Fenghe left after taking the order, and Jingting Tongzi came in.
Xuantong Demon King whispered, "Seeing how big the world is, it wouldn't be surprising that I don't recognize all of the powerful men. However, this person looked weak and he called himself as "Mister Qingxia". His level of attainment is deep, which is really rare. Hence, it will not be difficult to take a guess."
Jingting Tongzi bowed and replied, "I trailed after him for a while and noticed how remarkable his Qi dynamic is. It could be described as a bright moon that shone brightly up in the sky, and yet it was not conspicuous. This is not a characteristic exhibited by non-formal cultivator and he is definitely from one of the big celestial schools. As Guangqing is getting better lately and has been producing many talents, could he be from Guangqing?"
"If he is from Guangqing, his aura would have been harsher and cruder. Moreover, this person is really young and he is not even a hundred years old yet. Wu Qingzi from Taishang Daoist Sect has arrived earlier, and now this person has come. What an interesting turn of event," Xuantong Demon King laughed gently.
Jingting Tongzi remained silent. With the King's status today, they merely needed to be polite to these guests. After all, there was no ranking or hierarchy between humans and demons. Despite how exceptional the four main Daoist sects were, surely they would not act on their whims here.
After smiling, Xuantong Demon King spoke, "Actually I am aware of the true identity of this Mister Qingxia, but I can't expose him. After all, he rescued Jimeng and his group. I owe him one. However, I don't think he would be interested in anything here besides the few items that will be brought forth during the Treasure Auction."
Jingting Tongzi was intrigued, "Who is he really?" He asked. Even though he was the servant of Xuantong Demon King, but they were much closer than that. After all, he shapeshifted through the external help he received from Xuantong. This was why he did not feel the need to filter his words.
"This person is connected to a lot of contentious issues. It is better that we feign ignorance," Xuantong replied.
When Xuantong was done speaking, the bells rang behind the curtains.
The dark air started to seep out – the Demon King had started to operate the techniques. Jingting Tongzi left quietly and stood guard outside of the hall.
Shen Lian lived alone at the quaint tower, and he operated the Taixu Strategy quietly. His mana vibrated through the acupoints, cultivating the blood and flesh in the process. The depth increased gradually, and time flowed like a river without him realizing.
When he opened his eyes again, the moon had risen. Its ray streamed gently like that of flowing water, and the ground was covered in silver. Shen Lian looked at the brilliant moon. It was like a big silver tray that existed in isolation. It made one feel like one could take refuge in it and escape from the events of the world.
Acting on the spur of the moment, Shen Lian reached for his zither.
The music he made drifted all over, just as how the water in the mountains would, and it could be heard even in the rest of the courtyards.
In Courtyard Number Three, there was a person dressed in Taichi Daoist robe and wore his hair down. His eyes were clear and deep, and he was standing outside the window. He spaced out as he stared at the brilliant moon and the stars that dimmed in comparison.
At that moment, the music reached him. It reminded him of the sound of nature, the chirping of birds and insects. Though, as he listened closely, he noticed a sense of pride in it. That was beyond the sound of zither.
It was the zither, and yet it was the person; it had begun in improvisation, and it ended with the personal emotions. He was impressed by the state of mind that was conveyed through the tune, the way a person remained unbothered by the countless occurrences in the world. After hearing such great music, he could not help but to trace its source.
The outline of his body changed, and there were spots of light at where he once stood. Within moments, he stood at the door of Courtyard Number Seven.
The sound of the zither was getting clearer and classier, and the tune was something that he had never heard of.
He could not help himself from clapping, and the music stopped immediately.
"Guess I have spoilt the mood here," he uttered. This was unlike him; he was carried away by the melodious tune that led to the manifestation of his worldly desires.
"My Daoist friend, with you standing outside, you are gracing me with your presence. What is the talk about spoiling the mood," the voice replied from inside.
He laughed and got even more amazed by the guest residing in Courtyard Number Seven. "I'm Wu Qingzi, do you mind if I come in and make your acquaintance?" He queried.
"It's always good having a guest around when you are up late at night." His voice was casual and calm. There was something natural and poetic about it.
Wu Qingzi was pleased by the reply he received. He pushed open the door and saw a person hugging his zither. The person looked young and charming, and his clothes fluttered in the wind. He was indescribably elegant.
He could not help but give him a silent praise in his heart – a Celestial indeed! It was a shame that he did not meet this person earlier. He would have been more than qualified to join the Taishang Daoist Sect. Though, seeing how the person could be staying in Ziguang Pavilion already, it seemed that he found his own path and had become one of the most prominent Daoist figure, or a powerful demon. Of course, there was no chance that the person would join his Daoist sect anymore. There were not many people that he had eyes for in this world, and this person was one of them. Despite not knowing his background, he already took a liking to the person.
Shen Lian looked up and sized Wu Qingzi up. He was handsome and his black hair was worn down like a waterfall. His eyes were deep and unpredictable. They were expressive and had left a strong impression with Shen Lian.
He walked over casually with his proportionately-shaped body, and he did not make a sound at all. It was like an amalgamation of Buddhism and Daoism.
The state of Unity of Universe and Human demonstrated so casually by him had impressed Shen Lian. He could not help but be amazed by his level of cultivation.
Wu Qingzi made himself at home and sat opposite of Shen Lian. Both of them sat cross-legged, as though each of them was a jade tree and an orchid respectively; there was no doubt that together, they outshone the moon.
"My friend, I have never heard of the tune that you were playing earlier. It sounded otherworldly; may I know what is it called?" Wu Qingzi smiled.
"After waking up from the state of spiritual calmness and seeing the beautiful moon tonight, I was reminded of this tune and played it. The name was "The Night is Dark"," Shen Lian replied with a smile.
Wu Qingzi was powerful. Shen Lian was amazed by how unpredictable he was. Judging from the how natural the Unity of Universe and Human demonstrated by him in his every move, there was only one martial exercise in this world that matched this description – the "Taishang Detection Technique" of the Taishang Daoist Sect.
The four main Daoist sects rarely crossed each other's path. The only thing that joined them together was their names.
The connection between the Daoist orthodoxies was nothing when compared to that of the Eight Sects of Buddhism.
Amongst all the schools of cultivation in Yuan Continent, the Taishang Daoist Sect was the most mysterious sect. However, their strength was undisputed. Some even said that the Sect Master of Taishang Daoist Sect was comparable to Lu Jiuyuan. However, those from this sect were very detached from the world, and they rarely showed their limitless mana and ultimate supernatural powers.
Of course, there might be a slight exaggeration with these tales. Lu Jiuyuan was undoubtedly the best in the world, even if there were demons and monsters who managed to become a Great Sage, they could never surpass Lu Jiuyuan.
In the past ten thousand years, there was no one who had a higher attainment than Lu Jiuyuan.
"'The Night is Dark' indeed. I am really moved by it. In the dark and long night, the moon had broken through the clouds and shone gently on the ground," Wu Qingzi smiled.