Chapter 209: The Path of Cultivation

“Good work, but don’t talk. Focus on practicing,” Yu Mowen said.

This was their first practice, playing only instruments without singing. Even so, they could already feel the effect of accelerated mana circulation.

“Yes,” Ruo Xuan said, lowering her head to focus on playing the bass guitar. She played with proper technique, so it seemed her earlier claim that she could quickly learn bass wasn’t false.

Actually, among them, aside from Shangguan Yun who had already entered the Sound Dao and could play celestial music, Mu Yanxi was only half a foot over the threshold.

Yu Qiuyu and Ruo Xuan could only be considered as being able to play musical instruments—they had the technique, but hadn’t yet entered the Sound Dao.

But Yu Mowen’s playing realm was too high. Not only was her solo already celestial music, but when playing together, she could elevate this novice band’s first performance to the level of celestial music.

She could even guide her teammates with just music theory, correcting their mistakes like an orchestra conductor without a baton. Now, the band was completely led by her.

Under her guidance, Mu Yanxi easily broke through the threshold of the Sound Dao and officially entered the gate of the Sound Dao.

Now she only needed to change to a Sound Dao cultivation method, and she could immediately become a sound cultivator.

Next, Ruo Xuan and Yu Qiuyu also gradually entered the realm of the Sound Dao under her leadership. It was estimated that after just two or three more practice sessions, they too would break through the Sound Dao realm.

At this moment, a voice sounded in Mu Yanxi’s immortal brain:

[Detected primary sound dao energy, band performance. Immortal brain successfully charged to 7%. Master, please continue to forge ahead in the Sound Dao domain, striving to unlock the next function.]

[Target: Ruo Xuan, Bass Guitar Performance, Skill: Standard]

[Target: Yu Qiuyu, Drum Kit Performance, Skill: Beginner]

[Target: Yu Mowen, Guitar Performance, Skill: Professional]

[Target: Shangguan Yun, Violin Performance, Skill: Proficient]

The immortal brain’s voice sounded again:

[Would you like to simulate learning target Yu Mowen’s guitar performance technique?]

‘You can learn even this?’

Mu Yanxi was somewhat surprised.

‘If I simulate and learn Yu Mowen’s guitar skills, wouldn’t that mean my Sound Dao level can directly step into the realm of mastery?’

However, at this moment Mu Yanxi was still playing the zhuqin, so it was impossible to simulate learning guitar technique. She could only wait for a moment and ask the immortal brain:

“I feel that Yu Qiuyu and Ruo Xuan’s levels are about the same. Why are their skill levels different?”

“Master, Ruo Xuan is using a professional-level bass technique chip inserted at the back of her head. The principle is similar to simulated learning.”

“It allows her to directly master bass playing technique, but she hasn’t fully mastered it yet. So she’s only at a standard level, higher than Yu Qiuyu,” the immortal brain replied.

‘There’s such a method?’

Mu Yanxi looked at Ruo Xuan. The immortal brain highlighted her spinal patch, showing a red chip at the back of her neck, not even as big as a thumbnail. That was the professional-level bass technique chip.

At the same time, Mu Yanxi did feel that Ruo Xuan’s progress was faster than Yu Qiuyu’s, and even faster than her own. Her bass was also a high-grade fifth-rank divine artifact, a famous brand.

According to the immortal brain’s annotation, it had the effects of automatic error correction and Sound Dao amplification. As she continued playing, her skill would get higher and higher.

No wonder she had the confidence to say she could play guitar and bass, even other instruments were no problem. So she just bought implant chips to learn skills directly—truly insanely rich.

As for how Yu Qiuyu learned drum kit, that was unknown.

According to the immortal brain’s analysis, she had no implanted chip, and her body hadn’t undergone any modifications. Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out that she already knew a bit of drum kit.

After the song ended, except for Yu Mowen and Shangguan Yun, the other three women couldn’t stop panting.

Sweat flowed from their hair down their faces and backs, soaking their qipaos. The entire practice room was drenched in fragrant sweat.

“I didn’t expect playing celestial music to be so tiring,” Ruo Xuan said, collapsing onto the sofa while panting heavily. She couldn’t care less about her image anymore. The feeling was similar to an hour of physical cultivation.

“My mana is almost drained,” Mu Yanxi said too. The trickle of spiritual power from her Life Spring was completely insufficient to replenish. If she could lie down in a bathtub now, she would suck dry a tub of spiritual water.

“You didn’t think Sound Dao cultivation was easy, did you? This is also cultivation—how could it be effortless? Here, hydrate.”

Shangguan Yun took out the Immortal Water she had prepared earlier and tossed it to the three.

Mu Yanxi twisted open the cap and gulped down several mouthfuls, feeling the spiritual energy separating from the soda water and filling her nearly depleted meridians. Mu Yanxi felt as if she had come back to life.

“I didn’t expect this either. Earlier, when listening to Fairy Lu Yue’s concert, I clearly felt that my mana wasn’t decreasing at all,” Mu Yanxi sighed.

“So your dazing off these past few days was all because you were watching Fairy Lu Yue’s concert?” Shangguan Yun asked, sounding a bit jealous.

She had mistaken Mu Yanxi’s simulated learning and immersive cultivation in the immortal brain for watching a concert.

But Shangguan Yun still explained:

“Listening to someone else play celestial music and playing it yourself—can that be the same? When you listen to songs, you consume someone else’s mana. You only need to enjoy the effects brought by the celestial music.”

“Moreover, Fairy Lu Yue has a professional team supporting her. They carefully select the order of the concert’s setlist.”

“For example, a song that accelerates mana circulation is usually followed by a song that restores mana; a song that trains the spirit sense is usually followed by a song that restores spirit sense. There are also breaks in between, so the audience doesn’t feel any discomfort.”

“No wonder—self-cultivation and having others help you cultivate are indeed different,” Mu Yanxi sighed.

Lying in a Spiritual Spring listening to a concert, letting celestial music guide one’s cultivation—that was truly a divine enjoyment.

“That’s why rich people want to keep a private band to play music for them on demand,” Shangguan Yun laughed. “Oh, right, I have a private band at home, but unfortunately it usually only serves my father and uncles. I can only sponge off the celestial music on the side.”

“That’s still enviable,” Mu Yanxi sighed.

Compared to how the rich had their band perform live right beside them, the effect of her watching videos and live stream replays was one level worse.

“There’s nothing to envy. I believe music is played for oneself to hear. Maybe there’s some hardship and fatigue, but when doing something you love, a person won’t be afraid of tiredness.”

“Playing the music you love—that itself is the joy of cultivation. Those who only listen will never understand,” Yu Mowen said.

This was truly undeniable.

Although it seemed bitter compared to the rich’s enjoyment, compared to Mu Yanxi’s past life, this was already happy immortality cultivation. The closed-door ascetic cultivation of her previous life was true torment.

Why could she endure loneliness day after day for ten years, doing that meticulous work?

Was it all truly for that elusive immortality? Or for the formidable power when engaging in magic combat?

Mu Yanxi felt it was partly that, but not entirely.

Cultivation itself had a sense of achievement and joy.

The Sound Dao was the same.