Chapter 826: Five-Star Demon Musician

Back at the Demon Music Pavilion, as Zhang Xuan's zither music began, amplified by the surrounding walls, it grew louder and louder, shooting straight into the sky.

Chirp!

Not long after the sound rang out, a cry was heard, and a crane flew over, seemingly captivated by the beauty of the music, dancing gracefully.

Sure enough, one came...

His eyes lit up.

The arrival of a crane meant that his performance direction was correct, and he had already passed the one-star assessment.

Let me try to attract two...

Raising his eyebrows, he did not change the tune. With a shift in his state of mind, the second level of the Heavenly Dao Demon Music technique circulated within him, and the zither music turned cold and fierce.

Normally, each star assessment requires a corresponding piece. Zhang Xuan was too lazy to fetch one from outside; since this piece was decent enough, he decided to see how many stars he could achieve.

With the second-level technique in motion, his entire artistic conception rose to the second level, and the sound became even more resonant, evoking a sense of thousands of troops and horses.

Chirp!

The previously dancing crane, feeling the pressure of the sound, seemed to be attacked, let out a slightly frightened shriek, fell from the sky, and fainted.

This...

Hurrying over, he saw that the crane was only unconscious and not injured at its core. Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief but frowned.

Could it be... that this piece can't pass the two-star demon musician assessment?

Scratching his head: "Definitely not. Demon musician is a realm, not a piece... It should be that my realm has improved and doesn't quite match the piece. If all else fails, I'll just modify the tune!"

A piece, like the dance techniques of a Surprising Swan Master, is just a means; the important thing is the artistic conception.

It's like painting: as long as you reach the sixth realm, whether you paint grass or birds, it can be expressed; the rest is just a medium.

This situation isn't because the piece is bad, but because my realm has improved and doesn't fit the piece. Once I adjust it, it should be fine.

With his current insight and knowledge, modifying the piece wasn't troublesome. Before long, he had adjusted the original piece to match his realm.

He plucked the strings again.

Sure enough, before long, two more cranes flew over.

Seeing that it worked, he smiled lightly. Just as he was about to elevate his realm to three-star demon musician, the ancient zither under his hands changed pitch too quickly and couldn't hold up. With a crisp "crack!" a string snapped.

Experiencing a broken string for the first time, his power wasn't controlled well...

Thud! Thud!

Two more cranes lay on the ground, legs twitching, foaming at the mouth, eyes rolling white, seemingly full of reluctance.

They had just come to enjoy the music...

Uh...

Zhang Xuan's mouth twitched.

Having only just assessed for two stars, he had already knocked out three cranes. Probably in the history of the Demon Music Academy, he was the only one.

But honestly, it wasn't intentional; it was just that this ancient zither was of terrible quality.

This time, no problems...

He reattached the string, carefully studied the piece and the zither, ensured no further issues, and then continued playing.

The zither music sounded, and before long, three cranes flew over.

This time, he controlled it well and didn't harm the cranes. However, during the four-star assessment, he exerted too much force, and the string snapped again with a "crack!"

With the broken string, the four cranes that had been happily dancing followed in the footsteps of the previous ones, all falling to the ground.

The zither provided by the academy was of terrible quality. It was fine for the first three stars, but for the fourth star, it couldn't hold up.

Moreover, his soul was incredibly powerful, and as a beginner in demon music, he couldn't perfectly control his power.

Knowing that even if he went to replace it, it would be the same, he suppressed his frustration, adjusted for a while, and continued the assessment.

He had now passed the four-star assessment and could aim for five stars.

At five stars, even in the Demon Music Academy, one would be considered an expert. The difficulty was more than double that of before.

With a solemn expression, Zhang Xuan lightly plucked the strings, and the tinkling sound grew louder.

This time, the cranes were somewhat scared and didn't come as quickly. It took nearly five minutes before they flew in.

Watching the five cranes dance to the music, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Just as he relaxed, thinking the five-star assessment wasn't difficult, the strings under his hands snapped again with a "pop!"

This time, two strings broke at once.

Without the support of the strings, the powerful energy burst forth again. The five dancing cranes let out a "chirp!" and, with faces full of resentment, followed in the footsteps of the previous cranes, falling to the ground.

Seeing the ground covered with cranes—twelve in total—his mouth twitched, and Zhang Xuan felt darkness before his eyes.

Honestly, he really didn't mean it.

The key was that this broken zither was too poor, and his soul was too strong.

It was like making an adult draw a child's bow; if he got distracted, the attack power would be uncontrollable.

Fortunately, they only suffered soul shocks, not serious injuries. Otherwise, if he came to the Demon Music Academy and disabled twelve assessment cranes, Dean Jiang Qingqin would surely eat him alive.

But even so, it would be hard for them to wake up soon. And after waking, whether they would have psychological shadows or still be willing to attend was uncertain.

In other words, these twelve cranes couldn't participate in assessments for a while.

Although the cranes were unconscious, according to the Demon Music Pavilion's recognition, I've already passed the five-star demon musician assessment... I might as well go for six stars in one go!

Despite his frustration, he knew he had passed the five-star assessment and could aim for the sixth star.

Without further ado, he reattached the strings, adjusted his state, and continued playing.

The sound was clear and resounded through the sky. After ten minutes, three cranes flew over.

Only three?

He was clearly playing six-star level demon music, yet only three cranes came. Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

He played for a while longer, and soon the piece ended, still with only three cranes. He shook his head, stood up, and walked out.

It seemed that due to the limitations of the zither's material, five stars was the peak; the six-star assessment was impossible today.

At the door, the young man was still dozing. Seeing him approach with a slightly dejected look, the young man smiled lightly: "Demon musician isn't that easy to pass..."

Yeah, Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had thought passing six stars would be easy, but the tools weren't up to par. He would have to find a suitable one and come back.

Where can I find a better zither? I want to buy one...

Pushing aside his frustration, Zhang Xuan said.

A truly good zither needs to be made by yourself. Only by completing it independently can it match you and unleash its greatest power... the young man explained.

Startled, Zhang Xuan nodded: "Alright!"

Having read countless books, he knew a bit about making zithers, but he had no time now and lacked materials. It would have to wait until later.

Where do I get the badge for the assessment I just passed?

Although he didn't reach six stars, he might as well take the five-star badge to avoid trouble later.

Badge? Did you pass the one-star assessment?

The young man was surprised and pointed ahead: "Over there! Press your palm against the wall, and the assessment badge will automatically pop out."

Following the direction, Zhang Xuan walked over.

This looked similar to the Artifact Sea in the Artifact Refiner Guild, very simple.

He pressed lightly.

Clatter!

A badge fell down, with five stars shining brightly.

Five stars...

The young man had thought he might have passed one star, but seeing the five-star badge, he was startled.

Passing five stars in one go... and using that antique zither provided by the academy...

How did he manage that?

That thing... if he used it, he couldn't even succeed at three stars!

Swallowing his saliva, thinking of something, he couldn't help but look over: "When you assessed for five stars... you should have told me, so I could prepare the cranes. Otherwise, even if your music level is sufficient, if the cranes don't hear it or there aren't enough, you won't get results..."

Not enough? Zhang Xuan was stunned and quickly looked over: "How many cranes are there in total for assessments in our Demon Music Pavilion?"

Fifteen! The young man smiled: "The dean also keeps a dozen or so, but they're far away and won't come here or participate in assessments..."

Fifteen? Zhang Xuan's vision went dark, and he finally understood.

During the six-star assessment, no cranes came. It turned out it wasn't because his skill was lacking, but because twelve were lying on the ground... and the last three had already flown over...

There were no more cranes!

No wonder the last three cranes, seeing the pile on the ground, looked bewildered, wanting to escape but unable to leave, drawn by the music.

So that was the reason!

Can insufficient cranes also lead to a failed assessment? he couldn't help asking.

Yes, if there aren't enough cranes to fly over, the Demon Music Pavilion will naturally judge it as a failure! the young man nodded.

I see. I'll go to the dean's residence...

Understanding what happened, he couldn't hold back any longer and hurried toward Dean Jiang's residence.

No cranes? Then I'll borrow three...

The only thing worrying him was... would Dean Jiang lend them or not?