Chapter 43: What's Meant by Fate!

  "The abacus is calculated so precisely, it's no wonder Master will choose you as his successor!" Mu Tian'en curled his lip, wanting to say something else, but seeing Xiao Yun staring at him, he swallowed his words back. If he refused, it would make himself appear too petty in front of his junior. He spoke directly to Xiao Yun, "Jiuxiao was a gift from our master, an extreme treasure among ordinary treasures, even surpassing some musical treasures. In the future, when it's in your hands, you must use it well."

  "If one day you have a successful cultivation of the Nine Heavens, you can refine it into a Musical Treasure, and your ranking will naturally rise." Xie Tianxi said.

  "Thank you, Master! Thank you, seniors!"

  Xiao Yun heard this and was overjoyed, never expecting that a folk song could be exchanged for the Nine Heavens. Seeing Mu Tian'en's stifled expression, Xiao Yun felt a hint of schadenfreude in his heart.

  Jiuxiao is much better than Tongmu, ever since he secretly used it last time, he has been thinking about it, but Mutian En guards it tightly and doesn't let him touch it. Now, he actually takes it out and exchanges a common tune with himself, if this gets spread around, I'm afraid no one will believe it.

  Mu Tian'en shook his head, looking somewhat displeased. Xiao Yun put the matter of Jiuxiao Qin aside and asked, "Master, what's this opportunity you mentioned earlier? Is there a way to change the disciple's musical foundation?"

  Xie Tianxi stroked his beard and said, "The method does exist, but it's extremely obscure."

  "Please show me the way!" Xiao Yun cupped his hands, as long as there was hope, he wasn't afraid of the vastness.

  Xie Tianxi said, "Legend has it that there is a kind of spiritual treasure called Zu Yin Guo. If a low-ranking disciple takes it, he can change his innate talent. However, this fruit is very rare and we have only heard of it, but never seen it."

  "What's Zuyin fruit? Where can I find it?" asked Xiao Yun.

  "In our great Xia State, there is a place where it's said that such fruits exist," Xie Tianxi said.

  "Where is it?" Xiao Yun asked impatiently.

  Xie Tianxi said, "The Heavenly Music Continent has eight countries and nineteen continents. Each country has a sacred site, which is the foundation of the country's establishment. It was left behind by the sages of past dynasties and contains endless wealth, including heavenly materials, treasures, immortal fruits, spiritual grasses, divine music, and even ancient relics can be found within. Our Great Xia Kingdom also has a sacred site, located east of Huangzhou, in the Donglan mountain range."

  "Is there a Zuyin fruit in the sacred land?" Xiao Yun's eyes lit up, if that was the case, then he would have to go and try his luck.

  Xie Tianci nodded firmly, "Definitely!"

  Xiao Yun was taken aback for a moment, then bowed to Xie Tianxi, "Master, the disciple wants to ask for leave for a few days..."

  Xie Tianci cut off Xiao Yun's words with a wave of his hand, "The Holy Relic is protected by a large array, and it only opens once every hundred years. Even if you go now, it's useless!"

  "What?"

  Xiao Yun's eyes widened in shock, hardly daring to believe her own ears. One hundred years? How could she possibly wait that long?

  Xie Tianci smiled, "The sacred mark of our Great Xia Kingdom was opened by several ancient music gods. The great formation has been blessed by the sages of each generation and will only open once every hundred years, for a period of fifteen days."

  Xiao Yun's heart sank, and in another hundred years, he would probably be old and dead, so what was the point of talking about entering sacred realms to find ancestral sounds?

  Xie Tianxi said, "Every time the Holy Ruins are opened, the Xia Emperor will hold a grand ceremony to worship heaven. From all the major and minor sects of the Xia Kingdom, ten sects will be chosen to enter the Holy Ruins for training. However, due to the strong suppressive power of the great array in the Holy Ruins on those who cultivate music, cultivators who have reached the Musician Realm are unable to enter. Therefore, the selected sects will choose their most outstanding disciples to participate!"

  When saying these words, Xie Tianci kept staring at Xiao Yun, as if there was a hidden meaning.

  At this time, Mu Tianen interrupted, "You little guy is lucky, this year happens to be the 100th anniversary, and our Tianyin Sect was also selected. The top ten disciples of this Elite Conference have the qualification to enter the Donglan Holy Trace for training. August 15th is the day when the Holy Array opens."

  "In other words, I also have this qualification?" Xiao Yun heard this and was like being hit on the head by a pie from the sky, somewhat disbelieving, thinking he still had to wait for a long time, but unexpectedly it was only more than half a month.

  Reminded of what Mù Tiān'ēn said earlier, this elite conference is different from all the previous ones, could it be referring to this?

  Xie Tianci nodded slightly, "In the Holy Land, crises are lurking everywhere, and there are dangerous formations laid out all over the place. If I tell you that once you enter, your life will be in danger, would you still go?"

  Xiao Yun was taken aback for a moment, then nodded seriously, "Why not go, if we can really find the Zu Yin fruit, no matter how dangerous it is, I'll try."

  He smiled with satisfaction, "Well said, a great man standing in the world, how can he live a mediocre life?"

  Xiao Yun's eyes lit up, "Elder, what does the Ancestral Sound look like? How do we find it after entering the Sacred Realm?"

  Xie Tianxi shook his head, "We've never been inside, so it's pointless to ask us. However, someone did find the Zu Yin fruit in the Holy Ruins before. I only know that this fruit blooms once every 500 years and bears fruit once every 500 years, with only seven fruits each time. When mature, it has seven flowers, seven leaves, and seven fruits, corresponding to gold, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and thunder. The fruit has a seven-colored halo and is extremely rare. As for where exactly in the Holy Ruins, I don't know either. You'll have to search for it yourself."

  "Zu Yin fruit trees love to listen to beautiful songs, the melody can make it bloom, and it's said that the fragrance of Zu Yin flowers is very strange. If the song sounds good, the scent will be fragrant, if the song sounds bad, it'll smell unbearable. The better or higher the level of the song, the stronger the fragrance it emits, and the farther it spreads. Later, when you enter the Holy Realm, you can use this to lure it out!" Mu Tian'en interrupted.

  "Is this still a fruit tree?" Xiao Yun heard the words, couldn't help but be somewhat astonished. A mere fruit, actually likes to listen to music, truly a legendary wonder of the ages. Could it be that the fruit has become a spirit?

  "Zu Yin Guo is the spiritual root of heaven and earth, it naturally has its own special place. These are just what we've heard from others, whether they're true or not, still depends on your own exploration. I heard that you were enlightened by a heavenly music, at that time, you can try to use that melody to summon it, if you have the opportunity, you should be able to bring it out." Xie Tianxi said.

  "Mu Tian En said, 'Where the spiritual roots of heaven and earth grow, there must be hidden dangers. When you go, be careful, you have 15 days to find the Zu Yin fruit, it depends on your luck. If you can't find it, then you'll have to wait another hundred years.'"

  "I will definitely find Zuoyin fruit." Xiao Yun nodded his head firmly, not saying whether he could wait another hundred years or not. Even if he did wait, the opportunity to enter the Holy Realm might not fall on him again. So, this might be his only chance, and he must grasp it well.

  "Alright, you can go now. Remember to report to the Elite Academy tomorrow and don't forget to bring that song of yours!" Xie Tianxi instructed Xiao Yun.

  "Yes, disciple is leaving!"

  Putting aside the distractions in her mind, Xiao Yun bowed slightly to Xie and Mu, intending to turn around and leave. Thinking that she would soon be able to escape Mu Tian'en's clutches, enter the Elite Academy as a disciple, and no longer have to do those menial tasks like fetching water and chopping firewood, Xiao Yun felt a thrill of excitement in her heart.

  "I think he won't need to go to the Elite Academy anymore, from now on, just stay with me, and I'll take care of him personally, better than anyone else." Mu Tianen's cold words suddenly dropped Xiao Yun's excited heart from the clouds to the bottom of the valley.

  "Huh?" Xie Tianci was taken aback and turned to Xiao Yun, "What do you think?"

  "I, this..." Xiao Yun's face showed a difficult expression, and she had the intention of refusing.

  Mu Tianen glared at him with a fierce gaze and said directly, "What's with all the 'this' and 'that'? From now on, you'll just follow me, that's settled. What do you think Elite Academy is, some great place?"

  "Huh?"

  Xiao Yun's face turned somewhat bitter. This old man was really too overbearing! He had gone to such great lengths, wasn't it all just to escape this old man's clutches? Who would have thought that in the end it was all for nothing, and with just one sentence from the old man, he was caught again.