Cong Shixiang had swallowed the Corrosion Pill. Yet he stood there unharmed.

Worse, anything that came near him began to decay. Steel dulled, rusted, and crumbled in an instant. He hadn't suffered from the pill. He had inherited its power.

Li Banfeng was still shocked. He didn't think much and struck a match, flicking it at Cong Shixiang.

The alcohol mist hung thick in the air, and flames suddenly engulfed Cong Shixiang. His body fat crackled and spat as it burned, sending up greasy smoke.

He didn't dodge. He didn't struggle. He didn't even try to put out the fire.

Instead, he calmly tore strips of charred flesh from his burning body and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing them down along with the flames.

Cong Shixiang looked quite pleased with the taste. He drew in a deep breath, sucking in the flames clinging to his body along with the alcohol mist in the air. Then he leaned forward and spat it all back at Li Banfeng.

It was not hard dodging this blast of fire, but Li Banfeng no longer dared to approach Cong Shixiang. He had no idea what else Cong Shixiang could spit out, nor what he might devour next.

Cong Shixiang charged at Li Banfeng again. Li Banfeng kept a distance of ten meters, circling him.

Ren Wenlie shouted, "You are a young man in your prime, yet you don't dare face an old man head-on?"

A surge of guilt rose in Li Banfeng's chest. In that moment of hesitation, Cong Shixiang cut off his path. Then Ren Wenlie[1] shouted again, "When two meet on a narrow path, the brave..."

Ren Wenlie, being also a Literary Cultivator, was about to unleash the power of the Binding Edict. If he finished that line, Li Banfeng would be forced to charge in and face Cong Shixiang head-on.

If that happened, Li Banfeng wouldn't last even a single exchange. Not only would he lose his life, even his corpse would be devoured by Cong Shixiang.

Fortunately, Li Banfeng was prepared. He suddenly began to sing.「The moon is bright, the wind is still, the leaves cover the window frame... ♪」

In his panic, this was the only song Li Banfeng could think of. He began to sing a lullaby.

Yet the song hit with unexpected force. Li Banfeng was deeply familiar with his surroundings, and having just stepped out of the Pocket Dwelling, he was in peak condition. With both factors working in his favor, he unleashed the full power of the Deep Court Domain.

As the song rang out, Ren Wenlie grew drowsy and nearly fell asleep. The Binding Edict failed to reach completion, and the effects of Seeing Virtue and Aligning With It were disrupted.

Ren Wenlie was easy enough to deal with, but Cong Shixiang was far more difficult.

Li Banfeng's song had no effect on him. The gap in their strength was too great, forcing Li Banfeng to retreat into the stronghold. Cong Shixiang kicked the gate apart and, in two quick strides, drove Li Banfeng back against the wooden hut.

The Folly Cultivator's ability had no effect on Cong Shixiang. Even the Deep Court Domain failed. What could possibly bring him down?

Li Banfeng leapt onto the roof. Cong Shixiang lunged after him, but his footing slipped, and he crashed down.

Tea suddenly seeped out beneath his feet. As Cong Shixiang climbed back up, he saw flesh on his hands and feet rapidly sloughing off in the tea.

Li Banfeng stood atop the roof, rubbing the teapot between his palms without pause. The tea repulsed Cong Shixiang immensely. The fat on his body melted away as it touched the liquid.

Li Banfeng was worried Cong Shixiang might smash the wooden hut apart. If that happened, he would lose his footing as well.

But Cong Shixiang paid no attention to the hut. He only wanted to escape the area flooded with tea. Yet the moment he tried, his body slammed straight into an unseen barrier.

Bang!

The old teapot trembled slightly in Li Banfeng's hands.

The last time it had reacted like this was when it faced Qiu Luoye. Li Banfeng asked, "Is he about as strong as Qiu Luoye?"

The teapot gave two dry coughs. "A bit weaker. I can probably take three to five hits. Little Brodie, this creature is not very bright. Don't fight it head-on. Outsmart it."

This Eldest Senior Brother was really not very smart. If he had the wits of a normal person, Li Banfeng would already be dead.

Bang! Bang!

As Cong Shixiang kicked and struck the barrier repeatedly, Li Banfeng quickly stopped the teapot.

Just moments ago, the tea had barely reached his knees, yet Cong Shixiang's trousers already hung loose. It seemed he had lost a lot of his flesh.

Even as the tea receded, Cong Shixiang's movements turned sluggish. His reactions slowed, and he had less strength left to fight back.

Li Banfeng didn't give him a moment to recover. He struck again and again, blade and flame tearing more flesh from his body.

Cong Shixiang staggered. Just as it seemed the fight was about to end, he suddenly lurched away and lunged toward the cow at the stronghold's entrance.

It had been left there by Niu Guangda. Cong Shixiang opened his mouth and shoved the cow's entire head inside.

Impossible! Li Banfeng exclaimed inwardly. That cow head is much bigger than his head! It has horns on it too! How did he even stuff that head into his mouth?

Wait. Now's not the time to think about this.

Li Banfeng slipped behind him and unleashed Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers. He stomped down hard, shattering the ground, and shards of stone shot upward, striking Cong Shixiang's back and head, finally drawing a response.

Cong Shixiang ignored him and continued devouring the cow at an astonishing speed.

Li Banfeng saw it clearly. Before it even reached his mouth, the cow's body had already been crushed and compressed into a lump of flesh.

Cong Shixiang's mouth stretched wide in a grotesque display. The flesh of his face dragged downward, and his lower jaw dropped all the way to his navel.

Li Banfeng raised his sickle and slashed at Cong Shixiang's skull. A pair of horns burst from the top of Cong Shixiang's head, twisting up to catch and lock around the blade.

He turned and kicked with a hoof, sending Li Banfeng flying over ten meters away. By eating a cow, he could become one. Fortunately, he had not fully recovered. The kick was not too powerful. Li Banfeng got back up and saw that Cong Shixiang had already devoured the entire cow.

He was still not full and turned his gaze toward Ren Wenlie. Ren Wenlie remained calm. He grabbed his junior brother Jiang Shirong and threw him toward Cong Shixiang.

Cong Shixiang seized Jiang Shirong by the head with one hand and the legs with the other. With a brutal twist, he wrung him into a warped, dough-like shape, then kneaded him into a lump of flesh.

Once he had compressed it tightly, he shoved the entire mass into his mouth.

This was exactly why Ren Wenlie had brought his junior brothers along. There were two of them left. The moment they saw what happened, they turned to run when Ren Wenlie scolded, "On the battlefield, those who fear the enemy die!"

Ren Wenlie invoked the Binding Edict. The two junior brothers froze, not daring to move. If they tried to run, they would truly die.

After devouring both a cow and a man, Cong Shixiang's condition improved greatly. Two bull horns rose from his head as he charged straight at Li Banfeng.

At this point, Li Banfeng had only one choice left.

He shouted for the people in the stronghold to clear the way and led Cong Shixiang straight into the cave. The cave was damp and slick, slowing Cong Shixiang just enough for Li Banfeng to pull out the key.

He opened the door to the Pocket Dwelling. Just as he tossed out the key, Cong Shixiang charged straight into the dwelling.

"You wretched woman, speak, how did you seduce my husband just now, you just..."

Bang!

Cong Shixiang slammed into Li Banfeng, sending him staggering into the corner.

The Gramophone huffed. "Husband, why did you bring a cow back?" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Cong Shixiang charged again, but the Gramophone burst out steam and trapped him in place.

"HEYAAAAAAAAA~ WHAT A MIGHTY OLD OX!" the Gramophone sang along with the Peking opera rhythm. "In the third month of spring, I herd the cattle by the village, Red blossoms fill the fields, green grasses climb the hills..."

Hah~~

Wifey's singing had no effect. Cong Shixiang let out a sharp shriek and nearly tore free from the steam binding him.

Wifey cried out in alarm, "Ruptured Cocoon?"

What ruptured cocoon? Li Banfeng thought.

Wifey did not explain. She appeared to be hesitating as she said, "Is this Ruptured Cocoon...perhaps..."

Hongying suddenly spoke. "Quickly bring that wretched woman! Bring that Arcane Crimson Lotus! This is just perfect for her."

Li Banfeng hurried to find Crimson Lotus. Over the past two days, aside from refining Qu Jingzhang into pills, she had been of no use, so he had moved her to the sixth room.

As Li Banfeng rushed toward the sixth room, Cong Shixiang broke free from the steam and charged straight at the Gramophone.

If she had only recently entered the Pocket Dwelling, she might not have withstood the attack of such a creature. However, the Gramophone was no longer the same as before. She flicked a record at Cong Shixiang, cleanly slicing off both his legs at the knees.

Cong Shixiang fell to the ground and crawled toward the gramophone.

The record swept through again, slicing off both his hands.

Even without his limbs, Cong Shixiang's body writhed forward at an eerie speed and still reached the Gramophone. His toothless mouth clamped down onto her casing.

"Disgusting!" the gramophone snapped and felt so grossed out. She sliced off Cong Shixiang's head.

With only a head left, Cong Shixiang stopped gnawing on her. He turned and swallowed his own body and severed limbs.

After devouring them, his head swelled rapidly, and a massive lump of flesh bulged out beneath it.

Cong Shixiang's head was connected to a fleshy sphere. He was now like a roly-poly, swaying on the ground. At the spots where his limbs had been, small buds of flesh had already begun to grow.

In another thirty to fifty seconds, his limbs would grow back. In another three to five minutes, he would return to human form. Unfortunately, he had no time left.

Wifey could have minced him into pulp, but she did not rush.

Li Banfeng carried Crimson Lotus over. She was covered in dewdrops and was just about to argue with him.

The moment she saw Cong Shixiang, her mood lifted, and even more dewdrops formed across her body.

Screech~~

The petals opened. A whirl of force burst from the lotus core and caught Cong Shixiang mid-regeneration, dragging him in as he slid helplessly forward.

He struggled, but it was no use. Something in that swirling pull crushed his strength, leaving him weak and useless against it.

"Ha... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~"

Cong Shixiang screamed again and again. As he flew closer to the lotus core, his body began to twist and warp, just like when he had devoured the cow.

Crimson Lotus pulled harder, causing the whirlwind to grow even more wild and violent.

Wifey added another burst of steam, pushing Cong Shixiang forward until he was sent into the lotus core.

It was the first time Li Banfeng had seen Crimson Lotus hunt on her own. Before this, she had never targeted a living person.

Wait, something's wrong.

"Wifey, Crimson Lotus doesn't eat living things. Why has she become different today?"

Pop... crackle... pop...

"Heyaaaaa~ Husband dear~ This Ruptured Cocoon is not a living being."

"What is a Ruptured Cocoon?"

"It happens when someone tries to break from the ninth level into the tenth and only gets halfway. The body ascends, but the soul fails to follow and shatters, leaving behind a walking shell. Like an insect that breaks out of its cocoon but never becomes a butterfly, it ends up as something incomplete. That's why he's called a Ruptured Cocoon."

From level nine to level ten? Thank goodness this thing isn't smart. Of course... without a soul, how could it be?

Screech~~

Crimson Lotus closed her petals. Ren Wenlie was still outside. Li Banfeng didn't linger and quickly left the Pocket Dwelling.

Pop... crackle... pop...

Wifey turned her horn toward Hongying. "Wretched woman, who asked for your help?"

At that critical moment, it had been Hongying who reminded Li Banfeng to bring Crimson Lotus over, and it had indeed turned the tide.

Hongying let out a cold laugh. "Vile woman, I was worried something might happen to that madman. If he died, we would all be trapped here to rot. It's been so many years since you last fought. You are not what you used to be."

"Wretched woman, how I fight is not for you to lecture on!"

***

Ren Wenlie stood at the entrance of the stronghold, waiting for a response from his Eldest Senior Brother. His two junior brothers, Pei Maojin and Gao Yangting, remained by his side, even offering suggestions.

"Senior Brother, let's go in and take a look. I am worried something might happen to Eldest Senior Brother."

The Eldest Senior Brother had just devoured their fellow disciple, Jiang Shirong, who had entered the sect alongside them. Even so, Pei Maojin still worried something might happen to him.

"Senior Brother Ren, we can't let Eldest Senior Brother fight alone. Let's go lend him a hand," Gao Yangting said in a straightforward manner. It was hard to tell if those words were his own or the result of Ren Wenlie's Moralism Cultivation ability.

After thinking for a long time, Ren Wenlie decided to enter the stronghold and take a look. Naturally, he did not go first. He sent the two junior brothers ahead.

Pei Maojin and Gao Yangting stepped forward without hesitation, carrying themselves with the righteous bearing of a Sage's disciples. As they advanced, they shouted, "You villains, steeped in crime and evil! Your leader has already been executed, yet you still dare fight back?"

Xiao Yeci stepped forward to block their path. "When dragons and tigers clash, what place do shrimp and crabs like you have to interfere?"

Ren Wenlie froze. That tone... it sounded like a Literary Cultivator.

Is this the Binding Edict?

Xiao Yeci clenched her teeth. She did not know the Binding Edict, but she could not move even a step back.

Ren Wenlie was still debating on whether he should fight this woman when he heard Li Banfeng's voice behind him.

"Don't fight her. She's a level-eight Literary Cultivator. It's better if you fight me instead."

Ren Wenlie's heart jolted. For a moment, he didn't know if he should move forward or backward.

If he moved forward, he would face Xiao Yeci directly while turning his back to Li Banfeng. If he moved backward, he would face Li Banfeng while exposing his back to Xiao Yeci. Would that be any safer?

Li Banfeng added, "If you can't decide which way to go, then stand still and don't move. That's the best option."

For a brief moment, Ren Wenlie actually thought that Li Banfeng was right about standing still being the best choice. Then he set his weapon down and shouted, "One should never kill those un..."

Before he could finish the word "unarmed," a mouthful of blood choked off his voice.

Li Banfeng had already slit his throat.

1. This was Cong Shixiang in the raws but it doesn't make sense for this to be Cong Shixiang. ☜