Chapter 570: Chapter 570
"DING! Congratulations, Host, for occupying the Void Domain. Your sign-in reward is the Saintly Weapon, ’Edge-Render Sword’!"
In the Imperial Capital, Qin Wudao couldn’t help but shake his head upon hearing the notification in his mind.
A Saintly Weapon as a reward for occupying an Ancient-level Domain! The System is getting stingier!
Qin Wudao muttered to himself, "It seems I can only count on the rewards from the three Saintly Domains!"
Ever since he launched a campaign against the three Holy Lands, numerous Domains had been incorporated into the territory of the Great Qin Saint’s Court daily, providing multiple sign-in opportunities. Without exception, the treasures rewarded by the System were not what he wanted! He also understood that as the power of the Great Qin was strengthened, the rewards for occupying ordinary Domains could no longer provide him with effective help.
He could only hope that by occupying a Saintly Domain, the Nine Provinces Cauldron would be his sign-in reward!
"DING! Congratulations, Host, for occupying the Saint Heaven Realm. Your sign-in reward is the Music Saint, Yu Boya. Do you want to summon him?"
"DING! Congratulations, Host, for occupying the Saint Forest Realm. Your sign-in reward is the Chess Saint, Yan Ziqing. Do you want to summon him?"
"DING! Congratulations, Host, for occupying the Golden Tripod Realm. Your sign-in reward is the Painting Saint, Wu Daozi. Do you want to summon him?"
But soon, Qin Wudao’s wish came to naught. It only confirmed one thing: the more you want something, the less likely you are to get it. Among the rewards from the three great Holy Lands, there was still no trace of the Nine Provinces Cauldron.
Should I continue the attack? Qin Wudao massaged his temples, falling into deep thought. If he didn’t seal the world’s rift, he would always be uneasy. To put it bluntly, he lacked a sense of security! But even after occupying hundreds of Domains and receiving hundreds of sign-in rewards, he had still been unable to summon the Nine Provinces Cauldron. If he continued to attack the remaining Holy Lands, would it finally appear?
Forget it. Let’s just stick to the plan and advance steadily! After some thought, Qin Wudao abandoned the idea of further military action.
He couldn’t disrupt the current rhythm for an unknown danger. Everything had two sides. If he chose to continue attacking, he might still fail to obtain the Nine Provinces Cauldron, even after occupying the entire primitive continent. By adhering to the established development plan and focusing on strengthening national power, the Great Qin Saint’s Court might already possess the ability to face the battle when powerhouses from other worlds descended.
He had no idea which would come first—danger or opportunity!
"System, summon them all!" After making up his mind, Qin Wudao commanded inwardly.
The clear sky suddenly roiled with storm clouds. Three vast and mysterious auras descended from the Nine Heavens, causing numerous phenomena and occupying the eastern, southern, and northern sectors of the Imperial Capital!
In the east, a man in a long robe emerged from a painted landscape, strumming a jade zither, its ethereal music echoing between Heaven and Earth, captivating all who heard it.
In the south, the power of the Void descended, black and white profound light suffused the world, coalescing into a ten-thousand-zhang chessboard. It was filled with black and white chess pieces, as mysterious and ever-changing as the stars.
In the north, a scholar appeared holding a writing brush. With the blue sky as his paper and the white clouds as his ink, he painted an incomparably exquisite, world-astonishing divine work.
Music, chess, and painting—three of the Four Arts are already here. How could I, calligraphy, be absent? Elsewhere, in a certain courtyard, Wang Xizhi, who was practicing calligraphy, looked up and smiled. He picked up his brush, dipped it lightly in ink, and waved it towards the Void.
On the western horizon of the Imperial Capital, the Dao of Calligraphy manifested, evolving into a pavilion where forty-one refined scholars were drinking wine and composing poems. Their poems were compiled into a collection, for which one among them extemporaneously brushed a preface.
Music, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting! The Four Arts were now complete! Countless rays of Law light surged skyward, and three ’new’ Daos manifested in the world.
Inside the Imperial Study, three figures bowed respectfully. "Your subjects, Yu Boya, Yan Ziqing, and Wu Daozi, greet Your Majesty!"
On the far left stood Yu Boya, dressed in magnificent robes. He possessed an elegant demeanor, seemingly one with all creation and in communion with the spirits. In his hands, he held an ancient seven-stringed guqin, from which melodious tunes could be faintly heard drifting, their range broad, their timbre deep, and their resonance far-reaching.
In the center was Yan Ziqing, whose appearance was ordinary, easily lost in a crowd. Only his eyes were exceptionally profound, capable of perceiving all things. He possessed both grand, world-transcending strategies and meticulous, worldly schemes.
On the far right was Wu Daozi, white-haired and always wearing a smile. He resembled a kindly, approachable old neighbor, showing no trace of the demeanor one might expect from a Painting Saint.
"Please rise," Qin Wudao said, raising his hand and inspecting the information about the three with keen interest. To be called a ’Saint’ meant they had reached a pinnacle, a level ordinary people could not touch!
Cultivation: Peak of the Ten-thousand-year Emperor Realm
Cultivation Technique: ’Fairy Music Secret’
Divine Skill: High Mountains and Flowing Water ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel(ꜰ)ire.net
Brief Introduction: A native of Yingdu, capital of the Chu State during the Spring and Autumn Period, he served as a high minister in the Jin State and learned the guqin from Master Cheng Lian. He mastered various playing techniques, but his teacher felt that his performances often lacked deep understanding and spiritual resonance, failing to truly move the listener. To cultivate Boya into a true guqin master, Master Cheng Lian took him to Penglai Mountain in the East China Sea and then rowed away, leaving him alone. Ten days passed, and Master Cheng Lian had not returned. As Boya gazed out from the island at the vast sea, listening to the crashing waves, inspiration struck. In a single burst of creativity, he composed the piece known as ’High Mountains and Flowing Water’.
Cultivation: Peak of the Ten-thousand-year Emperor Realm
Cultivation Technique: ’Chess Duel Secret’
Divine Skill: Thirty-Six Killing Stratagems
Brief Introduction: A famous folk Go player from the Eastern Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. A kinsman of Ju, the Commandant of Guards of Wu, he was unparalleled in Go and revered as the Chess Saint.
Cultivation: Peak of the Ten-thousand-year Emperor Realm
Cultivation Technique: ’Danqing Wonderful Brush Secret’
Title: Painting Saint
Divine Skills: ’Sending Son Heavenly King Picture’, ’Emperor Ming Accepting the Seal Picture’, ’Ten Fingers Zhong Kui Picture’
Brief Introduction: A renowned painter of the Tang Dynasty, honored in art history as the Painting Saint. During the Kaiyuan era, he was summoned to the imperial court for his artistic talents, later serving as a Court Painter and Inner Protocol Doctor. He excelled in painting Buddhist and Daoist themes, gods and ghosts, figures, landscapes, birds and beasts, flora, and architecture. He was particularly masterful in Buddhist/Daoist subjects and figures, and was highly skilled in mural creation.
"Issue an edict!" Qin Wudao commanded majestically. "Confer upon Yu Boya, Yan Ziqing, and Wu Daozi the titles of Second-Rank Imperial Attendants and Grand Academicians. They are to impart the Great Dao and thereby invigorate the cultural spirit of Great Qin!"
Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were crucial components of Huaxia culture. He firmly believed that they should also shine brilliantly in this world.
"Emperor Hun Tian! This humble monk has come for revenge!" boomed a furious voice. "Show yourself at once, or this humble monk shall slaughter everyone in the Eternal Temple and flatten the Endless Cliff!"
Above the Eternal Temple, a boundless sea of Buddhist light appeared. Vaguely, one could discern countless Buddhist experts standing within, their eyes wide and bulging, their expressions as fierce and formidable as Vajras.
Wisdom Absolute Buddha strode through the Void, roaring in anger. His towering, immense body was half golden, half black. The Laws of Buddha and Demon surged into the sky, unleashing terrifying might that covered the heavens and earth, enveloping the cosmos.
The entire Middle Region trembled violently!
Countless experts suddenly looked up, their faces etched with worry.
Just when it seemed the Great Qin Saint’s Court’s war in the Middle Region was ending and a period of tranquility was about to begin, they hadn’t expected the Buddhists to launch an assault on the Eternal Temple’s headquarters.