NABC Chapter 23 Phoenix's Cry and Dragon's Roar: A Mortal's Path Against Heaven
Chapter 23 Phoenix's Cry and Dragon's Roar: A Mortal's Path Against Heaven
On the shores of the East China Sea, the waves were high. The mornings on Sun and Moon Island weren't quiet; they were filled with sound: waves crashing against the rocks, wind whistling through the forest, and the sound of Xu Tianqi's zither. The music didn't sound like a person playing; it sounded like the heavens breathing. Xu Tianqi stood on a rock at the edge of a cliff, a bottomless ravine below, the rising sun behind him. He didn't turn around; the blue zither in his hands trembled slightly, light flowing from the strings and seeping into the air, disappearing from sight.
The music spread outwards. In the void behind him, the shadow of a large bird vaguely appeared. Blue. A blue sea phoenix. Its wingspan could cover half the sky. It wasn't real, but you felt it was when you looked at it. With each flap of its wings, the sea breeze grew stronger, mingling with the music, creating an indescribable pressure on the person.
Tang Wulin knelt on the beach ten meters behind him. It wasn't that he wanted to kneel, but that he couldn't stand. Sweat soaked his clothes, which clung uncomfortably to his body. This was his third day on Sun Moon Island. Three days had passed, and Xu Tianqi hadn't taught him a single soul skill. No practicing, no meditation, no cultivating soul power. He just sat there, listening to the wind, the sea, and the zither.
At first, he thought the music was beautiful, and listening to it calmed him down. But then something changed. The sound wasn't just beautiful anymore; it started to weigh on him. It wasn't the volume; it was something—he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was like someone was chiseling inside his head, tapping away. It didn't hurt, but he couldn't sit still.
"Teacher..." Tang Wulin couldn't hold back any longer, his voice hoarse, "I feel like my head is going to explode."
His mind was in turmoil. The Golden Dragon King, who had been asleep, was now awake, thrashing about in his sea of consciousness. It wasn't anger, but fear. There was something in Xu Tianqi's music that the Golden Dragon King feared. Deeper still, there was another mark, the shape of a trident, left by the Sea God Tang San. It didn't attack; it just gleamed there, like an eye, staring at the Golden Dragon King and also at Tang Wulin. Two god-king-level forces clashed in his small mind, neither giving way, threatening to tear his soul apart.
"Explode?" Xu Tianqi didn't turn around; his voice drifted over on the wind. "Then let it explode. No destruction, no construction. Your brain is too small to contain this dragon, nor that god. If it can't contain it, then tear down the walls, dig deeper into the earth, and poke a hole in the sky."
"But--"
"No buts." Xu Tianqi's fingers moved slightly on the strings, and the music suddenly quickened. The sound was like a hammer, each note striking Tang Wulin's heart. "The Golden Dragon King is powerful not just because of his strength, but because of his will. The Sea God is the same; he didn't sit there for so many years for nothing. You're like a beggar trying to control two emperors at once. If you don't get crushed, who will? To control them, you have to be tougher and more ruthless than them."
The music suddenly rose higher. A blue sound wave pierced Tang Wulin's forehead like a sword.
Tang Wulin cried out and rolled backward. Blood seeped from his nose, ears, and eyes.
Just as he thought he was about to faint, a different force suddenly entered his mind. It was cool, icy blue, not the violent force of the Golden Dragon King, nor the aloof force of the Sea God; it was broad and large, like a lid covering him. The raging golden dragon stopped. It sensed something within this force that it couldn't afford to offend, something greater than itself. The trident also shrank, enveloped by the blue light, unable to move.
In Tang Wulin's consciousness, he vaguely saw a figure. It was dressed in white, with its back to him. That person stretched out both hands and pressed the divine senses of the Golden Dragon King and the Sea God together, preventing them from moving. The movement wasn't forceful, but they simply couldn't move.
"Go to sleep. Leave this to me." The voice was gentle, not harsh.
Tang Wulin was still sweating, but the feeling that was about to tear him apart was gone. He lay there panting heavily, the dark gold in his eyes fading and returning to normal.
Xu Tianqi stopped playing the piano. He looked at Tang Wulin, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He wasn't surprised that someone had come to help, but rather that this person was who.
He muttered to himself softly. "So it was you. It seems the God of Emotions is even more protective than I thought. He himself was only a mortal who rose to power, yet he shows no mercy when it comes to suppressing the God-King."
Tang Wulin raised his head and looked at him weakly. "Teacher, who was that just now?"
"Who? Only you know." Xu Tianqi walked over, took out a pill from his pocket, and tossed it to him. "That's the gatekeeper in your mind, and also your greatest asset. Remember this feeling. In this world, besides power, there's something else that can suppress a god, and that's those connected to you."
Tang Wulin took the pill and swallowed it. He felt a warmth in his heart, unsure if it was from the medicine or something else. He didn't know who that person was, but he knew that person was protecting him.
"Rest for the night." Xu Tianqi turned to look at the sea. "Tomorrow we'll start practicing the second thing: physical ascension to sainthood. Your mind is being managed, but your body needs to be managed by yourself."
The thatched hut was dimly lit at night. Tang Wulin held a large bowl of fish soup and drank it quickly, rice grains sticking to his lips.
Xu Tianqi sat opposite him, holding a cup of tea. He watched Tang Wulin eat but said nothing.
"Teacher, aren't you going to eat?"
"I'm not hungry." Xu Tianqi shook her head and sighed. "Wu Lin, do you know why I took you away from Mingdu?"
Tang Wulin stopped moving and lowered his head. "Because Teacher Mo's experiment is too dangerous."
"That's only part of it." Xu Tianqi stood up and walked to the window. It was dark outside; the sea and sky were indistinguishable. "More importantly, your background is far more significant than you imagine."
Tang Wulin's heart skipped a beat.
"There are some things I shouldn't tell you now. But you should know one thing first. The taboo of the divine realm flows in your blood. The Golden Dragon King is not just about power; it represents a sealed history. Your father—" Xu Tianqi paused, then turned to look at him. "Your father is Tang San, the Sea God. One of the rulers of the divine realm. Your mother is Xiao Wu, a 100,000-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit who has undergone a transformation, and the Asura Sword Sheath."
Tang Wulin's mind went blank. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.
The son of the sea god? The son of the soft-boned rabbit?
"I know you don't believe me." Xu Tianqi looked at his expression, her tone not harsh. "But it's true. You possess the most essential part of the Dragon God. Your surname is Tang, the Tang of Tang San."
Tang Wulin stood there, his mind blank.
"To protect you, your father sent you to the mortal realm and placed seventeen seals on you. Your blood is the key to opening the gate to the divine realm. Now do you know why I took you away?" There was something indescribable in Xu Tianqi's voice, as if he had aged. "Because you yourself are like a gust of wind. You can't escape it; you can only stand in the middle."
Tang Wulin took a deep breath. He looked at Xu Tianqi, whose silhouette stretched long under the lamplight.
"Teacher, what should I do?"
Xu Tianqi turned around, and there was something in her eyes that wasn't fierce, but very calm.
"Become stronger. Strong enough to control your own life, strong enough to face your parents. From today onward, I will teach you the way to defy the gods. I am a mortal, but what I will teach you is how to use a mortal body to stand with the gods, and even—bring them down."
The zither in his hand lit up, and a beam of blue light shot up, piercing the night sky until its top was invisible.