Mount Yeqing was a famous mountain in Yesong Bridge, and across all of Puluo Province.
In Puluo Province, because every region was strictly governed by boundaries, most common folk never had the chance to travel in their lifetimes, nor did they have any concept of scenic sights.
Even so, Mount Yeqing remained widely renowned. After He Yuxiu arrived in Yesong Bridge, she had repeatedly proposed going up Mount Yeqing, but Li Banfeng had been too busy and never found the time.
This time, Li Banfeng finally went up the mountain. Early in the morning, he followed Sun Tiecheng up Mount Yeqing.
Mount Yeqing possessed precipitous peaks, lush vegetation, and countless breathtaking views.
Yet its greatest beauty lay in its clouds and mist.
It was hardly rare for high peaks and mighty rivers to be cloaked in mist, but Mount Yeqing was special: the clouds seemed to be born from within the mountain itself, pouring down along the crags like waterfalls. Between the ethereal and the real, it formed the most enchanting mountain landscape in Puluo Province.
It was enchanting indeed—so thick was the mist that many travelers had lost their way. Sun Tiecheng wandered through the woods for a long time, scratching his scalp. "I picked a great spot earlier and buried the covenant deed there. A regular person definitely couldn't find it... but now I can't find it either."
Li Banfeng pursed his lips and chuckled twice.
Sun Tiecheng said indignantly, "What're you laughing at?! Just tell me, was it a good spot or not?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "A great spot!"
Sun Tiecheng sighed. "No use even if it's great. Can't find the damn place anyway. Let's find another spot."
He took out two halves of a covenant deed and said to Li Banfeng, "First, spill some blood on the deed."
The front of the deed still bore those familiar words: *A hundred li of land, verified by this deed.*
On the back were two lines of text:
First line: *Li Yi acquires Yesong Bridge.*
Second line: *Territory: twenty-six thousand three hundred and thirty fang.*
Over twenty thousand fang of land?
Li Banfeng asked in surprise, "Yesong Bridge is that big?"
Sun Tiecheng gave an honest, simple smile. "Of course it's big! Would I ever let you get the short end of the stick? Yesong Bridge is a very peculiar place. There are plenty of areas you can't see on normal days. I expect there'll be no shortage of people coming to fight for it."
There were no other characters on the covenant deed, wiped clean by who knew whom.
Li Banfeng dripped his blood onto both pieces of the deed.
Sun Tiecheng nodded. "Let's just bury it here!"
He found a tree branch, casually dug a small pit, and buried the deed.
Li Banfeng frowned. "Isn't burying it right here a bit too careless? I see paths in this forest; people probably walk through here all the time. Wouldn't someone dig it up just like that?"
Sun Tiecheng was full of confidence. "They won't dig it up. I'll leave a ritual formation here. Ordinary folk won't even be able to see this spot."
A Fool Cultivator even had ritual formations?
Li Banfeng watched with great earnestness. Sun Tiecheng took the branch and planted it upright in the soil where the deed was buried, saying solemnly, "The formation is done!"
"Isn't this formation of yours... a little too rustic?" Li Banfeng couldn't think of a better description.
Sun Tiecheng smiled placidly. "I just never liked flashy, fancy things. The formations of our pathway are all about practicality. Don't look down on this stick. From the moment I planted it, no one nearby will ever be able to see—"
A little boy ran up beside the branch, unbuttoned his pants, and prepared to take a leak.
This was perhaps a common trait among all young boys: whenever they saw a stick stuck in the ground, they wanted to piss it down.
"Shoo! Go pee over there!" Sun Tiecheng shooed the boy away, then stuck another branch right next to the original one. "This time nobody will see it. From now on, you've got an extra name: Li Yi. You're my eldest disciple, so being named Li Yi is completely reasonable."
Sun Tiecheng utilized Speaking with Utmost Certainty, executing the technique with blatant openness to firmly imprint this name into Li Banfeng's mind.
Li Banfeng, on his part, invoked Ironclad Evidence: "I have a name called Li Yi. With Brother Sun as my witness, Li Yi is me."
The two headed down the mountain. Li Banfeng was swift on his feet, and Sun Tiecheng was no slower.
As they walked along the street, Sun Tiecheng suddenly halted, gazing at a roadside bookstore.
"Why does this bookstore look a little familiar..." Sun Tiecheng stared at the Lu Family Bookstore for quite a while.
Li Banfeng opened his pocket watch. It was eight in the morning; the bookstore had not opened for business yet, and its front doors were locked.
Sun Tiecheng walked up to the door and said to the padlock, "Do you know who I am?"
The lock wobbled for a moment, seemingly confirming Sun Tiecheng's identity.
Sun Tiecheng asked again, "Seeing me here, you still won't open up?"
The lock hesitated no longer and promptly unlocked itself.
This technique even worked on locks!
Entering the bookstore, they saw several rows of bookshelves, but every shelf was empty—not a single volume in sight.
Sun Tiecheng stepped outside to take a look. "That's not right. The shop sign has already been unveiled, meaning it's about to open, yet there isn't a single book on the shelves. How is this any way to do business?
"Old Number One, go buy some books for me and fill these shelves up. Good books, new books—don't go buying a bunch of junk to fool me."
Li Banfeng said, "Brother Sun, do you know Boss Lu? This is his business. Doing commerce here on our own... isn't that inappropriate?"
Sun Tiecheng chuckled. "I don't know any Boss Lu, but I'm quite familiar with Boss Zhou. This place carries that ink stench of his; it's got to be his enterprise. Go buy the books. Me helping him run his business certainly isn't a bad thing."
Li Banfeng ordered several thousand books to be purchased, filling the store to the brim. Sun Tiecheng said, "Hurry along and go cultivate. The sooner you reach Above the Clouds, the better."
Above the Clouds really was not far off now. Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling, embraced the gramophone, and said, "Precious wife, I've gained another piece of territory."
The gramophone was not surprised in the least. "Aiya, my husband, you've done away with several local spirits; gaining another territory is only natural."
"This one is proper land. An expert changed the name on the Yesong Bridge deed to Li Yi, spilled my blood on it, and buried it on Mount Yeqing."
Hong Ying was startled. "Which expert was so generous?"
The gramophone smacked Hong Ying's backside with her hand. "Why do you have so much to say?"
If Li Banfeng wished to say, he would directly name the expert. Since he did not, the gramophone never pried. This was the tacit understanding between husband and wife.
"Husband, do you wish to ascend to Above the Clouds in Yesong Bridge, or return to your own territory?"
Li Banfeng asked, "Can I keep both territories?"
"Of course you must keep both. The crucial point is where you choose to ascend. If you choose our own territory, you acknowledge the name Li Furong. But if you choose Yesong Bridge, husband, do you acknowledge the name Li Yi?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "That name, I acknowledge as well."
"How many pieces does the Yesong Bridge deed have?"
"Two."
The gramophone pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, ascending in Yesong Bridge is actually safer. At the very least, the Inner States won't interfere. Even if something goes wrong in Yesong Bridge, we can fall back to our own territory for support—there's a train station there, and the Old Master can return in the blink of an eye.
"Husband, if you want to ascend in Yesong Bridge, you must become thoroughly familiar with the territory. Remember when Qiu Luoye had to pass the three hurdles?
"Skipping the tenth tier to force an ascension Above the Clouds will loosen your soul, putting you in the exact same state Qiu Luoye was in back then. To stabilize your soul, you must rely on your own territory as a foundation. The more familiar you are with the land, the sturdier your soul will remain.
"You still have adequate time, husband. During these days, not only must you walk the territory until it's second nature, but you had also best learn about the local customs.
"Proper land is not like a newland. If you want to hold down the human vitality, you must first grasp the local customs and people."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Whatever my wife instructs, your husband shall certainly carry out. It's just that I only have an eighth-tier cultivation right now, still slightly far from Above the Clouds."
*Chichi~*
The gramophone chuckled. "Precious husband, no need to fret over cultivation. This humble servant will pick a suitable day and naturally send you up to the ninth tier. Over these next few days, take some Golden Origin Pills, but don't overdo it. As for the precise measure, you should know best, husband."
The gramophone was reminding Li Banfeng that his Wanderer Cultivation had already reached the ninth tier; taking more pills was to push him as close to the tenth tier as possible.
Speaking of pills, Li Banfeng thought of the sedan bearer. He wondered how far the fellow's refinement had progressed.
Arriving at Room Nine, the Red Lotus gave Li Banfeng a definitive answer: "The pills are still being refined. It will likely yield two Profound Accumulation Pills."
He had seven saved from before, and now two more were being refined. Added to the one Zheng Siyi had given him, that made ten Profound Accumulation Pills in total.
Once he reached Above the Clouds, the Profound Accumulation Pills would play a vital role.
Li Banfeng still entrusted all the Profound Accumulation Pills to his wife for safekeeping. The gramophone inspected the pill from Zheng Siyi and remarked, "The quality of this one is somewhat inferior. This servant will keep it safe for you, husband, to be used only if we run utterly short."
***
At the Lu Family Bookstore, Sun Tiecheng stayed from morning until dusk. Many customers came through the doors, but Boss Lu was nowhere to be seen.
Sun Tiecheng was in no hurry either. He simply sat behind the counter, taking payment according to listed prices and offering discounts for bulk purchases, conducting business with utmost delight.
As twilight gradually fell, Sun Tiecheng gave a soft laugh. "That old thief Zhou Badou must have fled. Will anyone else show up?"
He waited for over an hour without seeing anyone, until a gust of yin energy drifted in through the entrance.
Two ghost servants.
"Good that you've come. Come, sit over here." Sun Tiecheng beckoned the two ghost servants to his side and chatted amiably with them. "Must've been an exhausting journey, eh? Had dinner yet? When did you arrive in Yesong Bridge..."
Shortly after, the two ghost servants exited the bookstore, floated across two streets, and arrived before the Smiling Ghost King, Gui Jianchou, whispering in his ear, "The Eight Dou Scholar is inside his bookstore."
Gui Jianchou smiled. "Zhou Badou came? He has his eye on Yesong Bridge too? Who does he want to gift this place to?"
The two ghost servants remained silent; this was not a question they could answer.
Leading a retinue of ghost servants, Gui Jianchou walked into the bookstore and saw the Eight Dou Scholar, Zhou Wencheng, tidying the bookshelves.
Gui Jianchou cupped his hands. "Brother Zhou, you've arrived a step ahead."
Zhou Wencheng did not turn around. "Haven't you arrived as well?"
Gui Jianchou laughed. "You know my temperament. If we can make money in peace, we never turn hostile. If you truly want this territory, I'll yield it to you. If there's room to negotiate, kindly name your price."
Zhou Wencheng snorted. "Name what price? What do you think you're doing? Given your cultivation today, you dare come seize territory? This blatantly breaches the rules. Aren't you afraid the Peddler will come deal with you?"
Gui Jianchou said, "How could this be called seizing territory? If the local spirit were alive and I meddled, that would be seizing territory. The local spirit is dead; me stepping in to take over is helping the Peddler safeguard his domain. Didn't Old Xu go off to guard Yaowang Ravine as well? I'm doing the same as him, which counts as a good deed."
Zhou Wencheng wiped a shelf and said, "Save the pretty words. Taking Yesong Bridge—who do you intend to give it to?"
Gui Jianchou replied, "That is none of your concern. My words remain: if business cannot be discussed, I leave at once. If business can be discussed, whatever you think Yesong Bridge is worth, just name your price."
Zhou Wencheng thought for a moment. "How much Yesong Bridge is worth, I really don't know. How much the City of Fools was worth back then—do you still remember?"
Gui Jianchou was startled and stared hard at Zhou Wencheng for a moment.
Was this Zhou Wencheng?
He looked very much like him, yet somehow also didn't.
Not good!
*Specious!*
This was a Fool Cultivator skill!
Gui Jianchou rose and strode toward the door.
"Zhou Wencheng" said, "That place looks like a door, but it isn't a door."
Gui Jianchou failed to step outside and spun around toward the window.
"Zhou Wencheng" said, "That place looks like a window, but it isn't a window."
Gui Jianchou failed to get out again. He made his body incorporeal, intending to phase through the wall.
This was a measure of last resort. Phasing through a wall was no difficult feat for Gui Jianchou, but where he would end up once through was hard to say.
Passing through a wall, Gui Jianchou found himself still inside the bookstore, with "Zhou Wencheng" still tidying the shelves nearby.
"Zhou Wencheng" slowly turned around, looked at Gui Jianchou, and smiled.
This was no "Zhou Wencheng." This was Sun Tiecheng.
Sun Tiecheng had used no disguise, nor had he even changed his clothes. Yet Gui Jianchou had mistaken his identity entirely. Had Sun Tiecheng not brought up the City of Fools on his own accord, Gui Jianchou still would not have seen through Sun Tiecheng's technique.
Gui Jianchou attempted to burrow into the earth, turning ethereal to sink beneath the ground, only to pop back up and find himself still within the bookstore.
Sun Tiecheng chuckled. "Now do you understand what it means to have no way out? I'll let you have a good taste of this place!"
***
Li Banfeng was strolling along Suiqing Road. He could not walk too fast; this was the most bustling stretch in Yesong Bridge, and he had to commit it to memory as clearly as possible.
A woman walked toward him. She appeared twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in a straight-cut, jade-ink-blue qipao with frog closures, carrying an oil-paper umbrella with a white face, bamboo ribs, and painted flowers. Her long hair was tied in a low chignon, with a wisp trailing down beside each cheek. Her complexion was delicate and full, and her exquisite features paired with a charming figure drew sidelong glances from passersby.
When the woman drew close, a pair of large, almond-shaped eyes fixed upon Li Banfeng for a moment. She asked, "Excuse me, sir, is there an inn nearby?"
"Right around the corner." Li Banfeng pointed behind him and kept walking without pausing.
On a clear night with neither sun nor rain, why was she holding an umbrella?
With so many pedestrians on the street, how had this woman spotted me?
Heightening his guard, Li Banfeng slipped into an alleyway beside the street.
He silently leaped onto a rooftop, quietly watching the woman's movements.
Swaying her hips, the woman strolled to the corner of the street. A slightly balding man wearing a changshan gown and slicked-back hair, rolling two walnuts in his hand, stepped forward to greet her.
Through the Qiansi Earring, Li Banfeng caught their conversation.
"Miss Mu, what brings you here?"
"Zhang Gunli, I should be asking you: what are you doing here? Do you have your eye on Yesong Bridge too?"
"I don't have that kind of nerve. Coming to fight for territory after reaching my current cultivation—wouldn't that be a blatant violation of the rules?"
"How is it fighting? Yesong Bridge's local spirit is dead; taking over follows the rules. Even if the Peddler stood right here, I'd dare argue the logic with him. Care to join forces with me to take over Yesong Bridge? There's plenty of good stuff here; I won't let you lose out."
"I have no interest in that. I'm here to do business. Miss Mu, I have top-grade combat strength on hand. Care to borrow a bit and try it out?"
"Not borrowing. Your interest rates are too high."
"Interest can always be negotiated. Borrowing a little won't hurt. A new bookstore has opened in town; if you lack the skill, don't try barging in."
"Zhou Badou is here too? Splendid, I'll go pay him a visit."
"Miss Mu, if you truly won't borrow, I'll take my leave. The person in that bookstore is no easy match." Rolling his walnuts, Zhang Gunli vanished into the night.
Mu Yuejuan glanced back, hesitating slightly.
She was not hesitating over whether to borrow combat strength. When dealing with Loan Cultivators, one had to be prudent—if one could avoid borrowing, one never borrowed.
She was hesitating over whether to remain in Yesong Bridge.
After standing by the roadside for over a minute, Mu Yuejuan turned into an alley.
Taking advantage of the empty alleyway, she hung a landscape painting on the wall.
She stepped into the painting, boarded the small boat depicted within, and rowed away.
Once the small boat vanished from the painting's surface, the scroll suddenly caught fire, turning to ash in an instant.
Rowing her boat across the lake surface within the painting, Mu Yuejuan felt that the person Zhang Gunli mentioned inside the bookstore might not be Zhou Badou after all.
***
In Yaowang Ravine, inside Old Yao's courtyard.
Old Xu pinched Old Yao's jaws open while Qiao Wuzui, known as Half-a-Mouthful of Yellow Broth, poured wine down Old Yao's throat.
After over a jin had been poured down, Old Yao coughed twice. The wine went down, but he did not regain consciousness.
Qiao Wuzui put away the wine jar and shook his head. "He can't drink any more today. This isn't something that can be resolved overnight. Tomorrow, I'll brew wine with a different recipe; perhaps there will be improvement."
Old Xu nodded. "Thank you for your trouble. I heard the local spirit of Yesong Bridge has died. Don't you want to go have a look?"
Qiao Wuzui chuckled. "My cultivation fell below Above the Clouds long ago. What would I need territory for?"
"To give away, of course. Giving it to your disciple would be fine too."
Qiao Wuzui sighed. "I'm just a drunkard; better not to meddle in such affairs. If I can cure Yao Xin, that alone counts as doing something decent. Old Xu, you should go look. I'll keep an eye on Yaowang Ravine for you in the meantime."
Old Xu shook his head. "I'm even less inclined to meddle. I'm a farmer. Every time I get involved in such matters, it's always the farmers who suffer."
"How is that disciple of yours doing? The prodigy, I mean."
"You mean Zhang Wanlong?" Old Xu was at a loss for how to evaluate him. "You're right, he is a prodigy at farming, but his temperament is truly nothing like a farmer's."
***
Late into the night, Li Banfeng listened to Xiao Yeci tell stories of Yesong Bridge. Aside from heroic legends, Xiao Yeci also recounted many local customs and folk traditions, speaking for an hour each evening for half a month straight without ever repeating a tale.
Tonight, Li Banfeng was particularly keen to listen, so Xiao Yeci went on until the late hours, growing sleepy herself, yet Li Banfeng remained completely alert.
Rubbing her eyes, Xiao Yeci asked, "Benefactor, can we continue tomorrow?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Tomorrow won't do. I have to go out tomorrow."
"Where are you going?"
"To tour the newland."
Xiao Yeci said, "I want to go see it too."
"Don't go just yet. I'll take you after I scout the path."
"Then when will you be back?"
"Soon. In a few days."
"Then should I tell you a bit more tonight?" Hearing that Li Qi was leaving, Xiao Yeci felt reluctant to part.
Li Qi stood up. "Rest early. You can keep telling me when I return."
He was not going to the newland; he was returning to the companion dwelling.
Li Banfeng had spent half a month familiarizing himself with Yesong Bridge and learning a vast wealth of customs from Xiao Yeci. The moment for ascension had arrived.
Back inside the companion dwelling, his wife had made the bed and completed her preparations.
"Husband, how many Golden Origin Pills have you taken during this time?"
"Twenty-five." Li Banfeng dared not take any more. Any more, and his Wanderer Cultivation might break through to the tenth tier.
"The heat is just right. Come, precious husband, lie in this servant's embrace."
Amid curling steam, Li Banfeng lay flat, feeling his eyelids grow heavier and heavier.
Closing his eyes, at the very moment he was about to slip into dreamland, the gramophone dipped her horn and sucked Li Banfeng inside.
He had indeed advanced too rapidly in recent days; the entire ascension process proved to be an ordeal for Li Banfeng. Fortunately, his wife was attentive, always employing various means to soothe his agony whenever pain struck.
An hour later, the gramophone laid Li Banfeng down upon the bed, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, and gently sang the *Song of the Four Seasons*:
*"Summer arrives with willows long,*
*Opening frontiers where heroes belong.*
*A youth of soaring ambitions high,*
*Adds another chamber beneath the sky!"*
Li Banfeng sat up, embraced the gramophone, and asked, "Precious wife, what kind of technique is 'soaring ambitions'?"
"Precious husband, 'soaring ambitions' isn't a technique. The technique is Open Frontiers and Expand Territory. As for learning it or not, it matters little either way."
Li Banfeng asked in wonder, "This is a ninth-tier technique—why shouldn't I learn it? Is it because the technique is too difficult?"
"A Homestead Cultivator's ninth-tier technique isn't difficult. Its essentials are somewhat similar to the fifth-tier technique, Sprawling Compound. Sprawling Compound borrows the power of the dwelling spirit beyond the dwelling, while the ninth-tier Open Frontiers and Expand Territory borrows the dwelling's own power outward.
"Upon reaching the eighth tier, a Homestead Cultivator begins learning Close the Doors and Bar the Gates, and boundaries begin appearing around the dwelling, capable of harming enemies.
"Once the Homestead Cultivator reaches the ninth tier and masters Open Frontiers and Expand Territory, not only can the boundaries harm enemies, but the cultivator within those boundaries also becomes exceedingly formidable.
"The deeper the dwelling's roots and the older its years, the wider the boundary's expanse becomes, and the stronger the cultivator's combat power within it—even rivaling their strength inside the dwelling itself.
"I once knew a ninth-tier Homestead Cultivator who moved into a small courtyard to cultivate. Through Open Frontiers and Expand Territory, he steadily expanded his domain, enlarging it into an entire city over three years. Anywhere within that city, his combat power was identical to being at home, virtually without rival."
Li Banfeng said, "Such a wonderful technique—I must study it well."
"You cannot learn it, husband. Our dwelling has no roots; it follows you wherever you go and cannot settle permanently in one place. How could we speak of expanding territory?"
The companion dwelling shuddered; the Old Master was displeased, as this statement was clearly a slight directed at him.
The gramophone quickly added, "If our Old Master makes a few adjustments, perhaps we might put this technique to use in the future. Husband, there is no need to fret. A ninth-tier technique is not mandatory to learn; even without it, your ascension won't be hindered.
"Rest at home for two days to gather enough fortune. In three days, we shall charge straight into Above the Clouds."
Li Banfeng rested peacefully at home for three days, keeping the Old Master company by playing marbles, spinning tops, and playing card-slapping games.
To tell the truth, the Old Master loved playing, but his skill was rather poor.
Li Banfeng kept letting him win, which bored the Old Master, so he called the glove over to play as well.
The glove knew how to play marbles too. After playing for two hours, it won over a hundred marbles from the Old Master. In a fit of rage, the Old Master chased it with a broom from Room One all the way to Room Ten.
"Give me back that white marble!"
The glove refused to yield: "I won't! I just won't! If you can't afford to lose, don't play!"
With fortune sufficiently gathered, Li Banfeng prepared to ascend to Above the Clouds.
This ascension was bound to be arduous. The first step was to advance his Wanderer Cultivation, which could not rely on Li Banfeng alone; he needed Hong Ying's assistance.
Hong Ying first lent her Mind Traversing a Thousand Mountains technique to Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng already knew the technique himself, so why borrow it from Hong Ying?
Because his own mastery of the technique was not yet refined enough.
Hong Ying instructed, "Seven, start thinking from now on. Think of every single place you've ever been. Don't let your thoughts stop for a moment."
Li Banfeng closed his eyes as layered scenes continuously surfaced in his mind.
He had visited many places in the Outer States, but those memories were somewhat blurred.
His memories of Puluo Province were vivid and clear: from Yaowang Ravine to Greenwater City, from Haichiling to Black Rock Slope, from Zhengjing Village to Qiqiu City, from Kucaizhuang to Daogui Ridge—every detail remained fresh before his eyes.
When his thoughts reached Daogui Ridge, Hong Ying cautioned, "Don't think of places that are too perilous. If the breakthrough comes too fast, your soul won't hold steady."
Li Banfeng directed his thoughts back to Qishuiyao. After a moment, they drifted to Qingyan City, and amid the spinning reverie, he recalled the Mengqian Tower. Hong Ying urged once more, "Seven, switch places! This is still too dangerous."
She did not know where Li Banfeng was picturing, but she saw his legs twisting and contorting—a symptom of advancing too rapidly.
His thoughts ebbed and surged, sometimes rushing and sometimes slowing. Having never experienced anything like this, Li Banfeng could only grope forward through the trial under Hong Ying's guidance.
For an entire day, Li Banfeng's thoughts never ceased. His mind felt utterly muddled and dizzy, the images before him blurring. Just as he was on the verge of collapsing, Hong Ying shouted, "It should be about ready!"
*Smack!*
The gramophone gave Hong Ying a strike with her board. "What do you mean 'about ready'?! Did it succeed or not?!"
Hong Ying trembled, flustered.
Li Banfeng was deathly pale all over, his sinews and bones turned soft as mush. Hong Ying could not describe what state this was.
She felt like it had succeeded, yet she was not entirely certain.
"Looks to me like it's done!" the Old Master spoke up.
The gramophone gritted her teeth. "Succeed or fail, we have to take the gamble. Husband, endure it! This servant is coming!"
*Whoosh!*
Li Banfeng, on the verge of losing consciousness, was sucked once more into his wife's horn.
In a state of extreme weakness, Li Banfeng had to endure yet another breakthrough.
This was tier-skipping ascension.
All conditions had been met: the companion dwelling had accumulated ample fortune for Li Banfeng, created the most ideal environment for advancement, and masters like his wife and Hong Ying had taken turns assisting him.
Even with all this done, why was the ascension still so grueling?
Utterly exhausted, Li Banfeng neared a coma inside the horn.
The gramophone cried out, "Precious husband, you cannot sleep! You must never fall asleep! If you sleep, you'll never wake up again!"
Li Banfeng closed his eyes, feeling his wife's voice drift farther and farther away.
Just as everything in the world was slowly fading into distance, Li Banfeng heard his wife's singing voice:
*"A thousand calls, ten thousand cries, for my darling dear,*
*My heart breaks in sorrow as my lord suffers here.*
*Tied by love so deep, two souls intertwined in trust,*
*Together forever Above the Clouds, we must."*
Chapter 496