Chen Ling was not someone who liked to slap people.
But the situation was different now. He knew far less about the painting 'Guernica' than Plum Blossom 8 did. With this sudden anomaly, only Plum Blossom 8 could offer an explanation... Although it might be somewhat offensive to an elder, Chen Ling believed Plum Blossom 8 would understand.
After two crisp slaps, the unconscious Plum Blossom 8 finally struggled to open his eyes. He felt his stinging cheeks and was momentarily stunned.
"You..."
"Sorry, it's an emergency. I had to force you to 'boot up.'"Plum Blossom 8: ...
Plum Blossom 8 glanced behind him and saw the Burning Woman charging straight at them. His expression immediately changed. He had no time to argue with Chen Ling about the slaps and immediately looked down at his palm.
In his palm, several drawn "arrows" were spinning rapidly, seemingly completely out of control.
"Damn it... How could this happen?"
"What's going on?"
"I don't know..." Plum Blossom 8 said gravely. "When I first entered 'Guernica,' I endured the emotional influence to place markers on all the characters in the painting. I analyzed their usual movement patterns before drawing that house in the safest spot. But now, their movement patterns are all disrupted... No, rather, the painting itself has been disrupted."
"How could the painting be disrupted? Isn't it in the hands of the Second Hall Master?"
Plum Blossom 8 didn't speak. He just looked up at the void above, his gaze seemingly trying to penetrate something.
"Outside... something major must have happened."
Buzz—!!
A low rumble emanated from the embossed gate.
In the center of the gate, the picture frame, which resembled a giant lock, suddenly began to tremble violently. Countless regular geometric shapes drifted out of it, floating in mid-air like bubbles, eventually converging into an extremely abstract, three-dimensional human face.
This face was almost as large as the embossed gate. A rolled-up scroll spun rapidly at its brow. Two triangular eyes stared at the gate, and an aura of the eighth order diffused outwards...
"After all these years... it's time for this gate to open."
With a thought from the Second Hall Master, 'Guernica' shot out from its brow. It circled in front of a geometric shape resembling a key, then plunged directly into the center of the embossed gate!
Thump—!
A trace of the Azure God Path's foundation aura spread out from 'Guernica.' It slowly diffused outwards along the patterns and shapes on the embossed gate, causing the entire gate to tremble!
Meanwhile.
On the other side of the Red Dust Base.
The once bustling base was now shrouded in a heavy cloud, the atmosphere oppressive and somber, like the dead calm before a storm.
Members of the Floating Life Painting moved briskly within it. Some were sweating profusely with anxiety, others sat in corners lost in thought. Some silently wiped down their weapons and paintbrushes. Still others gathered in twos and threes, sketching topographical maps of the Red Dust Realm by hand on various walls of the base, arguing fiercely about something.
Beyond these, the "quasi-Floating Life Painting" members, draped in blue robes, were the most anxious and fearful.
"Do you think... this time, it's really war?"
"What do you think? Didn't you see how intense Elder Lu's killing intent was when he walked by earlier?"
"It's said that Elder Lu has already returned to the Red Dust Realm to gather all the architects for the front lines... Other elders in the base are also preparing. Regardless of their willingness, they are being forcibly dispatched to the battlefield. It seems the situation is truly serious."
"But didn't several elders directly refuse to go to battle? And even said they'd leave the Floating Life Painting and go far away?"
"Hmph, is it strange to have people afraid of death? The Floating Life Painting isn't a militarized organization to begin with. They're used to being lax, so how could they just go to battle when told...? But even if they leave the Floating Life Painting, where would they go? Enter the Gray Realm to seek death? Or be killed by the attacking Boundless Realm?"
"It's not as complicated as you think... Those Floating Life Painting elders who wanted to leave didn't even make it out of the base gate before they were slain by the Eighth Hall Master."
"Huh??? Isn't Elder Yang usually the most amicable? He actually killed someone in public?"
"Elder Yang said that these are extraordinary times. These people would have nowhere to escape. Most likely, they would only collaborate with the enemy... It would be disastrous if the secrets of the Red Dust Base fell into enemy hands."
"That's true..."
As everyone spoke, a white dove, emanating no aura, perched on the partially perforated dome. Its eyes, glowing with a faint blue light, gazed down at the corridor below.
Buzz—!
A low hum emanated from deep within the Red Dust Base, causing the floor of the entire palace to tremor.
All Floating Life Painting members still at the Red Dust Base, along with the blue-robed apprentices, looked questioningly towards the base's depths, unsure of what was happening...
At the same time, the white dove perched on the perforated dome turned its head towards that direction, strands of blue light swirling in its pupils.
"'Plum Blossom, what are you waiting for? Go!' The faint voice of Red Heart 9 emerged from within the white dove."
"It's not that I don't want to go, but I'll easily be exposed if I move..." Plum Blossom said helplessly. "Using tricks to fool a domain is fine, but my path isn't as skilled at disguise as Red Heart 6's. If I move even a little, and someone sees me, it's over."
"Can't there be pigeons in the Red Dust Base?"
"...What do you think?"
"So what do we do now? Should we just jump down and start fighting? The Third Hall Master isn't here. The base currently only has two Seventh-Order Hall Masters, plus an Eighth-Order Hall Master guarding the deepest part... The odds aren't good."
"If Red Heart were awake right now, it would be great. With his abilities, temporarily deceiving these Floating Life Painting members shouldn't be a problem..."
"Wait, don't rush," Chu Muyun's calm voice rang out. "Give me a few seconds... I'll speed up his progress."
"Huh? Dissected Chu, why are you holding Bai Ye's head down?"
"Holy shit! Why are you pulling out a hammer!?"
Thud—!!
A muffled groan from Bai Ye emanated from within the dove.
The next moment, the dove hovering on the perforated dome flapped its wings and flew straight along the top of the corridor towards the depths of the Red Dust Base.
The blue-robed apprentices conversing below immediately saw something white fly by. They were about to ask what it was when a flash of white light suddenly streaked across the air, and they stood frozen like statues...
After a few seconds, they came back to their senses, exchanging blank glances.
"Just now... where were we?"
"I don't know, I don't remember... I just feel like I've forgotten something."
"Oh, right, do you think... this time, it's really war?"
"What do you think? Didn't you see how intense Elder Lu's killing intent was when he walked by earlier?"
As the white dove departed, the Fourth Hall Master, not far away, suddenly seemed to sense something and frowned, looking in that direction...
[1 minute ago] Chapter 690: Death Enshrouded
[1 minute ago] Chapter 426: The Barbarians Know How to Flirt
[5 minutes ago] Chapter 762
[8 minutes ago] Chapter 852: North Liang's Repeated Objections
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