Chapter 651: Compromise and Crisis

Yang Muquan scanned the batch of Floating Life Painting members and apprentices they were each controlling, his voice cold as frost:

"Are you threatening us?"

"Yeah, I am threatening you!" Heart 9 laughed wildly. "I know what you want to say. If you could kill us Twilight Society members, sacrificing a few Floating Life Painting members or apprentices wouldn't be unacceptable... But is that really the case?

The Wuji Domain is about to reach our doorstep. At this critical juncture, can you really afford such heavy casualties??"

As soon as these words were spoken, Yang Muquan and the several Sixth-Order Floating Life Painting members behind him changed expressions instantly!

With the Domain War imminent, every possessor of a Divine Path, regardless of rank, was a vital combat force. Since the Wuji Domain dared to attack, they naturally had the confidence of combat power suppression, and possessors of Divine Paths could only be countered by other possessors of Divine Paths... Once there was a huge disparity in numbers, they would inevitably face the situation of one against many, or a large number of Divine Path possessors being left unopposed to slaughter civilians.

The goal of the Wuji Domain was to slaughter civilians to refine the Philosopher’s Stone; a Fourth-Order Divine Path possessor could easily slaughter thousands. Now, the Twilight Society had kidnapped over a dozen Floating Life Painting members, ranging from Third to Fifth-Order, plus dozens of Second-Order and below apprentices. Once the Twilight Society truly went mad and killed them all, the already insufficient manpower of the Floating Life Painting would suffer another heavy blow!

The loss of these dozens of personnel might mean that dozens of Witch God Path users would be left unopposed, causing civilian casualties in the hundreds of thousands.

At this crucial moment, the Twilight Society’s move was undoubtedly pulling the rug out from under them, stabbing directly at the carotid artery of the Floating Life Painting. Combined with Heart 9’s nearly maxed-out taunting ability, it made Yang Muquan and the others incredibly uncomfortable!

Just as Yang Muquan was wavering, in the void at the end of the corridor, the abstract graphic domain was gradually torn open, and countless chaotic lines danced like a storm within it. Vaguely, two figures could be seen standing within.

Deep in the domain, a massive geometric giant face was floating before the relief gate, its eyes gazing at the scene outside the domain, and the abstract shapes surrounding it vibrated with rage.

"That’s the situation," Bai Ye said leisurely.

"I know that all of us combined are no match for you alone... But sometimes, strength isn't everything."

"Our Twilight Society has never interfered in matters between domains. Whether you or the Wuji Domain live or die makes no difference to us... But since you kidnapped our members, we have to come and ask for an explanation."

The laziness and casualness on Bai Ye’s face gradually faded, replaced by unprecedented seriousness and coldness.

He slowly extended two fingers:

"Now, I’ll give you two choices."

"Either release Heart 6 and Plum Blossom 8 and let us leave the Red Dust Base... or we fight to the death, and no matter what, we will leave you severely weakened, ensuring that the Wuji Domain eventually levels Red Dust and lets your millions of civilians accompany us in death."

As Bai Ye’s voice fell, the entire Red Dust Base plunged into deathly silence.

Plum Blossom J gently pulled down the brim of his magician’s hat, sparks seemingly flickering at his fingertips; Diamond 10 stood among the dozen living coffins like dead wood, motionless; Heart 9 laughed, the skin on his back opening like steel to reveal hundreds of gunpowder cannons; Chu Muyun glanced at the gradually recovering bloody, broken leg on the ground and tightened his grip on the blood-stained spiked hammer involuntarily; Jian Changsheng bit his fingertip solemnly, letting drops of blood fall slowly onto the ground...

The entire Twilight Society was ready to strike;

This was a naked threat, and also the most arrogant and overbearing "open conspiracy"... Undoubtedly, if the Second Hall refused, this bunch of lunatics would absolutely fight to the death to turn this place upside down!

All the Floating Life Painting members present, as well as the Hall Master Yang Muquan, looked at the Second Hall deep in the domain, nervously awaiting its decision.

The Second Hall stared fixedly at Bai Ye and the others, light flickering in its abstract eyes.

I don't know how much time passed before it spoke, word by word:

"Very well... you win."

"You can take the people, but leave 'Guernica'."

Hearing the Second Hall’s answer, the Twilight Society members still didn't relax in the slightest; after all, no one knew if these guys would go back on their word and launch a sneak attack... Bai Ye’s brow raised slightly. After hesitating for a moment, he took the real "Guernica" from his bosom and unfolded it with force!

The moment the rolled-up scroll was unfolded, a red shadow leaped out rapidly. Chen Ling was carrying the unconscious Plum Blossom 8 and landed steadily on the ground.

Chen Ling’s gaze swept across the surroundings, and seeing Bai Ye beside him, he knew he had guessed right...

Ever since he saw that familiar white light in the scroll, Chen Ling had roughly guessed that Bai Ye and the others had made a move, so he had been waiting for an opportunity inside the scroll. The moment the scroll was unfolded, he jumped out, clutching a boning knife in his hand, ready to fight at any time.

Bai Ye and Chen Ling exchanged a look, the corners of his mouth under the duck-billed cap rising slightly. Then, he rolled up "Guernica" again and tossed it back before the Second Hall.

"Open the door for us." He said faintly.

"And the Dao Foundation fragment that was originally in the scroll."

Bai Ye was startled and looked at Chen Ling in confusion, unaware of the existence of the Dao Foundation fragment.

Chen Ling looked deeply at Plum Blossom J. After a second of silence, Chen Ling spread his palm and gently tossed a drifting small flower toward the Second Hall.

"Now, can you open the door?"

The Second Hall snorted coldly, and a phantom portal slowly outlined itself among the crowd. This door briefly connected the "green leaf" where the Red Dust Base was located with the flower where the Red Dust Domain was, linking them together—almost no different from the employee passage Yang Muquan had taken Chen Ling through earlier.

Plum Blossom J stepped forward, confirmed that the door had no problems, and nodded slightly to the others.

"Let’s go."

Plum Blossom J took off his magician’s hat, waved it gently at Heart 9 and the others, took them all inside, and then crashed into the door without hesitation, not giving the Second Hall and the others a moment to react!

As Plum Blossom J’s figure vanished behind the door, the tense and oppressive Red Dust Base finally relaxed slightly. The figures sealed in living coffins by Diamond 10 fell one after another, and even the Floating Life Painting member whose leg had been smashed by Chu Muyun stood up completely unharmed, his eyes filled with shock as he looked at his knees!

"Are we really just letting them leave like this??" Yang Muquan grew angrier the more he thought about it, unable to help asking the Second Hall.

The Second Hall opened its mouth, and suddenly its gaze fell on the small flower before it...

The drifting small flower, following the departure of Chen Ling and the others, gradually faded in color, and finally turned into a paper dove, landing on the ground with a "poof."

In the Second Hall’s triangular eyes, the fire of anger burned fiercely. It turned its head slowly, locking its gaze on the relief gate that had been opened a crack, and spoke grimly:

"I only promised to let them leave the base... but I didn't say I would let them leave the Red Dust Domain alive."

"The Chief should also be waking up."

The next moment,

A large amount of red silk threads, as if possessing life, flowed slowly out from the gap in the relief gate...