Chapter 510

With intense focus, Long Xuan forgot the passage of time, forgot himself, and did not know how long had passed—until this day, the sky suddenly darkened with thick clouds and lightning cracked through thunder.

The dark clouds stretched endlessly for tens of thousands of meters; the sky plunged into darkness in an instant, howling winds raged without pause, and thunder roared deafeningly.

Long Xuan was finally jolted awake by the deafening thunder, slowly lifting his head to gaze at the dense gray lightning within the clouds, a wild joy slowly spreading across his face.

Success! Success! It truly succeeded—the gray lightning, this is precisely the color of the eighth-ranked Thunder Tribulation, Life-Transforming Thunder.

"Hahaha… my Reincarnation Pill is complete! My Reincarnation Pill truly summoned Life-Transforming Thunder!"

"Across the entire Gu World, no Alchemist could possibly forge a Pill of this caliber!"

"Only I! Only Long Xuan! Long Xuan is the greatest Alchemist in the Gu World!"

Long Xuan gazed up at the storm of lightning in the clouds and roared loudly: "Let the storm come even fiercer!"

A thunderclap exploded, drowning out his voice…

…

Meanwhile, in Luo City.

This day was the day Fairy Miaoyin preached in Luo City.

During this time, the Seven-tone Scale Melody emerged suddenly in the Gu World, causing a seismic upheaval; the news struck like thunder from a clear sky, shocking the entire Music Path and stirring countless Gu Cultivators of the Cultivation of Music.

The one who mastered the Seven-tone Scale Melody was a breathtakingly beautiful young girl, young in age yet already a Gu King—not only was her cultivation talent rare in the Gu World, her zither art had reached its pinnacle, earning her the title Fairy Miaoyin.

Fairy Miaoyin intended to spread the Seven-tone Scale Melody throughout this world, traveling far and wide to preach; whenever she passed through a City, she played the zither to teach, leaving behind numerous Seven-tone Scale Melody sheet music.

Zither masters who learned these sheet music pieces treasured them as priceless treasures, studying day and night, obsessed as if suffering Qi Deviation.

The appearance of the Seven-tone Scale sheet music drove every musician mad; as more and more people learned the Seven-tone Scale sheet music, the Seven-tone Scale Music Dao was sweeping across the entire Gu World with unstoppable force.

This day was the day Fairy Miaoyin passed through Luo City to preach.

With Fairy Miaoyin's arrival, the entire City emptied out; everyone crowded around a pavilion, streets teeming with throngs, shoulders brushing, elbows pressing, packed without a single gap.

Everyone on the streets listened to the zither music drifting from the pavilion, expressions entranced; inside the pavilion sat a stunningly beautiful girl veiled by a thin Veil, playing a strange zither with seven strings.

The music was melodious, its lingering tones circling the rafters; those around her became utterly lost, enchanted to the point of soullessness, each one rendered spellbound.

When the piece ended, the crowd awoke as from a dream; immediate applause, cheers, and murmurs erupted.

"Beautiful! She's beautiful, and the music is beautiful! Is this really music played on seven strings? Truly unforgettable—in my view, music played on seven strings is far superior to music played on five."

"Haha! Clearly, the Seven-tone Scale Music Dao is the complete one, while the Five-Tone Scale Music Dao, learned by everyone, is incomplete. Hard to believe—the Music Dao passed down since ancient times was wrong! Countless masters of the Music Dao have wandered down the wrong path for tens of thousands of years—what a tragedy."

"Haha! Most who came to hear Fairy Miaoyin preach are Gu Cultivators of the Cultivation of Music—they must be shattered now, realizing their entire lives of study were wasted! 'Puh!'"

At that moment, someone in the crowd suddenly spat blood and collapsed to the ground.

As this person fell, it triggered a chain reaction—more and more people spat blood and collapsed, the crowd descending into chaos.

All those who suddenly spat blood shared one common trait: they were all Gu Cultivators of the Cultivation of Music.

Some even spat blood, baring teeth stained red, laughing wildly like a madman: "Hahaha… I devoted my entire life to music, a renowned musician—and now, as my Lifespan nears its end, someone tells me all I learned was wrong? Hahaha… Damned Heaven! You've played the greatest joke on me!"

Someone suddenly went mad in the crowd; those nearby gasped in terror and scrambled away.

"Run! Someone else has gone mad! How many is this now?"

"Ignore him—Old Qin was obsessed with music, devoted his life to it; learning his entire life's work was wrong, he simply can't accept it—he's already suffered Qi Deviation."

"Sigh! Every time Fairy Miaoyin preaches in a place, a batch of people go mad—get used to it. These people are pitiful—who wouldn't go mad upon learning their life's pursuit was a dead end? If it were me, I'd go mad too."

Inside the pavilion, Qin Mingyue gazed at the chaotic crowd outside and sighed inwardly.

She didn't want this—but she knew revealing the Seven-tone Scale Music Dao would drive many veteran musicians mad. Yet there was no other way.

The age must advance; advancement requires discarding the outdated. Someone must become a sacrifice. She could only silently apologize to those elder masters in her heart.

After a soft sigh, she brushed her fingers across the strings and called out to the crowd below: "Next, I will present to you a second piece—my favorite Seven-Stringed Zither composition, titled 'Ambush on Ten Sides.' Please be silent."

As the petals fell, the chaotic scene below instantly quieted; everyone widened their eyes, gazing expectantly at the stunning girl in the pavilion, awaiting the second zither piece.

"Zheng…"

A zither note rang out, sending chills down every spine; all listened, entranced, utterly lost in the music.

Yet just as everyone became utterly immersed in the melody, sudden change erupted.

The sky above suddenly shifted violently—lightning cracked, thunder rolled; moments ago clear and bright, the heavens now darkened with clouds and howling winds.

"Crack…"

Above Luo City, space suddenly split open—a vast Space Rift, its gaping fissure filled with endless darkness.

With the appearance of this Space Rift, the gales intensified, as if trying to suck every soul in the City into its depths.

"What on earth is happening?"

"No! Run!"

Though none understood what was occurring, everyone instinctively sensed disaster—turning and fleeing.

The Gu King moved with blinding speed, leaping away from Luo City in mere strides; those of low cultivation realms crowded together in panic, streets descending into chaos, trampling breaking out—low-cultivation cultivators could not escape the City in time.

Just as those unable to flee felt despair, a slender, colossal hand emerged from the vast Space Rift.

In the terror-stricken gaze of all, the hand's arm stretched longer, sweeping over the fleeing crowd, snatching toward one specific person—moving with terrifying speed.

Sensing the hand reaching for her, Qin Mingyue turned her head—and her face turned deathly pale.

"No!" As she tried to accelerate and escape the hand's reach, she discovered her Spiritual Power had been sealed—every ability suddenly unusable.

Watching the hand draw ever closer, Qin Mingyue's expression turned hopeless; slowly, she closed her eyes.

Thus, before the stunned gaze of all, Fairy Miaoyin was snatched away by the colossal hand.

The hand clutched its captive, then retracted into the Space Rift—which began slowly closing.

As the Space Rift sealed completely, the terrifying Heavenly Phenomenon vanished instantly.

The winds ceased, the dark clouds dispersed, bright sunlight once again poured from the sky; Luo City returned to its earlier calm, serene beauty—as if the terrifying event had never occurred.

Everyone stood stunned, exchanging bewildered glances; silence fell over the City.

"What just happened? How did a hand suddenly reach out from a Space Rift and snatch away Fairy Miaoyin?"

"I don't know! However, Space Power is not something just anyone can manipulate; clearly, this person possesses the ability of Shattering the Void, and their true Cultivation Realm far exceeds that of a Gu King," someone in the crowd said with a face full of shock.

"What? This is actually a great expert capable of Shattering the Void? Why did she capture Fairy Miaoyin? What exactly did Fairy Miaoyin do to provoke such a terrifying existence into making a personal appearance?"

"What else could it be? The only thing Fairy Miaoyin has been doing is spreading the Music Dao of the Seven-Tone Scale everywhere; surely, this great expert was attracted because of this matter."

Someone said with a grave expression, "I observed that the little finger on that hand is missing, so I have made a bold guess."

"In the Ancient Times, there was a female powerhouse who had only nine fingers; her combat power was extremely terrifying, and people of that era called her the Nine-Fingered Zither Demon, changing color at the mere mention of her name."

"Furthermore, the first zither of the Human Race was created by her; she founded the Path of the Zither in this world and is the founder of the Five-Stringed Zither in this world."

"If it were not for her, we would still not know what a zither is even now."

Once these words were spoken, everyone's complexion changed drastically, and they all inhaled sharply in unison.

Although judging the identity of this mysterious great expert based solely on a single hand was impossible, this guess was simply too frightening.

"Could it be that the ancestor of the Five-Stringed Zither discovered someone overturning her Path of the Zither, became enraged out of shame, and wanted to kill her before destroying the Seven-Stringed Zither Path?" someone guessed boldly. Soon, someone shook their head and said gravely, "If she truly had the intent to kill, then Fairy Miaoyin would have been killed on the spot rather than captured."

"If she truly felt her face was lost and wanted to cut off the inheritance of the Seven-Stringed Zither Path, she would surely erase all of us together; how could she capture only her alone?"

"For Fairy Miaoyin, this matter might be a blessing in disguise; she might even directly become a Direct Disciple of the Nine-Fingered Zither Demon, which would be a heaven-shaking Opportunity."

"If things truly unfold as I say, not only will she become a disciple of the Nine-Fingered Zither Demon, but she will also leap to a higher-level world; she has now soared to the skies in a single flight and no longer needs to be trapped with us in this cage known as the Gu World," someone said enviously.

To everyone, the Gu World is a massive cage that cannot be escaped no matter what; those trapped here will stop at Gu King Peak for their entire lives, and no matter how high their talent, there is no possibility of breaking through to a higher realm, for Gu King Peak is the limit of this world.

Now that Fairy Miaoyin has likely leaped to a higher-level world and possesses the conditions to break through to higher realms, even potentially pursuing immortality, how could he not be envious?

"Enough! That is merely your guess; it is not even certain whether the person who captured Fairy Miaoyin is the Nine-Fingered Zither Demon, so let us all disperse now."

"Although Fairy Miaoyin has been captured, she spread the Dao everywhere and has left behind the inheritance of the Seven-Stringed Zither in many places; even without her, the Seven-Stringed Zither is sufficient to flourish in this world, and eliminating the Five-Tone Scale music is only a matter of time."

Everyone nodded together, conversing amongst themselves as they slowly dispersed.

However, the events that occurred today were quickly spread abroad by people.

After all, the possibility that the person who captured Qin Mingyue might be the Ancestor of the Path of the Zither is enough to interest everyone.

At this moment, Long Xuan suddenly woke from a dream with a start, sat up straight, and gasped heavily.

The Life-Transforming Thunder was truly too terrifying; although the Calamity Gu successfully withstood the Life-Transforming Thunder through force, it was now heavily injured and left with only half its life.

Long Xuan, in order to protect this furnace of Pills, was also struck into a heavy injury by the Life-Transforming Thunder; if not for the Water Bear Gu, he would have already died long ago, for how could the power of the Life-Transforming Thunder be something he could endure?

However, misfortune and fortune depend on each other; although he was struck into a heavy injury by the Life-Transforming Thunder, there were benefits as well.

In a state nearing death, he triggered the advancement condition of the Water Bear Gu; the Transformation condition of the Water Bear Gu is to rise after being broken, and his current state fully satisfied this.

Once the Water Bear Gu awakens, it will be able to advance into an exotic Gu; truly, a blessing in disguise.

In his heavily injured state, Long Xuan did not even want to move a finger, so he lay on the ground and slept.

In his dream, he dreamed of Qin Mingyue; he discovered that Qin Mingyue was playing the zither for an old woman.

Before this old woman, Qin Mingyue trembled, appearing very afraid of her, acting with extreme caution and daring not to provoke her in the slightest.

As for this old woman, she rested her head on her hand at the table, a smile on her face, seeming utterly enchanted as she listened to the zither melody played on the Seven-Stringed Zither, her face filled with an expression of intoxication.

Seeing this scene, Long Xuan immediately became furious.

"Good heavens, she actually dares to make my beloved treasure play the zither for her; how thick-skinned is she? Did she obtain my permission? Unacceptable!" Long Xuan stood up, an expression of contemplation appearing on his face.

He rarely dreamed; this kind of dream was more like a certain kind of omen—could it be that something truly happened to Qin Mingyue?

Long Xuan dared not waste any more time nursing his injuries and prepared to depart immediately to find Qin Mingyue with the utmost speed.

Walking over to the Alchemy Furnace, he slapped the furnace body heavily with his right palm, causing the lid of the Alchemy Furnace to fly high into the air instantly.

Simultaneously, three Pills emitting a white halo flew out of the furnace; Long Xuan, with quick eyes and fast hands, grabbed all three Pills in one grasp.

Spreading his hand open and gazing at the three round, white Pills in his palm, he revealed a slight smile.

"Are these the Reincarnation Pills that allow one to undergo Reincarnation while retaining memories? Their appearance is truly extraordinary and quite spiritual; I did not expect to produce three at once, with only one Waste Pill."

"What a pity! Although the Reincarnation Pill is Heaven-defying, it is useless to me; I do not believe there is any situation where I must flee into Reincarnation, as no danger under heaven can kill me."

Revealing a confident smile, Long Xuan stored the three Reincarnation Pills separately into three Pill Bottles, then reached his hand back into the Alchemy Furnace.

Before long, he picked out a black Pill.

Gazing at this pitch-black Pill, Long Xuan fell into thoughtful contemplation.

This black Pill was precisely the Waste Pill produced during the refinement of the Reincarnation Pill.

The Reincarnation Pill was simply too difficult to refine; even with his superb Alchemy skills, exerting every trick at his disposal, he accidentally refined one Waste Pill; otherwise, the Full Pill Count for the Reincarnation Pill should have been four.

However, misfortune and fortune depend on each other; producing one less Reincarnation Pill might not be a bad thing for him and could even be a great good.

One must know that Waste Pills cannot be consumed because they are poisonous; all Waste Pills are Poison Pills.

Since the Reincarnation Pill is such a Heaven-defying Pill, the toxicity of its resulting Waste Pill must be significant; thus, the advancement material for the Calamity Poison Gu has finally come into view.

One must know that the attribute of the Reincarnation Pill is Reincarnation, so the Waste Pill will inevitably carry some power of Reincarnation as well.

Therefore, Long Xuan immediately conceived another sinister idea, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He was wondering whether the toxicity of the Reincarnation Pill's Waste Pill could be combined with other deadly poisons to create an unparalleled, supreme poison.

Since this poison would possess the power of Reincarnation from the Reincarnation Pill, it would be called Reincarnation Poison.

The characteristic of Reincarnation Poison is that it can undergo infinite Reincarnation within the human body; even if the best antidote is used to neutralize the poison, the Reincarnation Poison will simply begin to cycle anew within the body.

This poison will accompany a person for their entire life, fear no antidote, and belongs to the category of absolutely unsolvable.

Thinking of such a terrifying poison, a chill ran up Long Xuan's spine; even he was startled by the poison he had envisioned.

Undoubtedly, given the terror of Reincarnation Poison, it could absolutely allow the Calamity Poison Gu to complete its advancement.

To speak without exaggeration, the Reincarnation Poison he envisioned was sufficient to rank within the top ten of the Gu World's list of miraculous poisons, and there was even a possibility of securing a spot within the top three.

Once Long Xuan successfully researched Reincarnation Poison, it would undoubtedly be a great invention that shocked the entire world; whoever contracted this poison would surely die.

Long Xuan immediately decided that his next task would be to research the formula for Reincarnation Poison, and the Gu Worm to be upgraded next would be the Calamity Poison Gu.

Long Xuan clenched his fist tightly, finally put away the Alchemy Furnace, and left this place with the utmost speed.

……

Half a month later, Luo City.

Qin Mingyue's affairs were not hard to investigate; after learning her whereabouts in this City, Long Xuan slightly furrowed his brows.

Qin Mingyue had actually been taken away by a great expert who Shattered the Void; such an occurrence was truly far beyond his expectations.

"Nine-Fingered Zither Demon, could it really be her?"

On the street, Long Xuan murmured softly, then took out a chess piece that shone terrifyingly bright.

This chess piece was precisely the one that had established a Destiny connection with Qin Mingyue, sharing glory and ruin alike with her.

Since this chess piece was still emitting light at this moment, it proved Qin Mingyue was unharmed, or at least still alive.

And the fact that this chess piece shone so terrifyingly bright proved that Qin Mingyue was not only unharmed but was faring quite well.

One must know that the brightness of the chess piece was entirely positively correlated with her well-being; the better she developed, the brighter this chess piece became.

Toying with this chess piece in his hand, Long Xuan suddenly realized that the more Past Life music he taught Qin Mingyue, the brighter this chess piece became; he had long anticipated that after leaving the Desolate Island, Qin Mingyue would encounter a great opportunity.

Could the great opportunity she encountered be this? If she truly ran to a broader world and was accepted as a disciple by the Zither Ancestor, then this was far more than a great opportunity; her Destiny would be rewritten henceforth, and any level of future achievement was possible.

Long Xuan took a deep breath; speaking thus, this matter had already shown omens back on the Desolate Island, all caused by the Past Life zither scores he produced; come to think of it, this matter was his fault.

Qin Mingyue was captured precisely because of those zither scores that did not belong to this world; if he had not taught her so many classic Past Life Seven-Stringed Zither scores, such a thing would never have happened.

However, judging by the brightness of this chess piece, Qin Mingyue was not only unharmed but had gained an even brighter future, so there was no need to worry.

Long Xuan took a deep breath and finally ceased worrying. (End of Chapter)