Chapter 37: I Want to Go

When they arrived, there was no need for the spirit tool to communicate with Ruofeng and Huan Yue—they could both sense an overwhelming presence of the Great Dao. The entire world around them was saturated with the essence of the Dao!

Before their eyes, the surrounding peaks seemed ordinary enough at first glance, yet upon closer inspection, each was shrouded in layers of profound meaning. The Dao itself was gentle, radiating no intent to harm. Still, despite its harmless nature, the resonance of the Dao was overwhelming! Huan Yue and Ruofeng were far too weak; though the Dao’s presence held no malice, they could scarcely withstand its force.

It was as if they stood before an immortal—gentle, yet evoking an irresistible urge to tremble and kneel in awe! This was a power that commanded reverence from the depths of the soul.

“Huan Yue, do you really wish to go forward?” Ruofeng asked, concern evident in her voice. After all, they were standing so close to a master, unsure of what dangers might await. If something were to happen, it would be disastrous.

Compared to Ruofeng, Huan Yue seemed to give it not a second thought. She was visibly excited, her eyes shining with anticipation.

“Sister, I want to! I long to meet the master. Even from just this little distance, I can already feel an incredibly powerful force. The secret arts within me have begun to stir on their own!”

“Sister, I must go, even if I can only catch a single glimpse. If I do, I will die without regret!”

Huan Yue’s obsession with the path of painting was profound. Now, with such an opportunity before her, how could she possibly let it slip away?

“Very well, I’ll accompany you!” Ruofeng gritted her teeth and, after some thought, finally agreed.

They descended from the treasure vessel, step by step ascending the mountain path until they reached the summit.

Ruofeng dared not fly directly over in the treasure ship—that would surely be courting death!

As soon as they set foot atop the peak, a painting appeared before their eyes. The artwork seemed to be some priceless treasure, instantly capturing the gaze of both Ruofeng and Huan Yue, rendering them unable to look away.

Zhu Xiaoyuan lived within the painting. With brush in hand, he was applying ink to the canvas. He had expected to find a sunset today, but upon arrival discovered the sky was devoid of sunlight.

Yet, since he had come, even without a sunset, there remained the encircling mountains, the vast earth, and the flora and fauna.

Zhu Xiaoyuan’s interest was piqued.

Having been forced by the system to paint for so long, he had developed the habit of turning anything he saw into art. Sublime scenery or ruined walls—it mattered not. Everything in the world could become part of his paintings.

Under his brush, mountain ranges took shape, converging as if possessed of their own spirit, gathering within the painting.

Most of the canvas was already complete; Zhu Xiaoyuan was filling in the remaining details.

At his feet, amid a stack of rice paper and brushes, the white cat Red Moon lay on its back, relaxed and content, as if enjoying the moment. Occasionally, it would exchange a few meows.

All of this was imbued with the resonance of the Dao!

Even a single glance left Huan Yue and Ruofeng endlessly captivated, lingering in the experience for a long while.

When they reached the summit, this was the scene they encountered.

Both were stunned, unable to react, as if lost within the moment.

“Heavens, we’ve truly broadened our horizons. This is what a true master looks like! Every stroke is deeply intertwined with the meaning of the Dao. It’s as if... as if he’s the vessel of heaven and earth, the very embodiment of the Great Dao!” Huan Yue stared in disbelief at the scene before her, her eyes—already large—now widened even further.

Zhu Xiaoyuan, painting, appeared almost immortal, his figure etching itself into Huan Yue’s mind.

Moreover, within Huan Yue’s body, the secret techniques of the painting path began to spin madly, absorbing endless Dao intent in an instant.

Insight flooded her like a heavy snowfall, arriving in droves!

She could feel the obstacles that had hindered her dissolving bit by bit.

It was as if she had received sudden enlightenment, understanding so much in an instant!

Huan Yue was utterly intoxicated!

“What manner of person is this, whose skill is so extraordinary? I feel that even in our Empty Absolute Holy Land, even the ancestors’ paintings never had such a powerful impact!” Ruofeng, though not a practitioner of painting, could nonetheless sense the mastery of the artist before her.

...

Who knows how much time passed—

Zhu Xiaoyuan finally finished his painting.

He admired his work with satisfaction, then inscribed its title: “Gathering of the Myriad Mountains.”

The surrounding peaks seemed to converge as one.

Zhu Xiaoyuan let out a gentle breath; each time he painted, his heart felt soothed and his mind at ease.

“Get up, you lazy cat. You really don’t know how to appreciate art!” Zhu Xiaoyuan stroked Red Moon, lying at his feet.

“Meow, meow, meow!” The white cat protested.

Turning around, Zhu Xiaoyuan noticed two women standing nearby, entranced.

When had these two beauties arrived?

He looked at them, seeing their dazed expressions, unmoving as if spellbound.

He felt perplexed—why had they fallen into a trance upon arrival?

Could it be that he had grown even more handsome lately?

Tsk tsk, Zhu Xiaoyuan narcissistically touched his own face.

“May I ask who you ladies are?” Zhu Xiaoyuan inquired.

Only when he spoke did Huan Yue and Ruofeng awaken from their stupor.

The swirling Dao resonance in the surroundings had long since been collected into the painting as Zhu Xiaoyuan finished his work, fading into obscurity.

Now, the mountains appeared ordinary once more, devoid of their previous aura.

Yet, both Huan Yue and Ruofeng wore expressions of utmost respect, not daring to show the slightest insolence.

“Senior!” Ruofeng greeted Zhu Xiaoyuan with a bow. “I am Ruofeng, and this is my junior sister Huan Yue. We came to witness your painting without your permission, which was improper of us. We beseech you not to be angered, but to forgive our offense!”

Ruofeng bowed again, acknowledging their mistake.

She knew well that though the man before her appeared young, to so casually produce a painting suffused with Dao resonance revealed an extraordinary mastery.

Thus, regardless of his apparent youth, he must surely be an elder of great age.

Zhu Xiaoyuan laughed upon hearing Ruofeng’s words.

Clearly, the women before him were true devotees of painting—for only those who loved it would be so deeply captivated.