Aftermath of the Ancient Painting

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The Qing Cha has been dispatched to the Main Peak to report for duty.

In a legitimate sect or immortal palace, when someone joins the sect, they are naturally registered and their information is recorded. This involves the allocation of various rights and obligations, and it also marks them as "one of our own" from the same sect.

Qin Yi may not have stayed in the sect for the real purpose of learning Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting and painting, but to outsiders, it was because Ju Yunxiu accepted a disciple on behalf of his master, and the sect gained a fellow disciple of a higher generation.

Inside the main house.

Ju Yunxiu and Qin Yi sat facing each other on a low table. Ju Yunxiu brewed tea with her delicate hands. The Immortal Water in the teapot flowed gently into the teacup, creating a natural tranquility and ethereal atmosphere, like the echo of music from nature.

This time, it's not just Qing Cha being brewed by stuffing water into a container; it's a properly prepared Immortal Tea. With a single pour of water, its Immortal Qi overflows, filling the room with fragrance and a sense of Spiritual Qi. —Of course, you could also say it's a sibling of Qing Cha.

Qin Yi's heart stirred slightly.

This kind of Immortal Tea is simply delicious and imbued with a mystical aura for cultivators; its actual effect is at most a slight invigoration, which is negligible. However, if an ordinary person drinks it, it might have a transformative effect, cleansing impurities and enhancing their cultivation. Perhaps a mere mortal could embark on the path of cultivation after just one sip.

Therefore, it can be seen that those delicious foods and wines are not as simple as one might imagine.

After experiencing life in the true cultivation world, you will indeed find that everything is no longer used in the mortal world, and an invisible "class" or different species has already been established.

Of course, a powerful figure like Huiyang is definitely not a species like a mortal. She could probably destroy a country with one hand, without breaking a sweat.

Therefore, immortals truly have no desires in the mortal world and have no need to vie for worldly power. What they need often doesn't exist in human-inhabited areas; it must be born in Spiritual Qi rich Spirit Mountain Famous Marsh. Perhaps a very few things require the help of worldly forces to collect, but they only need to give an order and someone will do it.

This is the basis for people living in the mountains and avoiding the world. Over time, they may no longer regard themselves as human beings.

Like Minghe suspended in the sky, or like the sound of a zither rising from the Yunxiu.

Before Qin Yi and Minghe entered the cave abode, they had a brief "Dao Debate," which ultimately stemmed from a difference in their understanding of whether or not they viewed themselves as separate from ordinary people.

"The Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace speaks of how all worldly hobbies, when taken to their extremes and imbued with one's soul, can lead to enlightenment." Ju Yunxiu poured tea and slowly said, "But things in this world are always like this: those who indulge in eating, Eating, Drinking, Whoring, Gambling, and gambling will always outnumber those who indulge in music, Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting, and painting. Perhaps someone might say they love music, but their motives are too strong—for fame, for profit, for the adulation of the masses—that is not the way of the zither. On the contrary, it's better to be fond of wine and women; one simply loves wine and women, without so many motives and gains. Therefore, Eating, Drinking, Whoring, Gambling, drinking, whoring, and gambling make up a town, while music, Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting are only for a handful of people."

He paused, then sighed softly, "How many people are there who are truly skilled and enlightened, simply for the sake of music?"

Qin Yi couldn't help but ask, "I know a brother Jing Ze. He seems to be purely interested in painting, and his skill and comprehension are both high. But it seems he came here a few years ago, and Senior Sister didn't accept him?"

"It's not that I don't want to accept him, it's just that he's young and impetuous, and speaks rudely, saying we're obsessed with something, to the point of madness, and have become inhuman." Ju Yunxiu smiled slightly, "Actually, in other people's eyes, isn't he just a crazy fool? As for being inhuman... he'll become inhuman sooner or later. Isn't the pursuit of Immortal Dao precisely about finding out how to become inhuman?"

Qin Yi remained silent.

Minghe came to mind again.

After a while, she said, "So, Senior Sister actually thinks Brother Jing Ze is capable?"

"Hmm... I pretended to be angry and kicked him out, just to let him learn a lesson. Once he's shed his arrogance from early fame, tasted the bitterness of the world, and finally understood the difference between humans and non-humans." Ju Yunxiu took a leisurely sip of tea and smiled, "He'll come back sooner or later."

Qin Yi felt a bit of admiration; this could be considered seeing through things.

Jing Ze will definitely come back; he said he would slowly draw his way back.

"But if that's the case, doesn't that mean the arts of Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting, and painting already have successors?" Qin Yi asked, puzzled. "Why is Senior Sister willing to offer such lenient conditions to keep me as a protector?"

"The reason why the arts of Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting Mountain, and painting) are gradually declining is not only because it's difficult to find those who truly embody these arts, but also because of a lack of practical experience." Ju Yunxiu smiled. "Your cultivation is very solid, earned through combat, making you a very suitable protector. Perhaps Jing Ze can promote the art of painting, but maintaining the prestige and reputation of this sect is beyond our reach. Why did I tell Qing Cha to brew her own water and not interrupt? Because she is even less reliable..."

Qin Yi was both amused and exasperated. "So I'm a thug."

"Do you know how hard it is to find a thug who can paint, write books, and isn't greedy or lecherous?" Ju Yunxiu said matter-of-factly.

Qin Yi widened.

"Stop glaring, be good." Ju Yunxiu said with a smile, "You also have a need to join a sect, otherwise you wouldn't have traveled so far to seek the Dao. On the surface, seeking the Dao is for understanding, but the deeper meaning is—if you like it, we'll stick together, right?"

"So what's in it for me to follow you? I have no intention of learning calligraphy and painting."

"Oh my, you already have such a beautiful Senior Sister, isn't that a good thing?"

Qin Yi's eyes widened even more.

"You can use those Painting Souls as you please, isn't that a benefit?"

"I joined the Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting Mountain, not the Eating, Drinking, Whoring, Gambling Town, and Prostitution," Qin Yi said irritably. "Besides, don't think I can't see that those Painting Souls can't do that. They're just spirits; they don't have that kind of function. If they really got possessed by the White Worm, they'd probably just throw them off the mountain."

"Huh..." Ju Yunxiu was taken aback. "You actually noticed that?"

Qin Yi snorted coldly and didn't answer. His cultivation hadn't reached the Soul Body level yet, but he'd seen pigs run before!

Even with his current soul power at the Cloud Soaring level, Bangbang still can't conjure a soul body that leaves the stick. A mere Painting Souls, even with a painting as its foundation, how could it possibly possess a physical form to do that kind of thing? The fact that it can even copy books is already quite surprising to him.

Presumably, the ultimate pursuit of this path is to be able to draw a truly tangible, flesh-and-blood human being... That's a bit fantastical, almost at the level of creation, probably beyond the reach of the Radiant Sun realm. I'd guess even the most powerful Bangbang at his peak might not be able to do it...

Qin Yi suddenly remembered something and took out the painting of the woman from the Ancient Corpse cave abode: "That senior said that someone in the Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace could materialize this painting for him?"

Ju Yunxiu took the scroll, gently stroked it, and looked somewhat reminiscent, without answering for a moment.

After a long while, he sighed, "Where is the owner of this painting? Judging by his lifespan, he should be dead. I wonder if he has another destiny?"

"The senior has been gone for a long time, I don't know how many years."

"Hmm... This painting was done for them by my master. I was quite young then... My master believed that if one could reach that level, it would be tantamount to bringing the dead back to life. How laughable... Those who wanted to do such a thing, instead of bringing the dead back to life, all died one after another." Ju Yunxiu chuckled lightly, with a hint of sarcasm.

Qin Yi said, "So aren't you pursuing this too?"

Ju Yunxiu pondered for a moment, then shook her head and said, "It's too far-fetched. To create something out of thin air is no different from creating the Earth, Water, Fire, Wind. Who could possibly do that? Perhaps if we could capture a wisp of a soul and store it in the painting, replicating a person might be a possibility..."

"That's already pretty amazing, isn't it...?" Qin Yi suddenly had a thought and asked, "If that's the case, then our sect has done a lot of research on souls?"

Ju Yunxiu glanced at him and said, "You haven't even reached the level of cultivating the Yin Spirit yet, let alone the Yang Spirit. Thinking about this is too early. Focus on Core Formation."

He paused, then continued, "This painting... hides some secrets that only those who are proficient in the art of painting can see... You joined my sect and received nothing, yet you've given me a tremendous secret."

Qin Yi scratched his head, somewhat speechless. He hadn't expected there to be a story behind this painting.

Suddenly, the word "door," which Liusu had kept so secret, came to mind.

The secret in this painting might be related to the "door".

Thinking of this, he said, "If we're exploring a map of some place, could you take me with you?"

Ju Yunxiu pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I also need time to decipher this secret... If it's a guide to a secret realm, we'll assess the level of danger before discussing it further. Now that you've joined my sect, I won't keep anything from you."

Qin Yi breathed a sigh of relief. This Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting Mountain was indeed very idyllic, with no scheming or plotting involved.

"As for you now... since you neither study Calligraphy and Painting Dao nor have your own Cultivation Method, I can't think of anything that would suit your needs for the time being..." Ju Yunxiu pondered, "First of all, you can have your own cave abode. I suggest you settle down first, and then we can discuss other things."