Counterattack System appeared when I'm already At The Mahayana Realm

The fact that Qin Luan’s painting skills were difficult to describe by words. He said he was painting a circle, but it looked more like an egg in Jiang Li’s eyes.

Qin Luan was aware of his own ability. They did not specifically come to the Cloudwater Secret Area, but accidentally stepped into a random teleportation formation in the previous secret area and were transported here.

Operating on a ‘since we’re here, let’s give it a shot’-type of mindset, Qin Luan decided to try his luck.

Jiang Li was thinking of leaving Yuan Wuxing alone after entering the secret area, which seemed quite pitiful. So he asked, “Do you want me to take you inside too?”

Yuan Wuxing appreciated Jiang Li’s kindness, but still refused: “Unlike a certain someone, I know my limits. It’s better that I don’t embarrass myself with my poor artistic skills.”

Qin Luan thought his master was talking about him.

Li Er thought Yuan Wuxing was referring to him.

Jiang Li thought Yuan Wuxing was talking about him.

Jiang Li laughed awkwardly and didn’t mention bringing anyone else in. At this time, there was a commotion in the crowd, as if some important figure was arriving.

“Look, that’s the son of the secluded forest family, Lin Ruling!”

“What, the very same Lin Ruling who could read at three, recite poetry at five, and compose his own poems at seven?

“Who else could possess such an aura? Look at his confident demeanor, surely he has profound poems hidden in his heart!”

“And such looks, gentle, handsome and suave, undoubtedly the dream man of many young girls!”

“His cultivation speed is also extremely terrifying. He’s only twenty-five years old, but he’s already at the late stage of Golden Core, a rarity among his peers.”

“His combat power also defies the heavens. With a variety of means, he can withstand fifty moves against someone in the earliest stage of Nascent Soul!” Lin Ruling gestured to keep a low profile and not be too ostentatious.

The more he did this, the more people marveled. An excellent person like him keeping such a low profile made others feel ashamed.

Qin Luan and his company were all confused.

Who was this Lin Ruling, and why did so many people recognize him?

Was a twenty-five year-old at the late stage of Golden Core really so rare? Qin Luan was twenty-three and at the perfect stage of Golden Core, potentially stepping into the Nascent Soul Stage at any day.

And what was this about his combat power? None of those in the early Nascent Soul Stage had ever withstood fifty of his moves.

“Do you know him?” Li Er didn’t know Lin Ruling, but he had certainly heard of the secluded forest family which was indeed a well-known secluded family.

They often secluded themselves, going into seclusion every three to five years.

The forest family had a cultivator in the Body Integration Realm, and they were a family that had lasted for thousands of years.

This Body Integration Realm cultivator loved fame, but realized that he was quite ordinary amongst his kind, without anything noticeable to display.

Therefore, he opted to gain fame by going into seclusion, like the Gu clan, who furthered their cause by secluding themselves for hundreds of years, yet still not forgotten by anyone.

The Body Integration Realm cultivator used the pseudonym of “Hermit of the Mountain and Forest”, meaning one who enjoy solitude and often stay in the mountains and forests. However, fearing that his lengthy seclusion would cause others to forget him, he would occasionally emerge with an excuse, such as his grandson’s first-month celebration. After the celebration, he would return to seclusion.

As a result, the Mountain and Forest family would occasionally show their presence.

“They’re all plants.” Seeing a group of people introducing Lin Ruling with exaggerated tones, Jiang Li guessed it. He was too familiar with this trick.

To prove his point, he joined the crowd, also using an extremely exaggerated tone.

“Is this the legendary Lin Ruling, the reincarnated true Immortal, the ascendent to the mortal world, who was born with heavenly canons in his mouth?!”

“It is said that he is proficient in qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, capable of creating a poem in seven steps, familiar with the Qian and Kun chess game, able to recite classics backwards, and achieving mastery in painting. Any single one of these skills would be enough for him to become an Immortal, let alone being proficient in all four. He’s a prodigy rarely seen in hundreds of years!”

“His cultivation talent is unparalleled, his advancement as smooth as flowing water, killing without blinking an eye. Many people have said that he has the bearing of the Human Emperor, and surpassing the current Human Emperor is merely a matter of time.”

The plants turned their heads in surprise to look at Jiang Li, a newcomer they had not seen before, who had a good eloquence.

“Well said, you can get a couple more Spirit Stones after this.” The head of the plants was quite satisfied with Jiang Li.

However, Lin Ruling was breaking out in a cold sweat. This was clearly an attempt to kill him with praise.

His family had pushed him out to promote their family name, and being a flamboyant cultivator, Lin Ruling obliged this request and came to the entrance of the Cloudwater Secret Area to make some publicity.

But he didn’t expect the people his family had hired to exaggerate so much, saying things like surpassing the Human Emperor was only a matter of time. If he really had such ability, he wouldn’t stay in a secluded forest family that perpetually secluded themselves, he would have long left to study under the Human Emperor.

Lin Ruling quickly lowered his head. This time, he really wanted to keep a low profile.

“There, see? I told you they were plants.” Jiang Li returned with two Spirit Stones.

“Quickly, look! The Cloudwater Secret Area is about to open!” Someone in the crowd pointed forward and yelled.

Unlike other secret areas, the Sage of Painting could suspend heaven and earth in his paintings, and the Cloudwater Secret Area was a world within a painting.

The scroll floating in the sky slowly unfolded, revealing a magnificent ink landscape painting that was so mesmerizing, it was unearthly. This was a testament to how far the Sage of Painting had journeyed on the path of painting, none in the Nine Provinces could come close to his level.

The group of geniuses stepped into the painting one after another, and Jiang Li, once a genius, followed.

The scroll had been hung here since ancient times, and no one could affect it, representing the will of the Immortal. If Jiang Li wanted to, he could even take away the ancient scroll hanging here, let alone enter the secret area.

Li Er could also enter the secret area.

Having endured a celestial calamity, his power couldn’t quite compare to an

Immortal. hilt he could still break through the rules of the painting-

“Is this the Cloudwater Secret Area?” Everyone, except Jiang Li, was entering the Cloudwater Secret Area for the first time. Even Li Er had never been here before.

The Cloudwater Secret Area had mountains, streams, cities, roads, houses, people… All sorts of things were made up of black and white colors. Even Jiang Li and Li Er, who were both crude in nature, could perceive a faint sense of elegance.

The mountains were tall, the forest lush, and while the little brook trickled by, old buffalo ploughed the fields. Children frolicked, young girls washed clothes in the river… Though it seemed unreal, it seemed even more aesthetically pleasing than reality.

“You’re black and white now.” Song Ying looked at Qin Luan, feeling like he was a refined gentleman who had walked out of a painting. Every move he made left a trail of ink that would gradually dissipate with time, which was quite charming.

“We’re all black and white.” Qin Luan rolled his eyes. Everyone had undergone the same transformation, so why was she only focusing on him? As a cultivator, she should be omniscient and omnipresent, or else she would be at a disadvantage in battle.

“Aguna didn’t change much.” Qin Luan added.

Aguna was a native of the Southern Borders with unique brown skin. Now that her skin had turned from brown to black, the change was indeed minimal.

She understood this rationale, but still felt a deep urge to hit Qin Luan.

The things in the secret area are either painted or genuine. If someone could find out that something is genuine, then that thing would shed its disguise and reveal the truth.

This was how Boundary Grass was disguised.

And according to Jiang Li’s observation, Boundary Grass was not here. It should be located in the small worlds associated with other levels, and one had to pass tests to get there..