Fang Pingzhai smiled faintly, remaining motionless as he watched Tang Lici playing his sword like a flute.
"Sixth Brother, is there any way to disrupt his Sound Assassination Technique?"
"Play a melody completely different from his. If his concentration isn't strong enough, the Sound Assassination Technique will collapse." Fang Pingzhai's smile was enigmatic. "But if his focus is unshakable, you'll be in grave danger. Should you fall under his influence instead, you'll suffer True Energy Disorder and be severely wounded instantly."
"Play a melody? Seventh Brother here knows nothing of music."
"Regrettably, I can't help. My acupoints are still sealed. Surely you don't want the people here to see me suddenly stand up, produce a large drum, and oppose Tang Lici?" Fang Pingzhai's smile remained inscrutable. "Besides, I don't have a drum on me."
"What if I break his sword?" Yu Konghou fixed his gaze on Tang Lici. "He's standing motionless now. If I attack, will he stop?"
"The clearer the sound, the greater its power. The closer you get, the threat multiplies. If you could approach close enough to strike his sword without injury, you might as well kill him outright—because the Sound Assassination would have no effect on you by then."
"What if I don't approach? What if I use hidden weapons?" Yu Konghou smiled charmingly. "Surely the Sound Assassination Technique can't stop hidden weapons from reaching him?"
"Haha, you're welcome to try." Fang Pingzhai's enigmatic smile persisted.
Yu Konghou reached into his robe, where he carried pearls similar to Tang Lici's. His fingers brushed lightly over them before he abandoned the idea, bent down to pick up a pebble, and flicked it with his fingers. The pebble shot toward the sword in Tang Lici's hand.
With a loud clang , Tang Lici neither dodged nor flinched. The pebble struck the sword, producing an unusually resonant sound. The surrounding crowd, already straining to endure the flute-like sword tones, suddenly recoiled in unison, staggering back with muffled groans. Yu Konghou was startled, but the impact of the pebble had at least interrupted the sword's melody. In that brief pause, a dazzling array of pearls suddenly shot toward him. Yu Konghou swept his sleeve to block them, but by the time the pearls clattered to the ground, the eerie flute-like sound had resumed.
"Even if you could injure him or his sword, the Sound Assassination still gives him the upper hand," Fang Pingzhai remarked. "He can unleash a lethal note at any moment, forcing you to expend energy resisting it. While you're preoccupied, he can counterattack. So provoking him with hidden weapons may not be advantageous."
"But if we all attack with hidden weapons at once, surely he can't—" Before Yu Konghou could finish, Tang Lici's sword melody abruptly intensified, becoming even more piercing and haunting. Yu Konghou shuddered slightly as his blood and qi churned, his sound transmission technique instantly cut off.
Tang Lici, provoked by the pebble, had retaliated by amplifying the music. Under the overwhelming force of the Sound Assassination, no one dared act carelessly, let alone launch another attack.
The standoff continued. Tang Lici poured his full True Power into the sword's melody, now holding the advantage. Everyone paled at the sound of his playing.
But how long could he sustain it?
Yu Konghou, Cheng Yunpao, and Dong Hubi, with their profound cultivation, could endure even the strongest melodies as long as they didn't get too close. Meanwhile, Qi Xing and Zheng Yue, with weaker foundations, suffered only minor injuries from the Sound Assassination despite being affected.
The one holding the upper hand was actually in the most precarious position.
And yet, he refused to retreat.Liu Yan gazed despondently at Tang Lici's retreating figure, listening to his sword-blown melody. A-Li, striving for intimidation, wasn't even holding a proper instrument. Forced to improvise, much of the tune went off-key, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Why wasn't he leaving?
What was he waiting for?
Whatever it was, given A-Li's temperament, he wouldn't relent until he got it. He couldn't afford to lose, nor could he afford to wait in vain. Pointing out his injuries publicly now would benefit neither side, so the only option was to help him wait.
Rarely did Liu Yan make his own decisions, but once resolved, he took a deep breath and murmured, "A-Li, play the accompaniment for Sand Salt ." Whether Tang Lici heard him or not, the sword-blown notes faltered slightly. Liu Yan caught the faintest hint of a smile on his profile before the metallic chime of the blade shifted—the piercing, haunting melody suddenly softened, growing delicate and sparse.
The crowd collectively exhaled as the pressure eased. The Sound Assassination Technique spared no one, and Cheng Yunpao, particularly susceptible, had been burning with agony. Now, he finally caught a brief respite. Yu Konghou, with his profound cultivation, had retreated step by step, already seven or eight paces away. As the sword's song weakened, the group rallied, gripping their weapons, ready to strike—only for Liu Yan's low, melancholic voice to weave through the thinning notes:
"Deceit... is a feast of shattered hearts,
Hurt... is a moment of numbed time..."
His somber, velvety voice merged with the frail melody. Liu Yan's resonant timbre, amplified by Tang Lici's True Power, struck like a hammer against their chests. None present had ever heard such singing—soft murmurs, utterly unlike the trilling tunes of courtesans. Hearts raced involuntarily as they struggled to fend off the music's assault while guarding their Inner Energy from the song's influence. Sweat beaded on their brows.
Tang Lici's sword-blown notes slowed further before halting entirely. In the silence, Liu Yan's voice unfurled like smoke:
"The Devil... also yearns,
He walked into the world and met love's turn.
God said men must love without end,
Must dwell in Eden,
Must atone for sins they did not intend.
The Devil longed to be divine,
To indulge all desires,
To sate every craving he could find."
Though devoid of Internal Force, the song compelled them to hold their breath and listen. In that moment of distraction, Tang Lici drew his copper flute, discarded the sword, and began to play.
"The Devil became a god,
Cloaked in the moon's pure glow,
Treading on mist so white,
Taking the form men love most.
With one hand, he veiled the sky,
His magic boundless,
Spending all the Devil's might."
Liu Yan's voice, now underscored by the flute, grew even more haunting:
"He had never seen the world before,
He longed to be believed, to be loved, to be adored.
He sought to surpass Eden,
To transcend a Devil's fate.
But in a single night, the heavens turned,
God tore away the Devil's mask..."
His voice dipped lower:
"Deceit... is a feast of shattered hearts,
Hurt... is a moment of numbed time..."
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