Chapter 157: The Painter
Duanmu Xingling continued, "Although all those martial artists who entered the underwater dragon palace gained tremendous benefits from it, because of the extreme danger, very few dare to go there for training."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Senior Sister Duanmu, do you think our upcoming exploration exam will be at the Crimson Void Secret Mansion or the Underwater Dragon Palace?"
"It should be the Crimson Void Secret Mansion."
"The Underwater Dragon Palace is too dangerous. If we enter at our current cultivation level, we would probably all die inside. The Martial Market Academy only wants to train us, not send us to our deaths."
Duanmu Xingling added, "Of course, the Crimson Void Secret Mansion is still quite dangerous. We need to make many preparations in advance."
"The Crimson Void Secret Mansion is located deep underground, said to be close to the magma layer. It's extremely hot and dry, so we at least need to prepare enough water and cold-attributed treasures to withstand the heat. Of course, we all have space treasures and can store large amounts of water, so we don't need to worry about running out of drinking water. For other martial artists, entering the Crimson Void Secret Mansion would make water a major problem. This is our advantage!"
Duanmu Xingling said, "There are three main things to worry about. First, the various strange underground barbarian beasts born in the Crimson Void Secret Mansion."
"Second, other martial artists."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Senior Sister Duanmu means the outer palace disciples from the East, South, and North Courtyards?"
Duanmu Xingling said, "They are only part of it. Can you guarantee that none of the ten disciples from the West Courtyard want to harm you? If you really discover a treasure in the Crimson Void Secret Mansion, even friends you know might stab you in the back."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "What is the third point Senior Sister Duanmu mentioned?"
"The Exiles," Duanmu Xingling said.
Zhang Ruochen looked puzzled. "What exiles?"
Duanmu Xingling smiled. "Over the past five hundred years, many evil people, assassins, murderers, demon sect experts, and river pirates have emerged from the thirty-six commanderies. Once captured, they are almost all imprisoned in special areas of the Crimson Void Secret Mansion. They are left there to suffer torment like hell itself. Many starve to death inside, and those who survive are all vicious and ruthless individuals. If we enter the Crimson Void Secret Mansion, we might encounter some of these exiles imprisoned there."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Since they are imprisoned in specific areas, as long as we avoid those areas, we shouldn't run into them, right?"
Duanmu Xingling shook her head. "Many of those exiles come from the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect. Do you think there are no Black Market or Moon Worship Demon Sect infiltrators among the outer palace disciples of the Martial Market Academy? Won't they take this opportunity to undo the seals on those special areas and release those exiles?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "I understand. The Martial Market Academy is actually testing us, trying to see if we are Black Market or Moon Worship Demon Sect infiltrators. After all, the disciples who make it into the top ten of the four courtyards are all exceptionally talented and will likely become high-ranking members of the Martial Market Bank in the future."
"If a Black Market or Moon Worship Demon Sect infiltrator becomes a high-ranking member of the Martial Market Bank, it would be extremely detrimental to the bank."
Duanmu Xingling said, "So, before we enter the intermediate ruins, we must be fully prepared. Although the Crimson Void Secret Mansion is dangerous, it is also full of opportunities. If we explore for three months, the gains we make might equal ten years of cultivation outside. Everything depends on our own opportunities."
"I've told you everything I need to say. I'm going back to seclusion to cultivate now, hoping to advance my cultivation further."
Duanmu Xingling stood up and walked out, but suddenly stopped and turned back with a smile. "Zhang Ruochen, Sister Chen is now your fiancée. If you give her a space treasure, she will be much safer entering the intermediate ruins."
With a series of laughter, she walked out of Yellow Courtyard Number One.
If Huang Yanchen's temper weren't so bad, Zhang Ruochen would have given her a space treasure long ago, without needing Duanmu Xingling's reminder.
After thinking it over, Zhang Ruochen left Yellow Courtyard Number One and walked toward Earth Courtyard Number One, where Huang Yanchen lived.
He knocked on the door, but no one answered.
"She's not here."
Zhang Ruochen was about to turn back when he stopped and looked toward the opposite building, Heaven Courtyard Number One.
Heaven Courtyard Number One belonged to Luo Shuihan.
"Senior Sister Luo is also participating in the intermediate ruins exploration exam, so she definitely needs a space treasure too. Last time at the Divine Power Hall, I was only able to enter the Half-Saint Sacred Intent Diagram to train my spiritual power thanks to Senior Sister Luo. Since she didn't mind sharing the Half-Saint Sacred Intent Diagram with me, why shouldn't I give her a space treasure?"
With that thought, Zhang Ruochen walked toward Heaven Courtyard Number One.
"Thump! Thump!"
Zhang Ruochen knocked on the door ring and asked, "Senior Sister Luo, are you in?"
The door did not open, but Luo Shuihan's voice reached Zhang Ruochen's ears, as melodious as a lark's. "What do you want?"
Her voice was very calm, as if speaking right next to his ear.
Zhang Ruochen said, "It's nothing important. I just wanted to thank you for letting me study the Half-Saint Sacred Intent Diagram with you last time."
"Come in," Luo Shuihan's voice sounded again.
"Creak."
The tightly shut door seemed to be pushed open by an invisible hand, swinging open on its own.
Zhang Ruochen walked in. The ground was covered with fallen leaves. He followed a path paved with white stones and arrived outside a very elegant pavilion.
The pavilion's door was already open. Zhang Ruochen took off his shoes and walked in quietly.
He knew that Luo Shuihan liked peace and quiet and rarely left her residence. Many disciples of the Martial Market Academy had heard her name, but very few had actually seen her.
It was said that Luo Shuihan was either training outside or in seclusion cultivating.
For Zhang Ruochen to see her today was already quite fortunate.
Entering the room, Zhang Ruochen smelled a faint, elegant fragrance. He saw Luo Shuihan, dressed in white robes, sitting barefoot on the wooden floor. Her bare, jade-white feet were exposed as she held a bronze brush in her hand, painting on a sheet of spirit paper.
The ink for the painting was made from the blood of a barbarian beast.
She was painting a second-rank upper-level barbarian beast, a Leopard-Headed Blood Bat.
Just as Zhang Ruochen stopped, Luo Shuihan finished her final stroke.
She extended a slender, jade-like finger and tapped it on the painting. White true qi surged from her fingertip.
Suddenly, the painting trembled violently, making a rustling sound.
A swarm of blood bats flew out from the spirit paper, flapping their meter-long wings as they rushed toward Zhang Ruochen.
There were more than forty blood bats in total, each with a leopard-like head and bared sharp fangs.
Every Leopard-Headed Blood Bat was strong enough to kill a Mysterious Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artist. More than forty of them could tear a first-level Earth Extreme Realm martial artist down to white bones in an instant.
Zhang Ruochen immediately drew the Snow Dragon Sword and executed a sword technique.
"Heavenly Heart Sword Bell!"
Countless sword qi converged into a three-meter-tall white sword bell, protecting Zhang Ruochen at its center as it spun rapidly.
In an instant, three Leopard-Headed Blood Bats were knocked flying by the sword bell. Their bodies shattered, turning into three wisps of blood qi that dissipated into the air.
The white sword bell emitted freezing cold air, rapidly lowering the temperature in the room. Snowflakes formed and drifted down gently.
Luo Shuihan stretched out a soft, jade-like hand and caught a snowflake. Watching Zhang Ruochen surrounded by the Leopard-Headed Blood Bats, she nodded slightly and spoke in a soft, pleasant voice, "Return."
At Luo Shuihan's command, the swarm of blood bats flew back like a receding tide, turning back into a painting.
Zhang Ruochen sheathed his sword and stared at the painting on the table. "Senior Sister, are you a painter?"
Luo Shuihan nodded gently. "I studied for a few days with a senior from the Painting Sect, but I am still far from the level of a master painter."
At this moment, when Zhang Ruochen and Luo Shuihan spoke of a "painter," they did not mean just painting pictures. It was a martial path where painting itself was a form of martial arts.
Using beast blood as ink, after completing a painting, one could summon barbarian beasts to fight for them.
Using human blood as ink, after completing a painting, one could summon an army of thousands.
Using special, precious materials to make ink, one could even summon wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, move mountains, cut rivers, burn the sky, and boil the sea.
Painters were even rarer than alchemists, artifact refiners, or beast tamers, and almost all of them came from the Painting Sect.
The Painting Sect was an ancient and powerful sect in the Kunlun Realm. That Luo Shuihan could study the art of painting with a senior from the Painting Sect showed that she had extremely high talent in this path.