When Qin Yudie heard Xu Yan's words, she suddenly understood. Senior Xu had mistaken her for a calligraphy and painting enthusiast. No wonder he seemed so happy and had even given her a painting.
She felt this was a good opportunity to build a relationship with Senior Xu, so she smiled and said, "That's right... Senior Xu's skill in calligraphy and painting is simply profound. As a beginner, I'm so stunned that I can hardly calm down."
Xu Yan felt rather proud. He'd used his talent to make a pretty girl who might be a cultivator admire him so much. Just one question.
Who else could do that?
At that moment, Mu'er's gaze was drawn to the wooden puppets displayed on the shelf. She walked over and picked up one shaped like a reindeer with a human body, unable to put it down. "This puppet is so cute!"
Her cultivation was weaker, and she couldn't sense the Dao charm in the calligraphy and paintings as deeply as Qin Yudie could. She much preferred these adorable little wooden puppets, which contained wisps of Dao intent.
Lin Yansheng looked at Mu'er and flashed a merchant's sly grin. "This puppet is called Chopper. Thirty copper coins, fair for both young and old."
Wooden puppets were little figures carved from spare wood. Their materials cost practically nothing, and each one took fifteen minutes to make. Their usual customers were children.
The popular designs included Chopper, Pikachu, Doraemon, and bears. Kids loved them.
As for the trend-chasing boys in their youth, they preferred puppets of cute girls, like Kyouko and Hatsune.
These were popular designs. Charging thirty copper coins for the labor wasn't unreasonable, right?
Mu'er was surprised. "It's so cheap?"
Something that contained wisps of Dao charm was being sold for so little. If the cultivators found out, wouldn't they go crazy fighting over it?
"Hm?" Xu Yan looked at her strangely. Could she really be one of those sheltered, naive rich kids?
He regretted it a little. If he'd known, he would've asked for three hundred copper coins.
After Mu'er paid, Qin Yudie said respectfully to Xu Yan, "Senior Xu, my name is Qin Yudie, and this is my junior sister, Mu'er. We'll take our leave now and visit you again another time."
Then she and Mu'er left You Chou Sha.
Once they were outside, Qin Yudie's expression turned serious. "Mu'er, don't show that wooden puppet to anyone, understand?"
The puppet contained wisps of Dao charm. If some ill-intentioned cultivators found out that Mu'er had such a treasure, they might attack her.
"Okay, Senior Sister."
Xu Yan carved another wooden puppet and placed it in the empty spot on the shelf. He felt a little pleased with himself. Winning over a cultivator girl with calligraphy and painting felt pretty good.
But soon, he put Qin Yudie and Mu'er out of his mind. He knew exactly who he was, after all: just an ordinary man.
A moment later, an old man who lived on the street passed the shop. Looking at Xu Yan inside, he shook his head. "Xiaoyan, you're probably the best painter on our street. If you painted things people could actually understand, they'd be much more popular."
Tianren Mountain was bustling with activity. Tianren Sect's Sect Master, Qin Tian, had opened his Sea of Consciousness and entered the Sea of Consciousness Realm First Heaven, raising his strength to a new level. Tianren Sect's standing would rise along with it.
For this reason, every major power in the Southern Domain had come to the Celebratory Banquet, each bringing a gift.
Qin Tian sat in the seat of honor, his face glowing and his aura robust. A smile never left his face.
As his old rivals showered him with praise, he couldn't help feeling a little carried away.
Soon, the gift-giving began.
The Sect Master of the Hundred Transformations Sect presented a batch of tea called Dragon's Roar Tea, an exceptionally fine variety.
They said that after drinking a cup, one could hear the sound of a dragon's roar, and even make a little progress in cultivation.
Medicine King Valley had also sent someone: the Medicine King's chief disciple, who presented a Nine Revolutions Returning Yang Pill personally refined by the Medicine King.
The moment the pill appeared, the guests from every power looked at it with envy. Who wouldn't want a pill that could extend one's lifespan?
After the guests from outside had finished presenting their gifts, it was the turn of Tianren Sect's junior disciples to offer their congratulations.
As Qin Tian's granddaughter, Qin Yudie was the first to step forward.
Holding a painting, she walked up to Qin Tian and smiled. "Yudie offers this painting to congratulate Grandpa on entering a new realm."
"Oh?"
A smile appeared on Qin Tian's face. Though many people had brought gifts, and their offerings were all kinds of things, no one had presented a painting before Qin Yudie.
He reached out and took the painting, then opened it toward himself.
In an instant, a boundless world appeared before his eyes.
The world was blessed with good weather, and its people lived in harmony. What a scene of harmony between heaven, earth, and humankind.
An old farmer tended and watered a vine every day. At last, a gourd on the vine gained sentience.
Just then, the Demon Race captured the farmer. Sensing this, the gourds fell one by one and became children, setting off to rescue him.
All things had spirits and repaid kindness. It was enough to bring tears to one's eyes.
Boundless Dao charm poured into Qin Tian's Sea of Consciousness. In an instant, he experienced every facet of mortal life and sensed the laws governing heaven and earth. His state of mind was elevated at once.
Boom!
A powerful aura burst from Qin Tian's body, but he quickly reined it in. Otherwise, most of those present wouldn't have been able to withstand it.
He carefully set the painting down, his smile brighter than ever.
Everyone from the various powers looked at Qin Tian in uncertainty. The aura he'd released just now seemed to have surpassed the Sea of Consciousness Realm First Heaven.
The three heavens of the Sea of Consciousness Realm referred to its three stages. In the Southern Domain, most leaders of the various powers hadn't reached the Sea of Consciousness Realm First Heaven. The few cultivators who had were among the Southern Domain's top experts.
As for cultivators at the Sea of Consciousness Realm Second Heaven, they were mostly reclusive Ancestors of various powers, rarely seen in public.
"Old Qin, did you break through to the Sea of Consciousness Realm Second Heaven?" asked Qin Tian's friend, Jiang Taiyuan, the Sect Master of Tianya Sect.
He was also at the Sea of Consciousness Realm First Heaven, and had always been a little stronger than Qin Tian.
"Hahaha, Old Jiang, from now on, my cultivation will be above yours!" Qin Tian laughed.
He'd never felt so exhilarated. In a short time, he'd broken through two realms and left his friend Jiang Taiyuan behind.
The whole crowd was stunned. Qin Tian had actually reached the Sea of Consciousness Realm Second Heaven, enough to rival those old monsters who never came out of seclusion.
Jiang Taiyuan asked enviously, "Old Qin, how did you break through?"
He'd been stuck at the Sea of Consciousness Realm First Heaven for ages, unable to advance to the Second Heaven. Then Qin Tian had broken through without the slightest warning. Jiang Taiyuan could only envy him.
"Well... some things can only be understood, not explained," Qin Tian said mysteriously.
The truth was, even he wasn't entirely sure what had happened. The Great Dao contained in the painting happened to align with the cultivation method he practiced, so after comprehending it, he'd broken through on the spot.
The Celebratory Banquet ended quickly because Qin Tian couldn't wait to ask Qin Yudie about the painting.
The people from the various powers left with complicated feelings. They all understood: Tianren Sect had truly risen!
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