Zither Emperor

Chapter 3 – Blade of Music (I)

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Spirit Magic was a different type of magic. First of all, one’s own spirit must be strong and powerful, afterwards a special method would be needed to materialize it. It was possible to influence every aspect of the opponent’s own spirit. If elemental magic was utilized to destroy the opponent’s physical body, then spirit-empowered magic would destroy the opponent’s soul.

For zither music to strengthen the spirit it needed to be strong, allowing them to utilize the zither music to release spiritual force. The zither song’s different characteristics produced various spiritual sonics waves that could either be utilized offensively or for support. This was the secret of zither magic.

Inside the quiet bamboo forest, a magnanimously deep and low song unceasingly played, lightly resounding throughout. Six year old Ye Yin Zhu, apart from practicing dou qi, also studied the zither and the Pure Zither Heart, enabling him to be calm and ignore any distractions in whatever he did. He played the zither song <<Green Water>> over and over again, with no regard towards the passage of time. His whole being was immersed in the secret of the zither song.

Under the influence of the zither music, various kinds of small animals within the bamboo forest began to converge around the zither. Although they only dared to observe from a distance, it was obvious that they had begun to be intoxicated with Ye Yin Zhu’s zither music.

“Yi, who are you?” Qin Shang, who had just returned from the bamboo house a few moments ago holding a bamboo basket full of food, suddenly grunted in a low voice. The zither music stopped, and Yin Zhu opened his eyes and followed Qin Shang’s gaze.

He did not realized until now that there was a little boy crouching down five meters away from Ye Yin Zhu. He was sitting there, blankly staring at Ye Yin Zhu’s zither. He appeared to be approximately the same size as Yin Zhu, but he fell far short of Yin Zhu’s good looks. The contours of his face, however, gave people a unique feeling of strength and resolution despite only being a child! He astonishingly possessed extraordinarily unique violet hair. In the entire human race, violet colored hair was exceptionally rare.

Hearing Qin Shang’s voice, the little boy awoke from his trance, his originally lifeless eyes now displayed intense hostility. With fists clenched and lips pursed, he waited for Qin Shang to act without saying a word.

Yin Zhu excitedly ran up to Qin Shang’s side, taking the thin bamboo basket and laughingly said, “Grandfather Qin, look. My zither music attracted a person.” While speaking, he withdrew the freshly peeled bamboo shoots from the basket, handing over some to the violet haired boy as well. Facing him, he said, “Hi, this is a treat for you, but who are you?”

The little violet haired boy shifted his gaze to Qin Shang before a smile full of brightness and naivety broke out on his face as he turned to face Yin Zhu. Gradually, his fists began to unclench, and he took the bamboo shoot in Yin Zhu’s hand, nodding to him. Before Qin Shang could ask any more questions, the boy scurried off into the bamboo forest in the blink of an eye and disappeared.

Watching the violet haired boy’s back disappear, Qin Shang couldn’t help but frown, creasing his brow. Could it be that the Bewildering Footsteps Spell already lost its effectiveness? It appeared that the violet haired boy was quite hostile to him, but he became relaxed with just one look at Yin Zhu? Could it be that he was really attracted by Yin Zhu’s zither music and thus came over? However, he was only a mage, and it was impossible for him to chase after the little boy so he had no other alternative but to allow him to escape.

During the day he played the zither with Qin Shang, and in the evening he practiced dou qi. This was Ye Yin Zhu’s simple life. However, the appearance of the violet haired boy has since then added a little color to his simple lifestyle.

Every morning, when Yin Zhu began to play the zither, the little violet haired boy would quietly appear and remain at his side motionlessly, listening to him play the zither. Yin Zhu’s study of the zither didn’t seem to be so lonely anymore with his audience of one.

Ever since the first time the violet haired boy appeared, he was unable to get him to speak a single word. In addition, it was only in Yin Zhu’s presence that he had a serene expression. When Qin Shang, Yin Zhu’s parents, or paternal grandfather arrived to see him, the violet haired boy would immediately leave.

Ye Zhong once secretly followed the violet haired boy, wanting to finally discover where the boy came from, but he only discovered that the violet haired boy lived in the Desolate Jade Sea in a location that was not more than two kilometer away from Yin Zhu’s zither cultivation area. He probably was not an ordinary child. Inside the bamboo forest, he survived off of the bamboo shoots. The lonely and icily arrogant violet haired boy was gradually acknowledged by everyone, but he still would not speak, even to Yin Zhu. Since he could not communicate, it was naturally impossible for him to influence Yin Zhu’s Pure Zither Heart. Thus, Qin Shang and Yin Zhu’s family accepted his existence. Yin Zhu leisurely passed time by frequently talking to him and providing clothes for him to wear. He had his parents deliver food for the boy to eat, but the violet haired boy would merely accept it all silently, without saying a word. In Yin Zhu’s eyes, however, he became increasingly gentle and soft.

The seasons came and left, ten years passed by in the blink of an eye. The handsome child matured into an attractive and good looking youth. Yin Zhu’s appearance resembled Ye Zhong’s in six aspects, but he also inherited his mother’s gentle beauty. At the age of 16, he was 1.8 meters tall with a well proportioned stature, wearing his white gown all year round. In addition, with his black hair draped down, he looked well cared for. He was a handsome young man.

“Little Violet, Little Violet, where are you?” Wearing a white chang pao, Ye Yin Zhu looked off to one side while walking, yelling loudly. The clear and melodious voice resounded inside the bamboo forest, resembling the elegance of zither music.

Yin Zhu shouted for half a day with no response. He could not help but pause his search, as he mumbled to himself, “Where did Little Violet go? How did he disappear without a trace?” A flash of light appeared in his eyes, and a smile emerged on his face. “I’ve got it!” As he said this, he immediately sat cross-legged on the ground. The middle finger of his left hand sparked with a silvery light. Suddenly, a zither appeared before him out of nowhere. The roundish zither’s body had a thick belt and was carved from wood. It was yellow and had an ancient quality chestnut lacquered carapace with a serpent belly grain pattern. It had the clam emblem, a round dragon pool, and an oval phoenix pond. The tiny dragon pool received sound prosperously, and the goose foot was made excessively of vividly red agate.

He stared at his zither for some time, his gentle and clear eyes immediately becoming somewhat infatuated. “The song is peaceful and calm and is played in the Nine Heavenly Jade Ring Zither. I do not believe that you would resist listening to it.”

His eight fingers lightly stroked the zither, immediately a touching melancholic zither music emerged, sounding throughout the air. This was a representative farewell song, as seen by the touching mood created. In that instant, as the zither music emerged, Yin Zhu had already completely merged with the zither music and its artistic atmosphere.

A dark red radiance slowly encompassed him, spiraling around his body. Four circular sound waves formed and drifted throughout the air. Desolate Jade Sea did not have large animals, but at this moment, all of the birds and small animals quickly sped towards Yin Zhu’s direction to converge and listen to his performance. In just a moment, the sound of every kind of animal unceasingly crying out in lament echoed, and Yin Zhu’s surroundings gradually began bustling with noise and excitement.

<<Three Variations of Yangguan>> was a song of a reluctant farewell between friends, therefore the zither music brimmed with the mood of a unwilling goodbye. In Yin Zhu’s mind, he gradually began thinking about how he had not emerged out of the Desolate Jade Sea in 16 years. His eyes couldn’t help but dim and exude sorrow, making his graceful temperament feel somewhat melancholic.

The heart-rending song <<Three Variations of Yangguan>> concluded, and Yin Zhu’s hands pressed the zither for the lingering sound to gradually dissipate. Somewhat sorrowful, he said, “I’m sorry partner, I really must go. However, I will definitely come back to see you. I must unexpectedly leave, but both of my grandfathers told me that I must explore the outside world. This song is my farewell to you.”

At an unknown point in time, a tall figure appeared behind Yin Zhu. Listening to the zither music, the expression on his face couldn’t help but stiffen slightly. He subconsciously lifted his right hand to grab Yin Zhu’s shoulder.

Chapter 3 – Blade of Music (II)

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Yin Zhu seemingly already knew he was behind him. Lowering his head, he said, “Little Violet, I must leave.”

The silhouette flashed, and the tall figure behind him had already arrived in front of Yin Zhu. 16 years old and 1.8 meters tall, Yin Zhu was not short when compared to an ordinary person. But standing next to this man, there was a significant height difference. With his disarrayed violet hair, this tall, strong person appeared to be brimming with explosive power. His chiseled facial features portrayed a man of steel and stability. A pair of violet eyes resembled the stars in their brightness. His broad shoulders seemed to be able to carry everything.

As Ye Yin Zhu grew up, so did Little Violet. In ten years, his body developed rapidly, making Ye Yin Zhu’s family gasp in amazement. His height exceeded 2 meters, making him look more mature than Ye Yin Zhu. He didn’t have the slightest bit of purity radiating from his eyes like Yin Zhu’s eyes. Instead, his eyes held a deep profoundness.

Both of his hands grabbed Yin Zhu’s shoulders. Little Violet’s eyes were puzzled and curious.

Feeling the scorching heat of Little Violet’s hands, Yin Zhu raised his head to look at him and sadly said, “I truly must leave to practice the zither. I specially came to bid you farewell. My two grandfathers said that I have finally practice the Pure Zither Heart to the ninth level and am on the verge of entering the Courageous Zither Heart realm. I no longer need to remain isolated from the outside world. They have allowed me to attend school to study outside knowledge and adapt to the outside society. Therefore, I must leave at once. Ah, Little Violet, what is the outside world like? I still haven’t gone outside, but grandfather says that in order for me to understand the outside world better they won’t see me off when I leave.”

The puzzlement in Little Violet’s eyes gradually disappeared, and he nodded slowly. He released Yin Zhu’s hands. “I will go with you.”

“Really? That’s truly fantastic,” Ye Yin Zhu said with exultation. Like a child, he jumped up and stood, only to rapidly become aware of Little Violet’s abnormally strange action. “You, you spoke?”

Yes, this was the first time that Little Violet had spoken ever since he had come to Desolate Jade Sea ten years ago. Up until this point, everyone considered him to be mute, but he had just spoken. The low and sonorous voice gave people a very depressing feeling, but this voice, to Yin Zhu’s ears, gave him a sense of security.

Little Violet patted Yin Zhu’s shoulder, saying, “Go.” While talking, he was already beginning to walk in the direction of the Desolate Jade Sea.

Originally on the verge of starting a lonely journey and being somewhat terrified, Ye Yin Zhu was now brimming with excitement. He spent practically every day with Little Violet for ten years. Even though Little Violet never spoke, they communicated through meaningful gazes. Little Violet was his only audience for ten years, so he already considered him to be one of his most trusted people and his best friend. The unknown outside world no longer appeared to be so frightening now that he had Little Violet accompanying him.

Cheering, Yin Zhu moved and caught up to Little Violet in a flash, so that they could walk together towards the outside world.

“Little Violet, what is your real name?” Yin Zhu inquisitively asked as they walked side by side. Apart from playing the zither and studying Bamboo Sect things, in regards to the outside world affairs, he was like a blank sheet of paper. His childhood was carefree and without worries. And now, before Yin Zhu even left Desolate Jade Sea, he has already almost forgotten about separating from his family. Having Little Violet accompany him, his heart was no longer panic-stricken. All that remains was curiosity and excitement. After all, this was his first time leaving Desolate Jade Sea.

“You can call me Zi.”

“Oh, Zi, where did you come from? I heard grandfather say that you are not one of us from the Desolate Jade Sea. Grandfather Qin that you are not malicious to me and like my zither songs, and that was why you stuck around, right?”

Zi’s reply was not complicated as he merely nodded.

Yin Zhu was perhaps too excited. Today, in particular, he asked questions incessantly throughout the journey, but Zi would not talk; many times he would just nod or shake his head in response all the way to Luna City where Yin Zhu began to slightly calm down.

“Wow, this is the city? It seems really big and beautiful.” Looking at Luna City’s city walls and the endless stream of people, Yin Zhu was unable to express his excitement. He quickly proceeded in the direction of the city gate.

“Desolate Jade Sea is the most beautiful place.” Looking at Yin Zhu running ahead, Zi lightly shook his head.

Luna City contained almost everything Yin Zhu had never seen. In order to cultivate his Pure Zither Heart, for 16 years he did not leave the Desolate Jade Sea. Now with his curiosity and excitement, it felt like his eyes were not sufficient enough to see everything.

“Where must you go to school?” Zi, who rarely spoke, asked Yin Zhu a question.

Yin Zhu subconsciously said, “Grandfather Qin told me to go to the Luna City Magic Guild to retrieve an item. He gave me a map. I will be able to find the college by following the map’s instructions, and then I’ll need to hand over his letter to the headmaster.”

Zi extended his hand out and said, “Map.”

Originating from his heart, Yin Zhu trusted Zi . Without the slightest of hesitation, he fished out from his bosom a special sheepskin map, handing it over to Zi.

Zi unfolded the map and discovered that it depicted a drawing of the whole continent. On the map was a red line that starts from Luna City and ends at a different location. At the endpoint were tiny characters, reading “Milan Institution for Magic and Martial Arts.”

Wrinkling his brow, Zi said, “You must go to the Milan Empire; your grandfathers must really be worried.”

Yin Zhu was unfamiliar with the local geography, and not understanding, he inquisitively asked, “Milan Empire? Is it really that far?”

Zi nodded, saying, “To get to Milan, you’ll need to pass through the kingdom of Wavast, which is located in the southern border of Arcadia. While Milan is considered to be in the northern region of the continent, further up north from Milan is the Northern Wasteland.” As he discussed the Northern Wasteland, his pupils slightly dilated all of a sudden, but it instantly returned back to normal. Nevertheless, Yin Zhu still noticed this change.

“Zi, you need not be afraid. Even if the place is distant, you have me. I will protect you.” While saying this, Yin Zhu childishly pounded his chest.

Zi stared blankly. “You?”

Yin Zhu earnestly nodded, “Yes! I will protect you. Grandfather Qin said that I am already a qualified mage.”

Looking at Yin Zhu who was a head shorter than him, a faint smile emerged on Zi’s face, making the rigid lines of his face seemingly soften.

“Wow! Zi, you smiled. How rare, I don’t think I have ever seen you smile before.” Yin Zhu seemed to have discovered a whole new world as he gazed at Zi’s fierce look.

Zi helplessly said, “Well, we should go to the Magic Guild.” Fortunately, the Magic Guild in Luna City was the most well known place in the city. Zi asked a random person on the roadside for directions, leading Yin Zhu to the place.

Even after ten years, Luna City’s Magic Guild was still desolate without even a janitor. Yin Zhu and Zi followed the road and walked for half a kilometer to arrive quickly outside the door of the guild hall. Even without entering, they could hear quarreling voices inside.

There were nine individuals altogether inside the hall, divided into two factions. Di Ya La led one faction and behind him was Pi’er Luo and another Fire mage. The opposing faction was composed of six other mages, their mage gowns and attire distinctly different. From their mage gowns, it could be discerned that there was one Indigo Rank Mage Scholar, two Green Rank Great Mages, and three Yellow Rank Advanced Mages.

Chapter 3 – Blade of Music (III)

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Di Ya La angrily said, “Lu Fei Te, you should not be unduly. Do not forget that in the beginning you also came from here.”

The one called Lu Fei Te was an Indigo Rank Mage Scholar who appeared to be 50-60 years old. His stature was not tall, but arrogant and overbearing. On his chest was a flame emblem indicating that he was a Fire Mage Scholar. With two hands behind his back, his face had an air of haughtiness as he said disdainfully, “Correct, I originated from here as well. Even to this day, I couldn’t be happier that I made the decision to leave. As you see, does this magic guild even befit its national status? There’s only the three of you. Furthermore, after all these years, you still haven’t broken pass the Cyan Rank. What’s more you are probably not even at the peak of the Cyan Rank. Di Ya La, do not continue to be obstinate; follow us to Wavast. The Wavast Royal Family absolutely values talented mages. You would surely be looked upon favourably.”

“Praise Blue Dias. Lu Fei Te, you are an Arcadian. Don’t tell me that you forgot your roots?” Di Ya La’s voice trembled. After all, he was facing Lu Fei Te, who had been one of Arcadia’s most promising mages. But now, he was Wavast’s emissary here in Arcadia.

Lu Fei Te sneered, “Looks like you haven’t changed and just as stubborn. Where is the president of your guild? Summon him. If he is able to defeat me, then we will immediately leave. If not, do not blame me for being rude.”

Di Ya La angrily said, “Lu Fei Te, do not forget that this is Arcadia, not Wavast. How dare you be impolite?” His heart could not help but be sorrowful. Currently, Arcadia had already fallen so low that it could be bullied to such a degree.

Lu Fei Te thickly said, “We are here representing the Kingdom of Wavest in negotiations with Arcadia. With our status as an official emissary, even if we were to kill you, I’m afraid the Arcadian Royal Family will not dare to do anything about it. Could it be that your so-called president is a headless turtle? Does he not have the guts to accept my challenge?”

“Grandfather Qin is not a coward. I accept your challenge in his place.” Just as Di Ya La was about to erupt in anger, a clear, bright, beautiful voice echoed from outside the door. It was precisely Ye Yin Zhu that spoke.

With the sudden arrival of the voice, all of the mages in the hall immediately looked in the direction of the door to see that the elegant Yin Zhu and the stoic, tall Zi had already walked in.

Zi merely stood by Yin Zhu’s side. Now, he had returned to his previous demeanor in Desolate Jade Sea, quiet and reserved without saying a word.

Yin Zhu glared at Lu Fei Te. Since he was born, he only had contact with his family, Zi, and Qin Shang. Qin Shang cared for him and taught him in every possible way. He spent the most time with Qin Shang. In Yin Zhu’s heart, Qin Shang was already close family, and although he did not understand what it means to be a headless turtle, he knew it was not a compliment.

Lu Fei Te, somewhat amazed, looked at Yin Zhu. This handsome young man adorned in a white gown entered through the door, projecting upon people a bright feeling. Especially his two clear, black eyes which easily imparted a feeling of deep profoundness upon people.

“Did I mishear? You want to challenge me?”

Yin Zhu nodded seriously and said, “Grandfather Qin is not present, so I will take his place and accept your challenge.”

“You, a youngster?” Di Ya La asked Yin Zhu.

Yin Zhu looked at Di Ya La and softly smiled, but he did not reply. Instead, he immediately took a seat on the ground. He does not understand social etiquettes, in his heart there was only anger towards Lu Fei Te, and he did not want to waste any more time to challenge him..

Everyone was somewhat surprised as the reddish-brown Thundering Spring Zither appeared above his legs, already floating in the air.

The Thundering Spring Zither was 39 inches long, 7 inches wide at the shoulder, and 4.5 inches wide at the tail. It was reddish brown in color with fine segmented lines forming a snakeskin-like pattern. On the back of the zither, above the dragon pond, were two characters, “Thundering Spring.” The zither’s thirteen zither string tuning pegs were inlaid with white jade. One of the five treasured zithers of the Zither Sect, it could produce a pure and soft sound. For a Divine Music mage, the zither was his magical staff.

“I’m about to start.” Yin Zhu’s left hand hung suspended above the zither body as his right hand lightly flicked the strings, producing a deep rich sound hum. Dark red rays of light were emitted from Yin Zhu’s body and lingered in the air, his eyes already glazing over to focus solely on the strings above. In merely an instant, his resentment completely vanished, and his graceful, aristocratic temperament with a gentle and sorrowful air appeared. Unfortunately, the six mages across from him only saw the red radiance emitting from him and did not take notice of his change in expressions.

What does this dark red magical strength mean? It was the lowest level of the Red Rank, that’s all. Even if he was at the Advanced Level Red Rank, he would still be an ordinary mage, not even an intermediate mage. Lu Fei Te and 6 of the mages present were at least Advanced Mages. But this handsome young man appeared to be a Divine Music mage. Yin Zhu’s body began emitting rays of light. They couldn’t help but burst into laughter as they stood up.

“Ah, it’s you. Praise Blue Dias,” Di Ya La widened his eyes in amazement. He looked at Yin Zhu’s hands and his eight fingers, suddenly realizing who this child before his eyes was. However, before he could stop him, the zither music already began to fill the air.

With Yin Zhu’s mind devoted completely to the zither, he already forgot about his surroundings, possibly neglecting everything of the outside world. His heart harmonized with the heartstrings of the zither, and his mind recalled Qin Shang’s profound teachings regarding the correlation between the fingers and the strings, sound and denotation, form and spirit, virtue and art. His mouth muttered, “The essence of music should have a deep profoundness.”

In the blink of an eye, the guild hall brightened. Light emitted from two locations; the first came from the magical tessellation in the middle of the guild hall, and the other from Yin Zhu’s seven-stringed Thundering Spring Zither resting upon his knees. Silver light blossomed momentarily as Yin Zhu’s voice containing countless magical power roared. The contemptful eyes froze in a flash. A string of low sinuous and endlessly touching zither music rose in a spiral along with the dark red light, making the whole guild hall interior sparkle.

The melody was somewhat sorrowful, but nevertheless it was immensely profound. This was the same song Yin Zhu used to bid farewell to his friends in the bamboo forest, <<Three Variations at Yangguan>>. But with a different mentality and different zither, the effect was completely distinct. Now this sad and gentle air thickened in a split second. At once, everyone present felt heavy in their hearts. Even the air elemental magic was affected as it became sluggish and thick.

Lu Fei Te’s eyebrows furrowed. He discovered with astonishment that the zither music made his mood somewhat frenetic, altering the atmosphere in general. His heart became frightened. Apparently this young Divine Music mage was not simple. Unfortunately, he did not turn around to look at his comrades. If he did, perhaps he would have attached more importance to Yin Zhu. The two Green Rank mages already held lifeless look in their eyes, their faces which were brimming with heartily laughter now motionless. In addition, the three Yellow Rank mages already had glazed eyes while their bodies began to lightly sway involuntarily. Clearly they were already losing control of their bodies.

Spirit mages held the nickname of mage killer. For someone to face a spirit mage’s chants was easier said than done.

Lu Fei Te could only give voice to the first section of the magic chant before he was overwhelmed. Horrified, he found that the bizarre zither music interrupted his magical chant which was how he communicated with air elemental magic, via special intonations. Predispositioned to the heaven and earth, magic could be persuaded to connect to the elemental magics. He was unable to complete a chant even though his spirit power was exceedingly strong. Lu Fei Te couldn’t help but be somewhat panicked.

Chapter 3 – Blade of Music (IV)

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Yin Zhu was completely unaware of everything occurring in the outside world. The pinnacle of the <<Three Variations at Yangguan>> song were three plucked notes, a heavy vibrato, and three harmonizing vibratos. Now with the end of the first variation, Yin Zhu’s hands appeared illusionary as they touched the strings. Immediately, the zither music tempo sped up, and the solidification of the stagnant air intensified in strength. Only the Indigo Rank mage Lu Fei Te was able to maintain a clear head, unlike the two Green Rank mages and the three Yellow Rank mages who completely lost awareness of their surroundings. Engrossed in the zither music, Di Ya La and the other two mages were also affected, but to a different degree. The only one who was completely unaffected by this was Zi who stood right behind Yin Zhu.

Yin Zhu’s strength was actually equivalent to a Yellow Rank Advanced Mage upon reaching the ninth level of the Pure Zither Heart. It was only because his breakthroughs were solely dedicated to the Pure Zither Heart that his aura remained red, hence the misidentification by his opponents. In the 16 years of his zither career, how could his strength be weak? Not to mention mages of equal rank, any mage within three ranks of him were affected by the zither music. Moreover, his opponents had no defense against the music. Even if the mage was an Advanced level Green Rank, he would still be affected.

As the dark red light intensified, the air elemental magic seemed to follow the zither music and danced to its continuous rhythm. The gloomy and sorrowful zither music already concealed this great danger. As a zither mage, he actually used his zither music to its greatest extent, directly attacking them all. This was a power that could single-handedly challenge six higher ranked opponents, all at once. In all honesty, this was something only Yin Zhu could accomplish.

Lu Fei Te felt more and more of the zither music’s influence. In his heart he felt wounded, but he was an Indigo Rank mage. His strength was three ranks above Yin Zhu at the seventh and eighth level of indigo power. Therefore, he could still steady his spiritual force and halt the music’s bewildering effect. He bit his tongue; under the effect of pain, he was able to sober up immediately after. He waved his right hand and grasped a slender magic staff that appeared out of nowhere. With the flick of his wrist, a large ball of fire instantly flew towards Yin Zhu.

Any mage could instantaneously use their current rank’s magic and magic three ranks lower. For example, a Green Rank mage could use Red Rank magic, without any chants. Soundlessly, he used instantaneous magic to finish off his opponent. Lu Fei Te only had murderous intentions. Even now, he still did not take this “Red Rank” Divine Music mage seriously.

That large ball of fire appeared orange. While flustered, Lu Fei Te could still cast Orange Rank magic. This made him rather overbearing. In a blink of an eye, that orange fireball arrived in front of Yin Zhu.

Di Ya La intended to block it, this Cyan Rank mage was clear-headed. However, with his strength, there was not enough time to block the magic that had already been cast. He could not help but cry out in alarm.

Zi quietly clenched his fist. Yin Zhu suddenly raised his head at that moment, his bright eyes exuding a strange luster. His eight fingers had not stopped playing; instead a faint yellow radiance had unknowingly already filled his hands for an undetermined amount of time. The zither music was magnified almost instantly. A loud hum followed by yellowish-red lights emerged and floated in the air, surrounding the orange fireball above.

With a bang, the orange fireball was crushed into a speck of light and disappeared.

Yin Zhu’s left hand swiftly moved. In a flash, he seized the seventh string with his thumb while his right hand continued to play the melody of the <<Three Variations at Yangguan>>, creating a wondrous sound. His left hand relaxed all of a sudden, and the seven thin rays of hybrid red-yellow light emerged, floating in the air. The vigorously profound zither music was not piercing, however, as the Thundering Spring Zither produced beautifully light notes.

Compared to the speed of sound, the hybrid red-yellow light’s speed was much faster. The radiance flashed by as the <<Three Variations at Yangguan>> came to a screeching stop in an indiscernible moment.

The six mages from the Wavast Kingdom stood lifeless, including Lu Fei Te. Everyone was motionless.

Di Ya La and the two Yellow Rank mages behind him immediately became clear-headed when the zither music disappeared. Behind Yin Zhu, Zi was also sluggish like the mages from Wavast Kingdom, but his eyes were focused on Yin Zhu’s body, not on the destination of the hybrid red-yellow light.

A silver light flashed, and the Thundering Spring Zither already returned to the space ring. Yin Zhu patted his body for dust as he stood up. Talking to himself vexedly, “I still cannot emit seven blades simultaneously as I continue playing the zither song. No wonder Grandfather Qin told me that my maturity is still lacking and deficient.”

“They… what’s wrong with them?” Di Ya La uneasily asked.

“Dead,” Yin Zhu said this earth-shattering fact dully. “Grandfather Qin said that seven music blades should have struck each and every one of my opponents. That Indigo clothed man was difficult to deal with, but I am better than him when I use my music blade.”

Di Ya La looked at Lu Fei Te and the other five mages dumbstruck. He saw only a thin slice of blood across all six mages’ necks as well as Lu Fei Te’s magic staff which had fallen to the ground, split into two pieces. His eyes were wide, even in death he was still in disbelief of everything that happened.

……

“This is wrong. The zither music should have instantly ejected a sound wave blended with dou qi, making a blade of music. You were going too fast, you see. You are messing up at the 160th zither string.”

“The is too slow; dou qi and the sound wave did not fuse together, completely without any power at all .”

“Grandfather Qin, when will I succeed?”

“When? Only when, as you play the zither, you are able to produce and control the music blades incessantly as you please. Regarding your success, you are still lacking. Continue practicing; remember to lift the bottom finger……”

……

“Who is Grandfather Di Ya La?” Yin Zhu appeared to have not even been slightly affected by the scene. He did not even pay attention to Lu Fei Te and those mages still standing there.

Actually, Lu Fei Te was exceptionally strong, but he carelessly saw Yin Zhu as only a Red Rank. They did not even have the time to summon their familiars and magic scrolls under the influence of the zither magic and was killed by Yin Zhu in an instant.

Di Ya La’s voice trembled. Now that he saw Yin Zhu’s crystal clear black eyes, he couldn’t help but feel frightened. “I, I am he. Your Grandfather Qin instructed me to give you this.” While speaking, he groped around his chest for a Red Rank mage emblem and handed it over to Yin Zhu.

Yin Zhu took the emblem enthusiastically. He saw that naturally, it was a red Six-Star emblem with an engraving of a zither on top. Magic faintly fluctuated, frantically changing directions, atop the emblem.

“Ah, this is what Grandfather Qin asked you to give to me! Then I’ll take my leave. Thank you, Grandfather Di Ya La,” saying this, Yin Zhu and Zi walked out.

“Ah! Praise Blue Dias, wait a moment.” Di Ya La in a great rush shouted Yin Zhu to stop.

Yin Zhu turned around, inquisitively asking, “Is there another matter?”

Di Ya La muttered, “Your Grandfather Qin told me to give you that mage emblem and arrange for someone to guide you to Milan. Furthermore, I am supposed to instruct you on some general knowledge about the continent.”