The shop owner noticed Li Qiang staring at something on the wall, so he casually took it down and said, "This was consigned by a merchant from the Western Continent. It's been hanging here for a long time, and I don't know what it is. I'll sell it to you cheaply if you want it."
Li Qiang took the black flame-shaped plaque, nodded, and said, "Okay, how much? I want this one."
Hong Qian also noticed something strange about the item and picked it up to examine it. The shopkeeper smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Eight hundred coins... is that alright?"
Li Qiang also had a considerable amount of money on him, so he pulled out a wad and placed it on the table. "No problem, here's ten thousand, use the rest to buy jewelry."
The shop owner thought he had misheard, "Ten thousand? Ten thousand coins... ten thousand coins?" He swallowed hard, his face flushed with excitement, and asked again, "I didn't hear wrong, did I... ten thousand coins?"
Nashan, standing to the side, said impatiently, "The boss wouldn't lie to you. If he says ten thousand, then it's ten thousand. Why ask so many questions?"
The boss was overjoyed.
Hong Qian said thoughtfully, "Uncle-Master, this thing seems to be under a restriction; it can't be opened..."
Li Qiang used his True Essence Power to probe it, and sure enough, he was blocked by a thin layer of something like a black veil. He tried to break it with Samadhi True Fire, and after a while, the black veil-like restriction fluctuated slightly. He summoned the Fire Essence, raised his hand and offered the object to its mouth. The Fire Essence seemed to understand its master's meaning, opened its mouth and swallowed it, then disappeared into Li Qiang's body.
The shop owner turned and rushed into the back room. A moment later, he brought out a small box, placed it in front of Li Qiang, and said with a fawning smile, "Take a look here... take a look, these are all..." He realized something was wrong; these were all unsellable items, and hurriedly added, "Perhaps there's something you want." His eyes gleamed with expectation.
Li Qiang casually flipped through the box, finding nothing noteworthy. Nashan also looked at it curiously. "Sigh, it's all junk. Take it back." The shop owner closed the box with utter disappointment and kicked it against the shelf.
"Boss... Boss... Boss..." The voice was faint and elusive.
Paben said doubtfully, "I seemed to hear someone calling me boss."
Nashan and Hong Qian also said, "Someone is calling."
Li Qiang's attention was entirely focused on the Fire Essence; he paid no attention to the sounds outside, nor even to what Paben and the others were saying. Nashan ran outside the shop, leaned against the railing, and listened intently. Sure enough, someone was shouting wildly from the southern cliff, but his skills weren't enough to see who it was.
A smile suddenly appeared on Li Qiang's face. Hong Qian asked, "Uncle-Master, is it untied?" Li Qiang nodded and stretched out his hand, revealing a piece of emerald green material shaped like a maple leaf. Hong Qian picked it up in surprise. It was very beautiful, with dense, fine blue threads within its crystalline emerald green color. He pondered it repeatedly but couldn't figure out its purpose.
"Uncle-Master, this isn't Law Treasure, what is it then?"
"If you look closely, I think it's a picture... but I don't know where it's from."
Hong Qian focused his mind and was immediately captivated. The interior was a labyrinth of interconnected passages of all sizes, forming a three-dimensional map of pathways. In some places, there were even shimmering red, yellow, blue, and black starlight—it was truly magical. He pulled his mind away and examined the object's shape further. "Uncle-Master, this looks a bit like...like a key."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "A key? It doesn't seem like it. Never mind, let's not worry about it for now and go back."
Nashan then interjected, "Boss, someone is calling you from the cliff to the south, but I can't see who it is."
Li Qiang packed up his things and said, " Paben, you pay the bill, give the owner a little extra, I'll go see who's yelling." He turned and walked out of the shop, looking south. The person was still shouting wildly; it was Kankanqi. Li Qiang transmitted his voice, "Okay, I'm coming right away. Stop shouting, the whole valley can hear it."
The shop owner thanked them profusely and saw them to the door. This business deal had made him a small fortune, and he was very pleased with himself.
Back at the Grand Alliance's rest area, Princess Lanqiu greeted them with a smile, "Boss, I have some news for you."
Ever since she dispelled Li Qiang's murderous murderous intent at South Mouth Pass, he had developed a deep respect for her. The tranquility and serenity she exuded at that moment had deeply moved Li Qiang. He smiled and said, " Princess Lanqiu's news must be good news. Are you about to set sail?"
Princess Lanqiu shook her head playfully and said, "It's about the Sea Soul Agate... How will you thank me, Boss?"
Li Qiang was overjoyed and quickly said, "That's wonderful, hehe, thank you, Princess... thank you... thank you... I'll do whatever you want." He said thank you three times, but the last sentence was mumbled, causing everyone to chuckle. Princess Lanqiu blushed at his words and deeply regretted asking for thanks in such a way.
Nashan suddenly had a brilliant idea. He took out a necklace, held it in both hands, and said with a pious expression, "The boss just said that this was a gift for the princess. It just so happens to be in my hands. I'll present it to the princess on behalf of the boss."
Li Qiang nearly fainted; he wanted nothing more than to kick this sycophantic guy away.
Princess Lanqiu was deeply embarrassed, but her mental strength was extraordinary. She forced herself to accept the necklace and said in a steady tone, "Thank you, Boss. A friend from Blackwater Island invited us. We'll be passing by his island on our way across the Sea of Wronged Souls. He knows about the Sea Soul Agate."
Li Qiang was at a loss for words. If it weren't for Nashan's interference, he could have handled the situation perfectly well. Now, he could only nod, not daring to utter another word. After Princess Lanqiu finished speaking, she gave a slight bow and fled into the inner room as if escaping.
After watching the princess enter the house, Li Qiang turned to look for Nashan: " Nashan... where is he?"
Everyone wanted to laugh, but they were too embarrassed to. They knew that their leader had been tricked by Nashan. Even Zhao Hao, an honest man, was chuckling to himself.
Kankanqi, panting heavily, said, "He ran away a long time ago... Boss, I'm going to find him..." As soon as he stepped out the door, he was heard laughing wildly, "Ahahaha... Hahahaha... Ha..." He had been holding it in for so long.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Li Qiang scratched his head awkwardly, then deliberately changed the subject, saying, " Blackwater Island? Hong Qian, you know more about that. Can people live on the islands in the Sea of Wronged Souls?"
Hong Qian lowered his head and pondered for a while, then asked Kubo, " Kubo, are there any cultivators cultivating in seclusion in the Sea of Wronged Souls? I don't seem to have heard of any."
Kubo said, "Master, I've never heard of the Sea of Wronged Souls before, but it's definitely not a place where ordinary people can live."
Hong Qian rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment, then said, "Uncle-Master, Princess Lanqiu's friend might be a hermit. If he can truly live in the Sea of Wronged Souls during the season of Wind of Fear, then he must be no ordinary person."
Paben looked on incredulously. "During the reign of Wind of Fear, one can actually live in the Sea of Wronged Souls? This... this is impossible."
Hong Qian laughed, "Impossible? Have you ever seen anyone fly without wings before? Now you've seen it with your own eyes. You can fly too in the future. Anything is possible for a cultivator. You'll understand in time."
Li Qiang instructed, "These next few days, everyone can go and buy whatever they like. Collect your money from Tange and relax. Remember not to get into conflicts with others, try to be patient and reasonable. Of course, those who go too far must be severely punished. Once you start fighting, you can only win, not lose. Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
Everyone gradually figured out Li Qiang's temperament. He was outwardly gentle but inwardly tough. He was usually very easygoing and jovial, but he never hesitated when it mattered. When he got ruthless, he was incredibly fierce. So when he got serious, even Zhao Hao was afraid.
The group dispersed, each taking their own squad of warriors to go shopping and relax. Li Qiang returned to his room alone, took out the strange longbow and three black arrows he had bought at the auction, and began to examine them carefully.
The bow's design was extremely bizarre. The dark blue bow body depicted two naked men howling as they were being devoured by a monster. The bowstring was made of a semi-transparent material about the thickness of a little finger, the nature of which was unknown, somewhat resembling animal sinew. Li Qiang examined it with his mind but found nothing unusual. He only found the red patterns on the bow body strange, somewhat like talismans, which he couldn't understand at all. He tried to trace them with his mind but found them far too complex.
The three long black arrows revealed a secret to him: the arrowheads bore runes he could understand, similar to those of the Eighteen Demon-Extinguishing Hands. He memorized them; each of the three arrows had a rune.
He now understands that these talismans target different objects and have different effects, but he still hasn't figured out which target each of the three talismans is most effective against.
Li Qiang tried to draw the bowstring and was surprised to find that this bow was definitely not something an ordinary person could use; it required True Essence Power to draw. Knowing that these Law Treasure artifacts shouldn't be tested casually, he hesitated for a moment, then put the bow and arrow back into his bracelet, planning to study them later when he had time.
He couldn't resist taking out the "maple leaf" again and playing with it in his hand. Suddenly, he noticed a Little Hei on the bottom. He looked at it closely in the light and realized it was a mark he recognized.
It was a symbol of a flying apsara, depicted with extremely simple strokes yet vividly and realistically. Its details were like miniature carvings, and if Li Qiang hadn't achieved great success in his cultivation, he wouldn't have been able to see it clearly at all. Li Qiang remembered seeing it in the Dunhuang Grottoes when he was on Earth, but the two were slightly different. The flying apsara on the "maple leaf" was more vivid and exquisite, with an ethereal and otherworldly quality.
Li Qiang couldn't figure out where this thing came from, but he had a gut feeling that it would definitely be useful, so he carefully put it into his bracelet. Since it would take a few days for the Wind of Fear to subside, he told the warriors outside the door not to disturb him for the next few days, and he decided to meditate. After setting up a defensive array, he began to cultivate once again.
As he focused his mind into his Purple Mansion, he discovered that his Nascent Soul had grown considerably larger, its bones firm, its energy concentrated, and its features clear. The Stars Filling the Sky Armor had become one with the Nascent Soul, and the Purple Flame Heart had completely detached from Nascent Soul body, floating beneath Nascent Soul. Purple and red light enveloped the Nascent Soul from below. Most wondrous of all was the Fire Essence, which also possessed Primordial Spirit. A tiny Primordial Spirit rested on the Nascent Soul's shoulder, cultivating with its eyes closed. Li Qiang was utterly astonished.
Curious, Li Qiang focused his mind on the Nascent Soul, opened his eyes, and gently touched the little Fire Essence 'Nascent Soul hand. The Fire Essence opened its eyes, and two beams of golden light suddenly shot out. Li Qiang felt a warm current flow into his body, and he immediately activated the Microcosm around the Nascent Soul. The Fire Essence was shooting out its essence, which was extremely beneficial to Li Qiang's fire-type constitution. The rotating Microcosm immediately carried the golden light, and with each breath, it Fusion into the Nascent Soul.
He didn't know how much time had passed when Li Qiang opened his eyes. He felt as if his whole body was filled with boundless energy. His Shadow Dream Armor had also successfully evolved to the next level, and the texture of the Shadow Dream Armor was faintly visible on his skin. Two purple lights flowed in his eyes, flashing for a while before gradually disappearing.
Li Qiang felt his skills had greatly improved. With the help of the Fire Essence, he seemed to have entered the Early Leaving the Body Stage, but he was not yet entirely confident.
Stepping out of the room, Li Qiang was surprised to find that almost everyone was there, even Nanadun and Bala. He suddenly realized that he might have been in a meditative state for quite some time. Everyone was excited to see him come out.
Zhao Hao stared intently at Li Qiang and said abruptly, "Strange... something's not right..."
Paben asked, "Senior brother, what's wrong?"
Zhao Hao said, "Master seems like a different person."
His words drew everyone's attention. Li Qiang gave off an otherworldly feeling, and his whole demeanor was somewhat elusive, especially his eyes, which would occasionally flash with a hint of Purple Rosy Clouds. This was because he had not yet fully controlled himself after his great improvement in skill. He appeared to everyone like a sword drawn from its sheath, its sharpness fully revealed.
Hong Qian hesitated for a moment before asking, "Uncle-Master... has he... reached the Leaving the Body Realm?"
Although Nashan knew the names of the various stages of cultivation, he still didn't quite understand the meaning of reaching the Nascent Leaving the Body Realm. He laughed and said, " Leaving the Body Realm? It must be very powerful, right? Hey... has everyone noticed that Boss looks different? The scars on his face have faded so much that they're almost invisible, and... oh dear, why do I feel a little afraid of Boss?"
Everyone laughed, Paben said, "You've always been afraid of the boss, it's not like you've only started now."
Nashan shook his Baldy repeatedly. "It's different... it's really different..." He couldn't quite express his feelings, but he knew very well in his heart.
Li Qiang touched his face. He knew that the leap in his cultivation had unknowingly reshaped his entire body. Although he wasn't particularly concerned about his appearance and hadn't actively sought to improve it, he had still inadvertently changed a lot. He smiled and said, " Nashan, if you cultivate to the Nascent Soul Realm, you can not only remove the scars on your face, but also heal your damaged eye. Do you believe me?"
Nashan's one eye lit up. "Boss, don't try to fool me... The scars on my face don't matter, but if this eye can be restored, I'll be truly grateful." The blind eye has always been a pain in Nashan's heart. It was when he first entered the Black Prison that he was blinded, and it was from that experience that he understood the law of the jungle.
Among these people, only Hong Qian truly understood the meaning of reaching the Leaving the Body Realm; even Li Qiang himself wasn't entirely clear. Hong Qian said, "When my master first accepted me as Registered Disciple, he had also reached the Leaving the Body Realm. He had cultivated for over two hundred years. According to my master, he had progressed very quickly because he had a treasure called the ' Crystal Resonance Spirit,' which enabled him to quickly reach the Leaving the Body Realm."
Li Qiang suddenly realized how much the Purple Flame Heart and the Fire Essence had helped him. The little Fire Essence had absorbed the energy of the Heavenly Fire from the Purple Flame Heart and then transferred it to him. With Li Qiang's current cultivation level, it would have been impossible for him to absorb the energy of the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire from the Purple Flame Heart. He was truly grateful to the little Fire Essence; it was it that allowed him to quickly advance into a new realm of cultivation.
Although the crowd didn't quite understand Hong Qian's meaning, they knew that their leader's power had greatly increased, and they were all happy for him. There were many cultivators in the Cultivation Realm who could reach the Nascent Soul Realm, but it was very difficult to reach the Leaving the Body Realm. There were countless people who had cultivated for hundreds of years without ever reaching the Leaving the Body Realm. It was a critical juncture, and a lucky person like Li Qiang who could advance to a high level in such a short time was practically unique.
Nanadun gazed silently at Li Qiang, his heart filled with complex emotions. They had come all the way to the Desperation Cape to see Li Qiang off, to express their gratitude and appreciation. If it weren't for Li Qiang, none of them would have ever left the Black Prison alive. He walked up to Li Qiang: "Boss, I wonder if you'll ever come back to see us again? This parting is like the ends of the earth, alas, it's hard to see you again, brother. Take care, and if you return to the Tanbang Continent, remember to visit us old bones." He performed the highest salute of the Green Tribe and touched foreheads with Li Qiang.
Kankanqi was torn. He wanted to go with Li Qiang, but he couldn't bear to leave Boboran. What troubled him most was that Boboran didn't seem to care much about him, remaining distant and aloof, which made him very sad. He also exchanged a forehead-touching greeting with Li Qiang. After a long while, he said, "Boss, being with you guys has been the happiest time of Kankanqi life. I... I don't want you all to leave." He couldn't help but shed tears after saying this. Nashan, Tange, and Paben, his close brothers, all came forward to comfort him and say goodbye.
Li Qiang patted Kankanqi on the shoulder. "Don't be sad. Maybe I'll come back to the Tanbang Continent in the future. Just remember to cultivate the Cultivation Method left by Zhao Hao diligently and strive to reach the Nascent Soul Realm. If you don't understand anything, you can ask Hong Qian later. As long as you reach the Nascent Soul Realm, we will definitely meet again. Everyone, don't be sad anymore, hurry up and cultivate!" Nanadun and the others understood his implication. If they couldn't reach the Nascent Soul Realm, they would never see each other again.
Bala sighed, "I wonder if I'll ever reach the Nascent Soul Realm, Boss... This is a little trinket from my hometown. It's the only thing I managed to keep. I'm giving it to you... Until we meet again."
It was a metal block about five centimeters square. Bala pressed down on one corner, and with a soft "click," the metal block unfolded, like a small stage being raised. A beam of light shone from the bottom, revealing a woman in a white gauze dress amidst a blue expanse. She seemed to be smiling. A moment later, two children skipped out, and the woman picked them up, one in each arm. Finally, a man stepped out—it was Bala —and stood to the side, smiling happily. With a "click," the metal block returned to its original shape.
It was a 3D image, small yet with clearly discernible figures. When the woman and two children appeared, Bala's face was filled with tenderness, and tears welled in his eyes. Li Qiang knew these must be his family and children, and shook his head, saying, " Bala, this is your only memento, I can't accept it!"
Bala grabbed Li Qiang's hand, shoved the metal block into it, and said with a choked voice, "Boss, I know you'll travel to many places in the future. If you meet my family... tell them... I... I'm still alive, so they won't worry. Sigh... Bala doesn't dare ask you to go find them, boss. Let fate decide."
Li Qiang couldn't refuse such a request, so he had no choice but to accept. "Okay, I'll definitely pass on the message if I happen to meet you." He had no confidence at all; the scope was simply too broad. Bala seemed to have put one worry to rest, and his mood immediately brightened.
Li Qiang looked around and asked, "Where are Princess Lanqiu and the others?"
Paben smiled and said, "They're already waiting for Master on the Flying Hook Chain. Master has been in meditation for over eight days, the Wind of Fear have stopped for two days, and many people have already gone out to sea. We're all ready and just waiting for Master to emerge from meditation."
Li Qiang felt ashamed inwardly. Fortunately, he hadn't messed things up. If it weren't for the Fire Essence's help, this meditation might have been delayed for dozens of days.
Li Qiang said loudly, "Alright! Now that everyone is ready, let's venture into this Sea of Wronged Souls and witness its power! Let's go!"
The valley floor is now teeming with people, more than half of whom are friends and relatives who have come to see someone off. The red light that blocked the Sea of Wronged Souls has been deactivated, and booming sounds come from outside the gate—the sound of giant waves crashing.
Li Qiang and his group descended to the bottom of the valley and followed the crowd to the bend. One after another, Arrow Boat slowly set off, and everyone's faces were grim; another life-or-death journey had begun.
Dozens of soldiers guarded the dock of the grappling hook ship, and no one dared to approach.
As everyone boarded the flying hook chain, Li Qiang waved goodbye to Nanadun and the others.
Bala whispered to himself, "Take care, boss. You're my only hope. God help me."
Stepping onto the Flying Hook Chain, Li Qiang found this so-called boat quite unique. Firstly, it was very spacious, and secondly, it felt very comfortable. He smiled and said, "Not bad, I wonder how it is to drive?"
Princess Lanqiu greeted him with a smile from the front cabin, but upon seeing Li Qiang, she was secretly startled. "Strange!"