Chapter 532: Suixing and Shenwai

The man liked to build fires, keeping his stove blazing. Based on this, Li Banfeng deduced his identity.

Luhuo Wang, the local deity of the New Land, was quite well-known.

He Haiqin had mentioned that this person had always coveted the New Land Li Banfeng had acquired from Neizhou.

The local deities of the New Land typically didn't cultivate beyond the second layer of the Cloud Realm. If Luhuo Wang intended to fight here, Li Banfeng wouldn't mind a battle, but he first needed to understand what kind of cultivator Luhuo Wang was.

Judging by his name, this person might be a Fire Cultivator or an Artisan Cultivator. He had built a stone stove here, certainly not for warmth.

What other purpose could this stove serve?

Luhuo Wang seemed quite sincere. Noticing Li Banfeng staring at the stove, he voluntarily explained, "This stove is for storing my fire essence. I'm a Fire Cultivator, and our techniques are limited by our fire essence."

"For example, if you're a Traveler Cultivator, as long as you have energy, you can use 'Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers' as many times as you like. But it's not like that for me. I have a technique called 'Flames of Fury,' which consumes a lot of fire essence. I used it once today, and my fire essence is almost depleted, so I can't use it a second time."

"But with this stove, I'm not afraid. I store fire essence inside it. When the stove uses it once, I can use it again. Doesn't that effectively double my technique usage?"

Was this man truly so straightforward?

He'd revealed all his cards before the fight even began?

Was he telling the truth?

It was hard to tell if he was being truthful. Li Banfeng wasn't very familiar with Fire Cultivators, but Luhuo Wang's description did align with known characteristics: Fire Cultivators were indeed limited by their fire essence.

At the Mo Xiang Shop, Chu Shaoqiang had once brought a Fire Cultivator, but that cultivator's main combat focus was on Lv Shuixie and He Jiaqing. Li Banfeng had recorded some of the battle scenes at the time. By consulting books and asking others, he learned that the key to dealing with Fire Cultivators was extinguishing their fire seeds.

There were three methods to extinguish fire seeds. The first was remote extinguishment, a favorite tactic of Water and Earth Cultivators. They would use their techniques on the fire seeds from a distance, putting them out without getting close.

This combat method was the safest. Once a fire seed was extinguished, it couldn't be relit for several days, which was why Fire Cultivators were reluctant to engage Water and Earth Cultivators.

The second method was close-quarters forceful seizure. Lv Huazi had used this, relying on her imperviousness to fire to forcefully snatch the fire seeds once she got close. This method came at a huge cost, but it inflicted immense damage on Fire Cultivators.

A fire seed forcefully seized at close range was equivalent to being uprooted from a Fire Cultivator, requiring several months to recover.

The third method was attrition. Fire seeds could release fire essence, but not indefinitely. When the fire essence was nearly depleted, Fire Cultivators had to stop using that particular fire seed; otherwise, if it completely extinguished, it would also take several days to relight.

Li Banfeng could employ all three of these combat methods. By combining them, he could derive many more tactics.

The crucial question was whether Luhuo Wang was truly a Fire Cultivator.

Misjudging an opponent's cultivation path often led to disastrous results. Many had suffered losses at Li Banfeng's hands in this regard, and Li Banfeng certainly didn't want to suffer losses at someone else's.

"Both contracts are here. The wager is clear, Li Qi. Do you dare to bet with me?" Luhuo Wang placed both the winning and losing contracts before Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng nodded. "Agreed."

As his words fell, both men simultaneously prepared for battle.

Li Banfeng first stepped towards Luhuo Wang.

Amidst flying sand and stones, Luhuo Wang didn't dodge. Flames immediately erupted from his body.

This was one of the most troublesome Fire Cultivator techniques, called 'Nameless Flames.' Its principle was simple: it transformed the cultivator's body into flames for a short period, allowing attacks to pass through harmlessly while also inflicting damage on others through the flames.

Li Banfeng had now used 'Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers.' This kick was incredibly powerful, and the scattered sand and stones around it also inflicted significant damage.

However, Luhuo Wang's body had completely transformed into flames, with only his fire seeds retaining physical form. He used his movement technique to protect his fire seeds, so 'Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers' inflicted virtually no damage on him.

This was a unique defensive technique of Fire Cultivators, difficult to imitate with magical artifacts or spiritual objects. From this, it could be deduced that Luhuo Wang was indeed a Fire Cultivator.

'Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers' proved ineffective, so Li Banfeng swiftly retreated, switching to 'Riding a Horse to View Flowers.'

Luhuo Wang slapped his stove, and a fire dragon over three zhang long flew out. Wherever Li Banfeng ran, the fire dragon pursued, ensuring Luhuo Wang's gaze remained fixed on Li Banfeng.

'Riding a Horse to View Flowers' failed to yield results. Luhuo Wang had already launched a counterattack, with specks of fire glowing in the wild grass beneath Li Banfeng's feet.

This was a Fire Cultivator technique, 'Spark Spreads Across the Plains.'

These glowing specks were the sparks generated by the technique.

Though the sparks seemed small, their power was astonishing. Li Banfeng dodged rapidly; if he were even slightly slower, the sparks could ignite his shoes, set his pants ablaze, and spread across his entire body in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, Li Banfeng's footwork was fast enough. The sparks flickered ceaselessly but couldn't harm him.

However, these tiny sparks could ignite the wild grass on the ground, causing a raging inferno to erupt and rapidly spread, soon enveloping Li Banfeng in flames.

'Spark Spreads Across the Plains' was specifically designed to target cultivators with swift movement and a large range of activity.

The unpredictable appearance of the sparks was used to restrict the opponent's speed. Rash Traveler Cultivators and Martial Cultivators would suffer heavy injuries if they stepped on them.

'Spreads Across the Plains' referred to the sparks' ability to ignite all surrounding flammable materials, spreading a large fire to limit the opponent's range of movement.

Trapped in the sea of fire, Li Banfeng's situation seemed precarious. There was no space for him to sprint, and his footwork became increasingly difficult, yet he remained unpanicked.

Fire Cultivators were different from other cultivation paths; their techniques were too powerful. Falling into a disadvantage temporarily when fighting a Fire Cultivator was common.

If one became too impatient at this point, insisting on a desperate struggle, they might turn to ash before even laying a hand on the Fire Cultivator.

Li Banfeng wasn't in a hurry. He wove back and forth through the flames, picking out gaps. Spotting an opening ahead, Li Banfeng was about to break free.

Luhuo Wang didn't give him a chance. He quickly reinforced the opening with more sparks, connecting the flames and preventing Li Banfeng from breaking out, while continuously intensifying the 'Spreads Across the Plains' fire.

Yet Li Banfeng always found openings. He rushed towards a large bluestone, about to break out from its edge.

Luhuo Wang scattered sparks, igniting a circle around the stone, forcing Li Banfeng back again.

Li Banfeng leaped onto a large tree, soaring back and forth in the canopy, also able to escape the sea of fire.

Luhuo Wang saw Li Banfeng's intention, scattered more sparks, and set all the surrounding trees ablaze.

Li Banfeng jumped from the tree to the hillside, hugging the slope as he tried to escape the inferno.

Luhuo Wang continued to scatter sparks, setting all the vines on the hillside ablaze.

Li Banfeng picked up a vine, reminding Luhuo Wang, "This one isn't burning!"

Luhuo Wang flicked out a spark, and the vine caught fire.

Wait a moment.

Luhuo Wang felt something was amiss.

Did Li Qi actually want to break out?

He had found so many openings, why was he still circling in the sea of fire?

Could it be that he was trying to deplete his fire essence?

Luhuo Wang had guessed correctly; Li Banfeng was indeed trying to deplete his fire essence.

Foolish Cultivator techniques didn't necessarily need to be spoken aloud.

Without saying a word, Li Banfeng had employed the 'A Fool's Many Thoughts' technique.

Now that Li Qi was trapped in the sea of fire and Luhuo Wang had the clear advantage, how should he proceed?

If he wanted to trap Li Qi in one go, he would have to take a gamble, commit all his fire essence, and seal off every single opening.

If he wanted to conserve fire essence, he couldn't keep blocking the holes. But if Li Qi rushed out of the inferno, all his previous fire essence expenditure would be for naught.

Should he gamble or not?

Luhuo Wang agonized for a long time, consuming a considerable amount of fire essence in the process.

Continuing to agonize would only waste more fire essence. Luhuo Wang shook his head, his thoughts gradually clearing.

He shouldn't agonize over whether to gamble, but rather whether gambling would be effective.

The original purpose of using 'Spark Spreads Across the Plains' was to restrict Li Qi's movement, not to directly trap him to death.

How had he gotten this confused?

Li Qi was a Traveler Cultivator from the Cloud Realm; he could slip through any crevice. Luhuo Wang had wasted so much fire essence for nothing.

What was he thinking just now to make such a foolish move?

Luhuo Wang quickly retracted his technique, but Li Qi suddenly rushed forward.

Luhuo Wang erected a wall of fire in front of him to block Li Banfeng's approach.

Relying on the 'Generous Heart' technique, Li Banfeng forcefully passed through the fire wall, came close, and swung his scythe.

Luhuo Wang was shocked, never expecting a Traveler Cultivator to be so resilient.

He once again used the 'Nameless Flames' technique, directly transforming his body into raging fire.

Li Banfeng activated the 'Golden Eye of Insight' technique, seeing everything clearly this time.

Luhuo Wang had six clusters of flames on his body that suddenly became very bright the moment he used the technique: on his left shoulder, right shoulder, throat, navel, left knee, and right knee. These six clusters of flames were Luhuo Wang's fire seeds.

Why only six locations?

With 'Generous Heart' still active, Li Banfeng didn't ponder further. Relying on his swiftness, he tore at Luhuo Wang's fiery form, ripping off three fire seeds.

Luhuo Wang's combat power was damaged, and he tried to evade, but Li Banfeng was too fast for him to escape. In the midst of their struggle, Li Banfeng extinguished two more fire seeds.

A Fire Cultivator gained one fire seed for each layer of cultivation. Luhuo Wang's cultivation was in the Cloud Realm, so he must have more than ten fire seeds. Currently, six had been found, five extinguished, and one was still glowing on his left knee. Where were the rest of his fire seeds?

Li Banfeng hadn't yet located the remaining fire seeds and focused intently on the one on Luhuo Wang's left knee.

Luhuo Wang suddenly stopped being nervous.

He knew Li Banfeng's target was the fire seed on his left knee, so he simply put all his effort into defending that one fire seed.

The two became entangled in combat. From the stove, a fire dragon three zhang long shot out.

'Flames of Fury' again?

How many 'Flames of Fury' were stored in this stove?

This technique was indeed powerful; the ferocious fire dragon could force Li Banfeng back in a short time.

But Luhuo Wang's goal wasn't just to repel Li Banfeng. With this strike, he intended to decide the outcome directly.

While the fire dragon held Li Banfeng at bay, Luhuo Wang used a technique called 'Blazing Thunder.'

The three-zhang fire dragon transformed into raging flames, hovering overhead like a red cloud. If Li Banfeng moved even an inch, he would be struck by the lightning-like flames.

Luhuo Wang himself wasn't afraid of fire-lightning; being struck wouldn't bother him. He fought Li Banfeng beneath this fire cloud, where he could move freely, while Li Banfeng was essentially immobilized.

This tactical maneuver was highly successful. Luhuo Wang's arms transformed into fiery snakes, launching a furious assault, while Li Banfeng could only dodge and parry using the 'Carefree and Unrestrained' technique.

Were there any other options?

There were plenty of options; Li Banfeng had many ways to resolve the current situation.

He could use the 'Thousand Mountains by Intent' technique to alter the battlefield environment, then counterattack or escape.

He could also use the 'Deep Mansion, Grand Courtyard' technique, borrowing his wife's Sound Cultivator abilities to counterattack.

Or he could release his shadow to seize the opportunity to pluck the fire seed from Luhuo Wang's left knee.

But would doing so guarantee Li Banfeng's victory?

Li Banfeng was staring at Luhuo Wang's left knee.

Luhuo Wang's techniques were continuous, yet the fire seed on his left knee showed no change in brightness. This was clearly different from when he had used 'Nameless Flames' earlier.

A Fire Cultivator's power came from fire seeds. During his current technique usage, the fire seed on his left knee wasn't playing any role at all.

So where were the active fire seeds? If he couldn't find them, defeating Luhuo Wang would be impossible. Li Banfeng was still observing when he suddenly heard a commotion in the distance.

"Ptooey!"

Li Banfeng frowned; the sound seemed to be Tang Changfa.

That sound startled Luhuo Wang, who roared at Tang Changfa, "What do you think you're doing?!"

Tang Changfa stood beside the stove, expressionless, and said, "Just came to watch the show."

Luhuo Wang glared at Li Banfeng. "I'm telling you, this is a fair contest between us. Outsiders can't just interfere."

Li Banfeng chuckled, "He's not interfering. Didn't he tell you, he's just watching the show?"

While they were still fighting, Tang Changfa cleared his throat again. "Cough, cough, cough, ptooey!"

Luhuo Wang flinched again. In that moment of distraction, Li Banfeng extinguished the fire seed on his left knee.

From then on, all six fire seeds on Luhuo Wang's body were extinguished, yet he could still use Fire Cultivator techniques.

Where were the other fire seeds? Were they behind him?

"Ptooey!" Tang Changfa spat another gob of phlegm at the stove.

Luhuo Wang couldn't stand it anymore and yelled at Tang Changfa, "How disgusting are you?!"

Tang Changfa snorted, "Why are you so particular? I'm just watching the show. I spit a couple of times; what business is it of yours?"

Luhuo Wang had no time to mind Tang Changfa. The 'Blazing Thunder' technique had a short duration. When it ended, the fire cloud overhead dispersed, and another three-zhang fire dragon emerged from the stove.

This stove really could hold a lot!

Li Banfeng now knew where the fire seeds were.

Before the fire cloud could fully form, Li Banfeng kicked towards the stove.

Luhuo Wang quickly moved to block in front of the stove.

Li Banfeng used 'Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers.' Luhuo Wang didn't dare to use 'Nameless Flames' and took the blow with his body, leaving himself riddled with bloody holes.

Li Banfeng prepared to stomp again, but Luhuo Wang waved his hand, saying, "No more, I surrender!"

"You really surrender?" Li Banfeng's foot hovered in the air, not stomping down.

Luhuo Wang nodded. "You found my weakness. I accept the wager's outcome; there's nothing more to say."

What was Luhuo Wang's weakness?

His weakness was in this stove. Luhuo Wang was a first-layer Fire Cultivator in the Cloud Realm. Among local deities, his cultivation wasn't particularly high, but his reputation was considerable.

He had clashed with other local deities many times and rarely lost, the reason being his stove.

This stove not only stored a large amount of fire essence but also fire seeds.

A Fire Cultivator possessed one fire seed per cultivation layer. He had a total of eleven fire seeds: six on his body and five in the stove.

When others attacked Luhuo Wang, they often overlooked the stove, which contained a large amount of fire essence.

Combined with the five fire seeds, it could continuously release techniques. Coupled with the Fire Cultivator's characteristics, this formed a 'two-on-one' combat tactic.

This maneuver was difficult to comprehend. Fire seeds were an inherent characteristic of Fire Cultivators; how could they be transferred to a stove?

Especially for such a simple stone stove, it was hard to believe it could be such a profound item.

Li Banfeng quickly deciphered Luhuo Wang's combat method, thanks to Tang Changfa's timely hint.

But how did Tang Changfa know Luhuo Wang's combat method? Had the two met before?

Tang Changfa's expression was blank, not like someone encountering an acquaintance.

Li Banfeng said to Luhuo Wang, "Since you accept the wager's outcome, hand over the boundary contract!"

Luhuo Wang looked at Li Qi. He hadn't expected Li Qi to actually demand the contract. He thought Li Qi would make friends with him and let the matter go.

This was truly wishful thinking on his part.

If he had won the fight, would he have let Li Qi go? Would he have forgone He Yuxiu's territory?

Just now, when they fought, Luhuo Wang's every move was ruthless. He was clearly aiming for Li Banfeng's life, so how could Li Banfeng spare him?

"Alright!" Luhuo Wang picked up the stove from the ground. "I'll take you to find the contract."

The simple stone stove could actually be picked up intact.

It contained craftsmanship; seemingly simple, it was actually very intricate.

Li Banfeng followed Luhuo Wang into the wilderness. Tang Changfa, feeling uneasy, wanted to follow behind, but Li Banfeng gestured for him to wait there.

The two walked over thirty li through the wilderness. Luhuo Wang pointed to an old poplar tree ahead. "The contract is under that tree."

Li Banfeng said, "You dig it out."

"You don't dare to dig it yourself?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Indeed, I don't quite dare. I'm afraid you'll play a trick."

Luhuo Wang placed the stove beside him and bent down to dig a hole under the tree.

After digging for a moment, Luhuo Wang pulled out a jar. "My contract is inside this jar."

Li Banfeng said, "Open it and let me see."

"Open it yourself!" Luhuo Wang tossed the jar to Li Banfeng.

At the same time, a wisp of green smoke emerged from the stove.

A fire snake shot out of the stove, and the jar Luhuo Wang threw was almost in Li Banfeng's hand.

But Li Banfeng didn't catch the jar; he flashed aside and dodged it.

The fire snake pursued the jar, circled it once, and the jar exploded with a bang.

Luhuo Wang glared fiercely at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng, safely at a distance, wasn't harmed at all. The jar contained gunpowder, which Li Banfeng had smelled long ago using his 'All-Scented Delicacy' technique.

"You really dare to gamble, kid. Weren't you afraid this thing wouldn't explode?"

Luhuo Wang didn't respond, transforming himself into a fire dragon and charging Li Banfeng to fight.

He didn't expect the jar of explosives to hit Li Qi; he just wanted to gain the initiative.

Li Banfeng chuckled, "What, can't you handle losing?"

Luhuo Wang truly couldn't afford to lose. Unwilling to hand over the contract to Li Banfeng, at this point, he could only fight desperately.

Li Banfeng didn't bother to fight him. While dodging, he casually tossed out the old teapot.

The old teapot spilled a pot of water onto the stove.

A mist of water rose from the stove. The stove fire was on the verge of extinguishing, and if all his fire seeds were put out, it could endanger his life.

Luhuo Wang quickly rushed to save the stove. A halo of light appeared around Li Banfeng's feet, and he first scraped off a layer of flesh and blood from Luhuo Wang's body.

Luhuo Wang fell to the ground. Li Banfeng stepped forward, grabbed him, and first threw him into the Portable Residence, then threw the stove in as well.

Hong Ying looked at the bloodied Luhuo Wang, then at the stove beside him. Before she could speak, Luhuo Wang spoke first.

"What kind of monster is this?" Luhuo Wang stared at Hong Ying and blurted out.

Hong Ying was furious. She drew her sword and pinned Luhuo Wang to the ground.

There was still a small flame in the stove. Luhuo Wang wanted to use the 'Nameless Flames' technique to turn himself into fire and break free from the sword.

But Hong Ying was too fast. Amidst the swirling sword light, she pierced over sixty holes in Luhuo Wang's body.

After more than sixty stabs, Luhuo Wang's fire hadn't even ignited.

"Yingying, don't mess around! This person is still useful to your husband!" The Record Player quickly stopped Hong Ying.

Hong Ying sheathed her sword and said, "Don't worry, he won't die. I know my limits."

The Record Player stared at the stove for a long time, then couldn't help but exclaim, "Great skill appears clumsy; what profound craftsmanship!"

The Portable Residence sighed, "You really have an eye for it! This craftsmanship has been lost for many years!"

Li Banfeng didn't rush back to the Portable Residence; he went to find Tang Changfa first.

"Changfa, you performed a great service today. I'll get you something good later."

Tang Changfa shook his head. "You are the shopkeeper. It's my duty to work for you. How dare I ask for a reward? Besides, I didn't really help much just now; I just spat a couple of times."

Li Banfeng chuckled, "How did you know Luhuo Wang's fire seeds were in the stove?"

Tang Changfa looked a bit ashamed. "I didn't know they were in the stove at first. I suspected he had hidden them somewhere else. Later, when I noticed the stove continuously releasing techniques, I realized something was off."

Li Banfeng paused. "Do Fire Cultivators often hide fire seeds in other places?"

Tang Changfa thought carefully. "His method isn't very common. Back then, Fire Cultivators had two sects: one called the Body-Bound Sect, whose fire seeds were all on their bodies, and another called the External Sect, whose fire seeds were not on their bodies."

"This is the first time I've seen someone like him, who carries half on his body and hides half in a stove."

Body-Bound Sect, External Sect – these were concepts Li Banfeng was hearing for the first time.

Tang Changfa's actions also baffled Li Banfeng.

"Why did you spit at that stove just now? Even if there was no water, wouldn't urinating be more effective than spitting?"

Tang Changfa chuckled, "I spat to deceive him. This is another application of 'Verifiable Truth.' Although I didn't speak, I made him believe I was a Phlegm Cultivator."

"Phlegm Cultivator?" Li Banfeng had never heard of this cultivation path.

"Are you talking about an Illness Cultivator?"

Tang Changfa shook his head. "I haven't seen an Illness Cultivator, but I've seen Phlegm Cultivators. This path is formidable; it's the greatest nemesis of Fire Cultivators."

"Isn't the greatest nemesis of Fire Cultivators Water Cultivators?"

"Actually, no, not Water Cultivators! Water and Fire Cultivators are mutually restraining, so everyone thinks Water Cultivators are the greatest nemesis of Fire Cultivators. But Phlegm Cultivators suppress Fire Cultivators much more severely."

"Some fires can't be extinguished completely with water; if the core isn't put out, it can reignite with wind. But if you spit a mouthful of thick phlegm, and that phlegm covers the fire source, it can completely kill the fire!"

Li Banfeng considered the process. "How big would a mouthful of phlegm need to be for that?"

Tang Changfa said, "Phlegm Cultivation is a cultivation path, so naturally, they have their unique methods. A Phlegm Cultivator can easily cover a rickshaw with one mouthful of phlegm. A more powerful one, with a bit more effort, could even flood our Study Hall."

The image... Li Banfeng didn't dare to dwell on it. "Old Tang, you go back and rest first. I still have some matters to attend to."

"Shopkeeper, let me come with you."

"No need. Get a good night's sleep. We have to travel tomorrow."

After sending Tang Changfa away, Li Banfeng returned to the Portable Residence and saw his family eating.

"You're eating already?" Li Banfeng was stunned for a moment, then angrily said, "I still had things to ask him!"

The Record Player gave Hong Ying a slap. "It's all her fault. Just because someone called her a monster, she stabbed him over sixty times. The fellow couldn't take it anymore; he had to eat or he wouldn't make it. I've already asked him some things for you. You were looking for his contract, right? He drew me a map; you can find it by following the map."

Li Banfeng looked at the map Luhuo Wang had left. It was stained with blood and drawn very crudely.

"He wouldn't just draw something randomly to deceive me, would he?"

Hong Ying was confident. "He wouldn't dare. His soul was scattered with fear at the time. Even if I told him to lie, he wouldn't have the courage."

Li Banfeng looked at Luhuo Wang's stove. "Did he say anything about the origin of this stove?"

The Record Player said, "He made this stove himself. He said he's the sole descendant of the External Sect of Fire Cultivators."

"Wife, you've heard of the External Sect too?"

"More than just heard of them, I've seen quite a few. It's just that the External Sect of Fire Cultivators later died out. I'm not entirely sure why. My dear husband, this stove has great uses and can store many things. I need to thoroughly study its craftsmanship. Just wait until your little servant adds another fine piece of property to your collection!"

At 4:30 AM, 'Salad' is still typing. Esteemed readers,