The Sovereign's Ascension

The painting hovered before Lin Yun as it slowly unfolded. In just a brief moment, the ferocious tiger that left a deep impression on Lin Yun appeared before him. The tiger had occupied almost all of the painting and one wouldn’t notice the azure-clothed figure if they didn’t look clearly.

More accurately speaking, many people couldn’t even bear the impact from the ferocious tiger before they closed the painting. After all, the tiger exuded kingly pressure. Only those who could bear the pressure coming from the tiger could notice the other details of the painting, such as the tiger sniffing the rose in the azure-clothed man’s hand.

What appeared before Lin Yun was a scene that he had seen many times. He knew that the rose in the azure-clothed man’s hand would rise and that man would become the main focus of the painting. But the painting would start to blur and those without any attainments in spiritual runes wouldn’t be able to see it carefully.

A brief moment later, mist began to cover the painting as Lin Yun could vaguely see the azure-clothed man. When he looked at the man, the soul mark in his profound palace began to shine, releasing a ripple from his body.

This time, Lin Yun could finally see it as the painting gradually became clearer. He could see the rose rising up from the azure-clothed man’s hand as he brandished his sword with his right hand. When the rose landed on the tip of his sword, the azure-clothed man suddenly unleashed a boundless aura that was a lot stronger than the majestic tiger.

When the rose bloomed on the tip of the sword, it looked like a starry sky as the mountain and lake began to tremble. When that azure-clothed man sheathed his sword, the petals from the rose began to fall.

Right at this moment, the azure-clothed man turned around and smiled. He looked at Lin Yun through the painting, which sent chills into Lin Yun’s heart. Lin Yun knew that the sword that could break out of the painting was coming. He failed to defend himself against that sword in the past, so he couldn’t figure out the true essence of this sword technique.

Lin Yun’s heart began to beat wildly as he wore a grave expression. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. After all, he couldn’t help being nervous since the sword terrified him every time he saw it.

He had worked so hard to come to where he was right now. If he failed, then all his hard work would go down the drain and his self-confidence would suffer a huge blow. Lin Yun might not seem to care about many things, but when he cared about something, no one could match his stubbornness and pride.

A crack suddenly rang out from the painting as the azure-clothed man smiled and leaped into the air. In that split second, it felt like he was going to leap out of the painting.

Lin Yun squinted his eyes because when the painting cracked, there were also fine cracks that formed in the real world as if a mirror were being shattered. All of Lin Yun’s thoughts froze as his mouth dropped. He wanted to close his mouth, but he couldn’t no matter how he tried. Time seemed to have stopped and he couldn’t move or breathe.

Boundless fear began to sweep over from the surroundings and it felt like he was being engulfed by darkness. Was he going to die now?

Damn it! Lin Yun didn’t expect that nothing had changed even after his strength had totally transformed. This caught him by surprise and strong reluctance began to brew in his heart. He yelled to himself that he couldn’t die, but there was nothing he could do about being devoured by the darkness.

Suddenly, the world became quiet as Lin Yun could no longer sense anything aside from his consciousness slowly plunging into an abyss. But just when his soul was about to be devoured, the Firefeather Rune in his profound palace suddenly blazed violently and emitted a trace of the divine rune’s might.

As the Firefeather Rune began to blaze, the darkness was instantly dispersed and Lin Yun regained his vision. He could see a figure pouncing at him, which startled him greatly. But before he could react, he was grabbed by his wrist and pulled forward.

Lin Yun didn’t move, but he could sense that his soul had been pulled out of his body. He looked around curiously and saw a man and woman up ahead. The man was donned in azure clothes as he held onto the Flower Burial Sword. He had flawless and defined features.

It’s him… Lin Yun had seen this person many times in the painting, but he didn’t expect that this man would have such a stunning appearance. But Lin Yun was even more shocked by the woman who was beside the man. The woman’s beauty was captivating and Lin Yun was pulled in without being able to do anything about it.

The couple didn’t look like mortals, but celestials instead. While Lin Yun observed them, the azure-clothed man quickly walked over with the woman in his hand.

“So he wasn’t trying to pull my hand… Shit, they’re coming towards me!” But before Lin Yun could react, the two had passed through him. Lin Yun instantly understood that he was in the painting and that the painting was a memory from long ago.

When he turned around, the azure-clothed man had already started to swing his sword while the woman watched quietly with a smile, “Where do the flowers bloom?”

Her voice was shocking and contained boundless charm. The azure-clothed man responded by stabbing his sword out. When he did, the flower petals rose into the sky and a rose landed on the tip of his sword.

When the rose landed on the tip of his sword and bloomed, it made all the other flowers in this world look pale in comparison. It felt as if the man could pierce through mountains with his sword.

“Where do I come from?” The woman's smile became denser as the azure-clothed man swung his sword and disappeared. The rose on the tip of his sword suddenly exploded into countless petals that formed a tornado. When the tornado spun violently, a sword buzz echoed out.

“The endless mountain and lake; the crisping leaves and wind!” When the tornado died down, the sword ray appeared once more. At this moment, Lin Yun instantly understood that the azure-clothed man had always been there and was simply hiding within his sword aura.

The sword ray that flew out released a brilliant sword buzz as the sword looked mighty within the man’s hand. When a breeze blew past, only a leaf drifted along with the wind. The leaf was tiny, but the leaf was buzzing in the wind and made Lin Yun’s eyes light up.

“Drifting flowers like dreams, and sorrow like fine rain,” said the woman in her ethereal voice. But her voice soon became firm as the azure-clothed man’s sword aura was suddenly filled with dominance. “No one possesses everything in this world, and I shall give the lord a white lily!”

“I came from heaven!” The azure-clothed man’s figure suddenly became clear in the sword aura and he roared as he descended from the sky while swinging his sword, which destroyed everything in its path.

“The flower blooms in my hand!” Grasping the Flower Burial Sword in front of him, the azure-clothed man spread his arm apart with a flower bud opening up in his palm as he lifted his left hand up. When the flower bud opened up, a terrifying sword intent began to surge from his body that even caused the sky to begin trembling.

“A speck of dust…” The flower bud suddenly opened up and the azure-clothed man raised his brow as he roared, “shines through the mountain and river!”

The flower in his palm suddenly bloomed and enveloped the azure-clothed man in a majestic sword aura. The man became as bright as the sun, which forced Lin Yun to close his eyes. In that moment, he felt a boundless aura pushing him out.

Lin Yun staggered backwards and raised his head to see that the painting hovering in the air was suddenly dropping. He quickly waved his hand and held onto the painting in a daze.

A brief moment later, Lin Yun revealed a lost expression on his face.

Lin Yun didn’t expect that he would have an opportunity to witness the sword’s grace by entering the painting himself. This experience had greatly shocked him. But a long time later, Lin Yun revealed a determined expression, “I have to learn this sword technique no matter what!”