A series of cracking Bobo rang out from Li Qiang's body, and the forces binding him dissipated with the vibrations.
Li Qiang didn't even bother to put on his armor before flying backwards towards the direction from which the spikes were fired. A surge of rage, grief, and guilt fueled his murderous intent.
Whistles rose and fell all around. The opponents had not expected Li Qiang to break free of the " Formless Binding," and were thrown into disarray for a moment.
The attacker behind him was a middle-aged man in black armor. He stared in shock as Li Qiang flew towards him with a violent surge of energy, like an enraged god. He couldn't even catch his breath, let alone move his feet. In an instant, Li Qiang had arrived.
Li Qiang formed four layers of overlapping talismans with his two hands and silently injected them into the man's body.
The man's expression froze, and his body began to glow. Li Qiang, on the ground, delivered a powerful overhead kick, sending the guy flying like a ball past Kubo and the others. Several figures flashed out in the distance, trying to catch the man, when Li Qiang roared, "Explode!"
"Poof!" The sound was like popping a balloon, followed by a series of bursting sounds.
Hong Qian and Kubo were speechless with shock. They saw the middle-aged man shatter into countless blood clots in mid-air with Li Qiang's roar. What was most terrifying was that each of these blood clots exploded, blasting away several figures who had leaped out at the same time. They were probably either dead or seriously injured.
Only then did Li Qiang have a moment to spare. He raised his hand, put on the Billowing Essence Battle Armor, put on the Radiant Sun Ring, and flew over with a strange howl.
The ambushing raiders noticed Li Qiang's ghostly figure and knew they were in deep trouble. The whistle for retreat sounded, and they all created clouds of mist in an attempt to escape.
As soon as Li Qiang realized their intentions, he immediately began to circle around to avoid the fog and waited at a distance. After killing five or six people in succession, the robbers were terrified.
A leading man shot out a red beam of light to signal the attack, leading his men in a desperate assault on Hong Qian's group. However, Hong Qian was no pushover either, his flying sword piercing through several of their bodies in quick succession. They were even more stunned; their opponent was far too powerful.
Three streaks of azure light flashed, and three people landed at the street corner. The group of attackers were overjoyed, one of them shouting, "Great Master, our opponent is too powerful! The Flag Gate Formation was broken in one strike, and even the Formless Binding couldn't hold him... Our casualties are terrible..."
A flash of purple light, Li Qiang returned to Hong Qian's side. "Who are they?"
Hong Qian didn't dare look at Li Qiang Qiang's ferocious face and said, "The ones who attacked us were raiders from the Sea of Wronged Souls. Now it seems these three are the commanders. I know them; they are cultivators from the Banshou Trading House."
Kubo added, "The one in red armor is called Bi Xuan, the one in blackish-blue armor is called Ji Qiguo, and the one in white armor is Deqing Lingshi... Boss, be careful."
The three were also taken aback when they saw Hong Qian and Kubo. Bi Xuan asked in confusion, "Why is it Elder Kubo from the Grand Alliance... Wait, his master is here too?"
He asked Kubo, "Elder Kubo, are you with him?" He pointed at Li Qiang.
Kubo said expressionlessly, "He's my senior in the sect, of course we're together, even a blind man could see that. Your despicable sneak attack, hmph, this isn't over!"
Hong Qian said, "Uncle-Master, I'll lead the charge!"
Li Qiang grabbed him and said coldly, "All three of them are mine..." His voice was icy and sinister, sending Jipi down one's spine.
The three of them Bi Xuan shocked: Hong Qian's martial uncle? How could he have offended such a person? The three looked at each other, realizing that the intelligence had failed, but at this point, it was impossible to stop.
Bi Xuan wasn't particularly nervous, after all, the three of them were all cultivation experts. He was just worried that this operation had offended the Grand Alliance.
Li Qiang was too lazy to say anything more to them and strode forward. He was also confused with anger. All three of his opponents had reached the Nascent Soul Early Stage, and their combined strength was absolutely not to be underestimated. Bi Xuan and the other two were also puzzled. Could it be that he was going to fight all three of them at once? Bi Xuan gave a wink and stepped forward to meet them.
Deqing Lingshi quietly took out a magical Law Treasure, a ring made of four interlocking links. He paused slightly on the ground, and the knots on the ring formed phantom images, which fell to the ground one after another and disappeared without a trace.
Li Qiang wanted to test the power of the five layers of talismans stacked together, so he rapidly drew hand seals. Just as the fifth layer of the formation was about to be completed, he suddenly realized something was wrong. The first layer of talismans only required a small amount of True Essence Power, the second layer required twice as much, and he could still handle the third and fourth layers, but the True Essence Power layer required more than he could handle.
He quickly seized the opportunity and dispersed his True Essence Power.
With this slight delay, the Formless Binding of Deqing Lingshi rose from the ground and once again tightly bound Li Qiang.
Hong Qian sensed something was wrong and shouted for caution, lunging forward at the same time. Kubo followed suit, but it was too late.
Bi Xuan, Ji Qiguo, and Deqing Lingshi had a tacit understanding. This move was their ultimate technique. Bi Xuan, wrapped in a red glow, struck Li Qiang. Seven Azure Shadow Spike flew out from Ji Qiguo's arm. Deqing Lingshi's foot, like a giant cone, kicked Li Qiang hard in the chest.
Li Qiang suddenly came to his senses, realizing he had no time to resist. A thought flashed through his mind: Am I going to die? The feeling was very strange, a little confused, a little unwilling, and a little sad.
Nashan, clutching Paben, watched helplessly. He felt as if the sky were falling, his entire body limp, his mouth agape, as if trapped in a nightmare. Suddenly, a blinding golden light emanated from Li Qiang. Nashan instantly recalled the scene in the Black Prison, and he laughed wildly with joy, "You bastards... die! Hahaha..."
"Boom!" The surrounding houses began to shake violently, and the entire roof support emitted a terrifying "creaking and groaning" sound as it cracked.
No one expected that Li Qiang's stillness was far more terrifying than any movement; the power emanating from him was definitely not Nascent Soul Realm cultivator could produce.
Bi Xuan, Ji Qiguo, and Deqing Lingshi didn't even have time to react; the speed was too fast.
They were horrified to discover that the force they had thrown back was far greater than the force they had generated.
The three Bi Xuan flying backward by the immense force of the impact, crashing into a shop on the street with a series of thuds. Their armor shattered with a series of cracking sounds. To their utter despair, their Nascent Soul were sealed. The power of the Supreme Radiance Shuttle was not something ordinary cultivators could withstand. Fortunately, they had already achieved the initial formation of their Nascent Soul, which saved their lives.
A flash of golden light, and Li Qiang could move again. He felt like he had narrowly escaped death. A thought struck him, and he remembered what Fu Shan had said, "From now on, you'll be a hedgehog. Whoever hits you is doomed..." So that's how it is. Li Qiang couldn't help but burst into laughter, and in a flash, he grabbed the three of them and pulled them over.
Hong Qian and Kubo stopped in astonishment. To stand still and beat three cultivation masters to death was truly amazing! Their gazes towards Li Qiang completely changed, filled with admiration and respect. They didn't know that even Li Qiang himself thought he was doomed just now; who knew he possessed so many extraordinary abilities?
Li Qiang raised his palm menacingly. "If you fight me fair and square, I will never kill someone who cannot resist. However... you are the exception. My brother died in..." His palm began to flash with a blue light, which was the starting stance of Hou Pijing's Cold Spirit Giant Palm.
"Boss... come quick, Paben has something to say..." Nashan shouted frantically.
Li Qiang froze. Paben was still alive? He leaped to Paben's side like lightning, knelt down, lifted Paben's head, and fed him a Lesser Origin-Nurturing Pill, not caring whether it would work or not. He said guiltily, " Paben, it's all the boss's fault..."
Paben sighed heavily, speaking haltingly, "Boss... sigh... my whole life... my whole life I've been cowardly and useless, my family... my family is scattered, Boss... Boss, I never really... I never considered you my boss, I always thought of you as a brother..." He coughed up blood, "Cough cough... Boss, let them go... I've thought it through... maybe they're just meant to die..."
Nashan cried out, "Why? Why? Don't you want revenge anymore? That bastard Bu Jigong just... just let him..."
Paben smiled bitterly, "Sigh, what good would it do to kill him... My... wife, sigh, who will I rely on in the future, boss... brother, I'm only worried about my daughter, I wonder where she's ended up? This... this useless father of mine..." Tears silently slid down his cheeks, no one expected that he was still thinking about his betrayed wife.
"Let them go?" Li Qiang suddenly understood. " Paben, brother! You're afraid that if we kill the people from the Banshou Trading House, they'll retaliate, aren't you?"
Paben grasped Li Qiang's hand, relieved that his boss understood his thoughts. "Boss, it's not worth risking your life for me... Just pretend... Paben is already dead in Black Prison."
Li Qiang suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness and couldn't help but look up to the sky and let out a long howl...
Hong Qian noticed that Li Qiang was actually in tears.
A large number of soldiers maintaining order in Fengnan City arrived and completely blocked the passages at the four street corners. They were all terrified by Li Qiang Qiang's earth-shattering screams and hesitated to move forward.
Hong Qian knew this matter was about to escalate, so he quietly called over Kubo and said, " Kubo, go and negotiate with them. Don't make a fuss." Kubo, after all, was an elder of the Grand Alliance and had connections in various fields. Hearing this, he immediately went over.
Hong Qian cautiously said to Li Qiang, "Uncle-Master, please don't panic. Paben is already a cultivator, although not at a high level, but his life force is much stronger than that of an ordinary person. Shouldn't we think of a way to save him...?"
Hearing Paben's almost dying words, Li Qiang was completely disoriented. Hong Qian's words were like a wake-up call. He immediately said, "Quick! Save him at all costs... Hong Qian, you and Nashan take Paben back to the Grand Alliance. Be quick... Find the best doctors and the best medicine!"
Hong Qian sighed inwardly. He knew that Paben was not someone that ordinary doctors could save; he could only hold on for three or four days at most. However, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, they would do everything in their power.
Nashan held up the Paben with both hands and exclaimed, "Senior brother, how can we speed things up?"
Hong Qian said, "Just hold him tight."
Hong Qian picked up the soft bag containing the little Sea Demon from the ground, hung it on his waist, and tightly gripped Nashan's belt with one hand. "Uncle-Master, we're leaving now." He disregarded the large amount of True Essence Power he was expending and flew away into the air.
The group of robbers, carrying the three members of the Banshou Trading House, had nowhere to retreat. As they watched Li Qiang approach with murderous intent, they trembled with nervousness. Seeing that even the esteemed leader of the Banshou Trading House was severely injured, they, as ordinary people, would only be throwing their lives away if they went up against him. The burly man in the middle, steeling himself, stepped forward to meet him.
He had barely opened his mouth, before he could utter a single word, when Li Qiang kicked him back into the crowd.
Li Qiang's murderous intent was halted by Paben's words, but his anger burned even more fiercely. He was moved by Paben's kindness, tolerance, and genuine brotherhood, so he didn't want to disobey him. Yet, he didn't want to let these bastards go. Torn between these conflicting emotions, he roared, "You think you're so tough? Come on! Fight me! Today I'll teach you... what it feels like to beat someone!"
Like an enraged lion charging into a flock of sheep, Li Qiang launched a fierce attack. A large group of soldiers, brandishing their Spine-Piercing Spear, slowly approached, staring at Li Qiang in disbelief. Of the remaining thirty-odd looters, not a single one could stand up in a short time; they all collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain, each with broken limbs, bruised faces, and broken arms.
Kubo spoke arrogantly to the commander maintaining order, who nodded repeatedly and quietly gave a few instructions to his men. The soldiers, upon hearing the orders, lowered their Spine-Piercing Spear in surprise, but also breathed a sigh of relief. They were all quite frightened by Li Qiang's display of power.
As Li Qiang relentlessly beat the defenseless group, he gradually grew bored, and his anger subsided considerably with the sight of the looters' miserable state. He chuckled coldly a few times, turned, and walked out of the crowd. After a few steps, however, he felt unwilling to give up and turned back. The looters, who had just been celebrating their escape from death, were shocked to see this scourge return. In an instant, they all collapsed, their cries, pleas for mercy, and desperate pleas filling the air.
This was unexpected for Li Qiang. He thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled wickedly. Kubo happened to see this and wondered: What's the boss laughing about?
Li Qiang jumped into the crowd, found the guy who had tried to talk to him earlier, grabbed him, and asked, "Hey, why are you called the Marauders? Tell me, and I'll spare your life if you answer well... If you don't... hmph... I'll tear you to pieces."
The man was in so much pain that he didn't know what to do, and stammered, "Robbers... robbers... are... stealing..."
He was in excruciating pain, Kubo interjected from a short distance away, "They specialize in robbing merchant ships at sea; we call them raiders here."
"So they're just a bunch of pirates," Li Qiang sneered maliciously. "Oh, I'm just learning how to be a proper raider. Let's start with you." The guy hadn't even grasped the meaning of his words when he suddenly realized he was completely naked. Li Qiang quickly stripped him naked, casually tossing the loot into the group of soldiers, and shouted, " Kubo, come help! Strip him naked, rob him clean, give him everything! Haha... Let's all make a fortune!"
Kubo found that this boss could be really eccentric at times, but since the boss had given the order, they had to do it whether they wanted to or not, so he rushed into the crowd and started looting. The soldiers became restless, Li Qiang turned around and said, "Hey, what are you standing there for? Don't you want to get rich? Come on, grab it! Whoever grabs it first keeps it."
The soldiers were hesitating when someone suddenly shouted, "Damn it, if we don't grab it, we'll be rich... grab it!" Instantly, the soldiers swarmed forward, and even the commander couldn't resist and rushed into the crowd to grab as much as he could.
Some soldiers, having failed to loot anything, took the opportunity to rob nearby shops at gunpoint, creating chaos and disorder until a second group of soldiers arrived, bringing order to the scene.
Looking at the thirty-odd burly men, each one was spotless and completely naked, lying on the ground rolling and wailing. They hated their boss to death for taking on such a job.
Li Qiang and Kubo had long since disappeared, and the three Grand Masters of the Banshou Trading House had also vanished.
Li Qiang and Kubo quietly led the three prisoners back to the Grand Alliance. Kubo ordered the three prisoners to be Bi Xuan up and strictly forbade any leaks. Then, he followed Li Qiang to Paben's bedside, where many doctors were already gathered.
Nashan saw Li Qiang enter and hurriedly stepped forward. "Boss, Paben's condition isn't good, could you take a look?"
Paben lay on the bed, looking haggard with his eyes closed. The thorn in his chest had been removed, and a piece of soft, green-glowing leather was applied to the wound. Six or seven doctors surrounded him, all looking worried and seemingly at a loss.
Li Qiang approached and asked softly, "Can he be saved?"
The doctor was speechless.
Hong Qian whispered, "Uncle-Master, this is the best doctor in Fengnan City. Paben's injuries are too severe, and they don't have any..."
Li Qiang remained silent, stopping him from speaking. He had calmed down and first considered whether the medical supplies and medicines he had brought from Earth would be useful. He sighed, realizing that even though he wasn't a medical student, he was completely helpless against such a fatal injury.
Nashan saw his boss pacing back and forth in the room, his brows furrowed. He didn't even dare to breathe loudly, knowing his boss was trying to find a solution. Since he had known his boss, this was the first time he had ever seen him so worried, not even in the terrifying Black Prison.
Everyone was at a loss. Time was passing quietly, and Li Qiang became increasingly anxious. Before they knew it, a day had passed, and Paben's injuries had worsened. He fell into a deep coma, occasionally uttering a few words in a low voice, as if calling someone. He did not answer when asked questions.
Another day passed, Li Qiang gradually began to despair. Everyone was careful not to provoke him. The red mark on his forehead shone a deep purple. Nashan knew something was wrong; he had seen his boss like this before, and it was a sign that he was about to explode in rage. He understood that once Paben was dead, his boss would definitely go insane.
A servant entered and reported to Kubo, "The Grand Master has accompanied the Divine Envoy Kaben, saying it concerns the Banshou Trading House."
The words " Banshou Trading House " were far too sensitive for Li Qiang. He rushed to the waiter like the wind and grabbed him, demanding, "What Banshou Trading House? Tell me!" Li Qiang's appearance was so terrifying that the waiter was so frightened he almost wet himself.
Li Qiang urged impatiently, "Speak up, what are you daydreaming about!" The waiter was so frightened by Li Qiang's menacing growl that he trembled like a leaf and couldn't utter a single word.
Kubo hurriedly said, "Boss, it's Divine Envoy Kaben!"
Li Qiang was slightly stunned. Divine Envoy Kaben? He was suddenly overjoyed. He remembered that when he first met Kaben in the Rejuvenation Valley, Carbon was asking Mei Youbing for pills. So Carbon must have the Death-Averting Pill! Li Qiang's mood immediately improved. Looking at the trembling waiter, he guiltily let go of his hand and apologized repeatedly. The waiter was at a loss and thought Li Qiang was sick. He hurriedly retreated.
From afar, Li Qiang could hear Divine Envoy Kaben's cheerful laughter. For some reason, hearing his laughter made Li Qiang feel particularly uncomfortable. Kaben entered the room with a long-bearded old man, grinning and saying, "Greetings, Boss!"
Li Qiang answered crisply, "No, I feel unwell!"
The long-bearded old man looked at Li Qiang in surprise. It was the first time he had ever heard a divine messenger call someone "boss," and this young "boss" didn't seem to accept it. What surprised him even more was that the elders of the Grand Alliance also called him "boss."
Elder Kubo introduced, "Boss, this is President Sitingdan of the Grand Alliance, representing the Bangqining Kingdom." He added, "This is my elder, Grandmaster Uncle Li Qiang, my boss."
Sitingdan suddenly realized that Li Qiang was a cultivator, and cultivators' ages were not discernible. Just like how Kubo's appearance changed drastically after cultivating, Li Qiang was probably the same.
He smiled with relief, stepped forward, and bowed. " Sitingdan greets senior."
Not wanting to be presumptuous, Li Qiang returned the greeting, saying, "Greetings, Chairman Sitingdan!"
After exchanging greetings, Li Qiang impatiently grabbed the Divine Envoy Kaben and said, "I want a Death-Averting Pill! Name whatever you want, I'll agree to anything!"
Divine Envoy Kaben laughed triumphantly, "Today, I specially brought the Death-Averting Pill... Haha..."
Nashan suddenly had the urge to strangle him; judging from his expression, he was definitely taking advantage of her vulnerability.