"Then I’ll tell you more stories tonight, alright?" Hearing that Li Qi was leaving, Xiao Yeci was somewhat reluctant.
Li Qi stood up and said, "Rest early. I’ll continue when I’m back."
He wasn’t going to the New Land; he was going back to the Portable Residence.
Li Banfeng took half a month to familiarize himself with the Bridge Yesong and had also learned many customs from Xiao Yeci. The time for ascension was ripe.
Returning to the Portable Residence, his wife had already made the bed and was prepared.
"Husband, dear, how many Gold Yuan Pills have you eaten during this time?"
"Twenty-five." Li Banfeng dared not eat more; if he continued, the Traveling Cultivator might ascend to the Tenth Layer.
"It’s about time, come, beloved husband, lie in the embrace of your Little Servant."
Amidst the steam swirling around, Li Banfeng lay flat, feeling his eyelids grow heavier.
He closed his eyes and, at the moment before he entered slumber, the phonograph lowered its Big Horn, drawing Li Banfeng into the horn’s mouth.
The speed of ascension during this period was indeed rapid, making the entire process somewhat torturous for Li Banfeng. Fortunately, his wife was considerate, always using various means to alleviate his pain when it struck.
An hour later, the phonograph laid Li Banfeng on the bed, picked up a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and softly sang the "Song of Four Seasons":
"In the summer the willow strands grow long, expanding territories in all directions, a man of great ambition soars high, another room for dear husband it shall supply!"
Li Banfeng sat up and hugged the phonograph: "Beloved wife, what kind of technique is ’Ambition Soaring High’?"
"Beloved husband, ’Ambition Soaring High’ is not a technique. The technique is ’Expand Territory and Open Borders’, learning it or not is actually no big deal."
Li Banfeng was puzzled: "It’s a Ninth Layer Technique, isn’t there a reason to learn it? Is it because the technique is too difficult?"
"Home Cultivation Ninth Layer Technique isn’t considered difficult, it’s somewhat similar to the principles of the Fifth Layer Technique Deep Mansion Courtyard, the Deep Mansion Courtyard Technique borrows the House Spirit’s strength to the outside of the house, and the Ninth Layer Technique ’Expand Territory and Open Borders’ is to lend the house’s power externally,
when a Home Cultivator reaches the Eighth Layer, they start learning the Door-Closing Technique, boundaries begin to appear around the house that can harm enemy forces,
when a Home Cultivator reaches the Ninth Layer, after learning the Land Expansion Skill, not only can the boundaries harm enemies, but Home Cultivators within the boundary also become exceedingly formidable.
The deeper the roots of the house and the longer the years, the wider the boundary becomes, and the battle power of the Home Cultivator within the boundary is similarly stronger, comparable to being at home,
I once knew a Ninth Layer Home Cultivator, who moved into a small courtyard to cultivate. Using the Land Expansion Skill, he continuously expanded his territory and, in three years, turned it into a city. Within that city, the Home Cultivator was invincible, no matter where he was."
Li Banfeng said: "Such a great technique, I must learn it well."
"You can’t learn it, husband, our house is rootless, and it follows you around everywhere, unable to settle in one place, so how could we talk about expanding territory?"
The Portable Residence trembled slightly, and the Old Man was displeased, clearly blaming him with that remark.
The phonograph quickly said, "If our Old Man could make some adjustments, maybe we could use this technique in the future. Husband, don’t worry, the Ninth Layer Technique is not a must-learn. Even if you don’t master it, it won’t affect ascension,
husband, take a couple of days to rest at home, gather enough luck, and after three days, we will ascend Above the Clouds."
Li Banfeng stayed home for three solid days, playing with glass beads, spinning tops, and drawing games with the Old Man.
In truth, though the Old Man loved to play, he wasn’t very good.
Li Banfeng constantly let him win, but the Old Man got bored and invited Gloves to join.
Gloves could play with glass beads too and, after two hours, won over a hundred beads from the Old Man, who, in anger, chased him with a broom from the first room to the tenth.
"Give me back that white bead!"
Gloves retorted, "No, I’m not giving it back. If you can’t take losing, then don’t play!"
Having accumulated enough luck, Li Banfeng prepared to ascend Above the Clouds.
This ascension was particularly challenging. The first step was to ascend the Traveling Cultivator, which couldn’t rely solely on Li Banfeng himself; he needed Hong Ying’s help.
Hong Ying first lent the Mind Traverse Thousand Mountains Technique to Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng knew the Mind Traverse Thousand Mountains Technique himself, so why borrow from Hong Ying?
Because his own technique lacked potency.
Hong Ying instructed, "Qi Lang, begin thinking about every place you’ve been. Don’t let your thoughts stop."
Li Banfeng closed his eyes, as layered images kept flowing in his mind.
He’d been to many places in the Outside Provinces, but the memories were faint.
The memories of Puluo State were very vivid, from Medicine King Valley to Greenwater City, from Hai Chi Ridge to Black Stone Slope, from Zhengjing Village to Qi Qiu City, from Bitter Vegetable Manor to Knife Ghost Ridge, every detail was clear.
When he thought of Knife Ghost Ridge, Hong Ying reminded him, "Don’t think of places too perilous, if ascension is too rapid, it could unsettle the soul."
Li Banfeng redirected his thoughts back to the Soda Kiln, and, after a while, they drifted to Green Smoke City. As his thoughts whirled, he thought of Dream Tugging Tower, Hong Ying reminded once more: "Qi Lang, choose another place, it’s still too perilous here."
She didn’t know where Li Banfeng had thought of, but she could see his legs twisting and distorting, a sign that ascension was too rapid.
As thoughts ebbed and flowed, sometimes rushed, sometimes slow, Li Banfeng had never experienced this before and could only struggle as Hong Ying guided him.
For a whole day, Li Banfeng’s thoughts never paused, leaving his entire mind in a foggy haze. As he was about to lose grip, Hong Ying called out: "It should be about time!"
Bang!
The phonograph gave Hong Ying a slap: "What do you mean it should be about time? Has it succeeded or not?"
Hong Ying trembled slightly, feeling a bit flustered.
Li Banfeng was entirely pale and his bones feeble; Hong Ying couldn’t quite say what state he was in.
She felt it seemed successful, but wasn’t entirely sure.
"I think it looks successful!" the Old Man spoke up.
The phonograph grit its teeth: "Succeeded or not, we have to gamble once more. Husband, hold on, Little Servant is coming."
Whoosh!
A near-fainting Li Banfeng was taken into the horn by his wife again.
In an extremely weakened state, Li Banfeng had to undergo another ascension.
This was cross-level ascension.
All the conditions were met; the Portable Residence had accumulated enough luck for Li Banfeng, creating the optimal environment for ascension, with experts like his wife and Hong Ying assisting him round-the-clock.
With everything done, why was ascension still so difficult?
Amidst extreme fatigue, Li Banfeng nearly lost consciousness inside the horn.
The phonograph called out: "Beloved husband, don’t sleep, you mustn’t sleep; if you sleep, you won’t wake up!"
Li Banfeng closed his eyes, feeling his wife’s voice becoming distant.
As everything in the world slowly drifted away, Li Banfeng heard his wife’s song:
"Calling my beloved time and again, my heart aches as my dear suffers pain, our love runs deep, hearts intertwined, long shall we cherish, Above the Clouds entwined."