Chapter 1693: The Zhenjun He Huan Holy Maiden

The song ended.

All around was utterly silent.

Many Dao children fell into longing remembrance of such emotions, especially many of the female Dao children.

At the same time, many Dao children calmly contemplated something or other.

Everything was beautiful, except for the somewhat jarring sounds not far off from the Sword children — the clang of metal, the splatter of blood, and the crack of arms and skulls parting from their bodies.

However, once a Dao child cast a spell to muffle all those sounds, the place fell completely silent.

"This piece is a natural marvel, enough to make one bow in admiration."

A cool, aloof female cultivator said lightly: "If one were to revise this melody here and there, it might sound even more pleasing. What does Sister Dao Ling think?"

She asked.

Jiang Ding's gaze settled briefly on this cool, aloof female cultivator.

She was a woman suffused with the radiance of the myriad heavens' stars; within her pupils the strange sight of the Northern Dipper's seven stars flickered in and out, emanating a heavy, icy pressure.

Qingfeng Beidou Dao child, Liu Qianhua.

She hailed from the Northern Dipper Star Domain, and her current circumstances seemed not too favorable, though nothing of it showed on her.

"Sister Qianhua speaks rightly!"

Shi Daoling's eyes lit up faintly.

After she revised it accordingly, the quality of this piece "Nine Heavens" did indeed rise another level, more easily moving the heart and granting people a more beautiful insight.

"Emotion too pure, limitations too great — nothing more than a pretentious affectation."

A seductive female cultivator said in a lilting voice.

She dismissed this piece as utterly worthless.

This was no simple denial — she also casually revised the melody, made some alterations to "Nine Heavens," and presented it to the crowd.

Jiang Ding's divine sense brushed against this brand-new piece and he carefully savored it.

It was the opposite extreme — effortlessly stirring the primal instinctive desires of humanity, making people loathe to leave.

If Shi Daoling's "Nine Heavens" told of a woman bidding farewell to her beloved, a pure and beautiful love, then this female cultivator's Nine Heavens spoke of a seductive and lovely woman who, through her own charm and the primal, pure desire in her every gesture, made her beloved forever unable to forget her.

Between these two, which is higher and which is lower?

Jiang Ding compared them.

Neither was above the other.

This was Jiang Ding's conclusion.

Pure love is exceedingly beautiful, making one yearn.

Primal desire, however, is by no means not beautiful, by no means not blissful — the Way of Yin and Yang is human nature; human civilization arose from Yin and Yang, and the continuation of human civilization lies within Yin and Yang.

Still, if measured by threshold, the second is lower, more adaptable, and more tenaciously alive.

"Who is she?"

Jiang Ding asked.

This was an exceedingly powerful female cultivator, worthy of respect.

As for whom he was asking?

Naturally, the only pushover he knew.

"Zhenjun He Huan Holy Land, the Zhenjun He Huan Holy Maiden."

Fusang Holy Maiden Shi Daoling said softly.

"So that's how it is."

Jiang Ding cast another glance at that seductive female cultivator, committing her deeply to memory.

This scene was immediately noticed by the other party.

"Sword child,"

"what are you looking at?"

The Zhenjun He Huan Holy Maiden said in a soft voice.

There were many Sword children here, but only one was mixed in among a group of Dao children — there was no mistaking whom she addressed.

"Looking at you,"

"Lady Zhenjun He Huan Holy Maiden."

Jiang Ding smiled faintly: "Your bearing is so captivating that one worries — might one be captured by you in an instant, become a vassal beneath your skirts, and never tread the immortal Dao again?"

"Truly, that is most terrifying."

"Sword child,"

"please do not be afraid."

The Zhenjun He Huan Holy Maiden said softly: "No matter what, you shall not fall, for this servant had already half-fallen the instant she laid eyes on you. So long as you do not harm this servant, that is enough."

"With that, this servant shall be content."

The two conversed at length, then parted with lingering reluctance.

The surrounding Dao children pretended not to notice.

They continued to critique this piece "Nine Heavens" — some felt it was already perfect enough and added a painting to complement it; some felt it was too frivolous; some felt the melody was cluttered with too much romance and affection, too narrow and petty…

Every Dao child offered a critique.

And none were brief — all were substantive. Many Dao children, like the Zhenjun He Huan Holy Maiden, offered what they themselves considered superior melodies.

Amidst all this, the wisdom of the immortal Dao wove and intertwined, leaving one sighing in awe.

Jiang Ding's eyes flashed with wonder again and again as he ceaselessly noted down these various trains of thought; he felt his Sword Soul had grown far livelier, with countless sparks of inspiration blooming within.

Being together with these peerless prodigies of the immortal Dao from the endless starry sky — truly, it was different!

Even if one gained no heavenly materials or earthly treasures, simply sitting and discussing the Dao could count as a great opportunity.

In the end, many Dao children looked toward Jiang Ding.

Many Dao children's gazes were also tolerant, as if they had long grown accustomed to it.

Sword cultivators have little foundation in music.

"You want…"

Fusang Holy Maiden Shi Daoling instinctively spoke.

This clingy pest had been following her the whole way, knowing nothing, and she was almost used to it by now.

But the moment the words left her mouth, she felt something was off, and immediately shut her mouth, suspecting that this person had laid some kind of

soul technique on her.

"I know this one."

"This is my 'Nine Heavens,' Dao Yu Lingzi, you may refer to it."

Jiang Ding was not completely ignorant of everything; he took out a music score and handed it to the Fusang Holy Maiden.

"Oh?"

Shi Daoling's brow furrowed slightly.

This act of re-scoring a piece had only ever appeared with the Zhenjun He Huan Holy Maiden, who had nearly been wholly rejected — it was simply too presumptuous.

She frowned and opened the music score.

In an instant, a wave of destructive, searing, razor-sharp qi rushed toward her face; a faint clanging sound hung in the air, unpleasant yet somehow stirring.

The tune was still that same tune.

However, the details within had undergone earth-shattering changes; the sound waves contained an extremely powerful soul-piercing force, able to easily pierce a cultivator's soul and strike at the core of their soul — destroying or controlling them was but a thought away.

If the Zhenjun He Huan Holy Maiden's tune was to captivate one's beloved through charm, and the Fusang Holy Maiden's tune was to win her beloved's true heart through pure love,

then this piece was a woman donning armor, mounting her horse, campaigning across the realm, returning victorious after a hundred battles, pinning her beloved down within her own palace and cutting off every worldly obstacle.

"Vulgar!"

The Fusang Holy Maiden frowned as she finished reading and offered a single comment.

Yet even so, she still had to admit that there was much worth taking from his tune; that very unique soul-piercing force might perhaps be applied within her own arts — used for righteous ends, it would be righteous.

"Worthy of the Sword Child."

The Zhenjun He Huan Holy Maiden's eyes lit up.

This extremely unique soul-piercing force was merely of some worth to the Fusang Holy Maiden, after all her path was not to capture others, but to attract — pure and simple.

But this kind of soul-piercing force held extremely important significance for the Zhenjun He Huan Holy Land.

It made her gaze turn gentle as water.

A feeling of stimulation, longing, and keeping company with death welled up within the Zhenjun He Huan Holy Maiden's heart.

Sword cultivator.

This must surely be an extremely terrifying sword cultivator.

But precisely because of this, there was all the greater value; this constant thrill of having one's snow-white neck severed by the other's flying sword, one's head tumbling to the ground, was enough to make any witch tremble all over, unable to contain her excitement.