Chapter 813: Sect Master, Listen to My Explanation!

A single line of unyielding strength carved upon the frost-flower blade,

Treading ten thousand mountains to cleanse the souls of demon lords,

A youth for one life can be wild, daring to curse Heaven and Earth as heartless,

Caring naught for fortunate chance or the root of disaster...

Accompanied by the crisp notes of the zither, the voice grew increasingly powerful and resonant, as if one had returned with it to that rivers-and-lakes landscape beyond the mist. In a trance, it seemed one could see again, in the quiet depths of time, that youth riding the wind and controlling his sword with breathtaking spirit; it seemed one could hear again, from the deep recesses of the clouds, that cry of "my fate is determined by me, not by Heaven."

Yuhang Town, Xianling Island...

Yongan Pawnshop, the ancient Jiang Kingdom...

Qingluan Peak, Shichenxi Cave...

The scenes of the past flashed before their eyes one after another. Perhaps... the youths of yesteryear had also grown up by now, and those stories seemed like the women in their memories, growing old and fading under the erosion of time, no longer possessing the colors of those early days when viewed today.

Yet upon careful recollection, the thrill and shock in their hearts when they first laid eyes on it back then still could not be erased.

Time would smooth away a person's sharp edges, true enough, but even with gray hair and a withered countenance, looking back once more at that initial youthful hot blood would still bring hot tears to their eyes.

"Good! Wonderful!" Elder Xiao Yunhe of the Haotian Sect clapped his hands and said, "What a line, 'A youth for one life can be wild, daring to curse Heaven and Earth as heartless'!"

Looking back into the depths of their memories, they too had been like unsheathed sharp swords at that time, their brilliance fully revealed, daring to test their height against the Lord of Heaven.

"Now that our cultivation is higher, we have conversely begun to be bound hand and foot..." Xiao Yunhe sighed deeply, shaking his head.

...

"Is that really Elder Su!?" In the spectator stands, a group of elves sat at the back, craning their necks to look at the white-clothed woman on the stage who played the zither as if she had walked straight out of a scroll painting.

Clearly, these elves had watched Elder Su's livestreams quite a few times.

Even that time when she encountered a Mimic in Dark Souls, they had observed it live in the stream room.

"Did the boss secretly switch her out with someone else!" an elf whispered.

Weren't they supposed to be an entertainment streamer!?

"Singing seems to be an entertainment activity too..." an unknown elf weakly murmured.

"Uh... that seems right too..."

"But how can it sound so beautiful!" The group of elves all pricked up their ears to listen.

Although the languages were different, they could at least understand it now.

"Oh! This song is really so beautiful to listen to!" Sera exclaimed, "How come I've never heard it before!"

"It seems they said that in 'My Space', there's something called 'Penguin Music', and there are many beautiful songs inside."

"Yes, yes, yes! I heard Xuexue and the others say that the host in the green dress can also sing something called... Glorious Years, which is exceptionally beautiful!"

...

Jiuhua City Shop.

Having finished singing the song, she returned to her seat.

Su Tianji took off the virtual headset and let out a breath: "Wrap up!"

She then saw Shopkeeper Fang, who was supervising the work nearby, staring over dumbfounded: "Not bad..."

"Nonsense! This elder knows astronomy above and geography below..."

Song Qingfeng: "That's Old Xiao's line, Sister Su..."

"What what? That brat learned it from this elder in the first place..." Su Tianji's pretty face flushed, and she hastily changed her words, "This elder is proficient in the zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting, mastering everything! Can singing a song and playing a zither pose a difficulty to this elder?"

"Sure, sure, blowing, plucking, strumming, and singing, you have it all in hand."

Su Tianji's face darkened: "Will you die if you don't mock this elder!?"

She then swept her eyes over everyone: "Starving to death, is there anything to eat?"

"Didn't you just eat a bucket of instant noodles this morning?" Shopkeeper Fang said in surprise.

"How could a tiny bucket of instant noodles be enough!?" Su Tianji did not realize in the slightest that her appetite had grown.

"Today the staff members are all provided with the Qingfeng Mingyue Pavilion special boxed meals!"

"Oh oh..." Su Tianji hurriedly stood up, "Then I'm off to get my boxed meal..."

...

And at this time, on the activity stage inside "My Space."

Serving as hosts, Ningbi and Immortal Fairy Qingyun descended into the field once again.

"Oh my... listening below the stage just now truly made me excited." Immortal Fairy Qingyun took a deep breath, then sighed with emotion.

"Immortal Fairy Qingyun must have played The Legend of Sword and Fairy, right?" Ningbi smiled, revealing a small white canine tooth as she turned her head to look at Immortal Fairy Qingyun and asked.

"I've played it, I've played all three installments of The Legend of Sword and Fairy in the shop." Immortal Fairy Qingyun had an 'if you know, you know' expression as she said, "I liked it exceptionally well when I first came into contact with it."

She then added: "Especially at the end of each installment, I wanted to mail some razor blades or something to this 'Softstar', but unfortunately I could never find the way."

"If you did find it," Ningbi teased, "you might even have to help bring along the portions of all the players present."

"Just a joke." Ningbi looked at everyone present with a smile in her eyes, "Then next it should be the turn of our players... Let me take a look at those who signed up for the competition..."

The two hosts pressed their two heads together to look at the list, and then their jade-like faces showed a faint surprise: "There are still quite a lot..."

"It seems that through the questionnaire personally compiled by our Miss Nalan, the friends who have proved themselves to be truly high-end players are indeed not few."

"However, simply knowing how to play games won't do." Ningbi said with a sweet, charming smile, "Among our players, many are actually multi-talented, so..."

"Let us see just how excellent they are!"

"Now please welcome the first group of contestants, from the Jiuhua City Shop of the Immortal Relic Continent. It is said that the Jiuhua City Shop consists entirely of some very old-time customers..." Ningbi looked at a young man with a classic and elegant countenance walking forward.

There was a crowd of people behind him.

Clad in black clothing, her exquisite face was as delicate as fine jade—Mo Xian, the eldest senior sister under Master Xichi of the Nanhua Sect.

And beside her was the soft and gentle jade-like junior sister, Yue Yan, in a light yellow silk dress.

Beside them were also several senior and junior brothers from within the sect.

"What kind of music do you all intend to perform today?" Ningbi asked with a smile, "Which piece do you feel has left the deepest impression on you?"

"I think it ought to be Fairy Dream of the Wandering Soul," Immortal Fairy Qingyun guessed cheerfully, "After all, among the most classic pieces in The Legend of Sword and Fairy, this one absolutely cannot be missed. Look, they even brought an erhu, a guzheng..."

"No." Mo Xian took the microphone and spoke, "We are going to do something with a bit of difficulty today."

"Good!" A burst of cheering instantly erupted below the stage.

"Hehehahahaha..." At the seating of the Haotian Sect, several elders also commented cheerfully, "As expected, they possess the spirit of 'a youth for one life can be wild', good!"

At the location where the Nanhua Sect cultivators were situated.

The sect master also looked gratified at Master Xichi beside him and said, "Junior sister's disciples are all a group of good disciples..."

"To think they even know how to play so many ancient musical instruments."

"That is of course." Master Xichi smiled, and then looked at Liu Ningyun beside him, "Ningyun, how come you all didn't join them?"

"Uh... this..."

At that very moment, a cry rang out from the center of the stage: "Wipe for defense!"

"My name is MT! A body of iron walls and brass ramparts!"

Master Xichi suddenly stared at the center of the stage, utterly dumbfounded.

There was Mo Xian, cradling a guzheng, plucking it so furiously it shook the heavens.

Beside him, Yue Yan, clutching a erhu, stepped forward to join the rhythm, sawing away with a squeak and a scratch as she sang along: "I challenge! I dodge! I use my body to protect you!"

The entire sequence of actions was executed in one flawless, fluid motion.

Master Xichi looked at the stage, then at the sect leader beside him, her face turning instantly green: "...This, Senior Brother, listen to my explanation...!"

.