Li Qiang turned his head and saw that it was Old Man Kabaji.
Li Qiang's heart sank. "Dad, what are you doing here?"
Before Old Man Kabaji could answer, Li Qiang continued, "That's wonderful! I'm so glad to see you again. I was worried you'd been stopped by the Tante Kingdom soldiers at South Mouth Pass. How did you get through?" His joy deeply moved Old Man Kabaji.
Old Man Kabaji said, "Alas, I never imagined the Tanbang Continent would be in such chaos. Young brother, we were quite lucky. Before we even reached the South Mouth Pass, I sensed something was wrong, so I led everyone to hide at the foot of the mountain. Later, the soldiers of the Tante Kingdom were slaughtered by someone, and it was said that the great god of the Bangqining Kingdom sent people to do it. That's how we passed through the South Mouth Pass. At the Desperation Cape, everyone disagreed on which way to go, and as a result, we scattered. I was the last to leave. Alas... I'm old, and I was planning to go back and enjoy my retirement, but I never expected..." He shook his head repeatedly, looking helpless, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to have deepened even more.
In an instant, Li Qiang knew he could no longer slip away quietly. He had to help his father return to the Western Continent so he could enjoy his old age at home. He said, "Father, don't worry. The people here have been quite friendly so far. I haven't seen anything unpleasant about them. I'll find a way to get you back."
Old Man Kabaji suddenly recalled the scene at the Grand Alliance and was startled. He hurriedly said, "Young man, don't be impulsive. These people seem very powerful. My old bones are no different from mine, no matter where I am. Young man, just bear with it. Maybe they'll let us go soon."
Zegu was very curious that someone as strange as Li Qiang, who came from the Sea of Wronged Souls, actually had friends from the Western Continent. He interjected, "Which country in the Western Continent are you from, old man? You look somewhat familiar. Hehe, I'm Zegu, the commander of the Arrow Boat."
Li Qiang was unaware that the commander of the Arrow Boat was highly regarded by the merchants.
Old Man Kabaji hurriedly bowed and said, "It's Brother Zegu! I'm from the Anqi Kingdom, a seasoned merchant."
Li Qiang played with the blue Ice Hunger Fruit in his hand, and subconsciously took a bite. A rich fragrance wafted into his nose, and he couldn't help but exclaim softly, "Delicious!" He usually loved to eat fruit, and had eaten quite a lot on the Tanbang Continent, but this was the first time he had tasted such a crisp and fragrant fruit.
Zegu looked at the fruit in his hand and said with a wry smile, "How can this little bit of fruit fill my stomach? Sigh, I'm so cold and hungry right now!" He finished it in a few bites, wiped his mouth, and said with lingering satisfaction, "It's really delicious, it melts in my mouth without much chewing... Hmm, why is it so hot?" He suddenly felt a warm current rising from his stomach, quickly spreading throughout his body, driving away the cold from before. He felt refreshed and exclaimed, "Wow, this thing is amazing! I feel like I'm not cold anymore!"
When everyone first received the fruit, almost no one dared to eat it; many just watched. Li Qiang discovered that he was the first to eat it. After Zegu finished eating, the whole place erupted in the sound of chewing. In no time, everyone cheered, and some even muttered that they wanted to eat a few more, feeling that it wasn't enough.
However, after only a short while, everyone stopped complaining.
Zegu whispered, "So full... It's so hot... Damn it, I'm dying of heat!" He recklessly took off his fur robe.
Li Qiang looked around and couldn't help but want to burst out laughing. Everyone was taking their clothes off, as if a nude ball was being held here, and soon a large number of naked bodies were on display.
Li Qiang paused slightly, his smile vanished, and he cursed inwardly. He let out a long sigh and began to take off his fur coat. After all, in a crowd of naked people, a clothed person is incredibly conspicuous.
Fortunately, there were no women here, only men, so everyone felt less awkward.
The burly man in silver laughed, "Alright, put all the clothes and items in front. Those with gray tags around their necks, come to the left to get your new clothes; those with white tags, come to the right; and those with silver tags, come to me for your clothes. Now, let's begin. Don't rush, proceed in order."
Li Qiang looked at the plaque in his hand; it was silver. He then looked at Old Man Kabaji's plaque, a gray one with a small relief on it that looked familiar—it resembled a horse. Looking at his own, however, it looked like a wolf. He knew these animals didn't exist on the Tanbang Continent.
Zegu looked at his silver medal and asked, "What's engraved on it?"
Li Qiang was speechless.
Old Man Kabaji patted Li Qiang on the shoulder and said, "Young man, take care. I'm going over there to get my clothes. Sigh..." He picked up the clothes from the ground and slowly walked towards the line on the left.
Li Qiang said softly, "Take care, Dad."
Zegu said, "Brother, let's go too."
The two approached the burly man in silver who had spoken, and each received a set of silver clothes and trousers, along with a belt and other small items. Having never worn such clothing before, it took them quite a while to get ready. Li Qiang noticed that only those who had passed the second test were allowed to wear silver garments; everyone else wore gray and white clothing.
Soon, someone led the people in white away, while the people in gray remained in the courtyard. Li Qiang and his twenty-odd men in silver, led by several burly men in silver, went to the Sparse Sound Hall.
On the way Zegu asked in a low voice, "Where are we going?"
Li Qiang casually replied, " Sparse Sound Hall."
He thought to himself, " Sparse Sound Hall? Why is it called Sparse Sound Hall? That's really strange."
The small group of people arrived at a courtyard they had just passed. The burly man in silver directed everyone to stand in the center of the courtyard.
Li Qiang whispered, " Zegu, relax, we're about to be teleported." Everyone tensed up immediately, which made Li Qiang both amused and exasperated. Fortunately, it was a short teleportation, so it wouldn't be a big problem. He had personally witnessed many people die when teleporting from Heavenly Court Star to Tanbang Star.
A flash of white light, and everyone opened their eyes, exclaiming in surprise. Li Qiang judged that they were in a large formation, and they were already trapped inside. The surroundings were filled with brilliant mist and clouds, and all the scenery was hazy and indistinct, but they could clearly see each other from where they were standing.
Li Qiang felt a little nervous. He wasn't afraid of the grand formation itself, but rather of revealing that he was a cultivator. Judging from the strength his opponents had displayed, he had no chance of defeating them. He lacked the advantage of timing, location, and manpower; he was doomed.
A burly man in silver robes took the jade talismans from everyone's hands.
Zegu asked, "Brother, what if I can't stop it?"
The burly man said, "Don't be afraid. Just relax, and you'll be teleported away automatically if things get too difficult. Sit cross-legged; this is just a test." His attitude was quite gentle.
The burly men in silver robes addressed the air, saying, "Alright, we can begin."
In a flash, the group vanished without a trace. Li Qiang knew they had been teleported away and secretly planned to feign death as soon as the test began, hoping they would teleport him away.
Just as he was lost in thought, "Clang! Clang! Clang!" Three sounds rang out, and Li Qiang was slightly surprised. It was another sonic attack. Immediately afterwards, the entire venue darkened, slowly becoming so dark that it was almost impossible to see one's own hand in front of one's face. Suddenly, a violent sound rang out, like the clanging of metal and the thunder of horses, shaking the heavens.
Li Qiang was secretly anxious. How could he make his act of death convincing? Suddenly, he thought of Zegu. He used his internal energy slightly to look around and saw that only two or three of the twenty-odd people remained. Zegu had already disappeared without a trace.
Immediately afterwards, the remaining people were also teleported away. Li Qiang watched helplessly, and couldn't help but feel anxious and miserable. This level of sonic attack was like a mosquito buzzing to a master like him; it couldn't harm him in the slightest. He couldn't even fake being dead.
Li Qiang was left alone on the field, unaware that the experts from Heavenly Melody City were all watching him.
Zegu fainted at the first tremor and was immediately alerted. He only fainted briefly before waking up. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a large hall with a huge white rectangular block in the center. In fact, this was the place where they were taking the test. This block was the overall array diagram of Heavenly Melody City, called the Heavenly Melody Grand Formation, which was also the hub of Heavenly Melody City.
A group of people were watching. He only recognized Wen Qiuli, Piao Yuan, and Lan Xin; there were many other men and women he had never seen before. It seemed that these people were all experts from Heavenly Melody City, and the people who had been testing with him were also in the hall.
Wen Qiuli said, "City Lord, this person is very strange. This is the second time his voice has been distorted, yet he remains unmoved. How can this be?"
A beautiful woman stood in front of the giant cube, carefully observing everything before her.
Zegu followed her gaze and almost cried out in surprise. On the surface of the giant cube, there was a person sitting cross-legged, looking around. It was Li Qiang, but he was less than half a foot tall. A faint rumbling sound came from the giant cube, and he could also see wisps of black mist surrounding him.
Lan Xin exclaimed in surprise, "My God, that's three voice changes already! He's acting like he didn't hear me at all. Even our Silver Leopard Warriors can't withstand a three-voice-change attack. Who is he?"
The city lord's face was extremely grim. With a wave of his hand, a black flute appeared in his hand, which he gently placed to his lips.
Wen Qiuli was startled. "City Lord, isn't this inappropriate? He doesn't seem like our enemy."
The city lord ignored him, closed his eyes, and suddenly his whole body shone brightly, and an extremely soft melody floated out.
Zegu couldn't see anything particularly impressive, but he noticed that all the experts from Heavenly Melody City present had solemn expressions. The flute in the city lord's hand also began to flash with a strange light, and sound waves struck the giant cube as if they were tangible. In an instant, a terrifying golden light flashed from Li Qiang's body.
Li Qiang's attempt to feign death failed. Sitting inside the Heavenly Melody Grand Formation, he inwardly groaned, knowing he couldn't escape. He had originally planned to suppress his power, but something on his body wouldn't obey his commands— the Supreme Radiance Shuttle suspended above the Nascent Soul Soul's head.
The sound waves from the city lord's flute struck the formation, amplifying the attack countless times. The sudden sound made Li Qiang tremble all over. This kind of attack, amplified by relying on the formation, was beyond what Li Qiang's level could withstand. In addition, he was not wearing the Billowing Essence Battle Armor and the Radiant Sun Ring, making his resistance even lower. If it weren't for the Supreme Radiance Shuttle, he would probably have been knocked unconscious immediately.
The Supreme Radiance Shuttle's unique characteristic is that it poses no danger unless it is touched. The city lord's sonic waves were simply too intense, so the Supreme Radiance Shuttle immediately activated, and a strong golden light emanated from Li Qiang's body. The greater the attack, the greater the counterattack of the Supreme Radiance Shuttle, and it was even more powerful. In an instant, a series of violent thunderclaps rang out.
Unable to control himself, Li Qiang was also jolted up by the Supreme Radiance Shuttle, flailing his arms and legs wildly.
Inside the Sparse Sound Hall, everyone's expression was solemn. The person within the Heavenly Melody Grand Formation had astonished them all. The figure within the array moved with peculiar dance steps; with each movement, a visible golden light, accompanied by thunderous roars, shattered the city lord's sonic attack. These experts understood that if this person were to fight them, probably no one here could withstand him—this person was simply too powerful. They never imagined that this was Supreme Radiance Shuttle's counterattack; with Li Qiang's current skill, he was no match for it.
The city lord's flute began to glow with a pale gold hue, and the music suddenly became melodious and lingering.
Lan Xin exclaimed softly, "Senior Sister, Master is using a soft voice... Huh? This person is so strange! How scary!"
Piao Yuan stepped forward and hugged her, whispering, "Don't be afraid. With Master here, that person can't threaten us here from within the Heavenly Melody Grand Formation."
Li Qiang was beyond crying now. He dared not and could not control the counterattack of the Supreme Radiance Shuttle. What was fatal was that the power contained in the Supreme Radiance Shuttle was too great, forcing him to involuntarily twist his body. At first, Li Qiang felt like he was breakingdance. The intense rhythm made him shake so much that he couldn't even speak. He would occasionally do a split or flip his head up. But when the city lord changed the tune and the attack seemed to soften, his dance became graceful.
The pressure from all around was unbelievable. Li Qiang himself was puzzled; as soon as he twisted his waist, kicked his legs slightly, swung his arms, or turned around, that terrifying pressure would naturally slide away and no longer pose a threat to him. He simply ignored it, like an outsider, letting Supreme Radiance Shuttle tell him what to do.
The Supreme Radiance Shuttle was indeed a celestial artifact; by simply releasing its own power, it could withstand such a massive and terrifying array attack.
Although Zegu couldn't understand what these people were doing, he could still feel the heavy atmosphere. Exclamations of surprise were heard throughout the Sparse Sound Hall. The Heavenly Melody Grand Formation was in complete chaos, with lightning and thunder, and the entire giant cube containing the master plan began to tremble. Although the sound was controlled by the master plan, everyone could still hear and see what was happening inside.
The city lord was already floating in mid-air, clearly enraged. She could hardly believe that such a powerful expert had been brought to Heavenly Melody City in a mere Arrow Boat carrying ordinary people. Luckily, she was there for testing purposes; otherwise, the thought of such an expert infiltrating the city was terrifying. She put away her flute and unleashed a series of white orbs of light into the main diagram, preparing to use the power of the formation to defeat this dangerous individual.
Suddenly, the temperature in the Sparse Sound Hall dropped, and Zegu and his group began to shiver. If they hadn't eaten the Ice Hunger Fruit and worn the silver armor specially made by Heavenly Melody City, they might have frozen to death immediately. In fact, the people inside the Heavenly Melody Grand Formation were the ones who were truly cold.
The city lord said, " Xin'er, go and fetch the ' Coiling Silk String.' Elder Wen, inform the Elders' Hall to investigate the others again and warn them to be careful; there might be other experts among them."
Outside the main hall, the Sparse Sound Hall was merely cold, but inside the Heavenly Melody Grand Formation, it was a completely different story. A rapidly rising, thick white fog condensed into tiny Ice Crystal before it even ascended, creating a clattering sound of ice pellets falling all around Li Qiang. He finally breathed a sigh of relief, no longer having to perform that inexplicable dance, but he was puzzled. "Why are Ice Crystal falling? Are they trying to freeze me to death?" He scratched his head, dumbfounded.
As time passed, Li Qiang realized something was terribly wrong. The air around him seemed to have solidified, and everything in his vision was a white blur. He tentatively took out a piece of fruit, which Tange had bought for him on the Tanbang Continent. In just a short while, the fruit became incredibly hard. He loosened his grip, and the fruit fell to the ground with a soft "crack," shattering like glass.
Startled, Li Qiang decided to take the plunge, donning the Billowing Essence Battle Armor and the Radiant Sun Ring. Just as he was about to speak, another unexpected event occurred.
White phantoms swirled around him, densely packed like countless steel cables as thick as an arm, converging towards Li Qiang in circles. Li Qiang instinctively released his Star-Absorbing Sword, its silver light flashing as it pushed aside the phantoms, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sever them.
Li Qiang's eyes darted around, and he inwardly cursed himself for being an idiot. With a slight thought, he sheathed the Star-Absorbing Sword- Absorbing Sword and let the illusory figures entangle him. He had figured it out: with the help of the great formation, his opponent could slowly take him down. If one method didn't work, he would try another. He wasn't a god; no matter how powerful he was, he would be the one who suffered in the end. He might as well let them catch him and get out of there first.
Cheers erupted in the Sparse Sound Hall.
Wen Qiuli shook his head and sighed, "Unbelievable! Unbelievable! How could such a master appear in the Sea of Wronged Souls?" He was very puzzled; Li Qiang had lost too quickly just now.
Piao Yuan laughed, "Master is truly amazing; the Coiling Silk String has already bound that person."
Lan Xin seemed incredulous. "Senior sister, did you really catch him?"
The city lord finally relaxed. " Xin'er, even Loose Immortal who runs into the Heavenly Melody Grand Formation wouldn't be able to break out anytime soon, let alone him? I want to see where this cultivator came from, daring to cause trouble in our Heavenly Melody City." She made a hand seal and teleported Li Qiang out of the Heavenly Melody Grand Formation. A flash of white light appeared in the open space of the Sparse Sound Hall, and Li Qiang lay on the ground, bound like a dumpling.
Zegu thought to himself, "This young man is finished."
Li Qiang lay on the ground, chuckling to himself. Finally, the fight had begun. This battle had been so inexplicable; he hadn't even seen anyone. He looked around and said with a grin, "Wow, so many people! Hey, untie me! You tied me up way too tight; I can't even breathe." He suddenly stood up, though the Coiling Silk String were still tied around his body, making him look quite comical.
Lan Xin chuckled and said, "Senior sister, look at this guy, he's not scared at all. What kind of armor is he wearing? Even the Coiling Silk String can only float on it. He... he might break free..." The little girl probably didn't know much, and she was both amused and scared.
Piao Yuan laughed and said, "Don't worry, the Coiling Silk String is Law Treasure left behind by Grandfather. He can't break free. Let's see how Master deals with him."
The city lord was also puzzled. She felt that Li Qiang's cultivation level was at most at the Leaving the Body Realm, so how could he withstand such a heavy blow within the Heavenly Melody Grand Formation without any harm? She asked, "Which sect of cultivators are you? What's your name? Why did you infiltrate our Heavenly Melody City? What is your purpose? I hope you will speak honestly. Heavenly Melody City is not a place of unreasonable behavior."
Li Qiang was very unhappy about being tied up and said, "Little sister, is there any etiquette in speaking to a guest while they're tied up? Untie them first!"
Upon hearing this, a chorus of rebukes erupted in the Sparse Sound Hall: "Shut up!", "How dare you speak to the city lord like that!", "Slap him!", "Beat him up!"
The city lord, enraged, snapped, "Shut up, all of you!" Then, turning to Li Qiang, she said, "Hmph! Little sister? This city lord has been cultivating for so long, and this is the first time I've ever heard anyone dare call me little sister..."
Li Qiang sighed inwardly, thinking that he hadn't flattered her well, and casually replied, "Oh, you don't want to be a little sister. Hello, grandma, is this alright? Untie me! I'm exhausted!" This time, the Sparse Sound Hall was completely silent, and no one dared to say another word. Even Wen Qiuli was frightened by Li Qiang.
The city lord felt truly uncomfortable hearing this, but couldn't afford to lose her temper, since it was she who had said she had been cultivating for a long time. She was both amused and exasperated, then suddenly her expression changed, and she said, "If you keep spouting nonsense, don't blame me for imprisoning you."
Piao Yuan, Lan Xin, and a group of the city lord's disciples were all curious. This person was truly a monster; he had been grinning the whole time, showing no sign of nervousness. They heard him say, "Sigh, I told you to untie it because I was afraid you'd ruin this Law Treasure. Can't you see that? Hehe, if you don't untie it, I'll do it myself." His words were infuriating.
The city lord's face flushed and paled in a daze, and he said fiercely, "Fine... fine... fine! If you can untie the Coiling Silk String yourself, you can come and go as you please in Heavenly Melody City!"
Wen Qiuli sensed something was wrong; the city lord had fallen for this person's provocation. She wanted to warn him, but seeing the city lord's furious expression, she swallowed her words.
Li Qiang was overjoyed and laughed loudly, "Thank you, City Lord Grandma, haha!" Suddenly, the Radiant Sun Ring shone with golden light, and the seven golden stars immediately Coiling Silk String a distance apart.
The city lord sneered, "You can't rely on Law Treasure forever, can you?"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Of course, I'll show you something."
A wisp of Heavenly Fire appeared in Li Qiang's palm. Upon seeing it, the city lord turned ashen-faced and cried out in despair, " Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire! Impossible... It's Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire!"
She now realized that her opponent had been holding back; if he had used the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire from the start, the Coiling Silk String would have been destroyed without a doubt. With a flick of her hand, the Coiling Silk String "whooshed!" back into her grasp.
Li Qiang clapped his hands, put away the Billowing Essence Battle Armor and the Radiant Sun Ring, and laughed, "That's right. If you want to ask me, you must treat me as an equal." This time, he spoke in his hometown dialect.
The city lord said dejectedly, "I'm not as skilled as them, there's nothing more to say... Wait, you... you... what did you just say?"
She was shocked. This was a language that disciples of Heavenly Melody City were required to learn, and no one on the Tanbang Continent understood it. Everyone in the Sparse Sound Hall was stunned.