The High Person Tianzhen had already left a mark on Li Qiang, and in order to bring Li Qiang to the Illusory God Hall, he went through great lengths to find Earth.
The first thing this guy said when he met them was, "I'm so pitiful!" Except for Li Qiang, who was still standing with a frown, everyone else was knocked to the ground by his words. Even Hua Meiniang was weak all over and saw stars.
Li Qiang was displeased. He shouted, " Tianzhen! You've gone too far! These are all my friends. What are you doing, putting on airs!"
With Tianzhen expression, Tianzhen simply called out the name out of habit, without intending to show off. Seeing Li Qiang's displeasure, he flashed his signature roguish smile and said, "Little brother, didn't we agree to go to the Illusory God Hall? Look, I've come all this way to find you, so you have to come with me this time, no matter what, right?"
Li Qiang didn't agree to go to the Illusory God Hall. Plus, he was already annoyed that Hua Meiniang and the others had suffered a loss upon his arrival. Li Qiang glared at him and said, "No way! I don't have time right now. We'll talk about it when I have some free time!"
Tianzhen burst into tears. "You... you can't break your promise! Waaah, I'm so pitiful, I finally found you... you... you didn't keep your word again..."
His crying was quite a shock; the entire high-rise building trembled, and Hua Meiniang and the others covered their ears, while Mei Jingjing screamed.
Li Qiang shouted, "Hey! Stop crying!"
Tianzhen wasn't afraid of Li Qiang's anger, and he continued crying, "Waaah, you broke your promise! I'm so pitiful!"
The room on the top floor began to shake violently, cracks appeared in the walls, and even the large table made of hard composite materials was shattered.
Li Qiang was furious. He transformed the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flow into a light shield, covering Tianzhen in an attempt to block out Tianzhen voice.
Hua Meiniang was the first to regain her senses. She felt a chill run down her spine; this old man was truly terrifying. Her current strength was already quite remarkable in the Cultivation Realm, but the old man's cries were unbearable. She had never witnessed such a level of cultivation before.
Most incredibly, at first glance, this old man looked just like any other ordinary person, with nothing particularly special about him.
Li Qiang said in a deep voice, " Elder Sister Hua, take them out."
Hua Meiniang asked worriedly, "Who is this person?"
The Tianzhen was far more powerful than Li Qiang. A red light flashed from his body, and Li Qiang's Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flowing Stars burst forth, immediately forcing him back.
With tears and snot streaming down her face, Tianzhen cried, "Waaah, you can't beat me, come with me! What's the point of staying here... Or... can I destroy this place?"
Li Qiang hadn't been angry for a long time, but this time Tianzhen finally managed to provoke him. He jumped up and shouted, "Go to hell! Tianzhen, don't think you're some ancient immortal. If you piss me off... humph..." He held back and didn't finish his sentence.
Actually, if Tianzhen had just spoken nicely, Li Qiang might not have refused. However, Tianzhen habitually resorted to unreasonable and sophistry, which angered Li Qiang.
Tianzhen wiped away his tears and said, "Are you going or not? If you don't go..." He suddenly remembered that Li Qiang wasn't someone he could threaten, so he whined, "I'm so pitiful. If you don't go, I'll just follow you around."
Hua Meiniang knew things were going badly. Immortals were already incredibly powerful, and ancient immortals were far beyond her comprehension.
Suppressing her panic, she said, "Fifth Brother, let's talk this out. Senior... your crying is unbearable for me. Please stop crying. It's incomprehensible for a grown man to cry like that." She was still true to her Little Demoness nature; even though she was afraid, she still had to be sarcastic.
If Tianzhen were to start acting shamelessly, everyone except for High Person Boju, Heavenly Aunt, and the Azure Emperor would be terrified. Li Qiang scratched his head and said, " Tianzhen, I have to wait here for Erhe Library for at least ten years. There are still a few things I must complete. I might go to the Illusory God Hall with you later, but absolutely not now."
Tianzhen finally stopped his antics and said seriously, "Kid, do you know why I'm in such a hurry?"
Li Qiang said, "I don't know. What does your anxiety have to do with me?"
Hua Meiniang couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. She knew Li Qiang 'Li Qiang temper very well. He would basically keep his promises. If he didn't have a promise, no amount of pressure would work.
Tianzhen grinned, looking like she was about to cry again. Li Qiang said, exasperated, " Tianzhen, if you can't even wait twenty years, you can leave. I will never go with you to this Illusory God Hall."
He turned to Hua Meiniang and said, " Elder Sister Hua, please take them away."
Hua Meiniang sighed, stood up, and called out, "Everyone, follow me."
Everyone stood up, their legs weak. Zhao Hao barely managed to open the door to the reception room, only to find that Zhang Jinguang and the others had already fainted. Ancient immortals were indeed not suitable to appear in the mortal world; any action they took could be deadly to mortals.
Li Qiang stopped Hua Meiniang and said, " Elder Sister Hua, please accept this. Please Sealed Fate Society to help me find it."
It was a Jade Pupil Slip containing the characteristics of Mo Huaiyuan and Qi Junsha after their reincarnation, as well as instructions on how to identify the recipient of the Flower of Heart Reflection. Hua Meiniang accepted the Jade Pupil Slip and said, "Fifth Brother, be careful."
Soon, the top floor was completely empty.
Li Qiang said, " Tianzhen. If I hadn't been to the Xinbo Ancient God Repository, I definitely wouldn't have refused you. But now... you have to wait for me. I'll say it again: we can discuss going to the Illusory God Hall after I finish my business. Absolutely not now!"
With Tianzhen expression, Tianzhen said, "The main hub of the Illusory God Hall was opened after the Ancient God Repository was opened, so entering the formation now is much easier. I can't predict when it will close. Sigh, this is the best opportunity to enter the Illusory God Hall. Kid... uh, little brother, big brother, grandpa, please come with me!"
Li Qiang said helplessly, " Tianzhen, I'll call you grandpa! High Person Boju has already obtained the Cultivation Method he needed. You are his junior, there's no need for you to risk going to the Illusory God Hall. They will pass it on to you." He knew very well what happened in the Xinbo Ancient God Repository; he was present when the God Repository was finally opened.
Tianzhen plopped down on the ground in distress and said, "No! I dare not take his things. I... I don't want to see him. I don't want even the best Cultivation Method. I want to find it myself. There must be a solution in this world."
Li Qiang was also troubled. Back in his hometown, he had two tasks to complete: first, to find the owner of the Flower of Heart Reflection, and second, to find the reincarnations of Qi Junsha and Mo Huaiyuan. He absolutely could not leave at this time. Once he entered the Illusory God Hall, he would not be able to come out in just a few decades. Moreover, anything could happen in the Illusory God Hall, and whether he could come out alive was still unknown. He really could not agree to the Tianzhen request.
The two, one sitting and one standing, gazed at each other silently.
After a long pause, Tianzhen gritted her teeth and said, "This is my last hope, you must help me..."
His eyes flashed red, while Li Qiang's eyes gleamed with golden light. The two stared at each other like fighting cocks, sparks of gold and crimson erupting between them with crackling sounds.
Li Qiang said slowly, "It's not that I don't want to help you... it's just that I don't have time right now, so you either have to wait or leave."
The Tianzhen child cried out, "I'm so pitiful!" The building shook again.
Li Qiang's face grew colder and his tone became increasingly stern. " Tianzhen, you have disappointed me greatly. No wonder High Person Boju imprisoned you." Such a willful ancient immortal was unbelievable to Li Qiang. Considering their past adventures together at Xinbo Cape, he didn't want to fall out with him.
Tianzhen's expression changed drastically; he was most averse to mentioning High Person Boju. He jumped up and shouted, "Since you refuse to help me, humph, don't blame me for doing whatever I want! Your two reincarnated friends... let's see who finds them first... hahaha." He threatened Li Qiang in a fit of rage.
These words truly enraged Li Qiang. Mo Huaiyuan and Qi Junsha were his closest people, and he could not tolerate them being hurt.
Li Qiang sneered, " Tianzhen. You probably don't know how powerful the Lord of the Primordial Realm is. Sorry, but since you've threatened my friend, I can't let you go." The two became increasingly tense as they spoke.
Tianzhen never expected things to escalate to this point. He felt a pang of regret, but he didn't believe Li Qiang could do anything to him, after all, his cultivation level was far higher than Li Qiang's.
The Tianzhen boy chuckled mischievously, "Oh, how about this? Let's have a fight. If I lose, I'll wait for you for twenty years. If I win... you'll come with me to the Illusory God Hall immediately. Hehe, are you brave enough to bet?"
Li Qiang found it amusing; this bet was utterly absurd. Regardless of the outcome, he was obligated to go to the Illusory God Hall. Such a shameless bet coming from an ancient immortal left Li Qiang feeling both amused and exasperated.
He shook his head and said, "This bet is terrible. If you win, you can do whatever you want with me. If you lose... then I'll decide everything. I'll choose the location for the duel. Do you dare?"
Tianzhen was also confused in his haste. Why would Li Qiang gamble with him if he had no backing? Only Heavenly Aunt, Azure Emperor, and High Person Boju truly understood the meaning of the Primordial Realm. Tianzhen was still slightly inferior to them.
He nodded and said, "Okay! I'll take the bet. You can't go back on your word if I lose! Waaah, I'm so pitiful. Things that were agreed upon a long time ago have to be changed. Waaah!"
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Think about it again. I've never made any promises. Okay! Let's go to the Primordial Realm to gamble."
Tianzhen thought about it carefully and cursed inwardly. Li Qiang had indeed not made any promises to him; he had simply mistakenly thought that Li Qiang had agreed. This little guy was so cunning! A strong sense of frustration welled up within him, and he hesitated, " The Primordial Realm? How do I get there?" He felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Li Qiang smiled slightly, his confidence sending a chill down Tianzhen's spine. A blinding golden light flashed, and the reception room was instantly empty.
The two landed on a planet in the Primordial Realm.
Tianzhen's face turned extremely ugly. He wasn't ignorant; to arrive on a strange planet in the blink of an eye, a planet not even on his Star-Fixing Disc, meant Li Qiang's strength was beyond his comprehension. After a long while, he burst into tears, crying, "I've fallen for your trick, boohoo, I'm so pitiful!" This time, he was truly pitiful.
This is a desolate planet. Most planets in the Primordial Realm are barren and must be changed by the Primordial Realm Lord. Only a few are native planets with abundant resources. Li Qiang is already very clear about this, but Tianzhen is completely unaware of it.
Li Qiang's eyes darted around, and he said with a smile, " Tianzhen, a contest doesn't necessarily have to be a fight over Law Treasure. Hmm, I've collected quite a few divine artifacts in the Ancient God Repository. If it's a contest of divine artifacts, you definitely don't have my advantage. How about we try a different kind of contest?"
Tianzhen thought for a moment. He didn't want to fight Li Qiang either. In their current situation, fighting was a last resort. He nodded and said, "Okay, let's change it. But I'll decide what we compete in."
Li Qiang knew that the topic of the competition could not be proposed by the other party under any circumstances. With his Tianzhen cultivation level and realm, he had no chance of winning. Only by relying on the Power of the Primordial Realm could he possibly win this competition.
He shook his head repeatedly, saying with a look of disdain, "You're the senior, yet you have no manners at all. I should decide what to compete in; otherwise, let's not compete at all, I'm going back." He made a move to leave.
The Tianzhen immortal cried out, "Wow, you can't do this..." The poor ancient immortal was completely helpless, manipulated by Li Qiang.
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "Will it work?" In the Primordial Realm, he had Tianzhen completely under his control; Tianzhen simply had no chance.
Tianzhen glared fiercely at Li Qiang. He knew Li Qiang was difficult to deal with, but this was the first time he'd seen him this persistent. He felt extremely uncomfortable, but he couldn't resort to force at this moment. Considering that Li Qiang's cultivation level and realm were probably no higher than his own, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, it's your choice! What do you want to bet on?"
Li Qiang knew he had won, and he said with a grin, "Actually, even immortals know this technique; I call it 'Creating Heaven and Earth'."
He pretended to cast several Divine Spirit Instruction, and as the spells flew out, a series of muffled rumbling sounds rang out, the earth began to tremble, and a huge mountain rose from the ground at an astonishing speed.
Tianzhen breathed a sigh of relief. The so-called moving mountains and overturning seas was nothing to these ancient immortals. He laughed and said, "How can we compare this? Are we comparing who can build the tallest mountain?" His tone was full of mockery.
Li Qiang was secretly afraid; if this were anywhere else, he wouldn't have been able to win the competition at all.
Li Qiang scratched his head, a sly smile appearing on his face, and said, "What I'm competing in is... naturalness."
Tianzhen stared in disbelief as Li Qiang ascended into the air. Li Qiang casually gestured and said, "Whether it's mountains and rivers, forests and grasslands, or lakes and oceans, everything must appear natural." In just a few words, the entire earth underwent a dramatic transformation.
The mountains and rivers undulated with Li Qiang's gestures, and the plants grew in response to his words; everything seemed so real and natural.
Li Qiang said casually, "Not only should the environment be natural, but all the animals should also be natural. Look..." With a wave of his hand, countless birds appeared out of thin air, emitting various calls as they scattered and flew away.
Then, he tapped his fingers and played a series of notes, "Birds, beasts, fish, and insects..."
Tianzhen finally understood that he had not only lost, but lost miserably. Only a god could have done what Li Qiang had done. He cried out, "I'm so angry! You... you... So this is what the Primordial Realm means... Oh dear, I'm so pitiful..." He was practically going crazy.
Li Qiang stopped what he was doing, tilted his head, and looked at Tianzhen with a grin, saying without any politeness, "So you finally understand what the Lord of the Primordial Realm means, huh? Hehe, since you've lost, you'll have to follow my arrangements."
Tianzhen jumped up and howled, "You won by relying on the Primordial Realm, it doesn't count! Waaah, have pity on me, give me another chance?" This guy revealed his shameless side again.
Li Qiang chuckled; he was amused by the Tianzhen.
He held up his middle finger, gestured, and said, " Tianzhen. From the moment you agreed to enter the Primordial Realm and fight me... you already lost. In the Primordial Realm... haha, you're nothing!"
With Tianzhen eyes, she said innocently, "Stop talking big, watch my little bird fly!"
A flock of colorful birds chirped and flew out from him, each one so beautiful, shimmering with bright colors as they danced in the air, leaving long trails of rainbow light behind them, making them exceptionally beautiful.
Li Qiang glanced at it and knew it was a divine artifact. Although he didn't know what kind of artifact it was, the fluctuations emanating from it sent chills down his spine. However, this was in the Primordial Realm, where the source of all power was controlled by Li Qiang.
Just as the flock of birds circled around, Li Qiang disappeared without a trace.
Tianzhen trembled with fright. This artifact was his best treasure for trapping people, yet Li Qiang had managed to disappear without a sound. He was both shocked and frightened, and immediately used his Divine Sense to investigate.
In an instant, Li Qiang suddenly appeared behind him. Tianzhen darted forward and shouted, "It's not fair!" The flying birds turned into specks of colorful light and disappeared into the air.
Li Qiang said with a grin, "There's no such thing as fairness in this world, you know that."
Still unwilling to give up, Tianzhen, with a cheeky grin, said, "I can't believe you managed to dodge the bird's attack! Oh, I'm so pathetic! I want to fight again! And I want to fight you outside the Primordial Realm!"
As he spoke, he approached Li Qiang. Before he finished speaking, the bird flew out again, this time with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, the flying birds formed a huge, colorful net, completely surrounding Li Qiang.
This time, Li Qiang didn't dodge. He knew very well that only by making Tianzhen completely despair could he succeed.
He laughed Tianzhen and said, "Stop! Haha, sorry, brother, although it was a sneak attack, I won't hurt you. Haha, now we can talk about terms."
A delicate, birdcage-like enclosure trapped Li Qiang inside, its shimmering colored light reflecting off Li Qiang face, making it impossible to discern whether he was sad or happy.
Li Qiang said calmly, "There are no conditions to discuss, Tianzhen. Maybe I'll go to the Illusory God Hall with you in the future, but not now, even if you truly trap me..."
Tianzhen scratched his head in distress and said, "Sigh, how could this be?" He was really distressed. He knew very well that going to the Illusory God Hall required Li Qiang's willingness; otherwise, it would be meaningless.
His naturally argumentative and unreasonable nature inadvertently angered the only person who could help him, and he couldn't help but feel a little regretful.
Li Qiang disappeared into the air once again. Tianzhen's face turned extremely ugly. He finally understood that Li Qiang was an omnipotent god in the Primordial Realm, and even High Person Boju might not be a match for him here.
He reluctantly put away the artifact, but before he could speak, Li Qiang suddenly appeared behind him.
This time, Li Qiang didn't hold back and kicked him in the butt. A scream rang out, "I'm so pitiful..." Tianzhen flew into the sky.
Tianzhen now realized that no matter how they gambled, he was destined to lose. Disheartened, he flew back and said pitifully, "Brother, I admit defeat, okay? Sigh, I guess I'll just have to wait another twenty years... Ah... I'm so..." Seeing the golden glint in Li Qiang's eyes, he immediately stopped, but then, unwilling to give up, he blinked and said, "Brother, I'll help you find your reincarnation!"
When it comes to High Person Tianzhen's thick skin, Li Qiang was ashamed to admit he couldn't compare; the guy acted as if nothing had happened. Li Qiang was the type of person who responded better to gentleness than force, and seeing Tianzhen soften his tone, he felt embarrassed to bully him anymore.
He sighed, "Fine, fine. I'll go with you to the Illusory God Hall twenty years from now."
Tianzhen's face flushed slightly. He knew he had used persistent pleading to get Li Qiang to agree. He was well aware of the dangers of the Illusory God Main Hall. Even those with the strength of Primordial Hermit were unwilling to go. Li Qiang's willingness to go was tantamount to risking his life to accompany him.
He finally smiled and said obsequiously, "Brother, don't worry, you definitely won't come back empty-handed from the Illusory God Hall." In truth, he wasn't really sure what benefits he could get from the Illusory God Hall.
Li Qiang grinned indifferently, ignoring Tianzhen. Taking advantage of this trip to the Primordial Realm, he planned to learn more about the place. With a slight movement of his Divine Sense, everything in the Primordial Realm flowed through Li Qiang's mind like water. He discovered that the Bona People had entered the Primordial Realm and had begun to transform the planets within the Primordial Realm, albeit at a very slow pace.
He tried to find Chiming, whom Li Qiang had been worried about ever since he was thrown into the Primordial Realm.
Soon, Li Qiang located Chiming's position; the guy was hiding underground on a planet.
Li Qiang shouted, " Chiming, what are you doing?"
Tianzhen was startled and asked, " Chiming here?"
Li Qiang shook his head and said, "He's not here, but he can hear me."
Chiming had fought with the Bona Immortal several times. As he was not the Lord of the Primordial Realm, he was slightly weaker and suffered a lot in the battles. Fortunately, he obtained several divine artifacts in the Xinbo Ancient God Repository this time, which prevented him from suffering a great loss.
This time, he went to harass the Bona People again, but fell into a trap set by Geluhe and got a severe beating. Fortunately, he was quick-witted and escaped to a planet to hide. Just as he recovered, he heard Li Qiang's voice in his ear.
Chiming was both surprised and delighted, shouting, "Big brother, where are you?" He then heard Li Qiang's voice again. "Relax, don't move."
Suddenly, he was enveloped by a strange power. His vision blurred, and he saw Li Qiang and Tianzhen standing on a mountain peak. The boy laughed heartily, "Big brother, haha, you've come to help me?"
Li Qiang noticed that Chiming's cultivation had improved significantly again, and he asked curiously, "You haven't been in the Primordial Realm for long, but your cultivation has improved so quickly. Is the Primordial Realm a good place for cultivation?"
Chiming smiled smugly, " The Spiritual Qi here is abundant, especially underground, where Spiritual Qi's unbelievably dense. Haha, this place is so much fun." He turned to Tianzhen and asked, "Old man... uh, what brings you here?" He inadvertently revealed his true feelings again, as he had always referred to Tianzhen as "old man" in his mind.
Tianzhen sighed, "My life is miserable. I've come to ask your older brother for help, alas."
Chiming immediately became very interested. His eyes lit up, and he asked, "Help? I'll help you! Tell me... who did you fight? I'll go!"
With a helpless smile, Tianzhen said, "If I fight with your older brother, you'll help me?"
Chiming's eyes widened, and he said with a righteous air, "Of course I'll help! I'll help my brother beat you up, hahaha, hahaha."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Stop fooling around, Chiming. I'll teach you how to use the power of the Primordial Realm."
Chiming shouted excitedly, "Ah? Wow, that's great! Teach me quickly!"
Tianzhen was quite annoyed. His eyes darted around, and he said, "Brother, there's something I forgot to tell you."
Li Qiang asked curiously, "What news?" A thought flashed through his mind: the news this old guy was talking about could not be good.