Chapter 83: Insight into Spiritual Sound

Second level?

A second level of dwelling cultivation?

Didn't it take ten years to reach the first level?

I've only just started for two months, and I'm already at the second level of dwelling cultivation?

I almost forgot, advancing in dwelling cultivation is related to the dwelling spirit. According to Luo Yuni, if a dwelling cultivator cannot please the dwelling spirit, they won't be able to advance, no matter how many years they cultivate.

This led Li Banfeng to misunderstand, thinking that the dwelling spirit only had an adverse effect during the cultivation process. But he didn't expect that the dwelling spirit also had a way to accelerate advancement, though the magnitude of this acceleration was so great Li Banfeng couldn't believe it was real.

Ten years!

Li Banfeng had become a dwelling cultivator less than three months ago, and in the blink of an eye, he had gained the equivalent of someone else's ten years of cultivation? This is impossible!

Li Banfeng yearned for cultivation power; he even harbored the extravagant hope of reaching the tenth level and gaining triple his lifespan. But there are no free gifts in this world; all gifts come with a price. Just as elixirs can replace cultivation, they are expensive, and all elixirs are poisonous.

Without beating around the bush, Li Banfeng directly asked the phonograph, "You gave me second-level cultivation. What do you want me to do?"

The phonograph let out a sound of displeasure and sang plaintively, "We are such an affectionate couple, why would my husband say such unpleasant things?"

Li Banfeng curled his lip and retorted, "Where was all that affection when you turned on me before?"

The phonograph snickered and snorted twice. "Oh, husband, your servant doesn't like to hear such talk. What couple doesn't quarrel? We argue at the head of the bed and reconcile at the foot. Your servant merely threw a tantrum for a moment. You can hit me, you can scold me, but you mustn't hold a grudge!"

Li Banfeng got up from the ground, dusting himself off. "Alright, I won't hold a grudge. What exactly do you want? Just say it clearly."

"Husband, your servant only wants you, nothing else."

"Tell me quickly, what do you want?"

"Your servant is devoted to you, how can you ignore it?"

"Hurry up and tell me what you want?"

The phonograph cried, "How can your servant's true devotion not earn a shred of sincerity from her husband?"

Li Banfeng put on his top hat. "If you don't say it now, I'm leaving."

The phonograph stopped crying. "Husband, I'm hungry."

Li Banfeng sat back on the bed, rubbing his cheeks, speechless for a long moment.

My dear wife.

She's hungry again.

Back in the depths of the old forest, Li Banfeng attracted a pile of departed souls controlled by Luo Yuni. The phonograph ate those souls and propelled Li Banfeng to the first level.

During this time, Li Banfeng found many fresh souls for the phonograph and even fed it fifteen cultivated ghost servants. The phonograph was delighted with its meal, and in return, it granted Li Banfeng another level of cultivation. She had her fill, but what about the future? Where could he find so many souls?

"My dear, when will your eating ever end? Didn't you just eat yesterday?"

The phonograph scoffed and sneered, "Oh, husband, what kind of talk is that? You ate yesterday, but won't you eat today?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Actually, I haven't eaten today."

"Husband is hungry too. Go eat quickly, then buy groceries fast, and come back early."

"Groceries, groceries, where are they so easy to find? You eat departed souls as if they were everyday groceries. Do you take me for a murderous psychopath?"

The phonograph scoffed and clattered loudly, snickering repeatedly. "Husband, have you killed so few people?"

Li Banfeng retorted angrily, "Even so, I'm not a psychopath! I've reached the second level, so there should be a skill, right?"

"There is a skill, listen closely as your servant explains... slowly, slowly, slowly..."

Li Banfeng was taken aback. "My dear, why are you stuttering?"

"Husband, please add some more oil for your servant."

Li Banfeng retrieved the oil can and opened the phonograph's cover. He saw the water tank boiling, steam billowing out continuously in thick plumes.

The phonograph could do everything: clean the house, wash clothes, kill people... The only thing it couldn't do was add oil to itself.

"My dear, you can refuel yourself, so why can't you add oil?"

The phonograph replied, "Fuel is added to the front compartment; your servant can reach there. Oil is in the back compartment, which your servant cannot reach."

Li Banfeng suddenly understood. So, there was a distinction between the front and back compartments.

With a screech, the phonograph cried out, "Husband, the oil isn't low there! Husband, you absolutely mustn't touch that water valve! Husband, be even more careful with that gear! Husband, that screw doesn't need oil! Oh, husband~ Oh, husband~"

The phonograph called out repeatedly.

Li Banfeng closed the cover, sat beside the phonograph, and quietly said, "My dear, quickly tell me about the skill. I'm listening carefully."

Seeing Li Banfeng's serious expression, the phonograph asked, "Oh, husband, why are you so serious again?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I've always been quite serious."

"Oh, husband, are you pleased now?"

Li Banfeng nodded.

"Just a few words made you pleased?"

Li Banfeng nodded.

The phonograph remained silent for a long time, then, in a slow, soft tempo, it sang, "Husband, do the clothes need washing?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Of course they need washing."

"Ugh! You crazy man!" All three speaker horns puffed smoke as the phonograph roared furiously, "Next time something like this happens, can you please take them out beforehand? Every time it's a huge mess! Don't you know how hard it is to wash clothes?"

Li Banfeng changed into a fresh set of clothes, sat beside the phonograph, and said, "My dear, tell me about the skill. I'll lean in to listen."

"Don't come closer, don't get so near! Otherwise, I'll have to wash another one." The phonograph repelled Li Banfeng with a burst of steam, then began to explain the skill:

"The second-level skill is called 'Spiritual Sound Insight,' and it's a cultivation of the ears."

Another cultivation of the ears?

Li Banfeng picked up the golden earring refined from Zhou Yujuan and asked, "Isn't this 'Clairaudient Ear'? I've learned another ear-related skill; isn't that a duplicate?"

"Oh, husband, this is not a duplicate. 'Clairaudient Ear' allows you to hear things from afar, while 'Spiritual Sound Insight' allows you to hear more things. There are many spiritual objects in this world, and all spiritual objects can speak, but ordinary people cannot understand them. If you concentrate your mind and listen carefully, husband, you will be able to hear the sounds of spiritual objects."

Li Banfeng quite liked this skill.

This skill suited a homebody's temperament. Homebodies can always hear more sounds than others, such as the whimpers of figurines or the laments of comic books, because homebodies approach life with a more serious attitude.

Li Banfeng pressed his ear against the phonograph, listening intently.

The phonograph giggled nervously, seemingly a little tense.

"H-h-husband, why are you listening to my stomach like that? Do you think I can bear you a child or something?"

"Where are the spiritual sounds?" Li Banfeng held the phonograph and listened for a long time, but couldn't hear any spiritual sounds.

The phonograph snickered and chuckled, "Husband, your servant can speak to you directly; you don't need to use the skill to listen."

Right, he didn't need to listen to the phonograph with the skill.

What else could be a spiritual object?

Li Banfeng picked up the copper lotus and listened carefully for a while, but heard nothing.

"My dear, isn't this a spiritual object either?"

The phonograph chuckled and sighed, "That wretched Red Lotus is indeed a spiritual object, but her cultivation level is too high, and her temperament is a bit shy. Husband, you still cannot understand her spiritual sounds."

The copper lotus's cultivation level was too high again?

What else had spiritual essence?

Did the portable residence have spiritual essence?

Li Banfeng pressed himself against the wall, concentrating his mind, and listened intently.

The phonograph hastily cried out, "Husband, you mustn't!"

A heavy breathing sound, whoosh~ whoosh~

What was that sound?

Bzzzzzz~

Li Banfeng heard a deep, prolonged hum, then his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the ground.

"This dwelling is indeed extraordinary. No wonder that wretched Red Lotus was so cautious, not daring to fight me freely. Perhaps it was a bit reckless to follow this crazy man in here so haphazardly." A layer of dew formed on the phonograph, like sweat.

I picked up the external hard drive filled with precious data, and I could hear it speaking to me. My esteemed readers, you should try it too; you really can hear it!