465: Chapter 465 Tianyin Pavilion Teaching

"You look much more impressive now," Tianxin said with a smile.

The Spirit Fox licked her finger, and a message came through its consciousness: "Master has broken through, and I have also broken through to the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer. I have also learned a new skill, 'Shadow Escape,' which allows me to instantly move through darkness, faster and further than the previous teleportation."

After the Breakthrough, Tianxin continued to explore the abandoned temple. Although the temple was dilapidated, the formation patterns on the walls remained intact. She discovered a secret chamber underground; the stone door was covered in thick dust, and it took a great deal of effort to push it open. Inside the secret chamber were several rows of stone shelves holding some Jade Slips and artifacts, most of which had already decayed, leaving only a few well-preserved Jade Slips.

She picked one up and probed it with her spiritual sense; it was an Incomplete Manual of the "Dark Scriptures" of the Shadow Demon Clan. It recorded the complete history of the Shadow Demon Clan—they were originally a branch of humanity, but because they Cultivated dark Cultivation Techniques, they were expelled from mainstream society, and over time, their bodies underwent mutations. However, the Incomplete Manual also contained a shocking secret: the Shadow Demon Clan was not born evil, but was a race cursed by the "Lord of Darkness." If the curse could be lifted, the Shadow Demon Clan could regain their human form and reintegrate into the human world.

"Lord of Darkness... What is that?" Tianxin frowned and continued reading the Incomplete Manual. But the manual ended there, and the rest was nowhere to be found. She put the Incomplete Manual into her Storage Pouch, deep in thought. Perhaps this was her mission? To find a way to lift the curse and let the Shadow Demon Clan be reborn. Not only for those innocent descendants of the Shadow Demon Clan, but also to fulfill her parents' unfinished wishes.

She picked up the Spirit Fox and walked out of the temple. The black mist of the Shadow Realm parted before her, as if making way for her. Golden Core Stage First Layer; she clenched her fist, feeling the power surging within her, but it still wasn't enough. She needed to become stronger, strong enough to protect everyone. She thought of Gao Feng, of Luo Li, Su Ning, Chu Lan, Yaoguang, Lin Yue, Lin Jingyu, and Situ Lan. There were nine months left until the one-year promise; she would return on time.

Tianxin decided to stay in the Shadow Realm to search for a way to lift the curse on the Shadow Demon Clan. This was not only a need to become stronger but also her parents' unfinished wish. She looked up at the sky and whispered, "Father, Mother, I will fulfill your wishes."

The Spirit Fox rubbed against her face. In the darkness in the distance, something seemed to be watching her, but she was no longer afraid. She had the Spirit Fox, she had the "Dark Shadow True Scripture," she had the cultivation of the Golden Core Stage First Layer, and she had herself. That was enough.

In the black mist of the Shadow Realm, Tianxin's figure gradually drifted away. Behind her, the gates of the temple slowly closed, and the dust-covered history returned to silence.

Ahead lay deeper darkness, and also greater opportunities.

She took out the obsession crystal that Gao Feng had given her from her Storage Pouch; the crystal emitted a warm, golden light in her palm. This was given to her by Gao Feng to protect her heart and mind. She pressed the crystal against her chest, feeling that warm power.

"Gao Feng, wait for me to return." She put away the crystal and stepped forward. The Spirit Fox lay on her shoulder, its golden eyes shining in the darkness.

Nine months later, see you at the War God Pavilion.

The stone steps of Tianyin Mountain shimmered with a blue-gray luster in the twilight, and the Spirit Plants on both sides swayed gently in the evening breeze.

Luo Li walked upward step by step, each step very steady. She was no longer the person who had fled in panic back then. At that time, she dared not look back, dared not look at those gazes seeing her off, and dared not think about what would happen to Tianyin Pavilion after she left.

Now she had returned, bringing the heavenly sound zither, bringing the musical rhythm honed in the Void Realm, and bringing a heart that would no longer flee.

The two female Disciples guarding the gate recognized her from afar and greeted her with pleasant surprise: "Senior Sister Luo Li! You are back!" Luo Li nodded and asked if Yun Xi was there. One of the Disciples hurriedly said, "The Pavilion Master is in the main hall; I will take you there."

She followed the gatekeeping Disciple through the mountain gate, walking along the bluestone path she had walked countless times. The Spirit Plants on both sides were much more lush than in her memory, but the broken walls and ruins of several buildings still spoke of the flames of war from the Charm Clan's invasion back then. Luo Li's footsteps echoed on the empty stone path, and she did not encounter anyone.

Inside the Lingxiao Music Hall, the young Yun Xi was hunched over her desk reviewing documents. She was wearing a pale green Pavilion Master's robe, her hair tied in a simple bun, her face delicate and pretty, and there was a composure between her brows that did not match her age. Her Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer cultivation already placed her among the best of the younger generation, but holding up a Sect was still too difficult. Yun Xi raised her head upon hearing footsteps, and the brush in her hand slipped onto the desk.

"Master..." Yun Xi's eyes instantly turned red. She stood up, walked around the desk, and hurried to Luo Li. Luo Li reached out to stop her, her tone peaceful yet unquestionable: "I am no longer your Master now. You are the Pavilion Master, and I am here to help." Yun Xi's lips trembled slightly, wanting to say something, but she was blocked by Luo Li's gaze.

Yun Xi bit her lip and whispered, "Master, what happened back then... it was not your fault."

Luo Li was silent for a moment. She knew it wasn't her fault. But her choice to flee was her fault. She looked into Yun Xi's eyes and said earnestly, "I did not return to take your position. I want to do my part to make Tianyin Pavilion stronger. The Dark Palace has targeted the Wuxiang Sect and Gao Feng, and they may also target Tianyin Pavilion. We need to be prepared."

Yun Xi took a deep breath, suppressing the tears in her eyes. She invited Luo Li to sit down, personally poured a cup of tea, and then recounted the current situation of Tianyin Pavilion. Since the Charm Clan invasion, Tianyin Pavilion had been severely damaged; only two Elders at the Golden Core Stage remained—Elder Qingfeng and Elder Mingyue, both at the Golden Core Stage Third Layer. There were fewer than a hundred Foundation Establishment Disciples, and the musical rhythm Legacy had also experienced a gap, as many Elders had fallen, taking many high-level musical rhythm Cultivation Techniques with them. Among the surviving Disciples, those with outstanding Aptitude were few and far between.

But Yun Xi was very hardworking. In her capacity as Pavilion Master, she integrated the remaining resources of Tianyin Pavilion, reformulated the Disciple training system, and recruited a group of talents from small musical rhythm Sects nearby. Although the current Tianyin Pavilion could not be compared to its peak period, it had already restored basic operations. She also increased guards at the mountain gate and set up warning formations on the seven main peaks to prevent further sneak attacks by foreign enemies.

Luo Li listened, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Back then, she had thrown these burdens onto Yun Xi and left. At that time, Yun Xi was only eighteen, at the Foundation Establishment Third Layer, facing a broken Sect and countless questioning gazes. She did not flee; she held on. Luo Li detailed the threat of the Dark Palace, the characteristics of their assassination techniques, and her own experience in countering them to Yun Xi. The Dark Palace had a type of sound-killing Spell that killed using musical rhythm, silently and soundlessly; they had used this method to assassinate Gao Feng in the Meteor Realm. Tianyin Pavilion's musical rhythm Spells happened to be able to counter it. She wanted to establish a "musical rhythm defense line" in Tianyin Pavilion specifically to counter the Dark Palace.

Yun Xi's eyes lit up and she asked if Luo Li would be willing to stay and teach the Disciples. "At least one year," Luo Li said. "After one year, I must return to the War God Pavilion to reunite with my teammates, but during this year, I will teach you everything I know."

The news quickly spread throughout Tianyin Pavilion. The two Elders came to pay their respects.

Elder Qingfeng was a female cultivator at the Golden Core Stage Third Layer, six hundred years old, with a conservative personality, and she never beat around the bush when speaking. When she saw Luo Li, her tone was lukewarm: "Luo Li, what did you come back for? You abandoned Tianyin Pavilion and left back then, and now you want to come back to reap the rewards?" Elder Mingyue tried to smooth things over, but Luo Li just said calmly, "Junior Martial Uncle Qingfeng, it was my fault back then. I did not return to reap rewards, but to make amends." Elder Qingfeng snorted coldly and flicked her sleeves as she left. Elder Mingyue sighed and whispered that Qingfeng was just sharp-tongued but soft-hearted, and not to mind it. Luo Li shook her head and said she didn't mind.

Luo Li was not discouraged by Elder Qingfeng's attitude. She took Yun Xi and Elder Mingyue and began to set up musical rhythm formations on the seven main peaks of Tianyin Mountain. Using the "Star Battle Song" as a foundation, she infused the power of the heavenly sound zither's zither spirit into the formations, enabling them to automatically sense malicious musical rhythms and emit counter-waves. This was an idea she had learned from Gao Feng—defense is always the best offense.

The first formation was set up around the main hall of Tianyin Peak, taking three days. Yun Xi and Elder Mingyue assisted from the side; Luo Li used the heavenly sound zither to locate the formation eye and injected a wisp of the zither spirit's spiritual power into the formation patterns. The formation patterns lit up and then dimmed, repeatedly adjusted over a dozen times before stabilizing. The second formation was on Lanyue Peak, taking two days because Luo Li was already familiar with the process. The third was on Tingsong Peak, taking only one day. Yun Xi was amazed by her efficiency and asked how she did it. Luo Li said that when fighting shadows in the Void Realm, there was no second chance for setting up a formation; it had to succeed the first time. Failure meant death. Yun Xi fell silent; she did not know what her Master had experienced over these years, but she knew it must have been very bitter.

During the day, she set up formations, and at night, she taught the Disciples. Luo Li broke down the "Star Battle Song" into several parts, starting from the most basic musical notes. The first batch of Disciples consisted of thirty people, all carefully selected by Yun Xi. Some of them were nervous, some excited, and some skeptical. Luo Li didn't say much, just sat down in front of the heavenly sound zither and began to play.

The zither music began to play. The melody was not the traditional Pure Heart Melody of Tianyin Pavilion, nor was it the Requiem, but a piece they had never heard before. The rhythm was faster, the notes were denser, and every note was like a twinkling star. The Disciples listened intently; some stood up unconsciously, some gripped their instruments tightly, and some had red-rimmed eyes. When the song ended, no one spoke.

Luo Li turned around, looked at them, and said that this piece was called "Star Battle Song." It was not just a piece of music, but a Cultivation Technique. It could amplify your combat power and suppress the enemy's musical rhythm. "I will teach you how to play it, but more importantly, I will teach you why you need to play it this way."

The teaching began.

The first month, only a few people could play the complete song. Their fingering was unskilled, their spiritual power circulation was not smooth, and the notes they played were intermittent. But Luo Li did not blame them, just demonstrated over and over, correcting them time and time again. The second month, it increased to over a dozen.

The third month, the first batch of thirty Disciples had all mastered the basics. Under Luo Li's leadership, they were able to play the "Star Battle Song" together, the zither music converging into golden sound waves that echoed in the valley.