Chapter 826: Totem Army

Li Banfeng sent out his shadows to scout, then brought out Nine-er to prepare the formation.

Looking at the situation in Wuyou Ping, Nine-er also became anxious: "How can I set up a formation in this place?"

Gazing into the distance, all she saw was a vast expanse of white snow, completely uniform and lacking any features or layers. In such a place, let alone setting up a formation, even a simple illusion would be difficult.

While Nine-er was brainstorming, Ah Yu responded: "Brother, the Wuyou Ping boundary can be established, but its exact form is hard to predict. Before nightfall today, do not let the enemy cross the Prince's Estate boundary!"

"What is the Prince's Estate boundary?"

"It's the dividing line between Jianren Gang and Wuyou Ping!"

Ah Yu showed Li Banfeng a map. Using Prince Chun's Estate as a reference point, a line over three hundred li long was drawn east to west. This line served as the boundary: to the north was Jianren Gang, and to the south was Wuyou Ping.

"Brother, pay close attention. The boundary I'm creating will be along this line. If you can't hold this line, the boundary I make will be useless. I've already informed Ah Yi. The road from Calabash Village to Wuyou Ping is blocked. As soon as it's cleared, she'll bring reinforcements immediately!"

Li Banfeng checked his pocket watch; it was already noon, leaving only six hours until nightfall.

How long would it take to travel from Jianren Gang to Prince Chun's Estate, departing immediately?

That depended on who was traveling.

The first time Li Banfeng led Xiao Yeci and others out, it took thirteen days because they didn't know the way, the Saint had secretly used certain means, and there were also a group of children without cultivation.

Now, if Li Banfeng were to travel, he could reach it in a few minutes.

How fast was the enemy army?

When Li Banfeng wasn't moving too quickly, the three-headed beings could barely keep up. If the entire enemy army moved at that speed, a rough estimate suggested it would take at least three hours to get from Huai'en Village to Prince Chun's Estate.

"My dear wife, if we hold out for just three hours, the boundary will be complete!"

"Three hours—" Zhao Xiaowan's expression was grave. Looking at the map, she felt that was a bit too long.

Along the three-hundred-li boundary, there were countless paths the enemy could take, making defense impossible.

"Husband, Wuyou Ping offers no natural defenses. We can only actively engage the enemy."

Li Banfeng also knew this battle would be tough: "My dear wife, let's think positively. Perhaps the enemy is still resting in Jianren Gang today and won't come to Wuyou Ping."

His wife shook her head, saying, "Speed is paramount in warfare. The enemy won't delay long; they will surely come to Wuyou Ping today."

As Zhao Xiaowan had predicted, half an hour later, Banfeng B ran back: "The enemy is here."

"How many?"

"Over ten thousand. Banfeng C is watching them over there." Banfeng B drew the enemy's position on the map.

"Over ten thousand—" Zhao Xiaowan's eyes shifted to Nine-er. "Can the Chaotic Flower Dazzling Eye Formation hold back ten thousand people?"

Nine-er shook her head repeatedly: "I've never tried using a formation on so many people, and this place isn't suitable for setting up a formation either. If I stuck a few pieces of wood into the ground, those ten thousand people might not even notice them as they walk by—"

As she spoke, Nine-er coughed twice, choked by the wind. Old Teapot proactively poured her a cup of tea.

Looking at the tea, Nine-er had an idea.

"My lord, how much water can our Old Teapot produce?"

"A lot! Enough to fill a whole street!"

Li Banfeng wasn't exaggerating. When Old Teapot first joined him, it could easily fill an alley. Now, after all these years of abundant cultivation resources, filling a street was trivial.

"My lord, lend me the teapot, I have a plan!"

Based on the enemy's marching route, Zhao Xiaowan selected an ambush location fifty li in advance. Nine-er, holding the teapot, began setting up the formation.

As the tea was spilled onto the snow, it created scattered puddles, melting patches and bringing out a sense of depth and layers.

Nine-er had Old Teapot produce plenty of light tea. The color of the tea water differed from the snow but wasn't too conspicuous. The tea-stained snow left scattered spots, forming the shape of the formation.

Zhao Xiaowan took Hong Ying to the outer perimeter of the formation. The two poked numerous holes in the accumulated snow. When the cold wind blew, faint sounds of music seemed to emerge, appearing both real and illusory.

With everything prepared, the group waited for less than half an hour before the enemy appeared.

A vast contingent of three-headed beings marched across the snowy plain. These massive, numerous figures, combined with their rapid marching speed, resembled a great dark cloud, sweeping up broken snow as they advanced into the formation.

Nine-er, hidden in the shadows, turned pale. She worried that these individuals would simply trample the formation out of existence as they passed.

Fortunately, most of the formation markings were placed along the roadside. Although some were covered by broken snow, it didn't significantly affect the overall outcome.

Nine-er couldn't make over ten thousand people get lost simultaneously in a short time. The army, originally marching south, now slightly lost its way and veered towards the southeast.

Even this slight deviation was a success. Nine-er, holding the teapot, ran ahead to continue setting up the formation, gradually guiding them further off course.

Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly, but upon reaching the second layer of the formation, one of the three-headed beings suddenly stopped.

The middle head of this being was a man around thirty, the left head was an old woman, and the right head was an old man.

Both the old man and the old woman urged him to hurry, but only the man felt something was amiss. He noticed a change in the color of the snow along the roadside—where did all these yellow spots come from?

It looked as if someone had urinated on the snow, but not over such a wide area.

Nine-er's heart sank.

This was the drawback of large-scale formations.

Every formation had flaws, and the larger the formation, the more flaws it possessed.

A small formation might have only one flaw. Even if a top master entered such a formation, the probability of them discovering that single flaw wasn't high.

A large formation could have dozens of flaws. If ten thousand people entered it, even if they were all ordinary, those ten thousand pairs of eyes would eventually spot one or two imperfections.

Li Banfeng and Hong Ying were hidden in the snow. If necessary, they would have to kill this person.

But killing this person would only expose an even greater flaw!

More and more people in the army halted, sensing something abnormal about the snow. In a flash, there were already a dozen or so.

As they pondered, the wind whistled, carrying what sounded like urgent, pressing music, urging everyone to advance quickly.

Inspired by the music, the crowd stopped observing the snow and continued to follow the army forward.

This was Zhao Xiaowan's preparation in the snow. Directly singing a tune would surely not work. Instead, she used a faint sound cultivation technique, blended with the wind, which precisely deceived the group of three-headed beings.

Li Banfeng continued to crouch in the snow, quietly waiting for the main army to approach.

In the center of the large army, beneath the commander's banner, was an eight-wheeled carriage. Year Shangyou sat on it, stroking his fish-like beard, occasionally checking the formation.

Was this Grand Scholar Year real or fake?

Li Banfeng used his Enlightened Eyes and Keen Perception to observe for a while, then turned to look at his wife.

Zhao Xiaowan shook her head slightly; she also couldn't discern if he was real or fake.

If they couldn't tell the truth, they shouldn't act rashly.

Nine-er set up the formation layer by layer. Under the formation's guidance, the enemy's marching route shifted from southeast towards due east. At this point, the most logical tactic was to remain still and ideally drag the battle out until nightfall.

*Smack!*

Year Shangyou, sitting on the eight-wheeled carriage, used his beard to pick his nostril, then put it in his mouth and licked it.

The movement was incredibly swift, but Li Banfeng saw it.

Li Banfeng felt that something was amiss.

Year Shangyou did look a bit comical, but he was a Grand Scholar of the Shang Kingdom, Qiao Yi's most trusted subordinate.

He was very particular about his image. How could he make such a ridiculous gesture in such an important setting, leading an army into battle?

Could this Year Shangyou not be real?

Looking at his posture, it was a bit more relaxed than the real Year Shangyou. If he wasn't real, then where was the true Year Shangyou?

Could there possibly be another enemy army?

While Li Banfeng was still observing the enemy, Banfeng C suddenly appeared at his feet and whispered: "Seventy li to the east, there's another enemy force heading south."

East?

"How many people?"

"Over ten thousand."

"How can there be another ten thousand people?"

Year Shangyou hadn't combined his forces; he had split his army!

Zhao Xiaowan's expression grew even more serious. Nine-er was already struggling to contend with the first enemy force, so they certainly couldn't rely on her for another.

Li Banfeng signaled his wife and Nine-er to stay put for now. He and Hong Ying went east together.

Seventy li to the east, an army of nearly the same size was heading south. At their current speed, they would soon reach the Prince's Estate boundary.

Hong Ying whispered to Li Banfeng, "Let's fight."

Just as Li Banfeng was about to act, Yuan Miaoping's voice came from the Portable Residence: "Boss, let me try! If a fight breaks out here, they'll hear the commotion over there, and it might expose everything."

Yuan Miaoping indeed had a point. Li Banfeng asked, "What good idea do you have?"

"You first go south for a few tens of li, buy me some time."

Li Banfeng walked thirty li south and released Yuan Miaoping.

Yuan Miaoping chewed bubblegum, looking around: "Is there a more complex terrain?"

Hong Ying said, "This place looks the same everywhere. We'll have to make do."

Yuan Miaoping stared at the snow for a while longer: "Alright, call out the Projectionist to help me."

At home, Projectionist and Yuan Miaoping always got along well. Now, with time pressing, they had a natural understanding. With Yuan Miaoping's brief explanation, Projectionist immediately grasped the tactic.

Projectionist chose the flattest patch of snow as a screen, then hovered in the air, casting a massive projection onto the ground.

This projection looked no different from the surrounding environment, but in reality, it incorporated many subtle changes. Its overall concept was consistent with Nine-er's Illusory Cultivation formation: to guide the enemy in the wrong direction.

However, while Nine-er's Illusory Cultivation formation was relatively refined, this projection had many more flaws. Li Banfeng didn't even need to use his Enlightened Eyes and Keen Perception to spot a multitude of problems.

Yuan Miaoping blew a bubble: "A few flaws don't matter. In filmmaking, we focus on the artistic conception. As long as the 'feel' is right, the audience will understand."

Li Banfeng directly asked, "What do you mean by 'artistic conception'? Tell me."

"It's such a profound concept, you might not understand even if I told you."

"If you can't explain it, then don't talk nonsense! This is a matter of life and death."

"Who's talking nonsense!"

Usually carefree, Yuan Miaoping suddenly became serious, helping Projectionist refine the details of the projected image bit by bit.

"Add a tree over there. It doesn't need to be too tall, but its branches must have leaves—not many, just six. One of them should look like it's about to fall off, and the others just need to sway slightly in the wind. That snowdrift over there, make it slightly elevated in the middle, so it looks like something might be buried underneath, but also like there's nothing special about it. On that patch of snow, add a few blue light specks, so people think they're seeing things, and if they look for a while, they'll start to feel dizzy."

Li Banfeng stood in the snow, feeling that the flaws he had previously spotted were still there, right before his eyes.

Hong Ying walked past from a distance and remarkably couldn't spot a single flaw. Her attention had been completely drawn to the details arranged by Yuan Miaoping.

"Big Sis, could you help? This patch of snow isn't even, and some of the scenery is distorted!"

Yuan Miaoping called Hong Ying "Big Sis," and Hong Ying, surprisingly, didn't get angry. She used her unique skill, Flat as a Pavement, to smooth out the snow.

Soon after, the enemy army arrived, completely oblivious to the shifting light and shadows before them.

Yuan Miaoping also projected the image from her screen onto the snow, perfectly complementing Projectionist. Together, they adjusted the perspective, slowly guiding the enemy army off course.

Hong Ying was somewhat worried: "This is entirely an illusion. If they discover it later, they'll be able to find their way back."

Yuan Miaoping was confident: "Even if they find their way back, I'm not afraid. Let them keep walking for now. I'll switch to a different 'program' to deal with them later."

This enemy force was now under control, but Li Banfeng was still uneasy. He quietly waited for Year Shangyou to appear.

The Year Shangyou with the previous contingent was fake, so this one should be real, right?

When the main army passed, Year Shangyou appeared. Unlike the previous one's casual demeanor, this Grand Scholar Year stood upright on the carriage, occasionally calling his subordinates to issue orders.

This was how Year Shangyou should truly appear.

Li Banfeng examined him several times with his Enlightened Eyes and Keen Perception, finding no flaws. Then, Year Shangyou's carriage suddenly skidded, nearly toppling over.

In his panic, the Year Shangyou on the carriage sprouted two more heads from his shoulders. Both heads transformed into Year Shangyou, then hastily retracted back into his skull.

This Year Shangyou wasn't real either.

Could there be a third contingent?

Banfeng B quickly took his shadows to investigate to the east, while Li Banfeng took Hong Ying to investigate to the west. After flying over a hundred li, Li Banfeng spotted a third contingent.

It was still an army of over ten thousand, but they were much closer to the Prince's Estate boundary.

Hong Ying asked, "Seventh Master, are there any more formations?"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "There are no more formations."

They were less than five li from the Prince's Estate boundary. At their marching speed, they would reach Wuyou Ping in a matter of minutes!

Li Banfeng signaled Hong Ying to wait in the air for support. He then swooped down, heading straight for the main army to kill the enemy commander.

This time, regardless of whether the commander was Year Shangyou or not, he would kill him first.

The central army still had an eight-wheeled war carriage, looking no different from the other two armies. Year Shangyou stood on the carriage, continuously waving his horsewhip, ordering the army to accelerate.

Li Banfeng went forward and chopped off his head with one strike.

Another head emerged from Year Shangyou's body, still urging the entire army to advance quickly.

This Year Shangyou was also fake! But seeing their extremely fast marching speed, this person's military orders were real.

Li Banfeng used Treading Rivers to smash both the person and the carriage to pieces. With their commander gone, the enemy army should have fallen into chaos.

But the enemy army didn't scatter. Their march didn't stop, and not even a single soldier bothered to look at their fallen commander.

Li Banfeng cut down the general's banner, yet the army continued at full speed towards the south.

It was as if they had been programmed; no matter what happened, they simply kept marching.

Li Banfeng fixed his gaze forward and used Obstruction Breaker. A curtain of snow first rose in front, blocking their path.

The military formation quickly changed. Two rows of soldiers rapidly converged, moving forward to spray fire at the snow curtain, instantly melting it. They then charged through the melting snow.

Boom!

Not far ahead, the ground collapsed into a trench over a hundred feet deep. Hong Ying also used Obstruction Breaker.

Some three-headed beings jumped across, some flew over with their wings, and others swung across by shooting a silken thread to the other side.

They crossed, but the trench disrupted their formation.

Hong Ying stood on the other side of the trench and, with a single use of Treading Rivers, knocked over dozens of three-headed beings.

This number wasn't large, possibly because their formation wasn't dense enough.

However, other three-headed beings at a slightly greater distance actually dodged, which greatly surprised Hong Ying.

The fallen three-headed beings weren't all dead. One of them spat out a ball of silken thread, sticking to Hong Ying's ankle. Hong Ying quickly used Unhindered Travel to shake it off, only to have her legs entangled by threads again in an instant.

Two three-headed beings, all six of their heads being Body Cultivators, could all spit silk. They created a cocoon, wrapping Hong Ying inside.

Hong Ying sliced open the cocoon with her spear. In front of her, six three-headed beings were all Garment Cultivators. All six wove nets together, layer upon layer, trapping Hong Ying within.

By the time Hong Ying tore through the layers of silk nets, she found herself already surrounded.

Hong Ying, holding her spear, quietly observed the battle.

She wasn't afraid of being surrounded; she was afraid her combat method had failed.

Only about a hundred enemies surrounded her.

Before her, tens of thousands of enemies continued to surge forward, but they all bypassed her.

Behind her, a large number of enemies raced south, completely ignoring her.

If she continued to repeat the previous tactics – first using Obstruction Breaker, then Treading Rivers – killing a few more enemies wouldn't be an issue. But trying to block this group of three-headed beings would be utterly futile.

Hong Ying secretly praised: "What incredibly fierce soldiers."

These soldiers were too well-trained. Now, the only option was to kill their commander as quickly as possible.

Hong Ying looked up and saw that Li Banfeng still hadn't found their commander.

He had killed many in the center of the army, but no matter who he killed, it seemed to have little impact on this force. They were like robots; each individual's combat objective and steps had been set before the expedition.

Li Banfeng pulled off his gloves and waved them at Hong Ying. He was going to use explosives.

Hong Ying understood. She continuously used Obstruction Breaker to scatter the marching enemies.

After the formation was broken, the enemy didn't rush to reform. They simply continued their march. They didn't even bother with a Thousand-Man Power Formation during their movement, nor did they care much about formations in general.

Li Banfeng pulled a bag of explosives from his glove. After using a Frenzied Cultivation technique, he threw the explosives.

Hong Ying hastily dodged. Before the explosives could detonate, sixteen Food Cultivator three-headed beings opened their mouths and simultaneously used their Devour Mountains and Rivers technique to swallow the explosives.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dozens of muffled thuds followed. The three-headed beings were blown up, spitting blood.

Wiping the blood from their mouths, these Food Cultivators continued their march.

Ah Yi's explosives were eaten, portioned out!

What kind of stomachs did these beings have?

Could Qin Xiaopang eat Ah Yi's explosives?

How did they do that?

Qiao Yi sat in a cave, looking at a mirror.

This mirror was a Scrying Cultivator's magical artifact. Seeing Li Banfeng throw the explosives just now, he sighed: "Shangyou, this is how they blew up the Bandit Suppression Camp, and the Great Altar. Every single blood debt, I've inscribed upon the Great Totem!"

Year Shangyou said, "Li Qi is here, and he's brought Hong Ying. Your subordinate believes we should send reinforcements immediately."

Qiao Yi shook his head: "If an army of ten thousand can't even handle these two, then all my efforts would be in vain!"

Year Shangyou looked at the other two mirrors: "How should the other two armies be handled?"

Qiao Yi didn't even glance at them, simply ordering, "Continue the march!"

Li Banfeng took Hong Ying from the crowd, and their figures vanished.

Year Shangyou asked, "Li Qi retreated?"

Qiao Yi smiled: "Do you guess if he'll come back?"

Year Shangyou said, "Your subordinate believes he will definitely return."

Qiao Yi nodded slightly and continued to watch the mirror.

Not long after Li Banfeng disappeared, dozens of three-headed beings suddenly began to convulse. Their limbs stiffened, their faces contorted, and many of their joints twisted to an incredible degree.

These were Journey Cultivators. Their level was far below Li Banfeng's. Logically, they shouldn't have been able to sense any malice from Li Qi.

However, there were many of them. Each individual's perception of anomalies converged, sensing danger approaching.

Prompted by the Journey Cultivators, there was a group listening, a group watching, and a group smelling the unique scent of gunpowder. These were Scrying Cultivators. At their level, they couldn't possibly see Li Banfeng, but hundreds of them, with hundreds of pairs of eyes cooperating, could always spot faint traces.

Li Banfeng threw the explosives from the shadows. Even Qiao Yi, using a Scrying Cultivator's magical artifact, couldn't see them.

However, this group of Scrying Cultivators discovered the explosives and informed the Food Cultivators in advance. The Food Cultivators rushed into the air and once again swallowed the explosives!

The army continued to advance, never stopping.

Li Banfeng sprinkled a drop of blood onto the ground, and an invisible boundary rapidly spread across the surface.

As the boundary passed, three-headed beings shed flesh and blood, falling wounded to the ground. Some wounded three-headed beings died instantly upon crossing the boundary.

This army of three-headed beings finally halted, because they couldn't bypass Li Banfeng's boundary.

Li Banfeng, maintaining the boundary, was about to walk a circle through the three-headed beings' formation. After just two steps, he suddenly felt a splitting headache.

Using the skill of Shutting Doors and Closing Gates required prolonged concentration of thought, which allowed some of the Mind Cultivators in the army to sense Li Banfeng's presence.

The levels of these Mind Cultivators were not low, and their numbers were astonishing; there were over a thousand of them throughout the entire army.

This group of Mind Cultivators didn't intend to control Li Banfeng's thoughts; they simply poured chaotic and disorganized thoughts into his mind.

This feeling was somewhat familiar; he had a similar experience when fighting the Guiltless Army. However, the intensity of the Mind Cultivation technique was vastly different. Despite his Dual Cloud Six cultivation, he had nearly lost consciousness under the recent onslaught.

The Shutting Doors and Closing Gates technique, and the boundary, vanished. Li Banfeng, his mind in chaos, appeared amidst the crowd. Before he could regain his senses, he was struck by a dozen weapons.

Too late to use the Unbounded Traveler technique, Li Banfeng relied on his Benevolent Heart and Generous Spirit to defend himself. Although he wasn't critically wounded, he sustained over a dozen blade injuries.

The Mind Cultivators continued their assault, the Martial Cultivators continued to hack. Hong Ying advanced with her spear, slaughtering the Martial Cultivators around Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng used his Riding the Wind and Clouds technique, grabbing a group of surrounding Mind Cultivators and flying upwards, then throwing them to the ground, smashing them to pieces.

But there were many Mind Cultivators in the army. This time, having found the trick, other Mind Cultivators came to surround Li Banfeng and Hong Ying.

The two were exhausted from parrying, while the rest of the enemy army continued to advance.

Li Banfeng touched his pocket watch. Mond told him it was only 3:30 PM; nightfall was still a long way off.

They were less than a li from the Prince's Estate boundary. If he used the boundary again, it would surely be detected by the thousand-plus Mind Cultivators. Without the boundary, what other options were there?

Li Banfeng summoned all his shadows and went for a direct assault.

Banfeng B led over a hundred Journey Cultivator shadows, following Hong Ying, and fought fiercely in the center of the enemy army.

Banfeng C led over a hundred House Cultivator shadows, continuously raiding the enemy's perimeter.

Li Banfeng, with dozens of shadows, darted back and forth among the enemy. Wherever they passed, the three-headed beings writhed and danced, falling into a frenzy.

The ten-thousand-strong army once again came to a halt. Year Shangyou was somewhat worried: "Lord, send reinforcements!"

Qiao Yi's attitude was firm: "No reinforcements! Inform the other two contingents to continue their march!"

Year Shangyou looked at the other two contingents, feeling something was wrong: "Lord, they seem to be going in the wrong direction."

Qiao Yi glanced at Year Shangyou: "Are you asking me?"

Year Shangyou quickly ordered: "Halt the march, reconfirm direction."

Qiao Yi angrily said, "The march cannot stop!"

Year Shangyou quickly corrected himself: "Verify as we go!"

Qiao Yi watched the battle on Li Qi's side, slowly a smile appeared on his face.

Less than a li from the boundary, Li Banfeng fought desperately, but he couldn't halt the advance of the ten-thousand-strong army. Many enemy soldiers had already crossed the Prince's Estate boundary.

The Portable Residence was about to materialize and help Li Qi resist, when suddenly, a voice shouted in its ear: "Brother, wait! Let me go first!"

"You're here?" The Portable Residence was startled, its voice trembling slightly.

"Yes, I'm here!"

A deafening train whistle blared as a pitch-black train plunged into the crowd, overturning people and horses wherever it passed.

Li Banfeng exclaimed in surprise, "Brother, you're here!"

Old Train laughed heartily: "Add coal, add water, and we're on our way! Once the train starts, its power is limitless. Brother, don't let up. I came as soon as I heard your message. Let's fight them!"

Year Shangyou pointed at the mirror: "Lord, the Eighteen-Wheeler is here. Still no reinforcements?"

Qiao Yi gritted his teeth and said, "Good! No need for reinforcements. Keep fighting!"

*Clang!*

The carriage door opened, and a huge human head rolled out.

"Ugh!" Tou Youlu opened his mouth, spat out a mouthful of yellow bile, and cursed loudly, "Eighteen-Wheeler, this broken vehicle of yours made me so nauseous!"