Chapter 155: Stepping Across Wan Chuan (Two chapters combined)

Mr. Yao asked Li Banfeng to go to Sea-Eating Ridge to deliver a prescription to Pan Dehai.

Li Banfeng asked first: "Who is Pan Dehai?"

"The big boss of Sea-Eating Ridge."

Big boss, that should be a local deity, right?

The big boss of Sea-Eating Ridge is a Virtue Cultivator.

What is the inevitable connection between Virtue Cultivators and foodies?

"What layer is his cultivation at?" This was a question Li Banfeng had always been curious about, but he estimated Mr. Yao wouldn't answer after asking.

If the cultivation of a local deity was leaked, it would be equivalent to leaking Mr. Yao's own cultivation.

Sure enough, Mr. Yao didn't say clearly: "How high Pan Dehai's cultivation is, I can't say for sure, but it shouldn't be below mine."

Li Banfeng asked again: "Why do you trust me?"

"I just said it. You can cross the border from the new land, so you are a person with ability. And your temperament is compatible with mine, so you won't do evil with my prescription. How about it, are you willing to go?"

The great families might have disputes in Sea-Eating Ridge, and Li Banfeng didn't really want to get involved.

But this also depends on the capital. Mr. Yao gave a heavy reward.

With this wine gourd, Li Banfeng was equivalent to having a brewery, and he could get Mr. Yao's medicinal wine anytime, anywhere. Whether for setting fires or treating illnesses, this medicinal wine was top-notch.

And this map, not only could it let Li Banfeng walk back to Blue Poplar Village, but it could also let Li Banfeng go to many places without a road permit. In Puluo Province, this was a very rare treasure.

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Banfeng agreed to this business.

A map, a prescription, and a wine gourd appeared in front of Li Banfeng.

A woman's shout came from the wine gourd: "Good wine, good wine!"

It really was a magic treasure!

But why was it a woman?

Are there women in this world who are addicted to alcohol?

The things were delivered in advance.

Li Banfeng hurriedly said: "Mr. Yao, I don't have much cash on hand. I'll send it to you in a while."

Mr. Yao didn't care about this little money at all: "This little thing doesn't matter. You should memorize the route first."

The map on the table unfolded, and a water stain appeared on it, carrying a thick aroma of wine.

This water stain covered Medicine King Ditch, Green Water Bay, Kudai Kan, Sea-Eating Ridge, Bitter Vegetable Village, Bitch Ridge, and Iron Gate Fort.

This was the route Mr. Yao had drawn for Li Banfeng.

"There is more than one road in the new land, but you must remember to walk the road I drew. Other roads are too dangerous. With your current ability, you can't walk them yet.

Climb mountains when you should climb mountains, cross ridges when you should cross ridges. Don't take detours, not even one place."

"Mr. Yao, when I arrive at Sea-Eating Ridge, how should I contact Pan Dehai?"

"First, prepare a few doses of finished medicine. When you arrive at the place where the disaster is happening, kill more bugs. Pan Dehai will be able to see it, and he will naturally appear to ask you for the prescription.

It's not easy to deliver medicine all the way. He should give you a reward. As long as he brings it up, don't be polite and slaughter him hard.

But if he gives you a magic treasure, try to sell it. No matter how precious the thing is, don't be reluctant.

There is a thing called a tape recorder in the Outer Province. You should have heard of it. The magic treasures in his hands all have tape recorders. If you're not careful, your secrets will be leaked."

Sell it?

Magic treasures aren't easy to sell. It's not something that can be sold in a day or two.

As long as the magic treasure is by Li Banfeng's side, it has to go into the Suishenju. If this matter is leaked, Li Banfeng will suffer a big loss.

If it really doesn't work, don't take the magic treasure and just ask for money; that's the most practical.

Mr. Yao continued: "Pan Dehai speaks nicely. He will probably give you many promises. Just listen to them as if they were farts.

If he turns his face and attacks you, tell him that if he hurts you, he's making an enemy of me, old Yao. If he falls into my hands, I'll have to settle this grudge with interest!"

Li Banfeng agreed to the matter. The paper ashes dissipated, and Mr. Yao left. Li Banfeng ate a Golden Jin Yuandan and a Blue Leaf Pill, plus the time he had saved from running around in the new land before, he was less than half a year away from being a third-layer traveler.

Resting for five hours at the inn, Li Banfeng recovered, returned to the Suishenju, and took another nap to ensure he didn't delay his Residential Cultivation.

The next day, at 8:00 AM, Li Banfeng left the inn, first went to four pharmacies, bought a pile of herbs, and had the pharmacies grind them properly.

The reason he didn't buy them at one pharmacy was to prevent the prescription from leaking. For this, Li Banfeng also bought many useless medicinal materials and stored them in the Suishenju.

Returning to the inn, Li Banfeng prepared the medicine according to Mr. Yao's prescription.

Is it simple to prepare medicine?

It's not that simple. Li Banfeng wasn't a medicine cultivator either. He held the prescription, looked for the names of the medicinal materials one by one, weighed them, and couldn't prepare a single dose after half a day.

"Little brother, drink some wine, warm up, and take a rest." The wine gourd jumped to Li Banfeng's side.

Li Banfeng looked the gourd up and down and asked: "Can your wine be drunk?"

"Why can't it be drunk? You say that... my wine treats illnesses, satisfies cravings, strengthens yang, and drives away cold. Being able to drink a mouthful is your good fortune!"

Li Banfeng took a sip, and the taste was really not bad.

"Little brother, medicine can't be prepared like this. You weigh every single medicinal material; wouldn't that tire you to death?

Weigh what should be weighed, and for what shouldn't be weighed, you have to have some accuracy in your hands!"

The wine gourd helped Li Banfeng prepare the medicine while feeding Li Banfeng wine.

This work wasn't tiring at all. He prepared more than a hundred doses of finished medicine in one morning.

The wine gourd's intelligence was very high, obviously above the Tang Dao.

After preparing the medicine, it was already noon. Li Banfeng went to the Yu Family Cloth Shop. The cloth shop hadn't opened yet, and only Wang Xuejiao was guarding the door.

Seeing Li Banfeng, Shopkeeper Feng was very happy, invited Li Banfeng into the back room, didn't ask about other things, and gave Li Banfeng the money from selling the pills first.

At the intersection of Paifang Street, Li Banfeng felt that something good was about to happen. He stopped and looked around.

He was looking for someone, looking for that carriage driver with the fire wheel.

He really found him. This carriage driver had two waiting points, one at the station and one at Li Ditch. He was lying in his carriage sleeping. If you didn't look carefully, you couldn't see him.

Li Banfeng stepped forward and carefully woke him up. The carriage driver rubbed his eyes, looked at Li Banfeng, and smiled: "Need a ride?"

Li Banfeng nodded: "Go to the Three-Plate River new land."

"Three-Plate River? So far? Is it urgent?"

"Not urgent, let's walk slowly."

"How much will you pay?"

"You name the price."

"If you aren't urgent, we'll have to walk for half a day."

"I'll cover the meals."

The carriage driver calculated and named the price: "Three thousand five hundred!"

Li Banfeng didn't bargain and got on the carriage directly.

Saying it wasn't urgent, the carriage driver still pulled the carriage very fast because the road was indeed a bit far.

Leaving Li Ditch, they walked for two hours. At noon, Li Banfeng asked: "Should we find a place to eat, or just make do with a bite?"

"There's no village in front and no shop behind, where would there be a suitable place to eat? Let's just make do with a bite!" The carriage driver wiped his sweat and took out the pancake he had brought.

He understood Li Banfeng's meaning. Spending so much money to sit in his carriage was to ask for advice on cultivation matters.

Li Banfeng carried a few cans with him, just right to pair with the pancake. The two chatted while eating.

The carriage driver asked: "Are you going to the new land to reclaim land?"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "I want to go to cultivate. They all say that travelers' cultivation grows fast in the new land."

"Cultivation grows fast, but cultivators die fast too," the carriage driver snorted coldly, "I say, you people, why do you always think about risking your lives? Isn't it good to cultivate steadily like me?"

"Speaking of cultivation, there is indeed a matter I want to ask for advice. What is the third-layer technique of the traveler?"

"Third layer?" The carriage driver snorted coldly, "You ascended to the first layer only a few days ago, and now you're thinking about the third layer?"

Li Banfeng explained: "I entered the new land and plan to cultivate for more than ten years. I estimate that no matter what, I'll be able to ascend to the third layer. If I can't learn the technique when the cultivation arrives, wouldn't I suffer a big loss?"

The carriage driver sighed: "Can you live for more than ten years in the new land? Why do you think so highly of yourself?"

Li Banfeng laughed: "This depends on luck, and also on opportunity. Maybe my life is hard?"

The carriage driver shook his head: "If you ask about other things, I can tell you, but you ask about techniques. This price isn't appropriate. You have to give me at least ten thousand for the second-layer technique, and the third-layer technique is another matter."

Back then, asking him about the first-layer technique cost five hundred.

Now the second-layer technique costs ten thousand.

How much would he want for the third-layer technique? Is one hundred thousand enough?

One hundred thousand is actually reasonable. The rarity of second-layer cultivators far exceeds the first layer, and the third layer is even rarer. Techniques are becoming more and more hidden, so selling them more expensively should be expected.

"Someone told me about the second-layer technique, I just want to ask about the third layer. We can still discuss the price."

The carriage driver still didn't agree: "This isn't a matter of money. Third-layer travelers are few and far between. Can this technique be told to you casually? Even if you give me one hundred thousand..."

Li Banfeng took out two Xuan Chi Pills and gave them to the carriage driver.

The coachman looked at the quality of the Profound Blazing Pill and put it away: "We belong to the same Daoist sect. I see that it's not easy for you to venture into a new territory alone, so I'll give you a couple of pointers."

The third-layer technique of our sect is called Stepping Across Wan Chuan."

What does Stepping Across Wan Chuan mean?

Li Banfeng analyzed it literally and asked: "Is this technique particularly useful when climbing mountains and crossing ridges?"

The carriage driver didn't speak. He stood up and took a step forward while eating canned food.

*Pa! *

The footstep hit the ground, making a crisp sound that startled Li Banfeng.

In front of the carriage driver's toe, a stone the size of a fist turned into dust.

Li Banfeng was stunned.

This technique is so powerful.

The carriage driver looked down at Li Banfeng: "This is one of the most powerful techniques in our sect. The techniques of our sect aren't hard to learn, only the third-layer technique is an exception. This technique is extremely difficult.

When you first enter the third layer, it's your good fortune if you can step on a stone the size of a fingertip. As your cultivation grows, the third-layer technique will improve, but how much it improves depends on your talent and your comprehension.

When using this technique, you must have courage and spirit. Concentrate your intention on your feet, and concentrate your strength on your feet. Even if there are thousands of troops and horses in front of you, you must believe that you can step out a bloody path!

Many cultivators of our sect can't learn the technique of Stepping Across Wan Chuan. If they can't learn the third-layer technique, they can't ascend to the fourth layer, so there are very few fourth-layer cultivators in our sect.

And even if you learn this technique, you must use it cautiously. The technique of Stepping Across Wan Chuan consumes extreme strength. Our travelers have excellent endurance, but stepping out with all your strength uses up fifty percent of your strength.

Unless it's a last resort, don't use all your strength. Once you use all your strength, you must not use it a second time. How to release and how to retract depends on your own ability."

Li Banfeng stood up, thanked the carriage driver, and bowed deeply.

A third-layer cultivator can only step on a stone the size of a fingertip.

This carriage driver stepped on a stone the size of a fist, and he definitely didn't use all his strength.

What does this mean?

This means his cultivation might have reached the fifth layer, or even higher.

Being able to get his guidance, Li Banfeng bowing this time was deserved.

"Full, we should get on the carriage." The carriage driver prepared to pull the carriage.

Li Banfeng didn't get on: "Senior, I don't feel at ease letting you pull me. I'll walk the rest of the way myself. Can you give me another pointer on the fourth-layer technique? The price is negotiable."

Li Banfeng was prepared to take out the Purple Huan Pill.

If the carriage driver didn't like it, Li Banfeng was even willing to take out the Golden Jin Yuandan.

The carriage driver laughed: "Little brother, techniques are the foundation for a cultivator to settle down. I teach you techniques, not just for two pills. I really value the friendship of the same sect.

You asked me about the third-layer technique directly, I guess you've already reached the second layer. I'm also happy to see a genius like you in our sect.

If it were someone from another sect, even if they put a golden mountain in front of me, I wouldn't tell them the technique, because that would be equivalent to cutting off the traveler's path of survival.

You learned the third-layer technique from me, and you shouldn't tell others, but I can't control your mouth. Don't ask about techniques after the third layer. If you're still alive on the day you're about to reach the fourth layer, I'll tell you then.

"Remember the words I cautioned you with earlier: as a traveling cultivator venturing out, you will cross a thousand mountains and ten thousand waters. With every step you take, you must be ten thousand times more careful."

Li Banfeng didn't dare to force it and stood up to say goodbye.

The carriage driver waved his hand: "You've already paid the fare, so I must send you to the destination. Hurry up and get on the carriage. I have my rules."

On this journey, the carriage driver still pulled the carriage at the original speed and sent Li Banfeng to the entrance of the Three-Plate River new land.

Three-Plate River is a river that flows on time.

Why is it called flowing on time?

Because the river water changes every eight hours, three times a day, hence the name Three-Plate River.

From 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM every day, the Three-Plate River is very gentle, with flowing water, knee-deep, no different from an ordinary small river.

From 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM, the river water suddenly dries up, not a drop left. There isn't even rare mud in the riverbed. Except for the traces left by the river water, other places are no different from ordinary flat ground.

After 12:00 AM, giant waves strike, the river water suddenly floods, the water depth is five or six meters, and the territory on both banks is completely submerged.

Fortunately, the Three-Plate River isn't long. It flows out for less than thirty miles and flows into the underground along the cave.

But with a flood once a day, no one can bear it. No one lives near the Three-Plate River, and few people come to this new land to reclaim land or hunt.

The best way to enter the Three-Plate River is to walk forward along the riverbed when there is no water.

You can also walk on the wilderness on both sides of the river, but there are too many fierce beasts by the river, so you can't walk fast. When the Three-Plate River floods, you can't retreat, and you can't advance, which is troublesome.

Li Banfeng arrived at the riverbed at exactly 8:00 PM, just in time for there to be no water, and there was plenty of time.

Moving fast, Li Banfeng entered the new land in less than half an hour.

Walking fifteen miles against the riverbed, Li Banfeng saw a mountain.

According to the map, this mountain is called Blood Yashan. To go to Sea-Eating Ridge, the first stop is to climb Blood Yashan.

Why does this name sound so terrifying?

Li Banfeng was looking for a road up the mountain when someone said behind him: "Passerby, this mountain cannot be climbed. Blood Yashan is the territory of the Drizzling Blood Tooth Monster. Once you encounter it, you won't even have a bone left."

PS: Blood Yashan is a particularly fun place.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 156 =====