Chapter 162: The Second Realm?

"Moreover, painting emphasizes artistic conception. Without it, no matter how vivid the depiction, it's useless. Painting with both hands simultaneously splits the complete picture into two parts, creating a crack in the conception... So this painting, even if perfectly joined, will likely struggle to reach the third realm."

No matter how well the left and right hands coordinate, the picture is still divided, and the overall conception will inevitably suffer.

"Overly flaunting painting skills while losing the original purpose of painting—flashy!" After explaining, Master Yuanyu shook his head.

After the shock, his impression of Zhang Xuan did not improve; instead, it worsened.

Arrogant and rude, making them wait until noon without showing up; needing to adjust his state before painting, wasting two or three hours, having no sense of time; now flaunting his skills, losing the meaning of painting—utterly unstable and extremely flashy.

If one paints without a peaceful heart, only wanting to shock others and show off, what use is even the highest skill? It's hard to become a great master.

"Brother Zhang is still young; it's normal to seek the limelight..."

Master Luchen knew his old friend's temper—he never held back anything, speaking directly—and gave a wry smile.

Young people love to show off; it's normal. They can't be expected to be like those about to enter the grave.

"Creating the best painting is seeking the limelight. Painting with both hands is just a trick used by street artisans for mass production. If he doesn't change this habit, he'll likely achieve nothing in his lifetime!"

Master Yuanyu's tone was unsparing.

"Uh..."

Hearing his evaluation, Huang Yu and the others fell silent.

In painting, they certainly couldn't argue with the old man before them, nor could they refute him.

Luchen was about to say something more when Bai Xun's voice rang out.

"Look, he's starting to join them..."

Everyone looked and saw that Zhang Xuan's brushes had converged, and the images on the paper were beginning to merge.

"This... it won't join, will it?"

After a glance, Huang Yu couldn't help saying.

The two halves were about to meet, but the ink shades, styles, and flavors on each side were completely different, even the color tones mismatched. Even if they successfully merged, it would be two styles, not one painting...

Half bright, half dark... joining them would only produce waste.

Had he failed?

"It won't join..."

Master Luchen, who had wanted to defend Zhang Xuan, fell silent, his expression darkening. He tugged at his beard so hard that he snapped several strands without realizing it.

Though reluctant to admit it, based on his study of painting, he could clearly see that the two sides were completely different, like two separate worlds, impossible to fuse. Could this young friend Zhang really be as flashy as Brother Yuan said?

Though they had only met once before, he had been humble and polite, not like this...

If this was his true nature, it would be hard for him to achieve much in painting...

"If it won't join, it's waste. We waited all afternoon for this..." Master Yuanyu shook his head, full of disappointment.

When Luchen recounted Zhang Xuan's deeds, he had held great hope, thinking he was a true young genius who would elevate painting. But seeing him in person, he knew he was just a flashy fellow.

If he had no skill, he should just paint quietly. Instead, he had to pretend to be a master, using both hands. Now the two halves had different styles and couldn't even be joined. Let's see how he gets out of this.

To show off, one must first have the ability; otherwise, one only ends up looking foolish.

Clearly, this Zhang Xuan was the latter.

With a sigh, he slowly closed his eyes, refusing to watch.

It wasn't that he didn't want to see, but he feared seeing the other's embarrassment at failing to join, which would only anger him more.

"Hmm?"

"No, this..."

"How is this possible?"

No sooner had he closed his eyes than exclamations of astonishment rang in his ears, as if they had seen something unbelievable.

Frowning, he opened his eyes again and saw Master Luchen, Huang Yu, and Bai Xun staring dumbfounded at the front, as if they had seen a ghost.

"What's wrong? Even if it won't join, it can't be that shocking..."

Puzzled, Master Yuanyu couldn't help looking over. One glance and his pupils suddenly contracted, his body swayed, and he stood frozen: "This... this... what's going on?"

He was stunned too.

At the junction of the two paintings, Zhang Xuan lightly traced with his brush, and a courtyard wall appeared, like a barrier dividing the painting into two parts.

The earlier incongruity of the failed join, under the wall's division, felt not at all awkward but instead gave the impression of another world.

"It's this courtyard..."

Bai Xun couldn't help shouting.

He now saw that Zhang Xuan's left hand had painted the very courtyard they were in, with people painting and commenting, a harmonious atmosphere; the right hand painted another courtyard, full of flowers and birds, with various animals moving about and cicadas chirping loudly, giving a lively, idyllic feel.

One side was people, the other objects; one quiet, the other lively—two different environments, two states, with different flavors. The earlier incongruity between left and right, under this wall, instantly merged into a perfect whole.

"A stroke of genius, absolutely a stroke of genius..."

Master Luchen trembled.

He had thought the same as Master Yuanyu, that Zhang Xuan's painting was surely ruined. He never dreamed that two scenes with different flavors could become so harmonious under a single wall, balancing movement and stillness, offering a different kind of beauty and enjoyment.

Stillness within movement, movement within stillness.

This wall was undoubtedly a stroke of genius.

A wall apart, a world away; the quality of the entire painting leaped up by more than a notch.

"Impressive..."

Master Yuanyu also choked out two words after a long pause.

Clearly, this courtyard wall was something he hadn't expected.

If the conceptions on both sides of the wall were the same, it would have become a flaw.

"Excuse my poor effort!"

With the wall finished, the entire work was complete. Zhang Xuan put down his brush and smiled lightly: "Please come over and appraise it!"

Having just learned to paint, he didn't know what to paint, so he depicted the courtyard they were in and the neighboring one.

"Let me see!"

Master Luchen stepped forward first, looking down at the painting.

Huang Yu, Bai Xun, and the others followed closely.

Earlier, they were far away and couldn't see clearly, so they didn't recognize the scene. Now, up close, they all marveled.

The courtyard scenery was vivid and lifelike, as if alive, floating on the paper under his brush, extremely beautiful.

"So beautiful..."

Huang Yu couldn't help praising, her eyes shining.

Though painted with both hands simultaneously, the details were impeccable. Even a table or a stool was clearly visible, and the expressions of the people in the painting were all present, as if printed on it. The whole painting was stunningly beautiful.

"Pity..."

After a while, Master Yuanyu couldn't help shaking his head, and even Master Luchen showed a look of regret.

"This painting is very beautiful; what's wrong with it?" Not understanding their sighs, Bai Xun couldn't help asking.

To be honest, he didn't see any problem with the painting; it seemed no less than the previous two.

"This painting's technique is flawless, with no errors. The colors, composition... are all top-notch. But as I said before, the fusion of left and right focuses too much on detail, lacking conception. Without conception, it can at most reach the second realm, Liveliness, far from Conception."

Master Luchen shook his head.

Painting and calligraphy have four realms: Recording, Liveliness, Conception, and Startling.

Earlier, Masters Yuanyu and Luchen had both painted at the third realm, containing conception, giving a refreshing feeling at first glance.

Zhang Xuan's painting, though delicate in brushwork and correct in structure and layout, unfortunately lacked this feeling.

Without conception, it could at most be considered the second realm, Liveliness, not a true treasure.

"What a pity. But Brother Zhang is still very young; by the time he reaches our age, he can easily paint works of the third or even fourth realm!"

Master Luchen comforted.

Though it hadn't reached the third realm, he was still quite impressed.

After all, Zhang Xuan was under twenty. At such an age to have such profound painting skills was admirable even to him.

"He does have some real talent!" Master Yuanyu nodded, then looked at Zhang Xuan with a tone of admonition: "But young people should still be more low-key!"

After the series of events, his impression of Zhang Xuan had soured, but this painting was indeed good. Apart from lacking conception, he could find no fault. It seemed this fellow was not a fraud but genuinely skilled.

However, with such skill, to be so arrogant and keep them waiting so long still displeased him.

"Low-key?" Sensing the implication, Zhang Xuan knew he had kept them waiting too long and made them angry. He smiled awkwardly: "Yes, yes, I delayed too long. My apologies!"

"That's more like it!" Seeing his good attitude, Master Yuanyu nodded approvingly: "You have a good foundation now. Cultivate it well, travel widely, and you'll soon paint works of the third realm. Don't waste your talent on arrogance!"

"Yes, to create paintings with conception, you must first observe more, gain a deeper understanding of the world, and a deeper awareness of your surroundings!"

Master Luchen also offered earnest advice.

"I am grateful for your teachings."

Knowing they meant well, Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Alright, we've all finished painting. You two begin the appraisal..." Seeing him accept humbly, Luchen was about to let Huang Yu and the others continue the assessment when Bai Xun's surprised voice rang out again.

"No... Master Zhang's painting—the people and animals—why do they... have no eyes?"

Earlier, everyone had focused on the overall layout and structure, not noticing these details. Now they saw that indeed, the people and animals in the painting had no eyes drawn in.