Zither and Flute Duet! Lingshu: Yuan-Gathering Melody!

Before the crowd could recover from the shock that had just upended their understanding of reality, Xiao Xiao, who was sitting beside Xiao Yan, stood up straight.

She clasped her hands behind her back, her eyes curving into a sweet, adorable smile.

"Hello, classmates. My name is Xiao Xiao." Her voice was crisp and soft, ringing out with startling clarity in the silent classroom.

"That's right, we're brother and sister. My soul power is level thirty-five, and my martial souls are the Nine Phoenix Flute and the Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron."

As these words were dropped, the entire Class Nine fell into such a deep silence that not even the sound of gasping could be heard.

Everyone was in a state of mental shutdown.

Beside an eleven-year-old level forty-six monster sat another eleven-year-old level thirty-five twin-martial-soul monster.

They weren't here to attend school; they were clearly here to crush everyone else's spirits.

Xiao Xiao looked at the stunned Mu Jin on the podium, then at the incredulous expressions of her classmates, and the smile on her lips deepened.

"Today is the first day of school, and my brother and I have prepared a special welcome gift for everyone."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Xiao raised her right hand. A cyan-green light gathered rapidly in her palm.

A slender vertical flute condensed into shape within her grasp.

The flute was crafted from top-tier, translucent, jade-green material, crystal clear to the eye.

Nine cyan phoenixes with wings spread as if ready to take flight were carved into the surface of the flute, the craftsmanship so exquisite that every line exuded a sense of vivid vitality.

A green halo swirled around the flute, radiating an aura of endless life—this was her tool-type martial soul, the Nine Phoenix Flute.

At the same time, Xiao Yan, who remained seated, did not stand up. He simply spread his arms, palms facing upward.

The surrounding air twisted in a strange fashion.

A long zither appeared out of thin air before his chest, hovering steadily in mid-air.

It was the Fuxi Zither.

The body of the zither was forged from the purest spiritual jade and ancient paulownia wood, possessing a translucent, azure-toned texture.

Moon-white and purple-gold divine radiance alternated across the surface of the zither, flowing in an endless cycle.

At the head of the zither, the profound and mysterious Fuxi Bagua was carved in relief, while the sides were wrapped in intricate, vigorous dragon and phoenix cloud patterns.

Seven strings stretched across it, fine yet resilient, reflecting the shimmering light of stars.

The moment the martial soul manifested, an aura that was simultaneously ancient, vigorous, and elegantly transcendent instantly flooded the entire classroom.

The supreme majesty originating from an ancient divine artifact caused the martial souls of everyone present to tremble instinctively.

While the minds of the crowd were still stalled by the shock brought on by this monstrous pair of siblings, Xiao Yan had already raised his hands, his slender, fair fingers resting naturally upon the suspended strings.

His right middle finger hooked the central star-like string and plucked it gently.

"Zheng—"

A clear, resonant zither note rippled through the classroom.

The sound ignored all physical barriers, striking directly into the spiritual sea of every person present.

The chaotic thoughts born of shock in the freshmen's minds were instantly swept away by this single note.

Following this, Xiao Xiao brought the Nine Phoenix Flute to her lips.

A nimble, flute melody rose in response.

The zither notes were steady and profound, lingering in the air to lay out a vast, deep earth, while the flute notes were ethereal and winding, transforming into a green bird riding the wind above the nine heavens.

The two musical tracks intersected and overlapped perfectly in mid-air, without the slightest conflict, instead constructing a marvelous resonance.

Every freshman present closed their eyes involuntarily.

They relaxed their tense muscles, their rapid heartbeats gradually slowed, and their breathing frequencies began to synchronize with the rhythm of the zither and flute duet.

Even the breeze blowing from outside the classroom seemed to become traceable.

The heaven and earth elemental energy in the air, which usually required deliberate meditation to capture, became exceptionally active under the guidance of the duet.

Threads of energy flowed through their relaxed pores, spontaneously merging into their meridians and circulating steadily along their respective cultivation paths.

It was an unprecedented, ethereal experience, devoid of distracting thoughts, leaving only the pure fusion of soul and nature.

Several minutes passed by in a blur.

The tail end of the flute melody gradually stretched out before dissipating into the air.

Xiao Yan pressed his hands flat against the seven strings, suppressing all vibration.

"Zheng."

The final, short, and powerful zither note rang out, severing the mysterious resonance.

The crowd awoke as if from a dream, opening their eyes one after another.

A brief silence filled the classroom, followed by a succession of exclamations.

Li Dazhuang, in the front row, clenched his fists tightly, his face full of excitement; Ning Tian, sitting in front of Xiao Yan, looked down at her own hands, her gold-blue eyes filled with shock.

Before her classmates could ask, Xiao Xiao put down the jade flute in her hand and took the initiative to explain.

"This is a melody that my brother and I composed, named Lingshu: Yuan-Gathering Melody." She winked playfully.

"This melody has no offensive power, but it has a very powerful auxiliary effect—it can greatly enhance your spiritual perception. Now, feel your surroundings."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately closed their eyes to perceive.

This time, without needing to enter a meditative state, they could "see" the various elemental energies of heaven and earth drifting in the air with unparalleled clarity.

The previously obscure energy trajectories now appeared as clear as lines on the palm of one's hand.

"It can probably double the perception of various elemental energies in the outside world." Xiao Xiao's crisp voice rang out again, directly stating the conclusion.

"Simply put, during this period, your soul power cultivation speed will double."

The entire class erupted in a clamor.

Doubling cultivation speed!

For soul masters, the most precious thing was cultivation time.

Such an auxiliary ability that could directly alter the efficiency of their fundamental cultivation had surpassed the scope of conventional soul skills; it was simply a miracle.

Mu Jin on the podium could no longer maintain her composure.

As an experienced teacher, she understood the strategic value of this auxiliary effect better than anyone.

With only a few months left until the freshman assessment, if all of Class Nine could cultivate at double speed, their overall strength would undergo a qualitative leap.

She strode quickly down from the podium and came to the back of the classroom, her gaze fixed on Xiao Xiao, her voice filled with unconcealed excitement.

"Xiao Xiao, how long can the enhancement effect of this Lingshu: Yuan-Gathering Melody last?"

This question was precisely what the entire class was most concerned about, and everyone pricked up their ears, anxiously awaiting the answer.

Xiao Xiao felt a little unnerved by her homeroom teacher's intense gaze.

She adorably scratched her head. She wasn't sure about the duration because the core of the melody was her brother's Fuxi Zither; she was merely cooperating and guiding.

Thus, she decisively turned her head and cast her innocent gaze towards Xiao Yan, who was sitting beside her.

Xiao Yan removed his hands from the zither strings. As his thoughts moved, the Fuxi Zither dissolved into a stream of light and vanished.

He leaned back against his chair, his expression calm, and provided a relatively precise answer.

"About a week. After seven days, the effect amplified within the sea of consciousness will gradually weaken until it dissipates."