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"Whether it's all just empty reputation will beco clear soon enough, Senior Xie. There's no need for so many words."
Yu Qingtan stood her ground with neither aggression nor submission in her tone.
"You speak reason. Since all three ladies have their original compositions, why don't we each play our own piece?"
Shi Kuang suggested.
"Agreed!" The three ladies naturally consented.
Since the tunes differed, to avoid interference with one another, they decided to play separately, drawing lots to determine the order.
The drawn sequence was Xie Yun, Shi Kuang, Yi Zhen and Yu Qingtan.
Xie Yun sat down, took out a zither of spiritual artifact grade, and began to play her self-composed piece, "Crane Prelude".
The zither's notes were light and brisk, like the cry of a spirit crane in the clouds.
Midway through the piece, two rows of eight black-feathered spirit cranes flew in from the southern sky, arrived above the platform, emitted pleasant calls and danced with the zither lody.
The spectators watched this extraordinary phenonon in amazent, imrsing themselves in it.
At the end of the piece, the spirit cranes circled once before returning to the south.
That was the location of the Spirit Crane Rental Ground of Tianxiang Immortal City.
"Marvelous, Miss Xie's piece has drawn the spirit cranes to echo along, demonstrating a zither skill that closely approaches the Dao. Shi Kuang has learned much."
Shi Kuang clapped and praised.
"Master Shi flatters !"
Xie Yun said, though her eyes betrayed a hint of pride as she glanced at Yu Qingtan.
Yu Qingtan had to admit that Xie Yun was indeed formidable.
The levels after mastering the zither could roughly be divided into 'Playing at Will,' 'Close to the Dao,' and 'Entering the Dao.'
Xie Yun's ability to attract eight spirit cranes indicated she had just touched the level of 'Close to the Dao.'
However, Yu Qingtan remained unfazed and responded with a smile.
She was no longer ignorant of the world.
After Xie Yun sat down, Shi Kuang began to play the zither.
The piece he played was also his well-known original work, "Spring Sun".
The zither tones were upright and tranquil, sparse and light.
As the music flowed, the stone ground of the plaza gradually turned green, and tender grass shoots peeked through the cracks.
The willow trees around the plaza grew greener, the flowers more vibrant, with the sounds of orioles and butterflies, and the circling of swallows and leaping fish.
The people at the plaza felt a soothing warmth and breeze, and longed to indulge themselves in the luxuriant spring atmosphere.
When the piece concluded, the listeners still had smiles on their faces.
It took a while before, led by Xie Yun, Yi Zhen, and Yu Qingtan, the audience broke into a thunderous applause that lasted a long ti.
"Master Shi's piece played out the splendor of spring, nearly touching the threshold of the Dao. Zhen is truly inferior, but having ascended the stage, I must also show what I can."
Yi Zhen spoke with a smile, then also began to play her self-composed piece, "Autumn Thoughts".
The notes of the zither were lingering, mournful and plaintive.
The previously flourishing green spring scene now seed to yellow a bit, and as the audience listened to the zither, they felt a touch of lancholy, recalling their own thoughts and yearnings.
Although Yi Zhen's skill could not compare to that of Shi Kuang, and was just slightly behind Xie Yun,
"Miss Yi's piece not only captures the hues of autumn but also embodies lovesickness, indeed a rare gem."
After Yi Zhen finished playing, Shi Kuang praised.
At this mont, Xie Yun cast another scrutinizing glance at Yu Qingtan, as if to say, "With our exquisite performances laid bare, do you, a re girl, still dare to make a fool of yourself?"
Yu Qingtan, of course, dared.
She took out the Quenched Spring Zither, bowed to the crowd, and without further ado, her jade fingers gently plucked the strings, and the music sounded.
As for the Roaming Zither, she was not yet ready to reveal in front of others the fact that she could store it in her storage equipnt.
The piece she played was naturally "Love of Butterfly Lovers".
As the lody ebbed and flowed, phantom images seed to appear in the sky above the platform in the sight of the onlookers.
Butterfly Lovers eting.
Studying in the academy.
...
And then, transforming into butterflies and flying away.
Scene by scene played out as if it were a three-dinsional movie from Yu Qingtan's forr life, telling a beautiful and tragic love story.
At the end of the piece, how many lovelorn n and won in the audience were on the verge of tears, ready to cry.
```
Shi Kuang's eyes were filled with contemplation.
"Feelings?"
Until now in his cultivation journey, he still did not know what feelings were.
Perhaps, this was what the dean ant, the very thing his zither path lacked.
The applause at the venue finally ceased, and he withdrew his thoughts.
He turned to Qing Tan with a clasped-hand salute and said, "Miss Qing Tan, your rendition of 'Love of Butterfly Lovers' evoked the manifestation of Dao marks, indicating that the path to true enlightennt is within reach. I am truly impressed."
Even Xie Yun, who had always looked at Yu Qingtan with so distaste, was shocked at this point and no longer dared to underestimate her.
"Master Shi's praise is too generous. Qing Tan has also learned much today."
Shi Kuang's words were indeed a bit exaggerated. At most, her level of zither skill was sowhat equivalent to his, far from enlightennt.
As for her sudden surge in zither skill level, of course, it was due to 'cheating'.
She had directly used a Second Stage Skill Upgrade Card and a Third Stage Skill Upgrade Card.
For the sake of Charm Points and Affection Value, such a glorious mont in the spotlight was naturally sothing she had to fully embrace.
Now it seed that the effect was indeed quite good.
"Sister Qing Tan's zither artistry should be considered the finest among the young generation in Tianxiang Immortal City," Yi Zhen could not help but co forward to praise her too.
Xie Yun's expression showed a trace of unwillingness, but she did not speak up to refute.
After the three won stepped down from the stage, no one else went up to challenge Shi Kuang with the zither.
Thus, Yi Zhen's words were as good as confird.
"Many thanks to the friends from Tianxiang Immortal City for the exchange today. It ends here. Tomorrow, my younger brother Zhou Lan will 'et with friends over a ga of chess,' and we hope you will all grace the occasion."
After Shi Kuang finished speaking, Zhou Lan barely managed to get up, and saluted the crowd.
Then the four of them once again took to their swords and left with elegance.
"Sister Qing Tan, you are too amazing. Are you missing a leg accessory?"
In the midst of all sorts of praise from her little fan Xiang Ru, Yu Qingtan and her companion returned to the Raoliang Tea House.
Within the crowd, a man had been watching Yu Qingtan's figure the whole ti, his eyes flickering with various thoughts before finally solidifying with determination.
This man was none other than Sun Deren, the son of the Deacon of Ten Thousand Laws Pavilion in the original Suichuan Immortal City.
The Ice Skin Jade Bone Art practised by Yu Qingtan had been a gift from Sun Deren.
By this ti, Deacon Sun had been transferred to Ten Thousand Laws Pavilion in Tianxiang Immortal City, and Sun Deren had followed.
Returning to The Ten Thousand Laws Pavilion, Sun Deren went straight to his father's room.
"Father, I want to break off the engagent."
"Smack—"
The teacup in Deacon Sun's hand crashed down at Sun Deren's feet.
"Listen to yourself, what nonsense are you spouting? Has your head been caught in a door?"
With only this one son possessing qualifications for cultivation, Deacon Sun had finally managed to arrange a marriage with a lady of a shu branch from the Golden Core family, the Xies.
"You've t Miss Xie Chunhong. She's respectful, dignified, and has a gentle temperant. What exactly are you dissatisfied with?" Deacon Sun said angrily.
"Miss Chunhong is indeed wonderful, but..."
"Enough, I understand. It's Qing Tan again. I've heard that the girl Qing Tan has also co to Tianxiang Immortal City. But now she's a top disciple of Tianxiang Valley. Can you even aspire to her level?
"With the Xies as a prominent Golden Core family, can you bear the consequences of breaking off an engagent?" Deacon Sun asked sarcastically, laughing angrily.
Sun Deren suddenly felt like an eggplant beaten by frost, utterly dejected.
He knew all too well what his father was saying.
Yet in his mind, he always visualized Qing Tan's charming image, her every frown and smile lingering long in his thoughts.
He had originally accepted his fate, following his father to Tianxiang Immortal City.
But today, after seeing the inextricably linked lady of his dreams, Qing Tan, shine brightly on stage like an unattainable goddess,
his feelings for her intensified even more.
However, the cruel reality once again jolted him awake.
"Go to your room and stay there, no leaving for seven days, think carefully about your actions!" his father's voice rang in his ears.
Desire without attainnt, only to tuck it deep in his heart.
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