Chapter 110: A Divine Painting of Enlightenment

Seeing Senior Brother Yang still bowing in salute, Heng Xian could only help him up and didn't point it out; let him interpret it however he liked.

Senior Brother Yang stood up, and the two's relationship seemed to become much more familiar in an instant.

At that moment, Su Wan'er, dressed in blue robes and looking handsome and charming, happened to come in from outside, saw Heng Xian, and exclaimed, "Ah—young master!"

Heng Xian was also surprised: "What are you doing here?"

Su Wan'er flushed slightly: "The matter is settled; I'm on duty here, hiding from Ye Xiaoyao and the others for a while!"

Senior Brother Yang, upon seeing her, hurriedly said: "Exactly! Junior Sister Su was sent by those kids of Xing Guang, claiming to be your person. I treat her like my own sister, without any neglect!"

Heng Xian bowed his hands: "Sorry for troubling you, senior brother!"

Senior Brother Yang, looking displeased, said: "You and I are senior brothers; saying that is too distant, isn't it?"

"Senior brother, you're a genuine person; I'll treat you to a drink another day!" Heng Xian clasped his fists again and led Su Wan'er out the door.

The winding blue‑stone slab road rose upward, flanked by dense outer‑gate buildings; behind them, distant mountains and cliffs shrouded in mist, a pleasant scenery.

Heng Xian asked while walking: "Is everything settled?"

Su Wan'er nodded: "I killed them with my own hands!"

She said, pointing to a nearby mountain hollow: "They should all be buried there!"

Heng Xian gazed into the distance, remaining silent for a long while.

He is not a ruthless, cruel person.

Perhaps Xue Jiao'er and Ye Qingyi could have had decent lives originally.

However, since the day the Nine Families annihilated Heng, everything changed!

This has nothing to do with who is right or wrong!

"Young master, is there… something I didn't do well enough?" Su Wan'er asked cautiously.

"You did well!" Heng Xian patted her shoulder, "Your cultivation is also good; you've reached the second layer of condensed Qi!"

Su Wan'er sighed in relief, stuck out her tongue: "I broke through to the second layer of condensed Qi last month, thanks to the heap of pills you gave me, young master."

Heng Xian said: "You must stay safe; in a while, I'll find a way to get you into the inner gate!"

Su Wan'er said happily: "You can send me anywhere, as long as I can see you, young master!"

Heng Xian nodded, gave a few more instructions, and hurried back to Bitter Willow Peak.

Inside the "Collection Hall".

Senior Brother Yang pinched his chin, looked at his rough landscape painting, his face inscrutable, a tangled thread of thoughts inside.

He didn't understand the words Heng Xian just said.

But this is the explanation from that genius, that challenge‑madman; if I'm still clueless, wouldn't that make me a fool?

At that moment, a plump true‑disciple entered from outside, shouting: "Senior Brother Yang, what are you looking at, so serious?"

Senior Brother Yang looked up at him briefly, calmly saying: "Ah, it's Junior Brother Wu; nothing much, just sparred a bit on cultivation insights with Junior Brother Heng earlier."

Junior Brother Wu was startled: "Heng junior brother? Which Heng junior brother?"

Senior Brother Yang waved his sleeve: "Of course it's the newly emerged genius Heng Xian; he just left!"

"Wow!" Junior Brother Wu clapped, "It's actually him! Senior Brother Yang, what a skill! This Heng junior brother's duel‑combat sword technique, beating three opponents in a higher rank, is truly classic!"

Even my master and uncle praised it endlessly; we analyzed it all night long.

My fellow senior brothers and I greatly admire him, but his master, the nine‑elder matriarch, is hard to deal with, so we dare not visit Bitter Willow Peak to see her.

Who would have thought Senior Brother Yang could meet him and also sparred insights with him!

Senior Brother Yang, with a modest expression, said: "Not at all, not at all; I merely felt an instant kinship with Junior Brother Heng Xian."

Junior Brother Wu rubbed his hands, subconsciously glancing at the painting: "So… his cultivation insights are related to this painting?"

"The connection is especially great!" Senior Brother Yang set down his brush, wrote the character "Xian" on the landscape painting, then drew a random circle, and said, "Cultivation is like this painting; it's fine if you and I don't understand it,"

"That doesn't mean the painting is bad; whether it's good or not only Heaven knows. Its subtlety need not be explained to others,"

"This is what Junior Brother Heng himself said, the essence of all cultivation. Do you… understand?"

Junior Brother Wu was initially clueless, then suddenly enlightened, his face shocked: "Marvelous! This painting, this method, can be called profound"

"Profound beyond measure; the bottleneck of my many years of cultivation has already begun to loosen!"

Senior Brother Yang pinched his small beard: "Excellent!"

Junior Brother Wu thought for a moment, then said: "I have an unreasonable request; sell me this painting, and I'll give… twenty thousand medium‑grade spirit crystals!"

Senior Brother Yang was startled, then wore a troubled expression: "This painting was originally our exchange of insights with Junior Brother Heng; it's a priceless treasure. Since Junior Brother Wu wants it, sigh! I'll… part with it reluctantly, take it."

Junior Brother Wu, excited, paid the money, picked up the painting, and turned to leave.

After stepping out, he looked at the painting while walking, growing increasingly embarrassed and scratching his head.

Too hasty!

Just now about to leave "Ten Thousand Nest Peak".

"Junior Brother Wu!" a shout came from behind; a middle‑aged true‑disciple with a white face and long beard chased after him, "What are you looking at, so entranced!"

Junior Brother Wu, clutching the painting like a treasure, said: "Ah, Senior Brother Luo, I just spent a full two hours exchanging cultivation insights with Junior Brother Heng Xian from the Collection Hall and Bitter Willow Peak!"

When we were about to part, he gave me this painting; his sword technique and cultivation method are greatly influenced by it!

Senior Brother Luo's eyes widened: "There's such a thing?! No wonder I just saw him coming out of the Collection Hall!"

Junior Brother Wu truly… his skill is extraordinary; to think he's friends with the renowned, higher‑rank, three‑against‑one duel‑master Heng!

Junior Brother Wu gave a faint smile: "I accept; we merely appreciate each other and spar with one another."

"Impressive!" Senior Brother Luo looked at the painting, "May I have a look at this painting?"

Junior Brother Wu bit his finger and drew another circle on the painting, not knowing why; since Senior Brother Yang had done the same, he felt he had to do it too,

Then he continued: "Of course you may; watch closely! This painting is not a painting, yet it is a painting; it's not unpainted, there is a painting within a painting! Do you understand? See through it?"

Senior Brother Luo first frowned, then was startled: "So that's it; indeed marvelous, truly a work of heavenly craftsmanship, spanning eons of primordial chaos, profound beyond profound!"

【61】 Then, Junior Brother Wu, sell me this painting! My cultivation has stagnated these years; I urgently need a breakthrough. Name your price!

Junior Brother Wu froze for a moment, gritted his teeth: "This painting, I originally intended to comprehend it myself; after all, half of the reasoning on the painting remains unfathomed."

Since Senior Brother Luo is so sincere…… I, as the junior brother, will take a loss and take forty thousand medium-grade spirit crystals!

"Good!" Senior Brother Luo immediately paid the spirit crystals, picked up the painting, and left.

On the way, the more he looked, the more confused he became; the more he looked, the more disheartened he felt.

As it turns out, my comprehension is truly poor; I simply can't understand it at all!

Coincidentally, someone else passed by.

"Ah, Junior Sister! Just now Junior Brother Heng Xian gave me a painting; this painting contains a painting within it, it is said to have been personally painted by the Old Ancestor of One Tribulation Crossing, who accidentally lost it, and Junior Brother Heng Xian obtained it."

His swordsmanship and talent are closely related to this painting in countless ways; my copy is a tracing, but it is exactly the same as the original!

I have benefited immensely!

This matter also involved Junior Brother Wu Tong and Junior Brother Yang Sihai; they know about it too!

"Ah…… I'll offer fifty thousand, sell it to me!"

……

"We'll offer four hundred thousand!"

The landscape painting changed hands thirteen times, and was finally purchased jointly by nineteen enthusiastic admirers of the 'One vs Three Incident'.

Afterward, the nineteen people bathed and changed clothes, burned incense and prayed, sat in a circle, and stared at the painting, especially the dense circles on it.

After looking for as long as an incense stick burns, someone sucked in a cold breath: "Terrifying! I think I've comprehended it!"

Someone behind him gasped: "Inhale—I've comprehended it too!"

……

Bitter Willow Peak.

Nangong Liluo rushed into the quiet room, grabbed Heng Xian's collar, and shouted: "You little brat, you actually turned your cultivation insights and foundation into a painting and sold it!"

"Such things are priceless; how can you casually show them to others?! Moreover, you sold them so cheaply!"

Heng Xian: "????"

(End of chapter)