Chapter 345 - I Became the Legendary Emperor Throughout the Ages After I Started Giving Away My Territory

Master Painter’s heart was truly shocked!

You see, this is the Yellow Springs Road, the path to the underworld, a place only the dead can reach.

How could his young disciple Li Shihua also be here?

Could it be that she had died too?

At that moment, Li Shihua also saw Master Painter and ran over excitedly and joyfully, exclaiming, “Master, your disciple can see you again, that’s good!”

Master Painter urgently asked, “Shihua, how come you are here? Could it be that you also…”

“Nonsense! Who else but the dead can come here?” White Impermanence said with a cold sneer.

Li Shihua hung her head low, her expression filled with sadness.

Master Painter became even more anxious: “Then how could you possibly die? You’re so young, not even 20 years old, and you don’t have any health issues! Moreover, you’ve always been inside the imperial palace. How could an outsider harm you?”

Li Shihua shook her head in confusion: “Master, I don’t know! When I woke up, I found myself here! Then, the Black and White Impermanence told me that I had died and needed to report to the underworld!”

Master Painter was shocked: “You don’t even know how you died?”

“Uh-huh!” Li Shihua nodded.

Master Painter’s mind raced as he stared wide-eyed at the Black and White Impermanence: “Could you have captured the wrong person? She was healthy and without illness. It’s impossible for her to have died!”

“How could we possibly capture the wrong person?” White Impermanence: “Li Shihua, a resident of the Great Xia Empire’s capital city, born on March 2nd of the XX year, died of illness on September 30th of the XX year, at the age of 18! We always capture souls according to the Book of Life and Death!”

“You’re wrong! You’ve really made a mistake!”

Master Painter said excitedly: “Although she is also called Li Shihua, she was actually born on April 2nd of the XX year, which is a month off! And her health has always been good. How could she possibly die of illness?”

Li Shihua was also very agitated: “Yes, yes… you’ve captured the wrong person, please let me go back!”

“Captured the wrong person?” the Black and White Impermanence looked at each other.

At that moment, the Black Impermanence said expressionlessly: “If it’s a mistake, it’s a mistake. Since you’ve come to the path of the Yellow Springs, there’s no turning back. Just follow me to the underworld for reincarnation. At worst, we’ll find you a good family!”

The White Impermanence nodded as if everything was to be expected.

Master Painter was furious: “How can you be so indifferent? How is this any different from treating human life like grass?”

The Black and White Impermanence laughed loudly: “Even if it is treating life like grass, what of it? We are the underworld envoys. Here, we make the rules, we are the law! Stop wasting words and get moving!”

“This is outrageous!”

Master Painter’s anger surged: “You’ve made a mistake and won’t admit it, and now you want to continue to harm my disciple. Today, I shall seek justice from you!”

The Ox-Head and Horse-Face, along with the Black and White Impermanence, all laughed: “You, a mere mortal, dare to seek justice from us, divine beings? Be careful or we’ll scatter your soul to the winds, barring you from reincarnation!”

Master Painter shouted angrily: “Even if my soul is scattered and I never reincarnate, I will not let you off easily!”

“Master!” Li Shihua called out worriedly.

“Shihua, get behind me!”

Once Li Shihua moved behind him, Master Painter whispered: “When I hold them off, you take the chance to escape and return to the world of the living!”

“But Master, you could really die and never reincarnate…” Li Shihua said anxiously.

Master Painter laughed freely: “I’m old and have lived enough. I’ve seen through life and death, never reincarnating doesn’t seem so terrible to me! But you, you still have your whole life ahead of you. You shouldn’t die! After you go back, you must live well and carry on my legacy of painting!”

After these words, a series of images flashed before his eyes: from his birth to learning to paint as a youth, from perfecting his art as a young man to achieving mastery in middle age, and from his accomplishments in middle age to his tireless pursuit in his later years…

His life’s experiences rapidly passed before his eyes.

He felt his soul ascend, his spirit transcend, as if he had reached an indescribable state!

He extended his hand and a brush materialized in his grasp.

“Come, today I will use my life as a brush, my blood as ink, and the path of the Yellow Springs as my canvas to create the last painting of my life! In doing so… my life will not have been in vain, haha!” Master Painter laughed heartily, his fighting spirit soaring.

“Master!” Li Shihua called out.

But Master Painter grabbed her shoulder and fiercely pushed her away into the distance.

Then, he faced the four great ghostly deities, unleashing his ultimate divine powers.

“Attack!” Ox-Head, Horse-Face, and the Black and White Impermanence all made their move.

A fierce battle quickly ensued between them.

However, upon the first clash, Master Painter was already spilling blood, his body fading to a mere shadow.

Ox-Head and Horse-Face said coldly: “The gap between gods and humans is like that between heaven and earth! Even though you are a Grandmaster, you are no match for us!”

“We advise you to simply submit and accept your fate. If we scatter your soul, you won’t be able to enter the cycle of reincarnation!” The Black and White Impermanence spoke with an equally cold tone as if pronouncing a sentence.

Master Painter spat out a mouthful of blood and began to laugh wildly: “I’m not even afraid of death, what else is there to fear? Let’s go again! This is the painting I’ve just completed, titled ‘Defying the Gods, Please Enlighten Me!’ ”

“Defiance of the heavens? Death!” Ox-Head, Horse-Face, and the Black and White Impermanence all erupted in anger.

In the outside world, Master Painter’s body began to tremble violently.

With eyes closed, he muttered incessantly.

“Shihua, run! Run far away and never return!”

“Ox-Head and Horse-Face, Black and White Impermanence, even if I never transcend, I won’t let you have it easy!”

“Man… can also slay gods!”

Upon hearing this, Li Shihua, who was painting, immediately ran over, worriedly saying, “Master, what’s wrong with you? Are you having a nightmare? Please wake up, don’t scare me!”

However, just as she was about to shake the dreaming Master Painter awake, she was repelled by a powerful force and sent flying.

Dazed from the fall, Li Shihua realized the situation was beyond her control and hurried to find Lin Beifan and the others.

A short while later, several Grandmasters arrived.

“What’s happening here? It looks like the Daoist Master Painter is having a nightmare…”

Sword Elder was greatly surprised.

At their level of cultivation, they could control their minds and not be disturbed by stray thoughts.

The scene before them was surprising.

Li Shihua anxiously said, “I’m not sure what’s happening. Master just lay down and then this started! I tried to wake him but couldn’t, so I had to call all of you!”

Peerless Spear Immortal was about to intervene and wake Master Painter, but Lin Beifan stopped him, smiling, “He might be in the midst of an epiphany at a critical moment! If he gets through this, his potential will be limitless! You all stay here and guard him, ensuring no one disturbs him!”

Although Sword Elder and Peerless Spear Immortal were puzzled, they complied, “Yes, Master!”

***