A journey through immortal realms begins with a phantom tale.

Cooper thought of an interesting place and said enthusiastically, "I'll take you somewhere that you might like."

"Let's go then," Li Qiang readily agreed.

Luo Cheng's heart skipped a beat. Was it the spirit beast market?

He was right. Led by Cooper, the group arrived at the spirit beast market near the sea. It was bustling with activity, with all sorts of spirit beasts on display for sale, including some rare species from the Storm Sea.

Strolling through the area, Luo Cheng couldn't help but remark, "If these spirit beasts were on Earth, they'd give biologists a real headache, wouldn't they?"

"I think they won't be bothered, but rather delighted," Li Qiang replied with a smile.

"That's true." Luo Cheng nodded.

The group strolled around casually. Some of the spirit beasts here resembled animals from Earth, but most were quite different in appearance.

Li Qiang strolled into a simple, clean, and tidy shop, and the others followed him in.

When the shopkeeper saw customers arrive, he greeted them with a big smile: "Gentlemen, what kind of pet are you looking to buy? Let me introduce some options to you."

Nashan looked around, while Tange wandered around freely.

Li Qiang glanced around, his gaze drawn to a blue, jellyfish-like pet. It emitted a faint glow, and its special features were difficult to discern without close inspection.

Luo Cheng also noticed the jellyfish and realized: this was the aquatic divine beast.

He understood that without encountering Li Qiang, this spirit beast would likely have had difficulty evolving to its ultimate form. For both humans and spirit beasts, opportunity is of paramount importance.

Li Qiang became interested in the jellyfish: "I want to see this jellyfish."

"Please, just look at it like this, sir," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

"Can't it be opened?"

"No," the shopkeeper explained. "Sir, it's not that I'm unwilling to open it, but this thing is extremely fast and very cunning. If I let it go, it will be very difficult to catch it back."

"It's alright." Li Qiang smiled confidently. How fast can a pet go, no matter how fast?

Luo Cheng interjected, "Is the boss worried about not getting paid?"

"This customer really understands me," the shopkeeper chuckled.

"Alright, name your price."

"Twenty thousand."

Li Qiang was focused on the spirit beast, his mind wandering, when he casually asked, "How much?"

The boss's heart skipped a beat, wondering if he had shouted too high.

Luo Cheng watched from the sidelines, secretly amused. It was truly a case of "the flowers you carefully plant may not bloom, while the willows you plant unintentionally may thrive."

The shop owner himself halved the price: "How about ten thousand?"

"Hehe," Luo Cheng chuckled, "this jellyfish isn't worth that much, is it?"

The boss gritted his teeth and said a number, "One thousand!"

"Okay!" Li Qiang understood. Although he was a businessman, he was not unscrupulous and treated people kindly, so he directly asked Cooper to pay the money.

The boss's face darkened after he realized what had happened. Luo Cheng found this trivial matter amusing.

The moment the boss opened the animal pen, the jellyfish soared into the air, flashing a blue light, and shot towards the door.

Everyone was astonished, never expecting such a small thing to be so fast.

But there are those faster than jellyfish. Luo Cheng released a barrier, sealing the entrance.

With a soft "bang," the jellyfish struck the barrier and fell straight to the ground.

"I hope he didn't get hit and killed?"

"Won't."

Li Qiang picked up the jellyfish and shook it gently: "It's not fun anymore."

Luo Cheng released a burst of true energy, which he injected into the jellyfish's body.

The jellyfish suddenly woke up, saw that it was in Li Qiang's hand, and opened its mouth to bite.

"Watch out!" the shopkeeper exclaimed, fearing that the customer would be bitten and he would have to pay for it himself.

However, when the jellyfish bit Li Qiang's hand, it was as if he had bitten steel.

"Hehe," Li Qiang laughed, "Still want to bite?"

The boss was dumbfounded, realizing he had encountered a master.

Cooper exclaimed in surprise, "This thing is a bit strange."

Luo Cheng explained, "This thing is considered a water-type spirit beast. If properly nurtured, it can evolve into a celestial beast."

As for the divine beasts, Luo Cheng didn't say much, since none of them had yet become immortals. But the mere mention of "divine beasts" was enough to shock everyone.

Next, everyone continued strolling around. Luo Cheng and Li Qiang, being cultivators, naturally didn't feel tired; Na Shan and Tang Ge also had excellent physical fitness.

The main purpose was to buy some toys and accessories for Nashan, because he said he missed home and wanted to bring something back for his family.

As everyone prepared to return, they encountered an unexpected person—the messenger of the gods, Carbon.

"Envoy Carbon, what brings you here?"

"I need to speak with you two."

Luo Cheng said, "You should tell my junior brother."

He roughly guessed what it was about. If he wasn't mistaken, something must have happened in the Western Continent, and he and Li Qiang were tasked with escorting Princess Lanqiu there.

As expected, after explaining the reason, the divine messenger Kaben asked them to escort Princess Lanqiu to the Western Continent.

After some haggling with the divine messenger, Li Qiang finally accepted the mission.

Taking advantage of the presence of the Divine Envoy Carbon, Luo Cheng raised a question: "Junior Brother, what about your brothers? Are you taking them back to Fengyuan Star, or leaving them on Tanbang Star?"

Li Qiang said he wouldn't force them and that they should make their own decisions.

Luo Cheng offered no further comment. For some, and even for Luo Cheng himself, cultivating immortality was the most important thing.

He knew that by cultivating to the highest level, one could become an existence like a Celestial Venerable, truly controlling one's own destiny. But some people were unwilling to cultivate immortality—ultimately, it all depended on personal choice.

Li Qiang knew that Carbon was a divine messenger with a very high status on Tanbang Star, capable of protecting his brothers, and he also understood Luo Cheng's intentions.

So he asked the messenger of Carbon to wait a moment, and then called his brothers over to let them make their own choice.

Half a day later, hundreds of people arrived at the Chamber of Commerce.

Envoy Carbon was surprised to see Li Qiang's brothers. These people had all taken the Qi-Nourishing Pill and practiced basic cultivation techniques, resulting in significant changes to their bodies and temperament.

In Carbon's eyes, these people were already invaluable talents. He hoped they would all stay, but it depended on Li Qiang's decision.

Li Qiang let his brothers choose for themselves and explained his reasons: he wanted to cross the Storm Sea, go to the unknown Western Continent, and then leave Tanbang Star.

In short, this trip is fraught with danger, and everyone should consider it carefully.

Luo Cheng thought for a moment, then added, "Cultivating immortality is going against the will of Heaven, fraught with danger, and one must also face heavenly tribulations."

"But cultivating immortality also has its advantages, such as eternal youth, longevity, and incredible power. The choice is yours."

Nashan didn't hesitate: "Wherever the boss goes, I'll follow!" After witnessing Li Qiang's abilities, he longed for power.

Tange hesitated. He wanted to stay and run the business with his brother, to become rich and powerful, but Nashan stopped him and asked him to come with him.

Tan Ge felt helpless and conflicted. He didn't know if he would ever see his brother again after leaving. Of course, he also knew that cultivating immortality had many benefits.

In the end, Tange decided to go with Li Qiang.

Luo Cheng stood by, witnessing the myriad aspects of human nature. Everyone was making difficult choices, choices that were neither right nor wrong.

While there are many benefits to cultivating immortality, there are also many losses. On one hand, one can defy the heavens by cultivating immortality; on the other hand, one can stay on Tanbang Star and follow the divine messenger, Kaben.

Everyone can see that Kadu has an extremely high status. In addition, he has already begun his cultivation journey. With his strength and the care of the divine messenger, he can obtain a very high status on Tanbang Star and enjoy wealth and honor.

Luo Cheng said only one sentence and then said no more.

Ultimately, most people chose to stay. Many felt that they already knew the methods of cultivation, and could cultivate on Tanbang Star while enjoying wealth and luxury, so why leave?

Some people yearn for the unknown, while others fear it.

Luo Cheng understood and thought: It seems that most people cannot subdue their own hearts. How can they bear to leave the world's prosperity?

Li Qiang felt relieved to see everyone stay. He didn't know what the future held or what dangers he might encounter, and he didn't want his brothers to risk their lives with him.

He left behind cultivation techniques and gave his brothers Qi-nourishing pills, doing his best to help them. It must be said that it's truly rare to find a brother like Li Qiang.

Luo Cheng, however, had a different view: most of these people were unable to cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage after separating from Li Qiang.

Ordinary people who cultivate themselves must go through stages such as consecration, integration, and spiritual awakening; each stage is a hurdle. If one cannot subdue one's own mind, one cannot advance to the next level.

After everyone parted ways, Nashan felt it was a pity: "Boss, these people really don't know how to cherish things! They don't know how lucky they are to have met you."

Li Qiang was very open-minded: "What's the point of following me? Who knows what dangers we'll encounter? Honestly, I hope you all stay and live a stable life."

"Boss, I won't leave you! I'll follow you wherever you go," Nashan said firmly.

Upon hearing this, Luo Cheng joked, "Na Shan, if you want to stay with him, you'd better become a woman."

Nashan's face darkened, but he dared not reply. He was somewhat afraid of Luo Cheng.

Li Qiang felt somewhat unhappy as he parted ways with his brothers.

During this time, another unexpected event occurred. Envoy Kaben brought Princess Lanqiu to Li Qiang's side and told them to go to the Western Continent as soon as possible.

According to Carbone, the hurricane will soon subside, and it will be time to cross the storm sea.

Princess Lanqiu stood to the side, observing Luo Cheng and Li Qiang. She could tell that the two had different styles and personalities.

In comparison, Li Qiang was more approachable, while Luo Cheng seemed somewhat aloof. Or rather, Li Qiang was more like a mortal, while Luo Cheng was more like an immortal.

Luo Cheng took out a Qi-Nourishing Pill and handed it to Princess Lanqiu: "Here's a gift for you, to thank you for helping us settle the bill."

"What is this?"

"You can eat it now."

Princess Lanqiu took the Qi-Nourishing Pill and put it in her mouth.

Luo Cheng explained, "Eating this will make you feel more comfortable when you ride the flying boat later."

"Thanks."

Honestly, Princess Lanqiu is very beautiful and has a wonderful personality. Luo Cheng thought to himself, if he hadn't cultivated immortality, he would never have met a girl like her.

He hoped that Princess Lanqiu could reach the level of Yuangu—Yuangu was also a woman, yet she was able to suppress ancient immortals and make them bow their heads. That kind of spirit was unmatched even by men.

Seeing Luo Cheng give him a gift, Li Qiang also gave him a magical artifact: "This can be used for self-defense."

This is a small magical artifact, engraved with a defensive array that can defend against attacks from those below the Nascent Soul stage.

Princess Lanqiu thanked her and accepted the gift.

Soon, everyone arrived at the port. Although the hurricane was almost over, the wind at the port was still more terrifying than a Category 12 typhoon on Earth.

Li Qiang sighed, "It's unimaginable how difficult it must be for these people to make a living at sea."

Princess Lanqiu has already booked the flying boat, so Luo Cheng and Li Qiang don't need to make any other arrangements.

Luo Cheng was a time traveler and knew the specifics of the flying boat—its arrival at the Storm Sea was purely a gamble with its life.

He thought that if it were reforged, its stability and defense would be much better, but in the end he gave up the idea and boarded the flying boat with everyone else.

This flying boat belongs to Crystal Technology and contains both defensive and offensive formations, but its manufacturing process is rather crude.

"Everyone, hold on tight, the airship is about to set sail!" the crew shouted.