Chapter 616: Conflict

Tongtian Peak.

Beside the majestic mountain peak, several rays of light in different colors lingered and danced; these were the magical treasures wielded by the disciples of the Qingyun Sect. Because of the five elements of the magical treasures, they had various colors, looking colorful and extremely beautiful.

Accompanied by a whistling sound, several rays of light landed on the Baiyu Square of Tongtian Peak.

After putting away their magical treasures, the light dissipated, revealing several graceful figures.

Standing at the very front was a woman of about thirty years old, with an oval face, eyebrows like distant mountains, a pair of bright and spirited almond eyes, and a full figure. Yet, no male disciple dared to look at her casually, because this woman was the Peak Master of Xiaozhu Peak, Master Shuiyue.

Master Shuiyue was stern and rarely smiled; only when looking at her beloved disciple behind her did her almond eyes hold a hint of warmth: "I will go to Yuqing Hall to see the Sect Leader first; you all wait outside."

"Yes," the female disciples said in delicate voices.

After Master Shuiyue left, those seven or eight female disciples breathed a sigh of relief and began to chatter, curiously looking at Tongtian Peak.

Just then, a series of elegant melodies drifted over, as if sent directly into their ears, extremely pleasant.

"Senior Sister Wenmin, look, the zither music is coming from the Library Pavilion, and there are many people gathered there. Shall we go and take a look?" a female disciple said excitedly.

"This..." Senior Sister Wenmin was a beautiful woman with a melon-seed face, hair like clouds, and skin like snow. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, let's go take a look."

"But, Senior Sister, Master told us to wait outside."

The one speaking was a woman who looked slightly older than Tian Ling'er. Although she had not fully blossomed, she was already dressed in flowing white, with a beauty that could topple cities and a pure elegance that was beyond compare.

"Don't worry, Junior Sister Lu Xueqi, we are just going to look, we won't cause any trouble."

Senior Sister Wenmin smiled and took Junior Sister Lu Xueqi's jade hand, walking toward the Library Pavilion with the other junior sisters.

Before long, the women arrived outside the Library Pavilion. Looking in the direction from which the zither music came, their beautiful eyes all revealed a sense of indescribable amazement.

They saw a monk in a moon-white Buddhist robe sitting leisurely on a blue stone. His appearance was stunningly beautiful, and his entire body was free of even a speck of dust, making even the female cultivators of Xiaozhu Peak feel inferior. His gentle demeanor and elegant style were beyond what any woman in the world could compare to. With an ancient zither resting on his knees and his slender fingers brushing the strings, the sounds of the Buddha echoed.

The zither music was like the others, as if it had flown from beyond the heavens, not of the mundane world, filled with the natural beauty of the harmony of heaven and earth, as if the zither music had merged into heaven and earth, and as if heaven and earth were using those flawless hands to tell the heart of heaven.

This scene left the women of Xiaozhu Peak infatuated and intoxicated.

Even the cold Lu Xueqi had an inexplicable luster flickering in her beautiful eyes.

Everyone's spirits rose and fell with the zither music. As time gradually passed, the zither music entered its finale, as if weeping and complaining, as if resentful and longing.

"Hmph!"

Just at this moment, a cold snort sounded, staining this near-perfect zither music with a flaw.

"In a few years, it will be the Seven Peaks Martial Tournament, yet you are all still so lazy, listening only to this decadent music. How will you eliminate Demons and defend the Dao in the future? It truly disgraces the reputation of my Qingyun Sect!"

Two people walked over from not far away. The leader was tall with a solemn face; it was Cangsong, the Peak Master of the "Longshou Peak" of the Qingyun Sect.

In the Qingyun Sect, apart from Daoxuan Zhenren's Tongtian Peak, his Longshou Peak was the most influential. This Cangsong was stern by nature; besides managing the disciples of his own peak, he was also in charge of the punishments for the entire Qingyun Sect. While the Qingyun Sect disciples were full of reverence for the Sect Leader Daoxuan Zhenren on a daily basis, the one they feared the most was actually this stern Peak Master Cangsong.

Under the reprimand of Peak Master Cangsong, the Qingyun Sect disciples immediately became as silent as cicadas in winter.

The zither music gradually stopped, and the harmonious artistic conception created by the zither music was also mostly destroyed.

The White-Clad Wonderful Monk stood up, frowned, sighed, and suddenly threw the ancient zither down below Tongtian Peak.

The cliffs of Tongtian Peak were ten thousand fathoms high, with strange and dangerous rocks. One could imagine that if the ancient zither were thrown from the peak, it would either be smashed to pieces or broken into fragments, with the zither snapped and strings broken.

Cangsong Daoren knitted his thick eyebrows and said coldly, "This zither is said to have been made by Junior Brother Puzhen over two months; it is very precious, why throw it down the mountain?"

Puzhen!?

The legendary White-Clad Wonderful Monk?

Because Yu Liancheng often frequented the Library Pavilion, most of the disciples of Tongtian Peak knew his background. And the female cultivators of Xiaozhu Peak had their beautiful eyes light up.

Over the past year, they didn't know how many times they had heard the legendary stories about the White-Clad Wonderful Monk. Young girls in love could not help but develop a sense of yearning and admiration. Seeing him now, they only felt that hearing his name was not as good as seeing him in person. His demeanor and spirit were even more than words could describe.

The White-Clad Wonderful Monk sighed lightly: "This zither has already been stained with the Qi of anger and resentment, and can no longer produce an ethereal sound. What use is it?"

While speaking, he waved his snow-white long sleeves like clouds, summoned a mass of water vapor, washed his hands, took out a silk handkerchief as white as snow, and wiped away the water droplets.

Cangsong Daoren sneered even more: "Oh? Could that anger and resentment have come from me?"

"Anger and resentment come from the heart; good and evil are but a single thought." The White-Clad Wonderful Monk drifted away.

"Wait." Cangsong Daoren spoke, his voice containing Taiji Primordial Qi, like rolling thunder, shaking the Qi and Blood of the surrounding disciples.

The White-Clad Wonderful Monk held one hand to his chest and said calmly: "I wonder what advice Senior Brother Cangsong has?"

Cangsong Daoren said: "I heard that Junior Brother Puzhen is a rare talent from Tianyin Temple, appearing once in a thousand years. Not only are you proficient in Buddhist teachings, but your attainments in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting are also extremely deep, and even your Great Brahma Prajna has made astonishing progress. I would like to ask you to give me some pointers on Buddhist divine abilities; I wonder if that is possible?"

The White-Clad Wonderful Monk shook his head and said: "Puzhen's cultivation is shallow, how could I be a match for Senior Brother Cangsong? Furthermore, as a person outside the law, fighting and competing is truly inappropriate. I hope Senior Brother will forgive me."

Cangsong Daoren's eyes flickered, but he had his own considerations. Today, no matter what, he had to probe the bottom of this Puzhen to avoid capsizing in the gutter tomorrow.

"I am two hundred years older than Junior Brother Puzhen; it would indeed be unfair to fight with you. Why not let my disciple Qi Hao make a move? Although Qi Hao is a generation younger than you and is foolish, he has also practiced for nearly a hundred years. If you could give him a few pointers, it would also let the disciples of my Qingyun Sect see the divine abilities and wonderful methods of Tianyin Temple, so they don't all become arrogant and conceited."

"Master..." The person behind Cangsong was startled, not expecting his master to let him fight.

This disciple was called Qi Hao, handsome in appearance, with clothes as white as snow, carrying the "Cold Ice" Sword on his back. He was the eldest disciple under Cangsong, having received his true teachings, and had nearly won the championship in the previous Seven Peaks Martial Tournament.

"No need to say more, why not ask Senior Uncle Puzhen for his guidance?" Cangsong Daoren's voice grew sharper, full of majesty and oppression.

The White-Clad Wonderful Monk looked deeply at Cangsong and sighed: "The deeper the obsession, the heavier the baleful Qi. Senior Brother Cangsong, you are attached to appearances. Be careful of falling into demonic ways and bringing disaster to Qingyun, becoming a sinner of the righteous path."

Cangsong's expression changed slightly. The monk's gaze actually made him feel as if he were completely naked, as if all his schemes had been seen through, which only made him more annoyed. His voice became even more severe: "Qi Hao, what are you still hesitating for? Do you not even listen to your master's words!?"

Seeing his master angry, even Qi Hao could not help but feel his heart jump. Plus, the words of Master Puzhen were indeed a bit excessive, actually saying that his master would fall into demonic ways and bring disaster to Qingyun. Thus, he could only pinch the sword incantation with his hand. With a "Clang" sound, a white immortal sword struck out rapidly, with chilling cold air, actually causing a thin layer of white frost to form within a radius of ten zhang; it was exactly his long-famed "Cold Ice".

"Please give me your guidance, Senior Uncle Puzhen."

"Delusion, and resentment."

The White-Clad Wonderful Monk shook his head and sighed, not looking again, and turned to leave.

Because of this, Qi Hao hesitated, not knowing whether he should attack.

In his heart, he also felt slightly uncomfortable. He had already summoned his divine weapon, yet the other party treated it as if it were nothing. Was this not looking down on him, the eldest disciple of Longshou Peak?

Cangsong snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping toward Qi Hao, his expression even darker.

Qi Hao was swept by his master's gaze, and his pressure immediately doubled.

In addition, he also had the intention to test the cultivation of this White-Clad Wonderful Monk, so he turned his wrist, and the "Cold Ice Sword" immediately turned into a white sword light, shooting toward the White-Clad Wonderful Monk.

"Be careful, Senior Uncle Puzhen."