It was a wondrous kind of "sight," a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree "sight" that reflected every bit of scenery in his mind.
The mountain housing Black Prison was nothing like what Li Qiang had seen before. Black mountains rolled on all around it, but Black Prison's peak alone towered into the clouds, standing out like a crane among chickens.
The caves halfway up the mountain looked no bigger than eggs, but Li Qiang had been inside and knew how enormous they were.
White rectangular craft flashed red as they constantly entered and left those caves. With a thought, Li Qiang was already above them.
Those white blocks were packed with fully armed soldiers. Following them inside, he saw countless soldiers gathered in the caves. Li Qiang followed the direction of their march.
Squad after squad descended to the area above the Black Prison level. The arriving soldiers busied themselves organizing their equipment and weapons. The atmosphere was tense and oppressive, and some soldiers held strange statues, seemingly praying.
Li Qiang returned outside the mountain, intending to find an escape route.
The surrounding landscape was desolate. Besides black rocks and soil, there were many strangely growing plants, white, blue, and reddish brown, but none green. Their shapes were bizarre too: some resembled forks, others strings of beads, and all gave off a faint glow. He could see no traversable path.
As he hesitated, the ground suddenly shifted. Several plants shattered, black soil turned over, and a monstrous head bearing long, sawtoothed horns pushed out. It swayed from side to side, then slowly slid its body out of the mud. It was five or six meters long, covered in yellowish-white markings, its flat body pressed against the ground. It coiled up like a snake and let out a strange "gurr-croak" toward the sky.
Li Qiang "looked" up and heard someone laugh. "Eh? A Coiling Propagation Worm. This creature has bone spurs that can be used to refine artifacts."
"Martial Uncle, Black Camp seems to be nearby. Let's leave it alone!"
Li Qiang's consciousness suddenly rose. A large group hovered in the air, and on closer inspection, he recognized many familiar faces.
Fu Shan and Hou Pijing were leading them. Zhao Hao, Mei Jingjing, and even Hua Meiniang were among the group. Someone was also being carried along, his head hanging dejectedly. It was actually An Lang.
Fu Shan and Hou Pijing sensed something simultaneously and shouted, "Who's there?"
Hua Meiniang giggled. "Brother Fu, what did you see?" Looking at her radiant appearance, it was truly hard to believe she was the famous little demoness.
Fu Shan stared straight toward him. "Whose Primordial Spirit is watching?"
Li Qiang was startled, and his concentration immediately scattered. All the scenery abruptly vanished.
Li Qiang opened his eyes and found himself back in his body. He trembled slightly all over with excitement, murmuring, "Brother Fu is here. They're all here..." The feeling of finding life in a hopeless situation filled his heart.
Once again, he sank his consciousness into his Nascent Soul, trying to contact Fu Shan through his Primordial Spirit. Yet after waiting for a long while, he still could not release it from his body.
In truth, he had just received assistance from the inlaid front stone, triggering the Supreme Radiance Shuttle's power and leaping into the early stage of the Leaving the Body Realm. Fortunately, Fu Shan had startled him out of it. Had his Primordial Spirit remained outside for long, he would very likely have suffered Qi Deviation.
Abandoning the idea of contacting Fu Shan, Li Qiang sprang up from the floor and rushed out of the room.
"A set of protective equipment, when turned up to maximum, can effectively withstand damage from a Spine-Piercing Spear. At most, you'll feel a violent jolt. It won't do much harm. Remember, whatever you do, don't take repeated hits. If you do, you'll find, heh-heh, that you're already dead... So, in battle..."
Kankanqi waved his hands, spittle flying as he explained things to the recruits. He spotted Li Qiang racing toward them. As Li Qiang swept past, the words "Follow me" floated back, but he was already far away.
Kankanqi instinctively sensed that something had happened and ran after him.
Standing among the crowd, Li Qiang felt he was too low and could not help floating into the air.
Nashan asked Lin Fenghe in puzzlement, "What's wrong with Boss? Look, his face is all red. Is he... sick?"
Lin Fenghe glared at him and cursed, "I think you're the sick one! Boss ought to give you a beating."
"Hey, that's not what I, Old Na, meant..."
"Shut up!" Kankanqi could not resist kicking him. "You're the one with the most to say. Hurry up and listen to what Boss has to tell us!"
"Everyone, listen carefully. Black Camp's soldiers are coming down soon..." Those words alone immediately filled the entire hall with a buzzing uproar, and fear appeared on everyone's faces.
Nanadun bellowed, "Quiet! Let Boss finish." Lin Fenghe also roared, stopping the crowd's discussion.
"But don't be afraid. As long as we hold out for a while, my reinforcements will arrive," Li Qiang shouted excitedly. He was overjoyed. At last, he would see Fu Shan, Hou Pijing, and the others.
Han Jin asked in confusion, "Brother Muzi, what do you mean by reinforcements? Is someone outside coming to rescue us? Who are they?"
Nanadun added, "Boss, is the Bangqining Kingdom's army attacking? How many troops are there?"
Li Qiang wagged a finger smugly and laughed. "My brothers and friends are here. There are dozens of them!"
Li Qiang was partly to blame for not explaining clearly. In fact, he could not have explained clearly just how powerful dozens of cultivation experts were; even he had no real measure of it. But one thing he knew very well was that the current Black Camp soldiers could not withstand such a force. None of this, however, was something Black Prison's suffering prisoners could understand.
Almost everyone froze. Dozens of people? How could that possibly save them all? Had Boss Muzi gone mad?
Nanadun could barely speak, unable to conceal his disappointment no matter what. He knew that, as a commander, he should not show joy or anger, but the hope Li Qiang had initially given him had simply been too great. Only with difficulty did he calm himself.
Nashan's confidence in Li Qiang was almost blind. If Boss said it could be done, it could be done. He split his great mouth in a grin. "Wonderful! We're getting out! Wahaha, haha... Huh? Why are you all pulling such long faces?"
Li Qiang had been far too excited. As he gradually calmed down, he found it amusing himself. No one here would believe how formidable Fu Shan and the others were. Better arrange the defenses first!
"Nanadun and Lin Fenghe, organize the defenses immediately. Find a way to hold up Black Camp's soldiers and minimize our losses. If you need any help from me, just say so. Otherwise, get started right away!" Very sensibly, Li Qiang handed command to them. Fighting wars really was not his strength.
"Old Master Fu, whose Primordial Spirit was that just now? Why couldn't Niuniu see it?"
"I don't know whose Primordial Spirit it was, but it seemed very weak. Brother Hou, wouldn't you agree?" Fu Shan smiled again. "Niuniu, you can only sense him if your cultivation is higher than that Primordial Spirit's."
"Hmm! Why did it feel familiar to me... Strange."
Hou Pijing had spent more time with Li Qiang than Fu Shan had and understood Li Qiang's cultivation level. Moreover, Li Qiang had practiced the Primordial Beginning Sect's cultivation methods, so Hou Pijing's perception was somewhat keener. Even so, he could not determine whether it had been Li Qiang's Primordial Spirit.
"Could it have been my master?" Zhao Hao asked urgently. He was most concerned about Li Qiang's safety.
Mei Jingjing's eyes lit up. "Really? Could it have been Brother?"
Her eager gaze made Hou Pijing's hair stand on end. He chuckled. "Little girl, don't look at me like that... Your brother..."
Hua Meiniang put an arm around Mei Jingjing and smiled as well. "Old Master Hou, if you dare bully my little sister..."
Hou Pijing appeared to have suffered quite a bit at Hua Meiniang's hands. He laughed awkwardly. "Hey, who's bullying Niuniu? Tell me, and I'll skin him... pull out his tendons... drain his blood... Oh! Right, what I sensed just now was indeed Brother Li's Primordial Spirit..." Seeing that he truly could not bluff his way out, he simply brought up Li Qiang. Whether that had been Li Qiang's Primordial Spirit or not, he would use it to change the subject first.
Fu Shan smiled faintly and glanced at Hou Pijing. Hou Pijing's old face reddened, though fortunately his dark skin made it hard to tell.
Mei Jingjing's eyes reddened, and tears fell uncontrollably. Now Hou Pijing was at a complete loss. Young girls crying were what he feared most. Flustered, he said, "Don't cry, don't cry. Little demoness, hurry and save me... Ah, no, no, not little demoness. Little fairy... Mm... Little fairy..."
Hua Meiniang looked at Fu Shan and laughed sweetly. "All right, I won't hold it against an elder like you. Little sister, if that really was your brother's Primordial Spirit, he must be nearby... There, be good and don't cry!"
This time, Fu Shan had brought his friends and experts from the Chongxuan Sect. On Heavenly Court Star, they had captured An Lang, an Attendant of the Litang Kingdom, and wounded Situ Yong.
The moment An Lang saw Fu Shan and Hou Pijing, he knew there was no escape. He had no choice but to tell them about Li Qiang's situation. Only then did they learn that Li Qiang had actually been sold into slavery.
Fu Shan immediately brought his people to Tanbang Star. This time, the Tante Kingdom had landed itself in enormous trouble.
Looking at the gigantic mountain, Fu Shan said mildly, "Since the Tante Kingdom dared enslave my brother, no one can say that I, Fu Shan, am bullying them..." Turning to Hou Pijing, he said, "Well? Shall we stretch our limbs together? It's been a long time since I played with so many people."
His calm tone sent chills down the spine.
Hou Pijing chuckled. "You take the lead! I'll go into Black Camp and have a look first. Off I go." He still had his old disposition, preferring to come and go alone.
Fu Shan knew his peculiar habits too. "Very well. Everyone, spread out and hold the mountain's eastern, southern, and northern sides. Leave the west open. All right, begin!"
The cultivation experts immediately dispersed. Zhao Hao, Mei Jingjing, and Hua Meiniang stayed close to Fu Shan, and the four flew toward Black Camp's mountain.
"They're coming. Everyone, be careful!" Kankanqi gripped his Spine-Piercing Spear. He led twenty-odd people guarding the mouth of a main passage. A deep trench had been dug in the ground, and they lay along its edge.
Soldiers lay in ambush in seven or eight passages altogether, awaiting Black Camp's troops. Li Qiang took Ben, Han Jin, Qiao Yuhong, and Paben to the pool hall, watching the downward passage opening in the ceiling-the place they had descended through when they first arrived.
Li Qiang told Qiao Yuhong, "Brother Hong, hide over there. Don't come out carelessly. Paben, you go too." Then he added, "Ben, stand on that rock and seal off the entrance with the Crystal Origin Bow." After hearing the translation, Ben turned and climbed up.
Qiao Yuhong looked at Li Qiang worriedly and whispered, "Brother, be careful..."
Li Qiang smiled. "Don't worry! Hurry and hide. Be good!"
"Brother Han, go over to Nashan. I'm enough here."
"There are too few people here. I'd better stay..."
Li Qiang cut him off. "I don't trust that bastard Nashan. Go keep an eye on him for me."
Han Jin agreed with a wry smile, knowing he could not sway Li Qiang. "Brother Muzi, ah, take care!"
Han Jin's figure had only just disappeared into the passage when rumbling explosions came from all directions.
Boom!
Rock shattered off the cave walls, striking Nashan with a clattering patter. He narrowed his eye, his heart pounding like a drum. The prisoner soldiers around him who had standard-issue armor turned their defenses up to maximum. The falling stones bounced away before striking them. Only a few unarmored soldiers farther away were injured, groaning in pain.
"Damn it! Everyone, get ready. On my command..." Nashan raised his Spine-Piercing Spear, his face slick with sweat and his lone eye wide. "Fire!" He stood and shot a ball of energy.
A row of men fired together, instantly lighting up the entire passage. Through the spreading smoke, they could see the figures of many Black Camp soldiers.
"Get back... No running!"
Han Jin had arrived and kicked back two prisoners who were trying to flee. One of them, his face covered in blood, wailed, "I don't have armor! I don't have armor! I'll be killed... I don't want to die..."
Han Jin seized the wailing prisoner and cursed, "Don't want to die... Fuck you... Bastards like you die fastest. Get back there and fight!"
Nashan cried joyfully, "Old Han, get over here..."
"Watch out!" Han Jin shouted.
An energy ball sent Nashan flying into the cave wall with a bang, making him burst into furious curses.
Han Jin quickly crawled over. "Get ready to throw explosive bombs. Wait until I count to three..."
This was a broad passage eight meters across. Black Camp's soldiers slowly pressed forward, faint blue light flickering on their armor in the shadows.
Holding an explosive bomb, Han Jin counted, "One... Two... Three... Throw!"
Almost simultaneously, Black Camp's soldiers fired several large light-ball shells. Boom, boom, rumble... Explosions filled the entire passage.
Li Qiang stood beside the pool, watching the opening above the hall and praying inwardly, Brother Fu, hurry! The prisoners here can't hold out for long... Suddenly, he saw a red ball the size of a watermelon roll out of the opening and fall straight toward the pool. Alarmed, he shouted, "Get down!"
A dazzling flash of white, a thunderclap of an explosion-it seemed the whole Black Prison might shake apart. Rumbling echoes reverberated over and over. The blast knocked Ben off the rock to the ground, and the pool churned like boiling water.
Qiao Yuhong clutched her Spine-Piercing Spear tightly, burying her head in the crook of her arm. She felt as though she were sitting in a little boat crossing a raging storm, pitching and rolling, the rumbling in her ears drowning out everything else. Worried about Li Qiang's safety, she forced her eyes open to look and could not help weeping with joy.
Amid flying rubble and billowing mist, Li Qiang hovered in the air. His Billowing Essence Battle Armor shone pale gold, a strange purple dragon circled his body, and seven brilliant golden lights guarded the outside. The entire hall was illuminated. He looked like a god of war.
Unsure how powerful that large explosive bomb was, Li Qiang had activated every defense he had, even the Radiant Sun Ring. In truth, using such defenses against that bomb was making a mountain out of a molehill.
Li Qiang flew close to the opening and hovered beside it. He knew the soldiers would be coming down.
Sure enough, a moment later, a soldier equipped with flying wings dropped from the passage, coming face-to-face with him.
The soldier was so frightened he did not know what to do. He had never imagined that someone could hover without flying wings, much less survive that large explosive bomb.
Li Qiang grinned silently and softly spoke a phrase in the Tante Kingdom's language, one he had specifically asked Paben to teach him. It meant "idiot."
The soldier understood. The instant Li Qiang closed his mouth, he felt a chill at his neck. Then he saw his own body and the pool's water rushing toward his face. Suddenly, he understood-his head had fallen off.
With a series of swishes, seven or eight winged soldiers flew down from the opening.
Li Qiang stayed close to the hall's ceiling. Spotting a winged soldier still carrying two large explosive bombs like the one dropped earlier, he smiled smugly. He had a good idea.
He moved before that soldier like lightning and snatched the two large bombs from his hands. Raising an arm, he hurled one into the opening above and detonated the other on the spot. Just before it exploded, he gave an "Uh-oh" and flashed over to Qiao Yuhong's side.
His rapid series of actions left the soldiers utterly confused, hovering stupidly in the air.
Another massive explosion erupted. Its force sent the seven or eight winged soldiers shooting in every direction like arrows loosed from bowstrings, slamming viciously into the cave walls. Even their standard-issue armor could not withstand such an impact. Every one of them suffered snapped tendons and broken bones and breathed his last.
The bomb thrown into the passage was even more terrifying, blasting the entire passage apart. It had been packed with unfortunate Black Camp soldiers, and almost none escaped.
This downward passage had once been the road to despair for so many suffering prisoners. Now it was Black Camp's soldiers' turn. This road had become a passage to hell.
No Black Camp soldiers would be coming down into the hall for the moment. Li Qiang rose into the air. "Ben, hold this place... I'll check elsewhere. Brother Hong, take care of yourselves!"
Fu Shan's group of four had only just approached the mountain when they clearly heard muffled explosions coming from within. Zhao Hao asked in puzzlement, "Why has the fighting already started? Martial Uncle Hou only just went in!"
Many little dots flew from the mountain's cave openings and soon drew near. More than three hundred winged soldiers surrounded them, holding Spine-Piercing Spears. The officer leading them, clad in red armor, came forward and asked, "Who are you?" Seeing these four flying without wings, he could not gauge the situation and dared not act rashly.
Of the four, only Fu Shan and Hua Meiniang understood the officer's question. Hua Meiniang laughed sweetly. "Oh my, you little bastard, we're looking for someone. We heard you've captured a great many people here, and one of them is my little brother. We had no choice but to come here and demand him back."
Mei Jingjing could not help laughing. "Hey, Sister Hua, what are you chattering about? Why can't I understand any of it?"
Hua Meiniang smiled. "Niuniu, how old are you? Your big sister understands almost all the languages of the Tanbang Continent! Once you've traveled to more places, you'll learn them too."
The officer had no idea he was face-to-face with harbingers of disaster. He saw only these two charming girls and no weapons on any of them, and lust swelled in him. "Well! You dare insult an officer? Arrest them all. Haha, I like this little wench." His heart was filled with delight.
Hua Meiniang seemed to have heard something extremely funny. She giggled without stopping, her petite, bewitching body swaying like a flowering branch in the wind.
The officer felt he could barely breathe. She was simply too beautiful. In his daze, he seemed to see a cloud of pink mist wrap around him, and his whole body went slightly numb. He looked down and could not help screaming in terror.
Tiny nails densely covered his body. His standard-issue armor had actually offered no protection at all. Suddenly, unbearable pain wracked him, pain that pierced his very marrow and made him wish he could die immediately.
Fu Shan shook his head slightly and pointed at the officer. The three hundred-odd winged soldiers watched their captain in disbelief. They had seen Fu Shan use no weapon, only point a finger, and their captain had been torn to pieces.
The winged soldiers all flew backward at once, simultaneously raising their weapons and firing wildly.