Cultivating Immortality from the Book of Life and Death

Chapter 221 Painting Ghosts. (Second Update!)

Holding this ordinary-looking purple brush, Zheng Que suddenly had an extremely strong illusion, as if he was holding not a brush, but a complete soul.

Now, he can shape the appearance of this soul simply by putting pen to paper!

In a flash, Zheng Que immediately shook his head slightly, silently reminding himself to keep a calm mind.

Then, he looked at the blank drawing paper in front of him and began to draw without hesitation...

brush brush...

Zheng Que drew quickly and decisively. He first drew a vertical rectangle, then drew a circle above the rectangle to represent the head. Next, he drew four line segments at each of the four corners of the rectangle. The two line segments at the top were the arms, and the two line segments at the bottom were the legs.

As for complex features like eyes, nose, and mouth, he couldn't draw them...

Anyway, what I'm drawing now is a ghost, not a human, so it's perfectly normal that it doesn't have facial features.

After swiftly and neatly finishing the main body of the ghost, Zheng Que calmly switched to holding the brush with his left hand, while his right hand quietly ventured into the painting.

After his right hand entered the drawing paper, it touched the center of the rectangle.

Immediately, Zheng Que took a deep breath, and his spiritual power circulated rapidly within his body. The next moment, a neat and complex rune appeared on the palm of his right hand.

The moment this rune appeared, it exuded an extremely mysterious aura, as if it were about to leap out of the painting.

These are runes that condense the gavel!

Without hesitation, Zheng Que immediately began to trace the rune that appeared on his right hand, using the [Soul Eater Ink Soldier] to meticulously draw it stroke by stroke...

Ten breaths later, he put down his pen, his forehead already covered in a fine layer of sweat.

Given his current cultivation level, activating the runes on the gavel still consumes a lot of spiritual energy, so he needs to rest and recover some of it.

After a short while, Zheng Que felt better, so he activated the runes on the gavel again and continued to draw.

As time passed, the neatly structured yet incredibly complex runes that made up the gavel gradually emerged as Zheng Que copied them.

※※※

In a corner of the bamboo grove, a figure in a yellow dress stands in front of a painting, intently putting brush to paper.

At this moment, a hideous ghost appeared on the scroll. Its body was bluish-black and humanoid, but it had twenty-eight arms, thirty-six legs, three heads, and a long tail covered with barbs.

Every detail of the ghost has been meticulously drawn, and every detail is exquisite, making it lifelike. Although it is not yet finished, the fierce, violent, and bizarre aura is already overwhelming, as if it could burst out of the painting at any moment and devour people.

The figure in the ivory-yellow dress painted while admiring her artwork with great satisfaction.

The ink stick at the fifth level of Qi Refining drew the ghosts of the fifth level of the [Tongue-Pulling Hell].

Its twenty-eight arms are both offensive and defensive, and the skin of each arm is outlined with fine and solid scales using silver powder, enough to withstand the power of refined iron; its thirty-six legs allow it to maintain better balance and continue attacking while moving and turning. Compared to humans who only have two legs to walk, it is more rational, faster, and more functional!
Three heads are equivalent to having three lives.

Furthermore, this ghost also needs to have a mouth on its back, so it doesn't need to turn around to eat...

Thinking this, the figure in the ivory-yellow dress painted even more diligently. That human cultivator was merely at the Qi Refining stage; yet he dared to challenge her to a painting contest, so his painting skills must be extremely superb!

If it were truly a competition of painting skills, to see who could paint better and more expressively, she really wouldn't have much confidence.

After all, more than a hundred years ago, there was another person who, like this human cultivator, had fought her in a painting contest...

However, this human cultivator is still young, so this time the competition is about who can draw the more powerful ghost.

This is her specialty!
No matter how beautiful, charming, or evocative the ghosts drawn by this human cultivator are, they will ultimately be no match for her!
The grudge from over a hundred years ago can finally be avenged!
※※※

Amidst the swaying branches and leaves, the sound of waves, and the alternating light and shadow, Zheng Que was covered in sweat, his clothes mostly soaked, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. He stared at the drawing paper in front of him, where the rune representing the gavel had been completely copied into the rectangular body.

Just as he gritted his teeth and made the last stroke, the ugly-looking ghost in the painting suddenly moved its limbs, as if it had come to life!
Zheng Que was taken aback. The ink in the [Soul Eater Ink Soldier] was not completely used up. Under normal circumstances, the ghost in the painting should not have taken shape yet.

In a flash, he immediately withdrew his right hand, which had been resting on the painting, and then quickly recovered his spiritual power.

If it weren't for his current cultivation level, which has reached the seventh level of Qi Refining, he wouldn't be able to withstand such a drain.

Fortunately, the runes on the gavel have now been drawn. All that's left is to use up the remaining ink in the [Soul Eater Ink Soldier].

While he was pondering, he had recovered some of his spiritual power. He immediately switched the brush back to his right hand and casually drew a few curves above the ghost's head in the painting, which could be considered the ghost's hair.

Soon, all the ink in the [Food Soul Ink Soldier] was used up.

The ghostly figures in the painting began to move slowly, as if they had gained their own consciousness.

Zheng Que put down the [Soul Eater Ink Weapon], reached into the painting again, and gently tapped the gavel rune on the ghost in the painting.

Boom!
Zheng Que seemed to hear a crisp sound. His fingers, which were tapping the gavel with runes, seemed to touch something cold and solid. Apart from that, there was nothing else unusual.

The ghost in the painting that was struck did not react at all, whether because its movements were too slow or for some other reason. However, the rune on the gavel inside its body dimmed slightly.

Seeing this, Zheng Que breathed a sigh of relief. What he had just heard was the sound of the gavel!

Of course, it's still far from being as powerful as the gavel he wielded himself.

But it's definitely enough to deal with the ghosts at the fifth level of the [Tongue-Pulling Hell]!

Thinking of this, Zheng Que nodded in satisfaction.

In fact, he had another way to win over the figure in the yellow dress, which was to directly bestow an imperial decree upon the ghost he had drawn.

However, the figure in the yellow dress had already dodged his imperial decree once and guessed his method. If she continued to use the decree now, the other party would definitely deny it!

Therefore, to be on the safe side, it's better to use the inscription on the gavel...

With this thought in mind, Zheng Que immediately said, "I've finished drawing!"

(End of this chapter)