Chapter 117: The Zither Melody
"They seem very afraid of you!"
Lin Feng carefully examined Wen Aoxue, as if trying to discern something from that face as beautiful as a woman's. A man as handsome as a woman, yet capable of inspiring fear in others.
"Perhaps it's reverence," Wen Aoxue said with an indifferent smile.
At this moment, Lin Feng and the others stopped, noticing that the area around them was noticeably less crowded than elsewhere. Clearly, it was because of Wen Aoxue.
"The General Star test is the same every year, not too difficult. You shouldn't have a problem. And since the desire to become a General Star is the strongest, our faction is the most powerful among the three major factions of Heavenly One Academy. Every year during these few days when the academy recruits, many people come here to take the test, including senior students from our General Star faction. They want to see how much they've improved."
As the crowd in the square gradually grew, Wen Aoxue spoke softly to Lin Feng.
"The test content... it wouldn't be listening to him play a zither, would it?"
Lin Feng looked at the figure seated up front, both hands resting on the zither, his eyes slightly closed.
"That's right. The test content is to listen to him play a piece," Wen Aoxue said with a smile.
A flicker of doubt crossed Lin Feng's eyes. A test... by listening to music?
Duan Feng and Jing Yun were also slightly surprised. Listening to music—how could that be a test?
Only Meng Qing remained as indifferent as ever, her exposed, city-toppling eyes utterly calm, as if nothing concerned her.
"You'll understand soon enough," Wen Aoxue said, seeing their puzzled expressions without explaining further.
The crowd in the square grew larger and larger. Before long, over two hundred people had gathered.
Some of those arriving later saw Wen Aoxue and Lin Feng, their expressions tightening as they murmured, "It's him. He chose our General Star faction too."
"Heh, this guy has both talent and strength, and he's arrogant enough. He crushed the prestige of those noble brats. Worth getting to know. I wonder if he'll pass the test."
"No problem at all. You saw it too—he easily defeated Bai Ze, dared to slap Zuoqiu and Bai Ze, and talked back to the teacher. His courage and willpower shouldn't be an issue."
These were the same people who had confronted the noble disciples outside Heavenly One Academy. Having witnessed Lin Feng's strength and courage, they held a certain respect for him.
Those willing to become General Stars were not lacking in hot-blooded, upright individuals.
Just then, the man seated at the front opened his eyes, sweeping his gaze over the crowd. His look was gentle and serene, giving people a very comfortable feeling.
"Alright, today's test will begin. Those who miss it can come back tomorrow for the test," said the middle-aged zither player, his voice carrying a quiet calm. "Senior students to the sides, newcomers sit in the middle."
The crowd nodded slightly. The senior students walked to both sides and sat down. The newcomers, some knowing the rules, also sat cross-legged on the ground.
"Now, just sit down and listen carefully to a piece of music," Wen Aoxue said with a smile to Lin Feng and the others, then walked off to the side.
"Let's sit down too," Lin Feng said to the group, and like everyone else, he sat cross-legged on the ground.
"Alright, I'll begin."
The middle-aged man placed his hands on the zither. His delicate, slender fingers began to dance across the strings, and a series of melodious notes drifted out from the ancient instrument.
But Lin Feng's gaze fell on those hands—white and delicate, fingers long and slender, very much like Wen Aoxue's hands!
One note after another leaped from the zither, floating outward. The atmosphere grew increasingly tranquil and harmonious.
Before long, the entire square fell into utter silence. Apart from the sound of the zither, there was no other noise.
In this peaceful melody, many people slowly closed their eyes, quietly enjoying this stillness, this serenity.
It was as if they were standing on an open expanse of land, breathing fresh air, their hearts wandering freely.
Lin Feng's eyes gradually began to close. But at that moment, his heart involuntarily trembled. A cold, indifferent feeling arose from the depths of his soul, instantly making him much more alert. His gaze sharpened.
"Hypnosis!"
Lin Feng's eyes flickered, his heart growing cautious. This melody actually had a hypnotic effect, making people fall asleep without realizing it, directly influencing their spirit.
"How formidable. This must be a form of martial arts too. I wonder what mysteries this piece holds," Lin Feng thought to himself.
Then he closed his eyes, allowing himself to sink into this hypnotic state. He wanted to see just how powerful this music really was.
Perhaps because the melody was too powerful, or perhaps because Lin Feng deliberately let it happen, he soon truly entered the artistic conception of the piece.
On a vast, boundless land, he stood alone, breathing the air, feeling incredibly refreshed.
But then, the thunderous roar of horse hooves shook the heavens and earth, carrying a chilling, murderous aura.
Soon, he found himself flanked by thousands upon thousands of riders charging wildly, swinging their cold, gleaming blades, charging to kill each other.
Icy blood splattered onto his face.
Severed arms and broken limbs fell before him, even striking his body.
Worse still, a bloody head flew straight toward him, its wide-open eyes still filled with unwillingness and resentment.
Before long, his body was drenched in blood. Beneath his feet was a river of blood. Around him were mountains of corpses—lives that had been vibrant just moments ago, their blood still flowing.
The setting sun gradually descended. The cries of women echoed in his ears. They carried their children, searching through the crowd, through the sea of blood, for the bodies of their loved ones.
Cold moonlight bathed him. The howls of countless wronged souls rang in his ears. Bloody scenes kept flashing before his eyes.
At this moment, in the center of the square, many people opened their eyes. Some breathed heavily, some had cold gazes, some had bloodshot eyes. But without exception, all of them were drenched in cold sweat.
They had all been jolted awake by the scenes in the artistic conception. Looking around, they saw that some people's eyes were still closed, especially the senior students on the sides, who seemed completely immersed, their eyes tightly shut.
Lin Feng's back was also continuously drenched in cold sweat. Anyone who saw such hellish scenes couldn't remain completely calm. Moreover, within the artistic conception of the zither, everything felt as if it were happening right before their eyes—not an illusion at all. The artistic conception was too real.
A faint, cold sensation arose again from Lin Feng's body, making his mind tremble. He could feel the chill on his back.
"Illusion realm... such a powerful zither illusion realm."
Lin Feng snapped out of the artistic conception and opened his eyes. This zither music could actually implant scenes directly into a person's mind, making them sink into it, unable to extricate themselves. It was terrifying.
If the player were stronger and implanted even more horrifying scenes into people's minds, presenting them in the artistic conception, wouldn't it shatter their very spirit?
Looking around, Lin Feng saw that Duan Feng still had his eyes closed, but his body was twitching slightly. Jing Yun had already opened her eyes and was breathing heavily.
As for the others, many had woken up, while many still had their eyes closed, but their bodies were already reacting.
"This kind of test is indeed formidable," Lin Feng thought to himself, a strange smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
Earlier, because he had been immersed in the artistic conception, he hadn't thought much about it. But now that he thought about it, he immediately understood the purpose of the test. However, it seemed he had failed... He hadn't passed the test.
Sure enough, after a moment, the zither music finally stopped, and one by one, people opened their eyes.
The middle-aged man glanced at the crowd and said, "This test was for your willpower and endurance. If you couldn't endure the artistic conception and were jolted awake, then on a real battlefield in the future, your heart would also waver. Therefore, those who woke up, leave. You are not suited to become General Stars."
"Just as I thought." A bitter smile appeared on Lin Feng's face. It wasn't that he couldn't endure it and woke up—it was his martial soul that had jolted him awake, preventing him from fully sinking into the illusion.
Many people's eyes showed disappointment as they left one by one. They understood that staying was pointless. The scenes just now had made them question their own choice. Perhaps they really weren't suited to become General Stars.
The zither player slowly turned his gaze, finally settling on Lin Feng. He asked, "You, why haven't you left?"
"Hmm?" Those who knew Lin Feng were startled. Lin Feng hadn't passed the test?
Even Wen Aoxue showed a strange expression. Could Lin Feng's willpower really be so weak? Although the test wasn't easy, for someone with firm resolve, it shouldn't be too hard to pass. After all, though it felt real, it wasn't real. If he was jolted awake in the artistic conception, how could he charge across a battlefield?
"Teacher, I wasn't jolted awake," Lin Feng said with a bitter shake of his head.
As soon as he said this, he felt many contemptuous gazes on him. The teacher was no ordinary person—how could he be mistaken? Lin Feng didn't even have the courage to admit it. This behavior earned him their disdain.
"If you truly wish to become a General Star and are unwilling to give up, come again at this time tomorrow," the middle-aged man said calmly, not criticizing Lin Feng further.
"Tomorrow?" Lin Feng pondered. Tomorrow seemed to be the founding day of Snow Moon Holy Academy.
"Teacher, can I try again?" Lin Feng asked with a bitter shake of his head.
"How shameless can you be? Since the teacher has already given you a chance, why be so thick-skinned? Just come tomorrow," a coarse voice rang out, making Lin Feng's expression stiffen. The crowd also began pointing at him.
Lin Feng shook his head, smiling indifferently, and spoke again, "Please, teacher, give me one more chance."
The middle-aged man looked at Lin Feng with a peculiar glint in his eyes. He said softly, "Given your persistence and your current demeanor, you shouldn't have failed the test. Very well, I'll make an exception today and give you one chance."