Goddess Painting

Secret Chamber on the Back Mountain of Tian Shu Peak

Qin Feng sat cross-legged.

Between his two fingers, he held the crimson pill with magma-like patterns flowing across its surface—a top-grade fifth-tier Divine Fire Refining Pill!

"Fifth-tier pills..."

Qin Feng lowered his eyes, looking at the pills, without the slightest hesitation in his heart.

Tilt your head back and swallow!

"boom--!!!"

The moment the pill entered the stomach, it didn't need to be refined at all. Instantly, it transformed into a roaring ancient fire dragon, rushing down the throat with an overbearing will to incinerate everything, straight to the dantian!

pain!

Excruciating pain that pierces to the bone and chills the soul!

In that instant, Qin Feng felt as if he had swallowed a red-hot iron, and his internal organs were sizzling and moaning under the terrifying heat!

"Ugh!!"

Qin Feng grunted, his jaw clenched, and the veins on his forehead bulged like writhing dragons, throbbing wildly beneath his reddened skin.

"Refine it for me!!"

He roared like a wild beast in his heart.

Deep within the dantian, the dormant, colorless ball of energy seemed to sense the host's crisis and madness, and suddenly shuddered before beginning to spin wildly!

Waaaaah—!

Water, fire, wood, poison!

The four sacred spiritual roots shone brightly, like four pillars stabilizing the sea, firmly suppressing the violent medicinal power that was trying to burst Qin Feng's body, forcibly pressing it into his meridians and integrating it into his flesh and blood!

Chi Chi Chi!

That wasn't the sound of spiritual energy flowing; it was the sound of divine fire forging flesh and blood!

Qin Feng's skin, which originally had a faint glow, suddenly became as translucent as ruby, and his bones and meridians were clearly visible!

Under the ravages of this divine fire, wisps of black impurities hidden deep within the bone marrow turned into black smoke and were forcibly expelled from the body!

The jade-like body was passively revealed!

But that's not enough!

Divine fire is like a hammer, and flesh is made of iron!

Every heartbeat is like a heavy blow!

"Just a little bit more... that bottleneck..."

Qin Feng's consciousness was somewhat hazy, but he could clearly feel that his physical body was undergoing a qualitative leap, like a piece of stubborn iron transforming into refined steel!

"Snap!"

It was as if some invisible shackles within his body had been forcibly burned away by this tyrannical divine fire.

The jade's luster, which was originally somewhat superficial, quickly subsided in the raging flames, and its originally dazzling white color became deeper and more profound, like an ancient jade that had been tempered by ten thousand years of earth fire!

Its brilliance is understated, yet its charm arises naturally!

Boom!

The barrier of the fourth level of the Divine Power Realm was as fragile as paper in the face of this power.

Fifth level of Divine Power Realm!

There were no obstacles, and everything went smoothly!

"call……"

Qin Feng slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, which, when it hit the opposite stone wall, actually burned a black mark on it.

He slowly clenched his fist, feeling the terrifying power contained beneath that layer of ancient jade-like skin, enough to shatter mountains and split rocks.

"really!"

"Even the most powerful bodies have different levels!"

"Just now, my Jade Body... advanced! Its current defensive capabilities are probably enough to withstand even a high-grade true treasure!"

He now felt that he could withstand a full-force attack from an ordinary peak-level Divine Power Realm expert with his bare body and remain unharmed!

But Qin Feng did not stop.

He glanced at the last remaining pill in the jade bottle beside him.

"One more, please!!"

Qin Feng grabbed the second Divine Fire Refining Pill and stuffed it into his mouth again!

If anyone else were here, they would be scared out of their wits!

A top-grade fifth-tier pill!

That's for experts at the Meridian Opening Realm!

Even ordinary cultivators at the Divine Power Realm would have to carefully refine one pill for several days, and would need an elder to protect them, for fear of being overwhelmed by the medicinal power.

This guy actually ate it like candy?

And he ate two of them in a row?!

Are you looking for death?!

But this is the source of his confidence, given by his four sacred spiritual roots and colorless energy cluster!

boom--!

A second wave of heat exploded inside my body!

Although the body developed some drug resistance and the drug's effectiveness was reduced, this pure energy was still terrifyingly potent!

The meridians are roaring!

The blood and qi are boiling!

The pain of being repeatedly forged, torn, and reassembled by the divine fire struck again, but it gave Qin Feng a perverse sense of pleasure!

His foundation, which was originally somewhat unstable due to the rapid breakthrough, was now being smashed into a rock by this domineering divine fire!

Another half day has passed.

hum!

The sealed room shook violently, as if an earthquake had occurred!

Qin Feng's aura surged once again, directly breaking through the sixth level of the Divine Power Realm!

On the surface of his skin, the warm, jade-like luster had reached its peak, faintly tinged with a pale golden pattern, as if it had touched some more mysterious and profound barrier.

"bottleneck……"

Qin Feng clenched his fist, and the air in his palm exploded instantly with a crisp "crack" sound, like a thunderclap.

"The jade body is stuck."

"If I can break through this barrier... my physical body will undergo a true transformation! Perhaps I can achieve the legendary 'indestructible body'?"

Although it's a bit of a shame that we couldn't go any further in one go, this achievement is already enough to make us stand out from the crowd!

In just one day, he broke through two realms!

The foundation has not been damaged, but rather strengthened!

"Me now..."

Qin Feng stood up, but did not use any martial arts techniques; he simply threw a punch.

call--!

The force of the punch brought with it the sound of wind and thunder, and actually created a visible white shockwave in the air!

"If I were to unleash the 'Eight Desolations Suppressing Prison Force,' a fusion of three elements, I should be able to control it freely and avoid injury!"

"As for the four systems..."

Qin Feng narrowed his eyes, suppressing his eagerness to try.

Too dangerous.

He wouldn't try it unless absolutely necessary.

Qin Feng took a deep breath and lined up all the bottles and jars that Bai Ziyu had brought.

Third-tier Gathering Essence Pill! Fourth-tier Barrier Breaking Pill!

"Let's continue!"

"Tomorrow is the assessment, and I must face any unexpected events with the utmost perfection!"

……

In the secret chamber behind Yunjia Danfeng.

The night was deep and all was quiet.

The solitary lamp cast a long, thin shadow of Master Yunmu's hunched figure on the wall, making him appear exceptionally lonely.

After a long day of work, Yunmu dismissed all his servants and knelt on the prayer mat, looking tired but devout.

Before him was the portrait of Fairy Yunling.

The woman in the painting is ethereal and otherworldly, with a cool and aloof gaze, as if she is observing the vicissitudes of the world.

"Ancestor above, your unworthy descendant Yunmu has opened three furnaces today, and the success rate of the pills is acceptable. I have come to report to you..."

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

He kowtowed three times, each time with a deep, resounding thud that echoed across the ground.

After doing all this, Yunmu shakily got up and walked to the hidden compartment in the corner.

He skillfully cast a spell, and with a "click," the hidden compartment popped open.

Inside lies the Yun family's treasured heritage, which they cherish as their very lifeblood.

The alchemy manual personally engraved by Fairy Yunling, and the ancestral secret book that records the life and deeds of the ancestor.

This is also a daily routine for Yunmu, which he has maintained for decades without interruption.

As usual, he carefully reached out to pick up the bamboo scroll that was already somewhat yellowed.

however.

The moment his fingers touched the bamboo slip, his movements suddenly froze.

"Um?"

A hint of doubt flashed in his cloudy old eyes, as if he had seen something incredible.

Beneath the bamboo slip, a corner of yellowed Xuan paper was visible.

Paper?

Yunmu froze, his heart skipped a beat.

"I sealed this secret compartment myself; apart from notes and secret manuals, I've never kept anything else there..."

"Where did this paper come from?"

A strange chill crept up his spine, making him shiver involuntarily.

Could it be... that someone broke into the secret room?

impossible!

The outer barriers are intact!

With trembling, withered hands, he moved aside the bamboo slips and slowly pulled out the portrait that was pressed at the bottom.

Unfold.

By the dim candlelight, Yunmu took a closer look.

The portrait is painted with simple and elegant brushstrokes, and the artist's skill is extremely exquisite. With just a few strokes, the spirit of the subject is captured.

The painting depicts neither landscapes nor gods and demons, but rather...

An ordinary young man.

The man was dressed in a black robe, with handsome features and an indescribable sense of determination and composure in his eyes.

In the lower right corner of the portrait, there is a bright red seal that reads: [Yunling].

"The ancestor's own handwriting?!"

Yunmu's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the painting.

He rubbed his eyes hard, pressed his face against the painting to examine it closely, and even held his breath.

That's right!

The brushstrokes, the artistic conception, and especially the unique seal-like aura, carrying a faint fragrance of elixir, are definitely the genuine work of the ancestor, Fairy Yunling!

but……

"This is a ghost..."

Yunmu muttered to himself, feeling like his mind was a complete mess and his worldview was crumbling:

"I've guarded this secret compartment for sixty years... and I've never seen this painting before!"

"This painting...it's like it appeared out of nowhere!"

and……

The ancestor devoted her life to alchemy, never married, and was known for her aloofness and arrogance. She regarded all men as nothing and there was never any record of her having any relationship with any man!

Who is the man in this painting?

Am I getting senile?

Did you remember it wrong?

Or……

This portrait has always been there; I just didn't see it before because I was blind.

Yunmu frowned and subconsciously picked up the ancestral secret manual.

This book records the life of the old man, which he has long since memorized thoroughly, able to recite it backwards, and even the punctuation marks.

He turned the pages one by one, his fingers trembling slightly.

Everything in front of me was incredibly familiar.

Birth, learning skills, becoming famous, shaking the sect...

Until you turn to the last page...

Yunmu's pupils suddenly contracted, as if he had seen something extremely terrifying, and his breath stopped for a moment!

All that could be seen was the last passage that should have read, "The patriarch was betrayed, severely injured, and died in sorrow, passing away with resentment..."

Things have changed!

The original handwriting seemed to have been erased by some mysterious force, and in its place was a new line of small regular script that exuded an ancient aura:

Betrayed by a close friend, trapped in a desperate situation, his very essence depleted. Yet, in a final moment of clarity before death, he seemed to gain insight, and in his dying moments, he picked up a brush and painted a portrait of an unnamed man. Having completed the painting, he passed away with a smile. The meaning of this painting remains unknown, left to posterity through its transmission.

"boom!!"

Yunmu felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his mind, making him dizzy!

"It's changed... Has the memory changed? Or has the book changed?!"

He stared intently at the line of text, his fingers trembling and his knuckles turning white.

"That's not right! When I looked at it yesterday, it clearly said 'died with resentment'! Where did the portrait come from? Where did the nameless man come from? Where did the 'died with a smile' come from?"

"What...what on earth is going on?!"

Yunmu suddenly raised his head and looked at the portrait again.

In the dim light, the man's eyes in the painting seemed alive, gazing at him silently across thousands of years.

Surprising!

So weird!

An indescribable sense of fear enveloped Yunmu's entire body.

"Ancestor... are you manifesting your power?"

Yunmu was so frightened that he knelt down again and kowtowed frantically to the portrait. Cold sweat soaked his clothes, leaving a puddle on the floor.

What he didn't know was.

If someone who knows Qin Feng were standing here right now and saw this painting, they would be absolutely stunned!

Because of the man in the painting...

It's clearly Qin Feng!!