While eating, Maxine asked James if he had any new discoveries. However, James shook his head. Maxine did not question him further. After James finished eating, she took the cutleries and left. In the Cadens’ courtyard… As Maxine was walking out of the basement, she saw Tobias who was sitting in the gazebo not too far away. She walked over to him and greeted, “Grandpa.” Tobias nodded slightly and asked, “How’s James?” Maxine briefly hesitated before shaking her head and saying, “There’s nothing much going on with him. However, the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge is really intriguing, and the meridian diagram is simply bizarre. We found that forcing True Energy to move in a retrograde motion would only cause harm to our bodies. Hence, we’re still stuck.” Tobias ordered, “Watch James closely. Report to me the moment he discovers something.” “Understood.” At that moment, Maxine finally understood that Tobias had sent her to the basement not to learn but to watch Jame
“What did you find out?” Maxine looked at James with a stunned expression on her face. James pointed at the first and tenth human figures and said, “Look.” Maxine fixed her gaze on the ancient scroll. Then, a smile made its way onto her face. “Do we have to cultivate together?” James nodded. “Seems like it. Wanna test things out?” “Sure.” Maxine nodded with a look of anticipation on her face. The first human figure was sitting in a lotus position with his hands on his head. James mimicked his movements. Meanwhile, the tenth human figure was facing head-down with his palms pressed against the floor. Maxine leaped into the air and pressed her palms against James’. Their positions were a perfect match. Viewing the human figures by themselves, one would inevitably come to the conclusion that the meridian diagram was structurally flawed as one’s True Energy could not flow in the right direction. However, if two people performed the actions together, they would become an
Maxine guessed that their failed attempts could be due to James’ lack of True Energy, which was preventing him from cultivating. Therefore, she suggested they continue trying after he made a full recovery. James agreed. Maxine left in the morning. James, on the other hand, remained in the basement. His body had made a slight recovery, and he could now enter deep meditation, which would speed up his recovery process. Maxine left the basement with the cutleries. Upon leaving, she noticed that Tobias was sitting not too far away. “Grandpa,” She walked over to him and greeted him. “Mhm.” Tobias nodded slightly and asked, “How’s it going?” Maxine shook her head. “There isn’t much progress. The Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge is simply too complicated. James is still unable to unravel the mysteries behind the painting.” “Sigh…” Tobias sighed. Maxine asked, “What’s wrong, grandpa?” Tobias said, “The Johnstons have made their move. They’ve combined forces with the o
Maxine understood the underlying message in Tobias’ words—he was about to give up on James. Maxine had an idea. She suggested Tobias reveal the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge and the meridian diagram to the other three families. Following that, the other three families would also have to bring their paintings so that they could gather all four paintings in the same place. This could resolve the conflict between the families while allowing her a chance to see all four paintings together. However, Tobias refused. Putting the theft of the Johnstons’ painting aside, the chances of the other two families revealing their paintings were next to none. After all, they had been guarding them for thousands of years. Humans were selfish. The same went for Tobias. He did not wish for others to lay their eyes on the meridian diagram. “Tell James he’ll have to leave in two days.” Saying that, he turned to leave. Maxine frowned and turned to look at the artificial hill behind her. T
James smiled bitterly. “The Cadens will tear me to pieces.” Maxine said, “You have no choice but to suffer the wrath of the Cadens. Otherwise, you’ll be pursued by the other three families. You’re still a Caden, after all. I don’t think grandpa will kill you until he gets the painting back. As for the next move, I’ll leave the decision to you.” James shook his head. It would not work. He was too weak. Not only that, he was the trigger of this standoff. If he had not executed the Emperor, he could have stayed on the sidelines. James remained silent and returned to his meal. Soon, he finished eating. Holding the dishes in her hands, Maxine stood up and said, “There are only two days left. Reflect on it, will you?” Saying that, she left. James sat in a lotus position on the floor. He believed that the second option would never work. The first option was possible. However, it would be immensely difficult. It would be nearly impossible to unravel the secret behind the
At that moment, a crazy thought flashed through James’ mind. Forcing True Energy to move in a retrograde motion caused irreversible damage to his body. He collapsed to the ground and vomited blood non-stop. Blood oozed out from his body and made contact with the ancient scroll and the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge. At that moment, something in the painting changed. Right when he was on the verge of losing consciousness, James saw the full moon disappear and the white flower wither. They were replaced by a scorching sun. Illuminated by the sunlight, the scenery changed, and a few words appeared in the woods. “What…” James was stunned. He opened his eyes wide and stared at the words in the painting. Though the words were in ancient script used thousands of years ago, James recognized them. He etched them in his mind. Then, he fainted. The bloodstain on the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge disappeared, and the painting returned to normal. After some time, Maxi
At that moment, James regained consciousness. Hearing Tobias’ words, he spoke in a feeble voice, “W-Will I die?” Tobias looked at him and said, “Yes.” Then, he left. Only Maxine and James remained in the room. James spoke with great difficulty, “Where’s the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge?” Maxine said, “It’s still in the basement.” “I-Is there anything peculiar about it?” “Huh?” Maxine froze. Then, she said, “No, not at all.” “That can’t be.” James shook his head. “Something must’ve happened. Bring me back to the basement. Maybe the secret of the painting has been revealed.” “But, your condition…” “It’s alright.” Maxine had no choice but to carry James, whose life was hanging by a thread, back into the basement. Before they could approach the courtyard, a handsome-looking man in a white shirt walked over to them. “What are you doing, Maxine?” Seeing that Maxine was carrying a bloodied man in her arms, the man frowned. “Bobby,” Maxine greeted. Upon s
“Why are you sighing?” “It’s nothing.” Maxine did not say much. Carrying James in her arms, she swiftly made her way into the basement. Since she remained silent, James did not question her further. “By the way, Bobby’s actually a rather nice guy. Don’t take it to heart.” Worried that James might plot his revenge, she added this remark. “Hmph…” James grunted. Bobby had been creating trouble for him since day one. If given the opportunity, he would definitely teach him a lesson. Soon, they arrived at the basement. The ancient scroll and the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge were still on the floor. Though the ancient scroll was stained with blood, the painting was completely fine. Maxine put James in the wheelchair and picked the items up from the floor. James ordered, “Let me have a look.” Maxine handed them over to him. After scrutinizing the painting, he realized that it did not undergo any changes at all. However, he was sure that something changed just bef