Borderless Heavenly Capital, Han Royal Dynasty:
Gu Qin stood outside the Soaring Palace Hall and looked north. Some anxiety and helplessness flashed in his eyes.
“Imperial Father, this child knows that you were protecting me by not letting me go to Silver Moon City. However, the Han Nation cannot do without you. Imperial Father, you must return safely,” Gu Qin sighed.
“Crown Prince, Lord Chen has already gathered a batch of materials. When will you start laying the ritual array?” A subordinate appeared Gu Qin from behind.
Gu Qin turned his head and nodded. “Let’s go, then.”
“Yes!” that subordinate said respectfully.
Gu Qin left with that subordinate. He did not notice a red-clad man standing on a flying ship in a distant cloud outside Borderless Heavenly Capital, watching him from afar.
This red-clad man had a scar on his forehead. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he stared at Gu Qin. “Hah! Gu Qin? You are still alive?”
An entourage stood behind this red-clad man, waiting upon him.
There was a large banner on the ship with a huge, red “Tang” character.
“Lord Tang, this is the information you wanted on the Han Royal Dynasty. We have already done our best. Is there anything that we missed out?” a subordinate asked worriedly.
The red-clad man glanced at the information on the table.
“I have read it. Anything missing? Hah! Tell me about Gu Hai’s past,” Lord Tang said indifferently.
“Yes! According to the information our men found, Gu Hai is from an unknown clan and suddenly came into prominence when he was thirty. He married Chen Xianer of a mundane nation, the Chen Nation. Unfortunately, Chen Xianer could not bear children, so he adopted two sons, Gu Qin and Gu Han. Later on, Chen Xianer died. After that, Gu Hai went around, seeking to cultivate immortality. Eventually, he managed to enter the world of cultivation with the help of the Elite Hall Master Long Wanqing. Then…,” that subordinate reported respectfully.
Lord Tang gently tapped on the flying ship’s railing. As he listened to Gu Hai’s history, he revealed a cold smile.
“Two adoptive sons? Hah! Old fogey, you are very lucky. To think that you survived so many difficult situations. How much longer can you live like that?” Lord Tang muttered to himself, showing a cold smile as he did so.
“Lord Tang, we have delayed here for quite a while already. Should we resume our journey? If we delay for too long and the imperial lord blames us, we would…,” that subordinate trailed off worriedly.
Lord Tang turned his head and looked at that subordinate. “Let’s go, then. Let’s head north to the Qian Heavenly Dynasty. The Azure Emperor has waited for quite long already.”
“Yes!” the subordinates answered.
Whoosh!
The flying ship went around Borderless Heavenly Capital and quickly shot north.
Nearly no one in Borderless Heavenly Capital noticed this flying ship, save one person: Dongfang Bubai. When the flying ship left, Dongfang Bubai gave it a suspicious glance.
——
Silver Moon Sea, outside Silver Moon City:
A vast fog hung over the Silver Moon Sea. At this moment, a group of men stood on a flying ship outside the fog, near Silver Moon City. As they stood there, they listened to the sounds coming from Silver Moon City.
The leader wearing white robes showed a faint smile.
“‘Murderous Ballad of the Ferocious Birds’? Haha! The people from the Supreme Ascendant’s line of inheritance must hate the Silver Moon Mountain Manor a lot to use those ferocious birds to attack it. The Silver Moon Mountain Manor lives up to Teacher Yinyue’s inheritance, able to resist up to now,” the white-robed man said with a cold smile.
After the white-robed man finished speaking, a purple-clad man at the side smiled and said, “Seven Kills, you are the emperor’s heaven-grade zither and have the best hearing among us. What happened in Silver Moon City? Why are the people from the Supreme Ascendant’s line of inheritance using ‘Murderous Ballad of the Ferocious Birds’?”
The white-robed man, Seven Kills, showed an indifferent expression as he retorted, “Just mind your own business. Don’t ask about nonessential things.”
The purple-clad man’s expression turned stiff. As he looked at Seven Kills’s face, he appeared sullen, but he did not say anything.
Everyone ignored Seven Kills. Only Seven Kills alone listened to what was happening in the city.
——
In Silver Moon City:
Gu Hai’s flying ship quickly headed for the Silver Moon Mountain Manor. Soon, they arrived in its vicinity.
“Mister Gu, there! Over there! Look!” the guard captain who led the way cried out as he pointed into the distance.
Caw! Caw! Caw!
Hundreds of vultures let out shrill cries as they swooped down at the Silver Moon Mountain Manor.
Each of these vultures was three hundred meters wide. Their bodies shimmered with blue light as they crashed into the barrier around the Silver Moon Mountain Manor.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
When the ferocious birds crashed into the barrier, they exploded with loud reports.
The noise seemed to conceal a ferocious aura that made anyone who heard it tremble.
The Silver Moon Mountain Manor’s ritual array shook intensely as if it would shatter at any time.
Strangely, the exploded vultures came back to life amid the ripples.
“These vultures are fake? They are created by the music?” Mo Yike said in shock as he raised his eyebrows.
Indeed. These vultures were translucent. The sound waves moved rhythmically and formed ripples around the Silver Moon Mountain Manor. The intersecting points of the sound wave ripples manifested many vultures. At this moment, ten white-clad zitherists were playing zithers, creating the sound waves that manifest the vultures.
The zither music seemed to be restrained to the Silver Moon Mountain Manor’s vicinity, not spreading elsewhere. However, as the zitherists played, the hundreds of vultures grew more ferocious.
Caw! Caw!
The cries of the vultures inspired terror.
“There! There! That’s the place. Every time we hear this strange cry, we feel on edge for some reason,” that guard captain said with fear on his face.
“This is the music Dao’s courage killing, an extremely negative music Dao.” Bing Ji frowned.
“Courage killing?” Gu Hai frowned at Bing Ji.
Bing Ji nodded as she explained, “The music Dao has many effects. Some music can cut off the five senses, like Fairy Waner’s ‘Miserable World.’ Some music can cut off one’s emotions and desires. This cuts off one’s courage. Once one loses courage, one might no longer progress in one’s cultivation, or even regress. For severe cases, one might even be frightened to death.”
“Cut off one’s courage?” Gu Hai showed a sullen expression.
“If I guess right, this should be the Myriad Age Daoist Sect’s ‘Murderous Ballad of the Ferocious Birds,’” Bing Ji said with a frown.
“‘Murderous Ballad of the Ferocious Birds’?” Mo Yike raised his eyebrows.
“‘Murderous Ballad of the Ferocious Birds’ has one hundred types of ferocious birds. I wonder, how many have they gone through?” Bing Ji said worriedly.
Indeed, after the hundreds of vultures exploded and gave off terrifying sounds, more zitherists in the surroundings started playing.
Caw! Caw!
Another group of white-clad zitherists played, and peacocks appeared from the music ripples. These peacocks charged at the Silver Moon Mountain Manor’s barrier as ferociously as the vultures had.
Rumble…!
Loud sounds rang out, startling the surrounding citizens into fleeing into the distance.
Due to the effect of killing courage, the ordinary cultivators showed fearful expressions.
There were hundred of zitherists playing outside the Silver Moon Mountain Manor.
Peacocks, vultures, eagles, and all sorts of ferocious birds formed squads to charge at the Silver Moon Mountain Manor’s barrier. Loud noise shook the place.
Many cracks appeared on the barrier.
Yun Mo showed an unsightly expression as he continued playing his piece from within the barrier. The Silver Moon Mountain Manor disciples behind played together with Yun Mo. All of them showed anxious expressions with sweat covering their foreheads.
Some of them had already played until their fingers bled. However, they did not dare to stop. Some of the weaker Silver Moon Mountain Manor disciples showed fearful expressions as they trembled. One had even been frightened to death.
“Feng Tonglao, do you intend to exterminate us?” Yun Mo demanded with a furious expression.
Outside the barrier was an aged midget, about as tall as a child, commanding the white-clad zitherists. This man showed a twisted expression, appearing ferocious.
[TL Note: The name Feng Tonglao literally translates to “old man stuck in a child’s body.”]
“Exterminate? Hehehehe! Yun Mo, was it you who nearly caused Waner’s death? You wanted to snatch Waner’s body for the previous manor lord to possess? Humph! How dare you harm my Waner? I’ll kill you!” the midget Feng Tonglao snarled ferociously.
“I’ve already apologized to her!” Yun Mo said anxiously.
“Apologized? Hehehehe! So what if you apologized. I will still kill you! Where is the previous manor lord? Where is that old fogey? If he’s dead, there is no need for your Silver Moon Mountain Manor to exist anymore!” Feng Tonglao said coldly.
“Keep playing. Summon all one hundred types of ferocious birds and kill them!” Feng Tonglao commanded coldly.
“Yes!” Hundreds of zitherists continued plucking their zithers’ strings.
“I…I can’t take it anymore. Save me! Save me!” Suddenly, a disciple showed a horrified expression in the Silver Moon Mountain Manor, frightened into losing all his courage. He tried to flee.
Whoosh!
The barrier did not stop this disciple who fled in horror, instantly allowing him out.
Caw! Caw! Screech! Screech!
Hundreds of ferocious birds surrounded that disciple.
“No!”
Boom!
These ferocious birds exploded, and the man that fled just fell.
“Despite the explosion, he did not get blasted apart?” the guard captain said in shock.
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“These ferocious birds are fake. No, they are a manifested mental attack. They exploded in his mind. That earlier explosion did not act on his body but his mind. After he lost all his courage, he got frightened to death,” Bing Ji explained with an unsightly expression.
“That means that the Silver Moon Mountain Manor’s barrier does not stop physical objects but sound wave attacks?” Gu Hai said.
Bing Ji nodded, finding this question strange. “Your Majesty, your Music Dao is so incredible, so you should know this. This barrier is just a music Dao barrier manifested by Yun Mo and the others through their music.”
Gu Hai did not explain why he did not know this. However, it did not hinder him from understanding.
“That means that this is not a barrier but two different sets of sound waves clashing. It is like water and oil meeting, forming what appears to be a barrier. Once one side stops, the other side will drown them. As long as Yun Mo and the others stop, this barrier will vanish, and the ferocious birds will explode in their minds. It would be over for them then?” Gu Hai said, his voice sinking.
“Yes!” Bing Ji nodded as she gave Gu Hai a puzzled look.
