Chapter 28: Survival in Despair

Though they had only met briefly and lacked any deep bond, Liu Yingfeng couldn’t stand by as the proud Tianyin Sect Master shamelessly helped her disciple suppress a mere mortal.

It was disgraceful.

Still, she wasn’t sure if the Sea Crystal Gem would even help him.

After all, the gap in cultivation between the two was like heaven and earth—Mo Xiaoyue possessed spiritual energy, and Lin Wuming had none.

At best, the gem might shield him momentarily from the overwhelming sound pressure, giving him a chance to breathe.

Its effect was similar to the call from Chu Biyue earlier—it might awaken the spirit, but not change the outcome.

Because the match was already tilted.

Mo Xiaoyue, a direct disciple of the Tianyin Sect Master, was thoroughly trained in merging spiritual energy with music—one of the sect’s specialties.

With her overwhelming cultivation, this was no longer a fair duel.

Zhong Xiao felt the same.

He had been stunned by Lin Wuming’s earlier dominance over Mo Xiaoyue despite having no cultivation.

He had assumed the boy had learned only a fraction of his master’s techniques, but now it seemed the boy had mastered much more—possibly sixty to seventy percent of them.

Still…

Zhong Xiao could only shake his head in regret.

Back in the day, his master had defeated the Tianyin Sect Master without relying on any spiritual energy.

Now, her disciple was using that very advantage to suppress a mortal—shameless beyond belief.

But since the rules didn’t forbid spiritual energy, he couldn’t interfere.

He could only pray for mercy from his master when the time came.

And as for the Tianyin Sect—they would certainly face consequences for this disgrace, whether openly or in secret.

Meanwhile, Lin Wuming was under immense pressure.

Though Mo Xiaoyue was far less skilled in technique, the sheer power of her spiritual energy crushed his every effort.

His strength was rapidly depleting.

“Senior Brother…”

Princess He Yingying, blind yet perceptive, sensed what was happening.

Her heart ached in frustration.

Her senior brother had always cared for her, but now, in his moment of crisis, she could do nothing.

Once again, she was powerless.

If only she hadn’t been born talentless—if only she had been favored, powerful, crowned heir—how different things would be…

She could only grit her teeth in helpless fury as Lin Wuming’s presence grew more unstable and weak.

Just as he was about to collapse, a blue gem—the Sea Crystal Gem—landed before him.

Without hesitation, he tucked it into his robes.

Instantly, a wave of clarity washed over him.

The oppressive spiritual sound, the crushing pressure—it all seemed to vanish, blocked by a serene, cooling force.

His mind sharpened.

Eyes closed, Lin Wuming resumed playing.

At the same time, tendrils of spiritual energy from the gem seeped into his body.

Though the gem held only a modest amount, to a mortal like him, it was vast.

As the energy circulated through him—guided by his internal technique—he calmed completely.

Suddenly, teachings from his senior sister that once seemed vague clicked into place.

The energy stabilized and coursed through his limbs.

In that moment, Lin Wuming broke through.

He opened his eyes—sharp, steady, and transformed.

Mo Xiaoyue, watching from across the stage, suddenly felt a chill.

Something about him had changed, though she couldn’t say what.

Then—he stopped playing.

The guqin fell silent.

Only her zither remained, loud and dominant.

“Hmph. Finally gave up? I guess I was overthinking it.”

Mo Xiaoyue scoffed, a smug smile on her lips.

But her triumph was short-lived.

As the tide of her spiritual zither surged forward to overwhelm him, Lin Wuming suddenly moved.

His fingers danced across the strings—

“Zhengzheng—!”

A thunderous chord burst forth, like ten thousand thunderclaps shaking the heavens.

Another stroke—sharp, like a blade being unsheathed.

Before Mo Xiaoyue could react, Lin Wuming unleashed a torrent of sound—bold, forceful, like the march of an army, a storm pressing down on a city.

The crowd turned pale.

“Ambush from Ten Sides”

—The battle tune had begun.

Her smile vanished.