Chapter 641: Empathy

In the void, a figure in red robes was speeding rapidly, carrying Plum Blossom 8 on their back.

All the "arrows" spun out of control, and the burning woman roared menacingly, close on their heels. Even with Chen Ling pushing his Cloud Steps to the limit, he could barely keep pace.

*Buzz—!* A humming sound emanated from the void. In the darkness above Chen Ling's head, tendrils of light gradually spread out.

These halos condensed into lines, slowly spreading in all directions, gradually outlining mysterious patterns. They resembled reflections cast from an immense distance, seemingly within reach yet impossibly far away.

Seeing these patterns, Chen Ling suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.

"These are... the reliefs on that door? How can they be here?"

"It's the Second Hall Master," Plum Blossom 8, as a member of the Hall, naturally understood what was happening. "He's using the Azure God Dao foundation of 'Guernica' to open the domain entrance left by the Chief. No wonder the entire painting has become chaotic..."

"That door actually requires a Dao foundation to help open it?"

"Don't underestimate that door. It was forged by the Chief and the first batch of Floating Life Painting Hall members back then. Without a key, even a demigod wouldn't be able to open it easily," Plum Blossom 8 continued, looking at the relief patterns outlined in the void.

"This door is considered the crystallization of the first batch of Hall members. Not only is its defense extremely strong, but when activated, it can also allow one's consciousness to cover the entire Mortal Realm. However, usually only the Second and Third Hall Masters have permission to do this."

Hearing this, a look of understanding dawned in Chen Ling's eyes.

In the Mortal Realm, there was a saying that 'deities are three feet above your head,' and residents of the realm seemed to associate Floating Life Painting with the sky. Chen Ling clearly remembered that when the Gray Realm converged in the main city before, the Second Hall Master's gaze seemed to descend from the sky, and he used it to seal all convergence points in one go. Even Floating Life Painting members, no matter where they were in the Mortal Realm, could report their coordinates and have the Third Hall Master's Ink Lightning strike precisely.

It now seemed that this relief door itself was the secret weapon used by the two Hall Masters to exercise macroscopic control over the Mortal Realm.

"But I don't understand..." Plum Blossom 8 furrowed his brow. "What could be happening outside that would require the Second Hall Master to open the door so urgently?"

"About that, I think I know something..."

Chen Ling briefly described the news of the Realm War to Plum Blossom 8. Plum Blossom 8 had been confined there since arriving in the Mortal Realm and knew nothing about the Infinite Realm. After hearing the news, he was utterly shocked.

"A Realm War?! Has Lord Wuji gone mad?!"

"This isn't the time for discussion," Chen Ling's gaze swept around, seeing two more out-of-control characters rushing towards them in addition to the burning woman. "Right now, we need to think about how to survive."

"'Guernica' has already fallen into disorder; the painting itself is beginning to reject us. We have no choice but to stall for as much time as possible."

Chen Ling simultaneously locked onto several surrounding characters with his peripheral vision, darting through the narrowest gaps. His large red opera robe seemed like an afterimage as it swept through the void, with several colossal shadows roaring close behind.

"Aren't you a Sixth Order? Can't you deal with these things?"

"They are formed from the souls of pain and resentment within the painting; they are immune to all external forces. Forget me, even the other Hall Masters couldn't harm them in the slightest."

"Damn it... so there's no other way? At this rate, we'll be surrounded sooner or later."

Plum Blossom 8 stared at his palm for a long time, then gritted his teeth.

"I'll lead the way for you."

"Where to?"

"There's a character whose existence is very unique... it doesn't move, and it has a suppressive effect on other characters, so they don't dare approach it easily. Although its emotional influence is the strongest here, if we enter its area, we can at least ensure we won't be torn to shreds."

"Alright, which direction?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Chen Ling chose to trust Plum Blossom 8's plan. Compared to vague emotional influences, survival was definitely paramount. He currently didn't have enough audience expectation value, so he absolutely couldn't die.

Guided by Plum Blossom 8, Chen Ling swiftly approached a specific point in the void, all while fending off the characters chasing them from behind.

Plum Blossom 8, meanwhile, was clearly on the verge of a mental breakdown from the torment. Despite being a Sixth Order, he didn't even have the strength to run in the void at this moment, so he meekly lay on Chen Ling's back, like a young boy whose lamp had run out of oil.

"By the way, why aren't you affected by the emotions of those things?"

"Who said I'm not affected?" Chen Ling, focused entirely on escaping, replied, "It's just not as severe as it is for you."

"But my reaction is what's normal for someone in 'Guernica'."

"Are you saying I'm not normal??"

"You..." Plum Blossom 8 paused, then spoke, "You're definitely not quite normal, at least emotionally."

"...Perhaps it's because my empathy is poor," Chen Ling mused. "Ever since that thing appeared inside me, I've rarely empathized with others... Perhaps this counts as 'naturally cold-hearted'?"

"No wonder," Plum Blossom 8 remarked, glancing at Chen Ling's opera robe attire, half-jokingly. "You truly are 'a heartless actor'."

"It's not that I'm heartless; my other emotions are fine. It's just hard for me to resonate with other people's emotional changes... It's like... like..." Chen Ling tried to describe his feeling to Plum Blossom 8, but couldn't find a suitable comparison.

"Like an 'audience'?" Plum Blossom 8 suddenly interjected.

The words struck Chen Ling like a bolt of lightning. He froze for a long moment before stiffly nodding.

"Yes... exactly."

Plum Blossom 8 didn't press further. He simply lay on Chen Ling's back, giving him a deep, incredibly complex look.

"Regardless, your 'naturally cold-hearted' nature is our lifeline now," Plum Blossom 8 said. "I tried to approach that character, but I failed... I couldn't bear its emotions, nor could I leave a mark on it. If I pass out later, I'll have to rely on you."

"I'll try my best."

As they spoke, another two or three characters converged, and now, behind the large red opera robe, a dense mass of abstract figures followed closely: horses impaled by spears, monstrous faces with twisted expressions, mothers clutching their children... They gathered, distorted and suffering, their surging emotions like overwhelming tsunamis about to engulf the pair.

Finally, just as Chen Ling was nearing exhaustion, a colossal figure gradually appeared in his line of sight.