bookbashuk Chapter 57 Harmonizing Voices
Chapter 57 Harmonizing Voices
As the autumn wind sweeps by, countless leaves fall in a flurry; the Xiang River flows eternally, its rolling waves never turning back.
The river breeze brushed against thousands of frozen faces on both banks.
The expressions on people's faces were remarkably similar—mouths slightly agape, pupils dilated, and faces etched with an indescribable bewilderment. The banks of the Xiang River, which had been teeming with noise just moments before, were now so quiet that one could hear the pounding of their own hearts.
If Shen An had used his full strength to cleave the five- or six-inch-thick iron ingot in half with a single sword strike, the crowd would certainly have been astonished and full of admiration.
But it was nothing more than a peerless sword that could cut through iron like mud, and a young genius who had achieved extraordinary feats at a young age.
Although it is still shocking, there will always be one or two like that every few hundred years.
But this time... it's really different.
It wasn't a slash, it wasn't a powerful strike, and I didn't even sense much internal energy fluctuation.
It was merely a rhythmic tapping, and a final, understated, even slightly impressionistic touch.
That piece of refined iron, personally inspected by renowned figures like Lucius and Liu Zhengfeng, and so fine that even a combined attack from several martial arts masters might not leave a deep mark, just... shattered.
This goes beyond the scope of martial arts.
That's already a divine technique.
Up in the attic, Qu Feiyan covered her mouth tightly with her small hands, her bright eyes wide open, and she held onto Wang Xiaocao's hand tightly.
"Sister Little Grass, although Brother An has already explained to us that it's because of resonance, it's still so amazing to actually see it."
Wang Xiaocao was not as shocked as her. She just stared at Shen An's figure as he sheathed his sword and stood there calmly, and said softly, "Whatever you do, young master, is not surprising."
"Demon...demon magic! This is demon magic!"
Someone, seemingly recovering from utter shock, shouted something in a hoarse voice.
This sound was like a drop of cold water being poured into boiling oil, instantly igniting the entire venue.
"Good heavens! What am I seeing? The iron ingot shattered by itself!"
"That's not a sword! That's a celestial artifact! A magical treasure!"
"Bai Lian Fang... Has Bai Lian Fang invited some kind of deity to descend to earth?"
"Could K-On! really be a fairy?"
"Damn it, I bet everything on Tian Boguang!"
I say, gambling addicts deserve a terrible death.
The murmurs, exclamations, and gasps of shock merged into a surging wave of sound, a hundred times more intense than any of the previous clamor! Those martial arts heroes who had been mocking and making a fuss before now had only awe on their faces.
The way they looked at Shen An was no longer the same as before, when they looked at an ignorant and arrogant young man with mockery and schadenfreude. Instead, they were looking up at a celestial being.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Yan Shiqi's sinister smile had already frozen, and he stared intently at the broken iron on the ground, muttering to himself.
Sha Xihe's hand holding the teacup trembled violently, spilling scalding tea all over his hand, but he seemed oblivious to the pain, saying absentmindedly, "That's not surprising, that's not surprising."
Teng Yicheng and Gu Bafan exchanged a glance, both seeing the same shock and confusion in each other's eyes. They had personally examined the iron ingot and knew its hardness. Their gazes, without prior agreement, turned to Liu Zhengfeng, the person with the highest martial arts skill present.
"It's not internal energy..." Liu Zhengfeng slowly shook his head, "It's not even martial arts."
If this sword can be used to shatter iron, can it also be used to shatter bones and heart meridians?
Those with insight present all considered this possibility.
Despite the uproar from the crowd, Shen An simply flicked his sword lightly, performing a flourish. With a clear ringing sound, the dust on the sword dissipated, leaving the blade as clean and undamaged as ever.
The effect was even better than he had imagined. He thought to himself.
He didn't speak immediately, but waited quietly for a moment, letting the shock and fear ferment and spread among the crowd until it reached its peak. Only then did he slowly raise his hand and press it down lightly.
Miraculously, with this simple movement, the boiling noise subsided as if by magic. Everyone held their breath, waiting for his next move.
"Please don't panic," Shen An said calmly. "This is not some kind of sorcery or magic. I just used some minor tricks."
He paused, giving everyone time to process his words, before continuing, "Everything has its own sound, and so does iron and stone. My initial strike wasn't infused with much internal energy, but rather like striking a bell, to clearly hear the unique 'original sound' of this iron ingot. Then, I used this sword to continuously strike it with the exact same rhythm as its 'original sound.' This is 'using qi to guide qi, using sound to harmonize sound.'"
"This faint force, within the iron ingot, is amplified layer by layer due to continuous resonance. As this force accumulates within the iron ingot until it reaches its unbearable limit, it will collapse from its weakest point. This is the principle behind the saying 'A thousand-mile dike is destroyed by an ant hole.'"
His explanation was written in an elegant style, full of the profound flavor of Taoist philosophy.
The martial arts practitioners present were completely bewildered. What was this "original sound" and "using sound to harmonize with sound"? It sounded even more mysterious than the most advanced internal energy cultivation techniques.
But they understood one thing: this was not some incomprehensible magic or sorcery, but a kind of trickery that they did not understand but which did exist.
that's enough.
In the world of martial arts, the absolute unknown is more terrifying than absolute power.
Shen An changed the subject, a mischievous smile appearing on his face: "So, it's not actually 'one sword can cut through iron.' If you all buy this sword and start hacking at the iron block until it breaks, our Hundred Refinements Workshop will not provide any compensation."
A joke instantly eased the tense atmosphere. Everyone was taken aback at first, then burst into good-natured laughter.
"Of course, when the Light Sound Sword guides that force, the force will also act on the sword. The strength of the Light Sound Sword is self-evident."
So that's how it is! This is not only demonstrating a miraculous skill, but also using this method to prove that this seemingly thin sword also has equally considerable strength!
"I see... harmonizing sounds... brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Lucius was the first to clap his hands in admiration. Although he still didn't quite understand, it didn't stop him from expressing his respect.
This is the principle behind people praising each other.
"Unheard of and unseen before! Young Master Shen is truly a man of great talent. We have certainly broadened our horizons today!" Teng Yicheng exclaimed in admiration.
With these renowned figures taking the lead, the rest of the group dared not utter a single doubt, echoing their sentiments and showering them with praise. The previous mockery and disdain had long been forgotten.
In the attic, Qu Feiyan jumped up excitedly, her face flushed red, waving her fist vigorously: "Sister Xiaocao, did you hear that! Brother An is so amazing! Not only can he do it, but he can also explain it clearly! Although I still didn't understand a single word, I just feel so incredibly amazing!"
"Mmm." Wang Xiaocao nodded vigorously. In her eyes, besides admiration, there was also a sense of pride and honor.