Dusk was blood-red. In the light of the setting sun, the edges of the houses in the secluded, shabby alley seemed about to burst into flames.
A cultivator would have noticed that a faint black shadow had settled over everything between heaven and earth. Mortals, however, sensed nothing, nor did they know what a terrifying battle was raging in another layer of space.
Deep in the alley, inside the ordinary Calligraphy and Painting Shop.
Lin Zhishui stood before his desk with his arms folded, staring in frustration at the painting on it. He sighed helplessly. "Why can't I get the feel of it?"
The painting on his desk was his fourth attempt at copying "Outer Path Pangu," but for some reason, he simply could not capture its spirit.
He was already thoroughly familiar with it. Given his current skill, he should have been able to paint it.
He vaguely felt that he could, too, but something always seemed to be missing, and it was making him irritable.
"No rush, no rush."
Lin Zhishui took a deep breath, put down his brush, crumpled the paper, and tossed it into the wastebasket. He decided to calm himself first. "Right, I'll practice some calligraphy. It's been a while. That should settle my mind."
As he ground fresh ink on the inkstone, he considered what to write.
After thinking for a while, he glanced at the ancient book on his desk and decided to copy the one he had just obtained. Though it contained only twenty-seven instances of the character for "Dao," they came in three styles with slightly different brushwork. There was still something to learn from it.
"You'll do."
Lin Zhishui picked up the ancient book, opened it to the first page, then took his beloved brush and began copying.
Soon, he