Chapter 36: The Portrait of Emptiness (2/2)

“DIE!” Li Xing cackled with great pleasure. Killing Lu Yun would resolve the Qing servant’s obsession, allowing the painting soul to truly become a living creature.

Lu Yun ground his teeth together. Nine faint, draconic shadows manifested around him. Alas, the art was as flimsy as paper under an empyrean immortal’s assault and the coffinbearers were destroyed the instant they were summoned.

Death’s shadow loomed over him.

“Ho!” A tinkling cry intervened. The altar was enveloped in a misty violet light.

Hum!

A powerful blade light burst forth from Qing Han’s form, slashing bitingly toward Li Xing.

“Violetgrave!” The blue flames in Li Xing’s eyes faded, replaced with overwhelming terror. Violetgrave, a ninth-rank sword!

The weapon’s unleashed energies instantly quelled the awakening portrait. A white figure seemed to hover within the violet light, pressing a hand down to dampen the energies unleashed by the painting scroll .

Boom.

A violent quake rocked the altar. Li Xing’s body was cleanly hewn in half, then shattered by the sword’s lingering trail.

Thump!

Qing Han collapsed onto the ground and fainted from overexertion. A curious shortsword glimmered a brilliant amethyst next to his body—a new addition.

Lu Yun dumbly froze where he was, dripping with cold sweat. If Qing Han hadn’t helped him just now, he really would’ve died once again. His trump cards were as fragile as glass before the threat of absolute strength. He dropped down to the ground, panting with exhaustion.

“It looked like there was someone in the sword’s light just now.” Lu Yun rubbed his eyes and looked in the sword’s direction again, but nothing was there. “A hallucination, maybe?” He turned his eyes toward the others on the altar.

Li Youcai was grievously injured and completely unconscious. Yueshen’s eight copies had been destroyed, and she was quite hurt herself. Yuying had been knocked off the altar, her status unknown.

“Why did he hate me so much?” Lu Yun flicked a glance at the pieces of Li Xing on the ground. “How many awful things did this Lu Yun guy do before I came along?” he muttered with some lingering fear.

Earth’s Lu Yun hadn’t made any enemies since arriving in the world of immortals. Therefore, the only possible explanation was that these grudges were debts unpaid by the previous owner of this body.

After resting for a few moments, Lu Yun breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Yuying climbing back up the stairs to the altar. Not that he was worried that she’d actually die, since as long as he lived, she could be revived through the Tome of Life and Death.

“The altar is about to activate very soon, sir. We need to leave as quickly as possible, or we really will become sacrifices.” The Panorama of Clarity had shielded Yuying from almost all damage. “The Portrait of Emptiness was placed here as a seal.”

Lu Yun nodded in affirmation. “Are you alright, Yueshen?”

“I’m fine, my lord. I’ve only lost my specters.” Yueshen drifted aloft once more. The flight restriction formation had no effect on her.

“Can you control the fatty?” Lu Yun pointed at Li Youcai.

“He’s an empyrean immortal. If he was awake, I’d only be able to hoodwink his senses, but I can completely possess him now that he’s out cold,” answered Yueshen.

“Good!” Lu Yun breathed another sigh of relief. He wouldn’t have known what to do if it weren’t for her help.

Yueshen’s assistance in Li Youcai’s body would make the road ahead considerably easier. There were many more dangers within the burial mound, and a meat shield like the fat immortal was invaluable.

The Dusk governor picked up the Seal of Mountains and Rivers and tossed it back to the fatty, then pocketed the golden coin. “This bad boy is mine now,” he chuckled.

“What should we do with him, sir?” Yuying glanced doubtfully at Qing Han. The young man was still crumpled on the ground in a listless heap.

“He saved me just now, didn’t he?” sighed Lu Yun. “I really didn’t expect that from someone who tried to kill me earlier.”

Qing Han could’ve cut down Lu Yun along with Li Xing, but had only killed the latter in the end. Furthermore, he’d protected Lu Yun by using the violet sword to shield the Dusk governor from harm.

“This Portrait of Emptiness is what he came here to find, right…” Lu Yun plucked the scroll off the ground as well. Without energy to fuel it, the painting rested quietly in his hand, pulsing with an eerie blue light.

He hesitated a moment, then helped the unconscious Qing Han up. Shoving the Portrait of Emptiness into the noble scion’s embrace, he gathered up Violetgrave for safekeeping. Finally, he put the other youth on his back.

“Let’s go.” Lu Yun wasn’t going to take the painting that Qing Han had come for.

There was an unspoken rule among tomb raiders that if someone found what they were searching for, they had the right of first claim. This rule applied universally, whether the other raiders were friend or foe.

This kid is skinny and heavily tanned, but he’s surprisingly soft. A fleeting thought flickered through Lu Yun’s mind.

The altar was completely empty now. Freed from the grip of the Portrait of Emptiness, the altar was slowly stirring to wakefulness. Runes on its foundation were lighting up, readying for actuation. If the group dawdled any longer, they really would be sacrificed.

The undead hags were scared off by the disturbance, fleeing in every direction. Lu Yun and the others took this opportunity to flee unhindered through the ancient city. It only took a few moments before they scaled the opposite cliffs.

As soon as they reached the top, a black sphere of energy enveloped the city behind them. Everything disappeared in a burst of lightlessness, including countless hags that shrieked with anguish. Only imprints remained on the ground afterward.

Lu Yun traded a terrified look with Yuying. If they’d stayed any longer, they would’ve been consumed as well.

“Ah…” A soft sigh sounded at Lu Yun’s ear. “All of you need to stop walking forward. It doesn’t matter if you die, but you’ll get me in trouble too.”

1. Daevic is derived from deva—the heavenly realms in Buddhism. The third legendary fire literally translates to Tushita, the fourth realm.