With a wave of his hand, the Elder Wu emitted a faint white light from the Seizing Circle, and a figure gradually became clear.
Li Qiang was taken aback; the figure was none other than Hou Pijing. Before he could figure it out, the image had vanished.
Li Qiang hurriedly asked, "What happened to my brother?"
Mei Youbing was also anxious. He and Hou Pijing were very close friends, despite their age difference. He hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
The Elder Wu said, "I don't know where he appeared, but we can identify it from the surrounding scenery. You've traveled a lot, so take a look at where this is." He activated the Seizing Circle. This was the image left in the Seizing Circle, so he didn't need to rack his brains to guess anymore.
The flashing white light transformed into images, appearing continuously at extremely high speeds. Li Qiang tried his best to memorize them. After about a minute, the images became fainter and fainter, eventually disappearing.
Li Qiang closed his eyes to recall. Although it was only a short time, the Seizing Circle had provided a large amount of scenery. He would not have been able to remember it if he hadn't been mentally focused.
Mei Youbing also closed his eyes to recall, and after a long while, the two of them shook their heads at the same time.
Li Qiang sighed, "I've never been to this place before; it's too chaotic, I can't make sense of it."
Mei Youbing said, "Strange, it seems to be an unfamiliar place. I've traveled to almost every planet in the Sealed Fate Planet area, and I've never seen anything like this before. Where exactly is this?"
He was a master alchemist and had to frequently travel to collect rare herbs and fruits, visiting even more places than Li Qiang, especially the nearby star regions where he was more familiar with them.
The Elder Wu pondered for a moment, then said, "This is troublesome..."
Li Qiang could be indifferent to his own affairs, but when it came to Hou Pijing's safety, he couldn't remain unconcerned.
He bowed to the Elder Wu and said, "Please, Elder Wu, predict my elder brother's journey. He departed from the Gusong Kingdom in the Green Basin."
Nuosuo hesitated, unable to bear seeing Elder Wu suffer again, but he also knew that Elder Wu couldn't refuse Li Qiang.
The Elder Wu nodded and said, "Alright, I'll make another prediction. You must watch carefully; I can't do it a second time." After a moment of silence, he added, " Nuosuo, I've left a Jade Pupil Slip in the Seizing Circle. Take it out and look at it in a bit."
Nuosuo shifted uncomfortably, then nodded without saying a word.
The Elder Wu spat out a mouthful of blood mist, causing the Seizing Circle to tremble violently.
A beam of blue light emanated from the Seizing Circle and quickly condensed into a large Seizing Circle above it.
The footage was very clear and lasted for a full three minutes.
Mei Youbing and Li Qiang watched intently until the image completely disappeared.
Li Qiang discovered that Hou Pijing had visited many unfamiliar planets, and the latest place he went to was actually the Illusory Tree Planet, which was just speculated by the Seizing Circle.
Mei Youbing sighed, "I've never traveled this star path before; it's very unfamiliar to me."
Suddenly, Nuosuo called out, " Elder Wu... Elder Wu..."
Li Qiang was startled. He saw Elder Wu lying on the ground, spitting out mouthfuls of blood, his eyes staring blankly at Li Qiang.
Mei Youbing was also taken aback. He quickly took out a elixir and stuffed it into the Elder Wu's mouth, then used his Divine Sense to examine it.
Li Qiang asked, "What's wrong with Elder Wu?"
Nuosuo cried out excitedly, " Elder Wu risked his life to make a prediction... Alas! The Seizing Circle cannot make continuous predictions; Elder Wu has made too many predictions."
Mei Youbing shook his head and sighed, "He's beyond saving. Even if Luo Heaven High Immortal were here, it wouldn't help."
Li Qiang helped Elder Wu up, saying, " Elder Wu, I'm so sorry, I didn't know it would turn out like this... Alas, I'm truly sorry..."
A glint of red appeared on Elder Wu's face as he smiled slightly and said, "Senior, it's nothing special. Ever since I dedicated myself to the Seizing Circle, I never expected to live much longer. Hehe, what's meant to happen will happen."
Li Qiang was a man who refused to admit defeat. He said to Mei Youbing, "Grandpa, if we open the Pill Cauldron again, can we cultivate a life-saving divine pill?"
Mei Youbing shook her head and said, "It's too late and impossible. He's closely connected to the Seizing Circle, unlike ordinary people."
Elder Wu smiled calmly and said, "Don't bother, senior, I have a few words to say..."
For the first time, Li Qiang felt remorse. He hadn't expected that prediction could come at the cost of his life; this Seizing Circle was truly wicked. He said guiltily, " Elder Wu, please speak."
Elder Wu laboriously raised his hand, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said, "That person hasn't started fighting yet, but it'll be soon. He can't win against his opponent, and if he loses, it will be terrible... This is also an opportunity for you, senior... If you trust the Seizing Circle... cough cough..."
Before he could finish speaking, he spat out another mouthful of blood, and the Seizing Circle on the ground was already stained with his blood.
Li Qiang said, "Grandpa, please help me." His Divine Yi Power was too domineering and could not be used to help the Elder Wu.
Mei Youbing reached out to support Elder Wu, and pure True Essence Power flowed into him continuously, temporarily helping him to stay upright.
Elder Wu continued, "Hehe... cough cough, actually I already knew this outcome, but being able to resolve the crisis of the Chu Witch Clan... is worth it, senior... your future fate is uncertain... cough cough... it... it depends on... your own efforts..."
Elder Wu lowered his head and mumbled a few words indistinctly.
Li Qiang had been listening attentively to his words, but they were too vague, as if he were talking about the Azure Emperor or something, so Li Qiang couldn't bear to press him any further.
Suddenly, the Elder Wu raised his head and cried out, " Nuosuo, I'll go with you... Senior... please let go... I'm leaving..."
A beam of red light shot out from the Seizing Circle. Li Qiang and Mei Youbing released their hands, their eyes filled with helplessness.
The Elder Wu peacefully closed his eyes. Under the red light, a wisp of black smoke rose from his corpse and was sucked into the Seizing Circle.
Nuosuo floated to the edge of the Seizing Circle and whispered, " The Chu Witch Clan is going to select a new Elder Wu. Would you two seniors like to attend the ceremony?"
Li Qiang knew that Nuosuo was giving him the boot, so he stood up and said, " Nuosuo, I'm sorry..."
Nuosuo said, "Senior, I don't mean to complain. This is Elder Wu's fate, his own choice. You don't need to care."
Nuosuo looked somewhat melancholy; being a condensed ghost, he appeared all the more sinister and eerie.
Li Qiang temporarily abandoned his plan to seek out the Ghost King Grand Venerable, as the timing was not right.
Mei Youbing still remembered Hou Pijing's matter, and he said, "Young man, let's take our leave first, so as not to affect the Chu Witch Clan's re-election of the Elder Wu."
Li Qiang took a deep breath and said, " Nuosuo, if you need anything in the future, you can go to Rejuvenation Valley to find Grandpa. He can find me. Also, Nuosuo, if you can break free from the Seizing Circle, come find me."
Nuosuo bowed silently.
Li Qiang and Mei Youbing bid farewell and left the Chu Witch Clan's encampment.
Mei Youbing asked, "Young man, are you familiar with this star path?"
Li Qiang Star-Fixing Disc with his Divine Sense and marked the star path according to his memory, only to find that the Illusory Tree Planet was indeed very far away.
Li Qiang said, "Grandpa, it's too far. If we wait until we find the teleportation array, it will be too late. I have to use the Greater Teleportation Technique; maybe I can make it in time."
Mei Youbing was startled. Even experts in the Mahayana Realm might not be able to use the Greater Teleportation. Generally, only those who have reached the strength of Loose Immortal can use the Greater Teleportation at will. Moreover, Li Qiang's meaning was very clear: he wanted to use the Starry Sky Greater Teleportation.
Mei Youbing couldn't help but sigh, "Young man, you're truly unfathomable now. I can't keep up with you, and leading people through the Greater Teleportation is too strenuous. Alas, it seems I can't help Brother Hou anymore."
Li Qiang said, "Grandpa, can you come to Sealed Fate Planet to wait for me? I'm going to Illusory Tree Planet to find my older brother first. When I come back, I need to refine the divine pill. I'm still missing some spirit medicine, and I need Grandpa's help to prepare them." He told Mei Youbing some names of the herbs.
In fact, Mei Youbing also wanted to participate in refining the divine pill. He was full of curiosity about Beiye Pill Cauldron. If he could witness the process of refining the divine pill firsthand, he could learn a lot about the mysteries of alchemy. He said without hesitation, "Okay, I'll go collect spirit medicine. However, I can't find the main ingredient for refining the divine pill; I can only find those that exist in this realm."
Li Qiang smiled and said, "We already have the main ingredient; we just need some auxiliary ingredients. We'll start refining the pills when I get back. I'll be back very soon." He was very confident in himself.
Having fought against Qian Shanyong, Old Immortal Tianshi, and Dainan Fengyu, although he had never defeated any of them, it gave him boundless confidence. Now, in the Cultivation Realm, he is no longer afraid of any cultivator. He is confident that as long as he can arrive in time, he can defeat any opponent who is fighting Hou Pijing.
Mei Youbing was still a little worried, so he asked, "Young man, is there any Death-Averting Pill?"
Li Qiang said, "There are a few left, haha, I won't need them, Grandpa, don't worry. By the way, Niuniu is going to Sealed Fate Planet soon too. After you get to the Ancient Sword Academy or Chongxuan Sect, you can have your disciples go find her. Grandpa, don't worry, I'll be fine."
As he spoke, Li Qiang conjured the Heaven-Pillaring Divine Armor, waved his hand to summon the War Soul Saber, and laughed, "Grandpa, see you again on Sealed Fate Planet." With a thunderous roar, he transformed into a golden ray and shot away.
Mei Youbing hovered in the air, muttering to himself, "What exactly has this young man been cultivating? It's unbelievable." Just as he was about to return, he suddenly saw a flash of Sword-Ray in the distance, which piqued his curiosity.
There are relatively few cultivators on Heavenly Court Star Heavenly Court Star, so he knows almost all of them. He unleashed his flying sword and flew towards the direction where the Sword-Ray was flashing.
Before long, Mei Youbing caught up. He was now a Grandmaster-level expert at the Integrated Body Early Stage, and no one on Heavenly Court Star could compare to him. He suddenly appeared in front of the Sword-Ray and appeared in mid-air.
The two flying figures were cultivators who immediately stopped upon seeing Mei Youbing.
Mei Youbing recognized both of them. He chuckled, "What brings you here? Hehe, your master just left?"
It turned out to be Zhao Hao and a disciple from the Ancient Sword Academy. Zhao Hao exclaimed with delight, "Grandpa Mei, where is my master? I have urgent business with him."
Mei Youbing smiled wryly, "Who could catch up with your master? He used the Starry Sky Greater Teleportation; who knows where he is already? If you had arrived a little earlier, you would have seen him. What happened?"
Zhao Hao's face turned pale. He said anxiously, "How can I contact Master? I've been using the communication Law Treasure he left behind, and it's been circulating on Heavenly Court Star for a long time, but there's still no response. It's driving me crazy!"
Little did he know that when Li Qiang used the Flag Gate Formation to seal the Tonghe Tushu of the Chu Witch Clan, he also severed their communication. And once Li Qiang used the Greater Teleportation, he could instantly travel a great distance, leaving him with no way to escape now.
Mei Youbing calmly said, "Don't panic, tell me what happened!"
Zhao Hao said, "Senior Ling'er is fighting with the cultivators from the Wise Heng Palace, and Miss Mei'er has released her divine beast... Sigh, everything is in complete chaos now. The Ancient Sword Academy and Chongxuan Sect have both stepped in to mediate, but Senior Ling'er is still very angry. Miss Mei'er told us to hurry back to find our master, saying that only our master can resolve this matter."
Mei Youbing asked curiously, "What are Ling'er Mei'er? Who are they?"
Zhao Hao then realized that Mei Youbing was unaware of these circumstances. He smiled wryly and said, "Grandpa, they are all Master's good friends. What can we do? Senior Ling'er's skills are superb; no one can persuade her... And then there's Miss Mei'er, who is even more formidable... Alas."
Mei Youbing had never seen Zhao Hao so anxious before, but there was nothing else she could do, so she could only comfort him, "Don't worry, I'll go back to Sealed Fate Planet with you. As long as we can buy you some time, your master will be back soon."
Zhao Hao said helplessly, "That's all we can do. Grandpa, let's go back quickly. I've been away for quite a while now, and I wonder how things are going." He seemed very worried.
Mei Youbing nodded and was about to leave when she suddenly remembered that she had some spirit medicine stored in Rejuvenation Valley and needed to go back to retrieve them. So she said, "You guys go first, I'll go home to get some things. We'll meet at the Ancient Sword Academy."
Zhao Hao said no more and immediately bowed and took his leave.
Since acquiring the War Soul Saber, Li Qiang is no longer afraid of the Starry Sky Greater Teleportation. He discovered that teleporting by relying on the War Soul Saber is not only fast but also free from any obstacles in front of him. With the indestructible nature of the War Soul Saber, he can easily pass through most obstacles and Greater Teleportation continuously.
Li Qiang quickly teleported towards his destination Illusory Tree Planet.
Along the way, he constantly checked the Star-Fixing Disc and adjusted the orientation of the repositioning.
Li Qiang himself was surprised that he could teleport such a long distance after entering the Five-Pillar Heaven Realm, seemingly faster and farther than Star Radiance. He stopped several times to recover his strength, but spent most of his time on the Greater Teleportation.
The Illusory Tree Planet is a peculiar planet. Its land is composed of countless enormous leaves, each of which can grow to half a kilometer in diameter and tens of meters thick. These leaves are entirely woody, and their giant branches support the earth.
The so-called ground of the Illusory Tree Planet is composed of dozens of layers. Looking down through the gaps, the layers are stacked one on top of another and the bottom is not visible. However, such giant gaps are rare. What is common are narrow gaps. The entire interior of the Illusory Tree Planet is like a huge maze.
The Illusory Tree Planet was formed from a Divine Wood. Legend has it that a god discarded a tree seed, which sprouted and grew by chance, forming the Illusory Tree Planet.
As soon as Li Qiang set foot on Illusory Tree Planet, he was stunned by the beautiful scenery before him. The scenery of Illusory Tree Planet was completely different from what he had imagined.
Because the leaves formed by the Divine Wood are unimaginably large, once you step onto the Illusory Tree Planet, you can't even see the shape of the leaves. The protruding dark green veins are like rocks, and there is a lot of soil deposited next to them, which is covered with various plants and looks very vibrant.
Li Qiang couldn't distinguish the road either. The ground was uneven, and every now and then he could see a crack seven or eight meters wide, which was deep and spacious inside.
Li Qiang sheathed his War Soul Saber, casually changed his appearance, and walked forward.
A large flock of unidentified birds circled and cried in the air, and the sound of rushing water could be heard in the distance.
Turning a corner of the dark green wooden rock wall, a huge fissure appeared before him, several kilometers wide, and Li Qiang stood at the edge of the fissure.
The vast crevice stretched out to the horizon, its sides shrouded in mist and shimmering with a faint green light. A dozen waterfalls of varying sizes cascaded down, dissipating into a white mist mid-air before reaching the bottom of the crevice, filling the cool, damp air with Spiritual Qi.
Li Qiang felt refreshed and couldn't help but think to himself, "This is truly a wonderful place."
Various vines grew on the large fissure, extending downwards, and when the wind blew, it looked like countless weeping willows swaying and fluttering. Unlike ordinary cracks in soil and rocks, because this was a crack formed by the leaves of the divine tree, one could see the layers of space beneath the fissure, each layer was huge, and some dark green branches could be seen, the thinnest branches were more than ten meters thick, and the large branches looked like a huge rock wall.
Li Qiang took flight and flew south along the great rift. The beautiful scenery along the way was so breathtaking that he was almost mesmerized. The Illusory Tree Planet felt like paradise on earth to him.
Gradually, he discovered traces of human activity at the bottom of the canyon. He remembered Gan Ling'er, the puppet of Goulan Planet, so he stopped, summoned Spirit Marshal Xianmu, and brought Gan Ling'er out.
Gan Ling'er has already cultivated the Spirit Sword Body. Although her skill is relatively weak, she has already been able to solidify her body.
Gan Ling'er stunned when he saw the Illusory Tree Planet. After a long while, he prostrated himself in mid-air, raising his hands in the grand salute of the Spirit Ghost Realm. He could no longer cry, but only sobbed, "Thank you, elder brother, for bringing me back to my hometown. Gan Ling'er cannot repay your kindness. I bow to you, elder brother."
Li Qiang felt a pang of sadness. He hadn't come to the Illusory Tree Planet for Gan Ling'er's sake. Gan Ling'er's excitement when she saw her hometown had touched him, and returning home had become his dream. The longer time passed, the more timid he became.
With Li Qiang's current cultivation level, returning to Earth would be no obstacle for him. However, after so many years, he didn't know how to face his hometown. He knew very well that everything in his hometown must have changed beyond recognition.
Li Qiang said, "Brother, get up. I'll go home with you." As he finished speaking, a pang of sadness struck him, and he quickly turned away, gazing into the distance.
Gan Ling'er had already cultivated to the Spirit Sword Body realm, her body was completely solidified, but there was still a faint gray mist surrounding her.
He floated up, looked around for a moment, and said, "Brother, this is Waterfall Tree Gorge, the most remote tree gorge on Illusory Tree Planet. The terrain here is very complex; even cultivators wouldn't come here to live."
Gan Ling'er introduced the Illusory Tree Planet to Li Qiang. He had grown up and cultivated on the Illusory Tree Planet Illusory Tree Planet since childhood and was very familiar with it.
The Illusory Tree Planet has hundreds of cultivation sects, most of which migrated from outer space. There are also some natives who are uncivilized primitives. Their food consists of the eggs of a flying insect and the snail-like insects that parasitize the divine tree. Cultivators call them tree people.
The Tree People live in separate groups within the Illusory Tree Planet, and are rarely seen. The traces of human activity at the bottom of Tree Canyon were left by the Tree People.
Because cultivators can fly, they mostly live on the surface of the Illusory Tree Planet. The Illusory Tree Planet has more than a dozen layers of ground. The top two layers are the domain of cultivators, but some ordinary mortals also live here. These people mostly migrated here with the cultivators.
The middle seven or eight levels are teeming with all sorts of animals, while the lowest level is inhabited by the native tree people.
It is said that there are many tree people here, numbering in the millions, divided into many groups, but they never go to the top level. It is said that their eyes can only see in the dark, and once they go to a bright place, their eyes will be completely blind.
Waterfall Tree Gorge is a remote canyon on the Illusory Tree Planet. The Illusory Tree Planet has nine famous tree gorges, among which the one with the most cultivation sects is Divine Wood Gorge, where Gan Ling'er lived and cultivated— the Azure Wood Sect.
Speaking of his sect, Gan Ling'er's tone revealed extreme anticipation and excitement. He said, "Although our Azure Wood Sect is a small sect, not comparable to the major sects on Illusory Tree Planet, we occupy one of the best locations in Divine Wood Gorge Azure Wood Sect, possessing a Divine Wood Well that produces the most famous treasure on Illusory Tree Planet — Divine Wood Liquid..."
" The Divine Wood Liquid?"
Li Qiang suddenly remembered that when they were in Snow Dragon City, Qian Shanyong had mentioned coming to Illusory Tree Planet to collect the Divine Wood Liquid. He never expected that the Illusory Tree Planet he was referring to was this place.
He asked, "What is the use of the Divine Wood Liquid?"
Gan Ling'er said, " The Divine Wood Liquid is a treasure of all cultivation sects on our Illusory Tree Planet. Because Illusory Tree Planet does not produce crystals, we can only rely on the Divine Wood Liquid to Foundation Establishment and cultivate. Whether it is a beginner in cultivation or a master, everyone needs the help of the Divine Wood Liquid to improve their cultivation. Unfortunately, we do not know how to purify the Divine Wood Liquid, we can only concentrate and refine it. According to legend, if the Divine Wood Liquid could be purified, it would be a very remarkable divine liquid that could transform a person."
Li Qiang's interest was immediately piqued. With the Beiye Pill Cauldron, purifying the Divine Wood Liquid would be a piece of cake.
He thought: Perhaps the Divine Wood Liquid can be used when cultivating the divine elixir.
Gan Ling'er said, "Big brother, we're flying too slowly. Can you teleport me there? Divine Wood Gorge is just to the southwest."
Li Qiang completely understood Gan Ling'er's feelings, and he smiled and said, "Okay, I'll take you there."
Gan Ling'er transformed into a wisp of black smoke, hooked her arm around Li Qiang's shoulder, and transmitted her voice, "Big brother, it's done."
A flash of golden light, Li Qiang teleported away.
Divine Wood Gorge is a very famous place on Illusory Tree Planet. It is a Great Gorge Mouth stretching for thousands of kilometers, shaped like a large crack in an ancient tree. It was formed by the exposure of a section of the main trunk of the divine Divine Wood after it split open.
Looking down from above, the wood grain exposed after the crack resembles the traces of flowing water, extending towards the bottom in all sorts of strange shapes. Countless trees, vines, and wild grasses grow on it, lush and vibrant, looking from a distance like verdant moss on a rock.
Li Qiang hovered high in the air.
Gan Ling'er floated out of his condensed form, sobbing and murmuring, "I'm back... I'm back, but who's home now... I'm finally home..." He kept repeating these few words over and over.
Li Qiang didn't pay attention to what Gan Ling'er was saying; his attention was completely focused on Divine Wood Gorge.
He recalled the images he had seen in the Seizing Circle. Although the predictions he had seen at the time were vague, he knew that the incident had occurred in Divine Wood Gorge. What was puzzling was that he didn't know what would happen or when it would happen, but he knew it must be related to Hou Pijing.
The information provided by the Seizing Circle was very vague, and only someone like Elder Wu could fully understand its meaning. Although Li Qiang also saw it, he could hardly understand most of it.
He carefully recalled and identified the scenery that had appeared in the Seizing Circle. According to his prediction, the event should not have happened yet, and Hou Pijing may not have arrived at the Illusory Tree Planet.
Li Qiang thought to himself, "As long as I find the right place, what am I afraid of when Brother Hou arrives?" He was secretly glad that he had arrived early, and his heart finally settled down.
Gan Ling'er suddenly transformed into a streak of white sword light and hurtled towards Divine Wood Gorge, his speed reaching its limit. Li Qiang easily followed behind him, knowing that Gan Ling'er couldn't hold back any longer.
Flying westward along Divine Wood Gorge, one can occasionally see flashes of sword light streaking by.
Since most cultivators on Illusory Tree Planet use flying swords forged from Divine Wood, the sword light here is mostly bluish-green.
Li Qiang and Gan Ling'er's flight here was quite special. Li Qiang seemed to be walking in the air, without any sword light surrounding him. His speed seemed slow, but it was no slower than those with flying swords.
Gan Ling'er transformed into a white sword light, flying rapidly ahead, the sound of it cutting through the air echoing throughout the canyon.
After flying for less than ten minutes, at a bend in Divine Wood Gorge, Gan Ling'er suddenly stopped and stammered, "Ahead... ahead... is the Azure Wood Sect..."