Li Qiang turned his head and saw a huge black monster that was at least twenty or thirty meters tall and about a hundred meters long.
The mythical beast looks a bit strange; its body is divided into three parts:
Its head is oval-shaped, with no visible skin, covered by a gleaming, hard armor. Its red eyes also seem to be encased in the shell. Its mouth consists of two pairs of exposed sharp teeth, and when it occasionally opens its mouth, one can see a dense array of sharp teeth inside. The middle part of its body is also covered by hard armor, with countless sharp spikes standing upright on its flat body. Its tail is thick, with rings of black scales extending to the tip.
It has three pairs of huge, long legs, making it incredibly swift in movement. Its real name is the Earthfire Beast, a specialty of the Western Continent's Wild Plains, which was domesticated and used for warfare.
Beside the enormous body of the divine beast, sixty or seventy Combat Beast ran back and forth to guard it.
Li Qiang suddenly rose up and shouted, " Hong Qian, go quickly! I'll deal with it!"
Hong Qian's Gold-Shattering Sword scattered like a celestial maiden scattering flowers as he retreated rapidly, shouting, "Uncle-Master, be careful! The divine beasts are controlled by humans! Find those people... kill them..." He was already far away.
The little Sea Demon that had been clinging to Li Qiang's lower back woke up. Ever since its metamorphosis, it had been gripping the buckle on Li Qiang's lower back and had remained asleep. Since Li Qiang never slept lying down, and the little creature was curled up in a ball, resembling a soft blue bag, Li Qiang didn't pay much attention to it.
It stretched and yawned a few times, then suddenly released its little red paws, and a beam of Blue Light shot into the sky.
The army of the Tante Kingdom had not expected that the army of their adversary, the Bangqining Kingdom, would collapse so easily. At the crossroads they were trying to blockade, they encountered fierce resistance from a group of extremely fierce warriors. Just as they were in dire straits, two more incredibly powerful individuals stormed in. Their entire army numbered over 40,000, yet these two could come and go as they pleased. The commanders were furious. They were Tante Kingdom's most elite troops, and yet these two men had killed hundreds of them without a single wounded?
Li Qiang fought his way back. Countless energy bullets from the Spine-Piercing Spear flew through the air, and despite his incredible speed, he was hit by many of them. The Heavenly Strike Soldiers in the sky were also accidentally injured by the energy bullets fired from the ground, but they still blocked the way relentlessly. For a time, Li Qiang was confined to a small area.
The Heavenly Strike Soldiers, layer upon layer, were instantly torn to pieces by the silver light of the Star-Absorbing Sword as soon as they got close, but under the command of the officers, they still charged forward relentlessly. Li Qiang killed until his hands were sore, countless lives were lost at his hands, and a wave of helplessness welled up in his heart. This was different from the situation in Hanlin City, where these soldiers were all regular soldiers, not bandits or robbers, but people serving the country. Such killing made him feel very uncomfortable.
The commander of the Tante Kingdom was practically going mad. This person in the sky was definitely not human; he was like a giant meat grinder, and no matter how many soldiers were thrown in, they would all die. A soldier reported that the divine beast was almost in position. The commander went insane; he actually ordered the soldiers in the sky to use their bodies to block any space Li Qiang might move.
The divine beast finally arrived below Li Qiang, letting out a deafening roar. The Sky Heavenly Strike Soldiers around him simultaneously showed resolute yet desperate expressions, and they shouted in unison as more than three hundred Heavenly Strike Soldiers frantically pushed towards Li Qiang.
Li Qiang was now like a ball of silver light; any soldier who rushed into it would be torn to shreds. The sight of over three hundred soldiers simultaneously pushing their way in chilled Li Qiang to the bone. He had never seen soldiers so fearless before, and a sense of respect welled up within him. His slight hesitation was all it took for the army commander to achieve his objective.
Two streaks of blue-red flames shot out from either side of the divine beast's head, instantly igniting the Heavenly Strike Soldiers surrounding Li Qiang. They plummeted from the sky, howling as they were engulfed in flames, a truly gruesome sight.
Li Qiang was slightly stunned. The Star-Absorbing Sword had already returned to his body, and two flames immediately enveloped him. Almost all the soldiers cheered at the same time! Li Qiang discovered that the temperature of this flame was extremely high. However, Li Qiang could be considered the ancestor of fire manipulation. Even Fu Shan might not be as good at playing with fire as him. After all, Li Qiang had Fire Essence and Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire, both of which were the most essential elements of fire.
The four people controlling the divine beasts were actually the same Beast-Splitting Tribe members they had seen at the Grand Alliance. Before they could give another order, the little Sea Demon had already charged down from the sky at high speed. A flash of blue light, and with four "poof poof poof poof" sounds, the little Sea Demon pierced through the chests of the four people with lightning speed. It let out a cry and proudly flew back into the sky.
The soldiers' cheers gradually turned into incredulous gasps. Li Qiang was leisurely suspended in the fire, and even more terrifying, a phantom of flame slowly appeared on his body, resembling something with wings, though its shape was indistinct. The surrounding air seemed to be distorted and deformed by the extremely high temperature. Li Qiang understood that the Fire Essence had been stimulated and was beginning to transform and evolve; it was about to fly out.
The divine beast, a monster of the earth and fire type, also sensed the power of the Fire Essence —a feeling that a king of fire was being born. Terrified, it retreated step by step, no longer obeying commands. Almost all the officers issued the order to fire, and it was a truly terrifying sight. Tens of thousands of energy blasts illuminated the sky, and the sound of the blasts piercing the air was deafening.
Li Qiang was startled, knowing that even three layers of armor wouldn't be enough to withstand the impact of these energy projectiles. He let out a scream, his body suddenly plummeting downwards. Due to the incredible speed, he left a blur in the sky. The energy projectiles collided with each other, unleashing a massive explosion. A dazzling flash of light illuminated the scene, and the shockwave sent more than half of the Sky Heavenly Strike Soldiers crashing to the ground. The soldiers on the ground fared no better; many were thrown to the ground.
A mournful howl echoed from afar, followed by a frantic roar, "Master—"
The officers and soldiers finally breathed a sigh of relief, but they couldn't cheer because the price had been too high. Just as they were secretly rejoicing, a piercing scream rang out, and they realized that Li Qiang was actually standing on the divine beast. The army's morale plummeted. If they couldn't kill Li Qiang even with this, they were practically going insane.
The divine beast was not afraid of Li Qiang, but it was terrified of the Fire Essence on his body. Three figures flew up from the army and shot towards Li Qiang quickly. Three sword lights were like a sky-piercing rainbow - the cultivators hidden in the army finally couldn't help but make their move.
Having already learned from the previous counterattack by Supreme Radiance Shuttle, Li Qiang stood tall and ignored the incoming flying sword. Before the flying sword's radiance could even reach him, the Fire Essence on his body had already fully evolved.
A red, transparent shadow flew out from Li Qiang's body. This shadow caught the flying sword just in time, and the moment it touched it, the shadow inexplicably transformed into a bright red flying beast shimmering with golden light. The high temperature it brought caused everything around it to distort and steam. It spewed out a transparent stream of heat, and the three sword rainbows seemed to be ignited. With a loud bang, the three flying swords turned into dust and scattered.
The enormous divine beast roared in agony, terrified, and suddenly began to run wildly, throwing the army into chaos. The divine beast was a colossal creature, hundreds of meters long, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, with countless soldiers trampled to death and injured.
The Fire Essence spewed out another stream of heat, which fell from the sky and instantly incinerated the soldiers on the ground, without even a wisp of smoke rising. The rocks and earth, upon encountering this heat, burst into a raging fire, terrifyingly blue in color, indicating an extremely high temperature.
The three cultivators turned and flew away almost the instant their flying sword was destroyed. They didn't dare continue fighting; they had never seen such an invincible monster before, and it wasn't worth risking their lives for it.
Without hesitation, the commander of the Tante Kingdom issued the order to retreat, and they, like the army of the Bangqining Kingdom, fled in a frenzy. Li Qiang now understood the power of the divine beast. If it weren't for his Fire Essence and Heavenly Fire, he really wouldn't have been able to deal with it, let alone the ordinary soldiers of the Bangqining Kingdom.
The Star-Absorbing Sword flew out again, its silver light flashing, and the divine beast let out a deafening roar.
Amidst the clanging and banging sounds, countless cracks appeared on the divine beast's hard shell. The hard armor on its body was somewhat unexpected for Li Qiang; even with the power of the Star-Absorbing Sword, it couldn't be cleaved open immediately! He sheathed the Star-Absorbing Sword, raised his hand to summon the Fire Essence, and asked it to deal with the beast. He was worried about Zhao Hao and the others, and seeing that the soldiers who were besieging them had also retreated, he hurriedly flew over.
The Fire Essence, in its tangible form, relentlessly pursued the divine beast, spewing forth streams of heat. The beast desperately dodged left and right, burning most of its surrounding Combat Beast to death. Because the beast's rampage injured countless soldiers and attracted such a terrifying creature as the Fire Essence, the army commander had no choice but to detonate a bomb hidden in a vital spot in its abdomen—a precaution to prevent it from going out of control. Only then did the Fire Essence cease its attack and retreat.
In this great battle, the Tante Kingdom suffered over a thousand deaths and countless wounded, a crushing defeat for an army of over forty thousand men against a mere handful of opponents. Li Qiang and his group inadvertently disrupted Tante Kingdom's plans. This elite force, lacking the aid of the divine beast, was repeatedly ambushed by the army of the Bangqining Kingdom upon its retreat back to the Tante Kingdom, suffering heavy losses. Thus, the two nations were once again at a stalemate. Li Qiang, in a sense, indirectly aided Bangqining Kingdom.
Zhao Hao also came forward. "Master... are you alright?" He was extremely nervous.
Li Qiang's face was grim; the killing had been far too bloody. He forced a bitter smile and asked, "How are the brothers? Anyone injured?"
Zhao Hao shook his head and said, "It's not good... Seven brothers died, and many were injured. Fortunately, there are buildings over there that can provide defense. I set up a simple defensive array, which is how we managed to hold them off. They have too many of them."
Li Qiang's heart skipped a beat, and he pressed, "Who were the casualties? How are Princess Lanqiu and the others?"
Zhao Hao said, "Four of our warriors and three of Princess Lanqiu's bodyguards died. The flying platform carrying Princess Lanqiu had already passed through, but seeing the critical situation, it turned back. Alas, I couldn't stop them." Hearing the guilt in Zhao Hao's words, Li Qiang silently patted his shoulder, feeling a sense of goodwill towards Princess Lanqiu and her group.
Hong Qian landed silently beside Li Qiang and asked in confusion, "Huh? Uncle-Master, why have all the soldiers of the Tante Kingdom retreated?" Looking at the raging fire on the ground and the large number of corpses that hadn't yet been burned, he was very puzzled, considering that the enemy was a large force.
Kankanqi stopped his hoverboard, deactivated the red protective light, and looked at the horrific battlefield. This officer, who had participated in many battles, could hardly believe his eyes.
He knew in his heart that although it was only the boss and Hong Qian who rushed over just now, it was no less than a thousand troops. However, the boss was not this powerful when he was in the Black Prison. The scene before him puzzled him. How could the boss have become so fierce?
Suddenly, he felt a warm current brush past him, and saw a purplish-gold monster leaning against Li Qiang.
Kankanqi, Nashan, Paben shouted at the same time, "Boss, be careful of the monster!"
Suddenly, the monster's body became transparent and disappeared into Li Qiang's body.
Nashan grinned widely and Paben, " Old Pa, am I seeing things?"
Paben nodded seriously. "Perhaps I'm seeing things!"
Li Qiang chuckled at their antics and said, "Come on, say hello! This is Fire Essence." The little Fire Essence revealed its true form, but it was no longer red; it had turned reddish-gold. It perched on Li Qiang's shoulder, spitting out a string of colorful Mars with its tiny mouth, then impatiently shook its body and disappeared without a trace.
Nashan and Paben exchanged a glance and shook their heads simultaneously. Kankanqi rubbed his face vigorously and answered for them, "I guess I'm seeing things." The two nodded dumbly, unable to believe that this was the monster their boss had raised. Li Qiang could only smile helplessly.
However, Nashan and the other two knew that their boss was capable of many unexpected things. Nashan privately remarked, "Don't be surprised if the boss turns into a woman one day."
Fortunately, this remark didn't reach Li Qiang, otherwise his bald head would definitely be uneven.
Nashan jumped off the board and shouted, " Old Pa, come down! Let's clean up the mess!"
Li Qiang leaped to his feet and said, "Let's go first! Let's go see the brothers." With a whoosh, the little Sea Demon fell from the sky and pounced into his arms. Li Qiang patted its little head, and a piece of dried Black Zi curd appeared in his hand. The little Sea Demon stretched out its little red claws, whimpering happily, and began to eat it bite by bite.
Although the soldiers had blocked their way, and it seemed like they were far apart, they had actually arrived at the place where Zhao Hao and his men had resisted in just a moment. It was a few lonely buildings at the crossroads, now reduced to ruins, surrounded by a mess of debris and countless craters blasted out by energy blasts. The bodies of the Tante Kingdom soldiers lay scattered on the ground, a desolate and tragic scene.
Kubo, Han Jin, and Princess Lanqiu all came forward to greet them. Kubo laughed and said, "Boss, what kind of flying sword are you using? It's breathtaking..."
Li Qiang ignored him and asked, "How are the injured brothers? Are they in any danger?"
Han Jin hurriedly said, "Fortunately, Princess Lanqiu knows how to heal; if it weren't for her, several of our brothers would not have made it."
Li Qiang said with delight, "So Princess Lanqiu can heal wounds! That's wonderful! I was worried about what would happen to our injured brothers when we Wild Plains. This is so reassuring." He walked up to Princess Lanqiu and bowed deeply to express his gratitude.
Princess Lanqiu blushed as he thanked her. For some reason, she always felt that Li Qiang was very mysterious and couldn't figure out his situation. Therefore, she tried to avoid receiving as many favors as possible from him, to the point that she felt uneasy even when she was thanking him. She whispered, "No need to thank me, sir. It's a pity that there are still a few who can't be saved." Her tone was filled with sorrow.
Nashan stumbled back carrying a huge pile of stuff, shouting, "Boss, there are still a lot of military supplies and a lot of reserve crystals there. Should we take them with us?" Paben was also dragging a lot of things, including the powerful Rainbow Cone Cannon Li Qiang had seen before.
Li Qiang picked up the Rainbow Cone Cannon, as thick as a bowl and as tall as a person, and said, "Alright, Kankanqi, take the flying board. All the brothers who are not injured, go and clean up the battlefield. Keep the loot you find. Weapons, crystals, and equipment as spares." Li Qiang thought to himself, "This order sounds like something a bandit would say." He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he turned around to check on the fallen and wounded brothers.
The lightly wounded warriors were simply bandaged with a local specialty—soft green leather; the seriously wounded were all unconscious.
Kubo explained from the side that Princess Lanqiu had used the Soul-Pacifying Seal to put them to sleep. Li Qiang asked curiously, "What is the Soul-Pacifying Seal?" Princess Lanqiu heard this and beckoned Li Qiang over.
She was treating and bandaging a warrior with a broken leg. After finishing, she said, "Boss, this is the Soul-Pacifying Seal." She took out a strangely shaped object, held it in her hand, and muttered to herself, as if chanting some incantation. White light emanated from her clenched hands, and a faint fragrance wafted out. Li Qiang immediately determined that it was the scent of sandalwood.
Princess Lanqiu closed her eyes slightly, exuding a peculiar sense of compassion and benevolence, her entire being enveloped in a sacred atmosphere. For a moment, Li Qiang seemed to see the merciful Bodhisattva Guanyin. Startled, he snapped back to reality, thinking to himself, "What a powerful hypnotic technique." Meanwhile, the warrior had already fallen asleep.
Li Qiang began to develop a strong interest in the trip to Heavenly Halberd Peak. Princess Lanqiu's slight display of ability surprised him greatly; it was a kind of spiritual power. The Chongxuan Sect also had spiritual cultivation, but that could only be done at the Late Soul Formation Stage. Princess Lanqiu had no foundation in cultivation at all, yet the spiritual power she had just displayed was astonishingly high.
A samurai reported seeing many civilian corpses in the distance. Li Qiang suddenly remembered Old Man Kabaji and became anxious, hurriedly asking, "Where?" His voice was a little stiff. The others didn't know what had happened, and Li Qiang couldn't explain either. He flew in the direction the samurai was pointing, with Hong Qian, Zhao Hao, and Kubo following closely behind.
A large pit, about 70 or 80 meters in diameter and 3 meters deep, was filled with corpses, piled up densely. They were all people who had escaped from Fengnan City, and there were also many corpses wearing military underwear.
Li Qiang saw it all at once and almost fell from the sky. His heart felt like it was weighed down by a huge rock, and he felt an indescribable pain. He remembered the flying boats he had seen on the outskirts of Fengnan City, and it seemed that they had not managed to escape.
The bodies appeared to have been thoroughly searched, many of them naked. Princess Lanqiu arrived, but before she could get close, Li Qiang shouted, "Take the princess back! Don't let her see this!"
Zhao Hao and Hong Qian landed on either side of her, quietly trying to persuade her to go back, but she stubbornly shook her head and insisted on walking over.
She walked to the edge of the pit, swayed slightly, and then stood still. Li Qiang, suspended in mid-air, clearly saw her eyes closed and two crystal-clear teardrops slide down her cheeks.
She pressed her palms together to her forehead and recited rhythmically in a language Li Qiang had never heard before. Gradually, a peaceful and serene atmosphere spread with her voice.
The surrounding warriors, including Li Qiang, were all immersed in the peaceful atmosphere devoid of bloodshed. It was like a sanctuary, bringing tranquility to everyone's hearts.
Li Qiang landed slowly on the ground. He was truly impressed by Princess Lanqiu; she had completely calmed her murderous intent. His eyes swept over the large pit, knowing that even if Old Man Kabaji and his men were inside, they wouldn't be able to find her. There were simply too many corpses inside, many of them mangled beyond recognition.
Li Qiang knew the cruelty of war. He could accept the deaths and injuries of soldiers on the battlefield, but he found it unbearable to see so many civilians being slaughtered. He had even gone on a killing spree for this in Hanlin City.
Hong Qian whispered, "Uncle-Master, what should we do? Should we burn these corpses, or bury them?"
Nashan cursed, "These white demons are the worst kind of bastards! I'll never let them get away with this again!"
Paben squatted by the pit, shaking his head repeatedly. "Master, don't burn them or bury them... Their families don't know yet. Let's go to the Desperation Cape and notify the authorities, so that their families know and can come to collect the bodies." Li Qiang nodded silently; he understood Paben's feelings.
Princess Lanqiu turned and left, and the way the surrounding warriors looked at her changed; it was now a look of worship and admiration. Li Qiang ordered them to head to the Desperation Cape immediately. He had a feeling that Princess Lanqiu's trip to Heavenly Halberd Peak was an extremely important mission, because he had already seen her extraordinary abilities, even though she had no cultivation power.
The Sea of Wronged Souls is very peculiar, nestled between two continents. Its coastline is lined with rocky cliffs over a hundred meters high, with only a few outlets to the sea, the most famous being Desperation Cape. This is the closest point between the two continents. Desperation Cape is a harbor recessed into the cliffs. When the Wind of Fear rages, the harbor is blocked by defensive energy, which can only be dispelled when the winds subside.
At this time, Desperation Cape was crowded with merchants preparing to cross the sea. This was the beginning of another life-or-death gamble. If they succeeded, they could make a fortune and live a comfortable life for a while. If they failed, they would leave behind their wronged souls, forever drifting in this sea.
As soon as Li Qiang and his three flying boats reached Desperation Cape, they were immediately surrounded by a large crowd. Someone shouted, "We heard that the South Mouth Pass was blocked by the soldiers of the Tante Kingdom. How did you get through?"
Someone else asked, "Hey bro, have you seen our flyboard?"
A squad of soldiers rushed over and blocked their path, pointing their Spine-Piercing Spear at them. An officer approached and demanded, "Who are you? Why did you get through the Tante Kingdom army's lines?" His tone was full of suspicion. He added, "Who is your leader? Come with me!"
Kankanqi, already fed up with these incompetent soldiers, slapped one of them hard across the face and yelled, "Bastard, what's with all the bravado? You run away like the wind when you see the Tante Kingdom army!"
The junior officer was enraged by the beating and shouted.