Chapter 190: Await My Return

The horse-headed creatures had been nearly wiped out. The remaining aberrant beings no longer dared to act as cannon fodder. They hovered uneasily at the mouth of the gorge, muttering among themselves, unwilling to step forward yet unable to look away.

Qiu Luoye took the lead himself. With more than a dozen of his still-loyal subordinates at his back, he charged straight into the gorge. The moment his foot struck the ground, the entire valley seemed to recoil. Pebbles skittered down the cliff faces. The earth gave a low, warning tremor, as if something vast had just awakened.

Li Banfeng sprinted toward the mouth of the gorge. The wind roared past his ears, and gravel slid beneath his boots. Through the drifting dust, he caught sight of Qiu Luoye's towering silhouette.

He raised his hand and seized control of the pendulum suspended from the cliff face. With a sharp flick of intent, he sent it swinging. The heavy arc sliced through the air with a shrill hiss and carved across a wide stretch of thick, tangled vines.

The severed vines snapped loose. High above, the massive boulders plunged and crashed down through the gorge, shaking the ground with thunderous force. One boulder, nearly the same size as Qiu Luoye himself, hurtled straight toward him and slammed down with crushing force.

BRRROOOO~

Qiu Luoye gave a sharp flick of his trunk. The boulder exploded midair, shattering into fragments as though it were nothing more than an oversized pebble. Stone shards sprayed in all directions, clattering against the cliff walls.

"Shui Yongquan, come out!" he roared. "Show some real skill!"

He did not slow in the slightest. The shattered stone had barely finished falling when he was already surging forward again.

Despite his massive body, Qiu Luoye was anything but slow. He moved with a relentless, pounding rhythm that made the ground tremble beneath him. At this rate, Qiu Luoye would break out of the gorge in no more than five minutes.

There's still seven minutes left! What should I do? What can I possibly use to stop him? The Waterfall Gate can stop him for three minutes, but can the traps along the way delay him for another four minutes?

Li Banfeng leapt onto one cliff face and sent a paper beauty springing to the opposite side.

Paper beauties? Had they not all been torn to pieces already? Those had been printed paper beauties. These were different. These were hand-drawn ones he had prepared in advance and kept inside the Pocket Dwelling.

Li Banfeng had spent two and a half days creating three paintings. These three paper beauties that he painted contained a trace of his vital blood and were completely different from the printed ones.

If the three remained still, they could last for half an hour. In the midst of fierce combat, they would only last for three minutes.

Li Banfeng and his three paper beauties darted along the cliff faces. Snip, snip went the vines. Snap, snap went the traps. From the side, the pendulum helped as well.

Up ahead, massive nets woven from thick, twisted vines shot up one after another. Each one snapped tight into place, once again blocking Qiu Luoye's path.

The centipede mother and daughter had painstakingly crafted these traps. Li Banfeng had tested them in advance. The vines were extraordinarily tough, and even the pendulum could not cut through them.

Qiu Luoye strode forward without hesitation and slammed headfirst into the massive vine net. It was like an ordinary man brushing through a spiderweb. At most, it annoyed him slightly. It did nothing to slow him down.

More than a dozen nets tore apart one after another. Qiu Luoye did not so much as slow his stride. Not even for a heartbeat.

This was the power of a land deity.

By five eleven, less than two minutes had passed, and Qiu Luoye had already crossed two and a half kilometers of the gorge.

At the bend ahead lay the second ambush point. This position was absolutely crucial! At Li Banfeng's request, a wild boar and two bears had dug a deep pit there, waiting to swallow whoever stepped wrong.

The pit plunged twenty meters down. The centipede mother and daughter had carefully layered camouflage across the opening, weaving earth and brush so seamlessly that no trace showed from the outside.

With how massive Qiu Luoye was, climbing back up would not be easy if he fell in. But he was a land deity. Would someone of his level really fall for such a trap?

The centipede mother and daughter were only at the third or fourth level of cultivation. How could they possibly deceive a land deity?

Boom!

Qiu Luoye stepped onto the trap and fell straight into the pit. He had actually fallen for it. It was just as Shui Yongquan had said, Qiu Luoye was not particularly clever. He relied on brute force and straightforward charges. That was why he preferred fighting in his true form. If he transformed into ghostly fire, he could be outmaneuvered or lured into traps more easily.

And yet, even in that towering body of his, he had walked right into Li Banfeng's trap. With a pit this deep, Li Banfeng had estimated it would trap him for at least one minute.

However, Li Banfeng was wrong.

Five seconds later, Qiu Luoye reappeared. He lifted his head, flicked his trunk, drew his massive limbs inward, and sprang upward. With a single explosive leap, he jumped out of the pit and landed on solid ground.

It only delayed him for five seconds! The pit that the wild boar had spent a whole day digging only delayed Qiu Luoye for five seconds! However, these five seconds gave Li Banfeng the chance to act.

As Li Banfeng held the Old Teapot, the water inside it began to boil. With a surge of steam, two barriers rose within the gorge, one sealing the front, the other closing off the rear. In an instant, Qiu Luoye was trapped between them.

Qiu Luoye lowered his head and slammed himself toward the barrier.

The Old Teapot coughed several times and commented, "This old elephant is terribly strong."

A violent surge of tea burst from the earth. Scalding liquid roared upward and engulfed Qiu Luoye's ankles in an instant.

The Old Teapot was the actual key to the second ambush working.

Though it had lost most of its memories, the Old Teapot remained very confident with himself.

"Little Brodie, I thought a land deity wouldn't even give me a chance to act. But once I make my move, I can keep him here for at least two minutes."

Two minutes! How precious those two minutes would be!

The tea surged higher, climbing to Qiu Luoye's knees in the blink of an eye. The elephant lowered his gaze and studied the boiling flood for a brief moment. Then he extended his long trunk and plunged it straight into the tea.

Slurp!

With a single, thunderous draw, Qiu Luoye drank it dry. Every drop of tea filling the pit vanished into his belly.

"Not bad!" the old elephant said, letting out a satisfied belch.

The Old Teapot trembled, its lid rattling faintly. "This old elephant... I'm afraid I can only hold him for one minute."

With the tea gone, it had nothing left to fuel the boiling surge. Only the twin barriers remained.

The Old Teapot believed they could endure for one minute. Even that, however, was wishful thinking.

Boom!

The elephant swung his trunk and rammed the barrier with his tusks. The Old Teapot shuddered, and cracks spread across the barrier.

BRRROOOO!

The elephant let out a thunderous trumpet and struck again. The Old Teapot jolted violently. It spat out a mouthful of tea, steam sputtering from its spout, then went silent. The barrier shattered, and the Old Teapot fell directly into slumber!

Qiu Luoye had broken the Old Teapot's barrier with only two strikes.

"A Physique Cultivator!" the liquor gourd cried out in shock. "I have never seen one this powerful!"

As the words fell, the liquor gourd shot into the air and sprayed the remaining liquor toward Qiu Luoye.

Li Banfeng struck a match and was just about to hurl it into the alcohol when the elephant's trunk swept through the air. With a single, thunderous inhale, Qiu Luoye drew in every trace of liquor mist. The scent vanished at once, leaving the gorge dry and still.

The Liquor Gourd rattled violently. "Drink yourself to death, you bastard!"

This was the Medicine King's liquor!

Qiu Luoye's massive body swayed. For a brief moment, he rubbed his eyes with his trunk, as if the world before him had blurred.

Had the liquor finally taken effect? Had it drunk him into a stupor? No.

"Fine liquor. Strong stuff!" Qiu Luoye continued striding forward as if nothing had happened. Aside from a faint flush spreading across his thick hide, there was almost no change in him.

What kind of monster is this? Even the Medicine King's liquor doesn't work on him? What in the world can stop him then?

Li Banfeng recalled his original plan. Ten thousand crossbowmen hidden along both sides of the gorge. At the signal, they would loose their bolts and turn the sky black with a storm of arrows.

Thinking about it now, no wonder wifey had laughed at him.

Bows and arrows? Even if he lined up two rows of cannons, would it make any difference? Even if he lined up two rows of missiles, would they do anything to him?

The paper beauty darted forward and sliced cleanly through a thick vine, sending a cascade of boulders crashing down. Qiu Luoye was not injured at all. Instead, the shock traveled back through the paper beauty. With a faint tearing sound, she shattered into fragments. She had reached her limit.

The fox hurried to the elephant's side and pointed toward the cliff. "Master, there's someone on the cliff."

It had already spotted Li Banfeng.

Qiu Luoye gave a cold laugh. "A mere piece of trash. I noticed him long ago."

The fox stepped forward and asked for permission to act. "Master, we should seize him first!"

"No need." Qiu Luoye's strategy was clear. "Do not waste time fighting in this gorge. We head straight to Shui Yongquan's territory, overturn his lair, dig out the contracts, and leave him a wandering ghost with nowhere to anchor his soul."

With another thunderous trumpet, the elephant surged forward. More than a dozen aberrant creatures charged closely behind him with an unstoppable force!

The main force still lingered at the mouth of the gorge. The first merit was already out of reach, so they might as well wait until Qiu Luoye smashed through the valley before charging in themselves.

Li Banfeng glanced at the clock printed on the back of the calendar.

It was five thirteen. Two minutes had passed. And of those two minutes, Qiu Luoye had spent a minute and a half simply walking.

The second ambush point had originally been meant to delay him for two minutes, but it had only delayed Qiu Luoye for half a minute. There were still seven minutes left. What was Li Banfeng supposed to do now?

Li Banfeng had no time to think. He turned and dashed toward the third ambush point. The third ambush was four kilometers into the gorge, which meant that it was one kilometer away from the exit.

At this ambush point, Li Banfeng would have to act in person. He ran ahead of Qiu Luoye and took position first. As the massive figure drew nearer, the ground quaked beneath its steps, and his whole body trembled with it.

Facing a Land Deity head-on was no small matter. Li Banfeng felt his body tensed up. He forced his shaking hands steady, and charged into a dense thicket of vines.

***

Granny Bitter walked along the yellow dirt road of Bitter Greens Manor when a leaf drifted down and landed at her feet.

He used his luck again? That makes twice. Looks like this boy is in real trouble.

***

As Li Banfeng plunged into the tangle of vines, Qiu Luoye arrived. The ground shook beneath his steps.

Seeing the thick mass of vines blocking the way, he swung his trunk. The vines tore apart and flew in every direction, snapping like dry twigs before him.

Enchanted artifacts could not move. Spirit-bound items could not move.

Li Banfeng burst out from the vines and unfurled the calendar before Qiu Luoye. They stood barely more than ten meters apart. If Qiu Luoye did not stop, Li Banfeng would not even have time to flee.

When the calendar was in use, Li Banfeng could not move. That was the price of wielding it. Not only was he unable to move, anything nearby that carried spirit essence was likewise frozen. The moment any movement occurred, the calendar's power would collapse.

Qiu Luoye drew back his trunk and glanced at Li Banfeng. "You have come seeking death?"

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

He moved. He even spoke. But did he truly move? No.

Li Banfeng did not answer. The beauty within the calendar spoke instead. "Stop!"

Qiu Luoye paused, surprise flashing across his face. "You think I'll stop just because you say so?"

"I am but a weak woman," she said softly, "I am begging you. Please stop. Would you really refuse me?"

And for reasons Qiu Luoye could not explain, he really stopped when he heard the beauty. The fox at his side stiffened in shock and shot a wary glance at Li Banfeng, who stood there holding the illustrated calendar.

A Moralism Cultivator?

The beauty within the calendar continued, "Why are you entering this gorge?"

Qiu Luoye answered her seriously, "Today is the day of battle. Of course I can enter."

The beauty lowered her gaze and pointed to the dates printed below. "The day of battle is tomorrow. You have got the date wrong!"

"Tomorrow?" Qiu Luoye stood there in a daze for quite some time as he thought,

Did I really remember the wrong date?

He turned and asked a pine tree bristling with needles, "Is today not the day of battle?"

The pine tree remained silent for a long while before answering slowly, "I do not know what a day is. I know what a year is. Each year that passes, I grow one ring thicker..."

"Get away, useless thing!" Qiu Luoye snapped. He turned back to the calendar and raised his voice. "You say I'm wrong and that makes it so?"

The beauty within the calendar spoke sharply, "I am the calendar. If I say you remembered the date incorrectly, then you are wrong!"

What flawless logic!

Qiu Luoye thought.

A calendar does not misremember dates!

The beauty continued scolding, "The appointed day has not arrived, yet you charge in ahead of time. You do not follow the rules at all. What kind of Land Deity are you?"

Qiu Luoye felt deeply ashamed and nearly wanted to lead his men away at once. He lowered his massive head and noticed the fox beside his foot.

He lowered his head and noticed the fox at his feet. She had not said a single word during the exchange. She had not even moved. She simply stood there, quiet and still.

She was acting that way because she was about to wake up.

The illustrated calendar was an enchanted artifact forged by Crimson Lotus from Songstress Flower and Pan Dehai's folding fan. Li Banfeng had given it the name Dream Virtue.

The moment he unfurled it, Dream Virtue pulled Qiu Luoye and all his men into a dream. Drawing on the techniques of a Moralism Cultivator, it drove Qiu Luoye into deep self-reproach.

At Songstress Flower's level alone, there was no chance she could have forced Qiu Luoye into a dream so quickly. Against a Land Deity, her power was far too weak.However, Pan Dehai's folding fan was of an exceptionally high level. After being refined by the lotus, Dream Virtue inherited that rank. Because of this, it held a certain chance of dragging even Qiu Luoye into slumber.

How high that chance was depended entirely on Li Banfeng's luck. Even though Qiu Luoye had fallen into the dream, nothing about this was foolproof. If even one of his subordinates had remained awake, the moment that person moved, the dream would shatter at once.

Just moments ago, Qiu Luoye had seemed to turn and speak to the humanoid pine tree. It looked as if he had been moving the entire time. The truth was that he had not moved at all. He had been speaking to the tree within the dream. Outside the dream, he stood perfectly still, directly before Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng's luck was excellent. Qiu Luoye and every one of his subordinates had fallen into the dream.

At this moment, he stood there gripping the calendar as sweat streamed down his face. The dial on the back was still visible and the time read five fifteen.

Qiu Luoye had already stood motionless for more than a minute. The calendar had more than done its part.

For Li Banfeng, the wisest choice now was clear. He should close the calendar at once and flee without hesitation. However, he wanted to hold Qiu Luoye there just a little longer.

With less than one kilometer between him and the mouth of the gorge, Qiu Luoye needed only to lower his head and charge and he would surely burst out of the gorge within a less than a minute.

The Falling Water Gate could only stop Qiu Luoye for three minutes. What should he do about the remaining minute and more?

I guess I should just hold on for as long as I can. If I can drag it out for one more minute, there's still hope.

What Li Banfeng had not anticipated was that the fox at Qiu Luoye's side had already awakened.

She was a Dream Cultivator as well. Though she was only at the second level only at the second level, the fox was exceptionally sharp and quick-witted. She served as Qiu Luoye's most capable right-hand subordinate.

The moment she entered the dream, the fox sensed that something was wrong.

When she realized it and broke free, she did not rush to wake Qiu Luoye.

Unlike Qiu Luoye, the fox thought differently. Before attacking Shui Yongquan's territory, it would be wiser to eliminate the hidden dangers within this gorge.

And Li Banfeng, standing before them, was the greatest danger of all. He was cunning and relentless. If anyone had to be eliminated first, it was him.

She pretended to remain within the dream. Her plan was simple. Kill Li Banfeng first and then wake Qiu Luoye up. That way, Li Banfeng would have no chance to escape.

The fox's toes had just touched the ground, making the faintest sound against the soil, when the Threaded Earring immediately gave warning. "Movement!"

Li Banfeng snapped the calendar shut and spun to flee. The fox leapt after him, claws reaching for his back. The Tang saber flashed through the air, its blade humming with sharp intent.

The Insect Overlord's antennae I ate had not been in vain!

The Tang saber exclaimed inwardly. In a single clean stroke, it cleaved off the fox's head.

"Each stroke of mine claims an enemy's head," the Tang saber declared with pride before hurrying after Li Banfeng in retreat.

The instant the fox moved, Qiu Luoye awakened.

He crushed a wide swath of vines beneath his feet and charged forward, the gorge shaking with each step. Before he could reach the exit, Li Banfeng triggered his final trap.

Whether it would work, he did not know. The chance of failure was extremely high. Ahead stood a paper beauty holding the Judge's Brush. A circle had already been drawn at her feet. She stood within it, perfectly still.

Li Banfeng rushed straight through the circle. The paper beauty did not move. However, when Qiu Luoye charged into the circle, the paper beauty shouted, "Fly!"

The Judge's Brush did not move either. It could not be bothered to.

So be it,

Li Banfeng thought. He had never placed much hope in the Judge's Brush in the first place.

Qiu Luoye flicked his trunk. The second paper beauty was crushed to pieces at once, and the Judge's Brush clattered to the ground.

***

In Bitter Greens Manor, another leaf drifted down and landed before Granny Bitter.

The third stroke of luck has been used up? She picked up the leaf and studied it for a moment. It had been spent on something costly. Whatever he had used it on was no ordinary thing.

A faint smile curved her lips.

"My dear grandnephew," she murmured, "you'll be repaying this debt again."

***

Qiu Luoye charged forward and, by sheer misfortune, stepped squarely on the Judge's Brush.

"Damn it..." The pain shot through the brush like a spark through dry tinder.

It grew furious. In a sudden burst, it lifted Qiu Luoye into the air.

Qiu Luoye was mid-step when he suddenly realized all four of his feet had left the ground.

Before he could even understand what had happened, his massive body had already been hurled back more than one kilometer.

What just pricked my foot?

Qiu Luoye lowered his head and scanned the ground. He saw nothing.

The Judge's Brush had already burrowed into the grass and hidden itself. It knew very well that if Qiu Luoye caught it, there would be no chance of survival.

Hurling Qiu Luoye back more than a kilometer had drained every bit of strength it had accumulated over the years. Now the Judge's Brush lay hidden in the grass, utterly still, not daring to make the slightest sound.

Hurling Qiu Luoye back one kilometer had bought Li Banfeng another full minute.

***

Li Banfeng had already reached the mouth of the gorge and raised the Waterfall Gate. He unfolded the calendar and glanced at the dial on the back. It was five sixteen.

He could only hope Qiu Luoye would arrive a little later.

At five seventeen, Qiu Luoye still had not appeared. Instead, a humanoid tree under his command came thundering down the gorge, branches lashing and roots tearing through the earth as it charged.

Li Banfeng did not wait any longer. He ordered the last paper beauty maiden to pour one kilogram of water onto the Waterfall Gate.

The water ran in thin streams down the lintel, each droplet sinking into the stone as if the gate were drinking it in. Almost at once, the Waterfall Gate took root. A faint tremor passed through the rock walls, and an invisible barrier unfurled from the frame, spreading swiftly along both sides of the gorge until the passage was sealed tight.

Before the barrier had fully sealed, the humanoid tree slammed straight into it with a crash that shook the gorge.

Li Banfeng threw his weight behind the gate panels. His feet skidded against the stone, and he staggered, barely holding his ground.

A splintering crack split the air. The humanoid tree forced its head through the narrowing gap, thrusting straight toward Li Banfeng's chest.

Whoosh!

The Tang saber flashed and sliced off half of the humanoid tree's head. After three swift strikes, the Tang saber shrank and slipped back into Li Banfeng's pocket without a sound.

The humanoid tree did not feel any pain. As though unaware that half its head was gone, it continued to force its way inward.

Li Banfeng swung his sickle with both hands. He hacked at the advancing mass again and again, the curved blade biting deep into wood, tearing out chunks with each strike.

Behind the humanoid tree, the paper beauty rushed forward and wrapped her arms around its trunk with all her strength. Under their joint assault, the humanoid tree was forced back half a step.

With a violent twist, the humanoid tree spun around, seized the paper beauty in its wooden grip, and tore her apart. Paper ripped. Limbs scattered. In the blink of an eye, she was nothing but drifting scraps.

The humanoid tree turned back to finish Li Banfeng, only to find a barrier blocking its path!

The barrier had fully formed!

The dial on the calendar read five seventeen and eight seconds.

It worked!

Li Banfeng exclaimed inwardly.

I did it!

The Waterfall Gate could hold for three minutes. It would last until five twenty!

Outside, the humanoid tree hurled itself at the barrier again and again, striking it with frenzied force. Li Banfeng planted his feet behind the gate and pressed both palms against the doors, channeling all his strength into holding them shut.

The Waterfall Gate proved worthy of its name. No matter how violently the humanoid tree battered it, only faint tremors traveled through the panels and into Li Banfeng's arms and the vast majority of the force was swallowed by the gate itself.

Li Banfeng let out a slow breath. All he needed to do now was hold out until five twenty and run. After that, he would collect his reward from Shui Yongquan.

Bang!

Li Banfeng was blasted backward from behind the gate and slammed onto his back. By the time he looked up, the two doors had already swung open more than a foot.

Qiu Luoye stood outside. He had not charged. He had not even gathered momentum. He had merely lifted one leg and given the barrier a casual kick.

That single kick had sent Li Banfeng flying.

Gritting his teeth, Li Banfeng rolled to his side and forced himself upright. He lunged forward, seized the doors, and shoved them shut with both hands.

Bang!

Another kick landed.

The barrier shuddered violently, and Li Banfeng was flung backward once more. His body crashed down hard against the stone and a sharp crack echoed inside his chest.

Two of his ribs broke. He felt his vision blurred and the world started tilting and swaying, as though the gorge itself had begun to spin.

Creak, creak, creak...

The two doors creaked and slowly began to open again.

Li Banfeng dragged himself off the ground and staggered forward. With a hoarse breath, he threw himself against the doors, pushing with both hands and forcing them back toward each other.

He could not allow the door to open three feet wide, or the barrier would disappear.

Bang!

The gate panels slammed straight into Li Banfeng's face. A sickening crack rang out as his cheekbone shattered under the impact. Blood burst from his nose and spilled from the corner of his mouth

He had barely forced the doors shut when Qiu Luoye, furious beyond restraint, charged into the barrier. Li Banfeng was flung into the air and thrown far back before crashing hard onto the stone. A sharp crack sounded as his leg broke on impact.

"Damn it! Shui Yongquan, you bitch. You only know to hide behind this rotten thing!" Qiu Luoye roared as he slammed into the barrier with tremendous force. The recoil traveled back through his massive frame, and he felt a brief wave of dizziness.

Creak, creak, creak...

The two doors parted again, the gap widening to nearly two feet. It crept closer and closer to three.

Someone had to hold them in place. If no one did, the Waterfall Gate would continue to open, inch by inch, until the barrier collapsed completely.

Li Banfeng had never expected this. He had thought that once the Waterfall Gate was set up, success was assured. He had not expected that holding the doors shut would be this difficult.

The calendar had fallen into the grass. The clock on it showed five eighteen.

JUST. TWO. MORE. MINUTES.

Li Banfeng thought.

What can I use to delay him for another two minutes. There's no hope... None.

***

Huff...

Inside the Pocket Dwelling, the gramophone's breathing had grown so faint it was barely there. It was as thin as a thread about to snap.

The Crimson Lotus sighed softly. "You wicked woman. You spent your whole life commanding storms, yet you couldn't weather this final trial. I wonder whether that madman survived?

"If he died with you, then at least the two of you would remain together, complete even in death. But me? Trapped here for all eternity... what does that make of my existence?"

***

Li Banfeng pushed himself up from the tangled grass. He was still alive.

His leg was broken. Completely useless. When he tried to stand, the world tilted. So he did the only thing left to do. He dragged himself forward on his hands, inch by inch, until he reached the gate.

He shoved the doors closed with what little strength he had left. From his waist, he tore off a vine and threaded it through the two iron rings.

The vine was strong. Strong enough that even blades could not cut it.

He pressed his back against the doors and tied himself to them.

Bang!

The panels shuddered violently. Li Banfeng coughed up a mouthful of blood. It tasted metallic. Bitter. Salty.

Bang!

Qiu Luoye rammed the barrier again. Darkness flickered at the edge of Li Banfeng's vision.

Bang!

Strangely, Li banfeng felt no pain now. None at all. He only knew that blood kept spilling from his mouth.

Bang!

I do not know your name. You probably do not know mine either.

Bang!

From the day we met, you called me husband, and I called you wifey.

Bang!

Wifey... wait for me.

Bang!

That time, when I came back home, I brought Madam Bagworm Moth into our home.

Bang!

I am sorry for that.

Bang!

You sent me to the outer room. I stood outside the door and listened while you fought Madam Bagworm Moth with everything you had...

I stood outside...

Bang!

I knew you were fighting for your life. You saved me. And I could not save you. In the end, you were wounded so terribly. I wronged you...

Bang!

That time, I could not save you.

Bang!

This time... you must wait for me to come back.

Bang!

The vine snapped.

Li Banfeng crumpled to the ground, bloodied and mangled like a discarded puppet with its strings cut.

Creak, creak, creak...

The doors began to open and Qiu Luoye stood just behind them.

The gap widened to two feet.

I. MUST. CLOSE. THE. DOORS.

NOT. TIME. YET. I. MUST. CLOSE. THE. DOORS.

I can't let the doors open to three feet...

Li Banfeng's hands clawed at the ground. He tried to get up, but he couldn't do it. He lifted his head, wanting to see the time on the calendar.

At the mouth of the gorge, a massive figure appeared.

Madam Bagworm Moth...Why is it that I would see Madam Bagworm Moths whenever I think about them? Am I hallucinating?

It was not a hallucination. Ma Wu came riding Swallowie straight toward Li Banfeng's side.

"Waterfall Gate!" Swallowie recognized the spirit-bound item at once and threw her weight against the doors.

Bang!

Swallowie slid back half a step. Ma Wu lunged forward and forced the doors shut.

Bang!

Ma Wu was blasted away and the bone in his left arm snapped. Zuo Wugang rushed up and held the doors shut.

Bang!

Zuo Wugang staggered back two steps. Xianxian and Qiaocui rushed forward, and the three bagworm moths threw their combined weight against the doors.

Bang!

Ma Wu rushed back again.

Bang!

Little Gen and Little Chuan leapt forward as one and slammed their weight against the doors.

Bang!

Boom!

***

They held the doors for more than a minute. Then, quite suddenly, the battering stopped. The silence beyond the gate was so abrupt it was almost louder than the blows had been.

Qiu Luoye stopped ramming? He's tired? Impossible! The barrier failed?

Li Banfeng thought as he turned his head toward the calendar lying nearby and saw that it was five nineteen. It was not five twenty yet.

How is this possible...? The barrier should have lasted a little longer. How could it fail so soon?

Suddenly, Shui Yongquan's voice rang out from midair, "Qiu Luoye, you've lost."

A flower appeared in Li Banfeng's hand, its petals slowly circling the core.

PS: Wifey, wait for Banfeng's return