Chapter 231: The Painting is Complete, the Divine Charm of an Immortal!

Ning Fei was painting a flood.

With just a few swift strokes, a massive, roaring flood surged to life right beside the bustling market.

The viewers finally understood what the figures in the painting were experiencing.

"It's a flood!"

"Temple Master Ning is painting a flood!"

"Oh my god, I finally understand why the people in the market were so terrified!"

"Everything makes sense now."

"It's a painting of the masses facing a flood!"

Seeing the painting on the scroll, the viewers felt a profound sense of satisfaction.

"Ink work possesses five shades: scorched, dark, heavy, light, and clear. Different applications create entirely different artistic conceptions."

"Brushwork has five methods: flat, round, lingering, heavy, and variable. What matters is the divine charm of the brush and ink."

"Only by combining the two can one display a true artistic conception."

Ning Fei was already completely immersed in his work.

His narration was merely an expression of his spontaneous feelings.

The viewers stared at the image on the Xuan paper, each one shocked beyond words.

But at this moment, someone noticed something unusual.

"Wait, something's not right!"

"Look at those people in the painting. Why do their faces look so full of hope?"

"Yeah, look closely! Many have expressions of terror, but others look completely calm!"

"The mother protecting her child—her eyes aren't filled with fear; she's praying!"

"And look at those government officials rushing toward the floodwaters. The flood is coming, so why are they charging straight at it? What could they possibly do to help?"

The entire painting was becoming increasingly perplexing.

The viewers had solved one mystery, only to stumble upon an even bigger one.

For a moment, the composition of the scroll seemed incredibly bizarre.

At the Jingdu Academy of Painting and Calligraphy, Lin Shanhe stared at Ning Fei's painting in the live stream, his emotions churning for a long time.

He was the foremost figure of traditional Chinese painting in Huaxia. He had poured his entire life into the art form, and even at the advanced age of seventy, his eyes remained remarkably clear.

"Teacher, I keep feeling that the artistic conception of this painting isn't quite right," Liu Tianzhi said softly from the side.

He could not see through Ning Fei's painting.

Lin Shanhe didn't look away, his tone detached yet intense. "In traditional Chinese painting, one must pay attention to the details. Look closely at the people in the painting. Their gazes are not focused on the flood."

"Their gazes?"

Liu Tianzhi blanked for a moment at Lin Shanhe's words.

Where their gazes were focused—what an incredibly minute detail that was.

Could a single painting really achieve such a level of detail?

Liu Tianzhi looked closer, focusing on the mother and child standing before the rattle-drum stall.

When a mother held her child in her arms during a disaster, what would be the first thing she looked at?

What could possibly be more worthy of her attention than the roaring flood?

Hope.

Which meant that the place the mother was looking toward was the place where hope existed.

He looked at the other people in the market. The focal point of all their gazes was not the flood.

It was a blank expanse of paper.

Something was supposed to be there.

"It's a person! This painting is still missing a person!" Liu Tianzhi exclaimed in surprise, finally understanding.

The boy was teachable. Hearing his answer, Lin Shanhe stroked his beard and nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes. Everything in this painting is building momentum for this one figure."

"You thought this was a painting of the masses suffering under a flood. In reality, it is a painting of a hero controlling the waters."

"This young man has been setting the stage this entire time, all for this final moment. When his brush falls, it will be the finishing touch that brings the dragon to life."

"He is truly formidable. Why have I never heard of such an incredible talent in the traditional Chinese painting world before?"

Lin Shanhe sighed repeatedly, his expression and tone brimming with admiration for Ning Fei.

Liu Tianzhi stood respectfully to the side, his expression growing a bit more settled and solemn.

Liu Tianzhi had been hailed as a traditional Chinese painting genius since childhood. Now, at the age of twenty-four, he was already famous throughout Huaxia and had recently claimed the championship in a painting competition for the younger generation.

Although Huaxia Mountains and Rivers was a variety show, a program produced by Huaxia TV was no different from a genuine professional competition.

Because of this, Liu Tianzhi carried a deep sense of pride in his heart. He felt certain that he would eventually become a grandmaster of traditional Chinese painting.

But now, looking at Ning Fei's painting, he finally understood that there was always a taller mountain, always a greater person.

The sheer foundation Ning Fei was displaying right now was already far beyond anything he could match.

Inside Qingfeng Temple, Ning Fei was finally reaching the final step.

He held the brush, dipped it in ink, and lowered it to the paper.

With just a few sparse strokes, the figure of an immortal quietly emerged between the roaring flood and the terrified market.

The immortal was depicted only from behind.

He faced the towering, monstrous waves, keeping the commoners and his subjects safe behind him.

In his hand, he gripped a sharp sword. If one looked closely, they would discover two characters inscribed upon the hilt of the blade: Water Repelling.

Only at this moment was the true layout of the entire painting fully revealed to the viewers.

"So it's an immortal controlling the flood waters, protecting the peace of the region."

"Who is that? Is it Da Yu?"

"Not Da Yu. Da Yu dredged the waterways; he didn't have the power to face a flood head-on like this. This figure looks more like a river god."

"To fight back a natural disaster with nothing but one's own strength... only a god could do that."

"This painting is absolutely incredible!"

"I never imagined Temple Master Ning had such profound painting skills."

"A river god saving the world. The sheer aura of this traditional Chinese painting is truly unmatched by anyone."

As the viewers stared at the painting in the live stream, they felt as if they had been transported back to an ancient era plagued by floods and fierce beasts, experiencing the apocalyptic disaster firsthand.

In a good traditional Chinese painting, the most important element of all was that trace of divine charm.

While everyone was busy discussing the artwork, another bullet comment suddenly appeared, sending the entire live stream into an absolute frenzy.

[Painter Liu Tianzhi]: "Temple Master Ning, my teacher would like to purchase this painting. You can name your price."

"My teacher says this painting is a classic of traditional Chinese painting. He is willing to pay millions, even tens of millions, to buy it."

This bullet comment was like a massive bomb detonating right inside the stream.

Liu Tianzhi's master was Lin Shanhe.

A giant of traditional Chinese painting. A true grandmaster.

In his youth, Lin Shanhe had been proud and arrogant. Relying on his exquisite painting skills, he had radiated earth-shattering brilliance on the global art stage.

Tickets to his exhibitions were impossible to find, and his paintings were worth their weight in gold.

And now, this very same Lin Shanhe was taking the initiative to purchase the work of a younger generation painter, even offering a sky-high price?

"Is... is this real?" one viewer asked in disbelief.

"Is that actually Liu Tianzhi?"

"To be fair, this painting really is a classic. Every single detail is practically perfect."

"Art is subjective. Its value depends on the person looking at it. If you think it's worth it, then it's worth it!"

"That's definitely Liu Tianzhi. He used to live stream his traditional Chinese painting sessions too, and his account has the official verification mark. I just clicked his profile to check."

"Holy shit, it really is Liu Tianzhi? Doesn't that mean Grandmaster Lin Shanhe actually wants to buy Temple Master Ning's painting?"

"This is going to be massive news."

Without a doubt, the viewers were currently plunged into a state of deep shock.

Setting aside how spectacular the painting itself was, the mere fact that Lin Shanhe had offered to buy it was unbelievable enough.

At the very end of the scroll, Ning Fei used his brush to sign off on the piece: Painted by Ning Fei, Master of Qingfeng Temple, on the twelfth day of the Yang Month.

With that, the painting was officially complete.

The ink had soaked deep into the Xuan paper, penetrating the fibers perfectly.

The entire scroll was majestic and flowing. The commoners within it were so vivid and lifelike that they seemed ready to step right off the page.

And the back of the river god imparted a feeling of vast, ancient remoteness.

Lin Shanhe truly did want to buy Ning Fei's painting, and the reason was simple.

It was because, for the very first time, he had felt the divine charm of an immortal radiating from a painting.

It had to be known that the hardest thing to capture in traditional Chinese painting was that very charm.

Very few people dared to paint immortals. It wasn't that they couldn't draw the physical form of a god, but rather that they couldn't capture the essence of one.

Other people might not have been able to feel it in Ning Fei's painting, but as a grandmaster of the art, Lin Shanhe sensed it with absolute clarity.

Just the view of the immortal's back possessed the true charm of a deity.

That was exactly why Lin Shanhe wanted to buy it so badly.

"How did he paint such charm? Could he have actually seen a real immortal?!"

Inside the academy, Lin Shanhe muttered to himself.

Liu Tianzhi stood by his side, remaining silent.

Even now, he couldn't quite believe it.

If Ning Fei had simply reached the absolute peak of technique and brushwork, Liu Tianzhi could have understood. After all, there were many geniuses in traditional Chinese painting, each with their own specialty.

But divine charm was the true, ultimate peak that all traditional Chinese painters sought.

And yet, the charm in Ning Fei's painting was so profound that even his teacher, Lin Shanhe, could not stop praising it.

What kind of absolute monster was this guy?

Back inside Qingfeng Temple, Ning Fei looked at his completed work and smiled in satisfaction.

Ever since he had laid eyes on the River God Sculpture from his wooden boat earlier that day, the feeling had lingered in his heart, refusing to fade.

That was why he had felt such an urgent need to capture the river god's charm on paper.

Now, looking at the final product, he was immensely pleased.

Ning Fei then glanced at the bullet comments, his eyes catching Liu Tianzhi's words.

Although he didn't know who Liu Tianzhi was, the reactions from the viewers told him the man was a prominent figure.

However, Ning Fei just smiled and shook his head, saying, "I apologize, but this painting is not for sale."

"I painted it out of personal interest, and it will remain in my own collection."

"I hope you can understand."

Ning Fei wasn't willing to sell it because he wasn't sure he could recreate the river god's divine charm a second time.

Sometimes, that kind of feeling was fleeting.

If one were to truly measure the value of a painting like this, it was far beyond what millions or tens of millions could buy.

Hearing Ning Fei's answer, Lin Shanhe seemed to have already anticipated it. He merely shook his head and sighed in regret.

"This young man truly is a heaven-sent genius."

A moment later, Lin Shanhe remembered something else and said, "Right, Tianzhi. Contact him again. Mention that matter Old Wang begged me to handle. With his help, I think we actually have a shot at pulling it off."

"Understood, Teacher."

Liu Tianzhi nodded and replied.

He stared at Ning Fei on the screen.

Dressed in a white Daoist Robe, his brows carried a profound immortal aura, and his bearing was extraordinary.

He couldn't help but wonder to himself, 'Just where in the world did someone like this come from?'