Chapter 627: Relief Gate

"The Second?" Chen Ling shook his head resolutely. "I don't want to meet the Second; I want to meet your Chief."

"You're making demands now?"

"I want to see the Chief. I'll only speak with him," Chen Ling repeated.

Since Chen Ling had gone to such great lengths to infiltrate the Red Dust Base, he naturally preferred to interact with higher-ranking individuals. For instance, his earlier suggestion would have required the Eighth Hall to seek approval from a superior, whereas Lu Liangren of the Third Hall could alter his situation with just a single word.

Furthermore, considering this Chief's established position within the Gray World, Chen Ling was eager to see who this esteemed figure truly was.

"You can't see the Chief. Not just you; none of the other halls can see him either."

"Why not?"

"There's no 'why'," Yang Muquan replied, seemingly annoyed by Chen Ling's arrogant demeanor. He reminded him in a low voice, "Red Heart 6 Chen Ling, don't forget, you are a prisoner now. You have no right to be picky."

Chen Ling's eyebrows raised slightly, but he said nothing, simply making a mental note of this information regarding the Chief Hall.

It was reasonable that he wasn't allowed to see the Chief, but the claim that even other halls couldn't see him was intriguing. This either suggested the Chief Hall was extremely arrogant and reclusive, unwilling to interact with outsiders, or perhaps the Chief was in poor health and unable to receive visitors.

Chen Ling continued walking. The corridor was longer than he had anticipated; it took him about three or four minutes to reach the first intersection.

It was a spacious antechamber with corridors extending from both the left and right sides. Under the vast, perforated dome, several streaks of golden light shone down, as if someone had casually sketched outlines of light with a paintbrush, imbuing the dim ceiling with a faint golden hue. The effect was remarkably sacred and beautiful.

Several young people in blue robes, each carrying a drawing board on their back, appeared to be gathered, discussing something. Upon seeing Yang Muquan approach, they instinctively cleared a path and respectfully called out:

"Elder Yang."

"...How many times have I told you, am I old?"

"Mr... Teacher Yang, hello."

Everyone exchanged glances, then, after an awkward, tentative moment, they collectively but unevenly changed their address.

Yang Muquan didn't bother to argue with them and walked straight ahead. Meanwhile, the young people's gazes naturally fell upon the large red opera robe trailing behind him.

The opera robe was strikingly vivid, almost gaudy, within the Red Dust Base. However, what truly left an impression was the young, handsome face of its wearer.

The group eyed the unfamiliar actor with surprise, whispering amongst themselves. Two girls even blushed, unable to resist stealing extra glances at Chen Ling.

As they scrutinized Chen Ling, he, in turn, observed them. Most appeared to be teenagers, exuding a faint aura of the Divine Path, likely around first-tier and no higher than second-tier. Without a doubt, they were all practitioners of the Azure Divine Path.

Was this the Azure Divine Path, specifically cultivated by the Transient Scroll? The next generation of successors?

Chen Ling recalled hearing that the Transient Scroll periodically brought children to the Ancient Azure Path for trials. Anyone who embarked on the Azure Divine Path would be absorbed by the Transient Scroll, completely severing their ties with the mortal world, as if they had vanished without a trace. It now seemed these young people were all being secretly trained here.

Noticing their curious gazes, Chen Ling curved his lips into an extremely affable smile, as harmless as winter sunlight.

Under this smile, the young people instinctively lowered their guard. Several of the girls' cheeks turned even redder. Just as they were about to speak to Chen Ling, Yang Muquan frowned.

"Don't go near him! He's Red Heart 6 of the Twilight Society!"

At his words, the faces of the young people instantly contorted in terror. They abruptly recoiled several steps, their gazes fixed on Chen Ling as if he were some extremely dangerous beast.

Seeing this, Chen Ling felt a pang of boredom and shrugged, continuing his slow advance.

Audience Expectation +1

The Red Dust Base was entirely different from the Aurora Base. It had no stern guards or strict floor divisions, only members of the Transient Scroll and apprentices in blue robes moving through it. Chen Ling couldn't discern any "base" atmosphere; it felt more like an art museum.

After passing through several more long corridors, Chen Ling encountered fewer and fewer Transient Scroll members, indicating he was likely deep within the Red Dust Base. He looked up to see an immense petal already obscuring the gray sky above the semi-perforated dome.

Based on Chen Ling's understanding, the Red Dust Realm was currently concealed within that unassuming flower, and the Red Dust Base functioned as the protective green leaf. His current position was likely near the flower's root or stem, directly beneath it. The closer one got to the flower, the closer one was to the core.

As Chen Ling had anticipated, Yang Muquan led him to the end of an uninhabited corridor, where a magnificent door, spanning seven or eight stories high, appeared before him.

The entire door was forged from massive stones, its surface covered in a bewildering array of bas-reliefs. As Chen Ling stood before it, an inexplicable sense of oppression settled upon his shoulders. His perspective seemed to stretch endlessly outward, as if viewing through an extreme wide-angle lens, making him feel as insignificant as an ant.

Chen Ling's brow furrowed slightly as he meticulously examined the bas-relief door. It appeared to chronicle a historical event, but the carving was so immense that, in his hurried observation, Chen Ling could only make out a few prominent and recognizable elements...

Rivers, willow banks, flower clusters, and cities. Black meteors falling from the sky, enormous mushroom-shaped clouds expanding. Fiery red ruins and weeping crowds. At the very center of the bas-relief, a long-haired figure, back to Chen Ling, stood majestically, filling nearly one-fifth of the door's surface, reaching from earth to sky.

Their hands were raised to the sky, and a blossoming flower unfurled amidst raging flames. At their feet, countless tiny figures knelt and prostrated themselves...

Beyond that, Chen Ling could no longer decipher the imagery.

What followed were complex and chaotic interwoven lines, from which what appeared to be railway tracks extended. Countless figures stood on either side of these tracks, their hands clasped over their chests, their actions unclear.

What puzzled Chen Ling was a blank picture frame hanging in the center of the bas-relief door, like a massive lock sealing the entrance.

"Does this door depict the history of the Red Dust Base?" Chen Ling asked proactively.

"...That's none of your concern," Yang Muquan said calmly. "What you should be thinking about is sharing what you know as quickly as possible. The Second Hall is waiting for you."

"If you don't open the door, how can I speak to him?"

"There's no need to open the door."

Yang Muquan raised a hand and pointed to the blank picture frame in the center of the bas-relief door.

"That," he stated, "is the Second Hall."