Chapter 98: Is This Yiqi Huang Truly A Music Cultivator?
Everyone listened to Ou Ziye grumble for a long time before finally hearing him grit his teeth and say:
“Congratulations to all you young friends for successfully breaking the formation and becoming the third challenger to destroy the formation via demonic and heretical methods. As a reward, each of you will receive a Heavenly Grade Mid-Rank Spirit Tool.”
Heavenly Grade, Mid-Rank!
The youngsters rejoiced upon hearing this, thinking that these were magical artifacts even the Upper Cultivation World coveted, and they were obtaining them for free.
It could be said that although the trials they encountered were becoming more difficult, the rewards were also becoming more generous!
At the same time, the design blueprints they had assembled earlier flashed before the youngsters’ eyes; there were eight of them, all glowing with spiritual light, shining brilliantly.
At this moment, Ou Ziye’s voice, filled with displeasure and unwillingness, echoed in everyone’s ears again:
“What a pity. If you had used conventional formation-breaking methods, you would have had one more Spirit Tool choice. Hurry up and choose. Once you recognize your master, scram! I don’t welcome your kind of demonic and heretical path.”
Eight design blueprints: three for sword artifacts, two for defensive clothing, and three for defensive jewelry.
He Qingqing smilingly took the hairpin blueprint and said, “I’m injured, so it should be okay for me to choose this hairpin first.”
Although Ou Ziye was irritable, it had to be said that the Spirit Tools he produced were both beautiful and powerful, truly fitting He Qingqing’s aesthetic. She had immediately taken a liking to the lotus hairpin.
“No problem at all, Junior Sister He.” Fei Changxiu said, taking the sword artifact from the middle: “This one is Wind Attribute, it suits me perfectly!”
Wind Attribute is rare, which also leads to fewer matching Spirit Swords. Fei Changxiu’s current sword is only Mysterious Grade Mid-Rank, so he naturally hoped to switch to a higher-grade one.
Shen Liqian took the blueprint for a set of profound armor. For Music Cultivators, preserving their own lives is often the most important thing.
Qin Feilong also picked up a sword and asked, “Junior Sister Zhaoshuang, what about you?”
Ming Zhaoshuang said, “I already have Fushuang, so I don’t need a sword artifact anymore.”
Seeing Ming Zhaoshuang’s decision, Qin Feilong felt relieved and took the sword.
Ming Zhaoshuang pondered for a moment and chose the remaining cloak.
As a Sword Cultivator, Ming Chenxing did not choose the last remaining sword but instead chose a bracelet.
An extremely beautiful bracelet.
Golden rings were distributed unevenly, with strands of branches floating above them, adorned with snow-white jewels. Spiritual power surged around it; it was both simple and lovely.
Fei Changxiu looked on with a wide grin and said teasingly, “I say, Xiao Chenxing, are you even a man? Why would you choose something that little girls like?”
Ming Chenxing couldn’t be bothered to reply. He simply held the bracelet blueprint in one hand, not even looking at Fei Changxiu.
Once everyone had made their choices, the actual Spirit Tools immediately appeared before them.
Ming Zhaoshuang and the others naturally began the master recognition ceremony. The unique resistance of a Heavenly Grade Spirit Tool struck them. Ming Zhaoshuang then truly felt how reluctant and helpless Fushuang had been.
The few of them tried several times. Except for Shen Liqian and Fei Changxiu, who succeeded on their first try, the remaining ones all took several attempts to succeed. He Qingqing, in particular, tried more than ten times before getting the hairpin to recognize her as its master.
Spirit Tools of Earth Rank and above have the qualification to be named, so the youngsters naturally gave their Spirit Tools good names.
He Qingqing’s Zhu Hua Hairpin, Shen Liqian’s Bi Li Armor, Qin Feilong’s White Rainbow Sword, and Ming Zhaoshuang’s Azure Hidden Cloak, because it was azure and could conceal one’s aura.
What was amusing was that the long sword Fei Changxiu chose for himself was called “Wait a Moment.”
Ming Zhaoshuang could hardly imagine what kind of spark would be ignited if Fei Changxiu were to say, “Fellow Daoist, wait a moment,” during a fight.
After naming his sword, Fei Changxiu nudged Ming Chenxing’s shoulder again and said, “Xiao Chenxing, what name did you give yours?”
Ming Chenxing put away the bracelet and said, “It’s none of your business.”
After the youngsters recognized their masters and bid farewell to He Qingqing, a line of text reappeared before their eyes.
Fourth Trial: Joyful Journey Formation.
The mechanism formation, which had been turned into ruins by the Explosion Talismans, had changed its appearance once again. Green mountains and azure waters, flat surroundings, a vast distant coastline, and transparent azure seawater stretching endlessly. Wherever it reached, a gentle breeze blew, and the caves were secluded, creating a scene akin to paradise!
“Greetings to all of you. I am Yiqi Huang, the controller of Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea, and I am responsible for your fourth trial assessment. In this trial, I will suppress my cultivation to the Mid-stage Spirit Transformation Stage and play music in the center of the pavilion, creating Sound Kill attacks. What you need to do is to pass through my Sound Kill within today and reach any pavilion to pass the trial.”
“Of course, those who cannot pass need not worry. After failing the trial, I will naturally let you leave.”
Upon hearing this, the youngsters’ eyes lit up with joy.
Regardless of the conditions for passing, at least no one would die in this trial.
“As for breaking the formation, it is equally simple—I am the Formation Core. Defeat me, and the formation will be broken.”
As the words fell, the youngsters also looked up, only to see a woman with her head bowed in the center of the pavilion.
The woman’s beauty was like the bright moon, her complexion like spring flowers. Her dark hair was gently tied into a bun, hanging low by her ears, making her appear even more gentle and soft.
Her fingers, like carved white jade, lightly caressed the long strings of the Konghou.
Fei Changxiu’s eyes widened slightly: “This Immortal Fairy is…”
Qin Feilong looked up, let out a long breath, and replied:
“Music Saint, Yiqi Huang.”
At that time, the emergence of the Five Sages showed the world that one could shine brightly on paths other than Sword Cultivation, once leading a trend in the cultivation world to focus on other paths.
However, the Five Sages had short lifespans. Although they all reached the Tribulation Stage before the age of a thousand, none of them could ascend, and not even one lived to the age of Tribulation Stage natural death.
The shortest, like Feng He, died and dissipated their Dao before the age of a thousand.
The longest, like Yiqi Huang, at thirteen thousand years old, was still several thousand years short.
Five years ago, Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea suddenly announced that their Old Ancestor Yiqi Huang had passed away, shocking the entire cultivation world.
No ascension, no Tribulation Crossing, not even living a long life.
Heaven envies talented individuals; this seemed to be the fate of the Five Sages.
Ming Zhaoshuang looked at the shining Su Nu Chou in Yiqi Huang’s hand and said,
“This is not the true Music Saint; this is at most an illusory shadow conjured by the formation.”
If it were the real Music Saint, they wouldn’t even be able to escape, let alone pass the trial.
Shen Liqian looked at the woman before her, momentarily unsure of how to face her.
Music Saint Yiqi Huang, the myth and pride of Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea, one of her mentors.
But in reality, Shen Liqian had only met her twice. Once, she told her that Ao Tian Sect had the Dragon King Bloodline, which could solve the problem of impurities in her Spirit Root.
Once, she passed her Spirit Tool, Su Nu Chou, to her, telling her at one moment to change the fate of Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea, and at another moment to follow her heart and act as she pleased.
Shen Liqian could not fathom her nor understand her.
But Shen Liqian was grateful to her.
Fei Changxiu suddenly exclaimed in surprise: “Junior Sister Shen, how is this Music Saint’s Spirit Tool the same as yours!”
Qin Feilong also looked at Shen Liqian, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes.
At this moment, Shen Liqian had no reason to hide it and directly smiled at Fei Changxiu: “Is it possible that my Spirit Tool and the Music Saint’s Spirit Tool are the same one?”
Before Fei Changxiu could exclaim, he suddenly heard a musical sound approaching, and he was flung back more than ten meters.
The musical sound hit Fei Changxiu’s body as if it were tangible, instantly leaving five or six bloody wounds that exposed bone. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
The others, except for Shen Liqian, all suffered Sound Kill attacks to varying degrees and were sent flying back several meters.
Qin Feilong suffered the worst. He initially tried to resist with his spiritual power, but the musical sound struck him back. Not only was he violently thrown onto the reef behind him, but the Sound Blade also slashed his internal organs, causing layers of blood to flow.
He took a deep breath and said, “It seems we can’t use spiritual power for this; we can only rely on judging the direction of the Sound Kill.”
Ming Zhaoshuang also had two bloody gashes on her chest from the musical sound, causing her great pain.
She sighed, “Isn’t Yiqi Huang a Music Cultivator? How is she so powerful at the Spirit Transformation Stage!”
Although she knew the Spirit Transformation Stage was powerful, she didn’t expect it to break her six Defense Talismans with a single move and almost cut through her ribs.
Was this Yiqi Huang truly a Music Cultivator?
