"What’s this old man trying to do? Show off his small pipa?"
"Who knows? Let’s just watch. It’s just a cutscene unfolding, anyway."
"Say what you will, but those Brocade Guard uniforms look amazing."
"Are your priorities a bit skewed?"
"..."
The players watched, discussing amongst themselves, unsure of what would happen next.
However, Zhou Yuntong was already a step too late to stop it.
Old Man Wang raised a hand, his long, graying fingernails gently sweeping across the strings of the small pipa.
"TWANG—!"
A piercing sound erupted from the small pipa.
Though the instrunt looked small and delicate, the sound it produced was deeply unsettling. Even their Internal Energy began to roil erratically.
"Stop it!" Zhou Yuntong hurriedly covered his ears and shouted.
But Old Man Wang responded with a cold sneer, "I’m just following orders. Qianhu Zhou, you’d best not interfere. I’ve killed Grandmasters before. A Grandmaster of your two-faceted insight is hardly enough to stop !"
With that, he flicked his fingers again.
The pipa’s music followed, harsh and grating.
With just a few notes, Xu Nian felt his Internal Energy begin to slip from his control. It feels as if my Internal Energy, influenced by so external force, is trying to surge from my body. Is this the Sound Wave Skill?
"Damn it, this old geezer is using a dirty trick!"
"He disregards martial virtue! An old man like him, sneak-attacking a group of us youngsters."
"Anyone know music? Go buy so instrunts and counter him!"
"I can’t take it! What’s the difference between this pipa and nails on a chalkboard? My grandma could play better with her feet!"
"..."
The players couldn’t bear it either, all of them covering their ears and glaring furiously.
This was torture! Absolute torture! The old man’s small pipa was purely torturing them.
For a ti, waves of pipa music washed Inside the Profound Yellow Sect, causing everyone before the Great Hall to suffer splitting headaches. They wanted to intervene, but it was too late. Under the sound waves’ influence, they felt completely drained of strength.
"TOK, TOK, TOK, TOK..."
Just then, the rapid, rhythmic beat of a Wooden Fish erged from where the players were gathered.
Interrupted, the pipa music abruptly ceased.
Old Man Wang looked over, surprised. He hadn’t expected that even in this small Profound Yellow Sect, there would be soone who understood music.
Among the players, Xuanqing sat on the ground, rhythmically striking a Wooden Fish.
Then...
"Celestial Lord of the Eastern Jade Treasure, Celestial Lord of Southern Profound Truth and Ten Thousand Blessings, Celestial Lord of Western Ultimate Wondrous Extremity, Celestial Lord of Northern Profound Upper Jade Morning, Celestial Lord of Northeastern Salvation of Immortals and Supre Holiness, Celestial Lord of Southeastern Compassionate Salvation of Life, Celestial Lord of Southwestern Great Spiritual Emptiness, Celestial Lord of Northwestern Imasurable Great Radiance, Celestial Lord of the Upper Jade Void Brightness, Celestial Lord of the Lower True Sovereign Grotto Spirit..."
Xuanqing sat on the ground and began to chant rhythmically to himself. Beside him, another player kept ti by occasionally striking a small gong.
However, no matter how one listened, the tune sounded utterly awkward.
"Hiss— Isn’t that the scripture chanted at village funerals?"
"Seriously? Is Xuanqing actually doing this?"
"Fighting fire with fire!"
"This old man is acting inhumanly! Is Xuanqing actually performing his last rites? Arranging a funeral service in advance?"
"..."
It had to be said, Xuanqing’s gambit truly caught everyone off guard.
Even Xu Nian was dumbfounded. This lody... It was precisely the kind of chant used for scriptures during funeral rites. Good heavens. These Second Test Players are certainly full of hidden talents!
Not just him, even Old Man Wang was furrowing his brows, looking at Xuanqing with a sowhat peculiar expression.
There’s no Internal Energy involved, so it can’t be considered a Sound Wave Skill. But this lody has an indescribable quality to it. Very bizarre!
"STRUM, STRUM, STRUM—"
He lifted his hand and plucked the strings of the pipa again, his expression growing grave, as if he had encountered a formidable opponent.
Just then, another hidden talent among the players stepped forward.
A player nad ’Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix’ imdiately went to the Contribution Hall, exchanged for a suona, and aid a fierce blast at Old Man Wang.
The suona: the hooligan of all musical instrunts. The mont it blared, no matter what other music was playing, it had to yield.
Old Man Wang was thoroughly disoriented by the suona’s sudden assault, standing frozen on the spot.
What kind of people are these? Chanting scriptures while beating a Wooden Fish was one thing, but to bring out *this*? Were they serious?
The suona’s sudden blast caught Old Man Wang completely off guard. Why? Because that instrunt was just so overwhelmingly disruptive. You couldn’t establish any rhythm of your own; it would be utterly hijacked. Combined with the Wooden Fish and chanting, even a First-Grade Martial Artist like Old Man Wang was montarily unsure how to proceed.
"Dammit, brat, you’re courting death!" Old Man Wang roared, stowing his small pipa, ready to strike.
Seeing this, Zhou Yuntong moved quickly to intercept. But before Zhou Yuntong could intercept him, a figure blurred past, fast as lightning.
Such speed made even a Grandmaster like Zhou Yuntong wary.
"BANG!"
The figure lashed out with a kick.
Old Man Wang’s body was sent flying like a tattered ragdoll, his internal organs instantly rupturing.
One kick! Old Man Wang, a First-Grade Martial Artist, was kicked to death.
And the one who struck was none other than Xu Nian, Sect Leader of the Profound Yellow Sect!
"Just because I haven’t acted, you really thought I was dead?" Xu Nian narrowed his eyes and said, "Qianhu Zhou, you brought this man. You take him away."
Zhou Yuntong still hadn’t recovered, his eyes wide with sheer astonishnt. Is this the Seventh Prince’s true power? Old Man Wang was a renowned First-Grade Martial Artist, who had even killed experts of the Grandmaster Realm. Even a high-ranking Brocade Guard like myself had to be wary of him. And he was kicked to death by the Seventh Prince in a single blow? How terrifying was the Seventh Prince’s kick? Could I have withstood it?
"Yes... Your subordinate obeys!" Zhou Yuntong nodded blankly.
Xu Nian continued, "Go back and tell Shen Rongyin, if she truly wants dead, she should co to the Profound Yellow Sect and kill herself. Don’t send such riffraff again. Trash that can’t even overco my sect’s disciples isn’t worthy to challenge !"
Indeed. Old Man Wang was renowned in the Jianghu, his Sound Wave Skill with the small pipa inspiring dread in many. Yet here, in the Profound Yellow Sect, he was pushed to the brink of murder by a few Eighth and Ninth-Grade disciples. Bullying the weak just because he was stronger? All those years he lived, only to behave so shafully? He couldn’t best them, so he threw away all pretense of dignity!
"Yes!" Zhou Yuntong replied, his face pained. This is a battle between titans. I can’t afford to get involved on either side. I just hope these two resolve things quickly.
"Oh, and tell Shen Rongyin that the person she sent frightened my disciples. Next ti she cos, she’d better bring money, or she won’t even make it up the mountain!" Xu Nian then said, "Dung Beetle, from today on, your post is at the foot of the mountain, stewing dung. If any conspicuously beautiful won arrive, just splatter them with it. If any trouble arises, I, the Sect Leader, will cover for you!"
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