Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

Who is Pan Dehai? Which Local Deity is he? Does he hold the same status as Green Flower and Feng Daiku?

Li Banfeng asked the Phonograph, which fell deep into thought and couldn't immediately address his questions.

Li Banfeng stared at the flesh on the table for a while, a pang of hunger hitting him. It wasn't that he desired the flesh itself. He had been sprinting for a long stretch, depleting his physical strength, and listening to his wife explain so many things had drained his mental energy. Now, he was genuinely famished.

He found some biscuits and canned food to sate his hunger for now.

The Phonograph, meanwhile, was mulling over the implications. "Feng Daiku and Pan Dehai fought, and on Green Flower's territory no less. That doesn't make any sense, no matter how you look at it. This piece of flesh must be precious to Pan Dehai. That vixen Feng Daiku was injured by Pan Dehai, and Pan Dehai himself wasn't lightly wounded either. But... my dear, why did you also clash with Feng Daiku? Were you interested in her, or are you a friend of Pan Dehai?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I'm not interested in that woman, and I don't know Pan Dehai. But this matter does involve a friend of mine who ended up in Feng Daiku's hands. Feng Daiku said my friend had to stay and help her heal. I wanted to rescue my friend and ended up caught by her Technique. What kind of Technique is it? Lust Cultivation? Being the Local Deity of Pants Belt Pit, she should be a Lust Cultivator, right?"

CHIRP CHIRP...

The Phonograph answered, "Feng Daiku is not a Lust Cultivator; she is an Emotion Cultivator. My dear, you were affected by her Emotional Root, which Little Servant has now resolved."

Li Banfeng didn't understand. "If she is an Emotion Cultivator, then why are there so many Lust Cultivators on her territory?"

CHIRP CHIRP...

"Lust Cultivation can foster emotions!"

"But don't emotions develop over time?"

"Lust Cultivators can 'go at it' for quite a while," his wife explained simply.

Thinking of Feng Daiku, Li Banfeng felt a surge of anger. She had detained Ma Wu, not to mention nearly forcing Li Banfeng himself into the Iron Thread River.

"My dear, I see Feng Daiku's injuries haven't healed yet. I'm going to find a way to kill her!"

"My dear, you must not be reckless."

"Then I'll devise a way to lure her to the Portable Residence and let you finish her!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Gentle puffs of Steam wafted over him repeatedly, helping Li Banfeng calm down.

"My dear, if Little Servant's combat power were restored, dealing with that vixen would be no trouble at all. But in my current condition, I'm afraid I'm no match for her. You truly mustn't be reckless."

True, his wife had only managed a hard-won victory against Straw Moth Lady; confronting a Local Deity was an entirely different challenge.

CHIRP CHIRP...

His wife continued, "Moreover, among the Local Deities, Feng Daiku is considered one of the kinder ones. Your friend helping her heal will only mean losing some essence. She's someone who understands gratitude and won't let your friend suffer unduly. However, with Local Deities fighting here, bystanders are inevitably affected. We can't stay here long, my dear. We'll discuss the details later. For now, it's best we leave soon."

Li Banfeng pushed open the door of the Portable Residence, ready to retrieve the key, when he suddenly saw a mass of Iron Thread Worms crawling in.

He'd almost forgotten he had tossed the key onto the bank of the Iron Thread River. Encountering some Iron Thread Worms there was perfectly normal.

Li Banfeng lifted his foot, about to stomp the Iron Thread Worms to death, when he heard his wife shout, "My dear, be careful! Something about this smell is wrong!"

Alerted by his wife, Li Banfeng then noticed that the damp air outside had grown even heavier, distinctly different from the conditions by the riverbank.

He considered stepping outside to investigate, but a sudden chill ran down his spine.

The Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster Skill. Great danger lurks outside.

Li Banfeng hurriedly closed the door. His wife spewed out a cloud of Steam, scalding all the insects on the ground to death.

What happened? At the riverbank, I definitely threw the key to the opposite shore. Could it be that I didn't have enough strength and it fell into the river? This is troublesome. If the key really landed among the insects, how will we get out? More importantly, the insects might have rolled the key away. It's unclear where it is now, but judging by the recent smell, it shouldn't be the Wilderness.

After pondering for a moment, Li Banfeng took out the Blood-Thirsty Pendulum and asked, "Can you swallow poison?"

The pendulum shuddered. "Master, why do you want me to swallow poison?"

"To stay alive," Li Banfeng produced a Poison Pill. "Eat this."

He wanted the pendulum to swallow the Poison Pill, exhale poisonous fog, and help him drive away the insects so he could retrieve the key.

But the pendulum refused. "Master, I can't eat this..."

Li Banfeng grew angry. "Why can't you eat it? Can't you drink the blood of Poison Cultivators?"

The Silk-pulling Earrings whispered softly, "Sir, don't listen to her. She can eat it, she can eat anything!"

The Tang Sword chimed in, "A sword's sharpness comes from grinding, and a plum blossom's fragrance from bitter cold. The Clock Pendulum has reaped so many benefits, it's time for it to endure some hardship."

The pendulum's voice trembled. "Master, they are bullying me."

CHIRP CHIRP...

The Phonograph spoke reasonably, "Making the Clock Pendulum eat the Poison Pill is indeed asking too much of her. Let her consume some Steam instead."

WHOOSH!

Watching the Phonograph spew out bursts of Steam, the Clock Pendulum immediately flushed red. "Master, I am willing to eat the Poison Pill! Master, I can't eat this, Master..."

WHOOSH...

A large cloud of Steam was forcibly poured into the Clock Pendulum.

The Clock Pendulum turned as red as a searing hot iron; luckily, the handle wasn't too hot to hold.

Li Banfeng tightened his trouser cuffs and, holding the Clock Pendulum, stepped out the door. Before closing it, he glanced back into the room one last time.

If I can't find the key after going out, I might never be able to return. Should I take my wife out? Take Red Lotus too? Take all the belongings I've painstakingly gathered? Then what? Abandon the Portable Residence? Stop dreaming! I have to find the key and protect my home!

Stepping across the threshold, his foot landed in a sticky mess—all insects.

Iron Thread Worms swarmed rapidly up his shoes, their movements astoundingly quick. Li Banfeng activated the Clock Pendulum, spraying out a cloud of Steam that killed a large swath of them.

Under the intense heat, the remaining insects swiftly scattered. Judging by their curled-up bodies, these Iron Thread Worms were furious.

As the insects' bodies recoiled, Li Banfeng spotted the key amidst a pile of their corpses.

Just as he was about to reach for it, he noticed the key sinking continuously into the pile of insect corpses.

It wasn't just the key sinking; Li Banfeng's feet were too.

There were still live worms beneath the corpses, moving rapidly, as if a whirlpool had formed in the "Iron Thread River."

Li Banfeng twisted the screw on the Clock Pendulum, releasing another burst of Steam.

SIZZLE...

The acrid smell of burning flesh filled the air as numerous Iron Thread Worms perished. Li Banfeng seized the moment to retrieve the key and scan for his next move.

Only now did he have time to observe his surroundings.

This was not a riverbank, nor the Wilderness—it was a mountain cave.

Surrounding the cave were wet, slippery rock walls, offering no footholds.

At the bottom of the cave flowed the ceaseless "Iron Thread River," its depth unknown. Li Banfeng stood on a large pile of scorched Iron Thread Worm corpses. Beneath them, live worms still writhed—it was impossible to tell how deep they went.

The effect of the Steam was waning, and the Iron Thread Worms swiftly surged towards Li Banfeng's feet.

Are these things Traveling Cultivators? How can they move so fast?

The Blood-Thirsty Pendulum had only one burst of Steam left. After this, Li Banfeng would have no other means to repel the worms.

With the key still in his hand, Li Banfeng could return to his Portable Residence.

But if he went back, it would mean tossing the key into the swarm of worms, rendering all his previous efforts futile.

If I don't return to the Portable Residence, where can I go? What's the next step? Run! Run towards the cave's exit. But where is the exit?

Li Banfeng had two choices. One was to run in the direction the Iron Thread Worms were moving.

Running with the flow of worms made his footing noticeably smoother, but the problem was that following them might not lead him out of the cave.

The worms' destination might not be outside the cave; it could be within this very cave, perhaps some Worm King's nest, or even the dwelling of a God.

The other choice was to run against the direction the Iron Thread Worms were moving.

Running against them had the advantage of definitely leading out of the cave; he would exit the same way the worms had entered.

The downside was not knowing how long he would have to run. Li Banfeng had no idea of the cave's length, nor where these worms had entered from.

If they had come from an underground river, the situation would be dire.

According to his Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster Skill, both directions seemed perilous, yet the danger appeared to be within his limits to handle.

But if he encountered a higher-level entity, the Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster Skill might prove ineffective.

After a moment of thought, Li Banfeng decided: he would run against the movement of the worms.

No matter how long the path, at least the outcome was predictable. Running against the worms, he could find an exit.

Clutching the key, Li Banfeng bolted.

Running against the flow of the Iron Thread Worms meant moving contrary to their advance, and often, Li Banfeng would kick the oncoming worms directly.

So what if I kick them? They're just Iron Thread Worms, not creatures of high Spiritual Wisdom.

So Li Banfeng thought, but things weren't that simple. These Iron Thread Worms were different from ordinary ones.

They possessed some Spiritual Wisdom—not much, but enough to understand revenge.

Having been scalded before and now kicked, as long as they could sense Li Banfeng, the worms twisted their heads and burrowed towards him, intent on biting.

Faster! I have to be faster! As long as I run swiftly enough, I can evade the Iron Thread Worms.

They couldn't catch up to Li Banfeng; he was confident of that.

But although the Iron Thread Worms weren't as fast as Li Banfeng, they weren't much slower either, especially when enraged, they could tail him closely.

Moreover, these worms seemed to have a collective sense. When the ones behind couldn't catch up, those in front began to tangle themselves up on the spot.

Li Banfeng stumbled as he was tripped. A swarm of worms scattered, his foot missed its mark, and he fell into a vortex within the "Iron Thread River."

The dark mass of Iron Thread Worms, which had initially only covered his ankles, now engulfed him up to his waist.

Li Banfeng struggled fiercely in the pile of worms, but this time they had experience dealing with him. They circled beneath his feet, making it impossible for him to find any purchase.

The worms burrowed and bit relentlessly, quickly tearing through his clothes and digging into his flesh.

Li Banfeng took out the Clock Pendulum and released the last of its Steam, scalding a large number of worms to death.

Using the layer of dead worms and relying on the footwork of a Traveling Cultivator, Li Banfeng climbed out of the vortex and continued to sprint forward, treading on the insects.

Ahead, more worms were forming another "vortex," but Li Banfeng swiftly avoided it using his Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster Skill.

In such a treacherous place, every step he took was equivalent to covering ten miles on flat terrain; ten such steps earned him a day's worth of cultivation progress.

After running seven or eight hundred meters, several vortices appeared simultaneously. Li Banfeng dodged left and right but inadvertently stepped into one, his body sinking again.

Now, without Steam, if he sank again, escape would be incredibly difficult.

At this life-and-death moment, Li Banfeng's veins bulged, his eyes shot with blood as he stared intently ahead.

The Iron Thread Worms, drawn by the scent of blood, lunged to bite but met only empty air.

Traceless Short Step!

Li Banfeng's figure flashed forward a step, landing him in another vortex.

This won't work!

His figure flashed again, dodging one vortex and landing on a dense cluster of worms.

I've activated Traceless Short Step twice in a row? How did I even do that?

The group of worms underfoot didn't scatter in time, providing Li Banfeng with a relatively solid step. These two uses of Traceless Short Step had earned him over five hundred miles of cultivation.

Li Banfeng had no time to calculate his cultivation gains; he was in excruciating pain. Over a hundred Iron Thread Worms had burrowed into his body. His seeping blood attracted even more Iron Thread Worms, which swarmed towards him.

He dared not pause for an instant, continuing his mad dash. After running another two miles or so, a breeze wafted from ahead.

The cave entrance!

Li Banfeng was overjoyed. He sprinted with all his might, bursting out of the cave entrance to see a desolate plain.

I'm out! Finally out!

Li Banfeng was about to survey his surroundings when he suddenly felt something wriggling on his cheek.

An Iron Thread Worm had burrowed into his cheek, squirming from his jaw up to his cheekbone, on the verge of drilling out through his eye.