Lin Jin felt helpless by the fact that Shu Xiaolou had yet to seize control over the painting realm. Admittedly, they were really lucky to have survived this time.
If the shadow hadn’t oppressed the immortal emperor’s painting spirit in the nick of time, both Lin Jin and Shu Xiaolou would have died there.
“We’re really lucky.” Lin Jin felt afraid just thinking about the outcome that should have been.
Quite frankly, Lin Jin had been a little overconfident after returning from the extraterritorial land. After all, Xiao Huo’s advance to Rank 7 put him on par with profound immortals. Also, the blood ghost and ghost worm combination could take down profound immortals as well. Along with the Clear Wind Sword and Four Ocean Gourd, it felt as if Lin Jin had the strength of two profound immortals.
Up against the Beast Deity Cult, Lin Jin had fought them conspicuously, even killing their body profound immortal.
His reputation was unmatched.
Anyone else in his shoes would consider themselves amazing, thinking they could conquer the world with this power. Even in the extraterritorial land, Lin Jin could hold his own.
Thus, Lin Jin had ventured into this Unending Nature Landscape without feeling much pressure because he figured he could solve every problem they came across.
But reality taught him a grave lesson.
If that inexplicable shadow hadn’t followed them here from the Acheron River realm, Lin Jin would have died by now.
This Nine-Heaven Realm also had holes in its skies now thanks to the shadow, but no one tried to stop Shu Xiaolou anymore so Lin Jin could sit down and rest now.
He was toying with the Four Ocean Gourd in his hand. The gourd had been further refined by the shadow earlier, having ice energy imbued in it. He tried it out earlier and the ice energy felt quite intimidating. Paired with the spirit water inside the gourd, it could swiftly create ice that was as tough as tempered steel and almighty.
The Four Ocean Gourd was now capable of both offense and defense, which translated as a great advantage for Lin Jin.
However, Lin Jin didn’t want to experience this one more time, because he couldn’t be sure if he would be so lucky anymore.
Finally, Shu Xiaolou managed to secure control over the painting realm. What had seemed impossible to Lin Jin was completed at last.
That instant, Shu Xiaolou’s form utterly disappeared to merge with the painting realm’s core. She reappeared shortly after to say one word to Lin Jin.
“Done!”
Lin Jin’s temper came flaring and he lashed out at once, reproaching Shu Xiaolou and exaggerating the risky situations he encountered earlier.
Shu Xiaolou nodded and said, “I’ve already known the instant I tried taking control of the painting realm. Indeed, we’re lucky to have succeeded this time, but it wasn’t as intense as you just described.”
Lin Jin remained passive despite having his lies exposed. Now that Shu Xiaolou had taken ownership of the Unending Nature Landscape, she should know all the secrets that were hidden within.
“Who is that shadow? Is she the immortal empress?” Lin Jin quickly asked.
This question had been torturing him so he wanted to know the answer immediately.
Shu Xiaolou grabbed Lin Jin, and the next instant, they moved to another location.
This place was filled with clouds and they could see the magnificent immortal palace hidden behind.
“Are we in the ninth heaven?” Lin Jin guessed.
Shu Xiaolou nodded and then pointed to the immortal palace. “This place is called Xuan Xuan Palace. Let’s go inside and take a look.”
Having said that, she grabbed Lin Jin and they teleported inside.
The interior was truly extravagant and especially outstanding among all other immortal palaces.
Once inside, Lin Jin found the portrait of a female immortal hanging on the wall.
When he saw the title of the portrait, he came to a grave realization.
It wrote, ‘From Li Jian to his beloved wife, Xuan Xuanzi’.
Lin Jin already knew who Li Jian was, and the fairy in the portrait had a similar silhouette with the shadow. The title of the portrait had further confirmed Lin Jin’s earlier suspicion.
“It really is her!”
Lin Jin pouted. This may be clarified, but he had other questions, such as why the immortal empress, Xuan Xuanzi, resented the immortal emperor. After all, the shadow had stayed hidden all this time, only revealing herself after the immortal emperor’s painting spirit appeared. Then, she just went on to kill him.
Lin Jin may be oblivious, but Shu Xiaolou knew why.
She subsequently told Lin Jin a rather cliche story. To put it simply, the immortal emperor, Li Jian, only got his position thanks to Xuan Xuanzi. Xuan Xuanzi was even his mentor before all that.
Xuan Xuanzi was her Taoist name and her actual cultivation period was longer than Li Jian’s. The latter had sought to become Xuan Xuanzi’s disciple and after achieving immortality, he began courting this beautiful master of his. Finally, the two became a couple.
However, Li Jian had always been fearful of the immortal empress. Because he was like a kept man in a sense. Once they established monarchy among the immortals, the first batch of immortal officials had all been Xuan Xuanzi’s people. This made Li Jian feel as if he had been overridden and had become a puppet instead.
Lin Jin already had an inkling as to what kind of person Li Jian was. A man like him refused to let a woman control him, so he began plotting.
To put it bluntly, this Unending Nature Landscape was a cage Li Jian used to imprison Xuan Xuanzi. It was also his reason for designing one hundred layers inside.
In addition, he had used an illusion spell to trick the immortal empress into believing that the Nine-Heaven Realm here was the real thing, slowly corroding her immortal foundation.
When the time was ripe, he executed his attack, destroying Xuan Xuanzi’s body and soul.
Li Jian had spent centuries plotting this, proving just how sly of a man he was. However, Xuan Xuanzi was no ordinary immortal. As the immortal emperor’s mentor, her Taoist powers were much stronger, to an extent that even Li Jian had no idea of.
Although ambushed and supposedly killed with her body and soul destroyed, Xuan Xuanzi knew of a secret art.
As Shu Xiaolou told Lin Jin this story, the latter already guessed what the secret art was.
The shadow in the Acheron River realm.
Shu Xiaolou nodded. “That Acheron River was personally painted by Xuan Xuanzi. Back then, she had imbued part of her immortal powers and psyche into the painting all for the sake of stabilizing the painting. And yet, who would have expected that to become her last lifeline.”
Xuan Xuanzi may have been ambushed and killed, but her shadow remained inside the Acheron River. Due to the painting’s uniqueness, she couldn’t leave on her own and had been waiting there for several hundred thousand years now.
Lin Jin gasped upon hearing this.
Every single day must have been torturous and agonizing. He couldn’t imagine how Xuan Xuanzi managed to wait for several hundred thousand years.
He felt aggrieved for her.
He also resented Li Jian for his ruthlessness and guile. For the sake of deceiving Xuan Xuanzi, the man had created a fake Nine-Heaven Realm and a fake self.
What sort of grudges warranted him to treat his dearest person this way?
Lin Jin couldn’t understand it.
Also, it made sense to him that he didn’t understand why. Because if he did, would that make him just as shameless as Li Jian?
All in all, Xuan Xuanzi’s shadow had borrowed Lin Jin to leave the Acheron River so she could travel and slay the immortal emperor’s painting spirit.
