My Master Knows It All

378: Chapter 160 You Finish Your Performance and Then He Takes the Stage_1 378: Chapter 160 You Finish Your Performance and Then He Takes the Stage_1 Thousand Caves Door, the disciples of the various calligraphy and painting caves, finally understood today what it meant to be truly shaken to the core.

They were practitioners of the Painting Way and Calligraphy Dao, and even if they specialized in painting, they were well-versed and proficient in calligraphy as well.

What was this before their eyes?

“Fourteen characters, each one in a different style!”

“The key thing is that these are fourteen characters, and every single one creates a sense that it is the pinnacle of perfection, a stroke of brilliance at the utmost boundary!”

“Is this person really the Peak Master of Hundred Peaks Sect, and not a grandmaster calligrapher from Pen and Ink Sect?”

“Four Treasures Peak?

I simply cannot believe that such a grandmaster calligrapher is the Peak Master of the Hundred Peaks Sect’s Hundredth Peak.”

Elder Huan Kong’s expression changed continuously as he looked at the fourteen large characters, at times red, at others green.

This time, the debate was lost by their Thousand Caves Door.

Although their disciple, Shen Xing Hai, had beaten the opponent’s disciple, Cao Zhen alone had defeated all twelve of their Cave Masters.

Cave Master Peng even had an enlightenment due to the opponent’s characters, what more was there to say?

Perhaps, if it were some other sects, they would shamelessly claim that a disciple winning one match and then the Cave Masters losing one equaled a draw.

But who were they?

They were Thousand Caves Door!

They were one of the ten great Immortal Sects, they certainly would not act so shamelessly.

Having lost, they admitted defeat.

If they were beaten in calligraphy, they would simply seek to regain their honor through another form of debate.

Elder Huan Kong looked towards the other Cave Masters in attendance who were skilled in the Painting Dao.

The disciple from Hundred Peaks Sect had just said that Cao Zhen was also skilled in painting.

Generally speaking, those proficient in the Calligraphy Path would have some understanding of painting.

However, under normal circumstances, those who specialize in the Dao of Calligraphy wouldn’t progress very far in painting.

Similarly, those who excel in painting wouldn’t go very far in the Dao of Calligraphy.

After all, a person’s energy is limited.

Like in their Thousand Caves Door, the masters of the twelve calligraphy caves, while all having some knowledge of painting, could not be considered masters in it.

Those masters who walked both the calligraphy and painting paths, whether they demonstrated their skills in Calligraphy Dao or the Painting Way, could not compare to those who dedicated themselves to just one of those paths.

Of course, there are a rare few prodigies in this world who have achieved mastery in both calligraphy and painting, but such prodigies are exceedingly rare.

As for Cao Zhen…

If Cao Zhen had only taken one or two types of calligraphy to great lengths, Elder Huan Kong would indeed fear that Cao Zhen was one of those heaven-defying prodigies.

Yet Cao Zhen had taken fourteen different styles of calligraphy to such heights, suggesting that Cao Zhen must have devoted all of his efforts.

Crucially, Cao Zhen was not someone who had lived for thousands, tens of thousands of years.

Such a young Cao Zhen could not possibly have the energy to also study painting.

Cao Zhen’s painting skills absolutely could not be as profound as his calligraphy.

No matter how profound Cao Zhen’s Calligraphy Dao was, he only defeated them in calligraphy.

As long as they defeated Cao Zhen in painting, they would consider it a match reclaimed.

The Cave Masters of the painting caves felt Elder Huan Kong’s gaze and understood his intentions.

One Cave Master, who gave off an especially immaculate aura, stepped forward with a smile, “We have witnessed Peak Master Cao’s extraordinary Calligraphy Path, truly worthy of being described as ‘eternal as the long night.’ However, we have yet to see Peak Master Cao’s painting skills.

The disciple of your esteemed sect mentioned the ‘eternal as the long night’ principle in both calligraphy and painting.”

Although this debate was initially intended for the disciples to engage more, they had already lost once before.

In order to regain face, they would have to make Cao Zhen lose again, so they had no choice but to enter the fray themselves.

After all, Cao Zhen was a Peak Master, and if they continued to let their disciples argue with him, Cao Zhen might not take action again, leaving it to the Cave Masters themselves to step up.

Lan Pili, upon hearing this, was overjoyed.

These folks from Thousand Caves Door, not content with losing one match, were now delivering themselves for another defeat.

With the opportunity to strike at Thousand Caves Door, he naturally could not let it pass.

“Peak Master Cao, since these masters wish to debate painting with you, you shouldn’t hold back,” said Lan Pili.

The disciples of Hundred Peaks Sect around him all wore smiling faces, and even Chang Tiance had already stepped up to the writing table, smoothing out the surface.

Some of them had not seen Peak Master Cao paint, but they had heard about that time when Qing Mozi, the disciple from Pen and Ink Sect known for excellence in both calligraphy and painting, nearly bested every single one of Hundred Peaks Sect’s masters specialized in those arts.

It was Peak Master Cao who personally intervened, causing the latter to concede in admiration.

Even Qing Mozi had an enlightenment twice in one day because of a single painting by Peak Master Cao.

Qing Mozi hailed from the Pen and Ink Sect, a sect dedicated to the paths of both calligraphy and painting.

Within the entire Guardian Immortal Imperial Dynasty, the only one that could compare to Pen and Ink Sect in the arts of calligraphy and painting was the Four Extremes Sect.

As for the other sects, perhaps some of the elders or Cave Masters who specialized in calligraphy and painting were of a higher Cultivation Base than Qing Mozi, but in terms of skill in the arts, they were most likely inferior to him.

If Peak Master Cao could defeat Qing Mozi, defeating these people from Thousand Caves Door would be a minor task.

Elder Huan Kong stared at the Hundred Peaks Sect’s disciples, who were beaming across from him.

A trace of worry flickered in his heart; the situation seemed different from what he had envisioned.

Why did it seem like the disciples of Hundred Peaks Sect were so confident?

That Cao Zhen couldn’t possibly have reached the same level in the Painting Way as he had in his Calligraphy Dao, could he?

Impossible, it surely couldn’t be, he must be overthinking it…

Definitely overthinking it…