Inside Jīguān Yóulóng.

Níng Zhuō had been working at the Jīguān Pedestal for half a day already.

He only had one more vocal reed to refine: the “Yǐng Fēng Zhēn” (Shadow Bee Sting), as recorded in the Vocal Reed Manual. When activated, it emitted a very short “Yī” sound, which gave the Jīguān carrier a sudden burst of speed.

All the materials were laid out on the table: a lightning-struck jade bamboo, its color like frozen fat, with internal electric patterns; a golden ringed venomous bee, its abdomen containing a fire thread and its wings shimmering with golden light; fine grains of Běibīng Jīngshā (Northern Ice Crystal Sand) that felt cold to the touch like stardust; and Chūnfēn Wúgēn Shuǐ (Vernal Equinox Rootless Water), held in a celadon jade lotus-leaf cup.

Níng Zhuō activated the Jīguān Pedestal, sending out a sharp golden light that longitudinally cut the jade bamboo along its natural electric patterns.

Instantly, the inner wall of the bamboo was revealed to Níng Zhuō, covered in spiral lightning patterns.

Níng Zhuō couldn’t help but recall what was written in the Vocal Reed Manual: “Lightning patterns guiding the qi are the melodic sound tracks carved by heaven and earth using lightning as a blade.”

Níng Zhuō took out the Běibīng Jīngshā and poured it all into the celadon jade lotus-leaf cup, mixing it thoroughly with the Chūnfēn Wúgēn Shuǐ.

Following the detailed steps in the Vocal Reed Manual, Níng Zhuō used his Five Elements Dafa during the mixing process. He switched between fire, water, and earth elements.

He had to admit, the Five Elements Dafa was versatile and widely applicable.

Finally, Níng Zhuō obtained a translucent paste with a faint green tint.

Níng Zhuō carefully filled the jade bamboo wall with this translucent paste, leaving only the last cavity empty to serve as the vibration source.

“The lightning carved natural melodic tracks into the bamboo cavity. Using such a precious material saves a considerable amount of manual work.”

Níng Zhuō secretly admired Qīng Huángzi’s ingenuity in selecting materials for this aspect.

Next, he processed the golden ringed venomous bee.

As soon as he removed the restraint, the venomous bee buzzed its wings and flew, its stinger aimed directly at Níng Zhuō’s glabella!

Níng Zhuō did not dodge. He activated a stream of wood-element Dafa to intercept the golden ringed venomous bee.

The tip of the bee’s stinger penetrated three inches into the wood-element Dafa before suddenly combusting, producing a poisonous fire.

The poisonous fire intertwined with the green qi, and the bee’s body turned to ash, leaving only the poisoned sound needle suspended and humming.

Níng Zhuō seized the moment, and while the poisonous fire was still burning, he immediately began the next step.

He used the bee needle as a pen and the poisonous fire as ink, pricking the ice sand paste three millimeters deep before withdrawing. He continued this, creating many tiny holes.

Where ice and fire met, there was a buzzing sound, and each hole varied in depth and angle.

The initial sound hole was as wide as a grain of wheat. The seven holes in the middle were as thin as needle tips, and the final sound hole pierced the cavity wall diagonally.

The poisonous fire had been extinguished by the ice paste.

Níng Zhuō then embedded the bee needle into the last chamber.

Níng Zhuō bit his fingertip, and a drop of blood fell into it, simultaneously activating his Dafa.

A sudden buzzing sound erupted!

Níng Zhuō turned his palm, pressing the two halves of the bamboo tightly together with a slight force.

The buzzing sound was forcefully pressed back into the cavity, reflecting repeatedly within the eight sound holes. When the ninth echo stacked, the humming suddenly became clear, turning into a short “Yī” sound, then completely fell silent.

Under Níng Zhuō’s blood refinement, the jade bamboo reintegrated into one piece.

He held the warm jade bamboo in his palm, and saw a golden needle glint faintly at the end of the bamboo segment.

Níng Zhuō lightly stroked the bamboo segment, then casually tossed it into the air. The bamboo segment spun in the air, emitting a series of short “Yī, yī, yī” sounds.

The bamboo segment’s rotational speed also surged dramatically, almost becoming a black blur.

Níng Zhuō reached out again and caught it.

The sound lingering in his ears instantly vanished.

“With this, all twenty vocal reed Jīguān components are completely made.”

“Next, it’s time to create the bamboo puppets.”

According to the information disseminated by Qīng Huángzi, the prerequisite for participating in the second Xīngyún Xiǎoshì was for cultivators to bring their self-made bamboo puppets.

“But Qīng Huángzi didn’t specify the number of these bamboo puppets.”

“Here, perhaps he’s intentionally testing the ability of the participating cultivators to design Jīguān and analyze the situation.”

There were two extremes.

The first extreme was to concentrate all the vocal reed components into one massive bamboo puppet.

The second extreme was to make each vocal reed component into a small bamboo puppet. All the bamboo puppets would then gather to form a small team of twenty.

Níng Zhuō did not hesitate here.

“I don’t know the specific situation of the second Xīngyún Xiǎoshì, so taking a moderate approach is best.”

He prepared to create seven small bamboo puppets based on his inspiration, with an average of three vocal reeds on each puppet.

Níng Zhuō stood before the pedestal, not moving.

Soon, the time it took for a cup of tea to steep passed, and Níng Zhuō had made his first small bamboo puppet.

He meticulously designed the third reed to be the handle of a bamboo whip.

The whip’s body was made of ice silkworm crystal threads, woven with the aid of divine sense. The whip’s surface was etched with many grooves, capable of producing sound through air friction.

Dafa Suspended Threads!

Níng Zhuō extended his five fingers to control it.

*Snap.* The small bamboo puppet lashed out with a whip.

The air quickly formed a vortex, and a short “Wū” sound swept past his ears, then traveled along the bamboo whip to the end of the handle, amplifying tenfold in the bamboo cavity.

Then, it traveled up the small bamboo puppet’s arm into its body, activating the other two vocal reed components.

The next moment, a translucent sound wave spiderweb burst forth from the bamboo puppet’s body, from inside out, directly covering an area of ten feet around it.

The sound wave spiderweb carried triple power, making it the trump card of this small bamboo puppet.

Níng Zhuō used a piece of black iron and placed it in the sound wave spiderweb for testing.

The black iron’s descent speed first slowed abruptly, almost becoming suspended in mid-air.

Then, countless cracks appeared on the surface of the black iron, crisscrossing each other. Finally, the black iron vibrated continuously and, with a *bang*, dramatically exploded!

Two days later, Níng Zhuō had finished making all seven small bamboo puppets, having initially met Qīng Huángzi’s requirements.

“Next is continuous practice.”

Níng Zhuō trained for another day.

He already had extensive experience in manipulation, so controlling these seven small bamboo puppets was not difficult. He quickly mastered them and became proficient.

“However, based on what I’ve learned, I can already predict a certain direction of Qīng Huángzi’s Xiǎoshì.”

“His method of controlling bamboo puppets should be primarily through musical rhythm, supplemented by suspended threads.”

“To avoid being unprepared later, I should first put more effort into musical rhythm and achieve some mastery.”

Léiyīn Fēng (Thunder Sound Peak).

Shīyīn Tán (Lost Sound Pool) was embedded in the mountaintop, like a piece of dark jade mirror shattered by a god’s careless drop.

The edges of the pool were entirely covered with scale-like lightning-struck rocks. Many black rocks had been burned to a glassy luster by heavenly fire.

The pool surface was waveless all year round, reflecting the gathering and dispersing clouds, the dimming and brightening stars, yet it swallowed all sounds—even if a giant rock collapsed, it only created a silent ripple that was immediately swallowed by the deep pool, as if falling into an bottomless abyss.

In the center of the pool, there was a small sandbar, where a solitary Qìtóng (Weeping Paulownia) stood.

The tree trunk was no more than three spans in circumference, twisted like a dying dragon.

Resin, like amber tears, congealed in every crack on the bark.

The Paulownia tree had branches but no leaves, with dense branches forming an empty nest within.

In the past, the pool water was deathly silent. The mountain wind hitting the branches and empty nest was torn into絮 by the sharp loneliness. Frequent lightning strikes shattered into whimpering gāngqì (aurora qi), and lingering heavenly fire quenched on the stones, like a lonely fireworks display.

Only during the Fēiyún Dàhuì (Flying Cloud Assembly) would this place become lively.

The magic formation of Léijī Fēng (Lightning Strike Peak) would activate, shielding against descending lightning. Numerous cultivators would gather by Shīyīn Tán, actively participating in Qìtóng’s Xīngyún Xiǎoshì.

When Níng Zhuō arrived, the Qìtóng subtly moved without wind, about to begin teaching the Qīngfēng Chūnlín Pǔ (Green Wind Spring Rain Score).

Many cultivators were already seated or standing by the pool, ready.

Níng Zhuō immediately found an empty spot and sat on a rock.

At first, he wasn’t conspicuous.

But as he pulled out a hemp rope and a wooden awl, he attracted attention.

Hanging by the hair, pricking the thigh with an awl!

Níng Zhuō did not hesitate, directly tying his hair and pricking his thigh with the wooden awl.

“Is this a Confucian cultivation method?”

“He’s using a Confucian cultivation method before it even starts?”

Yes.

Níng Zhuō decided to prick himself first to find the pain, to get into the zone earlier.

The Qìtóng began to emit sounds, playing the Qīngfēng Chūnlín Pǔ.

Hanging by the hair cleared Níng Zhuō’s distracting thoughts, and pricking his thigh brought him penetrating clarity.

He poured all his concentration into “listening.”

He heard the sounds of trees growing and joints elongating, and as he was bathed in the Qīngfēng Chūnlín Pǔ, he also felt a tingling, subtle “growing sensation.”

Níng Zhuō sighed in his heart: “Growth is nothing more than this!”

The first time, he gained a comprehensive, superficial understanding of the entire Qīngfēng Chūnlín Pǔ.

The second time, the hemp rope tightened at his hair roots, causing continuous dull pain. His right leg was already mangled, so Níng Zhuō had to switch to his left leg.

The wooden awl in his hand pricked down repeatedly, each movement without the slightest hesitation.

Some people who watched Níng Zhuō twitched at the corners of their eyes, sighing inwardly: “This big-headed youth can be so ruthless to himself!”

The sounds of growth and joint elongations from before seemed to amplify, and Níng Zhuō heard countless intricate details within them.

These were sounds of growth and joint elongations with different rhythms and tempos; he even heard every single note.

“The Qīngfēng Chūnlín Pǔ uses musical rhythm to awaken the vital nature of trees, bestowing strength and accelerating their growth.”

By the third time.

A small puddle of blood had collected at Níng Zhuō’s feet.

The intense pain at his hair roots had become somewhat numb. Many strands of hair were directly torn out by the hemp rope.

Níng Zhuō’s eyes were dim, and his upper body swayed uncontrollably.

In his listening, all sounds blended together, like a downpour, frog croaks, and thunder as drums, a cacophony that made one dizzy and disoriented.

“Biting off more than one can chew!”

“I wanted to achieve it in one go, but unfortunately, my learning ability is still a bit short.”

Life Suspended Thread!

Luòshū Book Page!

Níng Zhuō’s eyes were hazy. Seizing the opportunity that he was already on the periphery of the crowd, he secretly steeled himself, activated his divine ability, and drew upon the power of the Dao Instrument.

Under the influence of the Luòshū Book Page, Níng Zhuō instantly became exceptionally orderly. The sounds he heard were immediately categorized by attribution, sequence, and volume, no longer chaotic.

Not only that, but various sounds of growth and elongation combined in a natural, freely flowing manner, unfolding in Níng Zhuō’s ears.

At this moment, Níng Zhuō was somewhat mesmerized.

He heard a rhythm of life, flowing, gushing forth.

Through this, he discerned the core essence of the Qīngfēng Chūnlín Pǔ.

Mastered in three tries!

Níng Zhuō put away the hemp rope and wooden awl, healed himself, cleaned up the blood, and quietly left the scene.

According to the rules, the Qìtóng would play the same musical score at least twenty times.

Although some people noticed the movement and glanced at Níng Zhuō, seeing his pale face, bloodstains, messy hair, and somewhat disheveled appearance, they merely assumed he had failed and was defeated, and paid no further attention.

The Qìtóng was originally a demon cultivator. To save his Dao companion, who was also his life’s soulmate, he fought with all his might but ultimately failed in defying heaven. He watched his soulmate perish in the lightning tribulation.

The Qìtóng suffered severe physical and mental trauma, his cultivation almost shattered. He eventually reverted to his original form—a Wútóng tree—and has since been repeatedly performing various musical scores in the ruins left by the lightning tribulation.

This was a relatively special one among the Vientiane Sect’s Fēiyún Xiǎoshì.

If a cultivator could respond to the Qìtóng with a high-quality musical piece, they might receive the Wútóng’s amber tree tears as a reward.

“I won’t join in the excitement!” Níng Zhuō had already mastered it, but was still willing to keep a low profile and not draw attention to himself.

He secretly rejoiced: “Among all the musical scores, this Qīngfēng Chūnlín Pǔ is the most suitable for bamboo puppets.”

“Although I have mastered it, I still need to practice this score.”

“Perhaps in the future, I can use the Qīngfēng Chūnlín Pǔ to control the bamboo puppet team with sound.”

Thinking of this, Níng Zhuō couldn’t help but sigh again: “This Fēiyún Dàhuì and Xīngyún Xiǎoshì are truly excellent. I can learn all sorts of things freely, with little need to consider other external factors.”

“Eh, what’s this?”

As Níng Zhuō flew past a mountain peak on his cloud, he unexpectedly found a group of cultivators gathered, discussing a Xīngyún Xiǎoshì.

“There’s a Jīguān Xiǎoshì here; why don’t I give it a try?” Níng Zhuō immediately became interested.

He had recently added the practices of “hanging by the hair” and “pricking the thigh with an awl,” along with the “comprehension brush” and “bitter ink,” and also the Luòshū Book Page. This set of learning methods made him interested and eager to learn all kinds of things.

Moreover, the current one was a Jīguān Art Xīngyún Xiǎoshì!

Níng Zhuō descended from his cloud to the mountainside and competed with the other cultivators.

The stone door on the mountainside opened, revealing a burly man with broad shoulders and a thick black beard that almost encircled his face.

The burly man grinned, revealing a mouthful of pale white teeth: “I am Chē Zhūzi. Come on in, everyone.”

“Chē Zhūzi, do your words count? Whoever passes your Xīngyún Xiǎoshì can take a magic treasure or other equivalent valuable?” someone immediately asked.

Chē Zhūzi nodded: “Of course, of course! What I say is as good as gold, absolutely true!”

“Alright then, I’ll go first!” The cultivator who had asked earlier took the lead.

The other cultivators, realizing what was happening, rushed into the gate one after another.

Níng Zhuō secretly found it amusing: “The hired shill’s acting is a bit rough.”

However, this time he was wrong.

This was truly not a shill.

Hidden deep within the cave, Pánsī Niángzi (Spider Silk Maiden) was secretly thrilled: “Here he comes, that little brat Níng Zhuō, finally I’ve lured him in.”

“It’s worth it that I had Chē Zhūzi directly send out the message, using heavy rewards to motivate cultivators to participate in the Xīngyún Xiǎoshì!”

“Come on, quickly come in!”

Pánsī Niángzi licked her crimson lips, her eyes filled with malice.