Critic accompanied Li Banfeng to Qishuiyao, where he polished off a plate of spiced beef, two flatbreads, and a bottle of soda. Once full and refreshed, Critic remembered an important matter.
"I forgot to bring the potions."
Li Banfeng frowned. "We're here for serious business. Could you put a little effort into it? Are those potions important?"
"Does an actor take the stage without props?"
Admitting that this was a grave oversight on his part, Critic went to the proprietress and bought three bottles of soda—orange, pineapple, and grape flavored. He also purchased a bag of salt, a bottle of soy sauce, and a bottle of vinegar, then found an abandoned workshop, produced three test tubes, and began compounding the medicine.
"You call that medicine?" Li Banfeng was thoroughly unimpressed by Critic's conduct.
"Exquisite pharmaceuticals often derive from the simplest ingredients." With all three test tubes mixed, Critic presented them before Li Banfeng. "Have a sip and taste it. The flavor is just as pure as our friendship."
Li Banfeng did not drink, nor did he pay Critic any mind. Walking through several workshops in succession, the two made their way into the depths of the abandoned factory.
Critic's body began to shift rapidly: his limbs grew short and stubby, his torso bloated, his brows and eyes vanished, and sparse, razor-sharp teeth sprouted from between his massive lips. The three river snails had arrived at the workshop early, anxiously waiting for Li the Seventh. The instant they laid eyes on Critic, all three jumped in fright.
"Is that a daolao ghost?" Luo Lijun cried out. "Why did you bring such a thing here?"
Having transformed into a "daolao ghost," Critic produced three vials of potion from his pocket, uttering low, indistinct murmurs. Li Banfeng asked, "He's here to deliver the medicine. Which of you wants to try a vial?"
Luo Lijun snapped angrily, "Do you take us for mad? Who would dare swallow something like that?"
The youngest, Luo Shaojun, showed a hint of anticipation. "If I take this, will it stop itching?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "Try it and you'll see. The cure is guaranteed."
Luo Shaojun looked at Luo Lijun. "Sister, let me go."
Luo Lijun remained silent, while Luo Yanjun spoke up, "Let Shaojun try it. Li the Seventh came to do business; he wouldn't tarnish his own reputation." Plucking up her courage, Luo Shaojun approached the "ghostly Critic" and swept up the potion from his hand with her feeler.
Critic took the opportunity to draw out the nidus of infection from Luo Shaojun's body.
Without the infection source, Luo Shaojun would naturally recover. With antibodies already in her system, coupled with the unique constitution of an Inner States native, she would not contract the plague again anytime soon.
Ignorant of the underlying mechanism, Luo Shaojun drank down the potion in the test tube in one gulp. After waiting a dozen or so minutes, the piercing, unbearable itch gradually receded. "Sister, this medicine really works!"
Hearing that, Luo Yanjun stepped forward. "Let me try it too!"
Critic put the potions away. Li Banfeng shook his head. "Business is a matter of give and take. You haven't paid yet, and this medicine isn't given out for free."
Luo Lijun reared up. "We had a deal beforehand, and we won't go back on our word. Whose covenant deed do you want?"
Three vials of medicine for three covenant deeds—Li Banfeng had planned this long ago.
He had originally wanted to retrieve Li Furong's covenant deed, but he had changed his mind; that deed could not be touched.
Under normal procedures, if Luo Lijun went looking for Li Furong's deed, the archive keepers would never have heard of Li Furong's name and would first check the register. Li Furong was not in the Inner States' register; the entry there would certainly read 'Mountain Uplifting Master.'
It was ordinary enough for a name to be missing from the register, which might merely indicate that the territory had changed hands, meaning they would have to search through the deeds one by one.
When they finally located Li Furong's deed, they would discover that the territory had not simply changed hands, but that the Mountain Uplifting Master's name had been overwritten. That would be impossible to explain. Li Banfeng would never get the deed back, and the Inner States would very likely destroy it.
Its destruction would not be fatal—Li Banfeng had other territories to sustain him, so he was not afraid of losing his status.
Nor was his flesh and blood sealed inside that deed, so he had no fear of curses.
Yet the crux of the matter was that if only half the deed remained, could the territory still be used? To be safe, Li Furong's territory had to be set aside for now.
"The first deed I want is Meng Yuchun's."
Luo Lijun hesitated slightly. "That person's deed won't be easy to get. I'll do my best."
Luo Shaojun did not think it was so difficult. "In the past it would have been hard, but right now the three in charge of the deeds have all fallen ill and aren't managing anything. With just a little effort, it could be pulled right out—"
Smack!
Luo Lijun whipped a feeler across Luo Shaojun, then turned to Li the Seventh. "Keep going."
"The second is Shui Yongquan's covenant deed."
Because of the curse bound to his deed, Shui Yongquan had already lost his status and become an Injured Demon Fiend. Yet the Inner States' deed still held his flesh and blood, meaning the curse could very well remain active. Furthermore, Zhengjing Village lay within Shui Yongquan's territory; this deed had to be recovered to ensure Zhengjing Village did not fall under the Inner States' control.
Luo Lijun sighed. "His deed will be even harder to get. I can only try. If it doesn't work, you'll have to find someone else to replace him."
Li Banfeng added, "The third person is Rong Sijiao."
Luo Shaojun blurted out eagerly, "That one's easy! That guy, he—"
Luo Lijun raised her feeler to strike again, and Luo Shaojun fell silent in fright.
Luo Yanjun asked, "Young Master Li, what do you want Rong Sijiao's deed for?"
Rong Sijiao was supposed to have no ties to Li the Seventh. That Li the Seventh wanted to help him recover his deed came as a deep surprise to Luo Yanjun.
"Rong Sijiao is an upright man. I've received quite a bit of care from him lately, so helping him out is only right."
Luo Lijun nodded. "Barring unforeseen complications, we can have the deeds by tomorrow. If any prove truly impossible to obtain, we can discuss it further."
All three river snails slipped into the water together. Luo Lijun said to Luo Shaojun, "Sister, hurry and spit the medicine back out. We'll take it back to study. If we can decipher it today, we won't need to come back to Li the Seventh tomorrow."
Luo Yanjun showed some dissatisfaction. "Sister, I have nothing against researching it in the future, but we should at least see this business through, shouldn't we? If you renege halfway through, how can we ever deal with Li the Seventh again?"
Luo Lijun said, "Once we reproduce the medicine ourselves, we can negotiate the price with him at our leisure. Having chips in our hands is better than being under his thumb forever. Shaojun, spit it out quickly!"
"I can't spit it out anymore," Luo Shaojun whispered.
Luo Lijun raged, "What did I tell you yesterday?!"
Luo Shaojun answered, "You say so many things every day, Sister, how could I remember them all? Besides, I was itching so terribly, and having finally gotten medicine to take, in my panic I swallowed it all."
"You little wench, you're asking for a beating!" Luo Lijun brandished her feelers, lashing Luo Shaojun a dozen times. Luo Shaojun wept from the grievance until Luo Yanjun stepped in to shield her. After a few soothing words, Luo Lijun went off to fetch the deeds herself, not forgetting to scold Luo Shaojun on her way out: "How did our family ever produce such a fool!"
Luo Yanjun looked at the sobbing Luo Shaojun, feeling secret admiration in her heart.
Whatever else could be said, her little sister had acted far from foolishly in this matter. Concluding the transaction honestly and squarely was beneficial to both sides.
The next morning, the two parties met again. Luo Lijun brought the covenant deeds for all three individuals.
Her earlier claims about how difficult it would be had merely been for prudence's sake, and to negotiate terms with Li Banfeng; with Luo Lijun's standing, she had plenty of channels to secure the deeds.
Li Banfeng inspected the three covenant deeds carefully, then had Feng Daiku outside the workshop double-check them.
Once everything was verified, Li Banfeng had Critic hand over the potions to Luo Lijun and Luo Yanjun. Following the same procedure, Critic removed the infection foci from both of them.
Luo Lijun wanted to take the potions with her, but Li the Seventh refused. If they didn't drink the medicine yet their illness cleared up, the secret would be out.
"This medicine must be drunk right here in front of me."
Luo Lijun bristled with displeasure. "What kind of reasoning is that?"
"I'm concerned you'll take it back to study!"
"Since you sold the medicine to me, why shouldn't I be allowed to study it?"
"That's my rule here: the medicine is strictly for ingestion, not for study!"
Seeing an argument brewing, Luo Yanjun rushed to mediate. "Sister, we had an agreement with Young Master Li: three doses of medicine for three covenant deeds. Let's not break the rules."
Luo Shaojun chimed in from the side as well, "Sister, hiding a little bit secretly would be fine, but taking it all away is going too far—"
Smack!
Luo Lijun and Luo Yanjun whipped their feelers simultaneously, knocking the little river snail into the pool. Then, right before Li the Seventh's eyes, the two elder sisters drank the medicine.
Upon returning to the Inner States, Luo Yanjun offered another word of advice: "Sister, why bother arguing with him? Couldn't we have just spat a little bit of the liquid out afterward?"
Luo Lijun said with venom, "I just can't stand his overbearing arrogance! The man is both sinister and domineering. If he were generous and openhearted like Fifth Brother, that would be one thing, but over a trivial drop of medicine, he haggles with us over every penny!"
Luo Yanjun scoffed, "If you say Ma the Fifth is well-endowed, I believe you, but saying he's 'generous'? Where on earth did you get that idea? We've worked with Li the Seventh on plenty of matters. Whether in Puluo Province or the Outer States, Li the Seventh has never failed once. A man like that deserves to be domineering!"
Luo Shaojun nodded in agreement. "He truly does deserve it. A man like that is the absolute best."
Luo Lijun cursed, "You shameless wench! No wonder you answered whatever he asked—you're ready to throw yourself at him!"
"Let's focus on proper business first!" Luo Yanjun had swallowed more than eighty percent of the liquid and spat out less than twenty percent.
Luo Lijun was displeased. "You only spat out that little bit?"
Luo Yanjun felt it was plenty. "Being able to spit out even this much is fortunate. The physicians and apothecaries here might not even be able to crack Li the Seventh's medicine. If I spat out too much and failed to cure my own plague, wouldn't I have lost everything?"
As she spoke, Luo Yanjun stretched her body. "Sister, this medicine is truly miraculous! The itching has almost stopped!"
Luo Lijun stretched her body as well, and indeed, the itch was gone.
Taking the liquid that Luo Yanjun had spat out, Luo Lijun nodded. "This should be enough."
Luo Yanjun stared in shock. "Sister, you didn't spit out a single drop?!"
***
At the foot of Rongku Mountain, a rabbit hopped about, searching for food.
The rabbit was not large, roughly the size of an ordinary hare, but it was actually a monster from the newland, possessed of spiritual intelligence and capable of speech. The snow had been too heavy this year, making food scarce beneath the frozen drifts.
The rabbit raised its head and gazed toward Rongku Mountain. The hillside covered in tender green grass was immensely tempting. Just one bite—surely the Rongku God wouldn't mind a single mouthful.
Yet not long ago, a deer had taken a bite of grass on Rongku Mountain, and the Rongku God had struck it dead on the spot. Dizzy with hunger, the rabbit noticed that one blade of grass had grown all the way from the slope down to the mountain's foot.
A blade of grass that had grown below the mountain ought to be fair game.
The rabbit hopped forward and opened its mouth. Just as it was about to nibble, a man suddenly appeared before it.
It was the Rongku God!
The rabbit dared not even raise its head. Crouching on the ground, it stammered through trembling lips, "This blade of grass grew past the foot of the mountain... I only came over to look, I wasn't going to eat it."
The man stroked the tender blade of grass. Its color darkened rapidly, shifting from light green to deep green, from deep green to a sickly yellow, turning into withered, dead straw in the blink of an eye.
The rabbit was frightened so badly it pissed in the snow.
The man turned and vanished without a trace. It was a warning from the Rongku God!
Trembling all over, the rabbit left Rongku Mountain to search for food elsewhere. After trudging dozens of li across the snow, it finally spotted two figures. As a monster, it didn't strictly have to eat grass; devouring humans could also fill its belly.
To walk through the Rongku God's domain completely unguarded meant they surely possessed no cultivation. Such people made ideal prey. The rabbit hid beside a pine tree, waiting for the two to draw close.
This was the rabbit's preferred hunting tactic: once the quarry drew near enough, it would leap out and gouge out the prey's eyes with both forepaws.
If the prey's companion didn't flee, it would continue fighting to blind them both. If the companion ran away, it wouldn't bother chasing; the single carcass before it would sustain it for several days.
Judging by their footsteps, the two were now close enough.
The rabbit sprang into the air, leaping toward Li Banfeng's face to gouge out his eyes. But before its claws could extend, Li Banfeng reached out and caught it by the ears.
"Just right—we haven't had lunch yet. Let's eat this." Li Banfeng tossed the rabbit to Critic.
Critic took a look. "This rabbit is rather cute. Cooking it feels a bit cruel, so let's eat it raw."
The rabbit cried out in terror, "Masters, I'm one of you!"
Critic looked at Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng shook his head; neither of them had any idea where this 'one of us' had come from. Critic dangled the rabbit by its ears, shook it slightly, and asked, "What were you planning to do to us?"
The rabbit shouted, "I wanted to warn you two! This is the Rongku God's territory; you must never trespass!"
Li Banfeng had never heard of the Rongku God, and Critic looked equally baffled.
The rabbit explained, "The Rongku God is the god who governs flourishing and decay! Every living creature in this territory, from life to death, from bloom to blight, is under the Rongku God's control!"
Critic turned to Li Banfeng. "My friend, did we come to the wrong place?"
Li Banfeng looked at the rabbit. "Isn't this Rong Sijiao's territory? When did he start calling himself the Rongku God?"
The rabbit snapped angrily, "Impudence! You must not utter the Rongku God's name so casually!"
Li Banfeng said in surprise, "Rong Sijiao is the Rongku God?"
The rabbit pricked up its ears, puffed out its chest, and declared fiercely, "Flourishing and withering across the four directions at a single thought! Have you never heard the glorious name of the Rongku God?"
***
Rong Sijiao stood at the base of Rongku Mountain, watching a wild bull covertly grazing on the mountain grass.
This time he intended to offer no warning. Before long, the old bull collapsed, vomiting green grass juice. Its flesh melted away rapidly, exposing ghastly white bones—looking for all the world like a rotting corpse within moments.
Standing beside the remains, Rong Sijiao sprinkled a powdery substance over the skeleton. The white bones lost their luster, taking on an even deeper hue of decay. "Beasts that never learn. I'll leave you here as a reminder to the rest."
Rong Sijiao turned and departed, stirring a trail of dust beneath his feet as he ascended Rongku Mountain. Heavy snows had fallen this year, and many monsters would surely come to the mountain to steal grass. Leaving behind several more corpses would serve as the most effective deterrent.
Whether starving or freezing to death, these monsters had to understand one truth: Rongku Mountain could not be desecrated, and the Rongku God could never be defied.
***
Li Banfeng and Critic were debating how to handle Rong Sijiao. The rabbit sat quietly beside them, ears perked and eyes wide, listening in silence.
Critic stated, "Since this territory is meant for me, it should be handled my way. I believe my method is far more efficient."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Your method isn't necessarily efficient. If it ends up looking like Desong Cliff again, wouldn't a perfectly good territory be ruined by you?"
"I will not use Not a Blade of Grass Remains lightly," Critic said, slipping a tin can into his overcoat. "Most of the time, I can exercise restraint."
"And what about the few times you can't? Why take risks on probabilities you can't quantify?"
The rabbit clicked its front teeth together, watching the two men before it with extreme caution.
It had no idea what they planned to do, but it knew something monumental was about to happen on Rongku Mountain.
***
Rong Sijiao paced back and forth in his courtyard.
His estate had been built atop the summit of Rongku Mountain, with the front gate facing a forest and the back gate overlooking a sheer precipice.
Standing at the edge of the cliff, Rong Sijiao gazed out across his domain. A sprawling halo coated his vision in a layer of silvery luster, a sight profoundly pleasing to the eye. Over a thousand plots had been cleared and reclaimed across his territory, making it an absolute standout among the newland domains.
If he could secure assistance from Li Banfeng and obtain a batch of three-headed people, transforming this newland into proper land would be just around the corner.
Yet Li the Seventh refused to see reason. When a local spirit took the initiative to plead with him, not only did he refuse, he demanded that food, drink, and housing be bought for them, treating those monsters as though they were actual human beings. Worse still, a covenant had to be signed, stipulating that certain matters were Li the Seventh's call and could not follow the Inner States' directives.
Who did he think he was? Did he have no sense of his own insignificance?
Throughout Puluo Province's history, not one hegemon or powerhouse had ever dared defy a local spirit. Li the Seventh had merely acquired some connections in the Inner and Outer States, and already his arrogance knew no bounds. An opportunity had to be found to teach him a lesson and show him his place.
Rong Sijiao walked out the front gate and strolled into the woods, pondering how to deal with Li the Seventh.
In the dead of winter, Rongku Mountain was quite peculiar: the maples were fiery red, the willows verdant green, and vibrant blossoms bloomed in full glory. At a single glance, the great mountain resembled a richly colored scroll painting.
Squatting in a tree, Li Banfeng asked Critic, "Is he a Grass Cultivator?"
Critic shook his head. "Probably not. Grass Cultivators despise restraint; around their dwellings, vegetation grows wild and untamed, utterly chaotic. But the flora here is layered and exquisitely ordered. I think this man must be a Farming Cultivator."
Li Banfeng asked the rabbit, "What pathway does the Rongku God follow?"
"The Rongku Pathway," the rabbit squeaked, trembling like a leaf.
There was such a pathway?
Walking through the forest, Rong Sijiao was still weighing Sha Dingzhong's attitude. He had previously discussed joining forces with Sha Dingzhong to deal with Li the Seventh, and Old Sha had readily agreed. But Old Sha agreed to many things, and who knew how many of his promises held water?
"Old Sha, ah, Old Sha," Rong Sijiao muttered to himself. "When will you ever change your slippery, shiftless ways?"
"I'll have a word with him another day. I can't stand his conduct either."
"Who's there?!" Rong Sijiao spun around and spotted a figure standing quietly beneath a tree. Rong Sijiao had just passed that very tree without noticing anyone there.
The voice sounded somewhat like Li the Seventh.
The man walked toward Rong Sijiao with a pleasant smile. "I hear you wrote a letter to the Inner States?"
Rong Sijiao's temples throbbed, his entire body tensing instantly.
The man pressed his palm down, signaling that Rong Sijiao need not be so nervous. "I'm not like Li the Seventh. I'm a man of culture. I act with reason and respect the rules. Tell me in detail: what outrageous, treacherous crime did Meng Yuchun commit?"
He wasn't Li the Seventh?
Rong Sijiao tried to get a clear look at the stranger's face, but it was pitch-black, without even the outlines of facial features visible. "Who on earth are you?"
The man did not reply, drawing ever closer. Rong Sijiao could see no facial details at all, only an outline.
Having served as a local spirit for years, Rong Sijiao drew upon his combat experience and judged immediately: this person was using an illusion! He claimed not to be Li the Seventh, yet he had come over the letter, proving he had close ties to both Li the Seventh and Meng Yuchun. Were Li the Seventh and Meng Yuchun lying in wait nearby?
Even though this was his own territory, if the enemy held superior numbers, he might not hold the upper hand. If a battle was inevitable, he had to change battlefields to avoid falling into an ambush.
Mid-thought, Rong Sijiao suddenly ducked, scooped up a handful of wild strawberries from the ground, and hurled them at his opponent.
"What kind of hidden weapon is this?" The figure paused in surprise at the strawberry juice splattered across his clothes. Looking up, he saw Rong Sijiao sprinkle a spray of dust at his feet and sprint down the mountain at breakneck speed.
Seeing Rong Sijiao flee, the figure gave chase.
Standing up in the tree, Li Banfeng said with slight surprise, "Rong Sijiao runs fast. That doesn't look like a Farming Cultivator."
The rabbit finally spoke up: "With a single thought, the Rongku God can appear anywhere in the world at will!"
"Tell me, how does that thought work?" Li Banfeng tugged the rabbit's ears.
The rabbit held its head high, flashing its buckteeth. "I saw it with my own eyes!"
"What did you see?" Li Banfeng pinched the rabbit's cheek. "He went all over the world right in front of you?"
The rabbit bristled defiantly. "He can just do it, anyway! Besides, Master Rongku can summon wind and rain! With a wave of his hand over flat ground, he can conjure a lake; with another wave over a lake, he can summon mountain forests!"
Listening to the rabbit's description and recalling the brief clash just now, Critic deduced Rong Sijiao's pathway despite him having only attacked once: "He is a Color Cultivator."
Knowing its life was in these two men's hands, the rabbit tried to curry favor by whispering a secret: "Though it might sound disrespectful, the Rongku God really is quite lecherous. Every year he selects beauties to take up the mountain. Just two days ago, he even took the female bear next door to me."
A female bear?
"Is this Color Cultivator similar to a Joy Cultivator?" Li Banfeng felt a twinge of worry. The person fighting Rong Sijiao really wasn't Li Banfeng—it was Li Banfeng's shadow. If Rong Sijiao wouldn't even spare a bear, would he lay hands on the shadow?
Critic shook his head. "Not close to Joy Cultivators, but close to Painting Cultivators. Some say Color Cultivators are an offshoot of Painting Cultivators, while others claim Painting Cultivators evolved from Color Cultivators. In short, the two share countless intertwined connections. This mountain we stand upon may not even be a mountain in the real sense; it could be something painted into existence by a Color Cultivator."
Li Banfeng took a closer look at the surroundings: the rough pine bark, the delicate willow branches, the sticky poplar buds with their distinct fragrance... every blade of grass and tree seemed entirely real.
"In that case, there doesn't seem to be any difference between a Color Cultivator and a Painting Cultivator."
Critic said, "There are differences. Painting Cultivators excel at layout and grand designs, while Color Cultivators are far better suited for combat. All Color Cultivators possess a foundation in painting. Asking a Color Cultivator to paint landscapes, mountains, rivers, and flora on a scroll is well within their ability. But if you ask them to paint birds and beasts, or people who can speak and move, they cannot accomplish that. Though their artistic skill falls short of Painting Cultivators, Color Cultivators strike far faster. Pigments are their weapons. That red strawberry juice that stained your puppet earlier—that was a Color Cultivator's weapon. Generally speaking, each time a Color Cultivator advances a tier, they gain command over an additional color. Red in the hands of a Color Cultivator usually represents fire, though exceptions exist. Your puppet is very likely burning right now from that strawberry juice; I suggest you go check on it quickly."
Li Banfeng wasn't worried about the shadow burning; he was interested in how other colors were used: "Besides red, what other colors do you know about?"
Critic thought for a moment. "Blue represents water, green represents poison, and silver represents sharp blades. This is conventional wisdom handed down by my ancestral master based on battles with Color Cultivators. But techniques vary greatly among practitioners. There was once a Color Cultivator whose silver did not manifest as blades, but as illusions. It varies from person to person."
The rabbit reflected on this; what the foreigner said seemed to match reality. The lake the Rongku God had created last time had indeed been blue.
Yet the rabbit believed this was merely a fraction of the Rongku God's divine powers; it could never believe that the omnipotent Rongku God was merely a cultivator.
Critic said to Li the Seventh, "Color Cultivators are troublesome. Let me deal with him."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "We agreed on giving you a complete territory. Unless Rong Sijiao is sent on his way, I haven't fulfilled my promise. Since this place is Rong Sijiao's painted scroll, we must remain vigilant. Search the mountain; if you run into anything, find a way to let me know."
Critic didn't dare be careless. Taking the rabbit along, he searched the mountain thoroughly. If this entire mountain was painted by Rong Sijiao, unexpected traps could very well emerge during combat.
***
Li Banfeng quickly caught up with his shadow and saw that it had indeed caught fire.
Rong Sijiao continuously fanned the flames. Though the shadow wasn't afraid of burns, it was vulnerable to light; the differing angles of firelight and sunlight scattered and weakened it, causing its combat power to drop.
Yet Rong Sijiao's condition was hardly any better. He bore numerous wounds scattered across his body, clearly inflicted by the shadow's Treading Ten Thousand Rivers. Judging by the current stalemate, the shadow was essentially fighting him to a draw.
No matter how mediocre Rong Sijiao might seem, he was still a cultivator above the clouds and possessed extensive combat experience. That the shadow could hold out this long meant that, analyzing its overall prowess...
"Get down here and lend a hand! Are you watching a show or something?!" the shadow snapped in irritation.
Li Banfeng descended from midair.
Seeing Li the Seventh arrive, Rong Sijiao felt a pang of fear.
Unwilling to fight one against two, he flicked an ink bottle from his sleeve and splashed ink across the ground.
The spilled ink looked like nothing more than a patch of black, but as Li the Seventh drew closer, he sensed a blast of chilly air rushing out. Under the power of a Color Cultivator skill, the ink had formed the entrance to a burrow; Rong Sijiao intended to dive into the tunnel and escape.
Li the Seventh swung Old Teapot, and a torrent of tea surged from the ground, washing away the ink.
Sploosh!
Ink and tea blended into a mire of sludge. Rong Sijiao stepped into the mud, sinking in up to his knees. Seizing the opportunity, Old Teapot poured scalding hot water into the sludge, searing Rong Sijiao until he shook uncontrollably.
Two years ago, Old Teapot could never have struck so swiftly; with his former speed, he wouldn't even have touched Rong Sijiao's shadow.
Now, however, he had been nourished by a mountain of fine ingredients. Not only were his techniques refined, but once he attacked, his strikes came in rapid succession, leaving no room for his opponent to breathe.
Just as Old Teapot moved to pour water over Rong Sijiao's head, Rong Sijiao threw down a handful of sand. The dark, fine mire turned to yellowish-white sand, and Rong Sijiao broke free. As Old Teapot moved to pursue, Rong Sijiao scattered dust beneath his feet once more, sweeping away from the spot as though riding the wind.
He truly was riding the wind; at the sixth tier, Rong Sijiao had mastered the gray technique, and his definition of gray was wind.
Aided by the power of wind, Rong Sijiao moved with incredible speed. Yet this time he failed to escape; Old Teapot had already erected a barrier around him. Rong Sijiao flicked his ink bottle, drew an exit on the barrier, and burst through.
Old Teapot had anticipated him and waited at the exit, pouring half a pot of scalding tea directly onto Rong Sijiao's head.
Drenched by that half-pot of scalding water, Rong Sijiao nearly collapsed. Old Teapot wanted to dump the entire teapot over him, which would have left Rong Sijiao crippled if not dead. But Li Banfeng stopped him.
Old Teapot was puzzled. "Little Brother, what do you mean by this?"
Looking down at Rong Sijiao, Li Banfeng said, "Don't rush. Give my shadow more of a chance."
Rong Sijiao heard those words.
Shadow?
That shadowy figure just now was Li the Seventh's shadow?
How could he use a shadow?
Did Journey Cultivators have such a technique?
Where did the shadow go?
Damn it, he's a Journey Cultivator—!
Bang!
Rong Sijiao shuddered, feeling as if his internal organs had exploded.
Not 'as if'—they truly had exploded. The shadow had unleashed Viewing Flowers from Horseback.
Li Banfeng critiqued the execution: "Fast enough strike, but lacking in power."
The shadow scoffed coldly and lunged at Rong Sijiao once more.
Driven to desperation, Rong Sijiao prepared to stake his life.
No longer fleeing or hiding, he reached into his pocket for a handful of silver powder and flung it into the air.
The silver powder converged in midair into a nine-foot saber. Sweeping his right hand downward, Rong Sijiao roared, "Severed in One Strike!"
From crown to pelvis, Rong Sijiao steered the massive saber, cleaving the shadow vertically in two.
Both halves of the shadow dimmed instantly, collapsing to the ground under the devastating blow.
Li Banfeng attempted to summon another shadow to fight, but failed.
Back in Hulu Village, Li Banfeng's mental state had been unstable, and shadows had run wild out of control, darting everywhere.
Now his mental state was perfectly sound, yet he couldn't bring forth another shadow.
Rong Sijiao flipped his wrist, palm facing upward, and swept horizontally from right to left, bellowing, "Quartered in Two Strikes!"
Because this strike required adjusting direction, it wasn't particularly fast. Had the shadow fled immediately, it would have had ample time to get away.
Yet the shadow did not flee. Cleaved into two halves, one on the left and one on the right, they hopped forward on single legs, charging straight at Rong Sijiao.
Risking life and limb, the two halves charged headlong with stubborn resolve, closing the distance before Rong Sijiao could unleash his strike.
Glove was quick on the draw, immediately handing weapons to the shadows—passing a scythe to one half and a shovel to the other.
One half swung the scythe, hooking Rong Sijiao by the neck, while the other swung the shovel, hacking off his right hand.
Rong Sijiao shrieked in agony and collapsed to the ground. The silver powder cascaded down, and the great saber dissolved into thin air.
Struggling to rise, he tried to fight back, only to watch the two halves stretch and reshape themselves into two complete shadows.
The more they're cut, the more they multiply?!
Rong Sijiao gasped in horror, "A Skill of Heaven's Conjunction?!"
Li Banfeng had observed the battle from the sidelines the entire time. Aside from occasionally assisting with a treasure, he hadn't personally joined the fray from start to finish.
"Flourishing and withering across the four directions at a single thought... what a pity you didn't become a Deceit Cultivator. Come, take a seat at my house—let's have a proper chat!"
With those words, the two shadows surged forward and seized Rong Sijiao. Li Banfeng opened the door and ushered Rong Sijiao into the companion dwelling.
Chapter 621