Ruyi Peak, Bamboo Grove Residence.
Just ten minutes ago, this place had been bustling with activity, but now it was eerily quiet.
For some reason, the crowd had vanished in the blink of an eye.
Li Mo sat inside the room, examining the various paintings adorning the walls.
Lofty mountains and flowing rivers, the elegance of spring snow, portraits, and depictions of beasts—each was a masterpiece worthy of being used as an Observation Divine Diagram.
Of course, most were of lower-tier quality, with only a few reaching mid-tier.
"So, Senior Brother Ouyang, if your Observation Divine Diagrams are so well-crafted, why did you take up a side job?"
"Ah, Junior Brother, you have no idea how poor artists can be."
Ouyang opened up, pouring out his grievances.
A good Observation Divine Diagram wasn’t something one could create in a single stroke.
It required a flash of inspiration and the wasteful use of rare materials.
Even after completing it, there was no guarantee of finding the right person to appreciate it.
Take, for example, that painting of lofty mountains and flowing rivers—it contained the essence of mountain and water forms. It had cost three thousand taels to produce, yet no one suited to comprehend its meaning had come along, leaving it to gather dust.
After listening for a while, Li Mo fell into deep thought.
How was it that even in another world, artists still struggled to make a living?
"So, Senior Brother Ouyang, you had to take on side jobs to fund your painting?"
Li Mo asked.
"Well, not entirely."
Ouyang chuckled, a sly grin forming.
"Senior Brother, your drool is about to drip."
"Ah—"
Ouyang hastily wiped his mouth, then composed himself.
"Junior Brother, are you preparing for the Observation Divine Realm?"
Li Mo nodded.
"I still haven’t figured out which form’s essence I should observe."
"Then you’ve come to the right person!"
Ouyang thumped his chest confidently.
Li Mo was half-convinced, half-skeptical.
Something about Senior Brother Ouyang didn’t seem entirely reliable.
Just to be safe, he decided to use his Divine Eye of Fate for a quick glance...
[Name: Ouyang]
[Age: 27]
[Root Bone: Master of Brush and Ink]
[Realm: Observation Divine Realm, Four Apertures]
[Fate: Blue-Gray]
[Evaluation: Born under a fate of poverty, yet after death, his paintings became legendary, earning widespread acclaim. His unique understanding of art gradually won the admiration of many.]
[Recent Circumstances: Frequently takes on side jobs to support fellow disciples of the Painting Academy.]
Li Mo: "..."
So the paintings weren’t valuable simply because he was still alive?
Though not every deceased painter’s works gained fame.
Senior Brother Ouyang truly had some talent.
"I have quite a few Observation Divine Diagrams here. Feel free to browse, Junior Brother."
"If you can make the painting ‘come alive,’ it means you can embody the essence within—that’s the one suited for you."
"Come alive?"
Li Mo didn’t quite understand.
Ouyang stood up, a mysterious glint in his eyes.
"This is my unique method of brush and ink. You’ll see in a moment."
He took down a painting of a fierce tiger descending a mountain.
"This Observation Divine Diagram was my first creation, containing the essence of a tiger’s roar in the wilderness."
"Though it’s only a lower-tier piece, those who observe this form will, upon entering the Observation Divine Realm, carry the majesty of a tiger in every movement—extremely formidable."
Li Mo raised an eyebrow and focused on the painting.
His mind seemed to be drawn into it.
Suddenly, he found himself in a vast, mist-covered mountain forest.
In the blink of an eye, Li Mo stood amidst ancient trees and dense foliage.
A rustling sound—something was approaching.
A gust of fierce wind swept toward him.
A striped tiger emerged, half-lidded eyes gleaming with predatory intent.
It planted a paw on a mossy boulder, surveying its domain like the king of beasts.
Majestic and savage, its presence overwhelming!
Its cold gaze swept the surroundings, searching for prey.
Then it saw Li Mo.
Its maw gaped wide.
It let out a roar—
"Meow..."
The tiger collapsed, trembling like a leaf, its fur standing on end.
In an instant, the mighty beast transformed into a terrified, oversized housecat, as if facing some unimaginable horror.
Weak. Pitiful. Helpless.
"This can’t be right."
Li Mo was baffled.
Come on, show some spirit! How am I supposed to observe you like this?
Confused, Li Mo’s mind instinctively reached out.
The tiger only grew more terrified.
Poof—
It vanished into thin air.
Li Mo: "..."
What in the world just happened?
Was there something wrong with this Observation Divine Diagram?
At that moment, the artistic conception shattered completely.
Li Mo opened his eyes to find the painting ruined—its ink strokes now a chaotic mess, as if vandalized by a child.
Looking up, he met Ouyang’s stunned, bewildered gaze.
Senior Brother Ouyang seemed to be questioning his entire existence.
"What… was that?"
Li Mo was equally puzzled.
"Junior Brother Li, you’re truly at the Internal Breath Realm, right?"
Ouyang asked after a long pause, his voice pained.
Li Mo nodded. "I’ve only just condensed my Mystic Core."
"That’s strange."
Ouyang furrowed his brows, carefully rolling up the ruined painting.
"Even Master’s spirit wouldn’t have damaged this Tiger Descends the Mountain Diagram..."
He had shown this painting to other disciples before.
Some couldn’t withstand the tiger’s majesty and were expelled from the vision. Others couldn’t even immerse their minds in the painting at all.
Both outcomes meant they weren’t suited to embody the tiger’s essence.
But the painting being destroyed? That was unprecedented.
Li Mo scratched his head awkwardly.
"Should we… try another one?"
Ouyang: "Huh?"
That last painting had cost over a thousand taels of silver.
His heart was bleeding just thinking about it.
And now he wanted to try again?
But he had promised without hesitation earlier.
If he backed out now, would Junior Brother Li pull out a hammer?
"Ahem. It seems I’ll have to bring out my prized possession."
Ouyang took a deep breath.
He rummaged through his belongings and returned with another scroll.
Unfurling it revealed a vividly painted mythical beast, brimming with divine energy.
"Once, I was fortunate enough to encounter a rare beast—one with a trace of the Bai Ze’s bloodline."
"It took immense effort to capture its likeness on paper. This is an upper-tier piece, and it helped me break through my bottleneck..."
"Senior Brother..."
"Hm?"
"Sorry, but I accidentally immersed my mind again..."
Ouyang blinked, then looked down.
The Observation Divine Diagram of the Bai Ze-descended beast met the same fate as the tiger painting.
Its ink scattered into a murky mess, the once-weighty paper now light as a feather.
Ouyang slumped to the ground, his soul seemingly drained.
"My masterpiece..."
"Senior Brother, how much was this one worth?"
Li Mo felt a pang of guilt.
"Sniff… This was my life’s work. I tracked that beast for ten days and nights without rest."
"Ten thousand taels?"
Li Mo pulled out a silver note.
"Sniff… That beast even kicked me, breaking several ribs."
"Twenty thousand?"
Another note joined the first.
"Junior Brother, this is art. Do you understand art? Selling it to someone who doesn’t appreciate it would be—"
"Fifty thousand."
Li Mo’s expression didn’t change as he added three more notes.
"Junior Brother, you clearly have an eye for art."
Ouyang's face shifted like a Sichuan opera performer, breaking into a smile.
The actual cost of this painting was only ten thousand taels of silver. If he found the right buyer, he might fetch thirty or forty thousand at most.
Fifty thousand was already a massive profit.
Li Mo felt a bit speechless, but it wasn’t like he was losing out either.
[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully invested fifty thousand taels of silver in 'Ouyang.']
[Investment reward: The Marvelous Brushwork: Ink Cleansing Record]
[The Marvelous Brushwork: Ink Cleansing Record]: "A peculiar painting technique that captures the essence, energy, and spirit of an object, imprinting them onto paper."
The reward seemed promising.
But Li Mo was feeling rather listless at the moment.
Why couldn’t he even grasp the Observation Divine Realm?
What was he supposed to do now?
Did he really have to paint it himself?
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
