Chapter 632 - 632: Dao

No one could have imagined that after writing the greatest Running Script of all time, Zhao Yuan would then switch to Seal Script.

And what was truly unbelievable was that these Seal Script characters were not in the slightest bit inferior to his previous Running Script!

After all, that hadn't been just any ordinary Running Script, but one that had captured the divine essence of Wang Xizhi! It could be called the absolute pinnacle of the art form, a peerless masterpiece!

But now, the Seal Script Zhao Yuan was writing was in no way inferior; it was also at the very apex of the art!

How could this not be shocking? How could this not be unbelievable?

Countless people spend their entire lives without managing to truly master even a single style of calligraphy. But Zhao Yuan? Barely out of his twenties, he had already mastered two different styles at the highest level!

What did they mean by "comparisons are the death of you"? This was the fucking definition of it!

Although at this moment, Zhao Yuan had only written five words on the paper, these five words represented the highest realm of Small Seal Script!

Every single stroke was a work of art, each one containing the pinnacle of calligraphic skill! But most importantly, these five words radiated an aura of absolute, world-conquering dominance! The profound Qi and surging intent within the writing seemed to leap off the paper, striking awe into the hearts of all who beheld it!

For a moment, the minds of many went completely blank, filled with nothing but those five words.

Supreme Over the Five Mountains!

The domineering aura of Taishan, the profound majesty of Taishan, and its special place in the history and culture of China—all of it was embodied in these five words, crushing the onlookers to the point where they could barely breathe.

THUD!

A renowned calligraphy master, overwhelmed by the powerful aura emanating from those five words, found his legs turning to jelly as he collapsed onto the floor.

But even though he had made a fool of himself, he wasn't the least bit angry. On the contrary, he was incredibly excited, shouting, "Magnificent characters! I've devoted my life to studying Seal Script, and this is the best, most breathtaking example I have ever seen! What's most critical is the imposing spirit within the writing. Only an aura this majestic is worthy of the phrase 'Supreme Over the Five Mountains'! It's laughable! I've practiced Seal Script my entire life, yet I'm completely incapable of writing with this kind of power! I am in awe! Truly, utterly in awe!"

Zhao Yuan smiled faintly, lowered his arm, then plucked the sheet of paper up and tossed it casually aside.

'Holy crap, not again?!'

The crowd was jolted back to reality. They scrambled to reach out, carefully catching the calligraphy. As they marveled at the work, they kept one eye on Zhao Yuan, wondering if he was about to write yet another piece.

And sure enough, Zhao Yuan did not disappoint them.

He took another sheet of Xuan paper, smoothed it flat, then lifted his brush, dipped it in the ink, and began to write, his movements a flurry of motion.

This time, he switched his calligraphic style to Cursive Script, then Clerical Script, then Standard Script.

With every style, the characters Zhao Yuan produced were of the absolute highest caliber!

Zhong Yao's foundational Small Standard Script, the Cursive Script of the sage Zhang Zhi, Yan Zhenqing's "Yan" style, the famed Wild Cursive, Zhao Ji's "Slender Gold" style... one after another, all kinds of calligraphic styles flowed from Zhao Yuan's brush. His mastery of each was in no way inferior to the ancient masters! In fact, because his characters contained the principles of heaven, earth, and nature, and the wondrous essence of the sun and moon, their artistic conception was even greater than that of his predecessors!

It was truly a case of the student surpassing the master!

At first, the crowd was still in a state of shock and pleasant surprise.

But as Zhao Yuan produced more and more styles of calligraphy, each at the absolute pinnacle of skill, their shock and surprise transformed into worship and reverence!

They worshipped him because he had cultivated every style of calligraphy to its highest possible realm.

And they revered him because he was simply too powerful, too monstrously talented. In their minds, he had become a peerless, insurmountable mountain! All they could do was look up in awe!

To live in the same era as a man like him was a blessing, yet it was also enough to drive one to despair.

A blessing, because they were witnessing the birth of a legend in the world of calligraphy. Despair, because with someone like him present, future generations would only speak of Zhao Yuan when they mentioned the calligraphers of this era. It would be nearly impossible for anyone else to leave their mark on history.

However, the shocks Zhao Yuan had delivered were not yet over.

After writing out every one of the calligraphic styles he had just looked up on his phone, Zhao Yuan closed his eyes, held his breath, calmed his Qi, and centered himself.

At this sight, everyone's curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

Moments ago, when Zhao Yuan had produced so many spectacular and breathtaking works, he had done it all with casual ease—aside from glancing at his phone at the very beginning. He hadn't needed to prepare like this, closing his eyes and holding his breath.

'So, people couldn't help but speculate. Why is he being so solemn and formal all of a sudden? What on earth is he about to write? And just how magnificent will it be?'

'Could it possibly be even more incredible than the artistic treasures he just produced?'

And so, as if on cue, the entire crowd held its breath along with Zhao Yuan, waiting for his brush to fall.

After several minutes of preparation, Zhao Yuan finally opened his eyes.

Because his head was lowered, his eyes fixed on the paper, no one noticed that at this very moment, his pupils seemed to contain the entire cosmos!

He lifted the brush, dipped it heavily into the inkstone, and with a flick of his wrist, wrote a single word on the Xuan paper.

Just a single word.

The word for "Dao"!

"Exhilarating! Absolutely exhilarating!" As soon as the word was complete, Zhao Yuan tossed his brush aside, looked at his creation, and burst into unrestrained laughter.

He was happy not only because the word was well-written, but more so because, in the process of writing it, he had gained a sliver of insight into the principles of nature and the consciousness of heaven and earth!

This was the enlightenment of Wu Peng, its contents vast and magnificent beyond compare. What Zhao Yuan had grasped was but a tiny fraction, yet even this small piece would benefit him immensely!

Although this insight wouldn't directly increase his strength, it would temper his Dao heart, allowing him to achieve twice the results with half the effort in his future Cultivation! At the same time, the likelihood of negative influences, such as the emergence of a Heart Demon, would be drastically reduced!

While Zhao Yuan was rejoicing, the gazes of everyone else were locked firmly on that single word: "Dao."

One by one, their mouths hung agape, shocked beyond all measure.

The word contained the principles of nature and the consciousness of heaven and earth. And when these things fell upon the eyes of different people, what they saw was not always the same.

For example, this group of calligraphy masters saw within the word the divine essence of their art. If a doctor were to look upon it, they would likely see the ultimate truths of the Medical Dao. And if a monk of the Buddha were to see it, they would probably perceive the principles of the dharma!

The people stuck on the outer edges of the crowd couldn't see what Zhao Yuan had written. Anxious, they stood on their tiptoes and began to ask questions.

"What on earth did he write?"

"Why has everyone gone silent? What did Zhao Yuan write this time?"

"Speak up! Have you all gone mute?"

After a long pause, someone finally answered them, their voice distant. "I saw... the mysteries and the divine essence of calligraphy!"

"Huh?"

The people on the outside were utterly baffled.

'The mysteries and the divine essence of calligraphy?'

'What kind of cryptic nonsense is that?'