Li Qiang's hands flew, apparently forming seals. In an instant, his hands lit up, and two beams of light, one blue-green and one red, shot from them. As soon as the light left his hands, it gave off strange, sharp cracks. The blue-green light suddenly burrowed into the red, and the entire testing chamber blazed with light.
Nanzi Dong leaped to the wall in a single bound and cast a seal. The walls abruptly lit up. Seeing that things were going badly, he had immediately strengthened the room's defenses.
"Bang, bang... boom..."
The testing chamber shook for quite some time before settling down.
Kubo stared, dumbstruck. He had never imagined an attack could be this powerful. Li Qiang cheered in satisfaction. "Fantastic! So that's how it works. I've gained a lot today." Then he told everyone, "Stand behind me. I'm trying it again. I don't know how powerful it'll be either, so let's play it safe! Everyone, keep clear. Oh... put your armor on."
Hong Qian asked, puzzled, "Martial Uncle, why are you taking this so seriously...?"
Li Qiang smiled. "I only overlaid two layers just now. Next I'll try three. I don't know how powerful it'll be either. You can't go too wrong being careful." Everyone hurried to put on their armor and battle armor. Li Qiang raised his hand and donned the Billowing Essence Battle Armor.
This was Nanzi Dong's first time seeing Li Qiang in the Billowing Essence Battle Armor. He had spent his entire life studying how to make armor, and its sudden appearance left him completely dazed. He knew quality when he saw it. Although he did not know what battle armor Li Qiang wore, he knew it was unquestionably a rare treasure.
Hong Qian called, "Old Beetle, what are you gawking at? Get over here!"
Li Qiang reviewed the eighteen formations in his mind again, chose the three most basic interconnected ones, and drew them in midair with True Essence Power. This time, crisp crackling came from both hands, and countless tiny colored spheres floated between them. Drawing his hands slightly toward his chest, he shouted, "Break!"
The spheres became a multicolored rain of arrows filling the space before him. At his shout, the colored arrows shot out like a raging storm, and soul-shaking shrieks abruptly erupted. The testing chamber was no longer merely shaking. The rain of arrows shattered its defenses layer by layer. By the time the arrows vanished, the chamber's defenses had been completely destroyed.
Silence filled the testing chamber.
Kubo muttered to himself, "So powerful. To think it could be this powerful. Ah, I've been looking for good Law Treasures all day long, when I already had one without knowing it."
Nanzi Dong nearly pulled out his own beard. He knew all too well how powerful the testing chamber's five defensive layers were. That Li Qiang could break them barehanded was simply inconceivable. Now he firmly believed that Li Qiang was Hong Qian's senior. He really was formidable.
Li Qiang drew a deep breath. "A pity, a pity... I can't test four layers. This testing chamber would definitely collapse." In truth, he was astonished too. This method of attack could rapidly release all the True Essence Power in his body, and its might was indeed extraordinary, but its drawback was equally obvious: he would have nothing left afterward.
Nashan and the other three could not understand Li Qiang's talk of overlaying three or four layers, so they clustered together and chatted. Hong Qian, Kubo, and Nanzi Dong had higher cultivation and all paid attention to what Li Qiang said. Kubo asked, "Boss, what does overlaying four layers mean? Does it have something to do with the beads?"
Li Qiang took the Linked Beads from his hand. "Look at what's on them. Don't use your eyes. Use your minds!"
The Linked Beads passed among the three of them. Nanzi Dong said, "They seem to be talismans. There are too many to make out. My cultivation isn't strong enough."
Hong Qian said, "They're talismans. Our Chongxuan Sect calls them formations, but I can't understand them. I only recognize one or two."
Li Qiang drew a formation on the floor with his finger. "Memorize this, then draw it in midair with True Essence Power and launch the formation. Give it a try." He could not resist indulging his urge to teach.
Kubo found it immensely entertaining and immediately began tracing in midair with True Essence Power. Hong Qian and Nanzi Dong followed along.
Nashan turned and saw them. "Hey, guys, look. What are they doing?"
Zhao Zhi looked carefully. "What is that? Looks like they're scribbling ghost talismans."
Paben said, "No, they're learning something. I'll go look." He hurried over and saw the formation on the floor. "Come here! The boss is teaching something new!"
Kubo cried in frustration, "I can't draw it in time! It's too complicated. My True Essence Power dissipates before the formation takes shape. Boss, how did you do it?" Hong Qian and Nanzi Dong also stopped in disappointment. There simply was not enough time.
Li Qiang kept shaking his head. "You don't literally draw the whole formation with True Essence Power. Try drawing it with your thoughts. That's faster than blinking. Try again."
The three began trying again.
"No... Old Beetle, draw it with your mind..."
"Boss, what does drawing with your mind mean...? I don't understand!"
"Kubo, imagine it... imagine it first... then... ah!"
"Martial Uncle, how do I imagine it first? Why can't I stop myself from drawing it with True Essence Power?"
"You do draw it with True Essence Power... no, use True Essence Power to... damn it! How can you be so stupid!"
"...Uh..." The three were stupefied.
Li Qiang was going crazy. He had never expected something so easy to become so difficult in their hands. In fact, he was treating the three unfairly. He had practiced the Primordial Beginning Sect's mental cultivation method, and cultivating Shadow Dream Armor depended on precisely this technique, whereas those three had no such experience at all!
The three looked pitifully at Li Qiang, not knowing what to do. One thing was certain: from then on, seeing him would strike fear into their hearts. Li Qiang sighed. He really was not a good teacher. He understood it clearly himself but simply could not explain it. Unwilling to give up, he gritted his teeth and resolved fiercely, I refuse to believe I can't teach you.
Once he made that resolution, Hong Qian and the other two suffered. Li Qiang's motto was: if once did not work, try twice; if twice did not work, try three times, until it worked. They would finish whenever they understood. He added one more rule: each person had only three chances to ask questions. Once those were used up, that was it.
Li Qiang took the Linked Beads aside and slowly studied them. He tried separating the beads and laying them on the floor one by one, first finding beads whose formations connected and placing them beside one another. Soon they formed a circle, but a main formation seemed to be missing at the very bottom. Only then did he understand why Kubo could not bring out this Law Treasure's power.
Li Qiang released a little True Essence Power to activate the first bead. Red light began circulating within it, and the neighboring bead activated immediately afterward. Like a lit fuse, the whole string of beads lit up one after another-Li Qiang picked up one bead, and unexpectedly lifted the entire string. The beads actually linked themselves without a cord.
Nashan exclaimed, "Wow, beautiful! Really beautiful!"
Li Qiang snapped, "Kubo, what are you staring at? Get back to practicing!" Kubo could see his precious beads gleaming, but could not ask the boss what was happening. Dejected, he resumed scribbling ghost talismans.
Paben asked, "Boss, can I practice that?" He pointed at the formation.
Li Qiang smiled. "Your cultivation isn't strong enough yet. You can't practice it. Once you reach their cultivation level, you'll naturally be able to learn."
Paben said, unconvinced, "Boss, do it again. Let me try."
Hong Qian and the other two were already utterly muddled. They seized the opportunity to come over. "Martial Uncle, please do it again so we can get a feel for it."
Li Qiang sighed. "This isn't something you learn just by watching. All right, I'll do it once more. Watch carefully."
He deliberately slowed down. Following the formation's shape, one hand naturally shifted through two positions, and red light stirred faintly in his palm. "Did everyone see clearly? Go!" The red light flew from his hand. Hong Qian and the other two exchanged blank looks, still not understanding. Paben was earnest, meticulously following Li Qiang's hand movements exactly.
Nashan laughed. "Old Pa, forget it. Let's not join the fuss." Paben concentrated entirely on forming the hand seals.
Kubo suddenly cried, "Everyone, look at Paben... he... he did it!"
Red light flickered faintly in Paben's hand. He gave a gentle push, and a faint beam flew out. It dissipated after only a short distance, but everyone understood that he had learned it. His cultivation was simply insufficient.
Kubo reacted first. "Old Pa, how did you do that? Hurry and teach me!"
Hong Qian praised him. "Little Brother Paben has remarkable comprehension."
Their praise made Paben blush. "I didn't look at that diagram. I just copied the boss's hand movements and sent True Essence Power into my palm. Um... I wasn't thinking about anything, just getting the gestures right."
Li Qiang was delighted. "I understand! Haha, so that's it... if you can work from the inside out, of course you can work from the outside in. Whoever designed these formations was incredible!"
Hong Qian seemed to grasp something, while Kubo and Nanzi Dong remained lost in fog.
Soon Tange, Zhao Zhi, and Nashan all succeeded in their attempts. Hong Qian learned it right afterward.
Kubo and Nanzi Dong were on the verge of tears. No matter what they did, they could not learn it. Li Qiang knew they had drilled into a bull's horn, so he casually made a second set of gestures. "Kubo, Old Beetle, follow me with this one."
This time everyone learned it immediately. Kubo laughed excitedly. "Hehe, so there's no need to bother with formations at all. Just get the gestures right. It's so easy."
Li Qiang scolded him with a laugh. "Easy, my ass! You can learn it this way, but you'll never learn the essence embodied in the formations."
Kubo laughed. "Who cares about essence? Being able to use it is enough. Boss, I'll offer you these beads as a token of respect. Hehe, could you bestow a weapon on this junior?" He had not spent long with Li Qiang's group, yet he had already quickly learned how to be utterly shameless.
Li Qiang, however, was thinking of something else: I've got attack formations, but what about defensive ones?
Li Qiang mentally reviewed the eighteen basic formations. Six involved defense. Glancing at Kubo, who was still practicing, he swiftly cast the first defense. A patch of yellow, powderlike substance sank into Kubo's body. Kubo jumped. "Boss, what are you doing?"
Li Qiang abruptly punched him in the chest. "Bang!" Kubo staggered backward, yellow light flashing over his body as it silently neutralized the force of the punch.
Hong Qian asked in surprise, "Is that a defensive formation?"
Li Qiang nodded, his hands continuously forming various seals. The shifting hand positions were simply dazzling. Nashan suddenly discovered that his body was covered in brilliant colors. When Li Qiang cast all six defensive layers onto him, an astonishing change occurred.
A transparent suit of light armor miraculously appeared on Nashan's body. Everyone, including Li Qiang, was dumbfounded.
Kubo stepped forward and touched it. "Hey, it's a little springy. Old Na, let me try."
Nashan did not understand. "Try what...? Whoa... why are you hitting me...? Huh, I can't feel a thing. It doesn't hurt!" Kubo's punches grew heavier and fiercer with every blow.
Nashan grinned foolishly, his mouth wide. "Hey, Old Ku, you've got no strength. Hit harder... that won't do. Why can't I feel anything? Come on! Use every ounce of strength you sucked from your mother's milk... hit me..." He was so wildly pleased with himself that he did not know what to do.
Li Qiang picked up the Hundred-Blade Spear from the floor and aimed it at Nashan. "Kubo, move aside. Let me try."
Nashan turned, saw it, and ran away shouting, "Boss, that spear of yours is powerful! Don't shoot! Help!"
Li Qiang smiled. "Nothing to worry about. I'll control it properly." Before he finished speaking, a blue-green spear spike had already shot out.
He did not want Nashan injured. First he tried hitting him with a single spike, then struck him repeatedly. For a time, clanging mixed with Nashan's terrified, peculiar cries filled the testing chamber, making it extraordinarily lively. Everyone kept marveling at the light armor's extraordinary defensive power.
Nanzi Dong secretly calculated the light armor's defensive strength. His final conclusion surprised even him: it could fully rival an ordinary cultivator's battle armor. Unless they possessed special abilities, ordinary cultivators had to reach the Nascent Soul Early Stage before they could wear battle armor. Nanzi Dong himself had only just begun refining battle armor and could not wear it yet. He could only wear his specially made armor.
The farther Nashan ran, the more astonished he became. Although the Hundred-Blade Spear battered him into stumbling, he knew he was completely unharmed. Li Qiang stopped, even more astonished inwardly, and increasingly felt that these beads had mysterious origins. "Kubo, come with us to the Western Continent this time. I want to see those ruins you mentioned."
Hong Qian interjected, "All right, Martial Uncle. I'll come with you too. I know that place."
Excitement filled Kubo's face, and he repeatedly cheered his agreement. He thought this young senior was truly formidable.
Only after quite a while did the light armor on Nashan slowly dim.
Talking and laughing, the group returned to the room aboveground, where Nanzi Dong invited everyone to sit. He smiled. "Boss, I'll take the Eagle Strike Crossbow and Crimson Flame Dragon Shield. Hehe, I have a Law Treasure for you too, but I don't know how to use it, or even what sort of Law Treasure it is. Have a look, Boss." He handed over an object.
It was a strange thing, somewhat resembling a hair fork that girls used to pin up their hair. It had seven tines above and a grip below. Thin and only palm-sized, it was pale green and translucent.
Li Qiang held it and examined it closely, finding nothing special. "What a strange Law Treasure. What's it called?"
Nanzi Dong answered, "I don't know either. I thought you would know, Boss."
Li Qiang nodded and inadvertently bent one tine. A low "hum" spread outward, and those seated around him almost simultaneously tilted backward. Slightly surprised, Li Qiang bent another tine. "Kong." A quivering note vibrated, nearly bouncing the seated people up. Now everyone was curious.
Each of the seven tines made a different sound. Li Qiang found it interesting and casually stuck it in his hair. His thought stirred slightly. With a ringing hum, a swath of pale green shadow flashed from his head. Everyone seated around him was caught by it and rolled backward, only stopping against the walls.
Nanzi Dong smiled wryly. "It seems anything that reaches the boss's hands changes immediately. I've had this Law Treasure for so many years without figuring out how to use it. Ah..."
Li Qiang smiled. "This Law Treasure seems intended for girls. It should be an unconventional treasure. I'll keep it and study it slowly. Once I understand it, I'll give it to someone with the right affinity." He added, "Old Beetle, you'll have to refine the Eagle Strike Crossbow and Crimson Flame Dragon Shield anew before using them. Give the Hundred-Blade Spear to Kubo. That needs refining anew too."
Kubo practically bounded over, grabbed the Hundred-Blade Spear, and swung it gently a few times. It felt extraordinarily comfortable in his hands. He ran to Hong Qian as though showing off a treasure. "Master, look at this spear. I love it!"
Hong Qian took it and examined it with True Essence Power, nodding repeatedly. "Excellent! Hmm, Kubo, be careful when you refine it again. There are three attack formations inside. Pay particular attention to where they connect. If you refine it poorly, its power will decrease instead."
Nanzi Dong brought plenty of food for Nashan and the others. Li Qiang, Hong Qian, and Kubo had all entered Grain Avoidance, so eating made no difference to them. Seeing Li Qiang abstain, Nanzi Dong brought out a plate of fruit native to the Bangqining Kingdom. Li Qiang was willing to try that.
After eating, Nashan wiped his mouth and muttered, "Everything here is good except the food... such strange stuff. It feels awkward eating it."
Zhao Zhi deeply agreed and patted his shoulder. "Old Na, when we return home, I'll treat you to big chunks of red-braised pork, pork knuckle braised with rock sugar and soy sauce, steamed buns and thin pancakes. All you can eat."
Nashan immediately began drooling. "Oh, Old Zhao... stop talking. Are you trying to torment me with cravings...?"
Nanzi Dong suddenly stood. "Huh, who's coming to see me at this hour? Boss, Senior Hong, please sit a moment. I'll go see who's here." Li Qiang noticed a string of objects resembling wind chimes flashing in a corner and thought, Is that a doorbell? Nanzi Dong hurried outside.
Laughter came from the courtyard outside the room. Li Qiang noticed that Hong Qian and Kubo both looked somewhat surprised, and could not help growing curious himself. Who had arrived?
Hong Qian and Kubo could no longer remain seated. Hong Qian stood. "Martial Uncle, this disciple will go welcome them too. It seems to be an acquaintance."
Kubo nodded. "Boss, Master, I'll go too..." He hurried out after him.
Before long, a Green Tribe man entered through the door. Li Qiang was startled and immediately stood. "It's you!"
The man was equally surprised. "Li Qiang? What are you doing on the Tanbang Continent? Weren't you..." He felt too embarrassed to continue.
Li Qiang grinned. "So it's Kaben. That's right, I was captured and brought to the Tanbang Continent, but everything's fine now."
Tange hurried forward and bowed respectfully. "Tange pays his respects to Divine Envoy Kaben."
Kaben smiled happily. "Old Beetle, I didn't expect you to have so many experts here. As you know, the Bangqining Kingdom is at war with the Tante Kingdom. Great God Kanbo'er calls upon every cultivation expert in the country to serve the motherland."
Nanzi Dong, Hong Qian, Kubo, and even Tange actually answered in unison, "We are willing to heed the Great God's summons!"
Li Qiang was displeased and shouted, "I'm not willing, damn it! I've already got more trouble than I can handle, and now you're sticking your foot in too. I won't do it! I just won't!"
Hong Qian and the others nearly died of fright. Tange pleaded, "Boss, don't say that... Boss!"
Kaben was not angry at all. He knew who Li Qiang was, and the moment he saw him, he had decided he must drag him into the water. "Whatever business you have, this divine envoy can help resolve it. Hehe... but since you're in the Bangqining Kingdom, please do lend our country your strength, whatever happens." He continued, "Great God Kanbo'er and Senior Fu Shan are good friends, you know. The Great God mentioned you last time, saying he had received word from Senior Fu Shan asking us to help find you."
Li Qiang's weakness was that he valued friends too highly. As soon as Divine Envoy Kaben said this, he was in a quandary. He scratched his head hard, his face cycling through expressions. After holding it in for a while, he abruptly blurted out, "I want a fight... I want to beat someone up..."
Kaben snorted with laughter. "I'll go fight with you... who do you want to fight?"
Nanzi Dong glanced at Li Qiang. He truly could not understand why Divine Envoy Kaben was so courteous toward him. From Kaben's tone, even Great God Kanbo'er knew him.
Hong Qian and Kubo, however, felt they could finally hold their heads high. Among the Tanbang Continent's cultivators, master and disciple ranked above average. In particular, as a Registered Disciple, Hong Qian was unwilling to reveal his sect's origins for fear of disgracing the Chongxuan Sect. Thus he was not especially renowned, and Kaben did not know he was a Chongxuan Sect disciple.
Li Qiang thought, Since you've come to drag me into the water, I won't let you enjoy yourself either.
He suddenly smiled. "Kaben, hehe, I'm going to fight the Banshou Trading House and demand they hand people over. Are you coming?"