On the massive wooden cliff, there was a small protrusion, like a naturally formed platform. Gan Ling'er pointed to the platform and said, "That's... that's my home..." He stared at it intently, but dared not approach.
Li Qiang looked on curiously and saw that the platform was very well built, with smooth wooden railings along the edges. There were many openings in the cliff that the platform was supported by, and it seemed that the rooms here were all carved inside the Divine Wood.
Li Qiang patted Gan Ling'er on the shoulder and comforted her, "Go home first, don't stand here in a daze."
Gan Ling'er nodded woodenly and said, "Okay, I'm going home..." Before she finished speaking, three cultivators flew out from the residence of the Azure Wood Sect. They were all dressed in green armor, and their swords gleamed with a pale green light. The three quickly flew to Gan Ling'er and Li Qiang, and one of the cultivators asked, "Who are you?"
Li Qiang noticed the strong hostility between the three cultivators and asked Gan Ling'er, "Brother, are these people from your Azure Wood Sect?"
Gan Ling'er shook her head blankly and said to the three of them, "Who is the current leader of the Azure Wood Sect? Tell him to come see me."
The three cultivators seemed to have heard the funniest joke, and they all burst into laughter.
Gan Ling'er flew into a rage and shouted, "Bastards! I am Gan Ling'er —the sect leader of the Azure Wood Sect! Who are you three?"
The three men were taken aback. One of them, a man with a pale face, said, "What Azure Wood Sect? This is a branch of our Divine Wood Sect. Have you come to the wrong place? Haha."
Li Qiang sensed something was amiss and said, "Brother, calm down."
But it was too late. Gan Ling'er was completely unable to calm down; he was stunned by extreme disappointment and anger.
A gleaming sword light shot straight towards the three of them.
Gan Ling'er possessed the Spirit Sword Body, and in his rage, he transformed into Sword-Ray and charged forward.
Li Qiang shook his head. He understood Gan Ling'er, but this kind of fighting was unlikely to solve anything. He stood aside with his hands folded, watching.
The largest sect on Illusory Tree Planet is the Divine Wood Sect, which is almost the only dominant sect. Smaller sects like the Azure Wood Sect have little status.
Gan Ling'er transformed into a spirit sword, severely injuring her opponent with a single strike.
Those three cultivators hadn't even reached the Nascent Soul Realm yet, how could they be a match for the Spirit Sword Body? Especially Gan Ling'er, who cultivated from the Nascent Soul stage to the Spirit Body, was stronger than most Spirit Sword Body in the Spirit Ghost Realm. In the Cultivation Realm, only experts at the Leaving the Body Realm could rival her.
A sharp wooden whistle rang out, and a cultivator puffed out his cheeks and blew a black whistle with all his might. At the same time, he surrounded the injured person with his flying sword, and two pale green sword lights formed a light screen in front of the three of them. Immediately, a large group of cultivators flew out from the cliff wall beside the platform.
Li Qiang couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking how fragile people's hearts are when they go home.
With a muffled boom, a dazzling blue light flashed, and Gan Ling'er was sent flying. He roared, "I'll fight you to the death..." and unleashed a string of Yin Thunder.
The azure light, like countless flying birds of light, blocked the Yin Thunder. "Boom!" A series of violent explosions rang out. A shout rang out, "Enough! Stop!" In an instant, countless giant trees flew through the air and crashed into Gan Ling'er.
Li Qiang said calmly, "Brother, come back." He reached out and grabbed, and the giant trees in the sky suddenly disappeared, revealing a tall young man.
Gan Ling'er regained his senses. He stepped back to Li Qiang's side and said, "Big brother... sigh!" He was both angry and anxious, glaring angrily at the young man opposite him.
"You... Mu Jue! Why has your Divine Wood Sect seized my Azure Wood Sect? Where have all my disciples and followers gone?"
Mu Jue was a master of the Divine Wood Sect, possessing the cultivation of the Spirit Severing Realm. He wore brown armor and had unusually greenish-blue hair. His expression was one of surprise and uncertainty. " Gan Ling'er? You're still alive... Wait, no, you have the Spirit Sword Body!" He revealed a hint of greed.
It should be noted that the Spirit Sword Body is very rare in this realm. If one can subdue the Spirit Sword Body and cultivate it together with one's own flying sword, the power of the flying sword can be greatly increased.
Li Qiang understood this principle as well. Seeing Mu Jue's expression, he realized what the guy meant and couldn't help but feel angry. He remained silent, watching to see what else the guy would do.
Gan Ling'er said, "Tell me! Tell me! What exactly happened to the Azure Wood Sect?"
Mu Jue sneered, " The Azure Wood Sect has already merged into our Divine Wood Sect, so the Azure Wood Sect no longer exists on Illusory Tree Planet. You, the sect leader... are only returning now? Haha, a bit late, aren't you?"
Gan Ling'er trembled with rage, and he roared, "Let them come see me!"
Mu Jue rubbed his temples with his fingers and said impatiently, "Who should I send to see you? What do you think you are!"
Li Qiang couldn't stand it any longer. The Divine Wood Sect's arrogance and bullying were beyond his expectations. He said in a gentle tone, "My brother just wants to see his disciples and followers. Can't you be a little more polite? Where does a cultivator get such a temper?"
Gan Ling'er stared intently at Mu Jue, too angry to speak.
Mu Jue long noticed that Li Qiang was different, but he didn't care because the Divine Wood Sect had a powerful figure backing them. Mu Jue said coldly, "And where did you come from? What? Want to stand up for the Azure Wood Sect?"
Before Li Qiang could speak, Gan Ling'er suddenly burst into wild laughter. "I understand... I understand... It was all for the sake of our Azure Wood Sect's Divine Wood Well!"
Li Qiang's face turned cold, and he shouted, "You! Take your men and get out of here immediately! Tell your sect leader, Divine Wood Sect, don't provoke me, get out!" Since he began cultivating his divine powers, Li Qiang had tried his best to suppress his domineering and unreasonable side, but this time he was actually provoked by Mu Jue.
That's always been his temper; he either endures it or he vents it out when he can't hold back anymore.
Mu Jue idea who he had messed with. After being berated by Li Qiang, he was furious.
Although Mu Jue also sensed that Li Qiang was very powerful, he was equally confident in himself. At this point, the only way to fight was through skill. As the junior brother of the sect leader of the Divine Wood Sect, he held a very high position in the sect, which fostered his arrogant attitude. He didn't think his words were offensive; he only felt that Li Qiang's words were unbearable, and he was ready to fight when he couldn't continue.
He pointed to the green sword he had forged from Qilie Wood, stared at Li Qiang, and grinned, "Making me leave won't be so easy. Don't believe me? Come and try."
Gan Ling'er's heart skipped a beat. Knowing Li Qiang's strength, he quickly interjected, " Mu Jue, what will you say if you lose?"
Li Qiang chuckled inwardly, secretly praising Gan Ling'er's cleverness. After this fight, Mu Jue to lose, so agreeing on a good omen was crucial. He also seized the opportunity to mock, "Brother, I don't think he'd dare agree to anything. He's just a fool."
Mu Jue furious. This was the first time in his life that someone had told him to get lost and called him an idiot. He couldn't stand it no matter what. He yelled, "I lost, so be it... I'll kill you all..." He roared and shot out his green sword, which transformed into countless giant trees that crashed down on him.
After Li Qiang entered the Five-Pillar Heaven Realm, he no longer wanted to fight with cultivators. It felt like bullying a child, and the victory was rather unsportsmanlike. Embarrassed to use the War Soul Saber, he instead drew his long-treasured Star-Absorbing Sword Absorbing Sword, which instantly conjured up a sky full of raging flames.
He said, " Mu Jue, you're no match for me! Sigh, nobody listens to the truth, screw you!"
The heavens and earth seemed to be ablaze. This was Illusory Tree Planet, and no one was unafraid of such a fierce fire; even Gan Ling'er was tense.
In an instant, the giant trees flying through the air burst into flames. Mu Jue never expected his opponent to be a fire-elemental flying sword; he roared, "Use Divine Wood Thunder him!"
There were about a dozen disciples of the Divine Wood Sect around. Upon hearing this, they immediately raised their hands and sent out more than a dozen Divine Wood Thunder. These were crystals collected from the heartwood of the Divine Wood Sect and cultivated using a special method, specifically designed to counter fire-type flying swords.
Li Qiang's current Divine Yi Power was more than enough to control the Star-Absorbing Sword. After the flames were scattered by the Divine Wood Thunder, more flames immediately appeared. Finally, countless fire crows appeared in the sky, shrieking and rushing towards all the cultivators who had made a move.
To Mu Jue's horror, he discovered that his opponent's skill was far beyond his expectations. He felt that his Azure Sword was about to succumb to the scorching flames, and he became extremely anxious. This Azure Sword, cultivated with the Qilie Wood, was his most beloved Law Treasure, a treasure he cultivated together with his Nascent Soul. If the Azure Sword was damaged, his Nascent Soul would also be severely injured.
Li Qiang was practically playing around. The Star-Absorbing Sword was less of an attack and more of a manipulation of illusions. It transformed from raging flames into fire crows, then into soaring fire phoenixes, and finally into an enormous fire dragon, baring its Star-Absorbing Sword as it pounced on the cultivators of the Divine Wood Sect.
Taking advantage of Li Qiang's inattention, Mu Jue quickly retrieved his green sword and threw out a protective Law Treasure. Suddenly, he found himself and his companion trapped in a huge circle of monsters, a monster he had never seen before.
The deafening roar was deafening. The monster's speed was astonishing. The rapidly flying fire dragon formed a huge fireball in the sky above Divine Wood Gorge, trapping Mu Jue and more than a dozen other cultivators inside.
Gan Ling'er said angrily, " Mu Jue! What happened to my Azure Wood Sect? Speak!"
Poor Mu Jue and the dozen or so cultivators were scorched by the fire dragon until their bodies were smoking.
Li Qiang's Star-Absorbing Sword- Absorbing Sword might not be enough to deal with immortals, but it's more than enough to deal with cultivators. Moreover, the Star-Absorbing Star-Absorbing Sword contains Heavenly Fire, so it's not entirely an illusion. Heavenly Fire is the most powerful fire in this realm, and with Mu Jue Spirit Severing Realm cultivation, it's simply impossible for him to resist it.
Mu Jue roared, "Your Azure Wood Sect is all wiped out, Gan Ling'er! Aren't you happy now? Haha, haha!"
Gan Ling'er went berserk immediately. He screamed and tried to pounce, but Li Qiang stopped him with a single finger.
Li Qiang shouted, " Gan Ling'er! Calm down! Can't you tell he's deliberately trying to provoke you?"
Gan Ling'er was unable to move, only shouting repeatedly, " Mu Jue... Mu Jue... I will not let your Divine Wood Sect go!"
Li Qiang looked around, and suddenly a thought struck him. He remembered the scenery in the Seizing Circle —wasn't this the place where Hou Pijing had appeared?
He hurriedly examined the area carefully, feeling both surprised and delighted. It seemed that he had indeed arrived here before Hou Pijing, and Hou Pijing also appeared to be there to stand up for the Azure Wood Sect. However, it was he who had arrived first and was now fighting with the Divine Wood Sect.
The fire dragon conjured by Li Qiang's Star-Absorbing Sword flew faster and faster, gradually forming a huge Heart Fire.
Mu Jue was stubborn and refused to yield even in dire straits, which Li Qiang couldn't help but admire. He said, " Mu Jue, I only have one question for you: Did you harm anyone from the Azure Wood Sect?"
Mu Jue already had two Law Treasure destroyed by Li Qiang. Whenever he used a Law Treasure, it would be burned by the conjured fire dragon, making it impossible for him to defend himself. He suddenly realized that if he didn't use his Law Treasure, the fire dragon wouldn't attack him. Although he felt very hot, his life was not in danger. He sadly realized that his opponent had essentially removed their defenses, and could attack him and his disciples at any time. However, his opponent seemed to be waiting for something.
The disciples of the Divine Wood Sect could no longer bear it. Most of the cultivators here had a wood-type constitution, which was not afraid of the cold but was afraid of fire. The intense heat emitted by the fire dragon was unbearable for them, and they felt that their own Samadhi True Fire was about to be ignited.
Mu Jue's cultivation was very high, and he was barely able to endure it. He himself was not afraid of death, but he had to consider the safety of his disciples. He shouted angrily, "No! I did not harm anyone from the Azure Wood Sect!"
For Mu Jue, such an answer was enough to make him lose face, and in order to protect his disciples and followers, he had no choice but to temporarily give in.
With a flick of his left hand, Li Qiang caused the flying fire dragon to suddenly transform into a sky Heavenly Fire, vanishing instantly.
He said calmly, "I believe you. Now get out of here!"
Mu Jue, in a disheveled state, protected his disciples as they retreated towards the other side of Divine Wood Gorge. He roared, "If you have the guts, don't leave! I'll be back! Gan Ling'er, don't think you can be so powerful just because you found a master. Divine Wood Sect will not let you get away with this!" His roar echoed through Divine Wood Gorge, the valley filled with the sounds of "We will not let you get away with this... We will let you get away with this... You..."
Li Qiang couldn't help but chuckle. For a cultivator to utter such pointless threats—he had truly underestimated the Divine Wood Sect.
Li Qiang released Gan Ling'er from her restraints and said, "Brother, you were too impulsive. However, I understand your feelings. Let's go back to the sect first."
The Divine Wood Sect disciples who occupied the Azure Wood Sect had all left. Li Qiang and Gan Ling'er landed on the platform. Cultivators flew by in the canyon from time to time, but no one dared to come up and speak to Gan Ling'er.
Gan Ling'er floated into the Azure Wood Sect and looked at the empty room, feeling completely lost.
Li Qiang stood on a protruding wooden plank at the edge of the platform and looked around. The wooden Great Gorge Mouth felt different even when the wind blew through it; it was like loggers cutting wood in the forest, making hollow, strange noises.
Many people were lingering on the distant cliff, and sword flashes could be seen from time to time. Li Qiang's divine eyes could see everything clearly, and he knew that these cultivators were just there to watch the show.
Li Qiang's heart suddenly stirred slightly. The Divine Wood Sect must have something to rely on. Who is it relying on? Could it be that there is Loose Immortal here? Even if the Divine Wood Sect has Loose Immortal helping them, Li Qiang doesn't care. With the power of the divine artifact, Loose Immortal is no match for him.
Gan Ling'er quietly floated behind Li Qiang, Li Qiang said without turning his head, "Brother, I reckon your disciples have already moved elsewhere; no one will remain here."
Gan Ling'er looked extremely disappointed. He smiled bitterly and said, "No signal was left. The Divine Wood Liquid in the Divine Wood Well has been completely drained. Alas!"
Li Qiang said, "You don't need to be too sad. As long as your disciples and followers are safe, that's all that matters. You don't need to worry about whether they are doing well or not."
Gan Ling'er was stunned. After a long while, he finally understood what Li Qiang meant. He had already entered the Spirit Sword Body of the Spirit Ghost Realm, so why should he worry about the affairs of the Cultivation Realm? In the end, they would have to rely on their own efforts.
He smiled bitterly and said, "I understand, but I can't let go."
Li Qiang smiled calmly, thinking to himself, "Yes, how could I possibly let go?"
Suddenly, a flash of sword light appeared on the other side of Divine Wood Gorge, shooting towards the Azure Wood Sect.
Li Qiang said, "Wow, they came so fast. Strange... how did they get here from this side..."
Gan Ling'er suddenly floated up and shouted, "This is our Azure Wood Sect's Swordsmanship! They... they're back!"
Soon, seven or eight cultivators landed on the platform. Li Qiang was overjoyed to see them, and one of the thin cultivators turned out to be his older brother, Hou Pijing.
He excitedly teleported in front of Hou Pijing and shouted, "Brother, haha, I'm so glad to see you again!"
Li Qiang was extremely impressed with Elder Wu's prediction, and sure enough, he met Hou Pijing on Illusory Tree Planet.
Hou Pijing, dressed in a black robe, looked at Li Qiang with a smile. He shook his head, his eyes darting around, looking Li Qiang up and down. After a while, he suddenly burst into laughter and slapped Li Qiang hard on the shoulder.
Li Qiang straightened his back and laughed nonchalantly, "Brother, so many years have passed, and the first thing you do when you see your brother is slap him? Luckily, I have thick skin, or I would have been knocked down."
Hou Pijing intended to test Li Qiang's cultivation level, so this slap contained extremely pure True Essence Power. He was already a master who had reached the Mahayana Realm and would definitely ascend within three hundred years. This slap was no less powerful than the attack of a Loose Immortal.
Seeing Li Qiang accept it nonchalantly, Hou Pijing was genuinely happy. He said smugly, "My brother is still the best! Haha, where have you been all these years, you brat? You've made so many people worry about you."
Upon hearing the long-unheard "Old Man," Li Qiang couldn't help but grin. He was overjoyed to see Hou Pijing again. He bowed respectfully and said, "Brother, congratulations on surviving the Bandit Cultivator and reaching the Mahayana."
Hou Pijing rolled his eyes and said, "Isn't it all because of your Brother Fu? Hehe, brother, how did you end up in such a remote place?"
The other cultivators were stunned when they saw Gan Ling'er; they hadn't expected to see the old sect leader again, and they immediately crowded around her.
Li Qiang and Hou Pijing walked to the side, and Li Qiang sighed, "Brother, are you planning to stand up for the Azure Wood Sect?"
Hou Pijing was incredulous. "How strange, how did you know? These kids kept pestering me, crying and complaining that their sect had been taken over by someone else, that their sect leader had been missing for a long time, and that they were being bullied... I can't stand this kind of thing, so I came to take a look. I'm not exactly standing up for them."
Li Qiang knew that with Hou Pijing's arrival, the course of events was no longer in his hands. He was puzzled; who could possibly cause Hou Pijing to suffer a setback? Even against Loose Immortal, Hou Pijing couldn't possibly suffer too much, after all, he was already a master of the Mahayana Realm, possessing a certain amount of immortal spiritual energy within him, which would only grow stronger as his ascension approached.
Hou Pijing had only recently undergone his tribulation, and although his immortal spiritual energy was limited, there were few experts in this realm who could cause him any trouble. Li Qiang was very curious about this.
Gan Ling'er led the two cultivators to Li Qiang and excitedly said, "This is my junior brother Gan Lingqi, and this is my eldest disciple Gan Muyu." She then said to them, "He is the elder brother who once saved my life. He is a highly skilled master with great Divine Ability. Come and pay your respects."
Gan Lingqi stared at Li Qiang curiously. He couldn't see what was so special about Li Qiang, but his senior brother's words couldn't be false. He stepped forward and respectfully bowed, saying, "Greetings, Senior Brother."
Gan Muyu followed suit, bowing and saying, "Greetings, Senior Uncle." He seemed a little shy, and took a step back after speaking.
Li Qiang said, "Junior brother, nephew, no need for formalities. Hmm, tell me, why did you give up on this place?"
Gan Lingqi wore a set of cyan battle armor made of Qilie Wood, which was considered top-grade armor on Illusory Tree Planet. Two small black flags were stuck on his back, seemingly protective magic Law Treasure specifically for cultivation. His face was pale with a bluish tinge, like someone recovering from a serious illness. This was a unique characteristic of wood-type cultivators, and only those who cultivated to the Spirit Severing Realm or above could completely get rid of such a complexion.
Gan Lingqi said with a wry smile, "We were driven away by the experts from the Divine Wood Sect. They said they wanted to collect all the Divine Wood Liquid, but we refused... As a result, they sent a large number of experts, and after the competition, we had no choice but to retreat."
Hou Pijing chuckled strangely, "Oh, so you think the bigger the fist, the more you steal things... Does that mean I'd be stealing everything in the world? If cultivators are this greedy, how can they even cultivate?"
Gan Lingqi shook his head and said, "Senior, the Divine Wood Sect did this to curry favor with Luo Heaven High Immortal. They needed far too much Divine Wood Liquid that time, and since they couldn't provide what the immortals required, they started asking all the sects for Divine Wood Liquid. However, opening the Divine Wood Well requires the sect leader's consent, and my senior brother has long since disappeared, so we can't agree to their request."
Li Qiang suddenly realized, "So it was Qian Shanyong and Dainan Fengyu who came here to collect the Divine Wood Liquid, no wonder..."
Hou Pijing shook his head and said, "That's too domineering. Oh well, now that the garrison has been taken back, there's nothing more to say."
Gan Lingqi respectfully said, "Senior, we have stored a lot of Divine Wood Liquid, but it has all been sealed by Law Technique. We will take some out and give it to you in a little while."
Hou Pijing nodded without speaking. In order to ascend smoothly, he was also collecting spirit medicine and preparing to Instrument Refining some pills for later use.
Gan Ling'er said, "Senior, elder brother, please come inside and rest."
Li Qiang suddenly laughed, "Hehe, they've arrived so quickly. Mu Jue has probably never been treated like this before. I wonder what kind of expert has come." He even felt a sense of anticipation.
Hou Pijing said nonchalantly, "Who cares who comes? I don't care at all. Brother, let's go and see what's going on."
Mu Jue charged forward at the forefront, followed by dozens of cultivators whose swords flashed. In an instant, the entire Divine Wood Gorge echoed with shrill cries—the sound of flying swords piercing the air.
In a short while, the cultivators surrounded the Azure Wood Sect.
Li Qiang shrugged and said, "Fighting can be a very effective method sometimes."
Gan Ling'er knew that no one in the sect had been harmed, so he didn't hate the Divine Wood Sect much anymore. After all, the Divine Wood Sect had the power to destroy the Azure Wood Sect, but they hadn't gone all out to wipe them out. He said, "Brother, let's try to resolve this if we can. Alas, they still have to survive on Illusory Tree Planet."
Mu Jue hovered above the platform and shouted, " Gan Ling'er, have you been arrogant enough? Since you can ask outsiders for help, so can we, the people of the Divine Wood Sect!" He turned around and shot out a beam of green light, which was Law Treasure used to deliver a message.
A golden light flashed, and the person who teleported in was an immortal, one that Li Qiang did not recognize.
Not only was Gan Ling'er dumbfounded, but Hou Pijing was also startled.
Li Qiang's mind raced, and he blurted out, " The Luo Heaven High Immortal Chi Wuyu?"
The immortal dispelled his protective golden light and said coldly, "How did you know I was Chi Wuyu?"