Qiu Luoye

Late at night, Li Banfeng familiarized himself with the terrain in the canyon.

The terrain was quite advantageous; the ten-mile-long canyon was more than ten feet wide, winding and turning, and covered with thick vines. Li Banfeng ran at full speed from one end to the other in just over two minutes.

He is a level 3 Travel Cultivator, and it still took him so long to get out of the canyon. If the other side only sent ordinary cultivators, as long as their level is not too high, it would be difficult for them to get out of the canyon within ten minutes.

So, does that mean I only need to watch for ten minutes?

But what if the Local Earth God comes in person?

Just think about how fast the will-o'-the-wisp is; it can appear in an instant and arrive in the blink of an eye, crossing a ten-mile canyon in less than a minute.

Can every Local Earth God turn into a will-o'-the-wisp?

Even if Qiu Luoye don't necessarily turn into will-o'-the-wisps, what if there are other beings like the Travel Cultivator on the other side?

Li Banfeng slowly strolled through the canyon, carefully observing every location.

As they reached a bend, Tang Blade spoke up, "My lord, this is a brilliant ambush setup."

The Tang Blade has been used in battle and is the only magical weapon with military experience.

Li Banfeng marked this location and continued traversing the canyon, making more than twenty marks in a row. Li Banfeng and Tang Blade selected the best three locations.

All twenty markings are useful, especially three of them, which are key to the ambush.

As Li Banfeng approached the mouth of the canyon near Fallen Leaf Plain, he saw the scattered offering table on the ground and the thick fog in the distance.

"Brother Li Qi, don't go any further. If you go any further, you'll reach the Qiu Luoye's Territory. You've made a pact with me, so you're now one of my people."

"The war hasn't started yet, so you can't enter the Qiu Luoye's Territory. If you cross the boundary and enter that mist, you'll die." The Shui Yongquan floated to Li Qi's side, this time in human form.

Li Banfeng stared at the fog for a moment. It was very thick, but he could still vaguely see some figures.

Shui Yongquan looked at the offering table on the ground and said to Li Banfeng, "This was left by those pioneers. They chose the mouth of the canyon three times in total."

"Once is a lucky coincidence, twice is also a lucky coincidence, but how do you calculate it the third time? This is something someone has done."

Li Banfeng had no interest in listening to his analysis of the situation; he continued to familiarize himself with the terrain.

Shui Yongquan exclaimed, "Brother Li Qi, you really care! But where is Brother Ma Wu? Don't tell me he's not coming."

"Come on, I've already talked to him. He'll only be responsible for fighting; I'll handle the troop deployment." Li Banfeng gave a perfunctory explanation.

Shui Yongquan smiled and said, "Arranging troops? That's unnecessary."

Local Earth God —you might think it's a large-scale military conflict? It's not that complicated here.

When it's time to fight, everyone should act immediately. Every second of delay will cause morale to crumble.

People are fighting you to gain cultivation points. If you want to fight, don't hold back. Whoever is faster and more ruthless will win!

Li Banfeng frowned. "Isn't this just a rabble?"

"What do you think? Qiu Luoye's men are just a rabble!"

This differs from what Li Banfeng had expected.

He also hoped to read a proclamation before the battle, negotiate for a while, and buy some time.

If they start fighting as soon as they meet, things will become more complicated.

The tactics need to be changed.

Shui Yongquan sighed, "You were the one who made the contract. Whether you find Ma Wu or not is your business. Young man, I'll only give you one piece of advice: on the battlefield, the more help you have, the more lives you have."

Even if you get someone to help you hold the door open, more people mean more strength. I'm talking about something serious; it's not that easy for you to hold the Water Falling Gate."

Li Banfeng looked at the two cliffs on either side. "The Water Falling Gate can hold out for three minutes, but relying solely on the Water Falling Gate won't be enough."

Shui Yongquan smacked his lips. There were some things he didn't want to say, but Li Banfeng had already signed the contract, and even if he spoke them out, Li Banfeng couldn't go back on his word. After much deliberation, he decided to give Li Banfeng a heads-up:

"If Qiu Luoye were to personally charge into the valley, the only one who could stop him would probably be the Water Falling Gate."

Li Banfeng frowned and asked, "Will he come in person?"

"It's hard to say."

"Is the only option to Water Falling Gate?"

Shui Yongquan pondered for a while and said, "Besides Water Falling Gate, there are some special techniques. Qiu Luoye's mind isn't very sharp, but any Daoist sect that can disrupt people's minds can restrain him. Joy Cultivator is one of them."

He still wanted Ma Wu to fight.

Li Banfeng didn't suspect Ma Wu; instead, he asked Shui Yongquan, "Does Dexiu count as a Daoist sect that arbitrarily identifies with the mind?"

Shui Yongquan nodded. "Okay."

"Where's Dream Cultivator?"

"That's true. If you can find help from Dexiu and Dream Cultivator, you can delay them a little longer." The Shui Yongquan flowed through the canyon and returned to its own territory.

The record player guessed correctly; Shui Yongquan didn't bet all his chips on Li Qi. He had left himself a backup plan.

Wild boars are also lingering near the canyon entrance, looking for an ambush position.

The Centipede Mother and Daughter had already chosen their spots and were still arguing.

"Mom, have you no shame? We're here to do serious business, stop thinking about that kid surnamed Ma."

"Bah! Who gave you the audacity to meddle in your mother's affairs?" Centipede Mother kept glancing into the canyon, hoping to see Ma Wu one more time.

Shui Yongquan snorted coldly and said, "If you two want to guard the canyon, I won't stop you."

Centipede Girl shook her body and said, "Oh dear, Master Shui, we don't have that ability. Once we enter the canyon, there's only one path left. If we're surrounded, we won't be able to escape."

Shui Yongquan knew they were incompetent; they were just scattered soldiers whose mission was to guard the canyon entrance and hold off the enemy after Li Qi was killed.

Upon arriving at the Hundred Foot Cave, the Strange Monsters there became the main force in the battle.

They were of varying social standing, but they were all utterly loyal to the Shui Yongquan!

An eagle flew over and whispered in Shui Yongquan's ear, "Both roads of Qiu Luoye are under defense, and the forces on both sides are roughly equal."

Shui Yongquan sneered, "I knew he'd do that. He charges in when he sees people, and splits up to hold the line when he doesn't. That blockhead of his is only capable of this kind of blockheaded fighting style."

Go over to the canyon and make a show of force, but don't overdo it. Have Qiu Luoye send more people over there.

Li Banfeng emerged from the canyon and, using the sensing power of the Thread-Pulling Earring, located the wild boar hiding in the tangled grass.

"Old Pig, there's something I want to discuss with you."

The wild boar remained motionless, believing he was well hidden and that Li Banfeng couldn't see him.

"Old Pig, I see you."

The wild boar remained motionless, thinking to itself: Don't believe his trickery; he can't even see me.

"I have something good for you." Li Banfeng took out a Mystic Scarlet Pill.

The old pig smelled the fragrance of the elixir and stood up from the tangled weeds. "What do you want me to do? I'm not going to guard the canyon with you."

"I didn't ask you to guard the canyon, I just want you to help me move some rocks, the bigger the better."

The House Centipede Woman dangled half her body from under the tree. "You can get elixirs by moving stones? How many do you want to move?"

Li Banfeng laughed and said, "That depends on how strong you are. After moving the stones, you'll have to move the wood."

The centipede mother shook the tentacles on her head. "You want us to help you make a trap, right? My daughter and I are really good at this, but we can't do without the elixir."

"Don't worry, there will be plenty. Who else would set a trap?"

Two bears, six deer, three centipedes, and a python emerged from the grass and trees and looked at Li Banfeng.

The next day, Li Banfeng stayed in his Portable Abode during the day and continued to use pills to ask the people at the mountain pass to help set up traps at night.

On the third day, Li Banfeng painted at his Portable Abode.

Whew~ Whew~

The record player was still groaning.

The pendulum rested against the back of Li Banfeng's Li Banfeng, and they colored together.

The Tang Blade was being sharpened back and forth on the whetstone.

The Wine Gourd smacked its lips and said, "I really want to have a sip."

The Old Teapot chuckled, "Come and have some tea if you want. I can't drink the wine; I'll save it for tomorrow."

The earring sobbed, "Master, I'm scared."

Zhong Bai spat and said, "You lowly hussy, if you're afraid, don't go out. Wait for the Second Wife to refine you."

The earring cried out.

The Judge's Brush snorted and asked, "What time is it?"

Three words!

Even the Judge's Brush became a point of focus.

Li Banfeng glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall.

Calendar posters, an item still in use in Pro State today.

It can be called a New Year picture or a wall calendar. A picture is hung on the wall, with the date and solar term below the picture.

Li Banfeng's calendar poster, which is over a meter tall, depicts a beautiful woman sitting gracefully in the center of the picture.

Upon hearing Li Banfeng's question, the beautiful woman quickly held up a watch face. "Sir, it's 3:30 now."

Next, we had to rely on the dial on the calendar to keep track of time, because the Pocket Watch was not accurate enough.

Little Chuanzi entered Ma Wu's wooden house. "Fifth Master, I just went to Seventh Master's Land Block, but Seventh Master is not here."

Ma Wu opened his Pocket Watch; it was four in the morning.

Seventh Brother already left?

No way!

He should have let me know if he was leaving.

Zuo Wugang said from the side, "Fifth Master, I've never seen Local Earth God fight, but I know this is a matter of life and death. Seventh Master has already left, so it's time for you to set off as well."

Ma Wu walked to the door and saw that Yanzi, Xian Xian, and Qiao Cui were all ready.

"Young man, when are we leaving?"

Ma Wu frowned.

Is Seventh Brother really gone?

At 4:30 a. m., Tang Blade came to Li Banfeng, bowed and said, "With swords and jade tablets, we depart from the Phoenix Palace; with iron cavalry, we encircle the Dragon City!"

"My lord, it's time to go to war!"

Looking at the Tang Blade, Li Banfeng felt that he looked like a general today.

"Could you cut one more time?"

"Three strikes are still three strikes, but Every Strike Takes a Head!"

"Good."

Li Banfeng first took all the magical artifacts and went out to set up the key locations.

At 4:45, he returned to Portable Abode and unfolded all 303 paintings.

Three were drawn, and three hundred were printed.

At 4:50, Li Banfeng pricked his fingertip and began to splatter blood on the paper.

After splattering blood, Li Banfeng approached the record player.

He first filled the gas tank, then stared at the record player for a while.

There was a speck of dust on the record tray, and Li Banfeng carefully wiped it away.

"Wait for me to come back."

Li Banfeng lowered the brim of his hat, took all the Paper Delicate Woman with him, and walked out of Portable Abode.

Whew~

The record player was still groaning.

At 4:55, the Paper Delicate Woman took their places.

Without doing anything, the printed Paper Delicate Woman can last for fifteen minutes.

At 4:58, the fog dissipated slightly, and Li Banfeng, hidden among the vines, vaguely saw the enemy's figures.

In the past two days, Shui Yongquan has been making a lot of noise near the canyon, and Qiu Luoye has deployed 60% of its troops near Hundred Vine Valley to ensure stability.

He has the advantage in overall strength, so there is no reason for him to hold his ground. Today, he personally came to the mouth of the valley to start the battle.

Li Banfeng hid among the vines, observing quietly.

According to his understanding, the name "Qiu Luoye" is very suitable for creatures like butterflies.

Or perhaps it's a flickering, unpredictable will-o'-the-wisp.

But Qiu Luoye, this Local Earth God, did not appear as will-o'-the-wisp; he revealed himself.

It crawls on all fours, is over five meters tall, Big Head, a long nose, round ears, and no neck.

This is an elephant.

Why is an elephant called a fallen leaf?

Whoosh~ Buzz!

At five o'clock, the bugle sounded again, and the Local Earth God began their battle!

Qiu Luoye prepared to lead his men into the canyon to fight the Shui Yongquan.

His tactics were simple: if the Shui Yongquan was in the canyon, the two sides would fight directly. If they didn't have enough troops, they would bring in more troops from near the cave.

If the Shui Yongquan suddenly bursts forth from the cave, he will then lead his troops to reinforce the cave.

As the Qiu Luoye were about to give the order to charge, the vines trembled in the misty valley, as if a thousand troops were about to arrive.

Shui Yongquan's forces were larger than Qiu Luoye had predicted.

Qiu Luoye instructed, "The entire army awaits my command. We will fight once they have emerged from the canyon."

At 5:01, the enemy troops did not come out.

Dry branches and fallen leaves danced in the valley, and it seemed that the enemy was gathering their forces at the valley entrance.

Qiu Luoye shouted, "Prepare to attack!"

At 5:02, dust billowed in the valley. Qiu Luoye had not yet given the order to attack, as he was unsure how many enemy troops were in the valley.

A scorpion approached and said in a low voice, "They seem to outnumber us. Let's send some more men."

A fox nearby shook its head. "Don't act rashly, observe the situation further."

At 5:03, the valley suddenly fell silent.

The fox said to the Qiu Luoye, "Master, there's a trap here; the enemy must have laid an ambush."

Why has it suddenly gone silent?

Even the Qiu Luoye cannot understand.

The reason is actually quite simple: the Paper Delicate Woman made by Li Banfeng can only last for three minutes when doing physical labor.

Shaking vines, throwing leaves, and tossing sand are all quite physically demanding.

This is a tactic his Wife taught him: don't scatter too much bait, but make a big show of it so that the enemy wants to fight but doesn't dare to!

Neither attacking nor not attacking was an option. As Qiu Luoye hesitated, a pheasant took flight. "I'll go in and scout ahead."

According to the tactics taught by the Wife, if you encounter something that can fly, you must shoot it down immediately in order to blind the enemy.

However, Li Banfeng didn't have the strength. This pheasant had a cultivation level of three and flew very high. Li Banfeng couldn't reach it, so he could only squat among the vines and observe.

The pheasant circled around for a moment, then flew back. "Master, I didn't see any enemy troops in the valley."

The fox asked, "Not a single enemy soldier?"

The pheasant cautiously replied, "I said I didn't see it. Hundred Vine Valley is full of vines, I couldn't see clearly, perhaps it's hiding."

Of course, she couldn't see that the Paper Delicate Woman Li Banfeng had made were now all shredded paper. Li Banfeng was a fourth-level House Cultivator, so she overlooked him.

Qiu Luoye grew increasingly anxious, unsure whether to launch a full-scale attack on the valley. The fox suggested he continue observing, while the pheasant cautioned, "Master, if there are no enemy troops, we should charge straight in. The brothers don't want to wait!"

This group of Strange Monsters is not an army; as Shui Yongquan said, Qiu Luoye's men are just a rabble.

They followed the Local Earth God to fight in order to gain cultivation points. They gathered together and wanted to finish the battle as soon as possible. No one wanted to waste time here, because if they continued to waste time, their hearts would fall apart.

In his anxiety, Qiu Luoye summoned a Horse-Headed Men: "Take your men and go in first to scout ahead."

The Horse-Headed Men was reluctant to go, as he didn't know what the situation was like in the valley.

The Qiu Luoye nodded. "You deserve the credit!"

The Horse-Headed Men agreed, promising to double the cultivation level.

Twenty Horse-Headed Men charged into the valley.

Are these Horse-Headed Men highly skilled in cultivation?

Not high.

They're all on the second floor.

But they ran incredibly fast, no less than the second-floor Travel Cultivator crew.

In less than a minute, they had run more than three miles. According to the Wife's tactics, these kinds of people should be ignored and never chased after.

But Li Banfeng couldn't ignore it. According to his agreement with Shui Yongquan, as long as one person broke out of the canyon, Li Banfeng would lose.

A group of Horse-Headed Men saw no enemy troops along the way. Horse-Headed Men leader scoffed, "It's all a bluff!"

He stretched his neck, preparing to let out three long cries to announce the news to the Qiu Luoye.

Li Banfeng manipulated the pendulum, severing the vines on the cliff face, and huge rocks crashed down with a roar.

This was a trap set up by Wild Boar, Centipede, and others for Li Banfeng.

Three Horse-Headed Men were trapped under a boulder. The leader of the Horse-Headed Men neighed three times, two long and one short, meaning there was an ambush in the valley.

The leader led his men on a frantic run, and after traveling another mile or so, they reached a bend in the valley where the rocks stopped falling.

It wasn't that Li Banfeng hadn't prepared enough rocks; it was that the pendulum simply couldn't keep up with the group of Horse-Headed Men.

"It's just a small stunt!" The Horse-Headed Men was about to neigh again when suddenly a strong smell of alcohol wafted up.

Where did the smell of alcohol come from?

The Horse-Headed Men realized something was wrong and shouted, "Run!"

Just as he uttered those two words, Tang Blade suddenly appeared and beheaded the Horse-Headed Men leader with a single stroke.

This was the first ambush point chosen by Li Banfeng, Tang Blade had been waiting here.

The Horse-Headed Men leader is dead, and the rest of the Horse-Headed Men don't know where to go.

Should we continue exploring the route, or turn back?

Hesitating for a moment, Li Banfeng struck a match, lit the alcohol vapor, and quickly ran to the upwind area.

Fierce Flame erupted, and the alcohol mist, as if alive, clung to the Horse-Headed Men.

The Horse-Headed Men were engulfed in flames one after another. Without their leader, they panicked. Some tried to run back, but were hit by the pendulum with rocks.

Some went forward, only to be trapped in the Fierce Flame of the wine mist.

A pound of wine was too limited; more than half of it was used up in the blink of an eye. The Wine Gourd was sealed shut, and the remaining small half was stored away.

When the Fierce Flame subsided, three Horse-Headed Men were still alive. One horse- Horse-Headed Men charged towards the end of the valley, while the other two dodged the falling rocks and returned the way they came.

Those who turned back are no longer a concern.

Charge forward, don't leave anyone behind.

Li Banfeng ran wildly, caught up with the Horse-Headed Men, took a small step to stand behind Horse-Headed Men, swung his sickle, and pierced the Horse-Headed Men's skull.

We made it through the first battle!

Li Banfeng opened his Pocket Watch and saw that it was 5:08!

I made it through eight minutes!

Let's bluff again later and wear him down for three minutes.

Although there wasn't much wine left in the Wine Gourd, Li Banfeng had set up many traps, so it could hold out for another three minutes.

Hold on for another three minutes by leaning against the Water Falling Gate.

The enemy needs time to walk. Look how big the Qiu Luoye are. Let him walk slowly and delay him for another three minutes. Wouldn't that be enough time?

Waaah~

A cry from an elephant!

Li Banfeng was stunned.

Qiu Luoye gave Li Banfeng no more chance to bluff; he rushed in on his own.

Is he really that reckless?

Isn't he afraid I've set up an ambush?

I'm not afraid of Qiu Luoye.

After hearing the Horse-Headed Men's description, he was even less afraid.

"Throw stones! Set fires! Shui Yongquan! Who do you take me for? Can't you show me some real skills?!"

Hearing footsteps, Li Banfeng still hadn't seen Qiu Luoye's figure.

But he now knew why this Local Earth God was called Qiu Luoye.

With each step the elephant took, withered leaves from the vines fell like raindrops.

PS: The bloody battle begins.