Unique Leisurely Courtyard

A sudden voice came from outside the Small Courtyard, and Ziling and Nan Feng's expressions changed at once!

"Not good! That's Elder Shi Tai's voice..."

Nan Feng's tone was heavy. She truly had not expected that, just to kill them, even a Supreme Being would personally come out!

If Senior Li had not been here, they could probably only have waited to die.

Ziling was also somewhat nervous. She looked at Li Fan and said, "Teacher... they've come to capture us!"

Li Fan was equally puzzled. How could this group of enthusiasts be so vicious?

They talked about life and death at the drop of a hat.

"No matter. I'll go reason with them."

Li Fan remained rather composed and asked, "What do these people specialize in?"

Nan Feng said, "Elder Shi Tai is highly skilled in calligraphy. Elder Tie Ming should be with him as well. Elder Tie Ming is proficient in music, and his instrument is a flute!"

Upon hearing this, Li Fan smiled faintly.

Music? Calligraphy?

They had truly walked right into his hands.

"I understand. Wait here for a moment."

He then entered the study.

From inside, he brought out ink, brush, paper, inkstone, and the like, as well as a flute, and walked back out.

He ground the ink, then picked up the brush.

The brush was ancient and unadorned. No one knew how many years it had existed in this world. Faintly, the two ancient characters "Emperor Machine" could still be seen on its handle.

The brush touched the xuan paper in an instant!

Silver hooks and iron strokes!

Beside him, Nan Feng and Ziling's expressions changed dramatically!

They could clearly feel Dao Rhyme surging throughout the entire Small Courtyard at that moment. That single stroke seemed to tug at the Great Dao!

"Why do I feel that what Teacher is holding isn't a brush at all... but an unparalleled divine sword?"

Ziling was slightly dazed.

"When he raised the brush, the Great Dao resonated with it. Just what realm has he reached?"

Nan Feng murmured as well.

A long while later.

Only then did Li Fan set down his brush.

Upon the snowy-white xuan paper were four characters:

"Unique Leisurely Courtyard!"

Unique Leisurely Courtyard!

Every character was exquisite to the extreme, impossible to alter by the slightest degree.

Li Fan said, "Ziling, take this calligraphy and have it mounted above the courtyard gate."

After all this time, he still had not named his Small Courtyard.

Now, this name would do nicely. It could also make those vicious calligraphy enthusiasts outside retreat in the face of difficulty!

Once they understood that Ziling and Nan Feng had taken a renowned master as their teacher, and that their calligraphy and music were superior to theirs, they would naturally leave, right?

Upon hearing this, Ziling hurried forward and picked up the calligraphy.

"Unique Leisurely Courtyard..."

She glanced at the characters and instantly felt as if she were about to be drowned by the Dao Rhyme within them!

She did not dare look any longer. She immediately had the calligraphy mounted, then took a deep breath and walked outside.

At this moment.

Outside the Small Courtyard.

Tie Ming, Shi Tai, and the others were looking at the Small Courtyard before them with uncertain expressions.

"Why do I feel that this Small Courtyard is strange? Though it appears peaceful and utterly ordinary, it gives me an extremely dangerous feeling..."

Tie Ming spoke, a trace of apprehension in his eyes!

It was precisely because they sensed the Small Courtyard's extraordinariness that they had not dared to charge inside for a while.

"Enough of that. What remarkable thing could there be in a mere Small Mountain Village? We are all Supreme Beings, invincible in the Profound Heaven Realm!"

Shi Tai was brimming with confidence. He gripped the brush tucked at his waist and was just about to step forward!

But at that moment, the Small Courtyard's gate suddenly opened.

Ziling walked out from within.

Everyone was startled upon seeing her.

"This rebellious disciple really is here!"

"She's courting death—she actually dares to show herself!"

Ao Ming and Zhu Xin spoke grimly.

"Heh heh, Ziling, you've finally come out. Where's Nan Feng? I hear that the two of you actually dared to betray your sect and take someone else as your teacher. Today, I shall purge the sect in your master's place!"

Shi Tai stepped forward and spoke in a grim voice.

A trace of fear flashed through Ziling's large eyes, but she immediately said, "Nan Feng and I have already taken Senior Li as our teacher. You are not allowed to act recklessly!"

With that, she suddenly raised the mounted calligraphy in her hands!

Boom!

In an instant, Shi Tai's entire body shook. As if struck by lightning, he stared fixedly ahead!

"Unique Leisurely Courtyard..."

He murmured. Those four characters ensnared him completely!

He clearly sensed an immense terror!

Every stroke was a manifestation of the Great Dao.

Every line laid the foundation of laws.

Unique—meaning supreme, unparalleled!

Leisurely Courtyard—displaying carefree freedom, transcending the mundane world!

What kind of grandeur was this?

Had it been written by an invincible being?

How was this possible...

As a mighty Supreme Being who had proven his path through calligraphy, Shi Tai could naturally sense that oceanic Great Dao, mysterious and vast as the universe!

He trembled. He grew excited. Suddenly, his legs gave way, and he fell to his knees with a thump.

This was the suppression of an invincible path, the prostration of an ant before a dragon!

He saw countless Great Daos flowing. He saw the birth and destruction of the laws of Heaven and Earth.

Suddenly, blood tears flowed from Shi Tai's eyes!

"No!"

Tie Ming immediately sensed that something was wrong. He did not cultivate calligraphy, so he had not been subjected to the same terrifying shock as Shi Tai.

He hurriedly grabbed Shi Tai by the shoulder and hauled him up, while hastily covering Shi Tai's eyes!

"Don't look anymore! If you keep looking, you'll die sitting down!"

Tie Ming warned him, frantic with anxiety!

He could clearly sense Shi Tai's cultivation fluctuating and dispersing. These were signs that he was about to die sitting down!

But Shi Tai let out a crazed laugh. He waved his hands and feet, leaping about while crying and laughing as he said:

"Hahaha, I've seen the ultimate of calligraphy! I've seen the ultimate path of calligraphy... Hahaha, hahahahaha..."

Suddenly, like a child, he turned and ran. Along the way, he hopped and skipped.

Seeing this, even Tie Ming was stunned. He said incredulously, "He... he's gone mad?!"

Mad!

Ao Ming and Zhu Xin's expressions changed dramatically!

How was this possible? A dignified Supreme Being who had entered the Dao through calligraphy had actually gone mad just like that?

Merely because he had seen four characters written by someone else?

No ghost would believe such a thing if it were told outside!

Yet it had truly happened before their eyes!

"Those... those four characters—who wrote them?!"

Ao Ming's voice trembled, and deep fear rose within his heart.

Tie Ming drew an even deeper breath and looked ahead. By then, Ziling had already hung the mounted calligraphy above the courtyard gate.

Tie Ming did not dare look at those four characters at all. Instead, he looked toward Ziling and said, "Ziling, behind you... just what kind of existence is there?"

Even he was afraid now.

An existence whose calligraphy could drive a Supreme Being mad—how could he not be afraid?

Ziling watched Shi Tai's crazed figure disappear into the distance, and she was somewhat dazed as well. Was this what Senior Li had meant when he said he would reason with the people from the sacred land?

This was simply too terrifying!

Hearing Supreme Being Tie Ming's question, Ziling came back to herself. She gave him a complicated look and said, "You are not qualified to know yet!"

With that, she turned and entered the Small Courtyard.

"Stop! How can you leave..."

Tie Ming was frantic. At this moment, he desperately wanted to know what kind of terrifying existence was hidden here.

An existence capable of driving even a Supreme Being mad had made him think of far too many things in that instant.

The Cangli Mountain Range had opened. In such a strange Small Mountain Village, there was actually such a terrifying existence hidden within. Just thinking about it made his flesh creep.

But as soon as he stepped forward, a clear flute note rang out from inside the Small Courtyard!

That flute note was like something irresistible. Tie Ming's spirit shook violently, and he stared blankly toward the Small Courtyard!