Li Qiang laughed and said, "Huh, why is everyone so quiet? Is no one understanding? Really? Madam City Lord."
The city lord was nearly scared to death by him, saying, "How can you speak such language? Oh dear, don't call me 'Grandma,' it sounds awful. Just call me 'City Lord.' Let's talk in the inner hall. Everyone else, leave. Elder Wen, come along."
Lan Xin, her face full of curiosity, whispered, "Senior sister, shall we go and listen to what this strange man has to say?"
The city lord seemed to dote on this disciple, saying, "This child... alright, come with your senior sister."
Lan Xin, pulling Piao Yuan, said happily, "Master is the best. Senior Sister, let's go!" and rushed towards the inner hall.
Wen Qiuli instructed the silver-clad warriors to lead the people being tested away before following the city lord into the inner hall.
Zegu glanced at Li Qiang with some worry, then turned and followed the silver-clad warrior. He knew he was powerless to help.
The interior was interestingly arranged. In the center was a soft couch, on which sat a small low table. Several carved round stools, all white, were scattered in front of the couch. In the corner were two potted white plants bearing clusters of yellow fruit. Li Qiang felt that the people here seemed to have a great fondness for white; everywhere he looked was white, which was quite dazzling.
The city lord invited Li Qiang to the couch. She was very surprised by the strength Li Qiang had just displayed, and she felt an invisible sense of awe towards him. Li Qiang was also used to being a leader, so after a few polite words, he sat cross-legged on the soft couch. Wen Qiuli pulled over a round stool and invited Piao Yuan and Lan Xin to sit down as well.
Li Qiang stretched comfortably. He hadn't expended much true energy in the battle of Law Treasure; it was mostly the Supreme Radiance Shuttle that did the work. But his current energetic appearance made the city lord wonder, "Even Leaving the Body Realm Soul cultivator would be exhausted after such a fierce battle, but this strange man doesn't seem to care at all, as if nothing happened." She grew increasingly curious.
Wen Qiuli glanced at the city lord, who was deep in thought, and asked, "Brother, where are you from, and why did you decide to come to Heavenly Melody City?"
Li Qiang smiled slightly, "Let me make one thing clear first, I was captured by you, I didn't come here voluntarily, and I had never heard of Heavenly Melody City before. As for where I'm from, I think... we're probably from the same hometown."
Lan Xin said in surprise, "Fellow townsman? You weirdo are from the same hometown as us? Senior sister... hehe... we've always lived in Heavenly Melody City, isn't this our hometown? Why does he say we're from the same hometown?" She was quite unscrupulous in calling Li Qiang a weirdo.
Li Qiang was both amused and exasperated by her words. He coughed and said, "Am I that strange? You're just being rude, little girl." His tone was like that of an old man.
Piao Yuan grabbed Lan Xin's arm. "Senior, please don't take offense, Junior Sister is just like that."
Li Qiang couldn't help but smile wryly; the eccentric had been upgraded to a senior.
The city lord felt embarrassed by his two beloved disciples' words. "I'm so sorry, my young disciples are ignorant. May I ask your surname?"
Her tone suddenly became very polite, which made Li Qiang also become more refined. "No need for formalities, my surname is Li, Li Qiang... Hi... Hello everyone!" He even stretched out his hand to wave.
Wen Qiuli raised her hand and waved along with everyone else, but inwardly she wondered, "What's going on here?"
Li Qiang smiled and said, "City Lord, do you never go out? You are so powerful, how come I've never heard of Heavenly Melody City in the Tanbang Continent?" He was telling the truth. Even a few silver-clad warriors from here could shake the local cultivators. The fact that the cultivators of the Tanbang Continent had never mentioned Heavenly Melody City could only mean one thing: they never went out.
The city lord pondered for a long while before saying, "We have been living in seclusion here, cultivating in seclusion. Due to special reasons, the people of Heavenly Melody City cannot leave this place; the furthest they can go is Piled Bones Shoal. Alas, we have been living in seclusion here for a long time, and this time we have no choice... Heavenly Melody City is severely lacking in manpower, so we have had to resort to this measure."
Li Qiang strongly disagreed with Heavenly Melody City's actions. After thinking for a moment, he said, "If the City Lord has any needs, I am willing to help. However, I have a small request, which the City Lord must agree to."
These words not only surprised the city lord, but even Wen Qiuli couldn't help but blurt out, "Great! Now we're confident!"
He spoke incoherently, leaving Li Qiang confused. "What do you mean you're confident?"
The city lord, being composed, asked, "Young man, we are more than happy to help you. But could you please tell us your requirements first? We wonder if Heavenly Melody City can fulfill them."
Li Qiang said confidently, "You can definitely do it. I'm just pleading for the merchants and crew of the Arrow Boat; could those who don't want to stay be allowed to leave?"
Wen Qiuli could only manage a wry smile, while the city lord's expression clearly froze for a moment.
Li Qiang felt a sudden urge to ask, "Is it not going to work?"
Piao Yuan interjected, "Senior, you don't know, but Heavenly Melody City was sealed off many years ago, making it impossible to enter or leave. It wasn't until the recent cessation of the Wind of Fear that we were able to break through the seal, but currently it seems we can only enter but not leave, and the furthest we can go is Piled Bones Shoal..."
Li Qiang asked doubtfully, "Then how did you control the raiders? They couldn't have come to Piled Bones Shoal on their own, could they?"
Wen Qiuli said, "It was Elder Geng Feng from here who first used Sound Bewitchment to lure the raiders to Piled Bones Shoal, and then forced them to find someone."
Li Qiang was really panicking. Hearing that they couldn't get out, he was nearly driven mad with anxiety. He finally managed to calm down and asked anxiously, "Is there any way to get out?"
The city lord said, "It's difficult, yet not difficult. Beneath Heavenly Melody City lies a layer of ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, within which lies a secret chamber left by our ancestors. It has now sunk into Ice Eye, where the method to break the ice barrier is found, along with... many rare treasures left by our ancestors. However, none of the people of Heavenly Melody City can descend. The reason we've gathered so many people is to train their cultivation and set up an array to send them down. This array requires many people to operate, and Heavenly Melody City currently lacks the manpower."
Li Qiang found it unbelievable. "Train them? How long would that take?"
The city lord smiled wryly, "We may lack other things here, but we certainly don't lack time. So much time has already passed, so what's a little more waiting?"
Li Qiang held his head, not knowing what to do.
Lan Xin Li Qiang clutching his head and fidgeting on the soft couch, Lan Xin, with a soft heart, advised, "Strange person... no... senior, don't worry, things will be fine once these people are trained."
Li Qiang groaned, "Ugh... What bad luck! This is just too much trouble..." No one could understand what he was muttering, but everyone could tell he was really anxious and frustrated. After a while, Li Qiang looked up and said, "I'm going! I'm going down to find that secret room! Sigh, I really don't have time."
Everyone in the room was stunned by Li Qiang. Wen Qiuli stammered, "You... you... are you going down? There are Ice Spirit Essence in the Xuanbing layer. Without a supremely yang Law Treasure, going in will... will turn you into an ice corpse... Ah, right! You have Heavenly Fire!" As he spoke, he suddenly remembered that Li Qiang had Heavenly Fire. Heavenly Fire is a supremely yang treasure, which might be able to help. He turned to look at the city lord.
The city lord also realized that with the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire, they might actually be able to reach the secret chamber. Her eyes lit up, and she excitedly said, "If we really succeed, we can go to the Wild Plains to find our grandmaster!"
The four people in the room looked at Li Qiang differently. The city lord Wen Qiuli were full of anticipation, while Piao Yuan and Lan Xin were filled with doubt. After all, they knew little and were unaware of the power of the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire. They still couldn't believe that Li Qiang would go into the secret chamber. For this secret chamber, more than twenty cultivation experts in Heavenly Melody City had died, all trapped and killed in the Ice Eye.
Li Qiang asked, "What is Ice Spirit Essence? I've never heard of it before. Is it very powerful?"
The city lord sighed, " The Ice Spirit Essence... Alas, it was transformed from the Nascent Soul of a cultivator from Heavenly Melody City. Tragically, it has lost consciousness. Having absorbed the essence of ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, it became the Ice Spirit Essence. It attacks any creature that gets close; it is extremely powerful."
Lan Xin stuck out her tongue and said, "No wonder Master wouldn't let Xin'er go down; she's so powerful!"
A strange shout suddenly came from outside the door, "Where is that expert? Let the Fengzi come and see for himself..."
Wen Qiuli said with a slight embarrassment, "It's my old partner, Elder Geng Feng... Hey! What are you yelling about, Old Madman? Come here."
A dark shadow flashed by, and a disheveled old man appeared in the inner hall.
This person had very distinctive features, quite rare among cultivators. He had a head of messy black hair that cascaded over his shoulders, and an enormous head that was disproportionate to his body. His all-black attire stood out starkly in this otherwise muted world. Upon closer inspection, he was horribly filthy. He had two large, round eyes with barely visible eyebrows, only bald brow bones protruding above them. His skin was rough and scarred, covered in wounds and wrinkles.
The city lord frowned slightly. "Elder Geng, this is young brother Li Qiang. Please pay your respects!"
Geng Feng let out a strange cry, " Li Qiang? Haha... I've finally found you!"
Li Qiang was completely confused, thinking, "I have many friends, but I don't think I know this person."
Wen Qiuli cursed, "You Old Madman, don't you dare mess around! This young man is not someone to be trifled with!"
Li Qiang was baffled by the excitement on Geng Feng's face. He kept rubbing his hands together, his eyes gleaming, and he grinned from ear to ear.
Li Qiang suddenly felt a sense of crisis and abruptly increased his strength in preparation. Sure enough, Geng Feng stretched out his large hand and said, "Come! Let's get closer."
Li Qiang remained wary. He noticed a faint silver light emanating from the Old Madman's outstretched hand. Without making a sound, Li Qiang gathered his Purple Flame Giant Palm into his palm, holding it in place, and then extended his own hand.
Lan Xin said with a grin, "Grandpa Crazy's going to do something naughty again, hee hee..."
Geng Feng had already seen a faint purple light shimmering on Li Qiang's outstretched palm, and he was overjoyed, laughing strangely, "Haha, I like it!"
Their hands touched, and with a sharp crack, Geng Feng yelled, "Whoa! You brat, it's so hot!" He was sent flying a full three meters away, shaking his hand frantically.
Li Qiang leaned back on the soft couch, feeling a chill creep into his palm. With a slight thought, the essence of the Fire Essence rushed up his arm to his palm, instantly dispelling the chill.
He deliberately wanted to make Elder Geng suffer, so he stood up and said, "Kid, let me give you a rub..."
Geng Feng, true to his reputation as the Old Madman, laughed loudly upon hearing this, "Good! Good! Let's go again!" He was too embarrassed to Law Treasure to fight, thinking that with his power, he could easily crush this kid. He rapidly activated his true energy, and the temperature in the room immediately dropped. Geng Feng's whole body emanated a chilling aura, and his arms and hands shimmered with silver light.
Wen Qiuli was startled and was about to speak when she saw the city lord shake his head slightly. She understood that the city lord wanted to see Li Qiang's true strength again.
Li Qiang already knew his opponent possessed cold-type internal energy. He chuckled inwardly and wrapped his arms around Geng Feng's. This time, Geng Feng was in real trouble. "Puff! Puff!" Two plumes of smoke rose from his arms. He was truly driven mad. The Fire Essence within Li Qiang was no joke; its spirit had absorbed the energy of Heavenly Fire, making it incredibly powerful.
"Whoa whoa..."
Everyone in the room was stunned. Everyone knew Geng Feng's skill level—it was at the Early Leaving the Body Stage! Apart from a few senior cultivators in seclusion, he was only slightly lower than the city lord, and was known as the second-ranked expert in Heavenly Melody City. Yet, when Li Qiang grabbed him, he could only groan incoherently. Actually, this wasn't a matter of skill level; it was because Li Qiang had the essence of the Fire Essence's power. He hadn't even used True Essence Power to compete; instead, he directly used the Fire Essence to scald him. Geng Feng suffered this loss completely inexplicably.
Geng Feng regretted it the moment Li Qiang's hand wrapped around his arm. His face turned bright red, and he gritted his teeth, yelling, "Oh... you brat, let go... let go! Oh... oh..."
Li Qiang laughed, "Hehe, so when you're happy, you crow like a rooster! You must be very happy, and so am I! Ever since I saw you, I've liked you so much and just wanted to get close to you to express my respect for you. You're truly my role model, my... How could I bear to let you go?" He kept talking, but he just wouldn't let go.
Geng Feng was speechless, struggling to resist with all his might. Gradually, the white smoke dissipated, and a faint aroma of roasted meat filled the room.
The city lord, unable to contain himself any longer, said, "Alright, Elder Geng, let go. Don't make this young man stand there forever."
Geng Feng inwardly groaned. He would have let go long ago if he could. Their arms and hands were tightly connected. He had cultivated cold energy, which was being rapidly depleted by the high heat in Li Qiang's hands, and he was already struggling to keep up.
Seeing that it was almost done, Li Qiang smiled and asked, "Is the old man feeling any better?"
Geng Feng was speechless and could only nod repeatedly.
Li Qiang chuckled again, "Would you like me to give you another massage, young man?"
Geng Feng was furious, but he dared not be stubborn any longer and quickly shook his head.
Li Qiang then released his hands, grinning as he said, "Greetings, old Fengzi." He performed a greeting typical of the Tanbang Continent.
Geng Feng retreated repeatedly; in just this short time, he had used up a third of his strength, all of which was spent protecting his arm. After a while, he finally recovered, used his internal energy to heal the burns on his arm, and said angrily, "I'm Old Madman, and you're Little Madman. I don't know what you used to burn this old man, how strange..."
Piao Yuan and Lan Xin were already terrified by the two of them. Geng Feng was a powerful figure in Heavenly Melody City, often gathering a group of disciples to compete. He was feared by everyone in Heavenly Melody City. He was very crazy, sometimes having seven or eight disciples attack him at the same time. Fighting and exchanging magical Law Treasure were his favorite things. He had competed with everyone in Heavenly Melody City. Apart from the city lord who had given him a small loss once, Li Qiang had given him a warning this time.
Piao Yuan laughed and said, "Grandpa Crazy, you've met your match now. From now on, my sisters and I won't play with you anymore. With a senior like you around, you'll definitely have a lot more fun."
Lan Xin clapped her hands and laughed, "That's right, Fengzi versus a weirdo, hehe, Grandpa Madman must be happy."
Geng Feng retorted Qi Ingestion, "Hmph, wait until I subdue an Ice Spirit Essence... then we'll have a match."
The city lord said, "Elder Geng, you cannot go down into the Ice Eye again. Heavenly Melody City cannot afford to lose any more lives."
Geng Feng looked unconvinced, but he couldn't very well contradict the city lord in front of Li Qiang, so he remained silent.
Wen Qiuli said, "If you go down to the Ice Eye, young brother, we'll need to send an expert from here as well. After all, he's not familiar with the situation down there, and there are some restrictions that we need to remove... I think Old Geng would be more suitable."
Geng Feng said in disbelief, "What? Little Madman is going to the Ice Eye? Haha, City Lord... you... you must let Fengzi go down there no matter what. No one knows the underground situation better than Fengzi. Hey, Little Madman, with your skills you should be able to go. Hehe, how about a contest to see who's more powerful down there?"
Li Qiang scratched his head, inwardly chuckling, "Well, I've become Little Madman again. Damn it, who's afraid of who?" He suddenly burst into laughter, "Good! You truly are Fengzi. I'll be crazy for once, and go to hell with Fengzi, hahaha!" His sudden surge of heroic spirit revealed his madness. The people in the room were shocked. The city lord shook his head inwardly, never expecting to encounter someone comparable to Elder Geng—both were equally mad.
Piao Yuan, as the eldest disciple of Heavenly Melody City and the heir to the Heavenly Melody City lord, knew quite a bit. She said with some worry, "Master, I wonder how the ' Harmonizing Sound Fork ' in the Mysterious Domain Secret Chamber is coming along? It must have the same pitch as the ancestor's Empty Sound Fork. The last attempt at harmonizing failed, and Uncle-Master Nian hasn't come back since. We can't afford another failure."
The city lord smiled wryly, "There's nothing we can do. There are no skilled weapon refiners in Heavenly Melody City, so we can only use rudimentary methods, and the results are far from ideal. We only have a few more chances to open the Mysterious Domain Secret Chamber. If we can't open it now, we'll never be able to. Sigh... In a little while, let's go see our Grandmaster Uncle Tianhong. I wonder how his work is going. Weapon refining isn't his specialty."
Li Qiang perked up at the mention of weapon crafting and said, "Can I go take a look? Maybe I can help." He wasn't being modest; his weapon crafting skills were already quite high. With the help of Heavenly Fire and Fire Essence, and being a master of the Chongxuan Sect, his weapon crafting abilities were unmatched by most cultivation sects.
Elder Geng Feng sized up Li Qiang, then curled his lip and said, "Brother Fengzi, although I don't know what you used to burn this Old Madman, hehe, forging weapons is no joke. Don't say I didn't warn you if you make Old Madman of yourself... Old Wen, young people these days are so impetuous, they dare to make any promises they can't keep. I, this Old Madman, am speechless." His words were truly infuriating. After speaking, he secretly glanced at Li Qiang to see his reaction, but Li Qiang acted as if he hadn't heard a thing and completely ignored him.
Actually, Li Qiang was also angry inside. This old guy was talking nonsense without a care in the world, but he didn't show it at all, and laughed, "I'm Little Madman, so doing crazy things is only natural. Hehe, just now I heard the old Fengzi's serious lecture, oh my, I was really surprised. So even Fengzi have their moments of calm. Thankfully... there's finally another person who's returned to normal..."
Lan Xin couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Senior sister, Grandpa Crazy has finally met his match! Hehe, this is so much fun! Grandpa Crazy, let's fight him! Let's see who's stronger!"
The city lord shouted, " Xin'er, this is rude! You're not allowed to speak to your elders like that!"
Lan Xin made a face, hid behind Piao Yuan, and said repeatedly, "Okay! Okay! Okay! Xin'er won't say anymore, won't say anymore."
Geng Feng hated it when people called him normal. He was extremely annoyed by Li Qiang's words and huffed, "Just you wait! That Fengzi's waiting to see you make a fool of yourself. I don't believe that Little Madman can forge weapons. If I... if I'm wrong, I... I'll call you 'Dad'... hmph..."
Li Qiang, with his sharp ears, chuckled, "You Fengzi old man, what did you say? You called me Dad? I dare not accept that... haha... I dare not accept that!"
Wen Qiuli realized things were going badly. This Li Qiang was incredibly sharp-tongued, and Geng Fengzi was no match for him. If they continued talking, Li Qiang might get angry and start a fight, which would be difficult to stop. So she quickly said, "Let's go to Grandmaster Tianhong's place and see how the Harmonizing Sound Fork is coming along."
The city lord also stood up. "Alright, let's go over there."
Geng Feng swallowed back the words he was about to say, thinking to himself, "If you don't understand anything later, let's see how this Fengzi deals with you! Haha, I'll definitely make fun of you." Thinking of this, he couldn't help but burst into wild laughter, which startled everyone: He truly was Fengzi, able to laugh for no apparent reason.