He struggled to the surface, only to see a whirlpool, larger than a star, slowly rotating in the distance, swallowing everything around him.
The turbulent currents tore at his consciousness, and countless cries of agony filled his ears, mixed with indistinguishable wails and sighs.
He suddenly forgot who he was.
He forgot about Thousand Souls City, forgot about the path he had cultivated for tens of thousands of years, and felt as if he were just a tiny creature struggling in the Primordial Sea, helpless, fearful, and lonely. All the negative emotions he had suppressed deep in his heart surged out like a flood breaking through a dam at this moment.
Once the psychological defenses are breached, the consequences can be quite severe.
Baili Qianchi's hands waved wildly in the air, as if trying to grab something, or as if trying to push away something that didn't exist.
He began to utter incoherent babbling, his voice broken and trembling with a near-collapse.
"No... it's impossible... how could I be...?"
"I just... I just..."
"Help... who... who can help..."
That's the sound that only comes out after one's mental defenses have completely collapsed.
When a cultivator, especially one at the Eternal Dao Master level, displays this state, it means they are essentially in a state of Dao heart collapse.
At this moment, Baili Qianchi was in a state of confusion, unable to distinguish between illusion and reality.
To him, the raging waves around him were real, and they were happening right now.
The crowd fell silent.
Baili Qianchi's confidence in taking on this challenge suggests his mental fortitude is not weak; the fact that he could become like this only proves how terrifying the music was.
Many people looked at Qin Xin with eyes full of apprehension.
If they were targeted by this music, would they react the same way?
Hun Qianling covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock.
Although she guessed that Han Xuanji to win, she didn't expect Baili Qianchi to collapse so quickly.
Baili Qianchi was now slumped in his chair, his hands flailing wildly, tears streaming down his face, displaying a completely unsightly state, a far cry from the arrogant and haughty young man he had been just moments before.
He can't hold on any longer.
Someone whispered.
"The young lady Qin Xin has probably already used at least 50% of her strength in this piece. Baili Qianchi is still too young and insists on making her use her true skills."
"Wait, where's the other one?"
Everyone turned their gaze to the other side.
Then, everyone gasped.
Han Xuanji remained seated, eyes closed, her expression wavering slightly, but she did not reveal any ugly behavior.
It's like a reef standing in a stormy sea.
The waves may crash against him, may engulf him, but they can never shake him.
Of course, Qin Xin's skill is beyond doubt; she is indeed a master of the zither, and this piece moved him deeply.
Legend has it that Qin Xin once influenced a weak-willed Eternal True God with a melody played on her zither.
He didn't really believe this rumor at first. There was a huge chasm between the True God and the True Master. It sounded too absurd to cross such a great realm by the influence of music alone.
But now, experiencing the power of the " Terrifying Waves " firsthand, he felt that the rumors might not be false.
"If I use my full power, I wonder if it will be able to affect me?"
Han Xuanji was somewhat curious, but she didn't say anything.
The outcome is already decided. If the intensity is increased further, Baili Qianchi might go insane on the spot.
As he was pondering this, Baili Qianchi, who was opposite him, suddenly began to tremble violently.
He slid off the chair, knelt on the ground, buried his head in his hands, and mumbled broken words in a hoarse voice:
"It wasn't me... it really wasn't me... Wu Congshan sent me... He said as long as I... as long as I beat Han Xuanji..."
"No more... I don't want to compete anymore... Please... stop..."
"I'm so scared... I was wrong..."
He huddled on the ground, like a fledgling bird drenched in a storm, trembling uncontrollably.
The arrogance on that face was gone, replaced by bewilderment and fear.
Qin Xin's fingers finally stopped on the strings.
She didn't look at Baili Qianchi kneeling on the ground, but instead raised her eyes and looked at Han Xuanji's face.
For the first time, a look of surprise appeared on that usually aloof face, and then he slowly said:
The outcome is decided.
The air on the terrace seemed to freeze for a moment.
Then, a clamor erupted like a tidal wave.
"Sharp!"
The first to speak was an old cultivator with white hair and beard. He suddenly stood up and shouted:
"Unmoved beneath the Terrifying Waves Melody? Truly a peerless genius capable of conquering the Heavenly Ladder! I have never admired anyone in my life, but I admire you the most!"
The speaker was a frequent visitor to the Shallow Dream Pavilion, a well-known figure in Thousand Souls City who owned several small properties and was a Peak Eternal True Lord realm.
" The Dao of the Heart Arrow, cultivated by Baili Qianchi, is renowned for its emphasis on mental concentration. Who doesn't know of his three thousand years of solitary, arduous training in the Wild and Desolate Domain? Even he couldn't withstand the second movement, yet Han Xuanji remained unfazed... The difference in their abilities is simply too great!"
"It's more than just a gap!"
Another middle-aged monk shook his head and muttered:
"Look at his expression, he still has energy to spare. No wonder he agreed so readily from the start."
These words caused another moment of silence in the room.
"This time, the Soul Household seems to have unearthed a True Dragon. I see the potential in this young man as Sage."
Someone said in a low voice, their tone complicated.
As the dominant force in the city, the decline of the Soul Household is something many forces would be happy to see. It's unexpected that they could still find a talent like Han Xuanji.
"It's a pity his cultivation level is a bit low, but given time, he might really have a chance."
Qin Xin did not join in the discussion.
She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly more noticeably than usual. She gently placed the guqin on the table beside her, stood up, bowed slightly, and performed a greeting to Han Xuanji Shallow Dream Pavilion give to a distinguished guest.
"Fellow Daoist Qin Xin admirable."
Her voice remained clear and crisp, but it carried a significantly more genuine admiration than her previous distant tone.
" The Nine Heart-Tempering Movements is the signature technique of my Shallow Dream Pavilion. Although I dare not say that my skill is the best in the Nine Mysteries Prefecture, there are few who can compare with me in Thousand Souls City."
Fellow Daoist, your ability to withstand this Terrifying Waves melody at the Qin Xin Dao Master level is truly a feat I have never witnessed before.
There was no politeness in her words.
For Qin Xin, there was no reason for her to flatter a junior whose cultivation level was lower than hers.
Moreover, Qin Xin has always maintained an arrogant demeanor over the years, attracting countless disciples from powerful Lineage to pursue her, but she has responded coldly to them all.
It is said that a disciple of a powerful force once used his backing to coerce her, and the disciple died the next day, while the powerful force remained completely silent, which shows that he was no ordinary person.
Baili Qianchi was able to persuade her partly because he paid her, and partly because she was curious about Han Xuanji.