Shen Feng couldn't recall having any friends in Central Asia at that moment. After racking his brain, he could only surmise that he might have met some Central Asian espers years ago, but they weren't important enough for him to remember. Upon closer reflection, this possibility seemed quite plausible.
Shen Feng was soon brought outside the palace of the city. Here, Shen Feng witnessed a stark contrast. The surrounding city was predominantly earth-yellow, with many areas blending seamlessly with the soil. The place seemed to be severely lacking in water sources, which was quite understandable, given its location in a high-altitude region that rarely saw rain. To meet daily water needs, they had to rely on groundwater.
However, the palace presented a scene of opulence and grandeur. A significant portion of the palace grounds was adorned with vibrant paint, and the palace itself occupied a vast area, indicating that only those of noble status could reside there.
As Shen Feng was observing the palace, its gates suddenly swung open. An unexpected figure appeared before him. Shen Feng never imagined he would encounter this person in a foreign land, for he actually knew this individual!
"Long Qian? It's you!" Shen Feng exclaimed, seeing an unexpected face. It was none other than Long Qian. He recalled how he and Wang Ao Ye had led a group to destroy the Heavenly Dragon Bureau. After that, and even during the downfall of Yan Jing, Long Qian had never appeared. No one knew where Long Qian had gone. Now, to see Long Qian while he himself was injured, Shen Feng found it almost unbelievable.
"I didn't expect it to be you!" Shen Feng immediately prepared for combat, ready to unleash his powers and kill the man at any moment.
Shen Feng harbored deep resentment towards Long Qian because Yue Heng Yi had died after being ambushed by Long Qian. Shen Feng had later killed most of the members of the Heavenly Dragon Bureau. This was an irreconcilable hatred, and to encounter him here, after Long Qian had apparently relocated to Central Asia, and with Shen Feng still injured, made the outcome of any potential fight uncertain.
Shen Feng was confident he could kill Long Qian instantly. However, doing so would mean forfeiting any chance of receiving treatment, as the king of this country was none other than Long Qian.
Seeing Shen Feng's wary expression, Long Qian quickly explained, "Shen Feng, don't be rash. I have no desire to clash with you now, and I won't be going back. There's no reason for you to attack me."
Shen Feng then asked with a grim expression, "Why are you here? And how did you become the king of this place?"
Shen Feng would not let his guard down just because he saw Long Qian's smile. After all, there was a deep-seated enmity between them, and it was impossible for things to end so simply. At the very least, he needed to seek an explanation for Yue Heng Yi.
"It's a long story. In any case, the young man behind you seems to be in critical condition. How about we get him treated first?" Long Qian then suggested.
Shen Feng looked back and saw that Wang Fei Ying was indeed at his limit. He had fallen unconscious, completely losing consciousness, and was motionless on Shen Feng's back. If he didn't receive treatment soon, he might not survive. Wang Fei Ying was brought out by Shen Feng, and while Shen Feng was unharmed, his disciple dying abroad was something Shen Feng could not accept.
"You'd better not play any tricks. Although I'm injured, killing you is still within my capabilities," Shen Feng then began to threaten. Enemies meeting often saw red, but currently, Shen Feng couldn't exact revenge and had to pretend that past events had never happened.
Long Qian then led Shen Feng and his disciple into the palace. Upon entering, Shen Feng discovered even more astonishing details within the palace. As they walked inside, he noticed many people were underground, indicating that a significant portion of the palace was located beneath the surface.
"You're hiding underground too. It seems living underground is becoming a major trend," Shen Feng remarked, unable to help himself, upon seeing the semi-subterranean palace.
Shen Feng had previously seen an underground city in Bing Cheng. However, Bing Cheng had access to oil resources from Sakhalin Island, so they had no shortage of energy. But here on the Iranian plateau, surrounded by mountains, even if there was oil, it was unlikely to be found on the plateau itself. The energy problems of these people were evident. Shen Feng now wanted to know how the inhabitants of this city lived underground.
Long Qian quickly led Shen Feng to a room underground. There was lighting present, though it appeared rather dim. Staying in such an environment for an extended period would not be good for one's eyesight.
"Mr. Shen, please forgive us. It's winter, and our city primarily relies on solar energy. Please excuse the poor lighting. Living underground is unavoidable, especially since the mutated birds in Iran have not yet been dealt with," Long Qian explained earnestly to Shen Feng. It turned out that the energy used in this city was solar. This was quite normal, as it was a high-altitude region, making it easier to obtain sunlight, and thus solar power generation was naturally employed.
Upon hearing this, Shen Feng casually replied, "It's fine. Even without any light, I can still find my way. Because there's air circulation underground, and where there's air circulation, there's wind. I know where the wind is coming from."
Hearing Shen Feng say this, Long Qian couldn't help but frown, thinking, "Shen Feng is already unfathomable. When he was only a sixth-tier esper, he could already dominate the world. Now that he's a seventh-tier esper, perhaps it's true, as the internet says, that he is the strongest in the world."
Shen Feng wasn't speaking these words without reason. By saying he could understand his surroundings even underground, he was essentially telling Long Qian to abandon any malicious intentions early on. If anything seemed amiss, Shen Feng possessed the capability to resolve the situation.
Subsequently, doctors appeared, all wearing protective suits. They were concerned about being harmed by radiation and thus insisted on being fully equipped. Given Wang Fei Ying's current state, even if he were to die, his body would eventually need to be placed in a lead-lined box, as his corpse would continue to release radiation, which could only be blocked by lead plating.
At this point, Long Qian also began to discuss serious matters. "Shen Feng, from now on, I will never return to China. I hope we can let bygones be bygones. Just consider me dead, what do you say?"
Long Qian said this out of concern for Shen Feng's potential retaliation, as Shen Feng possessed the ability to destroy a city. If Shen Feng were to seek revenge before leaving, it would be a truly dire situation.
Shen Feng leaned back in his chair and slowly said, "If you can treat me, I will certainly let you go. Or, I might even offer you some benefits. If you can't help me, then there's nothing I can do. Before I die, I will take a few people with me."
Shen Feng's words were quite clear, implying a naked threat.
At this time, Long Qian had actually heard about Shen Feng's condition from Europe. This city was relatively isolated, but high-ranking officials certainly had their own channels of information. Andov had privately informed Long Qian about Shen Feng's arrival.
"Don't worry, I can definitely save both of you in your current condition! But you must cooperate with the treatment, and you won't be able to go anywhere for a while!" Long Qian then said to Shen Feng.
Upon hearing this, Shen Feng inquired, "Then what exactly is your method for saving us? Do you have any espers who can treat us under your command?"
To this question, Long Qian directly replied, "In our city, there is a giant Bawang tree. The seeds of this tree are the items that can treat you. I know you have been invaded by radioactive elements in your bone marrow, but please rest assured, these seeds can clear the radioactive elements from your bodies."
After receiving this answer, Shen Feng nodded, but he still felt a great deal of unease. What if the seeds of this tree couldn't save him, thus wasting precious time?
"Treat my disciple first. My body can still hold on for now!" Shen Feng finally replied after some thought.
Long Qian understood why Shen Feng was doing this. Shen Feng clearly didn't fully trust him at this moment, so he wanted to see if the seeds' efficacy was real. He was still wary of them poisoning him.
"No problem, we will treat your disciple immediately. It is estimated that within a few days, some of the radioactive elements in his body will be cleared," Long Qian gave his response.
Shen Feng decided to wait and see. As for whether the seeds were useful, he would let Wang Fei Ying try them. On one hand, his disciple's body was truly failing. On the other hand, Shen Feng was extremely vigilant.
Next, Shen Feng was still curious why Long Qian had suddenly appeared in this place.
Long Qian then began to explain, "Most of my subordinates were killed by you. I was unwilling to become someone else's subordinate, so I chose another path: to come to the Middle East to search for meteorites. Unfortunately, after so much time, I haven't seen any meteorites. Instead, I found this mutated plant. Coincidentally, Yan Jing had already fallen, and China was in disarray. I decided to become the king here, with hundreds of thousands of people under my command, establishing a moderately sized force."
"Are you saying that meteorites might exist in this region? Is that it?" Shen Feng seized on the key point at this moment. If meteorites were potentially present here, he truly needed to search for them.
"Yes, that's right. However, I've already searched the surrounding areas and found nothing but a meteorite crater. It seems the meteorite has already been taken by someone else," Long Qian stated his findings without concealment. Although he had found the meteorite crater, the meteorite itself was nowhere to be seen.
"So, someone got there first and took the meteorite!" Shen Feng felt a great sense of regret. If it was a meteorite containing extraterrestrial elements, its value would be extremely high. It was a shame it had been taken by someone else.
"By the way, I heard you know the leader in Mount Lu Liang. Can you reveal the background of these people? They've been on the mountain for so many years, and I feel there must be a conspiracy!" Shen Feng suddenly recalled something very important and began to inquire.
"Not only do we know each other, but we are also brothers! Just half-brothers," Long Qian no longer had any intention of hiding anything and directly revealed the true situation.
"You are half-brothers? I never expected that!" Shen Feng was surprised to hear this. If Long Qian was Chen Xin Tie's brother, then Long Qian must know the details of the people on Mount Lu Liang, right?
Long Qian was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Actually, there's nothing to hide. I am also from a prominent family, but I am a concubine's son, so I was sent to Yan Jing to work. As for Chen Xin Tie, he is the future heir of the family, so he works for the family on Mount Lu Liang. These espers on Mount Lu Liang are all working for the major families in northern China; otherwise, they wouldn't have received substantial resources for their cultivation."
"Northern major families? Are they the major families from Shanxi?" Shen Feng continued to inquire.
"..." Long Qian did not reply, but his silence was a form of affirmation, indicating his tacit agreement.