Chapter 824: Fly, Cranes!

“I could give you some Phoenix Marrow, even without any compensation!”

With this thought, Jiang Qingqin hesitated no longer, and her face regained its confidence.

“Oh?” Knowing that her sudden change of mind must have a follow-up, Zhang Xuan looked over.

“When I play the zither now, I can only make six cranes dance. If you can help me break through to seven cranes within an hour, I’ll give you the Phoenix Marrow for free!”

Jiang Qingqin stated her purpose.

“Six cranes? Seven cranes? What are those?” Zhang Xuan was completely baffled.

He had never even come into contact with the profession of Sound Manipulation, and what she said was too technical for him to understand.

“You… don’t know?”

Thinking that he, who had been clamoring to test for Sound Manipulator, already possessed abilities no weaker than hers, Jiang Qingqin nearly fainted upon hearing such a shallow question.

Even an apprentice would know this… Yet you don’t, meaning you know nothing about the profession of Sound Manipulation!

Knowing nothing, you still dared to arrogantly demand to test for Sound Manipulator?

“Mm.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Alright. Among Sound Manipulation techniques, the zither has the strongest offensive power and the greatest might. Many Sound Manipulators cultivate this, and it’s also the standard for judging ranks. The higher one’s understanding of the zither’s music, the more it resonates with heaven and earth, causing more cranes to dance. Usually, a one-star Sound Manipulator can make one crane dance, a two-star can make two, and so on. Over time, this has become the standard for testing Sound Manipulators.”

Suppressing her frustration, Jiang Qingqin explained what even apprentices knew: “I am currently at the peak of six-star Sound Manipulator, yet I can only make six cranes dance; seven is impossible. If you can make my music cause seven cranes to dance at the same time, I’ll give you the Phoenix Marrow.”

“Seven cranes dancing at the same time?”

Zhang Xuan frowned.

“Exactly.”

Jiang Qingqin nodded. “I am only a hair’s breadth away from a breakthrough. If you can help me achieve this, everything else is negotiable. If not… I hope you will leave the Sound Manipulation Academy immediately and never return!”

“This…”

Lowering his head in thought, Zhang Xuan looked up after a moment. “You mean that when you play the zither, as long as you can make seven cranes dance, that’s enough… right?”

“Exactly.”

Jiang Qingqin nodded.

“That’s simple! An hour… I won’t even need five minutes!” Smiling slightly, Zhang Xuan’s face showed a confidence far beyond his years.

I thought it was something major, but it’s just this. I’ll handle it in no time!

“Won’t even need five minutes?”

Both deans were stunned.

Really?

Jiang Qingqin had cultivated for five hundred years to break through from six cranes to seven, yet you can guide me to a breakthrough in five minutes?

Didn’t you not even know what six cranes or seven cranes were? How can you guide me to a breakthrough so quickly?

If you can really do it, not just the Phoenix Marrow, but even this Phoenix Tree could be dug up and taken away.

“Of course!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Then tell me, what is my problem that I haven’t been able to break through after all these years?”

Though doubtful, recalling this young man’s undefeated record, Jiang Qingqin chose to believe him and looked at him with bright eyes.

Even Vice Dean Ning, standing to the side, was filled with curiosity.

To dare boast so boldly, he must have some special ability that even he found incredible.

Could this be the ability of a master teacher who has comprehended the Eye of Truth?

“Play the zither!”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Alright!”

Knowing that many instructions required a demonstration of skill to be seen, Jiang Qingqin did not hesitate. Her fingers swept across the zither, and it immediately sounded.

A faint melody seemed to come from the horizon, echoing throughout the courtyard.

As soon as the music entered the ears, it was intoxicating, giving one a feeling of ascending to immortality and laughing proudly at the sky.

Sound Manipulation is a profession that attacks the soul. When cultivated to a high level, it is like thousands of troops, thunder and storm, and even Saint realm experts find it hard to resist.

Legend has it that Sound Manipulators were originally called Celestial Sound Manipulators. Twenty thousand years ago, a nine-star practitioner was besieged. Holding a zither, he used its music to summon demon spirits, slaughtering a million-strong army that attacked him.

In that battle, the profession of Sound Manipulation became famous throughout the world. Only then did people realize how terrifying this unremarkable auxiliary profession was, earning it the name ‘Sound’ (Demon).

“Impressive…”

With a rotation of his Heaven’s Path true qi, the pressure within his body dissipated, and Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel awe.

If he hadn’t been on guard, he would have been captivated by the music and unable to move.

It seemed that even a lowly profession, as long as it formed its own system, possessed irreplaceable abilities. Otherwise, it couldn’t have been passed down for tens of thousands of years without decline.

“Oh?” Jiang Qingqin raised an eyebrow.

She had intended to give this young man a show of force, so she added some offensive power to her music.

She had thought that, given his cultivation, he would surely be lost in it and unable to extricate himself. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, his gaze was clear, and she couldn’t help but secretly admire him.

No wonder he could make the entire Master Teacher Academy treat him as a formidable enemy and Dean Lu Feng go crazy. This young man, though young, indeed possessed talent and abilities that ordinary people could hardly match.

Whir, whir, whir!

Admiring in his heart, he stopped attacking, and the qin music immediately became gentle. The cranes that had been idly wandering nearby, upon hearing the music, began to dance gracefully with cries.

One, two, three...

More and more, in no time, six flew into the air, dancing continuously along with the music.

Seeing that the qin music could indeed attract cranes to dance, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but marvel.

He was proficient in the soul witch arts, and although his speech sometimes carried a bewitching effect that dizzied souls, he still couldn't make so many cranes dance according to the melody.

"Master Zhang, this is the Six Cranes Dance. Now I want to reach Seven Cranes but can't. How should I play to break through?"

Seeing the six cranes rise, Jiang Qingqin smiled and spoke in a clear voice.

Although he was very old, his voice sounded like singing, giving a sense of comfort, and combined with the qin music, it was indescribably wonderful.

"Good!"

Hearing his words, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, stopped listening, turned around, and walked toward the place where many cranes were not far away.

In this courtyard, there were over a dozen cranes. Excluding the six that had flown up, there were still ten more, all raised by Jiang Qingqin since childhood and very obedient. They stood quietly in place, as if enjoying the music, ready to leap into the air at any moment.

"Let's begin!"

Still over ten meters away from the cranes, Zhang Xuan loosened his joints, stretched, and took a deep breath.

"Heavenly Dao Body Technique, Heavenly Dao Fist Technique!"

Shouting inwardly, he stamped his foot on the ground, his figure flickered, and instantly turned into a phantom.

Bang bang bang bang!

A series of ten sounds of fists hitting flesh, the ten cranes standing quietly in place were instantly sent flying backward, each plastered against the wall, creating holes of varying sizes.

"..." Jiang Qingqin's vision went dark.

He had thought this Master Zhang would offer some advice or guidance, but seeing him strike his cranes with one move, sending feathers flying and their heads stuck in the wall, he was so angry he nearly fainted on the spot.

Ding!

In a moment of agitation, even a qin string broke. He couldn't help but look over, his gaze murderous: "Master Zhang, what are you doing?"

No wonder he was angry. These cranes had been raised from childhood, and he had feelings for them. Although the other party had held back and not killed them, beating them to pieces without a word made him nearly explode with rage.

"Dean Jiang, don't worry. Keep playing... I'll make seven cranes dance right away!" Ignoring his anger, Zhang Xuan turned and said.

"Right away?" Jiang Qingqin was full of doubt.

I asked you for guidance, but you didn't look at me and instead beat the cranes... How can that help me break through?

"Trust me, right away!"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Hmph, if you don't succeed, you'll have to answer for injuring my cranes..."

Though his face was livid with anger, Jiang Qingqin still reconnected the broken string, gently brushed it again, and the qin music resumed.

This guy had created too many miracles, and having been stuck in the Six Cranes realm for too long, he was desperate to break through. Seeing the other party so confident, he couldn't help but give it a try.

Ding dong! Ding dong!

Like a mountain stream, the melodious sound continued to flow.

The six cranes that hadn't been beaten heard the sound and flew up again, dancing gracefully.

Seeing that Dean Jiang could control his emotions so quickly and play the qin flawlessly and joyfully, Zhang Xuan nodded inwardly, smiled lightly, and waved his hand: "Fly, cranes!"

With his shout, the cranes he had beaten struggled to get up. Suddenly, one let out a loud cry and flew straight up, joining the six in the sky.

"Success?"

Vice Dean Ning's eyes widened.

Wasn't this supposed to be guidance?

Without saying a word, he just said 'Fly, cranes!'... How did he reach the Seven Cranes realm?

And... listening to the sound, Dean Jiang's qin music hadn't improved or changed at all?

Before his astonishment ended, he saw another crane shake twice, as if waking from a daze, flap its wings, and let out a long cry, joining the dance.

"Eight Cranes..."

Vice Dean Ning's lips trembled.

Just now it was the Seven Cranes realm, how did it become Eight Cranes in the blink of an eye?

Eight Cranes represented an Eight-Star Sound Mage...

Dean Jiang's qin music hadn't changed, and Master Zhang hadn't given any guidance, so how had his realm improved?

While still puzzled, he saw that all the cranes that had been beaten into the wall shook themselves, shook their heads, flapped their wings, and soared into the sky.

"Nine Cranes, Ten Cranes, Eleven Cranes..."

His vision blurred.

Vice Dean Ning couldn't breathe.

The highest level of a Sound Mage was the Nine Cranes realm, but in an instant, eleven had flown into the sky, and the remaining cranes were still flying up continuously...

What was going on?

Could it be that this Master Zhang was truly so miraculous? Without any guidance, just a glance could make someone break through?

Shocked, he was about to feel his old friend's qin music to see if it had become more profound, when he saw the qin string break again. His old friend seemed to understand something, his face stiff as iron, and his hands playing the qin stopped.

"Zhang Xuan... I'll fuck your grandmother..."

The always refined Jiang Qingqin could no longer hold back, and a roar like a wolf's howl instantly rang out.