There were only some sparse small trees on the hillside. Li Qiang seven companions rushed to the top of the hill and looked into the distance. The mountains ahead were undulating and the forests were lush. The thick smoke was rising from behind a grove of trees not far away, and there seemed to be some red light flashing.
Li Qiang and Hong Qian had already heard the faint sounds of weapons clashing, along with several roars. Hong Qian said, "It sounds like the roars of Combat Beast. Did everyone hear that? Uncle-Master, let's go take a look."
Nashan said, "What monster? I didn't hear anything."
Li Qiang said, "Your cultivation level isn't high enough, of course you can't hear it. Let's go take a look." He gently flicked the reins, and the Black-Tipped Mount's thick hind hooves spurred it forward, charging down the hillside in the lead. The crowd shouted and urged the Black-Tipped Mount to follow closely behind.
There was no path at the bottom of the hillside; a dense thicket blocked their way. Li Qiang drew his Star-Absorbing Sword and shouted, "Follow me!"
Hong Qian said, "Uncle-Master, let me help you!" Five-colored sword light appeared in response, and the two walked side by side, pushing forward rapidly.
Wan Gong and the brothers Bi Tong and Bi Shi stared in disbelief. Before their eyes, a dazzling silver light flashed and multicolored light danced, countless fragments of shrubs flew everywhere. They hadn't even clearly seen what weapons Li Qiang and Hong Qian were using when the two of them instantly cleared a path. Wan Gong shook his head repeatedly, muttering, "Heavens, who are they?"
The seven men and eight riders passed through the grove of trees and the picture book forest. Li Qiang tightened the reins and stopped the Black-Tipped Mount. Looking around, he exclaimed in surprise, "They really Combat Beast! What are those red things over there?"
The people following behind also stopped, but Nashan couldn't control the Black-Tipped Mount and charged forward another ten steps or so before finally pulling on the reins.
This was a large hillside, covered with waist-high wild grass. Looking down the slope, there were over a hundred Combat Beast and some small, unidentified red monsters at the bottom. Groups of Black-Tipped Mount were galloping back and forth, with four or five hundred riders controlling them. On the opposite hillside was a steep rock wall, at the foot of which was a dark, fortress-like village, surrounded by high wooden walls. Outside the walls, down the slope, some simple wooden houses were burning.
Li Qiang turned to Wan Gong and asked, "Who are those people?"
Wan Gong said with a solemn expression, "They seem to be a warrior group from the Fan Kingdom. I wonder why they would come to this remote place to wage such a large-scale war."
Bi Tong said, "This is Rock Stronghold. How could they have offended these scoundrels? The Fan Kingdom Warrior Corps are the most domineering. If they mess with them, Rock Stronghold is finished."
Nashan cursed, "Damn it, it's those Fan Kingdom warriors again. Boss, let's go teach them a lesson!"
Hong Qian knew that Li Qiang would be terrifying once he started fighting, so he didn't speak, but just squinted and carefully observed the situation below the slope.
Li Qiang laughed and cursed, " Nashan, you son of a bitch, don't be so quick to lecture others. There are plenty of formidable characters in the world, let's see what they're capable of first!"
Hong Qian suddenly said, "They've already spotted us." Ten Black-Tipped Mount came galloping down the slope, followed by five or six Combat Beast and a pack of red, wolfhound-sized, sharp-nosed monsters, rushing towards them at breakneck speed.
The three men, Wan Gong, appeared slightly nervous.
Li Qiang sighed and said, "Sigh! Curiosity is a killer... Heh, bring it on then, damn it, who's afraid of who!"
Nashan chuckled and said, "Boss, you don't mean what you say. When have you ever been afraid? They're just having their bad luck come over. Hehe, Boss, how about I go first?"
The group of the Fan Kingdom warriors moved very quickly. Before they knew it, they had reached the middle of the hillside. A strange whistle was heard, and the Combat Beast following closely behind them suddenly sped out, followed by the group of small red monsters.
Li Qiang was furious. They didn't even ask who they were before attacking. Li Qiang coldly said, " Nashan, Paben, go and kill them. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things."
Nashan was overjoyed. He drew his Light-Reversing Sword, opened the protective armor on his body, and shouted, "Watch this! Yahoo!" He urged his Black-Tipped Mount to charge towards the Combat Beast.
Li Qiang tossed Paben a long spear, saying, " Paben, this is one I forged for you. Perfect for testing your skills!"
Paben caught it mid-air and exclaimed with delight, "Thank you, Master! This disciple loves spears!" He brandished his spear and charged forward as well.
This Combat Beast was called the Swift-Armored Meng. Its impact was extremely strong. This was Nashan's first time dealing with such a monster. Because he had his boss as his backer, he was so excited that he forgot himself. He stared intently at the charging Swift-Armored Meng. Just as the Black-Tipped Mount and the Swift-Armored Meng collided, the blue light of the Light-Reversing Sword suddenly flashed out. It was a downward sword strike, as fast as lightning. With a soft sound, the Swift-Armored Meng's head was split in two, and the Swift-Armored Meng crashed to the ground.
However, Nashan had no experience controlling the Black-Tipped Mount. The Black-Tipped Mount were tripped by the falling Swift-Armored Meng, and Nashan was thrown off the Black-Tipped Mount in a flash.
Paben was not far behind Nashan when he saw Nashan fly out. He was so shocked that his heart skipped a beat, and he forgot all the fear he had before. Without thinking, he Black-Tipped Mount.
Nashan fell right where the red monsters were. As soon as he landed, three monsters pounced on him. Nashan shouted, "Get lost!" A flash of cyan Sword-Ray appeared. This Light-Reversing Sword was really too sharp. With just one strike, all three monsters were killed. Nashan laughed triumphantly.
Paben yelled, "Watch out behind you!" A Swift-Armored Meng slammed into Nashan's back with a "thud." If Nashan hadn't been wearing armor, the impact would have killed him. The spikes on the Swift-Armored Meng's head were something an ordinary person couldn't withstand. Nashan staggered a couple of steps and roared angrily.
Paben had arrived. He brandished his spear and plunged it into the belly of Swift-Armored Meng from behind, ignoring the charging red monsters. With a flick of his wrist, he roared, "Die!" The black spear suddenly trembled violently, Swift-Armored Meng let out a deafening roar. In an instant, the spear hole in its belly became a gaping wound, and its internal organs spilled out. Nashan turned around and cut down several red monsters that had ambushed Paben. The two worked together with perfect coordination.
The Fan Kingdom warriors watched in disbelief as two enemy soldiers emerged and instantly killed the two Swift-Armored Meng. Startled, one of them let out a whistle, and the remaining monsters scattered hastily.
A captain-like figure among the Fan Kingdom warriors roared, "Hey! Who are you? How dare you interfere with us?"
Li Qiang lightly patted the Black-Tipped Mount, slowly approached, and coldly said, "Who are you people? Why did you let your beasts hurt people without distinguishing right from wrong? Interfering with you... and you even dare to say 'dare'? What are you?" He didn't take them seriously at all.
The leading warrior was furious. He probably knew that his small group couldn't defeat Li Qiang and his men, so he ordered, "Retreat!" He turned his Black-Tipped Mount and galloped down the hillside.
Hong Qian laughed, "Uncle-Master, it looks like he's going to call in some people to beat him up."
Li Qiang sighed and said, "Ugh, this is really troublesome. There have been too many killings lately. I need to find a stick; maybe that way I can drive them away without killing anyone."
Wan Gong opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word. There were hundreds of cavalrymen and various Combat Beast at the bottom of the slope, yet Li Qiang casually said he would drive them away, refusing to use weapons and saying that a stick would suffice. That was too arrogant!
Hong Qian cut a large branch from a nearby tree, used his flying sword to remove the knots, and handed it to Li Qiang with a smile, saying, "Uncle-Master, I'll help you keep things under control."
Li Qiang weighed the large tree branch in his hand, found it satisfactory, and laughed, "Alright, everyone follow behind me, let's see what they can do." He jumped off Black-Tipped Mount, tossed the reins to Bi Tong, and said with a smile, "I'm going to take a walk." He gracefully walked down the slope.
Wan Gong noticed that Li Qiang seemed to be walking very slowly, but he was almost at the bottom of the slope in no time, which surprised him even more.
The Fan Kingdom warriors who had retreated to the bottom of the slope whistled repeatedly, and soon more than thirty Black-Tipped Mount and dozens of Swift-Armored Meng Warriors gathered, turning back to charge at Li Qiang and his group.
The role of the Swift-Armored Meng on the battlefield is to disrupt the enemy's formation. Its characteristics are its incredible speed and astonishing power. When so many Swift-Armored Meng charge forward, the sheer force of the attack is quite overwhelming; the mere sound of their Swift-Armored Meng is enough to send chills down one's spine.
Li Qiang walked ahead alone, a smile on his face, gently waving a nearly three-meter-long tree branch in his hand, creating a "whooshing" sound in the wind.
A bowstring twanged, and a dozen arrows whistled as they flew towards Li Qiang. Wan Gong and the other two shouted at the same time, "Watch out!" They were extremely nervous. Hong Qian and the others, however, were not worried at all, and watched the spectacle with smiles on their faces.
Swift-Armored Meng was charging ahead, had already reached Li Qiang. Li Qiang, who was in the mood for a bit of fun, raised a large tree branch and shouted, "Help! A monster is killing people, hahaha!" He then swung the branch around, and with a series of "crack" sounds, Swift-Armored Meng's footsteps became disordered.
Li Qiang enveloped the large tree branch with his True Essence Power, making it even harder than an iron rod. The arrows that were shot at him couldn't even get close to Li Qiang, falling to the ground a meter away. Li Qiang swung the tree branch and charged into the horde of Combat Beast, where countless black shadows whizzed around him. The Combat Beast fared poorly; as soon as they got close to Li Qiang, they were immediately knocked away.
The group of the Fan Kingdom warriors cried out, "This guy is a monster! Charge! Kill him!" They charged forward in groups of three, brandishing their long swords, in two rows, left and right.
Li Qiang waited quietly, calculating the distance. Just as his opponent's Black-Tipped Mount swept past him, he took to the air.
The first two groups of Black-Tipped Mount, mounted on the Fan Kingdom cavalry, swung their longswords fiercely, confident they wouldn't miss, and roared excitedly, "Gotcha!"
Suddenly, a flash of silver light appeared before their eyes, and the ground was completely empty. As they stood there in a daze, they heard a strange howl of wind—"whoosh!" They couldn't understand how the tree branch could have fallen from the sky.
Li Qiang swept the Fan Kingdom warriors off the Black-Tipped Mount from the air, and at the same time leaped towards the large group of men behind him.
The two lines of the Fan Kingdom warriors charging forward realized something was wrong. This strange man was wielding a thick tree branch and wasn't riding Black-Tipped Mount; he was hovering at the same height as them. Keep in mind, these warriors were all mounted. Their leader shouted, "Chop him down!"
Li Qiang let out another strange cry, "Break up the lovers! Haha!" The thick tree branch swayed left and right, turning like a wheel. There was a series of popping sounds, and the warriors on the Black-Tipped Mount screamed repeatedly as they fell off their mounts.
Fortunately, Li Qiang did not intend to kill them this time; he only planned to teach them a lesson. Therefore, he exercised great restraint when he attacked, and although the warriors were knocked to the ground, none of them suffered any serious injuries.
Li Qiang's figure was like a silver whirlwind; wherever the wind blew, chaos followed. Before the leader of the Fan Kingdom warriors could even order a retreat, the warriors and monsters that had rushed up the hillside had already been knocked to the ground.
Bi Shi stared blankly, then Bi Tong, his voice trembling. "Brother, this is too amazing! He... they... my God! He's all alone, yet he managed to defeat a Fan Kingdom warriors! I... you..." Bi Tong and Wan Gong were speechless.
Nashan chuckled and said, "When my boss was on the Tanbang Continent, he charged into the Tante Kingdom's army of tens of thousands of men. Hehe, that time the blood flowed like a river!"
Li Qiang flew back into the air just then and laughed, " Nashan is bragging again. Don't listen to him. Let's go down and have some fun together."
Nashan laughed and said, "If the boss wants to have some fun, those guys are in for a rough time. Hey, boss! Let a few of us have some fun too!"
Paben had just unleashed his fury, but now he felt a little weak in the knees. This was the first time he had ever fought a Swift-Armored Meng on his own, and he never imagined he would be so powerful. For some reason, he felt a sense of fear.
The three men, Wan Gong and his companions, were completely stunned by Li Qiang and his group, and their attitude became even more respectful. The seven men and eight riders charged down the hillside together.
Suddenly, a horn sounded in the Rock Stronghold, its mournful cry echoing through the valley.
Wan Gong urged his mount forward and shouted, "The people of Rock Stronghold are about to attack!"
Hundreds of Black-Tipped Mount surged out of the Rock Stronghold and launched an attack on the Fan Kingdom warriors as soon as they stepped out of the gate. The Fan Kingdom warriors appeared somewhat flustered, and soon dozens of Swift-Armored Meng rushed to meet them.
Hong Qian exclaimed, "These aren't people from Rock Stronghold; they seem to be guards from a large merchant caravan!"
Nashan said excitedly, "Who cares who he is, let's charge at him!" With Li Qiang by his side, he was truly fearless, his courage many times greater than usual.
Li Qiang said, "Try not to kill anyone, Hong Qian, protect Wan Gong and the others, let's charge!" He took the lead, waving tree branches and yelling as he charged into the Fan Kingdom warriors. Nashan and Paben followed closely behind Li Qiang, charging in from the left and right.
Nashan no longer used the Light-Reversing Sword; instead, he wielded the Azure Shadow Binding, and with a flick of his wrist, a bolt of lightning struck, knocking a warrior off the Black-Tipped Mount. Paben's spear, meanwhile, was used specifically to strike the arms and legs of the warriors.
The rain started pouring down again.
Hong Qian kept a close eye on Wan Gong and his two companions, ready to unleash his Gold-Shattering Sword to rescue them should they be in danger.
Li Qiang, leading Nashan and Paben, pierced straight into the Fan Kingdom warriors like a sharp sword, the three of them shouting and yelling all the way. The Fan Kingdom warriors had never seen such formidable opponents before. As soon as they got close to the three, they were immediately knocked off their Black-Tipped Mount, not having time to make any threatening moves.
The enemy's attacks were incredibly fast, especially those of Li Qiang, the leader. The large tree branch in his hand was terrifyingly powerful; it was impossible to see what moves he was using. The warriors often fell to the Black-Tipped Mount before they even knew what was happening.
The caravan guards emerging from the Rock Stronghold faced a much tougher challenge. The onslaught of the Swift-Armored Meng had scattered their formation. The caravan possessed a few Spine-Piercing Spear, and after several shots rang out, killing a few of the most ferocious Swift-Armored Meng, the caravan managed to regain its footing. However, they were immediately encircled and entangled in a fierce battle with the red monsters. If it weren't for Li Qiang and his group holding back the Fan Kingdom Fan Kingdom, who could have seized the opportunity to attack while the caravan was engaged in combat with the monsters, these caravan guards would have had no chance of returning alive.
Spine-Piercing Spear are relatively rare in the Western Continent, and are almost never used by the military. This is because the Western Continent lacks large crystal mines, and the technology for processing crystals has always been controlled by the Tanbang Continent. No country in the Western Continent can afford the expense of using crystal weapons in warfare. Typically, only armed forces with royal guards or similar units are equipped with such weapons. Only large merchant caravans possess a few Spine-Piercing Spear, and these are generally used only in critical situations.
After fighting for a while, Li Qiang gradually lost interest; his opponents were simply too weak. Suddenly, he leaped into the air and shouted, "Hey! All of you, stop right now!"
Ever since he gained a basic understanding of music in Heavenly Melody City, his voice began to change, and his words always contained a terrifying vibrato.
This loud shout was like a violent explosion, booming and deafening. Everyone stopped fighting immediately, even the Combat Beast restrained their ferocity, bowed their heads and scurried to the side, not daring to make a sound.
Nashan was at his most assertive at this moment. He shouted, "Come out here, you who can even breathe! Damn it, who's in charge of you? Come here and listen to our boss's instructions!" He looked arrogant and domineering. This was usually when he was most pleased with himself, and he was extremely happy.
After a long while, the Fan Kingdom warriors did not answer, but gradually gathered their forces.
Nashan flew into a rage, brandishing the Azure Shadow Binding in his hand and shouting, "You son of a bitch, get out!"
Several streaks of lightning flashed from the Azure Shadow Binding, heading straight for the Fan Kingdom warriors who were forming a ranks. The sky suddenly lit up, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.
"Crackling... Boom!"
Nashan himself was so startled that he lowered his head, thinking, "Damn it! Azure Shadow Binding isn't that powerful, what is this thing?"
The lightning bolt that flew out from the Azure Shadow Binding coincidentally attracted the lightning in the sky, striking directly into the ranks of warriors. A large number of them immediately lay on the ground, and a burnt smell filled the air.
This immediately stunned everyone. Paben asked in bewilderment, "How did you become so powerful, Old Na? Even the thunder in the sky is cheering you on!"
Nashan felt a surge of pride. He straightened his back and boasted, "This is my Old Na's specialty..." He then shouted again, "Hey! Come here, one of you with a mouth, answer my boss's question! Damn it, if you shrink back any further, don't blame me for electrocuting you bunch of bastards!"
To everyone's surprise, the group of the Fan Kingdom warriors completely ignored them. Suddenly, someone in the group shouted, "Let's retreat!" The Black-Tipped Mount, mixed with Combat Beast, charged into the woods like a tidal wave. Nashan was so angry that he cursed loudly.
Li Qiang landed back on his Black-Tipped Mount, watching the retreating warriors with a thoughtful expression. He had clearly seen that there were spirit masters among the Fan Kingdom warriors. He thought to himself, "This fight is so inexplicable. Why are these Fan Kingdom warriors attacking this small Rock Stronghold? And why are spirit masters among the Fan Kingdom warriors?"
Cheers erupted from the Rock Stronghold, and many people poured out of the village. The caravan's guards also came to greet them. The lead guard approached Li Qiang and said, "Thank you, heroes! Oh, isn't this the Wan Gong, one of the Eight Heroes of Mangye?"
Wan Gong still couldn't believe that the Fan Kingdom warriors had just retreated without leaving a single word. You see, the Fan Kingdom warriors were known throughout the Western Continent for their ferocity and tenacity.
Wan Gong sighed and asked, "Which caravan do you belong to?"
The man laughed and said, "Senior, we are not from a merchant caravan. We are from the Wind Vulture Escort Agency. This time we are escorting someone to the Ladu Kingdom. Hehe, our chief guard has arrived."
A dozen or so Black-Tipped Mount rushed out of the Rock Stronghold and quickly arrived at the foot of the slope. Leading them was a burly man. Wan Gong exclaimed in surprise, " Lang Qianye? When did he go to the guard post?"
Hong Qian's expression shifted slightly, a question lingering in his mind, " Lang Qianye?"
Lang Qianye called out loudly from afar, "It's Brother Wan Gong! Haha, I was wondering who was so powerful. It turns out it's the Eight Heroes of Mangye who made a move." He was already standing in front of him when he spoke.
Wan Gong hurriedly jumped off his mount and laughed, "Brother Qianye, I didn't expect it to really be you. Hehe, this time it wasn't us who made the move. Come, let me introduce you to some senior experts."
Li Qiang, who loved making friends, immediately dismounted from his Black-Tipped Mount upon hearing this and laughed, "Hehe, you're Wan Gong..."
Seeing Li Qiang's enthusiasm, Hong Qian and the others quickly dismounted from their Black-Tipped Mount, not daring to show any arrogance.
Lang Qianye had just witnessed Li Qiang's incredible prowess on the Rock Stronghold and knew he was an extremely powerful expert. He hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects, but didn't know how to address Li Qiang because Li Qiang looked so young.
Hong Qian suddenly said, " Lang Qianye, hehe, do you still remember me?"
Lang Qianye looked at Hong Qian with a puzzled expression, which gradually turned into ecstatic joy. He tentatively asked, "You... you... are you Uncle Hong Qian who once saved me? My God! It really is you!"
He hugged Hong Qian and burst into tears, crying, "I've been looking for you for so long! I thought I'd never see you again, sob, Uncle!"
His crying stunned everyone.