Maiden Galaxy

"The rivers and mountains produce a genius every generation, each embodying literary excellence for centuries."

Jiang Kui pondered upon this poem. The more she thought it through and understood it, the more she felt that it was profound. Surprisingly, it was not the slightest degree inferior in Realm to those celebrated verses left upon the Cultural Tradition Steles.

Clear And Empty Shadow looked at this junior brother and was truly understanding him less and less.

To be capable of defeating Yang Su yet also be able to compose such an artistic Dark Yellow Verse, very few among those top-notch Star Names were able to achieve this level.

The two of them hurried back. Chen Mo's gaze scanned around unintentionally, suddenly noticing a woman sitting on top of old well by the road. That woman was dressed in a white silk skirt, extremely thin like a cicada's wing. This made the girl's figure faintly visible, as if she was as empty as the air.

Chen Mo blinked, and that woman's figure vanished.

"What is the matter?"

Chen Mo wrinkled his brow. He felt that she had been staring at him.

"Junior Brother, what is the matter?" Jiang Kui asked.

Jiang Kui shook her head.

A hallucination?

After they regrouped with Mi Fu at an inn called the "Odes of Bei," Jiang Kui began to prepare her Sequel to the Treatise on Calligraphy. This time, after she thoroughly completed the Sequel, she also prepared to fully refine those calligraphy tablets she gathered into a Purple Rose Grade Astral Treasure. This first needed to see if she could make a breakthrough by using the Literary Excellence Convention.

The Literary Excellence Convention's rules were honestly very simple.

The chosen in possession of "Airs Of The States Pendants" would advance through the fifteen day exchange in Qu Yuan City. Any interactions pertaining to spiritual power could receive the power of the sages' aspirations, making the jade pendant begin to change color. When it became purple, the holder would have the qualifications to enter the Ten Thousand Sages Hall. Furthermore, in regards to the method of interaction, besides checks by the Seven Sages Of The Bamboo Grove, there were also stele comprehension and some topics on the sages' steles.

The million steles spread throughout Qu Yuan City could all garner experience.

In other words, Star Generals in Qu Yuan City could obtain the sages' power over the next fifteen days, aiming at the end to increase Realm.

Jiang Kui and Mi Fu's first objective was related to the area of calligraphy.

Qu Yuan City was split into two districts, the Major Court Hymns¹ and the Lesser Court Hymns.² Any cultivator or Star General was able to enter and interact in the Major Court Hymns district without any restricts, but only cultivators with Airs Of The States Pendants could enter the Lesser Court Hymns. Additionally, the jade pendant's power must be at blue to be qualified to enter. Also, the Lesser and Major Court Hymns districts were different in that the Seven Sages Of The Bamboo Grove were personally responsible for the Lesser.

Jiang Kui brought out her Sequel to exchange perspectives with some other Star Generals.

Chen Mo idly browsed the main avenue, looking for sage steles to look at.

"Each embodying literary excellence for centuries!"

"This was actually composed by a male cultivator, and right in front of Su Shi's face, too."

"Hmph, to surprisingly dare snub the Immortal Of Poetry and the Sage Of Poetry, does he actually believe a man can embody literary excellence? Truly making a fool of himself."

"But regardless, to be able to compose such a poem, that is talent."

"I feel he is an egotistical brat with just a modicum of skill."

The streets were very quickly filled with people discussing Chen Mo's prior "each embodying literary excellence for centuries" verse. There were countless who were astounded, envious, jealous, or disdainful. Angry voices mixed together, and in a flash, Qu Yuan City was boiling.

Qu Yuan City featured many information pavilions. So long as there was an exquisitely artistic masterpiece or a very stunning work, Star Generals and cultivators would begin to ponder and think over its concepts. In the end, it could spread through the Major and Lesser Court Hymns, becoming known to all.

Chen Mo noticed that the Literary Excellence Pendant already showed a green halo after two hours.

Chen Mo held the jade pendant in his palm and sent in a ray of Divine Intent. He immediately sensed a mysterious Star Energy spread through his mind.

"So it turned out this is the sages' aspirations." The jade pendant collected the Star Energy that cultivators obtained, and then it refined it for use, bolstering his own Realm.

It appeared that fame in Qu Yuan City could allow the power of the sages' aspirations to collect even faster.

Chen Mo arrived in front of a sage stele. The stele was ten ren high, and the calligraphy characters upon it were as small as "fly heads." The rows of characters were densely packed and neat. From the meticulous calligraphy, the grace of Wei and Jin were obvious. However, this work was only half-finished, not at all complete.

Many people were in front of the stele, currently gathered in an exchange.

"These words are truly great, like silkworms spinning silk. This is talented writing."

"Pity there is only half and that it is incomplete."

"This is the calligraphy of ‘Flying Bird Of Lingyan' Chu Suiliang!!³ She is but one from the All Things Heavenly Palace's Lingyan Pavilion in the Heavenly Tang Kingdom."

"So that was the case."

Chen Mo approached to take a look.

"Observe the way of Heaven, follow in its example, all you must do will have been accomplished. Heaven has five mutual adversaries, to see and understand them is to grasp how they bring prosperity. They are in the mind, and when one can mobilize them in accordance with Heaven…"⁴

"Hm, this is the Hidden Talisman Classic." Memories pertaining to this calligraphy very quickly surfaced in Chen Mo's mind. Thinking about it, Chen Mo walked to an adjacent stele, and using Star Energy as his brush, carved into the stele. Fortunately, he had exchanges on Senior Sister Jiang Kui's Sequel, for Chen Mo was considered very proficient as well. His strokes were serpentine, soaring and dancing like dragons and phoenixes. The middle portion of the Hidden Talisman Classic appeared. "Heaven creates and Heaven kills, this is the essence of the way. Heaven and Earth are the looters of all things…"⁵

The assembled cultivators and Star Generals were very upset to be disturbed. Just as they were about to chide Chen Mo, they saw him set up a stele. They showed jeering grins, but then they saw the stele shine a light on Chen Mo. Afterwards, the light over the stele dimmed, leaving them dumbstruck.

The sage stele's power was surprisingly taken away in its entirety by a man.

The Literary Excellence Pendant's green light became even darker. Chen Mo turned and left, having obtained the sages' will. At this moment, two young women hurried over.

"Quickly, quickly, Chan'er."⁶

Hou Junzhi⁷ called for Yu Shinan.⁸

"I heard that Duke Chu's calligraphy is here, that only half of it is written. If you can complete it, you can obtain lots of sage aspiration."

"Do not be so worried, they say that the Flying Bird Of Lingyan's calligraphy artistry is profound, very difficult to comprehend. Yu Shinan panted.

"I heard that Su Shi has researched it very thoroughly. We cannot let her have her way."

Hou Xihan⁹ dragged Yu Shinan in a hurry in front of the stele. She lifted her face to look and froze.

"What is this? The inscription is actually complete? Did they not say there was only half?" Hou Xihan was very upset.

"Someone finished it." Yu Chan let out a long sigh after looking at the characters. The second half of the calligraphy was written with vigorous strokes, with many different shapes, in a suave, steady, and smooth style that completely contrasted with Chu Suiliang, yet it was surprisingly compatible.

"Who is this Chen Mo??!!" Hou Xihan looked at this signature in dumb shock.

If it had been Su Shi, she could accept it. But where did this Chen Mo come from. THis did not appear to be any Star Name.

"He is a young man, quite steady of bearing." A bystanding cultivator said.

"Don't tell me just now…" Yu Shinan gasped.

…

Chen Mo very quickly viewed all of the Major Court Hymns District's inscriptions. Tese inscriptions had calligraphy supplements, and some had matching verses, while others had incomplete couplets.

On the fifth day of the Literary Excellence Convention, the great battle between two sage genius, Su Shi and Liu Yong, began as they displayed their own absolute genius splendor.

Su Shi's "To the Tune of Nian Nu Jiao"¹⁰ was prominent, astounding the entire convention.

The Yangtze flows east, the waves washing away heroes of the past.

They say on the west side of this rampart, Zhou Yu won the Battle of the Red Cliffs during the Three Kingdoms era.

Rocks pierced the sky, waves beat the shore, splashing snow all over.

The mountains and rivers were splendid, and many heroes stood out.

Little Qiao had been married back then to Gongjin, a man of valor.

Feather fan in hand, he would chat and laugh, the mast and scull scattered to the wind.

The ancient country divinely wanders, laughing at me with sentiment, brilliant and glorious in their youth.

Life is as a dream, and I pour a cup of wine out for the river and moon.

The Peerless Star Hero reportedly composed this poem with "nostalgia" as the topic. It just so happened to recount the Battle of Red Cliff that occurred in the Dark Spirit Star Kingdom not too long ago, when Martial Emperor Of Wei Cao Cao, First King Of Shu Liu Bei and Heavenly Emperor Of Wu Sun Quan stood as tripartite forces, an important battle in their struggle to be Star Marquis. It was during this battle that "Beautiful Yu" Zhao Yu consecutively routed Cao Wei's great general, making her name known with a single battle, exhibiting enormous usefulness. It could be said that her name moved the Dark Spirit Star Kingdom. Even Heavenly Emperor Of Wu Sun Quan praised Zhao Yu as "a capable adviser to a ruler."

This poem used the phrase "washed away" that circulated through Qu Yuan City not too long ago, yet it was used with greater mastery. The entire poem used the matter to express emotion, firm and bleak, imposing and majestic, vigorous and strong, a magnificent realm that fused together writing, reciting and expression. It gave people a feeling of being cleansed, such that even the Sage Of Poetry offered praise that it was "the most perfect song, past and present."

If it could be said that Su Shi's poetry Realm had a grand atmosphere, one that considered herself unexcelled, that "White Clothed Court Official" Liu Yong's poem enchanted people through its elegance. She and Su Mian had wrote a poem during a feast once, "Viewing Sea Tides."

This poem described the sight of Star World's most elegant city, "Qiantang." This poem reversed Liu Yong's usual style, with great boldness and climaxing strokes. The thick ink vividly portrayed Hangzhou's prosperity, its magnificent scenery. It could be said: a peaceful atmosphere can always be described; at the same time, it was called a masterpiece for the ages thanks to Dream In A Millennium Su Mian's patronage.

…

"The southeast is advantageous in geography, with the metropolis of three Wu counties. Qiantang has prospered since antiquity, misty willows and painted bridges, wind screens and jade canopies, it is a city of more than a hundred thousand families. Tall trees surround the embankment, furious waves roll the frost and snow, the river has no end in sight. The market puts pearls on display, each house is filled with brightly colored silk, the image of prosperity. The series of lakes and the mountain chains are breathtaking. The laurels blossom in the third month of autumn alongside ten li of lotus. People play the qiang during the day, sing during the night, lively old men fishing and little girls playing with dolls. Thousands of cavalrymen bearing weapons, I am enchanted listening to the xiao and drums, singing through the haze. On a different day I will paint a good landscape, with which I will boast when I return to my inkstone."

Chen Mo looked at the Viewing Sea Tides poem depicted on the white paper in his hands. The scene described was magnificent, a vivid artistic representation, making people unable to help but recite along.

Su Wanyang's Nian Nu Jiao was forceful and cool, making people applaud its achievement.

But Liu Fengxi's poem, on the contrary, shone more brilliantly in Qu Yuan City. From the great streets to the small alleys, throughout the pavilions, one could hear this elegant poem everywhere. It was very clear that the thousand year genius Liu Yong's poem was apparently much more well received.

"As expected, where the wells have water, Liu Yong's poems can be heard. I truly wish to be able to hear her personally recite this." Chen Mo felt unusually pleasant listening to this poem.

The "White Clothed Court Official" was a graceful genius. Chen Mo was a bit eager to see her true face.

"Though her artistry is good, in the end, there are suspicions she curried favor with Su Mian. The so-called genius is nothing special."

A strange laugh suddenly echoed.

Chen Mo stopped and lifted his gaze.

"Huang Chao?" Chen Mo wrinkled his brow.

"Your ken is also shallow, for it seems you are fond of extravagant embellishments, too."

Huang Chao looked down upon him, her face full of disdain.

1. 大雅 ↩
2. 小雅 ↩
3. ‘凌煙飛鳥’褚遂良 ↩
4. 觀天之道，執天之行，盡矣。天有五賊，見之者昌。五賊在心，施行於天 ↩
5. 天生天殺，道之理也。天地，萬物之盜 ↩
6. 嬋兒 ↩
7. 侯君集 ↩
8. 虞世南 ↩
9. 侯兮寒 ↩
10. 念奴嬌 ↩

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