Becoming a Sage Starts From Condensing the Essence of Time

Chapter 51: Banqiao Bamboo and Beihong Horse, The Young Man Enters the Little Sacred Ranking

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Clouds dragging and rain cutting through the sky, the pill spat out multicolored light and the sword spat out rainbow light!

At some point in time, the sky gradually darkened and the wind gradually calmed down. The light squeezed through the clouds and sprinkled all over the mortal world.

On the grass field, the Daoli horse walked slowly, bathing in the sunset. Its brownish-black body glowed slightly, reflecting the color, like a divine horse from the sky descending to the mortal world.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth, mental power, and spiraling sword qi…

Gradually, it circled around An Le and slowly dissipated.

On the table, An Le completed the carving of the horseshoe. The horseshoe looked simple and only needed a few strokes to outline it, but An Le took a long time to draw it.

The horseshoe was as difficult to draw as a woman’s high heels. This was because the horseshoe was the gathering place of a horse’s strength and center of gravity. It was the key to agility. Therefore, it was exquisitely carved and it was important to grasp the ratio.

As for the horse’s mane, it was swept with a dry brush. It was dry but slightly moist, and it was very natural, making the horse look like it was jumping on paper.

A paintinz stirred up the wind in the courtyard!

Fourth Master Lin stood at the side, his eyes already filled with endless joy.

He did not expect An Le to give him such an unexpected joy. His painting skills were so high that they were not inferior to his ink bamboo.

What surprised Fourth Master Lin, even more, was that ink could draw bamboo or horses!

Not only was it beautiful, but it was also realistic!

It was not inferior to horse paintings. In fact, it vividly displayed Daoli’s wild, unruly, free, and arrogant expression!

“With just this painting, Master An lives up to your name!”

“Once this painting is completed, it will surpass the ninth-grade and be called the eighth-grade Spirit Refinement Painting. It’s comparable to an eighth-grade Spirit Refinement Dharma treasure!”

At the side, Fourth Master Lin was full of praise.

He loved horses, so he naturally couldn’t bear to part with the horse drawn by An Le.

An Le withdrew his mental power from the painting and felt a little tired. The boiling Sword Pool in his Niwan Palace slowly calmed down.

However, the painting was not over yet.

An Le picked up his brush and dipped it into ink. After a moment of contemplation, he began to write the inscription in the blank space.

“Barbarian steed, pride of Ferghana, all jags and angles, well-knit bones; two ears cocked, like bamboo tubes split sideways; four hoofs fleet, as though buoyed on the wind. Wherever headed, no distance too challenging, fit indeed for a life-or-death charge. With a mount superlative as this, ten-thousand-mile sorties are at your command!”

As for the drawing technique, An Le still wrote it in the name of Banqiao.

The pride was self-contained and well-arranged. Although it was not carefully arranged, it was self-contained.

It seemed to have the sharpness of a sword and the pride of a gentleman!

Fourth Master Lin recited and could not help but fall into a daze.

After the completion, An Le thought for a moment and solemnly picked up his pen. He signed it with a name: “Beihong Horse.”

He took the Demon Tempering Treasure Jade from his waist and dyed the mud seal with the jade. A special red seal immediately appeared on the paper.

An Le put down his brush and heaved a sigh of relief. He took a step back and looked at the Galloping Horse Painting on the table with a happy expression.

The increase in his Spirit Refinement cultivation made him even more proficient in drawing skills.

He incorporated his thoughts and used the technique of the painting master in his previous life to complete this Galloping Horse Painting.

“Eighth-grade Spirit Refinement Painting?”

At this moment, An Le recalled Fourth Master Lin’s praise, and his eyes flickered.

The old man of the Imperial Ancestral Temple had once told him that some palace painters used their mental power to paint paintings that could nourish the mind and were comparable to Spirit Refinement Dharma treasures.

An Le did not expect his painting to reach such a realm today.

Suddenly, the Ink Pool Sword on An Le’s waist trembled slightly and emitted a suction force. On the Galloping Horse Painting, there seemed to be an invisible intent and ink fragrance that ethereally appeared and was absorbed by the Ink Pool Sword.

The Ink Pool Sword was a sword of painting and calligraphy. By nurturing the Ink Pool Sword with painting and calligraphy, it could increase the grade of the Ink Pool Sword.

Today, he painted the Galloping Horse Painting and used it to fulfill Fourth Master Lin’s wish. He had also used the Galloping Horse Painting to nurture the Ink Pool Sword. It was killing two birds with one stone.

An Le was in a good mood. He even felt that his mind had become much stronger at this moment. He was getting closer and closer to the Shedding Mortality Realm. If he was fated, he would be able to break through. The Galloping Horse Painting nurtured the sword and the spirit!

“Fourth Master, I’ve embarrassed myself.”

Under the setting sun, An Le cupped his fists and smiled.

Fourth Master Lin glanced at An Le, his handsome face filled with admiration and gratitude. He knew that An Le would definitely do his best to paint this Galloping Horse Painting.

At the side, Xi Xiang looked at the painting and felt that the horse seemed to be about to rush out of the paper. It was bold and extraordinary!

Young Master An’s painting… was really godly!

The Daoli horse’s charm and temperament were vividly displayed.

“As expected of Master An. Be it ink bamboo or galloping horse, your poetry, calligraphy, and painting are all top-notch. On the ink bamboo painting, the poem ‘I remain strong, though dealt many a blow’ and the Galloping Horse Painting’s poem are both really breathtaking.”

Fourth Master Lin asked in confusion.

An Le smiled. “The poem was written by a hermit in my hometown. Like the name Beihong, the ink bamboo was first drawn by Baiqiao. It’s considered… a kind of nostalgia.”

Nostalgia? Fourth Master Lin fell into deep thought and couldn’t help but laugh.

Looking at the Galloping Horse Painting, the worries in his heart dissipated. The freedom of the Galloping Horse Painting was displayed completely after breaking free from its shackles.

Wasn’t this the state of mind that he, the Fourth Son of Lin, yearned for?

How lucky he was to have obtained this painting!

“The Great Dao of Painting lies in pursuing nature.” Fourth Master Lin couldn’t help but recall An Le’s words before he painted. Once he was saddled and held the reins, it was equivalent to being shackled and no longer had a natural feeling.

No wonder Master An had to take off the saddle and rope before drawing the horse.

Fourth Master Lin was incomparably impressed. Although An Le was very young, his meticulous analysis and painting skills made him exclaim in admiration.

Fourth Master Lin could tell that this Galloping Horse Painting was incorporated with the technique that An Le had used to enter the Lin

Residence.

No wonder the Headmaster of the Literary Department said that it could form its own style. It was indeed worthy of its reputation!

Fourth Master Lin’s expression suddenly turned solemn. He lifted his Confucian shirt and bowed respectfully and solemnly to An Le.

“Thank you, Master An, for your Galloping Horse Painting!”

“I, the Fourth Son of Lin, owe Young Master An a huge favor. If you need anything in the future, feel free to ask. I will do my best to help.”

Fourth Master Lin made an extremely solemn promise.

When An Le heard this, he hurriedly helped Fourth Master Lin up. “Madam Hua has done me a huge favor. The Lin Residence has also treated me well. This painting can relieve Fourth Master’s worries. I’m more than happy. Fourth Master, you don’t have to do this.”

Fourth Master Lin stood up and did not say anything else.

“I won’t say anything else. I’ll remember this favor. Sister-in-law told me that you obtained the Sacred Mountain’s Little Sacred Token and wanted to rush to the peak of the Central Plains’ geniuses to talk to the Sacred Teacher.”

“After obtaining the Little Sacred Token, you can enter the Little Sacred Ranking. The details of the Little Sacred Ranking are recorded in this book. Go back and take a look.”

“Every time the rankings on the Little Sacred Ranking change, the Mountain Guardian of the Second Mountain of Sacred Mountain will release the rankings after the change. The Literary Department will make a copy and announce it.” “This is the most recent ranking. You obtained the Little Sacred Token yesterday and have already entered the rankings today.”

Fourth Master Lin took out a yellow booklet from his sleeve and handed it to An Le.

An Le immediately took it and flipped through it.

“First on the Little Sacred Ranking: Zhao Xianyou. Cultivation: Body

Tempering Sixth Realm, Spirit Refinement Fifth Realm.” The first place on the Little Sacred Ranking came into view.

“Who is Zhao Xianyou?” An Le asked curiously.

Fourth Master Lin’s gaze was on the Galloping Horse Painting, and he could not help but admire it. When he heard this, he casually replied, “The Ninth Prince of Great Zhao. Zhao Pei, who is ranked second, is the Second Prince.

An Le took a deep breath. So it was a benefactor.

He continued reading.

“Second on the Little Sacred Ranking, Zhao Pei. Cultivation: Body Tempering Fifth Realm, Spirit Refinement Fifth Realm.”

“Third on the Little Sacred Ranking, Qin Hua’an. Cultivation: Body Tempering Fifth Realm, Spirit Refinement Fifth Realm.”

“Fourth on the Little Sacred Ranking, Ye Wenxi. Cultivation: Body Tempering Fifth Realm, Spirit Refinement Fifth Realm.”

“18th on the Little Sacred Ranking, Wang Qinhe. Cultivation: Body Tempering Fourth Realm, Spirit Refinement Third Realm.”

“19th on the Little Sacred Ranking, An Le. Cultivation: Body Tempering Second Realm, Spirit Refinement Second Realm.”

After reading it, An Le heaved a sigh of relief. As expected, he was at the bottom.

However, this last place was within his expectations. After all, he had only really come into contact with cultivation for a short period of time. To be able to enter the Little Sacred Ranking was actually partly because of the guidance of a benefactor and partly because of luck.

Before he entered the rankings, there were 18 people on the Little Sacred

Ranking.

There were extremely noble princes and descendants of generals like Ye Wenxi.

It could be said that none of the people who were confident in obtaining the Little Sacred Token to enter the Little Sacred Ranking were mediocre. Even if they used their family’s resources to exchange for the Little Sacred Token, their talent was extraordinary and there was a ravine in their hearts.

If An Le wanted to talk to a Sacred Teacher, he had to be in the top three of the Little Sacred Ranking.

Ye Wenxi was only ranked fourth. One could imagine how difficult it was to be in the top three.

At the very least, with his current cultivation, it was far from enough.

However, An Le’s lips curled into a smile. His eyes were filled with fighting spirit, and the tiger hidden in his heart roared.

Although he was still weak now, he was still cultivating and had the Dao Fruit. It was not impossible for him to catch up!

Fourth Master Lin had been paying attention to An Le’s expression. Seeing that the young man was ranked last but had not suffered a blow, but was instead calm, his eyes bright and filled with fighting spirit, he could not help but nod in admiration.

An Le did not stay in the Lin Residence for long. After obtaining the Little Sacred Ranking, he thanked Fourth Master Lin and left Qingfeng Garden.

Under Xi Xiang’s lead, he left the Lin Residence.

The setting sun was like blood, illuminating the world.

After passing through the Lin Residence’s stone monument archway, An Le stepped onto Jing Street. The prosperous Lin’an at dusk immediately filled the air with noise.

He came to Yanchun and got a pot of old wine as usual.

He carried the old yellow wine and planned to buy beef from Ding Ya Alley. However, he had just left the alley.

At the entrance of the long street, an extremely luxurious carriage slowly drove over from the surging crowd. The wheels crushed the limestone with a soft sound and stopped in front of An Le.

The setting sun reflected the slanting shadows.

The luxurious carriage and the young man’s figure were both pulled out.

The silk curtain at the window of the carriage was lifted.

Young Master Qin looked down at the young man holding the old yellow wine..