Chapter 99

“Young Master, are we really going in?”

Qin Xuan, who walked beside Jun Xiaoyao, scanned the opulent, luxurious Xianqiong Tower, her face tinged with unease.

She had never entered such an upscale venue before.

"If we don't go in, how will we join the qin duel?" Jun Xiaoyao smiled.

He casually pulled out a supreme divine source and tossed it to a servant beside the Xianqiong Tower.

The servant stared in shock, daring not to block Jun Xiaoyao’s entry.

Qin Xuan nodded slightly.

She regarded Jun Xiaoyao as yet another admirer seeking to court the Heavenly Qin Maiden.

As for the qin duel?

Qin Xuan had never even considered it.

Soon, Jun Xiaoyao and Qin Xuan ascended to the top floor of the Xianqiong Tower.

The moment Jun Xiaoyao appeared, every gaze in the hall turned toward him.

His aura was too extraordinary—impossible to ignore.

“Huh? Who is that? How can he possess such astonishing presence?”

“I feel as if an immortal had descended to the mortal realm.”

Many young elites from great powers wore expressions of surprise.

The Third Imperial Prince and the young master of the Wanbao Trading Company also showed astonishment.

Especially the Third Imperial Prince, who, beneath his surprise, subtly revealed wariness.

In his view, men attending the qin duel mostly came to gaze upon the Heavenly Qin Maiden’s divine beauty.

And the Third Imperial Prince had long regarded the Heavenly Qin Maiden as his exclusive possession.

This mysterious young master, shrouded in celestial radiance, stirred a faint sense of threat within him.

For before this white-robed young master, even he, a prince, felt a subtle sense of inferiority.

As if a humble mortal faced an immortal.

This feeling made the Third Imperial Prince deeply displeased.

And what displeased him more was that the Heavenly Qin Maiden’s gaze had also been drawn to this white-robed young master.

“Such astonishing aura…”

Even the Heavenly Qin Maiden, whose nature was icy and aloof, felt surprise within.

Before this white-robed young master, she too felt a faint sense of inadequacy.

Jun Xiaoyao paid no mind to the gazes around him and sat down casually.

Qin Xuan, by contrast, felt flustered and uneasy under so many watching eyes.

“Huh… he…”

On the other side, Feng Qingling also noticed Jun Xiaoyao.

Her eyes gathered crimson light, trying to pierce through the celestial mist veiling Jun Xiaoyao’s face.

“Hmm?” Jun Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow, releasing soul force from his spiritual palace.

Instantly, Feng Qingling frowned, feeling a sharp pain in her mind.

“This man has some depth.” Feng Qingling frowned and abandoned her probing.

After all, her main purpose here was to test the so-called number-one qin artist of the realm—the Heavenly Qin Maiden.

Jun Xiaoyao withdrew his gaze and murmured, “People from the Ten Thousand Phoenix Spirit Mountain… it seems this lineage has begun to act.”

Previously, it was only the Ancestral Dragon Nest stirring trouble.

Now, the heir of the Ten Thousand Phoenix Spirit Mountain has appeared.

And these two lineages happen to be on good terms—and both target the Jun Clan.

Thus, Jun Xiaoyao naturally held no fondness for Feng Qingling.

"Ladies and gentlemen, time is nearly up—let the qin duel begin." An elderly woman from the Xianwu Qin Sect spoke from beside the stage.

She was also the Heavenly Qin Maiden’s guardian.

"Haha, then allow me to make a humble display first—I beg the Heavenly Qin Maiden to kindly offer instruction." A young man stepped forward, smiling, and drew out his ancient qin.

“Proceed.”

The Heavenly Qin Maiden uttered only one word, her voice cool and clear.

The young man played, his qin notes flowing like water.

The Heavenly Qin Maiden’s frosty features remained utterly expressionless.

After listening to the young man’s piece, she finally brushed her slender, jade-like fingers across the qin strings.

Instantly, the qin melody sounded like celestial music.

Sacred auroras swirled around her, mist and clouds rose, and divine radiance flickered faintly in the void, making the Heavenly Qin Maiden appear like a fairy of the qin itself.

Nearly everyone present was entranced; the Third Imperial Prince and the Wanbao Trading Company’s young master, among others, felt their admiration deepen.

When the Heavenly Qin Maiden finished, the lingering echoes of her music filled the air, unceasing.

“This is a divine melody! Brilliant, brilliant!”

"After hearing the Heavenly Qin Maiden’s qin, I feel as if I’ve been elevated." Many young elites sighed in awe.

“It’s truly beautiful,” Qin Xuan murmured, lost in the music.

Even she, who knew nothing of qin art, was half-dazed.

“It’s alright,” Jun Xiaoyao said coolly.

He did not specialize in qin art, nor had he practiced much.

But with Jun Xiaoyao’s prodigious talent, combined with ancient qin melodies he remembered from his past life,

the fusion had, without his awareness, brought his qin skill to its peak.

To him, the Heavenly Qin Maiden’s music was merely decent—worthy of appreciation, nothing more.

The young man who challenged the Heavenly Qin Maiden bowed to her and said, "No wonder you’re the number-one qin artist among the young generation of the Immortal Realm—I yield."

“Your courtesy,” the Heavenly Qin Maiden replied coolly, showing no joy at her victory.

Next, several other prodigies stepped forward to challenge her—all were defeated.

Seeing this, the Third Imperial Prince and the Wanbao Trading Company’s young master smiled.

No one could defeat the Heavenly Qin Maiden in qin art, so no one could stir her interest.

At that moment, a voice filled with faint pride rang out.

"Let Qingling test herself against you, the number-one qin artist of the young generation in the Immortal Realm."

Feng Qingling rose, her crimson long dress accentuating her tall, graceful figure.

Though her face was veiled in divine auroras, a fleeting glimpse revealed breathtaking beauty.

She drew out a crimson ancient qin, its strings glowing as if wreathed in flame.

It was an extremely powerful royal weapon.

"I dare not claim to be the number-one qin artist. Since Miss Feng wishes to challenge, please proceed," the Heavenly Qin Maiden replied coolly, yet with a subtle edge of defiance.

Facing each other, they began playing simultaneously.

"Listen to my piece—Phoenix Seeks Phoenix!" Feng Qingling’s fingers danced across the qin strings, and countless crimson runes imprinted themselves into the void.

Then, the cries of phoenix and feng rang out.

One phoenix, one feng—two lifelike divine birds circled Feng Qingling.

This spectacle stunned many.

The Heavenly Qin Maiden began playing her famed piece, “Robe of Clouds and Feathers.”

Instantly, the crowd seemed to witness a celestial palace descending, celestial maidens dancing, petals raining from heaven, golden lotuses rising from the earth.

Everyone was lost in the music, unaware of time or place.

The two qin melodies intertwined, clashed.

Finally—CRACK.

One of Feng Qingling’s qin strings snapped.

Her face turned faintly green, her expression shifting.

At last, she ceased playing.

"No wonder you’re the number-one qin artist of the young generation in the Immortal Realm—if even I cannot defeat you, no one else can." Feng Qingling shook her head slightly.

She came from the Ten Thousand Phoenix Spirit Mountain, bred with innate pride and nobility.

Yet now, she had no choice but to admit defeat.

Of course, this was only a defeat in qin art—if they truly fought for strength, the Heavenly Qin Maiden was no match for her.

Moreover, Feng Qingling was deeply proud.

She believed that if she could not defeat the Heavenly Qin Maiden, no one else in the entire Huanghe Immortal Realm’s young generation could.