He was desperately clearing the land and equally devoted to his cultivation. This was his intention for coming to New Land.
Seeing Ma Wu’s determination, Xiao Genzi greatly admired him.
The two stared at the Pocket Watch together, waiting for the land clearing to succeed, when, amidst the darkness, a rustling, creeping sound approached.
Xiao Genzi grabbed his spoon and bellowed angrily, "Who’s there?"
"HEHEHE, kid, you’re quite amusing," came a voice.
Upon hearing this voice, Ma Wu’s whole body began to tremble.
Before coming to New Land, he had made many preparations. He knew full well the dangers of this journey and what he was about to face.
But there was one thing he did not want to encounter.
In Puluo State, one name could make both Li Banfeng and Ma Wu simultaneously shiver with fear. This name wasn’t He Haiqin, Chu Huaijun, or even Monkey Qiu, the powerhouses from the major families.
They had seen their fair share of events and even had various encounters with bigshots like Greenwater Beggar, Elder Yao, Feng Daiku, and Pan Dehai.
But if the Straw Moth Lady was mentioned, even Li Banfeng, if present, would only think of fleeing. She was an entity that had truly made them step into hell.
A Straw Moth Lady, her plump body squirming, arrived at the edge of the plot.
Unlike the Straw Moth Lady they had previously encountered, this one’s face looked younger—around thirty by human standards.
Truth be told, her face was quite pretty.
But no matter how pretty she was, Ma Wu couldn’t bring himself to stand.
Seeing that Ma Wu dared not face the enemy, Xiao Genzi took his spoon and flung a splash of Golden Juice at the Straw Moth Lady.
Though the Straw Moth Lady’s body was plump, she was not at all clumsy.
She easily dodged the Golden Juice and stared at Xiao Genzi’s spoon for a long while.
"Little baby, you’re throwing this stuff at me? You’re really making me angry," she said.
According to the Local Deity’s assessment rules, the Strange Monsters of New Land had to enter the plot’s boundary before they could act.
But the Straw Moth Lady wasn’t here for an assessment.
She was a Wandering Monster, not bound by the rules of land clearing.
The Straw Moth Lady swung her antenna, striking directly at Xiao Genzi.
She didn’t like to kill, only to play with people, yet this strike was enough to take Xiao Genzi’s life.
The barrel on Xiao Genzi’s back suddenly moved in front of him, taking the hit.
This was a First Layer Gold Cultivation technique, Golden Barrel Protection.
The Golden Barrel carried on the back helps a Cultivator block attacks.
Although this maneuver blocked the Straw Moth Lady’s antenna, Xiao Genzi still went flying and landed hard on the ground, unconscious.
The furious Straw Moth Lady charged into the plot, ready to torment Xiao Genzi.
Ma Wu stood in front of Xiao Genzi, blocking the Straw Moth Lady.
"Little Brother, what are you trying to do?" The Straw Moth Lady looked Ma Wu up and down.
Ma Wu controlled his trembling and stared at the Straw Moth Lady for a full two minutes.
The Straw Moth Lady’s gaze softened; Ma Wu’s talent was taking effect.
"Little Brother, do you want to play with Sister?" she asked.
Ma Wu nodded. "Yes, to play."
The Straw Moth Lady laughed. "Can you withstand it?"
Ma Wu took a deep breath and said, "I can withstand it!"
The Straw Moth Lady burst into laughter and charged at Ma Wu.
Ma Wu clenched his teeth and also charged towards the Straw Moth Lady.
The Local Deity watched from the sky above the plot, reluctant to leave for a long time. He was dumbfounded.
The Straw Moth Lady and the Centipede Mother and Daughter were entirely different.
Measured by human cultivation levels, the Centipede Woman was Third Layer, and the Centipede Daughter was barely Fourth Layer.
This Straw Moth Lady was at the Eighth Layer, one of the most formidable Strange Monsters of New Land.
Even with the talent Feng Daiku had given Ma Wu, it was fruitless against the Straw Moth Lady.
The Local Deity had lured the Straw Moth Lady here to scare Ma Wu away.
But unexpectedly, Ma Wu actually charged at the Straw Moth Lady.
The Local Deity gazed at Ma Wu from above and silently praised him.
The land-clearing assessment was, after all, a test to determine who was worthy of the land.
The Local Deity mobilized his thoughts, lending Ma Wu some strength.
The Straw Moth Lady, who had been laughing wildly, suddenly changed her expression.
"Little Brother, you, you slow down a bit..."
「Five hours later.」
Xiao Genzi woke up.
Ma Wu was feeding him medicine. Xiao Genzi swallowed the medicinal soup and sat up.
Seeing Ma Wu battered and his face almost unrecognizable, Xiao Genzi hastily asked, "Young Master, where did that bug go? I’ll fight it out with her!"
Ma Wu smiled and said, "She left."
Xiao Genzi paused for a moment, then laughed along. "Young Master, did you win? I knew it, you’re not afraid of that bug!"
He was unaware of the Straw Moth Lady’s prowess and thought Ma Wu’s victory was a matter of course.
Ma Wu shook his head with a bitter smile; he wasn’t even sure himself how he had won the fight.
Twice, he had nearly passed out but had gritted his teeth and powered through.
"Young Master, how much longer? Let’s just grit our teeth. I reckon we’re almost there," Xiao Genzi urged.
Ma Wu said nothing.
Xiao Genzi looked around and noticed it was much brighter now.
He looked up at the sky and saw a halo of light.
"It’s bright! There’s Heavenly Light!" Xiao Genzi exclaimed joyfully. "It’s done! New Land has been opened up!"
Ma Wu was smiling, tears welling in his eyes.
New Land was opened.
Through sheer willpower, Ma Wu had carved out a mile of wilderness.