Chapter 167: Again, Just Draw One More

"No eyes?""Did he forget to draw them, or what happened?"Everyone was filled with doubt.

For both humans and animals, the eyes are the most expressive feature. Not drawing the eyes implied the painting was incomplete. How could an incomplete painting be at the peak of the Second Realm?

"Brother Zhang, what is this...?" Liu Chen couldn't help but look over, his face full of confusion.

"Oh, I'll add them now..." Zhang Xuan smiled, took out his brush again, and with both hands moving swiftly, he quickly completed the missing parts.

The moment the eyes appeared, the entire painting seemed to vibrate, instantly giving everyone an unusual sensation. The people and animals within it suddenly came alive, as if they could step out of the paper at any moment.

"This?" Witnessing the sudden change in the painting, Masters Yuan Yu and Liu Chen were simultaneously startled, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Chirp, chirp! Before anyone could speak, a chorus of bird calls sounded above the courtyard. A flock of birds excitedly flew towards the painting and lingered there for a long time.

"Startling Grace? Is this the Fourth Realm, Startling Grace?" Looking at the scene in a daze, Bai Xun couldn't help but exclaim.

Master Liu Chen had just explained in detail that painting had four realms. The arrival of birds that lingered clearly indicated the Fourth Realm of Startling Grace. Hadn't the two masters said earlier that this work was at most Second Realm? How... did it suddenly become Fourth Realm?

"Could it be... those eyes?" Huang Yu also covered her mouth, her delicate body trembling. A divine work of the Fourth Realm—she actually had the chance to witness it firsthand. This was absolutely beyond anything she had imagined.

However, their astonishment was not over. The birds in the painting vibrated for a moment, then actually flew out of the picture, circled with the other birds a few times, and then vanished into thin air.

The figures within the painting also seemed to step out, offering a slight smile and a bow to everyone before slowly fading away.

"This... this isn't the Fourth Realm..." Seeing this scene, Master Liu Chen's mouth hung open as if an egg had been stuffed into it. After a long moment, he finally uttered, "It's... the Fifth Realm... Spirit Manifestation!"

"Spirit Manifestation?" Huang Yu and Bai Xun looked over, confused. Weren't there only four realms in calligraphy and painting? How did a Fifth Realm suddenly appear? What was going on? They felt a bit dizzy.

"Realistic Depiction, Spiritual Movement, Evoking Intent, and Startling Grace... these are the most widely known realms of calligraphy and painting passed down by word of mouth. However, there is actually one more above these: Spirit Manifestation! Paintings that reach this realm are infused with the essence, qi, and spirit of the master. They can actively absorb spiritual energy, bringing the depicted life on the scroll to life, as if endowed with a soul." Master Yuan Yu's lips trembled. "I always thought this only existed in legends... I never expected to see it with my own eyes..." As he spoke, Master Yuan, usually so composed, could no longer control his trembling body.

To be honest, he felt like he was losing his mind. Just moments ago, he had pretentiously criticized the other person, calling him too flashy and suggesting he might produce meaningful work after a few years of refinement. Yet, the other person had just painted a divine work of the Fifth Realm! Calligraphy and paintings of this caliber... even throughout the unknown centuries of the Tianxuan Kingdom's history, only a handful had ever appeared!

The Ink Xuan Painting, which Huang Yu and the other person were so eager to obtain, was merely at the peak of the Fourth Realm, still a significant distance from the Fifth Realm. Someone who could paint at the Fourth Realm was called a Calligraphy and Painting Master, but someone who could paint at the Fifth Realm could truly be called a Grandmaster. Yet, he had actually called a Calligraphy and Painting Grandmaster flashy, ill-mannered, and lacking a sense of time... My goodness! Was he insane?

Master Yuan Yu felt his face burning. If there had been a crack in the ground in the courtyard, he would have instantly crawled into it. This was an immense humiliation. Honestly, for an expert of this caliber, let alone waiting one or two hours, one would be more than willing to wait three days, without daring to utter a single complaint.

"The... the... Fifth Realm?" "There's a Fifth Realm?" Only then did Huang Yu and Bai Xun finally understand, and they simultaneously looked towards the teacher, Zhang, before them.

Liu Chen was an extraordinary recluse who bothered little with worldly affairs; he only knew Zhang Xuan was a teacher and nothing else. Master Yuan Yu had also just met Zhang Xuan and hadn't inquired further. However, Huang Yu and Bai Xun had both been to Hongtian Academy and knew a great deal about this Teacher Zhang. Rumor had it he was a good-for-nothing, ranked last in the faculty assessment, with students leaving him one after another... Yet, the truth was that at under twenty years old, he possessed peak Acupoint Opening Realm strength and the ability of a Calligraphy and Painting Grandmaster... Who had ever seen such a powerful good-for-nothing? If he was a good-for-nothing, what were they? The crème de la crème of good-for-nothings? Brother, how did you even learn all this? Do you have to be so extraordinary? And most importantly... being this amazing, why were you just scribbling earlier as if you knew nothing? And reading a book for two hours straight...? At this level, what kind of book do you even need to read? What state do you need to adjust? Even casual drawing would at least yield a Fourth Realm work!

"Master Zhang, Grandfather Zhang, this painting of yours... could you give it to me? If you give it to me, I'll do anything!" Just as everyone was immersed in disbelief and before they could react, Bai Xun suddenly looked eagerly at Zhang Xuan, full of anticipation.

"Give it to you?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

"Yes, you see how much I've always respected you, never daring to disobey anything... just give it to me..." Bai Xun said hurriedly.

"Bai Xun, what are you doing? This painting was just completed by Master Zhang and carries his emotions. How could he just give it away? Forget about it!" Seeing his shamelessness, Huang Yu frowned and scolded him. Then, she also looked over: "Master Zhang, we met first. I'm not asking you to give it away, but... how about selling it to me? Name your price; as long as I can afford it, I won't say a word!"

"You..." Bai Xun had thought Huang Yu was scolding him for his unseemly request, but realizing she was planning the same thing, he was speechless. He hadn't expected this absurdly beautiful master teacher apprentice to be so cunning and shameless. He snorted, gritted his teeth, and continued to look over: "Grandfather Zhang, if you sell this to me, any price is fine! I will definitely pay more than her!"

"Bai Xun, what are you stirring up trouble for? Weren't you after Master Liu Chen's Ink Xuan Painting? I won't contend with you for that, I just want this one. That's fair, isn't it...?" Huang Yu gritted her teeth and said.

"I don't want the Ink Xuan Painting either! Don't fight me for this, okay?" Bai Xun refused to yield an inch.

"..." Liu Chen. These two had been fighting tooth and nail over the Ink Xuan Painting earlier, almost coming to blows. Today's competition was even meant to determine who was worthy of it... Now, Zhang Xuan's painting appeared, and suddenly, they didn't want the Ink Xuan Painting anymore, casting it aside as if it were nothing... Good heavens! Could they have some principles? Is it necessary to be so quick to abandon the old for the new?

"You... Bai Xun, are you deliberately trying to go against me?" Huang Yu gnashed her teeth.

"Aren't you going against me? I was the first to ask for this painting..." Bai Xun replied.

"Enough!" Seeing them still bickering endlessly, Master Liu Chen's face darkened, and he flicked his sleeve.

Hearing this, the two indeed dared not speak another word. Liu Chen was a renowned Imperial Teacher; to them, he was an elder. To continue arguing when an elder was angry would be inviting death.

"Even for a Calligraphy and Painting Grandmaster, producing a Fifth Realm work consumes a great deal of essence, qi, and spirit. Few such works are passed down in a lifetime. This painting was painstakingly created by young friend Zhang Xuan. Whether he keeps it or gives it to you is for him to decide. What sort of behavior is this, arguing here?"

With a wave of his hands, Master Liu Chen exuded an aura as majestic as a mountain.

He was right. Even for a Calligraphy and Painting Grandmaster, it was extremely difficult to create a Fifth Realm painting, as it involved many factors such as mindset and state, making it impossible to achieve instantly. For this very reason, even Mo Chenzi, the Painting Grandmaster from a century ago who was famous enough to attract countless calligraphy and painting masters from various kingdoms, left behind only a few Fifth Realm works. Even the Ink Xuan Painting, which Liu Chen had treasured for so long, was merely at the peak of the Fourth Realm. Therefore, every Fifth Realm work was incredibly precious, containing the artist's entire heart and soul. How could it be given away so casually? Or sold on a whim? If items of this caliber were truly so easy to acquire, how could Liu Chen, with all his wealth, not possess even one? The fruits of someone else's painstaking effort could not be sold, yet they were arguing here, determined to have it. Wasn't this putting him in an impossible position?

"We were too rash..." "Master Liu, Master Zhang, I was wrong..." Hearing the rebuke, Huang Yu and Bai Xun also came to their senses, their faces flushed with embarrassment. The artist hadn't even mentioned selling it, yet they had been squabbling so fiercely. It was truly disgraceful...

"Young friend Zhang Xuan, they were thoughtless. I hope you won't take offense..." After scolding the two, Master Liu Chen looked at Zhang Xuan, his face full of apology. As he finished speaking, he saw that the other person was not angry at all, but instead looked at him with shining eyes. Just as he wondered why, he heard Zhang Xuan's voice: "Master Liu... my painting... can it really be bought by someone? Can it really be sold for money?"

"Cough, cough!" Seeing his reaction, Master Liu almost choked on his own saliva. If a painting like this couldn't be sold for money, wouldn't his own paintings be worthless, not even picked up if thrown on the ground? He nodded, completely speechless: "Your painting has reached the Fifth Realm. If sold, it would be worth at least two million gold coins, and even then, it would be priceless."

"Two million gold coins? Excellent!" Zhang Xuan's face lit up with joy. He turned to Bai Xun: "Young Prince Bai, if you truly want it, I'll sell you this painting for two million!"

"Huh?" Bai Xun was startled, not expecting such a turn of events.

"Master Zhang, sell it to me..." Huang Yu cried out anxiously.

"No need to rush. You want one too? If you do, I'll just paint another one for you. It's no big deal..." Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

Liu Chen and Yuan Yu simultaneously flinched, looking at him as if he were a monster, almost fainting on the spot. Paint another one? It's no big deal? Brother, even if you are a Calligraphy and Painting Grandmaster, this is a Fifth Realm painting... Paint another one? You make it sound like picking cabbages at the market... You must be joking! If such amazing paintings were truly so easy to create, Fifth Realm works wouldn't be so rare; there wouldn't even be a single one in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom.