My Master Knows It All

382: Chapter 160 You Finish Your Performance and Then He Takes the Stage_5 382: Chapter 160 You Finish Your Performance and Then He Takes the Stage_5 Apart from that, since everyone’s cultivation base is different, we are also only competing in pure musical rhythm, so the use of mana is also prohibited during the performance.”

If it were somebody else, he wouldn’t have bothered to mention this rule, as it’s the most basic one.

But for someone like Cao Zhen, who obviously didn’t understand musical rhythm, he couldn’t help but remind him.

Looking at Cao Zhen’s demeanor, he had to laugh at himself; a group of Cave Masters well-versed in the way of musical rhythm competing with someone who knew nothing of it was simply ludicrous.

“Alright, I understand, and I’m ready.

Whenever you are, Cave Master, just announce the start,” Cao Zhen said, eager to try as he waved the wooden mallet a couple of times.

He might have connected with Gao Jianli, but he had yet to play even once.

This time, he was going to see how powerful ninety-nine levels of musical rhythm could be.

In his expectant gaze, a voice signaled the start.

In an instant, the sounds of various instruments arose.

Cao Zhen also swung the wooden mallet at the same time, striking the bronze bells before him.

Although he possessed Gao Jianli’s ninety-nine levels of musical rhythm, this being his first use, he could keep up with everyone’s tempo thanks to the super high level of musical rhythm.

However, his strikes lacked any emotion and were very stiff.

Many disciples from Melody Peak, upon seeing Cao Zhen’s striking motion, couldn’t help but show a surprised expression.

“He actually knows how?”

“He’s keeping up, not completely clueless.”

“The bronze bells are rather unusual instruments.

This Peak Master knows how to play them, which is quite skillful indeed.”

“But all he’s doing is keeping up with the rhythm without making a mistake.

Listen to how he plays, there’s no emotion in it.

Music without feeling can hardly be called musical rhythm!”

“He’s performing alongside the Cave Masters, and it won’t be long before he’s influenced by the emotional expression in their musical rhythm and then loses his own tempo.”

Elder Huan Kong saw Cao Zhen strike the bronze bells with a smile.

He had previously thought that it was very likely Cao Zhen knew nothing about musical rhythm.

They felt almost certain they couldn’t lose, but actually seeing Cao Zhen’s level and being certain of his defeat gave them a different feeling.

The people from the Hundred Peaks Sect, however, began to sigh to themselves.

Lan Pili sighed softly, consoling himself by thinking that Peak Master Cao had won in the ways of calligraphy and painting, and even if he lost in musical rhythm this time, it still counted as two wins and one loss, a victory overall.

Actually, this might not be such a bad thing.

At the very least, it would let Peak Master Cao know not to be too arrogant in the future and refrain from making unfounded claims about things he didn’t master.

Speaking of which, although Peak Master Cao was indeed a Peak Master, he was still too young, even younger than some disciples from their own peaks.

This defeat might be considered part of Peak Master Cao’s growth.

The disciples from Thousand Caves Door, without realizing it, had become immersed in the Cave Masters’ performance.

So many people playing together, with different instruments and styles.

If it were someone else without practice, the produced music might be unpleasant or strange.

But these were the Cave Masters, so adept in musical rhythm.

The disciples listened to the Cave Masters’ performance and were completely immersed in it.

Such an opportunity for the Cave Masters to perform together was incredibly rare.

While the disciples were engrossed, Elder Huan Kong’s expression gradually changed.

No, that’s not right.

How is Cao Zhen still keeping up?

And why does it feel like Cao Zhen’s performance is becoming smoother?

Moreover, from Cao Zhen’s music, is there an emerging sense of being gallant and fervent?

“Ding…”

Suddenly, a subtle sound emanated, and a Peak Master who was playing the zither suddenly stopped, a look of astonishment on his face.

He should not have made a mistake so quickly given his strength in the musical rhythm.

But just now, there came a very odd sound of a bell, filled with a spirit of generosity as if thousands of troops were charging ahead.

His emotions were influenced in an instant, leading him to make a mistake!

How strange.

Whose sound was that?

None of the other Cave Masters used that style, to his knowledge.

Looking around, he froze upon realization that none of the other Cave Masters had made a mistake; they were all performing, indicating he was the first to falter.

This…

No, Cao Zhen!

He suddenly turned to look at Cao Zhen beside him, and in the next moment, his eyes widened in shock!

Cao Zhen was still playing, with no mistakes!

This…

how is this possible?

And that voice, that stirring sensation, and those chime bells, the person who affected him just now was Cao Zhen!

How can this be possible?

“Ding…” Suddenly, another faint sound came, and a Cave Master who thought he was playing the erhu had no choice but to stop.

Looking up, he saw not far away, another Cave Master who had also stopped, immediately revealing an expression of astonishment.

Since everyone was playing music, it wasn’t appropriate for him to speak up and interrupt, so he could only transmit his voice secretly and asked, “Yellow Cave Master, why…

why did you stop before me?”

Yellow Cave Master’s strength was also ranked mid-tier among all Cave Masters following the Musical Rhythm Dao.

How could he be the first to make a mistake?

Yellow Cave Master sighed, helplessly saying, “Just now, a sound suddenly came, interrupting me, and it sounded like Cao Zhen.”

“Cao Zhen?

How is that possible?

He…

it truly seems to be him, no mistake, it really is him, I too was affected by his chime bells and made a mistake.”

As the two Cave Masters secretly transmitted their voices between each other, one after another the surrounding Cave Masters also began to make mistakes in succession.

The disciples around, while immersed in the music, were not in that state of insight-driven absorption; they were also paying attention to their surroundings.

Very quickly, one after another, the disciples noticed something was amiss.

“This…

Yellow Cave Master has stopped.”

“Liu Cave Master has stopped as well.”

“And there’s Ma Cave Master and Lu Cave Master…”

“That Cao Zhen, why is he still playing?”

“How could this be?

Isn’t he not proficient in Musical Rhythm?”

“Could it be that Cao Zhen made a mistake earlier but didn’t voluntarily stop?”

“Impossible, with so many people watching, if he were to make a mistake, it would be immediately noticed.”

“Listen to his music, why do I feel that the sound he plays is particularly infectious…”

“Have you noticed, it seems that the Cave Masters close to Cao Zhen have all stopped, they have all made mistakes.”

The number of Cave Masters making mistakes kept increasing, and gradually, within the entire hall, including Cao Zhen, only a dozen or so people were still playing.

The masses of Thousand Caves Door slowly began to panic.

“He, he really understands Musical Rhythm, and he is even skilled at it!”

“How could he understand Musical Rhythm.”

“He’s not really going to win, is he?”

“We still have ten Cave Masters…

no, now there are only nine Cave Masters remaining.”

“Only eight left.”

Elder Huan Kong watched as Cave Masters were being eliminated one by one and his expression grew increasingly somber.

He couldn’t understand how Cao Zhen, so young, could attain such profound expertise in the Painting Dao and Calligraphy Dao while also being so proficient in Musical Rhythm.

Where did he find the energy?

At Hundred Peaks Sect, everyone watched as the number of Cave Masters on the opposing side dwindled, one by one, filled with great joy.

“Indeed, I knew it, there’s nothing Peak Master Cao can’t do.”

“Since Peak Master Cao said he was proficient in Musical Rhythm, there naturally was a reason behind it.”

“Five left, there are only five Cave Masters still holding on from the opposite side.”

“Four, now there are only four people left on their side.”

The disciples of Hundred Peaks Sect even began counting out loud.

On the other side, the disciples of Thousand Caves Door, listening to the orderly counting of the people from Hundred Peaks Sect, each had an extremely ugly expression, yet they had nothing to say in return.

What’s wrong with counting?

People from Hundred Peaks Sect were also performing, and if counting affected anyone, it would also affect Cao Zhen from Hundred Peaks Sect.

Therefore, they could only listen and couldn’t use the counting as an excuse to accuse the other side of causing a disturbance.

Amidst the voices of the people from Hundred Peaks Sect, Cao Zhen’s strength in wielding the mallet grew increasingly powerful, and unbeknownst to him, he too became submerged in the music.

Since the beginning of his performance, this was the first time he became so deeply absorbed.

As he became engrossed, all around him, the ambient noise of counting from the people of Hundred Peaks Sect, the discussions of the people from Thousand Caves Door, every single sound ceased.