Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

Chapter 870 - 510: Life in the Inner State (3)

Dots of light appeared on the walls of the workshop. Were the souls about to gather?

Li Banfeng was prepared with weapons to deal with the Lost Souls, and faintly, there was singing coming from outside the workshop.

"My wound, your tears, blood and tears mixing with the same salty taste..."

This song seemed familiar.

The Silk-pulling Earrings whispered by his ear: "It’s still that person, the one singing Guokui."

Chu Zikai was here?

How could he be here?

What was his connection to the textile factory?

Li Banfeng left the workshop but didn’t see Chu Zikai anywhere.

Using the Insightful Spirit Sound Technique, he determined the direction of the singing. Chu Zikai was still in the main factory compound, likely between workshops five and six.

To know his exact location, he would have to keep listening to his song, but continuously listening to it was a very risky move, as he could be harmed at any moment.

Especially now that Li Banfeng was using the Insightful Spirit Sound Technique, if he got hit by a Blood-Splattered Homophone attack, it could potentially shake and break his internal organs.

Li Banfeng glanced back at Dumpling outside the wall; she still hadn’t left, and she had killed quite a few centipedes while helping him fight.

He looked at her and then at the distance, signaling her to escape quickly.

Dumpling hesitated a bit, and Li Banfeng glared at her.

Startled by his glare, Dumpling shuddered and turned to leave.

Li Banfeng couldn’t afford to be distracted; Chu Zikai was already closing in.

His singing never broke, but Li Banfeng didn’t feel any discomfort from it.

What was his purpose for singing?

Was it just to guard against Passing Glance?

Then he should be singing "I Am Your Pot Helmet."

Li Banfeng glanced at the Centipede Workshop, where the green glow on the wall was slowly fading, and the souls that were about to emerge retreated back into their bodies.

This indicated that the life force of the Centipede Workshop was reviving, pulling back from the brink of death.

Chu Zikai was using his singing to save this Inner State person.

It turned out that the Technique of Sound Cultivators could even have such effects, no wonder Lady would always sing to him whenever he got hurt.

Li Banfeng used Trample Over Thousands of Rivers, kicking several times at the workshop, and although the "Centipede Workshop" was tough, large chunks of bricks and stones fell off.

Chu Zikai’s figure flashed in midair; he still wore the bamboo hat, beneath which was a mask with large eyes, a high nose bridge, no lips, and outward-turning fangs.

Upon seeing the man in front of him, Chu Zikai was a bit surprised, not knowing his identity, although he had fought with him before.

Why was it him again?

The two exchanged glances for a moment, and Chu Zikai looked at Dumpling, who was escaping outside the wall: "I could kill her first."

This was a threat to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng nodded: "Go ahead, let’s see who is quicker."

With that, Li Banfeng vanished.

Chu Zikai immediately began singing, fully prepared to deal with the Passing Glance Technique.

This time, he wasn’t singing just one song; he was singing "I Am Your Pot Helmet" and "You Are My Medicine" simultaneously.

The two songs intertwined, with "I Am Your Pot Helmet" having a bold, catchy tune, whereas "You Are My Medicine," being more melancholic, was suppressed, making it almost indiscernible to Li Banfeng.

But the centipede could hear it; amidst the musical notes, steam pipes were slowly being repaired, conveyors were fixed, coal was fed back into the boilers, pressure gauges gradually showed readings, and pistons in the cylinders gently moved.

The "Centipede Workshop" was showing signs of life again.

If Chu Zikai truly managed to revive it, with both "Centipede Workshop" and Chu Zikai against him, Li Banfeng would have little chance of winning.

Chu Zikai was on edge, focusing on healing the "Centipede Workshop" while staying alert for Passing Glance, yet Li Banfeng hadn’t made a move.

Why hasn’t he acted yet? Is he trying to wear me down?

The Technique of Halting the Clouds with Sound was immensely draining, and Chu Zikai didn’t want to delay it, but he also didn’t dare to slack off for a moment.

He increased the volume of "You Are My Medicine," the metal pipes above the workshop slowly stirred, and it seemed the Centipede Workshop was about to rise.

Li Banfeng suddenly appeared on a tree by the wall, and Chu Zikai immediately used the Technique of Halting the Clouds with Sound to counter.

But Li Banfeng didn’t use any technique, disappearing again from the tree, leaving his gloves behind.

The gloves quietly revealed a hand-cranked phonograph, spinning the handle, playing the tune, a tune recorded by the Lady of the house.

Chu Zikai wanted to heal the "Centipede Workshop" as quickly as possible; "You Are My Medicine" was getting louder, but "I Am Your Pot Helmet" also increased in volume.

Someone is singing along with me!

The sound came from that tree.

Is it a companion brought by the opponent, or some kind of Spiritual Object?

The sound is very similar to mine, with the same rhythm and melody.

What’s the intention here?

Chu Zikai couldn’t grasp the opponent’s intent, and then Li Banfeng suddenly activated the Passing Glance Technique.

Chu Zikai was well-prepared, using "I Am Your Pot Helmet" to stall the Passing Glance before it could take effect.

Buzz!

The tone shifted, and Chu Zikai was ready to redirect the technique to his side.

Yet, as soon as the technique was out, it went awry.

The redirected technique didn’t hit Dumpling but struck the "Centipede Workshop."

Chu Zikai was shocked; his singing had gone off-key due to the phonograph’s song, causing the technique to misfire.

It was just like the time when the exploding off-road vehicle, originally unaffected by Passing Glance, ended up causing significant damage to the workshop due to Chu Zikai’s redirection.

Bang!

The Centipede Workshop shook, and one of its walls was completely blown apart.

The main steam pipeline, just restored, was blown apart, and equipment and instruments from the pipeline were scattered everywhere.

The steam chamber and cylinder in the center of the workshop were blasted to pieces, and this wasn’t even the most critical damage.