The next day.
Chu Kuangren walked out of his room door sluggishly and did a stretch.
On a tree beside the courtyard, Lil Red, who had morphed into a little bird let out a couple of chirps before it perched onto Chu Kuangren’s shoulder.
“Brother, you’re up.”
“Yes. Have you been on that tree the whole night?”
“I’ve absorbed one night’s lunar essence.”
Divine beasts were very unique. Aside from being able to absorb heavenly and earthly spiritual qi, they could absorb solar and lunar essences for cultivation.
The latter had much better quality than the former. Normally, unless certain unique techniques were cast, a usual cultivator would not be able to absorb those.
“Master, the organizing committee has sent us this. It’s the championship rulebook and the participant name list.” Lan Yu walked up to him and said.
She was holding a copy of the rulebook in her hand.
Chu Kuangren took that over to have a look. Documents like the rulebook had already been sent by the organizing committee to the Black Heaven Sect last time, so he had actually seen it already.
He was more interested in the participant name list for the championship.
“Oh, it says here that a total of twenty-four sage orthodoxies are taking part in the championship this time. I see a few from the Azure Dragon Domain, such as School of White Lotus, Black Heaven Sect, Serene Wisdom Sect, Thunder Falcon Tribe, Yasha Tribe…”
“There are five from the Azure Dragon Domain which is not a small number. I wonder how many familiar faces we will bump into.”
Chu Kuangren laughed. Not all sage orthodoxies had come to participate in the championship this time, and it was normal for some sage orthodoxies not to participate due to certain reasons.
Nonetheless, being able to gather twenty-four sage orthodoxies in one place was already a big feat. This was already well over half of all sage orthodoxies of the four domains. It was surely a grand occasion.
Chu Kuangren skimmed through the participants’ name list before turning his gaze onto the street outside and said, “This First City is regarded as the finest city in the entire world. I reckon it must be a buzzing metropolitan. Lan Yu, why don’t you accompany me out for a walk?”
“Sure.” Lan Yu nodded.
“Brother, I’d like to join too.”
“I’ll allow that, but you’re not allowed to morph into your true form. Conceal your aura properly.”
“I got it.”
Just like that, Chu Kuangren brought Lan Yu and Lil Red out with him.
When they walked out of their door, the two humans covered their faces in a faint layer of a spiritual veil, blurring the looks on their faces.
The two of them were too good-looking, and this was especially true for Chu Kuangren. He did not want to draw any unnecessary attention, which would disrupt his joy of traveling.
Many others emulated what he did too.
He strolled along the street. Occasionally, he would pass by several cultivators who, like him, had their faces covered with a spiritual veil as well.
Some of them were sect masters from various forces, some of them great sky-prides…
The First City truly lived up to its name. It was truly filled with hustle and bustle, but at the same time, the streets were spacious, so it did not seem congested at all. Sometimes, they would see cultivators riding on different kinds of rare strange beasts to pass by the city, as though they were trying to show off that they had a unique ride.
Along the way, Chu Kuangren also heard quite a few people talking about him.
“Only one can lead the sky-prides, Kuangren of the Black Heaven it shall be… This Divine Predictor is not even good with poems. How dare he compose such a doggerel and spread it out there. So embarrassing.” Chu Kuangren pursed his lips and said.
“But I think that what he said is true.”
At his side, Lan Yu let out a soft smile and said, “Amongst all sky-prides in this current world, aren’t you the best of them all, Master?”
“Yes, as for this fact, I do not disagree.”
Chu Kuangren nodded his head, agreeing to it.
“Quick, let’s pick up our pace. I heard that Lady Snowflake from Heaven Chord Sect is about to duel with Dame Dou Qin.”
“There are so many people there. Let’s go check it out as well.”
“Tsk tsk, they say that Lady Snowflake’s guqin music has reached the peak of perfection. If I can listen to her play a song, it would be the luckiest thing to ever happen to me, what more to see her have a musical duel with someone else.”
“That’s right. This is an incredibly rare opportunity.”
“Quick, let’s go and watch.”
On the street, cultivators hastily ran towards the venue where the musical duel was about to happen. In no time, the same street was deserted.
“Musical duel… Now that’s interesting.”
Chu Kuangren smiled to himself. After obtaining the Eight Celestial Demonic Chords, his level of musical Dao was unmatched by anyone in this current world.
He too was curious as to the prowess of this sky-pride who came from Heaven Chord Sect, which was famed all over the world for their musical Dao.
“Lan Yu, shall we go and join the crowd too?”
“Alright.”
The two of them arrived at the venue of the musical duel.
That place was a tall building.
On top of the building stood two women — one was dressed in white and the other in red; one had a cool temperament while the other exuded nobility.
These two women had the prettiest faces among the whole realm, and they both had their respective strengths and talents. A lot of male cultivators could not help but had their eyes hooked on the two ladies when they saw them.
“Is that the famed Lady Snowflake? What they say about her is true.”
“The lady in red must be the Sky Emperor Palace Dame then. Rumor has it that there’s a dame from Sky Emperor Palace called Jing Nian who is adept at musical Dao. If I’m not mistaken, this should be her.”
“Yes, it’s indeed her.”
The crowd was engaged in their discussions.
What they said spread to Chu Kuangren’s ears, but he did not put too much heart into what they had said. Instead of the two females’ gorgeous appearances, he was more interested in the crimson red crystal that was situated between them both.
Fire-based Daoist Rhyme flowed within that crystal, and it contained an extremely strong spiritual qi. It was a very rare Fire-based treasure of at least Boundary Sage quality.
“Brother, that thing looks quite tasty!”
The Godly Phoenix, Lil Red, looked at Chu Kuangren and said.
She was a divine beast that was inclined towards fire attributes, so she had an unusual draw towards Fire-based treasures.
“It’s okay. Brother will help you look for one in the future.”
Chu Kuangren replied calmly.
Lil Red was standing on top of his shoulder, where Chu Kuangren could almost hear the sound of her gulping down her saliva.
“It seems like this little fella really likes that crystal. Shall I figure out a way to get it for her?” Chu Kuangren thought to himself.
Robbing it would be out of the question because as a great Black Heaven Sect Leader, how humiliating would it be if he had grabbed some other sect’s belongings by force?
“I can’t believe you’ve taken out such a precious Fire Spirit Crystal just for this musical duel with me.”
Just then, Lady Snowflake remarked.
“I’ve heard that Lady Snowflake from the Heaven Chord Sect has an unparalleled musical Dao, and I’ve always wanted to witness it with my own eyes. I’d like to see if your Divine Snowflake is better, or if my Empyrean Valor Tune is better,” Sky Emperor Palace Dame Jing Nian said.
After she said that, she took out a guqin.
It was a guqin that was crimson red through and through, and it flowed with an extraordinary Daoist Rhyme. It exuded a similar kind of regality as its owner.
“Initially, I did not want to accept this duel, but looking at this Fire Spirit Crystal, it wouldn’t hurt me to deliver you a defeat.”
Lady Snowflake took out a guqin as well. It was a delicately designed guqin, which looked like it was crafted out of fine jade.
The two ladies then began their musical duel.
Lady Snowflake took the lead and delivered the first song.
Her guqin music was as cold as the person she was. The crowd too could feel that the temperature surrounding them had decreased by several degrees.
Following that was Jing Nian’s guqin music. Her music was grandiose, vigorous, and powerful, just like a royal emperor and it sent shudders across the entire landscape.
Two types of music, two distinct Daoist Rhymes, two different tunes echoed around everyone like true ripples in the atmosphere.
“What amazing music.”
“She truly is a sky-pride from Heaven Chord Sect.”
“This dame from the Sky Emperor Palace is not too bad herself.”
The people could not help but sing praises as they watched the musical duel.
Amongst the crowd, Chu Kuangren stared at the two dueling guqin players and suddenly frowned. “These two women’s musical skills sound… ordinary.”
To normal people, the musical Dao of these two ladies was already inch-perfect, but to him, it could only be considered as competent. Even the word ‘extraordinary’ would not befit to describe them.
