Chapter 4626 — A Piece of Calligraphy
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Your disciple Wei Zhao pays his respects to Pavilion Master Shangguan," Wei Zhao said, performing the disciple's salute before Shangguan Tianxia with the utmost reverence. He might be a disciple of the Azure Cloud Pavilion while the other was master of the Skypiercer Pavilion, but the Three-Tiered Pavilion of North Island was one body; whoever it was, before Shangguan Tianxia one offered the disciple's salute.
"A trip to South Continent, and you've grown a great deal. Not bad." Shangguan Tianxia glanced at him and gave a slight nod, then said, "Come look at this piece of calligraphy of mine. What do you think?"
"Yes, sir." Wei Zhao was rather taken aback by such familiarity from Shangguan Tianxia—flattered, even, more than a little. But he had seen something of the wide world on this trip to South Continent, and he would not lose his composure over it.
However heaven-defying a figure Shangguan Tianxia might be among North Island's great ones, he was still no match for the Five-Poison Flood Dragon and the giant electric eel that stood above even the Rift Sea stage. Besides, the man bore him no hostility—quite the opposite, there was a distinct note of appreciation. It was reverence that made Wei Zhao so formal, not fear.
Stepping to the writing desk, Wei Zhao was captivated at the very first glance. What Shangguan Tianxia had been writing was that same ancient stele inscription from before—its content abstruse and profound to begin with, and now every character, every stroke, carried the man's own artistic conception, so that a desolate, primeval air rushed at the face and made the mind lose its footing before one was aware of it.
To an ordinary observer it was merely impressive without being understood. But to eyes like Wei Zhao's—one who had reached a certain level and whose powers of comprehension were exceptionally keen—this piece of calligraphy was a most exquisite transmission. Observe and ponder it long enough, and one might well glean from it certain wondrous techniques and martial arts.
"I have long heard that Pavilion Master Shangguan's calligraphy stands alone under heaven. Seeing it today, I find my eyes truly opened," Wei Zhao said in heartfelt admiration.
"Ha, it's rare to hear you flatter anyone," Shangguan Tianxia said with a mild smile.
"No—I mean it," Wei Zhao said, shaking his head. Reverent as he was toward Shangguan Tianxia, his nature would never stoop to flattery; not even the closest and most honored of elders received such treatment from him. It was simply how he was made.
"Very well. On the strength of that sincerity, I as your elder ought to make some gesture. How about this—pick any piece in this study and take it with you," Shangguan Tianxia said with a laugh.
Wei Zhao's eyes lit up at once. The writing is the man, to a degree. To fathom Shangguan Tianxia's calligraphy was to have a chance at stealing his master's art—provided, of course, that one's talent was high enough to grasp the essence of its conception.
For all that Wei Zhao now held such a heaven-defying trump card as the Five-Element Killing Qi, no burden was ever too heavy for a willing back. Besides, his Five-Element Killing Qi came from the Five-Poison Flood Dragon; it served well enough for killing enemies, but to use it to elevate his state of mind was impossible. For a human to learn the mindset of a beast was simply to court death. If instead he could learn something from Shangguan Tianxia, the benefit in that quarter would be boundless.
State of mind mattered as much as strength. Especially at the Nascent Soul stage and above, where cultivation turned gradually from the outer to the inner, the elevation of one's state of mind was prized above all—and Shangguan Tianxia was plainly a master of that domain.