Chapter 1436 Zhang Ziqing

After who knows how long, they finally chopped off all the cacti on their heads. The two Nine-Star Awakeners looked again at the stone statues not far away, their faces pale and their hearts still trembling.

They were highly skilled in the art of awakening, but the awakening technique used by the other party seemed flawless; no matter what methods they employed, the spirituality could defend itself and even counterattack.

It left them at a loss for what to do.

“Is there still a way?”

After waiting nearly half an hour without destroying the spirituality of even a single stone statue, Zhang Wuchen could no longer hold back.

“This…”

Embarrassed, Elder Wu’s face flushed bright red: “Reporting to Third Elder, we are too unlearned and truly have no solution. May I ask… who is the great awakener behind these?”

“It is… a sword expert from the Saint Son Hall, Zhang Xuan!”

Zhang Wuchen said.

“Zhang Xuan?”

Exchanging glances, Elder Wu and Elder Mo each showed confusion.

They knew of some truly top-tier awakeners, but had never heard this name!

And… a sword expert, what was that about?

“His method of awakening is completely different from what we have learned. We are powerless. Third Elder, could you take us to see this person? The only way to resolve this may be for him to do it himself.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Elder Wu said.

Faced with these stone statues, they had no solution at all; it seemed they could only ask the other party to act personally.

Hearing his words, the Third Elder rubbed his brow.

The prestigious Zhang family, unable to solve a problem brought by a young man—how embarrassing if word got out.

But now, if they let the stone statues continue to run amok, the trouble would only grow.

“Wuzhen, lead the way…”

No longer hesitating, he waved his hand.

Elder Wuzhen also understood the gravity of the situation and, without another word, hurried forward.

The Third Elder followed closely, while Elder Mo and Elder Wu paused for a moment before trailing behind.

They also wanted to see which awakener had imbued such powerful spirituality that even they could do nothing about it.

“Master Zhang came with Jian Qinsheng to challenge in swordsmanship, so he is staying in the competition area!”

Elder Wuzhen explained.

Countless guests came to the Zhang family every day, some to challenge, some to visit… To better distinguish them, they were divided into different categories and housed in different areas.

Jian Qinsheng had a personal grudge against the family head and challenged in swordsmanship, so he naturally stayed in the competition area.

This area housed experts who came to challenge in various fields—sword techniques, blade techniques, martial skills, spear techniques, fist techniques… a multitude of styles, with countless strong practitioners.

Of course, it also included top experts from various professions.

“Hurry and see, someone is challenging Zhang Ziqing!”

“Zhang Ziqing? The Zhang family’s foremost talented woman, the young master of calligraphy and painting?”

“Yes, she started learning painting at three, grasped intent at seven, achieved ‘startling swan’ at nine, broke through mortal limits with spiritual wisdom at twelve, practiced void calligraphy at fifteen, and now at just eighteen, she can already paint works that blur reality and illusion. The president of the Calligraphy and Painting Masters’ Guild praised her endlessly, calling her the greatest genius in calligraphy and painting in a millennium. Not only that, she is also extremely skilled in music and chess, unmatched in the Zhang family… Who is so reckless as to challenge her?”

“I don’t know either. It should be a newly arrived guest named Zhang Xuan. He saw people scrambling for her painting, took a look, and apparently said something very harsh, nearly infuriating her to death! That’s why she got angry and challenged him.”

“Harsh?”

“Anyway, he said her painting had poor fundamentals and even offered to instruct her. The foremost genius in calligraphy and painting, the Zhang family’s most famous talented woman, naturally took offense…”

As they walked, they heard the surrounding chatter.

“Let’s go take a look…”

They had come to find him, and before they could even deal with the statue issue, he was already causing trouble here.

Following the crowd for a while, they soon found Zhang Xuan in a square. Jian Qinsheng stood nearby, holding his forehead, lost in thought. Opposite him was Zhang Ziqing, her pretty face flushed with anger, her whole body trembling.

“A contest in calligraphy and painting with me?”

Zhang Xuan looked over, lifting his eyelids: “What’s the wager? If there’s no wager, I don’t want to bother with a nobody!”

When he arrived and saw many people scrambling for this girl’s work, he thought it must be profound. But after carefully examining it, he was greatly disappointed.

She could indeed paint works that blurred reality and illusion, but limited by her age and lack of knowledge, the artistic conception seemed very immature, with a forced, pretentious quality.

It was like many beautiful poems from his previous life—almost all were born from the author’s genuine feelings and real experiences, which resonated with countless people and endured through the ages. Writing purely from imagination inevitably fell short in artistic conception.

If it were anyone else, with his low-key personality, he would have been too lazy to say much. But since she was a genius of the Zhang family, he couldn’t help but criticize a bit.

After all, he had come to cause trouble, and the bigger, the better.

“You…”

Zhang Ziqing’s gaze could have killed.

This man was simply infuriating. Calling her calligraphy and painting neither fish nor fowl was bad enough, but calling her a nobody… I, Zhang Ziqing, am well-known even in the Calligraphy and Painting Masters’ Guild, known to everyone. And you, Zhang Xuan, who the hell are you?

No wager, no contest… Can you stop showing off?

“A wager it is. This painting, ‘Treading Snow in Winter,’ was painted by me last winter and is extremely precious. If you can surpass me, I’ll give it to you!”

Though trembling with rage, seeing that he would refuse if she didn’t agree, she flipped her wrist and produced a scroll.

As she gently opened it, a flurry of snow and biting cold seemed to leap out, as if one would truly step into it after a moment’s gaze.

Seeing her take out this painting, the surrounding crowd gasped, their faces full of envy.

“For Ziqing to bring out this painting, she must be truly angry!”

Zhang Wuchen stroked his beard.

“Yes, this painting is Ziqing’s favorite, always treasured. The Calligraphy and Painting Masters’ Guild considered it a masterwork; someone once offered fifty top-grade spirit stones, but she refused to sell!”

Elder Wuzhen also nodded.

This painting was Zhang Ziqing’s best work, the kind that appeared only once in many years. It was so precious that even the clan elders had rarely seen it. She had actually taken it out as a wager—it seemed this man had truly angered her.

“How stingy!”

Zhang Xuan was deeply disappointed, thinking she would offer something substantial, only to produce a painting: “Don’t bother bringing out such low-grade works; they’ll only embarrass you… How about this: if you lose, just give me one top-grade spirit stone!”

“One spirit stone?”

Her body swayed, and Zhang Ziqing nearly ground her teeth to dust: “Are you sure?”

“Mm!”

Zhang Xuan said calmly.

To him, the most useful thing was naturally spirit stones. Paintings… if he really wanted one, he could paint one anytime. No big deal.