He struggled to surface, only to see a vortex larger than the stars slowly rotating in the distance, swallowing everything around it.
Turbulent flows tore at his consciousness, and countless wails poured into his ears, mixed with indistinguishable howls and sighs.
He suddenly forgot who he was.
He forgot Qianhun City, forgot the path he had cultivated for tens of thousands of years; he seemed to be just a tiny creature struggling in the Hongmeng Sea, helpless, fearful, and lonely. All the negative emotions he had suppressed in the deepest parts of his soul surged out like a flood breaking through a dam.
Once a Breakthrough occurred in his psychological defense line, the consequences were quite severe.
Baili Qianchi's hands flailed wildly in the air, as if trying to grab onto something, or perhaps trying to push away something non-existent.
He began to mutter incoherent ravings, his voice intermittent and carrying a tremor of near-collapse.
"No... impossible... how could I be..."
"I'm only... I'm only..."
"Help... someone... anyone..."
That was the sound that only occurred after the psychological defense line had completely fallen. When a Cultivator, especially an Eternal Dao Lord level Cultivator, showed such a state, they were essentially in a state of Dao Heart collapse.
Such was Baili Qianchi at this moment; he could no longer distinguish the boundary between illusion and reality.
To him, the Terrifying Waves around him were real and were currently happening.
The surrounding crowd was silent.
Baili Qianchi had the confidence to challenge, so his mental will could not be weak; for him to become like this, one could only say this zither music was too terrifying.
Many people looked at Qin Xin with eyes full of wariness.
They wondered, if they were targeted by this zither music, would they also be in such a state?
Hun Qianling covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock. Although she had guessed Han Xuanji would win, she hadn't expected Baili Qianchi to collapse so quickly.
Baili Qianchi was now slumped in his chair, hands clawing wildly, tears and snot flowing, making a complete fool of himself—a far cry from the arrogant youth he had been just a moment ago.
"He can't hold on."
Someone whispered.
"This piece by Miss Qin Xin has likely used at least fifty percent of her power. Baili Qianchi is young after all, insisting on making her use her true skills."
"Wait, what about the other person?"
Everyone turned their gaze to the other side in unison.
Then, everyone gasped.
Han Xuanji still sat in his original place, eyes tightly closed; his expression was slightly shaken, but he showed no signs of making a fool of himself.
He was like a reef standing amidst the Terrifying Waves.
The waves could crash against him and submerge him, but they could not shake him in the slightest.
Of course, Qin Xin's strength was indeed beyond doubt; she was truly a master of the Dao of the zither, and this piece had even moved his mind.
Legend had it that Qin Xin once influenced an Eternal True God with weak mental will using a single zither melody. He hadn't quite believed this rumor before; a chasm lay between a True God and a True Lord, and the idea of influencing someone across a major Realm through music alone sounded too absurd.
But now, personally feeling the power of "Terrifying Waves," he felt that the rumor might not be false.
"If she performed with full strength, I wonder if she could influence me?"
Han Xuanji was somewhat curious but did not speak.
The victory was already decided; if the intensity were increased further, Baili Qianchi might turn into a madman on the spot.
While he was thinking, Baili Qianchi across from him suddenly began to tremble violently.
He slid from his chair and knelt on the ground, clutching his head and muttering broken words in a hoarse voice:
"It wasn't me... it really wasn't me... Wu Congshan made me come... he said as long as I... as long as I win against Han Xuanji..."
"I don't want it anymore... I won't compete... please... stop..."
"I'm so scared... I was wrong..."
He curled up on the ground like a fledgling bird soaked by a storm, his whole body shivering uncontrollably.
On that face, arrogance had long since vanished, replaced by a sense of bewilderment and fear.
Qin Xin's fingers finally stopped on the zither strings. She didn't look at the kneeling Baili Qianchi, but instead raised her eyes, her gaze falling on Han Xuanji's face.
On that cold face, an expression that could be called surprise appeared for the first time, and then she slowly said:
"The victory is decided."
The air on the terrace seemed to freeze for a moment.
Then, an uproar erupted like a tidal wave.
"Incredible!"
The first to speak was an old Cultivator with white hair and beard; he stood up abruptly and shouted:
"Standing firm under the Raging Waves Song? As expected of a peerless Prodigy who could charge through the Heaven Ladder! This old man has never submitted to anyone in his life, but I admire you!"
The speaker was a regular guest at Qianmeng Pavilion, somewhat famous in Qianhun City, owning several small businesses—an expert at the Peak of the Eternal True Lord Realm.
"Baili Qianchi's cultivation of the Dao of the Heart Arrow has always been known for its mental condensation. Who doesn't know of his three thousand years of bitter cultivation in the Wildlands? Even he couldn't withstand the second melody, yet Han Xuanji's expression remained unchanged... this gap is simply too large!"
"It's more than just a gap!"
Another middle-aged Cultivator shook his head and murmured:
"Look at his expression; he still has strength to spare. No wonder he agreed so readily at the start."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue fell silent again.
"The Hun Family has likely unearthed a True Dragon this time; I see the demeanor of a Saint in this child," someone whispered in a complex tone.
Someone whispered, their tone complex.
As a dominant power in the city, many forces were happy to see the decline of the Hun Family; they hadn't expected them to find a talent like Han Xuanji.
"It's just a pity his cultivation is a bit low, but as long as he's given time, he might truly have a chance."
Qin Xin did not join the discussions.
She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly more noticeably than usual. She gently placed the ancient zither on the side table, stood up, bowed slightly, and performed the salute that a musician of Qianmeng Pavilion only gives to esteemed guests.
"Fellow Daoist Han has a firm Dao Heart; Qin Xin admires you."
Her voice remained clear and cold, but there was a noticeably more sincere note of praise compared to her previous distance:
"The Nine Melodies of Heart Refining is the signature technique of my Qianmeng Pavilion. While I dare not say my skills are the best in the Jiuxuan Province, in Qianhun City, few can rival them."
"For a Fellow Daoist to take the Terrifying Waves melody while in the Dao Master Realm is truly something Qin Xin has only seen once in her life."
There was no trace of politeness in her words.
For Qin Xin, she would not stoop to flattering a junior whose cultivation was even lower than hers. Furthermore, for many years, Qin Xin had always maintained an arrogant demeanor, attracting many Disciples of great families to pursue her, but all were met with her cold response.
It was said that a Disciple of a major power once used his background to force her, but that Disciple died the next day, and the major power took no action, showing her extraordinary background.
Baili Qianchi was able to invite her partly because he paid, and partly because she was somewhat curious about Han Xuanji.