In the small courtyard, Li Fan had just finished feeding the Earth Chickens with corn kernels and sat under the Peach Tree with a few leisure books to read.
As dusk approached, Li Fan picked up his paintbox, along with his brushes, ink, paper, and ink stone, ready to leave.
Every day at this time, he would go to the top of the mountain to paint the sunset.
At first, it was a strange task issued by the System, but later, through practice after practice, Li Fan found a different kind of joy.
When each stroke captured the setting sun and the rising sun of a day on paper, his heart truly felt a kind of active peace.
Carrying his paintbox on his back, he left the courtyard as a group of barefoot children ran past the doorway.
"Walk slowly, don’t fall over,” he said.
Li Fan reminded them with a smile.
"Big Brother Li, are you going to climb the mountain to paint the sun again?”
The children were all very familiar with Li Fan, and one named Wang Xiao’er asked.Li Fan said,
“Yes.”
"Big Brother Li Fan, you gave Er Ya a sun last time; I want one too!”
A group of children crowded around him.
Li Fan’s paintings of the sun were vivid and lifelike, and the children all loved them very much.
Moreover, some parents said that pasting his painting by their children’s bed helped them sleep soundly, which made his paintings very popular throughout the mountain village.
Li Fan smiled and said,
“The one from yesterday is still here; I’ll give it to you guys.”
He took out the previous day’s painting from his paintbox and handed it to Wang Xiao’er.
Wang Xiao’er jumped for joy, and as the children scrambled to look, Li Fan left.
…
"We just left and have returned; will this upset Senior Li?”
As they were nearly there, Wei Yushan felt somewhat anxious.
How could he not tread on thin ice when facing such a formidable elder?
"Senior Li is such a person; he probably won’t mind,”
Yu Qishui said, though without much confidence in his own heart.
At that moment, a group of children ran over from the front, scrambling for a piece of paper.
"Wang Xiao’er, give it to me…”
"No, I won’t give it to you…”
As the children were tugging at it, Wang Xiao’er who was holding the paper stumbled and was about to fall.
At the crucial moment, Mu Qianning stepped forward and steadied him, saying with a smile,
“Be careful.”
"Sister, they’re grabbing my painting!”
Wang Xiao’er hurriedly hid behind Mu Qianning.
"It was Big Brother Li who gave it to us, and he didn’t say it was just for you!”
"That’s right, hand it over!”
The other children spoke up.
Hearing the words
“Big Brother Li,” the faces of Mu Qianning and the other two people all shook.
"What painting? What’s going on?”
Mu Qianning asked, puzzled.
Wang Xiao’er handed the painting to Mu Qianning and said,
“Sister, look, the sunset painted by Big Brother Li Fan, it’s very well done.”
Mu Qianning took the painting and just one glance left her eyes wide with shock!
On the rice paper, a red sun was slowly sinking into a sea of clouds.
It was as if she was seeing the sunset with her own eyes.
Moreover, she clearly felt that upon this painting, there was an infinite charm of the Dao, containing the Way of Heaven and Earth, which caused her head to swell suddenly, and she quickly averted her eyes.
"What’s the matter, Qian Ning?”
Wei Yushan inquired.
"Master, Ancestor, look at this…”
Mu Qianning showed the painting to the two of them.
Yu Qishui and Wei Yushan leaned in and scrutinized the painting closely.
Boom!
In the minds of Yu Qishui and Wei Yushan, the image from the painting filled their thoughts; they distinctly felt that each stroke bore traces of the natural Way!
This was no ordinary painting; it could be considered a sacred picture of cultivation!
If a strong individual at a cultivation bottleneck saw this painting, they might achieve instant enlightenment on the spot!
And at the moment they laid eyes on this painting, an invisible dark energy within them dissipated instantly.
"I… I feel the scars inside my body are gone?!”
Wei Yushan was shocked.
Yu Qishui took in a sharp breath, saying,
“Senior Li’s painting contains the Way of the Great Sun! In front of this painting, all dark and evil forces dissipate like smoke!”
Wei Yushan said,
“Could it be that Senior Li had anticipated we would be harmed by the evil flagpole and thus deliberately had these children bring the painting to us?”
"It must be the case!”
Yu Qishui said with great seriousness,
“A person like Senior Li, nothing escapes his sight, everything is under his control!”
At this moment, he became even more convinced,
“I suddenly understand, with Senior Li’s cultivation level, Yin Xiaokong is but an ant to him, why was he able to leave unscathed? It’s clear that Senior Li let him go.”
"Behind Yin Xiaokong, there must be a power of at least the Mahayana Realm, or even more terrifying forces… Senior Li… is definitely playing a chess game, and we are just the opening gambit…”
In his aged eyes glimmered the light of wisdom!
Wei Yushan also nodded, saying,
“In that case, the many blessings bestowed by Senior Li are probably so that we would work for him…”
Yin Xiaokong, however, shook his head, saying,
“We do not yet qualify!”
Wei Yushan’s expression was complex.
"Let’s go, since Senior Li sent these children with the painting to save us, he obviously doesn’t want to see us, let’s leave.”
Yin Xiaokong spoke.
Mu Qianning returned the painting to Wang Xiao’er, saying,
“You must stop fighting over it, understand? Everyone gets to look at it for a while, don’t be greedy.”
As she earnestly admonished them, her beautiful eyes carried a hint of envy.
These innocent children might think this is just an ordinary painting.
Little did they know, what they possessed was a blessing countless cultivators could not obtain even if they sought it!
…
At this moment.
Above Fiery Mountain.
A violent tremor in the air, the space itself was torn open.
A figure fell out.
"Sect Leader!”
In the main hall, several elders sensed something, hurriedly appeared, and caught Yin Xiaokong.
"What happened?”
"Sect Leader… how come you are so weak?!”
They all were shocked.
Yin Xiaokong struggled to say,
“Take me to the secret chamber!”
The elders hurriedly took him inside.
Upon entering the secret chamber, they could see that it was filled with densely arranged skulls.
In the center, a painting was enshrined.
On the painting was the image of an Evil God!
The Evil God with eight arms and two heads, the colors eerily vibrant.
Yin Xiaokong lit the blood-colored incense in front of the divine image, and amidst the sparse smoke, the painting seemed to come to life.
"Report to the High God, I have failed, I’ve met a terrifying entity!”
"That person, located at the entrance to the mountain range you indicated, resides within a village, and the great flag you bestowed… has been destroyed.”
Yin Xiaokong said, bowing his head.
…
After a long while, Yin Xiaokong emerged from the secret chamber.
All the elders of Fiery Mountain were waiting.
They sensed that Yin Xiaokong’s breath had fully recovered and, moreover, it seemed even stronger than before!
"Accelerate our pace, we must unify all forces in that region within a month!”
"Those who resist, exterminate them directly!”
Yin Xiaokong’s face bore a sinister expression!
Gongsun Qi and the other elders promptly left.
Yin Xiaokong looked in a certain direction, icily said,
“When the messenger of the High God arrives, no matter who you are, you shall die!”
…
After crossing many mountain peaks, Li Fan finally climbed the highest one.
Surrounding forests extended far and wide; looking ahead, the vast mountain range resembled a Giant Dragon lying dormant upon the earth.
Li Fan had not ventured deep into it, for it was likely home to dangerous spiritual beasts, and encountering them would mean a certain death for him.
At this moment, the red sunset was slowly sinking in the west.
Li Fan took out rice paper, placed it on a giant rock at the peak, with brush and inkstone ready, he began to paint.
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