Chapter 727: Mountain Wu Daojun

Meng Chuan finally understood. "The Six Strokes painting is actually a secret technique inheritance?"

The other thirty-two paintings on Mount Painting Sage contained Daoist Shan Wu's cultivation insights, but the 'Six Strokes painting' was uniquely a secret technique.

"This is an incredible secret technique, unlike anything I've ever heard of," Meng Chuan thought as he surveyed his surroundings, the Six Strokes symbol faintly appearing in the depths of his eyes. "It surpasses every secret technique I've ever known."

It could encompass the vastness of the cosmos, observing celestial bodies and the void. It could also perceive the minuscule, detailing a single flower, a blade of grass, or even the composition of subatomic particles.

As Meng Chuan observed, everything transformed into a painting.

Even the subatomic composition of a single drop of water appeared as a 'six-layered painting'.

"Everything within the River of Spacetime can be seen as a six-layered painting through my eyes," Meng Chuan thought, awestruck. "Rules that were once profound and incomprehensible suddenly became much easier to grasp."

"The Heaven-Opening Rule."

The White Bird Pavilion had already prepared a cave-dwelling for Meng Chuan on Clear Spring Island. Inside, his Primordial Spirit avatar observed the 'Heaven-Opening Rule' as part of the spacetime operation rules. This rule, too, transformed into a six-layered painting. The first layer depicted countless tadpoles swimming, the second was a bolt of lightning shattering darkness, the third was a dragon's claw tearing everything apart, the fourth showed countless entangled lines, the fifth...

Meng Chuan merely needed to comprehend each of the six layers of the painting to grasp the Heaven-Opening Rule.

"Comprehending the Heaven-Opening Rule suddenly became more than ten times easier," Meng Chuan mused. Merely by gazing at the six-layered painting of the 'Heaven-Opening Rule,' he felt a surge of profound insights, his understanding advancing by leaps and bounds.

"The Time Rule."

Without rushing to comprehend it, Meng Chuan then attempted to observe the most crucial 'Time Rule'.

This time, extracting it from the spacetime operation rules was challenging, but he managed to peel away the vast Time Rule, which also formed a six-layered painting. These six layers, however, were far more difficult to decipher. The first layer depicted a worm moving through a twisted pathway. The second showed three voids, each filled with endless tadpoles, and even upon careful observation, the three voids appeared identical. The third was a rushing river with countless tributaries, filled with myriad illusions and the ebb and flow of life. The fourth layer was a sphere of light! This sphere emitted billions of rays, each containing everything in the universe. The fifth...

"Oh? A six-layered diagram of the spacetime rules?" In the past, Meng Chuan had found the Time Rule exceptionally difficult, so he had intended to first comprehend the Heaven-Opening Rule, using these two foundational opposing rules, before gradually attempting to understand the Time Rule.

Yet, this time, although each of the six layers of the diagram seemed challenging, their mutual validation allowed Meng Chuan to gain significant insights.

Clearly, with the aid of this secret technique, the Time Rule had become significantly easier to comprehend than before.

"Any Seventh-Tribulation Realm cultivator would go mad for such a secret technique, yet I've never heard of it before?" Meng Chuan also realized the profound implications of this secret technique.

This secret technique did not immediately enhance one's strength.

Instead, it made cultivation significantly easier. Previous 'obscure points' became 'straightforward and simple to grasp,' and 'insurmountable bottlenecks' transformed into 'challenging but comprehensible obstacles requiring diligent study.'

"This secret technique could undeniably be considered the foremost within the River of Spacetime. It's left openly on Mount Painting Sage, completely unconcealed! Generations of Seventh-Tribulation Realm cultivators, countless powerful figures, have visited Mount Painting Sage, yet it seems remarkably few have managed to learn it," Meng Chuan mused. If even a few more had grasped it, there would surely be some trace or rumor.

Furthermore, even though this technique remained openly accessible on Mount Painting Sage, both the Myriad Stars Heavenly Emperor and the White Bird Pavilion Master seemed to disregard it.

"Hmm?" Meng Chuan's expression subtly shifted as all the subatomic particles that had been constantly flowing through the world suddenly became motionless.

With the subatomic particles completely still, all things in the world ceased to move, and the timeline itself halted. While Meng Chuan could still move and cultivate, he was confined to this singular moment, unable to advance to the next point in time.

"I am a Primordial Spirit Seventh-Tribulation Realm cultivator; how could the timeline in my vicinity halt?" Meng Chuan knew his own power. A Seventh-Tribulation Realm cultivator entering the core of a 'Chaos Hole' would prevent the core from maintaining significant temporal influence, potentially even causing its gradual disintegration.

Then, Meng Chuan saw him.

A long-bearded old man with flowing black hair appeared in the outer courtyard, gazing up at the cliff face of Mount Painting Sage.

"I can't sense any aura from him; he seems to exist outside of this spacetime," Meng Chuan mused. "Even the Myriad Stars Heavenly Emperor and the White Bird Pavilion Master cannot transcend spacetime." With a growing suspicion, he immediately stepped out of his study.

The long-bearded old man continued to gaze up at the majestic 90,000-li tall cliff face. With a smile, he asked, "What do you think of these paintings?"

"Daoist Shan Wu's paintings are the most profound I have ever witnessed," Meng Chuan stated sincerely. The thirty-two intricate paintings were extraordinary, and the 'Six Strokes painting' was truly a secret technique unparalleled throughout the River of Spacetime.

The long-bearded old man turned to face Meng Chuan, his eyes gleaming brightly. With a gentle smile, he announced, "I am Shan Wu."

"Meng Chuan greets Senior," Meng Chuan said, bowing respectfully. Even though he had already suspected the other party was an Eighth-Tribulation Realm mighty figure, he was still utterly awestruck.

An Eighth-Tribulation Realm mighty figure!

How could Meng Chuan not be profoundly shaken?

Many Seventh-Tribulation Realm mighty figures spent their entire lives yearning for a single encounter with an Eighth-Tribulation Realm being. Ancestor Cang Yuan himself had only met one such figure in his lifetime. Yet, after just over seven thousand years of cultivation, Meng Chuan was now fortunate enough to meet Daoist Shan Wu.

Furthermore, Meng Chuan had loved painting since childhood, even more than swords and blades. Encountering Daoist Shan Wu, the Eighth-Tribulation Realm mighty figure with the highest achievement in painting across the River of Spacetime, naturally filled Meng Chuan with immense reverence.

"My paintings are only considered average," Daoist Shan Wu remarked.

"This junior, however, finds them profoundly unfathomable, especially the one in the center, which is truly extraordinary," Meng Chuan said, pointing to the Six Strokes painting at the center of the majestic 90,000-li cliff face. The secret technique derived from this particular painting filled Meng Chuan with even greater admiration for Daoist Shan Wu; he was truly remarkable!

"Of the thirty-three paintings on this cliff face, only this one is not mine," Daoist Shan Wu said, his gaze fixed on Meng Chuan with a smile.

Meng Chuan blinked in surprise.

Not painted by him?

How could that be?

"These thirty-three paintings clearly form a unified aura, as if they are one coherent piece," Meng Chuan stated. Even with the timeline halted, confining him and Daoist Shan Wu to this single 'point in time' while other elements became ordinary, the thirty-three paintings still appeared as a single entity, exerting an endless sense of pressure on him.

"This is my master's brilliance," Daoist Shan Wu sighed. "After I achieved the Eighth-Tribulation Realm, I would express my insights through painting on this cliff face; it was a hobby of mine. When I had completed nineteen paintings, my master happened to pass through this universe. Seeing my works, he was inspired and used the essence of my nineteen paintings as a foundation to create this Six Strokes painting."

"Someone was able to add a stroke to my Mount Painting Sage. I sensed it and manifested at this precise moment in time, thus having the fortune of meeting my master."

"The Six Strokes painting was originally conceived from my nineteen previous works. Upon seeing it, I immediately grasped its meaning and promptly knelt to express my gratitude to my master," Daoist Shan Wu recounted, his eyes filled with reminiscence. "It was through this fortunate encounter that I was able to become a registered disciple under my master."

"A registered disciple?" Meng Chuan was astonished.

Daoist Shan Wu was an Eighth-Tribulation Realm mighty figure; was he merely a registered disciple?

"There's no need for surprise; this was already an immense opportunity for me. Many Eighth-Tribulation Realm cultivators spend their entire lives in fruitless pursuit, never even meeting my master," Daoist Shan Wu said, looking at Meng Chuan. "I once asked my master if this Six Strokes painting should be concealed. However, he stated that it was a secret technique he created for the path of painting, open for all beings to observe. If anyone could master this painting secret technique, they could journey to Qian Yuan Mountain, pass a trial, and thereby become his registered disciple."

"However, since my master left the Six Strokes painting, for countless ages, no one else has been able to comprehend it—until today!" Daoist Shan Wu said, gazing at Meng Chuan. "Finally, someone has learned this painting secret technique."

Meng Chuan was secretly astonished. For countless ages, he was the only one after Daoist Shan Wu to have mastered this secret technique.

"Come, let's go to Qian Yuan Mountain," Daoist Shan Wu said.

"Where is Qian Yuan Mountain?" Meng Chuan inquired.

"Outside the universe, of course," Daoist Shan Wu replied. He grasped Meng Chuan's hand, and with a whoosh—

Spacetime twisted into light and shadow. The River of Spacetime could no longer confine them; they had already departed from that universe.