Chapter 43: The Jade Flute Unleashes Its Power! Slaying the High Priest of the Tides!

The roar of the tides, sometimes as soft as a whisper, sometimes as swift as a chant—each syllable uttered from the mouth of the Dark Tide Priest crashed and surged through Wang Chen’s mind. He pressed his hands tightly over his ears, but it was futile. The sound drilled straight into his mind, as if it needed no medium to travel; it arose directly within his consciousness.

In an instant, bloodshot veins covered Wang Chen’s eyes. His teeth clenched tightly as he fought desperately against the urge to faint. He knew that if he lost consciousness, the sound might stop—since it seemed to act on the spirit, shutting down all his senses and thoughts might allow him to escape. But then, Wang Chen would be as helpless as a lamb awaiting slaughter.

“Rebel! Reverse my abnormal status!” Wang Chen bit his lip to regain a shred of clarity and shouted the command.

[Reverse effect activated. Please check carefully. Reversing again will restore the original effect.]

The crushing weight, like ten thousand tons of seawater pressing on his spirit, suddenly retreated. Clarity returned to his mind. Yet it was not time to relax—this bizarre assault seemed to affect the Spring Surge Guard as well. The calm water shield now quivered violently, the ripples thrown into chaos, resembling frosted glass.

Wang Chen reasoned it was likely due to the high-pitched shriek of the Dark Tide Priest. The skill “Death Surge” worked through its voice and conferred additional effects. Even against a uniquely defensive water shield, it was effective—the high-frequency vibrations steadily wore down the shield’s protection.

The Dark Tide Priest, though deprived of its staff, continued to cast spells with its hands, sending a black mist swirling toward him.

[Black Death Curse!]

The black mist struck the water shield, intensifying its trembling, but its power was limited and could not breach the barrier. Still, at this rate, it seemed only a matter of time before the shield would break. Wang Chen had no more water-type protective scrolls left.

“Now it’s a race between the thunder striking it down and the shield running out first,” Wang Chen thought. “No, its wailing continues—Xu Yong, who is still outside, may still be suffering from this skill’s poison!”

Adjusting the vines, Wang Chen peered out through the gaps, searching for Xu Yong’s figure. But whether Xu Yong had hidden deep within the ruins or the shuddering water shield obscured his view, Wang Chen could not find him.

“That means I still have to find a way to dispel the Death Surge!” He began to ponder what options remained at his disposal.

“Would immobilization work?” Wang Chen recalled that when he was paralyzed by the skeletal serpent, he could still speak—the skill didn’t seem to silence its target.

“Maybe I should speed myself up, dash out to grab Xu Yong, and escape—then return after the priest is struck by lightning.” But that was a risky gamble; if he couldn’t find Xu Yong in time, he might fall victim to the Dark Tide Priest’s schemes.

He rummaged through his storage ring, turning over every option, but found no good solution. Suddenly, his hand closed around a jade flute.

“This flute was given to me by the elven astrologer. Na’er said she didn’t know what it was for either,” Wang Chen mused, examining it. “Surely there’s a reason they gave me a flute? Tides… flute… hmm…” He decided to give it a try, placing the flute to his lips. “Still, I don’t know how to play—does it even have any power to be awakened?”

He blew a gentle breath into the mouthpiece. Strangely, though he had only blown lightly, the sound that emerged was clear and lingering. The flute had no finger holes, only an inlet and an outlet, so no playing technique could be applied. The air he breathed in passed through the intricately carved inner channels of the flute, transforming into a pure, far-reaching melody.

Though it was a flute’s timbre, it sounded less like music and more like the rustling of leaves in a gentle breeze. As Wang Chen played, he noticed that the high-frequency vibrations on the water shield were being transformed—soothing, rhythmic waves replaced the turmoil.

“It works! Keep playing!” Wang Chen was overjoyed.

He drew upon his full lung capacity, breathing into the jade flute. No matter how turbulent his breath, once it passed through the flute, it became an ethereal and distant sound, clear and otherworldly.

Wang Chen closed his eyes. In the midst of the melody, he felt transported from the perilous battlefield to a lush, verdant forest. A gentle wind stirred the leaves, filling the woods with their murmurous rustle; the green leaves seemed to appear before his very eyes.

With the song, the cacophony that had lost its effect on Wang Chen due to the reversal now faded entirely. The flute’s music spread like a vast, delicate veil over the entire ruin.

Slumbering in a crevice, Xu Yong’s lips unconsciously curved into a serene smile.

The Dark Tide Priest was stunned by the change. Its chanting had lost all meaning—no matter how high or low the deathly tide’s roar, it was subsumed into the peaceful, tranquil melody of the flute.

Crimson-violet lightning, thick as undiluted pigment, struck its brow after vaporizing a skeletal rat. The last glimmer of consciousness in its mind drifted further and further away—it was dying.

Why do I feel no regret in my heart? the priest wondered.

But the question no longer mattered. All anger and resentment faded with the flute’s pure music.

…

Wang Chen gently lowered the jade flute. The melody should end here—he had never learned to play, but his instincts told him so.

For a long time, he remained immersed in the distant sound, until a cold, emotionless system prompt sounded in his ear:

[Successfully killed the Dark Tide Priest. You cannot gain experience in your current state. Please complete your secondary advancement quest as soon as possible.]

At the same time, several glowing orbs floated toward him. Wang Chen crawled out from the vines and checked them:

[Dark Tide Priest’s Cloak (Gold Grade)]
[Type: Armor]
[Level Requirement: 8]
[Effect: +200 Spirit]
[Durability: 60/60]
[Skill: Immune to mental shock within gold-grade intensity range]
…

[Dark Tide Priest’s Snuffbox Pendant]
[Type: Accessory]
[Level Requirement: 7]
[Effect: +180 Spirit]
[Durability: 60/60]
[Skill: Amplifies mental attacks within gold-grade intensity range]

Two pieces of gold-grade equipment—not bad. Wearing them would put Wang Chen’s spirit attribute well ahead of others at his level.

There were also materials:

[Dark Tide Priest’s Bones]
[Description: Material usable for potion brewing, gear crafting, and other purposes]

[Dark Tide Priest’s Eyes]
[…]

The more he looked, the more disgusted he felt. Wang Chen simply stowed all the materials in his storage ring to examine later.

He continued to check!