Grand Relief Gate
"Second?" Chen Ling decisively shook his head. "I don't want to see the Second, I want to see your Chief."
"...You're even being picky?"
"I want to see the Chief, I'll only talk to him." Chen Ling repeated again.
Since Chen Ling went through great lengths to infiltrate the Red Dust Base, naturally the higher the level of the person he contacted, the better. Just like his proposal earlier, for the Eighth Hall, he needed to ask his superiors for instructions, but that Third Hall Lü Liangren could change his situation with just one sentence.
Besides, this Chief could have a place of his own in the Gray World, so Chen Ling also really wanted to see just what kind of divine entity he was.
"You can't see the Chief. Not just you, the rest of our Hall Masters can't see him either."
"Why?"
"No reason why." Yang Muquan seemed displeased with Chen Ling's arrogant attitude, and reminded him in a deep voice, "Six of Hearts Chen Ling, don't forget, you are a prisoner now, you don't have the right to pick and choose."
It was reasonable to not let him see the Chief, but to say that the other Hall Masters couldn't see him either, that was interesting... Either it meant the Chief Hall was extremely arrogant and solitary, unwilling to come into contact with outsiders, or... this Chief was in poor condition, insufficient to grant an audience to others?
Chen Ling continued forward. This corridor was even longer than he expected. He walked for about three or four minutes before seeing the first intersection.
This was a spacious front courtyard, with corridors extending from the left and right sides. Under the huge hollow dome, a few golden afterglows projected down, like the contour of light casually outlined by someone with a Paintbrush, dyeing the dim dome with a trace of light gold, appearing exceptionally sacred and beautiful.
Several young people wearing blue robes, each carrying a Drawing Board on their backs, seemed to be gathered together discussing something. Seeing Yang Muquan walking towards them, they immediately and consciously made way and respectfully called out:
"Elder Yang."
"...How many times have I told you, am I old?"
"Teacher Yang... hello Teacher Yang."
Everyone exchanged glances and awkwardly tested the waters with each other before changing their address in a completely uncoordinated manner.
Yang Muquan also couldn't be bothered to argue with them, and walked straight ahead. At the same time, the gazes of these young people naturally fell on the Great Crimson Theatrical Robe behind him.
This Theatrical Robe was really a bit too brightly colored and eye-catching in the Red Dust Base, but what was even more impressive was that young and handsome face.
Everyone stared in astonishment at this unfamiliar Thespian, whispering to each other. Two girls even had blushes flash across their cheeks, unable to resist taking a few more glances at Chen Ling.
While they were observing Chen Ling, Chen Ling was also observing them. These people were generally in their teens, exuding a faint Divine Path aura. They were probably all around First-Tier, and the highest didn't exceed Second-Tier. If nothing unexpected happened, they should all be Azure Spirit Path Possessors.
Are these Azure Spirit Path cultivators specially trained by Floating Life Painting? The next generation of successors?
Chen Ling remembered hearing someone say before that Floating Life Painting would regularly take some children to the Path of Azure Ancient Vault for trials. If someone embarked on the Azure Spirit Path, they would be absorbed by Floating Life Painting, completely severing ties with the mortal world, as if they had Vanished Into Thin Air... Now it seemed that these young people were all being secretly trained here.
Sensing their curious gazes, the corners of Chen Ling's mouth curled into an extremely affable smile, harmless to humans and animals like the warm winter sun.
Under this smile, those young people subconsciously let down their guard. The cheeks of a few girls became even redder. Just as they were about to open their mouths to say something to Chen Ling, Yang Muquan frowned.
"Don't approach him, he is Six of Hearts of the Dusk Society!"
As soon as these words came out, everyone's expressions instantly became incomparably horrified. They fiercely retreated several steps, looking at Chen Ling as if looking at some extremely dangerous wild beast.
Seeing this, Chen Ling shrugged, feeling bored, and continued to walk slowly forward.
[Audience Expectation Value +1]
The Red Dust Base was completely different from the Aurora Base. There were no stern guards, nor strict floor divisions, only Floating Life Painting members walking through, and apprentices wearing blue robes. Chen Ling couldn't feel the slightest temperament of a "base" here; this place was more like a museum full of artistic atmosphere.
After passing through corridor after corridor, the Floating Life Painting members Chen Ling encountered on the way became fewer and fewer. This place seemed to have already reached the depths of the Red Dust Base. He looked up. Above the semi-hollow dome, a massive petal had already covered the gray sky.
According to Chen Ling's understanding, the Red Dust Domain was currently hiding within that inconspicuous flower, and the Red Dust Base was the green leaf protecting the flower. His current position should be close to the root and stem part of this flower, directly below the flower. The closer he got to the flower, the closer to the core.
And the facts were exactly as Chen Ling expected. After Yang Muquan took him to the end of a deserted corridor, a magnificent door as high as seven or eight stories appeared before his eyes.
This was a door forged entirely of huge stones, its surface covered in reliefs, dazzling to look at... Standing at the door, an inexplicable sense of oppression shrouded Chen Ling's shoulders. He only felt that his entire perspective was constantly extending to the surroundings, like the wide angle was pulled to the extreme, making himself as insignificant as an ant.
Chen Ling frowned slightly, carefully sizing up this Grand Relief Gate. It seemed to have a history engraved on it, but this relief was truly too massive. In his haste, Chen Ling could only see some relatively conspicuous and familiar elements...
Rivers, willow banks, flower bushes, cities; a black meteor descending from the sky, a huge cloud expanding like a Mushroom; fiery red ruins, weeping crowds; in the very center of the relief, a long-haired figure with their back facing Chen Ling stood tall and imposing, occupying almost one-fifth of the area of the Grand Relief Gate, reaching from the sky to the earth;
His (her) hands were raised towards the sky, and a blooming flower blossomed in the raging fire. Under his (her) feet, countless tiny figures prostrated and worshipped...
After that, Chen Ling couldn't understand it anymore;
Those were some complicated and disorderly lines, interwoven with each other. Among them, something similar to a railway track seemed to extend out, and countless figures stood on both sides of the track, hands placed in front of their chests, doing who knows what.
What puzzled Chen Ling was that in the center of this Grand Relief Gate, there was also a blank Picture Frame hanging, like a giant lock, locking the door securely here.
"Is the history of the Red Dust Base on this door?" Chen Ling took the initiative to ask.
"...This has nothing to do with you." Yang Muquan spoke calmly. "What you should be thinking about right now is quickly spitting out what you know. The Second Hall is waiting for you."
"If you don't open the door, how can I talk to him?"
"No need to open the door."
Yang Muquan raised his hand and pointed to the blank Picture Frame in the center of the Grand Relief Gate,
"It is the Second Hall."