The guqin music reverberated in the air.

Chu Kuangren and Lan Yu were both watching from the crowd. As compared to the shock and admiration from the other people, the two of them looked much calmer.

To Chu Kuangren, the level of these two ladies was just ordinary. It was not impressive enough to warrant any compliment from him.

As for Lan Yu, ever since she had listened to the guqin music that Chu Kuangren had played, there was no one else in this world who could wow her with guqin music.

This musical duel slowly reached its conclusion.

A sharp zing was heard.

Jing Nian's guqin music suddenly became incredibly resounding. Guqin melodies kept hitting Lady Snowflake like a heavy downpour.

Gradually, Lady Snowflake's guqin music started to show signs of not being able to hold itself up. Following a loud zing sound, her guqin strings snapped!

The guqin music which encompa.s.sed the entire place was halted almost instantly.

Lady Snowflake stared at the snapped string on her guqin with a doomed look on her face. Had she just lost a musical duel?!

“How did this happen?”

Lady Snowflake was overwhelmed with a taste of defeat that she had never felt before. She had cultivated musical Dao for so many years, even the elders in her sect could not compare to her. This was her first time losing to someone about her age.

“According to the agreement we made, this guqin of yours now belongs to me.”

Jing Nian walked before Lady Snowflake and gave her an arrogant stare, then took away the guqin in her hands.

Seeing this scene unfold before her, Lady Snowflake looked even more devastated.

“Snowflake, don't be sad, it's just one guqin. When we get back, I'll order someone to get a better one for you.” At this moment, a man suddenly walked up and consoled Lady Snowflake.

Lady Snowflake took two steps back and replied, “Many thanks, Bachelor Sage Chang Yuan, but we have professional guqin crafters back in our Heaven Chord Sect. You wouldn't need to trouble yourself to find me a new guqin.”

“Oh, I see.” A gleam of disappointment flashed across Bachelor Sage Chang Yuan's eyes. He had wanted to use this opportunity to get closer to Lady Snowflake.

He had fallen for this woman ever since he first laid his eyes on her. He was willing to disregard even his ident.i.ty as the Overlord Bachelor Sage and gave up everything in trying to please her. Despite that, Lady Snowflake never reciprocated, and she ignored him instead.

“Who would've thought that an almighty Overlord Bachelor Sage would be such a sucker for love? It's a shame that the feelings are only one-sided.”

Jing Nian let out a chuckle before she turned around and prepared to leave.

“Sigh, my tasty snack is gone now.” Watching as Jing Nian took the Fire Spirit Crystal away, the G.o.dly Phoenix Lil Red could not help but said.

However, to the other people, what they heard from her were only chirping sounds.

Jing Nian, who was initially on her way out, heard this sound and traced it back to its source. Her eyes lit up when she saw Lil Red who was on Chu Kuangren's shoulder. She walked up to him in big strides.

“I have to have this bird. Name me a price.”

When Chu Kuangren heard that, he fell silent.

The guys all around them looked puzzled as well.

Nevertheless, Jing Nian did not think too much of that. In fact, she just kept staring at Lil Red with an inexplicable adoration in her eyes.

She had seen pictures regarding the G.o.dly Phoenix in the ancient archives. This bird in front of her looked about seventy to eighty percent similar to that G.o.dly Phoenix in the lore.

Of course, she did not think that this could be the G.o.dly Phoenix because after all, that was a divine beast and there was no way she could have to coincide into one right here.

She just thought that since this little bird bore such a resemblance to the G.o.dly Phoenix, she might as well buy it and bring it back home as an item of prosperity.

“Apologies, this bird is not for sale.”

Chu Kuangren said nonchalantly.

“A hundred thousand Top-tier soulstones,” Jing Nian replied. In her mind, buying a little bird with a hundred thousand soulstones was already quite a steal for Chu Kuangren.

It was not just her as the people around them felt the same way too.

They gave Chu Kuangren envious looks.

A hundred thousand soulstones for a bird?

This was like free money falling from the sky.

Meanwhile, when Lil Red heard what Jing Nian said, she started to chirp non-stop in her direction while atop Chu Kuangren's shoulder.

“Are you kidding? A hundred thousand soulstones to buy me, a G.o.dly Phoenix?”

“Evil lady, just leave us alone. It's not going to happen.”

“I'll never leave my dearest Brother.”

However, this bout of chirping and cursing made Lil Red look more adorable to Jing Nian.

“Such an energetic bird, it would be even more fascinating to play with it on any given day. How about this? I'll add on another hundred thousand soulstones.”

Jing Nian spoke as if she was extremely wealthy.

As a Sky Emperor Palace Dame, she really could not be bothered with these soulstones.

“I'm not going to sell you this bird, but I'm not saying that there's no other way for you to try and obtain this bird.” Chu Kuangren smiled gently.

“What is the other way?”

“You, me, another musical duel. If you win, this bird will belong to you. If you lose, I'll have your Fire Spirit Crystal,” Chu Kuangren said.

The people present at the scene were stunned at those words.

“This Daoist brother wants to have a musical duel with Jing Nian?”

“Pfft, do you not know any better? Even Lady Snowflake was not Jing Nian's match. I don't know where the heck you came from, but you don't even look like you have half the ability.” Bachelor Sage Chang Yuan, who was at the side, mocked him.

To be fair, most people present there had the same thought as he had.

Of the entire Firmament Star, the people from Heaven Chord Sect were the most skilled in musical Dao, and now, even Lady Snowflake who was from the Heaven Chord Sect had been beaten by Jing Nian.

Yet this unknown fellow who came from nowhere thinks that he could beat Jing Nian in musical Dao?

n.o.body would believe that.

“I think this guy knows a thing or two, but shame that his opponent is a musical Dao cultivator like Jing Nian. I'm afraid he would only end up losing.”

“Tsk tsk, he has no idea who he's dealing with.”

“Let's see how badly he'll lose.”

Jing Nian glanced at Chu Kuangren with a ridiculed look. “You don't have to do this even if you wanted to gift me this bird for free.”

“Try me.”

Chu Kuangren was not bothered at all by the doubtful looks from the crowd around him.

He sprang himself into the air and onto the tall building.

Jing Nian too had positioned herself right across him and took out her guqin.

“I'll let you go first,” Jing Nian said.

“No, I suggest that you go first. Otherwise, I don't think you'll have another chance to.” Chu Kuangren remarked modestly.

“What madness. I said I'll let you go first, and you shall do just that.”

Jing Nian locked her eyebrows, looking a little agitated now.

When the rest of the people saw that, they also felt that Chu Kuangren was being too pretentious.

“The bolder he acts, the more humiliating his defeat would be later.”

“Exactly.”

Chu Kuangren did not pay any heed to the snarky remarks around him.

Instead, he took out the Lingering Song.

Once the Lingering Song was revealed, the eyes of Lady Snowflake, who was standing amongst the crowd, suddenly lit up as she inadvertently praised, “That's a fine guqin!”

“Lady Snowflake likes this guqin.”

“No matter the material or the craftsmans.h.i.+p, this guqin is indeed an exquisite masterpiece. It's even better than the one I made before this.”

At this, Bachelor Sage Chang Yuan delved deep in thought.

“Since you insist that I go first, I shan't hold back then.”

Chu Kuangren laid the guqin across his lap, strumming it with all ten fingers.

The moment the music started to play, a shocked expression etched out on Jing Nian's face. Then, her eyes widened as she could not believe what she was witnessing.

The crowd that was initially noisy had turned into pin-drop silence as well.

The guqin music contained a vast Daoist Rhyme which reverberated outwards, seemingly pulling everyone's heartstrings towards that endless sky and sea.

This especially held true for Jing Nian. She was so affected by the Daoist Rhyme inside the tune that her whole body seemed to have plunged into ethereal heaven and earth. The incredibly tremendous and majestic Daoist Rhyme poured onto her continuously, just like torrential waves, rendering her indefensible.

It was too scary.

Such guqin music and Daoist Rhyme was way too terrifying.

Trembling, Jing Nian lifted one arm and attempted to play the guqin in her hand to fend off the guqin music from Chu Kuangren. However, the moment her fingers strummed the guqin strings, she realized that she had failed to produce any sound.

Her musical Dao had been completely suppressed!”

“How could there possibly be such a guqin music Daoist Rhyme in this world?!”