Chapter 1059 - The Enraged Painter

The Painter really was stunned. Who is this person?

The founder of the Studio of the Heart was a powerhouse of the distant stars, and his reputation made entire planets tremble.

His position was comparable to that of the leaders of the Nine Heavens Pavilion and the Church of the River of Stars! Yet now, a teenager dared interrupt him and rebuke him, saying his words were… “nonsense”!

It had been a long time since the Painter had experienced this. For a moment, he almost didn’t dare believe it.

Some time passed before he asked, “You’ve seen me before?”

He stood there in clothes whiter than snow, his hands behind his back. Although he was just a trace of remnant will, his dignified, majestic bearing made heaven and earth tremble, and the landscape dimmed by comparison. It was like the descent of an unsurpassed sovereign!

Su Yi took out a jug of wine and drank. He said casually, “Last time, I killed someone called Feng Ji. I saw you then too.”

Imprints of will couldn’t communicate with each other. Even the Painter’s true body couldn’t sense the changes to his imprints of will.

The crux of the matter was that imprints of will weren’t clones; they were just a portion of a cultivator’s essence.

“You… killed Feng Ji?” The Painter looked stunned, and he re-examined Su Yi.

A moment later, his pupils constricted. A nineteen-year-old Profound Illumination Emperor?

And one strong enough to kill Profound Serenity Emperors like Feng Ji and Fei Yun!?

“Truly interesting!” said the Painter, and indeed, he looked intrigued.

Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “You said the same thing last time, when I killed the imprint of will you left in Feng Ji.”

The Painter exclaimed, “Is that so? In that case, you must have extraordinary power, such that you can neutralize and destroy the attacks of my imprints of will.”

He really was quite surprised. Everything about this young man in blue seemed strange, and it had piqued his curiosity.

Su Yi said forthrightly, “That’s right. That’s why I think you’d best not act recklessly. If you do, you’ll just destroy this imprint of will too.”

The Painter took a deep look at Su Yi and said, “Rest assured. It’s rare to meet such an interesting young fellow. I’m naturally in no rush to take your life.”

Su Yi shook his head. “No, it’s just that I’d hate to have to destroy your imprint of will so soon, so I’m giving you a chance to converse with me.”

The Painter furrowed his brow, then laughed. “Only children care about superiority in verbal battles. Very well. Since that’s the case, I’ll listen for now.”

However, Su Yi found this rather amusing. “An imprint of will, that’s all. You’re not even your true body, so why put on airs?"

The Painter’s smile faded.

From the moment this conversation began, this young man seemed utterly domineering. It seemed he didn’t take him at all seriously, and the Painter couldn’t help but feel a bit peeved.

“You brought up my true body. Does that mean you know who I am?” the Painter said slowly.

Su Yi took a sip of wine and said slowly, “Want to use your reputation to suppress me? Alas, you picked the wrong person to try that on.”

He looked at the Painter. “You might have an extraordinarily illustrious reputation out amongst the stars, but in my eyes, you’re just someone who bullies the weak but cowers before the strong.”

The Painter couldn’t help but laugh dryly. “Little fellow, are you sure you know who I am?”

His voice revealed his disdain.

Su Yi didn’t even pause to think. “Don’t tell me you’re not one of the Temple Master’s ‘defeated generals?’”

The Painter’s smile froze, and his aura was instantly monstrous and terrifying. The entire landscape trembled.

His eyes glinted the edge of a sword as he stared intently at Su Yi. “Who told you that!?”

His voice was full of dignity, and he was utterly imposing.

For a moment, Su Yi felt unprecedented pressure, and he almost felt suffocated.

There was no doubt about it: the Painter’s cultivation base was terrifying. Even if this was “only” an imprint of will, it was unbelievably strong!

But as the power of Su Yi’s soul connected with the Sword of the Nine Hells, the pressure bearing down on him disappeared completely!

The Painter’s gaze focused, and he finally realized that the young man before him was telling the truth. He really did have the power necessary to counter him!

As soon as he realized this, the Painter broke into a warm smile, and he clasped his fist. “I misjudged you earlier. Might I ask your honorable name and surname, and who your master is, my young friend?”

He changed his attitude as quickly as he might turn the page of a book.

But this put Su Yi on guard.

The Painter was an existence comparable to the Fisherman of the Church of the River of Stars or the leader of the Nine Heavens Pavilion. There was no doubting his strength.

Despite this, he could set aside his status and adapt to the circumstances! People like him were unquestionably the hardest to handle, as well as the most dangerous!

But then, it made sense. The Temple Master had scared the Painter so badly that he could only hide away, not daring to show his face.

But the Temple Master ultimately failed to take his head. It was easy to imagine how capable the Painter was.

Su Yi thought for a moment. “Answer a few of my questions, and I wouldn’t mind telling you.”

The Painter smiled and nodded. “Very well.”

“For what purpose did you send your disciples to the Dark and Gold Star Realm?” asked Su Yi.

“That’s no secret, and there’s naturally no reason I can’t tell you,” said the Painter. He raised two of his fingers. “First, to seek out the secrets of reincarnation. Second, to find the chaos source of the Dark and Gold Star Realm, otherwise known as ‘Dark and Gold Essence.’”

Su Yi’s heart shook slightly as he realized that the Studio of the Heart wasn’t just after Dark and Gold Essence. Just like the Nine Heavens Pavilion and the Church of the River of Stars, they were seeking out the secrets of reincarnation!

The Painter smiled and asked, “My young friend, have you perhaps already refined some Dark and Gold Essence? Otherwise, I’m afraid you’d find it difficult to counter the Laws of Spirit Nirvana.”

There was no doubt about it: he suspected that Su Yi managed to kill Feng Ji and Fei Yun because he’d refined Dark and Gold Essence!

“I’m the one asking the questions here,” warned Su Yi.

The Painter almost couldn’t suppress his murderous intent, and he felt more stifled than ever before.

In the past, had even a World King had dared treat him with the slightest disrespect, he’d have long since slapped them to death, let alone a Profound Illumination Emperor!

But in the end, the Painter suppressed his murderous intent, and his smile remained. “Go ahead and ask, my young friend.”

“The experts of the Studio of the Heart who’ve come to the Dark and Gold Star Realm include a woman of extraordinary status. Feng Ji and Fei Yun called her ‘young mistress’, and…”

Su Yi had only just said this when the Painter’s expression shifted, and he couldn’t help but interrupt. “What about her?”

Su Yi instantly realized that the Painter was nervous!

“Who is she?” asked Su Yi.

The Painter fell silent, and his warm smile disappeared bit by bit.

A moment later, he looked up and stared intently at Su Yi, his calm voice full of dignity. “There’s no need for you to know who she is, but I can tell you now that if anything happens to her, this entire world will accompany her to the grave!”

Boom!

Heaven and earth trembled, and the mountains swayed.

The Painter’s majestic aura was unimaginably terrifying.

Were a Profound Serenity Emperor standing here, they wouldn’t even get the chance to struggle before their soul was suppressed completely!

But this had no effect on Su Yi.

His soul was connected to the aura of the Sword of the Nine Hells, and this let him completely neutralize the pressure emanating from the Painter.

“Is she your daughter?” Su Yi asked with great interest

The Painter said nothing, but his expression shifted, as if he wanted nothing more than to attack and eliminate this punk kid here and now!

Even an idiot would have realized I didn’t want to talk about her. Why must this kid insist on asking about the one thing he shouldn’t?

“Don’t tell me she’s your Dao partner?” asked Su Yi.

The veins bulged on the Painter’s forehead, and he said expressionlessly. “Enough! Do you really think I dare not kill you?”

He was obviously enraged, and he made no further effort to disguise it. A terrifying atmosphere descended upon all of heaven and earth.

Su Yi smiled, not the least bit concerned. “Don’t be angry. I’m just curious, that’s all. Even if you don’t answer me, I’ll find out when I meet her later.”

“???” The Painter glared. Has this kid really set his sights on her?

There was no longer any suppressing his murderous intent. It completely erupted.

“Brat, you really ought to die!!” Every word boomed like thunder, reverberating throughout heaven and earth.

And the Painter stretched out his hand, waving it through the air like a brush.

Boom!

Misty light surged forth, transforming into a radiant long spear, which he thrust at Su Yi from afar.

Its momentum alone bore a hole through the heavens. The space in front of Su Yi split and collapsed with a bang.

Just when it seemed Su Yi was in trouble, the inscrutable hum of a sword rang out.

Moonlit Shadow shot forth and swept through the air.

Clang!!

Its edge blocked the spear, and waves of destructive power swept out from the point of impact.

Su Yi was sent flying back, his blood and qi churning. He almost hacked up blood.

He sighed to himself. Indeed, outside of my spiritual sea, dealing with an imprint of will like this is no easy task.

Last time, when he killed Feng Ji, the remnant will the Painter left in Feng Ji’s soul directly invaded Su Yi’s sea of consciousness, provoking a counterattack from the Sword of the Nine Hells. This let Su Yi destroy him with ease.

This time was completely different.

Although the Painter before him was still just remnant will, he was using a secret art and his cultivation base to attack. With the power of Su Yi’s cultivation base alone, he was no match for the Painter’s remnant will.

That was why Su Yi had drawn things out earlier, and why he’d provoked the Painter.

It wasn’t really that he wanted to chat with this terrifying opponent, but that he wanted to get a feel for strength and fritter away the remnant will’s power.

Now that things had come to blows, Su Yi immediately realized that the Painter’s remnant will was far, far inferior to the Fisherman’s clone!

The Fisherman Su Yi had fought by the banks of the Reincarnation Pool was just a clone, but even after using the Sword of the Nine Hells, Su Yi was thoroughly suppressed.

In the end, it was only by awakening the Temple Master’s will slumbering within the Sword of the Human Realm that he overcame the Fisherman’s clone!

But this Painter was just remnant will. He was far inferior to the Fisherman’s clone.

At the very least, Su Yi wasn’t injured after blocking his attack.

Upon realizing this, Su Yi no longer had any reservations. On the contrary, the will to fight surged within the depths of his gaze.

Even if this was just an imprint of will, the opportunity to fight someone on the Painter’s level had Su Yi ready and raring to go!