Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 99: The Soul-Capturing Point Leaps Off the Page
Painting requires mastering various brush techniques, as well as relevant talent and inspiration, in order to paint well and realistically.

Chen Jin had previously consulted Guo Ai, focusing primarily on portraiture.

My sudden interest in learning painting had nothing to do with my hobby, but rather with magic.

The Art of Soul Capture by Pointing to the Image.

This technique was obtained from Master Gu and was considered a spoil of war. After acquiring it, he kept it in his Hutian Bag for a long time.

Only after passing the provincial examination and being listed on the honor roll did I find some free time to study.

You will learn it as soon as you learn it.

As long as one's spirit and soul are strong, one can often achieve twice the result with half the effort when practicing unorthodox techniques.

After all, unorthodox and unorthodox methods are much easier to learn than orthodox and esoteric methods.

Adhering to the belief that having more skills is never a bad thing, Chen Jin came to learn this method, thinking that it might come in handy someday.

That day arrived very quickly.

When Chen Jin first faced Magistrate Zhao that day, he thought of the best way to solve the problem, which might lie in this "Soul-Capturing Technique".

However, mastering the technique and actually using it are two different things.

Just as he learned the "Theory of Five Elements and Their Investigation," whether he could actually refine magical artifacts was subject to various practical constraints.

The premise of the "Soul-Capturing Technique" lies in the word "appearance".

Only with "appearance" can one "point".

This "appearance" refers to the portrait of the person being targeted by the spell.

To put it simply, it means drawing what the other person looks like beforehand.

The more realistic and lifelike the drawing, the higher the success rate of the spell.

Therefore, Chen Jin became Guo Ai's apprentice to learn the art of painting.

After learning, you still need to observe the target's facial features and the form of emotional changes.

Only through meticulous observation can one create a more lifelike drawing.

It's not just about resembling the form, but also about capturing the spirit.

His attitude towards people and things has always been one of striving for excellence.

Upon close observation, it naturally leads to meeting people.

The last time was at home, and this time at the government office, making a total of two times, which is enough.

Chen Jin prepared all kinds of brushes and ink materials, and immediately began to paint.

Before long, the first drawing was finished. But after looking at it, I wasn't satisfied, so I continued drawing the second, the third...

He drew one picture after another without getting tired.

Continuously constructing, continuously refining, continuously perfecting...

……

it's dark.

Shi Qifeng prepared dinner and ran to the back house, only to find the door tightly closed. Remembering Chen Jin's instructions not to disturb them, he could only wait outside.

Su Zhen looked somewhat worried and hesitated whether to go up and knock on the door.

With a creak, the door opened, and Chen Jin walked out.

When they saw his appearance, Su Zhen and Shi Qifeng were both surprised, because Chen Jin looked quite haggard, as if he had done something extremely damaging inside.

The problem is, he was the only one in the room, and Guo Ai wasn't with him.

Su Zhen, who was responsible for his duties as a bodyguard and could not afford any mistakes, asked, "Young Master, are you alright?"

"It's okay, I'm fine."

Chen Jin's answer was straightforward: "I just feel hungry."

Dinner was devoured quickly, a good way to replenish energy and nutrients.

Then he locked himself in his room again and continued working.

In the past, living under the same roof was commonplace for Shi Qifeng, so it wasn't surprising. But Su Zhen felt puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Shi, why is the young master acting so strangely?"

Shi Qifeng shrugged: "Young Master is always like this, he's cultivating."

"Practice?"

As he pondered the word, Su Zhen couldn't help but show a strange expression.

He certainly knew what "cultivation" meant and had heard that Chen Jin understood cultivation, but how well he cultivated was unknown.

After all, Chen Jin hadn't shown anything along the way. He hadn't flown through the air or soared through the clouds, and even his simple martial arts swordplay, which he demonstrated against Guo Ai in the grove without any third party present, remained a secret.

Without demonstration, there is naturally a lack of persuasiveness.

It's probably the kind of self-taught spiritual practice!
Many disciples of prestigious schools practice this method, and it has become quite popular. The main thing is to obtain a secret manual of martial arts techniques and then get into the swing of things.

This is because in the true path of righteousness, whether it is Taoism or Buddhism, the conditions for accepting disciples are extremely strict, one in ten thousand. Without innate talent and favorable opportunities, even those born into wealth and power cannot gain entry.

The threshold is too high.

Left with no other option, some people searched everywhere for exercise manuals and formulas to practice and learn on their own, such as Changchun Gong, Qi Refining Techniques, Visualization Techniques, and the like.

Whether it's true or false, and whether one can actually master it, is hard to say.

Su Zhen subconsciously categorized Chen Jin into this category, and without thinking too much about it, he stopped paying attention to him.

……

The night was deep, and the lamplight illuminated Chen Jin's earnest face.

Although he continued drawing for a long time, his hand holding the pen remained very steady.

Once the last stroke is completed, a lifelike portrait leaps onto the paper.

It was none other than Magistrate Zhao.

Of the dozens of copies, this one is the most lifelike and the one I am most satisfied with.

Chen Jin put down his pen, let out a sigh of relief, rubbed his fingers, and then looked at the paper again.

What he was most satisfied with about this portrait was the hidden sinister intent in the subject's eyes.

Like the finishing touch on a painting, it accurately captured the essence of Magistrate Zhao's character.

Beyond its resemblance in form, it captures the spirit of the subject.

Phase one is now complete.

Next, you can use the "Point-to-Soul-Capturing Technique".

This kind of magic has many limitations, such as its range.

When the target is outside the range, it becomes difficult to detect its existence; at the same time, it will also be affected by external factors.

Mr. Na Gu had to cultivate diligently for many years before he had achieved some level of skill.

Chen Jin is a relatively new student, and whether he will succeed remains to be seen through practice.

Today's exertion is considerable, and I feel mentally exhausted, so it is not advisable to perform any rituals.

In addition, the place I live is too far from the county government office; I need to find a place closer to it.

You don't need to do the site scouting yourself; just leave it to Xiao Ci.

Let's not talk about the night's rest.

The second day passed uneventfully, and evening soon arrived.

When the night was quiet and no one was around, a figure nimbly scaled the wall and arrived on the deserted street.

Chen Jin walked silently until he arrived at the outside of an abandoned house, where he climbed over the wall and entered.

The county government office was not far from this house, so its location was excellent.

But precisely because it was so close to the county government office, the family accidentally "committed a crime," was immediately imprisoned, and their house was sealed off.

It has now become Chen Jin's place of residence.

He chose one of the rooms, covered the doors and windows first, and then turned on the light.

This approach is highly experimental, and all aspects must be properly prepared.

The precious lamp in the box must be kept lit, as if it were a guardian deity.

After doing all this, take out the portrait and unfold it before your eyes.

He sat upright cross-legged, carefully examining the portrait from bottom to top, looking at it bit by bit, not missing any detail, including the mole on the left cheek of the portrait.

Finally, I saw the eyes.

Their eyes met, as if they were gazing at each other.

Suddenly, the eyes in the portrait rippled like water and trembled slightly.

This dynamic became even more intense.

Finally, with a bang, it was like opening a window to gaze at the moon.

The next moment, Chen Jin "saw" Magistrate Zhao...

(End of this chapter)