As soon as Gan Lingqi stepped out, she saw a cultivator standing on the platform. It was Mu Ye, the sect leader of the Divine Wood Sect and a famous Grandmaster of cultivation on Illusory Tree Planet. He had actually come to the Azure Wood Sect all by himself.
Even though Gan Lingqi harbored resentment towards the Divine Wood Sect, he dared not be disrespectful to Mu Ye. He leaped forward and bowed, saying, "Senior Mu, you..."
Mu Ye waved his hand and said, "Little Flag, I'm here to apologize. You know, the cultivators on Illusory Tree Planet are the weakest in the Cultivation Realm. No matter what kind of expert comes to Illusory Tree Planet, we dare not offend them, let alone immortals. And the Divine Wood Sect is the largest cultivation sect on Illusory Tree Planet. When those experts and immortals come to Illusory Tree Planet, they will definitely come to us to ask for the Divine Wood Liquid, and we dare not refuse..."
Gan Lingqi knew that his words were half true and half false. When those immortals came to ask for the Divine Wood Liquid, the Divine Wood Sect certainly dared not refuse. However, after the immortals obtained the Divine Wood Liquid, they would usually leave behind some treasures or Cultivation Method to express their gratitude to the Divine Wood Sect. It was for this reason that the Divine Wood Sect gradually became the largest sect on Illusory Tree Planet. Therefore, the Divine Wood Sect was not forced to hand over the Divine Wood Liquid. Anyone with discerning eyes could see this clearly.
Gan Lingqi asked, "What does Senior Mu mean?"
Mu Ye said, "I've come to pay my respects to Senior Li." He said it very simply.
Gan Lingqi felt a surge of unease, but he couldn't refuse. After all, the Azure Wood Sect still needed to survive on Illusory Tree Planet, and offending the number one sect would mean a difficult future for the Azure Wood Sect.
He sadly extended his hand and said, "Please, senior."
As the two entered the room, Li Qiang was just about to finish his practice.
Because Hou Pijing could only use a small amount of True Essence Power, Li Qiang found cultivating this sword much more difficult than cultivating a regular flying sword. He used the smallest array to guide the movement, weaving it into more powerful attack arrays one by one. Because the sword was large, Li Qiang could arrange it at his leisure, embedding a total of nine arrays within the sword.
No weapon-forging master would be willing to use such a method, as it not only wastes materials but also prevents the sword from being absorbed into the body.
The silver light flowing between Li Qiang's hands shone brightly. He seemed completely at ease, and asked with a grin, "Brother, what shape of sword do you want?"
Hou Pijing casually replied, "I don't care, as long as the sword is powerful enough, I don't care what it looks like."
Li Qiang nodded and said, "That's right, the sword is for use, not just for show."
Following the technique of the Devil Venerable Chiming, Li Qiang secretly added a piece of Black Ice Stone. The silver light between his hands immediately dissipated, as if a stream of black mercury was flowing. Li Qiang withdrew the Heavenly Fire and laughed, "It's done!" A series of crisp "beep beep Bobo " sounds were heard, and a strange sword condensed into shape.
Hou Pijing stared intently, then couldn't help but laugh and curse, "You brat, I want a precious sword, what are you doing forging a walking stick? Are you trying to take advantage of me because I'm useless, you brat..."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Haha, brother, you said it yourself, no matter what it looks like, after thinking it over, I still think this shape is suitable."
This sword is entirely black, quite different from the shape of a sword. It is three feet long, without a blade, and looks very strange. It is more like a walking stick than a sword.
Hou Pijing grabbed it, frowned slightly, and threw the cane into the water in the pit. With a "plop," the water in the pit boiled, and the room was instantly filled with steam.
He said, "Good heavens, this is really hot!"
Hou Pijing examined it briefly and quickly discovered its remarkable skill. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Brother, your current weapon-forging skills are so good that while I wouldn't dare say you're the best in the world, there aren't many experts who can match you."
Gan Ling'er said from the side, "Brother, shall I have my disciple go find Qilie Wood to make a scabbard for Senior's sword?"
Someone interjected, "No need to look anymore, I have the best Qilie Wood."
Li Qiang turned to him and asked, "Who are you?"
Mu Ye stepped forward, bowing as he spoke, "Senior, I am Mu Ye, the sect leader of the Divine Wood Sect. I have come to apologize to you. Any mistakes made by the Divine Wood Sect are my sole responsibility. If you wish to punish someone, please punish me alone." His demeanor was composed, and his tone was neither humble nor arrogant. This composure earned Li Qiang a slight sense of goodwill.
Hou Pijing said, "Kid, your Divine Wood Sect is quite arrogant, actually managing to invite Luo Heaven High Immortal to fight. If it weren't for my brother's strength, would you have come back to seize Azure Wood Sect again? Cultivating to this level... what's the point of cultivating at all! I ask you, how many people in your Divine Wood Sect can survive the Heavenly Tribulation?"
Mu Ye broke out in a cold sweat. He lowered his head and said, "Senior, since the founding of the Divine Wood Sect, only the ancestor who established the Divine Wood Sect has ascended to immortality through tribulation. No one has been able to do it since."
Gan He and Ling Er also said, "Yes, very few cultivators on the entire Illusory Tree Planet can successfully transcend tribulations. On the contrary, some cultivators from small sects have succeeded in transcending tribulations. It seems that the larger the sect, the more difficult it is. Why is that? Is it because the Law Treasure used to resist the Heavenly Tribulation are not powerful enough?"
Hou Pijing was a master of the Mahayana Realm and had some insights into tribulation. He said, " Law Treasure and spirit medicine to resist heavenly Heavenly Tribulation are certainly important, but the realm of the one undergoing tribulation is even more important. If one's power is sufficient but one's realm is insufficient, humph, tribulation? Dream on!" His words awakened two people, one was Mu Ye and the other was Li Qiang.
Mu Ye, being a master of the Body Integration Realm, quickly grasped the meaning and repeatedly bowed, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, senior. Mu Ye understands."
A thought struck Li Qiang, and he suddenly understood the relationship between realm and skill, which overjoyed him.
His current skill level is already high enough to break through the Five-Pillar Heaven' Heart of Slaughter realm. The reason he has stagnated is that he deliberately refuses to break through, because the "moderation" admonished by the Azure Emperor has made him very cautious.
Now he understood that he had to improve his realm of understanding. Skill could be cultivated, but realm of understanding came from experience, and the two should be developed together.
Realizing this, Li Qiang's anger vanished, and he calmly said, " Mu Ye, sit down."
Mu Ye looked at Li Qiang in surprise and stammered, "S-senpai... you..."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "What? Do you want me to beat you up before you're satisfied? Cultivators aren't that petty. Sit down."
Moved by Li Qiang's magnanimity, Mu Ye sat down and sighed, "Alas, thank you for your tolerance, senior. I am truly ashamed."
Hou Pijing gave Li Qiang an approving look. He genuinely admired and liked this brother he had become sworn brothers with because of their shared love of wine. In this realm, Li Qiang was the brother he trusted most. He said, "Brother, how did you know I was coming to Illusory Tree Planet?"
Hou Pijing had always found it very strange that Li Qiang could find the Illusory Tree Planet and locate him so accurately; it was truly an incredible thing.
Li Qiang couldn't help but smile wryly. The two brothers hadn't even had a chance to talk properly after their meeting when they got into a fight with Luo Heaven High Immortal. Only now did he have the opportunity to bring it up. He said, "It's quite interesting, actually. I met the Elder Wu of the Chu Witch Clan on Heavenly Court Star..."
Hou Pijing interjected in surprise, " The Chu Witch Clan? That's the most mysterious clan on Heavenly Court Star. Oh, I remember now, I heard the Chu Witch Clan can predict the future. Could it be true? I've never believed that future events can be predicted."
The cultivators present were all astonished; to be able to accurately predict the future was indeed a remarkable Divine Ability.
Li Qiang nodded and said, "That's right, I came here specifically to confirm, and I didn't expect it to be so accurate."
Hou Pijing couldn't help but say, "Where on Heavenly Court Star are they? I'll definitely find a chance to go and see them."
Li Qiang understood his meaning and shook his head, saying, "Brother, when will this concern end? The Gusong Kingdom has its own destiny, so don't bother predicting it... Elder Wu risked his life to predict for me; if I had known beforehand, I wouldn't have let him speculate."
Hou Pijing was startled; risking his life for prediction was far too high a price to pay. He asked in bewilderment, "Why did Elder Wu do this?"
Li Qiang briefly recounted what had happened, but omitted the part about the great calamity that was predicted for Hou Pijing, not wanting to unsettle his older brother. Finally, he said, "There are so many strange and unbelievable things, haha, brother. I'm quite curious, so even if I didn't believe it, I had to come and see for myself. Besides, I haven't seen you in a long time, and I've been wanting to see you again. I'm also very curious about Illusory Tree Planet; I heard Brother Gan Ling'er mention it back on Goulan Planet."
In fact, ever since meeting Hou Pijing, Li Qiang had taken the Elder Wu's speculation seriously. He took out the white jade stone that the Elder Wu had given him, and a very magical fluctuation appeared on the jade stone. There were no words on it, only a series of images flashing by.
With his divine eyes, Li Qiang could see very clearly that it was an unnamed planet, a vast expanse of white earth, a world of ice and snow. Then came the scene of Sealed Fate Planet, where he was standing beside a large cauldron, with a naked stranger standing next to him.
Li Qiang was certain he had never been to the places in front of him, and the scenes that followed were also quite strange.
With the visuals available, things became easier. Li Qiang recorded the displayed image onto a Jade Pupil Slip, handed it to Hou Pijing, and said, "Brother, you've traveled to many places, can you tell me where this planet is?"
Hou Pijing found Li Qiang's actions strange. He took the Jade Pupil Slip, examined it briefly, and said, "This place looks familiar. Hmm, brother, what does this mean? Where did you get this image from?"
Li Qiang was puzzled. After pondering for a while, he said, "Brother, it's nothing. We need to find a way back as soon as possible. I can't use the Greater Teleportation with you, so we have to go through the teleportation array. I'm afraid we won't be able to get back to Sealed Fate Planet in a short time. It's a pity I don't have Star Radiance, otherwise we would be back much faster."
While everyone was talking, the little tree man silently crawled into Li Qiang's arms and fell asleep.
Li Qiang looked at the sleeping little tree person and asked, "Who can speak the words of the Swift Tree People?"
Gan Lingqi and the cultivators from the Azure Wood Sect both shook their heads; neither of them understood the language of the tree people.
Mu Ye said, "I know a little. The Swift Tree People have limited wisdom; they only have a simple language that is easy to understand. But if we were to ask Swift Tree People to learn our language, alas, that would be extremely difficult. Therefore, although there are quite a few tree people in the cultivation sects of Illusory Tree Planet, none of them can cultivate because they simply cannot comprehend it."
Li Qiang said, "That's not a problem, I have a way to solve it."
These words not only baffled Mu Ye, but even Hou Pijing couldn't understand them. He laughed and said, "Brother, you're practically omnipotent! You can even solve congenital stupidity? If you weren't my brother... tell me! How did you solve it?"
Li Qiang raised his hands in surrender, pleading, "Brother, you're amazing. I'll talk, I'll talk, okay... I have the Heavenly Spirit Seed of the Buddha Sect."
Hou Pijing sighed repeatedly, "Ah, brother, I have to admire you. Where did you get such a lost elixir? In the Cultivation Realm... sigh, never mind. Luckily you're my brother, haha, otherwise I'd really be jealous." He couldn't help but joke as well.
The Heavenly Spirit Seed was found by Li Qiang at the Buddha Sect ruins. It is one of the most magical treasures of the Buddha Sect, and he rarely used it before. Very few people who can enter the Cultivation Realm cultivation are stupid. Generally, the Heavenly Spirit Seed Heavenly Spirit Seed is only used as the best healing elixir when the head is severely injured.
Mu Ye took out a piece of dark brown Qilie Wood and handed it to Li Qiang.
Gan Ling'er exclaimed in surprise, "Ziwu Qilie Wood? This is the best kind of Qilie Wood... perfect for making a sword sheath." He almost said it was a pity to use it for a sword sheath.
Li Qiang flicked his finger, and a deep rumble faintly came from the Qilie Wood.
He nodded in satisfaction and said, "This is excellent material. It's a bit of an overkill to use it for a scabbard, but there's no more suitable material available right now, so let's use it to make one."
Gan Lingqi took the Qilie Wood and longsword and immediately found someone to make a scabbard.
The little tree person stretched, opened its eyes, and mumbled something.
Li Qiang asked, " Mu Ye, what did he say?"
Mu Ye listened carefully and uttered a few words. It was clear the little tree-man was very surprised. After talking for a while, Mu Ye said to Li Qiang, "He wants to follow you; he has no relatives left in his tribe."
Li Qiang hesitated. He wanted to take Hou Pijing back to Sealed Fate Planet. This little guy would definitely not be able to adapt to those harsh planets. He was just an ordinary person who had never cultivated. Once he arrived on a planet without air, he would not be able to survive at all.
Li Qiang said, " Gan Ling'er, I can't take him with me. Let him stay at the Azure Wood Sect. I'll leave him a cultivation Cultivation Method..."
Mu Ye suddenly interjected, "Senior, if you trust me, let me take him to the Divine Wood Sect. I'll take care of his training."
Li Qiang was somewhat surprised. After thinking for a while, he thought: Divine Wood Sect is the largest sect on Illusory Tree Planet, and Mu Ye can understand the language of Swift Tree People. It would indeed be better for him to guide the little tree people in their cultivation than to leave them in the Azure Wood Sect.
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Alright, Mu Ye, you'll be in charge of instructing him. Here are the training Cultivation Method and the Heavenly Spirit Seed. Remember, you're not allowed to bully him. If you can't teach him, send him back to the Azure Wood Sect."
The little tree man was unaware that his fate had been decided. He happily climbed and jumped around Li Qiang, appearing very lively.
Mu Ye rose and accepted the Jade Pupil Slip containing the Cultivation Method and Heavenly Spirit Seed, bowing and saying, "Senior, please rest assured, I swear in the name of the Wood God that I will never bully him." He bent down and picked up the little tree man.
Li Qiang said, "Okay, that puts my mind at ease."
Mu Ye said, "If there's anything you need to say, senior, please have Ryūhata convey it to me. I'll take my leave now." He turned and left.
The little tree man then realized something was wrong, and he screamed and cried out in alarm.
Mu Ye swayed and flew away, and the little tree-man's cries gradually faded away.
Li Qiang shook his head and sighed slightly. The difference between the weak and the strong lies in this: the weak can only resign themselves to fate, while the strong can take control of their own destiny. The little tree man was just an interlude in his journey, and he could not take the little tree man back to Sealed Fate Planet.
Hou Pijing said, "Poor little fellow, but he might be the first tree-man to cultivate on Illusory Tree Planet."
Gan Ling'er Gan Muyu although the Divine Wood Well of the Azure Wood Sect had been completely looted, they had used Law Technique to store a lot of Divine Wood Liquid that had been left over from before. Those were all refined Divine Wood Liquid. Gan Ling'er felt that she could not thank Li Qiang for his great kindness. The Divine Wood Liquid was the only treasure she could offer.
After whispering for a while, Gan Muyu led several disciples out.
Li Qiang was still pondering the situation, so he paid no attention to Gan Ling'er and the others. He was more concerned about Elder Wu's prediction, and the images Elder Wu left behind left him at a loss. The appearance of an unfamiliar planet on the jade meant that something was about to happen, but he didn't know what it was. Perhaps it was related to the journey back.
Hou Pijing stretched and chuckled bitterly, "Ever since I achieved success in cultivation... damn it, I've never felt sleepy before. But today I actually feel sleepy! Brother, you've turned me back into a mortal! Hmm, why am I a little hungry? Ah... I haven't felt like this in ages! Great! This feels so good! I'll be a mortal again, hahaha!"
Li Qiang shouted, "Get my brother some good food! Haha, I also have two bottles of good wine here, shall we brothers have a drink?"
Hou Pijing's eyes lit up immediately. He slapped Li Qiang hard, licked his lips, and said, "You brat, you actually have some good wine hidden away! Hurry up and bring it out. I haven't tasted any alcohol since I transcended my tribulation! Good!"
Li Qiang took out two bottles of Jiannanchun liquor. Actually, Jiannanchun isn't the best among baijiu, but Li Qiang's collection was very small, and he cherished these few bottles greatly. They were all brought from his hometown and had been stored in his bracelet for hundreds of years. He took out two glasses and asked, "Who wants to try the liquor from my hometown?"
The cultivators here had never seen anything like this before, nor did they know what wine was. They were all very curious, but dared not try it.
Hou Pijing grabbed a bottle of wine, skillfully opened the cap, and took a big gulp.
He let out a long sigh, clicked his tongue, and exclaimed, "I actually miss that fiery feeling! Ha, back in the day, I stole a bottle of your wine, and you chased me for miles! Haha, it's funny to think about it now!"
Li Qiang knew that Hou Pijing had regained his worldly senses because he was under a restraint and his power had greatly diminished. Once Hou Pijing recovered his power, these senses would vanish.
After drinking, Hou Pijing became immersed in his memories. He squinted as he drank, and soon the bottle of Jiannanchun was empty.
Li Qiang handed him another bottle with a grin, and Hou Pijing took it without saying a word and drank from it.
The cultivators of the Azure Wood Sect were very curious; judging from Hou Pijing's expression, this stuff seemed to taste quite good.
Gan Muyu came in from outside, and Gan Ling'er pulled him to Li Qiang's side, smiling, "Big brother, our Azure Wood Sect still has quite a bit of Divine Wood Liquid stored up. I had Muyu bring it over."
Gan Muyu took out eleven cylindrical objects, each about a foot long, from his Storage Bag. They were dark and had a very smooth surface.
Li Qiang knew this was a restricted item, created using common methods from the Cultivation Realm, and that it would be easy to undo.
Gan Ling'er said, "This is the Divine Wood Liquid refined by our Azure Wood Sect, along with some Divine Tree Crystal, which are called Wood Crystal in the Cultivation Realm. I had Mu Yu bring them as well."
Gan Muyu then took out about ten pale yellow crystals, each about the size of a tennis ball. Wood Crystal are very rare, even on Illusory Tree Planet. Li Qiang knew these were precious spiritual treasures, and he laughed, "These are all for your cultivation, right? If you give them to me, what will you use for cultivation?"
Gan Muyu explained, "Our Azure Wood Sect has its own Divine Wood Well, so we don't need to buy it or exchange it with other sects. As long as the Divine Wood Well is intact, we will not lack Divine Wood Liquid. In fact, what Illusory Tree Planet lacks most is not Divine Wood Liquid or Wood Crystal, but Foundation Establishment Crystals. Although Divine Wood Liquid can be used for Foundation Establishment, its effect is not as good as using Foundation Establishment."
Li Qiang nodded. Using the Divine Wood Liquid for Foundation Establishment would be a huge waste. The Divine Wood Liquid's greatest function was for making medicine, and it could also be used to cultivate immortal artifacts. He said, "Alright, I'll accept these. Hehe, I do have a lot of crystals, so let's consider this an exchange." He casually took out a pile of crystals of various attributes and placed them on the ground. Instantly, the entire room was illuminated by the glitter of the crystals.
Gan Muyu was overjoyed. He picked up a crystal, examined it, and exclaimed happily, "Great! That's exactly what we need!"
The exchange of items among cultivators is a common occurrence; generally, each takes what they need. No matter how skilled a cultivator is, it's impossible for them to find everything they need.
After cultivators reach the Body Integration Realm, they usually travel far and wide. This is to broaden their horizons, find materials for refining weapons and pills, and exchange items with other experts.
Gan Lingqi returned to the room and said, "The scabbard is ready."
On the Illusory Tree Planet, there are experts who specialize in crafting Qilie Wood, making it easy to craft sword sheaths. Moreover, sword sheaths crafted from Perching Qilie Wood can also be used as Law Treasure.
Hou Pijing took the longsword with its matching scabbard, weighed it in his hand, and praised, "Impressive! The scabbard made of Qilie Wood is indeed excellent. Is there an attack formation set on it?"
Li Qiang reached for the sword, examined it, and said, "Interesting. There's an attack formation embedded in the Qilie Wood. It seems to be... hmm, wooden arrows? Heh, I didn't expect that."
Gan Lingqi secretly admired Li Qiang and Hou Pijing's extensive knowledge. He explained, "It is indeed possible to shoot wooden arrows. If one's skill is sufficient, one can also unleash even more powerful illusory wood. This is the most commonly used attack formation on our Illusory Tree Planet."
Li Qiang tossed the sword to Hou Pijing and said, " Illusory Tree Planet is a wonderful place, but unfortunately we don't have time to explore it. Brother, let's go. Who knows how long it will take to get back to Sealed Fate Planet."
Hou Pijing stood up and said, "Let's go, haha, I've completely lost face this time." He grinned self-deprecatingly, brandished his sword, and added, "Damn it, the more I look at it, the more it looks like a walking stick. Oh well, let's just call it a walking stick."
Everyone in the room couldn't help but laugh. Hou Pijing was already thin and small, and the way he leaned on his sword was really comical.
Li Qiang asked Gan Ling'er, "Brother, are you staying here or going back to the Spirit Ghost Realm?"
Gan Ling'er stood frozen in the center of the room, only then realizing that she was already Spirit Sword Body and could not cultivate in this realm at all.
He silently grasped Gan Lingqi, and after a long while, he said, "Junior brother, I entrust the Azure Wood Sect to you. Sigh, I've finally returned. Seeing you all again is my last wish. I really hate to leave you."
Gan Lingqi lowered her head and said softly, "Senior brother, please stay. I... I..."
Gan Ling'er patted his shoulder and said, "Junior brother, if it weren't for my elder brother saving me, I would have been annihilated long ago. I'm already very happy to see you all. Take care, junior brother."
He bid farewell to each of the disciples of the Azure Wood Sect, and finally pulled Gan Muyu aside, saying, "Muyu, your master is useless and can no longer guide you in your cultivation. You should cultivate with your uncle."
Gan Muyu's eyes reddened, and he barely managed to call out, "Master..." before tears streamed down his face. He took out a piece of dark, divine Divine Wood and handed it to Gan Ling'er, saying, "Master, this is the Transformation Divine Wood. When you miss home, just... just... conjure it up and look at it."
Gan Ling'er silently accepted the Transformation Divine Wood, then turned to Li Qiang and said, "Brother, take me back."
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Okay, if I have the chance in the future, I will come to Illusory Tree Planet again. This time I came in too much of a hurry and didn't have time to stay longer. Next time I will definitely stay longer."
Gan Ling'er understood Li Qiang's meaning and was extremely grateful. He said, " The Illusory Tree Planet has many wonderful places. I will definitely accompany you to see them next time, brother."
Gan Lingqi and Gan Muyu stepped forward to express their gratitude. Li Qiang made a hand seal and sent Gan Ling'er back to the Illusory Devil Pearl.
Gan Lingqi led the disciples of the Azure Wood Sect to accompany Li Qiang and Hou Pijing out of the room and onto the platform outside. Suddenly, Li Qiang's expression changed slightly, and he said, "Strange, Mu Ye is here again."