Heavenly Lord Lijin and Heavenly Lord Fanqi also arrived.
Heavenly Lord Lijin said, "Your Majesty, the Immortal Bona has arrived, and they seem quite annoyed."
The Azure Emperor coldly said, "I'd like to see what they're up to." As a supreme ruler of a realm, his words carried an air of authority and majesty.
High Person Yuangu laughed and said, "Good heavens, Black Sacred Guards have arrived. Boju, we might have to use your God-Sealing Plaque."
High Person Boju nodded and said, "If they are unreasonable, we will have no choice but to imprison them." The three spoke calmly, completely ignoring the Bona Immortals.
High Person Borong, along with Geluhe and other ancient immortals, flew over.
Yuangu and the Book Master, with an air of nonchalance, chuckled softly, "This time things are really going to get chaotic."
The Azure Emperor knew that Yuangu was much more nervous than he was about the opening of the Ancient God Repository. Seeing how relaxed Yuan Gu looked, the Azure Emperor's spirits lifted, and he realized that there must still be a chance for things to turn around.
On second thought, hadn't he also placed a pawn within the Ancient God Repository? He calmed down and waited quietly.
High Person Borong slowed down from a distance and asked loudly, " Xinbo, what happened? Why were all the Ancient God Restriction activated?" He seemed very angry.
High Person Boju, with a touch of Tianzhen and Tianqu, hovered above the crowd. His face was grim as he looked down and said calmly, " Tianqu, prepare the God-Sealing Plaque."
Tianqu sighed inwardly and nodded, "Yes."
He stood Tianzhen to one side, his lips moving slightly. Anyone who could read lips would know that he was saying, "I'm so pitiful."
The Azure Emperor sneered, " Borong, what are you trying to do with your aggressive demeanor?"
High Person Borong retorted without backing down, "What do you want? What do you want?"
The two sides were on the verge of conflict, and the atmosphere became tense.
In the instant the red light flashed, the Divine War Soul on Chiming's forehead also fluctuated. When he came to his senses, he was already standing on a huge platform.
He was also transported to the Ancient God Repository.
After Li Qiang unintentionally activated the entire Ancient God Restriction, he was sucked into the huge purple pillar.
Li Qiang discovered that the pillar was entirely a purple world, with pale purple clouds floating in the purple sky. On the boundless purple grassland, there stood a huge purple palace, its shape somewhat resembling the palace he had seen on Purple Soul Star. He was standing at the entrance of the palace.
In front of the palace gate stands a deep purple jade stele over ten meters tall, shimmering with a soft, crystalline light, upon which flow strings of divine script.
After examining it with his Divine Sense, Li Qiang was overjoyed. It was a text left for him, stating that whoever obtained the Divine War Soul was qualified to enter this place and could open the Ancient God Repository 'Divine War Soul Treasury with it.
A moment later, the divine stele turned into purple light and disappeared into the air.
Li Qiang calmed himself down and stepped into the exquisite War Soul Purple Hall.
The ground was still paved with Ink Fire Purple Cloud Crystal, spotless and immaculate. The surrounding temperature was extremely high, and the rising heat was clearly visible.
The entire War Soul Purple Hall was eerily quiet, with only Li Qiang's footsteps echoing throughout.
Li Qiang quickly completed the circuit. The main hall was empty, with nothing in sight. After thinking for a moment, he tentatively took off from the ground.
With the help of the Divine War Soul, the restrictions here were completely ineffective, and he flew smoothly into the air, immediately discovering a small purple house behind the main hall.
Li Qiang sensed that this purple world was heavily restricted, but because he Divine War Soul, these restrictions seemed to have lost their effect, and he flew directly towards the purple hut.
In the air, Li Qiang broke through several restrictions in succession. He thought to himself how lucky he was. If it weren't for the Divine War Soul, he probably wouldn't have been able to get past even one of the restrictions.
Li Qiang landed smoothly in front of the purple house. Looking at the house in front of him, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. This was hardly a house; it was more like a strangely shaped object. It had neither a door nor windows, and he had no idea how to get in.
He circled the small house three times and found that the purple house indeed had no doors or windows. He probed it with his Divine Sense and found that it was empty.
Finally, through his Divine Sense sense, Li Qiang found the entrance.
The entrance was strange; it was not only invisible, but also located on the roof of the cabin.
Li Qiang used his divine eye to roughly observe the Ancient God Restriction around him and was surprised to find that the layers upon layers of restrictions around the purple house were like a maze. If he were to enter the house by breaking the restrictions, even experts like the Azure Emperor and the Heavenly Aunt might not be able to break through them, let alone himself.
Ignoring the restrictions, Li Qiang flew straight onto the roof.
The moment he stepped onto the roof, a purple light flashed, and he began to sink into the cabin.
Just as he was about to enter, Chiming's figure flashed by, and to his surprise, Li Qiang landed inside the small house.
Before Li Qiang could even regain his footing, a barrage of silver light rained down on him. Li Qiang waved his hand and unleashed the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flowing Sword. Amidst the flashing golden light, he was sent tumbling through the air by the dense silver light. After finally regaining his balance, a series of silver orbs of light began to swarm him.
Li Qiang suddenly realized something was wrong, because the power of the light sphere attack wasn't very strong, and it seemed to lack control. He dared not unleash the full power of the Ninefold Evolving Gilt, fearing it would destroy the hut, and only carefully manipulated the Ninefold Evolving Gilt for protection.
He realized that what was attacking him was an unknown artifact, launching a defensive attack.
Li Qiang tried to flick out a ball of Divine Yi Power to envelop it; the thing bounced once and then flew into his hand.
Li Qiang could hardly believe that he had received such a divine artifact so easily. He examined it closely and found it to be a teardrop-shaped object, pointed at one end and rounded at the other, about the size of a fist, with a bluish hue and emitting a soft silver light. Although he didn't know its name or how to use it, the fluctuations emanating from it confirmed that it was a rare treasure.
After acquiring this treasure, the entire space was revealed.
It was a very small, circular space with purple walls, though the shades varied.
Li Qiang squinted and peered at the scene, noticing that the purple patterns on the wall formed a star map. He didn't know where the starry sky was, but he knew the map would definitely be useful.
He took out a Jade Pupil Slip, copied the star map on the wall, put it into his bracelet, and then began to examine the room again.
Apart from the artifact they had received, the room contained only the star map on the wall; there was nothing else there.
After searching around, Li Qiang realized that the invisible portal above his head had closed, and he could not exit the way he came. He sat down cross-legged and used his Divine Sense to explore again, and soon discovered that there was another space underground.
After studying it for a while, Li Qiang still couldn't find the entrance. In desperation, he tried to open it using the fluctuations of the Divine War Soul.
Sure enough, a circular entrance appeared in the very center of the ground, and Li Qiang leaped down without hesitation.
This was an oval-shaped space, somewhat like the shape of an egg. Li Qiang quietly slid down the wall and saw a purple Jade Slip slip floating in the very center.
Li Qiang was overjoyed. He knew that anything with a record was a priceless treasure, and the only way to solve the self-destruction problem was to obtain an authentic Cultivation Method.
Li Qiang had experienced many similar treasure-hunting processes before and knew that there should be a restriction here. He tried to check with his divine eye, but strangely, he couldn't see any sign of a restriction at all.
The Purple Slip scroll was too tempting; after hesitating for a moment, he decided to reach out and grab it.
With a loud bang, Purple Slip transformed into a thick purple mist that descended upon Li Qiang. In an instant, the purple mist seeped into Li Qiang's body like mercury spilling onto the ground, and neither the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor nor the Ninefold Evolving Gilt could stop it.
As if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, Li Qiang felt chilled from head to toe. He remained suspended in mid-air, still in the position of reaching for the Purple Slip, like a statue.
A full ten minutes passed before he finally recovered and couldn't help but yell, "Whoa! What was that?"
Li Qiang reached out to look at it, feeling somewhat confused. The Purple Slip had actually disappeared into his body. Strangely, after the initial chill subsided, the Purple Slip vanished without a trace, unlike other things that he could clearly sense.
He scratched his head, thinking that perhaps he hadn't collected it correctly and had destroyed the Purple Slip. He looked around and, seeing nothing there, turned and flew upwards.
Upon arriving at the cabin, Li Qiang noticed that the door above was already open. He remembered that he seemed to have seen Chiming outside earlier, so he hurriedly flew out.
Back in the purple hall, Li Qiang looked up at the sky and roared, " Xiao Ming! Where are you?"
The roar was like a thunderclap, causing the purple hall to tremble slightly, and the shockwaves emanating from his mouth spread out in concentric circles.
Li Qiang himself was startled; he didn't really know how high his cultivation level was.
Chiming swaggered in from the back of the hall, shouting triumphantly, "Senior brother, what's all the noise about... I have good news for you, they've all been thrown out by the Ancient God Restriction, hahaha!"
Li Qiang asked curiously, "They were thrown out by the Ancient God Restriction? Then how did you get in?" Before Chiming could speak, he slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing, "Haha, you also Divine War Soul! No wonder! Alright! Let's go open the Ancient God Repository together."
Chiming laughed triumphantly, "When I arrived here, I had a very familiar feeling. Haha, I followed my feeling and came here. This place really does have the feel of Purple Soul Star. Senior brother, have you found any treasures?"
Li Qiang said, "I haven't been here long, and all I found was this thing and a Purple Slip, but unfortunately, I couldn't collect them." He took out the teardrop-shaped artifact.
Chiming took it and examined it, saying, "It looks a bit like the God-Sealing Plaque... It seems to be self-contained inside."
Li Qiang said, "Without the relevant Divine Spirit Instruction, we don't know how to activate it."
Chiming returned the artifact to Li Qiang, then grinned and took out a strangely shaped, dark weapon. Its shape was very odd, like a double-edged axe, but without a handle. At first glance, it looked like a flattened butterfly.
Li Qiang held it in his hand, feeling its dark, cold, and extremely heavy weight, easily over two hundred pounds. He couldn't help but exclaim, "What a treasure! Hey, there's Divine Spirit Instruction on it!" He pointed to the occasional flashes of purple light on its dark back.
Chiming snatched it away and examined it closely. After a while, he grinned and laughed heartily, waving his arms and legs with joy. "This thing is great! Bile Jue... what a strange name! Haha, it feels much better than the Yeqi Dragon Staff. This is a real man's tool! I love it!" He immediately began to cultivate it.
With the Divine Spirit Instruction, one can absorb the Bile Jue into their body and cultivate it gradually.
Li Qiang said, "Now that we're here, how can we get out?" They both knew that there must be some remaining artifacts here, but Li Qiang was more concerned about opening the Ancient God Repository. He needed the Heaven-Defying Treasure Mirror of the Gu Xing, so he had to rescue him.
Chiming laughed, "Getting out is easy. As long as we control our Divine War Soul, the restrictions here will throw us into the main hall outside."
Li Qiang couldn't help but look at Chiming with newfound respect. He praised, "As expected of a former Great Gods and Devils, how did you know?"
Chiming licked his lips and said nonchalantly, "I've been thrown out like this twice, so I know very well."
Li Qiang was speechless for a moment, then scratched his head and said, "Oh, let's go out."
Back in the main hall of the third level of the Ancient God Repository, Li Qiang laughed and said, "This opening of the Ancient God Repository is probably the quietest ever; it's just the two of us, my fellow disciple and I."
Chiming said dismissively, "There's someone even more powerful than us."
Li Qiang also remembered and nodded, saying, "That's right, Lord Gu Xing is even more powerful... Uh, I understand... Azure Emperor... Our master is the truly powerful one!"
Chiming thought for a moment and said, "That's right! That's exactly it... He sent Gu Xing to open the Ancient God Repository first, so that whoever goes in will encounter him. Senior Brother, we are no match for those old guys at all."
Li Qiang forced a smile and said, "Opponents? What opponents? I've never considered them opponents. Junior brother, it's better to be a little oblivious to some things."
Chiming said, "I've never been truly lucid, so there's no question of me being confused. Haha, I don't care about them, hmph!"
Li Qiang shook his head, as if trying to banish some unpleasant thoughts from his mind. He laughed and said, "Junior brother, let's see who runs faster!" After saying that, he took off running up the steps.
Chiming yelled, "You cheat!" and followed closely behind, running upwards.
The Ancient God Repository revealed three layers after it was opened. The fourth layer was opened by Gu Xing, but he only managed to unlock one of the restrictions. There were still two restrictions that he couldn't unlock, so he was trapped inside.
This time the steps were even longer. Li Qiang didn't understand why they had to build such long steps. It would be much easier to build a simple teleportation array, or simply remove the Ancient God Restriction around them and fly over directly.
He didn't know that with his Divine War Soul and Divine Yi Power, this staircase posed no danger to him. However, it wouldn't be so easy for someone else to walk on it, as the Ancient God Restriction here were extraordinary.
The two reached the top almost simultaneously, where they were met with a thick fog.
Li Qiang and Chiming exchanged a glance. Chiming smiled and said, "I'm sure it's a maze inside. Senior brother, I'm sure I'm right."
Li Qiang said dismissively, "I'm afraid it's not that simple. The maze can't trap Gu Xing."
Chiming said impatiently, "I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work, senior brother can try again." After saying that, he flew into the thick fog.
Li Qiang calmly sat down cross-legged and quietly released his Divine Sense to investigate. He quickly discovered that there were no restrictions in the thick fog, only a thin layer of fog.
He withdrew his Divine Sense and rushed in. He immediately saw Gu Xing sitting cross-legged in the middle of the platform, pointing one hand at the Immortal-Beating Hammer. The Immortal-Beating Hammer formed a light screen covering the three chaotic divine artifacts. Chiming stood to the side with a grin, showing no intention of making a move.
Gu Xing was completely focused on the Immortal-Beating Hammer, and had no time to speak.
Then Chiming cackled, "Haha, old man Gu Xing, I never thought you'd have this day! Remember when you used the Devil Restraint to bully me? Haha, you ruined my chance to become Demon Venerable, forced me to cultivate some godhood, and made me take that old man, the Azure Emperor, as my master..."
He looked at Gu Xing with a Evil Qi, his hands rubbing together incessantly, as if he was about to punch someone.
Li Qiang shouted, " Xiao Ming! You dare!" He was joking, Big Brother Mo and Master's reincarnations all depended on Gu Xing. If Chiming were to make a move now, Gu Xing wouldn't be able to fight back at all; he would only be beaten.
Li Qiang darted to Chiming's side, kicked him aside, and warned him fiercely, "Want to fight Gu Xing? Wait until later! Aren't you taking advantage of someone in distress right now?"
Chiming muttered, "Taking advantage of someone's vulnerability is best. We should have waited until he was ready before attacking... Am I stupid?! Sigh, what a great opportunity, what a pity, what a pity!" He ran to the side and suddenly shouted, "I... I'm so pitiful!"
Li Qiang burst into laughter at his shout, saying, "Junior brother, stop thinking about your Great Gods and Devils and just focus on cultivating with me."
Suddenly, Gu Xing spoke, whispering, "Help me! Help me collect these three divine artifacts!" He was in great pain. After opening the Ancient God Repository, he found seven divine artifacts inside, which he was powerless to collect. He watched helplessly as four flew away. Finally, he managed to use the light barrier formed by the Immortal-Beating Hammer to trap three more, but he was still unable to collect them. As a result, he was stuck on the platform, trapped here.
After sending out his distress Law Treasure, he struggled to stay afloat on the platform.
Before Li Qiang could answer, Chiming grinned and approached, saying, "Lord Gu Xing, hehe, why should we help you? Is there any benefit in it?"
Gu Xing was so angry he almost vomited blood. He was already exhausted, and when Chiming made his demands, he didn't even have the strength to refute them.
Chiming said smugly, "Boss Gu Xing... to tell you the truth, the Heavenly Cave has closed. The Azure Emperor, um, that's my new master, and High Person Yuangu, High Person Boju... a whole bunch of Shangren, they were all thrown out by the Ancient God Restriction. There are only the three of us here, haha."
He clapped his hands and slapped his thighs, jumping around excitedly on the ground, looking like he had ill intentions.
Gu Xing inwardly chuckled bitterly; he had no leverage to fight. He said calmly, "What do you want?"
Li Qiang laughed, "Ignore him, Lord Gu Xing Star. Which divine artifact do you want to collect? We must divide the work."
The three divine artifacts shrouded in the light curtain of the Immortal-Beating Hammer are: one radiating silver light, like a round fan; one a thin golden sheet that constantly separates and reassembles; and the other a crimson bracelet-shaped ring.
Chiming said angrily, "Can't I even scare the old man a little? Sigh, can't I just vent my anger?"
Li Qiang laughed and scolded, "What are you venting your anger on? If you have any anger, take it out on me!"
Chiming shook his head dejectedly and said, "Sigh, how could I dare? You're my senior brother... Fine, for your sake, I won't pursue the matter. Sigh, I'm so pitiful!"
Li Qiang slapped him across the face and yelled, "Why did you have to learn Tianzhen slang? It's awful! Don't ever say it again!"
Chiming raised his hands helplessly and said, "I'm not going to say it anymore, I'm so... uh." He suddenly realized how easy it was to say that sentence; no wonder Tianzhen kept saying it.
Gu Xing breathed a sigh of relief; he was genuinely worried that Chiming would cause trouble at this moment. He said with difficulty, "I want the red bracelet. You can each take the other two as you wish; once you receive them, they are yours."
He felt a pang of regret. If he had only captured one or even two artifacts, he might have been able to obtain them. But his greed led him to capture three artifacts, which resulted in him losing his chance. Once he released the light barrier of the Immortal-Beating Hammer, he wouldn't be able to get even one artifact.
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Okay, junior brother, which one do you want? You choose first."
Chiming looked around with his eyes darting about for a while before finally saying, "I want that thin golden piece."
Li Qiang laughed, "Good eye! I also think this is a treasure... Alright, you take the thin piece, I'll take the other one."
He no longer cares. With the Ninefold Evolving Gilt and the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor, he doesn't care about more divine artifacts, because cultivating divine artifacts is very difficult, and having more wouldn't be of much use. What he wants most now are cultivation manuals.
Gu Xing said, "Wait, when I release the Immortal-Beating Hammer, you must trap the three divine artifacts. I need to exchange them for the Heaven-Defying Treasure Mirror to retrieve them. Give me some time."
Li Qiang had a sudden inspiration and said, "Alright, I'll set up a protective barrier first, that way the artifact shouldn't be able to fly out. Lord Gu Xing Star can wait a while before releasing it."
Gu Xing smiled wryly, "Ordinary restrictions are useless. You might be able to buy some time with the Heavenly Mirror Treasure Aspect Wheel."
He was unaware that Li Qiang and Chiming were both using divine artifacts, and that their power had greatly increased since their breakup with him, now rivaling his own.
Li Qiang said no more. He used a Divine Spirit Instruction to set up a sealing barrier. Golden rays flew back and forth like golden shuttles. Soon, a huge golden light shield enveloped the platform. With the final Divine Spirit Instruction, the barrier was completed after a ripple.
Gu Xing was very knowledgeable. He was shocked to see that the restrictions set up by Li Qiang were somewhat similar to those of the Ancient God Restriction. He knew very well that ordinary restrictions could not be established in the Ancient God Repository; only divine restrictions could be formed.
He secretly wondered, given the time Li Qiang had spent cultivating, it was impossible for him to have reached such a level. How had he managed to cultivate?
Li Qiang said, "Alright, Lord Gu Xing, you can take back the Immortal-Beating Hammer now." He couldn't understand why Gu Xing didn't use the Heaven-Defying Treasure Mirror to retrieve the artifact, but instead chose to use the Immortal-Beating Hammer Immortal-Beating Hammer. It was simply a thankless task.
Chiming said, "Wait, I'd better be careful." He shook the Yeqi Dragon Staff, and a giant golden claw appeared in the air. He shouted, "Alright!"
Li Qiang then released the Ninefold Evolving Gilt, a golden light spreading within the barrier. He called out, "Lord Gu Xing, put away the Immortal-Beating Hammer!"
Only then did Gu Xing feel relieved enough to put away the Immortal-Beating Hammer. By then, he was completely exhausted.
The light barrier of the Immortal-Beating Hammer suddenly dissipated, and the three divine artifacts trapped inside emitted a crisp vibration, simultaneously shooting outwards. They first struck the Yeqi Dragon Claw, followed by three consecutive thunderous booms, causing Chiming to yell in surprise, "What the hell is that with such power?"
Chiming immediately abandoned his obstruction, Yeqi Dragon Claw suddenly shrank as he reached for the golden shards. He wisely abandoned the other two pieces.
Li Qiang's Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flowing Golden Light shone brightly as he blocked the other two divine artifacts that rushed out. With a loud bang, Ninefold Evolving Gilt firmly held the two divine artifacts in place. Suddenly, he realized that his power was insufficient, and a strange feeling filled his entire body—the effect of the Mind Cage.
He suddenly awoke with a start, realizing he had unknowingly found himself on the verge of danger.
Li Qiang glanced at Gu Xing and saw that he had already taken out the Heaven-Defying Treasure Mirror, so he set his sights on the fan-shaped artifact.