Chapter 539: Give Me Back My Birds!

Spirit wisdom is endowed with spirituality by a calligrapher-painter, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to emerge from the painting.

Because it is not a living being, it is more sensitive to spiritual energy and has higher demands. Ordinary spiritual energy can hardly sustain it for long. Even the word-condensed spiritual energy of a five-star master teacher can barely keep it lingering for a while.

For this reason, this assessment is not as easy as imagined; otherwise, it wouldn't be that so many master teachers are unaware of it.

Teacher Su thought that although this Zhang Xuan had some talent in calligraphy and painting, he was only a three-star calligrapher-painter (assessed in the Tianwu Kingdom), and the principles he taught were the most basic. It would probably not be easy for him to gather enough spiritual energy to make the spirit wisdom last a bit longer.

"If he lectures on cultivation, about fifteen minutes or so. After all, Elder Yun could only maintain it for thirteen minutes!" Hall Master Kang hesitated, then said.

After confirming the assessment content, Elder Yun had specially tried it. As a four-star master teacher, he could only maintain it for thirteen minutes.

This Zhang Xuan, lecturing on cultivation, could even make him fall for it; it wouldn't be hard to surpass that score.

However, fifteen minutes was the limit.

After all, the more basic the content, the less likely it was to stir spiritual energy.

"Now he's talking about calligraphy and painting... and it's so basic. I doubt he can even maintain it for eight minutes!"

"Indeed!" Teacher Su nodded.

Although neither of them had a profession in calligraphy and painting, they had read many related books and knew that the young man was explaining the most fundamental things, and there was no obvious spiritual energy fluctuation around. It was unlikely to last much longer.

"If it's only eight minutes, winning first place will be difficult. Young Master Ruohuan, a four-star calligrapher-painter and a four-star master teacher, can definitely exceed ten minutes when teaching!"

Teacher Ling couldn't help interjecting.

Both nodded simultaneously.

Jun Ruohuan, familiar with spirit wisdom and a master teacher, could easily maintain it for ten minutes. If Teacher Zhang only had eight minutes, not to mention first place, even second place would be difficult.

"Look, the spirit wisdom seems to be starting to waver; it's about to dissipate!"

Everyone looked sharply and indeed saw that the many birds emerging from the painting were chirping lower and lower, their bodies shaking continuously, as if they might go out at any moment.

"That's only a little over three minutes? Can the result be this bad?"

"Yeah, even without lecturing, it can last two minutes. What's going on?"

Everyone frowned.

Spirit wisdom emerging from a painting, even without the spiritual energy from a lecture, could last over two minutes. Now, at just over three minutes, it was already shaking... This showed that Teacher Zhang's lecture content had very little effect on these spirit wisdoms, almost negligible.

"First place is mine!"

Young Master Ruohuan's eyes grew brighter.

Judging by the current situation, this guy couldn't even hold on for five minutes; he would be no better than sixth. Although his own results in the first two rounds were a bit poor, with this opportunity, he could completely turn the tables and become first!

Those from the lower kingdoms were just from the lower kingdoms. The master teacher competition tested comprehensive ability, not just high mental state or strong strength to win.

"It seems letting him go first was a good thing... No experience, serves him right!"

The corners of his mouth lifted.

No matter how powerful this guy was, he was just from a lower kingdom. Spirit wisdom retention—so many master teachers had never heard of it. What could a bumpkin know?

It seemed that in the next assessment, letting him go first would ensure he couldn't get a good score.

The more he thought, the happier he became, almost laughing out loud.

Fu Xiaochen also breathed a sigh of relief. In the first two rounds, his overall rank was third. If this guy kept winning championships, he would definitely be eliminated. Seeing this situation, he finally felt at ease.

"Good, he's not causing trouble..." Elder Yun wiped his forehead.

He had thought this guy would cause some trouble like in the first two rounds, making him look bad... Now it seemed he had overthought it. Perhaps in calligraphy and painting, he only knew the basics and wasn't good at anything else...

Relieved, he was about to wait for the spirit wisdom to disappear, organize the painting, and let the next person take the assessment, when suddenly he remembered something, froze, and his body stiffened.

"No... If it were about to dissipate, it should last only a few breaths. Why is it still there? And although these spirit wisdoms are shaking violently, there's no sign of dispersing..."

Normal spirit wisdom, once it started shaking, would quickly dissipate in just a few seconds. But this had been shaking for two or three minutes and was still going?

"Something's off! It looks like it's dispersing, but it feels like the shaking is making it more solid?"

"Indeed..."

He noticed the anomaly, and so did others.

When the spirit wisdom first appeared, they had all observed carefully. Once it shook, the hard-won spiritual energy would decompose and wouldn't last long.

But before them, as Teacher Zhang lectured, the shaking was like a feather duster. Normal flying birds would have shed feathers all over, but this mass of spiritual energy, instead of dispersing, seemed to be becoming more solid...

Other people's spirit wisdom shakes to disperse; this guy's seems to thrive on shaking...

What's going on?

"No..."

His brow furrowed into a knot. Seeing that a few more minutes had passed and it was about to break the ten-minute mark, the shaking spirit wisdom, instead of breaking apart, grew more vivid, as if truly alive. Elder Yun remembered something and his pupils contracted: "Could it be..."

"This... impossible!"

He let out a low cry, then his face was full of exasperation.

"What's wrong with Elder Yun?"

"Is every elder testing this kid going to be like this?"

Seeing the usually composed Elder Yun, like Wu and Bai before him, also acting as if he had a seizure, everyone's mouths twitched.

The first two who tested this guy both vomited blood and were severely injured. Now this one was acting like this... Was there something strange about this kid, or what?

"Elder Yun!" Hall Master Kang couldn't help stepping forward and patted his shoulder: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... Just thought of something unbelievable..." Elder Yun recovered and said.

"Something unbelievable?" Hall Master Kang frowned.

"Look..." Elder Yun pointed at the spirit wisdom in front of Zhang Xuan: "This spirit wisdom started shaking a while ago, and now it's been almost ten minutes. Instead of dispersing, it's becoming more solid..."

Hall Master Kang nodded.

Everyone had seen it and found it strange. Was there a problem?

"If I'm not mistaken, this is not about to disperse, but..."

Elder Yun's lips trembled: "True resonance surging, spirit wisdom breaking through the mundane!"

"Breaking through the mundane? You mean... the seventh realm of calligraphy and painting? Works that reach this realm have animals and plants that seem alive, possessing their own intelligence, flying out of the painting and not disappearing for a long time?"

Hall Master Kang was startled.

"That's it!" Elder Yun nodded.

"No, that can't be. I know that spirit wisdom breaking through the mundane requires a six-star calligrapher-painter to modify the painting or create a new one. How can a lecture achieve that?"

Eyes wide, Hall Master Kang found it hard to believe.

A calligrapher-painter who had comprehended the realm of spirit wisdom breaking through the mundane could easily paint birds that soared through the sky and raced through the clouds.

It was said that a powerful six-star calligrapher-painter once painted a crane on a wall, which broke through the wall and flew away with a cloud, leaving behind the legend of an immortal riding a bird.

Another grandmaster of calligraphy and painting, when attacked by a beast tide, painted a peak-level spirit beast that intimidated the surroundings, causing countless spirit beasts to flee in terror, not daring to oppose him.

Any profession cultivated to a profound level would have unfathomable abilities and means.

However, all these required at least a six-star calligrapher-painter to paint on the spot, or to add or leave strokes on the original painting... It had never been heard of that lecturing to spirit wisdom could make it break through the mundane.

"Teacher Zhang's lecture content is very suitable for these spirit wisdoms. Not only does it gather spiritual energy, but it also triggers the teacher's words and heavenly bestowal, causing these spirit wisdoms to involuntarily cultivate... If I'm not mistaken, this shaking is to remove the previously superficial spiritual energy and make the power more solid, that is... turning the void into reality!"

Elder Yun said.

"Turning the void into reality? This... how is it possible?" Hall Master Kang was so startled he nearly fell on the spot.

Was it real or fake?

Lecturing to make spirit wisdom turn from void to reality, spirit wisdom breaking through the mundane... It felt like listening to a fantasy.

"I can't believe it either, but apart from this situation, there's no other way to explain it!" Elder Yun said.

Even guessing it, he couldn't believe it, which was why he was so upset.

"If it's true, when painting, the spirit wisdom emerges, and the scroll is its nest, so it can return. But with this lecture causing it to break through the mundane... will the spirit wisdom still return to the painting?"

Suddenly, Hall Master Kang thought of a problem.

The immortal rode a crane and left. Spirit wisdom born from a painting, even if it breaks through the mundane, would still return to the painting when resting. But this one, transformed by listening to the lecture, had no roots. Once it truly solidified and turned from void to reality, where would it go?

If it kept flying, flying for months without returning to the painting, how would his score be calculated? They couldn't just wait forever!

"Ah? Damn, stop him from continuing the lecture..."

Stunned, Elder Yun remembered something and hurriedly shouted. But before his shout ended, he saw the many birds flying in the painting stop shaking, and suddenly they all chirped in unison.

Chirp chirp chirp! Tweet tweet tweet!

The sound was melodious, filling the hall, as if a flock of real birds were playing and singing, giving an extraordinary enjoyment.

The birds that had seemed somewhat illusory before now seemed to have undergone a transformation. Their feathers were more solid, their claws and beaks thicker, as if they had completely come to life.

Whoosh!

After the calls, the birds simultaneously flapped their wings, soared into the air, flew straight into the distance, out of the hall, and disappeared from everyone's sight.

Seeing the birds fly away, and the bare white paper left on the table, Elder Yun stood frozen, his body swaying.

This was the supreme painting left by his teacher, which he had treasured and never shown to anyone, not even his best friends.

He had thought it was just an assessment, simple and easy. Who knew... these spirit wisdoms would fly away!

Damn it!

With the spirit wisdom gone, what use was this blank paper?

He had just breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the guy wasn't causing trouble, and then this happened... Was this guy here for the competition selection or to cause mischief?

In a flash, he appeared in front of Zhang Xuan, eyes blazing with rage, wishing he could strangle this fool.

"My birds! Give me back my birds..."