Chương 429: Chapter 428: Divine Departure

The next two days were a whirlwind of knowledge transfer, cultural immersion, and careful observation. I spent countless hours slowly feeding Mo Yuhang all the information from the Grand Archive, breaking down complex cultivation theories into digestible pieces. The last thing I wanted was to overwhelm his mind and turn him into a drooling vegetable.

"Divine one," Mo Yuhang had said during one of our morning sessions, "this technique for harmonic resonance amplification... it suggests that multiple cultivators could link their cores together to share their power. Is that really possible?" I'd nodded, impressed by how quickly he was grasping concepts that had taken me hours to understand.

"In theory, yes. Though the synchronization requirements would be incredibly precise. One person being slightly off-rhythm could destabilize the entire network."

"Like a choir where one singer is tone-deaf," he'd mused, already working through practical applications in his head. That was the thing about Mo Yuhang that continued to amaze me. Give him a theoretical framework, and he'd immediately start thinking about how to implement it, improve it, or teach it to others. The kid was born to be a scholar. Liu Wenqing, meanwhile, remained unconscious despite the healers' best efforts.

They'd mended her physical injuries easily enough, and the cultivation base damage from Guo Xinyi's forced techniques had actually been repaired when her vessel consumed the manifestation. But whatever was happening in her mind was beyond their ability to treat.

"Master," Azure had observed during one of my visits to her bedside, "her spiritual signature is fluctuating in patterns I've never seen before. It's like two different cultivation methods are trying to coexist in the same body." I'd considered using blue sun energy to help, but ultimately decided against it. For one thing, this seemed more like a mental integration process than a physical healing issue. But more importantly, blue sun energy only remained stable because of my Genesis Seed's constant purification.

The moment it left my body, it would start its usual corruption process. I remembered Wei Lin's father and how his eyes had flashed azure for just a moment during the healing process. Wei Ye had managed to suppress whatever madness the blue sun energy had tried to inflict, but that was only because of his incredible willpower and the tiny amount involved.

Liu Wenqing was already dealing with enough mental strain from absorbing Guo Xinyi's memories, adding corrupted sun energy to the mix would probably shatter her mind entirely.

"The healers think she should wake up soon," Azure had continued.

"My theory is that she's in the process of digesting and integrating Guo Xinyi's memories and experiences. If it goes well, she might revolutionize cultivation in this inner world. If it goes badly..."

"She could wake up thinking she's Guo Xinyi," I'd finished grimly. It was a delicate process, like performing surgery on someone's identity. All we could do was wait and hope. With the immediate threat of battle removed, I'd been able to actually experience what daily life was like in this musical realm. The children in the park had become my regular companions, eagerly teaching me their flower-singing games and laughing when I accidentally turned petals into rainbow spirals instead of solid colors.

"Look! Look!" the pigtailed girl had shouted yesterday, "The god-man made a singing flower! It's humming by itself!" I'd stared at the flower in question, which was indeed producing a soft, melodic hum without any input from me. Apparently, the mix of qi and blue sun energy had somehow given it a permanent enchantment.

"That's... not supposed to happen," I'd muttered.

"It's beautiful!" another child had declared, and soon they were all begging me to make more singing flowers for their families. Mo Yuhang's little sister, Xiaoxiao, had been particularly fascinated by my techniques. I'd shown her some basic qi manipulation exercises, that were similar enough to harmonic essence, disguised as "divine blessings," helping her strengthen her natural abilities.

"Brother," she'd whispered to Mo Yuhang when he was in control of the body, "the divine one is teaching me secret songs that make plants dance. Is that okay?"

"It's more than okay, little sister," he had patted her head fondly.

"Learn everything you can." Meanwhile, Azure had been working overtime analyzing this realm's cultivation system, trying to figure out ways to incorporate musical techniques into my own cultivation back home.

"The fundamental principle is sound wave manipulation through spiritual energy," he'd explained.

"Unfortunately, without the natural harmonic essence that saturates this realm, most of these techniques would be impossible to replicate exactly. But the concept of using controlled vibrations to enhance qi flow... that has potential."

"So, I won't be able to sing trees into massive fists back home?"

"Probably not. But you might be able to develop a technique that uses vocal resonance to enhance your existing plant manipulation abilities. Think of it as adding a tuning fork to your cultivation toolkit." The idea of learning to sing properly was both exciting and terrifying. You'd think that cultivators, with their incredible control over their bodies, would naturally be good at everything including music.

And that was true for basic singing; most cultivators could hit perfect pitch after a few hours of practice. But weaving spiritual energy into melody was an entirely different skill set. I'd seen what happened when I tried the Body Strengthening Chorus; I'd sounded like a dying walrus having an existential crisis. One of the more interesting developments had been the statue the City Lord commissioned. When he'd unveiled it yesterday, I'd nearly choked on my tea.

The bronze monument stood twenty feet tall in the central plaza, depicting Mo Yuhang's form in a heroic pose with one hand raised skyward. But floating above him, translucent and radiant, was a larger figure that was unmistakably meant to represent me in my spiritual manifestation form. The positioning made it clear that Mo Yuhang was the vessel while the floating figure was the divine entity guiding him.

"This is... detailed," I'd said weakly, studying the artistic interpretation of my spiritual form.

"Oh, this is nothing," Mo Yuhang had replied with obvious pride.

"Cities all across the realm have erected similar monuments commemorating divine battles. My friend from the Eastern Province says they have a whole garden of statues from the last five Descents." The City Lord had stood nearby with an expectant expression that practically screamed "reward me for this tribute." I'd considered my options carefully. My first instinct had been to share some music from Earth; maybe a simplified version of a classical piece or a folk song that could enhance their cultivation techniques.

But then I'd remembered that this tournament was being watched and recorded by the entire sect. While most people in the cultivation world probably wouldn't recognize Earth music, all it would take was one other transmigrator - and let's face it, if I'd been isekaid here, I probably wasn't the only one - to identify the source. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. That kind of exposure could raise uncomfortable questions about my true identity.

The sect already knew about my red and blue sun energies, which was dangerous enough. They didn't need to know that I wasn't actually the original Ke Yin. So instead, I'd shared some of the dao insights Sect Master Yuan had given me. Nothing too detailed, I wasn't qualified to lecture what was essentially a Stellar Realm cultivator on advanced dao theory, but enough practical wisdom about finding one's path and understanding the nature of cultivation to be genuinely useful.

The City Lord's eyes had taken on that distant, contemplative look that meant someone was having a genuine epiphany. He'd actually started vibrating slightly as his spiritual energy responded to the new understanding.

"If you weren't a higher being and destined for greater things," he'd said after the enlightenment faded, "I would beg you to stay and become our realm's cultivation advisor." I'd smiled and deflected the compliment, but internally I was pleased. It always felt nice helping others.

Now, standing in the central plaza with Mo Yuhang's body on the seventh and final day, I could feel the weight of hundreds of eyes upon us. The entire city had gathered to witness the departure of their divine visitor, and the atmosphere was thick with anticipation and melancholy.

"Citizens of this great city," I began, my voice carrying clearly across the plaza through Mo Yuhang's trained vocal techniques.

"In these past seven days, I have witnessed something extraordinary. Not just your musical cultivation or your harmonious society, but your spirit. Your determination to support one another, to share knowledge freely, to celebrate each other's successes instead of competing destructively." I paused, looking out over the crowd. Children sat on their parents' shoulders, elderly cultivators leaned forward with interest, and merchants had abandoned their stalls to listen.

"Some people prize individual strength above all else," I continued.

"They believe that power shared is power diminished, that knowledge hoarded is knowledge protected. But you have shown me a different way. You have built a civilization where the baker's song strengthens the warrior's blade, where the scholar's wisdom enhances the farmer's harvest." A murmur of pride rippled through the crowd.

"Remember this," I said, my voice growing stronger.

"You are not defined by your cultivation level or your class designation. The First Scale farmer who feeds his community with songs of growth is no less valuable than the Ninth Scale battle master who protects it. The child learning her first flower melody has the same potential for greatness as any prodigy." I could see tears in some eyes, proud smiles on others.

"Mo Yuhang, who has served as my vessel, embodies the greatest virtues of your people. Faced with seemingly impossible limitations, he refused to surrender. He studied harder, worked longer, and cared more deeply than those blessed with natural talent. His breakthrough wasn't a gift; it was earned through years of dedication that would have broken lesser spirits." Mo Yuhang's consciousness stirred with emotion at my words.

"But his story isn't unique. Each of you has the potential for greatness. Not greatness as the world typically defines it, through power or recognition, but true greatness that comes from becoming the best version of yourself, from contributing to something larger than your individual ambitions." I paused, letting that sink in.

"I want you to remember that cultivation isn't about transcending your humanity; it's about fulfilling it. The strongest cultivators I've met aren't those who can shatter mountains or command the elements. They're those who retain their compassion, their connections to others, their sense of wonder at the beauty of existence." Internally, I knew the sect leadership probably wouldn't appreciate me preaching equality and humanity to what they considered expendable resources.

But I also knew they wouldn't do anything about it. I was their new prodigy, protected by the Sect Master's personal interest. And besides, with karma being a real and measurable force, accumulating good karma through genuinely helpful actions was just smart cultivation strategy. Maybe the insights I shared would lead to breakthroughs that changed their entire civilization's trajectory. Maybe some of these people would eventually find their way to the cultivation world.

In novels, side characters had a habit of showing up later as equals or allies. It only made sense to plant seeds of goodwill wherever possible.

"Continue to grow," I concluded.

"Continue to learn. Continue to support one another. And perhaps one day, when the barriers between realms grow thin, we shall meet again as equals under the eternal sky." The applause that followed was thunderous, mixing with harmonized cheering that created a natural musical composition. I felt Mo Yuhang's pride and gratitude flowing through our connection, his emotions adding depth to my own satisfaction with the speech. As the cheering died down, the sky above us began to shimmer.

Reality twisted like heat waves, and slowly, a familiar portal tore open in the air above the plaza. The golden light spilling from it was gentle but unmistakable; my time here was ending. But before I could begin the separation process, movement in the crowd caught my attention. People were parting, creating a path from the edge of the plaza toward the center. Walking through that path, moving with steady confidence, was Liu Wenqing.

She looked perfectly normal, no visible injuries, no signs of spiritual instability. Her cultivation base radiated the steady strength of peak Fourth Scale, actually stronger than when possessed by Guo Xinyi. But something in her eyes was different. Older, somehow. More aware. She stopped a few paces away and bowed respectfully, but not with the desperate reverence of someone addressing a god. This was the polite acknowledgment of one cultivator to another.

Clearly, Guo Xinyi's memories had given her enough context to understand what I really was - a Qi Condensation cultivator from the higher realm, powerful in my own context but hardly a god.

"Thank you," she said simply, her voice clear and strong.

"For being so different to the others who came to our world."

"How much do you remember?" I asked carefully. Liu Wenqing's smile was complex, mixing her original warmth with something sharper and more calculating.

"Everything. Both sets of memories, perfectly preserved and integrated. I remember being a cultivation prodigy in this realm, and I remember being an outer disciple in a sect I've never seen. I remember loving this city and its people, and I remember viewing them as disposable resources." She paused, her expression growing more serious.

"The contrast is... illuminating. I understand now how the higher realm sees us, and why that perspective is both understandable and fundamentally wrong."

"And which set of memories feels more real to you?" I pressed.

"Both," she said immediately.

"I am Liu Wenqing, daughter of this realm, protector of its musical traditions. But I also carry within me the experiences and knowledge of someone from your world. The question isn't which is real; it's what I choose to do with both perspectives." I felt a surge of relief. The integration had gone as well as we could have hoped. She wasn't delusional, wasn't fragmenting, and most importantly, hadn't lost her essential self to Guo Xinyi's overwhelming personality.

"What will you do now?" Mo Yuhang asked through our shared voice. Liu Wenqing's eyes sparkled with an ambition that was entirely her own.

"Learn. Grow. Use what I've gained to help my people reach heights they never imagined possible. Guo Xinyi may have seen this realm as a temporary battleground, but I see it as home with unlimited potential." She gestured to the crowd around us, her voice rising with passion.

"My people have built something beautiful with limited knowledge and restricted resources. Imagine what they could accomplish with proper cultivation theory, with expanded horizons, with the confidence to dream beyond the boundaries someone else set for them." I couldn't help but smile. This was exactly the kind of outcome I'd hoped for, not just Liu Wenqing's survival, but her growth into something greater.

"The portal is ready," Mo Yuhang whispered internally.

"A-are you really going to leave...?" I nodded, then turned back to Liu Wenqing.

"I have no doubt you'll accomplish great things. And who knows? Perhaps our paths will cross again."

"I'd like that," she said with genuine warmth.

"Though next time, I hope to meet you as an equal." It was time. I closed my eyes and began the delicate process of separating my consciousness from Mo Yuhang's body. He staggered slightly as he adjusted to being alone in his own head again, then looked up at my spiritual form with tears streaming down his face.

"Mo Yuhang," I said.

"I want you to remember something. You are not the weak, talentless failure that people called you. You are an older brother, a scholar, and now a Third Scale cultivator with a Symphony Core."

"Divine one," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

"It is all thanks to you. You believed in me when no one else would, helped me achieve something I thought was impossible, and treated me like a person instead of a tool."

"I'm not divine," I corrected gently.

"I'm just another cultivator walking his own path, same as you. And you did all that yourself. I just gave you the tools. The strength, the determination, the refusal to give up - that was all you."

"W-will I ever see you again?"

"I don't know," I admitted.

"But I believe in you, Mo Yuhang. I believe you'll surpass everyone in this realm, and maybe someday, you'll ascend to the higher realm. If that happens, look up the name Ke Yin. I'd be honored to call you a friend." He straightened up, and I could see new confidence in his posture. The Symphony Core had given him power, but more importantly, our time together had given him self-respect.

"I won't let you down," he promised.

"I'll become someone worthy of the faith you've shown in me."

"You already are," I said. With that, I began to rise toward the portal, my consciousness lifting away from the physical realm through pure spiritual energy. As I ascended, I discreetly used my qi to gather a small concentration of harmonic essence around myself, drawing it from the ambient energy that saturated everything in this realm.

"Master," Azure observed as I worked, "that's an interesting idea. Even though harmonic essence is a lower form of energy compared to qi, having a sample could be useful for research purposes."

"Exactly," I replied internally.

"And the Genesis Seed isn't particularly picky about what kinds of otherworldly energy it absorbs. Who knows? Maybe we can figure out how to recreate some version of musical cultivation back home." The portal's edge approached rapidly, its golden light growing brighter and more welcoming.

I took one last look down at the plaza below, at Mo Yuhang standing proud and tall in the center, at Liu Wenqing radiating determination and newfound purpose, at the crowd of citizens who had shown me the beauty of a truly harmonious society. This had been more than just a tournament round. It had been a glimpse into what cultivation could become when guided by principles of cooperation rather than competition, when strength was measured not just in individual power but in collective achievement.

I carried that lesson with me as I stepped through the portal, feeling the familiar sensation of dimensional transition wash over me. The Realm of Living Lyrics faded away, but its music would echo in my memory long after I returned to the cultivation world. Time to see what the next round of the tournament would bring.