"Clang—!"
The sharp, metallic resonance didn't just ripple through the air; it seemed to vibrate the very souls of those present. To the onlookers, it was merely a discordant noise from a broken instrument. But to Su Hu, the 3rd-Grade Spirit Master charging forward with his fist cloaked in pale yellow Spiritual Qi, it was the tolling of a funeral bell.
The invisible blade of sound struck the pulsating red dot on Su Hu's chest—the 'Shanzhong' point—with surgical precision.
"Gah!"
Su Hu's arrogant sneer instantly collapsed. The Spiritual Qi he had gathered—a force strong enough to shatter heavy boulders—suddenly turned chaotic. It was as if a raging river had hit a massive dam, surging backward into his own meridians with a violent, bone-chilling backlash.
[Ding! Resonance Successful!]
[Target's internal Qi circulation has collapsed. Backlash damage: Critical.]
Bang!
Under the horrified gazes of the surrounding disciples, the burly Su Hu didn't even touch Su Chang'an's sleeve. Instead, his entire body stiffened, and he was sent flying backward like a broken kite, crashing heavily against the stone pillars of the courtyard. The impact left deep cracks in the granite.
"Pfft—!" A mouthful of blood sprayed into the snow, and Su Hu's face turned from a flushed red to a deathly, ashen grey. His eyes were wide with terror, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to understand how a "cripple" had broken his defense.
"Su Hu... lost? In one move?"
"How is this possible? Su Chang'an is just a 9th-Grade Qi Apprentice with withered meridians! He didn't even stand up!"
The gasps of the crowd were like a buzzing hive of bees. In the Cangqiong Realm, the gap between a Qi Apprentice and a Spirit Master was like the distance between Earth and Heaven. A Spirit Master possessed liquefied Qi; they were supposed to be invincible against those below them. Yet, the reality before them shattered all common sense.
Su Chang'an slowly withdrew his pale, trembling finger from the vibrating string. His chest still burned with the familiar, fire-like pain, and a thin trail of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth—his body was indeed too weak to sustain even a single note's recoil without consequence.
Yet, his eyes remained as cold as the frost on his zither, staring down at the fallen bully with an indifference that was more insulting than any curse.
"I told you," Su Chang'an's voice was raspy, yet it carried an undeniable authority that silenced the courtyard. "The price of my melody... is a debt your life cannot afford to pay."
[Ding! Host has defeated a 3rd-Grade Spirit Master.]
[Calculation of Loot... Received: 100 Sound Points.]
[Sync Rate with 'Universal Resonance' increased to 1.5%.]
[New Passive Skill Unlocked: 'Vibration Barrier' — A sonic shield to compensate for the Host's fragile physique. Current Strength: Can withstand a full-force blow from a 5th-Grade Spirit Master.]
As the mechanical voice echoed in his mind, Su Chang'an felt a faint, warm hum envelop his skin, easing the biting cold of the winter wind.
"Young Master Chang'an! Stop this madness at once!"
A sharp, feminine voice pierced through the shock. From the crowd, a young girl in luxurious silk robes stepped forward. Her beauty was undeniable, like a blooming lotus in winter, but her eyes held a trace of disdain and "righteous" pity.
It was Su Mei, the daughter of the First Elder. Years ago, when Su Chang'an was the shining genius of the clan, she had followed him like a shadow, calling him "Brother Chang'an" with a sweet smile. Now, she looked at him as if he were a stain on the clan's reputation.
"Su Hu was only here to collect the pills for the clan's younger generation," she said, her voice dripping with artificial concern. "You are already a waste who cannot cultivate. Why hold onto treasures you can't use and hurt your own kin? Have you no shame?"
Su Chang'an looked at her, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips. This was the twisted "logic" of the strong in this world. Because he was weak, his resources were considered "stolen"; because he defended himself, he was "hurting kin."
"The clan's development?" Su Chang'an looked at the charred zither on his lap, his voice turning cold. "Su Mei, the only thing developing in this clan is your hypocrisy. If strength is everything, then since I have defeated him, his life and the pills belong to me. Isn't that the law you worship?"
"You...!" Su Mei's face flushed with anger, her elegant facade slipping for a moment. "Fine. Since you are so stubborn, the First Elder will personally handle this. Also... don't forget that today is the day the Nalan Family arrives. Their carriage is already at the main gate."
She paused, a cruel glint appearing in her eyes. "You should prepare yourself for the 'annulment' ceremony. A phoenix does not dwell with a crippled crow."
Su Chang'an's fingers tightened on the dark wood. The annulment. The ultimate humiliation. In the Cangqiong Realm, being rejected by a fiancée in public was a stain that could never be washed away—it was a death sentence for one's social standing.
[Ding! New Main Quest Triggered: Survive the Annulment and Protect the Su Clan's Honor (or what's left of it).]
[Reward: Restoration of the Second String — 'The String of Earth'.]"
Let them come," Su Chang'an closed his eyes, his voice echoing in the silent, snowy courtyard. "I still have enough strings left to play a requiem for all of you."