Time on the Tanbang Continent was rather strange. After leaving the Black Prison, Li Qiang had measured it carefully and discovered that daylight lasted around thirty-four hours, while the night varied from six to eight hours. He asked Paben how months and years were calculated here, but Paben was equally muddled, so he could only follow local custom and muddle through the calculations.
Judging by the time, Li Qiang reckoned Kankanqi and the others should be back soon. He looked around at the scenery again. Something had worn the reddish-brown cliffs smooth and round, leaving no sharp edges. At the lowest point of the gorge lay several long, deep channels with extremely smooth edges. The large scattered rocks were the same.
"This place must have been scoured by water for ages to end up like this," Li Qiang said with a smile. "But I can't figure out how these deep channels formed."
Zhao Hao stroked the surface of a rock and smiled. "Who knows how many years it took to polish it this smooth?" He channeled a little True Essence Power and struck the rock. With a faint crack, a fissure opened in the huge boulder. "How solid!" he exclaimed in surprise. "It actually didn't shatter."
Nashan squawked, "Senior Brother, aren't you being a bit ridiculous? One light slap from your venerable self cracked the rock. You hit harder than a sledgehammer, and you're still not satisfied?"
"Nashan, stop envying him," Li Qiang said with a smile. "As long as you train seriously, you'll be just as formidable. Oh, Zhao Hao, where do you think we should build the houses?"
Nashan wished he could have Zhao Hao's abilities right away. If I could knock down a house with one punch, how impressive would that be? Who would dare brush me off? The thought tickled him so much that he could not help chuckling.
Nanadun stood on a large boulder, surveying their surroundings. Pointing at a smooth patch of rock nearby, he said, "I think that spot would be good. It's higher up and quite flat, just right for a camp."
Zhao Hao jumped up beside him and looked over, then nodded. "Not bad. I agree with Nanadun. What do you think, Master?"
Li Qiang, however, was staring blankly at the plants in the distance. Nashan asked curiously, "Master... Boss! Is something strange?"
"The plants here are so strange. Look closely. They all grow flat against the ground. Why don't they grow upward? Could it be..." Li Qiang strode toward the patch of plants, and Nashan and the others followed curiously.
The plants resembled vines, long and slender, clinging to the rocky ground in a dense mass like an enormous green carpet, without any leaves. Looking thoughtful, Li Qiang reached down and tugged. To his surprise, he failed to snap one. "So tough?" He pulled harder, and a muffled twang sounded. Li Qiang was deeply startled. Even steel wire should have snapped under that much force, yet he had merely pulled this vine away from the rock.
Zhao Hao grasped one and pulled, channeling his power. The little-finger-thick stem slowly stretched until, finally unable to withstand his tremendous strength, it broke with an ear-piercing snap. Zhao Hao shook his head. "Unbelievable. A vine stem this tough-even an ordinary whip isn't this strong. What an eye-opener."
Beside him, Nashan strained with every ounce of strength and still failed to break a single stem. Discouraged, he said, "Damn it, I've never seen anything like this. Isn't this a bit too tough? There aren't any monsters here to eat you. Why grow so tough?"
Something stirred in Li Qiang's mind. That's right. There must be a reason it grows so strong. What could it be?
Zhao Hao pointed toward the gorge entrance and smiled. "They're back. Hmm, two flying boards." Everyone in the gorge cheered. Some hurried to prepare to unload the goods, while others had already cleared a space.
The moment the flying boards stopped, everyone crowded around them. Kankanqi and Tange ran over to Li Qiang and the others.
The two had not only bought all the building materials but also obtained a great deal of food and daily necessities. They could probably stay here for a long time without worrying about running short of supplies. Of course, Tange's money was nearly gone as well.
Tange came up beside Li Qiang. "Boss, we got quite a haul this time. My brother's friend in Fengnan City lent us a flying board, and we picked up some news too. Let's discuss it in a little while."
Li Qiang happily patted his shoulder and smiled. "Good! Things really are different when our logistics officer goes into action." Fiddling with the piece of vine Zhao Hao had pulled off, he asked, "Tange, how did you discover this Great Gorge Mouth? Is there anything... well... strange about it?" For a moment, Li Qiang actually could not find the right words.
Tange blinked. "Is something wrong? I discovered this gorge a long time ago when I came out here with some friends for fun. It left a particularly deep impression because it's close to the Sea of Wronged Souls." He added, "But I remember coming during the day. I don't know what happens at night. There shouldn't be any trouble, should there?"
Li Qiang shook his head, more puzzled than ever. He could not say why himself. He was cautious by nature and knew there were still many things here he did not understand. "Don't build the houses yet. Everyone, be careful tonight. I'll set up a defensive formation first. Move all the people and supplies inside. We'll see how things go."
Nashan muttered, "Boss is getting more and more timid. With so many people and guns, I don't believe there's any monster we need to fear."
Zhao Hao could not stand anyone disrespecting his master. "What did you say?" he barked.
Nashan jumped. "Noth... haha... nothing! I didn't say anything."
Nanadun remembered how Li Qiang had set up a defensive formation in his room to make weapons back in the Black Prison. They had tried to enter and call him, but could not even get a hand through. It truly offered good protection, so he nodded too. "Better to be careful. There are plenty of things on the Tanbang Continent that even I don't understand."
As the sky gradually darkened, Li Qiang directed everyone to sit around the flying boards and hurriedly began setting up the formation. He had a strange premonition. Seeing the sky grow darker still, he called, "Everyone, stay seated! Don't move around without permission. Nashan, sit down too. Stop wandering about. Zhao Hao, come help me."
Sensing something wrong in Li Qiang's tone, everyone sat down uneasily. Nobody dared move, and the only sound was their heavy breathing. Zhao Hao had learned a little about formations too. He knew Li Qiang was setting up a Return to Origin Formation, which offered strong defense but was somewhat difficult to lay out. He hurried forward, and master and disciple split up to place its components.
Bored, Nashan sat staring into the dark gorge in the distance. In the peculiar silence, the clattering sounds of Li Qiang and Zhao Hao setting up the formation seemed especially loud. Echoes rippled through the gorge, making it seem even more sinister and frightening.
Nashan rubbed his arms as goosebumps rose in waves. Suddenly, a cool breeze brushed his face, feeling wonderfully refreshing. He could not help murmuring, "Hey, what a nice breeze!"
With a pattering sound, raindrops began falling from the sky. Large and scattered, they struck the rocks and burst into flowerlike splashes. The wind swept the drops against their faces, unpleasantly icy, and a stir ran through the seated crowd.
"Stay seated!" Nanadun barked. "Don't panic."
Kankanqi, Han Jin, Bala, and Zhao Zhi all kept the others in order. They could not afford chaos now.
Li Qiang's sense of foreboding grew stronger. He kept urging Zhao Hao on, and before darkness fell completely, master and disciple finally finished laying out a Great Return to Origin Formation. Li Qiang shouted, "Zhao Hao, activate the outer formation! I'll activate the inner corners. Hurry!"
Zhao Hao channeled all his True Essence Power to set the formation in motion. Everyone watched in disbelief as a ring of white light lit up around them. Li Qiang discovered that his own True Essence Power was actually insufficient to activate the inner corners. Seeing that Zhao Hao had already exerted all his power, he knew his disciple could not help him. He could only release his True Essence Power little by little.
The red light at the inner corners slowly brightened. He knew it would take at least another half hour before the formation could operate on its own.
Whoosh... Another cool gust swept past, chilling everyone to the bone. Nashan no longer dared call it a nice breeze. It was far too cold!
The rain grew heavier, and before long, everyone was soaked through. As the cold wind swept over them, they all shivered. Tange's face shifted between bluish and pale. He had never expected this place to be so dangerous either.
Strange cries drifted faintly from the distance in waves that made their hearts tremble, and the wind grew stronger and stronger. Having fully activated the outer formation, Zhao Hao turned and stood beside Li Qiang. The two exerted their power together. In an instant, red light blazed, illuminating everything within a hundred meters. Beneath it, the rain flashed with threads of white light. Rainwater struck the ground and churned into white froth, mist rose, and their entire field of vision became a white blur.
Waves of roaring came from the other end of the Great Gorge Mouth, growing louder and louder, rumbling like ten thousand galloping horses. Everyone stared in terror and unease, unable to see what was making that roar.
Sweat was already running down Li Qiang's forehead. The formation still needed ten minutes before it could take full effect.
The sound grew louder, mixed with shrill screeches like a knife scraping across glass. Many could not endure the terrifying noise and clamped their hands over their ears. Eyes shut, Nashan shouted, "Damn it, what is that noise? It's setting my teeth on edge!"
Suddenly, everything around them fell quiet. They heard Li Qiang shout, "Done... hahaha!"
Everyone cheered and stood up. Nashan opened his eyes and marveled at the wonders of the defensive formation. Despite the torrential rain and raging wind, once the formation was activated, not even the finest spray could drift inside. The sounds outside were so faint that they were almost inaudible unless one listened carefully.
Zhao Hao barely managed to sit cross-legged. Holding the Immortal Stone Li Qiang had pressed into his hand, he closed his eyes to recover. He had used almost all his True Essence Power just now and was utterly exhausted.
The entire defensive formation shimmered with red and white light, making the surrounding scenery clearer than before. Outside, the rain still poured and the wind raged unabated. Inside, everyone had begun sorting out their wet clothes.
Everyone's confidence in Li Qiang soared. This formation felt even more reassuring than a house. At ease, they began admiring the scenery outside, only then discovering how magnificent and imposing the Great Gorge Mouth now looked.
Nashan pointed outside and cried, "Boss, what is that?"
A white streak shot toward them from the distant reaches of the Great Gorge Mouth and swept along the channels at the bottom with incredible speed. Even within the powerful protection of the defensive formation, everyone felt their entire bodies jolt violently! To Li Qiang, it felt like a high-speed fighter jet skimming past him at low altitude. He knew that without the formation, that sonic boom alone could have knocked half the people here unconscious.
Nanadun shouted too, "Here comes another one... Look closely, everyone! What exactly is it...?"
Everyone stared fixedly at the white streak, and some had already covered their ears.
Seven white streaks swept past in succession, leaving everyone dizzy and seeing stars. Even the defensive formation could not completely block those piercing shrieks. Nanadun asked, "Did any of you get a clear look? What was it?" Everyone shook their heads in silence.
"I couldn't see," Nashan said. "It's just too fast. There's no way to keep up with it. All I could make out was a white streak. Now all I, Old Na, can see are streaks... white ones... long ones..." He had started babbling again.
Li Qiang had been watching closely all along. He could not see very clearly either, but the sonic booms did not affect him, allowing him to observe calmly. "I didn't see anything inside the white streak. Brother Han, did you see anything?"
Han Jin's skills ranked among the best in the group, and his eyesight was good too. He shook his head. "I couldn't see clearly... too fast."
Nanadun said doubtfully, "The white streaks seem to go only along the bottoms of the channels, nowhere else. Look, it's passing through the same spot again. I don't think it's a monster. Boss, look..."
After a moment's thought, Li Qiang said, "I'll go out and take a look. We're going to be stationed here for a long time. We can't leave this unexplained."
Nashan shouted, "Don't go, Boss! Watch a little longer..."
"Watching longer won't make it any clearer," Li Qiang said with a smile. "Everyone, stay where you are. I'll be fine." Nanadun and the others watched him nervously, knowing that once he made up his mind, he was not easily dissuaded. Li Qiang donned the Billowing Essence Battle Armor and walked out of the defensive formation.
Only after stepping outside did he realize how violent the rain was. It was as though a great hole had opened in the sky and water was pouring straight down through it. Those inside the defensive formation witnessed a strange sight. Li Qiang's Billowing Essence Battle Armor glowed with faint golden light, and the rain could not come within a meter of him. That golden glow shone like a bright lamp in the dark gorge. Some of the convicts could no longer help falling to their knees.
Only after leaving the formation did Li Qiang discover how tremendous the noise outside was. It was truly heart-shaking. Another white streak swept toward him, and its piercing whistle gave him a tremendous fright. He hurriedly sat cross-legged on the spot and began driving his Nascent Soul to resist the terrifying din.
Inside the formation, everyone was badly frightened when they saw Li Qiang suddenly sit down. Awakened by their cries of alarm, Zhao Hao opened his eyes and was startled too. After another look, however, he relaxed and smiled. "It's fine. Master seems to have started cultivating."
Li Qiang sank his consciousness into his Nascent Soul and drove the Microcosm around him to rotate rapidly. To his puzzlement, he discovered the Supreme Radiance Shuttle hovering above his Nascent Soul's head, turning slowly. Something seemed to be holding it back, making its rotation very sluggish. Having absorbed Heavenly Fire, the Purple Flame Heart within his Nascent Soul had turned a deep purple, and the power it released carried a strange fiery force.
To resist the thunderous noise outside, Li Qiang rapidly sent True Essence Power into the Billowing Essence Battle Armor. Finding it extremely strenuous, he worked hard to drive his Nascent Soul to produce more True Essence Power. In doing so, he activated the power of the Purple Flame Heart.
The Purple Flame Heart's power surged rapidly into his Nascent Soul and, propelled by the Microcosm, swiftly accumulated. The Supreme Radiance Shuttle trembled faintly. The sonic booms outside were not enough to trigger its counterattack. Li Qiang carefully avoided disturbing it. He knew this thing must not be touched right now.
Everyone noticed Li Qiang suddenly light up with an exquisitely beautiful violet-gold glow. Each time a white streak swept past, that violet-gold light flashed dazzlingly. Nashan exclaimed in admiration, "Good grief, Boss is burning! What kind of treasure is that? Damn, it's beautiful."
Wuya stared, his eyes fixed, and murmured to himself, "Incredible... incredible... utterly incredible."
The sky gradually brightened. Almost at the same moment, the downpour abruptly stopped. Apart from the wet rocky ground, everything was as it had been, as though nothing had happened at all.
Li Qiang sprang to his feet and put away his battle armor. A night of cultivation had yielded considerable gains. Walking to the edge of a channel where the white streaks had passed, he reached out to touch it and discovered it was scorching hot. A mere white streak possessed such tremendous power. He thought it might be some physical phenomenon unique to this place. It was truly inconceivable.
Zhao Hao led everyone out of the formation. "Master, this place isn't suitable for a camp. They might not be able to withstand such tremendous noise. Should we consider moving somewhere else?"
Tange added, "Yes, I never expected anything like this to appear either. I agree with Zhao Hao."
Li Qiang grinned. "This place is excellent. It's an ideal place to cultivate, so I've decided we'll stay right here. Leave the defensive formation in place. I reckon it can run for a long time before its power is exhausted. Zhao Hao, teach everyone how to enter and leave it."
Li Qiang said to Nanadun, "Organize everyone into teams. I've worked it out: nine teams of nine, led by Han Jin, Zhao Zhi, Nashan, Kankanqi, Tange, Paben, Ben, Bala, and Wuya. You and Zhao Hao will be in overall charge. Start training immediately. At the very least, we need to be able to defend ourselves. Tange and I will handle the weapons and equipment."
Paben could hardly believe Li Qiang actually wanted him to lead a team too. He said pitifully, "Boss, I... am I supposed to lead a team too? Boss... I'm only a merchant..."
"I used to be a merchant too," Li Qiang said with a smile. "Paben, if you want to accomplish anything, you have to learn and do it. Don't be afraid. Everyone will be backing you. Throw yourself into it and give it everything you've got."
Thinking of his hatred, Paben gritted his teeth. "All right. I'll stake everything on it."
Li Qiang nodded. "That's the spirit. Also, you'll be responsible for teaching everyone the local language. Teach me too. Whoever has the knowledge can be the teacher."
Paben said excitedly, "I'll make sure I master the skills and teach everyone to speak the local language properly."
Nanadun and Zhao Hao immediately began organizing the teams. Nashan was thoroughly pleased with himself. Once again, he had people to command, and the feeling of being a boss had returned. He busily selected his team members.
Tange walked up beside Li Qiang. "The Bangqining Kingdom is recruiting soldiers now. My brother's friend said this war will be on a huge scale. They're preparing to trade in weapons. Civilian demand for weapons and armor is enormous. Boss, should we get involved?"
Li Qiang pondered for a while. "We're short of capital. Oh, right, when does the grand auction begin?"
"In another fifty-odd days, I think," Tange said. "There's a venue in Fengnan City. If we're going, we'll have to leave early."
Li Qiang asked, "Is there a place in Fengnan City that makes armor? I need to learn how it's made. Then I can make better protective gear. We can refine our own weapons too."
Tange was no longer surprised. By now, he understood his boss's abilities very well: absolutely formidable. He smiled. "Yes. If you visit a weapons workshop, Boss, those so-called master craftsmen might as well go home and rest. I'll find someone to arrange it when the time comes."
Li Qiang smiled. "I don't want to get involved in the war between the Bangqining Kingdom and the Tante Kingdom. I only want to obtain some weapons and equipment. Once the Wind of Fear subsides, we'll go to the Western Continent to find Sea Soul Agate. Then we can leave this place."
"Through a teleportation formation, like those people before?" Tange asked. His eyes grew bewildered. He could not decide whether to leave with his boss.
Kankanqi came over with his chosen team members and smiled. "Boss, can we get some flying wings? I want to train them into Heavenly Strike Soldiers. What do you think?"
An idea stirred in Li Qiang's mind. "Hey, that's a good idea. Ideally, we should equip everyone with flying wings. Hmm, Tange, let's get a pair first so I can see whether I can improve them."
"No problem," Tange said. As though suddenly remembering something, he added, "Boss, there's something else. The Banshou Trading House is investigating our origins everywhere. Apparently, they're furious and want revenge... All the underground guilds have received notices to report to them immediately if they find us. My brother's friend warned us to be careful."
At the mention of the Banshou Trading House, Paben's eyes reddened again. This time, however, he said nothing. A rare trace of killing aura simply emanated from him.
Li Qiang glanced at him. "Very good, very good. I'll be paying them a visit soon. Heh, let's take our time playing with them."