“Boom—”
A long, pale-green zither, intricately carved with magnolia patterns, emerged from the array.
Following the zither's appearance, a figure in a tattered white dress stained with mud, her smooth silver hair trailing along the ground, silently floated out into the air.
The young woman stepped barefoot onto the grass. Her icy gaze swept over the terrified Bai Songxu and the composed Wen Li, a flicker of confusion crossing her pale, sickly face.
“Where... is this?”
It seemed as though she hadn't spoken for a long time, as her voice was somewhat raspy when she spoke.
【Ding! Congratulations on unlocking the sixth villain, Xin Jiuxian.】
Wen Li felt the powerful aura rapidly approaching the foot of the Tingyin Pavilion's mountain. She adopted the warm, predatory smile of a child snatcher.
“We are near the Tingyin Pavilion.”
“I... left the Tingyin Pavilion...”
She slowly stepped forward. Taking advantage of Xin Jiuxian’s confusion, Wen Li delivered a swift hand-chop to the back of her neck.
However...
“You hit me.”
Xin Jiuxian didn't pass out. Instead, she turned her head with an icy expression, a hint of irritability flaring in her eyes as she looked at Wen Li.
“...” Why is this kid so resilient?
Could it be because she’s an artifact soul and hasn't fully manifested a physical form yet?
The air became thick with an awkward silence. Wen Li hadn't expected this either. “No, no, listen to me. It's like this... see, well, we all understand the way the world works, right?”
Hurry up and make something up! “Oh, I saw a mosquito on your neck. I was just helping you swat it. No need to thank me.”
Bai Songxu squatted on the ground, silently packing his things and preparing to make a run for it. He had heard her say she'd left the Tingyin Pavilion; didn't that mean this artifact soul belonged to them? He was finished. He'd been so focused on hitting his recruitment targets for artifact souls that he'd forgotten to ask.
He'd forgotten to ask if the zither actually belonged to her before performing the ritual!
Listening to her nonsense, Xin Jiuxian’s patience reached its limit. She raised her hand to strike, but as soon as she moved, her face turned pale, and her body began to tremble. Under the sunlight, she actually showed signs of becoming transparent and vanishing.
Wen Li immediately moved to collect the Yulan Floating Light Zither behind her. Before Xin Jiuxian could react, she turned into a phantom and was sucked back into the zither.
Without a word of farewell, Wen Li mounted her sword and swiftly flew away.
“Hey! Wait! I’m still here!”
Bai Songxu’s eyes widened at the sight, and he stomped his feet in frustration. That person didn't even say thank you! Not daring to delay, he hurriedly grabbed the last of his belongings and fled.
“Ancestor, are you still there?”
Bai Songxu asked the quiet air around him as he ran. Suddenly, a cold wind brushed past, and a slap landed on the other side of his face—the one that hadn't been hit yet.
Slap!
“Hehe, thank you for your protection, Ancestor. Now they're symmetrical.”
Giggling like an idiot, Bai Songxu grabbed his banner and rushed down the mountain.
...
Xin Feiliu had practically teleported from the city back to the Tingyin Pavilion nestled among the mountains.
A streak of light appeared within the forbidden ground in the back mountains of the Tingyin Pavilion.
With a wave of her hand, a powerful pulse of energy swept through the forbidden ground, passing over countless peaks, forests, and ponds.
Five seconds later.
Xin Feiliu’s expression turned frigid.
She couldn't sense Xin Jiuxian’s aura at all. Who? Who had the audacity to take her away?!
Xin Feiliu’s body blurred as she vanished from the spot. She flew high into the sky, her hands forming seals to spread a wave of light-green spiritual energy in all directions, covering the entire Tingyin Pavilion at a speed of nearly ten thousand li per second.
This aura triggered the Tingyin Pavilion’s barrier.
Boom!
The barrier trembled with a resonant aftershock.
The other Tingyin Pavilion disciples who hadn't gone to the Xianle Grand Ceremony were startled, looking up at the disturbed barrier.
“What's happening? Is the Tingyin Pavilion under attack?”
“No, it's not an attack. It's the Second Elder.”
“Eh? What is the Second Elder doing?”
...
Within Xianle City.
In the square of the Xianle Grand Ceremony, the crowd waiting for the Supreme Elder of the Tingyin Pavilion to appear suddenly received news.
“Apologies, everyone. Due to an unexpected incident, the Supreme Elder will be unable to attend the Xianle Grand Ceremony to discuss the Dao through music today.”
Linghu Ci, the Third Elder of the Tingyin Pavilion, stood on the Celestial Stage with a polite, apologetic smile.
Upon hearing this, the tens of thousands of people present erupted into a roar of chatter.
“Why can't she come? A sudden incident? Did something just happen?”
“To just cancel like that... I came specifically to see the Supreme Elder.”
“Could something have gone wrong?”
Amidst the varying opinions, Linghu Ci projected his voice. “Everyone, although the Supreme Elder cannot attend, our Grand Elder will perform in her stead. He specializes in moving the soul through sound, which can nourish the meridians and bodies of both cultivators and mortals. Those with the affinity may find their chronic ailments healed, and those with even greater affinity might gain insight into the rhythms of heaven and earth to join the path of a music cultivator. Anyone interested may undergo our sect’s entrance exam right here to join the Tingyin Pavilion.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the dissatisfied voices gradually died down.
“Huh? I thought the Tingyin Pavilion didn't recruit publicly and only accepted internal recommendations?”
“Ah, you wouldn't know. The Tingyin Pavilion is divided into the Inner and Outer Valleys. To enter the Inner Valley, you need a recommendation from someone already inside. But anyone can join the Outer Valley—even sword cultivators or talisman cultivators. They're essentially registered disciples, but they still get to enjoy the sect's resources.”
“However, they usually only recruit for the Outer Valley at fixed times. This is the first time I've seen them recruit directly at the Xianle Grand Ceremony.”
Although most people had come for the Supreme Elder, since they were told she couldn't come, what else could they say? Express their dissatisfaction to a Soul Formation cultivator?
That would be a death wish.
The audience in the stands began to clap and cheer.
Linghu Ci vanished, replaced by a white-haired old man walking on the wind.
“Everyone, I am the Grand Elder of the Tingyin Pavilion, Shengji.”
Without further ado, he sat down in the sky and waved a hand. An ancient black zither appeared. He placed his hands over the zither, and though his fingertips didn't move, music began to resonate!
“This is... controlling the zither with Divine Sense!”
“What he's playing isn't the sound of a zither, but the sound of the soul.”
The crowd’s chatter subsided. No one wanted to miss this opportunity; they immediately circulated their spiritual energy to nourish their Divine Sense and meridians along with the music.
Meanwhile, Zongzheng Huangyue had no heart for the music. Her eyes scanned the surroundings. Her Master had said she would be right back, but half a shichen had already passed.
Her Master had vanished just before the commotion in the Tingyin Pavilion. Could it be that Master...
Zongzheng Huangyue’s brows furrowed slightly. Although she strongly disliked Hua Cishu, she felt compelled to send him a message via Divine Sense.
“If things go south during the ceremony, follow me and run.”
Hua Cishu didn't like her either, but he remained quiet for once.
Zongzheng Huangyue remembered every intersection they had passed on the way here and began calculating the best escape route.
Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
Rate on N.U.
