Chapter 628: Guernica

"It?"Chen Ling paused, his gaze returning to the blank picture frame hanging above the grand entrance.

The next moment, lines emerged from the blank paper, intersecting to form meaningless triangles, rectangles, ovals, and various other geometric shapes. They filled the empty canvas, at first glance resembling a child's practice drawing with different drafting tools on white paper.

The Second Sanctuary... was it a painting?Setting aside the question of species, even if it was a painting, it should at least have a human outline. These jumbled geometric shapes seemed far too abstract.

As if it had heard Chen Ling's thoughts, the geometric shapes automatically pieced themselves together. An oval stood upright like a long face, a trapezoid was placed where a nose would be, and a rectangle lay horizontally like a mouth. A circle and a triangle, one on each side of the nose, formed a pair of eyes, differing in size and height.

"Six of Hearts, Chen Ling," a deep voice emanated from the frame. "In the past hundred years, you are only the second Twilight Society member to come here."

Chen Ling's eyebrows lifted slightly. Although he already knew the answer, he feigned ignorance and asked, "Oh? And who was the first?"

"The first was a disgrace to our Floating Life Painting," the Second Sanctuary's voice was utterly calm. "Now, he is confined within 'Guernica,' eternally unable to escape his prison."

The "first" person the Second Sanctuary spoke of was naturally the genius of the Azure Spirit Dao, well-known throughout the Nine Great Realms. He was once the Ninth Sanctuary, now the Eight of Clubs in the Twilight Society. Chen Ling and his companions already knew that the Eight of Clubs was imprisoned by Floating Life Painting; one of their main objectives in desperately searching for the Mortal Realm base was to rescue him from them.However... what was "Guernica"?

"So, will I meet the same fate as him?" Chen Ling countered.

"Perhaps even worse," the Second Sanctuary said indifferently. "That depends on your attitude."

"My attitude is excellent. I've smiled at everyone I've met along the way."

Yang Muquan, standing nearby, rolled his eyes.

The Second Sanctuary seemed disinclined to bicker with Chen Ling and went straight to the point: "You said earlier that you know the mastermind behind this attack? And about the crisis in the Mortal Realm?"

"To be precise, I know some of it."

"Tell me."

"What can I get?"

"Get what?" the Second Sanctuary's voice grew colder. "As a Twilight Society member, the fact that you're still alive and standing here is the greatest mercy you'll receive. It's not for us to negotiate with you; it's for you to demonstrate your value to us."

Chen Ling had anticipated this response. Given his current identity and his presence in the Floating Life Painting's stronghold, these Sanctuaries certainly wouldn't negotiate with him, nor would they let him leave. This wasn't what Chen Ling wanted anyway; his objective was simply to act as a scout, locate the Mortal Realm base, and pave the way for the Jack of Clubs and others who would follow.

However, if Chen Ling didn't ask, it would appear suspicious. How could a Twilight Society member cooperate so frankly with Floating Life Painting? To avoid raising the Sanctuaries' suspicions, Chen Ling had to appear coerced, striving to gain benefits for himself. This was the most natural approach and would buy time for the other Twilight Society members.

"I can tell you everything I know," Chen Ling stated calmly, "but at the very least, I need a guarantee that I'll remain alive after I've finished speaking."

"Agreed."

Upon receiving this answer, Chen Ling feigned hesitation for a long moment before slowly saying, "The ones who planned this attack are from the Boundless Realm."

At the mention of the Boundless Realm, Yang Muquan's eyebrows subtly rose. The Second Sanctuary, however, showed no reaction, remaining quietly suspended above the relief-carved door, seemingly awaiting more information.

"On the second floor of the Grand World Dance Hall, I overheard a conversation between two envoys from the Boundless Realm..."

Chen Ling recounted everything he knew about the Boundless Realm. At first, Yang Muquan was skeptical, but upon hearing about their collusion with the Big Dipper Conglomerate and how they had restored Mu Chunsheng's health, his brow furrowed more deeply.

The teleportation array on the second floor of the Grand World Dance Hall, the sacrificial items, Mu Chunsheng's sudden recovery, and the large number of Crimson Sky Cultists who suddenly emerged from beneath the Big Dipper Manor during the attack... all the clues connected. Every piece of information known to Floating Life Painting corroborated Chen Ling's account.

After listening, Yang Muquan's gaze returned to the picture frame on the relief-carved door.

The Second Sanctuary had long suspected the Boundless Realm, even sending two Sanctuaries to investigate it not long ago. Chen Ling's statement undoubtedly confirmed this suspicion, leaving Yang Muquan wondering what the Second Sanctuary was thinking now...

The Second Sanctuary remained silent for a long time, then slowly spoke: "Is there anything else?"

"That's all I can think of for now."

Before Chen Ling's words had fully faded, a blinding white light erupted from the picture frame on the relief-carved door. A giant hand, constructed from various geometric shapes, suddenly reached out and completely enveloped Chen Ling's form!

The next moment, these geometric shapes gradually dissipated in the air, and the large red opera robe was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing this, Yang Muquan couldn't help but ask, "You're really not going to kill him?"

"I said I would let him live; I never go back on my word," the square face made of geometric shapes in the frame said calmly. "Being confined within 'Guernica' is no different from being dead... in fact, it will be even more agonizing than death."

"...What are your thoughts on the Boundless Realm matter?"

The Second Sanctuary did not respond. Its two geometric eyes, one large and one small, silently watched a distant direction. After an unknown period, it slowly said, "Wait for them to return."

Meanwhile, in the Boundless Realm.Two figures traversed the dimly lit streets, stepping over puddles that smelled faintly of rust.

One was a woman with long black hair, the other a middle-aged man with a palette hanging at his waist. Both were dressed in vibrant attire characteristic of the Mortal Realm, walking slowly along the road. They were the Sixth Sanctuary and the Seventh Sanctuary.

Their appearance immediately drew some attention, not from the street itself, but from the small, cramped windows of the dim rooms lining it. Faint sunlight penetrated these houses, reflecting almost no light outwards. Only behind these windows could one vaguely discern timid, hunched figures.

The two Sanctuaries scanned their surroundings, their brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

They walked directly towards the massive cathedral in the setting sun. The evening light cast the cathedral's long shadow across the ground, enveloping them both like grotesque, dark demons.