​​Chapter 20 Special Treatment for the Genius​​

"Shit, calling us mayflies, does that mean we’re tadpoles?"

"Holy shit, this scene is just like the fantasy worlds I always imagined—joining an immortal sect’s trials, shocking everyone, and becoming a legendary prodigy. But I never, ever imagined I’d end up as the damn background character!"

As the crowd watched Wang Shikong enter the lecture hall in his wheelchair, they couldn’t hold back their scowls any longer.

Wang Shikong was slightly surprised. This was it? This easy? He swept a glance at the fuming onlookers before entering. Inside, the old man regarded him with a kindly smile. "Come with me."

"Understood, senior."

Following the old man into an inner room furnished with desks and chairs, Shikong noticed three people busily sketching something. At his entrance, all three paused to look up at him, surprise flashing across their faces.

"Sit in that empty seat," the old man gestured. "My surname is Tianyun. You may address me as Teacher Tianyun from now on."

"Good day, Teacher Tianyun," Shikong replied respectfully.

It paid to remain courteous toward natives of the Boundless Continent. Though they wouldn’t harm Chosen Ones directly, they’d withhold quests at the slightest sign of disrespect. Worse—if you befriended powerful natives—they might even gift you gear, weapons, or skills. That had happened before. He remembered a guy from his past life who’d charmed a wealthy native woman and soared to the peak of life effortlessly.

"Hmm, very well," Teacher Tianyun said, clearly pleased by his attitude. "Your talent is exceptional, but to become an Artist, you must still progress step by step." He began introducing the tools: "This is the foundational book for Artists, along with an elemental brush, an inkstone, and ink. The ink requires Yuan Coins—currency. Grind them into powder and dilute with water."

He pointed at a sheet: "This is a simple elemental image. Channel elemental energy as you replicate it. Once you can duplicate it flawlessly and quickly, you’ll move to the next stage. However, if you fail to master this step within five days, abandon all thoughts of becoming an Artist."

"Understood, teacher," Shikong nodded.

Step one of the quest: activated.

His gaze fell upon the painting—an ordinary portrait of a human figure, yet enhanced with elemental details that made it appear astonishingly lifelike.

​​[Common Elemental Brush: Basic tool for painters]​​

No additional properties.

​​[Common Elemental Carrier Paper]​​

The brush resembled an ink brush from the Great Xia Dynasty.

"Teacher, why does he skip the first step of drawing practice and go straight to the second?" one of the female students seated nearby couldn’t help asking.

"He is him. You are you," Teacher Tianyun replied, his tone detached.

Skipped the first phase? Shikong was momentarily stunned. Was this thanks to my strong elemental affinity?

"Focus on your drawing," Tianyun instructed Shikong. "Return only when you can complete this painting within five minutes." With that, he left the room.

"Dude, you lucked out! The teacher made us practice regular drawing for five days before this!" a chatty young man spoke up as soon as Tianyun vanished. "I’m Feiyu. This lovely lady is Feifei. That guy is Shanhai."

"Shikong," he nodded at them before turning to the ​​[Foundational Book for Artists]​​.

Its first page held a poem:

Spirit brush ignites elements, scenes of splendor unfold.

Holy light forges timeless realms, glory reclaimed, age-old.

Below it read:

Feel the vast world’s pulse; paint the boundless cosmos.

"Artist is an expensive profession," grumbled the young man, grinding a Yuan Coin as he prepared ink. "Just the daily practice cost is a hundred Yuan Coins—ten thousand bucks in real life. Outrageous."

Shikong glanced at him before flipping to the next page—detailed instructions on grinding ink and the basics of drawing. He took out ten Yuan Coins and began crushing them into ink paste.

With preparations complete, he picked up the brush and started painting. As soon as the tip touched the paper, he knew something was wrong—he had zero artistic foundation or training.

Maybe...

Concentrating, he envisioned shifting these materials into reality.

Inside his mansion, Shikong appeared in the study. Old Ning’s studio was spacious and elegant, featuring a sandalwood desk with premium ornaments—even a complete set of painting tools. All for show, Shikong scoffed mentally; Old Ning didn’t paint or write at all.

He pulled out his phone, searched for drawing tutorials, and immersed himself in learning.

One of the perks of heightened mental power: accelerated learning. Within hours, he had a solid grasp of basic techniques.

Three hours later, Shikong successfully merged the elements. Yuan Coin ink ensured the elemental essence remained stable and visible without dispersing. But adorning each spot precisely with all nine elements demanded masterful control—so much that even Shikong erred once every ten strokes.

"To minimize mistakes… maybe I can pair precognition with my movements."

Once he activated the ability, progress skyrocketed.

"Twenty minutes—perfect replication," Shikong murmured, admiring his first finished sketch. "Still, hitting the five-minute mark will take a few more days."

"Hey, what’s this you’re up to, kid?"

A startled Shikong looked up. Ning Tianxiong stood at the doorway, eyes narrowed curiously.

"Drawing," Shikong replied.

"Drawing?" Ning Tianxiong stared at him like he’d gone mad. "Get a proper hobby. It’s dinner time. Come eat."

"On my way."

Rolling to the dining hall in his wheelchair, Shikong scanned the room. "Where’s Qingya?"

"Working on guild affairs," Madam Ning answered gently. "Go ahead without her, Shikong."

"Not like this lazybones who has time for art now," Ning Tianxiong muttered with contempt. His wife slapped his arm to shut him up.

Ignoring his cranky father-in-law, Shikong finished his meal and resumed practice.

The next day, after grinding the dungeon three times with Lao Hu and crew—pocketing 50,000 Yuan Coins—he practiced painting the entire rest of the day.

​​[Ding! Level +1. Mental Power +5. Constitution +2]​​

On the third day, finishing the Corrupted Manor dungeon on Nightmare difficulty, Shikong reached Level 5.

"I should be able to clear that five-minute time limit for painting today."

He spent four hours in the lecture hall sketching. Glancing at the timer for his latest attempt, he smiled.

4 minutes and 38 seconds.

"Teacher," Shikong addressed Tianyun. "I’ve met the requirement."

"Oh? Already?" The old man stood instantly. "Demonstrate."

Shikong began. This time, it took him only 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

"Very good!" Teacher Tianyun didn’t hide his admiration and produced a blueprint. "This is the diagram for the Explosive Fireball spell. If you can create one flawless copy within ten days, the blueprint is yours. Fail—and I’ll reclaim it."

"To craft Explosive Fireball, however, you must upgrade your paper to Grade-1 Elemental Carrier Paper. You’ll need to purchase that yourself."

"Understood, teacher." Shikong nodded.

"Explosive Fireball?" Feiyu, Feifei, and Shanhai stared thunderstruck. "Explosive Fireball?!"

"But teacher," Feifei blurted, "You only gave us diagrams for basic fire spells!"

The hell?! This is blatantly unfair treatment!

"Must I justify myself to you?" Teacher Tianyun deadpanned, his impassive glare silencing both. He walked out immediately.

Feiyu’s jaw hung loose. Feifei pursed her lips in resentment.

"Bro, this is unreal! Explosive Fireball! That’s tiers above ours!" Feiyu gaped at Shikong. "Why the special treatment?!"

"No clue," Shikong shrugged with a faint smile.

"Is it because you learned faster than us?" Feifei sidled up to him, envy etched on her face as she eyed the blueprint. "Hey, handsome, I see you aren’t in a guild yet. Join us in Heretic Society! We have exclusive skills and full support—we’ll cover all your scroll-making expenses!"

"Sorry," Shikong shook his head. "Not joining any guild."

"Are you sure?" Feiyu chimed in. "Artists need levels. With your legs… you can’t exactly grind. But if you join us, we’ll power-level you."

He leaned closer. "With your talent, the guild won’t let you down."

Shikong met his eyes. "I don’t have that intention."

Feiyu sighed. Feifei’s brow furrowed deeper.