Chapter 54

"Indeed, the skill in this zither and flute duet is unparalleled, reaching the pinnacle of artistry, but it lacks a touch of spirit." Shen Lian paused, putting down his cup and chopsticks, and said softly.

"What is this spirit you speak of?" the host asked leisurely.

"Something you cannot see or hear, yet you can feel it in your heart." Shen Lian turned his head and said to the beautiful maid playing the zither, "Miss, may I borrow your zither to demonstrate this so-called spirit?"

The beautiful maid seemed not to hear what Shen Lian said, showing no reaction at all.

The host nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the maid, his eyes brightening a little.

Only then did the maid hand over the zither.

Shen Lian observed very carefully. From the moment he started speaking until the maid handed over the zither, she showed no expression, not even a change in her eyes, as if she were a machine.

The zither had seven strings. Shen Lian gently plucked them, and a clear, flowing sound, like a stream, flowed out.

Shen Lian's fingers moved faster and faster, the pitch of the zither rising higher and higher. In terms of skill, Shen Lian only had the advantage of nimble fingers, nothing particularly special, and it was hard to feel the spirit he spoke of.

However, when Shen Lian's pitch reached a certain level, both Xiao Zhu and Ku Hui suddenly could no longer hear any sound.

But Shen Lian's fingers were clearly still moving on the strings, incredibly fast, as if they had grown many tentacles.

Shen Lian's face showed a hint of pain, but his hands did not stop.

The beautiful maids' figures began to distort, and the dishes on the table started to tremble slightly.

Shen Lian had lied; he had no spirit to convey through the zither.

This world had many powerful aspects compared to Earth, but it also had its shortcomings.

Shen Lian had studied physics before. When the frequency of sound exceeds a certain limit, people can no longer hear it.

This type of sound wave is called ultrasound. Bats, for example, use it for navigation.

But ultrasound has more than just this function. Shen Lian used all his strength, even exceeding his physical limits, to produce this extremely high-frequency sound, and it was not just for show.

Ultrasound is also a form of energy transmission. These maids were not real people.

As the powerful sound waves penetrated their bodies, their insides began to vibrate.

Like bubbles bursting, a final storm of rain and wind burst, wetting the pavilion floor.

These beautiful women, it turned out, were illusions made of water, indistinguishable from real people.

The zither strings snapped, and Shen Lian's hands were already bloody and torn.

He quietly pulled his hands away, not even looking at the bloody mess, and sighed softly.

The host's expression was lofty, and he said calmly, "Young man, are you not afraid of my punishment?"

"I am a sparrow, and you are a great roc. If you wish to deal with me, it will not be out of anger, for it is not worth it." Shen Lian's blood stained his lower robe, but the wounds stopped bleeding, though they looked gruesome and terrifying.

Xiao Zhu could not understand why Shen Lian would do this. The host, though not a deity, was certainly a demon. Offending him would mean no afterlife.

"The world is corrupt, and it is rare to find a seed of cultivation. What is your name?" the host asked.

The delicious food and wine they had just enjoyed were not for nothing. From beginning to end, the host had them do whatever he wanted, and they dared not resist.

He ruled with power, as if it were the truth.

Even the music was chosen by him, giving them no choice.

He appeared regal, but in reality, he was extremely domineering.

At the same time, he planted a suggestion in their minds that they must not defy his will.

The path of cultivation is perilous, not because of fear, but because of vigilance.

If one loses heart, whether in martial arts or cultivation, one can only pursue trivial matters.

If Shen Lian did not have the resolve to seek the Dao, even if it meant death, why would he leave the Shen family to seek wealth and peace in this life?

His actions, though seemingly extremely disrespectful and suicidal, were to fulfill his own will.

At the same time, as he said, the host was a great roc in the clouds, and he was just a sparrow in the trees, worlds apart. If the host truly wanted to make things difficult for him, there would be no escape. It was better to take some bold actions to force the host to reveal his true intentions.

"Such a waste, you two are mere mortals. Leave now, young man, stay behind."

The host waved his sleeve, and Xiao Zhu and Ku Hui were carried away by a gentle breeze, disappearing into the distance.

In the pavilion, only the host and Shen Lian remained.

"Someone used an old favor to ask me to teach you swordsmanship. But my sword is not something to be learned so easily, so I had to test you. As for the two children, our meeting was a matter of fate. If any of you three passed my test, I would teach the one who passed. If you failed, it would be even better, as it would give me a good laugh at the expense of the one who wasted the favor."

The host laughed coldly, seemingly harboring some resentment towards the one who used the favor to have him teach Shen Lian.

"Can I refuse to learn?" Shen Lian smiled.

"Boy, some things are not up to you. You are far from being your own master," the host said with disdain.

"Then please teach me now, so we don't waste time." Shen Lian looked at the host, his expression calm, showing no fear.

"Do you think my swordsmanship is so easy to learn? Even a little bit of it would be enough for you to survive and thrive before achieving immortality. Just now, I was testing your courage. If you lack courage, you will be nothing more than a grave-keeper for life." As he said this, he began to cough.

"You don't seem to be doing well yourself. I can tell you are ill."

"You know nothing. My illness is what ninety-nine out of a hundred cultivators in the world desire. The world is corrupt, and only cultivators who have reached the 'Purity and Clarity' realm like me find it unbearable, feeling great discomfort with every breath.

Your talent is decent. In any immortal sect, you would not find it hard to enter. But even at the end of your life, you might not even touch my heels."

The host said this without any sense of pride, speaking naturally.

Shen Lian thought to himself: This person is so boastful; he must be very famous in the cultivation world. But who could have asked him to teach me swordsmanship? Could it be Xin Shisiniang and her father?

He knew nothing about the cultivation world or the people in it, and he did not know the level of Xin Shisiniang and her father.

"Since I have no choice, please continue the test," Shen Lian said with a slight smile.

******

Thirty miles outside the Shang family fortress, there was a small hill.

The Three Heroes of the Northern Desert lay at the bottom of the hill, while Xiao Zhu and Ku Hui stood not far away.

Xiao Zhu said coldly, "Master Ku Hui, you are well-informed. Do you know who this person is?"

Ku Hui replied, "Miss Xiao, your family originally comes from a branch of the Flying Immortal Island in the South Sea. You should know more about the cultivation world than we do."

"You can even find out such things. It seems you truly seek immortality. But what is so great about cultivation? Even on the Flying Immortal Island, no one has truly achieved immortality."