Chapter 562: Civilization and Fabrication

Li Banfeng’s kick shattered myriad rivers, tearing off half of Hua Manchun’s flesh. His skeletal frame, still connected to the remaining half of his flesh, hung from the Tang saber. The saber glowed fiery red, appearing exceptionally excited.

"Master, this person's blood is quite extraordinary."

Indeed, the blood of a Joy Cultivator from the clouds was far from ordinary.

Pendulum quickly emerged to absorb the blood, and Hua Manchun seized this chance to try and break free from the Tang saber. The Tang saber sprouted barbs all over its surface, constantly changing in shape and size. Hua Manchun attempted to break free several times but failed.

How could this saber be so formidable?

Hua Manchun couldn't understand, unaware of how many high-level cultivators the Tang saber had consumed.

After struggling for a moment, Hua Manchun's strength suddenly surged. Li Banfeng noticed that flesh was regenerating on his bones.

Hua Manchun was quite renowned among Zhengdi's local gods; even Pan Dehai feared him. He naturally possessed extraordinary abilities. He could not only attack fiercely but also withstand blows. He possessed methods similar to those of the Green Water Bow, capable of reabsorbing flesh and bone separated by attacks. What was even more remarkable was that his method was more covert than the Green Water Bow's.

Li Banfeng did not detect it.

But Feng Daiku did.

Like Chu Yaoxian, she had suffered at Hua Manchun's hands, and both wished to eliminate him. However, Feng Daiku didn't place all her hopes on others; she had done much herself. She had found the optimal moment to ambush Hua Manchun and thoroughly understood his fighting style.

Seeing Hua Manchun's flesh scattered by Li Banfeng's attack, Feng Daiku nudged Ma Wu. Ma Wu mounted Mei and released Mei's offspring. Leeches are naturally bloodthirsty. A vast swarm of tiny leeches had just crawled out of their cocoons and frantically swarmed towards the scattered flesh.

Hua Manchun had restored less than half of himself; the other half of his flesh could not be reabsorbed. Suddenly, many plump leeches appeared around him, consuming all the remaining flesh. Hua Manchun wanted to kill the leeches, but he was still impaled on the Tang saber. Li Banfeng was in no hurry to kill him, watching as the Tang saber continuously churned within Hua Manchun's internal organs.

Having gained the upper hand, Li Banfeng did not change his tactics or rush forward; he pressed his advantage completely. This fighting style was intolerable for Hua Manchun. As Hua Manchun moved forward, Li Banfeng followed; as Hua Manchun sidestepped, Li Banfeng sidestepped. No matter what Hua Manchun did, Li Banfeng remained closely behind, ensuring the Tang saber stayed inside Hua Manchun's body. The Tang saber continuously shifted. Though Hua Manchun's exterior appeared relatively intact, his insides were churned into pulp, yet Li Banfeng still refused to stop.

Hua Manchun, despite his severe injuries, forcibly broke his body into two to break free from the Tang saber. He then fled, running towards the New Lands. The New Lands ahead were the same swamp area they had come from. Ma Wu, riding Mei, was about to give chase, but Li Banfeng stopped him. "The Flower Fairy Estate hasn't been secured yet," he said. "You and Miss Feng should first take care of matters within the estate."

Ma Wu led Feng Daiku into the estate, while Li Banfeng sprinted, quickly catching up to Hua Manchun.

Hua Manchun stopped and unleashed a technique on Li Banfeng: "Dry Wood, Fierce Fire." This technique was very crude. To put it bluntly, it was meant to greatly amplify Li Banfeng's desires, making him want to lay hands on anything he saw. Even if a moth flew past, he'd have to catch it and check its gender.

Hua Manchun's injuries were too severe; his intention was there, but the technique itself lagged. Li Banfeng quickly moved several tens of feet away, exceeding Hua Manchun's casting range. The technique failed, but Hua Manchun had no desire to prolong the fight. He continued fleeing through the swamp when a dark-figured man ran up to him and pointed forward.

Hua Manchun didn't know where this man came from nor what he meant. The man just kept pointing forward. Li Banfeng explained from the side, "He's asking if you're going to keep running straight ahead." This dark man's figure was somewhat similar to Li Qi's, and his clothing outline was almost identical. Could he be Li Qi's shadow? Why could Li Qi control a shadow? This should be a Cloud-level technique of a Home Cultivator.

Hua Manchun again used "Dry Wood, Fierce Fire" on Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng quickly dodged, but the shadow didn't. The shadow believed it wasn't a complete entity and thus shouldn't be harmed by Joy Cultivation techniques. After dodging the technique, Li Banfeng charged forward with his scythe. With a few swings, he forced Hua Manchun into a position where he could barely defend himself.

If the shadow were to attack from both sides now, they could easily subdue Hua Manchun. But when Li Banfeng glanced over, the shadow was currently sprawled on the soft swamp ground, wiggling its body up and down. Quickly subduing Hua Manchun wasn't the main point; the key was that this scene was a bit embarrassing.

Li Banfeng recalled the shadow and began frequently using his 'Step' technique. Sometimes he was only three to five steps from Hua Manchun, other times, tens of meters away, leaving Hua Manchun with no way to defend or counterattack.

After running for over two li with one pursuing the other, a pond appeared ahead. A vortex appeared in the center of the pond. Its diameter wasn't large, but its center sank deeply, prompting Li Banfeng to have many strange thoughts. This was truly strange. Why would I have such thoughts about a vortex? Looking at the alluring lines of the vortex, Li Banfeng felt a genuine impulse. Had he also been affected by a Joy Cultivation technique?

Carefully sensing his physical condition, Li Banfeng realized he had indeed been affected by a Joy Cultivation technique. Hua Manchun's technique had been used on the shadow, and the shadow had been hit. Now that Li Banfeng had recalled the shadow, he seemed to have been affected too. If this effect wasn't dealt with, it was hard to say what Li Banfeng might do. But as for dealing with it, there was no suitable place at hand. The situation became increasingly clear. Now, whenever Li Banfeng saw a hole, his heart inexplicably throbbed.

Left with no choice, Li Banfeng opened the door and entered his Portable Dwelling.

Hua Manchun was relieved to find Li Qi had disappeared. Where had he gone? "It's good that he left," Hua Manchun thought, "I can quickly escape." He hastened his steps, but in the blink of an eye, Li Qi was chasing him again from behind.

After returning to the Portable Dwelling, his wife helped Li Banfeng resolve the issue. Fortunately, they were fast enough not to delay the pursuit. Li Qi again summoned the shadow. This time, he was more cautious, ensuring neither his main body nor the shadow was affected by Hua Manchun's technique. The main body held a scythe, the shadow held a shovel. The two coordinated seamlessly, occasionally slashing Hua Manchun.

The heavily wounded Hua Manchun stood motionless in a patch of mud, looking at Li Banfeng's main body. He realized Li Banfeng was experimenting with some technique on him. Hua Manchun was indeed injured, but given his status, he absolutely could not tolerate such mockery. Having run this far, he had already left Feng Daiku and Ma Wu far behind. Now, only he and Li Qi remained.

"Come, let's fight to the death!" Hua Manchun no longer paid attention to Li Banfeng's shadow, nor did he care about its origin. He only focused