Chapter 1788 - Music
Liu Wuxie's lightning-swift series of actions stirred a tempest of conflicting emotions within the young man. Whether in terms of adaptability or combat strength, he considered himself among the first-tier geniuses. Yet, he knew with absolute certainty that he could never have accomplished such a feat while in the High Immortal Realm.
"What swift reflexes!" the woman commented as the lingering shock gradually receded from her eyes. Moments earlier, she had looked down upon Liu Wuxie, only for him to deliver a vivid and unforgettable lesson in the blink of an eye.
The instant he killed the Heavenly Yin Wingwolf, Liu Wuxie shot toward the foot of the tree without pausing to catch his breath. He scaled the trunk like an agile ape, climbing more than ten meters almost instantly.
A massive Heavenly Yin Wingwolf sprang after him, its claws slicing through the air and nearly closing around Liu Wuxie's ankles.
Upon reaching the first branch, Liu Wuxie abruptly accelerated and disappeared into the dense foliage, allowing the overlapping leaves to conceal him. More immortal beasts were converging from every direction. Over thirty Heavenly Yin Wingwolves had already surrounded the tree, while several aerial immortal beasts circled beneath the blood-soaked sky.
The Heavenly Yin Wingwolves below posed little danger because they could not climb the tree. As long as Liu Wuxie endured until their retreat at dawn, he would remain safe. The aerial immortal beasts, however, still threatened his life, especially the eagle-species immortal beasts whose keen eyesight could penetrate the darkness.
The eagles' eyes burned like sinister lanterns in the night. Beneath the crimson moonlight, every feather gleamed blood-red, lending them an even more terrifying appearance.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!" The Head-Hunting Eagles released eerie cries that pierced the darkness and disturbed the mind.
A vast horde of immortal beasts surged from the distance, their densely packed figures resembling a living tide consuming the mountain range. They appeared to have answered some unseen summons, for all of them converged upon Liu Wuxie's location.
The scent of blood alone could not have drawn such an immense horde, so another factor had to be involved. It seemed that Liu Wuxie carried something capable of irresistibly attracting the immortal beasts.
"Grandfather, don't you find it strange? Why are the immortal beasts only targeting him?" the young man asked, his brow tightening into a frown. Ever since Liu Wuxie had appeared, one bizarre event after another had shattered all reason.
"Let's keep watching," the old man replied, though a trace of bewilderment now clouded his eyes. Even with all his experience, he could not see through the mystery unfolding before him.
The crimson blood moon could indeed drive immortal beasts into agitation, but the spectacle before them had already transcended simple restlessness. This resembled a summons, as though Liu Wuxie had somehow called countless immortal beasts to gather beneath the tree.
Low, savage growls rolled through the darkness as the immortal beasts crowded around the trunk, their eyes reddening beneath the crimson moon. They sank their sharp teeth into the bark and began gnawing at the tree with feverish ferocity.
Once they brought the tree down, Liu Wuxie would plummet from the canopy along with it.
Liu Wuxie raised his head toward the sky just as a violent throbbing suddenly erupted from his forehead. An overwhelming sense of unease swept through his body, feeding the restlessness already tightening around his heart.
"Could it be that the mysterious eyeball has discovered me?" Liu Wuxie murmured as a bold and chilling possibility took root in his mind.
According to legend, the Eight Divine Pupils could sense one another's existence and even devour each other. Anyone capable of gathering all eight would obtain unfathomable abilities, though no one knew precisely what those abilities entailed.
Liu Wuxie's thoughts raced through countless possibilities. If the mysterious eyeball had discovered him, perhaps it intended to control the immortal beasts, have them devour him, and force Ghost Pupil out of his body. The possibility remained nothing more than speculation, but it was by no means unfounded.
He could not dismiss the feeling that the mysterious eyeball's sudden appearance within the Dragon Burial Mountain Range had some connection to Ghost Pupil. After all, a mysterious bond linked the Eight Divine Pupils, and his arrival might have been what drew it into the open.
The surrounding immortal beasts became increasingly frenzied, and judging by how violently the trunk trembled, the tree's collapse was now only a matter of time.
The Head-Hunting Eagles folded their wings and began their descent, tearing through the branches as they lunged toward Liu Wuxie. At the same time, immortal beasts capable of climbing dug their claws into the bark and ascended the tree, hunting for him.
"Grandfather, let's help him!" the young man said, unable to watch Liu Wuxie fall beneath the immortal beasts' claws. Only his grandfather possessed the strength to rescue Liu Wuxie from this deadly encirclement.
Immortal beasts comparable to the Profound Immortal Realm had already emerged among the horde. Even if the young man and woman intervened together, they would struggle to drive those beasts away.
The arrival of immortal beasts comparable to the Profound Immortal Realm finally shattered Liu Wuxie's composure. He activated Ghost Pupil and swept his gaze through the horde. When his vision penetrated their bodies, he discovered strange changes running through their meridians, as though an unknown force had invaded and seized control of them.
"What kind of power is it to be capable of controlling so many immortal beasts from such a vast distance?" Liu Wuxie murmured. Although he had been an immortal emperor in his previous life, the impossible spectacle before him overturned everything he knew.
The Eight Divine Pupils had vanished for countless years, and their sudden emergence could only herald something extraordinary.
The old man finally rose, preparing to rescue Liu Wuxie. At that precise moment, however, the peaceful sound of a zither drifted across the mountain range and pierced the violent night. It was the Lament of the Nameless.
A mysterious force had robbed these immortal beasts of their minds and reduced them to puppets. Therefore, the best solution was to break the illusion imprisoning them and restore their consciousness.
The true path of musical art could guide others toward goodness and cleanse the darkness from their hearts. Liu Wuxie placed his hopes upon the Lament of the Nameless, trusting that its melody could dispel the mysterious force controlling the beasts.
The immortal beasts had nearly gnawed through the trunk, leaving Liu Wuxie with no other path of survival. With danger tightening around him from every direction, he could only turn to the Lament of the Nameless.
As the elegant melody unfolded beneath the crimson moon, the young man and woman found themselves helplessly immersed in its depths. Even the old man stared in astonishment, unable to believe that such a beautiful composition existed beneath the heavens. Every melody flowed with the effortless grace of nature, while each note appeared to resonate with Dao itself.
The old man, the young man, the young woman, and every immortal beast nearby gradually fell silent beneath the music's quiet dominion. Some immortal beasts even curled up upon the ground, tucking their heads against their bodies like newborn cubs sheltered from a storm.
The Head-Hunting Eagles circling above Liu Wuxie descended and settled upon the branches. One after another, they closed their eyes and slipped into a mysterious state.
The Lament of the Nameless continued to reverberate without carrying even a trace of murderous intent. It sounded ordinary and unassuming, yet every note possessed a terrifying penetrative force capable of piercing through their dao and flowing directly into their souls.
Even Liu Wuxie gradually lost himself within the composition. Each time he played the Lament of the Nameless, the melody drew him into a different state of mind. Its greatest effect lay in tempering and strengthening the player's primordial spirit.
Liu Wuxie had devoted himself so completely to cultivation recently that he had found no opportunity to play it. Now, as the melody flowed from his hands, his primordial spirit underwent a profound purification, as though a crystalline current had washed away every hidden impurity.
One immortal beast suddenly stirred, rose from the ground, and silently departed. The moment the first beast left, the others followed in succession, withdrawing into the darkness with purified hearts and awakened minds.
By the time Liu Wuxie played the final note, most of the immortal beasts surrounding the tree had already vanished into the mountain range.
The Head-Hunting Eagles spread their wings and soared into the brightening sky. Before departing, they circled above Liu Wuxie once, seemingly offering him their gratitude.
After all, listening to music could help them achieve extraordinary things in the future, while Liu Wuxie had also helped awaken their intelligence.
"What an exquisite piece!" the old man exclaimed as his eyes slowly opened.
Dawn arrived just as the last traces of music faded from the mountains, signaling that the time for them to part ways had come.
"I have never heard such beautiful music before. It's breathtaking! I can feel it elevating my primordial spirit and soul," the young woman said, her eyes shining as she longed for Liu Wuxie to play the composition once more.
The young man remained silent, but the turbulent light within his eyes had already revealed everything words could not express.
"Let's go," the old man said all of a sudden.
"Grandfather, aren't we going to say hello?" The composition had benefited all three of them and elevated their primordial spirits. Logically, they should approach Liu Wuxie and offer their sincere gratitude.
"He has already discovered us," the old man replied.
When Liu Wuxie played the Lament of the Nameless, the zither music had penetrated even the barriers of space. Therefore, he had discovered the trio's presence. Since he had chosen not to reveal himself, approaching him without an invitation would only invite his displeasure.
Then again, Liu Wuxie's caution was entirely understandable. The trio possessed formidable cultivation, while he was merely a High Immortal. If they suddenly approached and greeted him, he would naturally get suspicious. After all, they were complete strangers, and there was no logical reason for a Divine Immortal to seek friendship with a High Immortal.
"But..." the young woman argued, her voice revealing how unwilling she was to leave.
"We'll meet again if fate permits," the old man replied. Ignoring their objections, he forcibly took the two youths away and resumed their journey as pale morning light spread across the sky.
Liu Wuxie remained standing atop the tree, his unwavering gaze fixed upon the distant wilderness.
"Someone was there last night. Who could it have been?" Liu Wuxie murmured. Through the Lament of the Nameless, he had sensed humans concealed nearby, but he could not identify them. With his current strength, he was unable to pierce the magnetic field created by a Divine Immortal.
He waited until those presences vanished entirely before descending from the tree. The ground beneath him resembled a battlefield, devastated and littered with shattered fragments of wood.
Liu Wuxie sighed. "That was close!"
He knew that without the Lament of the Nameless, death would have claimed him the previous night. Only after confronting that terrifying horde did he truly understand why the Dragon Burial Mountain Range carried such a fearsome reputation. The slightest mistake could leave someone dead without a burial ground.
Guided by Ghost Pupil, Liu Wuxie continued deeper into the mountain range. After the chaos of the previous night, the number of immortal beasts nearby had plummeted. Even after traveling for half a day, he failed to encounter a single one.
The trio he had encountered earlier had also vanished so thoroughly that not even a trace remained.
As Liu Wuxie pressed onward, Ghost Pupil throbbed with increasing intensity, signaling that the distance between him and the mysterious eyeball was rapidly shrinking. Yet when he stood atop a mountain and gazed across the endless expanse of the Dragon Burial Mountain Range, a dull headache began pounding through his skull.
My cultivation is still too low. Liu Wuxie thought as he massaged his temples.
He could have followed much shorter routes, but the limitations of his cultivation repeatedly forced him to take long detours. Even the weakest immortal beasts inhabiting this region possessed strength comparable to the Spirit Immortal Realm.
If Profound Immortals or Origin Immortals accompanied him, Liu Wuxie naturally would have nothing to fear. However, entering those territories alone as a mere High Immortal would amount to certain death. Therefore, he had no choice but to continue circling them.
Those repeated detours consumed a considerable amount of time and forced Liu Wuxie through treacherous mountains and perilous lakes. Poisonous insects and lethal miasma infested those places, making every alternative route equally dangerous.
After entering the Dragon Burial Mountain Range, Ye Linghan sent several messages to Liu Wuxie, only to receive silence in response. His battle with the Heavenly Yin Wingwolf had destroyed his Communication Talisman. As for the talismans stored within his interspatial ring, their isolation from the outside world prevented them from receiving her messages.
"Where could you be?" Ye Linghan asked, deep worry clouding her face. She had spent the past two days searching for him, yet she had failed to uncover even the faintest clue. Without realizing it, she had come to care for this man.
She had never noticed those feelings while they spent every day together. Only after their separation did she finally discover how important a place he had quietly claimed within her heart.
Large numbers of cultivators had gathered within a bizarre valley, and more continued to arrive from every direction.
"The mysterious eyeball has vanished after entering this valley." Many experts had pursued the mysterious eyeball all the way here, only to watch it disappear upon entering this place.
"It must be somewhere in the surroundings. Let's search for it!" The cultivators scattered throughout the valley, searching every direction for its location.
Comments