Chapter 2271: Chapter 2268: Telepathy
"Flying is impressive, sonic attacks are impressive, right? Xuanxuan, let it taste your power." Lin Tian grinned, annoyed by the arrogance above his head.
Earlier, protecting the ancient zither and the fatty during the avalanche, the ancient zither remained unharmed. Under the curious gaze of everyone, Lin Tian took out the ancient zither and placed it in front of Xiao Manxuan.
Situ Yufeng curled his lip, dismissive, what could a mere ancient zither do.
Everyone was curious but didn’t stand out to oppose, just silently channeling their power to resist the Snow Eagle’s sonic attack.
Ding dong...
The clear and melodious sound of the zither began, sometimes like jade beads falling on a plate, sometimes like flowing water, sometimes like the sound of waves, melodious and rousing in various ways.
The zither sound reached their ears, and everyone felt a lightness, then tried not to use their power, and found they weren’t affected by the Snow Eagle’s cries.
"This..." The contestants were speechless, what was going on, could the zither sound resist sonic attacks?
Could it be that this girl has cultivated a "musical cultivation technique," using the zither as a weapon, just like Ancient Martial Artists use swords? But they’ve never heard of any musical cultivation technique.
No one answered their questions, Xiao Manxuan continued to play, while Lin Tian stood guard beside her. The zither sound gradually rose, spreading further and reflecting off the mountain walls, gathering strength.
The mountain walls also had a gathering effect on the zither sound, like the auditorium at Jinghua University, but the power at this moment far surpassed that day’s concert.
Xiao Manxuan seemed to merge with the zither, the sound coming from both the zither and her heart. The entire sky seemed to echo with the zither music, like a melody from Jiuxiao descending from the heavens.
The Snow Eagle soaring in the sky suddenly faltered mid-flight, tumbling twice, nearly falling. Its cries became more urgent, distressing, almost demonic.
No matter how it cried, as soon as the sonic wave transmitted down, it was nullified by the zither sound, causing it to fly lower and lower, as if summoned by the music.
The contestants were all stunned by this scene, the power of the zither sound was unprecedented and astonishing.
Seeing these people dumbfounded, Lin Tian found it amusing. They hadn’t seen the little girl confront the Evil Spirit Tide with just a zither, that was truly impressive and awe-inspiring.
Indeed, the zither sound Xiao Manxuan played had a kind of magic that penetrated the soul, deeply moving.
Under the influence of the zither sound, the Snow Eagle seemed to have completely lost itself, while Ji Zimo and the others placed their hands on their sword hilts, ready to draw their swords as soon as the Snow Eagle descended.
Suddenly, the Snow Eagle let out a mournful cry, like a blood-red wail, its massive wings fiercely flapping, soaring upward, fleeing rapidly into the distant mountains.
Everyone was silent for a while before coming back to their senses, unsure whether they were entranced by the zither sound or shocked by the confrontation with the Snow Eagle. This way of fighting was eye-opening.
Shen Lin, who had previously mocked Xiao Manxuan for bringing the zither, was now speechless; as a disciple of the Ancient Hidden Stream, he considered himself knowledgeable, yet he was proven wrong.
Everyone took a moment to rest and recover their strength, more importantly, to restore their spiritual power. This battle had put everyone under significant pressure. They hadn’t even reached Death Valley, yet had already faced death, almost annihilated.
They composed themselves and set off again, Lin Tian accompanying Xiao Manxuan and Yan Lingling, walking behind.
"Xuanxuan, did you hesitate just now?" Lin Tian asked softly.
The little girl stuck out her tongue, a bit embarrassed, "You noticed?"
As expected, Lin Tian understood, raising an eyebrow and smiling, "Others might not hear it, but we’ve fought side by side many times, how could I not? With your skill and the magic of the zither, you shouldn’t have made a mistake."
Xiao Manxuan blinked, looking at Lin Tian somewhat pitiably, "You won’t blame me, right? After all, the Snow Eagle almost took your life."
"The Snow Eagle wanted my life?" Lin Tian laughed, shaking his head, "Even if it caused an avalanche, it couldn’t take my life, so why would I blame you? But, can you tell me the reason?"
Hearing Lin Tian wasn’t angry, the little girl breathed a sigh of relief, a look of reminiscence appearing on her face as if savoring the recent battle.
After a while, Xiao Manxuan finally said, "I don’t know why, I suddenly felt an emotion, struggling, unwillingness. This emotion came from the Snow Eagle."
"You can communicate with the Snow Eagle?" Yan Lingling curiously asked, this was something Lin Tian also wanted to know.
Xiao Manxuan thought again, hesitating, "I don’t know, it’s like sensing Little Zi, suddenly feeling the Snow Eagle’s mind, sensing it had a kind of mission, driving its struggle for survival."
"It didn’t seem to attack me for no reason, but was trying to stop something," Xiao Manxuan said softly.
"Stopping us from going to Death Valley?" Lin Tian didn’t quite understand, then found it amusing, "A bird’s inner thoughts are quite rich, but if you can read a bird’s mind, wouldn’t reading a human’s mind be even more impressive."
"Is this what’s called the Mind Reading Technique? Then I’d better be careful, otherwise, it’ll be awkward if you find out I have vivid imaginations about Xuanxuan?" Lin Tian laughed.
"You’re so bad," the little girl seemed to understand the fantasies Lin Tian implied, her cheeks flushing with a maiden’s shyness, making one want to kiss her.
"Ay..." the little girl suddenly sighed, "The human mind is so complex, even with mind reading, you can’t truly read it, whereas the minds of animals are much simpler."
Little Bai walking leisurely nodded vigorously, clearly agreeing with Xiao Manxuan’s view.
"People’s minds are complex, but feelings are real. The emotions sensed through the heart are the truest," Lin Tian said calmly.
The little girl stared at Lin Tian with big watery eyes, seemingly trying to "read" Lin Tian’s mind, but failed. She doubted whether the sensations she felt earlier were an illusion.
Lin Tian waved his hand, broadly smiling, "Why overthink things, even if it’s just a Snow Eagle, even a Divine Beast, my goal wouldn’t change."
Lin Tian gradually quickened his pace, Little Bai following closely. As they moved north, the surrounding snow gradually lessened until it disappeared, as if they’d stepped out of the blizzard’s domain. The mountain walls had no glaciers, only rocks, yet it was still just as cold.
The crunching sound of feet on gravel reminded Lin Tian of the desolate Bone Wasteland in the Blood Sea, equally barren and full of hidden dangers.
"Look over there..." Yan Lingling suddenly shouted, sitting on the Snow Leopard’s back, her view always better than the others’.
However, Lin Tian also saw it. In the distance, two tall mountains appeared, with a valley wedged between them, the entrance several miles wide, looking inside, it seemed like another world.
As they advanced, everyone saw it, they all realized something, unable to hide their excitement, each one quickening their pace, soon reaching the valley’s entrance.