Chapter 3458: A Painting In The Fray

At that moment, Lu Yin raised his hand again.

Mr. Li's expression changed, and he tried to pull Young Master Yu away. Although the Wisdom Domain’s hidden heir was the true heir, the public heir, who needed to wander about openly, was equally indispensable.

However, this time, Lu Yin did not attack. Instead, he crooked a finger, telling Young Master Yu to approach him.

Everyone was left speechless. The gesture was incredibly rude, and yet the Third Boss did it without any hesitation. He clearly did not care about the Wisdom Domain or its special status in the Spirit Nidus.

Young Master Yu lifted a foot and started walking towards Lu Yin.

Everyone was taken aback by this reaction. How could the Wisdom Domain’s heir be so spineless? Was he scared? He had Mr. Li at his side; what was there to fear?

Mr. Li also could not understand Young Master Yu's intentions. He whispered, "The closer you are to him, the less I will be able to protect you. Think carefully about this."

Young Master Yu did not pause for even a moment as he continued to walk over to Lu Yin.

Mr. Li had no choice but to follow the young man.

His duty was to protect Young Master Yu. As long as his charge was not facing a clear assassination attempt, it would be difficult for Mr. Li to forcefully drag Young Master Yu away. After all, the older man was just a guardian, and he lacked the authority to interfere with Young Master Yu's actions.

Lu Yin smiled as he watched the young man slowly walk towards him. Both the public and hidden heirs of the Wisdom Domain were clever individuals, and the smarter a person was, the more difficult it became to manipulate them, but the easier it was to get along with them.

Palace Master Yao and Old Tao had not expected Young Master Yu to act so obediently. He was approaching, just as he had been told to do.

Soon, Young Master Yu was standing in front of Lu Yin. "We meet again, Third Boss."

Lu Yin leaned forward, openly scrutinizing the young man. "We left five domains empty. Do you have anything to do with that matter?"

Young Master Yu shook his head. "No."

Lu Yin glanced at Mr. Li and then back at Young Master Yu. "Turn your protector over to me, and we can discuss everything."

Young Master Yu's eyes flickered.

Mr. Li warily stared at Lu Yin. "Third Boss, I am a protector, not a servant."

Lu Yin was not concerned at all, and he simply bit into a piece of fruit. "It's all the same."

Mr. Li did not argue. He did not want to end up in a conflict with Lu Yin. Their previous battle had left the Dukkhan wary of this Third Boss, and if they fought again, Mr. Li was not certain that he could stabilize his Dukkha.

Young Master Yu left without a word, along with Mr. Li, who was eager to leave as soon as possible.

Lu Yin stood up and stretched in a lazy manner. He then turned to look at the Waterspire Grove, focusing on the tallest tower. "Is that one the High Seraph's?"

Old Tao answered in a respectful tone, "Yes. The tallest water tower indeed belongs to the High Seraph."

Lu Yin scoffed and said, "It's so short! How useless. Just wait. I’ll break it down and show that old bastard, the High Seraph. Hahaha!"

The surrounding people fell silent. A few sneered, while others burned with resentment.

Lu Yin was behaving too arrogantly, and he had taken things to such an extreme that no one could even respond to him. Even so, there was no denying his strength, which was so formidable that not even Mr. Li was willing to clash with the Third Boss.

Before long, Lu Yin and his group arrived at a tavern.

Everything in Ninerings City was constructed from flowing water, and that included the taverns.

From the tavern, it was possible to observe the entire Waterspire Grove. This was the best vantage point in all of Ninerings City. Ordinary cultivators could not even enter the tavern, and only a select few were able to enjoy its best view. Most would never be allowed to even touch it.

Lu Yin entered and immediately sat down in the best seat.

The tavern owner felt helpless, as he did not dare to try to stop this person.

For someone to have a tavern in Ninerings City, they had to have someone incredible behind them, likely at the level of the Seven Seraphs.

The tavern’s goal was not to generate a profit, but rather to attract the young elites. Anyone capable of entering the Waterspire Grove was worth winning over.

All of the taverns, wine shops, and brothels in Ninerings City had been established with the same goal in mind.

Lu Yin was able to look at the entire Waterspire Grove, and naturally, everyone in the Waterspire Grove could see him as well.

He was well accustomed to being stared at by many people. From the moment Lu Yin had entered the Spirit Nidus, every move he had made had been observed.

"Sit wherever you like. This tavern is reserved by this young master today. No one else will be allowed in," Lu Yin announced assertively.

The owner of the tavern wanted to say something, but ultimately, he did not have the courage to do so.

So what if he had a Seraph supporting him? Even if the High Seraph himself arrived, the tavern owner believed that this Third Boss would not be concerned. The only option was to accept the situation.

Such aggressive behavior naturally caused some people to become upset, but so what? Lu Yin did not care at all.

His only concern was the High Seraph, and the two had a tacit understanding.

Lu Yin had deliberately antagonized many of the Spirit Nidus’s major powers, which had removed many of the High Seraph's concerns. This granted Lu Yin a bit more time to strengthen his Karmic Dao, hopefully to the point where he would be free from any form of karmic backlash. If he could accomplish that, it would not matter whether he remained in the Spirit Nidus, returned to the Tianyuan Megaverse, or even went to the Consciousness Megaverse—he would be free.

"Young Master, someone is requesting an audience. It’s a woman by the name of Ru Mu. She is from Heavenspire," Old Tao respectfully reported.

To Lu Yin’s left, the Megalith and the Pridebeast were sitting properly at the table, staring at the dishes arrayed before them in confusion. Were they supposed to eat these vegetables? They could not understand, and they assumed that the plates had to be toys.

Palace Master Yao and Cai Keqing stood on either side of Lu Yin, while Astral Anura, with a cute, golden appearance, was perched on Lu Yin’s shoulder.

"From Heavenspire? Let her in," Lu Yin said while eating.

Ru Mu soon entered the tavern.

The number of eyes on them never decreased, and it only increased.

Little Threeheaded Fiend's eyes were cold and piercing as he stared at Lu Yin. This was the person. Given the chance, the beast would find a way to kill this man.

But despite his hatred, Little Threeheaded Fiend knew better, and he did not have the courage to confront Lu Yin directly. In contrast, Ru Mu actually dared to approach this Third Boss.

Many people admired the woman. Ru Mu was regarded as the holy maiden of her generation from Heavenspire, and she was adored by countless geniuses. However, anyone who was not from Heavenspire could only restrain their infatuation. Only cultivators from Heavenspire could pursue the woman.

Many claimed that Ru Mu would be the next Palace Master Yao and eventually replace her in the High Seraph’s eyes.

Coincidentally, Ru Mu had also cultivated the Absolute Reversal Sequence Technique since childhood.

Lu Yin was momentarily stunned by Ru Mu’s appearance. This was not because of her beauty, as Lu Yin had seen countless beautiful women throughout his life. The idea of being stunned by a beautiful woman was practically foreign to him.

No, it was simply that Ru Mu's aura greatly resembled someone else’s: Ming Yan’s.

The first time Lu Yin met Yan’er, she had been a princess of the imperial family, noble and regal. She had been so beautiful that it had been difficult to look directly at her. After he left and entered the greater universe, she had taken control of the Azure Mansion, and her aura had started to change. She had embodied both the nobility of the imperial family, as well as the heroic spirit of a cultivator who fought for her life. This had become especially pronounced with the manifestation of her second personality. The white-haired Ming Yan resembled Ru Mu even more.

Was this what was referred to as a painting in the fray?

Lu Yin stared at Ru Mu as the woman slowly bowed. "Heavenspire’s Ru Mu offers her greetings, Third Boss."

Ru Mu reminded Lu Yin greatly of Ming Yan, and that touched a soft spot in his heart. Unconsciously, his aura started to shift. The air of arrogance and invincibility emanating from him slowly faded away, and he returned to just being Lu Yin again.

It was not quite right to say that he had returned to being Lu Yin, as he had always been Lu Yin. Rather, the arrogance and domineering nature he had assumed was nothing more than a facade. No matter how hard a person tried to play a role, it would never be enough to alter their essence.

From the moment he had first started cultivating, from the moment Lu Yin had entered the greater universe, he had danced with death at every step. He possessed the ruthless and heartless nature of a cultivator, could be selfish and calculating, and also possessed the domineering nature and magnanimity of the ruler of a megaverse who was willing to shoulder its future. His aura was full of contradictions for outsiders, but it was still Lu Yin.

Ru Mu raised her eyes and met Lu Yin’s gaze, losing herself for a moment in the endless universe she saw within them.

What kind of eyes are these? They contain an entire universe!

They were like a vortex that pulled her in, and she struggled to escape.

She had never imagined that this Third Boss would have such eyes. This had nothing to do with cultivation, strength, appearance, or even an aura. These were eyes that encompassed everything in existence.

Lu Yin averted his eyes after meeting Ru Mu’s stare. "Leave."

Ru Mu froze for a moment, thinking that she must have misheard.

Old Tao and Palace Master Yao were also feeling confused. What did Lu Yin mean? Ru Mu had only bowed to him, not saying anything. Why was she being asked to leave already?

Ru Mu stared at Lu Yin in confusion.

Lu Yin waved his hand to dismiss her again.

Ru Mu had no idea what she had done wrong, though she still left the tavern and waited quietly outside.

"Young Master, is there something wrong with her?" Old Tao cautiously asked.

Lu Yin did not answer. "Pour some wine."

Palace Master Yao obediently picked up the jar of wine and poured some for him.

The wine went down, one cup after another. Lu Yin's expression grew complex. Would he ever have a chance to return to the Tianyuan Megaverse? Would he have a chance to see Yan'er again?

At the same time, another face appeared in his mind: Long Xi. While the cycles of karma that he had experienced had only been an illusion, the feelings that he had developed for Long Xi were real.

He did not know how to face his situation.

Little Xiaoxuan had never been real, and yet Lu Yin recognized Little Xiaoxuan as his first child. He had been an illusion, yet he was also a child with real feelings. A child that Lu Yin would never be able to see again.

He had thought about things. Once the Tianyuan Megaverse’s crisis was resolved, he would return to the cycle of karma to see if he could find his wife and child again.

As for Yan’er, he could have unsealed her from the Iceheart some time ago. He had first hesitated because of Aeternus, but after they were defeated, the Spirit Nidus had invaded, and a new crisis had arrived. Lu Yin had not even considered releasing Yan’er.

Why? Was he waiting to resolve the crisis in the Spirit Nidus first?

Lu Yin did not have an answer.

He could face any danger that existed, but he could not face his own emotions.

Ming Yan and Long Xi were not the only two either. There were others who were quietly waiting for Lu Yin, including Whiteless God, who had merged with the star of consciousness in his inner universe. All of them involved emotions that were too difficult for him to face.

Several days passed, but Lu Yin remained sitting in the tavern, staring out at the Hundred Water Towers. Many people arrived every day, hoping to make a name for themselves in the Spirit Nidus on the day the Nine Horizons occurred.

Lu Yin stared out at the Hundred Water Towers, seeing the many people.

These people were also able to see him.

Not once had the discussions in Ninerings City about the Third Boss ceased.

Ru Mu was still calmly standing in front of the tavern, waiting for the Third Boss to meet with her again.

She was also feeling very confused at the moment. The only thing she was certain of was that everything had changed. Her impression of Lu Yin had completely transformed.

A person remains their true self as long as they do not understand themselves. But the moment they gain self-awareness, they cease to be who they truly are.

Ru Mu currently felt like she was no longer herself. She clearly knew that she might have developed a strange impression of the Third Boss, as he had triggered something she had never felt for anyone else before. In recognizing this change, she understood that she was no longer the person she had once been.

"The Third Boss requests your presence," Old Tao informed her.

Ru Mu took a deep breath and entered the tavern once more. She walked over to Lu Yin and said, "Heavenspire’s Ru Mu offers my greetings to the Third Boss."

Lu Yin had regained his facade, and he spoke in a casual tone. "Heavenspire? Did they only send you, a Spirit Warrior?"

Ru Mu met Lu Yin’s gaze, but the eyes that she had seen before were gone. This surprised her; had she only seen an illusion before?

"No one sent me," Ru Mu said. "I am here on my own, as I wished to meet the Third Boss."

Lu Yin grew curious. "Meet me? For what reason?"

Ru Mu asked directly, "I’ve heard that the Third Boss supports Ba Liu and Yi Yao’s union. What is your purpose in this?"

Lu Yin casually replied, "Entertainment."

Ru Mu was not surprised by this answer. "Such entertainment carries a steep price."