Yao Ancestor’s eyes flickered, and the trace of anger and discomfort in her heart also gradually disappeared. She observed Li Hao’s eyes, focused and pure, with no hint of lust, but rather like a simple admiration of beauty.
This kind of gaze brought a faint sense of joy to her heart.
It was utterly different from the covert looks of the Inner Sect Disciples who secretly peeked at her, including those of some Saint Heirs.
Yao Ancestor had previously heard of Qingfeng Pill Master but hadn’t taken it seriously. Even a high-level alchemist could offer her little help now, unless it was to refine pills for her disciples.
But now, she began to appreciate this Qingfeng Pill Master.
As time passed, the matches on the stage were fiercely contested, and the cheering from the spectators’ seats was loud. Amidst this noisy and lively environment, Li Hao felt as if he was sitting alone in the deep mountains, his entire being exuding a profound and serene tranquility.
He quietly painted, quietly watched.
Yao Ancestor had no interest in watching the disciples’ clashes. With her Divine Thought, she followed Li Hao’s brush strokes, watching as he drew her likeness.
After a long while, as the second round of bets among Lin Shanhai and others concluded, Li Hao also finished his second painting.
As Yao Ancestor’s figure vividly appeared on the white paper, experience prompts leaped before Li Hao’s eyes.
Artistic Path Experience +42320.
This time it was a solo painting and the second one, so the experience was clearly less, but still frightening.
The previous overflow of experience was over seventy thousand, and now with these forty-two thousand added, the one million experience needed to advance to the Ninth Stage was completed by a tenth in a blink of an eye!
Li Hao felt that once he had completely fleeced the wool off the three Semi-Saints, he could probably fill half a tube.
At this moment, the Yao Ancestor on the paper was even more beautiful and captivating than before. Although she stood still, with other figures in the environment around her, in Li Hao’s painting, she was alone, like a Qinglian on a snow mountain, quietly blooming her fragrance and beauty, exuding an ethereal and transcendent air.
Those ink-sketched eyes, with tranquility and a hint of faint sorrow, lingered like an unfading mist, breaking hearts and compelling lingering gazes.
Yao Ancestor gazed at her own image in the painting, somewhat lost.
Her outward appearance was calm as still water, but the painting revealed the emotions concealed within her heart.
The feeling was like someone had peeked into her soul.
Could he understand her worries?
Yao Ancestor was stunned for a moment, then quickly shifted her Divine Thought onto Li Hao, staring into his eyes.
“Yao Ancestor, your painting is finished.”
Li Hao finished the painting and, upon reviewing it, felt it was quite perfect. Although he knew that there might be room for improvement once his Artistic Path advanced, for now, this was the best he could achieve.
Yao Ancestor retracted her Divine Thought, and her voice became calm, “I have seen it. I will accept this painting and owe you a favor.”
With those words, the painting on Li Hao’s easel vanished into thin air.
Yao Ancestor stood there, motionless as if nothing had happened.
Li Hao couldn’t discern how she did it and felt a chill inside. Even just a Semi-Saint was beyond his comprehension, not to mention the need to take revenge on that Void Saint later.
“Yao Ancestor is too kind. I only gift my paintings to those who appreciate them, and I am glad you like it,” Li Hao communicated back.
Yao Ancestor did not respond, her gaze seemingly indifferent as it drifted toward the stage.
But her Divine Thought lingered high above, quietly watching over Li Hao.
Li Hao waited a moment, and upon seeing that she had no more messages, he picked up his brush again and continued to paint, this time including all three Semi-Saints in the artwork.
Yao Ancestor saw Li Hao resume painting and withdrew her Divine Thought, returning her attention to the stage.
However, she etched Li Hao’s visage into her mind.
As the battles on the stage continued to escalate, Li Hao completed his third painting.
This time, the experience dropped to around 120,000, still incredibly substantial.
Li Hao wasn’t surprised. Just as he thought to pick up the brush again, an authoritative male voice spoke in his mind:
“Just paint a little, don’t overdo it.”
Li Hao was startled, his gaze shifting to one of the Semi-Saints, the tall and imposing man.
The man’s eyes were sending a warning glance.
Seeing this, Li Hao could only send back a message, “My apologies for the offense, senior. Please forgive me.”
Drawing without others’ permission was indeed an overstep on his part. He sighed inwardly, realizing his opportunity to continue shearing their wool was gone. But Yao Ancestor would probably still be willing to sit for a portrait.
Rather than continuing to paint Yao Ancestor, Li Hao’s attention turned back to the stage below. He could seek her out for another portrait when she visited in the future. The grand event was also a rare scene worth capturing, and most importantly, he could use it to gather information on Cultivation Techniques.
He had missed some matches while painting before, but those who won would continue to compete, allowing him to see them later on.
“This time it’s Jing Feng. It’s said that when he was in the Grand Tao of Peace Realm, he condensed a Seven-layer Dao Domain, incredibly formidable. His swordsmanship has also reached a very high level. Now that he has reached the Tao Comprehension Realm, his renown is significant among the Inner Sect young talents. Do you think he can win all ten battles?”
Zhao Yingzhen recognized the young man defending the stage and spoke with a smile to Lin Shanhai and the others.
“A Seven-layer Dao Domain? That’s outdated news. He had already formed a Nine-layer Dao Domain before he crossed into the Tao Comprehension Realm.”
“It’s said he is barely seventy years old—so young. But he is a disciple of a Semi-Saint, taken in by that mountain ancestor when he was a child. Born into a prestigious family, it’s understandable for him to achieve such feats at this age.”