Urban's Fury: The War Dragon God-Chapter 1586: Artistic Conception

Lin Luoyin slightly furrowed her brows. Being born into an ancient martial arts family, Lin Luoyin had dabbled in music, poetry, calligraphy, and painting, but only to a certain extent. She mainly focused on training in the Lin Family's Sword Control Technique. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

When hesitating.

The people on the nearby flower carriage had already made their choice.

"We choose music."

The one who spoke first was Sikong Lie. Behind Sikong Lie was the long-haired musician Ming Xin, dressed in flowing white garments. Previously, during the flower carriage's parade, Ming Xin's performance of the Calming Incantation left a lasting impression.

Undoubtedly, Ming Xin excelled at music.

According to the earlier described rules, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting did not limit selections to only one person, so everyone present could choose one from these arts.

"Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—why is there no dance?"

Liu Mang looked displeased. He chose the Pavilion Master, Chi Lian, whose graceful figure was best at dancing. Yet, this first round of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting did not include dance.

"Heh, I've got the upper hand this round."

Sikong Lie smiled smugly. Ming Xin's musical skills were the top in Flowers Pavilion, making this round practically a guaranteed win.

"Please proceed to the Qin Pavilion on the first floor."

The maid from the Flowers Pavilion stepped aside, and the pavilion's large gate swung open. Sikong Lie turned around, raised his hand, and helped Ming Xin down from the flower carriage, entering the pavilion.

"We choose calligraphy."

A short-haired beauty brimming with heroic spirit chose calligraphy on the flower carriage where Xuanyuan Yunge and Ji Wuyang were seated.

"Calligraphy is on the third floor. Please, all three proceed."

The three people also leaped down from the carriage and entered Flowers Pavilion.

"We choose chess."

The group beside Li Feng chose chess arts and entered Flowers Pavilion, leaving only Li Feng's group and Liu Mang's group at the gate.

"What's your choice?"

Shi Lei and Yuan Bin both looked at Lin Luoyin. This round of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting clearly tested the main candidate since being an Oiran required genuine artistic talent.

"We also choose music."

At this point, Liu Mang's group also made their choice, opting for music. This music pathway, indeed, involved the art of voice and sound. Chi Lian excelled at dance but was also adept at voice arts, as dancing required accompanying melodies.

Seeing the last group entering Flowers Pavilion, Lin Luoyin knew she couldn't delay further. With a decisive choice, she said, "Painting."

"Good, then we'll choose painting."

"The painting path is on the fourth floor," the maid instructed, and a group of people directly stepped onto the stairs heading to the fourth floor of Flowers Pavilion.

Reaching the fourth floor, Li Feng was surprised to find the space was exceptionally wide. Paintings were suspended mid-air like screens.

Passing through layers of paintings, they arrived at the central part of the floor where there was an empty area with a desk placed on it. On the desk were brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone.

Next to the desk, two young attendant students, sculpted like dolls, noticed Lin Luoyin's group. The boy student spoke directly, "Painting to reveal meaning: To pass this stage, you just need to create a painting with aesthetic essence."

As the boy finished speaking, the girl student added, "There are no restrictions on painting; any of the four of you can attempt, and you have no limits on the number of tries, but you only have three hours."

"If the time runs out and no painting is created, that's considered a failure."

"Creating a painting without depth is also considered a failure."

The boy and girl students each spoke in turn, outlining the challenge rules: create a painting with aesthetic depth within three hours.

"If inspiration is lacking, you can refer to the hundred paintings here. These are works collected by the pavilion from renowned masters of past generations. You may copy them but don't blame me for not warning you that the masterpieces' depth is something you may not even achieve a tenth of."

"Hmm, if there are no questions, then we will start timing."

With that, they lit a specially-made incense that would burn for approximately three hours.

Yuan Bin immediately turned to Lin Luoyin, "Lady Lin, whether or not we can pass this round depends on you. I excel at fighting and killing, but when it comes to writing or painting, it's beyond me."

Lin Luoyin took a deep breath, "Alright, I'll do my best."

Lin Luoyin, after all, was from an ancient martial arts family. Though she wasn't adept in this art, the Lin Family had a considerable collection of famous paintings, so she had some appreciation skills. Having learned some landscape ink painting, she felt she could make a fair attempt.

At least compared to the other three disciplines, she had a slight advantage in painting.

Lin Luoyin walked directly to the desk as the boy and girl students turned and began preparing the ink and handing over brushes. She picked up the brush, recalling some techniques and searching for inspiration.

Shi Lei and Yuan Bin stood silently by the desk, watching, while Li Feng was ignored once again.

Li Feng didn't join them but turned to the side. The attendant student had mentioned that the paintings here were masterpieces, and Li Feng wanted to admire some of them.

Li Feng approached a painting, directing his gaze at a landscape ink painting. He had researched such paintings. After all, Li Feng's grandfather was not only skilled in medicine but also had a passion for painting and calligraphy.

Li Feng, brought up by his grandfather, naturally absorbed some of this knowledge.

Li Feng looked at the painting before him, focusing intently. At the next instant, he felt as if he was transported inside the painting.

It was the summit of a majestic cliff, where a waterfall cascaded downward not quite three thousand feet but nearly so.

In the sky, a hawk circled, screeching.

And beneath the waterfall, a person sat, unmoving, under the cascading waters like a mountain.

Li Feng felt his spirit blend into the painting, as though he was the one meditating beneath the waterfall. The endless waterfall crashing down over his body was both refining his physique and honing his mind.

Li Feng initially struggled under the assaulting water, unable to center himself, barely able to breathe through nose and mouth, feeling the urge to escape.

The essence of the painting.

Li Feng suddenly recalled the attendant student's words about painting essence: Was this the essence? The person within the painting could also comprehend the painting's intention.

Mountains, waterfall, meditation.

Li Feng had a flash of insight—could the essence of the painting be a realization found through meditation? He suppressed his impulse to flee.

He fully immersed his mind in the painting.

I am the person in the painting, and the person in the painting is me.

Li Feng stood before the painting, his spirit seemingly leaving his body, immersed within the artwork.

At the desk, Lin Luoyin began painting, while Shi Lei and Yuan Bin observed intently. Only the two attendant students lifted their heads to look at Li Feng standing by the painting, exchanging glances.

"Good, wonderful."

"With just a few strokes, she sketched the majestic appearance of the mountains. Lady Lin indeed is an expert in this domain," Shi Lei said as he watched Lin Luoyin's brushstrokes. Though he initially felt some concern, seeing Lin Luoyin's adept painting reassured him.

Indeed, there's no beauty in Flowers Pavilion that is merely a vase.

"Yes, I also feel the mountain has great vigor," Yuan Bin said, lacking understanding but pretending nonetheless, feeling that the painting was indeed impressive.