Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 304 Primordial Era Version: High Mountains and Flowing Water (Bonus Chapter)

Yu Ding gazed at the prince Changqin playing the zither below. He saw that the prince's hands moved like butterflies, flowing smoothly and gracefully, his fingers gliding across the strings, producing beautiful and melodious sounds.

The music, gentle and soothing, calmed Yu Ding's restless mind, which had been anxious to complete his cultivation technique.

"Haha, so it's Fellow Daoist Changqin."

Yu Ding chuckled and said, "I wonder if there's something you need that stopped me, friend?"

"Is there something really important that would invite Immortal Jade Cauldron to play a piece for me?" Crown Prince Changqin asked with a smile.

"Heh!" Yu Ding chuckled, moved swiftly, and landed on the cliff where Prince Changqin was. He sat down on the spot, closed his eyes, and began to listen to the music.

There are free music concerts...why not listen?
To be honest, he had no connection with this Prince Changqin, but the prince's music had helped him, which was undoubtedly a sign of goodwill.

However, adhering to the belief that "the primordial world is not just about fighting and killing, but also about human relationships and worldly wisdom," Yu Ding, who was traveling outside, naturally did not mind getting to know them.

Beside Prince Changqin stood a young musician, about seven or eight years old, dressed in pure white, with striking eyebrows and bright eyes, and a tall and straight posture.

At this moment, he secretly glanced at the jade cauldron with some surprise.

The melodious sound of the zither had a cleansing effect on the soul, and even birds and beasts were captivated by it, gathering there without realizing it.

Prince Changqin's hands were long and slender, like a painter's exquisite brushstrokes, outlining a beautiful world that captivated the viewer.

When the music ended, Yu Ding opened his eyes, clapped his hands, and laughed loudly, "Excellent! Excellent! What wonderful music! It's like a poem or a painting, breathtakingly beautiful!"

He had seen his share of grand occasions and had attended the Peach Banquet, but even the most skilled musician in Heaven was far inferior to Prince Changqin.

Upon hearing this, Prince Changqin looked up in surprise, a hint of joy in his eyes, and said, "Could it be that Master Yuding is also versed in the principles of qin music?"

"I can only listen, not play, is that alright?" Yu Ding coughed and said, "I know a little! I know a little!"

Then, looking around, he sighed, "Fellow Daoist Changqin, your music has actually awakened the spirits and intelligence of these birds and beasts. Your skill in the art of the zither is so high and exquisite that I admire you greatly."

But all around, the birds and beasts that had been immersed in the music slowly awoke, looking around in astonishment, and then, like humans, seemed to be wondering how they had ended up there.

And this... is the manifestation of awakening intelligence.

It was clearly just a piece of music, neither a profound truth nor a supernatural power, nor did it possess any magical energy, yet it had this effect.

Yu Ding's praise was absolutely heartfelt.

"Fellow Daoist Yu Ding is too kind. It is merely a small skill in playing the zither."

Prince Changqin shook his head and smiled, then placed his hands on the strings and looked at Yu Ding expectantly, saying, "Fellow Daoist Yu Ding, would you like to hear another piece?"

"I couldn't ask for more!" Yu Ding said with a smile.

Although Prince Changqin said it was an overstatement, who doesn't like to hear nice words?

He had already keenly noticed that Prince Changqin had changed his address to him from Jade Cauldron Immortal to Fellow Daoist.

Prince Changqin smiled slightly, said no more, pondered for a moment, placed his ten fingers on the strings, and the sound of the zither immediately rose again.

But this time the style of the piano music changed abruptly.

Yu Ding felt an ancient, primitive, and desolate aura rushing towards him, as if he saw a huge, boundless, immortal divine mountain that pierced through the heavens and the earth, connecting the eight wastelands of the universe.

It is the center of the universe, the ancestor of all mountains, and the last legacy of the supreme god to the world.

Surrounded by the sun and moon, and guarded by the stars, it is the only supreme being in the world.

In an instant, the jade cauldron seemed to have traveled to the primordial era.

As another piece of music ended, Yu Ding's face showed a look of longing, and he sighed, "The primordial chaos, the majestic Mount Buzhou, it all inspires awe..."

Prince Changqin's eyes lit up with even more joy. After a moment of contemplation, he remembered something, closed his eyes, and began to play the zither again with both hands, this time at a much faster pace.

This time, a powerful, unstoppable torrent of water appeared.

Before the song was even finished, Yu Ding closed his eyes, shook his head, and recited: "The Yellow River's waters come from the sky, rushing to the sea never to return..."

It's just "High Mountains and Flowing Water," he knows that all too well!

Ding! Upon hearing this, Prince Changqin's face lit up with joy. His hands, which were plucking the strings, suddenly slowed down, and he lowered his head as a majestic figure appeared in his mind.

As this figure appeared, Prince Changqin's expression turned somewhat sorrowful, and the music he played suddenly shifted from a grand, flowing melody to a plaintive, melancholic tune...

The sudden change in style caught Yu Ding off guard, but slowly, his brows relaxed as the music played.

After a long while, Yu Ding opened his eyes and sighed, "The deep affection between father and son is truly touching. Fellow Daoist Changqin, I hope you will take heart in your grief."

Crown Prince Changqin opened his eyes and stood up with great joy, saying, "Fellow Daoist Yuding is truly a kindred spirit of Changqin. It is my good fortune to meet you today. Please accept my bow."

"Fellow Daoist Changqin, there's no need..." Seeing that Crown Prince Changqin was really about to bow, Yu Ding hurriedly stepped forward to stop him.

Crown Prince Changqin smiled and said, "This bow has nothing to do with status, but rather it is because Changqin is happy to have found a kindred spirit."

Yu Ding had no choice but to comply. After the bowing was finished, Yu Ding sat down happily and said, "I am also deeply happy to meet Fellow Daoist Changqin today."

"I have not found a kindred spirit for many years, but today is the perfect opportunity to exchange musical theories with you, fellow Daoist," said Prince Changqin with a smile.

At this moment, he was no longer a carefree, otherworldly immortal.

"Exchanging music theory...that's fine!" Yu Ding smiled and agreed, secretly hoping he wouldn't have to play the zither. Exchanging music theory wasn't a big problem; he had the vast collections of books from the two libraries of Yu Xu Bi You as a foundation, making this akin to an open-book exam.

But playing the piano is a real skill, and that thing... requires practice!
Immediately, the two drank wine, played the zither, and talked about music. Whenever the Crown Prince Changqin asked a question, whether it was about the principles of the zither or music theory, Yu Ding could give different opinions after a little thought.

The two chatted happily, and before they knew it, a day had passed.

"Phew, it's such a pleasure to meet Fellow Daoist Yu Ding today. I regret that we met so late. If I hadn't come looking for you, I don't know when I would have been able to see you again," Prince Changqin said with emotion.

Yu Ding smiled and said, "I am the same. By the way, Fellow Daoist Changqin said you came here specifically to find me. Is there anything you need?"

"Indeed!" Prince Changqin nodded slightly and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Yuding should be aware of our relationship with the demon race, right?"

Yu Ding nodded slightly. Prince Changqin was the son of Zhu Rong, who was one of the twelve ancestral witches of the Wu tribe. Naturally, their relationship with the demon tribe was one of irreconcilable enmity.

"I heard that the remnants of the Demon Court, who have been entrenched in the Northern Continent, recently launched a full-scale war to seize the Heavenly Realm. For both public and private reasons, I cannot allow them to have their way."

Prince Changqin snorted coldly and said, "Unfortunately, I was refining an ancient zither at the time, and by the time it was finished, the battle for the heavens had already ended."

I also heard that Fellow Daoist Yuding displayed great divine power before the North Heavenly Gate, single-handedly repelling the sixth brother of the Demon Court and its million-strong army. Therefore, I was filled with admiration and came here specifically to meet him.

“I see…” Yu Ding waved his hand and smiled upon hearing this: “It’s just that the Sixth Prince was being overly cautious.”

Prince Changqin stared at the jade tripod for a moment, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

But after thinking about it, he still said, "I have a question about Brother Yuding that I met today, but I don't know whether I should ask it or not."

“Brother Changqin, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. We hit it off immediately and consider each other kindred spirits. What is there that we can’t ask?” Yu Ding said with a smile.

Crown Prince Changqin frowned and asked, "Brother Yuding...did something go wrong in your cultivation, causing your cultivation level to drop to Celestial Immortal?"

"Hmm, Brother Changqin can see through my true nature?" Yu Ding looked at Crown Prince Changqin in surprise.

The illusion surrounding him was created by Taiyi, making his cultivation level so that no one below the Daluo level could see through it, while to the Daluo level it was just the emperor's new clothes.

Since Prince Changqin could see through it, that means… Yu Ding looked at Changqin deeply. No wonder Prince Changqin dared to say that he would hinder the demon race’s plan to seize the heavens.

With that kind of ability, they certainly have the right to say that.

Seeing Yu Ding's expression, Crown Prince Changqin quickly said, "If it's inconvenient for Brother Yu Ding, just pretend you didn't hear this."

"Ah, Brother Changqin is my soulmate, what is there to hide?"

Yu Ding smiled self-deprecatingly: "Many years ago, my foundation was destroyed, my three flowers were severed, and my five energies were scattered. Countless years of cultivation turned into nothing but water in one day. I had no choice but to start cultivating again."

As Brother Changqin has seen today, I am currently only at the Celestial Immortal realm. I wonder if I am still qualified to be Brother Changqin's confidant?

"Brother Yuding, what do you mean by saying that? Who do you take me, Crown Prince Changqin, for?"

Crown Prince Changqin said unhappily, "Our friendship began because of music, and we are kindred spirits. What does it have to do with who you are or how high your cultivation level is?"

"Yes, yes, I was overthinking it," Yu Ding quickly admitted.

Crown Prince Changqin asked in a deep voice, "How was Brother Yuding's cultivation destroyed? And who was responsible?"

"Ahem, I have already gotten justice for this matter. As for the details... please forgive me, Brother Changqin, I truly cannot explain this to you," Yu Ding sighed.

Those Immortal-Slaying Sword Qi suppressed those guys for hundreds of years, and they even went to read the books in Biyou Palace and a Primordial Bodhi Spiritual Root... so this matter can be considered closed.

Whether others who know about it say it or not is none of his business, but he can no longer tell anyone else about it.

However, he still felt the concern of Crown Prince Changqin. Meeting this kindred spirit by chance today was not in vain.

Prince Changqin pondered and said, "I understand. Hmm, I see that Brother Yuding has already reached perfection in the Celestial Immortal realm. He is only one tribulation away from re-entering the Golden Immortal realm. Why hasn't he undergone the tribulation yet?"

"I wish I could!" Yu Ding sighed, "but I don't have any Golden Immortal cultivation techniques."

"No cultivation techniques?" Crown Prince Changqin was taken aback, his expression strange. "Brother Yuding, are you kidding me? What kind of cultivation techniques can't a disciple of the Chan Sect's sages have..."

"I created it myself!"

Yu Ding sighed and explained his current predicament. Compared to Taiyi, he felt more at ease in front of Crown Prince Changqin.

Although Taiyi Zhenren was also very close to him, he still had to be careful not to let Taiyi discover that he was not the original Yu Ding, which was a bit tiring.

"Western Golden Body Method, ha, what's that?"

After hearing this, Prince Changqin burst into loud laughter.

"Why is Brother Changqin laughing?" Yu Ding asked in surprise.

“I laugh at Brother Yu Ding for going to great lengths instead of seeking what is near, doing useless work. My Wu clan and the lineage of the Three Pure Ones are both born from the legacy of the Great God Pangu.”

Prince Changqin laughed and said, "If we talk about the path of the primordial spirit, what method can surpass the orthodox teachings of the Three Pure Ones? As for the physical body, hehe... such a trivial matter has made Brother Yuding so agitated. Shouldn't you laugh?"

Yu Ding stared at Crown Prince Changqin for a moment, then suddenly realized something and laughed loudly, "Yes, yes, yes, I, Yu Ding, was indeed foolish this time, I should laugh! I should laugh!"

At the very end of antiquity, at the beginning of time, there once existed a powerful race, born to stand tall and upright, fearless of any powerful enemy, born to fight, and never ceasing until death.

Their name... is witch!

(End of this chapter)