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On the first day of Li Qingshan's visit to Taixuan, he was arranged to stay in a secluded cave at the top of Star Peak.
While the outside world was in an uproar over Li Qingshan's arrival, a completely different scene unfolded on the Taixuan Sect, the most ordinary of the 108 main Clumsy Peak of the Tai Xuan Sect.
Ancient trees reach for the sky, old vines coil around them, and a few simple houses are hidden among the weeds, appearing rather ordinary compared to the otherworldly grandeur of the nearby Star Peak.
At this moment, inside one of the houses, a man and a dog were staring at each other.
"Woof! Little Yezi, have you heard?" The Big Black Dog dog stood up on its hind legs, gesturing with its two front paws, its face beaming with undisguised excitement and a hint of mischief. "Young Li is here! He's settled in Star Peak next door!"
Ye Fan sat cross-legged on a futon. Upon hearing this, he slowly opened his eyes, a flash of golden light appearing in them.
The unique golden blood energy of the Sacred Body was contained within its body, yet it faintly exuded a sense of immense power about to burst forth.
"I heard it, the place down the mountain is practically in Heaven-Overturning." Ye Fan's tone was calm, but the slight upturn of his lips showed that he was in a good mood. "With our teacher's arrival, the Taixuan Sect has really stolen the show this time."
"It's more than just being in the limelight!" The Black Emperor paced back and forth, his tail wagging like a Yaoguang, spitting as he spoke. "The successor of the Great Emperor! That's no exaggeration, he's the best in the world! Those Yao Guang and Ji Family brats who've been searching for us like headless flies, they don't care about the Licheng Palace anymore!"
It sidled up to Ye Fan, its dog eyes gleaming with cunning. "In my opinion, our good days have arrived! What are we still doing hiding on this Clumsy Peak? With that brat Li Qingshan here, it's like we have a living god standing behind us! We had no choice before, but now that the Divine Capital in our home, is it reasonable for us to cower?"
Ye Fan glanced at it, a half-smile on his face, "What do you mean?"
"What do you mean? Isn't it obvious!" Black Emperor gave him a look that said, "You're so clueless!" "Before Li Qingshan came, we lay low, that was to bide our time and avoid the limelight. Now that Li Qingshan is here, are we still going to lay low? Then what was the point of Li Qingshan coming here! We need to stand up straight!"
It got more and more excited as it spoke, and began to pontificate. "Think about it, with Li Qingshan in charge, the Taixuan Sect is now one of the safest places in the Eastern Wasteland! The Taixuan Sect is holding some kind of grand gathering of geniuses, which is a perfect opportunity for us to show off! We can find a few fools to test our skills and see who dares to keep chasing after us."
Seeing the Black Emperor's excited expression, Ye Fan couldn't help but laugh and scold, "You damn dog, you just want to use me as a pawn to cause trouble, right? You want to use me as a scapegoat?"
"Woof! What do you mean by causing trouble? This is called making good use of resources and going with the flow!" Black Emperor said righteously. "What's our relationship with Old Li? We're sworn brothers! His student is being chased like a rabbit, how can he, as the teacher, look good? If we go out now, we're handing him a ladder, giving him a legitimate reason to support us, and incidentally, giving those blind forces a warning. That's called tacit understanding, understand?"
Ye Fan had actually had this idea in his heart for a long time.
He hesitated for a moment and said, "Perhaps my teacher has his own plans. Wouldn't it disrupt his plans if we went out rashly?"
"A plan? What plan could he possibly have?" Black Emperor curled his lip. "He came to Taixuan, ostensibly to seek enlightenment at Clumsy Peak, but in my opinion, he's probably here for you! Otherwise, what a coincidence! I only sent a message to Jade Pool a few days ago, and he's already here? He's here to back you up! If we don't appreciate it and continue to be cowards, that would be truly foolish!"
Ye Fan thought about it and felt that although the Black Emperor's words were exaggerated, they were not entirely without reason.
"Besides," Black Emperor lowered his voice, a sly smile spreading across his dog-like face, "Don't you want to go and see? So many holy sons and daughters are here, it's bound to be lively! Maybe you'll even run into a few 'old friends' and catch up, hehe." His idea of catching up, of course, wasn't just about drinking tea and chatting.
Ye Fan finally nodded, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Very well."
"That's right!" Black Emperor clapped his paws excitedly. "Let's go, let's go tell Senior Li Ruoyu first, and then, hehe, I can already imagine the expressions on those guys' faces when we appear at the Star Peak Gathering! It's going to be quite a sight!"
The man and the dog exchanged a knowing smile. Just as Black Emperor had said, if I lay low before Li Qingshan came, and I still lay low after Li Qingshan came, then what was the point of Li Qingshan coming?
The following day, on a mountain peak beside Star Peak, half of which had been leveled and shrouded in clouds, a grand event began.
Sect Leader Hua personally oversaw the event, accompanied by the peak masters and elders of the Taixuan Sect.
The plaza was spacious, with a babbling brook and ancient trees providing shade; hundreds of cultivators had already gathered there.
The older generation mostly gathered at the upper jade platform, their demeanor serene and composed. As they conversed in hushed tones, their gazes would occasionally sweep over the young man in a blue robe who sat alone on the left-hand seat, resting with his eyes closed.
In the lower area, young talents gathered together, and the atmosphere was even more complex.
Awe, curiosity, fighting spirit, and admiration—a mix of emotions swirled within him.
Many people have lived in the shadow of the " Eastern Exalt " rumors, and now that they are in person, their feelings are even more direct.
It was a kind of unfathomable, vast tranquility, which only made people feel more awe.
" Eastern Exalt, my grandson Yunfei has been fond of music since childhood and has some minor insights into the art of the Dao Yi. He often indulges in refined pursuits. I have long heard of your profound understanding of the Eastern Exalt. I wonder if I may allow him to step forward and play a piece, as a way to add to the festivities and also to express his desire to learn and explore the Dao?"
The voice of Hua Mingxuan, the Star Peak, rang out at the right time, carrying the reserve of an elder towards an outstanding junior and a hint of subtle recommendation.
Li Qingshan's gaze shifted slightly, landing on the blue-clad youth beside Hua Mingxuan.
Hua Yunfei immediately stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said in a gentle and serene manner, "Junior Hua Yunfei greets the Eastern Exalt. My clumsy zither playing is unworthy of your Eastern Exalt ears, but I only hope to bring a smile to the faces of you senior fellow Daoists."
"I've long heard of Hua Yunfei of Taixuan Star Peak." Li Qingshan nodded slightly. "I've heard your zither skills are quite profound; why don't you play a piece for me?"
" Eastern Exalt me, Your Excellency. I am humbled." Hua Yunfei bowed again. He said no more and gracefully walked to the prayer mat that had been prepared in the center of the room. With a flick of his sleeve, an ancient-looking zither with a distinctive scorched tail was placed on his lap.
As those slender fingers gracefully moved across the strings, like butterflies resting on flower petals, the music flowing out was clear and ethereal, like a mountain spring rinsing over stones or moonlight flowing like frost, causing the listener's mind to unconsciously settle down and return to a state of clarity and tranquility.
Li Qingshan sat quietly listening, his gaze falling on the young man in blue robes, immersed in the music, and a faint sigh rose in his heart.
Hua Yunfei, as the inheritor of the Ruthless One Lineage, is burdened with the so-called destiny of a " Demonic Embryo ".
From beginning to end, his path, his destiny, and even the "freedom" flowing from his fingertips at this moment, were not choices made by his own heart, but rather trajectories drawn and fixed long ago by an invisible giant hand.
Although the Taixuan Sect is not the private property of any one family or clan, and the position of sect leader has always been selected based on cultivation, virtue, and ability, its founding patriarch was indeed a sage of the Hua family.
Over the long years, nearly half of the successive leaders of the Taixuan Sect came from Star Peak, and among these half, half had the bloodline of the Hua family.
This deep-rooted history and heritage have made the character "Hua" in the Taixuan Sect transcend ordinary surnames, becoming a symbol and responsibility deeply intertwined with the sect's honor and disgrace.
For Yu Hua Yunfei, the Taixuan Sect is not only a sect, but also the "root" to which his bloodline and family glory are tied.
This inseparable bond became the most secure chain that the Ruthless One Lineage used to control him, destined him from birth to be pushed onto the seemingly glorious but actually involuntary path of a " Demonic Embryo ".
Just like a koi carp in a glass jar, even with its dazzling scales and graceful swimming, the world it sees is only a small area.
It may have longed for the vastness of the rivers, lakes, and seas outside the jar countless times, but every time it tried to leap up, it collided with cold, hard barriers. The price of breaking free from the cage was likely to be being stranded on the ground and dying in a dry rut.
With this thought in mind, Li Qingshan's eyes flickered with a subtle shift in thought.
This time, in order to understand the secret of the word "Ji", I have made a promise to Taixuan Sect.
If Master Hua Mingxuan of Star Peak cherishes his grandson and is willing to use this promise, I might be able to take action to sever the secret control and shackles of the "protectors" of the Ruthless One Lineage behind Hua Yunfei.
If this move succeeds, it will not only relieve Hua Yunfei's predicament, but also remove a major hidden threat to the Taixuan Sect. Furthermore, it will allow them to take advantage of the situation to obtain the Supreme Emperor Scripture, " Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art," created by the Lifetime of the Ruthless Great Emperor.
Although this technique is named after the word "demon" and its cultivation method is contrary to the laws of nature, it is the core method by which the Ruthless Great Emperor, with her mortal body, defied fate and devoured the origins of various physiques to forge the supreme Chaos Body. It contains her unparalleled wisdom and supreme Daoist charm in rising from humble beginnings and fighting against destiny.
Even if one could only study and learn from it, it would still have immeasurable enlightening value for Li Qingshan, who has already forged his own path.
The Ruthless Great Emperor possessed talent that astonished throughout the ages, surpassing all others across countless eras.
Starting from a mortal body, he defied the heavens step by step, eventually reaching the pinnacle of the Dao. His experience itself is a living epic of cultivation.
Her teachings and path, especially the path of struggle, progress, and continuous transformation and sublimation in her Lifetime, are irreplaceable treasures for any cultivator aspiring to ascend the Great Dao.
If one is lucky enough to glean the " Indestructible Heavenly Art " created by the captured protector to fight against the " Demonic Embryo " destiny and transform into Divine Embryo, the gains will be even more astonishing.
Li Qingshan heart was firm, and he had long understood his own path ahead, so there was no need to change his fundamental principles.
But as the saying goes, "the stones from other mountains can be used to polish jade," observing such unparalleled divine scriptures that have shaken the ages and comprehending the sparks of their thinking and the evolution of the great way is enough to broaden one's horizons, verify one's own path, and may even lead to similar insights, illuminating some of the darker aspects of the road ahead.
If this deal can be completed, it will be a win-win situation, meaning both the Taixuan Sect and Li Qingshan will benefit.
The music, though not initially stirring, was like the first rays of dawn piercing through the mist in a secluded valley, gentle and soothing, quietly permeating the listener's heart.
Immediately, the melody unfolded slowly, like moonlight silently falling through the forest, hazy and serene;
Just like the clouds and mist in the mountains, which arise and disappear naturally, unfolding and rolling freely.
Without any elaborate or contrived twists and turns, the true meaning is revealed in the simplicity, sketching a natural landscape far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world, allowing the listener to involuntarily calm their mind and gradually dispel distracting thoughts.
A wondrous change then occurred.
At first, a timid thrush tentatively flew in from the distant treetops, landed on a nearby rock, and tilted its head to listen.
Immediately afterwards, orioles, larks, skylarks, and even several rare birds with brightly colored plumage seemed to be summoned from all directions and flew in one after another.
They perched on branches or rested on the grass, all unusually quiet, their glassy eyes gazing at the blue-clad youth Playing the Zither, as if immersed in the beautiful music.
For a moment, Hua Yunfei sat upright amidst a hundred birds, his blue robes fluttering gently in the breeze and with the music. His face was calm and ethereal, and he seemed to be one with the zither, the surrounding creatures, and the world around him, in perfect harmony and nature, as if he were a child blessed by the spirit of heaven and earth.
On the high platform, Li Qingshan listened quietly.
The music was indeed extraordinary, touching the edge of the "Tao," capable of evoking resonance in all living beings, demonstrating the depth of Hua Yunfei's immersion in this Tao and his exceptional talent.
However, Li Qingshan mind was clear and near-immortal, allowing him to see the true nature of all things.
Deep within that intoxicatingly beautiful melody, he keenly captured a subtle yet persistent rhythm. It was not true freedom, but rather a sense of melancholy seeking a gap in an endless web, a yearning for the vast sky yet bound by invisible shackles.
The soul that yearns most for freedom like the wind and clouds is burdened with the heaviest destiny.
After a long while, the music ended, and the last note faded away, but the lingering melody seemed to still echo in the mountain forest.
Most of the people remained with their eyes closed, savoring the moment, their faces serene. Even the spirit birds did not fly away immediately, remaining where they were.
On the high platform, Li Qingshan slowly opened his slightly closed eyes and his gaze fell on the blue-clad youth in the arena.
He did not speak immediately, but the brief silence drew everyone's attention, drawing them in to await his judgment.
"The heart of the zither reflects the Way, and Zen arises from the fingers." Li Qingshan finally spoke, his voice calm yet carrying a convincing weight. "The zither's melody flows, seven parts depicting the forms of nature, three parts revealing the light of true spirituality. What a pity!!!"
He paused slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through Hua Yunfei's perfect demeanor, looking into a deeper place. "Beyond the inspiration, there is still a trace of 'inevitable' hesitation. The 'I' within the zither is not yet completely at ease."
Upon hearing this, Hua Yunfei's calm smile, which he had maintained since Playing the Zither, froze slightly. Although it was fleeting and he returned to normal in an instant, a very subtle ripple seemed to spread through the depths of his cloud-like eyes.
Li Qingshan saw through the sense of helplessness and constraint that he was trying so hard to hide beneath his perfect exterior.
This insight sent a chill down his spine, and also evoked a complex and indescribable feeling within him.
" Eastern Exalt's insight is astute, and your comments are insightful. I have learned a great deal from you." Hua Yunfei bowed deeply, his tone more sincere and respectful than before, and less formal in his humility.
Only after Li Qingshan finished his evaluation was the silence that had been created by the King's words finally broken.
As Hua Yunfei finished his song, the lingering charm of the music faded, and after a brief moment of contemplation, the atmosphere gradually shifted to a more active exchange and competition among the younger generation of prodigies.
As divine light first appeared and Daoist arts resounded, a series of debates, some friendly and some fierce, unfolded throughout the square, drawing cheers and comments.
Highly recommend " Shrouding the Heavens: Yuanshi of the Myriad Heavens "! Click to enter the story world.