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nWilliam’s painting, titled “The Fledgling Hawk,” was as simple as it could be. With just a few strokes and devoid of any background, it looked quite plain at first glance.

nWhat was most thought-provoking was the signature below the fledgling hawk.

nAlice?!

nYork Brimstone, widely acknowledged as a master of oil painting, could discern that though the painting was simple, it showcased profound artistic prowess.

nIn oil paintings, conveying emotion and spirit is paramount, and this artwork had achieved an incredibly high level in terms of its color depth and light-dark contrast.

nYork Brimstone had had the opportunity to see some works of ancient masters, yet this simple painting of a fledgling hawk surpassed even those esteemed pieces in technical merit.

nWhat stunned York Brimstone even more was the certain spiritual energy emanating from “The Fledgling Hawk.” Just one visual contact with it made him feel a wild surge of energy within.

nClearly, this painting must’ve been created by a Soulmancer.

nAnd this Soulmancer’s skill level was incredibly high!

nYork Brimstone stood there, looking at Alice, his tone intermingled with shock and deep admiration, “Excuse me… are you Alice?”

nHe had considered addressing her with the term “master”, but hesitated. He himself was already advanced in age; calling her “master” in front of so many people might imply that she appeared much older than she actually was, wouldn’t it? Maintaining a respectful demeanor should be enough.

nAlice was somewhat taken aback. She could feel his respect, but it left her somewhat puzzled.

nShe knew that York Brimstone was of her father’s generation; why then was he showing her such high regard?

nShe responded with a smile, “Uh… yes, Mr. Brimstone, I am Alice. In fact, Charles Turner is my grandfather.”

nAlice wasn’t familiar with York Brimstone, and she wasn’t sure if he knew her father, so she mentioned her grandfather’s name.

nCharles Turner, a renowned contemporary healer, surely York Brimstone must have heard of him.

n“Mr. Turner is your grandfather?” York Brimstone was even more astounded.

nIf this were true, Alice must be quite young. Yet, from the painting she produced, it was evident that her skills were incredibly profound.

nCharles Turner’s granddaughter was a Soulmancer?

nAlice nodded, then picked up the piece titled “The Fledgling Hawk” from the table with both hands, saying, “First, have someone properly frame this painting. It is going to be auctioned.”

nBefore York Brimstone could respond, Lucas began to laugh. “Alice, you drew this painting, didn’t you? I remember your family is known for medicine, how did you end up painting? Wasn’t William supposed to paint? Moreover, this painting really is simple.”

n“Smack!”

nYork Brimstone immediately slapped Lucas across the face, the sound of the slap resonating sharply, his hand landing heavily.

nLucas screamed, two bloodied teeth flying out of his mouth as he covered his face, looking at his father in disbelief.

nHis mother had passed away early, and being the only child, he was doted on excessively by his father. Even when Lucas had made many serious mistakes before, York Brimstone had never hit him.

nAnd now, he had slapped him in front of so many people over such a trivial matter.

nYork Brimstone yelled angrily, “Get out! Since when did you have a say here?”

nLucas was utterly stunned; his father’s slap was far too harsh. Scared, he could only awkwardly retreat.

nYork Brimstone asked someone to bring a frame and personally set about framing the painting.

nIt was only when he picked up the painting from the surface that he saw the piece William had painted titled “Flight of the Mighty Eagle.”

nWhen William had asked Alice to write her name, he had covered “Flight of the Mighty Eagle” with “The Fledgling Hawk,” not caring at all whether the paint would stick to the back of the paper.

nThe moment York Brimstone saw “Flight of the Mighty Eagle,” he felt nothing but utter astonishment.

nThe visual impact was potent, as if the mighty eagle was about to break free from the constraints of the paper, soaring into the sky!

nIf the previous painting demonstrated the artist’s advanced technique, then this painting’s superb craftsmanship and conveyed spirit were absolutely breathtaking.

n“This… was painted by William?” York Brimstone nearly popped his eyes out, his voice coming out husky and strained.

nIf the first painting relied on the augmentation of a Soulmancer’s spiritual energy, then the second piece truly represented artistry that could overturn the world’s artistic standards!

nAmong the various masterpieces passed down through the annals of history, York Brimstone could confidently say that this painting was the most perfect work he had ever seen.

nNot even Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” or Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” could evoke such a profound sense of astonishment in him.

nHow could the young William have such depth of skill? The phrase “Dedicated to my apprentice Alice” demonstrated exquisite calligraphic skill, an indescribable beauty perhaps only comparable to John Hancock’s signature on the Declaration of Independence.

nThere were some words on one side of the painting, but they had been deliberately smeared off. However, even this erased script did not bring any sense of discord. Instead, it added a mysterious ambiance to the painting, evoking a desire to speculate on the concealed content. What kind of genius was William?

nYork Brimstone stared at the painting below and asked, “Alice, is this painting also going to be auctioned?”

nAlice excitedly replied, “This one is not for sale! Didn’t you see what is written above? It has already been given to me!”

nThis painting cannot be sold, not even this “The Fledgling Hawk” can be sold!

nIt bore her writing and William’s painting; how could it possibly be sold?

nTaking it to the auction is just going through the motions, after all, Alice still has over a million dollars in her bank account. She absolutely needs to buy it back today.

nYork Brimstone remained silent, just staring at the painting over and over.

n“Quickly frame the painting!” Seeing York Brimstone’s eager eyes, Alice became somewhat flustered, fearing that he might intend to forcibly take it.

nAt this moment, she didn’t care about any great artist; she wouldn’t allow anyone to take away her painting, absolutely not.

nThey had been making things difficult for William from the start; Alice had only been somewhat courteous due to innate politeness.

n“Yes, yes, yes!” York Brimstone exhaled heavily, calling the staff to start framing the painting.

nThe painting “Flight of the Mighty Eagle” had its emanating spiritual energy forcibly suppressed by William, and since it was dedicated to his apprentice Alice, it essentially confirmed the owner of the painting. Apart from Alice, no one could perceive its special attributes.

nBut William’s painting skill was simply too superb; even without infusing a shred of energy, it was enough to astonish all the great artists in the world.

nHe was too powerful; there was no way to remain low-key, even if he wanted to. ｂ𝚍ｎｏ𝚟ｌ.

nThe artists standing behind all came forward to view the painting.

nThey were not Soulmancers; many could not understand where the charm lay in “The Fledgling Hawk” above, but the painting below provided them with a tremendous shock.

nA true work of art, even those who do not understand it, would find it beautiful.

nIn this oil painting, William successfully captured a magnificent moment of a mighty eagle. Under the stark contrast of colors, the eagle’s feathers displayed breathtakingly delicate gradations. It spread its wings to fly, seemingly ready to sweep away everything, its eyes revealing a dominating spirit overseeing the world.

nHow would they know, if William did not erase that line of text and suppress the spiritual energy in the painting, the consciousness of everyone present would be drawn into the painting, unable to extricate themselves.

nP.S.: I will do my best to update more chapters. I hope all the readers enjoy it. Please give it a high rating of 5 stars, thank you everyone!

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