Li Banfeng remained concealed behind a damaged earthen barrier, discreetly observing the unfolding battlefield dynamics.
His prior interactions with Lu Dongjun were minimal, limited to their shared efforts in managing an insect infestation at Hai Chi Ridge.
Lu Dongjun had initially demonstrated success, nearly eradicating the mosquitoes on the First Ridge. However, he unexpectedly lost control of the disaster on the Second Ridge, which then resurged with greater intensity.
Following that incident, Lu Dongjun vanished, his whereabouts unknown to Li Banfeng. The only information Li Banfeng had received were rumors of Lu Dongjun's demise. He had not anticipated encountering his Lost Soul in the Outside Provinces today.
Lu Dongjun fashioned threads from his tattered garments, subsequently embedding them into Chu Zikai's person.
Chu Zikai had indeed fallen into a well-laid trap.
During his life, Lu Dongjun was an Eighth Layer Martial Cultivator. Yet, in death, his combat prowess had inexplicably surged, enabling him to rival cultivators at the Above the Clouds stage. Jin Shunying attributed this to the unique properties of a Lost Soul, though Li Banfeng struggled to fully grasp the reasoning.
Believing victory was within his grasp, Lu Dongjun unleashed the threads from his clothing, preparing to dismember Chu Zikai completely.
Buzz~
A sharp resonance emanated from Chu Zikai, the soundwave traveling along the threads and profoundly distorting Lu Dongjun's Soul.
The Cloud-Traveling Sound Cultivator experienced a momentary setback but swiftly recovered his composure.
Lu Dongjun severed the threads and rapidly retreated, appearing from a distance like a startled cat.
The tide of battle shifted in an instant. Chu Zikai, refraining from immediate pursuit, surveyed the surroundings for any accomplices of Lu Dongjun.
In prior circumstances, Li Banfeng would have certainly intervened at this juncture.
Despite the absence of any personal bond with Lu Dongjun, a temporary alliance against Chu Zikai presented a strategically sound option.
However, tonight, Li Banfeng held back from rash action due to an overwhelming sense of impending danger.
This threat did not originate from Chu Zikai. Having crossed paths on two occasions, Li Banfeng possessed a clear understanding of Chu Zikai's capabilities; such a formidable threat should not have been posed to him.
From whence did this danger emanate?
Two distinct possibilities presented themselves: firstly, the threat could come from Chu Zikai's associate. During their initial encounter, a figure clad in black, a proficient Food Cultivator, had accompanied Chu Zikai. This Food Cultivator had evoked an intense sensation of hunger within Li Banfeng, nearly incapacitating him. If these two were to combine their strengths, they could indeed pose a significant challenge to Li Banfeng.
The alternative possibility was the presence of an observer from the Heavens. Should the danger stem from this entity, Li Banfeng would be wise to refrain from any direct involvement in the present conflict.
Yet, what caliber of cultivator was this individual from the Heavens? How vast was the disparity in power compared to Li Banfeng? If this observer harbored ill intentions, Li Banfeng would likely be utterly incapable of sensing any danger.
Regardless of the source, Li Banfeng recognized that engaging Chu Zikai directly was inadvisable at this moment; however, covert actions remained a viable option.
While Chu Zikai and Li Banfeng contemplated their next moves, Lu Dongjun, acting without much hesitation, seized a length of hemp rope from the construction site and swung it like a fluid whip towards Chu Zikai.
Chu Zikai's agile movements allowed him to twist his body and narrowly evade the projectile.
The hemp rope altered its trajectory, encircling Chu Zikai's form and ensnaring him.
Chu Zikai struggled to break free, but the rope in Lu Dongjun's grasp exhibited extraordinary tensile strength, rendering escape impossible.
"Hiss~" Chu Zikai expelled a sharp, cutting sound through his teeth, akin to a blade slicing through the air.
The rope appeared as if severed by a blade, on the verge of snapping.
"Whew~" Li Banfeng emitted a whistle, mimicking Chu Zikai's vocalization. This unexpected sound caused the rope, moments from breaking, to tighten once more. Lu Dongjun seized the opportunity, applying sudden force and yanking Chu Zikai closer.
"Ah!" Chu Zikai cried out, a high-pitched soundwave rapidly expanding outwards from his person.
Within the expanding soundwaves, Lu Dongjun writhed uncontrollably, evidently injured, and immediately released his grip on the rope.
Seeking to evade the concussive soundwaves, Li Banfeng rose and departed from the earthen wall. It was at this precise moment that Chu Zikai detected Li Banfeng's presence.
"Whoosh~" Chu Zikai unleashed a cascade of trilling notes, utilizing the resultant soundwaves to repel Lu Dongjun while simultaneously initiating a pursuit of Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng abruptly increased his speed, swiftly distancing himself from the sonic assault and nearly vanishing from Chu Zikai's line of sight.
Chu Zikai persisted in employing soundwaves for blockade, compelled to maintain his focus on Li Banfeng; failure to do so would result in a backlash from the fleeting glance technique.
Lu Dongjun procured a piece of wood and struck at Chu Zikai. Chu Zikai, with a barrage of trilling notes, shattered the wood, the resultant splinters lingering momentarily before his eyes.
Chu Zikai expressed considerable surprise; Lu Dongjun had actually accounted for the repercussions of the wood's fragmentation!
He employed the splintered wood to divert Chu Zikai's assault, strategically utilizing the debris to obstruct Chu Zikai's field of vision.
Chu Zikai found himself unable to maintain his lock on Li Banfeng, who stood poised to execute the fleeting glance technique.
A sudden, powerful gust of wind surged, causing Li Banfeng to falter, his steps unsteady. He almost lost his footing, rendering him incapable of executing his intended technique.
Carried aloft by the wind, Lu Dongjun vanished without a trace.
Standing at the vortex of the tempest, Chu Zikai prepared to counterattack, but an elder's voice echoed near his ear: "Go."
"Go?"
"Why must we leave?"
Without further explanation, the elder utilized the wind's force to whisk Chu Zikai away from the construction site.
The tempestuous wind bore Chu Zikai far beyond Rock Tower Village. He repeatedly questioned, "We've secured victory in this battle, so why the need to retreat?"
The elder's voice, carried on the wind, reached Chu Zikai's ears: "Victory is not assured. The origin of Lu Dongjun's ally is unknown; suspicion falls upon Lu Dongliang."
"How could it possibly be Lu Dongliang? I've encountered him before!"
"Do not presume that just because an opponent is a Traveling Cultivator's they must be an enemy you are already acquainted with. Furthermore, your knowledge of that individual is not absolute; he may very well be Lu Dongliang."
Chu Zikai was unaware of the opponent's true identity, only that he was a Cloud-Traveling Cultivator. It was known that before Lu Dongliang's disappearance, he had achieved the Ninth Layer of Traveling Cultivator. The elder's words held a measure of undeniable truth.