The Living Legend

Judi stood before his painting, not moving.

He believed the people in the courtyard could judge whose painting was better. Even if they were laymen, they should still be able to see how excellent his painting was.

"This..."

When the young talents from the area around Tianren Mountain saw Xu Yan's painting, they were all so shocked that they couldn't speak.

What stood before them was no longer merely a painting, but a miniature world, with old people, children, women, and men.

Xu Yan had painted the entire Tianren City!

In just a few minutes, he had painted a whole Tianren City.

And the Dao charm pouring from the painting had rushed into their minds the moment they laid eyes on it.

In their eyes, even the courtyard had changed. It was now filled with a sense of the Dao.

"So, what do you think? Whose painting is better?" Judi had no idea how serious the situation was. He asked the people who had gone to look at Xu Yan's painting.

He was confident that Xu Yan would be the one to lose.

"This Senior Xu's painting is better." A man on good terms with Judi looked at him, his face filled with shock.

Even if he wanted to lie through his teeth, he couldn't possibly claim that Judi's painting was better than Xu Yan's.

They weren't even on the same level. This man Qin Yudie called "Senior Xu" was undoubtedly a true master.

Who in the entire Southern Domain could infuse a painting with Dao charm of this degree?

Apart from the snow-white-clad Senior Xu before them, no one could do it.

Judi?

Even if he were a hundred times stronger, he still wouldn't measure up to one-tenth of Senior Xu.

If Judi was a master of the Painting Dao among mortals, then Senior Xu was a grandmaster of the Painting Dao among Banished Immortals. The gap between them was as vast as that between mortals and the ethereal immortals.

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Judi had no idea what had gotten into his friend. How could he side with an outsider?

So he walked over to Xu Yan himself.

When he saw Xu Yan's painting, Tianren City, he froze.

Infusing a painting with supreme Dao intent was the highest realm of the Painting Dao, the one Judi had pursued all his life.

But he understood that no matter how long he lived, he could never reach such a realm.

This supreme realm existed only in legends.

And now, the legend stood right before him!

Thud!

Judi dropped to his knees before Xu Yan and said reverently, "Senior, I was so short-sighted. I dared to challenge you to a painting contest. I'm truly sorry for troubling you."

How could he still not realize that this man before him was a true hidden master?

And a master of the highest order. He might even be close to the immortals of legend—a living legend. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to weave the laws of the Great Dao so perfectly into every brushstroke.

Xu Yan looked at Judi kneeling before him, quite surprised.

The man had been so arrogant and smug before, refusing even to listen to Qin Yudie. Why was he kneeling now and calling him Senior?

Judging by his aura, he should be a cultivator. Could he be a young cultivator who was utterly obsessed with painting?

"Judi, now do you see how you overestimated yourself? You actually dared to challenge Senior Xu to a painting contest." Qin Yudie mocked him.

Even her grandfather, the Sect Master of the Tianren Sect, still hadn't fully comprehended that Calabash Brothers Save Grandpa. What could Judi's paltry painting possibly amount to?

Judi's face flushed red, and he felt utterly mortified.

Thinking that he had actually challenged a living legend to a painting contest, he wished he could dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it.

"Get up," Xu Yan said.

He didn't want to make things too hard for Judi. After all, they had no real grudge between them; Judi had simply envied him and wanted to challenge him.

But the challenge had ended with Judi kneeling in regret, which was punishment enough. There were plenty of people in the courtyard, and they had all witnessed the scene.

Judi got up, his eyes darting about. He didn't dare look directly at Xu Yan, the living legend.

After hesitating for a long while, he finally summoned his courage and said, "Senior Xu, may I become your disciple?"

To meet a legendary figure like this and not learn something from him would be a colossal loss.

Seeing Judi's earnest expression, Xu Yan hadn't expected him to love painting so much.

But he had no desire to take on a disciple. "I have no intention of taking disciples."

He was just an ordinary man himself, making a living by selling things at his little shop and occasionally treating people. How could he find the time to take on a disciple?

Judi's gaze dimmed at once. He blamed himself deeply, thinking that he must have been so rude to Senior Xu earlier that he had left a terrible impression.

But he wasn't willing to give up. A legendary figure like Senior Xu stood right before him. This was his only chance to approach the supreme Painting Dao—how could he let it slip away so easily?

So he spoke again. "Senior Xu, I want to learn painting from you. Please give me a chance."

Three years after he began learning to paint, he had stopped learning from anyone else.

None of them had been worthy of teaching him. But now, at last, he had found the person he ought to learn from.

Xu Yan refused again. "I'm just an ordinary person. There's nothing I can teach you. You should go learn from those painting masters instead."

Judi was dressed so well that Xu Yan figured he must be a rich young master. Surely he could afford to hire a painting master.

Qin Yudie also spoke up. "Judi, Senior Xu likes his peace and quiet and doesn't like being disturbed. Don't keep pestering him."

She understood that Xu Yan was a hidden master, and he surely wouldn't want to teach people. Otherwise, he could have founded a sect and taught the Dao to the world.

Hearing Qin Yudie's words, Judi suddenly understood.

A living legend like Senior Xu had to be a hidden master, above worldly concerns. How could he teach people lightly, let alone agree to teach him in front of so many people?

After he figured it out, Judi felt much better. He respectfully bowed to Xu Yan and said, "Senior Xu, Yudie, Mu'er, I'll take my leave."

With that, he strode out of the courtyard, a certain hope still on his face.

The so-called young talents from the Tianren Mountain region all took their leave, hurrying away one after another.

They had to rush back to their respective sects or factions and spread the news that Qin Yudie knew a senior master.

After the outsiders had all left, Qin Yudie apologized to Xu Yan. "Senior Xu, I was too presumptuous. I shouldn't have let those people into the banquet. I ruined your enjoyment. It was my fault."

Her pretty face was full of remorse. Quite a few people now knew that Senior Xu lived in seclusion in Tianren City. That might affect his quiet life.

If Senior Xu left Tianren City because of this and went into seclusion somewhere else, she would be to blame.