Nine Star Hegemon Body Art (WN)
chapter-1198

The zither was two and a half meters long, with the head of a dragon and body of a phoenix. It was unknown what wood it was made of, but the veined patterns on it almost looked like scales.

A simple, ancient aura shot out of it. Everyone hastily sat down properly, eagerly awaiting Zi Yan’s playing.

“Long Chen, do you really know this divine fairy? Is she really pursuing you?” Xia Youluo looked at Long Chen with a look of disappointment.

“Foolish girl, are you still a child? You’ll believe everything that anyone says? Yes, I know her, but she’s from the Illusive Music Immortal Palace, and they’re not allowed to have personal relationships. For you to believe such nonsense, are you a fool?” Long Chen couldn’t help being speechless upon seeing Xia Youluo’s completely serious expression. This child’s intelligence was gravely lacking.

Just at this moment, Zi Yan spread her hands, and her long fingers began to gently strum the zither strings. Deep sounds reverberated throughout the air.

The song she was playing was the same. But while the woman’s playing had been diffused and light, this sound was heavy, directly entering the depths of people’s hearts, and even their souls.

Long Chen smiled faintly. This was the true peak of the Music Dao, to use one’s heart to connect to the Heavenly Daos, to have one’s music reflect one’s thoughts and feelings. It was like falling into a deep pool with incredibly clear water, without the slightest of impurities.

As the zither music played, they were all drawn into another world. They felt like they were sitting in space. Stars flowed around them as they quietly watched the workings of the cosmos.

“Primal chaos split at the beginning, Yang formed the Heavens, Yin formed the Earth, Yin and Yang divided, Heaven and Earth facing…” A beautiful voice suddenly appeared within that space, penetrating deep into their souls. It was like heaven and earth were chanting, as if gods were murmuring.

In that instant, Long Chen saw the beginning of the world. First, there was nothing but primal chaos. Then Yin and Yang divided, heaven and earth were born, the world began to revolve, and the stars began to shine through the sky.

Xia Yuyang nodded. He sighed, “Empyreans are the true favorites of heaven and earth, the future masters of the world. Regretfully, my Grand Xia’s karmic luck isn’t enough to give birth to an Empyrean.”

Just as the two of them were sighing emotionally in the palace, on top of the Heavenly Cloud Platform, Zi Yan pressed her hands against the zither and her singing came to a stop. Everyone was still caught up in a kind of Heavenly Dao realm.

Long Chen was the first to start clapping. Zi Yan’s zither arts had already reached a divine realm of perfection. Long Chen truly prostrated himself toward her in admiration.

“This zither music on the Heavenly Cloud Platform can only exist above the heavens, here in the clouds and wind. The human world can only occasionally hear such a thing,” praised Long Chen.

Only then did everyone recover. Xia Youluo felt even more admiration for Long Chen due to his ability to flatter someone so eloquently.

“I don’t dare accept such words. Brother Long, for you to praise me like this, can you please give me some pointers?” said Zi Yan.

“I can’t, because there’s no point, as there are no faults. And since we’re so familiar with each other, I’m afraid that if I continuously praise you, you’ll get embarrassed,” said Long Chen.

This singing and zither playing was truly flawless. Let alone an amateur like Long Chen, even another expert in the Music Dao wouldn’t be able to pick out a flaw.

Han Wenjun also went up to say a few courteous words. He wanted to say something that would display his own cultured and artistic skills, but when he opened his mouth, he had no idea what to say. Because Long Chen had taken the lead, it made all the other words of praise sound tasteless.

On the other hand, Xia Youluo, who was innately pure-hearted and also worshipped Zi Yan, held her hand and began to incessantly chatter.

There were several times when Xia Yunfeng gave her a look for her to take note of etiquette, but she didn’t even look at him.

“Big sister, how about you come and stay at my home tonight? Let me tell you, Long Chen has many fine wines, all of which he swindled from the Wine God Palace. I’ll treat you to some…” Xia Youluo was full of worship for the practically divine Zi Yan, and her mouth also became unguarded, causing her to say anything and everything.

Long Chen raged, “You foolish girl, what are you saying? How can you say it was swindling? Furthermore, don’t you have some as well? If you’re going to treat someone, why force others to be the generous ones?!”

“Hmph, just look at how stingy you are. Big sister Zi Yan, come stay here. I’ll give you my own wine to drink.” Xia Youluo had yet to let go of Zi Yan’s hand.

“Thank you, little sister. It just so happens that it’s getting late, and for you to take me in naturally makes me endlessly grateful. How could I refuse?” Zi Yan smiled.

Xia Youluo was delighted to see Zi Yan really agree. Xia Yunchong immediately had someone go prepare rooms.

For the Illusive Music Immortal Palace’s disciples to live in the Grand Xia’s imperial palace was an immense honor to the Grand Xia. That was because the Illusive Music Immortal Palace’s position in the cultivation world was just that high.

“Long Chen, I’m going to the Wine God Palace tomorrow to pay my respects to the High Priest. Do you want to come as well?” asked Zi Yan suddenly.

“Definitely. I’ve always wanted to pay my respects to the High Priest, but I heard he doesn’t like being disturbed by others, so I never had a chance.” Long Chen was delighted.

The High Priest was the master of the Wine God Palace. He was claimed to be an apostle of the Wine God sent to spread his glory. He was an extremely mysterious existence.

There was another banquet when the sky darkened, but Zi Yan refused Xia Yunchong’s invitation and did not attend.

Instead, it was Xia Youluo who had pulled her away. Most likely, she had gone to show off her battle spoils from the Wine God Palace.

The night banquet ended with an extremely calm atmosphere. The next morning, Long Chen received Zi Yan’s invitation to go to the Wine God Palace.

Not only were Long Chen and Zi Yan going, but Xia Youluo, Xia Yunchong, Han Wenjun, and Li Wanji were also coming with them. When the six of them burned incense in front of the Wine God’s image, nothing happened with the others, but the incense sticks that Long Chen lit once more turned to ash instantly, shocking the others.

“Everyone, please come in. The High Priest is already waiting for you in the divine hall.”

The disciple in charge of greeting guests led the way. Everyone followed him into the Wine God Palace.

Zi Yan was the lead this time. The others were only accompanying her. It had to be known that the High Priest was not someone that just anyone could see. Even the emperor himself couldn’t see him whenever he wished.

The Grand Xia’s emperor had held power for many years, but he had only seen the High Priest once. Others didn’t even have the qualification.

Because Zi Yan was a disciple of the Illusive Music Immortal Palace, she had already sent a greeting many days ago and gained permission to see the High Priest. Long Chen and the others were just profiting off her.

Originally, Xia Yunfeng and the other princes had also wanted to come, but they hadn’t succeeded. If too many people went, it would be too impolite.

So there were two from the Grand Xia, two from the Grand Han. Adding on Long Chen as well as the host, Zi Yan, there were already quite a few people. If any more came, it would appear that they were lacking respect for the High Priest.

The path they were taking was the same small path that Long Chen and Xia Youluo had taken before. It stripped them of their cultivation base. They slowly followed it through a winding forest.

“The Wine God Palace truly is a wonderland within the human world. The secluded and winding path, the small pavilions hidden in the mountains, it’s almost similar to my Grand Han’s Hidden Immortal Island,” praised Han Wenjun as he looked at the surrounding scenery.

Long Chen sneered inside. This was truly shameless. Long Chen looked at Han Wenjun acting like a refined scholar without saying anything.

But Xia Yunchong couldn’t help but open his mouth. “Prince Wenjun’s comparison is a bit off. The Wine God Palace has a true god’s inheritance, while your Hidden Immortal Island only has a few myths circulating around it. It seems the difference between them is too great to compare.”

The Grand Han’s Hidden Immortal Island was nothing more than an island with beautiful scenery. In order to make the island more famous, they had fabricated a mass of contrived divine stories involving it.

Then they had made a few ‘ancient relics’ on the island. Then looking over the entire Martial Heaven Continent, they had picked out famous figures and tossed a few traces of those figures on the island. They would cry: look, that grand figure actually came from my Grand Han!

They had no foundation, so they randomly made up whatever they wanted. That greatly dissatisfied the Grand Xia, which was why Xia Yunchong couldn’t help but retort.

“All those myths happened too long ago, and there’s no way to confirm them. We can’t say with absolute certainty that there was no true immortal on Hidden Immortal Island, so it’s too early for you to say that. Furthermore, I only said that the scenery was similar. Brother Yunchong misconstrued my words.” Although he couldn’t match Long Chen, that didn’t represent that Han Wenjun didn’t know how to quibble.

When comparing eloquence, Long Chen could make Han Wenjun choke with a single sentence. And Han Wenjun had the same ability when it came to Xia Yunchong. Xia Yunchong had no way to retort.

“Esteemed guest has returned. Please accept this bow from this disciple.”

When they reached the first pavilion, the man from back then was standing in front of it and bowed toward Long Chen.

That made everyone jump. What was going on? Since when did the Wine God Palace’s disciples bow to others?

Long Chen hastily raised him and bitterly smiled. They were all grand figures with the ability to shake heaven and earth, while he was just a swindler.

Last time, he hadn’t known about the origins of the Wine God Palace’s disciples. When he had learned about it, he had begun to coldly sweat.

“I really don’t dare to accept such a thing,” said Long Chen humbly.

“Disciple came to a sudden comprehension due to your pointers. The shackles on my heart were broken, and the clouds and dust were swept away. I’ve been waiting every day for you to return so that disciple can thank you. Within the next few days, disciple will be going on a journey of enlightenment, so esteemed guest’s arrival has fulfilled disciple’s desire,” said the Wine God Palace’s disciple.

He once more bowed respectfully toward Long Chen and vanished from their sight. Other than Xia Youluo, the others had no idea what was going on.

What kind of joke was this? The Wine God Palace’s disciples were all incomparably prideful people. For them to bow toward a youth, and even call themselves disciple, had this world gone insane?

Even Zi Yan was no exception. A bright light shone in her eyes when she looked at Long Chen, making him feel embarrassed. He said, “In truth, it was just a coincidence. I don’t know what random thing I spouted, but this senior managed to enlighten himself through it. It was just his fortune and had nothing to do with me.”

They continued onward. As a result, people continued to come out of the pavilions they passed to say their regards to Long Chen, making them speechless. Was Long Chen’s relationship with other people really so good?

“Damn brat, you’ve finally returned. Get over here, let’s fight another three hundred bouts!”

Suddenly, a huge figure appeared in front of them, causing them to jump in shock.