The ink glided across the Talisman Paper. It was not fast, but it flowed smoothly like a black line of water before being absorbed by the paper.
This line was straight. Compared to the crooked lines from before, it looked especially straight!
Cries of surprise erupted one after another, for the change had come far too suddenly!
How had Little Martial Grand-Aunt suddenly made a breakthrough?!
He had looked like he was having such difficulty wielding the brush before. How had he suddenly drawn such a straight line?!
Filled with all these doubts, the inexperienced Outer Sect Disciples came to a conclusion in their hearts: "Little Martial Grand-Aunt is worthy of being Little Martial Grand-Aunt!"
Though they had not tried it themselves, no one was stupid.
When Little Martial Grand-Aunt suddenly drew that straight line, even Elder Qiu Shui's expression became animated.
From Elder Qiu Shui's expression, it was clear that Little Martial Grand-Aunt had done something incredible again!
In truth, Lu Xun seemed to have quite a talent for Micro Control. Or perhaps because his strength increased through leveling up rather than cultivation, there were some subtle differences involved.
He was no longer merely fixated on duration. He did not just want to keep drawing for twenty-five minutes; he also wanted to try drawing what he wanted!
If he could truly accomplish that, he could be considered to have entered the hall of Micro Control.
Straight lines should be the easiest. Curves might be harder, Lu Xun thought.
He gave it a try, wanting to draw a smooth arc, like a ripe peach.
The image had already formed in his mind, but his hand refused to obey.
Before long, the lines became crooked again.
The onlookers did not know that he was attempting to draw curves. They only thought that after drawing one straight line, Little Martial Grand-Aunt was having trouble holding the brush steady again.
After one failure, Lu Xun began trying a second time, a third time, a fourth time...
The curves he drew became increasingly presentable. Only then did the people watching behind him realize what Lu Xun was trying to do.
Shen Yan of Evergreen Peak smiled slightly. Wrinkles squeezed onto his fierce, utterly barren face as he said in a voice like a screaming rubber chicken:
"Little Martial Uncle is quite good at making use of opportunities. He no longer sees this as a trial assessment, but as a chance to keep breaking through and improving."
Yue Heshan, whose train of thought was far from normal, immediately chimed in. "So Little Martial Uncle must possess exceptional talent. When we looked into the Qi Sea that day, we must have seen mighty rivers! That means I definitely won!"
Even now, he still could not let go of that unresolved wager.
They had all grown up together as fellow disciples and knew each other well, so no one paid him any attention. Instead, they began discussing where Lu Xun's limits truly lay.
In any case, even if no one paid attention to Yue Heshan, he would sulk by himself for half a minute before happily joining the group conversation again.
These old geezers were discussing things with great enthusiasm, but they were soon drawn back to Lu Xun, because he had successfully drawn his first curve!
He truly seemed to possess great talent in Micro Control.
Looking at that smooth curve, Lu Xun was very satisfied. He even had the mood to joke to himself, Should I try drawing a dragon on the left and a rainbow on the right?
He took a moment to check the mission progress. He had been too focused on drawing earlier to notice.
By now, he had been holding the brush for seventeen minutes, and the mission progress had reached 60%!
Three thousand Experience Points had already arrived. Wonderful!
Though he was delighted inside, his mind had already grown somewhat dazed, and his right hand was nearly numb.
Yet he found himself becoming intoxicated by this state.
A mad thought rose from the depths of his heart: Where exactly are my limits?
Lu Xun was eager to try.
Holding the brush, he stopped caring about the time and stopped caring about the mission progress. He simply began drawing with complete focus.
He no longer cared whether the line was straight enough or the curves smooth enough. He just drew, drawing with all his strength!
When his spiritual power ran dry again, he clicked level up without hesitation!
Two thousand Experience Points vanished at once, and Lu Xun directly advanced to the fourth layer of the Qi Devouring Art!
Not only Elder Qiu Shui, but even the several old geezers on Evergreen Peak could no longer sit still!
He had broken through two realms in rapid succession!
The path of cultivation was mysterious to begin with, and consecutive breakthroughs were not impossible.
To be precise, which one among Shen Yan and the Peak Lords was not exceptionally talented? Which one did not possess enormous fortuitous opportunities?
Along their journeys, they too had encountered lucky opportunities and experienced all kinds of breakthroughs, eventually becoming experts of the Seventh Realm and Eighth Realm.
But breaking through two realms in a row during a sect trial was something they had never seen before.
Lu Xun seemed to be declaring with his actions: breaking through realms was as easy as eating and drinking for him!
At this moment, with his spiritual power surging once more, Lu Xun drew faster and more freely.
Ink and brush swept in every direction, the brush dancing like dragons and snakes!
He kept pressuring himself, constantly testing the limits of his mind.
The Outer Sect Disciples' expressions grew increasingly solemn. In their eyes, this was no longer a trial, but Little Martial Grand-Aunt personally teaching them by example.
If it were them, let alone breaking through two realms in a row, even breaking through one realm would be difficult.
They did not know how Lu Xun had done it, but for these inexperienced Outer Sect Disciples, that did not affect their reverence for Little Martial Grand-Aunt!
He truly was a heaven-blessed genius, worthy of being the disciple favored by Sir!
The mountain wind swept past, lifting Lu Xun's black robes. With a brush in hand, he made dragons and snakes dance across the Talisman Paper. As the Outer Sect Disciples watched his back, they found him utterly carefree and dashing!
A perfectly ordinary trial had somehow become a wild ink-splashing celebration in Little Martial Grand-Aunt's hands!
Everyone simply watched him write and draw in silence, yet they did not find it boring or tiresome.
The Outer Sect Disciples present began contributing Reputation Points again, while Ji Li, standing in the front row, contributed not only Reputation Points but also her Affection Points.
Her eyes shone brightly, as though light dwelled within them.
They watched for a full half hour!
As everyone waited, they did not feel weary. Instead, their blood boiled with excitement!
Lu Xun was nearly at his limit by then. His vision had begun to darken, and if he kept drawing, he truly feared that he would faint on the spot.
This is probably the limit, he thought.
Half an hour was one full hour, a complete sixty minutes!
Yet 100% completion for this trial mission required only twenty-five minutes!
Utterly exhausted, Lu Xun could barely hold the brush. He used his final wisp of spiritual power to support it, then turned around and solemnly placed the brush back on the table.
Time seemed to freeze again. Everyone looked at Lu Xun, unable to take their eyes off him.
The mountain wind lifted a strand of hair before his forehead. Clad in black, he seemed to merge with the thick ink upon the Talisman Paper behind him.
He was so handsome that it became an artistic conception.
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