After wandering the market for over an hour, Yu Xuan still hadn’t found anything worth spending his 100 sect points on.
The prices were... devastating.
He had seen all sorts of strange and fascinating items:
A glowing armor that lit up whenever soone struck it.
A sword that changed its size with the user’s will.
Robes that produced a continuous wind effect for drama.
Glasses that made the wearer look alert even while sleeping.
He even ca across a few suspicious-looking potions sold by vendors with too much mystery and not enough credibility.
It was nearly ti to head back when, on the way toward the eting point, Yu Xuan spotted a new vendor hurriedly setting up shop. The man was unpacking various brushes, calligraphy tools, and high-quality practice papers.
Yu Xuan’s instincts kicked in, he was fond of painting too. Either way, he felt drawn to the stall and walked over. Lingluo and Ming Tiani followed out of curiosity.
"I only have 100 sect points," Yu Xuan said honestly. "What painting supplies can I get for that?"
He clearly had no bargaining skills.
The vendor, who appeared to be in his late twenties, gave him an odd look but said nothing right away. He had arrived with a specific purpose and had perford a minor divination before setting up shop. It foretold a stroke of good fortune if he sold his materials to the first person who approached him.
Now, looking at the pretty-faced young man offering a ager 100 points, the vendor had second thoughts.
’Was my divination rusty? Or did so senior ss with the fate lines again?’ he thought.
Still, he decided to trust the on.
’Good fortune doesn’t always co in the form of money’, he reminded himself.
"These were materials I never used," he said slowly, "but they’re still in top condition. I’ll sell them to you for 100 points. No refunds, understood?"
"Deal," Yu Xuan said imdiately, eyes lighting up.
After browsing the market, he had a decent idea of what things were worth. While second-hand, the tools were pristine, and 100 points was a bargain.
Back at the clan, he had practiced calligraphy and painting — not to master them, but because he found peace in the flow of ink and brush. He wasn’t a grandmaster, but his skills were far from amateur.
And right now, he had the urge to paint again. Maybe it would offer inspiration.
He completed the transaction and stored the items in his space ring. His point balance imdiately dropped to zero.
Now all three of them were officially broke. A perfect start to life in a prestigious sect.
Eventually, they made their way back to the gathering point. A few groups had already arrived.
Mo Lin was seen admiring the new scabbard for his treasured sword — and from the sheepish look on his face, he’d probably been scolded for clothing the sword without it’s permission.
Lin Fan and Yu Xueqing returned empty-handed.
Following them were Yu Bo, now wearing a scholarly-looking hat; Yu Hao, clad in a robe that sohow made him look even more intimidating; and Yu Zhen, wearing a simple white robe that occasionally flickered with faint light.
Yu Xuan couldn’t help but chuckle quietly. What are they wearing? Was it a show-off party,
Soon, everyone had gathered. In the distance, they saw Yang Ye chatting with another disciple. With a polite farewell to his acquaintance, Yang Ye turned and approached them.
"Now then," he said with a bright smile. "Shall we continue?"
He led them through different parts of the sect domain, including so lesser-visited areas. Along the way, he explained the sect’s layout and handed them each a basic map to help them navigate.
His explanations were concise but informative, and even those who were zoning out earlier were now paying close attention.
Eventually, the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon began to rise, casting a soft glow over the floating continent. The tour ca to an end near the disciples’ quarters.
The day had been long, but fruitful.
And for Yu Xuan... sothing told him it was just the beginning.
***
Soon, they arrived in front of the quarters. After exchanging goodbyes, everyone retreated to their rooms.
However, Yu Xuan had sothing on his mind and stepped out again. He found a quiet spot beneath a tree, where moonlight filtered through the leaves in silver strands. Sitting down with his back against the trunk, he looked up at the sky, his expression unreadable.
’Should I draw the moon?’ he thought. ’But it’s fake.’
He quickly dropped that idea and considered drawing a person instead. Who should he call? His mind wandered to Mo Lin — maybe he could bother him a bit.
Just then, a door creaked open. Ming Tiani stepped out of her room and, as if instinctively, her eyes found Yu Xuan.
She walked over to him, her steps quiet in the stillness of the night.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked.
"I thought I’d draw sothing," he answered vaguely.
’I already know that’, she thought, suppressing a smile.
Last ti, Yu Xuan had randomly chosen Mo Lin to sketch.
Since then, she had kept a hidden compilation in her space ring — a little personal book where she recorded events that could help her get closer to Yu Xuan as smooth as playing a ga on a supercomputer.
"You really like drawing, huh? Back at the clan, you didn’t do it that often."
"I suddenly felt like sothing was missing, so I figured a painting session might help. Maybe I have god-level intuition," he said casually.
Tiani nodded, already used to his peculiarities. He often muttered strange things and used odd phrases, but that was Yu Xuan for you.
"So... what are you going to draw?"
Yu Xuan looked at her for a second. Then, leaning forward slightly, he studied her face with narrowed eyes.
"Wait right here," he said.
He stepped back a few paces, still observing her, and pulled a set of painting supplies from his space ring — easel, brushes, and canvas included.
"Lean against the tree."
She followed his instructions with no questions asked.
He dipped his brush into the ink and began his work. The first few strokes were shaky. The face didn’t look right. The proportions were off. Frustrated, he scrapped the paper and started again.
And again.
And again.
Eventually, he gave up on the distance entirely and brought his easel closer, sitting just a few feet away from her. That way, he could focus on the most important detail — her.
The background could co from imagination.
Over and over, he painted. Scrapped. Painted again.
"It’s going to take ti," he said quietly. "Is that okay?"
"That’s fine," she replied with a soft smile.
That smile struck him. It was bright, gentle — and for a mont, he was srized.
’I’ll make a painting worthy of that smile’, he vowed silently.
He continued for hours, deep into the night, exhausting nearly all the paper he had bought. His face was serious, his strokes precise yet never satisfying him.
Tiani didn’t complain. Not once. She simply remained by the tree, occasionally adjusting her posture when he requested it, but otherwise still.
The moon drifted, and the stars faded as the early rays of morning crept over the horizon.
Yu Xuan sat silently for a mont. Eyes closed. In his mind, he replayed every attempt, every mistake, and every detail that had gone wrong.
He didn’t even notice a system notification.
[Ding!]
[Trait: Adaptive Mind — Strongly Activated]
His eyes snapped open.
The light touched the sky in soft gold, it was nearing the morning.
He took a deep breath, picked up the brush one last ti, and began to paint.
This ti, there were no rushed strokes. Each line flowed with natural rhythm. His focus deepened with every motion — capturing the curve of her jaw, the gentleness in her gaze, the stillness of her posture.
It took longer than the others, but when he finally set his brush down, he looked at the painting and smiled.
’Yes. This one... is it.’ he thought.
"Tiani," he called softly, "Co see."
She walked over and gasped.
On the canvas, a lifelike painting of her was present, eyes full of silent elegance. Her entire expression had been captured and not just her face.
"Isn’t it beautiful?" Yu Xuan asked, pride in his voice.
"It is..." she murmured, smiling faintly. "It’s beautiful. Thank you, Xuan’er."
She said his na so softly that he didn’t quite catch it — but the warmth in her eyes said enough.
Then, holding the painting, she quickly turned and rushed back into her room.
Yu Xuan stretched, a little stiff, then muttered, "So much for my masterpiece."
He packed up his tools and began walking back to his own quarters.
A few disciples passing by had seen the scene but chose to ignore it politely.
Except for one.
A lazy cultivator reclining on a rooftop, book in hand, glanced at the spot where the two had sat. With a yawn, he muttered, "Wow. What an original idea."
Then, he turned the page and continued reading his favorite novel.
[A/N: Ming Tiani’s character art has been successfully added...]
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