As her nimble fingers danced across the strings, the urgent Piano sound transformed into a dragon's roar piercing the heavens. Instantly, wind and thunder surged, and the first movement of the five-stringed zither, 'Shocking Thunder Sound,' resonated with heaven and earth.
Sword qi and thunder intertwined above the training ground, forming a Qi Condensation hurricane that forced the less cultivated disciples to retreat repeatedly. Had the elders not promptly erected protective barriers, half of them would have fainted on the spot.
Most captivating was the core of the sword light, where a crimson bamboo silhouette shimmered faintly.
This technique of condensing sword qi into a physical form held profound mysteries; a few Qi Condensation disciples bled from their eyes just by glimpsing the phantom, while Foundation Establishment cultivators turned pale and barely held on. Only those above Golden Core could comprehend the sword intent within.
Men Shao and others, who had previously harbored reservations about Qi Yuancheng, now found themselves bowing to his exquisite swordsmanship. Their discussions were filled with both pride in the Sect's ultimate techniques and pity for Immortal Maiden Yun.
Qing Feng, however, saw through the essence of the battle: when Qi Yuancheng failed to interrupt Yun Qingrao's opening move, the scales of victory had already tipped.
As the zither music flowed, the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy of the entire training ground submitted to Yun Qingrao, gradually transforming into her domain barrier.
With one side rising and the other falling, Qi Yuancheng's defeat was only a matter of time.
This sent a shiver down his spine; he had known Yun Qingrao's cultivation was unfathomable, but he hadn't expected her grasp of battle opportunities to be so precise.
Recalling the vast spiritual energy he had sensed when listening to the zither that day, and comparing the cultivation gap between his Master and Qi Yuancheng, Qing Feng had already foreseen the outcome.
The rules of the cultivation world have always been straightforward: when reason fails, the sword's edge speaks last.
Just as everyone thought the outcome still required a contest, the scales of victory suddenly tipped!
“Zheng!”
The zither strings vibrated with the roar of mountains, and vast earth Pulse Qi Refining converged from all directions.
Yun Qingrao sat serenely amidst the clouds, her surrounding mist transforming into an illusory continuous mountain range, which then plummeted with the weight of the entire earth.
Behind Qi Yuancheng, the crimson bamboo Dharma Idol shattered in response. This Peak Lord fell from high above like a broken-winged bird, his robes stained with blood, collapsing to the ground, completely stripped of his former dignity. In contrast, the Immortal Maiden on the cloud had not a single strand of her black hair out of place, as if a goddess from the Heavenly Palace had descended to the mortal realm.
Undercurrents surged among the spectators: the reverence in the eyes of Yixian Palace disciples nearly overflowed, while the Beast Taming Sect elders wore solemn expressions. The five-stringed zither had only been played three times, yet it already possessed the power to shatter mountains and break peaks.
With the conclusion of this battle, Hu Ji Peak could be said to have lost both its wife and its army. Its elite Disciple was publicly subdued, and its Peak Lord was overwhelmingly defeated, not only suffering a loss in combat power but also losing face. In contrast, Yixian Palace preserved the Sect's prestige and gained the Beast Taming Sect's secret manual, truly achieving both fame and fortune.
What was most astonishing was Chenming Peak Lord Qin Heng. This usually low-key Peak Lord had actually spoken up for Yun Qingrao before the competition.
He unexpectedly gained the favor of two major Sects, suppressed his old rival Hu Ji Peak in the Sect Grand Competition, and even facilitated a Disciple's marriage. Even Yuan Feng True Lord praised him for his 'foresight and preparedness.'
While everyone was still processing the sudden turn of events, Chen Ming Peak had quietly become the biggest winner.
Twilight enveloped the bluestone steps. Qin Heng tugged at his collar for the umpteenth time, still feeling an inexplicable tightness around his neck.
Dao Lord Zisu's cold snort upon parting still echoed in his ears, unsettling his mind.
“Is Master speculating about this Disciple?” Qing Feng had leaned against the corridor pillar at some point, his fingertips still stained with crumbs from a osmanthus cake.
The slight upward tilt at the corner of Qing Feng's eyes was exactly the same as when he was found in the snow all those years ago.
Qin Heng caressed the jade pendant at his waist, a new tassel knot tied by his Dao companion that morning. He suddenly realized that this Disciple, who always seemed to be dozing off, seemed to hide many secrets: “It’s about the Yun girl.”
“Shibo Zisu sent me a message the day before yesterday.” Qing Feng brushed off the cake crumbs from his robe, the moonlight elongating his shadow. “He said a Ice Soul Cold Light Sword is buried deep within the Sword Mound.”
Qin Heng’s pupils constricted slightly. That inherited sword required a pure Yin body to wield, and throughout the entire Sect, only his daughter Qin Yue met the criteria. He abruptly stood up, the teacups on the table clinking. “He wants Yun’er to switch Sects?”
“Shibo said the Master-Disciple relationship is merely a formality,” Qing Feng condensed a wisp of sword qi at his fingertips, sketching out a communication rune in the air, “just like how Grand-Shishu Hansu served both Elder Yuan Qing and the Sect Leader simultaneously back then.”
“Absurd!” As Qin Heng’s sword qi surged, the jade slips on the table all turned to dust.
He vaguely saw his daughter giggling in her swaddling clothes, clutching his finger, and an unspeakable ache welled up in his heart. “Why did he choose you as a go-between?”
Qing Feng suddenly revealed a cunning smile, stepping back half a pace in a defensive posture: “Shibo praised you for your profound blessings, having both a virtuous wife and a beloved daughter to bring you joy. Unlike him…”
Before he finished speaking, a sharp palm wind swept past the stray hairs on his forehead.
“You scoundrel!” Qin Heng laughed in exasperation, but the sword qi in his sleeve quietly dissipated by seventy percent.
This rebellious Disciple always managed to hit his sore spots precisely. That Zisu fellow indeed possessed a captivating appearance; last month during the Sect Grand Competition, even his own Dao companion had taken an extra look at the white-robed figure in the sword formation.
Qing Feng seized the opportunity to leap onto the roof beam, his robes fluttering with a hint of carefree abandon: “Shibo also said that if I diligently cultivate sword intent, I might not lose to that Yun.”
“Come down!” Qin Heng pointed his fingers like a sword, and the copper bell on the eaves fell in response. Watching his Disciple playfully catch the bell, he suddenly recalled that snowy night seventeen years ago.
The small child huddled on the Sect's stone steps, clutching half a frozen steamed bun tightly to his chest.
“Leave future matters to the future. Maybe one day I’ll wake up and attain the Dao. When that happens, I’ll bring Master along on the immortal path.” Qing Feng leaned against the bluestone, his arm serving as a pillow.
Qin Heng rolled his eyes: “By the time you attain the Dao, you might as well wait to see heaven and earth invert. From ancient times till now, those who have ascended to immortality are rarer than lost pearls in the ocean. Taking others with you to ascend? Unless you and your Master go to the netherworld together! Have you been slacking off and not reading the classics recently?”
“Don’t you often say that anything is possible?” Qing Feng casually plucked a bamboo leaf and twirled it.
“Stop your glib talk!” A slender hand poked his Disciple’s forehead. “With your three-days-fishing, two-days-drying-nets cultivation, it’ll be a miracle if you live longer than your Master.
Immortal Maiden Yun's cultivation is profound, and her 'Eight Melodies of the Luo River Goddess' will greatly benefit you. I specifically mentioned that you cultivate the Uncontending and Unfailing Technique to create an opportunity for you to interact with her.”
“Master wants me to… fall in love?” Qing Feng was so startled that the bamboo leaf fell to the ground.
“A toad lusting after a swan!” Qin Heng laughed in exasperation. “Her cultivation is even above mine. Do you think this is a teahouse listening to music? If you can comprehend some of the essence of the melodies, it will be enough to benefit you for half your life.”
“Actually, it should be called Eight Melodies,” Qing Feng suddenly said seriously. “Fuxi created the five-stringed zither but derived the Eight Trigrams. Just now, when Immortal Maiden Yun played, it secretly aligned with the Shocking Thunder, Gentle Wind, and Abysmal Water trigrams.”
Qin Heng’s pupils constricted slightly: “How did you learn of these ancient secrets? And Lin Qian’s undercover matter…” He looked suspiciously at this Disciple who always dozed off in the library.
“This Disciple merely uses the time others spend drinking tea to ponder the profound principles of heaven and earth.” Qing Feng brushed off the fallen petals from his clothes. “A sword in its sheath and having no sword to use are, after all, two different things.”
Watching the fleeting sharpness in his Disciple’s eyes, Qin Heng suddenly realized that this Qing Feng, who always clamored about being lazy, might have already secretly forged his own sword. “Where golden wind and jade dew meet, it surpasses countless human encounters.”