This time when Yan Liqiang returned to the Imperial Capital, he did not ride a horse. He still left Wuyun Gaixue in the Deer Garden, and did not even take Huangmao with him. He changed into a clean and refreshing casual clothes, then greeted the guards of the Deer Garden, and walked directly back to the Imperial Capital from the Deer Garden.
Can you imagine the pleasure of carrying a heavy thing weighing thousands of pounds on your back every day and then being able to walk lightly? Yan Liqiang felt like he was floating in the air, with clouds under his feet. When the wind blew, Yan Liqiang felt like he could float away with the wind. If there weren't so many people on the road and he was afraid of being shocked, he would really like to try how fast he could run with his "Ten Changes of Cloud Dragon".
The progress I have made this month is truly tremendous.
It's just a pity that the subsequent skills of the "Ten Dragons and Ten Elephants Divine Art" to advance to a martial artist can only be learned after he completes the sect's mission in the Tiandao Divine Realm and returns to the Sword God Sect. This time is estimated to be at least four to five months. During this period, although Yan Liqiang cannot advance to a martial artist in terms of cultivation, he can still use the method of extreme training to continuously strengthen his strength and improve the realm of various levels of skills. The improvement of the realm of cultivation can certainly increase strength, but the so-called realm is ultimately reflected in the output of attack damage, and the brief fight with Eunuch Liu has made Yan Liqiang understand the truth that one force can defeat ten skills, proving that the path Yan Liqiang chose is correct. As long as his strength can continue to increase, break through, and strengthen, the upper limit of his output attack damage will continue to increase, and his strength will also continue to improve. Improving the realm of cultivation is not his only way.
The imperial capital was still bustling with people. Before the time of Yi, Yan Liqiang had already arrived near the Life and Death Stage in Huai'enfang of the imperial capital.
The place where Liang Yiji and Xu Lang agreed to duel was here, and the time was four quarters in the morning, which was almost ten o'clock in the morning.
When Yan Liqiang arrived, there were already many people near the Life and Death Stage. It felt like everyone was waiting to watch an open-air movie. The Life and Death Stage was a circular bluestone platform that was ten feet above the ground and seven or eight meters in diameter. Around the stone platform was a small open square, and around the small square were streets, with teahouses and taverns on both sides.
As if they knew that there would be a duel between masters here today, the windows of the teahouse and tavern near the stage of life and death were already full of people. Yan Liqiang looked around and saw that the area around the stage of life and death was completely dark.
Most of those who can squeeze in here early are martial artists, and many of them come from martial arts gyms. They come in groups, and the styles and colors of the tight-fitting clothes they wear are all the same, because such a duel between masters is not only beautiful and exciting, but in an era without cameras, it is also a rare opportunity for many martial artists to observe and learn.
Yan Liqiang looked around and found that Liang Yiji had not arrived yet. There were only a few people in criminal uniforms maintaining order near the life and death stage, preventing irrelevant people from getting too close to the stage.
Below the stage, everyone was talking about the matter and speculating on the outcome of today's life-and-death battle. Some people even opened the odds and gambled on the spot.
"Li Qiang..."
Amidst the noise, Yan Liqiang heard a familiar voice. Upon hearing the voice, Yan Liqiang turned around and saw a man in a blue robe standing on the street, waving at him with a smile.
That familiar figure and smile, who else could it be but Lu Payne.
"Sixth brother!" Yan Liqiang was so surprised to meet an old friend in a foreign land that he ran over immediately and grabbed Lu Payen's hand excitedly, "Why did you come to the Imperial Capital!"
In Yan Liqiang's eyes, nothing has changed about Lu Pein, but in Lu Pein's eyes, Yan Liqiang has changed a lot. After not seeing him for a few months, Yan Liqiang has grown a little taller, and his body has become more upright and strong. The biggest change is Yan Liqiang's spirit and temperament, which has become profound and smart, strong and elegant. His eyes are bright, and in his two dark pupils, it seems as if cold stars are flashing at any time, which makes him very heroic.
Seeing the changes in Yan Liqiang, Lu Pei'en could only secretly sigh for his ninth sister. The two of them had always lacked a little fate. At that time, Yan Liqiang was sincere, but the ninth sister seemed to be unable to get over it. She always had a knot in her heart about Liqiang. It was a miss, and it was inevitable to feel regretful. But then, Lu Pei'en felt a little comforted. Even if they couldn't be brothers-in-law, they could still be brothers and friends. Liqiang was loyal and righteous, and was not much different from a family member. Now in Pingxi County, the Lu family in Huanglong County and the Yan family in Qinghe County were just like in-laws, which was not bad.
"I arrived at the Imperial Capital yesterday evening..." Lu Pei'en buried his thoughts in his heart, looked at Yan Liqiang from head to toe, and smiled, "I haven't seen you for a few months. Liqiang, you have really changed a lot. It seems that your cultivation has improved a lot. Now even I can't see through you at all!"
"Why did Sixth Brother suddenly think of coming to the Imperial Capital? Is there something going on?"
"Of course I have something to do. Li Qiang, you can guess why I came to the Imperial Capital..."
Two people were talking on the street, with a bustling crowd not far away. In this environment, it was easy to see who was around them. Even if they said something, as long as they didn't shout too loudly, they wouldn't have to worry about being overheard.
Yan Liqiang glanced at Lu Peien and suddenly said, "Brother Lu, are you here for the Oujie coal?"
Although Yan Liqiang had not been in Dijing for long, he discovered when he came here a few days ago that compared with Pingxi County, cities like Dijing were the ones with the larger market for Oujie coal. Dijing had a large population and a large area. Apart from the villages and towns around Dijing that could burn firewood, in the huge city of Dijing, eight or nine out of ten households usually burned coal or charcoal. Every morning and evening when cooking, in this huge city of Dijing, thousands of households, even in the imperial palace, the chimneys were filled with blue smoke and fog everywhere, which could be described as spectacular. When Yan Liqiang went in and out of Dijing several times, he saw many people pulling black coal carts, selling coal and ash in the city, which seemed to be a huge industry and business.
In such a place, Oujie coal naturally has a huge market.
"Li Qiang, you are really smart and you guessed it right away. My coming to Dijing this time was also the old man's idea!" Lu Pei'en said, looking around, and then lowered his voice a little, "The old man asked me to find out the situation in Dijing and test the waters to see if I can promote Oujie coal in Dijing and take the lead. Making money is secondary. The old man just wants to see if he can make the Lu family pave a way in Dijing..."
Yan Liqiang understood instantly that the old man of the Lu family was indeed very experienced...
(End of this chapter)