Chapter 105.1: Competing for the Melody Fruit

Jing Wu, “Amitabha. So it’s Master Jing.”

Jing Yue, “Have you returned to the Three Realm Temple?”

Jing Wu slowly shook his head. “No.”

Jing Yue was even more puzzled. Jing Wu was no longer in the Golden Core stage since long ago. “Do you also need the melody fruit?”

Jing Wu, “My realm has always been unstable since the dream demon was born. Although the melody fruit is most effective for golden core cultivators, it also has some effect on Amethyst Abode. It’s just that the effect is reduced drastically. With no other way out, I’m here to try my luck.”

Jing Yue glanced at him thoughtfully. He couldn’t help feeling that the matter was not simple.

Maybe Jing Wu was also here for the secret of the Four Elephants Villa but he didn't want to say it.

At this time, many people gathered around the melody tree. Jing Yue glanced around and roughly estimated about one or two hundred Golden Core cultivators. Among them were also a few Amethyst Abode cultivators, which at least proved that Jing Wu didn't lie.

However, perhaps because the melody fruit was not an incredible treasure, although everyone was a competitor, the atmosphere was still quite harmonious.

After a few minutes, a handsome cultivator in red robes surrounded by a group of disciples from Four Elephants Villa came to the melody tree and said without further ado, “Dear guests, I’m Mo Qianyun, the head of the Four Elephants Villa. Today, the melody fruit will mature. Next, it depends on who is destined with it.”

He made a gesture and a disciple put down a futon ten feet away from the melody tree. The disciple said, “Please do not exceed the distance of the futon when attracting the melody tree or you may disturb it.”

If the melody tree was disturbed, the melody fruit would wither instantly.

This had been the case in the past and no one had any objection.

Disciple, “Who will start first?”

A female cultivator with an unfamiliar face took out a zither. “Let me try then.”

She walked to the futon and sat down cross-legged. She put the zither on her knees and closed her eyes. A moment later, her fingertips gently curled and the pleasant sound of the zither rang out.

In front, Mo Qianyun showed a look of enjoyment. Jing Yue stared at him distractedly and didn’t feel any signs of demonic cultivation from him.

Jing Yue turned his eyes to Wei Zhentu and shook his head slightly.

The latter frowned and did not speak.

Both were distracted but many cultivators in the field were quite enchanted. Someone beside him lowered his voice and said, “This is Fairy Qiqin. The sound of her zither is very famous in our lower south region. It is said to make flowers bloom from withered trees.”

“It turned out to be her. I’ve heard that her zither is not only enticing but also capable of killing people.”

The two exchanged a few words before they quieted down and focused on appreciating the music.

Unfortunately, no matter how beautiful the music produced by Fairy Qiqin’s zither sounded, the melody flower had no intention of blooming at all. It was still tightly closed, wrapped around the mature melody fruit in the center.

Knowing that it was hopeless, Fairy Qiqin sighed. She carried the zither and got up. “I have no chance with this fruit. It's up to the rest of you.”

“Let me try.”

The person who spoke was a big man with a thick waist and rounded arms. He took out more than 20 different musical instruments from his Qiankun bag and manipulated them alternately with his hands, mouth, and feet. To everyone’s surprise, it was not chaotic in the least and could be considered pleasing to the ear.

But even Jing Yue who was unfamiliar with music knew that the burly man stood no chance. Although his music was orderly in complexity, it was nowhere as beautiful as the music produced by Fairy Qiqin.

Next, dozens of people tried their luck and all kinds of instruments took the stage. Some even sang but everyone returned without success.

Seeing that the sun was about to set in the west and the melody flower still refused to open, everyone was a little anxious. Even the music played by someone showed a little impatience.

At this time, Jing Wu took a step forward and said, “Let me calm your minds.”

He walked slowly towards the futon, lifted his robe, and sat down. He put his hands together and Sanskrit chants rang from his mouth.

The sound was just the simplest six-character mantra. Each sentence went uninterrupted, with its rhythm, allowing people to gradually settle down and slowly relax.

A lotus pond seemed to appear in front of the crowd, with clear water and lotus flowers reflecting the sun.

There was a lotus platform in the pool. A golden Buddha sat on the lotus platform with a finger pointing to the sky and another finger pointing to the earth. The eyes were as clear as the sea and a side of the universe could be seen.

Suddenly, beams of golden light descended, transforming into thousands of Buddha and bodhisattvas that could illuminate the five aggregates and eliminate all suffering.

All those who heard the mantra felt their desires fading. There was ease in the heart, peace, and happiness.

Even Jing Yue half-closed his eyes, enjoying the transient peace, while blue phoenix obediently leaned in his arms and fell into a deep sleep.

Suddenly, an abrupt voice sounded.

“Thank you, Master Jing Wu, but the melody fruit didn’t respond. It won't help for Master to continue.”

Everyone woke up suddenly. Jing Yue looked up and saw that Mo Qianyun's face was pale as if he was seriously injured, and he looked particularly ugly. The other disciples next to him were in the same state, all looking as white as a paper.

Was it because of Jing Wu’s mantra?

Jing Yue’s heart jolted and he was secretly on guard.

Jing Wu was not angry but got up and said, “Amitabha, I want to beckon the other shore but the other shore deferred.”

His words were enigmatic but Jing Yue saw a flash of panic in Mo Qianyun's eyes, which was then replaced by ferocity. In the next second, however, there was no emotion at all.

Jing Yue affirmed his speculation again. There was something else in what Jing Wu had just said and that he really did have another purpose for being here.

After that, the atmosphere in the field changed. There was a little restlessness at first but now, everyone was at peace. Someone even laughed aloud and said, “My melody is plain and ordinary. If I can’t get the melody fruit, just spend more time stabilizing the realm. Why force the matter?”

After saying this, he bowed to Jing Wu and left.

Of course, Jing Yue wouldn’t leave. He was quite insistent to get the melody fruit so he hesitated a little and sat on the futon.

He didn't have a handy instrument and half of his singing was not in the tune. He knew a few lines of opera but the standard was… he estimated that the melody fruit didn’t care for it and hoped that he could get lost quickly.

Jing Yue thought about it for a moment and activated a spell.

The spiritual energy fluctuated faintly but the surroundings remained silent and no one heard anything.

While everyone was puzzled, suddenly there was a loud noise in the distance! Everyone jolted and saw a waterfall pouring down on the green hills in the distance. The water splashed in all directions and a rainbow bridge was reflected in the sunset. The cloud-like waterfall plunged into the valley stream, naturally stirring up the sound of breaking rocks and crushing ice.

Then, people heard the sound of gurgling water, the sound as pure as the morning of falling snow. The whole world was stained white, untainted with dust.

The next moment, rain fell from the sky. The raindrops fell on the rocks, hit the branches, and clattered on the leaves like a natural piece of music.

The raindrops fell both quickly and slowly, blending with the sound of waterfalls and streams, harmonious but not messy. The water seemed to be alive, knowing how to deliver the most beautiful rhythm.

In the crowd, everyone had a faint smile on their faces, filled with joy from the bottom of their heart. They felt the abundance of spiritual energy in the surroundings, and some cultivators with water spiritual roots were even more keenly aware of the unusual activity of water spiritual energy.

Wei Zhentu looked at Jing Yue who had his eyes closed on the futon. The smile on his lips had not disappeared and the seriousness in his eyes increased.

“Ah! Look quickly!”

A low voice came from behind and Wei Zhentu looked away reluctantly. The pure white nine-petal flower on the melody tree had quietly opened a slit.

Since the beginning, this was the first reaction from the melody flower.

Everyone stared at it intently. Unfortunately, perhaps it was shy from so many gazes staring at it, but the flower petal finally closed in the end.

Jing Yue sighed. He had tried his best.

Fortunately, blue phoenix was still in a deep sleep from the mantra. Otherwise, it might kick up a fuss by now.

When the afterglow of the sunset faded and the moon peeked out from the clouds, Wei Zhentu looked at the full moon in the sky and suddenly said to Jing Yue, “A-jing, will you pick a leaf for me?”

Jing Yue, “You can’t pick it yourself?”

As if he didn’t hear it, Wei Zhentu pointed naturally to a green bush under the moonlight and said, “That Whispering Grass will do.”

Jing Yue couldn’t figure it out and thought that Wei Zhentu was sometimes not right in the head, but he didn’t care about such trivial matters. Thus, he flicked two fingers and a blade of whispering grass was sandwiched between the fingertips.

Wei Zhentu, “Since you said you don’t know music, let me try it on your behalf. Listen to me.”

Jing Yue: ???

He totally couldn’t understand what the other party was saying!

Wei Zhentu walked to the futon but didn’t sit down. Instead, arched his hand to the melody tree and put the leaf Jing Yue gave him between his lips. However, what he played was not a piece of music but a clear and crisp bird song.

As the sun set in the west, tired birds returned to the forest.

The moon hung in the middle of the sky and the mountain breeze rustled.

There was the sound of autumn insects crawling through the grass, the sound of walking beasts stopping at the lake to drink water, flowers blooming, grass growing, the reverberating wind blowing against the rock wall, and the white moonlight.

Yes, moonlight.

The lonesome beams descended from the sky and Wei Zhentu was shrouded in light and shadow. He was like the child of the bright moon calling out to the slumbering creatures to sing for him.

Someone snapped awake and said, “This is Guanqi Mountain!”

“Yes! It’s Guanqi Mountain’s Full Moon Reverberating Wall!”

Jing Yue was puzzled but luckily, blue phoenix awoke at the right moment. It jumped up and said, “Every full moon in Guanqi Mountain, the night wind will blow over the rock wall and make a strange sound. Well, it sounds just like this now.”

“I see.” Jing Yue looked at Wei Zhentu and lamented inwardly. The other party said that he was not very interested in the melody but he still made careful preparations. Just relying on a leaf, he even created the Guanqi Mountain.

Awesome!

Wei Zhentu seemed to perceive his gaze and turned his head slightly. The two looked at each other from a distance but neither could tell what was hidden in the other's eyes.

But suddenly, Jing Yue broke the eye contact. He stared at the melody tree behind Wei Zhentu and saw the nine-petal flower on the top of the tree, which was more immaculate than white snow, gradually unfolding.

Then, another petal.

One more petal.