Chapter 149: Insect River Sprint

"Who is Pan Dehai? Which territory's local god is he? Is his status similar to Green Blossom and Feng Daiku?" Li Banfeng asked the phonograph, but it was lost in deep thought and couldn't immediately answer his questions.

Li Banfeng stared at the flesh and blood on the table for a long time, feeling a pang of hunger. He didn't want to eat that particular piece of flesh, but after a long sprint, he had depleted much of his physical energy. Listening to his wife speak at length had also drained his mental energy, leaving him truly hungry.

He found some biscuits and canned food to tide him over.

The phonograph, meanwhile, was pondering the situation: "Feng Daiku and Pan Dehai fought, and they did so on Green Blossom's territory. This makes absolutely no sense. That piece of flesh and blood must be from Pan Dehai's heart. That wretched Feng Daiku was injured by Pan Dehai, and Pan Dehai himself was also badly hurt. But... my lord, why did you engage Feng Daiku again? Are you smitten with her, or are you a friend of Pan Dehai?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I'm not interested in that woman, and I don't know Pan Dehai. However, this matter does involve a friend of mine who fell into Feng Daiku's hands. She said she wanted my friend to stay and help her heal, but when I tried to rescue him, I fell victim to her technique. What kind of technique was that? Is it related to joy cultivation? The local god of Belt Gully should be a joy cultivator, shouldn't she?"

The phonograph replied, "Feng Daiku is not a joy cultivator; she's a sentiment cultivator. You were afflicted by her 'root of sentiment,' but I have already neutralized it for you."

Li Banfeng didn't understand. "If she's a sentiment cultivator, why are there so many joy cultivators in her territory?"

"Joy cultivators can indeed generate sentiment!"

"But doesn't sentiment develop over time?"

"'Joy cultivators' engagements tend to last quite a while," his wife explained simply.

Recalling Feng Daiku, Li Banfeng felt a surge of annoyance. Not only had she detained Ma Wu, but she had also nearly forced Li Banfeng into the Iron Thread River.

"My dear, Feng Daiku's injuries don't seem to be fully healed. I'll find a way to get rid of her!"

"My lord, don't be reckless."

"Then I'll figure out a way to lure her to the Portable Residence and let you finish her off!"

*Hiss, hiss.* Gentle steam frequently wafted over, helping Li Banfeng calm down quickly.

"My lord, if my combat power were fully restored, dealing with that wretch would be trivial. But in my current state, I fear I'm no match for her. You truly must not act recklessly."

Indeed, his wife had only barely managed a Pyrrhic victory against Lady Suo'e, let alone facing a local god.

His wife continued, "What's more, among the local gods, Feng Daiku is considered one of the more benevolent ones. Your friend helping her heal will only result in some loss of essence; she's a grateful person and won't let your friend come to harm. But with local gods fighting here, others are bound to be affected. This place isn't safe for long. My lord, we can discuss the specifics later; for now, it's best we leave as soon as possible."

Li Banfeng pushed open the door of the Portable Residence, ready to retrieve the key, when he suddenly saw a swarm of horsehair worms wriggling their way inside. He'd almost forgotten he'd thrown the key by the Iron Thread River, so encountering some horsehair worms was entirely normal.

Li Banfeng raised his foot, about to stomp the horsehair worms to death, when he suddenly heard his wife exclaim, "My lord, be careful! This smell isn't right!"

At his wife's warning, Li Banfeng finally noticed that the humid air outside the door was much more intense, differing slightly from the conditions by the river. He considered stepping further out to assess the situation, but a sudden shiver ran through him.

His 'Prosperity and Calamity Evasion' technique. There was great danger outside.

Li Banfeng quickly closed the door. His wife then sprayed a cloud of steam, scalding all the worms on the ground to death.

What had happened? He remembered throwing the key to the opposite bank when he reached the river. Could he have lacked the strength to throw it far enough, causing it to fall into the river instead? This was troublesome. If the key had indeed fallen into the pile of worms, how would he get out? More importantly, the worms might have carried the key away, and its exact location was currently unknown. However, judging by the scent earlier, it was unlikely to be in the wasteland.

After a moment's thought, Li Banfeng took out the Blood-Infused Pendulum and asked, "Can you swallow poison?"

The pendulum shivered. "Master, why do you want me to swallow poison?"

"To survive," Li Banfeng said, taking out a poisonous pill. "Eat this." He intended for the pendulum to consume the poisonous pill, then spray a toxic mist to repel the worms, allowing him to retrieve the key.

But the pendulum refused. "Master, I can't eat this..."

Li Banfeng grew annoyed. "Why can't you eat it? You can drink the blood of poison cultivators, can't you?"

The Whispering Earring whispered, "Master, don't listen to her. She can eat anything!"

The Tang Saber echoed, "A sharp sword is honed by grinding, and plum blossoms emit fragrance from bitter cold. The pendulum has enjoyed so many advantages; it's time for it to endure some hardship."

The pendulum said with a trembling voice, "Master, they're bullying me."

The phonograph offered a fair compromise: "It's certainly a hardship to make the pendulum eat a poison pill. Let's have her consume some steam instead."

*Hiss!*

As the phonograph sprayed out bursts of steam, the pendulum immediately flushed red. "Master, I'm willing to eat the poison pill! Master, I cannot eat this, Master..."

A large cloud of steam was forcibly directed into the pendulum. The pendulum glowed red like a branding iron, though mercifully, the handle wasn't too hot.

Li Banfeng tightened his trouser legs, then, holding the pendulum, stepped out of the room. Before closing the door, he cast one last glance inside. If he went out and couldn't find the key, he might never be able to return. Should he take his wife out? Take Honglian as well? Take all their hard-earned belongings? Then what? Abandon the Portable Residence? Stop overthinking! He had to retrieve the key and protect his home!

Stepping over the threshold, his feet immediately met a sticky mass of worms. The horsehair worms rapidly climbed up his shoes with astonishing speed. Li Banfeng first activated the pendulum, spraying a cloud of steam that instantly scalded a large patch of worms to death. Forced back by the high temperature, the remaining worms rapidly dispersed. Judging by their writhing forms, these horsehair worms were furious.

As the worms' bodies writhed, Li Banfeng spotted the key amidst a pile of their corpses. He was about to reach for it when he saw the key continuously sinking into the worm corpses. It wasn't just the key sinking; Li Banfeng's feet were, too. Beneath the corpses, live worms were rapidly shifting position, as if a vortex had appeared in the "Iron Thread River."

Li Banfeng twisted the pendulum's screw, unleashing another cloud of steam. A strong smell of burning filled the air as large numbers of horsehair worms perished. Li Banfeng seized the opportunity to pick up the key and seek his next path.

Only then did he have time to observe his surroundings. This was neither the riverbank nor the wilderness; it was a cave. All around the cave were slippery rock walls, offering no footholds. At the bottom of the cave flowed the unending "Iron Thread River," its depth unknown. Li Banfeng was stepping on a vast mass of scalded horsehair worm corpses, but beneath them were still living horsehair worms. He had no idea when he would finally reach solid ground.

The steam's effect was fading, and the horsehair worms swiftly surged toward Li Banfeng's feet. Were these worms 'travel cultivators'? Why were they moving so fast? The Blood-Infused Pendulum had only one last puff of steam left. Once it released that, Li Banfeng would have no other means to repel the worms.

With the key still in hand, Li Banfeng could return to the Portable Residence. But if he went back, it would mean abandoning the key amidst the worms, rendering all his previous efforts futile. If he didn't return to the Portable Residence, where else could he go? Where should he go next?

Run towards the cave's exit. But where was the exit?

Li Banfeng had two choices: first, to run in the direction the horsehair worms were moving. Running in the same direction as the horsehair worms would make his steps noticeably smoother, but the problem was that following their path might not lead him out of the cave. This was because the horsehair worms' ultimate destination might not be outside the cave; it could be within this very cave—perhaps a worm king's nest or even a deity's dwelling.

The second choice was to run against the direction the horsehair worms were moving. Running against them had the advantage of certainly leading him out of the cave; he would exit the same way the worms entered. The disadvantage was the unknown duration of the run. Li Banfeng didn't know the cave's length, nor where this swarm of worms had entered from. What if they had entered from an underground river? That would be a dire situation.

According to his 'Prosperity and Calamity Evasion' technique, both directions presented danger, but still within a tolerable range. However, if he encountered a high-level entity, the 'Prosperity and Calamity Evasion' technique might not be effective.

After a moment's consideration, Li Banfeng made his decision: to run against the flow of the worms. No matter how long this path was, at least the outcome was predictable: running against the worms would lead him to an exit.

Li Banfeng clutched the key and began to sprint. Running against the horsehair worms meant moving in the opposite direction of their wriggling, causing Li Banfeng to frequently kick them head-on. Kicking them was simply kicking them; they were just horsehair worms, after all, with little intelligence.

That was Li Banfeng's thought, but it wasn't the case. These horsehair worms were unlike ordinary ones. They possessed a certain degree of intelligence, though not much, and they understood retaliation. Having been scalded earlier and now kicked, any worm that could sense Li Banfeng would immediately turn and burrow into him, biting.

He had to be fast! As long as he ran fast enough, he could evade the horsehair worms. He was confident they couldn't catch him. However, while the horsehair worms weren't as fast as Li Banfeng, they weren't significantly slower, especially in their enraged state; they could pursue him closely, nipping at his heels. Moreover, these worms had a mutual sense of connection. If the worms behind couldn't keep up, the ones ahead would start tangling themselves in place.

Li Banfeng stumbled, and a group of worms scattered in response, causing him to miss his footing and fall into the "Iron Thread River" vortex. The pitch-black swarm of horsehair worms, which had initially only covered his ankles, now reached waist-deep. Li Banfeng struggled fiercely in the mass of worms, but this time, the worms had learned. They swirled around his feet, preventing him from gaining purchase. The worms bit and burrowed with all their might, quickly tearing through his clothes and penetrating Li Banfeng's flesh.

Li Banfeng took out the pendulum and released its last puff of steam, scalding a large area of worms to death. Using the worms' corpses as stepping stones, and with the hurried steps of a travel cultivator, Li Banfeng clambered out of the vortex and continued to sprint forward, treading on the worms. Ahead, more worms began to form "vortices." Li Banfeng swiftly evaded them using his 'Prosperity and Calamity Evasion' technique. In such a perilous place, each step was equivalent to traveling ten li on flat ground; after ten steps, a full day's worth of progress was gained.

After running seven or eight hundred meters forward, several vortices appeared simultaneously. Li Banfeng dodged left and right, but accidentally stepped into one, and his body began to sink again. Now without steam, if he sank further, escaping would be incredibly difficult. In this life-or-death moment, Li Banfeng's veins bulged, his eyes were bloodshot, and he stared intently ahead. The horsehair worms, sensing the scent of blood, rushed up to bite, but struck nothing but air.

His 'Traceless Footsteps' skill! Li Banfeng's body flashed one step forward, landing on another vortex. This wouldn't do! Li Banfeng's body flashed again, evading one vortex and stepping onto a cluster of worms. After activating 'Traceless Footsteps' twice in a row, Li Banfeng didn't know how he had managed it. The worms beneath his feet didn't have time to scatter, and Li Banfeng's footing remained quite firm. Just these two 'Traceless Footsteps' had earned him over five hundred li of cultivation.

Li Banfeng had no time to calculate his cultivation now. His body was wracked with intense pain; hundreds of horsehair worms had burrowed into him, and the seeping blood was drawing other horsehair worms to converge on his position. He dared not stop for a moment, continuing to sprint forward. After another two li, a gentle breeze drifted from ahead.

The cave entrance! Li Banfeng was overjoyed, sprinting with all his might. The moment he burst out of the cave entrance, he saw a vast wasteland.

He was out. Finally out!

Just as Li Banfeng was about to survey his surroundings, he suddenly felt something wriggling on his cheek. A horsehair worm had burrowed into his cheek, wriggling from his jaw to his cheekbone, on the verge of emerging from his eye.

(End of Chapter)