Uniform Rule.
The two junior brothers didn’t dare to move any further. Taking another step truly would have meant certain death.
Having devoured an entire ox, Cong Shixiang was in excellent condition. With two ox horns now protruding from him, he charged toward Li Banfeng.
At this point, Li Banfeng had only one choice left.
He called out to the people of the stronghold to clear the way, then led Cong Shixiang on a rush into the cave.
The inside of the cave was slick and slippery, slowing Cong Shixiang’s steps just enough for Li Banfeng to find time to fish out his key.
He opened the Portable Residence, barely managing to toss the key out before Cong Shixiang barged directly into the house.
"You wretch! Tell me, how did you seduce my husband just now? You just..."
CLANG!
Li Banfeng staggered from Cong Shixiang’s collision and crashed into a corner.
The Phonograph gasped, "My dear, how did you end up bringing an ox back home?"
Cong Shixiang continued rushing toward Li Banfeng, while the Phonograph emitted Steam to trap him.
"Wow, this old ox sure has some strength!" The Phonograph counted the beats while singing the Peking opera "Little Herding Boy": "In the radiant sun of March, herding cattle to the village edge, wild flowers bloom with vibrant red, and the mountain grass is freshly green..."
Alas, her song had no effect.
Cong Shixiang let out a hoarse shout, nearly freeing himself from the Steam’s confines.
The Phonograph cried out in surprise, "A Break Cocoon Chrysalis?"
The Phonograph didn’t answer, her actions suddenly hesitant. "This Break Cocoon Chrysalis... could it be..."
Hong Ying suddenly spoke up, "Hurry and bring that wretched woman, the Mysterious Red Life Lotus, over here! This suits her well."
Li Banfeng hurried to find the Red Lotus. Over the past couple of days, apart from refining Qu Jingzhang, the Red Lotus had been of no other use, so Li Banfeng had moved it to Liu Fang.
As he ran towards Liu Fang, Cong Shixiang broke free from the Steam and charged at the Phonograph.
If this had been the Phonograph he first encountered, it truly might not have been able to withstand the attack.
But now the Phonograph was quite different. A disc flew towards Cong Shixiang, slicing off his legs below the knees.
Cong Shixiang fell to the ground and then crawled toward the Phonograph.
The disc swung again, slicing off Cong Shixiang’s hands.
Without hands or feet, Cong Shixiang’s body wriggled rapidly, still managing to get close to the Phonograph. His toothless mouth bit down on its casing.
"Disgusting!" The Phonograph, thoroughly repulsed, promptly decapitated Cong Shixiang.
With only his head remaining, Cong Shixiang no longer gnawed at the Phonograph. He turned and swallowed his own body and limbs.
After devouring them, Cong Shixiang’s head swiftly enlarged. Soon after, a huge ball of flesh bulged out beneath it.
A head connected to a ball of flesh, Cong Shixiang resembled a roly-poly toy, wobbling on the ground. Tiny flesh buds were already sprouting where his limbs had been.
Given thirty to fifty seconds, his limbs would regenerate. With another three to five minutes, Cong Shixiang could revert to his human form.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have that much time.
The Phonograph could have chopped him into mincemeat but didn’t rush to do so.
Li Banfeng moved the Red Lotus over.
The Red Lotus was dripping with dew, apparently ready to argue with Li Banfeng.
Seeing Cong Shixiang, however, lifted her spirits greatly, and the dew on her increased even further.
HISS...
Her petals opened, and her Lotus Heart stirred up a whirlwind. This dragged the still-regenerating Cong Shixiang, pulling him slowly towards the Lotus Heart.
Cong Shixiang tried to struggle, but within the whirlwind, his strength seemed somehow restricted.
"Urgh... Aaargh..." Cong Shixiang kept shouting. As he approached the Lotus Heart, his body began to deform, a process chillingly similar to how he had devoured the ox.
The Red Lotus increased her strength, and the whirlwind became even more violent. The Phonograph added a burst of Steam, pushing Cong Shixiang forward until he was forced into the Lotus Heart.
This was the first time Li Banfeng had seen the Red Lotus actively hunt. In the past, the Red Lotus never preyed on living creatures.
"My love," Li Banfeng asked, "the Red Lotus doesn’t eat the living. Why has she changed her nature today?"
HISS... HISS...
"My dear husband," the Phonograph replied, "this Break Cocoon Chrysalis is not a living creature."
"What is a Break Cocoon Chrysalis?"
"When a cultivator is ascending from the Ninth to the Tenth Layer, if the process is only half successful—the flesh ascends, but the Soul fails to follow and shatters—they become a walking corpse. It’s like an insect that breaks its cocoon but fails to become a butterfly, remaining a chrysalis. Hence the name Break Cocoon Chrysalis."
HISS... HISS...
The Red Lotus closed her petals.
With Ren Wenlie still outside, Li Banfeng didn’t delay any longer and quickly left the Portable Residence.
HISS... HISS...
The Phonograph turned her horn toward Hong Ying. "Bitch, who asked for your help?"
At a crucial moment in the battle, Hong Ying had reminded Li Banfeng to bring the Red Lotus over. This indeed had helped the Phonograph.
Hong Ying sneered, "Wicked woman, I was worried that lunatic would cause trouble, and we’d all be trapped here to die. You haven’t fought in years; your combat techniques aren’t what they used to be."
"Bitch, what combat techniques I use is none of your damn business!"
...
Ren Wenlie stood at the entrance of the stockade, waiting for a response from his Eldest Senior Brother.
His two junior brothers, Pei Maojin and Gao Yangting, were still beside him, offering suggestions.
"Senior Brother, let’s go in and check. I’m worried Eldest Senior Brother might run into trouble."
Eldest Senior Brother had just devoured a fellow disciple, Jiang Shirong—who had joined the Master’s Sect with them—yet Pei Maojin was still concerned about him.
"Brother Ren, we can’t let Eldest Senior Brother fight alone. Let’s go and support him."
Gao Yangting was also unequivocal. It was hard to tell whether this was the result of Ren Wenlie’s Virtue Cultivation Technique or his genuine sentiment.
After much deliberation, Ren Wenlie decided to enter the stockade for a look.
Of course, he wouldn’t go first; he’d let his two junior brothers lead the way.
Pei Maojin and Gao Yangting indeed walked ahead, carrying themselves with the air of a Saint’s disciples, shouting as they went, "You ragtag bunch, guilty of all sorts of vices and crimes! Now that your ringleader has been executed, do you still dare to resist stubbornly?"
Xiao Yeci blocked the way, saying, "In a fight between dragons and tigers, where do you shrimp, crabs, fish, and turtles get off intervening?"
Ren Wenlie paused.
Xiao Yeci clenched her teeth tightly.
Ren Wenlie hesitated, unsure if he should engage this woman, when he suddenly heard Li Banfeng say from behind him, "Don’t engage her. She’s an Eighth Layer Literature Cultivator. You should fight me instead."
Ren Wenlie was terrified, uncertain whether to move forward or back.
Li Banfeng advised him again, "If you can’t decide which way to go, just stand still. That would be the wisest choice."
For a moment, Ren Wenlie truly felt that standing still was the right choice.
He put down his Weapon and shouted loudly, "Don’t kill someone unarmed and defen—"
He couldn’t finish the word "defenseless" because his voice was choked off by a mouthful of blood; Li Banfeng had slit his throat.