Chapter 536: That Place Is Not the Underworld? (High Energy in This Chapter)

Li Banfeng hid behind a half-collapsed mud wall, quietly observing the unfolding battle.

He and Lu Dongjun had very little interaction. Their closest encounter was at Haichi Ridge, where both were working to control an insect plague.

Lu Dongjun had initially achieved success, almost eradicating the mosquitoes at Toudao Ridge. However, the plague in Erdao Ridge proved uncontrollable, and the insect infestation resurfaced.

Since then, Lu Dongjun had disappeared. Li Banfeng didn't know his whereabouts, only having heard rumors of his death. He was surprised to encounter Lu Dongjun's spirit today in Waizhou.

Lu Dongjun transformed his tattered clothes into silk threads, which then pierced Chu Zikai's body.

Chu Zikai was truly struck this time.

When alive, Lu Dongjun was an eighth-level martial cultivator. After his death, his combat power unexpectedly surged, allowing him to contend with a Cloud Cultivator. Jin Shunying had explained this as a result of a spirit's "specialization" after death, but Li Banfeng still didn't fully grasp the underlying logic.

Believing victory was assured, Lu Dongjun spread out the silk threads from his clothes, preparing to cut Chu Zikai into pieces.

Chu Zikai let out a sharp cry. The sound waves traveled along the silk threads to Lu Dongjun's body, causing his spirit to severely distort.

The Cloud Sound Cultivator, despite being momentarily at a disadvantage, reacted instantly.

Lu Dongjun tore free from the silk threads and rapidly retreated on all fours, looking like a startled cat with bristling fur.

The tide of battle turned in an instant. Chu Zikai didn't rush to pursue, instead looking around, searching for Lu Dongjun's accomplice.

Ordinarily, Li Banfeng would have intervened at this point.

Although he had no personal relationship with Lu Dongjun, teaming up to subdue Chu Zikai would be an excellent strategic choice.

However, Li Banfeng did not act rashly tonight because he sensed an intense danger.

This danger didn't come from Chu Zikai; Li Banfeng was well aware of Chu Zikai's strength after two encounters, and he wasn't capable of posing such a grave threat to Li Banfeng.

Where did this danger originate?

There were two possibilities: one was an accomplice of Chu Zikai. During their first encounter, a high-level Food Cultivator in black had accompanied Chu Zikai, causing Li Banfeng to experience intense hunger and almost lose his combat effectiveness. If these two collaborated, they could indeed pose a significant threat to Li Banfeng.

The other possibility was that someone "from above" might be watching. If the danger originated from that person, Li Banfeng should be even more hesitant to engage in the battle.

But what level was this person "from above"? What was the power disparity between them and Li Banfeng? If they truly concealed their malicious intent, Li Banfeng shouldn't even be able to sense the danger.

Regardless of the situation, Li Banfeng could not engage Chu Zikai directly at the moment, but he could act covertly. While Chu Zikai and Li Banfeng weighed their options, Lu Dongjun didn't overthink things. He grabbed a hemp rope from the construction site and lashed it at Chu Zikai like a soft whip.

Chu Zikai, agile enough, dodged it by shifting sideways.

The rope changed direction, wrapped around Chu Zikai's body, and bound him.

Chu Zikai struggled to break free, but the hemp rope became incredibly tough in Lu Dongjun's hands, making escape impossible.

"Hiss," Chu Zikai squeezed out a sound between his teeth, like a sharp blade cutting through air.

The hemp rope seemed to be cut by a blade, on the verge of snapping.

"Shhh," Li Banfeng whistled, affecting Chu Zikai's vocalizations. The rope, which was about to snap, tightened again, and Lu Dongjun pulled with sudden force, drawing Chu Zikai closer.

"Sing!" Chu Zikai belted out a high note. Sound waves, centered on him, rapidly spread outwards.

Caught in the sound waves, Lu Dongjun convulsed repeatedly. Injured, he immediately released the rope.

To evade the sound waves, Li Banfeng stood up and moved away from the mud wall. In that instant, Chu Zikai spotted him.

"Hula la la," Chu Zikai sang a trilled note. The sound waves pushed back Lu Dongjun while also pursuing Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng suddenly accelerated, shaking off the sound waves and almost disappearing from Chu Zikai's sight.

Chu Zikai continuously used sound waves to entrap him. His gaze had to remain fixed on Li Banfeng, or he would suffer a severe blow from 'Quick Glance'.

Lu Dongjun picked up a piece of wood and threw it at Chu Zikai. Chu Zikai used his trilled note to shatter the wood, and the flying debris obscured his vision.

Chu Zikai was greatly surprised that Lu Dongjun had considered a post-shattering attack strategy!

He used the wooden stick to draw Chu Zikai's attack and then used the wood splinters to block Chu Zikai's vision.

Chu Zikai could no longer lock onto Li Banfeng, and Li Banfeng prepared to unleash 'Quick Glance'.

Suddenly, a strong gale arose, as if a brute force had delivered a powerful shove to Li Banfeng, nearly causing him to stumble. His technique couldn't be deployed.

Lu Dongjun was tossed and turned by the wind, swept away out of sight.

Chu Zikai stood at the eye of the storm, ready to counterattack, but then heard an elder's voice in his ear: "Go."

"Why should I go?"

The elder said no more, sweeping Chu Zikai away from the construction site with the strong wind.

The gale carried Chu Zikai far beyond Yanlou Village. Chu Zikai repeatedly questioned, "The battle was won, why are we retreating?"

The elder's voice, carried by the wind, entered Chu Zikai's ears: "We might not have won. Lu Dongjun's accomplice is of unknown origin. I suspect it's Lu Dongliang."

"How could it be Lu Dongliang? I've fought that person before!"

"Don't assume that just because the opponent is a travel cultivator, they must be an enemy you know. Besides, you're not that familiar with that enemy, so it's very possible it *is* Lu Dongliang."

Chu Zikai didn't know the opponent's identity, only that they were a Cloud Travel Cultivator. Given that Lu Dongliang had reached the ninth level of travel cultivation before his disappearance, the elder's statement held some validity.

Even if it was Lu Dongliang, they shouldn't have retreated just now.

"So what if it was him? Since you personally intervened, are you afraid you couldn't subdue both brothers?"

"The reason I don't act lightly is because there's also a powerful Sound Cultivator among the opponents."

"Those sound cultivation techniques aren't a big deal; they're just tricky maneuvers. Based on the information I have, Lu Dongliang doesn't cultivate sound arts as a secondary path. If that truly was him just now, his sound cultivation techniques must have come from a magical artifact."

"My child, you're thinking too simply. If they were truly just tricky maneuvers, why were your techniques always disrupted by him?"

"Because he's very familiar with my songs, and each time, he coincidentally disrupted the melody."

"My child, there aren't that many coincidences. If coincidences appear repeatedly, it proves that the opponent's level of sound cultivation is far above yours.

"I stand behind you, and it's possible someone else stands behind Lu Dongliang. Until that person reveals their identity, I cannot commit all my strength to the battle. If I do, we'll have no retreat."

"Retreat?" Chu Zikai gave a bitter laugh. "Given my current financial situation, do you think I have any retreat?"

"My child, don't be so impatient. Your current situation isn't as bad as you imagine. I will also find ways to seek more help for you. Gambling over money isn't worth it for us."

His pronunciation was standard, making it almost impossible to tell he was a foreigner.

However, his constant use of "my child" deeply annoyed Chu Zikai, though he dared not show it.

The gale ceased. Li Banfeng, hidden in the shed, quietly observed the situation outside.

Danger struck again. While not as intense as before, it made Li Banfeng feel a strong sense of malice.

"Big brother, is that you?" The malice emanated from Lu Dongjun, who had evaded the gale and emerged from a pile of rubble.

Using his Golden Eye, Li Banfeng could see green flames around Lu Dongjun. Lu Dongjun was indeed a spirit,

but his spirit was incredibly solid, giving the illusion of flesh and blood.

"Big brother, did you just save me?" Lu Dongjun asked again.

Li Banfeng stood silently in the shed, offering no reply.

Lu Dongjun had mistaken Li Banfeng for Lu Dongliang. This was indeed a very reasonable assumption, as apart from Lu Dongliang,

Lu Dongjun couldn't imagine any other high-level travel cultivator who would save his life.

"Big brother, where have you been all this time?"

Lu Dongjun questioned again, but Li Banfeng still didn't answer.

Lu Dongjun sighed deeply: "I know you must still hate me. Ever since that incident, I've been looking for you. I didn't want to harm you; I just wanted a chance to atone for my mistakes.

"Big brother, I know I was wrong. I was deceived by Zhuo Yuling. From the day it happened, I truly understood my error."

As he spoke, Lu Dongjun choked up slightly, and his words seemed to come from the heart.

Li Banfeng was speechless. Lu Dongjun's intelligence was truly beyond description.

If you said he had low intelligence, his various tactical ideas on the battlefield were quite astonishing.

But if you said he was intelligent, he could still tell such lies right in front of Li Banfeng.

He mistook Li Banfeng for Lu Dongliang, a high-level travel cultivator. Lu Dongjun couldn't possibly conceal his malice from Lu Dongliang. In such a situation, no matter how convincing the lies, they were worthless because they couldn't bypass Lu Dongliang's ability to sense good and ill omens.

Li Banfeng wiggled his toes, deliberately making some noise.

Lu Dongjun heard the sound and slowly walked towards the shed: "Big brother, I've followed you since we were little. Without your care, I can't do anything; I'm useless.

"I went mad and believed Zhuo Yuling, so I attacked you. Only when I truly took on the Lu family's burden did I realize how difficult it was to manage this family.

"I went to Haichi Ridge, intending to establish my authority, but I was tricked by Wan Jinxian and outmaneuvered by the He brothers. My death was pathetic.

"I originally wanted to be reborn as a human so I could be your brother again in the next life. I swore that in my next life, I'd follow you wholeheartedly, go through fire and water, and never waver even if it meant a thousand deaths.

"But I never thought that those of us with cultivation wouldn't have a next life. I thought I was on the Yellow Springs Road, but who knew I ended up in Neizhou?"

Neizhou?

What was this situation?

With one sentence, Lu Dongjun completely overturned Li Banfeng's understanding.

He had always believed that only tenth-level cultivators, by shedding their physical bodies, could go to Neizhou for cultivation.

But why had Lu Dongjun gone to Neizhou too?

He also said that cultivators don't have a next life. Did that mean all cultivators' spirits went to Neizhou after death?

Lu Dongjun spoke in a desolate tone: "Big brother, I suffered a lot in Neizhou, and I deserved it. Now that I'm out of Neizhou, I never expected us brothers to meet again in this place.

"To fight a tiger, you still need your own brother. In that last fight, when you saved me, I knew our brotherhood wasn't broken.

"Brother, I admit my mistake. If you forgive me this one time, my life will be yours from now on."

*Boom!*

Lu Dongjun crashed directly into the shed. The flying fragments of brick transformed into sharp blades, crisscrossing the shed more than a dozen times.

If Li Banfeng hadn't been prepared, he would have surely been injured.

Although he had evaded the sneak attack, there was one thing Li Banfeng truly couldn't understand: what was Lu Dongjun's motive for doing this?

He couldn't hide his malice, yet he still lied to "Lu Dongliang" – this could be understood as him not being smart enough.

But "Lu Dongliang" had just saved him, and given his current predicament, he certainly needed "Lu Dongliang's" help. So why was he in such a hurry to turn against "Lu Dongliang"?

This was because there were certain inside details Li Banfeng truly didn't know.

After Lu Dongjun transformed into a spirit, he underwent specialization, which increased his combat power but made his thinking more prejudiced.

He couldn't understand the current situation. He couldn't see through Li Banfeng's deliberate lures, nor could he hide his malice when lying, or figure out if his lies would even work. However, there was one thing he understood very clearly: Lu Dongliang's temperament.

They had grown up together, and the word "forgive" simply wasn't in Lu Dongliang's vocabulary.

Regardless of "Lu Dongliang's" motive for saving him, Lu Dongjun was convinced that Lu Dongliang would never let him off.

Lu Dongjun considered escaping, but he knew he had no chance of getting away from Lu Dongliang.

Having just fought Chu Zikai, Lu Dongjun was greatly depleted and not lightly wounded. His current situation was dire. Closing in quickly, engaging in a melee, and killing Lu Dongliang was the best strategy Lu Dongjun could conceive.

After searching the shed for a long time without finding "Lu Dongliang," Lu Dongjun became somewhat flustered. Losing sight of Lu Dongliang under any circumstances was akin to putting his own neck on the chopping block.

"Big brother, let's come out and talk properly!" With a single punch from Lu Dongjun, an entire row of sheds collapsed.

From within the dust, Li Banfeng slowly appeared behind Lu Dongjun.

Lu Dongjun whirled around, stared at Li Banfeng for a moment, and shouted, "You're not my big brother!"

Li Banfeng nodded slightly, then began to sing from "Dingjun Mountain": "Lu Dongjun, my son, if you don't come, so be it. But if you do, then come to your father's house for a feast!"

Who was this person?

Lu Dongjun didn't think further. He casually picked up two broken tiles and threw them at Li Banfeng.

The tiles whistled loudly through the air, indicating their speed, but they failed to hit Li Banfeng.

Lu Dongjun's aim was off; his hand wasn't working well, affected by the sound cultivation technique.

Li Banfeng continued his performance, and Lu Dongjun began to see through it.

This person, like the previous one, was a sound cultivator. He wasn't Lu Dongliang, nor was he here to save him. He was here with another sound cultivator to snatch clients.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, Lu Dongjun turned to leave, but his feet felt like they were treading on cotton, making every step extremely difficult.

Engaging in close-quarters combat with a travel cultivator was indeed an excellent choice.

However, fighting a dwelling cultivator in close quarters right next to their dwelling was not such a good choice.

Lu Dongjun, controlled by the sound cultivation technique, moved very slowly. Li Banfeng drew out Prince Chun's whip and entangled Lu Dongjun from behind.

Lu Dongjun grabbed the whip's tip, trying to cut it with his fingernails. Li Banfeng pulled the whip back, changing his song from "Dingjun Mountain" to "Dragon and Tiger Battle": "The black steed neighs incessantly, the general's whip raises fear in ghosts and gods!"

With another lash, Li Banfeng knocked Lu Dongjun to the ground.

Lu Dongjun grabbed a handful of dirt and sand from the ground and threw it at Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng dodged the debris using his 'Carefree and At Ease' technique.

Seeing Li Banfeng still before him, Lu Dongjun prepared for a desperate struggle, only to suddenly realize Li Banfeng no longer held the whip.

Where had the whip gone?

The whip was in the shadow's hand.

The shadow, from behind, struck Lu Dongjun's head about ten times consecutively. Lu Dongjun staggered and collapsed to the ground.

This person was indeed formidable. An ordinary spirit would have disintegrated after a dozen such blows.

Yet, Lu Dongjun not only endured it but also refused to give up. He was thinking of how to buy time, to recover his breath, and launch a counterattack.

Li Banfeng, being a reasonable person, seeing Lu Dongjun's resilience, simply opened his Portable Dwelling and pulled Lu Dongjun inside, saying, "Come, rest at my place for a while. Once you've recovered, we can continue our fight."

Lu Dongjun looked up and found himself in a pitch-black room.

Hong Ying looked back. Seeing Li Banfeng dragging a spirit, she put down her eyebrow pencil and said, "Seventh Brother, does this mean we won't get any of this meal again?"

Li Banfeng chastised her, "Don't talk nonsense in front of a guest. We are respectable people."

Gazing at Hong Ying's graceful figure, her beautiful long hair, the inexplicable spearhead, and then sensing the formidable aura emanating from her entire being,

Lu Dongjun recalled some memories from his life and asked, "Are you the renowned General Zhao Xiaowan?"

The Lu family had indeed conducted some research on the renowned General Zhao Xiaowan and had even investigated her whereabouts.

Hong Ying couldn't help but let out a laugh, then puffed out her chest and said, "Yes, I am Zhao Xiaowan. Do you recognize me?"

"I do. Who in Puruo Prefecture doesn't know you, the hero?" Lu Dongjun was quite articulate. He looked at Li Banfeng and asked, "And you, friend, who are you?"

Li Banfeng replied, "I am Zhao Xiaowan's man."

Lu Dongjun looked at Li Banfeng and Hong Ying and asked, "Are you two a married couple?"

Hong Ying nodded, "You've got good eyes!"

The Phonograph playfully slapped Hong Ying and then turned to Li Banfeng, saying, "My dear husband, where did this 'boneless' spirit come from? I think I've seen him somewhere before."

Li Banfeng turned around and asked, "What do you mean by 'boneless'?"

"It means 'shedding bones and changing marrow.' Ordinary cultivators experience a decline in combat power after death, but there's a special type of cultivator whose spirit's combat power greatly increases after death. Seeing his spirit so solid, as if it has flesh and blood, he should be a 'boneless' spirit."

This was largely consistent with Jin Shunying's description; Lu Dongjun was indeed a prodigy.

Li Banfeng said, "This is Lu Dongjun, a prominent figure from the Lu family. For some unknown reason, I encountered him in Waizhou and invited him to come sit down at my home."

The Phonograph chuckled, "So it's the second son of the Lu family. I've seen you in the newspapers."

Lu Dongjun slowly stood up, then sat back down on the ground: "It seems you are all extraordinary individuals. I am completely convinced, having fallen into your hands. Ask whatever you wish; as long as you spare my life, I will tell you everything I know."

This person was quite pragmatic.

Li Banfeng asked, "How did you die?"

"I failed to control the insect plague at Haichi Ridge. I planned to escape, but I was ambushed by He Haiqin and He Haisheng on the way and died by their hands."

"After you died, why did your spirit go to Neizhou? Was it to improve your cultivation and seek revenge on the He brothers?"

Lu Dongjun shook his head: "I didn't think about revenge. Dead is dead; I understand and accept that.

"I didn't even want to go to Neizhou. I just wanted to find a place to reincarnate. After I died, my spirit involuntarily walked along a main road, accompanied by many others.

"I asked them where this road led, and they told me it was the Yellow Springs Road, and that I had to walk quickly, or I would miss the time for reincarnation.

"I walked quite fast, and when I arrived, I met He Caiyuan, He Haiqin's father.

"He Caiyuan had been dead for many years. I asked him why he hadn't reincarnated yet, and he told me he had an official position in the Underworld and no longer had to suffer the cycle of reincarnation.

"I tried to curry favor, asking him to get me an official position too. He said my cultivation wasn't high enough and told me to train here for a few years; then perhaps there would be a chance.

"Several spirits traveling with me heard this and reported their cultivation levels: some were third-level, some fifth-level, and one had reached seventh-level.

"He Caiyuan said none of their cultivation levels were high enough and that they all needed training. I found it strange at the time why everyone traveling with me had cultivation.

"Later, He Caiyuan told us it was time for training. He led us towards a kiln. I felt that kiln was not a good place, so I tried to escape. When I ran, everyone else followed.

"He Caiyuan was very skilled. With one move, he subdued all of us, and we were sent into the kiln.

"Inside the kiln, those with low cultivation were instantly refined into water. I held on for a while, but I was also close to giving out.

"Just as many parts of my body were melting, a master appeared and saved me."

Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of master?"

Lu Dongjun shook his head: "I didn't see what this master looked like; I could only hear his voice. He told me that if I wanted to survive, I had to break open the kiln.

"At that moment, I truly fought with my life, using several surrounding spirits as weapons to create a hole in the kiln.

"This master probably saw that I had some ability. I don't know what methods he used, but he trapped He Caiyuan's group, and that's how I managed to escape from the kiln.

"Afterward, that master secretly guided me, telling me to escape to a desolate mountain. I stayed there for many days. The master would occasionally speak to me but never showed his face.

"I asked him if I had escaped the Underworld, but he told me that I had never been to the Underworld, and that this place was Neizhou, and I hadn't escaped yet. He said he had been trapped in Neizhou for many years and hadn't escaped either.

"I never understood. I asked the master, 'Don't you have to reach the tenth level of cultivation to go to Neizhou for practice?'

"The master said that reaching the tenth level of cultivation isn't for practicing in Neizhou; they go there to do hard labor, at best just moving bricks."

Li Banfeng knew about tenth-level cultivators having to do hard labor in Neizhou.

"But you, who haven't reached the tenth level, what were you doing in Neizhou?"

"Making bricks," Lu Dongjun replied. "According to that master, the kiln is for firing bricks. Anyone with cultivation, after they die, must go to Neizhou. Those who haven't reached the tenth level of cultivation all go into the kiln to fire bricks."

Such a thing existed?

Why had he never heard of this before?

Shui Yongquan, Qiu Luoye, and Meng Yuchun had all been to Neizhou. Why had none of them mentioned this?

Li Banfeng turned to look at the Phonograph, who replied, "My dear husband, your humble servant has heard similar rumors before, but could not verify their authenticity. This matter must be a secret of Neizhou, inaccessible to ordinary people."

Was He Caiyuan not an ordinary person? Why could he access this information?

Thinking it over, Chu Shaoqiang already had a certain status in Neizhou, and He Caiyuan's status was even above Chu Shaoqiang's. His identity in Neizhou was indeed extraordinary.

Li Banfeng then asked, "How did you get to Waizhou?"

Lu Dongjun said, "I was staying in that desolate mountain. That master would occasionally give me some elixirs. After taking them, my cultivation improved significantly.

"In the desolate mountain, there was no distinction between day and night, so I don't know how many days passed. Then, the master suddenly told me to prepare to leave Neizhou.

"I was overjoyed. Even if it meant being a wandering spirit for the rest of my life, I didn't want to come back to that place. Two days later, the master led me to a cliff. After waiting for a while, a crack opened in the cliff face.

"He told me to crawl out through the opening. I did as he instructed. As soon as I exited, I encountered some foreigners who were leading a group of people in chanting.

"I had emerged from inside a piece of glass. I didn't know who these people were, so I attacked them. I remember killing a few with glass shards and injuring others with my fists and feet before leaving the area.

"Later, I learned this place was Waizhou. I followed other spirits here; they said this was Yanlou Village and that it was beneficial for spirits.

"This place was indeed good, full of Yin energy. I wanted to cultivate here for a while before finding a way back to Puruo Prefecture.

"But who would have thought that many cultivators would come here to recruit ghost servants? Those bastards targeted me.

"I really didn't want to cause trouble. I didn't kill many, and I let many go, but I still ended up encountering ruthless people like you.

"Now that I've told you everything, can you let me live?"

Hong Ying chuckled. Once inside here, where was there any way out?

Li Banfeng asked, "Do you know the origin of that great deity?"

"Great deity?" Lu Dongjun didn't quite understand.

Li Banfeng explained, "I mean the great deity who descends upon Yanlou Village on the sixth of every month. Many people specifically come here to worship him."

This was Li Banfeng's most pressing question. He wanted to confirm whether this "great deity" was truly someone "from above." Lu Dongjun understood Li Banfeng's meaning: "The one you're talking about isn't some great deity. He's a medical cultivator.

"A medical cultivator who died many years ago.

"Like me, he's a 'boneless' spirit whose cultivation is higher after death than it was in life.

"He's a masterless spirit, a ghost servant of a demonic cultivator. That demonic cultivator sent him to Yanlou Village to consume some Yin energy. This spirit occasionally heals people, which counts as cultivation.

"For those seeking official positions or wealth, worshipping the deity in Yanlou Village isn't actually very effective. But for those seeking medical treatment, if they happen upon this spirit and he's willing to help, it truly is miraculous."

Just a medical cultivator?

Li Banfeng froze for a moment, then looked back at the Phonograph.

The Phonograph let out a long breath: "My dear husband, it seems we were overthinking things."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Perhaps not. It's also possible that Young Master Lu hasn't told the whole truth."

Lu Dongjun said, "Every word I've said is true, without the slightest deception."

Li Banfeng said, "My dear wife, whether what he said is true or false, we can verify it later. It's getting late. You should eat first, then rest."

Just as the Phonograph lifted its needle, the Portable Dwelling suddenly spoke: "A-Qi, consult with your wife: can she skip one meal?"

Li Banfeng was taken aback. Was the Portable Dwelling planning to keep Lu Dongjun?

The Phonograph replied, "He's not exactly top-grade ingredients. Let the old master decide."

The Portable Dwelling chuckled, "Alright then, leave this person to me for now. I have some use for him."