NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 270.2
Looking at the painting again, it has completely transformed.
In the painting, the once withering chrysanthemums, each supporting the other, seemed to be clad in golden armor, standing proudly like warriors, their fierce aura piercing the sky.
Even the wind and rain falling from the sky seemed to be scattered by this powerful aura.
In the world, only the chrysanthemums remained!
Such dominance!
“This…” The Master Painter was greatly astonished.
He was not only surprised by how Lin Beifan’s few strokes had changed the painting’s artistic conception.
He was even more amazed that the painting incorporated a murderous intent and sword intent. Each chrysanthemum represented a sword intent, rising to the sky to confront and ultimately defeat the Falling Flower Rain Sword Technique.
To confront the forces of nature with the fragile body of a chrysanthemum and emerge victorious?
“How did you achieve this?” the Master Painter couldn’t help but ask.“One flower, one world. One leaf, one Tathagata.”
Lin Beifan put down his brush and smiled, “Each of these flowers is like a world! I use the power of these worlds to fight against the natural forces within the world. How could I not prevail?”
The Master Painter was taken aback. This rationale made sense.
Whether it’s the world within a flower or the outside world, a world encompasses everything and infinitely vast.
Human abilities are limited, life is finite, and to see through a world is no easy feat.
Perhaps, only the legendary Great Grandmasters or Earthly Immortals could achieve such a feat.
And now, the other party had used a flower as the prototype to paint the embryonic form of a world, reversing the great natural forces, which was truly terrifying!
Anyway, it was something he couldn’t achieve.
He didn’t know if he could ever paint a world in his lifetime.
“Your painting skills surpass mine!” the Master Painter said with sincere admiration.
“You flatter me!” Lin Beifan snapped open his paper fan.
Afterward, the Master Painter continued to seek guidance, and the two enjoyed a lively discussion.
The Master Painter was extremely happy. He had pursued the art of painting all his life but rarely found a companion. For over a hundred years, he had been lonely, thinking he would carry this regret to his grave.
But just before his time was coming to an end, he met a kindred spirit whose realm in painting far exceeded his own.
The two engaged in a battle of brushes, a clash of ideas, fighting a spirited battle.
The Master Painter exhaled deeply, his face full of satisfaction.
It was incredibly exhilarating and satisfying!
“Your Majesty, why do you understand painting so deeply at such a young age?”
Lin Beifan waved his hand nonchalantly and said, “I don’t know much about painting, but I have some understanding of the Dao! The Dao is the beginning of all things and also their end! Once you understand the Dao, one principle unlocks all others; there’s nothing that can’t be seen through.”
“I see I have learned something new!” the Master Painter bowed in acknowledgment.
“Anyway Master Painter…”
The Master Painter waved his hands dismissively, “No, no… I dare not claim to be a master in front of you!”
Lin Beifan was taken aback, “Then what should I call you?”
“Just call me Old Li!” The Master Painter said with an easy smile.
“My secular name is Li, with the given name Ruyu and the style name Zhihua. But over time, only the name Zhihua has remained in use!”
Lin Beifan frowned, “Wouldn’t calling you Old Li be too disrespectful? After all, you’re old enough to be my ancestor!”
“What’s the issue? When it comes to making friends, what matters to me is the connection of hearts, not age! Besides…”
The Master Painter pointed at Sword Elder and Peerless Spear Immortal next to him, teasingly saying, “You’ve already taken two grandfathers as disciples! If it weren’t for my thin skin and old age, I’d join in the fun too!”
“Actually, it’s not impossible…”
The Master Painter raised an eyebrow, “Hmm?”
“Haha! Just kidding!”
Lin Beifan laughed heartily. “Old Li, how about we have a few drinks to celebrate our rare connection?”
“Great! When you find a kindred spirit, even a thousand cups of wine are not enough. Let’s drink to our heart’s content today!” The Master Painter said, his face glowing red with excitement.
“Bring the wine!” Lin Beifan called out.
Immediately, several jars of fine wine were brought forth.
Master Painter opened one of the jars and took a deep sniff, “How fragrant! What a fine wine!”
But the next second, he began to feel heartache, “Your Majesty, did you use my precious flowers again to brew this wine?”
“Just a little bit!” Lin Beifan gestured with two fingers.
“Just a little bit?”
The Master Painter said with a pained expression, “I can smell the scent of Baby’s Breath, July Scholar Red, and Mandala Flowers in this wine… Goodness, at least leave me some, you’ve nearly picked them all!”
“Actually, I did this for your own good!”
“For my good?” The Master Painter was dumbfounded.
“Of course!”
Lin Beifan said proudly, “Do you know why your painting skills haven’t improved over the years?”
“Why exactly…” The Master Painter looked over with a seeking gaze.
“Because you pursue perfection too much!”
Lin Beifan said with a smile, “In your paintings, you strive for thoroughness and purity in every aspect. But remember, the Great Dao has fifty, but Heaven’s operation has forty-nine. Even the heavens aren’t perfect, so what makes you think you can achieve perfection?”
The Master Painter fell into deep thought.
If Lin Beifan had been an ordinary Emperor, he would have simply smiled dismissively and not taken it seriously.
But since the other party had already proven his ability in painting, he couldn’t just ignore it.
Could it be that his lack of progress was because of his pursuit of perfection?
But is perfection wrong?
At that moment, Lin Beifan continued, “Perfection is one kind of beauty, but imperfection is also beautiful! The moon has phases of waxing and waning, and each scene has its own beauty! By only chasing the most complete, you miss out on other beauties! So, it’s better to let go, and you’ll discover that you gain much more!”
After hearing this, the Master Painter seemed to have an epiphany and respectfully asked for advice, “Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. I have learned a lot! But knowing the person without knowing the reason, what do you think I should do?”
“Just as the saying goes, ‘A myriad of flowers can dazzle the eyes!'”
Lin Beifan said righteously, “So, bring all your flowers to me, and I’ll help you brew them! Freed from the entanglement of flowers, your path forward will naturally clear up!”
The Master Painter: “…”
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