Predicting the Painting, and Out Pops the Monkey King

"Achoo..."

"Why does my philtrum feel so itchy?"

Li Mo sneezed, rubbing the spot beneath his nose in confusion before refocusing on his painting.

The wind was strong at this height, and autumn had just begun.

The crisp breeze made the Cyan Vein Jade Paper flutter noisily.

Yet, with every stroke Li Mo made, the turbulence on the paper settled slightly.

The Seven Stars guided his brush!

Each stroke was infused with immense mental effort. Had he not already unlocked the Three Divine Orifices and glimpsed the divine forms of the Great Dao, his spirit would have long been exhausted.

When the final stroke was laid down, the paper became as heavy as lead, utterly motionless.

"Finally done."

Li Mo wearily opened his eyes. Before him, the peculiar stone now vividly leaped onto the paper, its weathered textures almost tangible to the touch.

Judging by the divine essence radiating from it, this was likely a Mid-Grade Divine Insight Painting.

But to be honest, the young painter Li Mo felt a flicker of pride.

A High-Grade Divine Insight Painting would have been beyond his ability to complete in one go. Moreover, replicating this peculiar stone required an unbroken flow—any pause would mean starting over.

Even Ouyang, his senior brother, might not have managed it.

"Though it’s derived from the stone, I’ve added something of my own..."

Li Mo was beginning to understand why painting was a talent-driven craft.

Even when copying the same subject, different hands would produce entirely different works.

For instance, if he and Ouyang were to replicate the same object, their results would be worlds apart.

"You actually pulled it off?"

Wei Zhaoliu leaned in for a look, letting out a soft sound of surprise—both impressed and slightly taken aback.

"Such a profound stone, yet only Mid-Grade?"

Within the Hengyun Sword City, there were naturally many High-Grade, even Supreme-Grade Divine Insight Paintings preserved.

Yet the city’s foundation had always been this peculiar stone.

"Though it’s only Mid-Grade, its effects surpass even some High-Grade ones."

"That’s true..."

Wei Zhaoliu’s gaze swept over the painting.

She noticed that while Li Mo had copied the stone, his rendition differed slightly from the real one nearby.

Moreover, at first glance, the painting seemed unremarkable. But gradually, it evoked a sense of enlightenment—clear and transcendent.

This feeling only grew stronger with time...

Lately, she had been training diligently with the sword. Now, gazing at this painting, countless insights surged in her mind.

[Congratulations, Host. Successful investment in ‘Wei Zhaoliu,’ aiding her in ‘accumulating strength for a leap forward.’]

[Investment Reward: Ancient Bronze Creation Seal.]

"Accumulating strength for a leap forward?"

Seeing Wei Zhaoliu swiftly sit before the stone, Li Mo understood.

It wasn’t that the freshly painted, still-wet Divine Insight Painting possessed miraculous effects, capable of triggering sudden enlightenment at a glance.

Rather, Wei Zhaoliu’s foundations were already solid.

The painting merely provided that final spark—the tipping point.

"Perfect timing. Just obtained the Ancient Bronze Creation Seal."

"And I also have the Mystic Silver Creation Seal."

Li Mo held the Divine Insight Painting.

The Seven Stars within him continued to spin ceaselessly, conveying a budding anticipation to his heart.

When it came to comprehension, he had insights from martial arts. Aside from the occasional struggle with swordplay, he rarely found himself at a loss.

Thus, he wasn’t worried that the painting would lose its original effect after further refinement.

"Let’s use it."

Li Mo made his decision, retrieving the small seal shimmering with ancient bronze hues.

Without hesitation, he pressed it onto a corner of the painting.

Instantly, the tiny tadpole-like patterns on the seal swam onto the canvas, swiftly covering it.

The image began to transform, rapidly evolving.

Before long, the flow of ink slowed.

In a daze, Li Mo seemed to see the painted stone absorbing the tadpole patterns, cracking apart until it was covered in fissures.

Something was about to emerge...

Hum!

The next moment, as the last tadpole pattern vanished into the painting, the stone exploded.

[Congratulations, Host. Successful use of the Ancient Bronze Creation Seal to upgrade the Mid-Grade Divine Insight Painting to High-Grade.]

[Spirit Stone Divine Insight Painting has evolved into: Monkey King’s Birth Painting!]

"??"

Li Mo stared intently.

The original stone in the painting was gone.

In its place stood a small, naked monkey—a macaque—poised against the vastness of heaven and earth.

Though it was just a painting, one could vividly see it picking wild fruits in the mountains, soaring through the skies, diving into the seas, even joyfully sprinting along the shore...

"A Monkey King actually popped out?"

Li Mo muttered to himself.

A realization dawned on him.

He took out another small seal, this one gleaming with mystic silver.

As the seal neared the paper, he pressed it down gently.

The moment it touched, the tiny figure within his acupoints trembled violently!

His body began radiating an obscure aura, forming an energy field that enveloped him, intertwining with the tadpole patterns from the Mystic Silver Creation Seal as they merged into the painting.

It was his Celestial Physique!

Li Mo finally understood.

His Celestial Physique was guiding the evolution of this Creation Seal!

Allowing something that should never exist across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths to manifest on the canvas!

Li Mo abruptly looked up.

The ever-shifting painting now swirled with ink, sketching something he couldn’t tear his eyes away from.

His spirit, his divine intent, surged forth, enveloping him in a serene, mysterious glow that merged with the painting.

Before him, the ink had formed a flight of azure stone steps.

The surroundings were indistinct, but one detail stood out vividly—a plaque inscribed:

"Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave."

Beneath it, the macaque from the High-Grade painting now wore pristine Daoist robes.

The robed monkey stood on the steps, looking back.

Its gaze traversed endless years, spanning immeasurable time and space.

In the dead of night, with no one around,

man and monkey locked eyes.

In that moment, Li Mo knew—that gaze was meant for him.

Through unfathomable barriers, the monkey saw him, its fur glistening under the moonlight like flowing dawnlight.

Anyone would instinctively recognize:

This robed monkey was the embodiment of the world’s spiritual essence.

Hum—

The resonance of his Celestial Physique grew more intense.

It seemed to forge a connection through that gaze.

A heartbeat later,

the robed monkey gave an almost imperceptible nod.

It raised a hand,

pausing mid-air,

then gently tapped downward three times—

aimed at someone’s forehead across the distant void.

Thud—

Thud—

Thud—

Li Mo’s heartbeats echoed those taps with startling clarity.

In an instant, his mind flooded with brilliance.

Cloud-Somersault.

Indestructible Diamond Body.

Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations.

...

The revelations were too vast, flashing chaotically before him.

Li Mo felt like a frog at the bottom of a well, or a mayfly glimpsing the sky—awestruck and utterly unable to grasp the depth of what he saw.

These were no mere martial techniques.

They were divine abilities!

As his mind reeled, adrift like a leaf in a stormy sea, the Moonlight Radiance within his spirit blazed once more, pulling him free.

Gradually, the energy of his Celestial Physique settled, imprinting these insights—along with the Creation Seal’s power—onto the painting.

[Congratulations, Host. Successful use of the Mystic Silver Creation Seal to upgrade the High-Grade Divine Insight Painting to Supreme-Grade.]

[Monkey King’s Birth Painting has evolved into: Wukong Seeks the Dao Painting!]