Chapter 313: Mountain Pulling Master (High Energy in This Chapter)

The play-performer, disguised as Xiao Die, stood beside the projection of Feng Quweng.

The projector operator was extremely tense; the opponent was a high-level play cultivator, and even a moment's delay could expose their deception.

Meng Yuchun was seething with rage, wishing she could instantly tear the play-performer limb from limb.

Li Banfeng remained calm, knowing the next ten seconds would be critical.

The play-performer looked at "Feng Quweng" and said, "Did you hear me? I said I succeeded."

"Feng Quweng" suddenly swung a hand, his movement so swift that it cut the play-performer's face.

The play-performer clutched his cheek, exclaiming in astonishment, "You old scoundrel, you're playing dirty!"

Feng Quweng's expression turned ferocious, and he raised his hand to strike again.

"How dare you!" the play-performer shouted. "I never accepted your offering!"

As soon as the words left his lips, the play-performer turned and fled.

He feared Feng Quweng would pursue him. He wasn't entirely sure if he had ever accepted Feng Quweng's offering, and it was a gamble he couldn't afford to lose!

"Feng Quweng, you old dog! I came here with good intentions, yet you tried to kill me and claim the reward alone. If you play dirty, don't blame me for doing the same. I'll just tell everyone you're secretly colluding with Meng Yuchun. Let's see you try to explain that!"

As he ran, the play-performer's steps faltered, and his vision began to blur.

"What a ruthless old villain, to poison his weapon! What kind of weapon did he use, anyway? Luckily, he didn't chase after me. It seems I truly never accepted his offering; he can't claim any debt from me, and he certainly can't outrun me."

The play-performer pushed himself, struggling to run until he finally left Meng Yuchun's territory.

Li Banfeng retracted the projector. Meng Yuchun anxiously exclaimed, "We shouldn't have let him run! That scoundrel knows where I live!"

Li Banfeng's expression remained calm. "This was never something that could be kept secret," he said.

"Yes, it's my fault," Meng Yuchun said bitterly. "I shouldn't have told those three about my residence."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Even if you hadn't told those three, this secret wouldn't have lasted," he said. "You're a local deity; you can't relocate to another territory, and your residence is fixed. If someone targets you, it's only a matter of time before they find your home."

Meng Yuchun sighed. "It seems this deed can't be protected, and I can't hold onto this wretched place either."

"What do you mean, 'can't hold onto it'?" Li Banfeng asked. "Deal with the people targeting you, and you'll secure it, won't you?"

"But I still don't know who's targeting me," Meng Yuchun said helplessly.

"You'll find out soon enough. Let's head back to the cave for now."

"Xiao Die was harmed by that bastard; she's most likely dead," Meng Yuchun said, gritting her teeth.

"She might not be dead," Li Banfeng said, shaking his head. "At her age, she understands everything and yet nothing at all. It's hard to say clearly."

Meng Yuchun paused, "What do you mean? Isn't the play-performer a woman?"

Li Banfeng merely smiled, offering no further explanation.

Back in the cave, Meng Yuchun was anxious to return to her residence to regain her strength. "I'll light up the boundary in a moment," she declared. "If anyone dares to intrude, I'll shatter them to pieces."

"A hundred-mile territory," Li Banfeng questioned, "how long can you sustain that?"

"I should be able to last through the night."

"What about tomorrow night?"

"I'll rest for a day, then continue guarding tomorrow night!"

"Can you guard it for a lifetime? Haven't I told you that's useless?" Li Banfeng said, picking up the projector and beginning to record inside the cave.

The play-performer stumbled to the foot of a cliff, bowing and kowtowing repeatedly. After a long wait, a ball of green fire appeared on the cliff face.

"I found Meng Yuchun's residence," the play-performer said with difficulty. "Feng Quweng and Meng Yuchun are colluding and tried to kill me!"

The ghostly fire hovered for a moment, then a muffled voice commanded, "Lead the way. Muster the troops."

"So soon?"

"We can't afford not to be urgent. Feng Quweng and Meng Yuchun's collusion has been exposed; Meng Yuchun could attack at any moment."

"I've been poisoned," the play-performer said, "I can't walk."

The ghostly fire hovered briefly, then dropped a pill.

The play-performer picked up the pill, swallowed it, and swiftly recovered.

Inside the cave, Li Banfeng held the female yue-axe, carefully observing the changes. It was his first time using this spiritual item, and he wasn't sure what its effect would be.

By past two in the morning, the female yue-axe began to warm, eventually becoming quite hot. This was a sign that its beloved was near.

The play-performer had already reached the vicinity of the cave and, speaking to a ball of ghostly fire beside him, said, "Meng Yuchun lives in that cave."

Accompanying the ghostly fire were twenty-six strange monsters, their cultivation levels varying from four to six layers, along with two seven-layered roaming monsters.

The ghostly fire commanded, "Go lure Meng Yuchun out. Leave the rest to me." His words carried a strong presence, as if he were taking sole responsibility for everything. The real reason was that he knew Meng Yuchun was a residence cultivator, and he did not want to engage a residence cultivator within her own residence. His strategy was to first lure Meng Yuchun out, then have these monsters entangle her. He would then enter her residence, eliminate the residence spirit, and finally unearth the deed. At that point, Meng Yuchun would be utterly disheartened, making it effortless to either kill or capture her.

Upon receiving the command, the monsters stealthily infiltrated the cave.

The play-performer led the way, pointing at the cave entrance on the rock wall and waving to the others. Understanding his signal, everyone quietly crept towards the cave entrance.

The female yue-axe trembled incessantly, as if it had found its beloved, its presence making it palpitate.

Li Banfeng quietly opened his portable residence.

A man with bat-like wings spread them wide and was the first to fly into the cave. He flew in, and never came out.

Inside this cave, there was no Meng Yuchun, only Li Banfeng.

Had the play-performer mistaken the location? Yes, he had indeed mistaken the location. This cave was not Meng Yuchun's residence; it was a cave created by Li Banfeng using his path-breaking skill. The projector was currently projecting from the highest point of the cave, and he had altered the entire layout of the space.

The play-performer also sensed that something was amiss, but the general location was indeed correct. Besides, the bat-like creature had already flown in, and it was best not to comment on uncertain matters.

Li Banfeng seized the bat-man, using his forward momentum to hurl him directly into the portable residence. Was this person the mastermind? It seemed he wasn't the only one.

After the bat-man, a python slithered up. Li Banfeng grabbed it and tossed it into the portable residence as well. After the python came a stag beetle. This powerful beetle was quick and ruthless, its pincers nearly catching Li Banfeng. Tang Dao emerged to help, impaling the stag beetle and sending it into the portable residence.

"Blade, you take enemy heads," Li Banfeng said, "with a fierce battle ahead, aren't you going to stay a little longer?"

"My lord, I'm busy," it replied. "I'll come back to assist you in a bit."

Indeed, it was busy; everyone inside the portable residence was working frantically.

"Vicious woman, are you done eating? Everyone's waiting!"

"You hold down that beetle first; the bat isn't even finished yet."

"You're always so demanding, insisting on eating them alive!"

Two more centipedes, over ten meters long, appeared. Li Banfeng called out, "Form a line, maintain order!"

After the centipedes, a bamboo stalk appeared. Was it a bamboo stalk or a stick insect? "Never mind," he thought, "let my wife sort it out. Next one!"

Hong Ying shouted loudly from inside the house, "Vicious woman, eat faster! The room is full!"

Out of twenty-five monsters, eighteen had gone in, and not a single one had emerged.

A roaming monster covered in vines said to the play-performer, "Did you bloody find the wrong place?"

The play-performer shook his head repeatedly. "The place isn't wrong; it's right here." He couldn't admit it, not for anything!

Another roaming monster, dressed like a cook, lowered his voice and said, "It seems we've walked into an ambush." The two roaming monsters were hired. Sensing that something was wrong, they turned and fled without a backward glance. When they fled, the other monsters also tried to follow, rushing towards the cave entrance. Alas, it was too late.

Meng Yuchun was still waiting inside her residence. At that moment, she exited her residence, leaped down the rock wall, and clenched her fists.

A halo of light rose from the cave entrance. The cook, who was leading the charge, quickly stopped. Behind him, a rooster couldn't stop in time and crashed directly into the halo, leaving not a single feather behind.

The monsters fell into a panic as Meng Yuchun slowly emerged from the cave, her expression ferocious. "Who sent you here?" she demanded.

The vine-covered roaming monster stammered, "It was... it was Lord Basan..." At a time like this, there was no point in resisting.

Meng Yuchun roared, "Who is Lord Basan?"

How was he supposed to answer that? Lord Basan was her neighbor, the local deity of the adjacent territory. She didn't even know this. Meng Yuchun truly had no idea; ever since becoming a local deity, she had never once left her own territory.

At that moment, Lord Basan was standing on the hillside, awaiting news from inside the cave.

The roaming monster in the chef's robe took out a pair of iron shovels and clanged them together twice. The vine monster stared at the chef in astonishment; those two clangs signified success. Was the current situation considered a success? Apparently, it was. At least Meng Yuchun had been lured out of her residence.

Hearing the clang of the shovels, Lord Basan floated into the cave. He had intended to use the commotion in the cave as a diversion to enter Meng Yuchun's residence directly, first killing the residence spirit, then digging up the deed. He hadn't floated far into the rugged cave when Lord Basan saw a halo of light ahead and realized something was amiss.

Lord Basan turned to leave, but Meng Yuchun let out a roar, and another halo of light surged forth near the cave entrance. Ten meters beyond that, outside the cave entrance, yet another halo of light appeared. Halos of light, layer upon layer, surrounded them.

A Residence Cultivator skill: Doors Closed, House Sealed!

Lord Basan was trapped.

"You bastard, why did you try to harm me?" Meng Yuchun spat at Lord Basan. Within the cave, thousands of dewdrops scattered in all directions. The dewdrops struck a group of monsters, causing blood to splatter. Lower-level monsters were instantly riddled like sieves and perished immediately. Higher-level monsters dodged and parried, yet still sustained injuries.

A water cultivation skill? Was Meng Yuchun a high-level water cultivator?

The chef-like roaming monster quickly realized that Meng Yuchun herself wasn't a water cultivator, but her residence spirit was. This was a residence cultivator's deep-house technique. He took out two ladles to shield himself, hiding in a corner, not daring to move.

The water droplets passed through Lord Basan, forcing her to abandon her ghost fire form and reveal her true appearance. Meng Yuchun stared at Lord Basan, her appearance surprising her. Named Lord Basan, one would expect him to be a strong man capable of pulling mountains. Yet before her stood an old woman, hunched and white-haired, leaning on a walking stick. With her face full of wrinkles and various age spots, it seemed her days were numbered.

"Why did you harm me?" Meng Yuchun demanded sharply.

Lord Basan didn't answer. She struck the ground with her walking stick, and all the rocks, large and small, inside the cave flew up, hurtling towards Meng Yuchun.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The rocks shattered on impact, and the rising dust obscured Meng Yuchun's body. When the dust cleared, Meng Yuchun calmly wiped rock fragments from her body and looked at Lord Basan, completely unharmed.

A Residence Cultivator skill: Profound Residence Heart.

Lord Basan tried to retreat, but the halos of light behind her were closing in. Meng Yuchun spat at Lord Basan again, and a water giant, over ten meters tall, slowly advanced towards her.

Li Banfeng listened to the sounds inside the cave, inferring the battle situation outside. A battle of this magnitude was clearly beyond his ability to intervene.

"I should just go back to my portable residence."

"But if I return to the portable residence now and leave the key here in the cave, it doesn't seem very safe."

"If Meng Yuchun wins, everything will be fine."

"If Meng Yuchun loses, I'll still have to find a way to get out."

He decided to observe the situation further. The commotion outside grew louder, and the thread-pulling earring on his ear trembled ceaselessly.

"Master, let's go back quickly, I'm scared."

"Scared is scared, but don't you dare pee yourself from fright," he retorted. "If you pee on my ear, I definitely won't forgive you!"

After more than ten exchanges, Lord Basan leaned on her walking stick, covered in wounds. Although Lord Basan was old, if the fight had taken place elsewhere, she might not have been at such a disadvantage against Meng Yuchun. But this was Meng Yuchun's territory, so close to her residence. A residence cultivator held an overwhelming advantage on their home ground.

Now, she couldn't leave even if she wanted to, and she couldn't win if she fought. Was there any way out? Negotiate with Meng Yuchun? Negotiation was out of the question. While she still had some strength, she should take a gamble!

Lord Basan looked at the play-performer. The blood-stained play-performer glanced at the rock wall. This was to inform Lord Basan that Meng Yuchun's residence was located on the rock wall, and it was all he could do to help.

Lord Basan calculated her remaining stamina. To break through the barrier ahead would cost her thirty percent of her strength. After rushing into the residence and forcibly killing the residence spirit, the remaining seventy percent would also be depleted, and that was assuming the residence spirit's quality was far inferior to Meng Yuchun's. With her last breath, she would quickly find the deed and use it to threaten Meng Yuchun.

Calculating the entire process, the chances of success were negligible.

To gamble or not to gamble?

Li Banfeng listened inside the cave; it seemed to have suddenly grown quieter outside. Quietness was not a good sign; both sides were likely preparing their ultimate attacks. He opened the door of his portable residence; the room was in chaos. A group of magical artifacts frantically snatched food, while Hong Ying constantly urged the phonograph to eat faster.

The phonograph, unable to eat anymore, beat a gong and drum, singing daintily, "Oh dear, why are there so many?"

On the battlefield, Lord Basan made up her mind and charged directly towards the halo. She had to gamble. There was only one halo in front of her. Behind her, seven halos of light were closing in. If she was subjected to a bloodbath by seven halos, Lord Basan would have no chance of survival.

The halo swept across the old woman's body, stripping off a layer of skin! Her charge startled Meng Yuchun; this old woman truly had no regard for her own life.

"Good, you don't care about your life. I'll grant your wish!"

Just as Meng Yuchun was about to strike, she saw that the old woman wasn't charging at her, but instead hurtling directly towards the cave on the rock wall.

"No! Li Qi! That was the cave where Li Qi was."

Li Banfeng stepped through the door and had just tossed out the key when a bloodied, fleshy mass suddenly collided with him head-on. The impact slammed Li Banfeng directly against the wall.

Lord Basan scanned the room, searching for the residence spirit.

Hong Ying heard the commotion and asked, "What was that?"

Li Banfeng struggled to his feet, breathing heavily. "Indeed, what is it?" he gasped.

All the magical artifacts fell silent. His wife, the phonograph, let out a burp. "Oh dear, husband," she chirped, "I'm really going to get fat this time."