Chapter 18
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Chapter 18 Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait
Under the watchful gaze of the guests, a tall woman slowly approached, surrounded by a crowd.
Her silver hair shimmered with a metallic sheen, making Zhang Yu wondered if her hair was a bionic. He idly speculated how much a single strand of her hair was worth.
The woman’s crimson evening gown was adorned with flowing patterns of fire, as if flames were dancing across its surface and radiating powerful Magic Power.
Zhao Tianxing thought that the gown itself seemed to be a magical artifact, likely worth a fortune.
At the same time, the Director of the Immortal Cloud Group, his body gleaming as if covered in golden light, stepped forward to greet Li Xuelian.
Two other wealthy individuals at the Foundation Establishment Stage soon joined their conversation.
A crowd of wealthy elites and socialites gathered around, eager to exchange a few words and make an impression.
But Li Xuelian did not give them much of an opportunity. After exchanging a few words with the three of them, she moved to the curtain concealing the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait.
“Everyone, thank you for joining us at today’s exhibition.”
Amidst the applause, Li Xuelian smiled faintly and continued, “In this moment of creativity and inspiration, we have gathered here…”
As Li Xuelian spoke, Zhang Yu yawned with boredom, wondering if he should just use the time to practice his Breathing Technique instead.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted. He realized he had been cultivating more diligently lately. He was not sure if it was the Ritual Power forcing him into the habit or the subtle influence of this world and its society.
Fortunately, Li Xuelian’s speech was not long. While Zhang Yu was lost in thought, she moved on to the topic that most interested the young cultivation prodigies present.
Li Xuelian said, “For several years, my father has been searching for a disciple to inherit his legacy and pass on his Martial Arts and Dao Arts.”
“Unfortunately, his standards are quite high. Despite searching for many years, he has not found a disciple who truly meets his requirements.”
“So he personally painted this Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait and concealed a set of Martial Arts within it.”
“If any young hero under the age of twenty can master the Martial Arts hidden within, my father is willing to accept them as his disciple and will commit to fully cultivating them to enter a top university.”
“However, this painting contains a trace of my father’s martial intent. Viewing it will subject you to this martial intent’s impact, which risks damaging your Dao Heart…”
“As you begin your comprehension, please proceed according to your own abilities to avoid being harmed by the martial intent contained within…”
With her introduction complete, she slowly drew back the curtain, revealing the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait behind it.
Within a frame more than two meters tall, a blurry figure gradually emerged.
This is a painting by a Golden Core expert? Zhang Yu thought as he gazed at the artwork, thinking it looked like a simple human form had been crudely doodled, no better than a child’s casual scribbles.
Just as Zhang Yu had this thought, someone exclaimed loudly, “A magnificent painting!”
“The painting’s vitality and brushwork are exquisite. True Person Starfire’s masterpiece has truly reached the peak of perfection, leaving our generation ashamed of our own skills.”
Immediately, others chimed in with their own praise. “It’s breathtaking! Though seemingly simple, this painting conceals a profound meaning. The more you gaze upon it, the more layers of depth you discover.”
As more and more people began to laud the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait, Li Xuelian could not help but cough, interrupting the chorus of praise.
She then explained, “Everyone, to prevent this painting from causing accidental harm, my father has placed a profound restriction upon it. Only those who approach within five metres can discern its true content, but they will also be affected by its martial intent.”
“Young heroes who wish to contemplate the portrait, please step forward for a closer look.”
Hearing Li Xuelian’s words, the group that had been boasting moments earlier immediately flushed red and fell silent in embarrassment.
However, someone had already taken the initiative, striding toward the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait. It was Lian Tianji from Purple Cloud High School, who had just been speaking with the “urn.”
“Haha, let me, Lian Tianji, see what mysteries this Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait truly holds.”
With a laugh, Lian Tianji quickened his pace toward the portrait.
Watching this, Qian Shen’s eyes flickered. He thought to himself, It’s Lian Tianji from Purple Cloud High School. He scored a brutal 670 on last month’s Monthly Exam. He’s one of the opponents I’ll challenge after defeating Bai Zhenzhen.
As Lian Tianji approached the portrait, the figures within the scroll became increasingly clear to his eyes. He could almost see a middle-aged man slowly executing a profound set of Martial Arts techniques.
Lian Tianji’s spirit was gradually drawn into the scene. Finally, he saw the man in the portrait suddenly unleash a punch toward him from across the void.
Bang!
A muffled sound seemed to echo through the air.
Lian Tianji abruptly stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with fury as he stared fixedly at the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait.
Seeing him frozen in place and motionless, everyone assumed he had become deeply engrossed in the portrait, trying to decipher its mysterious Martial Arts.
Li Xuelian, standing nearby, calmly explained, “My father’s goal is to select disciples with unwavering willpower and extraordinary courage. That is why anyone who contemplates the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait will confront their deepest fears.”
“Only by steeling their spirit and overcoming one’s inner weaknesses can they comprehend the portrait’s secrets.”
Hearing this, the crowd was stunned once more. They turned curious gazes toward the motionless Lian Tianji, wondering what he might be seeing.
At this very moment, in Lian Tianji’s eyes, the world around him shifted and transformed. He had unknowingly returned to his classroom, as if the art exhibition, Li Xuelian, and the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait had all faded from his memory.
The homeroom teacher was standing at the podium, announcing the results of the previous Monthly Exam.
But as the teacher began listing the top students, Lian Tianji did not hear his name called.
Not in the top ten…
Not in the top twenty…
Not even in the top fifty…
As the announced scores grew lower and lower, Lian Tianji’s heart pounded with increasing anxiety.
At the exhibition, Li Xuelian watched Lian Tianji, who was still engrossed in studying the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait, and announced, “The Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait can be contemplated by multiple people at once. Any other young heroes who are interested, please come forward.”
Qian Shen exchanged glances with the other students around him, and they all moved toward the portrait.
At the same time, other young people who had come to contemplate the portrait also began to walk over.
Zhang Yu glanced at Zhou Tianyi beside him and asked curiously, “Aren’t you going to give it a try?”
Zhou Tianyi chuckled and shrugged. “I’m just here to watch the fun. I’d rather not go up and humiliate myself.”
Zhang Yu then turned to Bai Zhenzhen, who stood nearby. “What about you? You aren’t going either?”
Bai Zhenzhen glanced toward the portrait and replied calmly, “I’m still hesitating.”
Zhang Yu asked, “Hesitating about what?”
Bai Zhenzhen said, “I don’t want to find myself a Master.”
In her heart, she thought, Becoming a disciple means signing a contract with that True Person Starfire, which probably is some kind of indenture contract.
Bai Zhenzhen sighed inwardly. Not to mention other things… Just choosing a university and a major would probably be under his control. I’d end up owing a mountain of debt, and who knows how they calculate the interest…
Hearing Bai Zhenzhen’s hesitation, Zhang Yu immediately said, “Well, if you don’t master this martial art, then you just don’t have to become True Person Starfire’s disciple.”
Zhang Yu looked toward the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait and smiled faintly. “This is a martial art left behind by a Golden Core Expert. Even if it is meant for the Qi Refining Stage, it would cost at least tens of thousands of yuan if we bought the usage rights ourselves. We have a chance to learn it for free, so why not take it?”
“If you don’t want to be True Person Starfire’s disciple, then at worst, you just won’t master this martial art today.”
Zhao Tianxing, standing nearby, secretly rolled his eyes. He felt that Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were both incredibly arrogant. He subtly moved a few steps away, fearing onlookers would mistake him for one of these conceited fools.
Bai Zhenzhen stared at Zhang Yu speechlessly, thinking, What kind of pressure did those small loan platforms put on Yu Zi to drive him to this state of mind? Just how vicious were their debt collectors?
Zhou Tianyi chuckled. “You have a point. It’s free to try and comprehend it anyway. Let’s give it a shot together.”
Zhao Tianxing, however, refused the offer from Zhang Yu and Zhou Tianyi. Just imagining himself trying to comprehend the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait in public while wearing his security guard uniform or waiter’s attire was mortifying.
But watching Zhang Yu’s back as he walked forward, Zhao Tianxing suddenly found himself admiring the man’s brazenness.
Just then, the walkie-talkie clipped to Zhao Tianxing’s belt crackled to life. The Security Guard Captain barked, “What the hell are you doing? You’re a security guard. Who let him abandon his post to study the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait? Get him back here immediately.”
Zhao Tianxing was drenched in sweat from the scolding. He shouted as he ran forward, determined to drag Zhang Yu back.
As Zhao Tianxing drew closer to the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait, the figure within the painting gradually sharpened, and waves of laughter erupted from the crowd.
Zhao Tianxing turned to see everyone in the art gallery watching him. They were pointing, whispering, and mocking the audacity of a mere security guard daring to comprehend the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait.
Amidst the jeers of the crowd, Zhao Tianxing slowly came to a halt, utterly mortified and at a loss. He fidgeted, scratching his head and tugging at his ear, unsure even how to stand.
Meanwhile, as Zhang Yu and his companions approached the Heavenly Being Martial Arts Portrait, the blurry figure within the painting gradually solidified. It transformed into a stern-faced middle-aged man who finally unleashed a phantom punch toward them.
Bai Zhenzhen’s vision darkened momentarily, and her phone began to vibrate violently.
She picked it up and saw a debt collection text from a loan platform.
“Regarding your overdue ‘Owe-It Loan’ debt, our repeated collection attempts have been unsuccessful and your failure to pay is a severe violation. Please settle your debt within three days of receiving this message. Failure to do so will result in legal action…”
[Note: The loan’s name, ‘欠呗’ (Qiàn Bei), is a pun. ‘欠’ (qiàn) means ‘to owe,’ and the name is a play on ‘花呗’ (Huā Bei), a very popular real-world credit service in China. The translated name ‘Owe-It’ attempts to capture this wordplay.]
“Continued delinquency will trigger a background investigation in your registered location…”
“You deadbeat. Are you willing to lose all face over such a small debt? Why don’t you and your whole family go collect bottles for a living instead?”
The collection messages grew increasingly brazen, evolving from simple payment reminders to all-encompassing insults, curses, and threats.
Bai Zhenzhen stared at the endless stream of collection texts on her phone, her forehead slick with sweat and her body tense. Then, her phone began to ring.
But as she watched the phone ring incessantly, she hesitated to answer.
Yet, even without her doing anything, the call was automatically answered.
Under her terrified gaze, a cold male voice came through the phone.
“Due to your credit fraud and overdue payment, you have committed a serious breach of contract. Your location has been pinpointed via the Heavenly Net. If you fail to settle your debt within three days, a Lightning Tribulation will descend upon you…”
A low rumble of thunder echoed.
Bai Zhenzhen jerked her head up, seeing flickers of lightning ominously gathering in the sky above her.