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Chapter 356: Ink Suppression, Comprehension
🕑 Added 2024-10-10 06:21:57 +0000 UTCLi Hao immediately picked up his brush and focused on his painting.
Soon, as another figure was added to the depiction of the Heavenly Monument's gathering of heroes, King Green Deer appeared in the artwork, with the crowd in the painting showing respect and deference towards him.
After finishing the portrayal, Li Hao noticed the experience notification—it was a total of 55,000 experience points!
To put it into perspective, even the half-saint Cang Hai Emperor had provided just over 40,000 experience points.
This meant that the young man before him was powerful enough to dominate even half-saints, potentially winning with ease!
In the All-Heavens, reaching such a level meant he was one of the most top-tier prodigies, commanding the respect and fear of countless geniuses and saintly descendants.
King Green Deer cast a glance at Li Hao before turning and flying towards the Heavenly Monument.
The noble maidens following him stopped in their tracks; even they were beings at the Wen Dao Realm.
Amidst the crackling thunder outside the Heavenly Monument, King Green Deer approached and reached out to leave his mark on the monument.
"King Green Deer is leaving his mark again?"
"Ten years ago, he achieved two flashes of golden light. This time, it must be even more terrifying!"
"Can one leave their name on the monument more than once?"
"As long as one is under the saint realm and within a thousand years, they can leave their name again."
The crowd buzzed with discussions, all eyes on the green figure.
Electric light gathered in King Green Deer's palm, gradually becoming brighter as countless silver threads of lightning intertwined and flickered.
At the same time, on the peak of the monument, a golden light slowly condensed. The light flickered twice before gradually fading.
The crowd, stunned and surprised, recovered from their shock.
Many had expected that King Green Deer, after leaving his mark once again, might achieve three flashes of golden light, making a significant breakthrough, or even trigger the rare and dazzling crimson blood glow. However, he remained at two flashes of golden light.
King Green Deer, seeing the result, was also slightly surprised. His brows furrowed briefly, but his eyes soon showed a hint of understanding.
It seemed his master had been right— the Heavenly Monument could only detect the physical body and cultivation realm, not the depth of one's techniques or Dao comprehension.
As for practical combat experience and other factors, they were not taken into consideration at all.
Otherwise, there would be no need for the Supreme Genius Battle, as the rankings could be determined by a simple test at the monument.
Over the past ten years, his techniques had grown more refined, and his Dao had become even more profound. Although he had not gained a new extreme realm, his practical combat power had increased significantly after wandering through several forbidden areas.
Seeing that the monument could not reflect this, he shook his head slightly and returned to the crowd.
"Your Highness."
Several maidens hurriedly gathered around him, their voices soft and gentle.
King Green Deer came from the royal family of a divine dynasty. From a young age, he had no interest in royal power and dedicated himself to martial cultivation. After becoming a disciple of the sacred land, he was granted the title of a leisurely prince.
Although he was a prince, his royal brothers and even the emperor trembled in his presence, treating him with utmost respect.
That imperial throne and the emperor's harem—if he desired, they would be his for the taking. Though he was not an emperor, he stood above emperors.
King Green Deer ignored the maidens surrounding him and cast his gaze toward the young man not far away, who was immersed in his painting, seemingly indifferent to King Green Deer's performance. A cold glint appeared in his eyes.
The blood-red mark on the monument, dominating the heavens—he did not like anyone standing above him.
But there was no doubt that this youth's physical body and cultivation realm were also terrifyingly strong.
"Go, inform him that I wish to have a sparring match," King Green Deer instructed one of the maidens beside him.
This beautiful maiden nodded respectfully and gracefully walked toward Li Hao.
"Young master, my prince wishes to spar with you. Please oblige," the maiden said with a smile.
Li Hao, still focused on his painting, did not lift his head as he replied, "I'm busy."
The smile on the maiden's face froze slightly, but she quickly lowered her voice, "My prince is King Green Deer, the saint child of the Huntian Sacred Land in the Qian Kun Realm. Young master, it would be wise not to offend him."
Compared to the earlier polite invitation, her tone now carried a hint of threat.
Li Hao didn't respond, but Hong Yue, who was grinding ink for him, noticed his concentration on the painting and spoke up, "My young master is busy. Please leave."
The maiden's expression darkened. If she failed to carry out King Green Deer's orders, there would be serious consequences. Seeing that Hong Yue had spoken up, her pretty face turned cold as she snapped, "And what are you? A mere servant girl in the Fifteen Li Realm dares to speak? You're not even worthy to have a say!"
Her rebuke carried a hint of Law Force, and Hong Yue's pupils contracted as she suddenly saw countless dark shadows swarming toward her. She felt as if her lungs were filling with water, suffocating her in terror.
It felt as though her consciousness was about to split apart, and she was filled with overwhelming dread, as though she were about to be torn apart.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort echoed, snapping Hong Yue's mind back to reality.
The illusionary dark shadows before her dissipated, and she gasped for air, her face pale and her eyes filled with fear as she looked at the maidservant.
"A mere maid, where do you get the gall to flaunt your power?"
Li Hao put down his brush, his eyes turning cold as he looked at the maid.
There was a sharp glint in his eyes, and the maid suddenly felt as though a bright light flashed before her. It was as if her very spirit had been severed, her throat and pupils cut open.
The sensation of death overwhelmed her as her mouth opened slightly, her face drained of color, and her eyes filled with despair. She tried to cry for help, but her throat had been slit, rendering her speechless.
"Bullying servants? What sort of skill is that?"
At that moment, a calm voice sounded as King Green Deer approached.
Li Hao shifted his gaze from the maid to King Green Deer, not bothering to argue that it was the maid who had been arrogant first. He simply said, "Don't seek trouble for yourself."
As Li Hao averted his gaze, the maid found herself able to speak again. It felt as though she had been choking, and she made a retching sound. Realizing what had just happened, her face turned ugly.
Just a single look from the young man had brought her to the brink of death. This youth was terrifying!
"Oh?"
King Green Deer raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly, though his eyes narrowed.
"You must be Haotian. Do you think that just because you left your mark at the top, you can suppress all the heavens? If you're so confident, why not spar with me and let me see for myself?"
As the confrontation unfolded, the surrounding crowd began to take notice, their eyes filled with curiosity and excitement.
"Is King Green Deer going to clash with Haotian? Are we about to witness a fight?"
"Both of these individuals are strong contenders for the top three spots. Is this a preview of the final battle?"
"Though there's a difference in their Heavenly Monument rankings, it's not necessarily a decisive one. The monument doesn't measure one's mastery of techniques or Dao comprehension. King Green Deer reached two flashes of gold light ten years ago, and his skills must have deepened since then."
"King Green Deer might be testing Haotian's true capabilities before the Supreme Genius Battle."
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
Chiguang, Lin Shuhai, and the others were also intrigued. Although they didn't know King Green Deer personally, their familiarity with Li Hao from Canglan Realm gave them a bit of a bias, hoping that Li Hao would win.
Li Hao listened to King Green Deer's words, his cold expression softening as he calmly replied, "You're not qualified to measure me."
King Green Deer chuckled, his eyes narrowing further, "Do you really think that just because you've reached the top of the monument, you're invincible? If you believe I'm unworthy, prove it to me. Or are you all talk?"
Li Hao didn't care much about his ranking on the monument, but hearing King Green Deer repeatedly bring up the blood-red mark, his tone tinged with jealousy, Li Hao couldn't help but laugh and say, "If you've got what it takes, why don't you try to leave a blood-red mark yourself?"
At this, King Green Deer's smile faded, as though he had just swallowed a bitter pill.
"You lowborn fool. Do you really think the Heavenly Monument represents absolute combat power? A blood-red mark, huh? In a thousand years, I'll leave my name again, this time with a blood-red mark at the top!" King Green Deer's face turned cold as he spoke, his words causing a stir among the crowd.
Such a bold declaration! If he failed to achieve it, he would be ridiculed for centuries to come.
"Talk to me after you've done it."
Li Hao glanced at him indifferently, not bothering to continue the conversation.
King Green Deer's face flushed with anger, his fists clenching tightly. "Fine! Let me see just how strong you really are, blood-red mark or not!"
As Li Hao lifted his brush to resume painting, King Green Deer suddenly attacked, sending a streak of green light toward the painting, intending to destroy it.
Li Hao's indifferent expression instantly turned cold.
"You're courting death!"
With a sharp glance, Li Hao shattered the green light with his gaze.
He then swiftly raised his brush, ink dripping from its tip, imbued with the power of his Eternal Dao Domain!
Boom!
The domain manifested in an instant, descending with overwhelming force.
King Green Deer, prepared for this, activated his own Dao Domain, a hundred-layered domain he had refined into a unique form, containing a miniature world within it.
Dao Domain cultivation methods were extremely rare, known only to the top-tier factions, but none could compare to the Eternal Dao Domain!
The Eternal Dao Domain was an extreme realm, rendering all other domain cultivation methods mere imitations.
In an instant, King Green Deer's world-shattering domain crumbled beneath the crushing force of the Eternal Dao Domain.
Boom!
A powerful force overwhelmed King Green Deer, causing him to cough up blood. The single drop of ink, imbued with the power of the Eternal Dao Domain, weighed down on him like a mountain.
He staggered backward, his skin blistering and cracking as though burned.
Caught within an enemy's domain, one could only be at their mercy, like fish on a cutting board.
King Green Deer's green hair flared wildly, and the light of his robe—a powerful treasure—flared, struggling to protect him from the domain's sword-like laws.
Behind him, a massive deer-shaped apparition appeared, its eyes gleaming as it shot beams of green light toward Li Hao's domain.
However, he had underestimated the power of the Eternal Dao Domain—merely being at the level of Technique Merging with Dao was nowhere near enough to resist!
"My will reaches the heavens!"
King Green Deer roared, his entire body glowing with green veins and cracks, unleashing all his extreme powers.
At the same time, he revealed the embryonic form of his Saint Path.
This was the power of a half-saint, fully unleashed in an attempt to break free from Li Hao's domain!
Yet, Li Hao's expression remained indifferent, like a god sitting high above. Without moving a muscle, the weight of his ink drop—manifesting the power of his domain—intensified.
Boom!
The domain crushed down, even collapsing King Green Deer's embryonic Saint Path along with it.
The ground shattered as King Green Deer was fully suppressed by the Eternal Dao Domain. The single drop of ink, as heavy as ten thousand mountains, pinned him to the ground.
"Your Highness!"
The maidens around King Green Deer were horrified, crying out in alarm.
At the same time, the domain's oppressive force extended outward, immobilizing the maidens as well.
The deer-shaped apparition behind King Green Deer vanished, leaving him prostrate on the ground, his face pale. The light from his treasured robe dimmed as he was fully suppressed by the laws of Li Hao's domain.
The battle that many had imagined never materialized. In the blink of an eye, King Green Deer had been completely subdued, unable to move. The crowd was left stunned, staring at the scene in disbelief.
The young man sat calmly, still painting. The single drop of ink he had casually flicked had been enough to suppress King Green Deer!
The ink hovered above King Green Deer's head, spinning lightly. Yet everyone could see that it was the manifestation of Li Hao's power, binding King Green Deer in place.
"This… this…"
"King Green Deer's world-shattering domain was broken in an instant!"
"Is this the legendary Eternal Dao Domain, the eighth extreme realm?"
"My goodness, I've heard you need to cultivate 360 layers of Dao Domains to form it, and even then, there's some kind of profound understanding required—it's incredibly difficult!"
"To have cultivated 360 layers of Dao Domains in such a short time? How is that possible?"
The onlookers, gathered near the Heavenly Monument, were shaken by the sight.
Rumors had spread wildly about Haotian having mastered eight extreme realms, but few had actually witnessed his Eternal Dao Domain in action. Aside from those from Canglan Realm, no one had seen it firsthand.
Now, seeing Li Hao display it, they finally realized just how terrifying the eighth extreme realm truly was!
The domain alone had subdued King Green Deer. If Li Hao had used the power of other extreme realms, the result would have been even more devastating!
"The projection stone showed him suppressing multiple half-saints with his domain. This is the power of the eighth extreme realm…"
In the crowd, those who had seen the projection stone had a deeper understanding of the scene unfolding before them. They were filled with awe and a newfound determination to cultivate the eighth extreme realm themselves.
Even if it took countless years, as long as one was determined, perhaps they could eventually succeed.
"Among the younger generation, aside from the reincarnations of saints, he's likely unbeatable!"
Someone whispered in awe.
"Don't be so quick to declare victory. There are still several contenders who haven't made their move yet. They're all participating in the Supreme Genius Battle and are bound to have made tremendous progress."
"That's true. Those few are disciples of Supreme Saints, and they themselves are the reincarnations of saints."
Mentioning those figures brought a more serious tone to the crowd.
Although King Green Deer was a disciple of a Supreme Saint and the Huntian Sacred Land was a place of Supreme Saints, King Green Deer himself was not a saint's reincarnation. This had been a source of pride for him.
He believed that, aside from saintly reincarnations, he was unrivaled!
Yet now, Li Hao had crushed him effortlessly, filling him with murderous intent.
"If you enjoy humiliating yourself, I'll gladly oblige."
After suppressing King Green Deer, Li Hao wasn't inclined to let him off easily. If someone provoked him, he wouldn't just defeat them and leave it at that.
He stood up and walked toward King Green Deer.
The prince's eyes widened in shock and anger. "What are you doing?"
A chill ran through him. In the All-Heavens Battlefield, saints couldn't interfere. If Li Hao harbored murderous intent, even if his sacred land sought revenge afterward, it would be too late for him. He couldn't believe that Li Hao would be so reckless as to trade his life for his!
Li Hao had no intention of killing him. There was no point in provoking a Supreme Saint over such a trivial matter.
Li Hao walked up to King Green Deer, then turned around and casually sat down on his back.
"Not bad. You're more comfortable than my soft seat."
Li Hao smiled as he called out to Hongyun and Xiyan, "Bring the ink and paper. I'll paint here."
At this, everyone's expressions froze in disbelief.
He was using King Green Deer as a chair? Sitting on him like this?
King Green Deer was livid, his face turning red with rage as he roared, "You're humiliating me! I'll never forgive this!"
"Quiet. Slap him."
Li Hao spoke calmly, and the air seemed to form a whip, lashing King Green Deer across the face.
The prince let out a furious cry, only to be whipped again.
All his life, he had never been humiliated like this. Even his royal brother, the emperor, treated him with the utmost respect.
"You!"
King Green Deer was beside himself with rage, wishing he could bury his head in the ground.
Yet, after a while, he forced himself to calm down, suppressing his anger. His mind was filled with thoughts of revenge. After today, he would make sure Li Hao paid dearly for this!
Once King Green Deer fell silent, the crowd's gaze on Li Hao changed.
This young man was ruthless, using King Green Deer as a chair. This was the power of someone who could leave a blood-red mark on the monument!
"Eight extreme realms… this is terrifying. Even a half-saint like King Green Deer is no match!"
"After ten years of cultivating to half-saint, King Green Deer was still easily subdued. This is too frightening."
"This humiliation will forge a blood feud. If both of them become saints, they'll be fighting for the rest of eternity."
Many were shocked by Li Hao's boldness.
Most others would have hesitated, considering the consequences of humiliating King Green Deer and offending the Supreme Saint behind him.
Chiguang watched in silence.
He made a mental note to keep his distance from Li Hao in the future.
During the battle at the Buddhist temple, Li Hao had dared to trample on a saint's son. Now, in front of all the prodigies, he was sitting on King Green Deer's back, a prince of the Supreme Saint's lineage. While Li Hao's actions were provoked, his retaliation was shocking.
Lin Shuhai glanced at Li Hao before looking away with a quiet sigh. The gap between him and Li Hao seemed to grow larger with each passing day.
Lin Qingying saw Li Hao calmly painting, as if nothing could disturb him. She didn't try to intervene, though she was concerned about the consequences of offending King Green Deer's sacred land. But King Green Deer had been the one to provoke the conflict, so if his master sought justice, it would be best to start with disciplining his disciple.
Still, she couldn't help but think back to her own experience at the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land, where her Dao foundation had been shattered in front of everyone. The world was rarely just, and most powerful figures did not operate on fairness.
The truly strong never feared getting their hands dirty with a little dust.
She sighed softly and sent a message to Li Hao through telepathy:
"King Green Deer's sacred land, the Huntian Sacred Land, may seek revenge. Be careful."
Li Hao paused his painting and glanced at her. Her eyes held a hint of worry.
Li Hao chuckled and said, "No worries. I can't live my life cowering in fear of death, bowing to every threat. Some people, even if you reason with them, will only harbor deeper resentment."
Lin Qingying nodded silently, her thoughts aligned with his.
"Don't worry about me. Worrying over things like this is a waste of energy," Li Hao reassured her with a smile. Better to focus that energy on cultivation.
In life, it's impossible to avoid every speck of dust.
Mountains never shy away from dust, and that is why they are mountains.
Hearing his words, Lin Qingying smiled gently and nodded in agreement.
With that, Li Hao sat back down on King Green Deer and continued his painting.
His Painting Dao experience points rapidly accumulated as he painted. This time, he even included the defeated King Green Deer in his artwork, though his portrayal was far less flattering—a figure prostrate on the ground, looking utterly pathetic.
As Li Hao quietly painted, the surrounding whispers persisted. But many of the onlookers, their eyes filled with fear, spoke in hushed tones when they mentioned him.
"Young master, you've been sitting there long enough, haven't you? King Green Deer merely wanted to spar. Isn't this humiliation a bit much?"
As Li Hao finished his second painting, a group of upright figures stepped forward, their leader a stern-looking young man with sharp eyes. He frowned at Li Hao, but his tone was measured.
Li Hao looked up slightly. "And you are?"
"I am Zhao Feixing of the Huntian Sacred Land," the young man responded coldly.
"Are you here to reason with me?"
Li Hao asked.
Zhao Feixing's expression wavered for a moment before he spoke, "There's reason in all things."
Li Hao smiled faintly. "He wanted to spar. I refused. He attacked me anyway. What does that count as?"
Zhao Feixing's face shifted slightly. "King Green Deer enjoys sparring. He meant no harm."
Li Hao repeated, "What does that count as?"
Zhao Feixing fell silent.
Li Hao didn't bother looking at him again. "If you don't want to end up like him, stop bothering me with nonsense. Reason? Ha."
Some people only talk about reason when they're powerless.
"King Green Deer is a disciple of a Supreme Saint. Do you mean to imply that you don't respect the Huntian Sacred Land?" Zhao Feixing's tone darkened as his threat became more explicit.
Li Hao understood that this was no longer a polite conversation. He sneered slightly, unwilling to waste words with such people.
"Kneel!"
With a low command, Li Hao's domain expanded, and with a series of muffled thuds, Zhao Feixing and the other two Saintly disciples were forced to the ground, unable to move.
"You dare!" Zhao Feixing shouted in anger.
Suppressing one or three—it made no difference. Li Hao didn't care to act arrogantly; it was simply that some people would strike no matter how courteous one was.
First diplomacy, then force. The force would speak for itself.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three dull sounds echoed as the ground cracked beneath the weight of Li Hao's domain. Zhao Feixing and the other two Saintly disciples were pinned to the ground, unable to rise.
"We are from the Huntian Sacred Land…" Another disciple's eyes filled with resentment and murderous intent, but before he could finish speaking, a sword light pierced his mouth, shredding his tongue.
Without turning back, Li Hao continued with his business.
Now that three more people lay at his feet, the onlookers knew that the upcoming Supreme Genius Battle would be explosive. The Huntian Sacred Land had been thoroughly humiliated, and they would surely seek to restore their honor.
Right or wrong didn't matter—honor had been lost, and only blood could wash it clean.
"Heavenly Monument's first, suppressing disciples of the Huntian Sacred Land—this guy is insane!"
"In the Divine Dynasty, I dared to kick royalty and abduct princesses, but that was because I had the support of a sacred land and a saint. Who's backing him?"
"I've heard the Thief Saint has ties to him."
"The Thief Saint? That's nothing compared to the Huntian Sacred Land unless another Supreme Saint gets involved."
"But it's just a scuffle between juniors. Would a Supreme Saint really intervene? Years ago, a Dragon Clan saint child killed a disciple of the Huntian Sacred Land, and no one's master took action."
"King Green Deer started this; it's his own fault."
"Just when I thought I was reckless, along comes someone even bolder than me."
The crowd murmured in awe.
Li Hao finished his third painting, and his experience points finally reached the maximum.
Now, all he needed was to grasp the essence of the Painting Dao and ascend to the tenth level, reaching sainthood!
Li Hao didn't continue painting. Instead, he packed up his brush and paper, stretching lazily.
As the surrounding chatter reached his ears, Li Hao shook his head slightly. To live peacefully, there were only two paths: becoming strong or learning to bow your head.
But neither path guaranteed complete safety.
Even powerful individuals could be killed by stronger foes.
And constantly bowing to avoid conflict only invited further humiliation.
True peace was a matter of fate.
In this All-Heavens Battlefield, saints couldn't intervene. If worse came to worst, Li Hao could always forgo the Supreme Genius Battle.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Li Hao glanced down at King Green Deer beneath him and smiled. "You'll be staying with me for a while."
King Green Deer was stunned, his expression changing. "What are you planning?"
Li Hao ignored him, turning instead to Lin Qingying. "I'm going to wander around for a bit. You should focus on your cultivation. We'll meet again if the chance arises."
Lin Qingying nodded softly, whispering, "Be careful."
Li Hao looked toward Lin Baichuan and the others in the crowd. He had a favorable impression of Feng Lao's disciples and considered them friends, so he sent them a telepathic message: "I'm off to explore. Farewell for now."
Lin Baichuan and the others were left with mixed feelings. Li Hao's strength had shocked them, but now that he had provoked the Huntian Sacred Land, even their master couldn't protect him from the fallout.
Bidding farewell to those he knew, Li Hao called Xiyan back to his wrist and enveloped Hong Yue with his power.
He then turned to King Green Deer, who still knelt beneath him. "Unless you want to make a spectacle of yourself here, follow my directions."
King Green Deer's face twisted with humiliation. Li Hao was treating him like a mount!
He was a proud genius, a human no less!
But Li Hao's words made him reconsider. He wasn't afraid of being killed in some remote location, since even if Li Hao wasn't responsible for his death, the blame would still fall on him. With so many eyes watching, Li Hao wouldn't be able to escape.
Reluctantly, King Green Deer, his face darkened, rose to his feet with Li Hao on his back, following Li Hao's telepathic instructions and flying away from the crowded area around the Heavenly Monument.
As they left, several people attempted to follow, only to be scared off by the sword qi Li Hao casually released.
Many onlookers gaped at the sight of King Green Deer carrying Li Hao away. Moments ago, the prince had arrived in a luxurious chariot, surrounded by servants, but now he was a defeated foe, reduced to a mere mount.
The news spread quickly, reaching even the Huntian Sacred Land.
As word traveled, Li Hao rode King Green Deer to a secluded mountain peak, where they paused to rest.
Far from the Heavenly Monument, any would-be followers had been scared off by Li Hao's sword qi, and no one dared pursue them further.
"Painting Dao…"
Sitting atop King Green Deer's back, Li Hao's thoughts turned to his Painting Dao.
He was just one step away from grasping the essence.
His mind returned to the Dao Bell in his Sea of Consciousness.
Earlier, he had felt that the bell could be rung again.
Now, with a mere thought, the bell resounded, its hum sending waves of Dao sound through him.
The sound stirred Li Hao's mind, drawing in countless flashes of inspiration. The surrounding Dao charm gathered around him.
Hong Yue, unable to perceive the Dao charm, only felt that Li Hao had become more ethereal, as if he were a celestial being ready to ascend at any moment.
But King Green Deer, who bore him, felt it deeply. His eyes bulged—was this an epiphany?
Just by sitting there, this man had entered a state of enlightenment?!
He couldn't believe it.
Yet the Dao charm gathering around Li Hao was undeniable.
A surge of rage boiled within King Green Deer. Was it possible that carrying this man on his back had somehow triggered the enlightenment?
Li Hao, meanwhile, focused on the insight welling up within him, channeling his thoughts into understanding the Painting Dao.
The countless memories of his past paintings filled his mind, from the works he had discussed with Zhantan over several months, to the scenes he had just painted before the Heavenly Monument, and even the artwork he had created at the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land…
Li Hao's thoughts grew still as he immersed himself in comprehension.
After a long, long time, Li Hao finally opened his eyes. The surrounding Dao charm faded, and the myriad flashes of inspiration dissipated.
His understanding of the Painting Dao had deepened, but he had yet to fully grasp the essence.
The Dao Bell's enlightenment, though powerful, was not as profound as a natural epiphany. Still, it had provided him with valuable insight.
Painting wasn't just about brush, ink, paper, and stone. It wasn't just about capturing appearance and spirit.
To paint the skin and bones was easy, but to paint the heart—that was the challenge.
Previously, Li Hao had only touched upon painting the bones; he had yet to reach the heart.
Exhaling lightly, Li Hao felt a mental fatigue and rubbed his temples to ease the strain.
Above him, countless stars sparkled in the sky, their beauty breathtaking.
Li Hao's spirits lifted as he gazed at the vast expanse of stars.
This All-Heavens Battlefield, located above the Thirty-Three Realms, brought him so close to the stars.
From afar, he could almost see the craters and marks on the distant stars.
"What a beautiful sight…"
Li Hao murmured to himself. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.
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