Chapter 373: New Land Skylight and Proper Land Skylight

Could a house spirit really grow powerful enough that even a local earth god couldn't stop it — would such a thing actually happen?

There's no need to doubt that — my wife is a perfect example.

If I let my wife out, an ordinary local earth god really couldn't stop her.

But the question now is, why do Youtao and Miss Xiao Feng believe Li Banfeng can block this house spirit called A'xia?

A local earth god's combat power is at least one layer above the clouds, while Li Banfeng's cultivation is still on the ground level — can Miss Xiao Feng's divination really be trusted?

"You insist on pioneering here?"

Youtao wore a look of guilt: "Brother Bai Sha, I know I have no face to ask you, but we're strangers in a strange land, and I can't find anyone to help,

we only need a plot of land one li in radius, we've laid out offerings for several days, burned several contracts, but the local earth god has never responded to us,

we don't know what the reason is either, I only beg you to give us a word of guidance."

Offerings, contracts — the whole sequence of steps is fine; the only problem is that the local earth god isn't home.

Now the local earth god is home — will he agree to this or not?

"Let me find an expert to ask." Li Banfeng brushed off the two with a word, found a quiet spot, and entered Leaving Leaving Suishenju.

"Wife, someone on my land wants to pioneer — how should this be handled?"

"Don't worry, husband." His wife took a broadaxe, chisel, axe, and saw from the front counter, brought over two pieces of wood, and two singing needles flew like lightning — in an instant she had made a small wooden stool.

"Sit, husband."

Li Banfeng sat on the small stool, pondering the meaning of his wife's actions.

Is she showing off her craftsmanship?

"Husband, you are the local earth god, and someone coming to pioneer is actually a good thing. Looking far ahead, when husband ascends to the clouds, every bit of human presence on the land will count as cultivation,

and looking at the near term, when pioneers succeed, there will be skylight on the land. Gaining skylight is equivalent to gaining dao affinity, and accumulating more dao affinity will greatly benefit husband's future cultivation."

Skylight?

Dao affinity?

Li Banfeng said in surprise: "Wife, when I first came to Puluo Province I basked in skylight, and that skylight could indeed accumulate dao affinity, but isn't that different from the skylight on new land?"

The moment the words left his mouth, far away in Guan Bafang, Did Did Honglian gave a shudder.

Huff~

His wife smiled and said: "The skylight husband basked in that time should have been caused by that wretched Did Did Honglian — the world calls it zhengdi skylight,

people all say zhengdi skylight and xindi skylight are different, but that's a false rumor. The two come from different sources, but their nature is the same — only zhengdi skylight is fiercer than xindi skylight,

zhengdi skylight is like a thunderbolt — with a single strike, an ordinary person will lose their life before long,

xindi skylight is like sweet rain, drifting down gently; people cannot partake of it, and cannot even perceive it."

Li Banfeng was taken aback: "If people can't partake of it, doesn't that mean it's useless?"

"People can't use it, but husband's territory can. Skylight falls upon the earth like sweet rain, and combined with the unique earth qi of new land, it transforms into wondrous flowers and strange herbs,

these wondrous flowers and strange herbs, when refined, become fine medicine for accumulating dao affinity. If husband needs dao affinity, he can simply take these medicines himself."

Li Banfeng shook his head and said: "I've already basked in skylight once, so I shouldn't be short on dao affinity."

"By the proper logic, basking in skylight once gives enough dao affinity for husband to cultivate up to the clouds, but others are running a business. Husband here has two businesses open — accumulating more dao affinity is always better."

Li Banfeng wiped his sweat and said: "What does wife mean by two businesses open? I don't quite follow."

"What your servant means is, husband keeps two house spirits — Xiang Xiang Hongying, isn't that right?"

"Who asked him to keep me?" Xiang Xiang Hongying lowered her spearhead slightly in shyness; in recent days her figure had grown fuller and fuller, and her old clothes could barely contain her anymore.

Li Banfeng gave a dry laugh and didn't dare pick up the thread.

The gramophone continued: "Even if husband doesn't want dao affinity, hunters will still come to gather these wondrous flowers and strange herbs,

the more hunters come, the greater the fame of the territory, and then pioneers will come. When pioneers succeed, they will draw skylight, and the human presence on husband's land will grow ever more vigorous."

This is a complete virtuous cycle.

Li Banfeng listened and grew ever more delighted.

But his wife also offered a word of caution: "Once wasteland is opened up, it means acknowledging a landowner, and changing to someone else later will be no easy matter,

a territory one li in radius is not small. Husband must judge the pioneers carefully — the necessary examinations cannot be skipped. Never let your own land be ruined,

if a landowner simply lacks the ability to manage this land, causing a plot to go to waste from neglect, then in the future the entire territory will find it hard to be converted into zhengdi."

Li Banfeng mulled over the entire cycle, and a sudden doubt arose in his mind.

"Hey, wife — if skylight like sweet rain were to fall upon zhengdi, what would happen then?"

The gramophone fell silent, and Li Banfeng himself felt the question was absurd — how could xindi skylight possibly appear on zhengdi?

Xiang Xiang Hongying turned her face from the mirror and said: "Seventh Young Master, there really is such a place."

"Wretched woman, mind your tongue!" The gramophone snapped, and Xiang Xiang Hongying turned her face away and said no more.

"Ah, husband, it's not that your servant doesn't wish to tell you the truth — it's that husband is impetuous by nature, and I worry husband will go risking himself again."

Li Banfeng puffed out his chest and said: "I listen to my wife very well."

"If husband is willing to listen to your servant, I'll say a bit more. Skylight like sweet rain, if it falls upon zhengdi, will merge with the qi of zhengdi, and what it produces is not dao affinity — it's cultivation."

Cultivation!

Li Banfeng was stunned for a moment, and a certain place surfaced in his mind.

Bitter Wushan!

The She Ban Ju on Bitter Wushan can be refined into She Ban Dan, and She Ban Dan can be used to exchange for cultivation.

Following the thread of Bitter Wushan, Li Banfeng thought again of Jin Xiuzhizu Xu Han.

Xu Lao once said that in Medicine King Valley there is a special place — Bitter Wushan.

Precisely because of Bitter Wushan's special nature, the Inner Province is also casting its eye over Medicine King Valley.

"Wife, is Bitter Wushan exactly this kind of special place?"

The gramophone pondered for a moment and said: "Since you've guessed it, I won't hide it from you. The special thing about Bitter Wushan belonging to the orthodox land is that, year after year, it is bathed in heavenly light, and the rare flowers and strange herbs that grow there can enhance cultivation,

I know you've been to Bitter Wushan, and I know you've picked She Ban Ju. The little bit of chrysanthemum you picked back then is nothing to speak of on Bitter Wushan,

But you must promise me, don't go to Bitter Wushan lightly. The true dangers there, you haven't seen yet."

Li Banfeng agreed with his wife, then asked: "Now that pioneers have come to the land, since it's a good thing, how should I respond?"

"This is a bit tricky. Your rank isn't enough; you'll need to borrow external power. Xiang Xiang Hongying, lend him some of your imposing presence,

Er Dao, build up some killing intent for him,

Judge Brush, carry him up into the air — he needs to see the territory within a one-li radius."

Xiang Xiang Hongying and Tang Dao agreed in quick succession. The Judge snorted and said: "Me?"

The gramophone said: "If not you, then who?"

"You said fly?" Judge Brush uttered three words.

The gramophone laughed and said: "You understand everything else, so I needn't say more,

Shadow Play Machine, in a moment set the scene on the territory — don't let the pioneers see his true face,

My lord, once the aura is fully built up, to raise your rank you'll still need some real skill. After Judge Brush carries you into the air, activate the technique of Shen Zhai Da Yuan — as fiercely as you can. When the time comes, I shall assist you,

You must remember: only by firmly believing you possess cultivation above the clouds can you illuminate the territory. There must not be the slightest wavering in your heart — this is the hardest hurdle. You'll need to try several times,

Once the plot of land is illuminated, immediately consume the offerings and form an alliance with the pioneers. Whether they intend to develop the land themselves or hire others, everything must be agreed upon in advance. One day later, the examination begins, and we'll discuss countermeasures with you then,

It doesn't matter if it doesn't work this time — there'll be plenty of chances in the future. Don't let your spirit falter!"

Li Banfeng noted his wife's instructions, borrowed imposing presence from Xiang Xiang Hongying, took along Tang Dao, Judge Brush, and the projector, and left Leaving Leaving Suishenju.

He first chose a spot at the edge of the forest. The view was open here, making it easy to distinguish the plot's boundary — one li of land, he couldn't give any more.

Then he found a tree, adjusted the angle, and set up the projector.

Afterward, he went to the tent. Xiao Feng kept her head low, hiding behind Youtao. Youtao looked at Li Banfeng with eager anticipation.

Li Banfeng asked first: "Do you plan to develop the land yourselves, or hire people to do it?"

On Meng Yuchun's territory, several people who had succeeded in pioneering were managing their plots — all of them had experience.

Xiao Feng shook her head from behind and said: "We'll develop it ourselves. Apart from going to their place to fetch water, we must not have any contact with the people on that plot."

Why does she have such hostility toward Meng Yuchun's plot?

Li Banfeng had Youtao move the offering table to the edge of the forest, told them to burn the contract, and prepare all the offerings.

"Just wait here. Let's see if the local deity responds today. If there's no response, we'll try again first thing tomorrow."

The projector had already set the scene. Li Banfeng found a concealed spot and took out Judge Brush.

"Fly." Li Banfeng gave the order. He waited ten-odd minutes, but nothing happened.

"Fly, will you?"

"Wait a moment."

Li Banfeng was helpless — when communicating with Judge Brush, one really couldn't be impatient.

After another ten-odd minutes, Judge Brush yawned and carried Li Banfeng into the air.

Li Banfeng was in midair — the one-li plot was fully visible at a glance.

He activated Tianhe Zhi Ji and heard the war drums his wife sent.

The drumbeats were dense and resonant. Li Banfeng's fighting spirit soared, and his combat power surged.

Tang Dao darted around him, weaving through the air, creating a thick aura of killing intent.

Youtao clutched Xiao Feng tightly. Under the projector's influence, she couldn't see Li Banfeng in midair. With the imposing presence and killing intent layered together, the two felt genuine terror.

At this moment, Li Banfeng felt he had become an invincible warrior — a single roar seemed capable of driving back thousands of troops.

Travel cultivators have a talent for measuring distance. Li Banfeng maintained his imposing presence, watching intently the boundary of the one-li plot.

After ten-odd minutes, the boundary still didn't light up.

Judge Brush asked five words: "Is it going to work or not?"

Li Banfeng took a deep breath and continued to increase the intensity of Shen Zhai Da Yuan.

The gramophone kept adding force. Amid the rumbling drums came lines of singing, every word making Li Banfeng's blood boil: "Before the Dangyang Bridge a single roar, the bridge was shattered and the waters flowed backward. His fourth disciple, Zhao Yun of Changshan, a peerless hero crowned across the nine provinces — at Changban Slope he rescued Ah Dou, slaughtering Cao's soldiers until each one despaired."

"Wah-ya-ya-ya-ya~" Li Banfeng let out a roar and continued watching the plot's boundary.

When the song ended, the boundary still didn't light up.

"Sigh!" Judge Brush let out a long breath — he was truly exhausted.

He carried Li Banfeng swiftly up to a great height, startling Li Banfeng so much his pupils contracted.

After hovering for a moment, Judge Brush suddenly dove toward the ground with Li Banfeng.

What is he trying to do?

Under other circumstances, Li Banfeng's first thought would be to escape immediately.

But today he couldn't run — Judge Brush was helping him.

Knowing full well that hitting the ground meant death or severe injury, Li Banfeng still charged forward with Judge Brush.

This was using Yi Yi Gu Xing to forcibly elevate Li Banfeng's level.

When still over fifty meters from the ground, Li Banfeng felt his cultivation had already approached the eighth layer.

When the distance was less than thirty meters, Li Banfeng's cultivation surpassed the eighth layer.

Youtao and Xiao Feng on the ground were both blinded by the gale, not knowing where the wind came from.

When less than twenty meters from the ground, Li Banfeng stared fixedly at the boundary line. Imposing presence and killing intent layered upon each other, his wife's singing reverberated in his ears. Even Judge Brush felt Li Banfeng's rank was sufficient, yet the territory's edge still wasn't illuminated.

Judge Brush immediately decelerated and carried Li Banfeng back to midair.

"Your mind wavered." Judge Brush let out a sigh — he had seen where the problem lay.

Raising one's rank is this difficult. The moment Li Banfeng harbored the slightest doubt in his heart, his rank couldn't rise.

But Li Banfeng didn't have cultivation above the clouds, so it was impossible for him to harbor no doubts at all.

Judge's Brush was just about to bring Li Banfeng down to the ground when it heard Li Banfeng speaking:

"You are the Local Land God."

"Who said that? How could I possibly have cultivation that high?"

"Let's not talk about cultivation — you hold a contract deed."

"That contract deed was obtained by trickery."

"Never mind how it was obtained — you are the Local Land God."

"You're using the Word-of-Certainty technique, aren't you?"

"Don't worry about what technique I'm using — you are the Local Land God, and the contract deed is your proof."

……

Two minutes later, Li Banfeng gripped the Judge's Brush and once again surveyed his territory.

The Judge's Brush sensed an unprecedented aura emanating from Li Banfeng.

"It's done!" The Judge's Brush laughed, carrying Li Banfeng a little higher to make sure he could see the full one-li territory.

The borders of the land lot slowly lit up.

Youtao was overjoyed: "Feng'er, we did it."

Miss Xiao Feng nodded vigorously: "Yes, we did."

Li Banfeng burst out laughing: "Hohahaha, I'm the Local Land God, I'm going to eat the offerings!"

The Judge's Brush was also delighted: "I'll take you there."

"No need — I'm the Local Land God, I can fly! Hohahahaha!" Li Banfeng let go of the Judge's Brush.

"Fly?" The Judge's Brush thought for a moment. "He can't!"

PS: Li Banfeng waved both arms and "flew" down just like that.

(End of chapter)