Chapter 646: Returning to the Building

"Guernica."

Chen Ling looked at the miniature domain in his hand, his eyes narrowing slightly.

He seemed to have guessed something, then looked up at the relief gate patterns suspended above, understanding dawning on him.

"So this is the authority of this gate..."

Plum Blossom 8 had said that through this gate, one could project their consciousness to every corner of the Red Dust Domain, but only the Second and Third Halls possessed this authority... And now that Chen Ling had obtained the Dao Foundation fragment of "Guernica," it was equivalent to holding the key, naturally granting him a portion of that authority.

As Chen Ling’s consciousness overlooked the entire domain, he finally understood just how vast the Red Dust Domain truly was.

Over a hundred small towns were dotted across the domain like stars, connected by roads. Even though nearly half of the main city had fallen into wasteland with countless casualties, these small towns remained quiet and peaceful, showing no signs of the impending war.

Surrounded by these scattered towns, the Red Dust Main City was like a behemoth, though now this behemoth was scarred and battered. Thick smoke rose from the ruins, and apart from members of the Floating Life Painting and police officers, there were almost no pedestrians on the roads; most were hiding in their homes, fearing for their lives... However, Chen Ling’s gaze could not penetrate the walls to see the specific situation inside.

Chen Ling had always thought that the Red Dust Main City was the center of the Red Dust Domain, and most residents within the domain thought the same. But only now, viewing it from this perspective, did he realize that was not the case.

The location of the Red Dust Main City was indeed in the center relative to other towns, but compared to this flower bud, it was slightly to the east... The true center of the flower was a seemingly unremarkable town. The stem of the flower connected there, and beneath it lay the "green leaf" where the Red Dust Base was located.

"The heart of the Red Dust Domain is indeed Willow Town."

In fact, when Yang Muquan had taken Chen Ling through the "employee passage" from Willow Town, Chen Ling had already suspected as much, but it was only confirmed at this moment.

Chen Ling’s gaze swept across, and he saw an ink-like afterimage streak across the sky. It was a young man in white, carrying an eight-foot ink brush on his back. His speed was no less than a supersonic aircraft, crossing half the domain in an instant.

"Such a powerful aura!" Chen Ling was secretly startled.

This was the first time Chen Ling had seen Lü Liangren. Unlike the mysterious and unfathomable aura of the Second Hall, Lü Liangren made no effort to hide his sharpness and dominance. His Eighth-Order aura surged in the sky like a landslide or a tsunami, never-ending.

The moment Chen Ling’s gaze fell upon him, Lü Liangren seemed to sense something. He looked up at the sky, appearing somewhat puzzled.

Did he discover me?

Chen Ling felt a slight shock and immediately shifted his gaze away.

Fortunately, Lü Liangren did not grow suspicious, assuming it was just the Second Hall overlooking the overall situation, and lowered his head to continue flying forward... After all, who would have thought that besides him and the Second Hall, someone else could wield the authority of the relief gate?

Chen Ling wandered over the Red Dust Domain a few more times from his overlooking perspective, finding nothing worth noting. Just as he was about to withdraw his consciousness, he suddenly remembered something and looked toward a certain street in the Red Dust Main City...

This street was one of the best-preserved during the intersection of the Gray Realm. Under the sealed gray sky, an opera house remained brightly lit.

Chen Ling overlooked this opera house, but his gaze could not penetrate the roof to see what was happening inside, and he couldn't help but sigh helplessly...

"If only I could move directly there through the relief gate."

As the words fell, the small flower in Chen Ling’s hand drifted gently. The power of the authority surged into his palm, and a strange sensation flooded his heart.

"Huh..." Chen Ling felt this power and slowly closed his eyes.

With a thought, the next moment, a small piece of his consciousness that had been drifting above the Red Dust Main City actually separated and fell downward. It was like a wisp of Chen Ling’s consciousness, drifting down through the wailing wind until it finally stood firm on the ground.

Chen Ling opened his eyes again; he was already standing on the street where Jinghong Building was located.

He looked down in surprise, seeing that he was still wearing a bright red opera robe, but his figure was semi-transparent, like a soul without a physical body.

"Not only can it cover the entire domain with consciousness, but it can also separate a portion of consciousness to walk within it... The crystallization of the first generation of Floating Life Painting Hall masters is truly miraculous," Chen Ling muttered to himself.

Chen Ling’s physical body remained trapped in "Guernica." However, after mastering the authority of the relief gate, he could project his consciousness to any corner of the domain. But it was only his consciousness; in this state, Chen Ling lacked a physical form and could not use any skills, making him no different from a ghost.

But for Chen Ling, this was enough. He just wanted to return to Jinghong Building one more time to see how Li Qingshan and the others were doing.

Chen Ling walked straight toward the entrance of Jinghong Building.

……

Jinghong Building.

Drip—drop—

Drizzling rain rolled down the hollowed-out roof of Jinghong Building, finally falling into a wooden bucket already prepared on the stage, creating ripples.

The bright red lanterns swayed slightly in the wind. Perhaps due to the wind and rain, the lanterns that once illuminated the entire opera house were now mostly dim, barely casting a faint light in the deathly silence.

At this moment, inside Jinghong Building, it was so quiet that only the sound of falling rain remained.

Huang Suyu and Uncle Quan were still sitting in the audience chairs in front of the stage, gazing at the center of the opera hall with incredibly complex expressions...

In the open space of the opera hall, the faint lantern light swayed slightly in the wind. A small, short boy was kneeling on the ground, and before him lay a figure wrapped in a white bedsheet.

"Baosheng..." Li Qingshan stood behind him, seemingly wanting to offer some comfort but not knowing how to begin.

Kong Baosheng seemed not to hear his voice, just kneeling there blankly like a soul-lost statue. Only the remaining tear stains on his face bore witness to the hysterical wailing from just moments ago.

Huang Suyu pressed her lips together, unable to stop herself from standing up from the audience seats and crouching down beside the boy.

She spoke softly:

"Baosheng, lymphoma is a very painful and torturous disease... For these patients, death is also a form of relief."

"But... but when she left, she was clearly in so much pain." Kong Baosheng’s pale little face turned stiffly, his chapped lips trembling. "Grandma... she... at that moment, it was as if she were being ripped apart alive, rolling on the floor in agony..."

Huang Suyu opened her mouth, not knowing how to console him for a moment. Watching Kong Baosheng’s nearly broken eyes, her own heart ached involuntarily.