"But Jia Jia feels something is missing…" Yu Jiajia furrowed her brows, thinking carefully before adding, "It doesn't feel like when Zūnshàng plays, where listeners feel like they're truly there!"
She nodded firmly to herself after speaking. Her shadow guard from the Yu family nearly wanted to cover his face. A newly initiated Qi Refinement disciple, comparing her music's atmosphere to that of a top cultivator's?
Jian Dan laughed softly but explained patiently: "Recognizing your shortcomings is a good thing, Jia Jia. Let Zūnshàng analyze it for you.
First, your cultivation is limited. You can't yet activate the guqin's formation patterns with spiritual power, so your treasure, your guqin, can't pull listeners into its world.
But there's a remedy. Use your emotions to guide your music. When you play, weave your understanding and feelings for the song into every note. That resonance will move the audience."
Yu Jiajia listened intently, nodding. She scratched her head and admitted, "I just liked how Zūnshàng's playing sounded, so I learned it. But I don't really understand the song's story yet!"
"This song is technically a battle piece," Jian Dan explained. "As the name suggests, it was played on battlefields, both to inspire morale and to defend against enemies through music. It could also enhance the attacks of allies."
"Wow! That's amazing!" Yu Jiajia's eyes shone with awe.
Jian Dan added, "You've never fought in battle and don't have that lived experience. So you're playing notes from the sheet, but there's no emotion behind it, right?"
Yu Jiajia nodded repeatedly, then summed it up herself: "I get it now. My spiritual power isn't strong enough, and I haven't been through much. So my music has form but no depth."
"Exactly. Well said." Jian Dan appreciated how quick-witted she was. A child who could clearly see her flaws and was willing to improve—this was the strength of a well-established cultivation clan's comprehensive training.
The two continued discussing music theory in detail, one teaching and one eagerly learning.
Just then, five streaks of light flew rapidly through the air, heading straight for Jian Dan's cave dwelling on Tianyue Peak.
Ting Feng, on guard duty, saw the lights descend and hurried forward to greet them.
The streaks of light revealed Jian Chong, Jian Li, and three others, all members of the Law Enforcement Hall.
"Is Junior Sister Jian Lu here?"
"Zūnshàng is in the cave dwelling." Ting Feng recognized them clearly: one was the Sect Master, one was the head of the Enforcement Hall, and the others were on duty with the hall. All had previously come looking for Zūnshàng.
Five Law Enforcement Hall members arriving together could only mean urgent business. Ting Feng guided them quickly toward the banyan tree where Jian Dan sat.
Jian Dan sensed their spiritual fluctuations and paused her conversation, turning toward the newcomers.
Yu Jiajia's shadow guard also noticed them and stepped forward, murmuring gently to the cheerful little girl: "Jia Jia, it's getting late. Zūnshàng has important matters to handle. We'll visit again another day."
Yu Jiajia nodded obediently, feeling a little embarrassed. She had spent half the day disturbing Zūnshàng but had learned so much about music cultivation that it was well worth it.
Prompted by her guard, Yu Jiajia slipped down from her rocking chair and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your guidance, Zūnshàng. I'll be waiting for your next lesson at the Tongzhi's Hall."
"Alright, go on," Jian Dan said with a gentle wave.
Her guard cupped his fists, and Yu Jiajia bowed once more. Together, they swiftly left the cave.
"Senior Brother, Jian Chong, why have you all come? Did something happen?" Jian Dan looked surprised. She had just seen them earlier that day. For them to follow her back to her own peak likely meant something serious.
"Junior Sister, did you conduct dreamscape tests on all 4,989 disciples?"
"Yes. All the leading cultivators participated. Is there a problem?"
Jian Dan responded calmly while flicking her sleeve to summon jade stools for them. She instructed Ting Feng to guard the entrance.
"Jian Chong, explain," Jian Li said, settling into his seat.
Jian Chong nodded and turned to Jian Dan. "Jian Lu Zūnshàng, the Heart-Capturing Gate is used to test disciples' hearts. Since they haven't begun cultivation yet and are still mortals, it can glimpse their future. The Heart-Capturing Gate's visions are usually accurate."
"And?" Jian Dan frowned slightly, not yet seeing how this involved her tests.
"This time, every disciple's vision was identical. They all fought in a great war on Lingyun Continent, resisting the insect horde to the death. Almost all perished with their enemies."
His voice grew heavy as he went on, "After ejecting them, the Heart-Capturing Gate combined all their visions into a single scene, showing the entire battle as one prophecy."
Jian Dan immediately understood why they had come in such haste. "So the Heart-Capturing Gate's visions predict Lingyun Continent's defeat." Her cool voice finished Jian Chong's unsaid words.
"Yes," Jian Li confirmed.
"Has the Heart-Capturing Gate ever done this before?"
"No. This is the first time," Jian Chong answered.
Jian Dan fell silent, lowering her gaze as she idly waved her round fan, sorting her thoughts. "You suspect my dreamscape test made the Heart-Capturing Gate reflect these visions as prophecy. Because all those disciples experienced the same dreamscape, the gate combined their reflected futures into one projection. Is that correct?"
Jian Li nodded. Her deduction matched theirs exactly.
"So you're here to confirm whether my test influenced the Heart-Capturing Gate's results?"
"Yes," Jian Chong said solemnly.
"I told them during the test: the dreamscape was crafted by me. It would remain in their minds for only a day before fading, any longer would harm the sea of consciousness of untrained children.
And as for how I wove the dreamscape, Senior Brother Jian Li, you know best why it felt so real," she added meaningfully.
Jian Li's expression shifted as he recalled. Jian Dan had infiltrated the Heavenly Demon Palace as Mo Yue, the Peak Lord of Ying Peak, and personally fought in the battle at the Ming Valley against the insect horde. No wonder her dreamscape was so vivid.
Then Jian Dan's voice echoed directly in his mind: "Senior Brother Jian Li, while you were in seclusion stabilizing your cultivation, I visited the Heavenly Demon Palace about Jian Feng's matter. Mo Yan Zhēnzūn saw through me and said when the palace needs Mo Yue, I must return."
Jian Li's brow twitched at her sound transmission, and her next playful words followed: "Senior Brother, I've been too scared to tell Tian Yun Zhēnzūn. I was afraid he'd make me pay for a new cave dwelling!"
Her innocent smile earned her a sharp glare from Jian Li. "We'll discuss this later," he said dryly.
So that was why she had kept quiet—waiting for him to leave seclusion to handle the fallout. "In other words, your dreamscape had no bearing on the Heart-Capturing Gate's visions. This may truly be their future."
"Yes. You could even call it Heaven's warning," Jian Dan replied.
Crack!
A bolt of violet lightning flashed across the skies above Tianyue Peak, briefly illuminating their faces.