Chapter 385: The Effect of the Fifth Rite and a Broke Yan Jing (Two-in-One)

Everyone followed the sound and saw a tiny figure that did not even reach their knees.

No one dared to underestimate him. Behind the great curtain, not a single trace of mockery or amusement touched the eyes of anyone looking at this small figure.

Even the figure sitting cross-legged atop the high stone, surrounded by floating crystals, looked at the small figure in the dragon robes with a hint of respect.

She knew things about this tiny figure—more than the rest of the crowd did.

The tiny figure was exactly thirty-three thousand and twelve years old, minus eight months.

When he first entered the great curtain, he was only eleven.

And when he inherited the imperial throne, he had been just six.

"I will handle this. This item does not suit you."

As the slender figure on the high stone pondered, the tiny figure looked her way and bowed with cupped hands.

The slender figure immediately returned the bow and spoke softly.

"Yes, I can still wait."

"Besides, this item is not enough for me. All these years, I never had any thought of leaving, but I believe this child can bring back something better. Finding him was already a pleasant surprise."

The tiny figure nodded. "I will give this gentleman something different."

"Next time, I believe he will surely bring back an item that satisfies you."

The tiny figure said no more. He sat cross-legged in the open clearing the crowd had cleared for him, then looked toward the Piano.

A wisp of wind blew past. Everyone within the great curtain sensed the shift. A chill ran through them as a crimson aura erupted around the tiny figure, surging like a flooding tide and crashing down like the waters of the heavenly river pouring through a collapsed sky.

The tiny figure opened his eyes. Piercing straight through the great curtain, they flashed with golden light. Boundlessly majestic and carrying an undeniable will, his gaze fell upon the Piano.

"Hum."

A filthy white aura suddenly rose from the ancient-looking Piano. It morphed into a colossal wolf that roared and clashed head-on against the small figure's golden gaze.

With a deafening boom, the rock-solid, pitch-black space began to tremble.

White normally symbolized purity, but the white aura shaping the giant wolf looked unspeakably foul. Facing the tiny figure's glare, it showed no intention of retreating. A bizarre, eerie laughter even echoed from within it.

"..."

Faced with the aura's stubborn resistance, the tiny figure scoffed. His gaze sank, turning incredibly frigid. The crimson aura churned into massive waves, washing directly out from the great curtain in layers of scarlet-gold spray to drench the giant wolf.

Giant, formless hands reached out from the waves, dragging the wolf under.

As the giant wolf slowly sank into the surging tide, Yan Jing felt the absorption officially begin.

Wisp after wisp of an indescribable aura entered his body. This time was different; the aura was exceptionally gentle, even carrying a hint of intimacy.

It was like a puppy that had been lonely for too long finally seeing a person. Yan Jing only had to wave his hand, and it happily trotted right over.

When Yan Jing truly began to comprehend that aura, he heard a string of crisp musical notes. Like a pool of clear spring water, it poured directly into his heart.

Music theory, notes, piano techniques—all sorts of music-related knowledge began surfacing automatically in his mind.

Yan Jing's fingers twitched slightly on their own, as if he were playing the keys.

Right then, an aura that seemed to stem from antiquity bled out from his body, fusing into those crisp notes.

This continued for several dozen minutes. Just as Yan Jing felt he had finished absorbing it, the tiny figure's slightly childish voice echoed in his mind:

"This is my repayment to you, sir. I am endlessly grateful for breaking free this time. If I can drag my millions of subjects back from the surging waves of time, I will certainly return to find you and thank you properly."

"Farewell, sir."

As the voice faded, it was as if the scene of absorbing the Fourth Rite, the Rite of Summer and Winter Sacrifices, had replayed. Even with his eyes closed, Yan Jing seemed to see an elusive figure tear out from the great curtain at a speed far surpassing his own.

Just as he assumed he wouldn't be able to see anything clearly this time either, the figure—who looked as if he were walking on the sky itself—suddenly halted high above, cupped his hands, and gave Yan Jing a deep bow.

This allowed Yan Jing to finally see the figure's appearance clearly.

He looked quite young, his features delicately carved like jade, and his stature was incredibly small. Yet, his expression was fiercely serious, exuding a majesty so profound that even Yan Jing's eyes narrowed. Clad in dark gold dragon robes and wearing a tasseled crown of colored glaze, he was enveloped in a commanding presence entirely unsuited to his size. Behind him, thousands upon thousands of phantoms seemed to stack into a towering mountain, all bowing to Yan Jing at the exact same moment.

Those figures shared a singular, resolute will. Though their exact faces couldn't be seen, their momentum was heaven-shaking. With just that one bow, Yan Jing felt thousands of tons of weight bearing down on him.

After that bow, the figure instantly vanished.

He didn't know how much time had passed. As the chime of an electronic clock rang out, Yan Jing slowly opened his eyes. He was already back in Shen Youran's house.

[shaolao rite: Moonlight (Mutated)]

[Quality: Silver]

[shaolao rite Ability: Piano Emperor]

[You have received the aid of a great entity, erasing the curse upon the Piano. Moonlight, as the emperor of all pianos, has helped you grasp the music theory suited to its status. Because that great entity took away the curse and a portion of the imperial aura on Moonlight, this Ritual has undergone a Mutation and possesses only a single ability. Furthermore, due to the traits of your previous Ritual, Moonlight's quality has been upgraded once again. You may play any piece of music, and different pieces yield different effects. The specifics are as follows:

Concerto:

The piece you play will buff any number of people (who can hear your music), enhancing their speed, strength, weird energy, and technique. All buffs scale to half of your own strength. Sonata:

A sonata consists of three to four movements of varying tempos, with the contrast between them being key. The piece you play will control any number of people (who can hear your music). Their movements will speed up or slow down according to the tempo of your music, by up to ten times. Waltz:

As a brisk piece, the waltz makes everyone who hears it (they must hear your music) begin to dance. You will simultaneously gain weird energy recovery, restoring one-fifth of your total capacity per minute. March:

You gain the ability to finely adjust time. When the March begins, you can pause time in the surrounding area for two seconds, or accelerate it for two seconds.

Symphony:

This is a piece normally requiring a full symphony orchestra, but you are already a great musician, so you alone are enough. Let us welcome the grand movement!!! (This is also the gift bestowed upon you by that entity.)

Note: All of the above pieces are effective against entities within three Tiers higher than you.]

[shaolao rite Extra Trait: Musician. A great, mysterious entity has bestowed his blessing upon your instrument. As the fated emperor, his blessing is the mandate of heaven itself. You have become the only musician in the world qualified to play before him. You can manipulate any external sound produced (you may choose to erase it, amplify it to the maximum volume the target can withstand, alter it, or play it). (Note: This effect is effective against entities up to three Tiers higher than you.)]

Yan Jing looked at the effects before him, nodded, and dismissed the interface.

Even though there was only one ability, this Ritual's power had already exceeded his expectations.

Paired with his other abilities, it would achieve brilliant results.

"Is it done?"

Shen Youran looked at Yan Jing with a radiant smile.

She didn't actually need to ask, but she always felt something was missing if she didn't.

Yan Jing smiled.

"Mission accomplished."

With that, the phantom of the Ritual bloomed behind him.

An incredibly elegant Piano materialized in front of him. At the same time, his clothes automatically transformed into a gorgeous, pitch-black tuxedo. His eyes sparkled like stars. As his slender fingertips descended, a beautiful melody flowed out like a mountain spring.

Shen Youran was entranced for a time. It wasn't until Yan Jing finished the piece that she took a deep breath and excitedly began to clap.

Yan Jing gave a slight bow and smiled.

"Thank you."

Shen Youran skipped over to Yan Jing's side, poking and prodding as she inspected him from all angles.

"Not bad at all! If the two of us ever end up with nothing to do, we could at least go out and busk." "I'll be in charge of playing the piano, so what will you be in charge of, Teacher Shen?"

"I'm in charge of clapping!"

Shen Youran beamed brightly.

The two ate dinner and chatted for a while. Yan Jing walked home and dialed a number.

"Uncle Wang."

"Oh! Jing!"

On the other end of the line, Wang Changnian sounded like he had clearly had too much to drink. Unlike his usual composed self, he was incredibly happy.

"I was just waiting for your call! You've brought your Uncle Wang so much glory this time! I should've been the one to contact you, but knowing your personality, I figured you were busy absorbing the Fifth Rite, so I didn't bother you."

Yan Jing gave a faint smile.

"Actually, I did call you shortly after I finished the absorption, but you probably had too many calls coming in at the time and missed it."

"You did? Ah, look at this brain of mine. My fault, my fault."

Wang Changnian's tone was exceptionally affectionate.

"You have no idea how many people are calling me right now. They've practically blown up my phone. Even..."

Wang Changnian lowered his voice.

"Even the Domain Chief asked me about you."

"What did the Domain Chief say?"

Yan Jing asked.

"She said she wanted to meet you in person, and she wanted to ask if you'd like to go to the Fifth Ring Domain!"

Wang Changnian was genuinely thrilled. After all, he had thrown nearly 100 million into this. Even setting aside the amount he could write off as a talent sponsorship, it was still equivalent to his entire life savings. Now, he was finally seeing a return.

He continued, "But don't worry, I just said I hadn't been able to reach you yet, so I didn't agree right away. However, you should prepare yourself. I heard she's already bought a ticket to the Fifth Ring Domain and should arrive in the next couple of days."

"I know you prefer to keep a low profile, kid, but there's probably no avoiding it this time. The other party is a Summit entity, an Eighth Tier. She can't even be considered human anymore. You have to understand certain things, little Jing." "Yes, I understand."

Yan Jing smiled. Hearing this, Wang Changnian grew even happier.

"You finished the absorption? That Piano?"

"Yes."

Yan Jing smiled and nodded.

"Red?"

Wang Changnian chuckled.

"Or silver-red?"

He had seen all of Yan Jing's Rituals this time and finally understood his true strength, which led him to deduce that Yan Jing likely still held a Ritual Blessing Coupon.

"Most likely the latter."

Yan Jing smiled.

"Awesome!"

Wang Changnian wanted nothing more than to put the call on speaker right then and there to let the guys at the dinner table hear, but he held back.

Yan Jing spoke up, "Uncle Wang, I called because I wanted to ask you about something."

"No problem! Say it, Jing."

"For the Piano this time, my Teacher Shen spent forty million. Where did she get the money?"

"Oh, about that. Don't worry, Jing."

Hearing Yan Jing's words, Wang Changnian sobered up a bit. There was a touch of shame in his tone.

"Didn't I promise you before that I'd cover your Fourth Rite and Fifth Rite? The issue was that the quality of this Fifth Rite was simply too good. Even with no one to absorb it, the price wouldn't come down."

"There was nothing I could do. I couldn't bring out that much, so Miss Shen mortgaged some family heirlooms. But don't worry, little Jing, I've already arranged for people to sort it out. I'll definitely help you get them back."

"You won't have to chip in a cent. Relax, Uncle Wang will handle it properly this time."

"I'm really sorry about this, Jing."

"It's fine. Thank you, Uncle Wang."

Yan Jing nodded. The two chatted for a bit longer before ending the call.

Yan Jing let out a long breath, his gaze unconsciously sinking.

He didn't have enough money.

He hadn't expected that after his strength increased, the first thing that couldn't keep up would actually be money.

Letting Shen Youran pawn off her family heirlooms... he found that entirely unacceptable.

This kind of thing shouldn't have happened at all.

"It's about time Heavenly Kingdom's money started turning a profit."

Yan Jing's eyes were dark.

"Those guys have been blocking the way for far too long—"

Young Master Luo's methods were still far too mild.

Now that he had enough strength, it was time to show them how Cat Four handled things.

The next day, as soon as Shen Youran woke up, she saw a pile of items left outside her door: two fifth-tier mechanical cores, millions of neatly stacked surface coins, a messy assortment of props, and...

A standing, fifth-tier person.

Seemingly alive.

Shen Youran jumped in fright. Only then did she notice the person handing over a note:

"Teacher Shen, these are all items obtained from the Dungeon this time. As for the surface coins... the Dungeon didn't reward much. These are the only rewards from the Dungeon runs this time. Take them and use them for now. This fifth-tier is a bodyguard prepared for you. Don't be stingy with the money; there will be plenty more later."

"If you run into anywhere you need to spend money, tell me anytime. Don't skimp on your usual expenses either. In a week at most, I'll have a reserve fund prepared for you."

"Yan Jing."

Shen Youran looked at the note, blinked, and suddenly burst into laughter.

She knew it.

She knew her Xiao Yanzi was the absolute best in the world.

"You're here."

Zeng Qing rubbed her eyes wearily, looking at Yan Jing as he walked through the door.

"I have something to discuss with you."

"What a coincidence, I have something to tell you too."

Yan Jing shoved his hands into his pockets and hopped straight onto the table.

"You go first."

Zeng Qing spoke almost subconsciously.

She didn't want Cat Four to speak second, afraid that whatever she said first would be immediately overturned.

"We're making money way too slowly!"

Yan Jing said viciously.

"We made so much money this time, so those guys' sanctions should be over by now, right?"

"That's exactly what I was going to tell you."

Zeng Qing said.

"We invested 600,000 this time, and the odds were over thirty to one. In the end, we walked away with over 19 million—equivalent to 900 million surface coins. With this money, even if they sanction us for a few more years, we have nothing to fear."

"No, a few years is too long. We have to strike back."

Yan Jing stated bluntly.

He had already brought up striking back last time, and he had acted on it, too.

"Didn't I bring back the corpse of that Sixth Tier? What's wrong? Has Zeng Ru not fallen from power yet?"

Zeng Qing said, "Right, that's what I wanted to talk about. Zeng Ru is practically guaranteed to fall."

"The Zeng Family is currently leaderless and urgently needs to select a successor. My—my father definitely won't be willing to let my uncles take over, but he already announced his retirement many years ago. So now, the only ones left are my eldest brother and my seventh brother."

"Spit it out. Who do I kill?" Yan Jing asked. "That's not what this is about," Zeng Qing said, helplessly rubbing her forehead.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke up:

"I'll be honest with you. I want to compete for the successor's seat."

"Of course—I haven't mentioned this to Mr. Luo yet. I wanted to talk it over with you first and get your opinion."

Over this recent period, compared to the elusive and unfathomable Luo Sheng, Zeng Qing had already grown accustomed to discussing everything with Cat Four.

Even though Cat Four could be quite a bastard sometimes, at the very least—he made her feel a little sense of security.

"No problem. I support you."

Yan Jing clapped his paws together.

"Really?"

Zeng Qing was stunned. She had prepared a whole mountain of reasons but hadn't even started presenting them.

"Just tell me, how much of your family fortune can you move over here?"

Yan Jing stated bluntly.

Zeng Qing blanked again. For some reason, looking at Yan Jing's expression, she suddenly felt that returning to her family might be a terrible mistake—

Why was this guy suddenly acting like he had gone mad from poverty?