dkrc Chapter 20, Part 7: The Mystic Bell
Chapter 20, Part 7: The Mystic Bell
Practicing a piece of music always takes time and practice.
"Nuwa's Great Banner" is a very long piece of music, and it is played by multiple instruments. To adapt it into a piece that Lin Zhuo can play with a single instrument, not only will it require the cooperation and assistance of many people, but it will also require the use of artificial intelligence to reduce the workload. Otherwise, this matter will not be completed even if it is delayed until next month.
"Yawn—" As the night deepened, Min Pei'er began to feel sleepy. She lingered in the atmosphere of the place and was unwilling to leave, but staying here was not as useful as a banana. She could only shrink in the corner to avoid blocking the way.
"Since you're free, go get us some late-night snacks." Min Xinrou was very gentle with everyone else, but she was quite ruthless with her younger sister. "Comrades, what would you like to eat? Let's order now."
"Thank you so much for your help, Comrade Pei'er!" Everyone in the studio was already familiar with their colleague's younger sister, so they didn't stand on ceremony when assigning her tasks.
At 12:40 a.m., Min Peier, covered in sweat, returned with a three-tiered mobile food cart fully loaded. The food and drinks she brought were enough to host a small banquet, but most of them were actually prepared for Lin Zhuo, after all, she had witnessed his appetite.
"Phew—I'm exhausted." Min Pei'er, her cheeks flushed from the heat, sat to the side, fanning herself with her hands to cool down.
Lin Zhu thanked him repeatedly, "You've really gone to so much trouble. Why don't you come and have something to eat with us?"
"I've already eaten out. These are for you guys, especially you, you big eater." Min Pei'er said nonchalantly. "By the way, while I was out, did you guys make any progress?"
"With the help of AI, the arrangement is almost done. You've come at just the right time; we can start practicing right away." The mixing engineer mumbled as he slurped his instant noodles, his mouth emitting a delicious aroma.
Lin Zhuo stood by the table, adding rice to his mouth while looking down at the sheet music.
He edited the score repeatedly using an artificial intelligence program, with an efficiency so high that it would leave human musicians in awe.
If there were an artificial intelligence specifically designed to assist him in creating martial arts techniques, such as helping him deduce martial arts moves, it would definitely save a lot of time. And if AI were used for real-time calculations in combat, it would allow fighting skills to reach an extraordinary level of refinement.
However, his current citizenship level is not high enough to apply for a dedicated AI, and his work does not require intelligent assistance.
The only way to have a combat support AI is to join a special branch of the military. He had heard that the Orbital Assault Army's Dragon Rider Armor System had built-in individual AI.
Similar smart devices are also sold on online forums, but they are all quite expensive, so Lin Zhuo had to put aside his desires for the time being. As a penniless man, he had to live a simple life.
After having a hearty late-night snack, Lin Zhuo returned to the recording studio, circulated his internal energy to transform his vital essence, and ensured that his mental energy was abundant. Then, he stared at the sheet music and began to perform formally.
The bells rang, and a torrential downpour began. The performance of the first few sections was flawless, clearly indicating that Lin Zhuo had rehearsed it in his mind beforehand. Only later did a few stumbles and discordant notes begin to appear.
Even though it was just a trial performance, without much understanding of the music or emotional investment, the flowing notes and novel, varied timbres alone were enough to give the listener a jolt.
[Skill completeness 82%...83%...]
[Skill credibility 76%...]
In the recording studio, isolated from the outside world, Lin Zhuo focused solely on playing his instrument, pouring out his emotions through his profound inner energy.
Seven movements, seven epics. He exhausted his imagination, immersed himself in the atmosphere of legends and stories, and incorporated the ancestors, natural disasters, Nuwa who mended the sky, all the emperors who sought immortality and medicine, all the battlefields and wars, all the idealists of ancient and modern times, and all the souls who bravely went to their deaths.
Although this idea does not yet fully match the emotional theme expressed in the music, it has already completed the core elements that sound wave kung fu ultimately needs.
Using sound to convey breath and music to express emotions, the mystery is naturally formed.
A quarter of an hour later, the last note of the suite "Nuwa's Great Banner" echoed through the room, only to be quickly absorbed by the wall material. The surroundings fell silent, without any noise or lingering sound, but the aftersound still lingered in everyone's minds.
Lin Zhuo looked up and saw the studio members across the glass cheering silently, jumping and shouting.
He rose from his stool and bowed in thanks, just like a seasoned musician.
Ding--
Skill created successfully! Evaluating skill level against the built-in database...
Please name this skill; you may choose whether or not to leave a comment.
【Seven Wonders Heart Bell (Low Grade, Gray)】
This piece is divided into seven movements to express seven emotions, each with its own unique charm. The melody is soaring and complex that listeners are inevitably moved and unable to control themselves, their minds becoming confused and their thoughts taken over, with life and death hanging in the balance.
Learning progress: 0% (Base multiplier × 1)
Current effect: During the use of this technique, the power of [Mysterious Secret] True Qi is adjusted to (100% + 3.5 × [Cultivation Level 0%]).
(When your progress reaches 99%, you can try to break through the bottleneck and unlock the next effect.)
This achievement is largely thanks to the help of friends. —Fuyou Yue
"Phew." Lin Zhuo looked at the newly added skills on the panel, and couldn't help but let out a long breath, feeling tired and sore all over.
He walked out of the recording studio, greeted by applause from his friends, and thanked them repeatedly. This time, he asked everyone to disperse and go home. No one had any regrets and could set off on their night journey with satisfied smiles and a belly full of late-night snacks.
Min Xinrou stepped forward and persuaded him to perform in the concert hall, saying, "This kind of art should be appreciated by the general public, not just a few of us who get to enjoy it."
"There might be an opportunity in the future." Lin Zhuo did not refuse directly. He was indeed considering triggering the [Recluse] path mission, but he simply did not have the time at the moment.
Min Xinrou, however, took this as a polite refusal and pressed on, saying, "Soon, the artist who created 'Nuwa's Great Banner' will be leading his orchestra on a tour to our Cuirang Star. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to perform on stage with him."
"That's great!" Lin Zhuo said with a smile. "I also want to go and hear Dafangzhijia's performance live. I'm sure I'll find it rewarding."
Min Xinrou looked at her younger sister beside her, "When they come to Hongshui City, I'll get you two front-row tickets."
"No!" Min Pei'er said helplessly, "I want to go to a concert, and I can get tickets myself."
Lin Zhuo's mind had already wandered. After everyone left, he asked Min Xinrou if he could borrow the studio for a few more hours.
"You haven't practiced enough yet? Tsk tsk, even someone made of iron would be exhausted. I can't agree to that. Go back now. I need to lock the door."
"Sister, give me the key," Min Pei'er said. "You can go back first. I can help keep an eye on Comrade Lin Zhuo."
"Can't you go somewhere else..." Min Xinrou hadn't even finished speaking when her younger sister covered her mouth, and she had no choice but to surrender and hand over the studio keys.
A moment later, the studio quieted down.
"Give me the key, comrade. You can go back now." Lin Zhuo extended his hand to Min Peier.
"I promised to keep an eye on you. I'm not one to go back on my word." Min Pei'er hid her hands behind her back, bent over and stuck out her buttocks to avoid his demands, tilted her fair face up, and winked at Lin Zhuo with a grin.
Despite being the same age, she acted like Lin Zhuo's fifth sister, just as cunning and mischievous.
"In that case," Lin Zhuo looked around and pulled out a cot from the corner. "You'd better prepare to spend the night here."
"Uh. Don't you need to sleep?" Min Pei'er lay down in the sleeping bag of the cot in a daze. She followed Lin Zhuo's instructions the whole time and even obediently put on an eye mask.
"Good night and sweet dreams." Lin Zhuo gently shook the iron bell. The soft tinkling took away the last bit of Min Peier's consciousness, and she immediately fell into a deep sleep.
Lin Zhuo turned and walked into the recording studio. There were no surveillance cameras here. He rested for an hour by circulating the "Flowing Water Sutra" to dispel some of his drowsiness. Then he opened his eyes and began to practice the sonic energy songs.
He needs to take advantage of the early stages of his skills and the surge of inspiration to quickly understand the theme and emotions of the musical piece, integrate his own thoughts with it, and achieve perfection only by being able to grasp every detail.
The power of martial arts depends directly on the level of practice; the more diligently one practices, the stronger the effect.
As stated in the effect of the "Seven Wonders Heart Bell" skill, during its use, the power of the Mysterious True Qi will be increased to (100% + 3.5 × [Cultivation Level 0%]).
Each type of true qi has a basic output value, which depends on the qi master's physical foundation.
For example, the force of a move is determined by the power of the destructive energy. A weak Qigong master, by manipulating the destructive energy transformed from the Qi of his entire body, may only have a basic impact force of tens of kilograms. However, a Qigong master with a strong physique, by mobilizing the same Qi of his entire body, may be able to generate a force of thousands of kilograms.
However, the Xuanji True Qi is greatly influenced by the Qigong master's personal will and mental state, and its basic value is difficult to quantify. The specific effectiveness depends on the clash of fighting spirit and belief between the two sides in actual combat.
The strength or weakness of a martial art can also be discerned from its power enhancement coefficient.
The Seven Wonders Heart Bell has a bonus coefficient of 3.5, and its actual total power can reach 4.5 times when the cultivation level is increased to 100%. Among the mind-controlling techniques of the same level, it is already considered a high-grade technique.
Powerful martial arts skills can make up for the gap between basic stats, but in a battle between people of the same level, the slight difference in basic stats can be magnified to a huge extent by the martial arts multiplier.
Lin Zhuo's physical strength is decent for an ordinary person, but it can't compare to that of a seasoned adventurer. However, his fighting spirit and determination are outstanding. For him now, the combat power boost from a sonic technique far outweighs that of any other martial art, making it a truly cost-effective choice.