Chapter 843: Assessment of the Sound Mage

Chapter 825: Demonic Musician Assessment (Combined Chapter)

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"What's wrong?"

Vice Principal Ning was stunned, having never expected his old friend to be so furious. He and Principal Jiang had been acquaintances for no less than five hundred years, and he had never seen Jiang so angry about anything. Even when a direct disciple committed a grave error and was expelled from the sect, Jiang's expression remained unchanged. But now, he was cursing without regard for his status. What on earth had happened?

As the zither music ended, all the immortal cranes flying in the sky landed on the ground, each one letting out a long cry towards the sky, appearing joyful as if they had accomplished something.

"Principal, did you have a breakthrough, or not...?" Vice Principal Ning couldn't help but look over.

Demonic Music, unlike the top-tier professions, requires a breakthrough in cultivation to reach a higher level. It's very straightforward and doesn't require much thought.

The other party's zither music had attracted so many immortal cranes, which clearly indicated an increase in their realm. Yet, for some reason, Vice Principal Ning felt that the artistic conception of the music remained stagnant, leaving him puzzled.

"Breakthrough my foot!" Principal Jiang stood up, roaring like a lion, wishing he could tear the young man nearby to shreds.

"No breakthrough? Then why are these immortal cranes...?" Vice Principal Ning was utterly confused. No breakthrough... yet only six immortal cranes should be able to fly at once for a Demonic Musician – that's an immutable rule. How could sixteen be flying together?

"Why? He tamed my immortal cranes..." Jiang Qingqin felt like he was about to explode. He had genuinely believed the other party's confident assertion that he could help him achieve a breakthrough. To his shock, this fellow, using some unknown method, had tamed his ten remaining immortal cranes in the blink of an eye. Tamed spirit beasts only obey their master's commands, so naturally, if he told them to fly, they would fly...

"He can do that...?" Vice Principal Ning's vision also swam, and he nearly fainted. The Principal's 'seven cranes dancing' referred to a breakthrough in realm. What good is it if you just tame some immortal cranes? Taming immortal cranes and making them fly... If that represented a realm, I could make hundreds of them fly together...

"Principal Jiang, you just said that if I could make seven immortal cranes fly, you'd give me Phoenix Tree Marrow. Now sixteen are flying together... You're not trying to renege on your promise, are you?!" Zhang Xuan frowned, surprised that the other party was not only displeased but also angry after he had painstakingly made so many immortal cranes fly simultaneously.

"Renege...? Renege my foot!" His teeth nearly shattered from clenching, and Jiang Qingqin was practically insane. He had seen shameless people before, but never one so utterly shameless. "You're deliberately misinterpreting, aren't you? My intention was for you to help me achieve a breakthrough, yet you... you tamed the immortal cranes... You didn't complete the task at all, and you're still asking me for Phoenix Tree Marrow..."

"Vice Principal Ning, please arbitrate this for me. Didn't he just say that if seven cranes flew, he'd give me Phoenix Tree Marrow? Does being a Principal mean he can bully people?" Zhang Xuan scoffed, surprised that a dignified Master Teacher would resort to cursing.

"Well..." Vice Principal Ning's mouth twitched. What his old friend had said was, "If your zither music can make seven immortal cranes dance simultaneously... I will give you the Phoenix Tree Marrow!" While the intent was an improvement in the artistic conception of the music... literally speaking... the other party was indeed correct! Now, not only seven but sixteen cranes had flown. Could he really try to deny it?

"Teacher Zhang," Vice Principal Ning said after a moment of hesitation, "the 'seven cranes' Principal Jiang mentioned refer to the realm of cultivation... That's a common phrase among Demonic Musicians. You tamed the immortal cranes using a beast tamer's methods, which is different from demonic music. You can't just bring beast-taming abilities to the Demonic Music Academy... and expect to exchange them for things, can you! Bullying people? You're the one bullying us! He was talking about realm, and you're taming beasts... That's not how it works!"

"Oh!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head, only then understanding. He had thought that making the immortal cranes fly was all that mattered and not a big deal, but now it seemed it wasn't that simple. There was a misunderstanding in the language. No wonder... He had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy!

"Realm improvement... you should have just said so! In that case... where is your Demonic Music Academy's library? May I go in and take a look for a while?" Zhang Xuan said after a moment of hesitation. He could make not just seven, but even a thousand immortal cranes fly together. However... making a peak six-star Demonic Musician's realm improve, that he couldn't do. He must first read books.

"Library?" Vice Principal Ning found it strange to hear him say this for the second time.

"Yes... I can discern some aspects of Principal Jiang's situation, but there are still things I can't quite figure out. If I review some materials, I might have a flash of inspiration and know how to resolve it!" Zhang Xuan said. The Heaven's Path Library can identify flaws, but without the corresponding knowledge, it's impossible to solve them. Only by reading books and raising his own realm to the same or even higher level as the other party could he easily resolve the issue. However, he couldn't state this directly; otherwise, he would surely be dismissed as a lunatic. He could only play dumb.

"This..." Vice Principal Ning looked at the Principal, who still hadn't calmed down. "Should we let him go to the library?" He couldn't help but transmit a message.

"If reading books could solve my problem, why would I have been stuck for five hundred years?" Jiang Qingqin didn't believe it at all.

"Then I'll refuse him..." Vice Principal Ning said.

"Don't be hasty..." Jiang Qingqin said. "Going to the library to read isn't a big deal! How about this... tell him it's not impossible to let him go, but if he still can't help me improve my realm, then the matter of the Phoenix Tree Marrow is closed! Also... he can read, but he's not allowed to cause any trouble or damage anything inside!"

The books in the library are meant for people to read; whether he reads them or not isn't a big deal. As long as he doesn't cause trouble, it's fine. He also had some reverence for this fellow, who seemed to constantly want to challenge trials and undergo assessments.

"Alright!" Vice Principal Ning nodded and conveyed the message to Zhang Xuan.

"Don't worry, I definitely won't cause any trouble..." Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that he could read.

"The library is right behind here. I'll take you there!" Seeing him agree, Vice Principal Ning led the way.

Knowing that reading would take a considerable amount of time, Zhang Xuan told Sun Qiang to return to their residence first, while he followed behind the Vice Principal. The Demonic Music Academy's library was far inferior to those of the Alchemist and Physician Academies, being only comparable to the Gliding Dance Academy's. With the Vice Principal leading the way, one could enter without needing academic credits.

"Thank you, Vice Principal..."

Entering, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up at the sight of the densely packed books before him.

"You can stay here. If you need anything, you can send someone to tell me!" Knowing there was nothing else to do while Zhang Xuan read, Vice Principal Ning raised his hand in farewell.

With a nod, Zhang Xuan paid no further attention and fixed his eyes on the densely packed bookshelves before him. Having gained the ability to absorb knowledge by simply looking at books, he no longer needed to laboriously flip through each one. He concentrated intensely, his eyes sweeping across the books one after another. Innumerable books from the Demonic Music Academy flowed into his mind. This library, like the one at the Gliding Dance Academy, saw hardly any students throughout the day. Zhang Xuan was content with the peace and quiet, ensuring he wouldn't cause a sensation.

One, two... a hundred, two hundred... a thousand, two thousand... A few hours later, he had finished reading almost all the millions of books in the entire library. He gained a deeper understanding of demonic music, and a Heaven's Path secret art for levels one to six smoothly formed in his mind.

"Study!"

Seeing that there was still no one in the library, and too lazy to move further, he found a spacious spot, sat down cross-legged, immersed his consciousness in his mind, and began to study from the first star. Three hours later, he exhaled a mouthful of stale air.

Now, his comprehension of demonic music had already reached the six-star level; even compared to Principal Jiang Qingqin before, he was only stronger, not weaker.

"Since he had reached the six-star Demonic Musician level... he might as well take an assessment!" Having reached this realm, it was only natural to undergo an assessment. To be assessed as a six-star Master Teacher, one needed to be proficient in six auxiliary professions, with each reaching the six-star level. He had already reached this level in four professions: Artifact Forger, Physician, Alchemist, and Gliding Dance Master. He still needed two more. Since he had already studied demonic music and had the opportunity, he might as well take the assessment for it too.

He stepped out of the library, looked around, and walked straight towards the Demonic Music Pavilion, where Demonic Musicians were assessed.

The Demonic Music Pavilion was different from the Physician Tower; it was a circular venue, much like a rooftop in his previous life. Those wishing to assess as Demonic Musicians needed to sit in the very center and play music. The echoes from the walls would reverberate, soaring into the sky, attracting the immortal cranes kept within the academy to linger around. Their rank would then be determined by the number of immortal cranes attracted.

Arriving at a room outside the circular venue, he saw a young man from the Demonic Music Academy napping on a table. He was likely a work-study student responsible for the Demonic Music Pavilion assessments.

"Senior, I'd like to assess as a Demonic Musician!" Coming closer, Zhang Xuan cupped his fists.

"Assessing as a Demonic Musician?" Rubbing his eyes, the young man glanced at him. "What rank?"

"I've never been assessed before; I plan to start from one-star..." Zhang Xuan said.

"Assessing from one-star? Alright, this is the music score for the one-star assessment. You must choose a piece from it. Go in; as long as immortal cranes appear, the Demonic Music Pavilion will automatically determine if you pass!" The young man said, taking out a music score from the room. To assess as a Demonic Musician, specific musical pieces are used. As long as one can perform at a one-star level with the chosen music, it counts as a pass.

"Alright!" Having read many books, he already knew the assessment rules. Zhang Xuan didn't say much more, scratching his head. "Uh... I don't have a zither yet. Could I borrow one?"

"No zither? If you don't have a zither, what are you here to assess...?" The young man's eyes widened. For a Demonic Musician, a zither is like chopsticks for eating or a pen for writing. "You don't even have one, and you want to be assessed... What kind of joke is this?! Learning to play the zither without even owning one, and wanting to take an exam? That's not how you make a joke!"

"Uh... I remember that if someone assessing as a Demonic Musician doesn't have a suitable zither, the Demonic Music Academy can temporarily lend one..." Zhang Xuan said. After reading so many books, he already knew the academy's regulations like the back of his hand. If an assessor doesn't have a zither, the academy can lend one for use, which doesn't violate regulations.

"We can lend you one..." the young man said, looking at him in confusion. "But the academy's zithers aren't high-grade to begin with. They're mostly ancient antiques that have been stored for who knows how many years and will break with just a little force. Using one for the assessment could easily affect your results... Are you sure you want to use it?" The academy's zithers, like public weapons, were mass-produced without any technical sophistication. Furthermore, having been unused for many years, they were dilapidated, and it was hard to say if they could even be used. Using one for the assessment... would greatly reduce the chances of passing. Precisely because of this, many people were unwilling to use them.

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded. It was certainly too late for him to buy a zither now; buying one would require various adaptations and be incredibly troublesome. Moreover, he didn't use one much normally, so he might as well use the academy's public one to avoid unnecessary hassle.

"Alright then!" Seeing that he had encountered someone seemingly fearless, the young man raised an eyebrow, walked into the depths of the room, and before long, returned with a very ordinary ancient zither and a few spare strings. "Use it carefully. These are spare strings; if one breaks, you can replace it easily... You have one hour. If you don't attract a single crane within that hour, it means you haven't passed, and you can leave!" The young man said indifferently. He didn't have high hopes for this guy at all. Who studies demonic music without even owning a zither? Not having a zither implied his skill wasn't great, and there were always people like him who came to freeload on the excitement every year.

"Understood!" Taking the ancient zither and paying the required assessment fee, Zhang Xuan stepped into the Demonic Music Pavilion. The Demonic Music Pavilion assessment, which used immortal cranes to determine ranks, used fewer formations. Furthermore, not many people usually underwent assessment, so it didn't require academic credits, only some spirit stones.

Walking along the passage deeper inside, he found himself surrounded by thick, layered walls engraved with special patterns. Zither music played against these walls would be reflected outwards, forming a huge thunderous sound. This sound could only be heard by immortal cranes, prompting them to dance.

There was no one else in the entire Demonic Music Pavilion, and Zhang Xuan was glad for the solitude. It wasn't long before he reached the innermost circular platform. With a flick of his wrist, he placed the ancient zither on the stand. As his finger touched the music score, the assessment piece entered his mind.

"A very simple piece..." He lightly smiled. Having learned the six-star Heaven's Path Demonic Music, he was, at this moment, only stronger, not weaker, than Principal Jiang in terms of demonic music. The piece used for a one-star assessment was utterly simple for him.

"Let's try the ancient zither..." He placed his finger on the strings and lightly strummed. A clear sound immediately rang out, producing a tinkling noise like spring water hitting rocks. Although the quality of this ancient zither provided by the academy was a bit inferior, it was still usable.

"Let's begin!" Since it was just an assessment, Zhang Xuan had nothing to worry about. He calmed his mind and contemplated, his fingers gently plucking the strings, and the zither music from the score immediately flowed forth.

***

Demonic Music Academy, Principal's residence.

"He read... He didn't cause any commotion, did he?" Jiang Qingqin couldn't help but ask, seeing his old friend enter the courtyard.

"No..." Vice Principal Ning shook his head. To be honest, he had been a bit worried earlier and hadn't gone far after leaving the library, observing for several hours. Only when he found no incidents had occurred did he finally relax.

"That's good then..." Jiang Qingqin breathed a sigh of relief.

"However..." His brow furrowed, and Vice Principal Ning hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Qingqin quickly looked over. To be honest, this fellow's notorious reputation made him jumpy.

"He... after finishing reading this morning, went to the Demonic Music Pavilion. If I'm not mistaken, he must have gone to assess as a Demonic Musician!" Vice Principal Ning said.

Jiang Qingqin's face twitched. "Doesn't he know nothing at all? Assess as what kind of Demonic Musician?"

"I'm not clear either..." Vice Principal Ning recounted what he had seen, frowning. "Fearing he might cause damage, I secretly followed him and observed from outside, and discovered... that all fifteen immortal cranes responsible for assessments actually flew in one after another and never came out!"

The Demonic Music Pavilion also kept some immortal cranes for Demonic Musician assessments, a total of fifteen.

"All flew in? Even if he were assessing for a six-star Demonic Musician, six would be enough. What are all fifteen doing flying in?" Jiang Qingqin asked, puzzled. To assess for six-star, only six immortal cranes are needed, yet all fifteen flew in... "Why does that sound so preposterous?"

"I don't know what's going on either, so I came to discuss it with you..." Vice Principal Ning nodded.

"Discuss? What is there to discuss? Go quickly and see! This guy wouldn't have killed all the immortal cranes and roasted them, would he...?" Recalling the various strange things the young man had done before, Jiang Qingqin's face turned ashen. Unable to bear it any longer, he abruptly stood up. Just as he was about to go and see with his old friend, he heard the courtyard gate nearby creak open, and a head poked in.

"Uh... Principal Jiang, I want to assess as a Demonic Musician, but... there aren't enough cranes. Could you lend me a few?" Zhang Xuan's embarrassed voice rang out.

"Lend a few?" Jiang Qingqin stumbled, and Vice Principal Ning's eyes widened. Not enough cranes...? Those were a full fifteen... which have been enough for the Demonic Music Academy's assessments for so many years. How are they not enough for you?

"What... what on earth did you do?" The two principals were so depressed they were almost crying.