Chapter 42: Sound Spirit?

  Xie Tianci and Mu Tian'en exchanged a glance, then turned to Xiao Yun and said, "The probability of a sudden change in one's root bone is low, but it does exist. For example, if you've encountered a life-or-death crisis or used a secret technique to forcibly defy the heavens and make changes, did you experience anything on your way to Baiyashan?"

  Xiao Yun heard this and his heart skipped a beat, "Could it be that the flesh body occupying Xiao Shan is himself, which led to the sudden change in his roots?"

  The more she thought about it, the more Xiao Yun felt that it was possible. Apart from this, Xiao Yun couldn't think of any other reason to explain her sudden change in temperament.

  Coming back to his senses, Xiao Yun nodded and said, "On the way to Baiyashan, my disciple got caught in a rainstorm, contracted pneumonia, and nearly lost his life."

  "It seems this is the reason!" Xie Tianci sighed.

  "Low-ranking cultivators with unstable roots may experience a great calamity that could lead to a sudden change in their roots, but others are either upgraded or downgraded, yet you're the only one who's gone from bad to none, truly a jinx!" Mu Tian'en shook his head and said.

  Xiao Yun fell silent for a moment before asking, "Master, is it possible that I have some issues with my cultivation, which is why the Five Notes Wheel can't detect my root bone?"

  Xie Tianci shook his head, "The Five Notes Wheel Disc test is based on innate talent, and has nothing to do with your cultivation method!"

  "Why?" Xiao Yun asked in puzzlement.

  Xie Tianci said, "The detection principle of the Five Sounds Wheel is to detect your perception of the sound spirit. Do you know what the sound spirit is?"

  "Sound spirit?"

  Xiao Yun seemed somewhat wooden and shook his head.

  Xie Tianxi said, "For those who cultivate music, from the breakthrough of Music Child to the realm of Music Worker, they need to condense their sound spirit. The sound spirit is divided into five spirits: Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zhi, and Yu. Once the sound spirit is formed, it will enter the main image of the Five Sounds God. At this time, the Five Sounds God Image can be said to have been given a soul. As the cultivation deepens, the sound spirit will slowly grow stronger. Until the realm of Music Ancestor, the sound spirit and the Five Sounds God Image are completely merged. At this time, the Five Sounds God Image can initially transform into the Five Sounds Split Body!"

  "Was it the Five Elements Division that the sect leader showed to all the disciples when he enlightened them yesterday?" Xiao Yun's face was filled with surprise, without his master's guidance, he had always been feeling his way through his cultivation, and as for what Xie Tianxi said, he had never even heard of it.

  Xie Tian nodded, his current realm was just barely able to merge the sound spirit and the five-tone god image, only initially achieving separation from the body. The separated five-tone clone was still very fragile and couldn't withstand strong attacks. To truly achieve separation from the body like an arm, one had to reach the Music Immortal Realm, and the separated clone had to undergo heavenly thunder refinement before it could be done.

  "The ability to sense the sound spirits is what we call the root bone, this ability has strengths and weaknesses, it's innate and hard to change. The sound spirits are divided into five types: Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zhi, and Yu; and four colors: red, green, orange, and yellow. If you have the ability to sense the Gong spirit, the Gong pillar on the Five Sounds Wheel will light up. If you can sense the Shang spirit, the Shang pillar will light up. A music cultivator, if he can't even sense the sound spirits, then he can only stay at the Music Child realm for his entire life." Xie Tianxi said.

  "You're a physique that's completely tone-deaf, you can't even sense any sound spirits, let alone condense and break through the music worker. So, shouldn't you know your situation now?" Mu Tian'en interrupted.

  "Huh?"

  Xiao Yun Zhang's mouth opened wide, his face turned somewhat pale, originally he thought it was because of his own cultivation of the Seven Sounds Way, so the Five Sounds Wheel couldn't detect his root bone, but now after listening to Xie Tianxi explain the principle of the Five Sounds Wheel, suddenly it was like a basin of cold water poured from head to toe.

  Since the Five Sounds Wheel has no reaction, it means that apart from Shao Gong and Shao Shang which cannot be determined, one has no perceptual ability for the other five sounds' auras. Without perceiving the aura, one cannot condense the aura, nor can they break through the music worker boundary.

  What can be done about it?

  The only remaining glimmer of luck was shattered by reality, and Xiao Yun could almost foresee how difficult his future cultivation path would be. Was he really destined to be trapped in the Music Child realm for the rest of his life?

  Perhaps by relying on melodies in memory, through moral cultivation? But if one can't condense their sound spirit, then what's the use of having great merit?

  In the blink of an eye, countless thoughts flashed through Xiao Yun's mind, and his expression on his face became increasingly desperate and lost. Xie Tianci and Mu Tianen's words were like a death sentence to him.

  "Right, Sect Master, didn't you just say that the method to change one's root bone, aside from going through a life-and-death calamity, also involves a secret art?" Xiao Yun was like someone grasping at a straw for survival; if his own root bone could be changed once, then there should be a way to change it back, right?

  Xie Tian nodded and did not hide from Xiao Yun, saying directly, "What you said is correct, my Tianyin Sect indeed has a secret technique that can change one's innate bones."

  Xiao Yun heard this and her eyes lit up immediately, rekindling hope.

  "But..."

  Right after a "but", Xiao Yun's excited expression immediately froze up.

  Xie Tianxi said, "However, this secret technique requires a master from the Le Xian realm to cast it, with at least thirty years of life as the price, and the success rate is less than half. My Tianyin sect can no longer find a master from the Le Xian realm."

  One sentence, and Xiao Yun's heart was once again crushed to the bottom. Not to mention that it's hard to find a master of Le Xian realm, even if you find one, what makes you think someone would spend thirty years of their life for you? Moreover, the success rate is less than half.

  "Hey kiddo, don't worry!" At this time, Mu Tian'en interrupted, "Do you still remember what I told you during the piano skills exam?"

  Xiao Yun was taken aback and suddenly looked up at Mu Tian'en, "Senior, you told me to keep a low profile, but after this, there's an opportunity waiting for me."

  Mu Tian'en nodded slightly, "But you're not being low-key at all."

  "Uh, I just casually picked a popular song." Xiao Yun said with a smile.

  "This vulgar tune almost ruined the spiritual palace of many of my disciples!" Xie Tianxi shook his head and sighed. At that time, many of those disciples had just been enlightened to become music children, and their spiritual palaces were still unstable. If it weren't for Mu Tian'en stopping him in time, the consequences would be unthinkable.

  Xiao Yun's face flashed with a hint of embarrassment, and he immediately asked, "Senior, what exactly is this opportunity you're talking about?"

  Mu Tian'en waved his hand, "This can wait for now. I'd rather ask you, where did that tune of yours come from?"

  "I did it!" His face didn't redden, nor did he gasp for air. As a plagiarist, he was still so brazen and confident that Xiao Yun could be considered the greatest of all time.

  "What are you doing? When did you compose such a strange melody?" Mu Tian'en asked in puzzlement. If it weren't for the fact that the tune was grand and majestic, although its style was unusually bizarre, there wasn't any hint of evil or demonic sound mixed in it. He and Xie Tianxi were almost about to suspect Xiao Yun of being a spy from some demonic sect.

  Xiao Yun said, "At that time I had originally prepared to play 'Youthful Years', but Senior didn't allow it. For a moment, I didn't know what to play, with so many people staring at me, my heart was nervous, and thus came the piece 'Nervous'!"

  The explanation was reasonable, and neither of them suspected anything. Since Tian Le Tong had no musical talent to begin with, it wasn't hard to understand that he could come up with some strange tunes. Mo Tian En said, "After we get back, write down the score and bring it over tomorrow. I'll study it carefully with the sect leader."

  "Huh, which song do you want?" Xiao Yun was somewhat taken aback.

  "What's wrong, are you still reluctant?" Mu Tian'en's eyes widened.

  "No!" Xiao Yun hastily shook her head.

  Xie Tian smiled and said, "A folk song that can unleash the power of a war song, this is our first encounter. You bring the score over, I won't treat you unfairly, how about exchanging it for the Jiuxiao Qin?"

  As soon as the words fell, Xiao Yun hadn't spoken yet, but Mu Tian'en had already stared out his eyes in disbelief, looking at Xie Tiangui with a smile all over his face. He actually used his own things to do favors for others, which was also too ridiculous.

  Xiao Yun looked at Mu Tian'en, he knew that this old man treasured the Jiuxiaoqin extremely, although Xie Tiangui was the master and his words were law, but would this old man be willing?