The instant the teleportation array activated, Li Qiang released a magic talisman.
The three streaks of azure light had just landed near the teleportation array when they swiftly pounced upon it.
A blinding flash appeared, the teleportation array was shattered, and three green figures were blasted into the sky by the violent explosion.
The large teleportation array Heavenly Fate City kept flashing white light, each flash signifying that someone had been teleported there.
Another flash of white light appeared, and Li Qiang, Hou Pijing, and Xuan Long appeared in the teleportation array.
Li Qiang had no time to linger. With a flash of golden light, he teleported the two of them into the city and landed directly at the Ancient Sword Academy's headquarters.
The appearance of the three immediately alerted the disciples of the Ancient Sword Academy, and Paben led a group of disciples out to greet them.
He spotted Hou Pijing and Li Qiang at a glance, and was both surprised and delighted. He hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Disciple greets Senior Uncle and Master. And who is this distinguished guest...?"
Xuan Long said expressionlessly, " Xuan Long."
Li Qiang said, " Paben, quickly arrange two quiet rooms and send a few disciples to guard the doors so my two brothers can rest."
Paben agreed and personally accompanied Li Qiang and the other two into the house, while instructing his disciples to prepare quickly.
After Xuan Long and Hou Pijing entered the meditation room, Paben asked, "Master, what happened? Uncle-Master Hou seems to be..." He looked at Li Qiang with concern.
Li Qiang said, " Paben, don't worry, everything will be alright. Has Old Master Mei from Rejuvenation Valley arrived?"
Paben said, "The old man has arrived. He's cultivating at the Hidden Root Academy of the Ancient Sword Academy. Chiming and his two junior brothers have also come and are currently staying at the Ancient Sword Academy."
Li Qiang exclaimed with delight, " Chiming is here! Great! That's wonderful!" He then asked, " Mei'er, Ling'er, Zhao Hao, Nashan also at the Ancient Sword Academy?"
Paben couldn't suppress a smile; he was very happy talking about his brothers. He said, "They're all here, they're all here. Master, a while ago, Senior Ling had a conflict with the Wise Heng Palace. For some reason, Senior Ling flew into a rage over a small matter with the library. Senior Brother Qian Chi'ou and Senior Misila from the Chongxuan Sect went to mediate. Fortunately, Senior Ling didn't hurt anyone, and things have calmed down now."
Li Qiang was a little surprised. He knew that Ling'er was a senior of the Wise Heng Palace and couldn't understand why she would do this. Would she become ruthless after becoming Yao Immortal? But then again, that didn't make sense. She was very kind to Mei'er and there was nothing strange about her.
Li Qiang shook his head and said, " Paben, send a message to the disciples of the Sacred City, tell them that I have returned to Sealed Fate Planet, and ask their Holy Lord to come to the Ancient Sword Academy. I have something important to tell you."
Paben dared not delay and immediately replied, "I'll go right away, Master. Are you going back to the Ancient Sword Academy?"
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Take good care of my two older brothers. If they need to find me, send someone to take them back to the Ancient Sword Academy."
Ever since meeting Xuan Long, Li Qiang had a vague feeling that his greatest challenge since he began cultivating immortality and godhood was about to begin. He didn't know what powerful thing Xinbo Cape had that could even seriously injure Xuan Long, and the more he thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed.
In fact, Xuan Long did not explain clearly that he first encountered an ambush in the formation while trying to break through the barrier, then lost a lot of power while trying to rescue Mo Huaiyuan and Qi Junsha, and was later surrounded by the Seven Sacred Envoys of Boyu. He fought with all his might to break through the encirclement, which is why he is now on the verge of losing his power.
Li Qiang pondered for a long time. He realized that if he tried to venture into Xinbo Cape on his own, he might not only fail to rescue the person but also get himself trapped. This would not only be futile but would also completely extinguish any hope of saving the person.
He still has time to carefully consider how to deal with the situation. He will not act rashly unless things have reached a point of despair.
Paben specifically arranged for a disciple to accompany Li Qiang back to the Ancient Sword Academy.
Since entering the Ancient Sword Academy, Chiming has spent his time either cultivating or wandering around. He would occasionally find some disciples of the Ancient Sword Academy to practice swordsmanship with. This guy seemed to enjoy tormenting people, so much so that the disciples of the Ancient Sword Academy avoided him like the plague. Even Nashan was a little afraid of him.
In the Ancient Sword Academy, only the sisters Ling Baihui and Mei'er could keep Chiming Chiming line. Everyone else, including Qian Chi'ou, was helpless against him. When this guy got wicked, he didn't care who his opponent was. He wouldn't stop until he had thoroughly humiliated them. Moreover, his skill was extremely high, and no one could defeat him.
Fortunately, no matter what he did, he never hurt anyone, and sometimes he would even do people a favor. Although the disciples of the Ancient Sword Academy were afraid of him, they did not dislike him.
That day, Chiming finished his cultivation and strolled around aimlessly. He had completely consolidated his current realm. Although he was not as powerful as when he was the Demon Venerable, after obtaining the two divine artifacts, he was almost there. As long as he could fully cultivate and integrate the divine artifacts, he would be no weaker than the Demon Venerable Lord. Therefore, he cultivated his divine power while also intensifying his cultivation of the two divine artifacts, hoping to be able to use them freely as soon as possible.
He arrived at the training ground of the Golden Qilin Sword Academy and leaned against a large tree, bored. From afar, he saw Zhao Hao instructing his disciples in their cultivation. Suddenly, a disciple flew over on his sword, landed beside Zhao Hao, and whispered a few words. Zhao Hao immediately showed an excited expression.
Curiosity piqued, Chiming moved closer to Zhao Hao and asked, "Junior Nephew, what's wrong? Has someone come to fight?"
Zhao Hao looked helplessly at his freakish senior uncle and said, "My master has arrived. He's at the teleportation array; he just got here."
Chiming was overjoyed, "Finally, we've got this despicable fellow!"
He took out the All-Heaven Divine Staff, brandished it, encircled Zhao Hao, let out a strange laugh, and teleported away with Zhao Hao.
As soon as Chiming saw Li Qiang, he shouted, "Hey, big brother, where have you been having fun? I'm so bored waiting for you, I'm leaving if you don't come soon!"
Li Qiang glanced at him and said calmly, "You dare to leave before I'm even back?"
Chiming shouted, "What do I have to be afraid of? I say I'm leaving, and I'll leave!"
Led by Qian Chi'ou, the disciples of the Ancient Sword Academy arrived at the teleportation array and witnessed Li Qiang punching Chiming in the chest, sending him flying.
Chiming yelled angrily, "Big brother hits people as soon as he sees them!"
Li Qiang ignored him and turned to talk to Qian Chi'ou.
Chiming flashed behind Li Qiang and kicked him. Li Qiang was caught off guard and fell over.
Li Qiang sat on the ground, laughing and cursing, "You brat! You dare kick your older brother? You don't want to live anymore!"
Chiming reached out and pulled Li Qiang up, grinning wickedly, "Big brother, what's bothering you? Hehe, you came back looking so troubled, are you looking for a fight?" This guy, as expected of someone born Great Demon Venerable, was extremely perceptive; he knew something was wrong the moment he saw Li Qiang's expression.
Li Qiang shook his head and smiled wryly, "Brother, it's more than just a fight; it'll be a fight to the death."
Chiming was overjoyed. He had been itching to fight for a long time, and upon hearing there was a fight, he couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, "Great! Ah... Big brother, take me with you! I'll go fight with you! Haha!"
Qian Chi'ou said, "Junior Uncle, let's talk at the Sword Firmament Hall."
Zhao Hao, Nashan, Tange, Zhao Zhi, and others surrounded Li Qiang as they flew together to the Sword Firmament Hall.
Qian Chi'ou asked, "Junior Uncle, what happened?" Li Qiang didn't want to tell him about Xinbo Cape, because relying on the power of the Cultivation Realm was no longer helpful. He said, " Chi'ou, it's nothing. Send someone to find Mei'er and Ling'er. Oh, and please invite Grandpa Mei from Rejuvenation Valley over as well."
The Sword Firmament Hall was in a chaotic state, filled with disciples of the Ancient Sword Academy. Li Qiang instructed Zhao Hao, "Send all the disciples back to cultivate; we don't need so many people here."
Zhao Hao nodded and ordered all his disciples to leave before everyone took their seats.
Qian Chi'ou, the head of the academy, sat in the first seat. Li Qiang and Chiming sat to the side. Zhao Hao, Nashan, Tange, and Zhao Zhi stayed behind. Zhongli Fan, the head of the Hundred Offering Academy, Han Suya, the head of the Hidden Root Academy, Li Yumin, the head of the Silver Phoenix Sword Academy, also sat down.
Li Qiang coughed, and the Sword Firmament Hall immediately fell silent.
Chiming couldn't help but let out a strange laugh and said, "How impressive! Big brother, who do you think you are in the Ancient Sword Academy?"
Nashan chuckled and quickly covered his mouth.
Qian Chi'ou said, "Senior Chiming, Junior Uncle is considered the boss in the Ancient Sword Academy." Everyone couldn't hide their smiles.
Chiming laughed smugly, "Ah, I see. Then I'm the second son, aren't I?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Li Qiang was amused by this guy. "Little Second Brother? That sounds awful."
Nashan laughed so hard his Chiming Baldy shook wildly. He was overjoyed, finally seeing Chiming make a fool of himself. If it weren't for the vast difference in their strength, he would have already wanted to teach Chiming. Unfortunately, Old Na was no match for Old Chi; even if he was right, he couldn't reason with him, let alone try to bully him without reason.
It's not that Chiming cares about these empty titles. In the Black Devil Realm, ranking is very important; it reflects one's status and strength. After all, he has lived in the Black Devil Realm for a long time, and many of his ideas are hard to change overnight.
Chiming, "What are you laughing at? Big Brother is the eldest, and I'm just the second eldest. What's so funny? That's strange!"
Even Qian Chi'ou couldn't help but chuckle. He said seriously, "Yes, senior is second in command, everyone is happy for you."
Li Qiang couldn't help but look at Qian Chi'ou with new eyes. He was a famously rigid Mister Sword, yet he was actually joining in the jokes with everyone, which showed that his temper had changed a lot.
Chiming said with some doubt, "That's strange. Why do I feel like what you said is a bit odd?"
Li Qiang said, "Alright, everyone quiet down. Chi'ou, what's the situation lately?" He always valued information gathering, and the first thing he did upon returning was to inquire about the situation.
Qian Chi'ou thought for a moment and then briefly recounted the important events that had recently occurred on Sealed Fate Planet, focusing on the conflict between Ling Baihui and Wise Heng Palace. Li Qiang wasn't concerned about the feud between Ling Baihui and Wise Heng Palace, but he had some questions about the postponement of the Dao Technique and Law Technique Grand Competition. He asked, "Is the postponement of the competition at the behest of the Sacred City? What is the reason for it?"
Han Suya of the Hidden Root Academy bowed and said, "Academy Master, I will answer this question."
Li Qiang nodded and said, "President Han, you speak."
Han Suya stood up and said, "The decision to postpone the Grand Competition was indeed made by the Sacred City. As everyone knows, the Grand Competition is a test established by the Sacred City to select cultivators, so the Sacred City is always very cautious about it. I have consulted the records and found that in the past thousands of years, the Sacred City has only postponed the Grand Competition once before, and it was resumed not long afterward. But this time, the delay has been very long. Not only has the Sacred City not sent any news, but no news has been sent to the major sects either. Now there are more and more cultivators on Sealed Fate Planet. I wonder how the Sacred City will handle this."
Li Qiang nodded slightly, but before he could speak, someone outside the hall said, "Just ask me about the postponement of the competition."
Li Qiang stood up and said, "Alright, the Great Immortal Gan has arrived. Please come in."
It wasn't just Qian Shanyong who arrived; Dainan Fengyu, Old Immortal Tianshi, and Loose Immortal Hen Buyi also appeared before everyone.
Qian Chi'ou hurriedly urged everyone to pay their respects to the immortal, while Chiming sat lazily cross-legged, tilting his head to look Qian Shanyong up and down. In fact, he had already recognized who he was, but what puzzled him was why Qian Shanyong and Dainan Fengyu were here. He was too lazy to care, since Li Qiang was handling things in front, he simply pretended to be stupid as if he didn't know them.
Although Li Qiang and the others weren't brothers, they weren't enemies either; they were just a few eccentric old friends. He laughed, "You've come so quickly. Old Qian is, after all, the lord of the Sacred City..."
Qian Shanyong his hand and laughed, "Forget it, you can't say anything nice. Luckily we've come out of seclusion, otherwise we would have missed it. Hmm... you can all go out now." He pointed at Qian Chi'ou and the others.
Qian Chi'ou was already used to the hierarchy at the Ancient Sword Academy. Just as he was about to indicate that he wanted to leave, Li Qiang said, " Old Qian, why are you kicking my brothers out as soon as you arrive? I'm not hiding anything from them. Come, everyone sit down. Sister Fengyu, Tianshi... Oh, Hen Buyi, what brings you here too?"
Hen Buyi said irritably, "Since the World-Wreaking Demon King has issued a decree, I, a mere Loose Immortal, must naturally come and join in the fun."
Li Qiang was taken aback. "Brother Hen seems to be full of resentment. Sit down and vent your frustrations. I have some news for you."
Hen Buyi was surprised that Li Qiang had lowered his stance so much, and he also felt that his tone was not very good, so he sat down in silence.
Qian Chi'ou stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Li Qiang laughed and said, " Chi'ou, you're the host, why aren't you greeting the guest?"
Seeing Li Qiang's words, Qian Shanyong didn't know what else to say, but he was quite disapproving. He felt that there was no need for cultivators to know many things.
Zhao Hao whispered, "Master, it would be better if we went down. Perhaps if we knew some things... well, that would be bad. Besides, we can't say anything here, and it's uncomfortable sitting here."
Li Qiang nodded slightly; he hadn't thought of that.
With Li Qiang's approval, Zhao Hao immediately transmitted his voice to Qian Chi'ou and said, "Master, I still have some things to take care of... this..."
Qian Chi'ou then added, "Junior Uncle, I also..."
Li Qiang said, "Okay, you guys go ahead and get busy. Let me know if anything comes up."
The group bid farewell and went down to the Golden Qilin Sword Academy. Qian Chi'ou shook his head repeatedly and said, "Our cultivation is too poor. Sigh, we feel uncomfortable seeing immortals and just want to stay away." Zhao Hao and the others felt the same way.
Nashan laughed and said, "Yes, although I, Old Na, am not afraid of immortals, I feel very strange. I can't sit or stand properly, and I can't even speak properly. It's more comfortable to stay away and be with my brothers."
Mei Youbing rushed over and asked from afar, "Young Master is back! Where is he?"
Qian Chi'ou said, "Senior Mei, Junior Uncle and several immortals from the Sacred City are in the Sword Firmament Hall. Would you like to go and see him?"
Mei Youbing was also startled and said, "Let's wait for the young man to come down. This old man feels uncomfortable seeing immortals..." Before he could finish, everyone burst into laughter, leaving the old man bewildered. "What are you all doing? What's so funny?"
Nashan said with a grin, "Grandpa, we feel the same way as you, hehe, that's why we find it funny."
Chiming didn't care about any immortals. He remained seated, holding a spiritual fruit in his hand, eating with great gusto. Because his appearance had changed drastically after cultivating his divine powers, Qian Shanyong and Dainan Fengyu didn't recognize him at first.
Tianshi looked at this carefree fellow with curiosity and asked, "Who are you?"
Before Chiming could speak, Li Qiang interjected, "He is Chiming, the former Devil Venerable Chiming, who, like me, has now cultivated the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture." He didn't want the two of them to start fighting at this moment.
Chiming spread his hands and said, "Big brother, can't I keep some mystery? It's boring to tell everyone I'm the Devil Venerable Chiming!"
Qian Shanyong was stunned. After a long while, he exclaimed incredulously, "You... Chiming... you cultivate divinity?"
Chiming chuckled, " Qian Shanyong, have some manners, will you? You're a Luo Heaven High Immortal, after all. Don't be so jumpy. You're not even as good as me, Demon Venerable who cultivates gods..." He jumped up and walked to Dainan Fengyu, saying, "Dai Dainan Fengyu, you're so calm. Hey, what brings you all here?"
Dainan Fengyu laughed and scolded, "You little brat, do you want a beating? You should call me Fairy, don't you understand? Or you can just be like him and call me Big Sister Fengyu. You've cultivated to godhood, you should know some manners, shouldn't you?"
Chiming chuckled strangely, "What manners... I don't care. But calling me 'Fengyu,' hehe, I'd be happy to oblige." He then gave a lecherous look.
Qian Shanyong slowly sat down, lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then said, "There's nothing to regret, I was just making a fuss over nothing... By the way, what's the matter that you urgently wanted to see me about, brother?"
"There's nothing to regret?" Qian Shanyong as abruptly, Li Qiang didn't understand the meaning behind this seemingly random statement. A thought flashed through his mind, and he said, " Xuan Long is here."
Qian Shanyong's face immediately darkened, and he asked in a cold voice, "What is he doing here?"
Tianshi and Dainan Fengyu both looked at Li Qiang. Chiming and Hen Buyi sat there, not responding to what Li Qiang said. Chiming continued eating his fruit, while Hen Buyi closed his eyes and drifted off into his own world.
Li Qiang said calmly, "They've returned from Xinbo Cape, and there are experts chasing them, it seems there are three of them... their names are something like the Seven Sacred Envoys of Boyu the Western Sage..." He stared intently at Qian Shanyong, trying to discern something from his face.
Qian Shanyong quickly regained his composure, and Li Qiang couldn't discern his emotions at all. In his heart, Li Qiang couldn't help but curse this guy as a cunning old fox.
Qian Shanyong said, "With Xuan Long's strength, how could three holy envoys possibly defeat him? Brother, you must be joking."
Tianshi interjected, "An immortal with the title of Luo Heaven High Immortal Xian must be incredibly powerful. How could he possibly be being chased and attacked..."
Li Qiang smiled wryly, " Xuan Long is already on the verge of losing his power. Let alone three Sacred Envoy of Boyu, he would have a hard time even dealing with one. Moreover, I guarantee that those three guys will find Sealed Fate Planet soon. At that time... what will you do? Will you intervene or not?"
Qian Shanyong's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "What a joke! The people from Xinbo Cape are only powerful in Xinbo Cape. What are they here? Hmph, if they dare to cause trouble on Sealed Fate Planet, I'll wipe them out!"
Li Qiang clapped and laughed loudly, "Not bad, not bad, this is the spirit of Luo Heaven High Immortal!" He thought to himself, "You built this place with your own hands, I don't believe you'll just stand by and do nothing. I'll drag you down with me no matter what."
Dai Dainan Fengyu was more clear-headed. She chuckled and said, "You brat, explain yourself clearly. What exactly happened at Xinbo Cape? You called Brother Qian here, surely it wasn't for those holy envoys? With just you and Chiming, you shouldn't be afraid of those people. Is there anything else you haven't said?"
Li Qiang didn't know much about what had happened at Xinbo Cape, only that his elder brother and master were trapped there. He briefly described the situation.
Qian Shanyong said in a low voice, "He broke in? He's so powerful. It seems the Venerable One was right; he truly has the strength of Heavenly Lord."
Qian Shanyong's face was grim. He stood up and paced back and forth on the polished floor of the Sword Firmament Hall. Suddenly, he stopped and asked, "You intend to treat Xuan Long?"
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Yes."
Dainan Fengyu said, "Oh my god, I understand... Heavenly Aunt..." She didn't continue.
Qian Shanyong sighed, "The Venerable One was prepared long ago. She probably already foresaw that she would give this kid the Beiye Pill Cauldron. Alas, it seems I can't stay out of this."
Li Qiang was overjoyed. He was afraid that Qian Shanyong would ignore the matter. To save his elder brother and master, he could not rely on his own strength alone. He had to win more powerful support. If Qian Shanyong and others joined, it would greatly increase his chances of winning.
Tianshi asked doubtfully, "Are we going to Xinbo Cape?"
Dainan Fengyu chuckled, "We're all smart people, are you afraid to go? The Master's hint is already very clear, hehe, I'll go and have some fun too."
Tianshi by Dainan Fengyu's words, Tian Shi lost his temper and said with a slightly dark expression, "What is there that I wouldn't dare to go? Humph!"
Qian Shanyong asked, "Where is Xuan Long?"
Li Qiang said, " Xuan Long is currently recuperating. I plan to cultivate some divine pills on Sealed Fate Planet first. Hehe, who among you is willing to join? I want to make it clear that everyone who joins will receive divine pills."
Without hesitation, Qian Shanyong replied, "I'll join. I still have quite a few spirit medicine here..."
Dainan Fengyu and Tianshi weren't stupid either; they both said in unison, "I'll join too."
Hen Buyi hesitated for a moment. He had certainly heard of the Beiye Pill Cauldron, and the chance of obtaining a divine pill was extremely slim in the Cultivation Realm. He tentatively asked, "This... can I participate?"
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Of course, I couldn't be happier."
Hen Buyi hadn't expected Li Qiang to be so straightforward. He hadn't held a particularly good impression of Li Qiang before, but just that simple sentence from Li Qiang made it impossible for him to hold any resentment towards Li Qiang anymore. He silently closed his eyes and drifted off into his own thoughts once more.
Chiming finished the plate of spiritual fruits, wiped his mouth, and said cheerfully, "Although it's not as satisfying as eating in the Black Devil Realm, it'll do. Hey, big brother, count me in for refining Divine Pills! Haha, I've heard Divine Pills are amazing, I have to get a few to try."
Li Qiang said, "Okay, it's settled then. After we've finished cultivating the divine pill, we'll go to Xinbo Cape."
A disciple from the Ancient Sword Academy said outside the Sword Firmament Hall, "Abbot, I have something to report."
Chiming said quickly, "Come in!"
The disciple entered the main hall and stood at a distance from the entrance, saying, "A disciple from the Sacred City has arrived at the Ancient Sword Academy, saying he has important matters to report to the Holy Lord."
Qian Shanyong teleported away. A moment later, he teleported back, his face ashen, and said, "The people from Xinbo Cape are bastards. They actually dared to hurt my people..." He cursed them bitterly.
Li Qiang added fuel to the fire, saying, "It seems the people of Xinbo Cape don't care about this Sacred City at all."
Dainan Fengyu rolled her eyes at Li Qiang and laughed, "You brat, don't talk nonsense."
Qian Shanyong said calmly, "Let's go and see the experts at Xinbo Cape."
Chiming jumped up and yelled, "Great! There's going to be some fun! I've been so bored here! Haha, let's fight! Kill them!" Everyone in the hall was puzzled as to why this guy was so excited.