right now is the jumbled mess of thoughts that he can't unravel no matter how hard he tries.
Li Qiang walked into a large canyon, where a vast primeval forest grew at the bottom. He instinctively flew down into the canyon.
In the instant he fell, he suddenly realized that he had far too little information and too many things he didn't understand, making it impossible for him to deduce and organize any useful conclusions.
He decided to return to Sealed Fate Planet to gather intelligence so that he could make the right decision.
Li Qiang stopped in the primeval forest, surveying his surroundings, and wondered, "Where is this place?"
He leaned against a large, ancient tree, and as soon as his Divine Sense spread out, he sensed that there were cultivators in the canyon, because his Divine Sense encountered a defensive formation set up by the cultivators.
Li Qiang abandoned the idea of returning to Sealed Fate Planet immediately and quickly teleported there.
Upon arriving at the defensive formation, Li Qiang discovered that it was an extremely ordinary formation, a large-area defensive formation, not used to defend against people, but rather to defend against water.
Li Qiang looked around the forest and saw only huge ancient trees, with relatively few other plants. He realized that the canyon was probably frequently eroded by floods.
Li Qiang easily broke through the defenses and went inside. The further he went, the more wildflowers, grasses, and trees grew, growing haphazardly. Most of the large trees had been cut down, leaving stumps with dense branches growing around them, covering the entire valley. In the center of the defensive formation was a flat bluestone square, with wild grass growing in the seams of the bluestone slabs, indicating that it was an abandoned camp.
There are about a dozen dilapidated wooden buildings on the side of the square, and in front of each building stand two tall stone pillars carved with circular totems.
Li Qiang had seen quite a lot, but this was the first time he had ever seen such a strange totem.
The totem on each pillar is the same: a strange circle containing countless smaller circles, like a nine-linked ring. The pillars are somewhat shaped like hourglasses, thick at both ends and thin in the middle, with a bizarre image inside each circle, giving it a very eerie feel.
Li Qiang looked around but didn't find anyone or anything suspicious.
He walked up a wooden building, pushed aside a wooden plank blocking the stairs, and suddenly stopped to listen intently, then burst into laughter.
With a flash of golden light, Li Qiang arrived at the square. He reached down with both hands and suddenly split them to the sides. With a loud "boom," the bluestone slabs on the square seemed to explode and fly off to both sides.
Li Qiang made several more feints, and a huge hole appeared in the center of the square.
It's another underground cave.
Looking at the hole exposed on the ground, Li Qiang couldn't help but laugh. It seemed that he had an unbreakable connection with the underground caves; no matter where he went, he would find them.
A wisp of green smoke emerged from the cave entrance, and a human figure gradually solidified. Li Qiang realized that this was the essence of Nascent Soul cultivator, not yet reaching the realm of Spirit Body or a book.
The wisps of smoke coalesced into a thin man, shrouded in a thin layer of black mist. He bowed and said, "Please, senior, come inside."
Li Qiang laughed and asked, "Who are you?"
The spirit said, "Call me Nuosuo, senior. I am but a remnant soul. Please, senior!" He turned and jumped into the cave.
Li Qiang followed behind him, Nuosuo suddenly vanished underground. Li Qiang's divine eyes saw it clearly as Nuosuo darted along the cave wall into the cave.
The cave wasn't very large. Following the passage, we soon arrived at a large hall. In the center of the hall stood a huge stone pillar, the same as the stone pillar totem we had just seen, but this pillar was an illusion created by Law Treasure artifact.
Li Qiang clearly saw Nuosuo float in close to the ground. He laughed and said, "Open the passage. If I have to break it, the whole formation will probably be destroyed."
Startled, Nuosuo darted out of the formation, quickly solidifying into his physical form before crying out in terror, "Senior, no! This formation protects our entire Chu Witch Clan. If it's broken, our Chu Witch Clan will be wiped out!"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "I was just reminding you, I don't really intend to crack it. Alright, let me in."
Nuosuo muttered incantations, and soon the stone pillar began to expand, quickly enveloping Li Qiang. The circles carved on the pillar spread outwards like ripples on water.
Li Qiang chuckled and waved his folding fan, watching the strange circles swirl around him, waiting motionless.
It felt like sinking into water; Li Qiang and Nuosuo sank straight down.
After a few minutes, the circle surrounding him gradually dissipated, and suddenly his eyes lit up. Li Qiang found himself in another illusion. However, the illusions of the Cultivation Realm had no effect on him at all. Under his divine eyes, all illusions could be seen through.
Nuosuo said, "Please follow me. The illusions here are very powerful; once we get inside, they'll be just ordinary illusions."
With his unparalleled divine eyes, Li Qiang had already discerned that there were two large illusion arrays. The outer layer contained a powerful killing array, while the inner layer was just an illusion array for ordinary living and dwelling.
He laughed and said, "Your entire tribe lives inside?"
Nuosuo nodded and said, "Sigh, they all live inside and dare not go out."
Led by Nuosuo, Li Qiang quickly entered the inner illusion array.
This is a beautiful green plain, with flat grasslands and forests.
Li Qiang discovered that the illusion array here was not sophisticated enough. He used his Divine Sense to examine it and found that it was only a basic illusion array. There were no changes of the four seasons, no birds, beasts, fish and insects, and no changes of wind, snow, thunder and rain.
Back in the Star Palace, Li Qiang had witnessed a truly remarkable illusion array— the Illusory Void Grand Formation —which was far superior to any current array.
Not far away stood a solitary wooden building. Li Qiang had seen similar buildings in the canyon before, with two stone pillars standing in front of it. Curious, Li Qiang asked, "Do your people live in this wooden building?"
Nuosuo replied, "No, they live on the other side. This is the Elder Wu's residence. The Elder Wu knew you would come."
"You predicted I would come?" Li Qiang was taken aback. Since he began cultivating immortality, apart from knowing that High Person Yuangu could predict the future, he had never heard of anyone else who could predict the future. To encounter such a person in this inconspicuous place, he couldn't help but feel excited.
Li Qiang is currently confused about many things, and if someone can predict them, he can obtain useful information.
Nuosuo drifted into the wooden building, and after a short while, an old voice inside said, "Honored guest, please come in."
Li Qiang darted inside.
It was a small place, without any furniture. An old man sat cross-legged on the gleaming floor. His thin face was covered with a snow-white beard, and his sparse white hair trailed on the floor. In front of him was a square mirror, about a foot in size.
The old man squinted at Li Qiang for a long while before saying, "Ah, I didn't expect you to be so young, senior. I'm sorry, I've been paralyzed here and haven't been able to bow to you."
Nuosuo, who was standing nearby, was startled by the old man's tone, which was a respectful way of addressing an elder.
Li Qiang sat cross-legged in front of the old man, staring at him with a half-smile, and asked, "How did Elder Wu know I would come?"
The Elder Wu a shrewd and experienced fellow. He smiled slightly, squinted at the mirror in front of him, and said, " The Chu Witch Clan has survived to this day thanks to a treasure and special witchcraft. You've come here... Hehe, I knew it all along. I've been waiting for you here."
He paused slightly, then said, "I know you are remarkable, a powerful cultivator, but..." He suddenly stopped and looked at Li Qiang quietly.
Li Qiang knew that Elder Wu must want something from him, so he said directly, " Elder Wu, please speak freely. We can consider it helping each other out."
The Elder Wu said, "Ever since I dedicated my soul to the Seizing Circle, I have remained paralyzed before it. All matters are conveyed through Nuosuo. Ordinary people cannot enter my small building; anyone who does will have their soul seized by the Seizing Circle. Since becoming the Elder Wu of the Chu Witch Clan, I have never left this place. Alas."
Li Qiang asked, "Do you want me to cure your paralysis?"
Elder Wu's eyes lit up. After a long while, he sighed, "If you can cure my paralysis, alas, the Seizing Circle's function will be permanently disabled. Oh well, I've gotten used to being with the Seizing Circle anyway. Nuosuo, go find something good to eat."
Nuosuo asked, "The pearls in the Mud Erosion Cave are almost ripe. Shall I go and get some?"
The Elder Wu said, " Nuosuo, be careful. The swirling mud in the Mud Erosion Cave is troublesome. You are a cultivated spirit, still far from the realm of Spirit Body. Although you are not afraid of the swirling mud, it's still best to be careful." He kept giving instructions, then said to Li Qiang, " Nuosuo has always been an envoy of the Seizing Circle, taking care of me for a very long time. Hehe, old people are always worried. Nuosuo, go ahead." Nuosuo responded and disappeared underground.
Li Qiang said, " Elder Wu, there's no need for that. Just tell me what you need me to do."
The Elder Wu smiled bitterly, "The abandoned settlements you saw on the ground, senior, were the ancestral home of our Chu Witch Clan. Alas, decades ago, our Chu Witch Clan still lived there. But ever since a powerful cultivator came from the other side of the canyon, everything has changed..."
Li Qiang asked, "What? He won't let you stay here?"
The Elder Wu shook his head. "No, it was something I discovered in the Seizing Circle. If we continue to live up there, our Chu Witch Clan will surely be wiped out within a year. So I made everyone in the clan hide underground."
Li Qiang was incredulous. "You... you mean, nothing has even happened yet, and based solely on the predictive abilities of the Seizing Circle, your entire clan has been living underground for so many years?"
Elder Wu nodded, brushing his white hair behind his shoulder with his hand, and said helplessly, "Every three to five years, I have to recalculate it in the Seizing Circle, and alas, the conclusion is always the same..."
Li Qiang tapped his palm lightly with his folding fan and said, "So that means that whenever your entire clan moves back to the surface, they will be wiped out within a year?" He thought to himself, "This is the first time I've encountered something so absurd. The Seizing Circle) actually has such abilities."
The Elder Wu smiled bitterly, "Last year, I used the Seizing Circle to predict that things had changed again. Once our Chu Witch Clan migrated to the surface, we would be wiped out immediately. However, I also predicted that you, senior, would come. Only you can avert this calamity."
Li Qiang pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, nothing in this world happens without a reason. That person must have some connection with you. Otherwise, he would have no reason to attack you. Even if he is an evil cultivator, he should have a reason to do so. You didn't say why."
Elder Wu was surprised by Li Qiang's clarity of mind. He smiled bitterly, "Senior, alas..." He hesitated, glanced at Li Qiang, and subconsciously touched the smooth surface of the Seizing Circle. After a long while, he seemed to have made up his mind and said, "It was our Chu Witch Clan who unintentionally injured that person's disciple. That person has been lingering here ever since."
Li Qiang lowered his eyelids, staring at the folding fan in his hand, and asked, "Did you injure his disciple? How badly?"
The Elder Wu nervously touched the Seizing Circle and said, "He's still alive, sealed inside the Witch Ice by our Chu Witch Clan. We've tried everything to save him, but we still can't. Alas, we had no choice but to seal him away. His master is still looking for him; he won't give up until he finds him."
Li Qiang asked, "How did he know his disciple was here?"
The Elder Wu said, "At that time, his disciple sent out Law Treasure to call for help, and that person was able to determine that the person was here, but he couldn't determine who did it."
Li Qiang said, "I need to know the reason for the conflict."
The Elder Wu lowered his head, his long, snow-white hair slipping from his shoulders. He said softly, "It's for a Primordial Yang Pill from the Rejuvenation Valley. It's a rare treasure. In our entire Chu Witch Clan, only our patriarch is close to reaching the Nascent Soul Realm. With the Primordial Yang Pill, the Chu Witch Clan would have a true cultivator. It's a pity..."
Li Qiang couldn't help but smile wryly. He was quite uncomfortable with Elder Wu's habit of leaving things unsaid. He asked, " Elder Wu, who got the Primordial Yang Pill first?"
Elder Wu's voice was very low, but fortunately, Li Qiang's hearing was now exceptional, otherwise he really wouldn't have been able to hear it. He heard him stammer, "It's... it's not our clan leader."
Li Qiang had never obtained the Primordial Yang Pill Primordial Yang Pill, but he knew what it meant to a cultivator who had just entered the Nascent Soul Realm. It was a spiritual pill that could consolidate the Nascent Soul, and its allure was simply too great for a cultivator who had just entered the Nascent Soul Realm.
Li Qiang said, "In the end, your clan leader obtained the Primordial Yang Pill?"
The Elder Wu shook his head and said, "It's been destroyed. Our clan leader was also severely injured. Because there were no elixirs to cure him, he was also Witch Ice. Now our Chu Witch Clan is without a clan leader. I have no way to find a new clan leader. No matter how I speculate, the leader of the Chu Witch Clan shown in the Seizing Circle is still the sealed clan leader."
A wisp of green smoke rose, Nuosuo, after taking form, took out a black jade plate and said with a smile, "I found two nests of Yu Pearls. It took a lot of effort to collect them. Senior, please try some. Yu Pearls are a local specialty. Their special feature is their fragrance. After eating them, the fragrance lingers in your mouth for a hundred days, making you very happy."
Li Qiang nodded and said, " Nuosuo, thank you for your hard work. Elder Wu, since that's the case, can you predict what will happen next?"
He was very curious about the Chu Witch Clan's Seizing Circle and wanted to see how the Elder Wu made his predictions.
Elder Wu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, I'll ask the Seizing Circle to help me make a prediction right away."
He began chanting the incantation continuously, faster and faster, but his voice was muffled and indistinct, sounding like a mosquito's hum.
Soon, smoke began to swirl around the surface of the Seizing Circle, and a crimson tinge appeared on Elder Wu's face. He suddenly cried out, "Clumsy!" Then he bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of blood onto the Seizing Circle.