Douluo: When the piano sounds, the hidden weapon returns to the factory

Chapter 36 Silent Song
Feng Yao's gaze swept across the VIP table, spotting several familiar figures in the crowd. Xue Qinghe, Qian Renxue's incarnation, sat in the first row of VIP seats, flanked by three members of the Tiandou Imperial Academy's academic committee, who sat respectfully in the second row.

Of the three seats in the first row of the VIP section, the most eye-catching was the elderly man in the center, clad in a golden-red dragon robe. He wore a dazzling golden diamond crown. Though his features showed signs of age, the majestic aura he exuded made everything around him seem to revolve around him. Feng Yao knew without a word that this man was the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire.

To the emperor's left, a red-robed elder, even older than the emperor, closed his eyes in deep meditation. His lean frame stood as straight as a javelin, and the five-pointed platinum crown atop his head, symbolizing the Spirit Hall's supreme authority, gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight. Feng Yao understood—this must be Saras, the master of the Spirit Hall in Tiandou City and one of the Four Platinum Bishops.

The man in white to the emperor's right caught Feng Yao's eye. He wore a simple white robe and the unique purple-gold crown of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. His face, as gentle as jade, wore a calm smile. It was none other than Ning Fengzhi, the leader of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, one of the seven great sects.

The emcee at the VIP booth announced loudly, "Now, we respectfully invite His Majesty the Emperor of the Tiandou Empire to open this competition!"

Just as Feng Yao had predicted, the emperor, clad in a scarlet-gold robe, seated in the center of the VIP seating area, slowly rose to his feet amidst a chorus of applause. With a slight raise of his right hand, the entire plaza instantly fell silent, his majesty awe-inspiring to the very core of the crowd.

"I, Emperor Xue Ye of the Tiandou Empire," a resonant voice spread throughout the audience through the amplified soul guide, "on behalf of the Tiandou Empire, I hereby announce that the Pan-Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition is officially open!"

The applause rang out again like thunder, and cheers rose one after another.

After the noise subsided, Xue Ye continued, "I hope that all participating soul masters will give their all and win glory for the empire. You are the future pillars of Tiandou. Today, use your strength to illuminate this arena!"

During the third round of applause, the young spirit masters in the center of the field all had fighting spirit in their eyes. For them, this was undoubtedly the best stage to showcase themselves.

After the emperor took his seat, the master of ceremonies' voice rang out again: "Next, please welcome Mr. Ning Fengzhi, the leader of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, to deliver his speech."

Ning Fengzhi stood up gracefully, and the audience immediately erupted in warm applause and countless admiring gazes. As the number one auxiliary soul master in the soul master world, his every word attracted much attention.

"I'm honored to be invited to witness this grand event." Ning Fengzhi pressed his hands together, his gentle voice like a spring breeze. "Everyone here is the leader of the younger generation. I hope you will live up to the expectations of the empire and bring honor to the academy."

The emcee took the opportunity to ask, "Master Ning, as a top auxiliary spirit master, which team do you think is the best?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled mysteriously. "Aside from the seeded team, Tiandou Royal Academy Team 1, I'm also optimistic about another team. Not only will they be able to pass the preliminaries, they're even more likely to win the championship of this tournament."

"Oh?" the emcee asked in surprise, "Which team is so lucky?"

"Let me keep you in suspense." Ning Fengzhi glanced at the audience, "But I am sure that the championship will eventually belong to the Empire."

Bishop Salas, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. His cloudy gaze darted between the twenty-eight teams, as if searching for the dark horse Ning Fengzhi had mentioned. The audience erupted in discussion, wondering which team Sect Leader Ning favored.

After Ning Fengzhi took his seat, the emcee announced, "Now, please invite Lord Saras to draw the lots for the preliminaries. The first match will be between the Tiandou Royal Academy vice-captains and their first opponent."

Sarath stood up expressionlessly and, guided by a maid, completed the drawing ceremony. The platinum bishop remained silent throughout the entire process, mechanically handing the results to the emcee and announcing them, seemingly completely uninterested in the event.

"In the first round of the qualifying round, Canghui College versus Purple Star College."

"In the first round of the qualifiers, Oakland College faced off against Flame Glory College."

"..."

"In the first round of the preliminaries, Tiandou Royal Academy will face Shrek Academy."

"..."

Feng Yao leaned back in a soft chair in the VIP section, seemingly watching the game, but in reality, he was quietly circulating his soul power, constantly tempering the "Fuxi" in his arms. He had little interest in the off-field competition—he already knew the information he needed to know, and he also knew many secrets he shouldn't know.

"It's obviously inappropriate to play the qin in such a noisy place." Feng Yao tapped the qin lightly with his slender fingers, looking thoughtful. "But I can take this opportunity to try the 'silent song'."

As a time traveler, he had already carefully considered sonic skills when planning his spirit rings. From single-note blasts to the audible application of complete musical scores, he had mastered them all by heart. And now, he was turning his attention to an even more profound realm—sound waves that transcended the limits of human perception.

"Ultrasonic!" Feng Yao closed his eyes and concentrated, pouring his soul power into Fuxi like a trickle. "Using soul power instead of fingers might be able to achieve the required vibration frequency of the strings."

The guqin in his arms seemed to sense something, its seven strings vibrating without wind, driven by soul power at a speed barely discernible to the naked eye. However, Feng Yao stopped trying after a moment. While ultrasound could be invisible, the intense soul power fluctuations in this gathering of experts were like a bright light in the dark.

"High frequencies require massive amounts of soul power to support them." Feng Yao sighed softly, "A tiny amount of soul power can hardly break through the audio frequency limit." This problem made him frown, and his fingertips unconsciously stroked the strings, causing an almost inaudible buzzing sound.

At this moment, Feng Yao suddenly became aware of a distant gaze. He looked up and met Ning Fengzhi's thoughtful gaze. The leader of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect seemed to be taking an interest in him, a glint of inquiry flashing in his eyes.

Feng Yao calmly placed his palm on the strings, stopping their vibrations. He nodded politely to Ning Fengzhi, but secretly remained vigilant in his heart—in this situation, any abnormal fluctuation of soul power might attract unnecessary attention.

"Looks like I need to change my approach," Feng Yao thought to himself. He suddenly remembered the principle of resonance from his past life's physics, and his eyes lit up slightly: "If I can find the natural frequency of the strings, I can stimulate resonance with minimal soul power."

He readjusted his soul power output method, no longer seeking to forcefully vibrate the strings, but instead searching for the most suitable vibration node. Soul power seeped into the qin like a spring breeze and gentle rain. This time, the vibration of "Fuxi" was almost imperceptible, but Feng Yao could clearly sense that the vibration frequency of the strings was steadily increasing. Just as he was concentrating, a sudden cry of surprise broke out from the audience. The game had already begun. But this did not distract him at all, because at this moment, the "Fuxi" in his arms finally emitted a sound wave that exceeded the limit of human hearing.
This sound wave, beyond the limits of human hearing, spread silently through the air like invisible ripples. Feng Yao held his breath and concentrated, clearly perceiving every reflection and feedback of the sound wave on the field through the unique connection between "Fuxi" and his own martial spirit.

"Success!" Feng Yao's eyes flashed with joy. This ultrasonic detection capability would allow him to obtain precise spatial perception in any environment, making it the most covert means of investigation.

However, just as he was about to conduct further tests, Bishop Sarath, sitting in the VIP seats, suddenly frowned, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes. The Spirit Hall's Platinum Bishop seemed to sense something and glanced around suspiciously.

Feng Yao's heart trembled, and he immediately restrained his soul power. He realized that although ordinary people could not detect ultrasound, some high-level soul masters with keen perception might be able to detect abnormal soul power fluctuations.

"It seems that there is still room for improvement." Feng Yao thought to himself, "If the sound wave frequency can be controlled within a narrower range, perhaps the probability of being discovered can be further reduced."

Feng Yao pretended to be nonchalant as he adjusted his sitting position, his fingers lightly stroking the strings of "Fuxi" and adjusting his soul power output to a more discreet intermittent pattern. This time, he deliberately locked the ultrasonic frequency to the core area of ​​the inter-field battle.

Invisible sound waves spread like ripples, returning unique information upon impact with various objects. Feng Yao closed his eyes and concentrated, using his powerful mental power to construct a three-dimensional image of the arena in his mind—nimble figures, the trajectory of soul attacks, and the opponent's hasty dodges were all clearly discernible.

"Interesting." Feng Yao's lips curled up slightly. This ultrasonic sensing method was more comprehensive than simple mental power detection, and could even clearly capture the subtle flow of soul power through the meridians of the participating soul masters.

Suddenly, a unique wave of soul power aroused his vigilance. The ultrasonic wave instantly locked onto the source, and Feng Yao's mind immediately emerged with the image of Tang San gazing at him with his purple eyes.

"Purple Demon Pupil? It's like a pillow being handed to me when I'm sleepy." Feng Yao's mind raced, and he immediately adjusted the ultrasonic frequency to track the trajectory of Tang San's spirit power. Through the feedback, he could clearly "see" Tang San continuously pouring spirit power into his eyes. This unique spirit power flow path was clearly the cultivation method of the Purple Demon Pupil. If he had simply used the sound of the zither as before, it would have been impossible to sense Tang San's spirit power from such a distance.

"Sir, are you alright?" someone sitting nearby couldn't help but ask. Feng Yao then realized that the "Fuxi" in his arms was vibrating slightly and uncontrollably, its seven strings trembling at an odd frequency.

"It's nothing, I just got distracted." Feng Yao smiled apologetically and immediately gathered his soul power. The vibrations of the zither strings gradually subsided, but the path of the Purple Demonic Eye he had just captured was already deeply engraved in his memory.
Feng Yao pretended to be nonchalant, adjusting his sleeves and gently stroking the strings of his zither to calm them completely. He seemed to be concentrating on the competition field, but in reality, he was still pondering the mystery of the Purple Demonic Eye he had just glimpsed.

"So that's how it is." Feng Yao thought to himself, "Inject soul power into the eye meridians, and then coordinate with the soul power in the body to operate."

At this moment, Tang San seemed to notice something, his brows furrowed slightly, the light of his Purple Demonic Pupil suddenly intensified, and his gaze shot towards the VIP seats like a sharp arrow. Feng Yao calmly turned his head and pretended to talk to the audience beside him, cleverly avoiding this probing gaze.

"What was that feeling just now? Did he do something again?" Tang San wondered in his heart, but he quickly denied his own statement. There were many masters present. Even if Feng Yao was strong, he was just a Soul Master. This level of cultivation was already outstanding among students, but on the mainland, it was just the level of an ordinary Soul Master.

"Such a keen perception." Feng Yao was secretly surprised. He didn't expect Tang San to be able to sense even the hidden ultrasonic detection.

The competition on the field had already reached a fever pitch, but Feng Yao's mind was no longer focused on victory or defeat. He gently stroked the body of the "Fuxi" qin, "It seems that this competition will yield a lot of gains."

Suddenly, a burst of enthusiastic cheers interrupted his thoughts. Feng Yao looked up and saw that while he was thinking, the first game had already ended.

As the games progressed, Feng Yao gradually felt bored. Aside from Tang San's Purple Demonic Eye, which had caught his eye, the spirit skills displayed by the contestants from other academies were mostly mediocre and hardly piqued his interest.

He lazily leaned back in his chair, his fingers occasionally tapping the body of the "Fuxi" instrument. Just as he was considering whether to leave early, the host's loud voice suddenly resounded throughout the room:

"Round 1, Match 6, Tiandou Royal Academy vs. Shrek Academy!"

Feng Yao instantly sat up straight, a gleam in his eyes. This duel was undoubtedly the most anticipated—on one side were the pampered elites of the Royal Academy, and on the other were the monster-filled Shrek team. More importantly, he finally had the opportunity to "observe" some of Tang San's strength.

"Interesting." Feng Yao's lips curled up slightly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the strings. This time, he planned to activate ultrasonic detection throughout the entire process, not wanting to miss any exciting moments.

On the sidelines, the Tiandou Royal Academy vice-team, led by some second-generation nobles, had already lined up to enter the field. Their uniforms shone with luxurious gold edges in the sun, forming a sharp contrast with Shrek's "chic" green uniform.

Feng Yao's fingers gently rested on the strings of the "Fuxi" qin, and his soul power flowed into him like a trickle. Invisible ultrasonic waves spread out from him, weaving a sophisticated sensory network across the arena.

With the referee's command, the match officially began. The Tiandou Royal Academy's vice-team members wore arrogant smiles on their faces, clearly not taking their opponents, who were wearing strange uniforms, seriously.

Yet, at that very moment, the arrogance on the faces of everyone at the Imperial Academy suddenly froze—Tang San's Blue Silver Grass spread like an awakened giant python, covering most of the arena in an instant. Xiao Wu's figure appeared and disappeared among the vines, drifting like a ghost. And the shadow of the Evil Fire Phoenix unfolding behind Ma Hongjun raised the temperature of the entire arena even higher.

Feng Yao's fingertips gently vibrated on the strings, and the ultrasonic waves accurately reflected Tang San's every movement. His eyes flashed, and he secretly marveled in his heart:
"Ghostly Tracking. This footwork can evenly distribute soul power throughout the foot meridians, forming a special buffer layer."

"The Mysterious Jade Hand actually uses soul power to form a special circulation circuit in the palm of the hand."

"Controlling the crane and capturing the dragon. What a wonderful soul power pulling technique."

Tang San's precious unique skills were now clearly visible under the ultrasonic detection. Feng Yao memorized this information as if it were a treasure, and at the same time continuously analyzed the principles of the soul power operation.

What surprised him even more was that these unique skills were not used in isolation in Tang San's hands, but cooperated with each other to form a perfect combat system. Blue Silver Grass controlled the entire field, Ghost Shadow provided mobility, Mysterious Jade Hand enhanced close combat, Control Crane and Capture Dragon assisted in control.
The one-sided battle ended quickly, but Tang San was not happy because the strange feeling from before lasted throughout the entire battle.

(End of this chapter)