The moment Chen Jinshu stepped onto the wooden dueling platform, she immediately took out her Lüqi Zither. Facing a sword cultivator like Xie Xingyu, she didn't dare let her guard down in the slightest. Especially when she could feel her master's gaze watching intently from the distance—her heart was stirred with the urge to win this match no matter what.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Xie!"
"You're too polite, Junior Sister," Xie Xingyu replied with a casual smile, raising his blazing red broadsword in hand.
The moment the blade was drawn, Chen Jinshu could feel its fierce, aggressive aura—no less threatening than the resonance of her zither's music.
"Begin when you're ready."
As soon as the Foundation Establishment stage referee gave the go-ahead, Chen Jinshu took a few steps back, then placed her hands on the strings—left fingers pressing the thirteenth fret, right hand sweeping upward. The Lüqi Zither burst into dazzling green light, and a melodious sound instantly rippled across the wooden arena.
Ding-ling-ling...
This time, Chen Jinshu was playing a gentler tune—Cry of Cranes Among the Pines.
But unlike before, in addition to the illusory imagery of pine trees and white cranes behind her, a misty spring rain now accompanied the piece, transforming the arena into a sea of blooming flowers.
Fragrance filled the air—rich and captivating.
This floral aura was conjured from her cultivation of Ten Thousand Echoes Heart Manual. It wasn't just visually stunning or pleasing to the senses—it carried a subtle, hypnotic quality.
Cry!
A white crane's mournful call rang out from the illusion. Many of the lower cultivation spectators below instantly felt a sorrowful heaviness settle in their hearts, their expressions turning mournful. Even Xie Xingyu was affected by the sad timbre, though the sharpness of his sword aura quickly snapped him back to clarity.
His expression shifted slightly as he charged forward, swinging his red broadsword. Crimson sword energy slashed through the illusion, tearing apart the blooming flowers on the arena floor.
Whoosh!
Petals flew through the air like a storm—spectacular and chaotic. Chen Jinshu remained unmoved, her lips curled into a faint smile.
This was exactly what she wanted.
A faint floral scent might not affect someone of higher cultivation. But in a field bursting with myriad blossoms, that was a different story. Especially when he stirred the petals himself—making the pollen spread even more densely.
"Damn, I walked right into her trap!" Xie Xingyu finally realized something was wrong when his vision began to blur.
This flower field was definitely not as simple as it looked. The scent was now even stronger than when the flowers first bloomed.
With a determined breath, he lunged at her.
With a few quick strides and a swing of his long sword, Xie Xingyu closed the distance—only to see Chen Jinshu's fingers swiftly press two tonal points, pluck a string sharply with her ring finger, and switch melodies.
Ding ding... ding dang!
The music turned dreamlike. The arena shifted again—this time into an illusory garden of flowers, where thousands of blossoms rose from the floor and swayed like waves in a breeze.
"What?!"
Before him, Chen Jinshu suddenly transformed into a flurry of dancing butterflies and vanished—Xie Xingyu slashed at empty air.
From the audience's point of view, he had stopped a full zhang (10 feet) away from her and was now wildly swinging his blade at nothing, looking like a fool.
But Chen Jinshu hadn't even moved an inch.
And yet, the illusion of a dreamlike flower garden and fluttering butterflies filled the air—it truly felt like stepping into a realm of blossoms.
"Junior Sister's zither art must've reached the level of 'soundwave manifestation'," Senior Sister Bu Yuanxiang whispered with admiration.
Though the sound hadn't visibly condensed into true forms, an illusion of this level wouldn't be possible unless her music had reached such a state—it wouldn't have trapped a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator otherwise.
"Junior Sister's been hiding her strength well! This match is in the bag," Senior Brother Huai Jingyi grinned.
Before this match, he'd cast a divination for her—it showed that she would face two powerful opponents, both narrowly overcome.
Xie Xingyu, while not at the eighth or ninth layer of Qi Refining, definitely had strength comparable to an eighth-layer cultivator. That he was defeated like this spoke more of inexperience than weakness.
On the central elder's viewing platform, the previously proud Elder Yi Shuzi now sat in silence, cheeks tinged with embarrassment as he recalled his earlier bold declarations.
"Xingyu's just too young… lacks battle experience…" His voice no longer carried conviction.
...
Moments later, the melody shifted again—this time to something sharper, with chilling wind-like sounds. The flower field remained, but now frost-touched leaves blew through the arena.
A chill settled over the air.
Xie Xingyu raised his broadsword in defense.
Clang! Clang!
He had planned to locate her using sound—but the zither's melody now came from all directions. That plan was scrapped immediately.
Still, his blade aura helped pierce parts of the illusion. He found Chen Jinshu's position several times—only to be drawn back into her shifting illusions again and again.
His energy steadily waned.
Clang!
A flash of green light—a long green sword rested at his neck.
"Senior Brother Xie, thank you for letting me win."
Cold sweat rose on Xie Xingyu's back. The zither music faded—and Chen Jinshu was suddenly behind him. She clearly held the upper hand.
"Thank you as well, Junior Sister… Might I spar with you again someday?"
"We'll see."
Her voice was calm and cool.
Xie Xingyu's strength wasn't bad—but he fell short of her expectations. His judgment was poor, and lack of experience aside, he had no technique for defending his mind.
Against a cultivator like her, who specialized in mental manipulation, he wouldn't even know how he lost.
"Contestant Seventeen is the winner!" the referee declared.
Xie Xingyu stepped down from the stage with a look of quiet defeat.
Not far away, Shui Huanmeng watched Chen Jinshu's victory with little surprise—just satisfaction.
Anyone who could withstand a peak Qi Refining illusion array wouldn't be defeated by someone at the seventh layer.
"Congratulations, Junior Sister!" Zheng Shaosi and the others came over to offer their smiles and praise.
"You could've won faster. Why draw it out?"
"Wanted to test the limits of my zither techniques."
"The third match is at Shenshi (3–5 PM). Want to head to the Spirit Cuisine Hall?"
"Sure!"
The second round had started and the fights were heating up—it was no longer something to end quickly. Some matches between equally skilled opponents could last an hour or more. Chen Jinshu had no intention of wasting energy—she ended hers early.
Moments later, the group arrived at the Medicine King Peak' Spirit Cuisine Hall. It was only then that Chen Jinshu understood why her seniors brought her here. Her match data had already been registered by a Foundation Establishment senior—and was now circulating among cultivators as battle intel.
What's more, her senior brothers and sisters had also brought her intel on the top fifty competitors ahead of the next major rounds.