“The winter plum blossoms are using spiritual energy from the surroundings to grow, is this… a painting of the fifth level?”
“Just by spurting some water, it became a fifth level painting?”
“Does it have to be so exaggerated?”
The faces of everyone present distorted in shock as they became dumbfounded
It was merely a savage beast playfully running and rolling about on the paper, so they thought that the painting would be nothing at all. Yet, with a mere shake, it transformed into a third level painting.
And that wasn’t the all. By heating the painting with a fire torch, it was immediately elevated to become a fourth level painting… Then, with a spurt of water, it created the effect of snow, allowing the painting to reach the fifth level…
The heck!
Are you a painter… or are you a street performer?
A fifth level painting is something that only a 3-star painter is capable of creating. Yet, to be able to reach that level with a savage beast…
What is this craziness?
Everyone turned to look at Zhang Xuan once more, and they couldn’t help but doubt if he were human.
A moment ago, they thought that he was just an arrogant, boastful, and ignorant lad. But now, they realized how wrong they were. He was actually a grandmaster possessing skills beyond their imagination.
A painting that seemed to be scrap was forcefully raised to become a painting of the fifth level!
It was just like magic, leaving the crowd present thoroughly bewildered and dizzied.
“This… This…”
The lips of the two vice guild leaders quivered in astonishment.
This is beyond incredible!
For a child who isn’t even twenty to create a fifth level painting… Even in the headquarter, he would be considered as one of the top geniuses!
More importantly, anyone else, even if it were a 3-star painter, would have to abstain from meat, meditate, and conduct several types of preparations to adjust their state of mind before they were able to create a painting of the fifth level. Yet, this fellow achieved this with just a spurt of water…
When did creating a fifth level painting become so simple?
“Did I actually challenge a fellow who is capable of creating fifth level paintings?”
Ji Mo gongzi’s face paled, wishing to knock himself dead on a pillar at this instant.
After scolding the other party, the other party took out a savage beast to challenge his skills.
After mocking the other party’s painting, the other party immediately brought the painting up to the third level with a shake.
After saying that the other party’s work was a collaboration and that the result shouldn’t be a draw, the other party immediately raised the level of the painting to the fourth level.
And now, it has been raised to the fifth level.
Are you here with the purpose to slap my face?
If I knew that you are a grandmaster capable of producing a fifth level painting, no matter how foolish I may be, I wouldn’t have dared to provoke you!
Now, my attempts to make my name known has made me a fool, and I have become a laughingstock. Needless to say flirting with ladies, I would be too embarrassed to walk in the streets…
“Give it a check, ascertain whether it is a fifth level painting!”
Ignoring the shock that the crowd was going through, Zhang Xuan turned to the two vice guild leaders.
“There’s no need to check, it is definitely a fifth level painting!”
The two vice guild leaders were astonished beyond words.
A fifth level painting is capable of absorbing spiritual energy to materialize its own contents. Even though the painting didn’t yet possess wisdom, it was capable of leaving the original dimension of the painting and creep outward. One didn’t require a deep understanding of painting in order to identify a fifth level painting, only requiring that one not be blind…
As the vice guild leaders of the Painter Guild, 2-star pinnacle painters, how can they possibly be unable to tell a fifth level painting!
“Then… Am I eligible to claim the 3-star painter emblem?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.
“This…”
Vice Guild leader Wu forcefully calmed down the agitation rippling within his mind, and after hesitating for a moment, spoke, “Going by logic, you are eligible as a 3-star painter. However, our guild leader is the only 3-star painter at our branch, and he is absent at the moment… We don’t have the qualifications to confer this rank upon you!”
“You don’t have the qualifications?”
“Grandmaster Zhang, there’s no need to panic…” Vice Guild Leader Wu waved his hands immediately to placate him.
His method of addressing Zhang Xuan had changed from ‘brother’ to ‘grandmaster’.
Since the other party was able to create a painting of the fifth level, this showed that his skills had far surpassed theirs. Even though they were much older than him, they didn’t dare to overstep their boundaries and call him ‘brother’.
It would truly be indecorous for them to do so.
They would be disregarding order and hierarchy.
“As long as we send your painting to the headquarter and have someone to examine and verify it, the emblem should be issued soon.” Vice Guild Leader Wu added. “This will take… around ten days!”
“Ten days?”
“Yes. However, while we are unable to give you the 3-star emblem, for the time being, we can present you with the 2-star emblem on the spot!”
Vice Guild Leader Wu gestured, and an apprentice walked forward to receive instructions. Very quickly, an emblem with two shining and brilliant stars on it was brought out.
2-star painter emblem! It signifies one’s identity as a 2-star painter.
“Un!” Zhang Xuan was delighted.
He didn’t expect the painter examination to be so simple, that one is able to directly obtain a rank just by producing a piece of work. It is unlike the other occupations which conduct all kinds of troublesome tests in order to assess one’s skills.
“Since Grandmaster Zhang has successfully produced a fifth level painting, even though you have not obtained the actual emblem, you already possess the authority of a 3-star painter!”
Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng interjected.
“Can I already exercise the authority of a 3-star painter? Very well, this Painter Ji Mo has provoked me time and time again, and I hereby declare that he is permanently banned from the Painter Guild!”
Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd as he spoke.
Hearing those words, Ji Mo gongzi’s face turned pale, and he collapsed to the ground.
The other party had become a 3-star painter, and he had gained to authority to issue bans. Once this ban was filed, all of the branches of the Painter Guild would receive the order, and he would be unable to enter any single one of them.
Any attempt to circumvent this ban would be taken as an act of provocation against the Painter Guild, and the offender could be killed on the spot!
Ji Mo thought that he use this countryside bumpkin as a stepping stone to make his name known. Never in his dreams did he expect to instead knock into a tough boulder, leaving himself with a smashed head…
“Painter Ji, you may leave now!”
Hearing Zhang Xuan’s orders, Vice Guild Leader Wu shook his head, having no choice but to drive the other party away.
Even though he thought that it was a little too harsh, it was an irrefutable fact that Ji Mo had lost the competition, and thus, the wager. Hence, there was nothing more he could say about the situation.
Besides, in Zhang Xuan’s presence, Ji Mo gongzi’s talents amounted to nothing at all.
There was no need to think about whom they should support.
“Yes!”
Albeit reluctant, Ji Mo gongzi knew that the ban had been issued, and there was no point of reconciliation. Unless his skills surpassed that of the other party, he would never be able to overcome this ban.
Huala!
Rising to his feet, he turned around and walked out of the Painter Guild immediately.
He would only be embarrassing himself further by staying here!
“Damn it, damn it!”
Upon leaving the guild, he roared furiously to the skies, and killing intent shone in his eyes. “To dare to humiliate me like that, I’ll never forgive you! Men!”
“Young master!”
A figure immediately appeared from the depths of the darkness.
“Investigate his background, find out who that fellow is, and if there is an opportunity… kill him!”
He flung his hands grandly.
For him, a young master of one of the Three Great Clans in the capital, to be humiliated in public by a nobody, he felt an indescribable rage within him.
“Yes!”
The shadowy figure nodded and, with a slight blur, disappeared into the darkness once more.
…
“Where is your library?”
After obtaining the status of an official painter, Zhang Xuan didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he inquired about the location of the library.
The painting books he browsed through in Master Lu Chen’s house back then only covered the fundamentals. While it was sufficient to create lower level paintings, Zhang Xuan required more advanced books to improve.
Since he had already become an official painter and was at the Painter Guild, it would be beneficial for him to look through the books, and seek further improvements.
“Grandmaster Zhang, this way please!”
Vice Guild Leader Wu led the way.
In no time, the party arrived at a massive room.
“This is our library!” Vice Guild Leader Wu pointed inward.
Zhang Xuan nodded, “I’d like to take a look at the books, do not allow anyone to interrupt me!”
After which, he strolled in with his hands behind his back.
The collection in the Painter Guild was much larger than that in Master Lu Chen’s house. An innumerable amount of books and art pieces of all sorts laid within the massive room.
Seeing that Vice Guild Leader Wu and the others didn’t follow him in, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, placing his finger on the first row, and then started on his job.
Swiftly, book after book was duplicated into the Library of Heaven’s Path.
…
While Zhang Xuan was duplicating books in the Painter Guild, a huge aerial savage beast landed outside Tianwu Kingdom, and several figures leaped off its back.
“So, this is Tianwu Kingdom?”
A youngster stared at the towering city walls, his eyes glittering with excitement.
“That’s right!”
Within the crowd, an elder stroked his beard and chuckled.
“We had to take a carriage to Beiwu Kingdom so as to borrow an aerial savage beast from the royal family to travel to Tianxuan Kingdom. Even though we didn’t rest much throughout the journey, it took us a month to reach this place. Tianwu Kingdom is incredibly vast!”
A lady within the crowd smiled. The slight illumination from the stars and the moon added a mysterious allure to her beautiful face. Blinking her eyes twice, she asked, “Say, do you think that teacher has arrived yet?”
“I heard from Shen laoshi that Zhang laoshi would be heading straight for the Red Lotus Ridge right after leaving the Beast Hall. He probably has something to attend to there, so I doubt that he has reached Tianwu Kingdom. However, there’s no need for us to worry. He will surely come here to take the master teacher examination, so we’ll just have to wait for him here!”
Another lady spoke up.
In contrast to the shy lady from before, this one exuded a valiant aura. Her facial features were unbelievably beautiful, it was as if she had come right out of a painting,
“Let’s not waste our time here. We should proceed into the city!”
The elder from before interjected into the discussion. “I’m reminding all of you beforehand, Tianwu Kingdom is a Tier 1 Kingdom, unlike Tianxuan Kingdom. You have to behave cautiously so as to not offend any formidable figures by mistake. Although I can solve most problems through the Master Teacher Pavilion, it will be exceedingly troublesome. Thus, it’ll be best to remain prudent!”
“Yes!” A few people answered harmoniously.
Seeing the group agreeing to his words, the elder nodded. “The sky has turned dark. We should enter the city and find a place to rest. Tomorrow morning, I will contact the Master Teacher Pavilion to check if Senior Zhang has arrived. Before Senior Zhang returns, you must have all broken through to Dingli realm, or else I would be too ashamed to meet him!”
“Liu shi, rest assured!”
Hearing his instructions, the group nodded immediately.
If Zhang Xuan was here, he would surely be able to recognize these figures as his five students, together with Liu shi, Lu Xun, Huang Yu, and a few others.
When Zhang Xuan left Hongtian Academy for the Beast Hall, this group had also headed for Beiwu Kingdom.
Riding on a carriage, it took them more than ten days to arrive at their destination.
Then, Liu shi borrowed an aerial savage beast from the Beiwu royal family, and only then did they manage to pick up speed.
However, this savage beast was unable to compare up to Zhang Xuan’s Howling Firmament Beast, possessing only a Tongxuan realm cultivation. Thus, it took them a dozen more days to arrive here.
As such, it took them slightly over a month before they managed to arrive at Tianwu Royal City.
In this long period of time, Zhao Ya and the gang’s cultivations had improved significantly.
The Library of Heaven’s Path-modified secret manuals that Zhang Xuan left behind were top-notch and coupled with Liu shi’s tutoring, it would not be an easy feat for them to not improve swiftly.
Right after the awakening of her unique constitution, Zhao Ya’s cultivation had originally risen to Dingli realm pinnacle. At this moment, two faint bundles of light could be seen on her body surface, bearing testimony to the fact that she has already opened two acupoints to become a Pixue realm expert.
On the other hand, Zheng Yang and the others had also improved swiftly. They had reached Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm pinnacle, and they were only a single step away from reaching Dingli realm.
Of the group, the one with the weakest cultivation remained as Yuan Tao. But even so, he had already reached Pigu realm intermediate stage. On top of that, his defensive ability had grown greatly, to the point that Zhao Ya’s offense was a mere itch to him. Even Pixue realm pinnacle experts would be unable to break through his defense. He had become a human shield in the truest sense.
Lu Xun, as Liu shi’s apprentice, had also improved significantly under the latter’s guidance. A month of training had allowed him to advance to Tongxuan realm primary stage.
Huang Yu had also successfully advanced from Dingli realm pinnacle to Pixue realm.
But of course, the one who underwent the greatest improvement was Liu shi.
The pointers which ‘Yang shi’ offered him back then in Tianxuan Kingdom allowed him to overcome the obstacle which had hindered him for many years, and he successfully became a Zongshi realm expert.
The magnificent energy in his body billowed mightily.
“Alright, let’s enter!”
After paying the entrance fee, the group entered the capital.
Zhao Ya and the others were immediately captivated by the bustling city, and their eyes widened in thrill.
“We’ll stay here!”
Walking through the streets, they soon spotted an inn in the distance. Liu shi led the group there and settled them in.
“Liu shi, on the way here, I noticed that the Painter Guild is in the vicinity. I would like to… try taking the apprentice painter examination!”
Having made all necessary arrangements, Lu Xun walked over and looked at Liu shi expectantly.
“You will require a supporting occupation to become eligible for the master teacher examination in the future. Go on!”
Liu shi waved his hands casually.
“Yes!” Nodding his head, Lu Xun walked out of the inn.
