Since the Grand Audience Assembly, the "Wind and Snow Array Entry Tune" has swept through the Cultivation World, spawning countless adaptations and becoming a staple at major immortal banquets.
Most believed this piece was composed by ancient sages, with Fairy Miaoyan breathing new life into it.
She was deservedly called the "second author," the contemporary master who understood this composition best.
Song Qianji had been holed up in Thousand Canals farming, far removed from the Cultivation World's affairs, unaware of these intricacies.
He'd only heard a collaborative version at Immortal Official Liu's place in neighboring Hongfu County—reportedly also arranged by Fairy Miaoyan.
He bluntly pointed out its flaws.
Immortal Official Liu was deeply embarrassed, and the matter naturally never spread.
Now the pipa's notes charged forth aggressively.
The phoenix illusion swooped down, its golden feathers bristling like burning flames.
The Thousand Canals contingent tensed immediately, clearly feeling the hall's temperature rise and the air grow scorching, as if real flames surrounded them.
As the fire licked at their eyebrows, a xiao's melody arose—initially deep, almost mournful, yet exceedingly gentle.
Faint as spring breeze-carried drizzle, it sprinkled delicately.
The phoenix illusion scattered under this light rain, a cool barrier rising invisibly to shield Thousand Canals' disciples.
Meng Heze sweated profusely, gripping his sword hilt as he transmitted: "If we're struggling this much, how is Senior Brother Song faring? We should break out now!"
Lin Feiyuan shed his usual roguish demeanor, soberly replying: "Wait longer. He's still holding steady."
Aside from Thousand Canals' disciples behind Song Qianji, other guests only heard harmonious music blending seamlessly—not a contest, but flawless coordination that stirred their hearts.
Many hummed along, as if entering the music's realm, their Spirit Qi circulating with increasing smoothness.
Miaoyan's fingertips plucked and lifted, the pipa's notes scaling perilous heights to even greater altitudes.
Suddenly, solitary peaks and sheer cliffs stood before everyone's eyes, like swords pointing at the sky.
That night by the dark pool, He Qingqing's performance of "Wind and Snow Array Entry Tune" excelled in raw sincerity and heartfelt emotion, directly moving listeners' souls.
Like a lone traveler at world's end facing relentless blizzards, standing against the entire world.
But she lacked Miaoyan's years of rigorous practice and perfected technical mastery, let alone the dual amplification of "Phoenix Platform" and Cloud Sea Grand Formation.
In terms of pure musical power, this current performance was undoubtedly supreme.
Yet Song Qianji appeared relaxed, his xiao's melody shifting as if traversing flat land beyond the treacherous peaks.
The towering mountains dissolved before the crowd, leaving only wind-swept clouds and a light rain dampening fallen blossoms.
"I don't understand—the xiao clearly isn't as loud as the pipa," Meng Heze asked Lin Feiyuan. "Is Senior Brother Song losing?"
Having heard Lin Feiyuan sing at Song Courtyard—shifting voices between multiple personas, male to female, coarse to delicate—he knew the other had some musical knowledge.
"Not at all." Lin Feiyuan frowned. "The 'Phoenix Platform' aligns with fire element. Superficially clear and resonant like phoenix cries, it's actually violent and fierce as phoenix fire.
This jade xiao Song Qianji borrowed leans cold in nature, its tone icy with purifying, demon-dispelling properties. They counteract each other—Fairy Miaoyan can't gain easy advantage."
Meng Heze understood: "So Senior Brother Song deliberately borrowed a xiao instead of using 'Seven Wonders Zither'?"
"The 'Seven Wonders Zither' is Qin Xian's Mystic Treasure. Once played, its spiritual pressure suppresses all other instruments. Using it against Celestial Sound Sect's junior would be bullying with superior power, easily criticized..."
Reaching this point, Lin Feiyuan glared at Song Qianji's back and cursed:"What kind of time is this? Surrounded by enemies, and you still act the gentleman? So tender toward the fairer sex?"
"Brother Song isn't pretending to be a gentleman," Ji Chen wiped sweat from his forehead—the pipa music made him perspire profusely. "I believe he truly is one!"
Beneath the grand formation, winds gathered and clouds scudded outside the hall.
Inside Cosmos Palace, red silks fluttered wildly, jade tables shook, and cups of green-ant spirit wine swirled with the sound waves, creating ripples.
As the xiao's melody intensified, a golden phoenix burst through the pipa's surface, soaring into the highest heavens.
A crane's cry echoed as white cranes reared by Huawel Sect cultivators broke through the clouds, dancing gracefully, followed by fierce birds like eagles and black hawks spreading their wings.
From the forests, countless songbirds—orioles, magpies, cuckoos—flew from their nests to perch on branches, chirping in chorus.
"Phoenix Paying Homage to the Birds!" someone exclaimed in awe.
Though deep winter had just passed with snow, all the birds on Huawel Mountain were awakened, stretching their necks in unison to sing, bolstering the pipa's melody.
Miaoyan's supporters gained momentum:
"At the Grand Audience Assembly, Mengzhi Fairy's zither also attracted birds, but compared to Fairy Miaoyan, it seemed like superficial glamour—flashy but substance-less."
"None can match Fairy Miaoyan!"
The pipa's notes turned murderous as blades, like a battle horn, while thousands of bird cries assaulted Song Qianji's ears.
Any ordinary Nascent Soul Realm cultivator would have had their consciousness shattered into idiocy by now.
"Miaoyan has gone mad with killing intent!" Feng Ziyi hurriedly covered her white tiger's ears.
Though the other guests weren't targeted by the music's lethal will, spiritual beasts were more sensitive to sound. The white tiger thrashed its tail wildly, nearly losing control.
In truth, Miaoyan wasn't faring well either. The xiao's melody wrapped around her like a great net. She struggled to break free but felt herself approaching her limit, like a zither string stretched taut to the breaking point.
Song Qianji's smile gradually faded.
The xiao's voice grew hoarse as the Wind and Snow Array Entry Tune transitioned to its second movement.
The driving rain scattered, replaced by northern winds blowing snow. The hundred birds wailed mournfully.
The golden phoenix dispersed once more. Miaoyan's face turned deathly pale, her brow slightly furrowed.
"Senior Sister Miaoyan, let me aid you!"
Behind He Qingqing, a female cultivator in pink robes suddenly stood, summoning a zither shimmering with azure light.
"Zheng!" The zither's note erupted like a longsword cleaving into the pipa-xiao duet.
"Mengzhi Fairy has arrived too!" someone cried out.
For a moment, three melodies tangled in combat. Miaoyan's pressure eased slightly, allowing her to catch her breath.
Gritting her teeth, she poured all her spirit qi into the pipa with fierce determination!
Amid the wind and snow, the phoenix's cry severed the western wind!
Mengzhi gradually lost stability in her plucking, her form swaying precariously.
"To think Song Qianji is this powerful—holding his own against two opponents simultaneously."
Suddenly, a sound like tearing silk, piercingly harsh, shattered the musical harmony.
A "feather string" snapped on the zither.
Seeing this, sound cultivators from Celestial Sound Sect holding se, flute, and konghou instruments rose together:
"We'll assist our senior sister!"
As fellow sound cultivators, the deeper their cultivation, the better they understood the peril within the music.
Miaoyan wasn't just representing herself now—she embodied their entire sect's younger generation.
She absolutely could not lose.
One after another, cultivators stood, various instruments joining the ensemble, magical artifacts illuminating the hall with colorful gathered light.
The music halted passing clouds, its energy shaking the highest heavens.
Celestial Sound Sect stood united.
Ensemble playing wasn't mere addition—each new musical layer multiplied the power exponentially.
Amid the magnificent ensemble, the pipa's momentum surged dramatically.
The formation's power grew stronger through the music. Huawel Sect's five Peak Lords focused completely, pouring spirit qi until the sea of clouds churned with waves.
Chaotic clouds were utterly shredded, scattering like snowflakes.
Under the azure sky, it seemed as if a heavy snow had fallen.
Song Qianji's brow slightly furrowed, the jade xiao at his lips trembling faintly.Meng Heze trembled with rage: "How could they be so unreasonable, everyone ganging up on my senior brother alone?!"
In that moment, he bitterly regretted not understanding the Sound Path, unable to offer any assistance.
Someone retorted defiantly: "Since Song Qianji dared to issue such a provocative challenge, he should be prepared to face all members of the Celestial Sound Sect."
"Shall we fight our way out?" Meng Heze transmitted via Divine Sense.
"Wait longer!" Lin Feiyuan's face was dark as still water.
"Still waiting?" Ji Chen ruffled his hair in frustration.
"Wait!" Lin Feiyuan snapped.
Everyone stared intently at Song Qianji, noticing unnatural crimson flushing his face as if he might vomit blood and collapse at any moment.
Yet he closed his eyes.
Song Qianji was indeed affected by the formation, his blood and qi churning, chest tight and swollen.
The xiao melody penetrated the heavy encirclement, growing increasingly solitary and cold as it progressed.
But this united, magnified momentum instead allowed him to gradually enter an optimal state.
With eyes closed, he decided to forget where he was, focusing only on playing to his heart's content, blowing with complete abandon.
It had been long since he last touched a musical instrument.
The jade xiao felt smooth and cool, refreshing to the heart and spirit—like a sword.
As the ensemble reached its final movement, sound waves rolled around him, an endless bitter sea ahead, countless pursuers behind.
He stood alone between heaven and earth holding a cold sword, facing the sky-obscuring tidal wave alone.
Having fought across three thousand miles alone, a single sword once held off a million troops.
How exhilarating! Song Qianji inwardly roared.
The xiao melody completely spiraled out of control!
Suddenly like iron horses crossing frozen rivers, then like millions of pear trees blossoming. Ever-changing, infinite and boundless.
Several strings snapped as muffled groans successively arose among the Celestial Sound Sect members.
Three or four Sound Cultivators could no longer endure, collapsing to sit on the ground.
Within the hall, phoenix xiao notes stirred, jade tables' wine cups shattered, and five-colored carps danced wildly in the sea of clouds.
The stunned guests fell silent. Some gradually felt breathing difficulties, not daring to listen further.
Song Qianji's thoughts drifted beyond the Cosmos Palace, his Divine Sense sinking into his own Domain.
This time the continent's edge wasn't snowy plains, without thousands of troops surrounding him.
He saw wheat waves swaying in the wind, a golden ocean under sunlight.
This was his current life's Domain.
He opened his eyes.
Instantly, spring returned to heaven and earth.
Plants and trees revived!
Song Qianji felt a vast vitality pouring into his spiritual platform.
The Fountain of Immortality he had sprinkled on Hua Wei Mountain's ancient tree last night was now repaid a thousandfold.
"Twang!" A string snapped on the Phoenix Platform as Miaoyan spat out a mouthful of heart's blood, staining her dress.
The formation had merged with her music, and the formation-driver simultaneously suffered backlash.
The sky's flower illusions abruptly scattered, the Grand Formation suddenly chaotic, Spirit Qi violently colliding within the sea of clouds, emitting thunderous rumbles.
The ensemble collapsed as the Celestial Sound Sect's orchestra retreated in defeat.
The xiao melody continued while Miaoyan stared blankly at the broken string, seemingly unable to believe it.
"Senior Sister!" The Sound Cultivators exchanged miserable glances, feeling utter despair.
Suddenly, qin music sounded again.
Everyone couldn't help but feel horrified—who would still dare challenge Song Qianji now, were they tired of living?!
He Qingqing gently brushed the qin strings, harmonizing with the xiao melody as she softly sang: "Through winds a journey, through snows a journey, knowing your immortal bones know no cold or heat, meeting after millennia feels like morning and dusk..."
Her voice was exquisite, completely devoid of killing intent.
Her coldly beautiful face seemed veiled in soft light.
Outside the Cosmos Palace, the clouds and snow ceased as warm sunlight showered down, gentle breezes blowing.
Song Qianji's xiao melody gradually softened following the qin music.
The blizzard of swords disappeared, "a lone sail's shadow vanishes in blue skies," as qin and xiao merged into one.
As the piece ended, the great hall fell utterly silent.
Soaked in such soul-stirring music, all cultivators' senses reached extreme sensitivity.
As if experiencing cultivation enlightenment, they could clearly hear the whispering wind, occasional birdsong, the sea of clouds' churning, five-colored carps' tail splashes.
And the sound of flowers blooming.—Pop, pop.
Like bursting bubbles, tender flower buds bloomed in unison.
"The flowers are blooming!" Li Ying turned her head and exclaimed in delight.
Not just one flower—every blossom on Huawel Mountain had opened.
Above and below, a sea of flowers stretched endlessly.
The vitality of heaven and earth surged forth. The blocked and stagnant spirit veins of the cultivators cleared, and they couldn't help but cheer and rejoice.
"The flowers are blooming, and blooming beautifully!"
"My barrier has loosened—I can break through when I return today."
"So I've never truly heard celestial music before..."
The disciples of Thousand Canals, being closest to Song Qianji, benefited the most. Next were those around Song Qianji.
Song Qianji handed over the jade flute: "Thank you."
Ziye Wenshu stood frozen in place, so Qingzhai hurriedly accepted it:
"No need for thanks, Immortal Official Song is too polite."
"Might we ask when we can hear Immortal Official Song play another tune?" Zimo asked with a cupped-hand salute.
The disciples of Green Cliff beamed with smiles, offering continuous praise.
Ji Chen muttered under his breath, "They're changing their tune so fast. Just a moment ago, they wished to be eight thousand miles away from us."
The faces of the Huawel Sect members were pale. Zhao Taiji's expression was ashen, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Affected the most by the music, he had poured all his spirit qi into the formation. When the formation went awry, he suffered the severest backlash.
"The pipa music has stopped, so why are the Peak Lords vomiting blood, and why does the Sect Leader look unwell?" Li Ying suddenly spoke up. "It's the Cloud Sea Grand Formation! I felt something was off earlier. Wasn't it agreed to stop at the appropriate point? Why was the grand formation brought in to assist..."
A disciple behind her quickly bent down to tug at her sleeve: "Junior Aunt, even if you know, you can't say it out loud! It makes them lose face!"
Li Ying then said loudly, "You're right. Then can I pretend I didn't notice?"
"Of course! Junior Aunt speaks without thinking—childish words bear no ill intent. The Sect Leader is magnanimous and won't blame you for an unintentional slip!"
This back-and-forth exchange elicited stifled laughter from the guests.
The subordinate sects of Huawel Sect wanted to laugh but didn't dare, forcing themselves to hold back until their faces turned red.
Zhao Taiji coughed lightly: "I encountered a mishap in my cultivation the other day. Hearing the celestial music stirred something within me, forcing out a mouthful of stagnant blood to relieve pent-up energy. It's perfectly normal—what does it have to do with the formation?"
His explanation only made things worse, as if trying to cover up the truth.
Xu Yun seethed with silent hatred.
"Fairy Miaoyan must be tired today," Xu Yun changed the subject. "Quickly escort the fairy to the rear hall to rest!"
He too had suffered backlash, with old injuries compounded by new ones. In his heart, he wished he could tear Song Qianji to pieces, but on the surface, he could only smile.
Only then did the crowd look past the female cultivators of the Celestial Sound Sect to see Miaoyan.
Her hair was disheveled, and she looked utterly despondent.
"So even she isn't perfect all the time," Feng Ziyi thought to herself.
"Thank you, Immortal Official Song, for showing mercy..." He Qingqing stood up and bowed. "You did not use our Ancestor's 'Seven Wonders Zither' to teach us a lesson."
Song Qianji nodded: "No need for thanks."
The other fairies of the Celestial Sound Sect looked pale and disheveled, a truly pitiable sight.
Beauties in distress are most likely to evoke sympathy.
Miaoyan's admirers were thus filled with resentment:
"This Song Qianji is too much! Since he's so capable, he shouldn't have engaged in a contest. It was agreed to stop at the appropriate point, yet he struck so harshly—it lacks the grace of a true expert!"
Only after He Qingqing's reminder did they remember that Song Qianji still carried the "Seven Wonders Zither," a formidable weapon.
Had he truly intended to cause trouble and swapped the jade flute for the zither, even a hundred Miaoyans and a thousand Celestial Sound Sect disciples playing in unison would not be enough to withstand him.
They could only fall silent, speechless.Song Qianji suddenly said, "My apologies, what I said earlier was inaccurate. Music is not a minor path."
As soon as he spoke, complex emotions stirred in everyone's hearts—
The fight was already over. What use was apologizing now?
After today, the world would know that aside from the senior sister, none of the younger generation of the Celestial Sound Sect were worth mentioning.
Miaoyan forced a smile and said, "Immortal Official Song need not apologize. We are both presenting gifts for the joyous banquet..."
Since things had come to this, the other party had offered a way out, and she had no reason not to take it.
She was skilled at salvaging situations, turning this fierce duel into a peaceful conclusion.
"What I meant was, the path you cultivate is the minor one," Song Qianji interrupted her.
Miaoyan's words cut off abruptly. Her face turned as pale as gold paper, her lips bloodless.
A precise strike.
Some people cared more about their reputation than life and death.
Making them lose their halo and be publicly humiliated was more painful than a thousand cuts.
"Song Qianji really defeated Fairy Miaoyan!"
"Not just Fairy Miaoyan! If not for Fairy Qingqing, the Celestial Sound Sect would truly be unable to save face today!"
"Fairy Qingqing is exceptionally talented. Though young, she has surpassed her seniors. Truly worthy of being the real senior sister."
Miaoyan's mind buzzed, unwilling to hear more.
She took a deep breath, lowered her head, and gathered her broken pipa.
Her maidservant, eyes brimming with tears of worry, stepped forward to support her, but heard her muttering to herself, "It's not him, it's not him, it's really not him..."
What did she mean by "it's not him"?
Miaoyan staggered, nearly falling.
Just then, a piercing scream came from the back hall!
Wei Zhanyang, covered in blood, stumbled into the front hall, shouting hoarsely, "Chen Hongzhu has gone mad—"
A fiery red figure followed closely behind. Chen Hongzhu held the "Hundred Flowers Killer," radiating murderous intent.
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