The smile on Baili Qianchi's face had vanished. He sat up straight, his hands resting on his knees, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, yet he remained as steady as a rock.
His mind was as focused as an arrow, and although he felt the pressure from the overwhelming waves of music, he was still able to cope calmly.
"That's not bad."
He gritted his teeth and forced out a sentence, glancing across at the other side.
Then he froze.
Han Xuanji still held the teacup, and even took another sip.
His expression remained exactly the same as before: calm, composed, and even tinged with a hint of appreciation.
It's like savoring a wonderful performance, rather than enduring a mental ordeal that would put even the Eternal True Lord under pressure.
He set down his teacup, met Baili Qianchi's incredulous gaze, and said softly:
"Not enough, Miss Qin Xin, another round."
"Don't hold back. Neither Brother Baili nor I feel any pressure. If this is all there is to it, then the title of Chief Musician of the Shallow Dream Pavilion is, in my opinion, undeserved..."
Han Xuanji's words sounded somewhat offensive at first, but his tone was incredibly sincere, as if he truly believed it.
After all, Han Xuanji did appear quite calm, seemingly unaffected at all.
These words shocked everyone present.
Baili Qianchi wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, he clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and remained silent.
He didn't believe that Han Xuanji was as calm as she appeared.
"Even I'm finding it difficult; I doubt he can hold on much longer."
Baili Qianchi encouraged himself.
"Moreover, I can still improve, my willpower can still break through! How can I fall so quickly!"
On the other side, Qin Xin raised her eyes upon hearing this, her clear, cold gaze lingering on Han Xuanji's face for a moment.
"Oh?"
She has played the zither for many years and has seen countless geniuses.
Some remained unfazed upon first hearing the music, while others forced a show of composure, and still others countered the music with their own Daoist spirit.
But this young man in front of me, even after the first piece, " Surging Waves," still had the leisure to sip tea and could say "again" in such a sincere tone that it didn't sound sarcastic.
She had never encountered it before.
Is it that they truly have something to rely on, or is it simply extreme arrogance?
Regardless of the reason, it stirred a rare ripple in Qin Xin's usually calm and undisturbed State of Mind.
This feeling is very subtle.
She was not angry at Han Xuanji's offensive words, but rather it was the instinct of a musician who had encountered a listener who piqued her curiosity, and the urge to see where the other person's limits were.
"Good."
Qin Xin lowered her eyes, concealing the fleeting glint of surprise in them, her voice remaining as clear and cold as water:
"In that case, let's listen carefully to the second piece, ' The Terrifying Waves '."
The moment the words left her lips, Qin Xin's entire demeanor changed.
She was no longer the aloof, frost-like woman playing the zither, but rather like a deity who ruled over the vast ocean, slowly opening her eyes.
Before the fingers even plucked the strings, the air on the terrace seemed to freeze. All the onlookers felt a tightness in their chests, as if a massive ocean was pressing down from all directions, making it difficult to even breathe.
Hun Qianling subconsciously clenched her sleeve, only to find her hands trembling slightly.
"Is this... the true skill of a high-level musician?"
Not all the guests around had ever witnessed the true skill of a master musician.
Then, the piano music exploded.
Unlike the gradual progression of the first piece, the second piece, " The Terrifying Waves," is an overwhelming and destructive impact from the very beginning.
The seven strings vibrated simultaneously, each note transforming into a powerful hammer that struck the very core of the soul.
If the first song is a catalyst that evokes fearful memories, then the second song is a straightforward and uncompromising crushing defeat.
There was no intention to test them, only a series of increasingly intense mental assaults, like a cataclysmic storm raging from the deepest part of the Primordial Sea, carrying an irresistible power of heaven and earth.
Although the guests watching were not locked onto by the power in the music, even the faint echoes caused many of the weaker cultivators present to turn pale and retreat repeatedly, having to use their internal energy to protect their minds.
A knowledgeable cultivator gasped in astonishment:
" The Terrifying Waves Melody... Lady Qin Xin is really going all out. Among the Eternal True Lord, almost no one can withstand this song head-on."
"I know Baili Qianchi. His State of Mind cultivation is said to be at the level of Eternal True Lord. He should be able to hold on, right?"
"It's hard to say... Look at him!"
All eyes turned to Baili Qianchi, and then everyone fell silent.
Just moments ago, Baili Qianchi had been all high and mighty, chatting and laughing freely, but now he was frozen in his chair.
His eyes stopped moving.
That face, which once wore an arrogant smile, now only showed a forced bitterness.
Cold sweat seeped from his forehead, trickled down his cheeks, and soaked his collar, but he was completely unaware.
His lips moved slightly, as if he were saying something, but no sound came out.
Qin Xin was provoked by Han Xuanji's words, but she did not hold back. Her full strength was enough to shake the Eternal True God for a moment, let alone the Eternal Dao Master. The moment the music entered his heart, he lost his perception of "reality".
Everything before their eyes was collapsing. The terrace of the Shallow Dream Pavilion had vanished, the surrounding guests had vanished, and even Han Xuanji, who was sitting opposite them, had disappeared.
The world was then reorganized, replaced by an endless gray ocean.
This is the Primordial Sea, also known as the Sea of Origin. On the Eternal Continent, some call it the Sea of Mystery, because countless secrets and dangers are hidden within this sea. Anyone can get lost within it, and there are even rumors that when Saint King Realm experts explored its depths together, they encountered great terror...
"That's right, this is music!"
Han Xuanji nodded slightly.
"But for me, this level of pressure isn't enough."
No matter how powerful her music is, it ultimately affects the "heart".
Han Xuanji's heart had been shattered countless times and reformed countless times since the moment the entries were merged.
He has experienced countless lives, countless joys and sorrows, and countless flavors of life and death.
Those experiences did not destroy him; instead, they forged him into a different kind of being.
No matter how fierce the waves of music crash against this boundless sea of the heart, they are nothing more than waves crashing against the rocks on the shore.
After the roar, it turned into tiny bubbles and vanished without a trace.
Although she thought this to herself, Han Xuanji pretended to be under some pressure, and her breathing rate changed, making it seem to outsiders that she was also under considerable pressure.
On the other hand, Baili Qianchi had a completely different experience, as he was opposite Han Xuanji.
"This is?"
Baili Qianchi opened his eyes and suddenly found himself standing alone on a small boat, surrounded by towering waves millions of feet high.
The waves were as black as ink, and each crash resounded with an apocalyptic roar in his ears.
His small boat was as insignificant as a speck of dust in the face of the giant waves.
He gritted his teeth, trying to calm himself.
His willpower had been forged into an iron will through countless lonely nights, but now he suddenly realized—
Iron, too, can rust.
A wave crashed in, and the small boat capsized.
In an instant, Baili Qianchi plunged into the icy seawater.