Chapter 625: Red Dust Base Location

The small town, full of willow trees and peach blossoms, was unmistakable to Chen Ling. This was the first place he arrived at after reaching the Mortal Realm. He still remembered being chased by the Harlequin, running all the way into the white flower fields of the Gray Realm, and collapsing on the spot because he couldn't find an entrance to the Mortal Realm.

When he woke up, he was already in Willow Town. To this day, Chen Ling still didn't know how he had suddenly moved from the Gray Realm to Willow Town. To enter the Mortal Realm, one had to first find the most inconspicuous flower in the flower bed and perform certain actions. If he was unconscious at the time, who had guided him through the ritual to enter the Mortal Realm?

Furthermore, according to Li Qingshan, he found Chen Ling in a mountain forest in Willow Town, which was completely different from where Chen Ling had initially entered the Mortal Realm on his own. What caused this discrepancy?

Also, there were hundreds of towns in the Mortal Realm; why specifically Willow Town?

Returning to Willow Town once again, but this time as a prisoner, more and more questions arose in Chen Ling's mind. As he looked at the peaceful willow trees and village, everything suddenly seemed veiled in mystery. His way of thinking was now entirely different from when he first entered the Mortal Realm.

Upon arriving in Willow Town, Yang Muquan did not linger. Instead, he walked along the damp flagstone path in a certain direction.

While the main city of the Mortal Realm was now in chaos, with rivers of blood, Willow Town remained tranquil. The conflict at the center of the Mortal Realm had not affected it; willow catkins still danced in the wind, peach blossoms still bloomed along the embankments, curling smoke rose from short houses with white tiles, and a cowherd walked past Chen Ling along the flagstone path.

Leaning against the edge of the comic panel, Chen Ling gazed at the peaceful town, suddenly feeling as if he had traveled through time.

"The Yang family heroes sacrificed their lives to protect the nation, their loyal names echoing through ten thousand generations~"

From a distant alleyway, the melodious sound of opera drifted from a radio. Perhaps due to its age, the singing was accompanied by a crackling static, which added a touch of charm amidst the misty rain.

Chen Ling turned his head and saw that it was Li Qingshan's doorstep.

At that moment, Li Qingshan's door was open. An elderly woman with white hair sat on a small stool, a radio beside her. She was plucking vegetable leaves, occasionally humming along with the radio, shaking her head.

She did not notice Yang Muquan passing by her door, nor did she see Chen Ling. She simply continued to sing to herself as firewood crackled beside her, and the aroma of cooking food wafted out.

Chen Ling only caught a glimpse before Yang Muquan led him past the doorway. It was then that he realized this was the very path where Li Qingshan had found him and brought him home.

The willow trees on both banks swayed gently in the breeze, and the scent of earth filled the air. Familiar scenes flashed before his eyes. At that moment, Chen Ling felt as though he was back in Li Qingshan's firewood cart, slowly moving in a direction opposite to his previous journey.

"I seem to have... seen this scene somewhere before."

Chen Ling pondered, as if realizing something, and a memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.

"Sister Zhiwei! I brought you a gift!"

Yao Qing's voice echoed in Chen Ling's ears, and the embroidered picture, housed in a delicate gift box, gradually became clear in his memory.

The scene in the embroidery gradually overlapped with his surroundings, and Chen Ling instantly recalled the source of this familiarity.

August 13, 2024, Yao Qing to Sister Zhiwei:— "The Mortal Realm."

Chen Ling remembered. When he first saw that embroidered picture, he was stunned by its resemblance to Willow Town. At the time, he simply thought they were extremely similar, and combined with the inscription "The Mortal Realm," he was almost certain of Su Zhiwei's identity.

But as Chen Ling walked this path again, he realized the connection was far more than mere "similarity." This path was identical to the one embroidered on "The Mortal Realm"—even the number of willow trees by the roadside, the length of each willow leaf, and the outline of the peeling paint on the houses were all exactly the same!

But... how could this be?

How could an embroidered picture that appeared centuries ago be completely identical to present-day Willow Town? Even if someone had deliberately arranged it, such a precise recreation would be impossible, as no one could control the height of these willow trees, the number of their branches... Moreover, the appearance of willow trees changes with the seasons, so how could they be exactly the same?

The moment he realized this, a chill ran down Chen Ling's neck. This seemingly insignificant detail harbored too many secrets and unknowns, like a colossal iceberg hidden beneath a seemingly calm sea surface.

This was no coincidence.

As Chen Ling's mind raced, Yang Muquan had already followed the flagstone path to a wild mountain forest.

This appeared to be the outskirts of Willow Town, completely devoid of human presence. All that met the eye were dense trees and a ground covered with dry branches and fallen leaves. The sun filtered through the intricate branches, casting a lattice of light and shadow that seemed like a code spread across the earth.

Yang Muquan stopped slowly among the trees and, facing the intersecting light and shadows within the branches, calmly stated:

"Yang Muquan of the Eighth Hall, requesting re-entry."

Chen Ling froze, then looked up at the sky in confusion. The next moment, the intersecting light and shadows among the trees suddenly seemed to come alive, materializing into tangible lines that pulled apart like a curtain to either side!

Identity verification was required to enter the Mortal Base? But there seemed to be no one else here. To whom was he verifying his identity?

A series of questions flashed through Chen Ling's mind. Immediately after, Yang Muquan raised both hands and gently clapped them together in front of his chest!

*Clap!*

A sensation of dizziness washed over him, and the scene before Chen Ling's eyes instantly distorted.

This feeling was all too familiar to Chen Ling; he had experienced it before when crossing the boundary from the Mortal Realm to the Gray Realm. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a familiar expanse of white flowers.

"This is..." Chen Ling's pupils contracted slightly.

Lead-gray clouds covered the sky, and the world seemed to be reduced to shades of black, white, and gray. Chen Ling's crimson opera robe fluttered within the comic panel, and Yang Muquan had also completely transformed into a mottled figure from a black-and-white film, standing silently beside him.

Beside them was an endless field of white flowers. As a gentle breeze swept across the dark ground, petals swirled around the two figures.

The Gray Realm?!

The Mortal Base wasn't in Willow Town, or even within the Mortal Realm itself... it was in the Gray Realm?

How could this be...

Chen Ling turned his head in confusion and saw the small flower that harbored the "Mortal Realm" gently floating amidst the soil not far away. At that moment, an idea exploded like thunder in his mind!

"The more important something is, the more likely it is to be hidden in an inconspicuous place.""For Su Zhiwei, her most important possession wasn't her life, nor was it the Mortal Base...""It was the Mortal Realm itself."