98: First time in Yanjing, a surprising song

Boom—

With a deep and powerful engine roar, the massive hull of the "candle dragon" aerospace carrier, as vast as a mountain range, slowly tore through the clouds above Yanjing.

Escorted by an honor guard of military fighter jets, it finally landed smoothly at the exclusive airport in the city's core area, specially designated for the Long Family.

The arrival of this war fortress, which had turned the tide of battle on the African front with lightning speed and announced the return of a king, instantly ignited this ancient yet modern imperial capital.

Countless citizens and Martial Artists from all over the world flocked to the streets, gazing up with a mix of awe, curiosity, and fervor at the colossal behemoth that blotted out the sky, and at the sole legend of this era who was about to emerge from it.

Lin Tian and his entourage slowly walked down the gangway, bathed in the focus of countless cameras.

He was still dressed in a simple black casual outfit, his aura restrained, appearing like an ordinary young man on a trip.

Yet, no one dared to underestimate the terrifying power contained within this seemingly slender body—a power capable of overturning the world and making even gods bow down.

Officially stepping into Yanjing, the storm's epicenter that gathered the gazes of all top Prodigies worldwide...

On the way to the Long Family's exclusive station, "Divine Sound Pavilion," in Yanjing, Long Ling'er sat beside Lin Tian, reporting the latest intelligence via a holographic screen.

"Master, according to the latest news, the Qin Family, to warm up for the 'Martial Arts Tournament of Prodigies,' will hold an unofficial warm-up banquet tonight called the 'Heavenly Pride Zither Gathering' at 'Yingtai,' located west of the Forbidden City."

"The banquet has invited all well-known participants, including the Twin Stars of 'Holy Mountain,' Saint Arthur of 'Holy Temple,' and Marquis Champion Huo Qubing from the military, among others.

"It's considered an unofficial reconnaissance and probing among various factions before the formal competition begins."

Long Ling'er paused, then added, "However, this banquet has a special rule.

"The 'admission ticket' is not an invitation, but rather an 'sound wave/Mental Energy' type weapon or instrument of A-grade quality or higher.

"This serves both to screen the participants' foundations and to fit the 'Zither Gathering' theme."

Upon hearing this, Lin Tian's eyebrows twitched slightly, recalling the A-grade Mental Energy amplification weapon he had obtained when signing in at the Pangu Biotech Group headquarters.

"phoenix perch zither, huh... That works out perfectly."

He had originally been completely uninterested in such so-called "Prodigy gatherings"; in his view, they were merely a group of ants testing each other's weight, both ridiculous and boring.

But since there was such an interesting "admission ticket" rule, going to "test the waters" and incidentally see how this generation's "leek (metaphor for harvestable resource/easy target)s" were growing, was not without its amusement.

"Go to the best instrument store in Yanjing," Lin Tian commanded indifferently, "My zither still lacks a few suitable strings."

...Divine Sound Pavilion.

Yanjing's most renowned, and indeed all of Huaxia's most prestigious, trading house for instruments and sound wave-type weapons.

Everything found here was an invaluable treasure.

When Lin Tian and his entourage entered this ancient, elegant, and tastefully charming pavilion, they immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Not because they recognized Lin Tian's identity, but because of the several stunning women beside him, like Fairies descended to the mortal realm—whether it was Qin Yubing, as cold as a snow lotus on an ice mountain, or Dragon Snow Phoenix, heroic and spirited like a fiery rose, or Jiang Luoling, gentle and adorable like a girl next door, all were enough to make any man turn his head.

At this moment, in the center of the "Divine Sound Pavilion" hall, a young man dressed in white Hanfu, with a handsome face and refined demeanor, sat cross-legged, a simple guqin placed before him.

He was surrounded and praised like a moon among stars by a group of luxuriously dressed men and women.

He was Zhao Wuji, the top Genius in Yanjing's local young generation, renowned for his "Zither Dao" and hailed as "Young Master Miaoyin."

When Zhao Wuji saw Lin Tian and his group enter, especially noticing that those stunning women, who even moved his heart, subtly centered themselves around the black-clad young man, a flicker of imperceptible jealousy and disdain flashed in his eyes.

Another profligate Young Master, relying on his family background, showing off with a few pretty vases.

He decided to give this foreign Dragon a "show of strength."

"Everyone," he announced loudly, drawing the attention of the entire hall, "Tonight is the Qin Family's 'Heavenly Pride Zither Gathering.' Though I am unworthy, I wish to perform a piece here for you all, as a warm-up."

With that, his slender fingers lightly plucked the zither strings.

Zheng—!

A visible, incredibly solid sound wave transformed into a roaring tiger, carrying intense Mental Energy suppression.

It seemingly swept across the entire hall indiscriminately, but its core impact precisely locked onto Lin Tian!

He wanted to see this foreign profligate's face turn pale and him make a fool of himself in public under this Mental Energy assault.

However, that roaring sound wave tiger, upon reaching three feet in front of Lin Tian, instantly vanished as if it had slammed into an invisible, absolutely insurmountable wall of lamentation.

It didn't even cause a ripple on Lin Tian's clothes.

"Hmm?" Zhao Wuji's expression changed, and his heart tightened.

A master!

Lin Tian didn't even spare him a glance, as if the hostile Mental Energy attack just now was merely a gentle breeze.

He simply walked straight to the counter, took out the ancient "phoenix perch zither," and told the shopkeeper, "String it with the best 'ice silkworm silk' strings."

Being so utterly ignored, Zhao Wuji's face instantly flushed crimson, and a strong sense of humiliation welled up in his heart.

He abruptly stood up and sharply demanded, "Your Excellency, who are you?

"Since you are also one of us, why not spar with me in a piece, so everyone can broaden their horizons!"

Lin Tian finally turned around slowly, surveying him with the gaze one would give a clown, and spoke two words indifferently.

"You, are unworthy."

Boom!

The entire hall erupted in an uproar!

Zhao Wuji trembled with rage; he had never suffered such a profound humiliation!

"Good! Good! Good!" He laughed in extreme anger, "Since Your Excellency is so confident, then don't blame me for being impolite!"

With that, he pushed his Mental Energy to its limit, his hands frantically sweeping across the zither strings, unleashing a sound wave storm at least ten times more powerful than before, almost solidifying, sweeping towards Lin Tian like a tsunami!

Facing this full-power attack, capable of mentally injuring Martial Artists of the same level, Lin Tian didn't even change his posture.

He simply placed the "phoenix perch zither" with its newly changed strings casually on the counter in front of him.

Then, he raised his right hand and lightly, casually, plucked a string.

Ding—

A zither note, exquisitely clear, as if not belonging to the mortal world, resounded.

There were no violent sound waves, no grotesque phenomena.

Only a phantom of a Phoenix, composed of pure, sacred golden light, soared into the sky from the zither itself!

It let out a high-pitched, majestic cry, full of supreme Divine Power; that sound seemed to transcend time and space, directly affecting the deepest part of everyone's genetic chain!

Zhao Wuji's raging sound wave storm, beneath this Phoenix cry, crumbled instantly like paper!

He himself was struck as if by lightning, letting out a scream, spitting out a large mouthful of fresh blood, and collapsing weakly to the ground, his Mental Energy core severely damaged.

But this was not the end.

Even more terrifyingly, as the Phoenix cry spread, all Martial Artists within the entire "Divine Sound Pavilion" who possessed special genes and extraordinary Bloodlines, regardless of their strength or location, felt their Bloodlines, at that instant, uncontrollably... boil, tremble, cheer, and submit, as if encountering a supreme monarch!

...In the most distinguished private VIP room on the top floor of the "Divine Sound Pavilion."

A Qin Family direct descendant Prince, dressed in a black imperial robe embroidered with four-clawed golden Dragons, whose face bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Qin Yubing but whose demeanor was more dignified and domineering, sat opposite a mysterious woman dressed in white, her face veiled with thin gauze, her aura ethereal like a Fairy under the moonlight, as they sipped tea.

The moment that Phoenix cry sounded.

Both of them trembled simultaneously!

The SSS-grade [True Dragon Bloodline] within the Qin Family Prince roared uncontrollably, as if wanting to burst forth and worship its ancestor!

And the mysterious "Heavenly Zither Woman," hailed as "the foremost Zither Dao practitioner of her generation" and possessing the SSS-grade [Sound of Nature] mythical gene, rose abruptly, her beautiful eyes hidden beneath the veil filled with unprecedented, disbelieving shock!

Both of them, by prior agreement, rushed to the window.

Their gazes pierced through the layers of the pavilion, simultaneously falling upon the young man in the snow-white clothes in the hall downstairs, who was calmly retracting his fingers.

It was him?!