Mythical Scroll Artist: Starting with the God of Wealth, Zhao Gongming

Chapter 258 The Emperor's Daughter Sparrow - Jingwei
Xu Cunxin listened attentively, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"A little bird, daring to fill the ocean?" Xu Cunxin didn't understand.

"Why not?" Wu Xian asked with a smile. "If one day isn't enough, then two days; if one year isn't enough, then two years, a thousand years, ten thousand years—there will always be a day when it's filled."

Xu Cunxin hesitated, "This story... seems to be about me."

Wu Xian neither confirmed nor denied, "That's also why I'm willing to pass this idea on to you."

"The concept of the scroll?" Xu Cunxin's expression was strange. "Please forgive my ignorance, but in my opinion, it is just a simple story with a little metaphor."

"That means you haven't grasped the core spirit of this story yet," Wu Xian said with a smile.

"The core of the spirit?" Xu Cunxin frowned. "Persistence?"

“Yes and no,” Wu Xian teased, “You probably think this story is too simple as a picture scroll concept, and doesn’t even have a power setting, right?”

Xu Cunxin nodded slightly.

"But in my opinion, this little bird's thoughts have already filled the ocean!" Wu Xian smiled, his eyes narrowed.

"Thoughts?"

In a daze, Xu Cunxin vaguely realized something.

“There’s a saying: ‘The bigger your heart, the bigger your world.’” Wu Xian continued, “Although I don’t understand the concept behind your Holy Spirit Scroll, in my opinion, what you lack is precisely this kind of profound thing.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Cunxin felt a chill run down her spine, as if she had grasped something but hadn't quite grasped it.

“In my view, whether it is the soul, the spirit of the painting, or the holy spirit, they all cannot bypass the construction of the spiritual core,” Wu Xian said, emphasizing each word. “And this is the core of how the laws of heaven and earth nurture all spirits.”

At that moment, Xu Cunxin suddenly realized the truth, and her mind became clear.

With unprecedented respect and gratitude, he bowed deeply to Wu Xian, saying, "Thank you for your teachings, Master!"

Wu Xian waved his hand and smiled, "This is the task I'm leaving you, and also a small test. Come on, try to come up with this little bird and try to incorporate your own understanding of the story."

"it is good."

Xu Cunxin nodded respectfully, took out her drawing tools, and began to draw a sketch.

Unfortunately, before it even began, Wu Xian interrupted, "Don't use any materials or paints that have spiritual power. At least until your sketch satisfies your teacher, don't let any spiritual power get involved."

"Ok."

Although Xu Cunxin didn't quite understand, she obediently did as she was told.

Generally speaking, spiritual intervention can often help scroll painters better refine their scroll designs and save a great deal of time.

For example, practice drawing paper and paint contain certain spiritual substances and power.

Although it is impossible to condense the entire work into a scroll, one can still feel the wonderful spiritual changes that occur during the process of sketching and drawing.

But Master had his reasons for asking her to do this.

For a moment, Xu Cunxin felt as if she had returned to the days when she was a child and was learning to paint under the guidance of her grandfather.

Soon after, the first draft was completed, and a note was sent out for your perusal.

“Let’s start over,” Wu Xian shook his head and sighed. “I’ve already said, try to incorporate your own understanding. This little story of yours is just a simple framework and prototype.”

Xu Cunxin smiled awkwardly, took a deep breath, and started drawing again.

Soon, sketches began to emerge from Xu Cunxin's brush.

With Wu Xian's subtle guidance, Jingwei's image gradually became more perfect.

“Great, now we can start trying to anthropomorphize it.”

Wu Xian smiled and narrowed his eyes, signaling Xu Cunxin to continue.

"Anthropomorphism?"

“Don’t forget, she used to be a little girl,” Wu Xian teased. “Whatever you think she looks like, that’s what she looks like. Feel it with your heart.” Xu Cunxin fell into a brief moment of contemplation, her eyes flickering uncertainly.

After a long while, I picked up my brush and began to paint. My whole being was inexplicably calm, and I entered a mysterious state.

Unbeknownst to them, against the backdrop of a turbulent and surging sea, a graceful girl with flowing long hair and wings on her back slowly emerged, with a small bird with a flower-headed head, white beak, red claws, and a determined look flying beside her.

The girl's appearance bore a resemblance to Xu Cunxin herself.

Everything was developing in the direction Wu Xian had predicted.

"Is this... just my imagination?"

As the drawing neared completion, Xu Cunxin was suddenly jolted awake from that mysterious state. In the dim light, it seemed as if a faint trace of the laws of heaven and earth was converging on the drawing paper.

Yes, without any spiritual intervention, this painting actually triggered the laws of heaven and earth.

Wu Xian naturally noticed this as well, and with a glint in his eyes, he said, "Its name: Jingwei! Also known as the Imperial Daughter Sparrow!"

"what?"

Amidst her surprise and doubt, Xu Cunxin seemed to understand something. She immediately transformed the thoughts in her mind into a concept and, suppressing the trembling in her heart, named it.

For some reason, I feel that the name "Empress Sparrow - Jingwei" is incredibly fitting.

The idea condensed in the sea of ​​consciousness, and the painting before my eyes was put to use, with wisps of peaceful ripples of heaven and earth surging in from all directions.

The blood and soul within his body surged into the painting, making the lifeless artwork shine brilliantly.

"This...this is...?!"

Xu Cunxin gasped in shock, her face filled with awe and excitement. She quickly calmed herself down and focused on experiencing this magnificent process of condensation.

Soon, the laws of heaven and earth converged, and dazzling divine light swirled around them.

A scroll, condensed from blood and qi, appeared at one end of the painting paper, with the laws of heaven and earth transforming into flying golden threads to frame it.

Wu Xian watched all of this with a look of satisfaction; this was his "little test."

As it turned out, his test was successful.

Xu Cunxin is indeed a perfect fit for the mythical figure Jingwei.

In the myths and legends of the past, the divine bird Jingwei seemed to have little fighting power, but that did not mean it was incapable of possessing great divine power.

In his view, the spirit of Jingwei filling the sea is the source of Jingwei's power. With the addition of the background of being the daughter of Emperor Yan and the label of "Emperor's Daughter Sparrow", Jingwei's power can completely break through the heavens.

From a certain perspective, from this moment on, Xu Cunxin became his first true personal disciple.

"How do you feel?" Wu Xian asked with a smile in his eyes.

Xu Cunxin looked at the ancient, blood-red scroll of destiny before her, and then at her master who was only eighteen years old. Her heart remained unsettled for a long time.

She never imagined that one day she would be able to create a legendary ancient scroll painting.

At this moment, his respect and gratitude towards Wu Xian reached their peak, and he couldn't help but bow deeply to Wu Xian again, saying, "I will never forget the kindness of my master in imparting the Dao."

"From now on, you will be the eldest sister under my tutelage," Wu Xian said with a smile. "When you have time, you can give some pointers to your two junior brothers and sisters."

"Disciple, please remember this."

"As for the defects in your Holy Spirit Scroll, I suppose they have already been resolved," Wu Xian said.

Xu Cunxin nodded excitedly, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Master also has ancient scroll painting techniques, right?"

In his view, the person who could guide her in creating ancient scroll paintings must also possess ancient scroll painting skills.

Wu Xian smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Xu Cunxin took a deep breath, her heart filled with emotion. Meeting her master, Wu Xian, was undoubtedly the greatest honor of her life.

(End of this chapter)