Follow the path of Dao from infancy

Chapter 83: Chapter 78 Great Demon King

Tan Palace Academy attracts geniuses from across the Nineteen Provinces, not only because of the exceptional teaching level of these individuals but also because of this peerless technique.

This is also the treasure of Tan Palace Academy, not easily passed on to others, but those who can become the top student of Tan Palace’s White Hall certainly qualify to learn it.

“If I can incidentally learn this swordsmanship, that would indeed be nice,” Li Hao said with a smile, acknowledging the fact.

He indeed came for this peerless technique, just not as the other party had thought, as his main purpose.

After all, if he were truly in urgent need, he could completely entrust Feng to sneakily steal a copy by making an imprint.

Hearing Li Hao say this, Huang Licao’s lips curled into a smile, his face revealing an ‘as expected’ expression, thinking to himself that this kid was really good at playing his role, almost fooling him.

Song Yufeng and the others exchanged glances, also revealing smiles of understanding.

After Li Hao left Tan Palace, Song Yufeng looked at the others and said, “Since he has come for the Taiji Qiankun Sword, does anyone have any thoughts?”

“The Li Family did indeed keep their promise.”

Shen Yunqing stroked his beard and smiled, “Back then, the third son of the Li Family took an imprinted copy of the Taiji Qiankun Sword from us. He assured us it would never be passed on to a second person, and to think, he truly kept his word.”

“Indeed, it’s no wonder this young fellow came to our place,” a senior elder nodded, clearly having a favorable impression of the actions of the Li Family’s third son.

Although back then, the third son from the Li Family had enraged the entire Tan Palace Academy with his demeanor, but times had changed, and now the third son of the Li Family had long since died in battle beyond the frontiers, and they had let bygones be bygones.

Moreover, it was said that before his death, the Li Family’s third son had used the Taiji Qiankun Sword to thrust through seventeen Demon Kings, deterring a host of demons; this allowed the peerless technique to shine its brightest light in the world, which, more or less, brought glory to their Tan Palace Academy.

“He has just enrolled, so we can’t just give it to him that easily, can we?” someone said, looking toward Song Yufeng.

Song Yufeng’s heart stirred, but he remained silent.

“What to do then? The boy’s at the Fifteen Li Realm and if we put him in the White Hall, he’d be like a hand pressing down on a group of elites, taking the top spot if he wanted to. We old folks can’t possibly go down and fight him, can we?” Zhao Zongyuan said irritably.

“Have you forgotten our rule? One needs to attend Tan Palace Academy for three years to qualify. Otherwise, if the Divine General Mansion’s true dragons come over, wouldn’t they take it whenever they wanted?” the elder said.

“That’s true, but to have him stay here for three years would be a waste of a genius’ time, wouldn’t it?”

Shen Yunqing frowned slightly, saying this. After all, he had played chess with Li Hao, shared drinks, and even tasted the young man’s barbecue, which was truly extraordinary, so he felt a bit biased toward him.

“The academy’s rules are thus, we can’t make an exception for the Li Family now, can we?” a long-faced senior elder said, his face stern.

Huang Licao said, “We have already broken the rules this time. Don’t forget, we at Tan Palace Academy teach geniuses, and geniuses are meant to break conventions. If we bind them with rigid rules, that’s when the real problems will arise.”

“But if we set this precedent, won’t it degrade the value of the technique if geniuses from other Divine General Mansions come to claim it?”

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Watching the endless debate among the people, Song Yufeng pondered and then said, “How about we give him two options? He can either teach at Tan Palace for one year or take up a nominal teaching position in our Black and White Hall. This way, the sword manual wouldn’t be considered lightly passed on.”

Hearing the Palace Master’s words, everyone quieted down, looking at each other knowingly.

When it comes to cunning, you truly are the master, Palace Master…

Next to Thousand Ren Cliff by Tan Palace, at the edge of a deep pond.

Li Hao was passing by this area on his way down the mountain and, struck by the charm of the deep and clear waters, felt an urge in his heart. He immediately returned to the student residences within Tan Palace to fetch paper and ink, then returned to the edge of the pond.

He set up his easel and began to draw beside the pond.

The experience system for the Art of Painting was quite user-friendly, with the amount of Painting Experience gained depending on the artistic conception or Cultivation Level of the subject of the painting.

For instance, replicating a Great Demon would yield more experience.

The same goes for portrait paintings of individuals with high realms.

However, after reproducing the same image a certain number of times, the experience gained would gradually reduce. Therefore, he needed to constantly draw different subjects.

But Li Hao guessed that if he wished to achieve Spiritual Awakening in the Art of Painting, he would probably need to put aside the idea of experience and bring a certain subject to a transcendent level.

Only by repeatedly painting the same thing a hundred times, a thousand times, or ten thousand times, might he be able to capture its spirit.

However, his Painting Experience was currently at the Fifth Stage, not yet at the peak of the Sixth Stage, so he would focus on maximizing his experience first.

Landscape painting with bold, free strokes, soon the board under Li Hao’s hand depicted a majestic and precipitous cliff. Then with a flourish of his brush, the outline of the deep pond also appeared, and a painting that seemed to stand on the paper emerged.

Li Hao produced three paintings in a row, his Painting Experience increasing with each.

+183, +145, +92…

At the bottom of the pond, a huge shadow lay coiled on the stones.

Suddenly, it opened its eyes, disturbed by the sensation of being spied upon, a feeling it found quite uncomfortable, disturbing its Qingmeng.

With a whoosh, its Spiritual Thought swept out, discovering a young man at the bank.

Whose little ghost is this… it grunted softly, abruptly rising from the stones, swiftly swimming towards the mouth of the pond, and leaping out.

Splash The sound of water splashed, falling on the shore.

Li Hao, who was painting for the fourth time, preparing to fully exploit the scenery of the deep pond and sheer cliff, saw the sudden surge and rupture of the pond water, revealing a kylin entirely drenched in blue. He was astonished.

A Water Kylin?

He looked at the creature in amazement, the two staring at each other, big eyes locking onto small ones.

“Who allowed you to be here? Scram immediately!”

The Water Kylin shook off the droplets from its head and scolded with a beautiful voice, surprisingly like the tinkling of spring water from a woman.

Li Hao had heard that the founding Palace Master of Tan Palace Academy had once subdued a Kylin Great Demon to guard and protect the Tan Palace. He hadn’t expected it to be right before his eyes.

It is said to be a Great Demon King of the Four Stands Realm!

Li Hao’s eyes immediately lit up, sparkling with shiny stars.

“Senior!”

Li Hao promptly clasped his hands together, his attitude extremely respectful, “May I have the honor to paint a portrait of you?”

If he could paint this Water Kylin, his Painting Experience would definitely soar.

Li Hao had already gleaned all the ‘wool’ from the likes of Second Elder and Feng, along with Fifth Elder; they had provided him with a substantial amount of Painting Experience.

The Water Kylin was taken aback, tilting its head with a big question mark popping into its mind.

Was this disciple from the academy so obsessed with martial arts that he had lost his mind?

“What nonsense are you spouting?” The Water Kylin’s eyes revealed a trace of anger and with a snort from its nostrils, the surrounding pond water seemed about to freeze over, emitting a heavy chill, “Scram, or I’ll eat you!”

Li Hao knew it was bluffing, as the Water Kylin couldn’t harm a Tan Palace disciple, of course, unless some disciple went too far and truly enraged it.

However, seeing the might it displayed at the moment, Li Hao felt a bit apprehensive; after all, neither Second Elder nor the others had ever shown such divine might before him.

He steeled himself and said, “This junior is from the Li Family down the mountain. Senior, if you ate me, I’m afraid it wouldn’t taste very good.”

“The Li Family?”

The chill in the Water Kylin’s eyes wavered slightly. The taste could be more than ‘not very good’; it might even cause it to shed a layer of skin.

“Hmph, even if I don’t eat you, a little corporal punishment will suffice, and your Li Family wouldn’t dare do anything to me,” the Water Kylin coldly snorted. Despite its words, it had no real intention to harm Li Hao, as it would be somewhat in the wrong if those old ‘youngsters’ from the Li Family came to question it.

It couldn’t just say, ‘Your kid disturbed my peaceful sleep, so I beat him up,’ could it?

After all, it was their senior.

By the standards of the Human Race, it ought to show some magnanimity.

Thinking this, it felt somewhat annoyed and stirred the pond water, about to sweep up Li Hao and send him flying off. Unexpectedly, at that moment, Li Hao suddenly shouted:

“Don’t move!”

“Senior, please don’t move!”

Li Hao said anxiously, “Just a moment, Senior, please hold your current posture, I can finish very quickly.”

A trace of bewilderment appeared in the Water Kylin’s large pure blue eyes.

By now, Li Hao had already picked up his brush and was fervently painting on the canvas.

The scene before him was too exquisite.

The Water Kylin stood upon the Emerald Pond, surrounded by surging waters, with the Thousand Ren Cliff beside it—this painting could be considered peerless.

“You …”

“Senior, I’m begging you, please stay still!”

Mortified yet curiously, the Water Kylin complied, having not encountered such a strange little fellow in a thousand years. What was he up to?

Seeing that the Water Kylin was indeed keeping still, Li Hao’s gaze sharpened as he stared intently at the paper, completely absorbed. He was somewhat lost in the process, his brush strokes swift.

The ink flowed gracefully as his movements were smooth and fluid, with touches light and heavy, creating clear layers of depth.

Half an incense stick’s time later, as Li Hao was nearly done, the Water Kylin had grown impatient, maneuvering the pond water to fall and saying, “Hey, what trick are you playing?”

Luckily, by then, Li Hao had just finished painting the surging waves of the pond. He was deeply focused, with his brush dancing quickly across the canvas. Finally, as he completed the last blade of grass by the pond with his brush, the entire painting was done.

[Painting Experience +1986]

Surprised at such a large amount of experience, Li Hao was overjoyed. This single painting was worth hundreds of his usual ones.

“Thank you, Senior!”

Coming back to his senses, Li Hao looked at the Water Kylin’s angry eyes and hurriedly bowed deeply in gratitude.

His thanks were not just for the experience, but also for the cooperation of the subject, allowing him to complete such a painting.

Immersed in the Art of Painting, his love for the painting itself had become as strong as the joy he felt from gaining experience.

“Is it finished?”

The Water Kylin raised an eyebrow, somewhat understanding human behaviors, it ordered indifferently, “Let me see it.”

Li Hao nodded, turning the canvas around.

Instantly, a breathtakingly beautiful painting was revealed before the Water Kylin.

The sharp cliff edges like swords, the lonely and profound Emerald Pond, and the majestic blue Kylin standing atop, with raging waves surrounding it, like the sovereign of the waters.

Its eyes gradually brightened up.

Was this Kylin in the painting itself?

Did it actually look… this beautiful?!

Swiftly, the Water Kylin’s form flickered, and it stepped out from the Emerald Pond. As its front hooves touched the air, its body rapidly shrank and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a woman draped in azure robes.

Her hair was water blue, a teardrop-shaped mark at the corner of her eye, her countenance capable of toppling states, and her pale, bare feet gently stepped forward, floating down in front of the canvas.