Late at night, Li Banfeng familiarized himself with the terrain in the canyon.
The terrain provided significant advantages: a ten-mile-long canyon, more than a yard wide, full of twists and turns with thick vines everywhere. Sprinting at full speed from one end to the other, it took Li Banfeng just over two minutes.
As a Third Layer Traveling Cultivator, it had still taken him that long to run the distance. If the opposition only sent average Cultivators, provided their cultivation level wasn’t too high, it would be difficult for them to exit the canyon within ten minutes.
Li Banfeng strolled slowly through the canyon, carefully observing every position.
Reaching a turn, the Tang Sword spoke, "My lord, this is an excellent spot for an ambush."
The Tang Sword had fought in battles and was the only Magical Treasure with military experience.
Li Banfeng marked this spot and continued to traverse the canyon. After making more than twenty marks, he and the Tang Sword picked the best three spots from them.
All twenty spots were useful, especially these three, which were key for ambushes.
Approaching the canyon entrance near Fallen Leaf Slope, Li Banfeng saw the scattered offering table on the ground and the dense fog in the distance.
"Brother Li Qi, don’t go any further. If you do, you’ll enter Qiu Luoye’s territory. You and I have made a spirit contract; you’re considered my person now. War has not yet begun; we can’t enter Qiu Luoye’s territory. One step over the boundary and into that fog, and you will lose your life." Shui Yongquan floated to Li Qi’s side. This time, he appeared in human form.
Li Banfeng stared into the fog for a moment. It was thick, but he could still vaguely make out some figures.
Shui Yongquan looked at the offering table on the ground and said to Li Banfeng, "This is what those Pioneers left behind. Three times now, they’ve set it up right at the canyon mouth. Once could be a coincidence, twice maybe, but three times? This means someone is deliberately stirring up trouble."
Li Banfeng had no interest in listening to Shui Yongquan’s analysis of the situation; he continued to familiarize himself with the terrain.
Shui Yongquan exclaimed in appreciation, "Brother Li Qi, you are really diligent. But where has Brother Ma Wu gone? Don’t tell me he’s not coming."
"He’s coming. I’ve spoken to him. He’s only in charge of fighting; the strategy and formations are up to me," Li Banfeng gave a perfunctory explanation.
Shui Yongquan chuckled. "Strategy and formations? That’s not necessary. When Local Deities fight, do you think it’s like armies clashing? There aren’t so many formalities here. Once the fight starts, everyone acts immediately. Any delay, and morale will crumble. The ones fighting you are all here to gain cultivation level. If they want to fight, they won’t hold back. Whoever is faster and more ruthless will win!"
Li Banfeng frowned. "Isn’t this just a mob then?"
"What do you think? All of Qiu Luoye’s subordinates are just a mob!"
This was different from what Li Banfeng had imagined.
He had hoped to read a declaration of war before the battle, negotiate for a while, and stall for time.
This immediate fighting upon meeting made things more difficult.
Shui Yongquan sighed. "You’re the one who made the spirit contract, so finding Ma Wu or not is your business. Young man, I’ll only warn you of this: having more allies on the battlefield means an extra life for yourself. Even if it’s just having someone help you hold the main gate, an extra person means extra strength. I’m talking serious business here; trying to hold Waterfall Gate by yourself won’t be easy."
Li Banfeng looked at the cliffs on both Wings. "Waterfall Gate can only hold for three minutes. Relying solely on it won’t be enough."
Shui Yongquan smacked his lips. There were some things he didn’t want to say, but since Li Banfeng had already signed the contract, he couldn’t back out even if he revealed them. After careful consideration, he decided to give Li Banfeng a heads-up: "If Qiu Luoye personally charges into the valley, perhaps only Waterfall Gate can stop him."
Li Banfeng furrowed his brows. "Will he come personally?"
"It’s hard to say."
"Only Waterfall Gate?"
After pondering for a while, Shui Yongquan said, "Apart from Waterfall Gate, there are some special Techniques. Qiu Luoye isn’t too bright; any Taoist Sect Technique that confuses the mind can restrain him. Lust Cultivation is one such type."
He still wanted Ma Wu to fight.
Li Banfeng wasn’t thinking about Ma Wu. He asked Shui Yongquan, "Does Virtue Cultivation count as one of those mind-confounding Taoist Sects?"
Shui Yongquan nodded. "It does."
"What about Dream Cultivation?"
"That counts too. If you can find helpers from Virtue Cultivation and Dream Cultivation, you could stall for a while longer." Shui Yongquan crossed the canyon, returning to his own territory.
The Phonograph had guessed correctly: Shui Yongquan hadn’t bet all his chips on Li Qi; he had kept a backup plan for himself.
A wild boar was also roaming near the canyon entrance, searching for an ambush spot.
The Centipede Mother and Daughter had already chosen their position and were currently arguing.
"Mother, can’t you show some dignity? We’re here on serious business. Stop pining for that Ma boy."
"Pah! Who gave you the nerve to meddle in my affairs?" The Centipede Mother kept glancing into the canyon, hoping to catch another glimpse of Ma Wu.
Shui Yongquan snorted. "If you two want to guard the canyon, I won’t stop you."
The Centipede Mother swayed her body. "Oh, Master Shui, we really aren’t capable of that. Once we’re in the canyon, there’s only one path. If we’re surrounded, there’s nowhere to escape."
Shui Yongquan knew they weren’t capable; they were merely stragglers. Their task was to guard the canyon entrance and, after Li Qi fell, continue to delay the enemy.
The real fighting force, the Strange Monsters, were located inside the Hundred Leg Cave.
Their cultivation levels varied, but they were all completely loyal to Master Shui!
A Male Eagle flew in, whispering into Master Shui’s ear, "Qiu Luoye has defenses on both paths; the forces on both sides are equally matched."