Song Changsheng was taken aback, then explained with a laugh, "Fellow Daoist Zhuang and I are old acquaintances. We haven’t seen each other in years, so I just wanted to catch up."

Unexpectedly, his explanation only made things worse. The cultivator leading the way grew increasingly disdainful, for he had heard all sorts of excuses over the past few days.

The ultimate goal was always to get a chance to meet Zhuang Yuechan. She had been so thoroughly annoyed lately that she had feigned going into seclusion and was refusing all visitors.

Everyone on Celestial Sound Mountain was famously united. Zhuang Yuechan’s situation had left her martial brothers and sisters quite displeased. However, the suitors were all guests and hadn’t done anything out of line, so there was nothing they could do but bottle up their frustration.

Although the guide said nothing, in his heart, he had already lumped Song Changsheng in with the rest of them. His tone turned cold as he recited the official line, "Senior Sister Zhuang is in seclusion and cannot receive guests."

Song Changsheng was no fool. Seeing the man’s expression, he knew there had been a misunderstanding, but he had no way to explain. Back then, Niu Dazhuang had whisked her away in such a hurry that they hadn’t even exchanged contact information. He could only say, "Then I have been too forward."

Seeing that he didn’t press the matter, the guide’s expression softened slightly. ’You know what’s good for you,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, I’d have let you get a taste of Senior Brother Niu’s methods.’

They walked the rest of the way in silence. The three of them finally reached the summit of Celestial Sound Mountain, where they could already feel the festive atmosphere. Lanterns and colorful decorations were everywhere. Despite the bustle, everything was in perfect order.

They were received by Qian Duoyu, whom they had met once before. The moment he saw Song Changsheng, a broad smile spread across his chubby, pale face as he hurried to greet them.

"Well now, if it isn’t Young Clan Leader Song! Why are you alone today? Didn’t Fellow Daoist Song come?"

Song Changsheng quickly cupped his hands in a salute and replied, "To answer your question, Senior, my Twelfth Uncle had urgent matters to attend to and has already left. My grandfather sent me to wish the Great City Lord a long life and to convey his apologies. He has reached a critical point in his seclusion and is truly unable to come in person. We ask for your understanding."

Qian Duoyu beamed at his words. "It is a pity that Clan Leader Song could not make it, but having Young Clan Leader Song and this young friend here is just as good. Come, come, let me show you to your guest rooms. Afterward, I’ll give you a tour."

Qian Duoyu was incredibly enthusiastic, even making sure to include Song Qingluo at his side. He personally led the way for Song Changsheng, guiding them through a complex of simple yet grand buildings and into a bamboo forest.

"Young Clan Leader Song, the accommodations we’ve arranged for you are here in this bamboo forest. The Spiritual Qi is dense, the surroundings are tranquil, and there are no idle folk to disturb you. It is just a bit remote."

"This was the Great City Lord’s arrangement. If you do not care for the quiet, Young Clan Leader, I can take you to see another location. All the Purple Mansion seniors are quartered over there. Oh, and by the way, the Lieyang Sect is not quartered there," Qian Duoyu added pointedly.

Hearing that it was the Great City Lord’s arrangement, Song Changsheng felt both surprised and flattered. He quickly said, "There’s no need to trouble you, Senior. I have always preferred the quiet. This place is serene and elegant, very much to my liking."

A meaningful smile appeared on Qian Duoyu’s chubby face. "Excellent. This is the Jade Token to open the Restrictions. Please keep it safe, Young Clan Leader. If you have any needs or are dissatisfied with anything, you can contact me."

"Thank you, Senior."

The two exchanged Divine Sense imprints on each other’s Communication Jade Tokens. Before leaving, Qian Duoyu said with a grin, "You look a bit weary, Young Clan Leader. You should get some rest first. Afterward, I’ll show you around. Speaking of which, this is your first time on Celestial Sound Mountain, isn’t it?"

Song Changsheng nodded. "Indeed. This is my first time in Luoxia City."

"Then you should definitely have a good look around." Qian Duoyu said something that left Song Changsheng baffled, then clasped his hands behind his back and sauntered off.

Song Changsheng didn’t dwell on it. He continued deeper into the bamboo forest with Song Qingluo, who was looking around like a curious child. Soon, he saw a pond full of white lotuses. It was the season for them to bloom, and their fragrance filled the air.

"Tier Two Twin White Lotuses! What an extravagant display." Song Changsheng gasped. The Twin White Lotus was a precious Tier Two Spirit Plant, its rarity second only to the Ink Jade Ghost Lotus he had previously obtained.

Its fragrance could calm the mind, clear away distracting thoughts, and effectively prevent a cultivator from succumbing to their inner demons during cultivation.

The seed pods and stems were excellent Artifact Refining Materials, while the seeds and roots could be used for Alchemy or in medicinal cuisine. Every part of it was a treasure. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Yet here, such a Spirit Plant was being used merely for ornamental purposes. Although there were only a few mother plants among them, it was still an incredibly grand gesture.

Moreover, if Song Changsheng wanted to, he could easily take some lotus seeds or petals, and he believed the City Lord’s Mansion wouldn’t object.

But he suppressed the tempting thought. He was no longer just representing himself; his every action reflected on his clan. There was no need to do something that would damage his clan’s prestige.

Leading Song Qingluo along the corridor by the pond, he finally saw a two-story bamboo building. There was no telling how long it had stood there, but it remained a vibrant green, emanating a faint aura of life.

"Compared to this, my courtyard on Vast Mist Peak is practically a cave," Song Changsheng said to Song Qingluo with a laugh.

The moment he saw the bamboo building, he had already noticed its extraordinary nature. It wasn’t just the construction materials; there was also a small Spirit Gathering Array here, raising the density of the Spiritual Qi by another level.

One must understand that Celestial Sound Mountain sat upon a Tier Four Spirit Vein. The Spiritual Qi was already dense to begin with. With the addition of a Spirit Gathering Array, it was more than enough for even a Golden Core Master to cultivate, yet he was merely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and Song Qingluo was only at the Qi Cultivation stage.

Song Qingluo’s face was flushed. This was a result of not being accustomed to such a high concentration of Spiritual Qi. For a Qi Cultivator, the Spiritual Qi here was no longer a help, but a burden.

Song Changsheng patted his shoulder and infused a stream of Spiritual Force into him, which made him feel a little better.

’Looks like I’ll have to turn off this Spirit Gathering Array first.’

This wasn’t difficult for him. After using the Jade Token to open the bamboo building’s Restriction, Song Changsheng quickly shut down the Spirit Gathering Array. He then laid down a layer of Spiritual Force to block some of the ambient Spiritual Qi, and Song Qingluo’s beet-red face slowly returned to normal.

It was rather amusing. Cultivators always complained about the lack of dense Spiritual Qi during their training. They never imagined that one day, its sheer density would become a burden.

It was simply because their cultivation was too low. This place was clearly prepared for Purple Mansion Cultivators or even Golden Core Masters. For them to be staying here was truly treatment beyond their station.

All the furnishings inside the bamboo building were also of the highest quality and remarkably comprehensive.

Looking at the Warm Jade Bed in the bedroom, Song Changsheng suddenly asked, "Do I look tired?"

Song Qingluo stared intently at his face for a moment before finally nodding. "You do look a little weary, but it’s not very obvious."

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s stamina far surpassed that of an ordinary person. They could go for over ten days without food and several months without sleep, but that didn’t mean they never got tired.

After all, the depletion of one’s Spiritual Power still required meditation or even sleep to be replenished.

Recently, Song Changsheng had been busy with both Artifact Refining and practicing his Body Forging Technique, which had consumed a great deal of his Spiritual Power. Unconsciously, signs of fatigue had begun to show.

"It’s time I got some proper rest," Song Changsheng murmured softly.

After instructing Song Qingluo not to leave the immediate vicinity of the bamboo building, Song Changsheng lay down on the warm Jade Bed.

The fastest way to replenish Spiritual Power was through deep sleep. However, Song Changsheng rarely did this, because in a deep sleep, his alertness and perception would drop to their lowest point, which was extremely dangerous.

But today, he felt a powerful urge to sleep.

Before long, he drifted into a dream. He dreamt of his childhood. A person on his left and another on his right were holding his hands, strolling through a complex of quaint, ancient buildings.

On his left was a gentle woman with faint dimples on her cheeks when she smiled. It was his mother, Xia Yunxue.

On his right was a tall, handsome man who bore a slight resemblance to Song Changsheng. It was his father, Song Luyan, who had passed away many years ago...