Li Qiang and his two companions stared in disbelief at the man standing in the room.
The man looked around as soon as he came down, laughing heartily, "So this is what the lower levels are like, huh? Haha, it's been keeping this old man guessing for so long. Hmm, what are you three little rascals so nervous about? Oh dear... all those flying swords, what are you doing? Trying to cut this old man down? Haha! This is fun! So much fun!" He seemed extremely happy and excited.
The man was completely naked, with waist-length black hair flowing freely. He turned his head, revealing the face of a boy who still looked very young, much younger than Li Qiang. He had curved eyebrows, smiling eyes, a small, wrinkled nose, and extremely fair skin. If he weren't naked, it would be easy to mistake him for a girl.
Tianhong didn't find him cute at all. He knew that this old guy was Nascent Soul cultivator, and it was impossible to judge his age from his appearance.
Geng Feng was also nervous, but Li Qiang was filled with curiosity. It was the first time he had seen a so-called Loose Immortal, and he never expected him to be such a handsome young man.
Li Qiang sheathed his flying sword, casually tossed a set of clothes from his bracelet, and said, "Hey! Put on some clothes first, there's no rush to fight."
The man looked at Li Qiang with great interest, and was very surprised. He could tell at a glance that Li Qiang's cultivation time was extremely short, but he had such a high level, which really puzzled him.
The man suddenly said, "I know now. Of the three of you, you're the most cunning. Hehe, I'll deal with you later. Strange, you're the weakest of the three, yet the other two listen to you. Hmm, I like smart people."
He slowly unfolded his clothes, casually tore off what he considered unnecessary items from the sleeves, and then put them on. After looking at himself from left to right, he tied his hair up and inserted a hairpin.
After dressing up like this, he looked much more energetic.
The man leisurely patted his clothes, twisted his body, and said, "Hmm, it's been so many years since I've worn clothes, I'm really not used to it. These three little rascals, this old man is really itching for a fight, haha, let's have a fight first... haha, take this!" He said he would fight without hesitation, and reached out to grab Geng Feng's flying sword.
Geng Feng, nicknamed "Fengzi," was the kind of person whose eyes would light up at the mention of a fight. Even if his opponent was Loose Immortal, he wouldn't be afraid and shouted, "Alright! Fengzi will fight you to the death!"
Suddenly, the room seemed to be filled with swimming fish, which gathered and dispersed, surrounding the person.
Tianhong knew things were going badly, so he shouted, "Senior, you don't mind if I join in, do you? Take this!" He not only flew his sword forward, but also emitted a sonic whistle from his Empty Sound Fork, attacking his opponent.
The man chuckled and said, "The three of you come together, lest you say I'm an old man bullying the young!"
With a wave of his hand, Li Qiang unleashed countless silver rays from the Star-Absorbing Sword, launching an attack.
The man shook his head and said, "Sigh, is that all the stuff you've got? Not exciting, no fun at all!"
He didn't even make a move; a layer of azure light suddenly surged from his body, and with a loud boom, the three flying swords were immediately forced back. His hand moved like a chicken pecking at rice, tapping three times in quick succession, and the sword light filling the room suddenly disappeared.
Geng Feng and Tianhong both screamed and retreated repeatedly, and the sound waves from the Empty Sound Fork dissipated without a trace. Seeing that the opportunity was not to be missed, Li Qiang suddenly withdrew the Star-Absorbing Sword back into his body.
Li Qiang flicked his fingers repeatedly, and seven or eight small purple flowers flew out.
The man saw it at a glance, was startled, and dodged away. "Huh... how could it be the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire? I'm truly seeing a ghost."
A beam of azure light flew from his hand, transforming into azure bubbles in the air that instantly enveloped the purple flower. With a series of crisp " Bobo " sounds, the Heavenly Fire was extinguished.
He laughed and said, "Luckily, this old man has some Pure Yin Mystic Qi, hehe, otherwise I would have been at a disadvantage."
Li Qiang grunted. He knew that the Heavenly Fire had already Fusion with the Purple Flame Heart, and the extinguishing of the Heavenly Fire had affected him as well, causing him to suffer minor injuries.
The figure suddenly appeared behind Geng Feng, and Tianhong and Li Qiang shouted at the same time, "Get out of the way!"
Geng Feng had no time to dodge and was kicked away by the man. Tianhong's sword flashed and shot desperately towards the man.
The man chuckled, and with a delicate, white hand, he forcefully plunged it into the sword light, sending Tianhong flying with a "clang!"
Li Qiang rapidly formed hand seals, stacking four layers of energy simultaneously, and shouted, "If you've got the guts, take this! If not, get lost!"
A rainbow shot out in response. That person had underestimated his opponent. Only after raising his hand and waving did he realize something was wrong. This attack had gathered half of Li Qiang's full power. Even someone as strong as Loose Immortal would have to be careful.
In an instant, the two forces clashed.
Tianhong and Geng Feng were completely stunned. After the loud noise, the entire pagoda shook violently, and Li Qiang and the man were sent flying backward at the same time.
That person truly lived up to his reputation as Loose Immortal immortal, freezing his body in mid-air. Li Qiang, however, lacked such strength; he slammed heavily into the wall, causing the Billowing Essence Battle Armor to flash with golden light. He felt a wave of weakness wash over him; his opponent was simply too formidable.
The man laughed heartily, clapping vigorously, "Good! Good! Good! That's more like it. I didn't realize your cultivation level wasn't high, but you have quite a few tricks up your sleeve. I, this old man, like it." He seemed to be getting more and more interested in Li Qiang.
Li Qiang originally intended to release the Fire Essence to burn him, but after witnessing his unfathomable cultivation, he hesitated, fearing that he would take the Fire Essence away, which would be disastrous.
His eyes darted around, and he suddenly laughed, saying, "Hey! Little brother, what's your name? You're not really going to kill us, are you? Fine, you're something else. Cease fighting! Cease fighting! I don't want to keep fighting. Without us, you won't be able to get out either."
The man probably felt that fighting these three juniors was pointless; he didn't want to hurt them, but he was furious with Li Qiang earlier and was determined to get revenge.
He tilted his head with a grin, his eyes sweeping over the three of them. He looked so Tianzhen and naive, his eyes as clear and pure as water. Even though Li Qiang and the other two knew he had ill intentions, they couldn't help but be deceived by his appearance.
Tianhong said anxiously, "Senior, if we don't break through the Mystic Qi outside, you'll still be trapped here..."
What he meant was that we couldn't hurt them, otherwise none of us would be able to get out.
The man shook his head, and all three of them felt a jolt in their hearts, thinking: If he is not afraid of Mystic Qi, then this hurdle is going to be difficult to overcome.
The man pondered for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, "Haha, I've got an idea! Haha... You will all become my servants! You! You clever lad, haha, you'll become my first disciple... Wahaha... I'm just too clever! That's settled!"
Li Qiang and his two companions were stunned into silence. This guy had actually decided their future without even saying a word.
Then he said, "My good disciple, come and become my disciple! Haha, this old man has a disciple now. Um, let me tell you, my name is Qi Junsha, also known as the Old Freak Daoist, hehe, I guess very few people know that now."
Geng Feng flew into a rage and cursed, "Bah! Be your servant? What do you think Fengzi is... I... uh..." Before he could finish speaking, Qi Junsha stopped him.
Almost simultaneously, Qi Junsha also subdued Tianhong and smiled at Li Qiang, "My good disciple is still the best, so clever! He knows how to assess the situation. Hehe, I like him. You two, don't move around, or I might lose control and take your Nascent Soul out to play with!" Tianhong and Geng Feng were so frightened that they immediately stopped moving.
Li Qiang quickly calculated in his mind. He knew that a direct confrontation was completely futile, and there was no way to escape either. There was no way to deal with him here; his strength was too great. Even if Brother Fu Shan were here, he probably would have difficulty contending with him.
Li Qiang kept his head down. Slowly, he thought it through, and then he said with a grin, "Hmm, if you want me to become your apprentice, it's not difficult... but I have conditions, otherwise I'd rather die than submit!" In his heart, however, he cursed, "Damn it, 'would rather die than submit'? That sounds like something a kidnapped woman would say. Damn it, Tianzhen the worst day ever!"
Qi Junsha laughed loudly, "Speak! Is there anything this old man can't do? Haha, the more I look at you, the more I like you! Tell me! Tell me!"
Tianhong and Geng Feng exchanged a glance, wondering why Li Qiang would submit to them. Little did they know that Li Qiang was a businessman on Earth, and adaptability and the ability to assess situations were essential qualities he possessed. He would never resort to force unless there was a clear possibility.
Li Qiang grinned and said, "The first condition..."
Qi Junsha shouted, "Wait! Wait! How many conditions do you have? Make them clear first. Don't keep going on and on like this. Just say it. I'm a smart old man, don't try to be clever."
Li Qiang chuckled, "Of course, you're so smart! Who would dare to try anything clever in front of you?"
Qi Junsha said with a puzzled look, "Hmm? That sounds really awkward. Okay, tell me your conditions."
Li Qiang raised one finger—unfortunately, it was the middle finger pointing to the sky—and said, "Well, I can become your disciple, but you have to release those two. This is one..."
Tianhong called out, "Brother... you..."
Qi Junsha swiftly silenced Tianhong with a wave of her hand, saying, "Is there a second one?"
Li Qiang then raised his ring finger, with both fingers pointing upwards, and said, "Secondly, I still have a lot of things to do. Either you come with me, or you choose a place, and I'll contact you after I'm done."
Qi Junsha thought for a moment and said, "It feels like you're the master and I'm the disciple, it's really inconvenient... Alright, alright, whatever you say! I haven't decided where I want to go yet, so I'll just go with you. Is that all? Hurry up and become your disciple."
Li Qiang shook his head, suppressing a laugh, and said, "One last thing, after you finish, you'll become my disciple... I have many friends, and you're not allowed to hurt them in the future. That's all." He withdrew his fingers, clenched his fist, and slapped his other hand on his elbow, his fist suddenly pointing upwards. Unfortunately, no one here could understand his gesture, but Li Qiang at least managed to vent his frustration.
Qi Junsha laughed loudly, "Haha, good! Whatever you say. Servants are everywhere, so there's no need to worry about not finding one. But my good disciple is hard to find, haha, quickly become my disciple."
Li Qiang inwardly cursed his bad luck, but reluctantly performed the apprenticeship ceremony, saying, "Master, please accept my bow."
Qi Junsha was overjoyed, beaming from ear to ear, and repeatedly said, "My good disciple, get up! Get up! Haha..."
Li Qiang was furious. He knelt on the ground and refused to get up, saying, "Master, you have profound cultivation and you know the rules of the Cultivation Realm best. There must be a gift when you become a disciple. Give it to me!" He stretched out his hand and directly asked for the gift, not acting like a cultivator at all.
Geng Feng couldn't help but burst out laughing. Although he was still restrained, he really didn't expect Li Qiang to act so childishly and shamelessly.
Qi Junsha was still basking in his triumph, his earlier anger long forgotten. Upon hearing this, he paused slightly, thinking, "Yes, a gift is required for becoming a disciple. Hmm, I should give something good, otherwise my dear disciple will look down on me."
He had many Law Treasure. After thinking for a moment, he took out something he considered very good and said, "My good disciple is right. I'll give you a good item, ' Heavenly Silk Purple Gold Xun,' a defensive Law Treasure. It can change size; when it's large, it can cover a mountain; when it's small, it can protect you."
Tianhong and Geng Feng were both stunned. Calling someone "Master" was enough to earn them such a top-grade magic Law Treasure; it was simply unbelievable.
What they didn't know was that Li Qiang didn't care about these Law Treasure at all; he was just venting his frustrations and trying to gain some advantage.
Li Qiang put away the Heavenly Silk Purple Gold Xun, stood up, and said, "Those two are my friends."
Qi Junsha suddenly realized and said, "Alright, this old lady won't bully the younger generation anymore."
With a wave of his hand, he released the two of them from their restraints and laughed, "Go out. Don't think that this old man can't break through Mystic Qi; that little bit of Mystic Qi can't hold me."
Qi Junsha walked up to the giant silver cauldron and said, "This Mystic-Suppressing Cauldron is the truly powerful one. If this old man were to take it, hehe, I'm afraid the top would collapse. Let's go, this old man has been here for who knows how long, haha, and now I'm finally out of seclusion. Good disciple, let's go!"
Although he spoke in an old-fashioned manner, he had the appearance of a handsome young man, making it hard to believe that he was actually a rare Loose Immortal in the Cultivation Realm.
Li Qiang smiled wryly and said, "Brother, Fengzi, we've finally struck gold this time, hehehe, hehehe."
Qi Junsha asked urgently, "By the way, what's your good disciple's name?"
Li Qiang fell to the ground with a dramatic "thud," though he wasn't hurt. He exclaimed, "Good heavens! What kind of master is this? I've already gone through the apprenticeship ceremony, and he still doesn't know his disciple's name! Isn't that going too far?!"
Qi Junsha chuckled and said, "That's how I always do things, hehe, that's why people call me Old Freak Daoist." He was probably in a very good mood because he had just gotten away with something, so it's no wonder that Li Qiang's words were sarcastic.
Li Qiang said listlessly, "My name is Li Qiang, nice to meet you." Seeing Qi Junsha's completely unconvinced expression, he quickly added, "Let me make it clear first, I absolutely refuse to change my name."
Qi Junsha chuckled, "What a clever boy! How did you know I was going to change your name?"
Li Qiang barely managed to hold back from blurting it out, thinking, "I know what you're up to the moment you wiggle your tail." He said, "My name was given to me by my parents. After leaving my hometown, this is the only name that will remind me where my home is, so I'm determined not to change it!"
Tianhong and Geng Feng were truly impressed by Li Qiang, seeing that he showed no fear whatsoever and chatted fluently with Qi Junsha, completely ignoring the fact that he was a powerful Loose Immortal.
Qi Junsha chuckled, "Fine, that'll do. It's just too ordinary. Look how imposing my name is! Oh, and that door was just reversed by me. As long as you apply upward force, hehe, the door will open naturally."
The three of them were so angry they were almost dizzy. They looked at each other and sighed almost in unison.
Qi Junsha burst into laughter, feeling so pleased with herself that she didn't know what to do.
Li Qiang threw a big accusation at him. "You old man are truly amazing! You started from the most unexpected place, leaving us juniors with no choice but to suffer. Loose Immortal is indeed different!"
Qi Junsha's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with delight, and he laughed heartily, "Oh, my good disciple, you really know how to talk! I love listening to you, haha!" He rubbed his fair hands and continued, "How's the Buddha Sect sect's influence now? This time, I'll make them cry their eyes out! Humph! How dare they imprison me for so many years!"
The three were slightly taken aback. Was he imprisoned by the Buddha Sect?
Li Qiang said, " The Buddha Sect? It seems they're nowhere to be seen now. I heard they retreated a long time ago, and now it seems the Cultivation Realm dominates."
Qi Junsha cried out, "What?! They're all gone! I'm so angry! Waaah, I'm heartbroken... No, I have to dig them out! Hmph, otherwise I'll never be satisfied!"
Li Qiang couldn't tell he was a Loose Immortal at all. This guy was extremely emotional, laughing one minute and crying the next. Li Qiang thought about it and realized he couldn't beat him in a fight, so he decided to coax him and said with a smile, "I'm planning to go to the Wild Plains. There seem to be traces of the Buddha Sect there." He thought to himself, "First, I'll get a big bodyguard by my side. Everything will be fine then. Hehe, where can I find such a shield?"
Qi Junsha was overjoyed and said, "Good! Good! Good! My good disciple is the best. He knows this old man is in a hurry. Alright! Let's go to the Wild Plains."
Tianhong said, "Brother, let's go back. We've already wasted too much time down there. Hai'er and the others must be getting impatient waiting up there, and Little Yan'er is still waiting in the garden."
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Let's go!"
Geng Feng said, "I'll open the door." He quickly channeled his inner strength, and with a series of crisp cracking sounds, the door only opened a tiny crack. No matter how much force he exerted, it wouldn't budge. He was extremely embarrassed.
Qi Junsha shook his head and said, "Get out of the way, let this old man do it. You youngsters are quite bold, daring to barge in here with such little skill. Alright, stop trying. Only this little guy can open this door, neither of you can."
He pointed at Tianhong, then walked to the gate and laughed, "Open the door... Haha... That's fucking awesome!"
Geng Feng stared in disbelief at Qi Junsha, who had effortlessly pushed the door open with just two fingers. Qi Junsha braced himself against the door, looking up at the door with a mixture of sorrow and joy on his youthful face. After a long pause, he shouted, "Bastard!" and then burst into laughter three times. "Haha... haha... hahaha!"
The four of them flew up and left the Mysterious Domain Secret Chamber. Li Qiang now knew its true name: it was called the Mystic Suppression Pagoda, a secret treasure left behind by the Buddha Sect.
The four flew closer to the Mystic Qi and looked down at the golden pagoda shimmering below. They all felt like they had escaped death. Tianhong said, "Everyone, hold on tight to me, let's get out together."
Qi Junsha said, "Forget it, I'll do it. It's tiring to watch you force your way through like this..." He waved his hand, and a half-foot-long shuttle-shaped magic Law Treasure flew out of his hand. After it was released, it immediately expanded and enveloped Li Qiang and the other two.
This shuttle-shaped Law Treasure resembled a giant spindle, pointed at both ends and thick and round in the middle. The three of them felt as if they were encased in a glass shell, with a clear view of the outside world. Qi Junsha, now standing inside, laughed and said, "This thing of mine can go anywhere, from the heavens to the earth! Haha, haven't used it in ages, let's go!"
He unleashed a spiritual incantation, and the object flashed with white light, then with a deafening roar, it forcefully cleaved through the Mystic Qi and shot straight upwards.
Li Qiang suddenly shouted, "Stop! We still have a friend inside, we can't leave her behind!" He realized that Qi Junsha had no intention of following the path they had come from; she seemed prepared to just keep rushing forward.
Qi Junsha said somewhat impatiently, "There are others too? You little rascals are always so forgetful! Fine! Fine, I'm going with you anyway." He put away the shuttle-shaped Law Treasure and added, "My good disciple, come with me. You two go pick them up, and be quick!"
Tianhong was grateful to Li Qiang and said, "I'm coming!" He and Geng Feng quickly flew towards the garden.
Li Qiang shouted, "There's Ice Spirit Essence..." He instantly flew behind Qi Junsha, thinking, "Go fight it, let's see what you can do."
Qi Junsha was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Great stuff! Great stuff! Hehe, I'm so lucky! I found treasure as soon as I stepped out the door. Oh my, there's quite a lot more! My good disciple, we've found treasure!"
Li Qiang's scalp tingled from listening. This guy was no ordinary person; he was terrifyingly powerful.
Seven or eight Ice Spirit Essence flew out from the Mystic Qi. Qi Junsha leaned close to them, and a crystal blue plum vase suddenly appeared in his hand. He muttered incantations, but Li Qiang couldn't understand a word he said.
He pointed at the Ice Spirit Essence and shouted, "Chirp!" Suddenly, a wisp of blue smoke emerged from the mouth of the plum vase, quickly splitting into eight streams that shot straight towards the Ice Spirit Essence. The blue smoke immediately entangled the Ice Spirit Essence. Qi Junsha laughed heartily, "Good treasure, don't run away!" Pointing at the mouth of the vase again, he shouted, "Retreat!"
Eight wisps of blue smoke, enveloping the Ice Spirit Essence, suddenly shrank back into the bottle. Immediately afterwards, the Ice Spirit Essence's true divine nascent Nascent Soul flew out from the Mystic Qi, and these eight blue Nascent Soul were also absorbed into the plum bottle.
Qi Junsha happily held up the plum vase and laughed, "This is wonderful! I can use this to refine several pure Yin Law Treasure, haha, it's so much fun!"
Li Qiang didn't know whether he was lucky or unlucky. His first master was not only very powerful, but also seemed quite abnormal. He was worried that his future days would probably be difficult.
A short while later, Tianhong returned with Huang Yan and Geng Feng. Huang Yan looked at Qi Junsha curiously and whispered to Tianhong, "Grandpa, is this the Loose Immortal Senior?"
No one spoke, Qi Junsha said smugly, "Little girl, it's me, the old man!"
Fearing that Qi Junsha might pull some unexpected tricks, Li Qiang hurriedly said, "Little sister, this is what I found for you." He handed over the small flying sword he had obtained from the Mystic Suppression Pagoda.
Huang Yan was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. She took the little flying sword and examined it closely, unable to put it down.
Qi Junsha curled her lip and said, "I've got plenty of this kind of stuff, what's so surprising about it?"
Li Qiang knew he wasn't lying, so he laughed and said, "Of course! What kind of status do you have? And when you meet a junior, you certainly won't just make sarcastic remarks. Your gift will definitely be much better than what your apprentice would give."
After Li Qiang finished speaking, he looked at Qi Junsha as if nothing had happened, while gesturing behind his back with one hand.
Huang Yan happened to see this, and being a clever girl herself, she immediately stepped forward and respectfully bowed, saying, " Little Yan'er greets senior, hee hee." She also extended her hand.