Hong Qian had already learned from the Beast-Splitting Tribe Clan that there were cultivators on the Heavenly Road Grassland, so he wasn't surprised. He just couldn't be sure if they were the cultivators the Beast-Splitting Tribe had mentioned.
Nashan eagerly asked, "Boss, should we go take a look?"
Li Qiang said, "Don't provoke them. Let's hurry and check on the caravan."
Paben said with a wry smile, "The caravan is in dire straits; the casualties are heavy, many people have died."
In fact, after being surrounded by the people of Heavenly Halberd Peak, Li Qiang knew that the caravan would have a hard time resisting these monsters. He said, "Let's go and see if we can help in any way. They're really unlucky; they just happened to run into this vortex, and unfortunately, I got entangled in it too."
Hong Qian said, "Yes, the entire Western Continent is in turmoil right now, and what happened on the Heavenly Road Grassland is just one part of it."
Li Qiang sensed something was amiss in his words and asked, " Hong Qian, have you discovered something? Tell me about it."
Hong Qian said, "Uncle-Master, according to the Beast-Splitting Tribe, the recent upheaval in the Heavenly Road Grassland was caused by the Spirit Ghost Master. It involves some ancestor from the Wild Plains, and all the Beast-Splitting Tribe members have been manipulated; they are merely puppets and tools. Just like what we encountered in the town, they seem to be collecting souls. The difference this time is that they seem to require vengeful spirits."
Li Qiang pondered for a long time, still unable to grasp the mystery. Gazing at the scattered sword lights in the distance, he muttered to himself, "What kind of ancestor is this? Who exactly is he?"
Paben asked, "Who was Master fighting with just now?"
Li Qiang sighed and said, "It's cultivators from Heavenly Halberd Peak. They went to great lengths to set a trap in the Heavenly Road Grassland... Never mind, let's not talk about it anymore. This is a bit inexplicable. Let's go back to the caravan and take a look."
Nashan's expression changed upon hearing this; he wanted to say something but held back.
The four landed in the center of the caravan's camp. Li Qiang stared in disbelief at the horrific scene before him. He took out several healing pills and said, " Hong Qian, find some water, dissolve the pills in it, and give them to the injured. Where is Commander Ban Dong? Take me to him."
Hong Qian pointed to Ban Dong sitting on the ground, took the elixir, and busied himself treating the wounded. Nashan and Paben also stepped forward to help.
Li Qiang slowly walked up to Ban Dong and silently looked at him.
"I've let down all my brothers who followed me. So many have died... Alas! Rift-Beast-Clan! Why... why did I insist on going forward? I was truly bewitched." Ban Dong Tong stared blankly at the machete stuck in front of him, speaking with a mixture of regret and resentment. As the leader of the caravan, he simply couldn't face this disaster. With the caravan in such a state, disbanding and closing down were inevitable.
Li Qiang patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, " Ban Dong, there's nothing to regret. Since it's already happened, we need to find a way to solve it. We can deal with the rest later. But right now, you have to turn back; there are even more monsters ahead."
Ban Dong looked up, Li Qiang noticed that his eyes were bloodshot.
Ban Dong growled, "Why would the Beast-Splitting Tribe do this? Damn it... why are they doing this?"
Li Qiang shook his head and said, "They are being controlled; they have no choice in the matter."
Ban Dong was completely stunned. After a long while, two lines of tears streamed down his face—tears of blood. He knew he could never avenge this grudge in his lifetime; someone who could control the Beast-Splitting Tribe was definitely not someone he could deal with.
Ban Dong was, after all, a man who had traveled all over the country, and he calmed down in no time, his face showing a resolute expression. Li Qiang secretly admired him: This man's willpower is extraordinary. To be able to recover so quickly after suffering such a heavy blow is truly remarkable.
Ban Dong bowed deeply. "Thank you, senior!"
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Go ahead!"
Li Qiang turned around and saw Kazhu lying in the mud, one hand still tightly gripping the Black Prison Spear. He rushed forward to help him up, only to find that Kazhu's body was already stiff.
Kazhu's eyes stared blankly at the sky, a large hole torn open in his stomach, his intestines hanging from the horn of a Combat Beast beside him. Li Qiang gently closed his eyelids, and couldn't help but sigh at the fragility of life.
Kazhu held on until the very end before dying. After saving Choujiao, he was accidentally hit in the stomach by a Combat Beast that was running back. Although he shot and killed the Combat Beast with the Black Prison Spear, he was already beyond saving.
All those who came with him, as well as the several merchant friends he met along the way, were killed; no one escaped this calamity.
Ban Dong mustered his strength and directed his exhausted guards to collect the bodies of their fallen comrades.
A thick plume of smoke drifted over, and someone shouted, "The grassland is on fire! It's on fire!"
The fire roared up, crackling and popping, and flames mixed with smoke shot straight into the sky.
Chaos erupted again at the camp. Everyone knew how terrifying a grassland fire was. Ban Dong shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to calm everyone down.
Li Qiang checked the wind direction; thankfully, it wasn't blowing towards the camp. He called out, " Hong Qian, come with me to put out the fire!"
Hong Qian exclaimed, "Uncle-Master, look!"
Sword light flashed in the distance, and the cultivators there also noticed the fire and flew quickly toward this place.
Hong Qian asked, "Uncle-Master, shall we go to meet them?"
Li Qiang said, "Wait a minute, let's see what happens." He already had some doubts about the cultivators here.
Hong Qian was puzzled. His martial uncle loved making friends, but this time he seemed unusually cold. He wondered what the reason was.
Nashan ran over and said, "Boss, a lot of cultivators are flying over there."
Li Qiang ignored Nashan's shouts. He looked up at the sky, his expression calm, lost in thought.
A dozen or so cultivators swept across the sky and headed straight for the fire.
Hong Qian exclaimed in surprise, "Where did these cultivators come from? How come there are so many? Strange, cultivators have always been rare in the Western Continent."
Li Qiang said, "They don't seem to be cultivators from the Western Continent. Look at their clothes and appearance; they're completely different from the people here."
Hong Qian nodded. "It's really different. Uncle-Master, let's go and greet them."
Li Qiang said calmly, "They'll be here. We just need to wait."
The group of cultivators flew over the fire and immediately launched a fierce attack. More than a dozen bolts of lightning flashed, causing the fire to ignite and sparks to fly everywhere, accompanied by deafening explosions.
One of the girls, seemingly the leader, was loudly reprimanding people, saying that this movement was wrong, that attack wasn't fast enough. The group of cultivators were all working very hard to put out the fire using various methods.
Li Qiang and the others were dumbfounded. Where did these guys come from? Their actions were truly baffling.
The fire quickly subsided, and at the command of the leading girl, the other cultivators simultaneously launched their flying swords. In an instant, the sky was filled with sword light, creating a spectacular scene.
Hong Qian couldn't help but laugh, "Hehe, they're quite pretty. Perhaps they're disciples from some major sect, out here to train and cultivate. Hehe, that's quite a sight."
Li Qiang observed carefully and felt that Hong Qian's words made sense. Among this group of cultivators, only a few had reached the Nascent Soul Early Stage, while most of them were still at a very ordinary stage of cultivation. The girl who was directing them was probably at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, and could be considered a cultivation expert. Behind her stood another cultivator, whose level was even higher than hers. He stood silently to the side, looking around, as if he was on guard against something.
A short while later, the cultivators finished extinguishing the fire and flew towards the caravan's camp. They landed on the ground and were shocked to see the caravan's tragic state, whispering amongst themselves.
The girl said, "Quiet down, everyone! This is a caravan from the Western Continent of Tanbang Star. It seems they were just attacked by monsters here. Enough talk, all disciples, go and treat the wounded. This is one of the reasons you came out to cultivate. Let's get moving!"
Li Qiang and Nashan understood what she was saying; it was the language of Heavenly Court Star, and also Li Qiang's hometown dialect. The others, including Wan Gong, did not understand what they were saying.
The group of cultivators immediately dispersed and earnestly began treating the wounded. Li Qiang felt a surge of goodwill towards them, thinking that these were the true cultivators.
Because Li Qiang and his companions weren't wearing armor at the time, the other cultivators didn't notice that there were other cultivators in the camp. Nashan couldn't hold back any longer; hearing his native dialect made him eager to speak, so he shouted, "Hello everyone, hehe, where are you from?"
The group of cultivators all turned to look at Nashan, while Li Qiang smiled silently to the side.
The young cultivator approached, commanding as she went, "Continue rescuing people, don't get distracted." She clasped her hands in a fist salute to Nashan and asked, "May I ask how you know our Ancient Sword Academy's language? You are—"
Nashan asked curiously, "Aren't you from the Heavenly Court Star?"
Li Qiang interjected, " Ancient Sword Academy? Is it the Ancient Sword Academy on Sealed Fate Planet?"
The female cultivator had her hair piled high in a bun, adorned with two small swords at her temples. Her willow-leaf eyebrows were slightly raised, and her bright eyes were particularly expressive, giving her a bold and generous air. She wore a pink dress and was quite tall, not much shorter than Li Qiang.
She said loudly, "That's right, we are cultivators from the Ancient Sword Academy of Sealed Fate Planet. My name is Bai Ruoquan, the Silver Phoenix Sword Master of the Ancient Sword Academy. This is Li Xiaotian, the Golden Scale Sword Master of the Ancient Sword Academy. We have brought our disciples to the Western Continent for cultivation and training. And you are?" It was clear that Bai Ruoquan was a very straightforward person, without any attempt to hide her feelings.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Hehe, my name is Li Qiang, and I am also a cultivator. Although I have never been to Sealed Fate Planet, the Ancient Sword Academy is very famous. I have heard of it for a long time." He was not lying. Fu Shan had mentioned the Ancient Sword Academy Jade Pupil Slip he gave him. The Ancient Sword Academy ranked sixth among the seven most famous cultivation sects on Sealed Fate Planet. It had a large True Person and was very powerful.
Li Xiaotian, like Li Qiang, was also Early Leaving the Body Stage of the Nascent Soul realm. He extended his hand and smiled, "We share the same surname, hehe, it feels very friendly. May I ask what brings you to the Western Continent?"
Li Qiang also extended his hand. "Nothing, just wandering around, haha." The two hands clasped together with a "slap".
Li Qiang smiled slightly, subtly channeling his True Essence Power into his palm without releasing it. However, Li Xiaotian smiled broadly, showing no strength in his hand, leaving Li Qiang extremely embarrassed. He thought to himself, "Damn it, these people from Heavenly Halberd Peak are making me so nervous and suspicious."
Releasing his grip, Li Qiang asked, "When did you arrive in the Western Continent? Where are you planning to go for cultivation and training?"
Bai Ruoquan smiled and said, "We just arrived in the Western Continent, and our first stop is the Heavenly Road Grassland. The main purpose is to let the disciples see the various monsters of the Western Continent and the unique products produced here." She was very curious about Li Qiang and his group. Although there were cultivators everywhere on Sealed Fate Planet, they were still rarely seen on other planets.
Li Xiaotian explained, "This is Ruoquan's first time leading a team out for training. Hehe, I'm their guide and bodyguard."
Bai Ruoquan said coquettishly, "Who needs your protection! We can handle any difficulties we encounter. Hehe, you're more suited to be our guide, but don't worry about anything else." Li Xiaotian smiled kindly and shook his head, saying nothing more.
Li Qiang said, "Just arrived? So the ancient teleportation array is nearby? I didn't expect that."
Hong Qian said, "Let's talk over there; it's too dirty and chaotic here."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "It's alright, they won't care."
Bai Ruoquan looked around and asked, "Why are there so many monsters attacking the caravan? Didn't you help?" Her words were straightforward, and seemed to carry a hint of reproach.
Hong Qian frowned and said with a wry smile, "If we hadn't been here, probably none of the caravan members would have survived. Tens of thousands of Saber-Toothed Hao and Combat Beast, along with countless venomous Fire-Splitting Insect, and two Earthfire Beast following at the very back—this is the first time I've ever seen an attack like this. It was truly overwhelming." He touched his nose and said, "Heh, if you had come sooner, perhaps the losses would have been less."
Bai Ruoquan's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my, that's terrifying! Someone must have deliberately manipulated the monster to attack. I'm sure of it." She seemed quite confident.
Li Qiang asked curiously, "How do you know someone is controlling the monster?"
Bai Ruoquan winked playfully and laughed, "If no one controlled the Combat Beast and the Saber-Toothed Hao, they would have killed each other long ago. They are not the same kind."
Li Xiaotian explained from the side, "Ruoquan is very knowledgeable about these monsters."
Li Qiang said, "I see. By the way, are you aware of the recent events in the Western Continent? Did you hear any news when you left Sealed Fate Planet?" He was eager to know what rumors were circulating about Sealed Fate Planet, as his current lack of information made it difficult for him to accurately assess the situation.
Li Xiaotian said, "What's wrong? We don't know anything. We just came from the desert of Lingyuan Star and don't know the situation here yet." He paused for a moment and said, "We've been out for a long time. The Western Continent is the last stop of our training. We'll be returning to Sealed Fate Planet soon."
Hong Qian said, " The Western Continent is not peaceful right now; it's fraught with danger. However, if you want to cultivate and gain experience, this is a good opportunity."
Li Qiang glared at him, and Hong Qian knew that his martial uncle didn't want to involve them. He rubbed his nose and dared not say anything more.
Bai Ruoquan was very interested and said, "Great! Brother Tian, shall we join?"
Li Xiaotian asked, "Can you tell us what major event has occurred in the Western Continent?" He was more experienced than Bai Ruoquan and was unwilling to make a decision without understanding the situation.
Li Qiang gave a brief introduction to the situation here. Li Xiaotian and Bai Ruoquan's expressions became solemn. Although they believed that this was indeed a good opportunity for training, they also had to consider the safety of their disciples. The two of them hesitated.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "I'm going to Andu Central Stockade to see who's causing trouble on the Heavenly Road Grassland. You don't need to get involved in this mess."
Bai Ruoquan said, "Let me discuss it with Brother Tian, okay?"
Li Qiang found Wan Gong and said, " Wan Gong, the current situation is beyond my expectations. You should go back with the caravan; the journey ahead is extremely dangerous..."
Upon hearing this, Wan Gong became extremely anxious. He had witnessed the abilities of Li Qiang and his men, and he was unwilling to leave so easily.
Seeing that Wan Gong's face was flushed red, Li Qiang felt a pang of guilt and said, " Wan Gong, I'm sorry, I can't let you take any more risks." Wan Gong understood what he meant and knew that his abilities were too poor, which made him feel very frustrated.
Wan Gong sighed, "Alas! Elder, I won't be a burden to you. Just let me go. No matter what happens, I won't have any complaints."
Li Qiang took out a set of armor from the Tanbang Continent from his bracelet, and then took out a Holy Saber, saying, " Wan Gong, this armor and the Light Blade are for you. I'll have Paben teach you a training method later. I'm really happy to have met some of you Mangye Tribe friends this time." His tone was extremely sincere. Wan Gong understood that Li Qiang didn't want him to take the risk, so he had no choice but to accept the armor and the Holy Saber, his disappointment clearly showing on his face.
Li Qiang beckoned to Paben and gave him a few instructions. Wan Gong respectfully bowed to Li Qiang and said, "Boss, if you ever need our Mangye Tribe's help in the future, just send a message, and we will do our best."
Li Qiang returned the greeting with a cupped hand and said with a smile, "You're too kind Wan Gong." Paben smiled and pulled Wan Gong aside to impart his skills.
Li Xiaotian approached and said, "I'm sorry, we can't participate. This is the first time these disciples have come out for training, and we must ensure their safety and prevent any mishaps."
Li Qiang turned to look at Bai Ruoquan, who was kicking Saber-Toothed Hao's corpse on the ground, seemingly very angry. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "It's alright. We'll be leaving in a bit. Be careful."
In truth, Li Xiaotian was in a dilemma. He also wanted to know what had happened here, but first he had to ensure the safety of these disciples. These were the best of the next generation of disciples from the Ancient Sword Academy, and he dared not take any risks.
Li Qiang and Hong Qian discussed their plan to go to Andu Central Stockade to investigate and find out who was behind the trouble.
With the help of these cultivators, Ban Dong managed to reorganize the caravan. They dared not risk crossing the Heavenly Road Grassland any further and turned back. Before leaving, Ban Dong led the entire caravan to bow and thank Li Qiang and his companions. If it weren't for them, none of the caravan members would have survived.
Zhutou led his squad to bid farewell to Li Qiang. He said, "Brother, if it weren't for you guys, we wouldn't have been able to get back. Sigh, speaking of which, you even paid us to protect you. It's shameful to even think about it."
Li Qiang smiled slightly and said, "Be careful ahead." He was already quite used to coming together and parting ways.
Andu Central Stockade is located in the heart of the Heavenly Road Grassland. After bidding farewell to the caravan and Li Qiang Li Xiaotian and others, Li Qiang and his companions flew to Andu Central Stockade. Li Qiang carried Nashan, while Hong Qian pulled Paben, and they hovered above the Central Stockade.
Nashan whispered, "Boss, it looks deserted down there. Could there be an ambush?"
Li Qiang said, "Regardless of whether there's an ambush, we'll force our way in."
Hong Qian laughed and said, "Uncle-Master, these spirit masters and their ilk can't cause much trouble. Let's go down."
The four of them landed silently in the village's main street. The surroundings were deathly silent. The houses, just like those in the West Stockade, were shrouded in a light mist, and not a sound could be heard.
Li Qiang said, "Let's take a look. This place looks like a dead fortress."
Nashan said, "Ugh, I feel a bit creeped out. Damn, there's such a heavy yin energy."
Hong Qian nodded and said, "There's no ambush. However, it seems like no one has been here for a long time. Look here..." He reached out and wiped his hand on the doorpost of a house on the street, his palm covered with a thick layer of dust.
Paben said, "Judging from the situation, none of the caravans that came from any direction have reached Central Stockade... They should..."
Everyone understood what he meant. Li Qiang muttered softly, "Damn it!"
Hong Qian said, "These spirit masters are truly despicable; we absolutely cannot let them go. However, the Heavenly Road Grassland is so vast that it will be very difficult for us to find them."
Li Qiang said, "They need to collect souls and refine spirits, so they must have an altar. As long as we find their altar, we can destroy them."
Nashan said, " The Heavenly Road Grassland is so big, how are we going to find it?"
A beam of Blue Light shot out from behind Li Qiang's waist. The little Sea Demon let out several proud cries, and Li Qiang immediately understood its meaning—it was a very strange feeling. He smiled and said, "The little Sea Demon knows; we just need to follow it."
Hong Qian suddenly realized. "That's right, the little Sea Demon is very sensitive to souls; it will definitely be able to find them."
Li Qiang said to the little Sea Demon, "Little guy, fly slower, I can't catch up with you now."
Nashan couldn't help but burst into laughter, exclaiming exaggeratedly, "Haha, boss, you don't actually think the little Sea Demon can understand human speech, do you...?"
With a flash of Blue Light, the little Sea Demon smacked Nashan hard on the Baldy, then hovered in the air, tilting its little head and humming "gurgle gurgle" as if it were very unhappy.
Nashan was hit and yelled, "Boss, it hit me!"
The group burst into laughter. Nashan couldn't help but laugh too; he had actually complained to the boss, who was just a little Sea Demon.
The little Sea Demon suddenly leaped into the air and let out a loud cry.
Li Qiang's expression shifted slightly. He grabbed Nashan's arm and shouted, " Hong Qian, let's follow them!"