The zither music came from a great distance. However, it was still sharp and clear, penetrating deep into the soul.

“This is definitely the sound of the Seven String Sea Suppressing Zither.” Long Chen recognized this familiar zither sound. It belonged to Zi Yan’s divine item. “Oh? No, this isn’t Zi Yan playing.”

Suddenly, Long Chen paused. He had heard Zi Yan play the zither several times now. Her music was always boundlessly majestic but gentle like water, without any trace of the mundane world.

However, this zither music, while it came from the Seven String Sea Suppressing Zither, was entirely different. It lacked a bit of gentility and instead had a sharpness to it, as well as a kind of faint decisiveness. Its style was completely different from Zi Yan’s.

“Cloud, let’s go and take a look.” Long Chen pulled Cloud over in the direction of the music. Cloud was like a little girl, she jumped and skipped happily along.

…

“Wan-er, how could you say such a thing to Cloud?” rebuked Meng Qi when she heard what Cloud had said to Long Chen.

“I was wrong to do it, but it wasn’t as if it was entirely a lie… That fellow Long Chen… he has a perverted side…” Tang Wan-er lowered her head but still quibbled.

Meng Qi and Chu Yao exchanged a glance, both seeing each other’s helplessness. Fortunately, the palace master had taken her leave already, or if a senior had heard this, what could they have said?

“Cloud is still a child. Although she’s strong, her intelligence hasn’t caught up yet. She’ll believe anything you say. Long Chen probably hates you now. Did you not see how he looked like he wanted to find a hole to bury himself in?” said Meng Qi, shaking her head with disappointment.

Cloud had just taken her human form, exciting her. While Meng Qi and Chu Yao were both the calm types, Tang Wan-er was very lively, perfectly matching Cloud’s nature. So these days, it had always been Tang Wan-er accompanying Cloud to play.

Who would have thought that Tang Wan-er would say such a thing to Cloud? Cloud didn’t know anything about the human world and almost stripped right in the open.

“Alright, Long Chen knows Cloud is still a child. He can understand it. Just don’t blame Wan-er,” said Chu Yao.

Meng Qi shook her head. “I’m not blaming Wan-er, it’s just that… it’s just that Cloud is still a Xuan Beast. In her foolish youthfulness, her instincts in that area are particularly intense. As for Long Chen, it’s not like he’s ever had a chance to do it with us… What if the two of them… What would we do?”

“It’s so serious?!” Tang Wan-er jumped in shock.

“Of course. Even if you don’t get jealous, Cloud still needs decades to fully mature. If anything happens between her and Long Chen, it will gravely affect her growth and future,” sighed Meng Qi.

“Heavens, then what do we do? We can’t let Cloud be harmed like that!” Only now did Tang Wan-er realize how grave the situation was.

“It’ll be fine. While Cloud still doesn’t understand anything, you warn her not to get too close to Long Chen. We’ll also warn Long Chen. He’ll understand,” said Chu Yao.

“Ah? Why me?” Tang Wan-er blushed.

“This is your punishment,” said Meng Qi and Chu Yao in unison. Tang Wan-er could only helplessly agree. However, she had no idea how she was supposed to say such a thing.

…

Long Chen didn’t know that each and every one of his actions was being watched by Meng Qi, Chu Yao, and Tang Wan-er. He pulled Cloud over to the source of the music.

“Cloud, are your injuries healed yet?” asked Long Chen on the way. Cloud had suffered serious injuries in the Grand Han, and even its soul had been harmed. She had been recuperating within Meng Qi’s spiritual space ever since. This was Long Chen’s first time seeing Cloud since.

Cloud said that her injuries had fully healed, and the trickery that Sha Guangyan and Hu Xiaolin had done to her soul had been erased.

When she brought up what happened, she clenched her fists and began punching furiously, saying she had fallen for a trap. At that time, she had just advanced to the tenth rank and hadn’t become accustomed to her new power, which was the only reason she had been caught.

However, despite not being accustomed to it, Cloud had still been extremely powerful at that time. Back then, there had been over forty experts of the Xuan Beasts who had surrounded her. They had all been eleventh rank Xuan Beasts. However, Cloud’s death struggle had killed half of them before she was caught.

Once she was brought back into the Xuan Beasts’ land, they had done a soulsearch and learned her secrets. As soon as they had found out about the heaven-defying treasure that was the Myriad Spirit Diagram, they immediately brainstormed over how they might obtain it.

It just so happened that at that time, Pill Valley had invited them to attend the Dragon Slaughtering Convention, so they had sent Hu Xiaolin. That way, not only could the Xuan Beasts get a favor from Pill Valley, but they could also obtain the Myriad Spirit Diagram.

Originally, they had thought that since Pill Valley had made the arrangements, Long Chen would be a turtle caught in a jar, and that everything would go seamlessly. Unfortunately for them, they had miscalculated. Not only had they not obtained anything, but they had also lost a genius like Hu Xiaolin.

“I’m still curious about how they found me. They caught me as I was traveling. Sister Wan-er guessed that there might be some traitors amongst my Cloud Chasing Heaven Swallowing Sparrow race,” said Cloud.

“That possibility can basically be eliminated. If there were traitors amongst the Cloud Chasing Heaven Swallowing Sparrow, they’d have long since found your nest. There’s no foundation to this deduction. Also, Cloud, sister Wan-er is very fiery and excitable. Don’t listen to her so much. It would be better if you listen more to sister Meng Qi and Chu Yao. Learn from normal people like them, alright?” Long Chen felt that Tang Wan-er had taught Cloud quite a few bad things, most likely quite a few about him. He had to make some defenses first.

“Why? Sister Wan-er’s very nice. She plays with me all the time. However, she did say that she is a bit empty-headed sometimes, so I need to go find sister Meng Qi for big decisions,” said Cloud.

“It’s not that her head is empty. It’s that she’s so fiery that she doesn’t even open an umbrella when it’s raining. It’s easy for water to get in… here.” Long Chen pointed toward his head.

…

“Bastard, you’re the one with water in your head!”

Meng Qi, Chu Yao, and Tang Wan-er were listening attentively to what Cloud and Long Chen were saying, and their ears immediately perked up when Long Chen told Cloud not to listen to Tang Wan-er’s words.

However, his final line made Tang Wan-er fly into a rage. She looked like she wanted to drag Long Chen out of the image on the wall and strangle him. Meng Qi and Chu Yao laughed. These two were really a pair of clowns.

…

“Hehe, then I’ll just listen to brother Long Chen. Brother Long Chen always treats me the best.” Cloud intimately wrapped an arm around Long’s Chen elbow.

“Do I really treat you so well?” Long Chen smiled.

“Of course. In the Grand Han, when those evil people used me as a hostage against you, you saved me regardless of the danger. Furthermore, you’re the strongest because you beat those evil fellows black and blue!” said Cloud excitedly.

The two of them talked and laughed as they walked. They quickly arrived at a mountain stream with a waterfall falling from midway up the mountain. Mist spiraled through the air and toward the other mountains.

Between these mountains was a small, mirror-like lake. There was an island in the lake, and the zither music came from the island.

The island had no buildings. However, it was packed with people now. Long Chen roughly estimated them to be in the tens of thousands. There was a woman gently plucking a zither, infatuating those who listened.

“As expected, it’s not Zi Yan.”

Long Chen couldn’t help being curious. He didn’t recognize this woman at all; however, she was definitely holding the Illusive Music Immortal Palace’s divine item, the Seven String Sea Suppressing Zither.

As this woman played, the music flowed out like water falling from a high mountain. The music began to grow in tempo. It was like it had reached its climax. In the blink of an eye, her fingers plucked dozens of strings. However, the music never grew chaotic. Each sound was still completely clear.

It grew louder and louder, like a Great Peng soaring into the sky, spreading its wings and soaring beyond the horizon.

In the end, she suddenly pressed down the zither with both hands, and the music came to an abrupt stop. The image of the Great Peng in everyone’s minds shattered, as if it had fallen. The music had stopped, but it still seemed to echo in their ears. That feeling deeply shocked everyone.

When the woman stopped, a tall man in the crowd clapped and praised, “Fairy Bijun’s divine technique is truly admirable. I, Di Xin, have never heard such beautiful zither music. It was like being between the mountains and the clouds. This kind of music can only exist above the heavens. As expected, the Illusive Music Immortal Palace’s fame is not for nothing.”

This zither-playing woman was Zi Yan’s senior apprentice-sister, Shen Bijun. Her cultivation base and combat power were not any lower than Zi Yan’s.

As for the man in front of her, he wore white robes and looked majestic. Each of his movements was graceful and easy. He was exceptionally handsome.

“Is he Di Xin?”

Long Chen finally managed to see this famous Di Xin. He had to admit that the latter was really handsome. His skin was fair and clear, untouched by dust. He definitely had the looks that women liked the most.

His aura was reserved, and his voice was confident. Just the simple movement of him standing caused countless women to look at him with adoration.

“His control is so great that he can even prevent the slightest trace of his aura leaking. Normally, only those shameful fellows of the Bloodkill Hall can do that. It seems this fellow is really terrifying.” Long Chen nodded inside. This person’s fame was not for nothing. He was extremely powerful.

“Young master Di Xin overpraises me. This little song is just a humble little tune.” Shen Bijun smiled.

“Oh? Then I wonder what a real song from you would be like?” Di Xin was a bit surprised.

Shen Bijun did not directly reply. Instead, she turned toward the distant Long Chen. “Young master Long Chen, I’ve long since looked forward to meeting you.”