Chapter 827: Qin Music and Crane Strife

After figuring out what was going on, Jiang Qingqin and Vice Dean Ning rolled their eyes.

Taking an exam that knocked twelve immortal cranes unconscious—that's probably just you.

"The qin provided by the academy is too low-grade, usually used for assessing apprentices or one-star sound masters. Beyond one star, most have their own qin, and no one uses this kind of thing. Here, use mine and play here. If you can get six cranes to dance, I'll apply for a six-star badge for you without needing the Sound Master Pavilion!"

Knowing the cranes were just unconscious and unharmed, Jiang Qingqin breathed a sigh of relief and said.

"Alright!"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Since the other party could help apply, he couldn't be bothered to go to the Sound Master Pavilion. Taking the qin, he lightly brushed his fingers over it, and a sound like pearls striking jade immediately rang out.

"Fine qin!"

His eyes lit up, and Zhang Xuan couldn't help but exclaim.

Compared to this, the antique he used before was simply incomparable.

Taking a deep breath, he immersed his mind and began to play softly.

"A one-star piece?"

Hearing that the fellow was still playing a one-star assessment piece, the two deans shook their heads. Just as they were about to speak, they saw the cranes in the courtyard cry out and fly up one by one.

Exactly six of them.

"A one-star piece can make six cranes fly?"

The two deans were so startled they nearly fainted.

A one-star piece was the most basic sound music piece, with limited power—like mortal-level martial techniques: no matter how exquisite the moves, the power was limited.

Even if they played such a piece, it wouldn't have much effect. Yet this person could make six cranes dance...

Just a few hours ago, didn't he not understand six or seven cranes at all?

After reading for one night, he became like this...

You're cheating!

No wonder he could stir up the entire academy—his talent was too terrifying!

"What if... he used a six-star piece?"

Suppressing his shock, Vice Dean Ning couldn't help saying.

Using a one-star piece could achieve a six-star effect. If he used a six-star piece, what effect would it achieve?

Would it directly make seven cranes fly?

Become a seven-star sound master?

Thinking of this, both their eyes lit up.

When the piece ended, the two were utterly captivated, no longer dismissive. Jiang Qingqin flicked his wrist and produced a music score.

"Master Zhang, this is a six-star piece, 'Spring Moon and Tidal Song.' You can try it!"

Taking the score, Zhang Xuan casually flipped through it and read it once.

As expected of a six-star piece—it was much more complex than the previous one, better at expressing the artistic conception he had grasped.

If the previous piece could only display thirty percent of a six-star artistic conception, this one could do a hundred percent, and with good use, even a hundred twenty or fifty percent!

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

Closing his eyes to ponder for a moment, he let his hands fall. The qin sounded, and a faint majesty spread out, like tidal water flowing, filling the entire courtyard.

Feeling the qin music, Jiang Qingqin and Vice Dean Ning seemed to see a bright moon slowly rising from the tide, accompanying the spring night, illuminating the earth and reviving all things.

The spring river merges with the sea's level tide; the sea's bright moon rises with the tide. Glittering waves stretch for a thousand miles; where on the spring river is there no moonlight?

Chirp! Chirp!

The sound grew more distant. The cranes sensed the atmosphere and flew up.

One, two, three...

In the blink of an eye, six flew out, circling the courtyard, chirping softly as if longing for this moonlit night, dancing with the tide.

Whoosh!

Just as the two deans were also immersed in the music, unable to extricate themselves, the ten cranes standing in the corner all cried out, and one took the lead and flew up.

But before it could fly far, another suddenly leaped up and bit at it.

Biting the flying one to the ground, this crane spread its wings to charge, but still couldn't fly. As before, another crane attacked it.

In an instant, the ten cranes were locked in a fierce battle, neither giving way.

For a time, feathers flew and blood splattered. The cranes that usually got along were now like enemies, wanting to bite each other to death.

"This..."

His pupils contracted, Jiang Qingqin trembled involuntarily, his throat dry: "This is... something that only happens when one has mastered sound music to the extreme—'qin music and crane strife'?"

Sound masters determine their level by cranes. If there are too many cranes, each wanting to dance, a struggle for spots occurs.

Normally, cranes are proud. Seeing a companion fly up, they won't move unless... the sound master playing the qin has reached an unfathomable level of qin music comprehension.

That is, the artistic conception of the music is so high that they can't help but want to rush over and dance gracefully.

But... the spots are limited, so to compete, they can only fight among themselves.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

After the ten cranes fought for a while, unable to defeat each other, they all charged at the six flying in the air. After a chaotic struggle with feathers everywhere, seven emerged victorious, flapping their wings unsteadily and flying up.

Though victorious, these seven were also miserable—most of their feathers were plucked out, revealing bright red flesh.

Flapping their featherless wings, flying in the sky, they had none of the immortal cranes' grace!

When the music ended, Zhang Xuan woke from the special artistic conception. Seeing several roasted chickens flying in the sky, he was startled.

When others play the qin, immortal cranes fly. What's with my roasted chickens?

Just as he was puzzled, he saw Jiang Qingqin and Vice Dean Ning rush over with shining eyes, looking at him as if they'd seen a monster.

"I... does this count as passing the six-star assessment?"

Unable to bear their gazes, Zhang Xuan couldn't help asking.

"If this doesn't count, no one does... Rest assured, I'll immediately apply to headquarters for a seven-star badge!"

Jiang Qingqin said.

"Seven-star?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

"Yes, your comprehension of sound music has definitely reached seven-star..." Jiang Qingqin nodded.

Being able to produce qin music and crane strife meant his strength far exceeded even some ordinary seven-star sound masters.

"Thank you!"

Hearing that the other party would help apply, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

With this, he had five auxiliary professions. He only needed to assess one more to impact the six-star master teacher rank and become one of them.

Of course, his cultivation also needed to be raised first.

With his sound music comprehension reaching seven-star level, it was much easier to give guidance. His Eye of Insight wriggled, and after a look, his face was full of peculiarity.

"What's wrong? Still can't do it?" Seeing his expression, Dean Jiang looked over with doubt.

He had thought that with such a level of sound music comprehension, guiding him to break through would be easy, but now it seemed not so simple.

No wonder—if it were easy to break through, there would have been no stagnation for five hundred years.

"It's not that I can't do it, but..." Seeing the other's disappointment, Zhang Xuan explained: "You have already broken through. Your comprehension of sound music... has also reached the seventh realm!"

"Broken through?" Dean Jiang was stunned.

Even Vice Dean Ning was dumbfounded.

Really?

Yesterday he was still playing with six cranes. When did he break through?

"If I'm not mistaken, Dean Jiang, you have a transcendent state of mind, taking everything lightly, right?" Zhang Xuan said.

"Dean Jiang has deep cultivation and can indeed remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses..." Vice Dean Ning nodded.

What he admired most about his old friend was this—nothing ever weighed on his mind.

"Sound music is called 'sound,' but to enter the 'sound' realm, one must experience many sufferings: birth, aging, sickness, death, separation from loved ones, long resentment, unattainable desires, inability to let go... Only these emotions can stir the heart, allowing one to go further and stand higher... You take everything lightly, your mind has become like a still well. In such a state, how can you break through?"

Zhang Xuan said.

"This..." Jiang Qingqin paused.

Five hundred years ago, after an incident, he became more detached, thinking his mind was transcendent. Now it seemed it wasn't.

"Being in the mortal world, one must naturally deal with worldly affairs. Ignoring them, or even not wanting to... is not transcendence but escape! If you escape, how can you break through realms and advance vigorously?" Zhang Xuan continued.

"Yes..."

His face pale, Jiang Qingqin was speechless.

What the other said was right—ignoring the mortal world was not transcendence but escape!

"Many strong individuals, to break through realms, go deep into the mortal world to experience various emotions, thus achieving thick accumulation and thin release. But you do the opposite—shutting yourself in your courtyard, unwilling to deal with external matters... That is the root cause of your failure to break through in five hundred years!"

Sighing, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"Yesterday, I used beast-taming methods to tame the cranes. In your anger, your emotions fluctuated, and you naturally broke through the shackles. That is... you had already broken through yesterday!"

Yesterday, he truly didn't understand the difference between six and seven cranes, thinking he just needed to make seven fly. Who knew... he inadvertently caused the other to break through...

Plant flowers with care, and they may not bloom; plant willows carelessly, and they may provide shade!

If he hadn't seen it himself, he would find it hard to believe.

After hearing the explanation, Jiang Qingqin stood still, eyes closed. Five hundred years of time flowed through his mind like an instant.

After a moment, he stood up, bowed deeply, his eyes filled with determination and persistence.

"Thank you, Master Zhang, for your guidance, which has enlightened me. From today on, in the path of sound music, you are my teacher!"

"This... how can this be..."

Unexpectedly, this esteemed dean suddenly wanted to become his disciple. Zhang Xuan was taken aback and quickly waved his hand.

"Regardless of age, the accomplished one is the teacher! Although I have immersed myself in sound music for a long time, I am far inferior to Master Zhang in understanding... Today, hearing your words has resolved my five-hundred-year doubt. If you don't agree, I will remain bowing!"

Jiang Qingqin clasped his hands.

"This... very well!" Seeing the other was sincere and determined, Zhang Xuan nodded.

As soon as he agreed, the library deep in his mind shook slightly, and a golden book appeared again.

He had no time to look at it now. He helped Dean Jiang up.

"Teacher, I will now cut down this phoenix parasol tree, extract the pith, and as for the trunk, your student will make you a qin!"

Dean Jiang said.

Now that they were master and disciple, the phoenix parasol pith was simple.

"Thank you for your trouble..." Zhang Xuan nodded.

They chatted a while longer, and Zhang Xuan imparted some sound music techniques, benefiting the two greatly.

After talking for nearly an hour, Zhang Xuan took the freshly extracted phoenix parasol pith and took his leave.

Leaving Jiang Qingqin's courtyard, he remembered something and his face changed.

"Damn... I was so focused on the sound master assessment, I forgot... the appointment!"

Reading, studying, assessing the sound master... After all that, a night had passed, and it was already broad daylight. Yesterday, Luo Ruoxi said she would come find him in the evening. Obviously, the time had passed.

Hurrying back to his residence, Sun Qiang greeted him.

"Young master, Miss Luo came to find you last night. When she learned you weren't in, she left..."

Zhang Xuan asked: "Did she say anything?"

"Nothing at all..." Sun Qiang shook his head.

"Nothing?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

She said she would find him in the evening, but said nothing. What did this girl want?

"I'll go check."

Returning to the academy, he found Luo Ruoxi's residence and asked, learning she wasn't there. He had no choice but to return to his own place.

Though a bit frustrated, since she had something to discuss and didn't meet him yesterday, she would surely come again. No use worrying.

He had obtained the phoenix parasol pith, but the discontinuous grass hadn't arrived yet, so he couldn't refine the discontinuous pill for now.

With the earth vein spiritual liquid nourishing her, Wei Ruyan's body, though hard to recover, could be maintained without decay. Plus, the ten-leaf flower nourishing her soul would take some time, so there was no rush.

With everything done, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

His mind stirred, he remembered a certain fellow... the Purple Sun Beast!

He had caught this creature at Thunder Peak seven or eight days ago and never had a chance to interrogate it. Now free, he could ask about the alien race.

"This is the city center, close to the academy. I must first set up a formation to conceal aura, or if this creature goes mad and releases alien puppets, it will surely be discovered."

This mansion was quite spacious, so he could release the Purple Sun Beast anywhere. But since this wasn't the mountains, releasing alien puppets required first shielding the surroundings.

Otherwise, so close to the Master Teacher Academy, if a Saint realm expert discovered the puppets, he wouldn't be able to explain even with his mouth.

He was now a four-star formation master and had seen many four-star formations. After thinking, a suitable one came to mind.

"Let's go with the [Sealing Breath Formation]!"

The Sealing Breath Formation could isolate all auras.

Even a Saint realm expert would find it hard to detect unless they actively probed.

Though only at the peak of the fourth level, it was the best formation he knew and could deploy to conceal aura.

The Illusory Maze Formation he had set up before, though five-star, couldn't conceal aura or even sound, making it less effective than this one.

"Begin!"

After running the Sealing Breath Formation's diagram through his mind and perfectly integrating it with the courtyard, he moved his mind. Hundreds of formation flags appeared in his palm and flew straight to the surroundings.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The flags fluttered in the wind, landing in corresponding positions. The formation hummed and activated with a bang.

Hundred Flags Settle the Void!

"Done..."

After setting up the formation, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly, flicked his wrist, and took out the Thousand Ant Beehive. With a shake of his hand, a huge ape-like sacred beast fell to the ground.

The Purple Sun Beast, trapped for nearly a week, finally saw the light of day again.