Meng Qiuqiu opened his mouth wide. The O-shape of his mouth, combined with his round face, made him look like a little piggy bank.
Liang Gongchi looked at the magazine in her hand, her ears twitching slightly.
The little loli with her hair tied in buns, who was hammering a piece of dark silver metal with a small silver hammer nearby, also raised her head, curiously observing Zhao Mu, who was drawing furiously.
"Huh?"
She tilted her head, confusion written all over her face.
"What is that person doing?"
How could anyone copy a Spirit Rune so quickly? He's just drawing nonsense!
But Liang Gongchi didn't think so. Just by glancing at the movement of Zhao Mu's arm, she could mentally reconstruct what he was doing.
"This kid, could he be trying to build his drawing foundation here first?"
"Did Bu Yanhuan, that drunkard, really recommend a Genius like this to me because she drank too much?"
She sneered inwardly, yet her gaze involuntarily lingered on Zhao Mu for a few extra moments.
Unconsciously, two hours had passed just like that.
On the panel held by the demon clown, the proficiency for drawing broken lines finally reached maximum, advancing to the second stage: [Continuous Broken Line Drawing].
"Hoo—"
Shen Moran exhaled a breath of clear Qi and slowly straightened her back.
Shao Han's eyes lit up as he looked at the massive drawing on the workbench in front of her.
"Oh~ This is absolutely fantastic! As expected of you!"
Meng Qiuqiu looked over, then said to Zhao Mu, "She seems to have finished."
Zhao Mu merely glanced sideways before withdrawing his gaze.
He casually crumpled the drawing paper in front of him into a ball and tossed it into the trash bin.
The trash bin beside him was already stuffed full of similar paper balls.
Shao Han could no longer suppress the mockery on the corner of his mouth.
"E-rank is E-rank. With low talent, even if he managed to enter the Qingfeng Camp using some low-level warrior methods, he's hardly capable of great use."
He saw clearly that from beginning to end, Zhao Mu had been scribbling random lines on the paper, never seriously copying the Spirit Rune Diagram.
In contrast, Shen Moran had already completed her preliminary draft.
Shen Moran carefully picked up the blueprint in her hand, solemnly approached Master Liang Gongchi, bowed, and said, "Master Liang, I have finished copying."
Liang Gongchi lay on the sofa, casually raised her head, and glanced at the blueprint Shen Moran unfolded before her.
Shen Moran had copied the entire Spirit Rune Diagram meticulously, drawing every stroke with exceptional seriousness, leaving no trace of smudging.
It took her a full three hours to complete this drawing, and her patience and concentration alone surpassed most people.
Without close inspection, the drawing was almost indistinguishable from the Spirit Rune Diagram on the whiteboard.
However, upon closer examination, one could still find imperfections in the subtle details.
The straight lines had slight wavers, the corners were unnatural, and because she drew slowly, the overall fluidity was poor.
Nevertheless, this was Shen Moran's first attempt at copying a Spirit Rune Diagram, and reaching this level was already extremely impressive.
"Is that all?"
Liang Gongchi said dismissively.
"It's just a very average standard."
Upon hearing Liang Gongchi's evaluation, Shen Moran and Shao Han did not show disappointment; instead, their eyes lit up.
Liang Gongchi was the most elite Jinhai Master in Lujiang City.
To be rated "average" by her meant it was already acceptable!
One must know that she was a Great Master-level artisan who was extremely picky about craftsmanship. Many people didn't even qualify to receive her critique.
"I remember your awakened Spiritual Energy is the Space Element, correct?"
Liang Gongchi spoke lazily.
Shen Moran immediately nodded, "Yes, Master Liang."
"Then," Liang Gongchi pointed a finger at Shen Moran, "I can give you a chance to stay here and be a general assistant!"
"However, whether I teach you or not depends entirely on my mood. If I'm unhappy one day, you have to immediately scram. So, take it or leave it!"
Liang Gongchi's attitude could be described as terrible, yet Shen Moran was overjoyed.
A powerful Jinhai Master like her had the confidence to speak this way and no obligation to teach others.
That's why countless people would rather be scolded by her daily just to follow her and practice.
Such an opportunity is rare; encountering a noble person willing to teach their craft could allow some people to achieve a Heaven-Defying change in fate.
Although she wasn't formally accepted as a student, Shen Moran had taken a huge step forward!
She quickly lowered her head, "Thank you, Master Liang, for this opportunity! I will definitely cherish it!"
She secretly vowed in her heart to diligently study the techniques of Jinhai Manufacturing, become a powerful Jinhai Master, and open the gate to the upper echelons of the Empire!
Shao Han looked at Shen Moran, his eyes showing genuine happiness.
But soon, he gave a thumbs-up toward Zhao Mu, and said to Liang Gongchi with a mischievous smile, "Master Liang, compared to Shen Moran's effort and talent, that person over there seems to be here to cause trouble. He's been scribbling randomly for two hours! I think he's messing with you!"
Liang Gongchi looked in Zhao Mu's direction. She had long since seen the waste paper in the trash bin, and her eyes couldn't help but deepen.
"Hey, kid."
She stared at Zhao Mu: "Can you do it? If not, hurry up and give up!"
She let out a soft sneer and muttered, "How can there be so many Geniuses like me in this world? When did Bu Yanhuan, that drunk old woman, learn to talk nonsense?"
Zhao Mu picked up a new sheet of drawing paper and said with a smile, "Please wait a moment, I'll be done soon!"
He raised his head and stared intently at the Spirit Rune Diagram on the whiteboard.
The [Turtle Breathing Technique] activated. In an instant, his mind became ethereal, as if he had forgotten everything around him.
This strange change gave him a very unique temperament, as if he stood alone, Detached from the World.
Liang Gongchi's gaze narrowed. "Hmm?"
Zhao Mu picked up the drawing pen in his hand and, with great solemnity, began copying the Spirit Rune Diagram on the paper for the first time!
The demon clown laughed arrogantly, and the text on the prompt board in its hand changed.
[Spirit Rune Diagram Path Drawing]: Jinhai Manufacturing Skill, Proficiency 0.
Zhao Mu's pen descended, and that descent was like a bolt of lightning, instantly streaking across in the direction of the horizontal line!
The pen moved like a Dragon and a snake; the tip never left the paper, extending outwards in a single breath!
Liang Gongchi's eyes, which had originally held some judgment, suddenly changed!
Her throat subtly swallowed. Even from a distance, she could clearly see the pattern on the white paper.
As if drawing grids, Zhao Mu drew a series of square broken lines, forming regular matrices composed of these broken lines.
Liang Gongchi slowly walked over. After getting close enough to clearly see the contents of the entire drawing paper, she stopped moving forward.
"Swish!"
Zhao Mu skillfully turned the tip of his pen from the end of the white paper. When turning the corner, there was surprisingly no ink buildup at the joint. This subtle operation caused Liang Gongchi's pupils to constrict sharply!
"Is this kid really drawing for the first time?"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)