At the foot of the mountain, dense forests were everywhere, offering no good scenery.
It wasn't until they reached the mountainside that the forest became noticeably sparser, with volcanic ash and various ores appearing on the ground.
Upon reaching the summit, the guarding forest had long since vanished, replaced by a desolate landscape.
There was only a caldera the size of a lake, emitting thick smoke, with endless boiling magma below.
This was a novelty for Dongfang Mingyue and Ye Cangtian, who had never seen a volcanic crater before.
However, when they turned to look around, the true beauty unfolded.
Mountains rose and fell before them. Due to their proximity to the volcano, the mountain forests had absorbed a significant amount of minerals, leading to slight variations. Yet, the scene appeared distinctly layered.
"How beautiful!"
With such magnificent scenery before her, and the white clouds seemingly within reach, Dongfang Mingyue felt refreshed and relaxed, unable to help but exclaim.
Yan Biao heard her and smiled slightly, a hint of pride showing. "After staying here for so long, I truly don't find the scenery elsewhere as appealing."
"Heh, I must disagree with that."
"The scenery outside is just as beautiful, on par with this place, yet each with its own charm!"
Ye Zheng Hao refuted Yan Biao's statement, forcefully seeking to make his presence known.
The only way he could now change Dongfang Mingyue's indifference towards him was to make his presence felt more, to capture her attention.
Only when she noticed him would he have a chance to impress her.
Dongfang Mingyue somewhat agreed with his sentiment and nodded, saying, "This is the artistry of nature. Every part is meticulously crafted, pleasing to the eye and making one reluctant to leave..."
...
The forest at the mountain's base.
In a dense forest area, over a dozen men in black robes gathered.
The leader looked at his companions and asked, "Are the arrangements complete?"
"Don't worry, it's guaranteed to be fine!"
"In this area, any living thing that passes through will surely die!"
A subordinate said with a smile. The arrangements made were routine for him, posing no challenge.
"Very good. Leave one person to await the results. The rest will return to the village first!"
Upon hearing this, the leader's face broke into a satisfied smile as he quickly made the arrangements.
Then, he led everyone away from the forest.
...
On Mount Lie Yan.
After admiring the scenery, those on the mountain planned to return.
But before they could leave, Ye Zheng Hao made a new suggestion.
As everyone looked at him, he spoke, "With such beautiful scenery, why don't a few of us have a portrait taken as a souvenir? This way, our trip won't have been in vain!"
Heh.
Dongfang Mingyue rolled her eyes at him upon hearing this and said irritably, "Do you think this is the outside world? There are no cameras here, so how can we take a portrait?"
Hearing this, Ye Zheng Hao smiled slightly and quickly replied, "There may be no cameras here, but there is me."
You?
Dongfang Mingyue paused slightly, then understood his meaning. "Are you a painter?"
There were no cameras in the ruins; all wanted posters and character portraits were completed by painters.
This was extremely important to every faction, so each faction had painters.
It was just that Dongfang Mingyue was surprised. Rumor had it that he was a martial arts fanatic, so why was he a painter?
It's not like one could become a painter overnight; it required a certain amount of practice. Wasn't he afraid it would affect his cultivation?
"He is indeed a painter!"
"And not just any painter, but at least a Grandmaster!"
Yan Biao said with a smile upon hearing this.
Not only had the man achieved success in the field of painting, but he also surpassed him in cultivation, making him truly enviable.
"Heh, Brother Yan Biao, you flatter me. I've only just begun to understand the basics."
Ye Zheng Hao smiled, displaying extreme humility.
They say humility is a virtue, and he wanted to humbly try to win the favor of the beauty.
However, in the next moment, he realized it was all rather useless.
Because Dongfang Mingyue didn't care about his humility; she only cared about whether he was a painter!
"Alright, since you are a painter, then I'll trouble you!"
Dongfang Mingyue said, then pulled Ye Cangtian along, choosing a spot with a good background, and struck a pose.
Yan Biao, seeing this, quickly followed.
After all, if they were traveling as a group of four and he wasn't in the portrait, it would be awkward!
Watching Dongfang Mingyue with Ye Cangtian on her left and Yan Biao on her right, Ye Zheng Hao felt like weeping without tears.
Since he had to paint from the side, he couldn't pose with the other three. His own portrait would have to be added last.
But now, with Dongfang Mingyue flanked by others, the best position was clearly taken.
To be honest, this was somewhat contrary to his expectations. He had thought Yan Biao would yield to him!
But now, it seemed he had overthought things.
With this thought, he gritted his teeth and finally began to paint.
Even without a good spot, it was fine. At least if he painted well, she might look at him differently.
Thus, Ye Zheng Hao began to paint with focus, his movements flowing like water.
Before long, he had completed the painting and handed it to them.
Looking at the painting before them, both Dongfang Mingyue and Ye Cangtian were impressed with Ye Zheng Hao.
The people depicted in the painting were lifelike, as if they were made from the same mold as their true selves.
The scenery in the painting was largely based on reality, with only a slight embellishment, making it appear like a paradise on earth.
It could be said that the painting technique was definitely better than what a camera could produce.
"My heavens! Did you really paint this?"
"How did you manage to improve your skills to this extent without affecting your cultivation!"
Dongfang Mingyue's eyes widened as she looked at Ye Zheng Hao.
Even though she harbored reservations about Ye Zheng Hao, she had to admire his exquisite skill; calling him a Grandmaster would not be an exaggeration.
Hearing Dongfang Mingyue's slightly admiring question, Ye Zheng Hao's gloom immediately vanished.
He had achieved the desired effect. The only regret was that he had placed himself behind Dongfang Mingyue. If he could have been beside her, it would have been even more perfect.
Excited in his heart, Ye Zheng Hao explained without any concealment.
"Actually, it's all thanks to my mother..."
Ye Zheng Hao's mother was once a Grandmaster painter at the Lie Huo Academy.
She and Ye Yao Yang fell in love over time and eventually became partners, leading to Ye Zheng Hao's birth.
Originally, the two were deeply affectionate and lived a blissful life together. However, good times were not to last.
Ye Zheng Hao's mother had very limited talent. Even with the backing of a peak force like the Lie Huo Academy, her cultivation ultimately only reached the Earth level.
Such cultivation was nothing significant in the ruins.
During one outing, his mother never returned.
To commemorate her, Ye Yao Yang made an exception and allowed Ye Zheng Hao to study painting. Fortunately, Ye Zheng Hao had good talent and soon achieved some success...
After recounting his past, Ye Zheng Hao then presented the artwork with both hands to Dongfang Mingyue.
"If Miss Mingyue doesn't mind, I'd like to gift this to you as a keepsake!"
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Mingyue did not refuse. It was just a small gift, not a significant favor, so she accepted it without much thought.
This is interesting.
Ye Cangtian, watching everything unfold, mused inwardly.
Now, he felt that Ye Zheng Hao was quite interested in Dongfang Mingyue.
But at yesterday's banquet, the man had shown no such interest. Clearly, all of this must have been arranged by Ye Yao Yang.
Yet, he still couldn't figure out why!
"Bratty brother, what are you thinking about?"
Just then, Dongfang Mingyue's voice reached him.
Ye Cangtian snapped back to attention, smiled slightly, and waved his hand, saying, "Nothing much, just thinking how Brother Zheng Hao also has this skill. In the future, even without relying on his cultivation, he'll still have a way to make a living..."
As he spoke, Ye Cangtian changed the subject and continued, "Alright, it's getting late. We should head down the mountain."
With a minor interlude, Ye Cangtian and the others began their journey back with enthusiasm.
"Wait!"
Before they reached the forest at the foot of the mountain, Ye Cangtian stretched out his hand, calling a halt to everyone.