Chapter 588: Flower-Filled Worldly Lord

The scroll on the table was very familiar to Chen Ling; he had retrieved it when he infiltrated the Polaris Financial Group, disguised as an emissary from the Golden Society. A Club 8 mark was on its back.

So, this item had been smuggled out of the Red Dust Base by Club 8?

“Club 8 tampered with this painting; its true content is hidden beneath the original layer,” Diamonds 10 said. “Open it and see.”

Chen Ling unrolled the scroll on the table. As his gaze swept over its surface, his pupils slightly constricted.

Chen Ling clearly remembered opening this painting while at the Polaris Financial Group, but at that time, it had depicted court ladies. Now, however, displayed before him was a graceful figure wearing a white lab coat, sleeping amidst petals that appeared to be stained with blood.

“Club 8 infiltrated the Fleeting Life Society and has been out of contact for so long, only managing to send this one item,” Diamonds 10 sighed. “Unfortunately, we still haven't been able to decipher the content of this painting.”

“I wonder who this woman in the painting is...”

“The Red Dust Sovereign,” Chen Ling suddenly stated.

As soon as those three words left his mouth, everyone else present froze, staring blankly at Chen Ling. “What did you say?”

“The person in the painting is the Red Dust Sovereign,” Chen Ling repeated with conviction.

“...How did you recognize her?” Jian Changsheng retorted skeptically.

“I saw her in the Era Archives.”

This answer immediately convinced the other members of the Dusk Society. After all, Chen Ling possessed a spiritual treasure, making it possible for him to return to the era before the Great Cataclysm and meet the Red Dust Sovereign of that time. Furthermore, Chen Ling had no reason to deceive them.

Club furrowed his brow slightly and said, “Club 8 sent this painting out... What message is he trying to convey?”

“Is it to make us recognize the Red Dust Sovereign’s appearance? Or are there clues to her location hidden within it?” Jian Changsheng picked up the scroll and meticulously examined it.

“These blood-like petals around the Red Dust Sovereign are indeed very rare. Perhaps this could truly serve as a clue to find the Red Dust Base, where the Red Dust Sovereign is located!” he continued. “I’ve been in the Red Dust Domain for so long, and I’ve never seen such petals. Diamonds 10, have you?”

“I haven’t either.”

As everyone was studying the surrounding petals, Chen Ling, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke:

“Have you noticed something?”

“What is it?”

“The Red Dust Sovereign isn’t in a life-extending pod.”

Everyone froze in place.

Only then did they notice the most crucial element in the painting: the Red Dust Sovereign herself.

Previously, both the Ruoshui Sovereign and the Aurora Sovereign had been immersed in life pods. For over three hundred years, every possible method had been employed to extend their lives—fusion experiments, medicinal compounds, and even attempts to replicate their very “theories.”

However, the Red Dust Sovereign was not only *not* immersed in a life pod, but there were also no scientific devices visible around her. She simply lay there naturally, as if sleeping among red petals.

“How is this possible...? Without a life pod, she should have died of old age hundreds of years ago.”

“What are the people at the Red Dust Base doing? They actually just let her lie there amongst the flowers?”

“Speaking of which, don't you find it strange? So far, the Red Dust Domain has shown no signs of collapse, nor has there been any convergence with the gray world. This indicates that the Red Dust Sovereign’s domain is still in a very stable state.”

These words once again enlightened everyone. Previously, when the Aurora Domain was on the verge of collapse, the frequency of gray-world convergences had gradually increased. It couldn't cover the seven major districts, and even after retreating to Aurora City, calamities still emerged. Even the disasters from the Forbidden Sea could sense the Aurora Sovereign’s weakness and had surrounded the Western Zhou region in advance.

But the current Red Dust Domain shows no signs of collapse whatsoever!

“Could it be that the Red Dust Sovereign’s lifespan still has a long way to go?”

“But the Red King’s prophecy has never been wrong. If he said the Red Dust Domain would fall, then it truly will fall... Where exactly is the problem...”

Everyone gathered around Club 8’s painting, falling into deep thought.

“Perhaps the key to the problem isn’t with the Red Dust Sovereign...” Chen Ling recalled the spies from the Boundless Domain, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I’ve also made some discoveries recently...”

As Chen Ling truthfully recounted everything that had happened since his return to the Red Dust Domain, the surprise in the others’ eyes grew more intense. They were not only shocked by the speed with which the Boundless Domain acted but also impressed by Chen Ling’s skill in manipulating two major forces.

The Fleeting Life Society and the Boundless Domain were like two spinning tops, sent swirling by Chen Ling’s skillful maneuvering.

“Could it be that the Red Dust Domain’s crisis originates from the Boundless Domain?”

“Regardless, let’s first find a way to locate the Red Dust Base,” Chen Ling suggested proactively. “As long as we can rescue Club 8, all uncertainties might be resolved.”

“You’re right,” Diamonds 10 replied. “But in these past few months, Spades 6 and I have already searched almost every possible location in the main city, and still found no trace of the Red Dust Base.”

“Could it be buried underground, like the Aurora Base?”

“It’s hard to say... This place isn’t like the Aurora Domain, where enforcers walk openly on the streets and people frequently enter the Aurora Base, making its entrance easy to find with a little attention. The Red Dust Base, however, is far too mysterious; neither ordinary residents nor the police officers responsible for maintaining order have ever heard of its existence.”

Chen Ling pondered for a long time, then quickly jotted down some points on a notepad:

“Currently, we have a few potential plans. First, we can use the petal clues on the scroll to cast a wide net, utilizing my connections and influence to see if we can locate this place.

“Second, we could find someone who might know the location of the Red Dust Base and try to extract information from them.

“Third, we could directly try to lure out a member of the Fleeting Life Society, then secretly follow them to uncover the Red Dust Base...”

“Comparatively, the third method is too risky. We’ve finally secured a completely safe haven; luring out the Fleeting Life Society would be too dangerous.”

“I agree. We’re not yet at the point where we have to take such a risk. We can try the first two plans first.”

“The first plan is straightforward,” someone remarked. “With Heart 6’s current popularity, he can easily approach major financial and political groups under the guise of commercial performances. The problem lies with the second plan...”

“In this main city of Red Dust, who would be most likely to know the ins and outs of the Fleeting Life Society and the location of the Red Dust Base?”

The others pondered for a moment. Then, as if realizing something, they simultaneously turned to look at Chen Ling, their expressions subtle.

Chen Ling’s mouth twitched slightly. At that moment, a name surfaced in his mind.

“My apologies, Director Wang...”