Chapter 151: Young Master Chen Plays the Zither (Part Two)
No one knew how much time had passed...
“Ding...”
Chen Changsheng played a long, lingering final note. It stretched into the distance, profound and far-reaching, until at last it seemed to vanish beyond the horizon—or perhaps deep within the soul.
“Master Chen’s music truly is celestial music from the ninth heaven. It flows as naturally as drifting clouds and running water, reaching the pinnacle of perfection. At first listen, it sounds like the music of a zither, but savor it carefully, and it becomes the sound of the Great Dao itself, making one feel as though one has transformed into a celestial immortal of the ninth heaven.”
Mu Wanqing sighed in admiration.
Sweat.
What he feared most was hearing this girl flatter people. Every time, she struck the horse’s hoof with uncanny precision. The sound of the Great Dao? Making one feel as though one had become a celestial immortal? What utter nonsense!
He gave Mu Wanqing a helpless glance and sighed inwardly. Miss Mu, it has been so long, yet your flattery has not improved in the slightest.
Just then, Mu Wanqing, Huangfu Meng, and Bing Mu’er suddenly froze at the same time. Their pretty faces immediately flushed crimson.
Certain unfamiliar realms they had never touched before suddenly opened up before them in that instant.
All three broke through at the same time, reaching the second realm of the Ultimate Path!
Mu Wanqing, Huangfu Meng, and Bing Mu’er sat there and exchanged glances, their faces filled with overwhelming delight.
Nalan Ruoshui, Donggong Qianxue, and Lou Meisha, meanwhile, sat there with strange expressions, envy practically written across their faces.
Heavens! A single piece by Master Chen had actually enabled the three of them to break through.
Terrifying. Simply terrifying!
Nalan Ruoshui and Donggong Qianxue had already reached the second realm of the Ultimate Path. For them to break through again was naturally more difficult, so their cultivation had become stuck at the threshold of advancement.
As for Lou Meisha, the empress of the Desert Tower Sacred Kingdom, her cultivation was even higher. She was already at the peak of the Ultimate Path and was on the verge of entering the Realm of Perfected Dao. The difficulty of breaking through was therefore even greater, and she still had some distance to go.
Nor were the effects limited to those six women. Within Chen Die’er’s necklace, the Blood Demon Ancestor—who was hearing Chen Changsheng play for the first time—felt the blood throughout his body boil to its utmost limit. He roared inwardly:
“Waaah! This demon is absolutely stunned! Heavens, so Master Chen’s zither music is actually the natural Great Dao!”
“Hahahaha!”
The old demon could no longer restrain himself. Laughing wildly, he emerged directly from Chen Die’er’s necklace.
“So Master Chen is a fellow who loves fine music! What a coincidence—I happen to be the same. Of course, I have never learned to play. I only know how to listen.
“Hahaha, Master Chen, don’t stop! Keep going, keep going!”
Donggong Qianxue and the others had long known that an ancient demon from the Realm of the Gods resided within Chen Die’er’s necklace, so they were not surprised.
Lou Meisha, however, was utterly astonished. She stared at the Blood Demon Ancestor in disbelief.
“A-a-an... ancient demon?”
“Empress Lou Meisha, there is no need to panic.”
Bing Mu’er, seated beside her, patted Lou Meisha’s fragrant shoulder and smiled faintly.
“This ancient demon from the Realm of the Gods is Die’er’s pet.”
“Wha—he... he... he’s also an ancient demon from the Realm of the Gods?”
Bing Mu’er’s words only made Lou Meisha even more shocked. Her pointed chin seemed to shatter onto the ground.
Heavens! An ancient demon from the Realm of the Gods was actually willing to become Die’er’s pet. What an utterly insane father and daughter pair!
“That settles it, Empress Lou Meisha,” Mu Wanqing said proudly. “Master Chen and Die’er are immortals and gods from the Realm of the Gods. We experts of the Snowy Chanting Realm are no more than ants before this father and daughter.”
Chen Changsheng felt utterly distressed. Miss Mu, please spare me. Could you really stop flattering me?
“Hiss...”
Lou Meisha sat there in a daze and drew in a sharp breath. The shock brought to her by Master Chen and his daughter had been far too great. She was completely bewildered.
“Old man, why did you come out on your own again? Don’t you want to eat leftovers anymore?”
Chen Die’er reprimanded the Blood Demon Ancestor unhappily.
The Blood Demon Ancestor’s aged body trembled, and he hurriedly waved his hands.
“Little Mistress, no, please, absolutely not! Fine music calls for a kindred spirit! I was simply too excited and couldn’t help myself, so I popped out. I promise that from now on, whenever I want to come out, I’ll first obtain your permission.”
“All right.”
Chen Die’er nodded her little head solemnly.
Heavens! An ancient demon from the Realm of the Gods was actually bowing and scraping before a little girl!
Lou Meisha’s heart trembled violently once again.
“Well, Master Chen, to tell you the truth, my passion for zither music is absolutely beyond your imagination. It’s just that I have never practiced it. Please continue—I can hardly wait to hear your music again.”
The Blood Demon Ancestor spoke to Chen Changsheng with a face full of excitement, while adding inwardly:
As if this demon is passionate about zither music itself. I’m only passionate about the music played by Master Chen.
Donggong Qianxue and the other beauties also gazed at Chen Changsheng eagerly, their eyes filled with equal parts longing and anticipation.
Chen Changsheng swept his gaze across them all and rubbed his chin.
“All right. Since everyone enjoys listening to my music, I’ll play another piece for you.”
His eyes turned toward Huangfu Meng.
“Miss Huangfu, I still remember the battle piece you played when we attacked the Sacred Kingdom of Baidan. I remember part of it. Why don’t I play it for everyone now? It can serve as practice for me as well.”
His attainments in music were not quite as exaggerated as Mu Wanqing had claimed, but Chen Changsheng still had considerable confidence in them. After all, they had been acknowledged by the system.
“Good!”
Huangfu Meng’s eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded.
The style of a battle piece was fierce and stirring, entirely unlike ordinary zither music. The battle intent contained within it could even set the blood in one’s body ablaze.
At once, the Blood Demon Ancestor hurriedly sat down cross-legged, preparing himself to listen with full concentration.
“Whoosh...”
Chen Changsheng gently exhaled, then slowly closed his eyes and steadied his mind.
After carefully recalling the battle piece Huangfu Meng had played back then, he extended his fingers and suddenly swept them across the strings.
“Ding ding dong dong...”
A rapid string of notes suddenly poured forth from the zither.
This was no stirring battle piece. It was plainly the violent music of the Great Dao!
The Blood Demon Ancestor, Donggong Qianxue, and the others all shuddered. The sound of the Great Dao seemed to them like heaven and earth collapsing.
The blood within their bodies reached a boiling point in an instant. Trapped within the raging natural Great Dao, they felt as though their bodies were about to explode.
Wonderful!
Absolutely wonderful!
The Blood Demon Ancestor, Donggong Qianxue, and the others were all delirious with joy.
“Heavens! So listening to Master Chen play the zither is such a marvelous experience!”
Lou Meisha’s delicate body trembled violently, and she was so excited that she nearly cried out.
Suddenly, Nalan Ruoshui and Donggong Qianxue froze. Their faces flushed crimson as realms they had once been unable to comprehend suddenly became clear to them.
The two of them broke through simultaneously, reaching the third realm of the Ultimate Path.
“Ding ding dong dong...”
Chen Changsheng’s eyes remained gently closed as he focused solely on playing. Naturally, he noticed none of this.
Before long, Mu Wanqing, Huangfu Meng, and Bing Mu’er broke through once again.
The second realm of the Ultimate Path!
“Heavens, I’m about to break through as well.”
Before the piece had even ended, Lou Meisha’s delicate body suddenly began to tremble violently. Then she abruptly froze, her mouth hanging open.
“The Realm of Perfected Dao...”
A storm raged through her heart, and her ample bosom rose and fell violently.
It was simply too insane. Listening to Master Chen play a single battle piece had actually allowed her to advance from the Ultimate Path Realm into the Realm of Perfected Dao!