The Overlord of Puluo

A beam of light appeared around Li Banfeng and closed into a complete loop around him. The loop of light was neither circular nor square. At its farthest point, it was more than five meters away from him. At its nearest, it brushed right against his feet. Its overall shape was irregular.

Bao Yingchen had never seen a ring of light shaped like this, but he recognized the ability. The instant he passed through the beam of light, he turned into a blur for a moment and nearly collapsed to the ground. He recognized it as the level-eight Homebound ability—Hermit's Lockdown.

How did this fella use a Homebound ability? A Wanderlust Cultivator can't possibly dual-cultivate as a Homebound Cultivator.

Nevertheless, there was no point for Bao Yingchen to dwell on it. He was already injured and could no longer continue fighting Li Banfeng.

But where can I run to? The boundary line's behind me.

It was possible to break through Hermit's Lockdown with A Parting Across Ten Thousand Miles. However, Bao Yingchen could not use A Parting Across Ten Thousand Miles.

Was he not a level-nine Wanderlust Cultivator? Why was he unable to use A Parting Across Ten Thousand Miles? There was a story behind this—one Li Banfeng did not know.

No matter where he went, Bao Yingchen had always claimed his cultivation level was no lower than Lu Dongliang's. He always did that because it made him extremely intimidating to his opponents.

It was true Bao Yingchen had fought Lu Dongliang in the past. However, he had been a level-eight Wanderlust Cultivator, while Lu Dongliang had been a level-nine Wanderlust Cultivator. Relying on his battle experience, he managed to exchange dozens of moves with Lu Dongliang. But the truth was that Lu Dongliang had wanted to avoid becoming irreconcilable enemies with the Three Heroes Sect, so he held back, and the two men were considered evenly matched.

However, when Lu Dongjun made his move, he had no such reservations. He fought with everything he had and defeated Bao Yingchen.

Facing both the Lu brothers alone ended up as the greatest achievement of Bao Yingchen's life. There were many versions of the story, but they all had the same conclusion that Bao Yingchen's cultivation level was on par with Lu Dongliang's. It was a claim that was difficult to verify, since a person's cultivation level could not be seen.

Who could have expected that this was when Bao Yingchen's lie would be put to the test?

Li Banfeng had used Hermit's Lockdown. Since Bao Yingchen was injured, the only logical response for him was to use A Parting Across Ten Thousand Miles to escape immediately. If he did not use it, that would prove he could not use it, and that meant his cultivation level had not reached the ninth level. Li Banfeng would then attack without restraint. Trapped within the boundary of Hermit's Lockdown, Bao Yingchen would be unable to make full use of his Wanderlust abilities. His chances of surviving were slim.

Nonetheless, Bao Yingchen was a veteran and remained calm under pressure. He stepped forward, appearing as though he intended to shove Li Banfeng.

If he couldn't use A Parting Across Ten Thousand Miles, what good would pushing Li Banfeng do? It was intimidation, a battle tactic.

Bao Yingchen was indirectly telling Li Banfeng, I can use Parting by Ten Thousand Miles. I am a level-nine cultivator. Despite being injured, I still have the strength to fight you! I can escape with ease, and I can even shove you out of the boundary. I can send you to whatever location I choose, trapping you in a hopeless situation.

As long as he could frighten Li Banfeng, Bao Yingchen could stall for time. From what he knew, Hermit's Lockdown consumed an enormous amount of energy. Given Li Banfeng's current cultivation level, he certainly would not be able to sustain it for long. Once the boundary line disappeared, Bao Yingchen could escape, call in his subordinates who were outside, and then figure out a way to kill Li Banfeng.

To Bao Yingchen's satisfaction, the tactic actually worked. Li Banfeng really did get intimidated. Like Bao Yingchen, Li Banfeng was not in a good condition. He was in terrible pain from head to toe. He did not dare to confront Bao Yingchen head-on, so he could only make a swift retreat.

As Li Banfeng retreated, the boundary line retreated with him, sweeping beneath Bao Yingchen's feet once again. Before Bao Yingchen even realized what was happening, the glowing boundary line passed through him. Passing through the boundary line twice left him covered in wounds so deep that the bone was visible.

Bao Yingchen looked up at Li Qi, left speechless for a long while.

This... isn't that level-eight Homebound ability, is it? How did the boundary line move?

Bao Yingchen spat out a mouthful of blood. This time, he could no longer remain standing and fell flat onto his back.

"What's wrong with you?" Li Banfeng asked, looking concerned. He walked over to Bao Yingchen with his sickle in hand.

"Don't come here..." Bao Yingchen rasped. He propped himself up on his arms and dragged himself backward, struggling to make a retreat.

Bao Yingchen wanted to call for help, but he could not do it in time. Li Banfeng stepped forward, and the boundary line advanced with him, passing through Bao Yingchen yet again. This was the third time the boundary line passed through Bao Yingchen.

After the third time, Bao Yingchen had very little flesh left. His skeleton and writhing internal organs were laid bare before Li Banfeng. This time, Bao Yingchen could not move anymore.

Li Banfeng casually picked him up and took out the key to the Pocket Dwelling.

***

Inside, the Gramophone was speaking with the Pocket Dwelling. "Sir, something doesn't seem right. A portion of power just left the house. Could it be—"

The Pocket Dwelling coughed. "It probably is."

The Gramophone's voice shook as she uttered, "The level-eight ability?"

The Pocket Dwelling sighed. "The two of you really know each other best. We really can't let that rascal secretly learn these abilities. Once he learns them, he actually dares to use them!"

"How did he manage to use it?"

"You know how your husband runs two businesses?[1]. He used Stubborn Step to temporarily raise his level and forced the activation of the level-eight ability."

The Gramophone was in disbelief. "Sir, don't joke around. To master Hermit's Lockdown, you'd have to remain inside the house for months without stepping outside. He's always running around every day. When did he have the time to practice the ability?"

"This old man has been following the key, and your husband is always carrying the key. While he wasn't inside the house, he was always beside it. It's about the same."

"That works too?"

The Pocket Dwelling fell silent for a moment. "This old man is not incapable of being flexible."

"Then when did he sprinkle his blood?"

"Just now."

"After sprinkling the blood, it should take months of tempering before a connection forms. Can blood sprinkled that was just sprinkled really count?"

The Pocket Dwelling pondered for a moment. "This old man gets along quite well with that madman. Forming a connection... I can be flexible with that too."

"Sir!" the Gramophone cried out. "You can't just be flexible with whatever you like! Using abilities beyond his cultivation level could kill him!"

The Pocket Dwelling replied helplessly, "Lassie, you didn't see the situation he was in. Things were critical just now. If I hadn't been flexible about it—"

Thud!

Li Banfeng threw Bao Yingchen into the Pocket Dwelling.

The Gramophone yelled, "Husband dear! Husband dear, listen to me—"

Bam!

Li Banfeng did not enter the Pocket Dwelling; he shut the door instead.

There were still more than thirty ruthless fighters from the Three Heroes Sect outside, and over a hundred people from Freewind Wharf waiting backstage. Li Banfeng could not return home yet.

After examining Bao Yingchen's injuries, the Gramophone confirmed that Li Banfeng had indeed used the level-eight Homebound ability.

"Sir, what do we do now?"

"I'll find a way to call him back."

The Pocket Dwelling sounded his train whistle.

Toot, toot~

However, Li Banfeng did not respond. His mind was clouded by excruciating pain, and he did not hear the whistle at all.

The Gramophone screamed, "Open the door! I'll call him back!"

The Pocket Dwelling snapped, "This isn't a train station. You think I can open the door just because you say so?"

***

"Should we open the door?" one of the Three Heroes Sect disciples asked Yang Xingbo, the third-in-command.

Yang Xingbo hesitated as well. Their sect leader had been inside the room for quite some time, and all sound from within had suddenly ceased.

One of their members, a Spycraft Cultivator, lowered his voice and said, "I heard someone shout, 'Don't come here.' It sounded like the sect leader."

Yang Xingbo grew anxious. "Brothers, you're all the pillars of our sect. A pillar can't go soft at a critical moment. Follow me. We're charging in!"

As Yang Xingbo spoke, he swept his gaze over the group. The veins of their arms were bulging visibly, a clear sign of their surging fighting spirits. It was because of a Hedonism ability that boosted morale and motivation. The entire group was now prepared to storm through the door.

Inside, Li Banfeng remained calm as he glanced at the glowing boundary line by his feet. He did not understand where it had come from, but if it could subdue Bao Yingchen, then he should not have a problem using it to deal with the people about to charge inside.

However... the glowing boundary line flickered... and vanished.

Li Banfeng immediately lost his composure. Why did it disappear?

Hermit's Lockdown consumed an enormous amount of energy. In Li Banfeng's current condition, there was no way he could sustain it for long.

The people outside are about to rush in. What now?

Li Banfeng could retreat into the Pocket Dwelling. If he was worried about being discovered, he could even try escaping through the wall. With Bao Yingchen gone, he had plenty of options. But the one thing that had not crossed his mind was the idea of abandoning the hundred-odd people waiting backstage.

While considering his options, he quickly inventoried the enchanted artifacts he was carrying.

Then a shrill voice rang outside, "Breaking into someone's home in the middle of the night? Are you here to steal something, or just rob them outright? The Three Heroes Sect is supposed to be a respectable sect. Why do you keep doing such shameful things?!"

It sounded like an old woman.

The Street-Cursing Crone has arrived!

The elderly woman slowly climbed the stairs, trembling with every step. She looked ancient and barely able to walk, yet her voice was astonishingly loud as she reprimanded them.

Yang Xingbo was startled. He could tell this old woman was no ordinary person and had intended to ask who she was first, but her relentless insults gradually fanned the flames of his anger.

Why is she scolding us viciously? Still, I can't act rashly. She has abilities!

Yang Xingbo struggled to remain calm. Then a thought popped into his mind. The thought had come from someone else's words.

"Hit her! She's insulting him so harshly, yet he's not hitting her? All his men are watching. How will he ever hold his head up again?"

"Just look at him—shrinking back like a coward, wishing he could go hide in a hole. He's scared out of his wits. No way he'd dare to fight!"

The words belonged to a beautiful young woman in her mid-twenties, who was standing beside the Street-Cursing Crone. She appeared to be talking to herself.

Li Banfeng smiled the moment he heard her voice. To everyone else, she appeared to be muttering to herself, but Li Banfeng knew there were actually two people speaking.

The beautiful young woman’s real identity was the Trusty-Doubty. They were a pair of sisters who had two heads but shared one body and spoke independently. Their true appearance was concealed by Shui Yongquan's Hundred Transformations with Hundred Streams ability.

As a level-seven Hedonism Cultivator, Yang Xingbo naturally possessed some resistance against Trusty-Doubty's taunting. However, the combined provocation of the Street-Cursing Crone and Twins Trusty-Doubty proved too much, and he finally snapped.

It was not an irrational decision. The elderly woman and the young woman were obviously dangerous opponents. It was inevitable that they would end up fighting, so it was not a bad choice to strike first.

He first cast an alluring glance at the Street-Cursing Crone and Twins Trusty-Doubty. The Street-Cursing Crone was too old to think about such matters anymore, so she was hardly affected. Trusty-Doubty, however, were in the prime of youth. With just a single look from Yang Xingbo, they shuddered and clamped their thighs together.

Then Yang Xingbo shouted, "Attack!"

More than a dozen of his subordinates charged toward the Street-Cursing Crone and Twins Trusty-Doubty. The elderly woman wielded her cane as a weapon, while Twins Trusty-Doubty wielded a longsword in their left hand and a curved saber in their right.

These three were not just good at attacking with their mouths; they were excellent with their hands too. A level-four Physique Cultivator had barely approached before the Street-Cursing Crone skewered him to death with her cane.

A level-five Physique Cultivator transformed into a bright green caterpillar covered in urticating bristles and wriggled toward Twins Trusty-Doubty. Twins Trusty-Doubty recognized the creature. Its scientific name was Limacodidae, commonly called a "stinging caterpillar"[2]. Stinging caterpillars absolutely could not be touched, as making contact with their urticating bristles caused severe pain.

The Stinging Caterpillar crawled slowly, but his attacks were not slow at all. His sharp mandibles snapped forward again and again as he lunged at Twins Trusty-Doubty.

Nevertheless, the Stinging Caterpillar failed to land a bite. Twins Trusty-Doubty were Mentalism Cultivators and always managed to distract the Stinging Caterpillar at the critical points of his attacks.

Additionally, they had a rather bizarre fighting style. The longsword in their left hand and the curved saber in their right were wielded using completely different styles of swordsmanship. They managed to land quite a few blows, forcing the Stinging Caterpillar onto the defensive.

Realizing this fight was not going in his favor, the Stinging Caterpillar retreated half a step and shivered, and all his urticating bristles stood erect. He took a deep breath, and his massive body shook violently. The surrounding Three Heroes Sect disciples all retreated, knowing the Stinging Caterpillar was about to launch his urticating bristles.

Even Trusty-Doubty were afraid to approach. They might be able to kill the Stinging Caterpillar in one strike, but being covered in those urticating bristles would leave them suffering in severe pain for a long time. They watched as the speed at which the Stinging Caterpillar was shaking increased with every movement.

Then a burly woman stepped in front of Trusty-Doubty, opened her huge mouth, and devoured the Stinging Caterpillar whole. The Stinging Caterpillar was about the size of a grown man. No one present could understand how the woman had managed to swallow something so enormous.

Gourmandism Cultivator Madam Gobble-the-World had arrived.

"Oh, it stings! What a delicious sting![3]" she remarked as she licked the urticating bristles from the corners of her mouth, still looking unsatisfied.

Nightfiend Cultivator Severed-No-Grudge[4] arrived as well. She had brought more than twenty ghost servants with her, and they darted through the battlefield.

A Martial Cultivator stepped forward and chopped off Severed-No-Grudge's head. Nevertheless, Severed-No-Grudge paid it no attention, continuing to command her ghost servants as she fought.

It had not been her head to begin with. She did not actually have one. It was merely an illusion that Shui Yongquan had created using Hundred Transformations with Hundred Streams. Severed-No-Grudge merely needed to drink some water later, and she could grow a new head.

Mr. Hundredhands fought with a pair of battle axes. When they were blocked, he pulled out a pair of iron hammers. When those were blocked, he took out a pair of spiked clubs...

The corridor descended into complete chaos. As Yang Xingbo searched for an opening to attack, He Yuxiu suddenly leaped in through a corridor window and grabbed him by the hair.

"Old Qi!" He Yuxiu shouted. "Are you alright?!"

Standing in the center of the dance floor, Li Banfeng finally let out a long breath. "I'm fine. Everything's fine."

Li Banfeng took out his house key and unlocked the door to the Pocket Dwelling. He staggered inside and collapsed face-first onto his bed.

The Gramophone cried out anxiously, "My dear! Husband dear, we told you not to secretly learn abilities! Why won't you ever listen?"

Hong Ying murmured, "I think I finally understand what 'opening two doors of business' means."

"What's the point of saying that now?" the Gramophone snapped. "Help me! I have to advance his cultivation!"

Hong Ying said, "He just reached the seventh level. Can his body really withstand advancing to the eighth so soon?"

"What choice do we have? He used an ability above his cultivation level. If he doesn't advance now, he'll die!"

Hong Ying helped Li Banfeng sit up.

The Gramophone sang softly and sweetly, "My darling husband, bear with this little bit of pain. You're about to advance, to have a new birth."

Li Banfeng looked very confused, only registering the part about pain and birth. "Giving birth to a baby is a good thing, sure. But why am I the one who's supposed to endure the pain?"[5]

1. This could mean what it was defined in chapter 372 (He has two dwelling spirits to take care of). However, we also suspect that it could mean he is capable of cultivating two Daoist paths. The author has intentionally left it vague. If the phrase has exactly the same meaning as it did in Chapter 372, then the Gramophone does not know that he is also a Wanderlust Cultivator. If it means something different, then she does know? In that case, why has she not told Li Banfeng? ☜

2. In English, they’re commonly known as “slug moths” or “cup moths”. The stinging part is from when they’re in their larval (caterpillar) form. ☜

3. The character used for ”stings” can also mean “spicy”. So this is a bit of a wordplay joke, but I translated it so it makes sense because of the stinging caterpillar part. ☜

4. The meaning of the name in Chinese is not very clear. The raw is 断无仇 (Duan Wuchou), and it translates to something along the lines of “break without enmity”. Maybe it means that once her head is chopped off, all grudges are resolved? ☜

5. I had to be a bit liberal with these last two paragraphs for the joke. It’s a homonym in Mandarin. The way the author phrased “You’re about to advance” sounds the same as “You’re about to give birth”. ☜