The infinite heavens begin with American horror.

On the city wall, Commander Shao and the others watched William and his companion beheaded without expression. They had seen all sorts of things; beheading two barbarians was nothing, especially two barbarians with impure motives. They were dead, so be it.

Commander Shao ordered some of the Nameless Order soldiers to clean up the battlefield, as there were many corpses that needed to be collected and disposed of; the soldiers' bodies could not be left to rot in the wilderness.

The complete annihilation of the Taotie was a great joy for the Nameless Army, and they naturally had to celebrate it properly.

Commander Shao looked at Military Advisor Wang beside him and said, "Military Advisor Wang, I'm entrusting you with the preparation of the victory celebration banquet. Make sure it's a lively and spectacular event."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

......

Inside a city tower, Ballard looked at William and his companion, their heads severed from their bodies. He felt his hands and feet were ice-cold, and he was drenched in sweat.

He had been at the Great Wall for over twenty years, constantly thinking about escaping and returning to his own country with the gunpowder formula to enjoy wealth and luxury. Today, he finally saw hope, but the next moment his hope was shattered.

Ballard snapped out of his daze, realizing he needed to escape the Wall immediately, otherwise William and the other man's fate would be his example.

At this time, the Nameless Order were all on the city wall, which made it easier for him to move around. Ballard quickly ran down the city wall and returned to his residence.

Back at his lodgings, Ballard went to a corner of the wall. He pried off a few bricks from the wall, revealing a hole. Ballard reached into the hole, groped around for a while, and then took out a small black jar. This jar contained the gunpowder he had secretly hidden.

He had stolen this small amount of gunpowder from strategist Wang, and it was extremely precious. This gunpowder was also the key to whether he could escape the Great Wall and live a carefree life afterward.

He restored the wall to its original state, put the black jar into a burlap sack, and hid it under the bed. Ballard planned to first scout out the situation, and then find an opportunity to leave the Great Wall with the gunpowder. As for the escape route, he had already planned it. He hadn't lived on the Great Wall for more than 20 years for nothing; he knew the terrain inside the Great Wall by heart.

......

At the victory banquet, Li Qing and Commander Shao sat in the center. All the soldiers present were all smiles, drinking and chatting happily. The atmosphere was lively, and many soldiers with poor alcohol tolerance had already drunk until their faces were flushed.

Li Qing took a small sip of the wine and put down the glass, not drinking any more. The wine tasted mediocre and was incomparable to modern wines.

William and his companion have been dealt with, but Li Qing has not forgotten Ballard, that traitor. In the original storyline, Ballard not only encouraged William to escape, but also tricked Laval and then tried to escape alone with Blackfire. These actions fully revealed Ballard's ugly face, and Li Qing will certainly not let such a traitor go.

Li Qing looked at Military Advisor Wang, who was toasting Commander Shao, and asked, "Military Advisor Wang, when we were interrogating those two barbarians, I saw that you and General Lin could communicate with them in English. I wonder who taught you English?"

Just as Wang Junshi finished toasting Shao Dianshuai, he heard Li Qing ask him a question. He quickly put down his wine cup and clasped his hands in response.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, both General Lin and I were taught English by a foreigner named Ballard." The strategist Wang did not call Ballard a barbarian, presumably because he had taught him English.

"Foreigner, is he now inside the Great Wall?"

"Ballard is still inside the Great Wall; he's been inside the Great Wall for over twenty years."

“Since he is a foreigner, he is a barbarian. How could you allow him to live within the Great Wall for twenty years? Where is he? Have someone bring him to me.”

"Yes, I will send men to find Ballard immediately." Wang Junshi left his seat, found several Xiong Jun soldiers, and ordered them to bring Ballard into the main hall.

......

Several tens of minutes later, two Bear Army soldiers escorted Ballard, who was wearing Bear Army armor, into the hall.

Ballard knelt in the hall, his face pale and his expression panicked.

At the time, he was looking for an opportunity to escape. After observing for a while, he discovered that the Nameless Order seemed to be preparing a banquet. He was excited and felt that his chance to escape had come. Once the banquet started, all the Nameless Order soldiers were immersed in the happy atmosphere, and his escape would be easy.

Having just packed his belongings and left his residence, he unexpectedly encountered two Nameless Order soldiers at the next corner. Panicked, he turned and ran.

However, he was just an ordinary person, unlike William, who was a strong mercenary. In addition, he was old, so how could he outrun two strong soldiers? He was caught up and pinned down after only a few steps, and no matter how much he struggled, it was useless.

The two Xiong Army soldiers followed the orders of the military advisor to search for Balad. When they arrived at Balad's residence, they found that he was nowhere to be found. They were somewhat flustered, as they could not explain why they had not found him. They prepared to return to the main hall to report. On their way back, they unexpectedly bumped into Balad, who was wearing black armor.

The two soldiers' mood immediately shifted from worry to joy. Seeing him wearing the armor of the Bear Army soldiers and turning to run away upon seeing them, they knew that Balard was definitely suspicious. Why would he run if he wasn't guilty? It was so obvious he had a guilty conscience. Watching Balard's fleeing figure, the two soldiers sneered inwardly. They couldn't handle the Taotie, but they thought they could let an old man like him get away? If they let him escape, how could they face staying in the Nameless Order? They would be laughed at to death if word got out.

......

"Reporting to Commander Shao, we found Balad's residence but he was not there. After searching, we finally found him in front of the North Gate Tower. He was acting strangely, and when he saw us, he turned and ran away," a Xiong Army soldier reported to Commander Shao.

"What was he doing at the North Gate Tower, wearing Xiong Jun armor? Where did he get that armor?" Commander Shao slammed his fist on the table and stood up, glaring angrily at Balad, who was kneeling on the ground.

Ballard raised his head, looked at Strategist Wang, and pleaded, "Strategist Wang, save me! Let me explain, these were all accidents, I..."

"Who gave him the audacity to speak? Guards, slap him!" Commander Shao wasn't going to give him a chance to explain. After all this, you still want to explain? An accident? What accident? Did the armor just jump onto you by itself? Do you think everyone here is an idiot?

"Yes, Commander!"

A soldier strode up to Ballard, raised his right hand, and slapped him hard across the face.

A loud slap echoed through the hall. After the slap, Ballard's left cheek immediately swelled up, and a red handprint stood out clearly against Ballard's white skin. Then, another slap landed on his right cheek.

Slap after slap, until finally dozens of slaps were delivered, Ballard's entire face was swollen, his consciousness was becoming somewhat blurred, his cheeks were red and swollen like a pig's head, and blood mixed with saliva flowed from his mouth.

Seeing Ballard's miserable state, Li Qing felt a surge of pleasure. "You bastard," he thought, "I've raised you for over twenty years for nothing, and you're ungrateful! Isn't it better to live a miserable life?" It was just a pity he couldn't do it himself; that wouldn't be befit his status.

"Stop, that's enough!" Seeing Ballard being beaten so badly, Commander Shao ordered his men to stop, lest they kill him. Ballard still needed to be handed over to Immortal Master Li for disposal.

"Yes!" Upon hearing Commander Shao's order, the soldier immediately stopped, but he couldn't stop the last slap, which landed heavily on Ballard's face, causing Ballard to completely lose consciousness.

"Commander, these were found on him." A burlap sack was taken from the waist of a Xiong Jun soldier and placed on the table in front of Li Qing and Commander Shao. When the sack was opened, a can of gunpowder and a small bundle of explosives appeared in front of everyone.

Li Qing was not surprised to see these two items; how could Ballard possibly give up gunpowder?

"Commander Shao, we've caught them red-handed. This barbarian's purpose in coming to the Central Plains is impure; he's after the gunpowder formula. I heard from Military Advisor Wang that Balad has been staying at the Great Wall for over twenty years, enjoying good food and lodging. Other barbarians would have been beheaded long ago, but despite being treated so well for so long, he hasn't given up on stealing the gunpowder. This barbarian is a complete ingrate. You should know how to deal with him now."

Commander Shao waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Immortal Li was right after all. This barbarian is an ungrateful wretch. Men, drag this dog out and behead him!"

"Yes!" Two soldiers dragged the unconscious Ballard out of the hall.

Ballard's fate is self-evident; he will die in a coma.

......

The Ballard affair was over, but it didn't affect the celebration banquet, which eventually came to an end.

Li Qing bid farewell to Commander Shao and prepared to return to his room. As he strolled along the Great Wall, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the giant pit at Gouwu Mountain in the distance was still glowing with a green light.

Li Qing was puzzled. What was going on? Could it be that the meteorite that fell from outer space wasn't destroyed by that electromagnetic cannon shot, and that it was still able to survive despite the immense power of the electromagnetic cannon?

That's really hard enough; there might be some treasure inside. Looking at the giant pit in Gouwu Mountain in the distance, Li Qing was very curious. He leaped away from the Great Wall, and in an instant, he appeared inside the deep pit.

A fist-sized green crystal was suspended in the giant pit. The transistor inside emitted the glow of green water, and it was crystal clear. The more you looked at it, the more it resembled glass.

Before approaching the unknown crystal, Li Qing took out the horse talisman and the dog talisman from his spatial storage and held them in his left hand. This green crystal might be dangerous, and it was better to be cautious when facing the unknown. Holding the two talismans in his hands gave him a great sense of security.

Li Qing stretched out his right hand and used his mental power to guide the crystal into his palm. The moment the crystal landed in his hand, Li Qing felt its heavy weight.

The crystal looked only the size of a fist, but it was quite heavy; Li Qing estimated that it weighed several hundred kilograms.

Holding the crystal in his hand, he waited quietly. Several minutes passed, and neither the horse nor the dog talisman reacted. It seemed there was no danger, so he put the talismans back into his spatial storage.

As he channeled his spiritual energy into the crystal, Li Qing immediately sensed the immense life energy contained within it.

Those life energies seemed infinite, yet calm and gentle.

If Li Qing's life energy is a drop of water, then the life energy in this crystal is a vast ocean.

This crystal is the core of a meteorite that fell two thousand years ago. It should be this crystal that provided the Taotie Beast King with its terrifying reproductive ability. Otherwise, relying on the humans brought back by the Taotie Beast Soldiers, the Taotie Beast King would never have been able to breed a million-strong Taotie army.

Li Qing named the green crystal in his hand the Life Gem. With so much life energy contained within it, naming it that was perfectly appropriate. The Life Gem was indeed a treasure, and the benefits of absorbing the life energy within it would be immeasurable.

......

The next day, Commander Shao found Li Qing.

"Immortal Li, now that the Taotie Beast King has been destroyed, the crisis that has plagued the world for two thousand years has also dissipated. We will be returning to the palace to meet His Majesty. I wonder if Immortal Li would be willing to accompany us?"

The Gluttonous Beast King was destroyed entirely thanks to Li Qing, so naturally, his opinion should be sought when going to the capital to meet the emperor.

"Okay, when will you be departing?"

"Anytime is fine, it all depends on Immortal Master Li's opinion." Commander Shao was delighted to see Li Qing agree.

"In that case, let's set off now."

"Please wait a moment, Immortal Master Li, we will arrange a carriage for you right away!"

......

Three days later, Commander Shao and several generals rode ahead on horseback, followed closely by Li Qing's carriage, and behind them was a vast and imposing army of the Nameless Guard.

Not long after the procession entered the city gate, the enormous spectacle attracted the attention of the people. The streets were instantly packed with onlookers. The news of the Taotie Beast King's annihilation had spread throughout the capital a few days earlier, and the people in the city naturally knew about it as well. They all wanted to see the esteemed Immortal Li, and they were very curious about the news that Immortal Li was eating at the market.

Unfortunately, Li Qing was sitting inside the carriage, so they were destined not to see it.

The carriage stopped at the gate of the imperial city. Li Qing got off the carriage and walked into the palace with Commander Shao and others.

"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects!"

"No courtesy, stay on your own!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

When Commander Shao and his men saw the Emperor, they knelt down and paid their respects.

Li Qing looked at the young emperor but did not kneel or pay his respects.

"How dare you! You dare not kneel before the Emperor!" Seeing that Li Qing did not kneel and pay his respects, a fat, big-eared minister jumped out and rebuked Li Qing. Sure enough, there is no shortage of clowns everywhere.

"How can you be so disrespectful to Immortal Master Li?" Commander Shao was the first to step forward upon seeing this. He had witnessed Immortal Master Li's supernatural powers before, and if Immortal Master Li were angered, the entire palace might disappear.

"Why should I kneel?" Li Qing didn't take him seriously at all; he was just a sycophantic and corrupt official.

With a thought, the minister fell to his knees with a thud, unable to stand up no matter how hard he struggled.

"How could you do this? You dare to lay a hand on me in the palace! You have no respect for the Emperor! You..." The minister's face was contorted with rage as he glared at Li Qing.

With a thud, the minister's head slammed heavily onto the ground, instantly drawing blood.

Those nearby tried to help him up to check on him, but they couldn't.

"Immortal Li has defeated the Taotie Beast King and is a hero who has saved the world. He naturally does not need to kneel. We hope that Immortal Li can spare him this time." The young emperor was not stupid and understood that it was Li Qing who did it, so he pleaded for the minister.

Li Qing didn't give him any face. What was he? Just an incompetent and foolish emperor. The Shadowless Army had finally captured a live Taotie beast soldier, and the first thing he did was to bring it to the palace to admire it. What kind of good emperor was he?

Finally, the Taotie beast soldiers lost the influence of the magnet and sent a signal to the Beast King. Upon receiving the signal, the Taotie Beast King knew the direction of the palace and led the Taotie army to attack it. With the Taotie army having captured the palace, what good could come of the people outside the imperial city? The number of people who died at the hands of the Taotie army was incalculable.

"To thank Immortal Li for saving the people from suffering, I have specially prepared ten thousand taels of gold to present to you. Men! Bring the gold up!" Seeing that Li Qing was not giving him face, the young emperor was a little embarrassed, but he did not dare to offend Li Qing.

Li Qing made him lose face in front of his subjects, but he could only endure it. After all, Li Qing was very capable, and he had heard from his spies about Li Qing's divine power when he wiped out the Taotie army.

Then four guards in golden armor carried a red box into the hall and placed it beside Li Qing.

Li Qing sighed inwardly, "What a stingy emperor! He saved the country, and this is all he gets? Ten thousand taels of gold is nothing to him." But Li Qing wouldn't be polite to the emperor. "If it's free, why not take it? Who knows who will benefit from it if I don't take it?" Many people in the palace were envious of the gold and directly put it into their system space.

The young emperor was amazed to see the box disappear into thin air.

"As expected of an immortal! What excellent skills you possess."

"The Taotie has been dealt with, and my mission is complete. It's time to leave. Commander Shao, don't forget my words." Li Qing ignored the young emperor and glanced at Commander Shao.

"I will definitely keep that in mind!"

Commander Shao clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Yes! That's good!"

There's nothing left in this world worth staying for. The mission is complete, it's time to leave. Li Qing silently wished to return.

In the next instant, a flash of white light appeared, and Li Qing disappeared from the main hall.

"Immortal Master..."

Before the young emperor could finish speaking, he had already disappeared.