Hong Qian looked up and saw that it was an ordinary guesthouse. He followed Li Qiang inside.
Upon entering, the courtyard was quiet. Li Qiang called out, "Is anyone home?"
An old man came out and looked at the two of them, saying, "Are you here to stay? Follow me."
Li Qiang grabbed him. "Old man, I'm asking about someone. A while ago, there was a group of merchants from the Western Continent, led by an old man named Old Man Kabaji. Are they still living here?"
The old man shook his head. " Kabaji and the others are gone..."
Li Qiang's heart raced with anxiety. "Gone? How long have they been gone?"
The old man looked at him strangely. "They've been gone for two days. They're traveling merchants and couldn't get on the flying plank, so they left for Desperation Cape ahead of time. You're his friend, right? Don't you know that?"
Li Qiang patted his head in frustration. "Ugh, this is terrible... Hong Qian, let's go back."
He kept blaming himself, thinking he should have sent someone to make contact first; if they had encountered Tante Kingdom soldiers on the road, it would have been disastrous.
Back at the base, everyone was ready, and Kubo had also returned. As soon as he saw Li Qiang, he ran up to him and whispered, "Boss, we need to hurry. The Grand Alliance has started evacuating, and the news is bad. We might run into the Tante Kingdom's army on the way. We have three flying boats outside the city, which is a bit cramped. Tange said you have two more here, which is much better."
Li Qiang dared not delay and immediately commanded everyone to run towards the city outskirts, fully armed. This caused quite a commotion, and the more astute pedestrians on the road, seeing their formation, immediately sensed a sense of unease.
Not far from the city, Li Qiang noticed many flying boards of various sizes skimming the ground and heading into the distance. It seemed that truly wealthy and powerful people were able to get information.
In fact, not long after Li Qiang and his group left the city, the news spread, and Fengnan City immediately descended into chaos. Large numbers of citizens and small merchants flocked out of the city, attempting to escape the war.
Princess Lanqiu's ten large chests took up one flying board, and the others crammed the other two flying boards full. Li Qiang asked Tange, "Where are our two remaining flying boards?"
Tange said, "There's only one left. Nanadun took one with them; they're desperately short of flying boards there. The other one will be here soon."
Chief Steward Aji ran over. "Boss, everything's ready, shall we leave now?"
Li Qiang paused slightly, still worried about Old Man Kabaji. He said to Zhao Hao, " Zhao Hao, you'll take command. Kubo, if you encounter any troops from the Bangqining Kingdom along the way, you'll be in charge of negotiating with them. Also, if you encounter any troops from the Tante Kingdom, avoid them if possible. If you can't avoid them, attack immediately. Don't linger in battle; be ruthless, accurate, and swift. Understand?"
Zhao Hao and the book individual both agreed.
Princess Lanqiu asked, "Elder brother, aren't you coming with us?"
Li Qiang nodded. "Yes, once you get to Desperation Cape, get on the boat and wait. I'll be there shortly. Hong Qian, Paben, and Nashan, come with me. Who here knows how to fly a hoverboard?"
Two men stepped forward from the samurai ranks and said, "Boss, I can..."
"Alright, you two stay here," Li Qiang shouted. "Move now! See you at Desperation Cape, be careful on the road!"
The three flying boats, flashing protective red lights, quickly flew away.
Li Qiang breathed a sigh of relief and asked Hong Qian, "From here to Desperation Cape, where do you think the soldiers from the Tante Kingdom are most likely to appear... Also, do we have any shortcuts?"
Hong Qian thought for a moment, "Uncle-Master, for the Heavenly Strike Soldiers, they can appear anywhere; there is only one way to reach Desperation Cape, there is no shortcut."
Li Qiang asked, puzzled, "I really don't understand Bangqining Kingdom. The war hasn't even been going on for long, and the enemy has already invaded our territory. Don't they have their own Heavenly Strike Soldiers?"
Hong Qian sighed, "Yes, there are some, but not many, and they don't seem to value them much. I didn't expect the Heavenly Strike Soldiers of the Tante Kingdom to develop so quickly. In the past, Heavenly Strike Soldiers Heavenly Strike Soldiers were only auxiliary troops, but now it seems that the Tante Kingdom has made them its main force. I really don't know how many Heavenly Strike Soldiers they used to break through the defense line of the Bangqining Kingdom."
Nashan asked, "Boss, why hasn't the flying board arrived yet?"
Paben calmly said from the side, " Old Na, don't worry... he'll be here in a bit."
Nashan paced back and forth, looking around. " Old Pa, look, there are so few flying boats now. Damn, as long as they're rich, they run faster than ghosts... Hey, so many people are leaving the city." He seemed a little uneasy, his voice trembling with surprise.
Outside Fengnan City, a fierce wind howled, and the crowds surging out of the city struggled against the gale to move forward. Li Qiang thought of Hanlin City on Heavenly Court Star and sighed in his heart: No matter where war breaks out, it is always the ordinary people who suffer the most.
A flying board, flashing red light, quickly approached. Nashan shouted, " Kankanqi... Haha, Old Kan... Why did you come in person? Are you reluctant to part with me, Old Na?"
Kankanqi removed his protective gear and shouted, "Boss, come on up!"
Li Qiang and his companions leaped onto the board, and the flying board immediately soared forward.
Standing at the front of the flying board, Li Qiang was also very happy to see Kankanqi. He slapped him hard and laughed, " Kankanqi, how are the brothers who stayed in the Grand Alliance? Did they leave too?"
Kankanqi said, "Hehe, boss, the brothers have already left. I'm worried about you guys, so I'm planning to take the boss to Desperation Cape first, and then I'll go back. Did the rest of you leave first?"
Li Qiang nodded. "Fly along the roadside, I need to find someone."
Nashan asked curiously, "Our people are all gone, who else is the boss looking for?"
Looking at the chaotic crowd on the road, Li Qiang said, "They're friends. They don't know that the Tante Kingdom has already attacked. They've only been out of the city for two days and haven't taken a flying boat."
Kankanqi said, "Without a flyboard, you can't go far. Walking in this strong wind is very tiring."
Nashan sat on the flippant, stretched, and patted the people around him. " Old Pa, Old Hong, come sit down..."
Paben sat down cross-legged. "How come I didn't know the boss had friends in Fengnan City?"
Nashan lay back down. "You don't know our boss, he makes friends wherever he goes. Even good-for-nothings like us can become friends and brothers with him."
Paben agreed wholeheartedly, "Yeah, I really don't know what the boss sees in us, that he would make friends with people like us."
Li Qiang laughed and scolded, "Damn it, Nashan's flattery skills are getting better and better. Don't make fun of the boss for no reason. You guys get your equipment ready, you might run into the soldiers of the Tante Kingdom later, and then you'll be in a panic again."
Fewer and fewer pedestrians were on the road, and the flyboard gradually slowed down. Kankanqi cursed, "The wind here is too strong, damn it, it's getting slower and slower..."
As they flew on, Li Qiang couldn't spot Old Man Kabaji's caravan. The howling wind seemed to be lessening, and the speed of the flying board noticeably increased again. Just then, Kankanqi suddenly shouted, "Someone's coming from ahead!"
Nashan, Paben, and Hong Qian jumped up and looked ahead. There stood the routed army of the Bangqining Kingdom. A dozen figures leaped from the ranks of the defeated soldiers, brandishing their Spine-Piercing Spear at Li Qiang and his group's flying board. Kankanqi asked, "Boss, should we charge in, or stop...?"
Nashan brandished his Azure Shadow Binding and roared, "Damn it, these bastards are asking for death! Let me Old Na, electrocute them!"
Li Qiang smiled faintly and said, "Stop. I'd like to ask about the situation."
The plank gently glided to the side of the road, where the soldiers on the ground surrounded it with their guns raised. Hong Qian immediately put on his armor, and Nashan and the others also took up their weapons and confronted the defeated soldiers.
A man who looked like an officer ran over and shouted, "This flying board has been requisitioned! Get down here, all of you!"
Nashan roared, "What the hell are you? What right do you have to requisition our flying boards? Get lost!" His words were even harsher than the officer's.
The officer flew into a rage. "Raise your guns and kill them all..." Before he could finish speaking, Li Qiang suddenly appeared quietly beside him.
"Tell your men to drop their weapons immediately!" Li Qiang gripped the officer's neck tightly with his left hand, and the surrounding defeated soldiers turned their guns in surprise, aiming at Li Qiang.
The officer was utterly incredulous; in the blink of an eye, a pair of large hands were on his neck, rendering his armor completely useless. "You... uh... you dare... kill an officer..."
Li Qiang didn't want to waste any more words. He held up the green plaque given to him by the Divine Envoy Kaben and asked, "Do you recognize this?"
The officer glanced at it and asked, "What... is this?"
Hong Qian chimed in from the side, "His rank is too low. Only officers of the rank of commander or above in the army would recognize this kind of talisman. Showing it to him won't do any good."
Although the officer didn't recognize the divine tablet, he understood Hong Qian's words. He asked with some suspicion, "What divine tablet?"
Hong Qian said, "It's a token given by your great god Kanbo'er!"
The officer began to tremble. Although he couldn't be sure if Li Qiang actually had the Great God's token, judging from the other party's skills, they were not someone his group of defeated soldiers could afford to offend. He hurriedly said, "It's a misunderstanding, sir... sir, please forgive me!" while trying to pull the hand that was stuck on his neck.
Li Qiang gave a slight snort and released his grip. He found himself increasingly enjoying grabbing people's necks; it was so quick and convenient. The officer rubbed his neck vigorously, panting heavily, while repeatedly waving his hands to signal the soldiers to drop their weapons. Just as he was about to speak, Hong Qian exclaimed, "My God, why are there so many soldiers? Boss, look..."
A dense mass of figures appeared on the horizon; the scene was truly spectacular.
Nashan couldn't help but curse, "Damn it! What is that thing... it's scary!"
Gradually, the sound of running footsteps approached, and countless figures raced towards them. The officer, his face ashen, lamented, "It's over! It's over! South Mouth Pass must have fallen..."
The soldiers around the officer watched in fear and unease. Some of them disregarded everything and turned to run towards Fengnan City. Suddenly, the officer shouted, "Let's go!" and turned to run. The soldiers had been waiting for these words, and the entire column scattered in a panic.
This was the first time Li Qiang had encountered such a cowardly army. Thinking back to the Black Prison, the soldiers of the Tante Kingdom were indeed much fiercer, and their officers were of higher quality. He hadn't expected the army of the Bangqining Kingdom to be so incompetent, and he no longer wanted to pursue that officer.
A large number of Heavenly Strike Soldiers leading the way. They moved swiftly, quickly passing Li Qiang and his group. Following them were a jumble of transport vehicles, also moving at a considerable speed, seemingly ignoring the flying boat by the roadside. Behind them came the main force of soldiers, surging across the mountains and fields. For a moment, the heavy breathing, chaotic footsteps, sharp whistling wind, and hateful curses created an atmosphere of oppression and frustration.
The soldiers and officers all wore expressions of terror, as if monsters were chasing them. They ran frantically, no one shouted, no one stopped, making it hard to believe that this was a regular army.
Paben asked worriedly, "I wonder how my senior brothers are doing?"
Nashan's face was unusually serious. "They should be fine; they are very strong."
Although Li Qiang didn't speak, he felt a strong sense of unease. He suddenly flew into the air and shouted, "Hey... who's the highest commander here? Come here..."
The sound was imbued with True Essence Power, becoming concentrated and unwavering. The crowd that had been traversing the mountains paused slightly upon hearing it, then continued their descent as if nothing had happened. Li Qiang couldn't help but smile bitterly. How could such an army possibly win a battle? A few foolish soldiers tried to seize the flying board, but were utterly routed by Nashan, Kankanqi, and the others.
Kankanqi grabbed a fleeing soldier and slapped him seven times across the face, roaring fiercely, "What the hell unit are you from? Who's your commander... Speak up!"
The soldier, dazed and confused, stammered, "I... I... I... ah, I don't know anything... I don't know anything... sob sob..." He was on the verge of collapse.
Enraged, Kankanqi kicked him a long way away, shouting, "Get lost! You're a disgrace!"
Li Qiang jumped onto the flyboard. " Kankanqi, let's go!"
Kankanqi immediately raised his protective gear and activated his flying board, feeling both angry and helpless, his face turning green with distress.
As he maneuvered the slingshot, he grumbled, "What's wrong with the army these days? A bunch of cowards and wimps! If I were an officer, damn it... I'd... kill a few of them. Boss, look at them, they're fully equipped, and there's no sign of them putting up a fight..."
Li Qiang had already noticed that this army collapsed without a fight. He shook his head and asked, "What kind of place is South Mouth Pass?"
Hong Qian sighed, " South Mouth Pass isn't far ahead; it's a three-way intersection. Alas... if South Mouth Pass falls, the road to Desperation Cape will be blocked."
Li Qiang donned his Billowing Essence Battle Armor and the Radiant Sun Ring, casually drawing a Light Blade. He chuckled, "Looks like we're going to have to try and conquer the South Mouth Pass. Hong Qian and I will lead the way, you all follow closely behind..." A series of rumbling sounds came from afar. Li Qiang said, " Kankanqi, cancel the protection. Hong Qian, let's go!"
With a flash of red light, Li Qiang and Hong Qian had already taken to the air.
The rumbling ahead grew louder, and faint red streaks of light could be seen streaking across the sky. Occasionally, small groups of stragglers could be seen fleeing downwards. Li Qiang and Hong Qian flew forward about three or four meters off the ground at a slow pace. As they moved, several fleeing soldiers saw them and shouted, "Hey... who are you? The soldiers of the Tante Kingdom are coming! They have divine beasts and Combat Beast as guards! Run! Do you want to die?"
Hong Qian was greatly surprised and exclaimed, "How could there be a divine beast? That violates the agreement. Martial Uncle, we must be careful. It seems the Cultivation Realm has been drawn into this!"
Li Qiang flew low overhead, casually grabbing a soldier and asking as he flew, "Who's resisting now?"
The soldier then realized that Li Qiang didn't have wings, and cried out in fright, "I don't know either... It's a group of... people who aren't soldiers fighting..."
Li Qiang's heart skipped a beat. " Zhao Hao and the others?" He became extremely anxious and casually threw the soldier away.
He glanced at the soldier who was screaming and falling, and shouted, " Hong Qian, hurry up... Kankanqi, you follow..." With a change of movement, he shot out like an arrow.
Hong Qian rapidly circulated his True Essence Power, unleashed a flying sword, and followed closely behind Li Qiang.
South Mouth Pass is a three-way intersection. The terrain is not dangerous, and there is no real checkpoint. It is usually just a place for merchants to rest. There are some small semi-underground buildings, and it is an important transportation hub.
During his high-speed flight, Li Qiang had already spotted quite a few soldiers from the Tante Kingdom, but he ignored them, eager to know if Zhao Hao and his group were resisting ahead. Gradually, more and more Tante Kingdom soldiers appeared, and they also spotted Li Qiang and Hong Qian, but before they could take any action, the two had already flown past them.
More Heavenly Strike Soldiers spotted them and immediately gave chase. Li Qiang suddenly realized that the sky and the ground were filled with soldiers, a veritable sea of people. Countless Little Hei were also densely packed in the distant sky, all Heavenly Strike Soldiers. The flashing light not far away was Zhao Hao's Cold and the Tu Book Sparrow Flying Sword.
Li Qiang and Hong Qian exchanged a glance, Hong Qian shouted, "Uncle-Master, I'm about to unleash a massacre!"
Li Qiang was excited by his loud shout, and his blood boiled. He knew that if he wanted to pass through this place safely and rescue Zhao Hao and the others, killing was the only option! He raised his hand and slashed out with his Light Blade. With a thought, the Light Blade in his hand exploded into fragments, shooting out colorful light forward. The Heavenly Strike Soldiers blocking his way were hit hard. Their armor could not withstand the blows. With muffled "thud" sounds, fifty or sixty Heavenly Strike Soldiers fell to the ground.
Hundreds of energy orbs shot towards them. Li Qiang's Billowing Essence Battle Armor shone brightly, and the seven golden rays of the Radiant Sun Ring spun rapidly. He was enraged. He lunged forward and threw out the handle of the Light Blade. Unexpectedly, a silver light also flew out of his hand, turning into thousands of silver rays that surrounded him.
Li Qiang discovered that this was actually the Star-Absorbing Flying Sword. Overjoyed, he laughed wildly and charged into the group of Heavenly Strike Soldiers.
With a long howl, Hong Qian's Gold-Shattering Sword scattered, shimmering like countless golden stars.
He flew close to the ground, Venus gathering and dispersing above his body. As soon as the Heavenly Strike Soldiers got close, they were immediately killed by the sharp energy of Venus, like dumplings being dropped into boiling water. The sounds of "crackling" and "popping" as they landed and the screams of those on the verge of death echoed all around.
Li Qiang's Star-Absorbing Sword was even more terrifying; anyone who got hit by it was practically pulverized. Wherever he flew, a path of blood mist, flesh mist, and bone mist was left behind. Hong Qian followed closely behind Li Qiang and was terrified by the sight. He muttered to himself, "What kind of flying sword does my martial uncle use? It's so powerful!"
The soldiers of the Tante Kingdom were utterly terrified. They had never seen such a horrific scene. Their protective armor was as if they were not wearing any armor at all. The silver streaks and the countless golden stars were more terrifying than death warrants. Once touched, no one could escape.
Li Qiang roared, "Those who block my way... die! Those who block my way... die!" His roar was like thunder, shaking the heavens and the earth.
The soldiers of the Tante Kingdom finally despaired and their shouts scattered.
Hong Qian suddenly shouted, "Uncle-Master, be careful! It's Rainbow Cone Cannon!" As soon as he finished speaking, a deafening rumble rang out, and more than a dozen red energy blasts, each as thick as a bowl, flew over. Li Qiang and Hong Qian dodged to the left and right respectively.
"Boom boom boom... boom boom..." All the energy blasts missed their mark.
Hong Qian understood that if there were cultivators among his opponents, and he could force them into a corner before unleashing these energy blasts, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Li Qiang roared and charged into the ranks of soldiers, the red mist spreading everywhere. Li Qiang himself felt uneasy; this Star-Absorbing Sword was truly too evil.
Li Qiang soared into the sky once more, his sharp, long howl echoing through the heavens. Zhao Hao responded with a long howl from afar.
Li Qiang turned his head and shouted, " Hong Qian, go back and pick up Kankanqi and the others. We'll meet up with Zhao Hao!"
Hong Qian retreated, saying, "Uncle-Master, be careful! This disciple is on his way!" He had only taken a short distance when he saw a huge monster charging from afar, its thunderous footsteps terrifying.
He roared, "Uncle-Master... it's a divine beast... be careful!"