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Chapter 158 - Music

“Too late!” Liu Wuxie’s blade aura was like lightning, splitting Bai Qiong’s body into two in one-thousandth of a second. But things had not ended as the blade aura fell onto the arena after splitting Bai Qiong.

The impact resulted in a thunderous noise as the arena shattered into countless fragments of blue slabs. The nearby students were inevitably caught in the aftermath.

Screams of agony echoed as hundreds of students suffered severe injuries, leaving them sprawled on the ground, awaiting treatment. Even those with minor injuries bore the painful marks of rock fragments embedded in their skin.

Bai Qiong’s body was long reduced to ashes, blown away by the wind.

Liu Wuxie landed gently on the arena, witnessing this with a hint of shock in his eyes. He realized that he had underestimated his own strength. This was the first time he had unleashed his full power since consuming the body-strengthening pills, resulting in the arena being torn apart.

“He’s not human! He must be a monster!” Many teachers echoed this sentiment, their eyes wide with shock. In a corner, two elderly men watched, their eyes filled with a murderous intent.

“I didn’t expect him to have grown so much in one month. I can’t let him continue to grow! He must die!” One of the old men gritted his teeth.

“Fan Yeping, is this the young man who caused you to be demoted to an elder of the Miscellaneous Hall?” the other old man asked, surprise evident on his face.

“That’s right. He’s why I was demoted to an elder of the Miscellaneous Hall!” Fan Yeping clenched his fists, wishing he could confront Liu Wuxie himself.

“I’m afraid it might be too late. The Xue Clan has set a trap, intending to kill him tonight.” After their conversation, the two men disappeared into the darkness.

“Do we need to send someone from the high ranks of the Spirit Cleansing Realm to defeat him?” The Xue Clan halted their actions, their gaze shifting towards Xue Rui. After all, Xue Rui had declared that he would personally step in if Liu Wuxie survived Bai Qiong’s attack.

Bai Qiong had died, but Xue Rui still didn’t challenge. Could it be that Xue Rui was afraid?

“Xue Clan, is this all you got? Don’t make me look down on you all!” Liu Wuxie stood in the rubble, looking at the Xue Clan’s area. His words incited nearly a hundred disciples from the Xue Clan to rise in fury.

The night was destined to be restless, with the air heavy with the stench of blood.

“Liu Wuxie, there’s no place for your arrogance here. I’m in the fourth level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm, and it would be unfair for me to bully you. Let’s compete in music instead. Do you dare to take the bet? Whoever loses will have to die!” a person from the Xue Clan challenged. A member of the Xue Clan, not Xue Rui, issued this challenge, proposing a competition in music. After all, dao was everywhere: alchemy, painting, talisman, and even music.

Daos were laws, and they could be found everywhere, including nature.

“It’s Xue Lan! I heard he’s proficient in the zither and has practiced the zither technique. He has used it to kill many people.” An exclamation sounded in the crowd. Xue Lan wasn’t proficient in martial techniques but in music, and taking the initiative to compete with Liu Wuxie in music was despicable.

A painter would use paint to kill, a spiritual array master would use arrays to kill, a talisman master would use the talisman to kill, and a musician would use each musical note to kill.

“The Xue Clan is too despicable, using their forte to challenge others. How low can they go?” Li Shengsheng exclaimed, taking a stand.

Leveraging his strength against Liu Wuxie’s weakness, Liu Wuxie’s chances of victory seemed slim. Despite his exceptional talent and prowess in alchemy, he couldn’t be expected to excel in everything. Music was a different realm altogether, requiring time to understand and harmonize with it.

“The Xue Clan has been plotting Liu Wuxie’s demise for a long time. They won’t rest until he is dead.” The Xue Clan’s intent to kill Liu Wuxie was no secret. Four of their members\' unexpected deaths caught the Xue Clan off guard, and Liu Wuxie shattered all their preparations.

Xu Lingxue was filled with anxiety and rose to her feet restlessly. In Azure Billow City, few were well-versed in the zither, and Liu Wuxie had shown a disinterest in music from a young age. Consequently, she could foresee a grim outcome for Liu Wuxie in this musical contest.

The Xue Clan had initiated the challenge, and it was up to Liu Wuxie if he accepted it. If he refused, it would mean that he was afraid. This meant that he would have to take a detour if he ran into the Xue Clan in the future. But if he accepted the challenge, it was still uncertain if he could win against Xue Lan.

Xue Lan sneered, looking at Liu Wuxie. He wasn’t hurrying to get an answer as he waited patiently.

“Junior Brother Liu, don’t fall for the Xue Clan’s trap! He’s in the fourth level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm, and you can refuse. This is an unfair battle to begin with!” Students of Advanced Class Seven stood up, imploring Liu Wuxie to reconsider.

This time, even Song Ling stood up. While he wouldn’t have intervened if it were a martial arts competition, music was entirely a different matter, given his unfamiliarity with Liu Wuxie’s musical abilities.

Jin Jianfeng also straightened up, his eyes narrowing and his smile widening. He had nearly drained his gourd of wine, so he picked up a student’s wine, remarking, “This is too intriguing!”

Other teachers would stop their students from fighting, but he had no intention of stopping.

“Teacher, please stop him!” Wang Yonghao stood before Jin Jianfeng, begging him to intervene. Only Jin Jianfeng could stop the Xue Clan, and everyone looked at him expectantly.

“He might not lose the fight!” Jin Jianfeng dismissed them with a wave of his hand, urging them to continue watching. He would intervene if Liu Wuxie were in danger.

“Liu Wuxie, you just have to openly admit that you’re afraid. In the future, you must take a detour whenever you see someone from the Xue Clan,” Xue Lan sneered, his voice reaching every corner of the venue. He was arrogant, knowing that Liu Wuxie couldn’t avoid the Xue Clan’s trap regardless of his decision.

The Xue Clan had devised a series of impeccable plans. Ideally, Liu Wuxie should have fallen at the first challenge, but he managed to gradually dismantle the Xue Clan’s schemes using his abilities. After all, absolute strength trumps all stratagems.

“I accept your challenge!” Liu Wuxie responded calmly. He didn’t even lay out the rules; his objective for the night was clear: to eliminate everyone from the Xue Clan.

“Great! Let’s have a music competition. We’ll each play a piece, and the one with the louder music wins. What do you think?” Xue Lan proposed, brimming with excitement. Among his peers in the academy, he was confident in his musical abilities and believed he could win this contest.

“Let’s begin!” Liu Wuxie, uninterested in further discussion with Xue Lan, signaled for the competition to commence. This was yet another life-or-death match.

Following a few reminders from Xue Rui, Xue Lan moved to another arena where tables and chairs had already been set up. He retrieved a zither from his interspatial pouch and placed it on the table.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I chanced upon an ancient scorebook in an ancient tomb called Spring Breeze and Autumn Rain. Please forgive any shortcomings in my performance!” Xue Lan cupped his fists at everyone in the surroundings and sat down to play the zither. As he played, the music resonated with everyone’s hearts, its penetrating sound no less powerful than the true essence of martial techniques.

The rhythm was brisk, and each note seemed like a breeze caressing everyone’s faces, soon immersing them all in his music.

“Such remarkable talent!” Even the Heaven Grade students couldn’t help but cheer. Xue Lan’s musical prowess, renowned throughout the academy, left them in awe. Few could match his skill, and no one, teachers included, held much hope for Liu Wuxie in this contest.

As the music slowed, it felt like a spring breeze was wafting past.

“Look, the wind is blowing!” Above the zither, a gust seemed to stir. The gust felt like a woman’s gentle touch, caressing their hearts. This left everyone entranced by the music, with two exceptions: Liu Wuxie and Xu Lingxue. One remained indifferent, while the other was filled with worry.

Liu Wuxie closed his eyes, shutting out the world around him, and retreated into his own world.

“Brilliant! This piece of music is gorgeous! How can there be such a beautiful piece of music in the world?!” Intoxicated by the music, countless students held their breaths, forgetting their identities and losing themselves in the enchanting world crafted by Xue Lan’s music.

A breeze swept across the land, accompanied by a gentle autumn rain. When everyone opened their eyes, they found themselves under an unexpected shower, the droplets sprinkling over them.

“Xue Lan’s music is truly mesmerizing, capable of even altering the laws of nature. It’s no surprise coming from a genius of the Profound Grade like us,” a voice commented. The academy was not just limited to spiritual array classes; it also offered music, blacksmithing, and alchemy.

As the minutes ticked by, everyone became so engrossed in the music that they completely forgot about the ongoing duel between Liu Wuxie and Xue Lan.

Xue Rui observed the captivated expressions of the audience, a cruel smile playing on his lips. He was certain that the Xue Clan would triumph in this contest. Once Liu Wuxie lost, they would be able to claim his life without delay. As the final note of the music faded, everyone reluctantly opened their eyes, yet the melody still echoed in their minds.

“That was incredibly beautiful! I’ve never heard such a captivating piece of music!” Many in the crowd rose to their feet, clapping in admiration for Xue Lan.

The applause served as a testament to the Xue Clan’s victory, and surpassing Xue Lan’s performance would indeed be a formidable challenge.