"There's a ban here?"
Chen Jinshu had just stepped forward to investigate when she was blocked by an invisible force barrier. The formation was concealed exceptionally well — nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains and veiled by dense vegetation. If not for the guiding presence of the blue-feathered bird, this place would've been almost impossible to find.
"Why did your kind fly into this ban?" She glanced at Xiao Yin fluttering beside her.
"I don't know either! But there's something inside that's calling to me," Xiao Yin replied.
Hearing this, Chen Jinshu immediately understood. "So something within was luring them."
But the formation was powerful. Breaking it would be no easy feat.
She struck it a few times — thump, thump! — gradually discerning a faint pattern.
"This ban… it seems tied to sound."
Each impact with her spiritual power triggered different tones — like notes from a song. A realization struck her, and she began gently tapping on the barrier, experimenting with rhythm and force. Soon, she managed to piece together a strange and unfamiliar melody from its responses.
"Could it be… that the barrier can only be opened by playing this melody?"
She took out her Lüqi Zither from her storage pouch, recalling the tune from memory and translating it into notes.
Ding—ding—ding...
Delicate and melodious notes filled the air, drifting through the valley and echoing across the mountains.
Chirp! Chirp!
Coo! Coo!
To her astonishment, birds of all kinds — spiritual and mundane — gathered, flocking above her in a swirling tide of wings, their bodies pulsing in time with the music.
Chen Jinshu turned her focus fully to the melody.
As she played, the ward shimmered and began to unravel. Its once-solid wall dissolved into strands of spiritual energy. A flock of blue-aqua spirit birds was suddenly revealed, trapped inside. Their joyful chirps reached her ears. Surprised, Chen Jinshu held the final notes, completing the tune. The formation completely vanished. The birds surged out like a flood.
"So many beautiful blue-aqua spirit birds!"
Chirp! Chirp!
They circled above her excitedly, chirping in gratitude.
"Xiao Yin, ask them why they were trapped inside. And what's in there!"
"Got it, Master!" The tiny sparrow flew up, utterly dwarfed by the mass of vibrant birds, yet its voice rang loud and clear, piercing the clamor.
Chen Jinshu frowned slightly. "Xiao Yin is so small… how does it believe it's related to these birds?"
If she wasn't mistaken, these were extremely rare Mystic Melody Luans — spirit birds drawn to music, a special variation of the mythical luan species often found where natural melodies exist. It suddenly made sense why they'd be trapped by this formation — they must've been lured by the ban.
"Master! They said they heard a melody they loved and flew in to enjoy it — only to get trapped. There's no food inside. A few more months and they might've starved! Thankfully, you arrived in time."
"Didn't you lead me here?" she asked pointedly.
"Well, that too. But it's still thanks to you that the formation was broken and they were freed. That guiding feather — it was the essence of their plumage, imbued with a trace of azure luan power. That's why it could get through the ward."
"They want to offer you that feather as thanks."
"Then ask them again — what exactly is inside?"
Xiao Yin returned to the luans and chirped away.
"They say… it's a piece of wood struck by lightning."
Chen Jinshu raised a brow. "A lightning-struck piece of wood?"
"That was… strange. What kind of wood could draw in so many Mystic Melody Luans? But even more impressive was the genius who'd created this formation. Such a melodic ban was beyond ordinary craftsmanship."
A short while later, the birds — including the entire luan flock — flew off.
"Let's go in and take a look."
She turned to the sparrow, who was still staring at the retreating birds in awe, then stepped into the valley. Earlier, the formation had hidden everything within. Now that it was gone, she noticed signs of habitation — paved stone paths, scattered rocks, and planted flowers.
"Someone of refined taste lived here once."
Eventually, a dark cave appeared ahead.
"Xiao Yin, do you sense any danger?"
"None! Just… faint musical tones."
"I hear them too."
The melody was subtle but captivating — harmonious and full of depth.
Cradling her zither, she walked into the cave, a ball of fire blooming in her palm to light the way.
The cave revealed itself — toppled ceramics, rotting chairs, and thick layers of dust.
"How long has it been since someone lived here?"
This was clearly a cultivator's abode — most likely one attuned to music — but its owner was likely long gone.
"Master! That big piece of black wood — that's the one they were talking about!"
She followed the sparrow's gaze to a charred log, darkened and scorched at one end, with faint golden-yellow tones near its base.
"Millennium Thunderstruck Paulownia wood!"
She exclaimed, elated. She'd just recalled the wood's name — an exceedingly rare material. This could be the key to upgrading her Lüqi Zither to Tier Two.
As her sword spirit had once told her, the birth of a spirit tool requires not just time but high-quality materials. Her zither's base materials were too inferior. Even with daily use and spiritual energy, progress was slow.
She'd been considering reforging it with better materials. And millennium paulownia was her first choice. But such spirit wood was rare — let alone one struck by heavenly lightning. However, this log seemed… off. Its roots were scorched, its crown not fully burned — as if it had once been a living being struck down mid-transformation.
"Could it have been a paulownia spirit attempting to transcend its tribulation… and failed?"
Though the cave had signs of human life, they were minimal. She suspected this wasn't just a discarded log — but rather, a failed transformation.
Still, that was only her guess. In her heart, she leaned toward the idea that this cave once had a master — and the paulownia was something they left behind.