Chapter 781: There Is a Way Out

Li Banfeng pushed the enormous human head, making his way up the slope. The scene was quite absurd, so much so that the Rebel Suppression Army wasn't sure if they were still in a battle.

The soldiers strictly maintained their formation according to the commands of their generals and captains, adjusting at opportune moments to encircle Li Banfeng and the large head. After the encirclement, they prepared for battle, but many soldiers couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sight of the comical head.

"What is that thing?""Did a human head turn into a giant ball, or did a giant ball gain sentience?"

Li Banfeng admired these soldiers; he had been genuinely terrified the first time he saw the head, but this group showed no reverence whatsoever. The Rebel Suppression Army wasn't entirely fearless, but this was a battlefield. They were not only soldiers but also of noble birth, so they couldn't show fear. More importantly, they were numerous, emboldening each other, and the large head hadn't displayed any aggression so far.

As the head rolled, its face forward, it saw the soldiers' smiles. When its face was backward, it looked at Li Banfeng.

"They insulted me; I heard them. I am a truly fair person. I never forget those who help me, nor do I forget those who bully me."

Hearing this, Li Banfeng felt the head's temperament somewhat resonated with his own, so he asked, "Senior, what is your name?"

The head replied, "My name is Tou Youlu. There's a saying, 'nowhere to turn.' I can always find a way no matter where I go, so I named myself Tou Youlu. They think I'm uneducated and just picked a random name; they even mock me. I hate being mocked more than anything."

Tou Youlu rolled another circle on the ground and then suddenly closed his eyes.

Bang! Bang!

Continuous sounds erupted around them. A dozen soldiers who had mocked Tou Youlu instantly exploded into a bloody pulp. These soldiers, under the protection of the Thousand Men Force Formation, possessed incredibly powerful physiques, yet Tou Youlu had brutally killed them. Crucially, Li Banfeng still didn't know what technique Tou Youlu had used. Was it "Glimpse of a Fleeting Horse"? Logically, there seemed to be a problem. A normal "Glimpse of a Fleeting Horse" makes the enemy unable to see oneself, but Tou Youlu closed his eyes, making himself unable to see the enemy. If techniques could be used like this, things would be simple.

With a dozen soldiers dead, the Rebel Suppression Army finally entered full combat mode. Li Banfeng and Tou Youlu were climbing uphill, which was an uphill assault. There were too many ways to counter such an attack: rolling logs, falling rocks, and arrows were all excellent choices. Under the Thousand Men Force Formation, these seemingly ordinary attack methods unleashed astonishing power. Li Banfeng found it difficult to dodge, and Tou Youlu remained close to the ground. Li Banfeng rolled left and right, clearly unable to maneuver freely.

Tou Youlu asked Li Banfeng, "Do you think I'm a bit of a burden?"

Li Banfeng thought about their first meeting: "I think you definitely have other ways to move, not necessarily rolling on the ground. You're so handsome, and the slope is so rough; don't hurt your face."

Tou Youlu stopped rolling and stood on the slope using the broken neck section. "You have good taste; you know I'm handsome. Actually, you're quite handsome too."

Li Banfeng pointed behind him and said, "We can talk about that later; let's dodge this log first!"

A log rolled down the slope towards Tou Youlu. Tou Youlu ignored it and continued speaking to Li Banfeng, "Don't mind that I have no hands or feet; I truly am handsome. Not only am I handsome, but I can also fly." As he finished speaking, the rolling log was about to hit the back of Tou Youlu's head. Tou Youlu raised an eyebrow, and something flew into the air. It wasn't him that flew; the rolling log flew instead, soaring towards the Rebel Suppression Army on the slope. The log was heavy and powerful, instantly crushing several soldiers to death.

The Rebel Suppression Army immediately retaliated. Over a hundred soldiers charged out of the camp, formed a military array, and surrounded Li Banfeng and Tou Youlu. These hundred-plus soldiers were meant to distract Li Banfeng and Tou Youlu, while other soldiers prepared techniques to "send this person on his way."

Tou Youlu ignored these hundred-plus soldiers. He continued explaining his ability to fly to Li Banfeng: "I really can fly; I'm not lying to you—"

A soldier's spear poked the back of Tou Youlu's head. Both of Tou Youlu's eyebrows rose, and he turned to look at the soldier. He used a technique again, but he himself didn't fly. Instead, the hundred-plus soldiers around him flew into the air. Tou Youlu looked back, his eyes filled with logic: "Others are on the ground, and I am in the sky. So, I have flown." The soldiers, suspended in mid-air, were trying to figure out how to land. Tou Youlu continued, "If I remain on the ground and they go underground, that also counts as me flying."

Bang! Bang!

Over a hundred soldiers slammed into the ground, creating shallow craters and turning into a bloody mess.

Li Banfeng's eyes widened. "Is this 'Riding the Wind and Clouds'?"

Tou Youlu was delighted. "You know that move too? It's very effective for killing."

"Is this a killing technique?" Li Banfeng thought about the original purpose of learning this technique. "Isn't this technique for flying?"

Tou Youlu sniffed. "What you're saying doesn't make sense. If it were for flying, why wouldn't it be called 'Soaring with the Wind'?"

He was right! What he said made a lot of sense!

Li Banfeng pushed Tou Youlu, continuing up the slope. Everywhere they passed, enemy soldiers were lifted off the ground. The takeoff process was difficult; judging by his expression, Tou Youlu was exerting considerable effort. However, the landing process was much easier, because from the moment they left the ground, the soldiers had lost their positions in the Thousand Men Force Formation, falling to the ground and breaking bones and tearing flesh. Tou Youlu was directly clashing with the Thousand Men Force Formation, with no technique involved, relying entirely on raw power.

The Rebel Suppression Army's attacks became increasingly dense. Tou Youlu stopped rolling on the ground; he flew, hovering just above it. The broken section below his neck was less than ten centimeters from the ground, but he was indeed flying. Sand, pebbles, and dust from the ground gathered beneath his neck due to the airflow, moving up and down in clumps. If one didn't look closely, it would seem as if he had grown feet beneath his neck.

A volley of arrows flew towards Tou Youlu. Tou Youlu gazed at the arrows, not dodging. A ball of flame engulfed the air; the arrows turned to ash mid-flight. Tou Youlu slowly flew up the slope, and wherever his gaze fell, arrows and logs were completely incinerated.

Li Banfeng asked, "Senior, do you also know fire cultivation techniques?"

Tou Youlu squinted at Li Banfeng. "I am a journey cultivator; I don't use fire cultivation techniques. This technique is called 'Night Walk with a Torch,' and it's a journey cultivation technique."

A journey cultivation technique can set fires?

Tou Youlu explained, "Back then, when I walked at night, I could never see the path clearly. If I took a wrong turn, I might get lost. I dread getting lost the most. Once, I encountered a thicket of thorns and couldn't get out for several days. To avoid getting lost, I had to carry a torch when walking at night. But carrying a torch was also troublesome because I had no hands. I once stuck a torch in my ear, but when I rolled on the ground, the torch would often poke into my ear canal, which hurt a lot."

Li Banfeng thought carefully: "Senior, have you ever considered sticking the torch in your nostril?"

Tou Youlu swayed slightly, indicating he was nodding: "I tried that too, but with the torch in my nostril, it would always burn my lips. So I came up with a perfect solution: since I couldn't hold a torch, I'd make the other party light themselves up. And you know what? It's quite effective."

Tou Youlu's gaze focused on a group of soldiers in front of him. These soldiers felt burning pain, but relying on the protection of the Thousand Men Force Formation, they stood their ground without moving. The Thousand Men Force Formation could indeed withstand water and fire, but Tou Youlu was simply using brute force. As the soldiers slowly started to smoke, then burst into flames, and finally turned to ash, the surrounding soldiers grew fearful.

A squad of soldiers proactively charged forward to surround Tou Youlu. Tou Youlu made them fly into the air and then crash back down as a bloody mess.

A group of soldiers used the "Common Text, Common Rules" technique on Tou Youlu: "Important camp grounds, idlers stop!" The powerful technique forced Tou Youlu to stop in his tracks. Li Banfeng wasn't much affected; he didn't consider himself an idler and easily broke free from the technique. But that phrase was quite damaging to Tou Youlu; he tried to break free twice but failed.

Suddenly, A'yu's voice echoed in Li Banfeng's ear: "Push Tou Youlu two steps to the left!"

A'yu was nearby. When everyone used the same technique simultaneously, gaps would appear in the interwoven techniques, and A'yu had observed where these gaps were. After two steps, Tou Youlu broke free from the technique, muttering, "Who's an idler? What's wrong with me being an idler? Did I eat your rice?" All soldiers who had used literary cultivation techniques were blown into a spray of blood by Tou Youlu. After the explosion, Tou Youlu declared, feeling satisfied, "That's just how I am; I hold grudges."

"Be careful, a war chariot is charging down!" Li Banfeng heard A'yu's voice again, very clearly. Was this ruthless woman using some kind of hook?

A'yu guided from the shadows, and Li Banfeng assisted. Together, they bypassed many techniques, gradually approaching A'yi. The trapped A'yi was exceptionally excited, throwing her last packet of explosives at the enemy. With a massive boom, a group of enemy soldiers swayed. Tou Youlu seized the opportunity, using the "Riding the Wind and Clouds" technique to try and lift them into the air, but there were too many of them, and they couldn't take flight all at once. Li Banfeng subtly sprinkled a drop of blood, and an invisible aura appeared beneath the enemy soldiers' feet. The soldiers felt a scorching sensation on the soles of their feet and instinctively lifted their feet slightly. Once lifted, they couldn't put them back down.

A group of soldiers flew into the air. Tou Youlu wanted to throw them down, but he was exhausted. Forcing himself to use techniques against the formation had consumed too much energy. It didn't matter if he couldn't throw them down. A'yu had machine guns, and Li Banfeng still had explosives. Two packets of explosives detonated in the air, and shattered remains rained down. Once the smoke cleared, A'yi, her face beaming with joy, broke through the encirclement.

Li Banfeng lifted A'yi and shouted, "Down the mountain!"

Going down the mountain wasn't so easy; the slope was swarming with enemy soldiers. Tou Youlu asked Li Banfeng, "Do you know 'Breaking Paths to Open Roads'?" Li Banfeng charged ahead, using "Breaking Paths to Open Roads" to scatter the enemy. After dozens of meters, the firmly positioned enemy soldiers blocked their way. Li Banfeng's technique couldn't hold, and he was even cut by a Rebel Suppression Army soldier. Tou Youlu caught up from behind, sighing, "Although we are friends, I must speak plainly: your 'Breaking Paths to Open Roads' technique is practiced incorrectly; you haven't grasped the essentials at all."

Li Banfeng humbly sought instruction. In "Floating Clouds Asking the Post," Li Banfeng had successively learned the essentials of "Trampling Ten Thousand Rivers," "Glimpse of a Fleeting Horse," and "Riding the Wind and Clouds," leading to a qualitative leap in his techniques. Now, with the direct guidance of the Ancestor of Journey Cultivation, this was a rare opportunity, and he had to learn the essentials of "Breaking Paths to Open Roads."

Tou Youlu said, "'Breaking Paths to Open Roads' is my favorite technique. You must learn it very carefully." After speaking, he lay horizontally on the ground and rolled all the way down the slope. At first, his face was occasionally visible. Before long, Tou Youlu spun faster and faster, so fast that the ground smoked, like a fireball, directly crashing into the enemy. The first row of enemy soldiers was instantly crushed into a bloody pulp, scattering grass, wood, sand, and stone in all directions. The rear-rank enemies had their vision obscured; those who held their military formation were directly shattered, while those who fled saved their lives.

After charging all the way down the mountain, Tou Youlu spat out a mouthful of dirt and sand, asking Li Banfeng, "Friend, did you learn it?"

Li Banfeng glanced back: "I just want to know, how do you use 'Breaking Paths to Open Roads' when going uphill?"

"Going uphill is simply too difficult!" Tou Youlu exclaimed with a sigh, then quickly led Li Banfeng and A'yi away. The three ran together towards the entrance of Gourd Village, with the Rebel Suppression Army in close pursuit. Li Banfeng and A'yi were both badly wounded, and Tou Youlu was also exhausted.

Qiu Daxiong shouted from the roadside, "Brother, hurry and go! Leave the rest to me!"

A'yi, with tears in her eyes, said, "Wifey, I didn't dote on you for nothing!"

As soon as the three left, the pursuers arrived. Qiu Luoye enlarged himself, swung his long nose, and roared at the crowd, "Who wants to die?" The Rebel Suppression Army didn't engage him in conversation; they just charged forward in their military formation.

"Hold on!" Sun Tiecheng clasped his hands and shouted at everyone, "Form your military array properly before fighting us, lest you accuse us of bullying you." This man looked very honest, and his words made sense. A military array certainly needed to be formed; without one, they couldn't fight the people of Puro Province. There were existing marks on the ground. Everyone looked at the marks and took their positions in the military array.

A deputy general suddenly remembered something: this was the Vanguard Battalion, not the Green Sharp Battalion. Why would they need marks to form a military array? But the soldiers didn't notice this. The Rebel Suppression Army had three camps, and no matter which camp was learning formations, they initially had to use marks to position themselves. While they could form arrays without marks, they were more precise with them. Everyone thought this was perfectly logical, and no one considered that this was actually a clever trick. Where did these marks come from?

By the time the deputy general came to his senses, it was too late. The slope was prepared, the "donkey" had descended, and hundreds of people from Gourd Village had charged out with machine guns and explosives. The deputy general ordered the military array to be adjusted, but the soldiers couldn't adjust. The marks were right under their feet, and if they didn't step on them, they always felt they were in the wrong spot. By the time the battle started, it was too late to adjust. A'yun, driving a tank, had already stormed into the Rebel Suppression Army's formation.

A'yi picked up a machine gun and laughed loudly, "Big Sister, our Big Brother still has true skills."

"That good-for-nothing is only useful this one time!" A'yu took out her powder box, dabbed some powder on her face, and joined Sun Tiecheng on the battlefield. Hong Ying was also looking for her powder box. Zhao Xiaowan stepped out of the Portable Residence and smacked Hong Ying: "Powder can wait; go fight the enemy with your husband first." Li Banfeng stood beside the Portable Residence, gripping the handle of its iron door, pressing down on his hat with his hand, and charged towards the enemy's military array amidst the spewing steam.

In Chaoge City, Qiao Yi led his forces to encircle Old Train, Big Face, and He Jiaqing. He Jiaqing was severely wounded, clutching a lotus leaf tightly in his hand. The first leaf had been given to Old Train; this was the second. He Jiaqing had managed to pluck this leaf just before the Great Crucible turned. But how to get the leaf out after plucking it?

Qiao Yi was like a madman; an unknown number of first-class weapons had been deployed throughout Chaoge City. As soon as they escaped to the Seven-Layered City, Old Train felt they couldn't move an inch.

Big Face urgently asked, "What should we do?"

He Jiaqing clutched the lotus leaf tightly. This leaf was too precious; he would rather die here today than hand it over. Big Face didn't want to fall into the hands of Neizhou. He smeared himself with grease, gritting his teeth, "If it comes to it, we'll just have to fight them to the death."

Old Train shook his head. "Don't rush; I know another place to go."

The two followed Old Train onto a corridor. Such corridors were common in the Seven-Layered City, used to connect various pavilions. Legend had it that the Seven-Layered City had 777 pavilions, each a world unto itself; if one took a wrong turn, they would be trapped. Old Train navigated through the corridors for about ten minutes, gradually shaking off their pursuers. But Big Face was also disoriented. "Eighteen Wheels, I don't know how to get out now. We'll have to rely on you to lead the way."

Old Train shook his head. "We can't leave now; we need to stay here for a while." Descending from the corridor, Old Train approached a pavilion. After circling it, he lay on the ground, and found a hole in the northeast corner of the pavilion.

"Come with me," Eighteen Wheels curled up and squeezed into the hole. He Jiaqing followed him in. Big Face had gained weight recently, and his body got stuck in the hole. He squeezed out a lot of grease and barely managed to slide into the hole.

The hole was pitch black. The two crawled with Old Train for a long time, finally reaching an open space. As they stood up and stretched their muscles, a train whistled past them. This train ran on electricity, not coal or oil. Big Face and He Jiaqing had both been to Waizhou. Seeing this electric train, both were stunned.

"Eighteen Wheels, are we in Waizhou?" Big Face lowered his head and checked the style of the railway tracks; they were indeed from Waizhou.

Old Train shook his head. "This isn't Waizhou; this is the dream of Waizhou people."

He Jiaqing pondered for a moment: "Senior, have we arrived at the Dream-Lulling Tower?"

Old Train nodded.

Big Face laughed, "You sly old fox! How did you know there was a hole in the Dream-Lulling Tower? Are you and Mengqian involved?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Old Train waved his hand. "I saw that hole in a dream."

Zhao Lanmeng truly hadn't boasted; he said he dug a tunnel in the Dream-Lulling Tower, and there really was such a tunnel. Only Old Train found it strange. Mengqian already knew the location of this tunnel. Why hadn't she sealed up the hole?

He Jiaqing was still uneasy: "Won't Qiao Yi lead people into the Dream-Lulling Tower?"

Old Train chuckled, "Heh heh heh, let him chase! This place is vast; I wonder how long he'll be able to chase!"

Laughter echoed through the Dream-Lulling Tower, startling Mengqian awake from a nightmare.

Qiao Yi searched everywhere but couldn't find the thieves who stole the lotus leaf. Just as he was fuming, a battle report arrived from Dingye City. The Green Sharp Battalion was attacked, suffering over 46,000 casualties. The Vanguard Battalion was attacked, suffering over 18,000 casualties.

Qiao Yi's body swayed; he felt unsteady on his feet. He leaned on Que Yuhan, the Minister of War beside him, and asked the messenger, "How is the Quenched Blade Battalion?"

"The Quenched Blade Battalion was not attacked."

Que Yuhan let out a long breath and said to Qiao Yi, "My lord, fortunately, the Quenched Blade Battalion was preserved."

Qiao Yi stood expressionless in the night wind, silent. His painstakingly built Rebel Suppression Army numbered 100,000. The Vanguard Battalion, with over 20,000 men, was reduced to a mere fraction; they were the elite of the Rebel Suppression Army. The Green Sharp Battalion, with over 50,000 men, was also reduced to a mere fraction; though not elite, they were of imperial lineage. In one battle, over 60,000 imperial family members were lost. They didn't die in Puro Province but in Dingye City, on the land of the Great Shang.

Qiao Yi's mind went blank. The cold wind howled, and in its sound, it seemed as if vengeful spirits were wailing. It wasn't "as if"; there was a ghost sitting and weeping right beside him. There were countless such ghosts in Chaoge City.

Qiao Yi ordered Que Yuhan to contact Nian Shangyou as soon as possible and have him return to Chaoge. For some reason, in this predicament, the first person Qiao Yi thought of was Nian Shangyou.

Nian Shangyou refused to return to Chaoge. He replied to Qiao Yi, stating he was embroiled in a fierce battle around Haocheng. It wasn't exactly a bitter struggle, but the battle was very intense. Nian Shangyou had Lu Tangsheng dispatch a hundred Corrupted Fin Rays to besiege Xu Yi City. Corrupted Fins resembled partially decayed stingrays, but they were actually a type of Neizhou person who lived on land for most of their lives and could also fight at sea. Unlike other naval soldiers, Corrupted Fins attacked enemies with poison. Their decayed dorsal fins bore highly toxic branches and leaves. Over a hundred Corrupted Fin Rays simultaneously released venom, poisoning Xu Yi City into paralysis.

Xu Yi City lost its ability to move, and Nian Shangyou directly led his troops into the city, engaging Ma Wu and others in fierce combat on the main street. This was truly a tough battle. Ma Wu, Chu Yuxiu, and Qin Tianjiu were all skilled masters from the clouds, and Basuan and Boluo were otherworldly experts. Nian Shangyou's two strong attacks failed, so he simply brought along Lu Tangsheng's two personal first-class military artifacts.

Lu Tangsheng's heart ached: "Brother Nian, I've fought my way through half my life in the army, and this is all I have!"

Nian Shangyou lowered his voice: "I just received news that something has happened in Chaoge and Dingye City. Qiao Qiren has suffered continuous devastating defeats. Whether we can snatch a victory depends on us."

Lu Tangsheng thought carefully. Nian Shangyou was a favored subordinate of Qiao Yi. Listening to him should be correct. He personally brought two first-class military artifacts into Xu Yi City. The first was a "milk-eye fire" gun. This type of firearm was uncommon in Shang Kingdom, and gunpowder was difficult to ignite in Neizhou. Shang Kingdom generally didn't bring such outdated firearms onto the battlefield.

Ma Wu was still wondering about the use of this fire. Lu Tangsheng loaded a bullet and fired a shot at Ma Wu. The gunshot wasn't loud, and the bullet's power didn't seem great either. Ma Wu had a magical artifact on him, so he didn't plan to dodge; he intended to take the hit directly. Boluo pushed Ma Wu aside, dodging the bullet. Boluo could discern some clues; the bullet fired seemed to be a living creature.

Lu Tangsheng fired another shot. Ma Wu dodged again, and the bullet hit a dragon bone waterwheel. The bullet suddenly exploded inside the dragon bone waterwheel, releasing over a hundred plump worms that relentlessly gnawed on the waterwheel. They gnawed with great excitement, taking a vigorous bite with each chomp. This was their nature: when eating meat, they couldn't forget to drink blood. But after gnawing for a while, these worms gradually lost strength; the dragon bone waterwheel had no flesh at all.

The waterwheel drew some water from the pond and sprayed all the water and worms onto Nian Shangyou and Lu Tangsheng. These worms burrowed straight into their flesh. Nian Shangyou cursed Lu Tangsheng while catching worms, "You good-for-nothing! How could you use a military artifact to such a disastrous effect!" It wasn't just the two of them who were infested with worms; the soldiers behind them were also affected.

Ma Wu seized the opportunity and shouted at everyone, "Charge with me! Drive them out of Xu Yi City!"