[Requiem Ballad]
This voice sounded like Opera Vocals, but also somewhat different.
It didn't have an overly sharp falsetto, but it was full of power, like a sharp sword, gently caressing this world in the most tender way... This was a ballad.
Whether it was Wang Jincheng's illusion or not, the moment the first line of this ballad rang out, the gloomy wind sweeping over the Main City seemed to dissipate somewhat.
His mood, which had been in extreme agony just a moment ago, seemed to be smoothed out by this voice, and his heart gradually calmed down.
"'I heard the sound of your voice';"
"'I smelled the longing blooming amidst the thorns', "
"'I came from the direction of the sunset'..."
Wang Jincheng just lay there, listening to this ballad echoing in his ears. It seemed to possess some indescribable magic, soothing the painful scars of this Realm.
While Wang Jincheng closed his eyes and enjoyed the tranquility of the ballad, a burst of light footsteps came from afar.
He struggled to turn his head and look, only to see several tall figures wearing black Suits slowly walking towards him amidst the flames of war in the ruins...
Spotless black leather shoes stepped across the blood-soaked earth, and the hems of their Suits fluttered gently in the whimpering wind. Some of them had one hand in their pockets, while others were solemnly tightening their black ties, as if coming to attend a solemn and grand ceremony.
In their breast pockets, the corners of a few highly textured black Playing Cards were exposed.
[6], [7], [10], [J], [Q].
In this devastated world, they came dressed up;
"... Dusk Society?"
Seeing those few Playing Cards, Wang Jincheng muttered to himself as if he thought of something.
These five figures walked through the ruins and also walked past Wang Jincheng. A young man with a wolf tail haircut among them glanced at him, then withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.
Eventually, they arrived beside the young man kneeling in the ruins, covered in injuries.
"The Requiem Ballad has been sung..." Bai Ye spoke calmly, "Eight of Clubs, it's time for us to go."
Eight of Clubs slowly lifted his blood-stained face.
He looked at that Great Crimson Theatrical Robe dancing and taking the stage in the distant sky. After a long silence, he still pushed his hands against the ground and staggered to his feet...
He was the former Ninth Hall of the Floating Life Painting, and also the current Eight of Clubs of the Dusk Society;
When the Red Dust Domain faced the disaster of extinction and the people were plunged into misery and suffering, he had already risked everything he had to fulfill his duty as the former Ninth Hall... But now, everything was coming to an end, it was time to return to his identity.
He failed to save the Red Dust, so since that was the case, he could only see those two million-plus victims off on their final journey.
"I'm sorry... I acted on my own." Eight of Clubs lowered his head, speaking in a sorry state.
"Acted on your own?" Chu Muyun raised a brow, smiling. "What acting on your own... Weren't you accidentally dragged into this war? You were just acting in self-defense."
Eight of Clubs was stunned, and after seeing the smiles at the corners of everyone's mouths, his heart warmed.
Just then, as if thinking of something, he looked down at his blood-soaked, tattered clothes and smiled bitterly: "But... I didn't have time to bring a formal Suit for the funeral."
"Small problem."
Jack of Clubs raised his hand and casually patted Eight of Clubs' shoulder. Those tattered clothes suddenly shimmered, and actually directly turned into an extremely formal and decent black Suit, clean, tidy, and meticulous.
Jack of Clubs casually rubbed his hand again, and gently placed a black Eight of Clubs Playing Card into his breast pocket.
"Thank you, Senior." Seeing this, Eight of Clubs thanked him respectfully.
At the same time, Bai Ye glanced at the emptiness at the side,
"Nine of Hearts, how long do you plan on sneaking around over there?"
Eight of Clubs was startled. He followed Bai Ye's gaze and saw the earth not far from him suddenly loosen, and a figure actually drilled directly out of the ground. It was none other than Nine of Hearts!
Nine of Hearts stood firm, somewhat awkwardly patting the dust off his body.
"Hehehehe... How can you call it sneaking around? I was just passing by, passing by."
Eight of Clubs' gaze immediately turned strange.
"Speaking of which, how come it's Six of Hearts singing the Requiem Ballad this time?" Nine of Hearts naturally changed the topic while changing into his Suit, "Wasn't it said that in the whole world, only a few higher-ups of the Dusk Society know how to sing this thing?"
Chu Muyun turned his head and looked at the Great Crimson Theatrical Robe in the sky, his eyes full of complex emotions. "It seems that in the half a year Six of Hearts disappeared, he benefited immensely in the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path..."
"To be able to have four [K]s backing him up at the same time, how could this kid be simple?"
"From today on, there's one more person in the world who can sing the Requiem Ballad... It's also a good thing for the Dusk Society."
"I have to say it again, we are both of the [6] generation..."
"Stop!" Jian Changsheng gritted his teeth and covered Nine of Hearts' mouth. "I admit I'm not as smart as Hearts! But this thing is exclusive to the Path of the Actor, even if you break me into several pieces I couldn't learn it!"
"... I was just saying it casually."
"Enough."
Bai Ye spoke, and everyone immediately quieted down.
The seven figures wearing black Suits quietly stood together, their gazes simultaneously looking at the Red Dust Main City which had been reduced to ruins...
"... Let's get to work."
...
Great Crimson Theatrical Robe, stepping up the void step by step. Chen Ling's gaze stared at the sea of souls enveloped in red lightning, and the patient voice of Fourth Senior Brother Mo Jue from his time in the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path continuously flashed through his mind:
"Little Junior Brother, the most important thing when singing the [Requiem Ballad] is to use your own soul as a carrier..."
"Let the pitch of every verse resonate with your soul. The frequency of this resonance is extremely special, and requires a massive amount of practice to master..."
"Little Junior Brother, you sang this part wrong, listen to me sing it one more time..."
"..."
The whimpering cold wind brushed past Chen Ling's cheeks. Mo Jue's face in his memories gradually disappeared, replaced by a desolate and dilapidated dead city.
Chen Ling took a deep breath, and the ballad he had practiced countless times in the Ancient Vault of the Drama Path floated out from his throat once more:
"'The earth and rose-red are your warm bed', "
"'The frost, snow, and setting sun are your heavy makeup';"
"'I will weave hope into dancing kapok flowers', "
"'Until the rocks remember the fragrance of the flowers'..."
As Chen Ling's singing voice tossed and turned, that gradually distorting and shrinking sea of souls, as if influenced by some external force, the originally hideous and agonizing souls simultaneously quieted down!
The pain on their faces disappeared bit by bit, replaced by a kind of tranquility they hadn't had for a long time, as if washed by some holy and grand power, and all extreme emotions were being purified.
The circulation of the Alchemy Array suddenly stalled!
Immediately after, these souls no longer distorted and deformed, nor did they condense towards the outline of the Philosopher's Stone driven by the lightning, but instead scattered in all directions as if their consciousness had been awakened!