CHAPTER 46: 046 EARTH SOUND

Shi Feiyang was in deep seclusion within the cave, cultivating the Michen Banner and the thirty-six Golden Feather Divine Feather Arrows of Geng Peng until he could wield them with ease. He then delved into the study of the Cave Spirit Zither.

The Cave Spirit Zither was difficult to comprehend. The only approach was through the three hundred and sixty Golden Seals left by the Yellow Emperor at the base of Dinghu Peak.

These seals related to the Circulation of Heavenly Stars. Shi Feiyang had specifically designed his training room in the shape of a sphere when constructing it to simulate the entire celestial sphere.

He engraved all the known star positions on it, and then, based on temporal changes, deduced the correct way to utilize the Cave Spirit Zither.

He did not know that the zither was an Ancient Treasure, consequential and filled with infinite mysteries. Initially, when he strummed it, nothing much happened. However, as he gradually figured things out, a mishap occurred during his playing.

Beneath Wuding Island, there laid an oceanic Immortal Mansion left by an ancient immortal. This mansion housed not only Spiritual Medicines but also Magical Treasures.

Among these treasures was the Earth Cold Bell, forged from Star Sand and Cold Iron, bearing symbols of the Heavenly Stars.

The Xiankong Ancestor usually hid here, detesting exits and visits. Not only had he laid a dense array of nets around the Embroidered Qiong Plain, but also a few hundred miles of Xuan Ice Path and over ten thousand miles of Xuanming Realm, completely desolate and ice-sealed areas. He also set up numerous Prohibition Formations along the way to prevent outsiders from disturbing him.

Others entering from outside, affected by the Prohibition Technique in the sky, could not fly; they were forced to fly low or even walk. However, the brothers Geng Kun and Geng Peng were exceptions, proficient in all Heavenly Forbidden Techniques, and on good terms with Xiankong Ancestor, hence they could fly directly in.

From the Xuanming Realm to the Xuan Ice Path, and then to the Embroidered Qiong Plain, the central hub of all the Prohibition Formations was the Earth Cold Bell.

The bell usually stood outside the Shuanghua Palace. If there was an urgent matter, the duty disciple would strike it, summoning everyone in the Immortal Mansion to gather.

Since Shi Feiyang made a breakthrough, whenever he played the Cave Spirit Zither, the Earth Cold Bell resonated as well.

Shi Feiyang concealed deep within a cave hundreds of feet below, using many spells to seal it, thinking it was foolproof. While he cultivated the Magical Treasure and spells, the various radiant treasure energies indeed did not disperse. It was not that the spells were ineffectual, but rather that the Earth Cold Bell was unique. Whenever he struck a string, the bell resonated with the exact same pitch and frequency.

The residents of the Immortal Mansion, upon hearing the Earth Cold Bell, hurried over. Leading them were Ling Weisou and Zheng Yuan Gui, the first and second disciples of Xiankong Ancestor. They questioned the duty disciple about why the bell was struck and whether there was an external enemy.

The duty disciple protested, "Disciple did not strike the bell; it rang on its own."

Zheng Yuan Gui rebuked him, "Nonsense! This bell is an Ancient Treasure; how can it ring on its own? You must be lazy, dreaming while an enemy invades!"

The duty disciple knelt to accept the blame, "Disciple truly did not; the bell indeed rang by itself."

Zheng Yuan Gui wanted to continue, but the kindly Ling Weisou stopped him, "Since he doesn’t admit to ringing the bell, there must be something peculiar. Otherwise, if he summoned us all for no reason, wouldn’t he be admitting guilt himself?"

Zheng Yuan Gui said, "Then have him make it ring again for me to see."

The duty disciple gazed eagerly at the Earth Cold Bell, hoping it would ring again, but despite waiting, it remained silent.

At this moment, Shi Feiyang had already put aside the Cave Spirit Zither to refine the two inner cores.

The inner cores, merged with the Star Absorption Ball and Acquired Five Fire, underwent miraculous transformations. The water and fire energies between the two cores became viscous, almost glue-like, and many bright nebulae formed within, intertwining and resembling a unified entity.

He continued with alchemy for several days, and after regaining his senses, resumed refining the Cave Spirit Zither.

"Ding ding ding..." Inside the cave, the Cave Spirit Zither floated in midair as Shi Feiyang played it by casting spells from a distance through his heart.

"Dong dong dong..." Outside Shuanghua Palace, the Earth Cold Bell started ringing incessantly without any warning.

Soon, the disciples of Xiankong Ancestor had gathered again to check the situation, only to find that the treasure was indeed ringing non-stop. Ling Weisou expressed his concerns with worry, "There must be an intruder, let’s hurry and check it out."

Ling Weisou and Zheng Yuan Gui each led some disciples, first patrolling the embroidered Qiong plains, then passing through the nine checkpoints to enter the Xuanbing path, and moving further out through the ten thousand li of the Xuanming Realm, reaching the 3,600 li long Iron Barrier Ridge with great effort, but ultimately to no avail.

They returned to Xiankong Island frustrated, and the Earth Cold Bell stopped ringing. After a few days, it started ringing again...

Ling Weisou and the others were unclear about the situation and discussed among themselves. Some thought that a supremely skilled person was teasing them intentionally; some thought that Xiankong Ancestor was testing them; others thought the Earth Cold Bell was broken...

No matter how much they argued, they couldn’t figure it out.

After dozens of days, the Earth Cold Bell rang intermittently.

According to the rules set by Xiankong Ancestor, once the bell rang, they must gather here and also check for any intruders. The teachings of Xiankong Ancestor were very strict; no one was allowed to defy them, so they could only repeatedly gather, search outside, and return exhausted...

Zheng Yuan Gui lost his temper several times, wanting to release his Flying Sword to chop down the Earth Cold Bell!

Finally, the matter alarmed Xiankong Ancestor.

At first, Xiankong Ancestor didn’t believe it, but after seeing it for himself and exhibiting a surprised expression, he had his disciples bring a cushion and he sat in front of the Earth Cold Bell to meditate for several days and nights. He came to a conclusion:

"This bell was originally a legacy left by an ancient immortal, a Heavenly Treasure, the specifics of which even I cannot fully comprehend. It seems now that it must be linked to the Spiritual Space Immortal Realm where Purple Mansion Immortals are playing immortal music. This sound is indeed profound, only meant for the heavens; such a thing is rarely heard in the human world... It’s a great fortune for you all to hear it."

He paused, then said, "The immortals of the Spiritual Space Immortal Realm are incredibly sublime; even their casual performances contain the profound truths of the Heavenly Dao. Since you have this karmic connection, do not waste it. Sit well, listen carefully, and what you will ultimately realize depends on each individual’s perception and opportunity."

Meanwhile, Shi Feiyang was playing the "Guang Han Po Formation" inside the cave.

In the past, he had never learned any musical instrument. After trying for many days, he finally figured out the trick. The Cave Spirit Zither was not played with the limbs but with the heart— or perhaps, it was not "played" at all.

Zhuangzi talked about the Heavenly Sound, the Earth Sound, and the human sound.

Human sound involves instruments played by humans; no matter how skillful, it is limited by the player’s heart power and the instrument itself, far from the Dao.

Earth Sound uses the mountains, rivers, and all things in the world as instruments, with the changes of the sun, moon, and stars as the essentials, and the interaction of the weather and the earth’s energy as the performers. Once activated, it causes "all holes to roar," transforming the heavens and the earth.

Shi Feiyang finally understood why the Cave Spirit Zither could subdue demon beasts—it was due to the demons’ inherent awe of nature. He also knew why it could split rocks and open mountains, as once played, the rocks and mountains themselves became musical instruments...

After realizing this layer, many musical truths became self-evident to him, and there was no need for deliberate playing. With a thought, the Cave Spirit Zither would express his state of mind.

Although it was a zither, its twelve strings could automatically adjust and vary, producing different tones as if many instruments were playing together, like an orchestra.

After finishing the Guang Han Po Formation, he still felt unfulfilled, nearly stepping beyond the realm of human sound and about to enter the stage of Earth Sound. He played another piece, the "Yinghuo Landing Song."