Chapter 959: The Dual Mastery of Poetry and Painting: The Stunning Luo Shen Fu and a New Check-in Location

"Sorry, Xiaoyao, that Marquis of Fufeng targeted you because of me—it has nothing to do with you."

Luo Xiangling’s face carried a hint of apology.

After all, who would want to offend a near-immortal?

Jun Xiaoyao was merely an innocent victim.

He was targeted solely because he was close to Luo Xiangling.

"Why should Senior Xiangling apologize? This isn’t your fault," Jun Xiaoyao smiled faintly.

Seeing Jun Xiaoyao’s demeanor, Luo Xiangling silently sighed.

Any other brilliant prodigy, struck by such undeserved misfortune, would surely be furious and seething inside.

Yet Jun Xiaoyao remained calm and composed.

This temperament truly impressed Luo Xiangling.

"It’s been so long since we last discussed the Dao. Since talking with you, I’ve lost interest in speaking with anyone else," Luo Xiangling smiled lightly.

That’s also why she didn’t attend the Ancient Supreme Dao Discourse Gathering.

She felt conversing with those others yielded less insight than talking with Jun Xiaoyao.

"Then it is this junior’s honor," Jun Xiaoyao smiled back.

The two were about to enter the chamber.

At that moment, a scroll of painting paper slipped unintentionally from Jun Xiaoyao’s sleeve and fell to the ground.

"Hmm?"

Luo Xiangling noticed.

Jun Xiaoyao’s expression shifted slightly; he bent down to retrieve it.

But the scroll floated up into Luo Xiangling’s hand.

"This is…?" Luo Xiangling’s beautiful eyes held a spark of curiosity.

"Senior Xiangling, this…" Jun Xiaoyao promptly revealed a faint unease.

Yet Luo Xiangling, curious, unrolled the scroll.

Instantly, she froze in place, as if struck by lightning.

The painting depicted a woman standing by the He Luo River.

Her long robe draped like mist, sash fluttering, graceful as an immortal ready to ride the wind.

Eyes like autumn waters, bones like jade; face like lotus, brows like willow.

Her gaze shimmered, gazing into the distance.

A painting of unparalleled beauty.

Any man who saw this immortal-like beauty in the painting would be utterly enchanted, his heart lost in longing.

More importantly, this was no mere painting.

The woman and the river within seemed to move.

It was infused with magic power and Dao resonance—anyone who glanced at it could gain insight!

"This… this is me?"

Luo Xiangling was stunned.

Was the woman in the painting… herself?

Yet what left Luo Xiangling’s heart unsettled was this:

Beneath the painting of the peerless beauty lay dense, meticulous calligraphy.

"Luo Shen Fu…"

Luo Xiangling whispered softly.

"Her form, swift as a startled swan, graceful as a winding dragon; her radiance outshines autumn chrysanthemums, her splendor rivals spring pines."

"From afar, she gleams like the sun rising through morning clouds; up close, she burns like a lotus blooming from clear waves."

"Her cloud-like hair piled high, her slender brows elegantly curved; her lips red and bright, her teeth white and fresh; her bright eyes glimmer, her dimples accentuate her charm."

"Her glances turn, her jade-like complexion gleams; her words unspoken, her breath as fragrant as orchids; her graceful form makes me forget my meals."

Luo Xiangling murmured the lines, her spirit trembling involuntarily.

The woman in the painting was beautiful.

The poetry was even more extraordinary.

It was unimaginable that such a stunning masterpiece could come from a young man’s hand.

What made Luo Xiangling’s heart flutter even more was this:

On the scroll, a single drop of blood stood out, vivid and striking.

What did it signify?

It meant the artist had poured immense heart and soul into this work.

Otherwise, every stroke would not carry Dao resonance.

"Xiaoyao, you…"

Luo Xiangling looked at Jun Xiaoyao, her luminous eyes trembling slightly.

Jun Xiaoyao had truly exhausted himself for this poem and painting.

Any woman, upon realizing this, would be unable to remain calm.

"Sorry for boldly composing poetry and painting for Senior Xiangling—it was presumptuous of me," Jun Xiaoyao revealed a faint unease.

"No, the painting is exquisite, and the poetry—no one expected you, Xiaoyao, to possess not only peerless talent but also such astonishing literary brilliance."

Luo Xiangling felt as if she were seeing Jun Xiaoyao anew.

His peerless beauty and demonic talent were enough.

Yet he also possessed such dazzling literary genius.

The painting and the poem were beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Honestly, even Luo Xiangling, upon seeing them, could hardly believe they depicted her.

What made her heart skip a beat even more was this:

Why had Jun Xiaoyao created this poem and painting?

Was it because…?

"Xiaoyao, could you give this to me?" Luo Xiangling asked.

"This… if Senior doesn’t mind, of course," Jun Xiaoyao said.

"Don’t call me Senior—just call me by my name," Luo Xiangling said.

"Alright, Xiangling," Jun Xiaoyao nodded.

Hearing the address, Luo Xiangling’s heart leapt; she turned away.

"Go cultivate now. We’ll discuss the Dao later."

Saying this, Luo Xiangling hurried back to her room.

Watching Luo Xiangling’s retreating figure, Jun Xiaoyao’s unease vanished.

A faint smile curled at his lips.

All of this was deliberate.

From painting, to composing the Luo Shen Fu, to dripping a drop of his heart’s blood.

Then pretending to accidentally drop it, letting Luo Xiangling see it.

Every step was meticulously planned by Jun Xiaoyao.

He didn’t seek to fully win her over.

He only needed that, if he ever faced danger, Luo Xiangling would step forward to help him—that would be enough.

The influence of a near-immortal was incalculable.

"Though I’ve taken this step, I still don’t know Luo Xiangling’s true feelings toward me."

"It’s time to test her," Jun Xiaoyao’s eyes flickered darkly.

He had a new plan.

The reason Jun Xiaoyao went to such lengths to court Luo Xiangling was this:

He sensed that soon, he would cause a major upheaval in the foreign realm.

Then, he would need a top-tier powerhouse standing behind him.

In the Immortal Realm, Jun Xiaoyao wouldn’t need to exert such effort to leverage influence.

A single word from him would draw countless powerful cultivators to his side.

But this was a foreign realm—Jun Family’s reach could not extend here.

Meanwhile,

Back in her room, Luo Xiangling felt her heart pounding.

It was a sensation unlike any she’d ever known.

She studied the woman in the painting and the Luo Shen Fu calligraphy again.

The more she looked, the happier she became.

If someone praised her beauty to her face,

Luo Xiangling would feel annoyed.

For example, the Marquis of Fufeng had always done so.

And this approach, I must say, had struck Luoxiang Ling’s heart directly.

“Am I really that beautiful?”

Gazing at the painting, the exquisitely graceful woman standing by the Heluo River, Luoxiang Ling’s beautiful eyes grew hazy.

She was utterly enchanted.

What kind of divine brushwork could capture such unparalleled beauty?

“Yu Xiaoyao is indeed quite intriguing,” Luoxiang Ling murmured to herself.

A charming blush bloomed upon her peerlessly beautiful face.

In the time that followed.

Jun Xiaoyao remained within Luoxiang Ling’s villa.

The dragon qi permeating this place also aided Jun Xiaoyao’s cultivation.

Jun Xiaoyao and Luoxiang Ling occasionally engaged in Dao discussions.

At times, when inspired, they even composed poetry, painted, played the qin, and performed music.

Jun Xiaoyao’s mastery of the qin once again left Luoxiang Ling awestruck.

The qin’s melody was like celestial music, infused with Daoic resonance, soothing and penetrating the soul.

To Luoxiang Ling’s eyes, Jun Xiaoyao was nothing short of a hidden treasure.

Their relationship naturally grew increasingly harmonious.

There was even a faint sense, like that of celestial lovers lost in passion.

And amidst this tranquil atmosphere,

Mu Lao arrived, his expression grave, delivering a message to Jun Xiaoyao.

“The Mojie Imperial Clan’s Mojie Imperial Heir is about to awaken. Word has spread—he will challenge you, Young Master Xiaoyao, on the God of War Mountain.”

“Ding! Congratulations, host! A new check-in location has refreshed. Please check in at the God of War Mountain!”