Li Qiang shouted, "Who are you people?"
Suddenly, countless arrows flashing green light shot out from the woods, and the three men in black robes chanted their incantations even faster.
Li Qiang completely ignored the incoming arrows, Star-Absorbing Sword rushed straight at the three people on the stage. The Heavenly Fire Purple Flower that was swirling around him also split into three flowers that flew towards the three people.
Unexpectedly, the strange staff suddenly emitted a red light, and a tremendous power surged out, blocking the Star-Absorbing Sword outside the altar.
However, the three Heavenly Fire Purple Flower were unimpeded and rapidly shot into the bodies of the three black-robed men.
The incantation stopped abruptly, and the three let out inhuman screams. "Oh... oh... yay! Ancestor... save..."
The power of the Heavenly Fire was so great that even cultivation experts dared not underestimate it, and these three wizard-like fellows were even less capable, turning to ashes in less than twenty seconds.
The vicious arrows that were shot at Li Qiang were blocked by the golden light of the Radiant Sun Ring before they could even touch him, and the Heavenly Fire surrounding him immediately burned them to ashes.
The souls floating in the air immediately became like kites with broken strings; some drifted rapidly back the way they came, while others ran around in all directions.
As soon as the three black-robed men died, the staff on the altar suddenly flew up, and a huge, grotesque skeleton emerged, emitting a terrifying, eerie laugh. Someone shouted, "Who did that? That's Devil Artifact... the Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand!"
Li Qiang had no idea what the Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand was, yet he charged forward fearlessly. Suddenly, an extremely cold sensation seeped into his body, and countless strange and bizarre thoughts flooded his mind. He couldn't help but shiver and muttered to himself, "Strange! What is this thing?"
He felt a wave of weakness wash over him, and his mind went blank for a moment.
Suddenly, the little Sea Demon unleashed its power, its entire body flashing with Blue Light, and the string of Buddhist beads around its neck also emitted a brown glow. Li Qiang smelled a strong, strange fragrance, and his mind jolted. He then heard someone outside shout, "There's Soul-Devouring Demon..." Li Qiang rallied his spirits and quickly retreated.
He now understood: this Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand could attack people, and it was a mental attack; the wand seemed to have its own consciousness.
Li Qiang flew into the air. He dared not use the four-layered talisman again, because the previous attack had already consumed a small portion of his True Essence Power. He released the giant purple Bobo Purple Flame Giant Palm, and immediately a series of cracking sounds rang out. He shouted, "Here you go!" The crimson giant palm suddenly swelled up.
The strange, monstrous Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand spewed out a cloud of blood-red smoke, instantly enveloping the Purple Flame Giant Palm as if it wanted to devour it.
Li Qiang was so shocked that his hair stood on end. He pointed at the Star-Absorbing Sword and thrust it forward. The Star-Absorbing Sword transformed into a long, silver sword rainbow, sweeping straight at the Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand. He hoped to use this move to break this terrifying magic wand.
On the other side of the sky, a man and a woman suddenly appeared. The man threw a string of small white balls at the Blood Flame, while impatiently saying to Li Qiang, "Get out of the way, don't block the way!" His tone was extremely arrogant.
A series of explosions rang out, and the blood-red smoke dissipated instantly. Li Qiang discovered that the Purple Flame Giant Palm he had just unleashed was still there. With a thought, he shouted, "Explode!"
"Bang... Boom!"
Like boiling water bursting open, steam billowed and roared. A shrill scream rang out, and the surrounding trees trembled violently. A rustling sound came from the woods as countless Fan Kingdom warriors emerged, their eyes glazed as they surged toward the clearing, covered in mud and leaves, as if they had been buried alive and then dug out.
Li Qiang felt that the Star-Absorbing Sword had touched something, so he spat out a mouthful of True Essence Power into the sword shadow. Another earth-shattering explosion rang out, and the Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand, which had shot into the sky, broke in two.
Li Qiang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had finally killed the magic wand. He had just put away the Heavenly Fire Purple Flower and the Radiant Sun Ring, and also put the Star-Absorbing Sword into his body, when suddenly a strange change occurred.
The broken wand suddenly flew through the air to the edge of the woods, and the two people in the air shouted almost simultaneously, "Stop it! Force it back into the air!"
Li Qiang didn't understand what this meant and asked, "What?"
With just this slight delay, a cloud of blood mist rose into the sky, and in less than ten seconds, hundreds of the Fan Kingdom warriors on the open ground were all shattered into blood mist. The Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand, enveloped in thick blood mist, emitted a terrifying and strange "cawing" sound and suddenly darted into the forest.
The two people in the air shouted angrily, "Damn it! Are you an idiot? Why didn't you stop it?!"
Li Qiang was stunned. This was the first time he had been called a scoundrel since entering the Cultivation Realm, and he felt a little confused.
Flying over to them, Li Qiang asked, "Who are you? Why are you swearing at me?" His expression was indifferent.
The man said, " Sister Yun, I don't know where this guy came from, so arrogantly thinking he could destroy the Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand. All our preparations have been wasted. Let's go! What bad luck to run into such an idiot, he doesn't understand anything."
The woman also looked unhappy. "That's right, we're going to get scolded by our master when we get back."
Li Qiang was furious, but he held back and coldly said, "I've truly broadened my horizons. There are such a pair of clowns in the Cultivation Realm. Farewell!"
He couldn't be bothered with such a person and turned to leave, but the man was even angrier than him, shouting, "Hey! Leave your name and sect, this True Person wants to know if you're Evil Dao." His expression was utterly arrogant.
The woman chimed in, "That's right! If it's a demon or monster, surrender now! Hmph, our Heavenly Halberd Peak Orchid Ring Palace specializes in dealing with all evil things!"
Li Qiang was utterly astonished; these two guys were actually from Heavenly Halberd Peak! His impression of Heavenly Halberd Peak immediately soured. He coldly said, "You're not worthy to ask which sect I belong to." He looked up at the sky and added, "Damn it! What bad luck today, running into a ghost as soon as I stepped out the door."
His words had a double meaning, which enraged both of them.
These two guys were used to ruling the Western Continent, and they didn't really see how Li Qiang was fighting the Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand. They underestimated Li Qiang, thinking that he would obediently listen to a few words of reprimand. But Li Qiang completely ignored them. The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously launched their sword lights at Li Qiang.
Li Qiang hadn't planned to fight, and knowing his opponent was from Heavenly Halberd Peak, he became somewhat careless.
The sudden attack caught Li Qiang off guard. The distance between them was far too close. In an instant, he was sent flying a hundred meters by the Billowing Essence Battle Armor Billowing Essence Battle Armor. As expected of a top-grade armor, Li Qiang was unharmed despite being hit repeatedly. The Billowing Essence Battle Armor's dazzling golden light shone brightly amidst the loud "clanging" sounds.
The two men thought that even if their sneak attack couldn't destroy Li Qiang's physical body, it would at least leave him defenseless. Both of them were Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivators, considered quite rare experts in the Western Continent. However, they didn't know that Li Qiang had already entered the Leaving the Body Realm stage.
The woman said, "Senior brother, his armor is very strange..."
The man said, " Sister Yun, who cares about any armor? With our swords combined, who can stop us? They'll be half dead if they don't die... Hmph! Dare to fight me..." He looked smug.
An angry roar echoed from the forest, Li Qiang, enraged by the attack. He could hardly believe such a shameless sneak attack had been committed against a cultivator, and a nameless fury erupted within him.
Before he could even put on the Radiant Sun Ring, he spat out the Star-Absorbing Sword, leaped into the sky, and suddenly turned and swooped down. The Star-Absorbing Sword Sword's silver light shone with a silvery-purple hue due to Li Qiang's anger, illuminating the sky. The deafening sound of the Sword-Ray cutting through the air was like rumbling thunder.
This was Li Qiang's all-out attack. It was the first time he had ever been so angry. He could tolerate the arrogance and disdain of these two men, but he could not tolerate their shameless sneak attack.
The two men suddenly realized they had messed with a formidable opponent. The man shouted, " Sister Yun, combine your swords and kill him!"
Two crystalline sword lights met the Star-Absorbing Sword.
The Star-Absorbing Sword Sword's aura resembled a blooming chrysanthemum, leaving dazzling petals in the air. The petals suddenly dispersed, bypassing the combined twin swords, and flowed down like mercury.
Li Qiang's hands were enveloped in purple Heavenly Fire, which he deliberately kept a thin layer floating in his palms. His Divine Sense was fixed on Heavenly Fire incoming twin swords. He laughed loudly, "Haha! Shameless bastards! Watch my power!"
His hands trembled slightly as he wove the tiny, sand-like Heavenly Fire into a faint purple net—a technique he had just figured out.
The combined power of the two swords was originally immense, but unfortunately, they encountered Li Qiang's Heavenly Fire Purple Flower, which put them at a significant disadvantage. The moment the two swords touched the net formed by the Heavenly Fire, the tiny Heavenly Fire clung to them like moths to a flame. In a split second, the two flying swords turned into a sky full of sparks and vanished without a trace. At the same time, the Star-Absorbing Sword exploded repeatedly, blasting the two men into the air.
Although Li Qiang was furious, he didn't want to kill the two men because he knew they were from Heavenly Halberd Peak. No matter how despicable they were, he didn't want to harm them out of consideration for his friends.
Li Qiang had already shown mercy, but this sword strike still caused the couple considerable suffering. Their armor cracked and sputtered, with countless cracks spreading from the inside, and it looked like they were about to be completely destroyed.
With their flying swords destroyed, both men suffered severe mental and physical damage. The man spat out a mouthful of blood, glaring at Li Qiang with venomous eyes, and said fiercely, "Good! Well done! You'd better come to Heavenly Halberd Peak if you dare!"
Li Qiang glanced at the two men with disdain, then shook his head slightly, clearly having no interest in talking to them.
As the two watched Li Qiang turn to leave, the woman shrieked, "If you've got the guts, leave your name! I swear to avenge this!"
Li Qiang said indifferently, "Shameless bastard, I have no interest in dealing with you. Get the hell out of here!"
The man roared at the top of his lungs, "You dare to provoke our Heavenly Halberd Peak in the Western Continent... We will absolutely not let you get away with this! Just you wait! Sister Yun, let's go!"
The two men's sinister gazes made Li Qiang feel that he shouldn't let them go. He sighed, thinking to himself, "So there are also cowards and opportunists in the Cultivation Realm." He turned to leave.
The woman called out again, "Hey! Men, leave your names! If you're afraid of retaliation from Heavenly Halberd Peak, then leave... Haha! That just proves you're a coward!"
Li Qiang found it amusing; they'd even resorted to provocation, and it seemed they were truly enraged.
Li Qiang turned and took a step closer, saying, "Oh, so you're all tough guys and leave your names? You two are courting death. I've heard of Heavenly Halberd Peak Heavenly Halberd Peak, but I only just found out that it has arrogant and conceited fellows like you. I'll say it again, you two despicable bastards aren't worthy to ask my name. I'm telling you, I will definitely go to Heavenly Halberd Peak. Haha! Now, you two get the hell out of here! Get far away! Lest I lose control and rip out your Nascent Soul."
The two men retreated steadily as Li Qiang approached, completely different from their arrogant demeanor just moments before.
The two men were so enraged by Li Qiang's scolding that their faces turned pale and then red, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably. You should know that when Li Qiang starts cursing, even someone with the composure of a god would be driven half to death with rage.
The man's voice changed. "Good! Well said!" He grabbed his junior sister and soared into the sky, leaving a trail of words in the distance. "I'm not finished with you!"
Li Qiang let out a deafening laugh, "Haha! Hahaha! I'm not afraid of dying!"
That's infuriating!
The forest clearing was a scene of utter devastation, stained black and red with blood, the stench of which was overwhelming. Dozens of tattered black flags lay scattered on the ground. Li Qiang, using his Divine Sense, perceived that each flag seemed to imprison countless wronged souls, writhing and wailing within them.
He knew that keeping these things would definitely harm people, but he didn't know what to do with them. After thinking for a while, he pushed the black flags into the air, and the Star-Absorbing Sword- Absorbing Sword flew out. With a flash of silver light, the black flags shattered into small pieces and scattered in the wind.
Just as Li Qiang put away the Star-Absorbing Sword, the little Sea Demon suddenly cried out loudly. Li Qiang was slightly taken aback, and saw the fragments scattered in the air suddenly make " Bobo " sounds, and in an instant, countless souls scattered.
The little Sea Demon excitedly flew into the sky, circling around and around, rapidly devouring the scattered souls, its body gleaming with dazzling Blue Light.
Li Qiang was unaware that if it weren't for the little Sea Demon's help in devouring souls, he would have caused a great disaster. These cultivated souls are difficult to dissipate on their own in nature. Releasing them from their confinement would only result in them harming people. Moreover, these souls can grow stronger by devouring weaker flying souls and scattered spirits. When they reach a certain level, they will become demons, and in that case, Li Qiang would have committed a terrible sin.
In a short while, the little Sea Demon devoured all the souls flying around. The Blue Light emanating from the little Sea Demon intensified, and Li Qiang intuitively sensed that the little Sea Demon was about to undergo another transformation.
As expected, the little Sea Demon, suddenly receiving so much soul energy, began a rapid transformation. This transformation was different from the last one; countless rays of azure light flew up from the little Sea Demon's body. These rays were as tangible and crystal clear as solid matter. Gradually, these azure rays gathered together, forming a dazzling azure pearl that spun rapidly in the air, illuminating the sky and the forests.
Li Qiang was slightly startled. He flew out his Star-Absorbing Sword to protect the little Sea Demon. He knew that the inner core of this little Sea Demon was a rare treasure and could easily be coveted by others. In order to help the little Sea Demon transform quickly, he couldn't help but use his True Essence Power to help it. The little Sea Demon received Li Qiang's energy and cried out joyfully.
The pearl finally solidified, and the little Sea Demon opened its mouth and inhaled it, then quickly pounced into Li Qiang's arms. Li Qiang unintentionally helped it cultivate its inner core, and at the same time, completely tamed the little Sea Demon.
The little Sea Demon playfully bumped her head against Li Qiang's chest, looking very happy.
Li Qiang took out a piece of Black Zi. The little Sea Demon shook its head repeatedly, its long, sapphire-blue feathers swaying incessantly, looking very cute. It stretched out its little red paws, grabbed the Black Zi, and threw it on the ground, whimpering as if it didn't like the food at all.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "If you don't want Black Zi, what do you want? Oh, right, you like to eat crystals. Okay, here's one for you."
Watching the little Sea Demon hug a Rain Splendor Stone like it was eating a cookie, with the "crunch" sound ringing out, Li Qiang found it very amusing.
As dawn broke, Li Qiang suddenly remembered that Hong Qian and the others were still in the town, and hurriedly flew back the way he came.
He quickly arrived above the town, by which time it was already broad daylight. The town was shrouded in a thin mist, from which came the sounds of wailing.
Li Qiang hurriedly returned to the inn. As soon as he entered his room, he heard Hong Qian ask, "... How many people died?"
Nashan spotted Li Qiang immediately and shouted, "Boss! You're finally back! What happened? So many people died in town today!"
Seeing that Hong Qian and the others were all safe and sound, Li Qiang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "We were fighting all night, and we even ran into two annoying guys. Is Wan Gong alright now?"
Wan Gong laughed and said, "It's strange. I don't know what I did after entering the inn yesterday. It's like I closed my eyes and opened them again and it was already dawn. I've never slept so soundly in my life."
Li Qiang took out three Lesser Origin-Nurturing Pill and handed them to Wan Gong: "Quickly take these pills, preferably while practicing your skills, the effect will be better. We'll leave in a little while, this time is enough. Go quickly, Paben, protect them."
Nashan laughed, "And remember, bring the toilet with you! Hehe." He remembered his experience in the Black Prison very clearly.
Wan Gong, Bi Shi, and Bi Tong were overjoyed and thanked them repeatedly. After entering the inner room, they ate the elixir and began practicing their skills, while Paben sat guarding them from the side.
Li Qiang then told Hong Qian about his experience the previous night. Nashan had overheard the Heavenly Halberd Peak men attacking Li Qiang, was furious and yelled, "How dare they attack our boss? I'm not finished with them!"
Li Qiang stopped him, saying, " Nashan, don't act rashly. Hong Qian, do you know anything about the situation at Heavenly Halberd Peak?"
Hong Qian sighed, " Heavenly Halberd Peak... The cultivators on the Tanbang Continent don't know anything about them. I didn't see them when I came to the Western Continent before. They seem very mysterious and have no contact with the local cultivators... To be honest, if it weren't for my uncle fighting with them, I wouldn't even know they were cultivators."
The cries from the town grew louder and louder. Hong Qian sighed, "In just one night, a third of the people in this town have died. Almost every family has someone dead. It's truly tragic!"
Li Qiang knew in his heart that many souls had been devoured by the Overwhelming Annihilation Devil Wand, and some weaker ones had also dissipated outside. If he hadn't taken action this time, this town would probably have become a dead town.
Li Qiang said, "The current situation is a bit strange. I don't know how things are elsewhere, but I feel the signs are very bad. If this is related to the Wild Plains, then our future is extremely bleak. Moreover, I also have some questions about the journey to the Heavenly Road Grassland... Never mind, let's not talk about these things for now, it'll only cause unnecessary anxiety."
Since entering the Leaving the Body Realm, Li Qiang's intuition has become much stronger. Just like yesterday's frantic run, he always felt that something was about to happen, and as a result, he saved most of the people in the town.
He also has a bad feeling about the trip to the Heavenly Road Grassland, but it's not very clear, so he can only wait and see.
In fact, the entire Western Continent was already in chaos at this time, but Li Qiang and his group were unaware of it yet.
Not only are there people on the Western Continent engaging in soul-stealing and spirit-refining practices, but there are also plagues, wars, and a sudden appearance of a large number of Wild Plains beasts. All the countries are in a state of tension, and a large number of cultivators are rushing to Tanbang Star and flooding into the Western Continent. At this time, the Western Continent is like a huge vortex, shrouded in mist, with Sha Qi lurking and dangers lurking everywhere.
Hong Qian said, "We should reunite with our grandmaster as soon as possible. Then we will have nothing to fear."
Li Qiang said with a wry smile, "He's probably already gone to the Wild Plains and won't be waiting for us."
Nashan said, "No way, didn't we agree on that?"
Li Qiang understood that a super expert like Qi Junsha was someone who did whatever he wanted and wouldn't be bound by anything. From the beginning, Li Qiang had no intention of relying on him.
The innkeeper, his eyes red and swollen, walked in with a mournful face and said, "Gentlemen, I'm so sorry, the inn has to close down... I... Waaah! Everyone's dead... Waaah..." He couldn't help but burst into tears.
Li Qiang felt a pang of sorrow and said, "Boss, we'll be leaving soon. The dead can't be brought back to life. Please accept my condolences."
Hong Qian said, "Let's make some preparations first, and leave as soon as Wan Gong comes out."
Nashan patted the innkeeper on the shoulder and said, "Don't cry, hurry back and make arrangements." He then handed the innkeeper some money.
The innkeeper choked back tears, wiped them away, and said, "Alas! You are all good people. If you have a way, leave the Western Continent as soon as possible. This place is in complete chaos, alas..." He turned and walked away with faltering steps.
Li Qiang muttered to himself in confusion, "The entire Western Continent is in chaos? What does that mean?"