Li Qiang laughed and said, "So you two know each other?"
Hong Qian said, "Uncle-Master, I met this child in the Ruined Tomb Stronghold when I was cultivating in the Western Continent. He was only seven or eight years old at the time. Later, I entrusted him to a friend to raise. I saw him again when he was in his twenties, and then I haven't seen him since."
With tears in his eyes, Lang Qianye said, "Uncle, you look even younger than you did back then. I thought you were already all white-haired. I really didn't expect this."
Hong Qian patted his shoulder and laughed, "Get up, Yezi. If you keep saying that, I'll be an old codger by now. Come and greet my martial uncle."
Lang Qianye was quite surprised, because Li Qiang looked even younger. If Qi Junsha were here, he probably would have fainted; they were all so young. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Junior Lang Qianye greets senior." He performed a formal kneeling bow.
Li Qiang quickly helped him up and said with a smile, "Don't call me 'senior,' it sounds awkward. Just call me 'boss.' Hehe, this is for you."
Li Qiang handed him a Lesser Origin-Nurturing Pill and said with a smile, "Take this while practicing your martial arts; it will be very effective."
Lang Qianye thanked him repeatedly, appearing very excited. Bi Shi, Bi Tong, Wan Gong all looked at Lang Qianye with envy, knowing that the elixir given by Li Qiang must be extraordinary, but they were too embarrassed to ask for it.
Lang Qianye was a renowned expert in the Western Continent. He had received guidance from Hong Qian and knew some cultivation methods, and was skilled in using a broadsword. He asked, "Uncle, how did you come to Rock Stronghold?"
Hong Qian laughed and said, "We saw the smoke billowing here from afar, so we came to take a look. Who knew that the Fan Kingdom warriors would attack us without any explanation? That's why my martial uncle had to intervene."
Wan Gong laughed and said, "The rain is getting heavier, Brother Lang, let's go inside the village and talk about it."
Heavy rain, accompanied by lightning and thunder, seemed to tear open a rift in the sky, with torrential rain pouring down, blurring the surrounding scenery.
Lang Qianye hurriedly said, "Oh dear, please come in! It was my oversight. Boss, Uncle, Brother, let's go into the village." The group mounted their Black-Tipped Mount and rode towards the Rock Stronghold.
The largest house in the Rock Stronghold is a wooden building perched high on the rock face. It is owned by the chief of the local tribe. The wooden building is close to the rock face, and a huge space has been carved out of the rock face, which serves as the back hall.
Lang Qianye led the way to the cave's main hall, then instructed his men to bring hot water for everyone to wash up, and also to bring dry clothes. Li Qiang also asked for a set, because his outfit was too conspicuous.
Everyone sat down. Li Qiang had a question lingering in his mind, so he asked, " Qianye, why are the Fan Kingdom warriors attacking you?"
Lang Qianye smiled bitterly, "It's all because of the people from the Ladu Kingdom. This time, we were escorting an important figure from the Ladu Kingdom. Alas, I don't know how, the news leaked out, and the warriors from the Fan Kingdom kept tracking us. Finally, they blocked us at Rock Stronghold. Fortunately, the chieftain of Rock Stronghold is my friend, and he managed to hold them off thanks to the terrain of Rock Stronghold. Otherwise, we would have been finished."
Nashan exclaimed, "No wonder! Princess Lanqiu was also chased by warriors from the Fan Kingdom on the Tanbang Continent. It seems that the Fan Kingdom and the Ladu Kingdom a grudge."
Lang Qianye exclaimed in surprise, "You know Princess Lanqiu? She's a renowned and compassionate princess in the Ladu Kingdom, enjoying immense prestige among the people, and she's also the crown prince of the Ladu Kingdom!"
Li Qiang and his companions were stunned. Good heavens! Princess Lanqiu was actually the future emperor of the Ladu Kingdom.
Nashan opened his mouth, and after a long while, he finally said, "Crown Prince? Emperor? A woman?" He simply couldn't understand it.
Li Qiang stood up and took a few steps. He felt very uncomfortable in his clothes, so he couldn't help but imitate Qi Junsha, tearing off the hem of his white robe and pulling off the long sleeves. He sighed and laughed, "That's much better. Hmm, Qianye, do you know about the Heavenly Road Grassland?"
The people in the hall found Li Qiang's behavior strange and couldn't understand why he would tear off his perfectly fine clothes; his current appearance was very odd.
Lang Qianye dared not laugh at Li Qiang. He answered respectfully, "Boss, I know a little. The Wind Vulture Escort Agency are quite well-informed about this. The Blessing Bailing of the Heavenly Road Grassland... it is indeed true. However, our chief guard strictly forbids anyone from participating because the Lark is involved with the Wild Plains. Alas! The Wild Plains..." He pondered for a moment, then continued, " The Wild Plains has been very strange these past few years. Not to mention going in, even the towns and villages near the Wild Plains have become deserted because people keep dying inexplicably. I've heard many rumors that something big seems to be happening in the Wild Plains, but no one can say for sure what it is, causing widespread panic."
Hong Qian was the only one among them who had ever approached the Wild Plains. Although his master had led him around the outer perimeter of the Wild Plains, they still hadn't been able to enter its heartland. Even so, he knew more about the Wild Plains than anyone else. But now, he couldn't figure out what had happened in the Wild Plains that would cause such panic and unease among everyone, with even cultivators from the Cultivation Realm flocking to the Western Continent in an attempt to find out what major event had occurred.
Hong Qian said, " Yezi, your chief guard is very wise. You should not get involved; it's very dangerous."
Lang Qianye hesitated for a moment and said, "Yes, there's another legend about the Blessing Bailing on the Heavenly Road Grassland. It's said to be a scam, designed to deceive the ignorant. Once you're tricked, you'll be left without a trace. Uncle, that's why our chief guards have strictly forbidden anyone from going. Actually, recently, many caravans and merchants have been planning to stop and assess the situation. Some of the rumors are really terrifying."
The cave hall and the wooden building in front are connected by a short wooden bridge with a wooden railing. Standing at the cave entrance, you can clearly see the sky outside. Rainwater splashes down from the rocky cave entrance like a waterfall, making a constant "whoosh" sound.
Li Qiang walked to the railing, a sudden wave of unease washing over him. He stared at the raindrops, lost in thought.
A guard ran across the wooden bridge, shouting, "Chief Guard! Chief Guard! Our scouts have returned with news that the Fan Kingdom warriors have retreated; they seem to be in a great hurry, leaving very hastily."
Lang Qianye asked curiously, "What happened? Why did they retreat so quickly? This isn't like the habits of the Fan Kingdom warriors. Strange!" He thought for a moment and said, "Investigate again."
Soon, the guard returned to report, "All the Fan Kingdom warriors have disappeared."
Although Lang Qianye had some doubts, he was relieved when the Fan Kingdom warriors retreated.
Li Qiang suddenly said, "I have a bad feeling..."
Nashan asked in surprise, "Boss, what's making you uneasy? I don't feel anything."
Hong Qian said, "Strange, now that you mention it, I also have a strange feeling. I feel a little uneasy, but I can't quite put my finger on why."
Everyone found it strange, as nothing seemed to have changed around them.
Lang Qianye asked, "Boss, Uncle, shall we go together?"
Li Qiang shook his head and said, "No, let's go first. I have a feeling something big is about to happen." He suddenly had a very clear feeling that something serious must have happened somewhere nearby. Although he couldn't say exactly what it was, this strong feeling couldn't lie to him.
Li Qiang called out, " Hong Qian, Wan Gong, we'll go first. Qianye, be careful on the road. The situation is very strange. Everyone needs to hurry." After saying that, he quickly walked outside.
Lang Qianye hurriedly followed, though he didn't understand why, but Li Qiang's words were undeniable.
The group arrived at the gate of the wooden building. A guard led the Black-Tipped Mount over, and Li Qiang leaped onto one without saying a word. Hong Qian and the others, not understanding why, followed suit and mounted Li Qiang Black-Tipped Mount. Before Lang Qianye could say goodbye, Li Qiang had already urged the Black-Tipped Mount to rush into the heavy rain.
Li Qiang galloped on without saying a word, only urging the Black-Tipped Mount onward. Hong Qian and the others didn't dare to ask, simply following closely behind. Wan Gong tried several times to lead the way, but found that Li Qiang hadn't gone the wrong way, which puzzled him greatly.
Li Qiang focused intently on a single point in his thoughts. All he wanted to do was shorten the distance to that point, concentrating his mind completely on it and eliminating all other distractions.
Hong Qian, Paben, and Nashan fared somewhat better, but Wan Gong, Bi Tong, and Bi Shi were in dire straits; the long ride had taken its toll on all three of them.
Hong Qian called out, "Uncle-Master, let's take a rest!"
Li Qiang turned his head and saw that Wan Gong and the other two were soaked to the bone, shivering in the wind and rain. He felt a pang of guilt and said, " Wan Gong, is there anywhere nearby where we can take shelter from the rain?"
The three Wan Gong were already starving and freezing, and could hardly take it anymore. He wiped the rain from his face and said loudly, "Boss, let's hurry, we'll Zhigai Mountain Pass just ahead."
Li Qiang was actually very anxious. This was the first time he had felt so uneasy. He was eager to know what had happened ahead, so he said, "Alright! Let's speed up!" The seven men urged the Black-Tipped Mount and galloped off again.
As darkness fell, the massive silhouette of the Zhigai Mountain Pass came into view. Wan Gong could barely keep his balance on his Black-Tipped Mount; his whole body ached and he felt weak. As soon as he saw the Zhigai Mountain Pass, he shouted, "We're almost there! There's a small town over there where we can rest!"
Bi Tong also said, "I can't believe it, we've covered such a long distance in such a short time. The Black-Tipped Mount are exhausted."
Dark rooftops were beginning to appear ahead, though there was no light. Wan Gong rode ahead into the town, followed closely by the other six.
Wan Gong shouted, "I know an inn, everyone follow me!"
His voice and the sound of the Black-Tipped Mount's hooves echoed through the street. Li Qiang asked in surprise, "Why is there no one in this town?"
Nashan looked around and said, "Boss, I really can't see anything. Damn it, it's deathly still, I can't hear a sound."
Wan Gong stopped in front of an inn and shouted, "Waiter! We have a guest!"
All around was silent, except for the sound of the rain and the impatient roars of the Black-Tipped Mount; it felt just like being in the wilderness.
Nashan shouted, "Hey! Is anyone there?"
Li Qiang said, "Something's not right! Hong Qian, go in and take a look!"
Hong Qian didn't knock on the door; he simply Black-Tipped Mount and flew into the inn.
Bi Shi was the youngest and least skilled. He trembled uncontrollably and whispered, "It's so cold. Why is no one here?" He looked around and saw Li Qiang and the others sitting steadily on their Black-Tipped Mount, their expressions unchanged, as if they had already blended into the darkness. He then looked at Wan Gong and saw that he was also looking around anxiously, just like him.
The heavy rain suddenly stopped without warning, and a gust of cold wind blew by. Nashan muttered under his breath, "Damn it, the yin energy is so strong!"
"Crunch, crunch—"
The inn's doors opened, and Hong Qian emerged, saying, "Uncle-Master, everyone inside is fast asleep, seemingly possessed by something. Please come in."
Li Qiang leaped off the Black-Tipped Mount and said, "Let's go in. Don't worry about what's causing the ghost. Wan Gong are too tired; let them rest for a bit." Before he finished speaking, the little Sea Demon suddenly flew up from his lower back, landed on his shoulder, and shook its little head, looking around while making low "cooing" sounds.
"The little Sea Demon seems to have discovered something," Paben said curiously.
Li Qiang said, "Never mind that for now. Paben, help Wan Gong down. Nashan, lead the Black-Tipped Mount into the courtyard." He turned around and helped the Bi Tong and Bi Shi brothers down. The three of Wan Gong were numb all over, and it took them a while to recover after getting off the ground.
Li Qiang said, "Your physical condition is too poor. I'll give you a elixir tonight to help you recover."
The three Wan Gong were overjoyed, feeling that their hard work had not been in vain, and hurriedly expressed their gratitude.
Li Qiang walked into the inn, with Hong Qian following closely behind. The scene in the room was astonishing: four men who looked like shop assistants were lying by the wall of books, another man was lying behind the counter, and several merchants were scattered on the floor.
Li Qiang walked over to one of the waiters, reached under his nose to check, and said suspiciously, "Strange, it seems like he's not breathing."
Hong Qian said, "There's still a heartbeat; I don't know why this is happening."
As soon as Wan Gong entered the room, he wanted to lie down immediately, feeling as if all the bones in his body were about to crack. Bi Shi was so tired that all he wanted to do was sleep. He climbed onto the counter, lay down, and stretched vigorously. Suddenly, Li Qiang shouted, "Don't sleep! Get up!" Everyone was startled by his shout. Bi Shi rolled over and fell off the counter, already unconscious.
Bi Tong cried out in alarm, "What's going on? Brother! Don't sleep! Get up!"
Li Qiang strode to Bi Shi's side, lifted his body, and found that he had the same symptom as everyone else lying there: his breathing had stopped, and only his heart was beating slowly.
Bi Tong was nearly frantic with worry. He grabbed Bi Shi and cried out, "Brother... you..." His body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.
Immediately afterwards, Wan Gong also collapsed to the ground.
Nashan shook his Baldy vigorously and said in a strange voice, "Huh? I'm dizzy." He grabbed Paben and shouted, "Oh no! We need to quickly circulate our internal energy!"
Paben also felt unwell, and upon hearing this, he immediately sat down. The two of them worked together to fight off the inexplicable drowsiness.
Li Qiang sensed something was wrong and immediately sat down cross-legged, saying, " Hong Qian, protect me!" He focused his mind into his Nascent Soul, and his Divine Sense immediately left his body. Hong Qian flew Dusty Firmament Shattered Gold Swords, enveloping everyone inside. Although he wasn't sleepy, he felt a sense of fear, wondering what was causing the trouble.
This was Li Qiang's third time projecting his Divine Sense into his body. Seeing Hong Qian unleash his twin swords, he felt slightly relieved and began to carefully observe his surroundings. He discovered that the room was filled with thin, long black threads, appearing and disappearing, floating uncertainly. If he hadn't projected his consciousness into his Divine Sense to see, he would have been completely unable to detect them. He sensed that the black threads were immediately destroyed as soon as they flew close to Hong Qian's flying swords. Looking more closely at the people lying on the ground, he saw that their bodies were completely wrapped in black threads, and there were more and more of them. Only Wan Gong and the other two, protected by Hong Qian's sword light, still had a few threads left.
After inspecting more than a dozen rooms, Li Qiang found these strange, fine threads everywhere. His knowledge was still limited; he didn't know these were the infamous, insidious Soul-Seizing Threads. While they were unlikely to affect cultivators, ordinary people were powerless against them. Li Qiang's Divine Sense quickly swept across the town, finding the same phenomenon everywhere. Not daring to linger outside, Li Qiang abruptly withdrew his Divine Sense and opened his eyes.
Hong Qian asked, "Uncle-Master, what is causing this trouble?"
Li Qiang said, "Do you know about those very fine black threads that are invisible to the naked eye? I can only see them with my Divine Sense. It seems that if a person gets into contact with that stuff, they're doomed. It's a really strange thing."
Hong Qian pondered anxiously for a while, then said, "I don't know what that thing is either. This won't do; we're basically trapped here."
Li Qiang already knew that the flying sword could remove the black silk, so he immediately flew out the Star-Absorbing Sword. His control over the flying sword was now quite precise. The silver Sword-Ray rolled over the bodies of Wan Gong and the other two, and at the same time, the Sword-Ray suddenly expanded, and the whole room was filled with silver light.
Hong Qian asked, puzzled, "Uncle-Master, what's going on?"
Li Qiang didn't answer, and then swept the room three more times with his flying sword before putting away his Star-Absorbing Sword and saying, "The black silk is afraid of flying swords; it disperses as soon as the sword light stirs it. This room should have been cleared out."
As they spoke, Wan Gong turned over and began snoring loudly, while Bi Shi and Bi Tong's breathing also became heavy. Hong Qian said with delight, "Hehe, they're awake, but they were too tired and fell asleep again."
Nashan and Paben stood up. Nashan asked, "Boss, have you found out who's behind this?"
Suddenly, the little Sea Demon cried out, flashed with Blue Light, and flew into the courtyard. Li Qiang followed in a flash and arrived in the courtyard. He saw that the little Sea Demon was emitting a crystal-clear Blue Light. Under the illumination of the Blue Light, countless faint souls floated into the air, and for a moment, a chilling wind blew.
Li Qiang hurriedly beckoned the little Sea Demon down, his heart filled with rage. He said, " Hong Qian, you stay here and protect them. I'll go see which bastard is collecting souls."
Li Qiang raised his hand, donned the Billowing Essence Battle Armor and the Radiant Sun Ring, and silently flew into the air. The dim night could not obstruct his vision at all; he saw countless souls drifting out of the town, and he searched in the direction the souls were going.
Outside the town lay a forest, where the souls slowly gathered and drifted downwards. Li Qiang followed, landing in the woods and swiftly maneuvering around the tangled roots of the trees. He faintly heard muttering sounds, as if someone was chanting some kind of spell. The forest was devoid of any life; only the monotonous rustling of the wind through the treetops and the pitter-patter of water dripping from the trees created an unsettling silence. Li Qiang understood that all the souls of the living beings in the town had been entangled by those strange black threads and then sucked here.
A sliver of pale green light pierced through the depths of the dense forest. Li Qiang's spirits lifted, knowing his opponent must be approaching. He lowered himself from the tree trunk, hovering about half a meter from the ground, and lunged at them.
Suddenly, Li Qiang's mind raced, and he lunged forward with lightning speed. Two arrows flashing green light flew overhead. Before his opponents could fire a second arrow, Li Qiang unleashed his Star-Absorbing Sword- Absorbing Sword, its starlight blazing intensely, instantly illuminating the two ambushers.
Knowing his location had been exposed, Li Qiang decided to force his way in. His Star-Absorbing Sword swept across like a halo, utterly shattering the two ambushers into pieces, blood splattering everywhere. Even a nearby tree, as thick as a person's embrace, was severed. "Crack... Boom... Snap!" The tree broke and collapsed, and Li Qiang roared as he charged out.
At the same time, a deafening roar came from the other side of the forest. The forest was a huge clearing, and strange flags flew all around. Li Qiang saw them at a glance and was slightly startled. He knew the power of the Flag Gate Formation, but he couldn't figure out the mystery of this formation for the time being.
He raised his hand and pointed, Star-Absorbing Sword transformed into a silver dragon, charging forward fiercely. He wanted to test what was going on with this Flag Gate Formation.
A series of thunderous explosions came from the other side of the Flag Gate Formation, illuminating the open space. It was unclear who was also attacking the Flag Gate Formation.
A thick, blood-red mist surged out of the Flag Gate Formation, and the Star-Absorbing Sword suddenly exploded. Li Qiang flicked his finger and shot out a Heavenly Fire Purple Flower. The Star-Absorbing Sword abruptly contracted and spun rapidly around Li Qiang. That Heavenly Fire was truly powerful. As soon as the blood-red mist touched it, the sound was like a cup of cold water being poured onto charcoal. With a "whoosh," the blood-red mist instantly dissipated.
Li Qiang found the Heavenly Fire to be incredibly useful. With a flick of his finger, four or five more Heavenly Fire Purple Flower flew out. He made the Heavenly Fire surround himself and forcefully broke into the Flag Gate Formation.
As soon as he entered the formation, his vision went dark, and countless sharp needles flew towards him. Li Qiang yelled, "What the hell? Break!" He formed a magic seal with his hands, stacking four layers together, and countless colorful ribbons gathered around him. With his shout, a bright rainbow flew out from his palm. He unleashed the Star-Absorbing Sword, the Heavenly Fire Purple Flower, and the Eighteen Demon-Extinguishing Hands simultaneously. The Eighteen Demon-Extinguishing Hands, in particular, were the nemesis of this insidious Flag Gate Formation.
The explosion was deafening. The Flag Gate Formation was no match for the violent impact and immediately fell apart, with the flags flying in the air flying wildly. Before the formation's master could restart the setup, the Heavenly Fire began to unleash its power. The long black flag closest to Li Qiang was touched by the Heavenly Fire and was instantly burned to ashes.
If even one flag in the Flag Gate Formation is destroyed, the power of the entire formation will immediately weaken.
Before Li Qiang could attack again, a deafening roar erupted, and a massive burst of cold air spread out. Li Qiang felt a flash of light before his eyes; the Flag Gate Formation had been completely destroyed. In the open space stood an altar over three meters high, triangular in shape, with a black pillar at each corner. In the center of the circular platform, a black staff was inserted, its tip adorned with a grotesque skull whose eyes were flashing red.
Three figures dressed in black robes floated beside the skull, chanting incantations with their eyes closed.
Li Qiang clearly saw that the souls floating in the air were being devoured by the skull on the Divergent Method, and that skull seemed to be laughing horribly.
Li Qiang was shocked and then enraged.