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Chapter 195 Ink Sword Studio (Two Chapters Combined)

Three days later, early morning.

On the main street of Fountain City, two men wearing long gowns walk side by side.

"Brother Xi, is that Young Master Li really a great cultivator?"

Mei Yanxi asked.

Wang Xi was eating two mutton shumai in his hand when he chuckled and said, "Master Mei, you've asked this several times already."

“This…” Mei Yanxi looked slightly embarrassed.

He heard about the disaster that had occurred in the slums of the East District, where the evil toilet goddess, Madam Sangu, had transformed into a five-meter-tall monster. Under her evil spell, a torrent of filthy water had almost flooded the entire shantytown.

The area had been cordoned off by the police, but a lingering stench still permeated the air.

The Third Aunt was suppressed by Young Master Li with his earth-shattering flying sword technique.

Mei Yanxi was filled with anticipation.

"Brother Xizhi, this opportunity to become an immortal is entirely due to your kindness. I am deeply grateful and will not thank you for it. Please feel free to ask me for help in the future."

He solemnly clasped his hands in greeting.

"I'll go through fire and water for you!"

"Master Mei, you flatter me."

Wang Xi smiled.

"Just don't charge me for watching plays from now on."

"Hahaha……"

Mei Yanxi laughed heartily, finding Xi Zhi to be a truly amusing person, and at the same time feeling even more grateful.

The two soon arrived at the end of the main street, where a towering black pavilion stood, its exterior walls adorned with lifelike dragon reliefs, exuding an awe-inspiring presence.

As they stepped onto the steps, they were stopped by two armed guards at the entrance.

One of the guards shouted:
"Important and confidential area, no unauthorized personnel allowed!"

"We were invited by Young Master Li to go upstairs for tea."

Wang Xi took out the gold-embossed invitation and handed it over.

The guard took the item, examined it for a few seconds, exchanged a glance with his partner, and the two of them simultaneously saluted Wang Xi.

"Please come in, distinguished guest."

The invitation was immediately sent back.

Wang Xi nodded and led Mei Yanxi into the Black Dragon Pavilion.

The interior was magnificent and decorated in an antique style. Some of the antiques on display were quite valuable, showing that the place where Master Han worked and lived was indeed very high-class.

"I've heard that the top military and political leader of the Chen Kingdom, that 'Yu Meiren' Lady Yu Xian, occasionally comes here to stay temporarily."

Mei Yanxi lowered her voice and shared some inside information with Wang Xi.

“Madam Yu Xian?” Wang Xi raised an eyebrow. “To win the heart of a ruthless figure like Master Han, she must be a decisive and capable woman.”

“That’s right.” Mei Yanxi nodded. “She is also a legendary figure who rose from humble beginnings.”

The two chatted idly for a while, and then they reached the top of the steps.

Along the way, government officials in suits and ties came and went, and they couldn't help but take a second look at Wang Xi and Mei Yanxi, two old-fashioned strangers.

After the two reached the top floor, Wang Xi knocked on the double mahogany doors.

dong dong.

Then, with a creak, the door opened by itself, and a gentle, refined male voice came from inside:

"Come in, everyone."

"I've been nagging you, senior."

Mei Yanxi solemnly bowed to the person inside the door.

Upon entering, the two saw a figure in a blue robe leaning against the railing, gazing out over the entire city of Fengdeng.

Li Qingke turned around and smiled slightly.

"Please take a seat, both of you."

After Wang Xi and Mei Yanxi sat down at the tea table, the young master personally brewed tea and poured a cup for each of them.

"Drink it," Li Qingke said. "The tea that Hu Lang used to lure you into your dreams was obtained from me, but this cup is different."

As for the differences?

Both of them knew that it was definitely more precious.

"Thank you, Young Master Li."

Wang Xi clasped his hands in a fist salute.

He exchanged a glance with Mei Yanxi, then picked up his teacup and drank it.

It was that familiar feeling again, my spirit soaring to the heavens.

Then Li Qingke said, "I will personally take you to the secluded world later. There are many sect envoys at the Enlightenment Platform at the foot of Four Symbols Mountain, where there will surely be more opportunities..."

As consciousness faded.

In a daze, Wang Xi found himself suddenly in a secluded place where the maple forest was ablaze with autumn colors.

The surroundings were spacious, and the ground was covered with golden fallen leaves.

Mei Yanxi was standing right next to him.

"Brother Xi!" Mei Yanxi was very surprised to see him and quickly stepped forward. "This time, we've actually been in the same dream!"

"It must be Young Master Li's doing."

Wang Xi nodded.

At this moment, a handsome young man walked out of a small tiled-roof house not far away; it was Li Qingke.

He walked up to the two men with his hands behind his back and said, "Come with me."

He immediately started walking.

Upon seeing this, Wang Xi and Mei Yanxi immediately followed.

As they walked forward, the two saw a wooden arched bridge with exquisite bas-reliefs on its pillars, depicting figures of people, old men, dragons and phoenixes, and spirits.

The reliefs gleamed with a warm luster in the morning light, and their eyes seemed to move as if they were alive. When Mei Yanxi stepped onto the bridge, he clearly saw the old man on the pillar wink at him.

“This relief…” Before Mei Yanxi could finish speaking, Li Qingke explained with a smile, “The guardians of the bridge on Qinglong Mountain are all old fellows who love to join in the fun.”

"I'll try to amuse myself when I meet strangers, please don't be offended."

The stream under the bridge was crystal clear, but there were no fish or shrimp in sight, only a few strands of green water plants swaying in the water.

Wang Xi bent down to take a closer look and suddenly met a pair of eyes hidden in the cracks of the rocks—the water plants were actually the fur of some kind of creature!
He was taken aback, and the entry for Caius immediately appeared:
"Azure Dragon Mountain Stream Spirit (Friendly/5-Star/Elite)"

"Stop looking, let's go." Li Qingke said without turning his head. "These stream spirits are good at bewitching. Last time, a mortal who mistakenly entered this place stared at them for three days and three nights."

"And then what happened?" Mei Yanxi asked curiously.

Li Qingke smiled meaningfully: "The stream has risen two inches."

After crossing the bridge, a bright and open view suddenly appeared before us.

Bamboo weaving stalls lined both sides of the bluestone path, with vendors' shouts rising and falling.

A woman wearing a blue headscarf was selling purple sweet potatoes, the surface of which was covered with irregular ring-shaped patterns; next to her, an old man's basket was piled high with golden rice, each grain of rice gleaming with a pearly, oily sheen.

Wang Xi looked at it curiously.

"Qinglong Mountain Blessed Land People (Neutral/White Three Stars)"

And those goods are:
"Moonflower Taro: A spiritual plant; eating it can improve eyesight."

"Golden Marrow Rice: A spiritual plant; regular consumption can strengthen the body and prolong life."

There was also a simple young man selling tea. The tea leaves floating in the earthenware pot in front of him were as graceful as orchids, forming landscape paintings in the water.

Wang Xi saw it clearly: when a tea leaf sank to the bottom, the five ink characters "云深不知处" (meaning "where the clouds are deep and the sky is unknown") immediately appeared on the water's surface.

The tea is called "Yunmo Tea," and drinking it is said to bring forth inspiration, which is quite miraculous.

"Young Master Li, who are these merchants?"

Mei Yanxi asked curiously.

“Residents of the blessed land of Qinglong Mountain,” Li Qingke said calmly. “You could also call them ‘shrewd individuals.’”

"Human spirit?"

Wang Xi and Mei Yanxi were both surprised.

Li Qingke nodded: "To be precise, it is the soul of a human who has cultivated to the point of becoming a spirit."

He casually picked up a small, ruby-like fruit from the stall and played with it, saying to the two of them, "The blessed land of Azure Dragon Mountain has 36,000 households, all of whom are the souls brought from the mortal world by cultivators throughout the ages. Once the spirit plants have been fed for sixty years, they can be molded into spiritual bodies."

Wang Xi's heart skipped a beat: "Isn't this just a disguised form of immortality? And the underworld doesn't care?"

"The underworld?" Li Qingke suddenly laughed out loud. After putting down the red fruit, he said meaningfully, "They take in wandering ghosts, but they can't control 'shrewd people'."

Wang Xi had a sudden realization.

Presumably, the people of these blessed lands are beneficial to the immortal sect, which is why they risked offending the underworld to forcibly include them.

The three of them continued on their way.

Not long after.

Li Qingke took out a folding fan and pointed it into the depths of the clouds: "We've arrived."

As the last wisp of mist parted, the world suddenly opened up before us.

Four immortal mountains stand like jade pillars supporting the sky, with palaces on their summits appearing and disappearing amidst the sea of ​​clouds—the Azure Dragon Palace in the east is entangled with materialized azure lightning, the White Tiger Palace in the west is shrouded in a metallic storm, the Vermilion Bird Palace in the south is enveloped in raging flames, and the Black Tortoise Palace in the north floats in heavy black water.

At the confluence of the four mountains lies a square platform for enlightenment, with a diameter of a thousand feet.

Ascending the 490 bluestone steps, each step is engraved with star patterns.

Every ten steps there is a footpath, where vendors linger in twos and threes, setting up their stalls.

The vendors at the bottom sell ordinary spirit rice, while the old man selling alchemy furnaces at the top has a blank five-star rating on his profile.

It's clear that the higher you go, the more resources you need to set up a stall.

There was also competition among the vendors.

Li Qingke led them up the steps and explained, "The Enlightenment Platform gathers many envoys from other sects who will select promising talents here."

After a long journey, the three finally arrived at the Enlightenment Platform, where they found a bustling crowd. An old man in a long robe brushed past a young man in a suit, and a girl with a flying fairy bun was bargaining with a short-haired female student.

Mei Yanxi suddenly tugged at Wang Xi's sleeve.

Following the direction of his finger, Wang Xi saw the vermilion stage a hundred paces away. On the stage, the actors, each displaying their unique skills, including a painted-face martial arts performer who, while performing a somersault, revealed a three-headed, six-armed deity behind him.

"Want to give it a try?" Li Qingke asked with a smile. "That's where the 'Linglun Martial Arts Pavilion' is located. They specialize in opera, which might be suitable for Mr. Mei."

"You can't hide it from Young Master Li."

Mei Yanxi smiled, cupped her hands in greeting to the two of them, and then strode towards the stage.

Just as Wang Xi was about to follow, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye—a young man in a short jacket, vest, and skirt stood awkwardly in front of the clay sculpture stall by the bluestone railing, chatting with the stall owner, an old man.

"Junior brother?" Wang Xi called out incredulously.

Hearing the familiar call, Zhang Fuyun turned around abruptly, his eyes flashing with surprise: "Senior brother! You, what are you doing here?"

"I still want to ask you."

Li Qingke looked him over with interest: "Xi Ge'er, is this your junior brother from the mortal martial arts school?"

“That’s right.” Wang Xi nodded and explained to Li Qingke.

Li Qingke sized up Zhang Fuyun and pondered, "Dreaming of wandering beyond the world? It's quite rare that you've come to the Enlightenment Platform."

Wang Xi recalled what the peddler had once said.

Junior Brother Zhang has a special destiny. Although his shadow betrayed him and left, it made his primordial spirit stronger... No wonder he was able to enter the Enlightenment Platform in his dream with a mortal body.

This is truly a chosen one!
Wang Xi was filled with emotion.

At this moment, Li Qingke suddenly caught sight of a group of cultivators wearing jade crowns in the distance, who seemed to be acquaintances. He turned to Wang Xi and Zhang Fuyun and said:

"I'm going to meet some friends. The opportunity at the Enlightenment Platform is rare. You should all go and seek your own destiny."

After saying that, he walked towards the group of people.

After exchanging a few words with Zhang Fuyun, Wang Xi and Zhang Fuyun parted ways. He strolled through the bustling crowd, discovering that each stall held a hidden secret.

At the tea stall on the east side, the tea lady's "Phoenix Three Nods" performance actually attracted circling birds; at the sugar painting stall on the west side, the old man painted a flying snake on the spot; a girl selling kites was also quite magical, her kites turned into cranes after they took flight.

Wang Xi walked and looked around, secretly marveling at how wonderful it was.

This place doesn't feel like a secluded paradise, but rather a uniquely bustling market.

Yet it is full of the unique charm of the mystical world.

He quickly reached the middle of the arena.

Two men are performing "breaking a boulder on their chest".

But when the massive boulder crashed down, bronze tortoise shell patterns appeared on the chest of the person below.

when! !

The stone shattered, and so did the hammer.

But the person was unharmed.

It was really rock hard.

Wang Xi even compared the other party with himself, trying to figure out whose "shell" was harder.

"Give it! Give it!"

A clear, childlike voice came from behind me.

Wang Xi turned to the side and saw a little girl with pigtails carrying a straw target taller than herself, covered with candied hawthorns. Strangely, each hawthorn had facial features, grinning and making faces.

"The Sect of All Laws in Harmony - Servant (Friendly/Five-Star Basic)"

"Laughing Fruit Candied Hawthorn: Made by a certain sugar painting practitioner, eating it can bring happiness and eliminate worries."

Wang Xi avoided the girl.

They discovered that she was heading towards Zhang Fuyun's stall.

'The unity of all laws and the Dao?'

He was slightly suspicious.

The so-called "ten thousand methods" can't just be folk crafts like clay sculpting, sugar painting, dough figurines, and kites, right?
Wang Xi suddenly remembered the "Qilin'er" maze in the Mysterious Series of the Main World, which was related to clay sculpting and sugar painting.

He realized something.

'It seems that Junior Brother Zhang has finally joined this immortal sect…'

Wang Xi continued to go around in circles.

Suddenly, I stumbled upon an unexpected stall—behind a low table covered with blue cloth, an elderly man with white hair was wielding his brush and ink.

The "福" (fortune) character he wrote seemed to shimmer with golden light on the paper, and the fragrance of ink solidified into a tangible auspicious cloud pattern.

Wang Xi sensed an extremely strong aura and fortune from the calligraphy, as if framing it and hanging it at home would greatly increase his blessings.

As for the old man, an entry appeared above his head:

"Kong Tai, a cultivator from the Ink Sword Pavilion and a teacher in the Study (Neutral/High-ranking 4-star/Elite)"

Four stars above the copper frame.

The old man noticed the gaze, looked up and smiled: "Young friend, would you like to give it a try?"

As he spoke, he handed over a calligraphy brush.

Wang Xi was not intimidated. He politely bowed and accepted the calligraphy brush.

As he caught it, his wrist suddenly sank.

Wang Xi's pupils shrank slightly.

It felt as if a mountain was being held in my palm, and the pen was exerting a heavy force, making my wrist bones creak under the strain.

This seemingly ordinary calligraphy brush actually weighs over several hundred kilograms!

Upon closer inspection, the words "千钧" (a unit of weight) were found engraved on the pen.

"The pen is the scale of the heart."

Seeing that Wang Xi had successfully held the pen, the old man's eyes showed approval, and he stroked his beard and said, "His strength penetrates the paper, showing great boldness. Please, young friend."

The words stopped abruptly.

Wang Xi took a deep breath, turned his wrist slightly, and the pen tip fell.

The ink meandered and flowed on the Xuan paper, gradually solidifying into the four characters "Yonghe Ninth Year". Each stroke was as sharp as a sword's edge, yet contained the smoothness of flowing water.

The old man was quite surprised when he saw these four characters.

He slowly stood up and exclaimed in amazement, "This is the calligraphy of Master Chu! Is this the style of his calligraphy that you've been learning?"

"I had the privilege of viewing the 'Peach Blossom Mountain Travelogue'."

Wang Xi told the truth.

The old man looked puzzled, and his expression showed admiration.

We've finally found a promising talent.

Wang Xi's hands moved non-stop, and in no time, a heavily modified version of "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion" was completed in one go.

Nowadays, his "Peach Blossom Mountain Tour Post" has been perfected, and his calligraphy is already at the level of a master. There is no fault in it, and it even contains the sharp charm of "mountains and rivers in one stroke".

As the saying goes, experts see the details.

The more Old Man Kong looked at it, the more he felt that the flowing ink calligraphy seemed to contain elements of fist, palm, and leg techniques, as well as sword and staff techniques, all very naturally and leaving a lasting impression.

"Good, good, good!" he said repeatedly, already harboring the intention to take on a disciple.

But adhering to his principles, Conte asked again:
"Young friend, would you be willing to let me try you again?"

"Please go ahead, sir," Wang Xi said indifferently, putting down his pen.

“Alright then,” Kong Tai said with a smile. “My ‘Mojianzhai’ school cultivates calligraphy, painting, swordsmanship, and staff skills, with particular emphasis on artistic conception and momentum.”

"Young friend, why don't you have a go with me?"

Wang Xi asked curiously, "How do you get through it?"

The old man stepped out of his stall: "You attacked me with all your might using 'dots' to draw lines."

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Wang Xi looked around and noticed that the owners of several vacant stalls nearby had come over out of curiosity to join in the fun.

“Young friend, there’s no need to worry.” Kong Tai stood with his hands behind his back and said leisurely, “You can’t hurt me.”

“In that case…” Wang Xi raised his hand and asked again, “Then I’ll really put in the effort.”

"What's with the ink marks?" the old man feigned displeasure. "Strike with your palm!"

Wang Xi immediately struck out with a palm.

Boom! !
Kong Tai's expression changed slightly.

(End of this chapter)