Poetry Spreads Across the Land! The Beauties Are Stirred!

Ning Fengzhi did as he promised.

Within three days, Zhao Tian's new poem spread through the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's channels to all the major forces across the continent.

At first, it was merely copied verses enclosed in confidential letters, sent to sects and clans on good terms with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

But once news left the door, it could never be contained again.

In less than ten days, the poem had appeared in Heaven Dou City, Star Luo City, and even the Tianshui Sect far away in the Extreme North had received a copy.

And this time, the response was even more fervent than it had been in Spirit City.

Because this poem was entirely different from the bold, uninhibited spirit of Bring in the Wine.

Bring in the Wine was soaring ambition, the wild confidence of "I was born with talent, and it will surely be of use."

But this new poem was delicate and tranquil, a heartfelt ode to mountains and rivers, to a place of belonging, and to the heart within.

Especially the final two lines—"Do not say this body stands upon чужой soil; where this heart finds peace is my state"—which struck the heartstrings of countless people.

Spirit City, Pope Palace.

Bibi Dong sat upon the golden throne, holding a thin sheet of paper bearing a copy of Zhao Tian's new poem.

Her gaze lingered on the final two lines for a long while.

"Where This Heart Finds Peace Is My State..."

She softly repeated the words, a complicated glimmer flashing through her purple eyes.

The hall was extraordinarily silent, with only the flickering of candle flames making a sound.

Shadow Thirteen knelt below, his forehead pressed against the floor, not daring to raise his head.

After a long time, Bibi Dong finally spoke slowly.

"He wrote this poem... to answer what I told him before, didn't he?"

Shadow Thirteen was slightly taken aback, then immediately understood—she was referring to her attempt to recruit Zhao Tian during the celebration banquet in Spirit City.

"This subordinate... does not dare speculate recklessly."

Shadow Thirteen answered cautiously.

Bibi Dong did not pursue the matter. She merely gave a soft laugh.

"Do not say this body stands upon чужой soil; where this heart finds peace is my state..."

"He is telling me that he has already regarded the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as his home, telling me not to set my sights on him again."

"What a Zhao Tian. Not only is he remarkably talented in literature, but his thoughts are also so clear and perceptive."

She gently placed the paper upon the armrest, her gaze profound.

"I find myself appreciating him more and more."

"Unfortunately..."

She did not finish her sentence, but Shadow Thirteen understood what she meant.

Unfortunately, he did not belong to Spirit Hall.

Spirit Hall, training grounds.

Hu Liena had just finished an intense training session and was sitting at the edge of the field, drenched in sweat as she drank water.

A maid hurried over and handed her a slip of paper.

"Miss, this was sent by order of His Holiness the Pope."

Hu Liena accepted the note and unfolded it. After one glance, her brows rose slightly.

"The mountain hues lay misty, jade seeming to flow; vast waves stretched afar, clouds drifting slow..."

She softly read the opening lines. She thought it was simply an ordinary landscape poem—quite good, but not truly stunning.

That was until she saw the final two lines.

"Do not say this body stands upon чужой soil; where this heart finds peace is my state..."

After reading those lines, Hu Liena suddenly fell silent.

She folded the note and tucked it into her clothes, then raised her head to look toward the distant sky, seemingly lost in thought.

Xie Yue walked over from the side. Seeing her like this, he asked, "What is it?"

Hu Liena shook her head, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.

"Nothing. I just think... that brat Zhao Tian is becoming more and more interesting."

Skywater Academy.

Shui Bing'er sat in a lakeside pavilion, holding a sheet of paper that likewise contained a copy of the new poem.

She had already read it three full times.

"Where This Heart Finds Peace Is My State..."

She softly repeated the line, an almost imperceptible ripple passing through her ice-blue eyes.

Shui Yue'er leaned over from the side, peered at it, and curled her lips.

"Sis, is this poem really that good? Why have you been looking at it for so long?"

Shui Bing'er was silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"The earlier landscape verses are well written, but they are only good."

"But the final two lines..."

She paused, and her gaze softened somewhat.

"He is saying that no matter where one is, as long as the heart has a place of peace, that place is home."

"For a six-year-old child to write lines like these..."

Shui Yue'er blinked, seeming to understand but not quite.

"So Sister thinks he wrote it well?"

Shui Bing'er nodded, gently folded the paper, and tucked it into her sleeve.

"He wrote it very well."

Seeing her sister's solemn expression, Shui Yue'er quietly committed Zhao Tian's name to memory.

This fellow who could fight and write poetry was indeed no simple person.

Blazing Fire Academy.

Huo Wu lay sprawled over the table in her room. A paper copied with the new poem lay before her, alongside her own crooked handwriting as she tried to imitate it.

She had copied it five times already.

"Do not say this body stands upon чужой soil; where this heart finds peace is my state..."

Huo Wu recited the line, her eyes shining brightly.

"Big Brother Zhao Tian is really incredible... How can he write anything..."

She rolled over and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling as she recalled the time she had seen Zhao Tian in Spirit City.

At that time, he had stood on the arena stage, covered in injuries yet standing straight.

Later, at the celebration banquet, he had stood in the center of the hall reciting poetry, with the entire room's attention fixed upon him.

And now, he had written such a beautiful poem.

"Huо Wu will become as amazing as Big Brother Zhao Tian too!"

She clenched her little fist and secretly made up her mind.

Heaven Dou City, Moonlight Pavilion.

This was an elegant and tranquil tower, with carved beams and painted rafters, the melodies of zithers drifting through the air. It was the most renowned place on the continent for the study of etiquette and the arts.

Tang Yuehua, mistress of Moonlight Pavilion, was sitting by the window with a collection of poems in her hands.

She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman who appeared to be around thirty. Dressed in a moon-white gown, she possessed a gentle, tranquil temperament, every gesture naturally carrying the elegance of nobility.

Her gaze rested on the new poem. After reading it for a long while, surprise gradually appeared in her eyes.

"The mountain hues lay misty, jade seeming to flow; vast waves stretched afar, clouds drifting slow..."

"When wind came, fallen blossoms filled the sleeves; at dusk, birds returned, the empty valley serene..."

"Leaning on the railing, one's gaze reached the distant horizon; turning back, the green hills had seen autumn several times..."

"Do not say this body stands upon чужой soil; where this heart finds peace is my state..."

Tang Yuehua finished the final line and gently set down the manuscript.

"A fine poem."

When she spoke, her voice was gentle yet carried unquestionable certainty.

"Although the scenery in the earlier lines is neatly described, there is not much novelty to it."

"The true finishing touch lies in the final two lines."

"'Where This Heart Finds Peace Is My State'... Even refined scholars who have immersed themselves in poetry for years might not be able to write such a line."

A maid stood beside her and respectfully asked, "Miss, do you know this Zhao Tian?"

"I do not."

Tang Yuehua shook her head, though a faint smile rested on her lips.

"But someone who can write such verses must be a child with delicate thoughts and rich emotions."

"And besides..."

She paused, a deep light flashing through her eyes.

"For him to write such lines at the age of six shows that his state of mind is far more mature than that of his peers."

"If someone like him were to study at Moonlight Pavilion for a while, he would surely become a great master of his generation."

She put away the manuscript, rose to her feet, and walked to the window, looking toward the distant sky.

"Zhao Tian... the Radiant Phoenix of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"That child has truly piqued my interest."

Heaven Dou City, a hidden courtyard.

A golden-haired girl sat in the garden, holding a collection of poems in her hands.

She appeared to be only around ten years old. Her long golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her delicate features were as exquisite as a porcelain doll's. Between her brows was a calmness beyond her years.

Her eyes were golden, glimmering with a faint amber sheen beneath the sunlight.

As she looked at the manuscript in her hands, an unusual gleam flashed through her golden eyes.

"Do not say this body stands upon чужой soil; where this heart finds peace is my state..."

She softly read the line, the corners of her mouth lifting into a meaningful smile.

"Zhao Tian... the Radiant Phoenix of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect..."

"For you to write such a poem, it means your heart is firmer than that of many adults."

"Unfortunately..."

She gently set down the manuscript, an inscrutable light flashing through her golden eyes.

"The more resolute a person is, the harder they are to recruit."

"And the more one wishes to... give it a try."

She stood and walked to the rose bushes in the garden, reaching out to gently pluck a flower bud that had yet to bloom.

"I hope that when we meet in the future, you will not disappoint me."

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Zhao Tian had no idea that his poem had drawn the attention of so many people.

At that moment, he sat cross-legged on his bed, circulating the Radiant Divine Canon as golden light flowed continuously across the surface of his body.

His cultivation of the Radiant Divine Canon had reached a critical stage.

He had a feeling that his Soul Power would soon break through to level twenty-five.

And the higher-level body-tempering methods recorded in the Radiant Divine Canon were also waiting for him to explore and attempt.

Everything was developing in a good direction.