The Qin Yun Sect is situated in a very advantageous location. At a glance, the Qin Yun Sect is surrounded by towering mountains, with vast and boundless landscapes. A waterfall cascades down, its beauty dazzling and magnificent. Auspicious clouds drift by, accompanied by a gentle breeze that tosses the long, black hair of the trees, creating a breathtaking scene that soothes the soul.
The melodious calls of various wild animals and deer echoed through the mountains, adding a touch of allure and longing to the Qin Yun Sect.
"Fellow Daoist, may I ask if this is the Qingyun Sect?" Gu Changqing asked with a faint smile and great politeness.
"This is the Qin Yun Sect. I wonder if you've come to learn from a master or to challenge us? Our sect is currently holding a master-apprenticeship ceremony and the 'Number One Qin Sound Under Heaven' competition. If you're interested, you're welcome to participate," a gatekeeper disciple dressed in blue explained carefully.
"Oh, Gu, you've come at just the right time. Then I'll choose to participate in the 'Number One Qin Music in the World' event," Gu Changqing said with a faint smile, his words straightforward and decisive.
"Then please register here, fellow Daoist," another disciple said, clasping his hands in greeting.
After registering, Gu Changqing went straight to Qinyun Sect.
As I walked, I listened to the occasional sound of a piano.
Some were very beautiful, while others were horribly unbearable to watch.
Not far ahead, there was a huge arena where a man was playing an instrument, with some judges beside him. A large crowd had gathered below the arena, making it very lively.
"Get down, get down... What is this thing you're playing? And it's not powerful enough."
All that could be heard was a group of people below shouting at the man playing the piano on stage.
Immediately afterwards, another man in a blue robe walked onto the stage and began to play.
The blue-clad man's music was melodious and of decent quality, but his attack power was too weak, and he was still eliminated.
Then, another disciple went up on stage...
The judges on stage were not very satisfied with this.
"Fellow Daoist, what specific aspects are tested in this challenge to achieve the best sound of the zither in the world?" Gu Changqing asked with a faint smile and some doubt.
"First, it tests one's proficiency with the guqin, that is, whether it sounds good and whether one is professional; second, it tests one's skill in playing the guqin, that is, whether one's cultivation is strong enough to kill someone invisibly," a fellow Daoist explained.
"What if you only master one of them?" Gu Changqing continued to ask.
"If someone is only good at playing the zither but lacks cultivation, then that's definitely not an option. But if someone has extremely strong cultivation and performs exceptionally well, but their zither playing isn't proficient enough, then they might be admitted exceptionally. However, it has to be someone who is truly outstanding to be promoted," the fellow Daoist continued.
“Admission by special consideration? How easy is that? I’ve heard that the Qin Yun Sect has never had such a special admission in all these years. Let’s not even dream about it.” Another fellow Daoist suddenly interjected.
"Perhaps it didn't exist before, but now that I, Gu, am here, it will." Gu Changqing smiled slightly, confident and composed, and said calmly.
"Such arrogance! I'm afraid he'll get a cold shoulder later." Another disciple said dismissively.
Just then, a judge suddenly called out to the audience, "Gu Changqing, who is Gu Changqing? Come up here quickly and challenge the world's number one zither player!"
Without saying a word, Gu Changqing rose directly from the ground and slowly landed on the stage. His every move was handsome and dashing, which drew loud screams from countless female disciples below the stage.
"Quiet, quiet! Haven't you ever seen a handsome guy before? Today we're here for a music competition, not a contest to find the most handsome men," a judge on stage said irritably.
The scene fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop.
"I am not very good at playing the zither, but I can kill people without them even realizing it," Gu Changqing said with a slight smile, getting straight to the point.
"If you can split this stone in two with your zither, you'll be admitted exceptionally and directly win first place in this challenge," an elderly judge declared.
"Is that all? It's that simple." Gu Changqing smiled faintly and said directly.
“Young man, don’t be too happy yet. This stone is no ordinary stone. It was a gift from a powerful figure in the upper realm when the Qin Yun Sect was founded. It is said to be extremely hard, and even the Heavenly Emperor might not be able to break it in the slightest. Therefore, the sect leader named this stone the Zhen Tian Stone.” Another judge said proudly.
He believed that the young man in front of him was arrogant and unrealistic, and that he was absolutely incapable of breaking the Heaven-Shaking Stone.
"Don't even mention splitting this Heaven-Shaking Stone in two. If you can even break off a tiny bit of it today, I'll consider you a winner and bestow upon you the title of the world's finest zither music," said an elderly man in white sitting in the middle-aged seat.
This old man in white was the sect leader of the Qin Yun Sect, and his words carried great weight.
"Young man, our sect leader is being lenient with you by saying that. We won't make things difficult for you. If you know what's good for you, hurry up and leave. Don't embarrass yourself here and waste our time," a middle-aged male judge said disdainfully.
"My master hasn't even started yet, and you're already making judgments?" Bai Xue said angrily.
Although his master had told him not to speak carelessly in the face of important matters, he couldn't help but speak up for his master.
"You've wasted so much time trying to persuade me. Whether I can do it or not will be clear after a test. I also want to know if this Zhentian Stone is as hard as iron and impervious to water and fire as you say. The more you say that, the more it arouses my curiosity, and the more I want to try it." Gu Changqing sneered and said in a deep voice.
“I think this young man has a point. Since he has come to participate in the challenge, why not let him give it a try? That would be a bit unreasonable. I think this young master is insisting on his own opinion. Maybe he really has the ability. Wouldn’t it be a pity if he missed this opportunity?” A beautiful and melodious voice rang out from the crowd.
The crowd followed the sound and saw a woman in white slowly walking over.
She was like a fairy untouched by worldly affairs, gentle and charming, with an elegant temperament, a slender figure, willow-leaf eyebrows, cherry lips, and skin as smooth as jade. Her stunningly beautiful face was simply breathtaking.
All the men present were stunned for a moment. They had never seen such a stunning beauty before, and their mouths were watering.
"Yu'er, why are you here? Didn't I tell you to rest and recuperate?" the sect leader said gently, his eyes full of affection.
"Father, I was really bored and wanted to come out and see what was going on. I'll be back in a little while," the woman said with a slight smile and a soft voice.
"I really can't do anything with you. Alright, since that's the case, then your father will let you watch for a while." The sect leader conceded with a smile.
"Young master, I'm so sorry to have disturbed your competition. You can continue now," the woman said apologetically.
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