Chapter 621: Fourfold Prosperity and Decline in a Moment

Cui Tike followed Li Banfeng to the soda kiln. He ate a plate of braised beef, two flatbreads, and drank a bottle of soda. Full and content, Cui Tike suddenly remembered something important.

"I forgot to bring the potions."

Li Banfeng frowned. "We're here for serious business; you should pay more attention. Are the potions really that important?"

"Don't you need props for a play?"

Cui Tike admitted this was a serious oversight on his part. He bought three bottles of soda from the proprietress—orange, pineapple, and grape flavored—along with a bag of salt, a bottle of soy sauce, and a bottle of vinegar. He found an abandoned factory building, took out three test tubes, and began mixing his "potions."

"You call *that* medicine?" Li Banfeng was highly displeased with Cui Tike's approach.

"Refined medicines often come from simple ingredients," Cui Tike said as he finished preparing the three potions. He presented them to Li Banfeng. "Have a sip; it tastes as pure as our friendship."

Li Banfeng didn't drink it and ignored Cui Tike. They walked through several workshops, heading deeper into the abandoned factory.

Cui Tike's body rapidly transformed. His limbs became short and thick, his body bloated, his eyebrows and eyes vanished, and sparse, sharp teeth grew within his enormous mouth. The three snails had arrived early at the factory, anxiously awaiting Li Qi. The moment they saw Cui Tike, they were startled.

"Is that a Daolao Ghost?" Luo Lijun exclaimed. "Why did you bring something like this?"

Cui Tike, now transformed into a "Daolao Ghost," took three potions from his pocket, muttering incoherently. Li Banfeng asked, "He's here to deliver medicine. Who wants to try a dose?"

Luo Lijun angrily retorted, "Do you think we're crazy? Who would dare take something like that?"

The youngest, Luo Shaojun, seemed a little hopeful. "If I take this, will the itching stop?" Li Banfeng nodded. "Try it and you'll see. The medicine will cure the illness."

Luo Shaojun looked at Luo Lijun. "Sister, I'll go."

Luo Lijun remained silent. Luo Yanjun said, "Let Shaojun try it. Since Li Qi is here to do business, he wouldn't tarnish his own reputation." Luo Shaojun bravely approached the "Cui Laogui" and used her tentacles to take the potion from his hand.

Cui Tike took the opportunity to remove the source of the illness from Luo Shaojun's body.

Without the source of the illness, Luo Shaojun would naturally recover. She had antibodies, combined with the special physique of the people from Neizhou, ensuring she would not contract the plague again in the short term.

Unaware of the reason, Luo Shaojun quickly drank the potion from the test tube. After waiting about ten minutes, the piercing itch gradually disappeared. "Sister, this medicine works great!"

Hearing this, Luo Yanjun stepped forward. "Let me try it too!"

Cui Tike put the potions away. Li Banfeng shook his head. "Business is business; there's buying and selling. You haven't paid yet, so I can't give you this medicine for free." Luo Lijun straightened up. "We have an agreement; we will never renege. Whose deeds do you want?"

Three potions, three deeds—Li Banfeng had already made his plans.

He had originally intended to retrieve Li Furong's deed, but he changed his mind; that deed could not be taken.

Following normal procedure, if Luo Lijun went to retrieve Li Furong's deed, the record keepers would surely not recognize Li Furong's name. They would first check the registry. Li Furong was not in the Neizhou registry; it would definitely list the Mountain-Pulling Master.

It was normal for a name not to be in the registry; perhaps the territory had changed hands. In that case, they would have to search through each deed individually.

When they found Li Furong's deed, they would realize it wasn't a change of ownership but rather the Mountain-Pulling Master's name being restored. This would be difficult to explain, and Li Banfeng definitely wouldn't be able to get the deed back. Neizhou would very likely destroy it.

Its destruction wouldn't matter; Li Banfeng had other territories to support him, so he wasn't afraid of losing his rank.

The deed also contained none of his flesh and blood, so he wasn't afraid of curses.

But the critical issue was that the deed was only half-complete; could this territory still be used? To be safe, Li Furong's territory would be put on hold for now.

"The first deed I want is Meng Yuchun's."

Luo Lijun hesitated. "That person's deed isn't easy to get. I'll do my best."

Luo Shaojun, however, didn't think it was difficult. "It used to be hard, but now the three people in charge of deeds are all sick and not managing anything. It would be easy to get it if we put in a little effort..."

Luo Lijun swung a tentacle and lightly struck Luo Shaojun, then told Li Qi, "Continue."

"The second deed is Shui Yongquan's."

Shui Yongquan had lost his rank and become a fiend due to a curse in his deed. However, the deed in Neizhou still contained his flesh and blood, so the curse might still be active. Moreover, Zhengjing Village was on Shui Yongquan's territory, so this deed had to be retrieved to ensure Zhengjing Village remained out of Neizhou's control.

Luo Lijun sighed, "His deed will be even harder to get. I can only try, and if it doesn't work, you'll have to find someone else to substitute." Li Banfeng then said, "The third person is Rong Sijiao."

Luo Shaojun quickly interjected, "This one is easy to get, that person, he..."

Luo Lijun raised a tentacle, about to strike again, and Luo Shaojun fell silent.

Luo Yanjun asked, "Young Master Li, what do you want Rong Sijiao's deed for?"

Rong Sijiao presumably had no particular connection with Li Qi, so Li Qi's offer to help retrieve his deed deeply surprised Luo Yanjun. "Rong Sijiao is a righteous person. He's taken care of me quite a bit recently, so helping him is just doing my part."

Luo Lijun nodded. "If there are no other unforeseen circumstances, we can get the deeds by tomorrow. If we really can't get them, we'll discuss it again."

The three snails dove into the water together. Luo Lijun said to Luo Shaojun, "Sister, quickly spit out the potion. We'll take it back and study it thoroughly. If we can figure it out today, we won't need to come back to Li Qi tomorrow."

Luo Yanjun was somewhat displeased. "Sister, I don't object to us studying it later, but shouldn't we at least finish this business deal? If you back out midway, how will we interact with Li Qi in the future?"

Luo Lijun said, "Let's first reproduce the potion, then we can slowly negotiate the price with him. It's better to have leverage than to always be at his mercy. Shaojun, hurry and spit it out."

"I can't spit it out," Luo Shaojun replied softly.

Luo Lijun angrily exclaimed, "What did I tell you yesterday!"

Luo Shaojun said, "Sister, you say so many things every day, how can I remember everything? Besides, I was itching so badly, and I finally got medicine, so I swallowed it all in a hurry."

"This brat just wants a beating!" Luo Lijun swung her tentacles, striking Luo Shaojun over a dozen times. Luo Shaojun cried piteously until Luo Yanjun stopped her. After a few words of persuasion, Luo Lijun went to retrieve the deeds herself, not forgetting to scold Luo Shaojun as she left: "How could such an idiot come from our family!"

Luo Yanjun looked at the sobbing Luo Shaojun, secretly admiring her.

Leaving other matters aside, her younger sister had not been foolish in this instance. Finishing the business honestly benefited both sides. The next morning, the two parties met again, and Luo Lijun brought the deeds for the three individuals.

She had previously made the situation sound difficult to ensure caution and to negotiate the price with Li Banfeng. Given Luo Lijun's status, she had plenty of ways to obtain deeds. Li Banfeng carefully inspected the three deeds and then had Feng Daiku, who was outside the factory, help him verify them again.

Once confirmed to be correct, Li Banfeng had Cui Tike give the potions to Luo Lijun and Luo Yanjun. Cui Tike repeated the process, removing the sources of illness from both of them.

Luo Lijun wanted to take the potions, but Li Qi refused. If the medicine wasn't drunk and the illness was cured, their secret would be exposed. "This medicine must be consumed in front of me."

Luo Lijun was very displeased. "What kind of logic is that?"

"I'm afraid you'll take the medicine back and research it!"

"If you've sold me the medicine, can't I research it?"

"This is my rule: the medicine is for consumption, not for research!"

Seeing the two sides arguing, Luo Yanjun quickly stepped forward to mediate: "Sister, Young Master Li already agreed: three potions for three deeds. Let's not break the rules." Luo Shaojun also chimed in, "Sister, it's okay if you secretly hide a little, but taking it all is a bit unreasonable..."

Luo Lijun and Luo Yanjun simultaneously swung their tentacles, swatting the young snail into the pond. The two sisters then drank the medicine in front of Li Qi. After returning to Neizhou, Luo Yanjun tried to persuade her again: "Sister, why bother arguing with him? Couldn't we just spit out a little bit of the potion?"

Luo Lijun said bitterly, "I just can't stand his arrogance. He's insidious and overbearing. If he were as magnanimous as Wu Lang, it would be fine, but he haggles over every bit of medicine!"

Luo Yanjun snorted. "You say Ma Wuda is great, I believe that. But if you say he's magnanimous, I don't know where to start. We've done a lot of business with Li Qi, both in Purozhou and other provinces, and he's never failed. A man like that deserves to be domineering!" Luo Shaojun nodded, "He certainly does. Such a man is the best."

Luo Lijun cursed, "You brat, no wonder you say whatever you're asked! You're practically throwing yourself at him!"

"Let's handle the real business first!" Luo Yanjun swallowed over 80% of the potion and spat out less than 20%.

Luo Lijun was somewhat displeased. "You only spat out this little bit?"

Luo Yanjun felt it was a good amount. "It's good that I could spit out even this much. Our doctors and pharmacists might not be able to decipher Li Qi's medicine. If I had spat out too much and couldn't cure my own plague, wouldn't it be a total loss?"

As she spoke, Luo Yanjun moved her body. "Sister, this medicine is truly miraculous; I'm not itching much anymore!" Luo Lijun also moved her body, and indeed, she wasn't itching anymore.

She picked up the liquid Luo Yanjun had spat out and nodded. "This should be enough." Luo Yanjun was astonished. "Sister, you didn't spit out any at all!"

At the foot of Mount Rongku, a rabbit hopped and frolicked, foraging for food.

This rabbit wasn't large, about the size of an ordinary wild rabbit, but it was actually a spirit beast from the New Land, endowed with spiritual awareness and the ability to speak. The snow was too deep this year, making it difficult to find food in the snow-covered terrain.

The rabbit looked up towards Mount Rongku, where the fresh green grass covering the mountain was incredibly tempting. "Just one bite," it thought, "surely the Rongku God won't mind."

However, not long ago, a deer that ate a mouthful of green grass on Mount Rongku had its life taken by the Rongku God. The rabbit was so hungry its vision blurred, and it felt as though one particular blade of grass had grown all the way from the mountain down to its base.

Grass that had grown to the base of the mountain should be edible.

The rabbit hopped forward, opened its mouth, and was about to nibble when suddenly a man appeared before it. It was the Rongku God!

The rabbit didn't dare lift its head, squatting on the ground and trembling as it said, "This blade of grass grew all the way down the mountain, so I just wanted to come and see. I didn't mean to eat it."

The man touched the fresh green grass. The color of the blade rapidly deepened, from light green to dark green, then to yellow, and in an instant, the vibrant green grass turned into a withered blade. The rabbit was so scared it urinated in the snow.

The man turned and left, disappearing from sight. This was the Rongku God's warning to the rabbit!

Trembling, the rabbit left Mount Rongku, intending to find food elsewhere. It walked for dozens of miles across the snow-covered ground before finally spotting two figures. As a spirit beast, it didn't necessarily have to eat grass; eating humans could also satiate its hunger.

Having reached the Rongku God's territory, these two walked without any caution, surely possessing no cultivation. Such people were ideal prey. The rabbit hid beside a pine tree, waiting for them to draw closer.

This was the rabbit's most common hunting tactic: once close enough, it would leap toward its prey and use its front paws to gouge out both of the victim's eyes.

If the prey's companion didn't flee, it would continue to harass them, aiming to blind both. If the companion did escape, it wouldn't pursue; the current prey would be enough for several days.

Listening to their footsteps, the two people were now close enough.

The rabbit leaped up, landing in front of Li Banfeng, intending to gouge out his eyes. Before the rabbit could extend its claws, Li Banfeng reached out and grabbed its ears.

"Just in time for lunch," Li Banfeng said, throwing the rabbit to Cui Tike.

Cui Tike glanced at it. "This rabbit is quite cute. I'd feel a bit reluctant to cook him. Let's eat him raw." The rabbit cried out, "Sirs, I'm one of you!"

Cui Tike looked at Li Banfeng, who shook his head; neither knew where this "one of us" had come from. Cui Tike, holding the rabbit by the ears, shook it and asked, "What do you want with us?"

The rabbit exclaimed, "I want to warn you two: this is the territory of the Rongku God. You must not trespass." Li Banfeng had never heard of the Rongku God, and Cui Tike looked equally confused.

The rabbit explained, "The Rongku God is the deity who governs prosperity and decay. All living beings in this territory, from birth to death, from flourishing to withering, are under the Rongku God's control!" Cui Tike asked Li Banfeng, "Friend, have we come to the wrong place?"

Li Banfeng looked at the rabbit. "Isn't this Rong Sijiao's territory? When did it change to Rongku God?" The rabbit angrily snapped, "Impudence! You may not call the Rongku God by his name!"

Li Banfeng asked in surprise, "Rong Sijiao is the Rongku God?"

The rabbit perked up its ears, puffed out its chest, and declared sternly, "Prosperity and decay throughout the four directions are but a single thought! Haven't you heard of the great Rongku God?" Rong Sijiao stood at the foot of Mount Rongku, watching a wild ox stealthily eating the mountain grass.

This time, he didn't intend to offer any warning. Before long, the old ox collapsed. Green grass juice spewed from its mouth, and the flesh on its body rapidly melted away, revealing stark white bones. It looked as if it had transformed into a decaying corpse in a matter of moments.

Rong Sijiao stood by the corpse and sprinkled some powder over the bones. The white bones lost their luster, and the hue of decay deepened. "A creature that doesn't learn its lesson, leave it here as a warning to them," he muttered. Rong Sijiao turned and departed, dust stirring at his feet as he ascended Mount Rongku. The heavy snow this year would bring many spirit beasts to steal grass from the mountain. Leaving a few more corpses would be the best deterrent for these creatures.

Whether starving or frozen to death, these spirit beasts had to understand one truth: Mount Rongku was not to be desecrated, and the Rongku God even less so.

Li Banfeng and Cui Tike were debating how to deal with Rong Sijiao. The rabbit sat nearby, ears perked and eyes wide, listening silently. Cui Tike stated, "Since it's my territory, I should be the one to handle it. I think my method is more efficient."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Your method might not be efficient. What if it turns into another Desong Cliff? Wouldn't a good territory be ruined by you then?"

"I won't easily use the 'Not a Blade of Grass' technique," Cui Tike said, tucking the can into his coat. "Most of the time, I can maintain restraint."

"But for that small percentage of time when you can't, why take a risk with such an unpredictable probability?"

The rabbit clicked its front teeth, cautiously observing the two men.

It didn't know what these two intended to do, only that something big was about to happen on Mount Rongku.

Rong Sijiao paced back and forth in his courtyard.

His residence was built on the summit of Mount Rongku, with the front gate facing the forest and the back gate facing a cliff.

Standing at the edge of the cliff, Rong Sijiao gazed at his territory. A continuous halo of light covered it with a silvery sheen in his eyes, a truly beautiful sight. Over a thousand plots of land had been cultivated in his territory, which was undoubtedly a leader among the New Lands.

If he could get some help from Li Banfeng and acquire a group of three-headed people, the transformation of New Land into Proper Land would be imminent.

But Li Qi was disrespectful. Even when a local deity actively sought his help, he not only refused but also demanded payment for food, drinks, and building houses, treating those monsters as if they were real people. Not only that, but deeds had to be signed, and he claimed some matters had to be decided by Li Qi and not by Neizhou.

Who did he think he was? Did he not know his place?

Throughout Purozhou's history, no powerful figure had dared to challenge a local deity. Li Qi had gained some connections in Neizhou and other provinces, and now he was outrageously arrogant. An opportunity had to be found to teach him a lesson and make him understand his limits.

Rong Sijiao walked to the front gate and strolled through the forest, pondering how to deal with Li Qi.

In the depths of winter, Mount Rongku was quite unique: maple trees were red, willows green, and various vibrant flowers bloomed brilliantly. At a glance, the entire mountain was like a colorful painting.

Li Banfeng, squatting in a tree, asked Cui Tike, "Is this a Plant Cultivator?"

Cui Tike shook his head. "Probably not. Plant Cultivators dislike restraint, and the vegetation around their dwellings grows wildly and haphazardly. But the plants here are layered and very beautiful. I think this person should be an Agrarian Cultivator."

Li Banfeng asked the rabbit, "What cultivation path does the Rongku God follow?"

"The Path of Rongku," the rabbit replied, trembling into a ball.

There's such a path?

Rong Sijiao walked through the forest, still pondering Sha Dingzhong's attitude. He had previously discussed joining forces against Li Qi with old Sha, who readily agreed. But old Sha promised many things, and it was hard to tell how many of them were reliable.

"Old Sha, oh, old Sha," Rong Sijiao muttered to himself, "When will you change your unrefined ways?"

"I'll talk to him another day; I can't stand his behavior either."

"Who?" Rong Sijiao turned his head and saw a figure standing silently under the tree. Rong Sijiao had just passed this tree and hadn't noticed anyone beneath it.

By the voice, it sounded a little like Li Qi.

The person walked towards Rong Sijiao, smiling, and said, "I heard you wrote a letter to Neizhou?" Rong Sijiao's mind clicked, and his body instantly tensed up.

The person pressed his palm down, signaling Rong Sijiao not to be so tense: "I'm not like Li Qi. I'm a refined person; I act logically and follow rules. Tell me in detail, what exactly did Meng Yuchun do that was so rebellious?"

This person wasn't Li Qi?

Rong Sijiao wanted to get a closer look at the person's face, but it was completely black, making it impossible to discern any features. "Who exactly are you?"

The person didn't answer, walking closer and closer. Rong Sijiao could no longer see any facial features, only a silhouette.

Having been a local deity for many years, Rong Sijiao, relying on his battlefield experience, immediately made a judgment: this person was using an illusion! He claimed not to be Li Qi, yet he came because of the letter, proving he must have a special connection with Li Qi and Meng Yuchun. Could Li Qi and Meng Yuchun be nearby?

Although this was his own territory, if the opponents were numerous and powerful, he might not have the advantage. If a fight was inevitable, he needed to change the battlefield to avoid falling into an ambush.

While contemplating, Rong Sijiao suddenly squatted down, grabbed a handful of wild strawberries from the ground, and threw them at the figure.

"What kind of hidden weapon is that?" The figure was startled to see strawberry juice stains on his body. He looked up again to see Rong Sijiao scattering dust at his feet and rapidly heading down the mountain.

The figure, seeing Rong Sijiao flee, took off in pursuit.

Li Banfeng, standing in the tree, was quite surprised. "Rong Sijiao isn't running slowly. This doesn't seem like an Agrarian Cultivator."

The rabbit finally spoke. "The Rongku God can appear anywhere in the world with just a thought!"

"Tell me, how does the thought move?" Li Banfeng tugged the rabbit's ears.

The rabbit raised its head, revealing its prominent front teeth, and said, "I saw it with my own eyes!"

"What did you see?" Li Banfeng pinched the rabbit's face. "He went everywhere in the world right in front of you?"

The rabbit was unconvinced. "He just *can* go. And Master Rongku can summon wind and rain, wave his hand on flat ground and conjure lakes, and wave his hand over lakes and conjure forests!"

Cui Tike listened to the rabbit's description and recalled the battle process. Although Rong Sijiao only made one move, Cui Tike still deduced his cultivation path. "He's a Color Cultivator."

The rabbit knew its life was in their hands, and to curry favor, it whispered some secrets: "Though it might sound disrespectful, the Rongku God is indeed quite lustful. Every year, he selects beautiful women to bring up the mountain. Two days ago, he even took the female bear from next door."

A female bear?

"Is this Color Cultivator similar to a Joy Cultivator?" Li Banfeng was a little worried. The person fighting Rong Sijiao was indeed not Li Banfeng, but Li Banfeng's shadow. If Rong Sijiao didn't even spare bears, would he attack the shadow?

Cui Tike shook his head. "Not close to Joy Cultivators, but close to Painting Cultivators. Some say Color Cultivators are a branch of Painting Cultivators, while others say Painting Cultivators evolved from Color Cultivators. In any case, there are intricate connections between the two. This mountain we're on might not be a real mountain; it could be something a Color Cultivator drew."

Li Banfeng carefully examined the surroundings: rough pine bark, tender willow branches, sticky, distinctively scented poplar buds. Every plant and tree around them felt incredibly real.

"So, in that case, there's no real difference between Color Cultivators and Painting Cultivators."

Cui Tike said, "There are still differences. Painting Cultivators excel at composition, while Color Cultivators are more skilled in combat. All Color Cultivators have a foundation in Painting Cultivation. Color Cultivators can draw landscapes and vegetation on a scroll, but they cannot draw flying birds, walking beasts, or even speaking, moving people. Although their drawing skills aren't as good as Painting Cultivators, Color Cultivators act much faster. Pigments are their weapons. The red strawberry juice that stained your puppet earlier was a Color Cultivator's weapon. Generally, for every level a Color Cultivator advances, they can control one color. Red, in a Color Cultivator's hands, is usually fire, though there are exceptions. Your puppet is very likely burning from the strawberry juice right now. I suggest you go check on it quickly."

Li Banfeng wasn't worried about the shadow burning; he was more concerned with the uses of other colors. "Besides red, what other colors do you know?"

Cui Tike thought for a moment. "Blue is water, green is poison, and silver is a sharp blade. This is common knowledge summarized by my grandmaster based on his experience fighting Color Cultivators. However, different Color Cultivators can have many variations in their techniques. There was once a Color Cultivator whose silver wasn't a sharp blade but an illusion. It varies from person to person."

The rabbit thought about it, and what this foreigner said seemed to make sense. The last time it saw a lake created by the Rongku God, it was blue.

But the rabbit believed this was only a portion of the Rongku God's abilities; it absolutely refused to believe that the almighty Rongku God was merely a cultivator. Cui Tike said to Li Qi, "Color Cultivators are difficult to deal with. Let me go handle him."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I promised you a complete territory, and if Rong Sijiao isn't sent away, I haven't fulfilled my promise. Since this is Rong Sijiao's painting, we must also be cautious. You should inspect the mountain and find a way to inform me if you encounter any problems."

Cui Tike didn't dare to delay. He took the rabbit and searched the mountain carefully. If the entire mountain was drawn by Rong Sijiao, unexpected traps or mechanisms might appear during a battle.

Li Banfeng quickly caught up with the shadow and saw that it was indeed on fire.

Rong Sijiao continuously intensified the flames. Although the shadow wasn't afraid of fire, it was afraid of light. The firelight, differing in angle from sunlight, caused the shadow to dissipate and weaken, leading to a decrease in its combat effectiveness.

However, Rong Sijiao's condition wasn't too good either. He had scattered, numerous injuries, clearly inflicted by the shadow's "Trample Ten Thousand Rivers" technique. Judging by the current situation, the shadow could essentially fight Rong Sijiao to a stalemate.

No matter how disadvantaged Rong Sijiao was, he was still a Cloud-level Cultivator with extensive combat experience. For the shadow to hold on until now, analyzing their overall strength...

"Come down and lend a hand, why are you just watching the show?" the shadow roared. Li Banfeng descended from mid-air.

Seeing Li Qi arrive, Rong Sijiao grew somewhat fearful.

He didn't want to fight two against one. He pulled an ink bottle from his sleeve, splashed it on the ground, creating a pool of ink.

This patch of ink just looked like a black stain. As Li Qi drew closer, he felt a cold wind gushing out. Under the influence of the Color Cultivator's technique, the ink had transformed into the entrance to an underground cave, and Rong Sijiao intended to escape through it.

Li Qi swung his teapot, and tea water gushed from the ground, washing away the ink. *Splish!*

The ink and tea water mixed, turning into a muddy mess. Rong Sijiao stepped onto the mud, sinking directly up to his knees. The Old Teapot, taking advantage of the situation, poured hot water into the mud, making Rong Sijiao's body tremble from the scalding heat.

Two years ago, the Old Teapot wouldn't have acted so quickly; at his former speed, he wouldn't even have been able to touch Rong Sijiao's shadow.

But now, he had been fed a pile of good ingredients, making him not only skilled in his techniques but also capable of launching continuous attacks without giving his opponent a moment to breathe.

The Old Teapot was about to pour water over Rong Sijiao's head. Rong Sijiao sprinkled some sand at his feet, and the dark brown mud transformed into yellowish-white sand, allowing Rong Sijiao to break free. The Old Teapot tried to pursue, but Rong Sijiao again scattered dust at his feet, and he moved away from his original spot as if riding the wind.

He truly rode the wind; Rong Sijiao had mastered the grey technique at the sixth level, and his definition of grey was wind.

With the aid of wind, Rong Sijiao was incredibly fast, but this time he couldn't escape. The Old Teapot had set up a barrier around him. Rong Sijiao flung his ink bottle, drew an exit on the barrier, and burst through it.

The Old Teapot was waiting at the exit, and poured half a pot of tea water over Rong Sijiao's head.

With that half a pot of water, Rong Sijiao nearly collapsed. The Old Teapot wanted to pour the entire pot, which would have severely injured or even killed Rong Sijiao. But Li Banfeng stopped the Old Teapot.

The Old Teapot was puzzled. "Brother, what's the meaning of this?"

Li Banfeng looked down at Rong Sijiao. "Don't rush, give my shadow a bit more opportunity." Rong Sijiao heard this.

Shadow?

Was that dark figure Li Qi's shadow earlier?

How could he use a shadow?

Do Traveler Cultivators have this technique?

Where did the shadow go?

Oh no, he's a Traveler Cultivator...

Rong Sijiao shuddered, his internal organs feeling as if they had exploded.

Not just *as if*; they really did explode. The shadow had used "Riding Horse to View Flowers."

Li Banfeng commented on the technique. "Fast enough, but the power is significantly lacking."

The shadow snorted coldly and charged at Rong Sijiao again.

In despair, Rong Sijiao prepared to fight with all his might.

He neither fled nor hid. He pulled out a handful of silver powder from his pocket and scattered it into the air.

The silver powder converged in the air, forming a nine-foot-long blade. Rong Sijiao swung his right hand downwards and shouted, "Cut in two!" From head to hip, Rong Sijiao controlled the great blade, vertically cleaving the shadow into two halves.

The two halves of the shadow instantly faded, and under immense damage, both fell to the ground, unable to rise.

Li Banfeng tried to summon another shadow to fight, but he was unsuccessful.

In Gourd Village, Li Banfeng's mental state was unstable, and his shadows were uncontrollable, darting everywhere.

Now, his mental state was quite normal, yet he couldn't release the shadows.

Rong Sijiao flipped his wrist, palm facing up, and swung horizontally from right to left, shouting, "Two cuts, four parts!"

This strike required adjusting direction and wasn't too fast, so the shadows had time to escape if they acted quickly.

But the shadows didn't flee. The two halves of the shadow, one on the left and one on the right, hopped on one leg and charged at Rong Sijiao.

In a life-and-death struggle, these two shadows stubbornly charged forward, getting close before Rong Sijiao could make his move.

The Glove, quick-handed, rapidly helped the shadows by passing them weapons. He handed a sickle to one shadow and a shovel to the other.

One half of the shadow swung the sickle, hooking Rong Sijiao's neck, while the other half wielded the shovel, striking Rong Sijiao's right hand.

Rong Sijiao howled in agony and fell to the ground. The silver powder scattered, and the great blade vanished.

He struggled to his feet, still wanting to fight, but then saw the two halves of the shadow extend and transform back into two complete shadows.

The more you cut, the more there are?

Rong Sijiao gasped, "The Heavenly Convergence Technique!"

Li Banfeng had been observing the battle all along. Except for occasionally using his magic artifacts to assist, he hadn't personally intervened from beginning to end.

"Prosperity and decay throughout the four directions are but a single thought. It's a real shame you're not a Deception Cultivator. Come, have a seat at my place; let's have a good talk!"

As his words fell, the two shadows stepped forward and apprehended Rong Sijiao. Li Banfeng opened a portal and sent Rong Sijiao into his portable residence.

Thanks to Alliance Leader Shantian Diting for your strong support of this work and Salad.