NOVEL NEXT Chapter 404: The Tragic Little Pup
The flute's sound was piercing and aggressive in its musical arc.
Countless flute notes, like sudden thunderstorm, were omnipresent, converging together and striking onto the Light Talisman Ball.
The prohibition-enshrined Light Talisman Ball was forcibly etched with shallow marks.
Hong Mingyue's approach shared a remarkable similarity with Ye Lingyue's, both employing a tactic of "dragging."
However, Ye Lingyue used the Corrosive Soul Chain, while Hong Mingyue used sonic attacks.
Now, the flute music transitioned to the next segment, suddenly deepening by several tones.
In Hong Mingyue's eyes, a red light flashed by suddenly, and from her lips fell a trailing note which lingered long in the air, eventually gathering into a gentle stream of Primordial Power that fiercely assaulted the Light Talisman Ball.
With a sizzling sound, the Primordial Power stabbed into the Light Talisman Ball.
Like a dam-bursting torrent, the Light Talisman Ball shattered, and something fell out of it, which Hong Mingyue swiftly grabbed in her hands. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be an Elixir Pill, and by Hong Mingyue's expression, it was no ordinary item.
Despite their Five Senses and Six Consciousness being sealed, the power of the Canghai Three-Life Song was significant. Except for people like Cong Lv and Chen Minzhi, the expressions of others in attendance were rather poor, looking at Hong Mingyue with a touch of awe.
When Hong Mingyue walked back, she paused beside Feng Xun and suddenly asked.
"Rumor has it Prince Feng is proficient in musical scores, may I ask what you thought of Ming Yue's piece just now?"
To cultivators, the Canghai Three-Life Song was like a poisonous potion, but for someone like Prince Feng who did not engage in cultivation, it was something else.
Ordinarily, those not versed in Martial Arts would find their hearts and minds swayed by such music, yet Feng Xun appeared utterly calm, untroubled by the flute's music, which somewhat puzzled Hong Mingyue.
"The piece is excellent. I have a saying for Princess Ming Yue: What is meant to be will happen eventually, do not force that which isn't predestined. Being overly concerned with gains and losses degrades the quality of the music," Feng Xun said indifferently.
On hearing this, Hong Mingyue was struck inwardly, unable to describe her feelings.
The same piece, she had played countless times in that place.
At the Cloud Sea Peak, that person with hair as white as snow, played the flute melodiously, sounding like sobs and tears; Hong Mingyue always hoped that person would turn back to glance at her, even if just once.
But that person never turned back.
When she played the Sansheng Song earlier, she couldn't help but think of that person. Others might not understand, but to her surprise, Feng Xun recognized it.
Hong Mingyue bit her teeth and stepped back, her eyes slightly reddened.
Seeing Ye Lingyue motionless for a long time, Feng Xun carefully observed and saw Ye Lingyue's pallor, thinking she was affected by the Canghai Three-Life Song, and couldn't help feeling a bit distressed as he gently asked.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, the first time is the hardest, after hearing it once, it doesn't seem so formidable anymore," Ye Lingyue managed a forced smile.
Compared to the last time outside the Taiyi Secret Realm, having heard the Canghai Three-Life Song, this time her cultivation had improved, and she could just about bear it.
Yet, as she listened to the flute, a string in her memory snapped loudly.
In her mind, it seemed there was also a piece of music, like a lullaby her mother used to hum by her bedside in midnight dreams, contemplating who had once played by her ear a melody even more beautiful than the Canghai Three-Life Song.
"Miss Ye?" Sword Slave's miserable face suddenly approached Ye Lingyue, pulling her back to reality. "Just now, Guard Cong asked us if we are giving up on the next match directly?"
In the third round, the Daxia Delegation was ranked first, and Ye Lingyue's team drew the second spot, followed by Beiqing and Kaijiang Prince Manor.
If this round goes well, and everyone manages to break a Light Talisman Ball, Shooting Nine Suns would be considered complete.
The Prohibition of Yi God's Void-breaking Bow can then be lifted, and the challenge of this second cave would be deemed passed.
However, ideals are beautiful, and reality is harsh; the problem currently laid in front of Ye Lingyue and Sword Slave was that they had no one available to send.
According to the earlier decision made by the four forces, one could not send the same person to fight multiple times; both Ye Lingyue and Sword Slave had already participated once.
The only one left who had not fought was Feng Xun.
It was impossible to send Feng Xun into the fight.
"No, we're not giving up," Ye Lingyue decisively refused without a second thought.
Who's joking, among those ten Light Talisman Balls, each one contains top-tier treasures; even the least among them is Nirvana Iron, the remaining four must contain something valuable.
Not seizing the treasures would make one a fool.
"What a joke, you're too greedy, woman. You don't even have anyone to fight," Princess Qing Bi of the Beiqing Delegation sneered disparagingly upon hearing this.
"Who says we have no one, isn't there still him?"
Ye Lingyue pointed her delicate jade-like hand towards Feng Xun.
"You're actually sending Brother Prince Feng to a certain death! That's too much, look at this woman, Brother Prince Feng, her greed knows no bounds; she doesn't care about your safety at all," Princess Qing Bi exploded, pointing at Ye Lingyue and scolding endlessly.
"Qing Bi, you must have misunderstood. The 'he' Ling Yue mentioned is not me, but 'it'," Feng Xun couldn't help but chuckle, rubbing his temples with his fingers, then lifting his right hand which now held a fluffy thing.
Little Zhiyo, which had been sleeping comfortably, suddenly lost the warmth of its embrace; it struggled with its short legs, opening its moist big eyes.
"Zhiyo~" It suddenly realized that everyone's gaze was on it.
What on earth was happening?
"That's right, I was talking about Little Zhiyo," Ye Lingyue rolled her eyes, stepped forward, and picked up Little Zhiyo.
"You're sending this little one to death? How heartless can you be, letting a puppy brought just to make up the numbers try to break the Prohibition!" Princess Qing Bi glanced at Little Zhiyo, still rebuking incessantly.
Indeed, including Qing Bi herself, everyone naturally assumed that Little Zhiyo, which alternately cuddled in Ye Lingyue's and Feng Xun's arms and slept drooling, was brought just to fill in the numbers.
Even Sword Slave couldn't believe it, whispering to Feng Xun incredulously, asking whether this little creature was really going to represent the three of them in the battle.
Little Zhiyo, usually underestimated by everyone, this time, remained unusually calm.
It strutted a few steps with what it considered a dashing gait, then looked up at the Light Talisman Balls above the sky.
Although underestimated by the world, in this past half-month, Little Zhiyo had become overly familiar with those Light Talisman Balls hanging in the sky.
"Little Zhiyo, I want that one!" Ye Lingyue did not even look, casually pointed at one of the four Light Talisman Balls, treating them as if they were mere chunks of bones, casually pointing, expecting Little Zhiyo to fetch it back.