Geng Feng walked into the room with a grin.
Li Qiang said, "Is the Fengzi planning to travel with me?"
Geng Feng exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, Little Madman are really amazing! How did you know before I even said anything?"
Li Qiang thought to himself, "This is great! A Old Madman and a Loose Immortal master—these two are going to make things lively with me." He laughed and said, "Welcome to come along. I like having as many friends as possible."
Geng Feng shook his big head happily and said, "Grandmaster Tianhong is going to Blackwater Island to visit friends. I think it's best if I go with you. This time I plan to go a bit further. Hehe, the Old Madman has been going crazy in Heavenly Melody City for so many years, now he can finally go out and have some fun."
Li Qiang laughed and cursed, "Damn it, you Old Madman, you're not planning to go around getting into fights, are you?"
Geng Feng chuckled, "That's not necessarily true. Fighting is also a form of cultivation."
Li Qiang really couldn't do anything about it, and said, "Fine, hit me if you want, whatever." He then added, " Old Madman, you must make proper arrangements for my two friends. It would be best to send disciples from Heavenly Melody City to escort them back to the Western Continent safely."
Geng Feng nodded, beckoned over several silver-clad warriors, and gave them a few instructions.
Li Qiang held the hands of Old Man Kabaji and Zegu, and said, "Father, Zegu, I don't know if we'll ever see each other again. Take care of yourselves."
Old Man Kabaji said emotionally, "Young man, take care of yourself. Alas, I'm old and can't help you much anymore. May the gods bless kind-hearted people like you."
Zegu also said, "Brother, if you ever need my help in the future, no matter where it is, I will do my best."
Li Qiang knew in his heart that he probably would never see them again. The years of cultivation would pass in the blink of an eye, and they would not have that time.
Li Qiang bid farewell to the two men and returned with Geng Feng to the room outside Qi Junsha's resting place in the main hall.
Tianhong, the city lord, and many disciples stood outside the door and went to greet Li Qiang when he arrived.
Tianhong said, "Brother, which way are you and the senior going? We'll be setting off soon too."
Li Qiang hesitated for a moment, then said, "I've lost a group of friends. I need to go find them first, and then I'll be leaving Tanbang Star soon."
The city lord said, "Brother, Heavenly Melody City is also your home. If you wish to cultivate in seclusion in the future, Heavenly Melody City welcomes you back."
Li Qiang smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, if Heavenly Melody City ever needs any help in the future, please let me know, and I will do my best."
Lan Xin stepped forward and said sweetly, "Senior, we three sisters also want to go out to cultivate. Could you tell us where to go?"
Li Qiang was stumped by her question. He scratched his head and said, "Little sister, well... I'm not really sure either. You should ask your older brother."
Tianhong said, "You guys go to the Western Continent first and experience the local customs and culture..."
Li Qiang suddenly remembered something and said, "There's a big battle on Bada Star, you guys should go check it out."
Geng Feng was immediately overjoyed and exclaimed, "Really? Wow! Wow! Where is Bada Star?"
Tianhong's eyes lit up, but before he could speak, Qi Junsha suddenly appeared, shouting, "My good disciple! My good disciple! Where's the big duel? This old man is going too, haha, let my good disciple see how powerful your master is!"
Li Qiang was secretly delighted and said with a smile, "Of course, after we finish dealing with the matters in Wild Plains, we'll go to Heavenly Court Star, and then to Bada Star. You can just follow me, hehe, of course Master will make decisions for his disciple."
Qi Junsha paused slightly, then looked at Li Qiang with a half-smile and said, "Something feels off to me."
Li Qiang hurriedly said, "That's right! That's right! Don't overthink it, old man. You're a Loose Immortal, what could possibly be wrong with you?"
The city lord said, "We also need to go to the Wild Plains to find our great-uncle. We don't know if he's still alive, so we'll have to go and look for him."
Qi Junsha, distracted by her question, turned her attention back to the Wild Plains and asked, "What kind of place is the Wild Plains?"
Li Qiang asked in surprise, "You old man, don't you know this place?"
Qi Junsha said irritably, "Should I know?"
In fact, Qi Junsha was captured by the Buddha Sect masters on another planet and brought to Tanbang Star, where he was sealed in the Xuanbing layer of the Sea of Wronged Souls. Of course, he was unaware of the situation here.
This was something he felt was very embarrassing, so when he heard Li Qiang's question, he immediately felt very awkward, and his words came out stiffly.
Li Qiang didn't want to provoke him, so he said with a grin, "You old man are knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, your knowledge is extraordinary, of course I assume you know everything, you're Loose Immortal."
Tianhong and the others chuckled inwardly. Li Qiang's combination of flattery and criticism was something most people wouldn't know how to respond to.
Qi Junsha didn't know whether to be happy or angry. He now knew that this obedient disciple was not easy to deal with. But then he thought, this kind of disciple is not bad. He didn't like to take in a useless disciple.
He laughed heartily, "My good disciple understands this old man best." Everyone almost burst out laughing at this; the master and disciple were just too hilarious.
Li Qiang asked, "Where is Black Islet Reef? Does Old Madman know? My friend might be waiting for me there. Let's go check Black Islet Reef first."
Geng Feng nodded and said, "I'm probably the only one who knows a little about this place, but I only know the direction; it's been too long since I've been there."
Qi Junsha chuckled and said, "As long as you have a direction, this old man will take you two little ones, it'll be quick."
The crowd found it hard to associate Qi Junsha with the image of Loose Immortal. He looked like a handsome young man, seemingly still quite childish, yet he kept referring to himself as "this old man," which seemed rather comical.
In fact, Qi Junsha is now suffering in silence. He has only been Loose Immortal for a short time, and during this period he has been unable to control his appearance. What's even more terrifying is that a natural youthful sentiment has also been mixed in, causing his entire personality to change.
Tianhong said, "The defenses of Heavenly Melody City need to be rebuilt to prevent enemies from coming after us. However, there shouldn't be any for the time being. Master has sealed Heavenly Melody City off for hundreds of years, so even if there are enemies, it's hard to tell now. This time, disciples, please be careful when you go out to cultivate. Brother, please take care of the disciples of Heavenly Melody City when you see them in the future. This is a token of Heavenly Melody City. As long as the disciples of Heavenly Melody City see it, they will definitely obey your orders." He handed Li Qiang a blue crystal.
Li Qiang held it up to his eyes and saw a miniature version of Heavenly Melody City inside, exquisitely detailed. He slightly channeled a wisp of True Essence Power into it, and soft music actually emanated from it.
Tianhong laughed and said, "I'll go to Bada Star, and I'll come find my little brother then."
Li Qiang said, "Okay!"
He then bid farewell to the city lord. Piao Yuan and several other senior disciples of Heavenly Melody City stepped forward to pay their respects. Huang Yan said, "Senior... we also plan to go to Bada Star. The three of us sisters will come to find you then, hehe. Senior, you won't find it troublesome, will you? These are clothes that the three of us sisters sewed. We're giving them to you as a small token of our appreciation."
She handed Li Qiang several sets of clothes, all made of Silver Perilla fabric, as well as a belt made of sea beast skin, a specialty of the Sea of Wronged Souls, all exquisitely crafted.
Li Qiang took it in his hands. He knew it had been sewn with great care. Just by looking at the fineness of the stitches, he could tell that they had put a lot of effort into it.
Li Qiang was secretly touched and smiled, "Hehe, I won't thank you. I appreciate your kindness, sisters. You must be careful on your cultivation path. To be honest, your cultivation level is already very high. No one in the mortal world should be able to mess with you, but if you encounter a powerful cultivator, I'll give you one word."
Not only Huang Yan and her group, but even Qi Junsha and Tianhong were very curious: what word was it?
Li Qiang laughed and said, "When you can't win a fight, there's only one word—'escape.' Never try to be brave; we'll deal with everything later."
Geng Feng listened intently, his ears perked up. He laughed, "Hey, I thought you had some brilliant idea. This is just too pathetic. Fengzi only knows one word—'fight,' fight to the death, hahaha, hahahaha."
Li Qiang said irritably, "That's just reckless courage, overestimating his own abilities. Ignore this Fengzi; let him rant if he wants to."
Geng Feng was so speechless at Li Qiang's retort that he kept hiccuping, while Qi Junsha laughed heartily, clapping and stomping his feet. He felt that his disciple was more enthusiastic about disciplining people than he was about disciplining himself. He had no scruples and truly did whatever he wanted, which amused everyone, and they all burst into laughter as well.
Huang Yan suppressed a laugh and said in a coquettish voice, "Grandpa Crazy has a heroic spirit, something we girls can't emulate, hehe."
Geng Feng immediately became smug again. "Little girls, Grandpa Crazy didn't spoil you for nothing. You know what kind of person Grandpa Crazy is, haha."
The laughter dispelled the sadness of parting. Qi Junsha snapped, "Let's go! Stop with the endless nagging!" He grabbed Li Qiang and Geng Feng, one in each hand, and leaped into the air, asking, " Fengzi, which way?"
Geng Feng pointed to the side and said, "Go that way."
Li Qiang then shouted, "See you all on the road ahead!"
Before anyone could answer, the three of them had already gone quite far.
Black Islet Reef is a reef island in the Sea of Wronged Souls sea route between the Tanbang Continent and the Western Continent. All ships must pass through here.
Each time the Wind of Fear subside, special ships bring merchants and various supplies, along with dedicated ship repairmen. Therefore, as soon as the Sea of Wronged Souls calms down, this place becomes the first to become bustling.
Black Islet Reef is not very large. There are many natural rock caves on the island, which have been rebuilt and reinforced. The island is circular with a gap, through which ships can take shelter from the wind and waves. Inside the gap is a natural dock, which has been made more flat after being artificially constructed.
As darkness fell, the various restaurants and guesthouses along the pier lit up with crystal lights. Several crystal-powered lighting spheres on the pier shone with a bluish light. Groups of people strolled around the pier, and Black Islet Reef appeared peaceful and serene at this moment.
At this moment, several Arrow Boat sailed into the dock, breaking the tranquility of the dock, and many people gathered around.
Just as everyone was scrambling for business, three people quietly descended from the sky not far away.
Geng Feng said, "This place has changed so much. Fengzi remember it used to be so deserted. Now there are so many shops and businesses. Sigh! Things have changed so much." He was filled with emotion.
Qi Junsha couldn't help but laugh and said, " Fengzi, why do cultivators have so many sentiments? If everyone were like you, hehe, wouldn't this old man have to slit his own throat and hang himself?"
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "If you were to slit your own throat and hang yourself, hehe, what kind of knife and rope would you need? You'd probably have a hard time dying."
Qi Junsha kicked Li Qiang lightly, laughing and scolding, "Damn it, you think you know everything! You're deliberately trying to make things difficult for an old man like me, no respect for elders at all. Alright, go find your friend."
Geng Feng chuckled to himself, while Qi Junsha said, "What are you laughing at, Fengzi? Hey, my good disciple is joking with his master, what are you laughing at?"
Geng Feng quickly stopped smiling, "Senior, I didn't. Little Madman, I'll go with you to take a look."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Master is really domineering, not even letting people laugh. Alright, let's go to the dock."
The three of them slowly emerged from the shadows. The once noisy dock gradually quieted down as they approached.
Li Qiang suddenly realized that the three of them were too conspicuous. Qi Junsha and he were both wearing clothes made of Silver Perilla suede, which was unique to Heavenly Melody City. The style was not common in the Tanbang Continent and the Western Continent. Geng Feng's slovenly appearance was even more striking.
The crowd automatically parted to make way, and everyone stared in disbelief. They weren't too surprised to see Li Qiang and Geng Feng, but Qi Junsha's stunning beauty astonished them.
Some people started whispering among themselves, when Qi Junsha suddenly yelled, "Damn it! Shut up, all of you!"
Li Qiang knew things were going badly. These people were simply courting death, actually discussing Qi Junsha's appearance. He heard it clearly; more than half of them were speculating whether Qi Junsha was a woman, and their words were quite outrageous.
These three were all highly skilled cultivators; no matter how softly the others spoke, they could hear them clearly.
Everyone was stunned by Qi Junsha outburst of curses. Someone exclaimed, "Whose son is this? How can he start cursing like that?"
A buzz of discussion immediately filled the air.
Geng Feng whispered, "Hehe, we can't just beat them all up, can we? These are all ordinary people, you know." Li Qiang and Qi Junsha both understood what he meant. Cultivators in the Cultivation Realm disdain bullying ordinary people, let alone those who are considered Loose Immortal. Of course, if you really want to take action, no one will stop you; it all depends on your personal cultivation.
Qi Junsha shook his head and said, "This old man is too lazy to get angry. My dear disciple, see if your friend is here? If not, let's go!"
Li Qiang breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that Qi Junsha would make a move. He knew that if the old man made a move, probably none of them would survive. He hurriedly walked to the dock and looked for the boats.
The crowd began to disperse, but many people still lingered to watch. Qi Junsha was growing increasingly impatient. Geng Feng whispered, "Senior, let's move forward. Don't just stand here like idiots. Hehe, who told you to make yourself look so beautiful? If I, Fengzi, were to do this, I guarantee no one would pay me any attention."
Qi Junsha was so angry he couldn't do anything about it. He muttered, "Who the hell knew it would turn out like this? I'm an old man... cough... never mind, getting angry won't help. I'm leaving!" He shouted the last two words out loud.
Li Qiang glanced around and saw no flying hook chains in the bay of Black Islet Reef. Most of the boats moored there were Arrow Boat and a few other vessels. Knowing that Zhao Hao and the others were not there, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious. But then he thought that with Zhao Hao and the others' strength, they should be fine. Even if they encountered other cultivators, they could handle it.
Qi Junsha walked over to Li Qiang and said, "We haven't found them. Why don't we ask if they've been here? If they haven't, we can wait. If they have, we can just follow them down the river."
Seeing the disappointment on Li Qiang's face, he knew the outcome. His experience was invaluable; a few words were enough to calm Li Qiang down. Li Qiang thought, "That's true. This is a crucial passage. If they haven't been here before, we'll definitely be able to wait for them."
Geng Feng said, "Let's find a nice place to stay and grab something to eat. Hehe, it's been so long since I've had any real food."
Upon hearing this, Li Qiang couldn't help but laugh and said, "So, even Fengzi has this hobby? Hmm, how about we take a walk around first? I'm still quite unfamiliar with this place." The three of them walked along the embankment of the dock.
Li Qiang asked curiously, "Huh? Why are these people still following us?"
Geng Feng also grew impatient and turned around, saying, "Hey, you bunch of people, are you tired of living? Get out of here!" Although he spoke harshly, he didn't lay a hand on them, knowing that these people couldn't take a beating.
These people seemed to come from all walks of life. When they heard Geng Feng's reprimand, they hesitated only slightly before immediately closing in on the three of them.
Li Qiang became genuinely curious and said, "We don't seem to have offended them, so why are they all looking at us with such hostility?"
Qi Junsha also found it strange and laughed, "This doesn't look like a robbery. I'm an old man, I don't understand it either."
A flurry of footsteps sounded, followed by someone shouting, "Where's that woman? Don't let her get away!"
"Still on the dock! Still there! Everyone come quick!" Chaos erupted on the dock.
A man dressed in a black robe, holding a Spine-Piercing Spear, walked through the crowd. Behind him were dozens of thugs, many of whom bowed to the man in the black robe and called him "Uncle Black".
The man sized up Li Qiang and his two companions, then turned to one of his men and asked, "Where's this 'Bashaoyu' guy? Come here! Where did this woman come from? Damn it, you dare mess with your boss!"
A thin man ran up from the side, grinning obsequiously, "Hey, look at her. I, Bashaoyu, can tell at a glance that she's definitely a woman disguised as a man. Can a man be this beautiful?"
Li Qiang glanced at Geng Feng, and the two of them burst into laughter simultaneously.
Qi Junsha was furious. "You two little brats, how dare you laugh at an old man like me..."
Li Qiang laughed so hard he could barely breathe, stammering, "Haha... haha... you, you old... people... hahaha, no wonder so many people are surrounding us..."
Geng Feng went even further, lying down on the ground and frantically slapping the ground with one hand, making a "ping-ping" sound. After a while, he finally burst out laughing, and that laugh was quite something, "Wow... Hahaha... Squeak... Hahaha!" He was imitating Qi Junsha in this way.
Everyone was stunned. How could they be two Fengzi?
The burly, dark-skinned man shouted, "Hey! You little brat, don't you know the rules of the Sea of Wronged Souls? Women entering the sea are offending the sea god. Now that you've been discovered, don't blame us. Capture her and rip out her heart to offer as a sacrifice to the sea god!"
Li Qiang and Geng Feng burst into another round of wild laughter, as if they had heard the funniest thing in the world.
Geng Feng finally managed to stop laughing, panting heavily as he asked, "What are we going to do now... Oh... Oh... Hahaha."
Li Qiang shook his head. " Fengzi! I'm laughing so hard I'm crying! Don't you dare say another word, you're trying to make me laugh to death!"
Suddenly, Qi Junsha said coldly, "Is this funny? Hmph!"
Li Qiang was startled and knew he was in trouble. He quickly stopped laughing, kicked Geng Feng, sending him sprawling, and then shouted at the burly man, "You bastard, do you want to die? How dare you be so rude! I'll teach you a lesson!"
Just as Geng Feng was about to speak, he suddenly remembered that they didn't understand Qi Junsha's personality. He thought, "Wouldn't he go on a killing spree because of this?" He hurriedly stood up and said, "Damn it, what are you looking at? Get out of here!"
Geng Feng's words contained True Essence Power. He was a master from Heavenly Melody City and was also proficient in music. His voice immediately shocked more than a dozen people.
Panic immediately erupted in the crowd. The burly black man, who seemed to have some martial arts training, took a few steps back, raised his Spine-Piercing Spear, and shouted, "Brothers, grab your weapons and take them down!"
Qi Junsha suddenly burst into wild laughter. Li Qiang inwardly groaned, and hurriedly said, "Master, let's go. It seems my friend isn't here."
He gave Geng Feng a wink, and Geng Feng also advised, "Senior, let's forget it. It's not worth getting angry with these idiots. Let's go."
Qi Junsha said calmly, "You two, stop right there. This old man hasn't been out in the world for years. It seems the world has changed. Hehe, you want to play with this old man? Fine! This old man is ready to play along!"
A beam of azure light enveloped Li Qiang and Geng Feng. Li Qiang discovered he couldn't escape the circle of light, while Geng Feng thought to himself, "These people are doomed."
Qi Junsha suddenly smiled, walked slowly to the burly man, and said, "Kid, you seem quite interested in whether this old man is male or female. Let this old man see if you're male or female first?"
As he spoke, a chilling pressure slowly spread out, making it almost impossible for the people surrounding him to breathe.
Li Qiang roared, "You bunch of idiots, get out of here right now!"
The burly, dark-skinned man's hands began to tremble violently. Qi Junsha chuckled cruelly, "My good disciple, these people aren't worth saving, hehe!"
As he spoke, the burly man and his men suddenly felt a lightness in their bodies, as if the terrifying pressure had vanished in an instant. They immediately raised their Spine-Piercing Spear.
Li Qiang couldn't help but sigh, knowing in his heart that these people were doomed.
A volley of gunfire erupted, followed by a burst of maniacal laughter amidst the deafening roar of the Spine-Piercing Spear: "Haha, hahaha, my good disciple, do you see that? Can these things be left to harm people... Haha!"
With a wave of his hand, all the Spine-Piercing Spear flew into the sky, and he softly said, "Shatter!"
With a series of crisp "crack!" sounds, all the Spine-Piercing Spear shattered into powder, which fluttered down.
Qi Junsha tilted his head, thought for a moment, and said, "How should this old man deal with you lot?"
The group was terrified. When they finally tried to escape, they found their bodies completely unresponsive and unable to move.
Li Qiang shouted, "Master, I have a way! I have an idea to deal with them!"
Qi Junsha was very interested and said, "Oh my, my good disciple has a way. Tell me about it."