High Heaven Hall, a scene of grim solemnity.
This was once the North Heaven Court of the Supreme Sovereign Era, and the High Heaven Hall was the place where the emperor convened his ministers and gods for council. Thus, the hall itself was vast and spacious.
Now, this great hall was packed with thousands of gods, large and small, all watching the "man and woman" dueling with zithers in the center, their faces tense, fearful of being caught in the crossfire.
Within the hall, the sound of zithers rang out. One of the duelists was the scholar, with a donkey standing behind her; the other was Red Empress Claudia Qi, phoenix-like rainbow light streaming behind her like feathers.
The two sat at opposite ends—east and west. Aside from them, no one else dared approach; even the strongest demigods kept their distance.
The scholar played with wild abandon, her zither spinning around her as if she had countless arms. Her fingering was dazzling, displaying astonishing skill—her technique and musicality were flawless!
Red Empress Claudia Qi, on the other hand, played with calm composure. She used fewer techniques, but her music had a simple, unadorned quality—yet it overflowed with powerful, surging emotion!
The scholar's mastery of technique was unmatched—no one could surpass her, not even Claudia Qi. She was the very model of musical perfection. Yet in terms of emotional resonance, she fell far short of Claudia Qi.
Her music held emotion, too, but it was nowhere near as rich and varied as Claudia Qi's.
Their music was fierce and deadly. The space around them twisted and stretched, sometimes forming layers of membranes; it was as if the very air had become visible notes, leaping and dancing all around them!
Gradually, the scholar began to lose ground. Her mastery of qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting was peerless, but her innate lack of emotional depth held her back from advancing further.
The Four Celestial Teachers of the Pioneer Era each had their own strengths and achievements. Yet the scholar's personality was flawed, lacking Claudia Qi's boldness to love and hate and her overwhelming emotional power.
Her weakness gradually became apparent. Suddenly, the donkey behind her reared up, transforming into a donkey demon king, opening its mouth wide and braying—loud and unbearably shrill.
The music of both women collapsed into chaos, and each pressed down on their zither strings.
The donkey's bray was so piercing that every powerhouse in the High Heaven Hall frowned and covered their ears.
Within the hall, gods and demons alike stared in fear at the two duelists—and even at the donkey itself, which now inspired a measure of terror.
Their zither battle, fortunately, was aimed only at each other; had it been directed at the crowd, the hall would surely be littered with corpses.
Yet six or seven people remained unmoved, clearly relying on their own strength; their cultivation was so high that they did not fear either the scholar or Claudia Qi.
"Hahaha, I still lost!"
The scholar put away her zither and bowed to Red Empress Claudia Qi, saying, "The Red Empress's skill is truly extraordinary. After all these years, you still surpass me by a margin."
"Celestial Teacher Ethan, you're too polite."
Claudia Qi rose and returned the gesture, her eyes flickering—she was deeply wary of Ethan and had no desire to fight her to the death. Smiling, she said, "Earth Mother Primordial Lady has yet to appear, and here we are dueling already. Won't the crowd find us ridiculous?"
Ethan's gaze swept over the faces of the hundreds of powerful beings in the hall. Laughing, she said, "Envoys of the Outer Heaven Court, the Supreme Sovereign's Sword God, Earth Mother's followers, the Red Empress, the Celestial Teachers of the Pioneer Era—we're all gathered here, having braved countless dangers to reach this place. Yet our host is nowhere to be found. What sense does that make?"
Claudia Qi, appearing somewhat languid, glanced around and smiled, "Indeed. Rumor has it Earth Mother Primordial Lady has been dead for years, yet now she suddenly reappears, the Origin World restored, and her old followers summoned. Though I am the Red Empress of the Heaven Court, I once served Earth Mother in my youth—how could I not come pay my respects? Sadly, I still haven't seen her."
Suddenly, her gaze landed on Queena White. Queena White carried a sword on her back, dressed plainly, and met Claudia Qi's eyes.
A pang of guilt flashed through Claudia Qi's heart, and she quickly looked away.
Her eyes then met those of a one-armed man, who carried a divine saber on his back and gave her a slight bow.
Claudia Qi nodded lightly, thinking, "God-Knife Logan is here. That means there are other Heaven Court powerhouses present. Earth Mother is indeed dead—could it be the Heaven Court is using her name to lure us all here for an ambush?"
The hall was a jumble of dragons and snakes; whether demigod or god-demon, everyone had their own agenda—no one was here for simple reasons.
Claudia Qi also spotted many fearsome demigods among the crowd. Though none were her equal, their numbers made them a troublesome force.