Chapter 496: Long Together Above the Clouds

Ye Qingshan is a renowned mountain, famous throughout Ye Songqiao and even Puluozhou. In Puluozhou, due to strict boundary controls, most ordinary citizens never had the opportunity to travel or even conceive of scenic attractions. Despite this, Ye Qingshan remained exceptionally well-known. When He Yuxiu arrived in Ye Songqiao, she repeatedly suggested visiting Ye Qingshan, but Li Banfeng was preoccupied and never found the time.

This time, however, Li Banfeng ascended the mountain, joining Sun Tiecheng on Ye Qingshan early one morning. Ye Qingshan was characterized by perilous terrain, lush vegetation, and countless beautiful vistas. Its most enchanting feature, however, was its clouds and mist. While cloud-shrouded high mountains and vast rivers are not uncommon, Ye Qingshan was unique. The mists seemed to originate from within the mountain itself, cascading down the peaks like waterfalls, forming Puluozhou's most captivating mountain landscape, blurring the lines between the tangible and the ethereal.

It was indeed captivating, yet also treacherous; its dense fog had led many travelers astray. Sun Tiecheng wandered through the woods for a while, scratching his head. "I picked a good spot before and buried the contract there," he said. "No ordinary person would ever find it, but now, neither can I."

Li Banfeng suppressed a laugh, chuckling to himself.

"What's so funny?" Sun Tiecheng demanded, annoyed. "Just tell me if the spot was good!"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Excellent!" he affirmed.

Sun Tiecheng sighed. "It's no use now," he said. "I can't find the place regardless, let's find somewhere else." He produced two pieces of contract paper and instructed Li Banfeng, "First, sprinkle your blood on the contract."

The front of the contract still bore the familiar inscription: "A hundred miles of land, proven by this." On the reverse side were two lines of text:The first read: Li Yi obtains Ye Songqiao.The second: Territory 26,330 square units.

"Over twenty thousand square units of land?" Li Banfeng asked in astonishment, "Is Ye Songqiao truly that vast?"

Sun Tiecheng chuckled good-naturedly. "Of course it's huge! Would I ever let you get a bad deal? Ye Songqiao is quite unique; many of its areas are normally unseen. I expect many will try to seize it."

The contract contained no other text; it was unclear who had erased it.

Li Banfeng then sprinkled his blood on both contract pieces.

Sun Tiecheng nodded. "We'll bury it right here!" he declared. He found a branch, casually dug a small hole, and buried the contract.

Li Banfeng frowned. "Isn't burying it here a bit too careless?" he questioned. "I see small paths in these woods; many people must pass through. Wouldn't it be easily dug up?"

Sun Tiecheng was very confident. "They won't dig it up," he stated. "I'll leave a magic array here. Ordinary people won't even be able to see this spot."

A Foolish Cultivator has magic arrays too?

Li Banfeng watched intently as Sun Tiecheng inserted the branch into the ground where the contract was buried. "The magic array is complete!" he declared earnestly.

"Isn't your magic array a little... rudimentary?" Li Banfeng struggled to find a more fitting word.

Sun Tiecheng offered a nonchalant smile. "I'm not one for flashy displays," he said. "Our Daoist arrays are all about practicality. Don't let this simple branch fool you; from the moment I planted it, no one in the vicinity will be able to see..."

A child ran up to the branch, unzipped his pants, and prepared to relieve himself. It seemed to be a common trait among boys: encountering a stick stuck in the ground inevitably inspired the urge to knock it over with a stream of urine.

"Go on, go pee over there!" Sun Tiecheng shooed the child away. Beside the original branch, he planted another. "This time, no one will see it. And from now on, you have an additional name: Li Yi. As my eldest disciple, it's perfectly fitting for you to be called Li Yi."

Sun Tiecheng spoke with conviction, his technique clearly designed to impress the name upon Li Banfeng's memory. Li Banfeng, for his part, solidified it, stating, "My name is Li Yi, and Brother Sun can confirm that Li Yi is me."

The two descended the mountain. Li Banfeng was quick, but Sun Tiecheng was no less nimble. As they walked, Sun Tiecheng suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on a bookstore by the roadside.

"This bookstore... it looks a little familiar," Sun Tiecheng murmured, staring at Lu's Bookstore for some time.

Li Banfeng checked his pocket watch; it was eight in the morning. The bookstore wasn't open yet, and its main door was locked. Sun Tiecheng approached the door and addressed the lock: "Do you know who I am?"

The lock rattled for a moment, as though verifying Sun Tiecheng's identity. Sun Tiecheng posed another question: "You see me, and you still won't open the door?" The lock no longer hesitated, promptly unlocking the door. This technique even worked on a lock!

Inside the bookstore, several rows of bookshelves stood empty; there wasn't a single book on them. Sun Tiecheng stepped outside for a quick look. "This isn't right," he commented. "The signboard's unveiled, it's about to open, but there's not a single book on the shelves. How can they conduct business like this? Old Yi, go buy some books for me. Fill these shelves completely. I want good books, new books. Don't try to fob me off with a pile of junk."

"Brother Sun," Li Banfeng began, "do you know Boss Lu? This is his business. Isn't it inappropriate for us to conduct ours here?"

Sun Tiecheng chuckled. "I don't know Boss Lu, but I'm quite familiar with Boss Zhou. This place has that distinct ink smell; it must be his establishment. Go buy the books. Me helping him out won't be a bad thing, I assure you."

Li Banfeng arranged for thousands of books to be bought, filling the bookstore. Sun Tiecheng then said, "Go cultivate quickly. The sooner you reach the Cloud Realm, the better."

Indeed, the Cloud Realm was not far off. Li Banfeng returned to his portable residence, embracing the gramophone. "My dearest wife," he announced, "I've acquired another territory."

The gramophone showed no surprise whatsoever. "Oh, dear husband," it chimed, "you've already dispatched several local deities. It's only natural for you to gain more territory."

"This time, it's a legitimate territory. A master changed the name on Ye Songqiao's contract to Li Yi, sprinkled my blood, and buried it on Ye Qingshan."

Hong Ying gasped in surprise. "Which master is so generous?" she exclaimed.

The gramophone, speaking through Hong Ying's form, interjected, "Why so many questions?" If Li Banfeng wished to disclose the master's name, he would have done so directly. Since he chose not to, the gramophone never pressed the matter; such was the unspoken understanding between husband and wife.

"My dear husband, do you wish to ascend to the Cloud Realm from Ye Songqiao, or return to your own territory?"

"Can I have both territories?" Li Banfeng asked.

"You'll certainly have both, but the crucial decision is where to ascend. If you choose your own territory, you recognize the name Li Furong. But if you choose Ye Songqiao, will you recognize the name Li Yi?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Yes," he confirmed, "I recognize that name too."

"How many pieces of the Ye Songqiao contract are there?"

"Two."

The gramophone pondered for a moment. "In that case," it concluded, "ascending from Ye Songqiao would be safer. At least the Inner Province won't interfere, and even if something goes wrong there, we can fall back to our own territory. There's a station, and the Old Man can return in an instant. My dear husband, if you are to ascend from Ye Songqiao, you must become intimately familiar with the territory. Do you recall Autumn Leaf's three trials? Skipping ten levels and forcibly ascending to the Cloud Realm will loosen your soul, just as it did for Autumn Leaf then. To stabilize your soul, you must rely on your own territory as a foundation. The more familiar you are with the territory, the more stable your soul will be. Husband, you still have ample time. During this period, not only must you become intimately familiar with the territory, but it would also be best to learn some of its customs. Legitimate territories differ from new ones. To truly command respect and influence, you must first grasp the local culture and traditions."

Li Banfeng nodded. "Your husband will certainly follow your instructions, my dear wife," he said. "It's just that my cultivation is currently only at the eighth level, a bit distant from the Cloud Realm."

The gramophone smiled. "My dearest husband, don't concern yourself with cultivation," it said. "Your humble servant will find a suitable day to naturally elevate you to the ninth level. For the next two days, consume some Golden Yuan Pills, but not too aggressively. You should understand the proper timing for this." The gramophone was subtly reminding Li Banfeng that the Traveler Cultivator had already reached the ninth level, implying that more pills would help him approach the tenth.

Speaking of pills, Li Banfeng recalled the Sedan Bearer, wondering what stage his alchemy had reached.

Upon reaching the Ninth Chamber, Hong Lian confirmed to Li Banfeng, "The pills are still being refined. We estimate two Profound Core Pills will be produced." Seven had been previously stored, two more were now being refined, and Zheng Siyi had provided one, bringing the total to ten Profound Core Pills. Once in the Cloud Realm, these Profound Core Pills would play a crucial role.

Li Banfeng still entrusted all the Profound Core Pills to his wife for safekeeping. The gramophone examined Zheng Siyi's pill. "The quality of this one is a bit inferior," it noted. "Your humble servant will hold onto it for you, dear husband, and we'll only use it if we truly run short of the others."

At Lu's Bookstore, Sun Tiecheng remained from dawn till dusk. Many customers came and went, but Boss Lu was nowhere to be seen. Sun Tiecheng remained unhurried, sitting behind the counter. He collected payment at the listed price for book purchases, offering discounts for bulk buys, thoroughly enjoying the business.

As darkness gathered, Sun Tiecheng chuckled. "That old rogue, Zhou Badou, must have run off," he mused. "Will anyone else show up?"

After waiting for over an hour with no one appearing, a chilling aura drifted in from the doorway. It was two ghost servants.

"It's good you've arrived," Sun Tiecheng said, gesturing them closer. "Come, sit down." He then engaged the two ghost servants in casual conversation, asking, "Was your journey difficult? Have you had dinner? When did you reach Ye Songqiao...?"

Shortly thereafter, the two ghost servants left the bookstore, drifted across two streets, and approached Gui Jianchou, the Smiling Ghost King, whispering, "Badou Mo Ke is in his bookstore."

Gui Jianchou smiled. "Zhou Badou has arrived. Has he set his sights on Ye Songqiao too? And to whom does he intend to give this place?"

The two ghost servants remained silent; it was not a question they could answer.

Gui Jianchou led a group of ghost servants into the bookstore, where he found Badou Mo Ke, Zhou Wencheng, organizing the bookshelves. Gui Jianchou cupped his fists. "Brother Zhou," he said, "you've arrived a step ahead."

Zhou Wencheng didn't turn around. "You've arrived too, haven't you?" he retorted.

Gui Jianchou chuckled. "You know my nature; I prefer to acquire wealth amicably, never resorting to conflict. If you truly desire this territory, I will yield it to you. If there's room for negotiation, please name your price."

Zhou Wencheng snorted. "What price are you talking about? What do you intend to do? With your current cultivation, you still dare to seize territory? This clearly violates the rules. Aren't you afraid of the Peddler dealing with you?"

"How can this be called 'seizing territory'?" Gui Jianchou argued. "If the local deity were alive, my intervention would indeed be seizing territory. But since the local deity is dead, my taking over is merely helping the Peddler safeguard the area. Didn't Old Xu go to guard Medicine King Gully too? I'm just like him, doing a good deed."

Zhou Wencheng wiped a bookshelf. "Spare me the pleasantries," he said. "If you take Ye Songqiao, to whom do you intend to give it?"

"That's none of your concern," Gui Jianchou replied. "I stand by what I said: if business cannot be discussed, I'll leave immediately. But if it can, simply name your price for Ye Songqiao."

Zhou Wencheng pondered for a moment. "How much Ye Songqiao is worth, I truly don't know," he said. "But do you recall what Fool's City was worth back then?"

Gui Jianchou was startled, staring at Zhou Wencheng for a moment. Was this truly Zhou Wencheng? He looked very much like him, yet there was something subtly off. This is bad! It's a semblance, not the real thing! This is a Foolish Cultivator's technique!

Gui Jianchou rose and moved towards the door. "Zhou Wencheng" said, "That place looks like a door, but it isn't." Unable to exit, Gui Jianchou turned and rushed toward the window. "Zhou Wencheng" said, "That place looks like a window, but it isn't." Still unable to exit, he dematerialized his form, attempting to pass through the wall. This was a last resort. Passing through walls wasn't difficult for Gui Jianchou, but where he would end up was another matter entirely.

After passing through a wall, Gui Jianchou found himself still inside the bookstore, with "Zhou Wencheng" still tidying the bookshelves nearby. "Zhou Wencheng" slowly turned, looked at Gui Jianchou, and smiled.

This was not "Zhou Wencheng"; it was Sun Tiecheng. Sun Tiecheng hadn't used any disguise technique or even changed his clothes, yet Gui Jianchou had been mistaken. Had Sun Tiecheng not explicitly mentioned Fool's City, Gui Jianchou still wouldn't have seen through his technique.

Gui Jianchou attempted to escape underground. He dematerialized his form, burrowed beneath the floor, then resurfaced, only to find himself still inside the bookstore. Sun Tiecheng smiled. "Now you know what it means to be trapped, don't you?" he said. "I'll let you truly experience what this place is like!"

Li Banfeng was strolling along Suiqing Road. He couldn't walk too quickly, as this was the most bustling area in Ye Songqiao, and he needed to familiarize himself with it as thoroughly as possible. A woman approached him, appearing to be in her late twenties. She wore a straight-cut, disc-buttoned jade-blue qipao, carried a white oil-paper umbrella with bamboo ribs and painted flowers, and had her long hair styled in a low bun with two locks framing her delicate, full face. Her exquisite features and graceful figure drew the glances of passersby.

The woman drew closer, her large, almond-shaped eyes fixed on Li Banfeng for a moment. "Excuse me, sir," she asked, "is there a hotel nearby?"

"Just around the corner," Li Banfeng replied, gesturing behind him before continuing on without stopping. It was late at night, with no sun and no rain. Why was she carrying an umbrella? There were still many pedestrians on the street. How did this woman even see me?

Li Banfeng heightened his guard and slipped into a side alley. He silently leaped onto a rooftop, quietly observing the woman's movements. The woman swayed her hips, walking slowly to the street corner. There, a man in a long gown, with slicked-back, slightly thinning hair, who was twirling two walnuts in his hand, stepped forward and greeted her. Using the thread-pulling earrings, Li Banfeng overheard their conversation.

"Miss Mu, what brings you here?"

"Zhang Gunli, I should be asking you. What are you doing here? Have you also taken an interest in Ye Songqiao?"

"I wouldn't dare. To seize territory with my current cultivation would clearly violate the rules, wouldn't it?"

"How is it 'seizing'? The local deity of Ye Songqiao is dead; this is simply taking over according to the rules. Even if the Peddler were here, I'd dare to reason with him about it. Do you want to join forces with me to take over Ye Songqiao? This place has abundant treasures; you won't lose out."

"I'm not interested in that. I'm here to conduct business, Miss Mu. I have top-tier combat power available here; would you care to borrow some and test it?"

"No, I won't borrow. Your interest rates are too high."

"The interest is negotiable, and borrowing a little won't put you at a disadvantage. A new bookstore has opened in the city. If you don't have the capability, I advise against forcing your way in."

"Zhou Badou is here too. Perfect, I'll go see him."

"Miss Mu, if you truly won't borrow, then I'm leaving. The people in that bookstore aren't to be trifled with." Zhang Gunli, still twirling his walnuts, vanished into the night.

Mu Yuejuan glanced back, a hint of hesitation in her eyes. She wasn't hesitating about borrowing combat power; dealing with Loan Cultivators required extreme caution, and it was always best not to borrow if possible. Her hesitation concerned whether to remain in Ye Songqiao. After standing on the street for over a minute, Mu Yuejuan turned and entered an alley. Taking advantage of the empty alley, she hung a landscape painting on the wall. She then stepped into the painting, sat in the small boat depicted within it, and paddled away. As the small boat disappeared from the painting, the scroll suddenly burst into flames, turning to ashes in an instant. Mu Yuejuan paddled her boat swiftly across the lake. She suspected that the person Zhang Gunli mentioned in the bookstore might not actually be Zhou Badou.

In Elder Yao's courtyard in Medicine King Gully. Elder Xu pinched Elder Yao's mouth shut as Qiao Wuzui, half-drunk from his yellow brew, poured wine into Elder Yao's mouth. After pouring over a pound, Elder Yao coughed twice; all the wine was swallowed, but he remained unconscious. Qiao Wuzui put away the wine jar, shaking his head. "No more drinking today," he said. "This isn't an overnight fix. Tomorrow, I'll try a different recipe for brewing the wine; perhaps that will show some improvement."

Elder Xu nodded. "You've worked hard," he said. "I heard that the local deity of Ye Songqiao has died. Don't you want to go take a look?"

Qiao Wuzui chuckled. "My cultivation hasn't been in the Cloud Realm for a long time," he said. "What would I need territory for now?"

"You could give it to someone, perhaps even to your disciple."

Qiao Wuzui sighed. "I'm just a drunkard," he said. "I won't meddle in such affairs. If I can cure Yao Xin, that's a proper deed done. Old Xu, you go take a look. I'll watch Medicine King Gully for you in the meantime."

Elder Xu shook his head. "I'm even less inclined to get involved," he stated. "I'm a farmer, and every time I've gotten involved in such matters, it's always the farmers who suffer."

"How is that disciple of yours? I mean the prodigy."

"Are you referring to Zhang Wanlong?" Elder Xu seemed unsure how to respond. "You're right, he's a prodigy when it comes to farming, but his disposition is truly unlike that of a farmer."

Late into the night, Li Banfeng listened to Xiao Yeci recount stories of Ye Songqiao. Beyond heroic legends, Xiao Yeci also shared numerous tales of local customs and traditions, speaking for an hour each night for a full half-month without repeating himself once. That night, Li Banfeng was particularly engrossed. Xiao Yeci spoke until well past midnight, talking himself to exhaustion, yet Li Banfeng remained fully attentive.

Xiao Yeci rubbed his eyes. "Benefactor," he yawned, "shall we continue tomorrow?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Tomorrow won't work," he said. "I have to leave tomorrow."

"Where are you going?"

"To visit the new territory."

"I'd like to see it too," Xiao Yeci replied.

"Don't go yet. I'll take you once I've scouted the path."

"Then when will you return?"

"Soon, I'll be back in a few days."

"Then should I tell you a bit more tonight?" Upon hearing Li Qi was leaving, Xiao Yeci felt a pang of reluctance.

Li Qi rose. "Get some rest," he said. "We can continue when I return."

He wasn't heading to the new territory; he was returning to his portable residence. Li Banfeng spent half a month thoroughly familiarizing himself with Ye Songqiao and learning numerous customs from Xiao Yeci. The time for his ascent had arrived.

Back at his portable residence, his wife had prepared the bed and made all necessary arrangements.

"My dear husband, how many Golden Yuan Pills have you consumed recently?"

"Twenty-five." Li Banfeng dared not take any more; consuming more might cause the Traveler Cultivator to ascend to the tenth level.

"The timing is nearly perfect. Come, my dearest husband, lie in your humble servant's embrace."

Amidst swirling steam, Li Banfeng lay down, feeling his eyelids grow heavy. He closed his eyes. Just as he was about to drift into sleep, the gramophone lowered its large horn and drew Li Banfeng into its opening. His advancement during this period had been remarkably swift, making the entire process somewhat arduous for Li Banfeng. Fortunately, his wife was attentive, always employing various methods to alleviate his discomfort whenever pain struck.

An hour later, the gramophone placed Li Banfeng on the bed, took a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow, and softly sang the "Four Seasons Song":

"When summer arrives, willow branches grow long,Expanding lands in quarters strong,A soaring ambition, a fine young man,Adding yet another domain for my man!"

Li Banfeng sat up, embracing the gramophone. "My dearest wife," he asked, "what technique is 'Soaring Ambition'?"

"My dearest husband, 'Soaring Ambition' isn't a technique. The technique is 'Expanding Territory.' As for whether you learn this particular technique, it makes little difference."

Li Banfeng exclaimed in surprise, "This is a ninth-level technique! Why shouldn't I learn it? Is it too difficult?"

"The ninth-level technique for Residence Cultivators isn't difficult; its principles are somewhat similar to those of the fifth-level technique, 'Deep Mansion and Grand Courtyard.' While 'Deep Mansion and Grand Courtyard' extends the power of the residence spirit outside the dwelling, the ninth-level technique, 'Expanding Territory,' projects the residence's inherent power beyond its walls. Once a Residence Cultivator reaches the eighth level, they begin learning the 'Closing Doors and Shutting Gates' technique. This causes boundaries to appear around their dwelling, which can inflict harm on enemy forces. Upon reaching the ninth level and mastering 'Expanding Territory,' not only do the boundaries harm enemies, but the Residence Cultivator within that boundary also becomes exceptionally formidable. The deeper a residence is rooted and the longer it stands, the wider its boundary extends. Consequently, the Residence Cultivator's combat power within that boundary grows stronger, eventually becoming as potent as their power within the residence itself. I once knew a ninth-level Residence Cultivator who moved into a small courtyard to train. Using the 'Expanding Territory' technique, he continuously expanded his domain. In three years, he transformed his territory into an entire city. Within that city, no matter where the Cultivator was, his combat power remained as potent as if he were inside his residence, making him virtually invincible."

"Such an incredible technique!" Li Banfeng exclaimed. "I must learn it thoroughly!"

"You can't learn it, dear husband," the gramophone replied. "Our residence has no roots; it travels with you everywhere and cannot settle in one place. How then can we speak of expanding territory?"

The portable residence trembled slightly. The Old Man was displeased; the statement was clearly a complaint directed at him.

The gramophone quickly interjected, "If our Old Man makes some adjustments, perhaps this technique could be utilized in the future. Husband, you needn't worry. The ninth-level technique isn't compulsory, and even if you don't master it, it won't impede your ascent. Husband, first rest at home for two days to accumulate enough spiritual fortune. In three days, we'll proceed directly to the Cloud Realm."

Li Banfeng diligently rested at home for three days, spending time with the Old Man, playing marbles, spinning tops, and playing "picture-slap." To be honest, while the Old Man loved to play, his skill wasn't particularly impressive. Li Banfeng always let him win, which the Old Man found boring, so he had the Glove join them instead. The Glove also knew how to play marbles. After two hours, it had won over a hundred of the Old Man's marbles, prompting the Old Man, in a fit of rage, to chase it with a broom from the first chamber to the tenth.

"Give me back that white marble!"

The Glove retorted defiantly, "No! I won't give it back! If you can't stand losing, then don't play!"

With his spiritual fortune sufficiently accumulated, Li Banfeng prepared to ascend to the Cloud Realm. This ascension proved to be quite arduous. The first step was to become a Traveler Cultivator, a feat that couldn't be achieved by Li Banfeng alone; it required Hong Ying's assistance. Hong Ying first lent the 'Mind Traveling Thousands of Mountains' technique to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng already possessed the 'Mind Traveling Thousands of Mountains' technique himself. Why would he still need to borrow it from Hong Ying? Because his own technique wasn't refined enough.

Hong Ying instructed, "Seventh Brother, from this moment on, start thinking of every place you've ever visited. Do not let your thoughts cease."

Li Banfeng closed his eyes, and a cascade of overlapping images continuously materialized in his mind. He had visited many places in other provinces, but those memories were somewhat hazy. His memories of Puluozhou, however, were crystal clear: from Medicine King Gully to Green Water City, from Sea Devourer Ridge to Black Stone Slope, from Proper Village to Seven Autumn City, and from Bitter Vegetable Hamlet to Blade Ghost Ridge—every detail was vivid and distinct.

As he thought of Blade Ghost Ridge, Hong Ying cautioned, "Don't focus on overly dangerous places. If your ascension is too rapid, your soul might not remain stable."

Li Banfeng guided his thoughts back to Soda Kiln, then after a moment, they drifted to Azure Smoke City. As his mind raced, he thought of Dream Pavilion again, prompting Hong Ying to warn once more, "Seventh Brother, choose another place. This one is still too perilous." She didn't know where Li Banfeng's thoughts had led him, but she observed his legs twisting and deforming, a clear sign of an overly rapid ascension.

His thoughts fluctuated, sometimes rushing, sometimes slowing. Li Banfeng had never experienced anything like this, so he could only navigate the difficult process under Hong Ying's guidance. For an entire day, Li Banfeng's thoughts remained unbroken. His mind felt hazy and muddled, the images before his eyes blurring. Just as he felt he could no longer endure, Hong Ying called out, "It should be almost ready!"

The gramophone struck Hong Ying with a board. "What do you mean 'almost ready'?" it demanded. "Is it done or not?"

Hong Ying's body trembled, showing a hint of panic. Li Banfeng was completely pale, his limbs limp. Hong Ying couldn't quite identify his state. She felt as though it had succeeded, but she wasn't entirely certain.

"From what I see, it's done!" the Old Man declared.

The gramophone gritted its teeth. "Whether it succeeds or not, we must take this gamble," it said. "Husband, hold on. Your humble servant is coming."

*Whoosh!*

Li Banfeng, on the verge of losing consciousness, was once again drawn into the gramophone's horn by his wife. In his state of extreme weakness, Li Banfeng had to endure yet another ascension. This was a multi-level ascension. All conditions were now perfect. The portable residence had amassed sufficient spiritual fortune for Li Banfeng, creating the ideal environment for his ascension, with powerful allies like his wife and Hong Ying assisting him in turn.

Even with everything meticulously arranged, why was this ascension still so arduous? Overwhelmed by extreme fatigue, Li Banfeng was close to losing consciousness within the gramophone's horn. The gramophone cried out, "My dearest husband, don't sleep! You absolutely must not sleep! If you do, you won't wake up again!"

Li Banfeng closed his eyes, feeling his wife's voice recede further and further away. As everything in the world slowly faded away, Li Banfeng heard his wife's singing:

"A thousand calls for my beloved,My dear suffers, my heart's torn,Our love runs deep, our souls entwine,Together we'll stay, in realms divine."