Chapter 1455: Zhang Ziqing

After an unknown period, having finally removed all the cacti from their heads, the two nine-star Spirit Enlighteners once again looked at the nearby statues, their faces pale and still filled with lingering fear.

They were exceptionally skilled in Spirit Enlightenment, but the opponent's technique seemed flawless. Regardless of the methods they employed, the spirits could defend themselves and even counterattack. This left them utterly perplexed.

"Is there still a way?" Zhang Wuchen couldn't hold back any longer after waiting for nearly half an hour without destroying the spirit of a single statue.

"This..." Elder Wu's face flushed crimson with embarrassment. "Reporting to Third Elder, our knowledge is limited, and we truly have no solution. We wonder, who exactly is the Spirit Enlightenment Master behind these?"

"It's... Zhang Xuan, a swordsmanship master from the Saint Son Hall!" Zhang Wuchen replied.

"Zhang Xuan?" Elder Wu and Elder Mo exchanged bewildered glances.

They knew of some true pinnacle Spirit Enlighteners, but had never heard this name before! And... a swordsmanship master, what's that supposed to mean?

"His method of Spirit Enlightenment is completely different from what we've learned," Elder Wu said after a moment of hesitation. "We are helpless. Third Elder, could you take us to meet him? He might be the only one who can solve this."

Faced with these statues, they were utterly helpless; it seemed the only option was for the original creator to intervene personally.

Hearing their words, Third Elder rubbed his temples. It would be utterly humiliating if word got out that the mighty Zhang Clan couldn't resolve a problem caused by a single young man.

However, in the current situation, if the statues were allowed to continue rampaging, the trouble would only escalate.

"Wuzhen, lead the way..." He waved his hand, no longer hesitating.

Elder Wuzhen, understanding the gravity of the situation, said no more and hurried forward. Third Elder followed closely, while Elder Mo and Elder Wu paused briefly before joining them.

They also wanted to see which Spirit Enlightener could unleash such powerful spirits, ones that even they found impossible to deal with.

"Master Zhang came with Jian Qinsheng to challenge swordsmanship, so he's staying in the competition area!" Elder Wuzhen explained.

Countless guests visited the Zhang Clan daily, some for challenges, others for visits. To better organize them, they were categorized, and their residential areas differed. Since Jian Qinsheng had a personal grievance with the Clan Head and his challenge was swordsmanship, he naturally resided in the competition zone.

This area was populated by challenging masters skilled in diverse arts such as swordsmanship, blade arts, combat techniques, spearmanship, and pugilism, featuring countless powerful individuals. Naturally, it also included peak experts from various other professions.

"Hurry, someone's challenging Zhang Ziqing!"

"Zhang Ziqing? The Zhang Clan's top talented woman, the young Grandmaster of Calligraphy and Painting?"

"Yes, at three, she learned to paint; at seven, her intent formed; at nine, she showed astonishing talent; at twelve, her spiritual wisdom transcended the mundane; at fifteen, she could 'write in the void.' Now just eighteen, she has already created works that blur the line between reality and illusion. The President of the Calligraphy and Painting Guild headquarters praises her endlessly, deeming her the top genius in calligraphy and painting in a thousand years. Not only that, her skill in zither and Go is also incredibly powerful; it's hard to find anyone comparable in the Zhang Clan... Who's so blind as to challenge her?"

"I don't know, it must be a new guest named... Zhang Xuan. He saw people fighting over her painting, took a look, and apparently said something quite offensive, almost enraging her to death! That's why she got angry and challenged him!"

"Offensive?"

"Well, he basically said her painting's fundamentals were too poor and even offered to instruct her. The Zhang Clan's most famous talented woman, the top genius in calligraphy and painting, naturally wasn't pleased..."

As they walked on, they heard murmurs all around them. "Let's go take a look..." They had come specifically to find him, but unexpectedly, before the statue matter was resolved, he was already causing trouble here.

After following the crowd for a while, they indeed found Zhang Xuan in a square. Jian Qinsheng stood not far away, holding his forehead, lost in thought, while opposite them, Zhang Ziqing's pretty face was flushed red with anger, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Challenge me in calligraphy and painting?" Zhang Xuan looked over, lifting his eyelids. "What's the wager? If there's no wager, I'm not interested in bothering with nobodies!"

Having arrived and seeing many people clamoring for this girl's work, he had assumed it was profound. But after a careful look, he couldn't help but be greatly disappointed.

While her ability to create works that blurred the line between reality and illusion was indeed commendable, her youth and limited knowledge made the artistic conception seem childish, giving off a forced sense of sorrow, like someone composing a new poem just for the sake of it.

Just like many beautiful poems in his previous life, nearly all arose from the authors' genuine feelings and deeply personal experiences, which is why they resonated with countless people, were passed down through the ages, and endured. Writing solely from imagination, the artistic conception would inevitably fall short.

If it were anyone else, given his low-key nature, he would have been too lazy to comment further. But since she was a genius of the Zhang Clan, he felt compelled to offer a few criticisms. In any case, he was here to cause trouble, and the bigger the commotion, the better.

"You..." Zhang Ziqing's gaze was murderous.

This person in front of her was simply infuriating. Calling her calligraphy and painting "neither fish nor fowl" was bad enough, but then to call her a "nobody"... "I, Zhang Ziqing, am extremely famous even in the Calligraphy and Painting Guild, known to everyone. You... Zhang Xuan, who do you think you are?" She fumed, "No wager, no competition... Can you be any more arrogant?"

"Wager it is then. This piece, which I painted last winter, is exceptionally precious. If you can defeat me, it's yours!" Although she was trembling with rage, she understood that he would refuse if she didn't agree. Immediately, she flipped her wrist, and a scroll appeared before them.

As it was gently unrolled, it revealed a scene of snow fluttering everywhere, exuding a chilling aura. It seemed as if one could truly step into the scene after gazing at it for a while.

Seeing her take out this painting, the surrounding crowd gasped, each person filled with envy.

"For Ziqing to take out this painting, it seems she's truly angry!" Zhang Wuchen remarked, stroking his beard.

"Indeed," Elder Wuzhen nodded, "this painting is Ziqing's favorite; she has always treasured it as a precious artifact. A Grandmaster from the Calligraphy and Painting Guild once offered fifty superb spirit stones for it, but she wouldn't sell!"

This painting was a work Zhang Ziqing created in her best state, a piece that might only appear once in many years. It was incredibly precious; not many clan elders had even seen it. He never expected her to take it out as a wager; it seemed this fellow had genuinely angered her considerably.

"How stingy!" He had thought the other party would offer some grand wager, but it was just a painting. Zhang Xuan was filled with disappointment. "Don't bring out such a low-grade work; it's embarrassing... How about this: if you lose, just give me one superb spirit stone!"

"One spirit stone?" Her delicate body swayed, and Zhang Ziqing's teeth were almost grinding to dust. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan replied with an indifferent expression.

For him, spirit stones were naturally the most useful. As for paintings, if he truly wanted one, he could draw it himself effortlessly; it was nothing special.