Chapter 114

Heng Xian's painting was very simple—

An abstract thing resembling a small bird, extending a "pentagonal" claw to grab a... bug?

The whole painting was rough and casual, like a three-year-old's doodle, making one feel awkward just looking at it.

The whole scene was silent.

If it were anyone else, even though everyone was a cultivator and cared about face, they would have had to curse first.

However, since it was Heng Xian...

"Hiss—"

"This..."

No one dared to voice any doubts; what if there really was some kind of artistic conception, wouldn't they become the clown?

A group of elders watching from not far away asked one of the elders in unison: "Senior Brother Zhang, you have the strongest comprehension and are good at hexagrams and deduction; can you see what this child and this painting mean?"

This elder pondered for a moment.

He couldn't understand it either. First of all, Heng Xian's master was Nangong Liluo, and that woman was no fool!

Secondly, Nangong Liluo was the daughter of the former sect leader, who had been in seclusion for decades as a Supreme Elder.

Finally, Heng Xian himself was indeed highly talented, with a Sword Saint body, and was very strong in combat; he couldn't be someone who just messed around!

He simply stroked his beard, narrowed his eyes, and nodded slightly: "Simplicity to the extreme is great beauty, wonderful!"

The other elders breathed a sigh of relief and nodded one after another: "Indeed!"

Huo Yuanqing, Lin Shuyu, and their group nearby saw it most clearly, but the more they looked, the more it seemed like a mess!

Especially Huo Yuanqing, who originally wanted to show his humility and demeanor, but opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and finally couldn't bear it anymore: "What kind of thing is this? This is clearly just scribbling!"

"Uh..."

The dense crowd around had just tried hard to convince themselves that this was a good painting!

Now that it was pointed out by Huo Yuanqing, they all felt strange in their hearts.

Ah, Senior Brother Huo, you are going too far; are you saying this on purpose just to suppress your opponent?

Huo Yuanqing went all out, pointing at Heng Xian's painting: "The bird is drawn without any form, the claw is actually a pentagonal shape, and this bug is even more outrageous, with no body shape to speak of.

There is no other scenery around to set it off; you are simply... insulting me!"

Heng Xian also felt quite awkward; he had just scribbled a few times, but he couldn't lose face, so he immediately retorted seriously: "Senior Brother Huo is wrong! There are countless forms in the world of painting!

Ink painting, color painting, murals, etc., each has its own merits! Painting methods and techniques also vary.

Senior Brother Huo's ink painting is very vivid with just a few strokes.

My painting, with just a few strokes, is also 'great skill looks like clumsiness,' containing the Great Way in my heart!

You don't understand my painting, I won't blame you!

But you don't understand my Way, yet you criticize it; this is not the act of a gentleman!"

I am no longer a gentleman??

Huo Yuanqing's face turned red; he wanted to retort but didn't know how.

The surrounding disciples heard this and secretly shouted that it was close; they had almost doubted it too. So it really had some profundity!

Huo Yuanqing waved his sleeves heavily at this time: "Good! I'll count that as having some truth, but Junior Brother, don't forget, we are competing on comprehending the secret technique on this maple forest stone tablet!"

Heng Xian nodded: "Of course!"

"I'll go first!" Huo Yuanqing pointed to his painting without yielding, "Everyone, look! My painting is a fairy sword dance, and this fairy is based on Junior Sister Lin! I believe Junior Sister Lin is pure and clean, beautiful enough to topple a country, and worthy of the name of a fairy!"

Okay, he didn't introduce the secret technique, but licked her first, and quite skillfully at that.

"Senior Brother is too kind!" Lin Shuyu's face turned slightly red, and she played with her hair by her ear, showing a thousand kinds of charm in an instant.

The male disciples around were stunned again.

Heng Xian cursed secretly; this hammer is better at picking up girls than me, he's a talent!

Huo Yuanqing smiled and continued: "And the fairy is dancing with a sword; this sword is ethereal, elusive, and unpredictable, yet it doesn't lack sharpness and brilliance!

The way of the sword is not in the normal state; it is unrestrained, yet it can kill invisibly; that is the supreme way!

Brothers and elders, look at the Eagle Tablet; this tablet looks like a simple eagle carving, but it reveals strong sword intent everywhere!

I am untalented, and using my own main cultivation method, the Great Heaven Thirty-Nine Swords, combined with the stone tablet's eagle, I comprehended this sword move.

It is called the Fairy Startled Swan Sword!"

After speaking, he extended his right hand, and a sword whistle sounded; a sword appeared in his hand.

This meant he was going to test the move.

The surrounding disciples moved aside, leaving him enough space.

"This sword move starts from the palace and rises to the bright moon, like stars and moon illuminating the earth; it is both beautiful and sharp!"

Huo Yuanqing leaped up, his momentum suddenly rising, reaching the Primordial Dan Realm, and the spirit sword in his hand cut through the long sky, the sword whistle piercing.

"Clang—"

The sword energy was invisible.

A giant rock ten feet square in front was instantly split into two, the cut perfectly smooth.

Huo Yuanqing landed on the ground, sheathed his spirit sword, looked in the direction of Lin Shuyu, and smiled indifferently: "I accept!"

The surroundings were silent for a moment, then a roar of applause broke out.

Huo Yuanqing's sword move looked simple, but it contained at least a dozen changes, invisible and shadowless, killing people from dozens of feet away!

It was indeed very profound!

Elder Zhang in the distance also stroked his beard and nodded: "This child Huo Yuanqing is truly extraordinary!"

"That's right!" The elders beside him agreed one after another.

Then everyone looked at Heng Xian.

Including Huo Yuanqing and Lin Shuyu.

Lin Shuyu looked curious, examining Heng Xian earnestly. To be honest, she was a person who was persistent and serious inside; she really didn't think Huo Yuanqing's sword move was that profound.

Heng Xian faced everyone's gaze, coughed lightly, and pointed to his painting: "My painting is called the Fierce Eagle Catching Tiger..."

Everyone couldn't help but look at each other; okay, so that bug was actually a tiger!

"Pfft—" Huo Yuanqing laughed out loud, then tried hard to maintain his demeanor.

Beside him, Lin Shuyu listened very earnestly.

Heng Xian continued: "This painting can only be seen for its meaning, not its form!

The so-called Great Way is simple, and the Way follows nature!

All wonderful methods are like flowers in a mirror and the moon in the water, hazy and unclear.

Cultivation is like looking at mountains and water; looking at mountains as mountains, looking at water as water, looking at mountains not as mountains, looking at water not as water!

Once you understand, you understand! If you don't understand, saying more is useless..."

These words were too profound, too deceptive, and didn't belong to this world; the dense crowd of disciples around, including Huo Yuanqing, were greatly shocked.

Heng Xian continued: "What I comprehended is different from Senior Brother Huo; the secret technique I comprehended is the eagle itself, not the sword intent left by the carving!

I named it the Spirit Eagle Heavenly Claw!"

As he spoke, he raised his right hand.

The surrounding disciples retreated again, leaving even more space.

Heng Xian's right hand slowly curled; as it curled, the momentum around him increased by a point.

When the palm completely turned into a claw shape, a hazy eagle phantom ten feet tall slowly appeared.

A terrifying "momentum" also appeared, like a fierce eagle hunting for food, and everyone present was the food.

A feeling of palpitation shrouded everyone's hearts.

The faces of the dense crowd of disciples present all changed.

Huo Yuanqing hurriedly retreated a few more steps, his face full of suspicion.

Lin Shuyu looked solemn.

(End of chapter)