"This is … the Snow Mud Painting Technique!"
"Legend has it that Founder Wu Dao created this painting technique by observing the flight of birds back then. Snow Mud is like a swan's claw, and in the blink of an eye, it's already capable of seducing one's soul even before the content is revealed!"
"Over the past several dozen millenniums, only a handful of people have managed to learn this painting technique. Who could have thought that Ziqing would be able to execute it so smoothly? She's bound to win this duel!"
"From the looks of it, as long as her painting doesn't surpass Nine Stars, no one will be able to defeat her …"
…
A huge commotion broke out in the surroundings.
The number one genius of the Zhang clan, be it her brush, paper, ink, technique, or even her state of mind, were all flawless.
"Not bad!"
Zhang Xuan nodded in approval.
As an 8-star painter, his eye of discernment was far sharper than that of the crowd. Naturally, he could tell that the young lady before him was not an easy opponent to deal with.
She was even stronger than the Inceptive Sage whom he had met in the Tower of Master Teachers back then!
While the Sanctum of Sages was home to countless geniuses from across the Master Teacher Continent, not every Inceptive Sage was the number one painter in the world.
Take Zhang Feng of the Spirit Awakener Guild for example. Even though he was the Inceptive Sage of the Spirit Awakener Guild, and his mastery in the art of spirit enchantment was unparalleled, he was still no match for the genius who had just joined the headquarters, Wang Ying. Otherwise, the other party would not have sought Zhang Xuan's help.
It was the same logic.
The Inceptive Sage of the Sanctum of Sages was indeed skilled in painting, but he seemed to be far from being a match for the young lady before him.
Huala!
The brush danced lightly in the air, giving people a sense of beauty. Zhang Ziqing's entire body was like a machine, her control was flawless. Every line that landed on the flowing paper, every drop of ink, gave off an intoxicating glow. With a single glance, people would be sucked in, unable to extricate themselves.
"Zhang Shi … She has already drawn so much. You should hurry up and start as well, or else you might really lose …"
While Zhang Xuan was in the midst of observing the situation, he suddenly heard an anxious voice beside him.
Turning around, he saw Jian Qinsheng clutching his forehead with a helpless look on his face.
"There's no need to rush …"
Looking at the incense before him, Zhang Xuan shook his head.
His painting was very simple, and he could finish it in ten to twenty breaths. There was no need to chase after him.
Knowing that the young man who had challenged the Tower of Master Teachers and defeated the Inceptive Sage of the Painter Guild, Jian Qinsheng turned to Zhang Xuan awkwardly and said, "It's good that you aren't in a hurry … Cough cough, by the way, Zhang Shi, can I discuss something with you?"
"Junior Brother, feel free to speak your mind!"
Zhang Xuan nodded.
"It's like this … You're now representing the way of the sword … Can you stop creating other professions …"
Jian Qinsheng hesitated for a moment before replying.
To be honest, he really regretted bringing this fellow here!
They had come here to compete in swordsmanship, but before they had even met an expert who specialized in swordsmanship, they had already destroyed the other party's formation and enchanted the entire courtyard with stone statues … and now, they were going to compete in painting …
Formation, enchantment, painting, and appraising. Each of them was more formidable than the last …
Are you really … just here to compete? Can you pay attention to your own status?
You are now my senior brother. Is it really okay to be so ostentatious in other professions?
"This … You're right!"
Upon hearing Jian Qinsheng's question, Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly and said, "It seems like I have been lacking in consideration …"
He had only been thinking about giving the Zhang clan a show of strength, and he had forgotten about this matter. He had come to the Zhang clan as a swordsman, but to create so many professions before they had even started a sword duel, it was indeed unsightly.
"It's fine, as long as you remember that we are here to compete in swordsmanship …"
Seeing that Zhang Xuan had admitted to it, Jian Qinsheng could only nod in agreement.
If not for him, Zhang Xuan wouldn't have come here at all. Even if there had been some mishaps, it would have been out of gratitude.
"I remember …"
Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he suddenly heard a commotion in front of him.
"Incredible! You actually completed it so quickly!"
"What a beautiful painting! Fairy Zi Qing, can you sell this painting to me?"
"To be able to complete a painting within such a short period of time, as expected of a genius who only appears once every thousand years in the Painter Guild!"
…
Amidst the commotion in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan raised his head and saw that the young lady before him had already stopped her brush, and a painting had appeared before everyone's eyes.
It was a bamboo painting.
Even though there were no other plants to serve as a foil, every single bamboo looked as if it had grown out of a piece of paper. They were verdant, and under the gentle breeze, they swayed nonstop, seemingly ready to sprout at any moment.
There were more than a dozen bamboos in total, and every single one of them seemed to possess their own emotions and life. There was nothing similar about them at all.
"To be able to imbue a spirit into a painting, it feels as if it has come to life. Incredible!"
Zhang Xuan nodded in approval.
He had thought that he would be able to achieve victory with just a simple painting, but from the looks of it, it wasn't as easy as he had thought.
The young lady before him was far more skilled than he had thought.
In painting, it wasn't that the more complex a painting was, the more brilliant its color would be. In truth, many famous paintings were extremely simple.
It was just like how a chef would have to cook a dish of sliced potatoes in order to test his prowess.
The simpler a painting was, the more capable it would be.
While the bamboo before him might seem simple, reminiscent of 'Reality Depiction', if one were to take a closer look, one would realize that every single bamboo seemed to have come to life, possessing a life of its own.
On top of that, every single bamboo seemed to have a sense of realism to it, forming the outline of a world within the painting.
If not for the other party's young age and the limitations of her cultivation, she would have already been able to create a painting of the highest level and become a Nine Stars painter.
"It's no wonder the others said that it would be difficult for one to defeat a Nine Stars painter …"
Zhang Xuan remarked as he felt immense pressure bearing down on him.
If he wanted to surpass the other party's painting, he would have to produce a true Nine Stars painting.
"Is Zhang Shi intending to admit defeat?"
While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought, the young lady's voice suddenly sounded.
Raising his head, he saw a cold sneer on Zhang Ziqing's lips.
At this moment, she finally understood why the other party had chosen to bet a pinnacle spirit stone instead of her painting. Given how valuable her painting was, the other party wouldn't be able to afford to lose it …
That was why she was putting on a show to give Zhang Xuan a way out of this embarrassing situation.
"Admit defeat? How is that possible? "
Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Your painting isn't too bad. Since that's the case, it's time for me to show my true capabilities …"
Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a sword appeared in his grasp. He flicked it in the air for a moment before shaking his head and putting it back into his storage ring. Then, he took out another sword and flicked it once more before shaking his head and putting it back into his storage ring.
He did this a few more times before he finally found a suitable sword. Holding it in his hand, he scanned the surroundings before suddenly stomping his feet on the ground.
Hula!
A stone slab beneath his feet flew up into the air and landed right before him.
"I'll start now …"
With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan raised his sword and pierced it toward the stone slab.
"You aren't going to use a brush? You aren't going to use Luminous Paper … Are you going to use a sword and a stone slab to paint? "
Zhang Ziqing's body trembled in agitation, and she nearly exploded on the spot.
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