Painting God's Ninth Arcane Diagram

“Since you've roused, begone! This is a deep-sea cavern within Silvermoon Island's waters. Ascend to the surface, head east, and you shall find your path to escape!”

Brockman, summoning strength from some unknown reserve, struggled to rise. “Esteemed Sir,” he began, “those maps are of grave importance, and I wonder if you...”

“Out!” the mysterious figure snapped coldly. “I saved your life because I witnessed you pilfering everything from the Aqua Cloud Divine Envoy! That Aqua Cloud map must have fallen into your hands! I saved your life; is it not fair that you repay me with a map? Now scram! Do you intend to reclaim the map from my grasp? Do you truly believe I wouldn't slay you, simply because I spared you once?”

Brockman found himself in a predicament. “I would never forget your life-saving grace, Esteemed Sir, but without that map, I have no face to return home! Rather, I would fight you to the death; even if I fail to reclaim the map, I would at least be repaying this life to you, thus settling our debts!” As he spoke, he truly staggered to his feet and advanced towards the mysterious figure. His steps were unsteady, yet devoid of any hesitation!

“Hmph! You possess some mettle indeed!” Seeing Brockman's resolve to seek death, the mysterious figure chuckled strangely. “I desire this map for vengeance! For what purpose do you seek this diagram?”

The mysterious figure's tone gradually softened. Brockman's heart stirred. “Does Esteemed Sir harbor enmity with Water's Embrace Lake?”

“My hatred runs deeper than the ocean! We cannot coexist under the same sky!” The mysterious figure seemed to have lost his mind, casually spilling his secrets, gritting his teeth, his words chilling and sharp! “Speak, for what purpose do you desire this map!?”

Brockman pondered for a moment. “To utterly destroy Water's Embrace Lake!” This was the absolute truth!

“Ha, haha!” The mysterious figure burst into maniacal laughter once more. “If that is so, then it seems we share a common foe!”

“Precisely!” The mysterious figure's strength was extraordinary, and Brockman, intending to recruit him for his organization, probed cautiously, “Margaret was a Marshal of the Alliance during the Godslayer War, her unique Secret Technique, Water's Embrace Holy Radiance, swept across the Three Continents, her prestige enduring for a millennium! Esteemed Sir, alone and outnumbered, do you not require the assistance of some allies?”

The mysterious figure flew into a rage. “Who do you take me for? Do you truly think someone of your caliber can recruit me? Hmph, begone!”

Brockman still wished to speak further, but the mysterious figure suddenly lowered his head in contemplation. After a long moment, he abruptly raised his hand and shot forth a bundle of cloth fragments. “This is the map you desire; it is now mine, but I permit you to copy a replica!”

Brockman was ecstatic beyond measure. He hastily tore off a strip of his robe, pieced together the fragments, then bit his fingertip and meticulously traced the map in blood! His entire repertoire of thieving arts had long since evolved into an 'art' of refined elegance, so his draughtsmanship was naturally exceptional, and in mere moments, he had replicated an identical map!

The mysterious figure retrieved the map and said coldly, “Now begone. Should you ever use this map to assault Water's Embrace Lake, then slaughter a few more of those depraved hags for me! However, within Water's Embrace Lake, there ought to be two tombs, one large, one small, both entirely silver. If you dare to so much as touch those two tombs, I will scour the entire world to hunt you down and grind your bones to dust!”

Brockman performed the Battle God salute, striking his chest and crossing his shoulders. “My name is Brockman, and I swear by the Battle God Blood Oath, if that day truly comes, those two tombs shall remain perfectly intact!”

“Begone!” The mysterious figure stretched forth a long arm; a surge of battle qi engulfed Brockman, and with a forceful send-off, propelled him to the distant eastern sea!

As the battle qi receded, the mysterious figure approached the deep-sea cavern's entrance. Illuminated by the faint blue glow of the seawater, his countenance was reflected in the water...

The Sword Emperor of Resentful Water, Roland, who harbored a grudge against Margaret for the murder of his wife and son!

Staring into the blue water, scenes from seventeen years prior involuntarily flashed before his eyes...

“My name is Margaret, and I grant the blasphemer Roland death... Water's Embrace Holy Radiance!”

That unforgettable golden radiance engulfed his body. His wife and son, suspended by iron chains from a redwood tree, he wished to rescue them, yet that accursed Water's Embrace Holy Radiance completely paralyzed him! His hand, freed from his control, raised the Sword of Resentful Water, piercing his wife, slaying his son...

His wife and son met a tragic end beneath his own Sword of Resentful Water. He had been utterly petrified at the time, vaguely hearing only the cold sneer of that wicked witch, “‘Is the taste of personally slaughtering your own wife and son truly so amusing, Blasphemer Roland!?’”

At this memory, Roland clutched his forehead, knelt at the cavern entrance, and collapsed, weeping uncontrollably. “Shirley!! Your husband is utterly useless! He fled once more upon seeing the Water's Embrace hags! Kuzak! Your father deserves death! Even though I knew those four hags had lost the Cloud Banner, I could have slain them with a single hand, yet... I am a worthless wretch!”

Roland furiously pounded his own head! After the Fourth Battle, he, fearing the Aqua Cloud Divine Envoy's renowned might, fled the Eye of Heaven Forest, but he had not fled far!

After weeping for a long while, Roland suddenly raised his head with an eerie stillness, his neck rigid, and his eyes... had transformed into a sanguine hue. The tears streaking his cheeks were likewise a vivid, enchanting crimson, utterly bizarre!

Though bizarre, his resolve was absolute. Roland seemed to have made a momentous decision! He then recalled an incident from seventeen years prior, after the tragic deaths of his wife and son, an event he had buried deep within his heart...

“At that time, Zigurd had desperately rescued me, but my entire battle qi cultivation had been crippled. I had intended to end my life in the Icy Jade Pool, yet at that moment, a figure appeared silently behind me. ‘I see the deepest desire within your heart. You yearn for vengeance for your wife and son, do you not? I can offer you an opportunity... Allow me to introduce myself: I am one whom, in your eyes, is already dead. You may call me Jamis, or you may call me... Smedley, the Painting God!’

‘No need for surprise, yes, I am not dead! It is merely that I made a transaction with Charlemagne all those years ago... Just as it is now, I gave Charlemagne an opportunity to fulfill the deepest desire of his heart, and he accepted one of my paintings, and then...’

‘It seems you have too many attachments. Here, take my Ninth Secret Diagram. Keep it for now. When you have resolved yourself, and cast aside all attachments, then use your blood to complete the final stroke of this painting—this will signify your acceptance of all my conditions, and you shall receive an opportunity for vengeance!’”

Recalling this, Roland once again let out a low roar, a sound unlike any human! “It is time... I have tutored Aliza, aided in the battles of Eye of Heaven Forest! The profound kindness of Ben, the Blade of Heaven, and Dean Zigurd, I have already repaid! My wife, my son, your husband and father no longer have any attachments, and thus I can cast aside everything to avenge you... Gack-gack!”

His laughter turned twisted and eerie; he roared towards the heavens, and with a single punch, shattered the entire undersea cavern! “‘The Painting God was right! As long as I can slay Margaret, what harm is there in treading the same path as Charlemagne!?’”

The cavern crumbled. Undersea whirlpools surged with violent power. Amidst these chaotic maelstroms, the foremost of the Five Peaks of Myriad Streams, the former Sword Emperor Roland, vanished...

Two days later, Battle God Academy's Icy Jade Pool was ravaged by heavenly lightning, becoming a desolate ruin. Within the pool, the Sword of Resentful Water, once feared by Battle Gods across the world, was nowhere to be found...

Following Charlemagne, Sword Emperor Roland also mysteriously vanished!

Meanwhile, in a dilapidated tavern at Battle God Docks, in a dimly lit corner. A certain yellow-toothed Charlatan was stroking a crystal ball, while chewing on a foul-smelling, copper-coin-sized dried salted fish, and mumbled, “‘Heh heh, today the Sword of Resentful Water has been claimed. Roland hesitated for seventeen years, but ultimately, he fell into the trap!’”

His lewd, cackling face, under the dim lamplight, appeared somewhat sinister and terrifying!

“‘Compared to Charlemagne, Roland's strength is still far inferior, but he's also much easier to fool—back then, we observed Charlemagne for decades, from the very beginning of his schooling, only then did we manage to make the Foremost Battle God beneath the Starry Sky willingly complete my Eighth Secret Diagram with his blood... Alas, an artist's life is always fraught with hardships! Come, let us toast to our success in finally deceiving another Master after Charlemagne, a feat three centuries in the making!’”

“‘Cheers! Haha, that little fellow Francis probably still believes Roland accepted him as a nominal disciple back then because he offered the correct gift—but in reality... it was Number Nine Roland who saw the mark you drew on Number Ten Francis... Pah, what wretched liquor is this!? I say, old Gambler, you must hurry and deceive Francis! Without that little fellow, who will settle our drink tabs and gambling debts!?’”

“‘What's the rush? Charlemagne didn't escape my Eighth Secret Diagram back then, and now Roland has acknowledged the Ninth Secret Diagram. So, Francis, who holds the Tenth Secret Diagram... Heh heh, that little fellow won't escape!’”

A certain art professor, his face smeared with greasepaint and yawning, poured a mouthful of liquor into his mouth and chuckled lewdly. Yet, under the flickering candlelight and contrasted with the sinister face opposite him, this grin appeared ferocious and chilling. “‘As our little brother's strength improves, he will soon discover that a certain toy in the hands of his devilish adopted daughter has begun to change...’”

“‘Old Gambler... your smile is truly insidious! We are not villains, you know!’”

“‘Right, of course we're not villains! Definitely not villains! Eh? Wait, isn't that wrong? Between you and me, who among us can still be considered human?’”

Du Chen would only learn of the events on Battle God Isle much later. Meanwhile, at present, he was in his tent, tidying his daughter's toys, while discussing matters of the Fifth Battle with Deboning, who had just returned from his errands.

“‘You're back? What insights did you gain from scouting the Fifth Battle's location—Moon Lake?’”

Deboning, having just returned from Moon Lake, the site of the Fifth Battle, nodded slightly. “‘Young Master, I have essentially unraveled the mystery of Moon Lake! At the bottom of Moon Lake lies a colossal black rock. The Moon Lake illusion you witnessed that day emanated from this very black rock! I tested it with the Abyssal Moon Deathwater Blade bestowed by you, Young Master, and that rock is both incredibly hard and possesses the ability to absorb battle qi. With my current strength, I reckon it would be difficult to break through and ascertain what lies beneath it. In my opinion, even if the Dragon God and the Pontiff were to personally intervene, they would find it difficult to shatter that rock!’”

“‘A rock that even the Pontiff and the Dragon God cannot utterly shatter? Interesting!’” Du Chen mused, “‘Then do you believe Moon Lake's strangeness will affect our plans?’”

Deboning shook his head. “‘It will not! Not to mention that Moon Lake had no effect during the first four battles, but from my perspective, that black rock is highly likely to be a Gigantic War Sacred Artifact damaged during the Godslayer War on the Eye of Heaven Forest battlefield! Its ability to absorb battle qi and release moonlight are merely residual functions of this sacred artifact. A ruined sacred artifact, one whose artifact spirit can't even be sensed, absolutely cannot interfere with our plans!’”

“‘That is good then! What a pity it's a damaged sacred artifact, otherwise...’” Du Chen opened a cabinet door and placed the tidied toys inside. “‘The Fifth Battle begins tomorrow, and I will personally escort Dus to Moon Lake later. You should prepare as well!’”

Deboning turned and exited. Du Chen, turning his head, discovered several more of Beibei's carelessly discarded toys behind the cabinet, and couldn't help but furrow his brow in a wry smile! “‘Beibei, you must not carelessly discard your toys!’” Du Chen picked up a painting from the ground; it was precisely the 'Young Girl at Sunset' painting, featuring little Beibei as its subject.

A beach, the silhouette of a young girl, golden waves, the lingering glow of sunset...

As his gaze fell upon this 'toy', Du Chen's hand suddenly paused. Strangely, this particular set of paintings featuring Beibei numbered nineteen, yet only this one, depicting her from behind, could stir Du Chen's emotions, filling his heart with a warm, paternal love! It was as if this painting possessed some magical allure!

Initially, Du Chen had believed this feeling stemmed from Jamis's extraordinary artistic skill, expressing profound artistic intent through flat oil paints. However, as his understanding of Jamis deepened, his perception of the painting had completely changed! The Beibei in the painting seemed to come alive, her back to Du Chen, happily running towards the sea. Gazing at his daughter, the joy of a loving father captivated him. Yet... Beibei ran further and further, further and further... as if she were to vanish forever, never to return, abandoning Du Chen!

Unconsciously, Du Chen leaned forward into the painting, a ridiculous thought surfacing: to enter the painting and retrieve Beibei! His mind abruptly jolted awake. Glancing at his daughter, who was sprawled on the bed, already half-asleep and drifting off, he inexplicably let out a sigh of relief. Then, he muttered to himself in self-deprecation, “‘By the gods, what the devil? Why does old Jamis the Gambler's painting look so different now!?’”

Once the matters of Eye of Heaven Forest are resolved, I must immediately go to Battle God Isle to find Jamis! Du Chen placed the Young Girl at Sunset painting into the Precious Lotus Scripture, parted the tent flap, and gazed out at the Silver Moon's Retreat night. “‘Dus, I will now escort you to Moon Lake. Tomorrow, it is all up to you!’”

“‘Should anything arise, call upon Fifth Brother; you cannot go wrong!’”

Godslayer Era, October 1st, 1279, Night!

The Fifth Battle between the Papal Curia and the Dragon Clan in Eye of Heaven Forest commenced...