Listening to the various instructions coming from Zhang Pianpian on the other end of the phone, Zhang Yu nodded occasionally, murmuring in acknowledgment.

“The Ten Great Sects have established an ironclad rule: to maintain public order and a favorable business environment, free movement between the layers of Kunxu is prohibited. To return, one must either suffer a severe decline in cultivation and a depreciation of assets, like True Person Xinghuo, and descend sheepishly after much hardship. Alternatively, one could be assigned a special task or job, like Director Songyang of Xianyun Group, sent to this layer to be sidelined. But both of these are merely the outcomes of being eliminated during the ascent… and I refuse to accept them.

“Little brother, I want to climb higher, to the loftier parts of Kunxu, to see the scenery above. Therefore, my gaze will only be directed upwards; I will not look back. If we meet again in the future, it can only be in the upper layers, never on Kunxu Layer One.”

Clenching his fist, Zhang Yu said to Zhang Pianpian on the other end of the line, “Sister, I will definitely catch up to you!”

Zhang Pianpian laughed and replied, “Then I’ll wait for you at Wanfa University.”

Zhang Yu then asked, “Since going up and down is so difficult, Sister, do you have anything you won’t need that you can leave for me?”

Zhang Pianpian said, “I still have over 20 million in debt…”

“Forget about that,” Zhang Yu declared righteously. “Such personal items are better kept close to you. I meant, is there anything you can’t take with you? Like a house, a car, or any valuable possessions?”

*Pfft!* Bai Zhenzhen, who was nearby, couldn’t help but burst out laughing. It felt like listening to a good grandson asking his ascending grandmother for an inheritance.

Zhang Pianpian said, “I’ve left you three talismans.”

Zhang Yu looked at the three images sent by the other party. Each was a screenshot of a talisman, but the content was too complex for him to understand what kind of talismans they were. A question also arose in his mind: “Can screenshots be used?”

Zhang Pianpian explained, “These three talismans are, respectively: a Freezing Talisman, which can freeze another person’s bank account, but the higher their faith level, the shorter the freezing time. There’s also a Thunder Roar Talisman, which can summon a thunderous alarm and bring the armed forces of the patrol team for enforcement within one minute. But remember, a single use of this alarm has a minimum cost of ten thousand, so make sure you have enough money in your account before using it. And finally, a Divine Swiftness Talisman, which can summon a minor earth deity to carry you away instantly, up to a maximum distance of 10 kilometers. But note that this costs 3,000 yuan per kilometer, deducted directly from your account, so calculate your funds carefully before using it.”

Zhang Yu’s eyes lit up as he listened, feeling that these three talismans were genuinely useful.

Zhang Pianpian said calmly, “I’ll also send you the phone number of the Captain of the Songyang City Patrol Team. I’ve stored the talismans with her. After you add her as a friend, whenever you need one of these three talismans, just send it to her, and she will activate it for you. Also, if you encounter problems you can’t solve yourself, you can seek her out.”

At this point, Zhang Pianpian paused, seemingly contemplating something, before finally saying, “If you need a slightly higher divine department identity for cover, she can help promote you. You can discuss the specifics with her. However, if she promotes you, remember to only accept the position of a specially appointed assistant at most. Also, absolutely remember not to meet her alone at night. Furthermore, continue to work as an outsourced employee; never sign a formal contract. And don’t worry about the loan; just repay it slowly according to the contract. Instead, use your money quickly to improve yourself. It’s fine to owe a bit more; often, the amount of debt you have can also be a reflection of your strength. Regarding the Foundation Establishment Exam registration, you’ll need to open the registration website once you’re in Xiandu City. I haven’t participated myself, so you’ll have to adapt to the specific circumstances…”

And so, Zhang Pianpian patiently instructed Zhang Yu on various matters, and Zhang Yu listened very carefully. Finally, she slowly said, “We have no foundation on Kunxu Layer One. Remember, do not use my name or reputation to cause trouble everywhere. After I leave, be as patient as possible. If you pass the Foundation Establishment qualification exam, then you must be even more discreet.”

Zhang Yu felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. His sister was really something. Was he, Zhang Yu, really like someone who would bully others by flaunting power and cause trouble everywhere?

“Don’t worry, Sister, just wait for me at Wanfa University. I’ll come find you in two years.”

After hanging up, Zhang Yu suddenly felt a sense of emptiness, as if a long-standing protector was ascending to heaven, leaving him to face the world alone in the future.

“Sigh, I should probably prepare for the Foundation Establishment Exam registration first.”

Zhang Yu picked up his phone and called his homeroom teacher, Su Haifeng directly: “Hello? Old Su, Bai Zhenzhen and I need to ask for two days off. This is something Senior Sister Zhang Pianpian wanted Bai Zhenzhen and me to help her with before she left. Can’t we even take this leave? Then I’ll just have to tell her that Senior Sister Zhang Pianpian will ascend to the Ascension Platform with regrets. Alright, thanks, Old Su.”

Time flew by, and soon it was the day before the Foundation Establishment Exam registration. Today was also the day Zhang Pianpian would step onto the Ascension Platform and officially depart.

Songyang City, Intercity Railway Station.

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were sitting together in the waiting room, awaiting the high-speed train to Tiantai City. They had booked a train to Tiantai City instead of a direct one to Xiandu, simply because they didn’t want to reveal their ultimate destination for this trip. At this moment, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were also continuing to seize the time to practice their breathing techniques. In the past few days, Zhang Yu’s stats had improved again: his mana had increased to 61.4, and his physical strength had reached level 6.08. However, he had even less money on him.

Especially during the college entrance examination period, various controls in Songyang City became increasingly strict, and the presence of constables could be seen on the streets near high schools from time to time. Not only were outsiders prohibited from entering major high schools, but even the Dark Study Gang had halted their tutoring activities, depriving Zhang Yu of a significant income. Zhang Yu could only sigh, recognizing that the college entrance examination was indeed a top-tier event, affecting university admissions, the quotas for ascending to the second layer, and the futures of countless individuals and families, to the extent that the entire Songyang City was on high alert. Consequently, his savings had dwindled to 50,000 within these few days.

“I still need to find a way to earn money. After returning from this registration… maybe I can expand the business of dark tutoring?”

Just over an hour later, Zhang Yu’s phone vibrated slightly, receiving a message from Zhang Pianpian.

Zhang Pianpian: I’m going first.

Immediately after, her profile picture turned gray, and Zhang Yu knew that, aside from some special communication methods, he would no longer be able to contact his sister until he ascended to Kunxu Layer Two. Thinking of this, a trace of loss welled up in Zhang Yu’s heart once more.

“The next time we meet will probably be in two years. Fortunately, I still have Azhen.”

He turned to look at Bai Zhenzhen, who was on the side, vigorously eating a bucket of synthetic food, and said, “Azhen? Why did you eat my share too?”

Bai Zhenzhen replied, “You were just staring blankly at your phone, so I thought you weren’t going to eat it.”

Zhang Yu: “You freaking…”

Soon after, having arrived at Tiantai City’s lower station, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen boarded another train bound for a different city.

More than ten hours passed in the blink of an eye. The speeding train advanced across the land. Zhang Yu looked at Azhen beside him and found her pressed against the train window, exclaiming, “Yuzi, look at that!”

In the distance, a sprawling, endless city stretched from the sky to the ground, a sight that continued as far as the eye could see. That was Xiandu City, the destination of Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen’s journey.

Above Xiandu City, white and golden auspicious clouds spread out like continents and islands. Countless immortal palaces and divine temples could be seen upon them, along with numerous skyscrapers towering amidst the clouds, resembling a city in the sky. Below this aerial city lay the perpetually shadowed ground, densely packed with buildings, and the flickering neon lights in the darkness.

A young man sitting not far from Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen pointed at the sky city and asked, “Uncle, have you ever been to the Upper City?”

The elderly man beside the youth, his face full of wrinkles, looked at the sight of Xiandu with a calm, unperturbed expression. “Yes,” he replied. “I worked up there when I was young. Back then, the Upper City only had a few floating islands. Later, it grew larger and larger, and the cloud cover thickened. Now, the rich people call it Kunxu Layer One and a Half. It became more and more prosperous up there, while down here in the Lower City… cloudy days increased, eventually turning into what it is now, where every day feels like night.”

The youth asked, “Without any daylight, isn’t it uncomfortable to live there?”

The old man scoffed, “As long as there’s money to be made, what difference does day or night make? Kid, let me tell you, even begging in Xiandu is better than working in a factory in other cities.”

As the train slowly came to a halt at the Lower City station, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen immediately felt a cold chill in the air upon disembarking. Looking up at the sky, they could only see the rolling sea of clouds of the Upper City. While the outer side of the city appeared as white and golden auspicious clouds, looking up from beneath the cloud layer revealed only a pitch-black expanse, like dark clouds constantly surging back and forth.

“Is it because the underside of the clouds is blocked from the sunlight by all the buildings and roads of the Upper City?”

“It’s really depressing,” Zhang Yu thought to himself. “If I stayed here for too long, it would be difficult to cultivate the Great Sun Qi Sea.”

The two didn’t wander around but stayed within the station, finding an empty corner and opening the registration website as Zhang Pianpian had instructed. In the past, they had tried opening this website multiple times, but each time it was blank, showing no information. Now, standing within Xiandu City, the registration website finally displayed information, but it was just a countdown.

“Hasn’t it started yet?”

The two simply strolled around the station for a while, marveling at the exorbitant prices: bento boxes costing over a hundred yuan, water bottles for ten yuan, and even stockings valued at fifty million yuan. They both lamented how expensive everything was.

Suddenly, Bai Zhenzhen pointed at the fifty-million-yuan white stockings and exclaimed, “Yuzi, those are actually external spiritual roots!”

Zhang Yu: “Hmm.”

Bai Zhenzhen: “If you wore those, it would be like having spiritual roots too.”

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes and said, “If anyone’s going to wear them, it’s you. Then you can give me your true spiritual roots.”

Bai Zhenzhen said, “Alright, then remember to buy them for me in the future.”

Zhang Yu didn’t believe he could ever afford such expensive external spiritual roots, so he casually said, “When I’m rich, I’ll buy you seven pairs, seven different colors, one for each day of the week, so you can change them daily…”

As the two continued their stroll, the countdown for registration finally ended. They looked at the instructions displayed: “Find a space with no surveillance, no outsiders, where you are completely alone, then click confirm.”