Chapter 1169: Beauty Emerging from a Bath

The Sorrowless Old Man drew very carefully and meticulously. The position where Kong Shi's phantom appeared was very clear, though it was not fixed at a single point but rather a range.

Soon, he arrived at the spot.

It was a huge crevice, filled with white, flower-like stones.

This kind of stone was extremely rare, never seen before in ordinary times.

Zhang Xuan was about to enter and search for the exact location when the phantom of Kong Shi in the air flickered and vanished without a trace with a whoosh.

Damn...

His face darkened.

He had thought it could last a while longer, but now it seemed he had underestimated the situation.

Under normal circumstances, the phantom of this painting should have been able to persist indefinitely, but... the original painting had been forcibly thinned, and the ethereal, dreamlike artistic conception could not last long.

Coupled with the erosion of over two thousand years, it was already impressive that it had lasted this long.

Forget it. At least I know it's in this crevice. I just don't know what this mountain is...

Knowing that Kong Shi's phantom appeared in this crevice, he could come back to search when he encountered this mountain in the future.

Of course... that was assuming he could recognize what this mountain was and where it was located.

At least, among all the mountain ranges he had seen, none matched this one.

That Bronze Mask was determined to break the seal, even willing to destroy an eighth-level painting. Could it be that he knew there would be a phantom of Kong Shi beneath the white clouds?

Just as he was about to fully activate his spirit and exit this place, Zhang Xuan suddenly had a thought.

This Bronze Mask, who dared not show his true face, was strange enough, and he even went so far as to destroy such a precious work just to see what was left beneath the seal...

Could it be that he already knew something in advance?

Regardless of whether he knew, if he opened the seal and found that Kong Shi's phantom had disappeared, he would certainly become suspicious!

He pondered.

Although he hadn't discerned the exact strength of this Bronze Mask, the fact that he dared to be so rude to President Mu and others indicated he was no ordinary person.

If this fellow found out that Kong Shi's phantom had vanished because of his viewing, would he fly into a rage, seize him, and cause trouble?

The matter of Kong Shi should be known to as few people as possible...

Involving Kong Shi, the slightest misstep could lead to death without knowing how, just like the Sorrowless Old Man.

How about this: I'll make a few alterations...

Pausing for a moment, Zhang Xuan's spirit stirred, and his mind conjured a brush. He leaped into the air and began painting in the void.

To avoid trouble, this was the only way.

Soon, the painting was complete. Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, gently pushed his palm forward, and imprinted it on the spot where Kong Shi's phantom had appeared. Then he retreated to his original position, activated his spirit, and fully illuminated the surroundings.

Boom!

A tremor shook him, and knowing the spirit had been activated, Zhang Xuan withdrew his consciousness from the portal and returned to his physical body.

Whoosh!

He exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and opened his eyes.

"How did it go?"

Seeing him awake, the bronze mask hurriedly looked over.

Zhang Xuan's face turned pale, and his voice was weak: "I managed not to disgrace my mission... but the cost was immense. If you have any top-grade spirit stones of pure essence, a hundred or two hundred of them should help me recover a bit..."

"A hundred or two hundred?"

The bronze mask's mouth twitched: "I don't have such things. But if the seal is truly broken, I certainly won't treat you poorly..."

Top-grade spirit stones of pure essence—even the Empire Alliance didn't have many. This fellow opened his mouth asking for a hundred or two hundred... he really could say it!

Seeing that the other party had none of these good things, Zhang Xuan shook his head, stood up, and lightly tapped the painting.

"Awaken!"

Whoosh!

At his words, the scroll suddenly stood up, stretched its back, like a lazy person just waking from sleep.

"This... he's awakened the entire painting?"

Everyone's mouths twitched.

After stretching, the painting seemed to notice its surroundings, then suddenly moved and ran straight outward.

"Hmph!"

Raising an eyebrow, the bronze mask grabbed at the air, and the surrounding space was instantly sealed off.

"Half-step Nascent Soul!"

With that move, Zhang Xuan immediately saw his strength—it was that of a half-step Nascent Soul realm expert.

No wonder he dared to be so tough, ignoring all the guild leaders and hall masters.

Sealed in, the painting couldn't escape and had to retreat, looking utterly aggrieved.

"Let me negotiate with him."

Nodding, Zhang Xuan approached and extended his finger.

He was the one who had awakened it, so there was a special closeness. Seeing his finger come near, the painting did not dodge.

Relieved, Zhang Xuan sent a thought over.

Hum!

As if understanding his meaning, the painting trembled, and the white clouds floating above the peak quaked as if swept by a gale, trembling as though they might dissipate at any moment.

"It really works..."

Seeing this scene, the Bronze Mask and the many guild leaders and hall masters all had their eyes light up, their fists clenched one after another.

This kind of seal on an eighth-level painting was something they had heard of for the first time... being able to witness the miracle with their own eyes, they were all filled with excitement.

Creak! Creak!

As the scroll kept shaking, the white clouds trembled more and more violently. Before long, unable to bear it any longer, like a torn-off patch of psoriasis, it fell to the ground with a "smack!"

"Huh?"

Seeing the seal fall to the ground, everyone looked over in unison.

Even Master Wu couldn't help but look toward the middle of the mountain peak, wanting to see what exactly was hidden beneath that had made the Bronze Mask so anxious.

Green mountains and clear waters—the scene here seemed not much different from before.

"What is that?"

Someone shouted, and then everyone focused their eyes and looked over.

In a crevice in the middle of the mountain peak, countless strange stones had formed a natural hot spring, with several graceful figures soaking inside.

Although these figures looked blurry, one could tell from their exquisite postures that they were rare beauties not often seen.

"This..."

They had thought something strange or a treasure would be sealed, but seeing it was beauties bathing... everyone was stunned.

It was too unexpected.

"I understand. When the old man Wubei looked at the mountain, he saw a group of maidens bathing and painted them directly. Later, he felt... peeping on girls bathing was beneath his dignity, so he deliberately covered it up!"

"Yes, I was wondering why he put such a big patch on it, ruining the painting's spirit... So that's the reason!"

"Haha, to paint beauties bathing so vividly, this old man Wubei was truly a man of passion..."

...

Everyone suddenly understood and laughed.

They had thought that the old man Wubei, spending so much effort to seal it, had locked away some secret, but it turned out he was hiding his shame.

"This... impossible, impossible!"

The Bronze Mask stood frozen, his face full of disbelief.

For this painting, he had paid no one knew how much effort, just to see the secret under the seal, and the result... was beauties bathing... The huge落差 made him nearly go mad.

"There must be another seal underneath, right? There must be..."

He hurried to the painting, and his powerful primordial spirit force surged into it, wanting to see clearly what was going on.

Whoosh!

Feeling the pressure of the primordial spirit, the painting was startled, quickly shrank, and hid behind Zhang Xuan, trembling incessantly.

"Tell me, is there another seal..."

His eyes reddened, the Bronze Mask was so agitated that violent waves of soul force emanated.

"Enough, look how scared you've made the painting!"

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan gently soothed the painting: "Everyone has seen it too. Under the seal is beauties bathing. It seems that old man Wubei, peeping on girls bathing, had nowhere to vent and finally expressed it in ink... Though immoral, it's the behavior of a literary dandy, no great harm. Don't get so worked up."

Seeing the other party's attitude change so drastically, clearly knowing what was under the seal, Zhang Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he had reacted quickly and made a painting on the spot; otherwise... he would definitely have been exposed.

"I was too rash..."

Hearing this, the Bronze Mask lost his earlier rashness, regained his composure, cupped his hands, and laughed: "After I obtained this painting, I discovered this seal and always wondered what it might hide. Now that I know, it's a wish fulfilled. Thank you all for your trouble!"

With that, he grabbed the air with his palm.

A pile of high-grade spirit stones appeared before him, at least ten thousand.

"These spirit stones are my compensation for troubling you all. I hope you won't disdain them."

Then the Bronze Mask looked at Zhang Xuan: "Since Master Zhang is so accomplished in painting and calligraphy, I have here a copy of [Ten Solutions in Painting] left by old man Wubei, which details his painting techniques. I hope it will be of use to you..."

Shaking his head, he grabbed the spirit-awakened painting in his palm, cupped his hands, and said: "Gentlemen, I take my leave!"

His body flickered, and he shot straight out, disappearing from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.

Clearly, carrying a great treasure, he feared trouble and left immediately.

"..."

Looking at the book in his hand, Zhang Xuan was speechless.

The other party had sworn to give him a reward, how precious and valuable... and it turned out to be this!

Thinking about it was utterly frustrating.

"Ten Solutions in Painting... Master Zhang, would you be willing to sell this item?"

Unlike his speechlessness, Guild Leader Meng Chong beside him had shining eyes.

Old man Wubei was the greatest master of painting and calligraphy to emerge from the Qingyuan Empire. Though he lived only three hundred years, he made immense contributions to the entire Painters and Calligraphers Guild.

Especially his later work, Ten Solutions in Painting, which was not yet completed when he disappeared. Therefore, few knew of it... They thought it had been lost, but unexpectedly, it was in the hands of the Bronze Mask and given to Master Zhang.

"Sell?"

Zhang Xuan glanced at the book in his palm, directly recorded its contents into the library, tossed the book over, and said magnanimously: "I give it to you!"

"Thank you, Master Zhang..."

Guild Leader Meng Chong's fingers trembled with excitement: "This is a unique copy worth at least fifty high-grade essence spirit stones... Are you really giving it to me?"

"What did you say? Fifty high-grade essence spirit stones?" Zhang Xuan swayed.

"Yes!" said Guild Leader Meng Chong.

"Then I won't give it. I'll sell it to you..." Zhang Xuan quickly said: "Pay up!"

"..." Meng Chong.

"..." The crowd.