Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'-Chapter 777 - 471: Iron Gate Fort Has Only One Fortress Lord (Seeking Monthly Votes)_4

Chapter 777: Chapter 471: Iron Gate Fort Has Only One Fortress Lord (Seeking Monthly Votes)_4

The earliest Home Cultivators to have been infected had already joined the ranks of the invaders, making their way toward the Fortress Lord’s mansion.

But it was only these few.

The others had merely fallen asleep and did not join Dick Chen in battle. But why was that?

There are limited numbers! Why did Dick Chen bring only thirty subordinates with him? Was it because manpower was hard to come by? If he had brought three hundred subordinates and made all of them Sleepers—immune to pain and fear—charging into Iron Gate Fort together, how could they be defended against? With the ability to put everything around him to sleep, even the steam-powered gates, why didn’t he create a vast army of mechanical soldiers? His not doing so proves that he can’t. Thirty individuals might be his limit. A few more could be manageable. However, if he added any more, the newly converted Sleepers wouldn’t fight alongside Dick Chen; they would simply fall into a deep sleep. What if he continued to add more? That would require an experiment.

Li Banfeng returned to his Portable Residence and brought out a stack of paper effigies.

These effigies were printed, sparingly imbued with effort, of poor quality, and possessed low combat power.

Li Banfeng had never intended for them to fight. He casually tossed them among the enemy, not even bothering with basic manipulation, leaving them to their fate.

The moment he controlled them, the Force Transmission effect described by the Gloves would occur. To put it simply, he would remain connected to these effigies, and any such connection could drag him into slumber along with them.

After tossing out more than two hundred paper effigies, those that touched an enemy fell into a deep sleep.

Li Banfeng threw out another hundred or so. About eighty fell asleep, while around ten remained awake.

Upon tossing out another thirty, not a single one of the thirty effigies fell asleep.

Dick Chen has reached his limit; he can’t put anyone else to sleep.

Li Banfeng made a rough estimate of Dick Chen’s cultivation level.

His level is definitely higher than Meng De’s and the Music Box’s, but he couldn’t possibly be higher than my lady. My lady’s Sound Cultivation Technique can’t wake him because of my limitations, and Sleep Cultivation itself is also wary of sound. Dick Chen, after falling into deep sleep, clearly has limited cognitive ability. Now that he can’t put more people to sleep, it’s time to deal with him properly.

Li Banfeng first used the Tang Sword for an experiment, slashing at the older Home Cultivator Jin Yuan Kang.

If Jin Yuan Kang still maintained his Home Cultivation abilities, this strike might not necessarily have killed him.

But now he was just one of Dick Chen’s many puppets. Like the others, he reacted quickly, but not quicker than the Tang Sword. His body was tough, but it couldn’t withstand the blade.

PHUT!

A cold glint flashed as the Tang Sword slashed down from the left shoulder and emerged from the right waist, cutting Jin Yuan Kang in two.

In his final moments, abandoned by Dick Chen, Jin Yuan Kang broke free from slumber. He cried out loudly, "Send me back to the residence! I can be saved! There’s still..."

BANG!

Li Banfeng crushed Jin Yuan Kang’s skull with one stomp.

Jin Yuan Kang was dead. Dick Chen, who had already been pushed to the limits of his Technique, seemed to regain some capacity.

This was normal, as he was now controlling one less Sleeper.

Li Banfeng pulled out another paper effigy and threw it among the enemies. It fell asleep upon contact, and the slot Dick Chen’s Technique had just freed up was immediately filled.

Li Banfeng repeatedly unleashed Trample Over Thousands of Rivers. Dick Chen’s subordinates were riddled with holes, one after another.

Indeed, they felt no pain, but once their flesh and bones were scattered, they would completely lose their combat ability.

Li Banfeng quickly approached Dick Chen, intending to detonate him with the Passing Glance Technique, but the Technique failed to activate.

Dick Chen, being in a state of deep sleep, was in an odd condition.

He could react to Li Banfeng’s actions but couldn’t perceive Li Banfeng’s presence; hence, the prerequisite for the Passing Glance Technique wasn’t met.

Combat techniques involving direct contact were unsuitable. The best choice remained Trample Over Thousands of Rivers.

Li Banfeng unleashed his full strength in this kick.

With a loud BOOM, a large crater appeared in the ground.

Dick Chen shed a layer of skin. His once-steadfast gaze faltered for a moment before refocusing.

"Am I awake?" he asked, surprised.

"No, you’re still sleeping," Li Banfeng replied sincerely.

"You’re Li Qi?" Dick Chen was slow to react.

"Yes, I am Li Qi. I shouldn’t be at Iron Gate Fort; I should be in Greenwater City. So, you see, you haven’t woken up yet." Li Banfeng’s figure then vanished.

Asleep or awake?

Conflicted for a moment, Dick Chen suddenly felt an explosion in his chest.

Passing Glance!

He knew Li Qi was a Fifth Layer Traveling Cultivator and would surely have precautions against the Passing Glance Technique. If he were asleep, there’d be no worry, but if he were awake, the problem would be serious. It seemed he had indeed awakened just moments ago, but for some reason, he had become muddled.

This hesitation proved lethal. Clutching his shattered chest, Dick Chen ran toward the exit of Iron Gate Fort. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

He had awakened, and everyone within the fort who had fallen into deep sleep woke up as well.

About a dozen of Dick Chen’s subordinates were still alive. Wu Yongchao shouted, "Kill them!"

A group of Home Cultivators became embroiled in a melee with these dozen or so men.

Li Banfeng paid no heed to the battle inside the fort. These Home Cultivators would surely find a way to dispose of the dozen subordinates. He focused single-mindedly on pursuing Dick Chen.

Dick Chen, despite his severe injuries, didn’t lose his composure. As he turned to flee, he once again plunged himself into deep sleep.

In his sleeping state, Dick Chen’s consciousness was unclear, making it difficult for him to process complex issues. However, his focus was extremely sharp, and he ran with great speed. Most importantly, his ability to lull others to sleep had reactivated.

Around him, many people once again succumbed to deep sleep, forcing Li Banfeng to maintain a certain distance.