The rules were simple. As long as both parties agreed, there was nothing to argue about.
Seeing that the competition could not be stopped, Emperor Phoenix did not say anything else. He arranged for the elders to gather the clansmen. Soon, a thousand phoenixes that had yet to transform flew over.
Soon, their five senses were sealed, leaving only their hearing.
"They can't see or touch now. They can only hear!"
The Phoenix Emperor waved his hand, and two light shields appeared on both sides of the stone platform outside the palace. "This is the [Five Colored Divine Light Shield] that I specially created. It can block all detection. As long as the two of you enter, the thousand phoenixes will definitely not know who is playing the zither."
"Thank you, Emperor Phoenix!" Yu Zhangqiong nodded.
She had been wondering if the other party, as an honored guest of the Phoenix Clan, would give her special treatment and make her suffer secretly. Now, it seemed that Emperor Phoenix did not care to do so. This young man seemed to be very confident in himself and did not do so.
"Then let's begin!"
Yu Zhangqiong's eyes flashed. She suddenly appeared in front of one of the light shields, paused for a moment, and then entered the other one.
After entering, she sat down. With a flip of her wrist, a guqin appeared and floated in the air, exuding a faint aura and ancient charm.
"It's the Langya Guqin!"
Emperor Phoenix's eyebrows rose when he recognized it.
"Father, is this guqin very famous?"
Princess Feng Qiqiu asked. It was unknown if she really did not know or if she had other motives.
"Very famous! Guqin Saint Li Wannian. You should know him! "
Emperor Phoenix looked at his daughter and said, "Legend has it that before he became a Saint, he passed by Langya Mountain and traveled for more than a month. He was immersed in the charm of the mountains and rivers. He was so immersed in it that he forgot to eat. One day, he felt something and took out his guqin to play. The more he played, the louder it became. For a moment, the skylarks in the sky chirped, and the clouds stopped. Just as the song was about to end, he suddenly discovered that an ancient tree was dancing under his zither music. The tree branches hit each other and made 'dong dong dong' sounds, just like music. "
"His own guqin complemented the sound of the tree. It was like the sound of nature! At that moment, he successfully comprehended the true meaning of the Divine Path and laid a solid foundation for him to become a Saint in the future.
"In order to commemorate this moment, I found this tree trunk and extracted seven dragon tendons to make it into a zither. Since then, this zither has been famous all over the world. In the entire Celestial Realm, it can be ranked in the top three!"
"So powerful?" Princess Feng Qiqiu stuck out her tongue in disbelief.
The Phoenix Emperor said, "It's not just powerful. When this zither is played, it can also make 'dong dong dong' sounds. Together with the sound of the zither, the power is more than doubled. It's one thing to be skilled in the zither, but only with powerful zither strings can one play a more perfect piece of music. This is the so-called 'if a worker wants to do a good job, he must first sharpen his tools'."
"Hmm …" Princess Feng Qiqiu nodded and looked at the young man. She saw that he had also entered another light barrier. There was also a guqin in front of him.
It was not an ancient zither, nor was it a famous zither. It was made of bamboo and steel wire. Although it was also an immortal artifact, it was very simple and crude.
Compared to the other party, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
The Phoenix Empress could not bear it. "Su Yin, my young friend, I have a Phoenix Tail Guqin here. Although it is not as good as the Langya Guqin, it is not too bad. I can lend it to you for the time being …"
"Thank you for your kindness, Phoenix Empress. I want all the Phoenixes to feel the charm of music. It is a competition of sincerity, heart, and will. The level of the zither is secondary."
Su Yin smiled and refused.
"You want to attack my heart before it even starts? You are too inexperienced! "Yu Zhangqiong sneered.
She meant that it was obviously unfair for him to rely on the advantage of the zither. He had cultivated for many years. How could he be disrupted by a single sentence?
Su Yin shook his head and could not be bothered with her. He took a deep breath and stroked the strings in front of him.
This was the zither he had made himself in the Forbidden Grounds.
Due to the limited materials, it could barely reach the level of an immortal artifact. Compared to the Langya Guqin, it was indeed a far cry. However, he had been using it since he started learning the zither. It had been many years.
Not only was he familiar with it, but when he was being influenced by the Holy Will, it was also by his side. Although its level was not high, it was very easy to use. If it were other zithers, he might not be able to use it.
Ding dong! Ding dong!
Knowing that her words were useless, Yu Zhangqiong could not be bothered to say more. She plucked gently, and the sound of the zither immediately flowed out. It was like pearls and jade falling on a copper plate, or like a stream hitting a rock. Waves of crisp sounds that struck one's heart resounded throughout the place and reverberated in everyone's ears.
In an instant, the Phoenix Thearch and the others seemed to have entered a valley filled with greenery. Countless trees towered into the clouds, and the fragrance of flowers assailed their nostrils. Birds chirped, and along with the gentle breeze, it was intoxicating.
"Is this Langya Mountain? I must go and take a look in the future … "
Princess Feng Qiqiu muttered to herself. Fairy Jiuqu also opened her eyes wide. Her beautiful face was intoxicated.
One had to admit that Yu Zhangqiong was indeed one of the few great zither masters in the world. Just a few notes were enough to capture everyone's attention. They were immersed in it and could not extricate themselves.
The Phoenix Emperor nodded. "No wonder Cang Qiong, Huang Quan, and the others like to invite her to play. Listening to such music is indeed a pleasure …"
For Yu Zhangqiong to be able to become the guest of honor of so many Saints, she indeed had amazing skills. Even the Phoenix Emperor felt intoxicated by this music and could not extricate himself.
"Look!"
Right at this moment, an elder shouted.
Everyone looked up and saw the clouds in the sky. They heard the music and seemed to have stopped. The trees around the palace kept swaying as if they were helping to beat the music.
"It's the [Sound Shaking the Forest and Stopping the Clouds]. It's an extremely high level of zither skills. It's much stronger than the so-called [Lingering for three days, Lingering Sound]. It's almost at the level of a saint!"
The Phoenix Emperor's eyes narrowed.
Back then, the Zither Saint Li Wannian had played a tune of this level in Langya Mountain. That was how he comprehended the Divine Path and broke through.
It could be said that she was the first person below the Divine Path to be able to do this.
No wonder she was so obsessed with finding the Phoenix Perch Wood. Once she found it, she could make a zither that was comparable to the Langya Zither. Perhaps she could immediately surpass the Zither Saint and enter the Saint Realm!
Of course, the prerequisite was that a spot appeared.
Chirp! Chirp!
Chirp! While everyone was still in shock, the thousand phoenixes whose senses had been sealed flew up and circled above Yu Zhangqiong. They kept spinning as if they were enjoying this amazing music.
The Phoenix Emperor looked at the young man and sighed. "He's going to lose …"
Putting aside the difference in levels of the zither, the skill of making the phoenixes dance was not something an ordinary person could do. Even Abbess Yu Qing, Daoist Beimang Hai Jinghong, and Sword Immortal Roaming Dragon of the Tianyi Pavilion that Yu Zhangqiong had mentioned earlier could not do it!
This could only be done when one had mastered the Way of Music to the extreme.
"Su Yin is an honored guest of the Phoenix Clan. I hope the Phoenix Emperor can save his life later …" Fairy Jiuqu gritted her teeth.
"Of course!"
The Phoenix Emperor nodded. "I'll do my best to guarantee it, but … it depends on Yu Zhangqiong. The bet is set. If he insists, there's nothing I can do."
Fairy Jiuqu nodded, speechless.
"What's wrong? Are you tempted by him? "Feng Qiqiu was curious.
"Of course not … It's him who owes me pills. If he dies, who will I ask for them?" Fairy Jiuqu snorted.
"Haha!"
Feng Qiqiu shook her head as if recalling something. "Back then, I was as stubborn as you. In the end, I'm the only one who regrets it!"
"The honored guest is starting …"
While they were talking, a shout rang out. Everyone looked toward Su Yin and saw that his zither music was indeed flowing out.
There was no flashy technique, no shocking high notes or low notes. It was just tactful and tugging at one's heartstrings. The sound was not loud, but it easily suppressed Yu Zhangqiong's zither music. It flowed into everyone's heart through their acupoints, making their hair stand on end from the bottom of their hearts.
"This is … Soul Imbuing Zither Music, Soul Bone Resonance?" Everyone was stunned.
The reason why "Lingering for Three Days, Lingering Sound" and "Shaking the Forest, Stopping the Clouds" were said to be supreme skills that had yet to reach the Saint realm was that although the zither music was beautiful, it could not enter one's soul.
However, the zither music that the other party played actually reached deep into one's bones, as if it was resonating from the depths of one's soul.
This sound formed a unique resonance with the air and the ground. Even if one blocked their hearing and shut off their five senses, they could still hear it clearly!
The Phoenix Monarch's body stiffened. "This is a tune that only a Saint can play …"
Yu Zhangqiong's zither music made him feel very comfortable, but after listening to it, it was over. At most, he felt nostalgic and reluctant to part with it. It was like eating a delicious meal. No matter how delicious it was, one would forget it after a long time.
This difference seemed to be hidden in the depths of one's soul. It constantly stimulated one's heart and made one unable to let go of it for a long time.
It was like yearning. It would not change with the passage of time or distance. Instead, it would become more and more intense, and eventually materialize.
After listening to this, the other zither music would be as boring as listening to noise.
After crossing the vast ocean, no water can be seen. Apart from Mount Wu, no clouds can be seen.
Putong! Putong! Putong!
The phoenixes flying in the sky fell from the sky because they enjoyed it too much. They were all injured from the fall, but they did not know it. Some of them stacked together, not daring to move for fear of disturbing the beautiful music.
Peng!
The pillars around the hall were carved from metal, and at this moment, a loud rumbling sound echoed from them.
"Sincerity can move metal … I used to think that it's just an exaggeration, but to think that it's true …" an elder muttered to himself.
The zither music carried sincerity, heart, and intent. Under its influence, it could even move metal.
His zither skills had reached an unimaginable level. It was impossible to judge it with words.
Kacha!
A string on the Langya Zither snapped, and Yu Zhangqiong came to a halt.
There was no need to look at the number of phoenixes to know that he had lost!
It was a crushing defeat!
Pu!
He spurted a mouthful of blood, and the arrogance in his eyes disappeared.
All along, he had thought that as long as the Zither Saint did not make a move, he would be the number one in the world in terms of music. Who would have thought that he would be defeated by a young man who came out of nowhere?
Weng!
After coming to a halt, Su Yin put away his zither and slowly stood up. "Brother Yu, how was it?"
"I've lost …"
Yu Zhangqiong walked out of the light barrier and sighed.
With so many people watching, there was no way he could deny it.
"Since you've admitted to it, I hope that Brother Yu can honor our bet!" Su Yin said.
"Of course!" Yu Zhangqiong nodded. With a flick of his wrist, a skeleton appeared before everyone's eyes. "Here, take it!"
After saying those words, he bowed deeply to the Phoenix Monarch and said, "I've troubled the Phoenix Monarch over the past few days. I'll be taking my leave now!"
With that, he turned around to leave.
"Hold it!" Su Yin blocked Yu Zhangqiong's path with a livid face. "Brother Yu, there's something wrong with what you've taken out!"
What had appeared before him was not the skeleton of Li Wannian but the skeleton of an ordinary Quasi-Sage. It could be said that it was valuable, but to him, it meant nothing at all.
Yu Zhangqiong sneered coldly. "Brother Su, what you want in the bet is the skeleton in my storage ring. Is there anything wrong with me giving you a skeleton?"
"You know very well what I want. It's definitely not this skeleton!" Su Yin said with a glint in his eyes.
During the bet, he had been afraid that he would reveal the skeleton and cause unnecessary trouble, so he had only mentioned it vaguely. He did not think that Yu Zhangqiong would be able to take advantage of the loophole.
"If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not saying it clearly. How could I know what you want?"
Yu Zhangqiong chuckled. "I've already fulfilled the bet. Are you trying to snatch it from me?"
Even though he had lost, and he was shocked and upset, he could not possibly hand over the skeleton of a Sage just like that!
The skeleton was the key to achieving a breakthrough to Sainthood. How could he give it away to an outsider so easily?
"I made the bet with you because I didn't want to resort to violence. Since that's the case, let's see who's stronger then!"
Knowing that Yu Zhangqiong was intending to deny it, Su Yin knew that it was pointless for him to say anything more. Thus, he could not be bothered to say anything more. With a thought, he channeled the holy spiritual aura from Wei Boyang's skeleton into his dantian, and a powerful surge of energy flowed through his body.
Boom!
Feeling the surge of energy, Su Yin raised his fist and punched toward Yu Zhangqiong.
"Phoenix Monarch …"
Not expecting Yu Zhangqiong to make a move so decisively, Yu Zhangqiong shot a glance at the Phoenix Monarch.
"This is a matter between the two of you. I won't interfere!"
The Phoenix Monarch waved his hand. "However, Su Yin is an esteemed guest of our Phoenix Clan. If you try to kill him, I'll teach you a lesson!"
At this moment, he could tell that Yu Zhangqiong was unwilling to fulfill the bet. However, it was also Su Yin's fault for not making things clear when they made the bet. As an outsider, it was inappropriate for him to interfere.
"It's good that the Phoenix Monarch isn't making a move!"
Yu Zhangqiong knew that the other party had already given her a lot of face by going this far, so she did not say anything more.
Zhang Xuan had comprehended the Way of Music, so his offensive prowess was not strong. However, he was still a Quasi-Sage pinnacle cultivator. As he drove his cultivation to its limits, the air in the surroundings began to whimper, as if he was playing a musical movement.
Those who were caught in the middle of the musical movement felt as if they had been caught in a tidal wave, unable to escape or leave the area.
"Humph!"
Su Yin's face darkened. He flicked his wrist, and a surge of searing flames shot toward Yu Zhangqiong. The searing heat made it difficult for her to breathe.
"Primal Yang Pill Flame … Y-you know the ultimate move of the Pill Sage?"
Yu Zhangqiong narrowed her eyes in astonishment.
(Author's Note: Continue begging for monthly votes! Let's see if we can get two thousand votes this month … There's more coming up in the afternoon!)
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