Chapter 210: The Dungeon is Approaching

After dinner, the group headed to the fields behind the house.

By now, a group of eldritch creatures had been digging in the fields for an entire afternoon.

They looked incredibly enthusiastic, each digging with tremendous vigor.

All because Yan Jing had promised them that each could take away one Ancient Relic, and that they could choose a plot of land within this Domain to renovate and live on.

Thus, in just one afternoon, nearly a thousand mu of fertile land had been turned completely upside down.

In Yan Jing's opinion, exploiting peasant farmers only proved that Big Landlord Lin lacked sufficient capital. Whether in his past life or this one, a good capitalist would at least ensure his subordinates were well-fed. Only the worst sort of capitalist expected beasts of burden to work without eating.

"Each person can carry at most one Ancient Relic."

The Old Man spoke up. "If you carry more, the Ancient Relics will react with each other, draining a person's potential in a short amount of time."

"Most Ancient Relics are actually completely useless. They've lost their former power to the ravages of time and haven't received the blessing of the New Heaven."

"Former power..."

Corresponding memories surfaced in Yan Jing's mind.

Here in Minhu, according to the research of certain historian cultivators, transcendent power had existed many years ago.

For some unknown reason, those transcendent powers were ground away. As eras shifted and the years passed over Minhu, transcendent power constantly changed and evolved. If the transcendent power of those bygone eras managed to linger on a certain object, it could be called an Ancient Relic.

But the power of those ancient eras was no longer applicable in today's Inner World. Therefore, only Ancient Relics that had received the blessing of the New Heaven held any practical value.

And because those Ancient Relics still contained remnants of that former transcendent power, the collision between the two different forces gave them their special and formidable nature.

"A major battle is imminent. Everyone, choose one."

Yan Jing spoke, letting the group disperse.

The Old Man, Fei Yu, and Tiger split up to find Ancient Relics suitable for themselves.

Yan Jing walked alone, stopping every now and then to pick up an Ancient Relic from the ground and carefully sense its properties.

Ninety-nine percent of the Ancient Relics were utterly useless.

But a very small number were decent. For example, there was a comb that could summon the soul of the recently deceased, allowing it to linger for about five minutes.

There was also a ring that could be used for storage, though it held only about a cubic decimeter of space.

There was a broken sword that could gradually rust anything it touched—including, naturally, a person's body.

Yan Jing picked out the few items that caught his eye and set them aside. Although he could only carry one on his person, he could swap them out later if needed.

Time ticked by. Just as he was lamenting the lack of any items that could boost his combat strength, a boy with his mouth sewn shut with thread ran over from a distance.

It was the silent cultivator boy Yan Jing had saved earlier. He held an Ink Brush in his hands, carefully offering it to Yan Jing.

"Is this for me?"

Yan Jing smiled.

The boy nodded.

Yan Jing took the Ink Brush and looked into the distance, where a group of silent cultivators stood, bowing deeply to him. After handing over the brush, the boy immediately scurried back into the crowd.

Yan Jing nodded at the silent cultivators, then lowered his gaze to the Ink Brush in his hand.

It looked like an entirely ordinary brush. The paint on the shaft was peeling, revealing the original color underneath. It was made of an unknown material, as bright red as blood. In stark contrast, its white Brushstroke looked completely spotless.

Yan Jing held the brush in a standard grip, slowly injecting weird energy into it.

To his surprise, the Paintbrush began to tremble violently. A burst of dark light erupted, and a white canvas materialized out of thin air right in front of him.

Yan Jing stared at the canvas, his eyes flickering. Black and white colors surged from the tip of the brush, blending together as they began to paint on the canvas.

But the moment the tip touched the canvas, Yan Jing sensed something was wrong.

Because a streak of red had flowed from the Brushstroke.

As a painting cultivator, Yan Jing could naturally control the colors flowing from his strokes. Not just red—he could paint with all seven colors of the rainbow.

But those were simulated using weird energy, not colors he originally possessed.

A color that a painter inherently possessed from the very beginning was known among painting cultivators as a Primary Color.

This was exactly what made Minhu such a wondrous place.

You could advance step-by-step along your path as a cultivator, but there would still be gaps in innate talent between cultivators of the same Tier.

The vast majority of painting cultivators did not possess a Primary Color.

But Young Master Luo possessed one.

That was why Tang Lian had immediately taken him in as a student back then.

Because of the Power of the White Stone, Yan Jing's Primary Colors had gained an additional white.

And now, without any deliberate control on his part, a red color had been added.

'Good stuff.'

Just as Yan Jing decided to stick with this Paintbrush, the brush in his hand suddenly began to move, dragging his hand along with it.

Initially, he had only used a few strokes to sketch a rough outline of Young Master Luo's face. But now, the Paintbrush actually began to refine the details on its own.

Soon, a lifelike depiction of 'himself' appeared on the canvas.

And the true miracle was only just beginning.

When he tried to channel weird energy into the Paintbrush in his hand, the painting on the canvas unexpectedly began to evolve.

Young Master Luo started to move on his own.

Mottled ink stains surfaced around Young Master Luo, forming banks, asphalt roads, cars, young people dressed as students, wealthy youths in Western-style suits and dresses, rickshaw pullers...

Was this... the Lake?

Yan Jing froze.

The next second, the image moved again. A figure appeared beside Young Master Luo, wearing a traditional Tang suit and bearing a smile. It was none other than the man from Tang Lian's brushstrokes.

Memories surfaced in Yan Jing's mind once more.

This time, he remembered the past between Luo Sheng and that man.

The man's name was Li Qinghe.

He was Eldest Young Master Luo's good friend.

Young Master Luo had been sent Across the Lake at a young age to study painting, and he met this Li Qinghe when he was around ten years old. To Young Master Luo, who was unfamiliar with the place and its people, Li Qinghe was practically a life mentor. He didn't just teach him how to live in this massive city; he also frequently took him out to experience all sorts of novelties that could only be found at the Lake.

Especially since Eldest Young Master Luo had suffered from a strange illness at the time. Looking at many things would cause a sense of spatial disorientation. For instance, in his eyes, the sun in the sky was actually on the ground.

It was exactly because of this that Young Master Luo's paintings possessed such an unconstrained, wildly imaginative feel.

Li Qinghe was the one who took Young Master Luo to the hospital to see a doctor, ultimately getting him cured.

From then on, the two grew up together, as close as brothers.

Yan Jing couldn't quite recall the rest of the memories, but it didn't matter. The Paintbrush in front of him continued to draw, stimulating Yan Jing's recollections.

Li Qinghe was not a painting cultivator.

He told Young Master Luo that he was a fortune-telling cultivator.

A cultivator who told fortunes.

Although the two normally didn't spend time together because Luo Sheng had to study painting, the moment Young Master Luo finished his art, they would fool around all over the city: opera houses, brothels, cricket fights, playing with Little Birds...

If their relationship had continued like that, they likely would have become lifelong best friends. But a turning point arrived during Young Master Luo's sixteenth year.

That year, Li Qinghe sought out Luo Sheng, claiming he had cast a divination for him.

"Eldest Young Master Luo, I've cast a fortune for you."

Li Qinghe rubbed a beaded bracelet in his hands as he came into the art studio to find Luo Sheng.

"What did you predict this time?"

Luo Sheng smiled. "Qinghe, last time you said I'd be struck by peach blossom luck at seventeen. You've already been through five or six girlfriends, and I'm still waiting."

"Just tell me, was it accurate or not?"

Li Qinghe chuckled.

"Then tell me, what did you calculate this time?" Luo Sheng asked with a faint smile.

"I calculated your career prospects!" Li Qinghe declared.

"Oh? I'm interested in that."

Luo Sheng put down his Paintbrush. "Tell me, what is my fortune?"

"You'll definitely never guess it, Eldest Young Master Luo."

Li Qinghe gave a slight smile and whispered, "After my careful calculations, you have the destiny of an emperor."

!

Luo Sheng raised an eyebrow, then smiled, shook his head, and picked up his Paintbrush again.

"What? You aren't excited?" Li Qinghe asked.

"I'm excited."

Luo Sheng nodded. "But I don't like it."

"You don't even like the thought of being an emperor?"

Li Qinghe laughed.

Luo Sheng shook his head.

"The emperor abdicated a long time ago, my dear Brother Qinghe. It's a new era now."

"Besides, is being an emperor really all that great? Guarding the imperial palace alone, seemingly surrounded by a full court of civil and military officials, yet it's hard to find even one person to truly confide in."

"If I had to choose, I'd open an art gallery and paint things I actually like."

...

Li Qinghe's smile stiffened before he spoke. "Are Young Master Luo's ambitions truly that small?"

"My ambitions really aren't that big."

Luo Sheng replied with a smile, immediately going back to his painting.

Luo Sheng had been so engrossed in his painting that he wasn't sure how Li Qinghe left that day. But what he did know was that ever since then, Li Qinghe's whereabouts had become extremely erratic. He had even canceled several of their previously arranged outings.

However, if they met up for a meal or crossed paths, their relationship seemed largely unchanged.

Following that, Tang Lian suddenly told Luo Sheng to head out of the city to sketch from nature, framing it as his first trial after advancing to the First Tier.

And then... there were no more memories after that.

The Paintbrush on the canvas came to a halt, the scene freezing on the exact moment Young Master Luo left the city.

'How interesting.'

Yan Jing stared at the Paintbrush in his hand. This brush could actually paint a person's past.

He was tempted to see the pasts of the Old Man and Fei Yu, but the weird energy in his body had completely run dry.

Sixteen years old. That meant this memory was from about eight or nine years ago. At that time, Luo Sheng hadn't met the Old Man and Fei Yu yet.

And the Luo Sheng of that time was drastically different from the Luo Sheng of his time in Bianliu County.

At the very least, the Luo Sheng back then absolutely had no desire to become a county head.

By now, the others had found their desired Ancient Relics and walked back.

Fei Yu had chosen a small whistle, while the Old Man had picked a Smoking Pipe. The most surprising was Tiger, who had selected a Divination Cylinder.

"Rest up. Tomorrow, we go to war for Bianliu County!"

There were about ten days left until the Super-Large Dungeon was finalized.

...

...

At this moment.

Inside a certain house, Bai Qiu cast a gloomy gaze at Tang Lian beside him.

"Have you still not made contact?"

"I'm trying. Don't rush me."

Tang Lian's expression was equally ugly.

In her hand, she gripped a Jade Talisman. It was the only thing she had chosen to bring when she fled. Now, it was their only hope to contact the people Across the Lake.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

Watching the flashing light of the Jade Talisman, Bai Qiu appeared extremely anxious. The hand holding his cigar trembled faintly.

"Will they just abandon us—"

"How could they!!!"

Tang Lian immediately interrupted, a fierce expression on her face.

"You might be abandoned, but would I?"

She practically roared the words.

Being personally defeated by the student she had trained herself was a terrible feeling.

And if she were also tossed aside as an abandoned pawn on top of that, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she would suffer a complete breakdown.

"I know, I'm just a little worried..."

Bai Qiu hid the vicious glint in his eyes.

The fresh suit he had changed into looked crumpled in the moonlight shining through the window, giving him an added air of ruin.

Finally, amid their anxious waiting, the Jade Talisman lit up.

"What is it?"

The voice transmitting from the other side carried a trace of laziness.

"Here is the situation, My Lord..."

Overjoyed, Tang Lian hurriedly spoke.

After she explained everything in one breath, a long silence fell over the other end of the Jade Talisman.

...

...

The only sound to be heard was the man's heavy breathing.

Both Tang Lian and Bai Qiu fell completely silent. Neither dared to make the slightest sound.

It wasn't until several minutes later that the man finally spoke.

"What kind of assistance do you need..."

"My Lord, the person you called over last time—if they come again, it will definitely work."

Tang Lian said, "The matter shouldn't be difficult. As long as you leak the news to that person that this old geezer isn't dead yet..."

This shouldn't have been a difficult task. Yet, to Tang Lian's surprise, the Jade Talisman fell silent once again after she spoke.

After a long time, he slowly replied:

"I will tell him the location, but only that. As for whether he comes or not, I cannot guarantee it. A major event is about to occur, and no one is allowed to act recklessly—including myself..."

"If you two cannot resolve this properly, kill yourselves on the spot."

"Beep, beep, beep—"

The call was disconnected.

Bai Qiu and Tang Lian exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

For the man on the other side to call it a major event... just how massive was this situation?

At the same time, Liu Ye and Bi Jie both received similar messages.

They were told that a major problem had recently occurred Across the Lake.

As a result, all three factions chose to hold their ground and observe.

Meanwhile, our Young Master Yan, whose information lagged behind, rested for a day under these circumstances before beginning his door-to-door visits in Bianliu County.

Without Bai Qiu, Lin Changgui, or Wei Nantian, the current Bianliu County only had three Fourth Tier experts left: the Two Great Artisans of West Street, and the temple abbot.

On the ninth day counting down to the Dungeon's confirmation, the group first took a trip to Feinan Temple. They went in empty-handed and returned fully loaded.

On the eighth day counting down to the Dungeon's confirmation, the group allied with the abbot of Feinan Temple to surround West Street. The Two Great Artisans of West Street lined the streets in welcome.

On the seventh day counting down to the Dungeon's confirmation, Yan Jing chose to rest.

Because he had realized something was amiss.

Liu Ye, Bi Jie, and Bai Qiu—not a single one of them had shown their face. The situation was strange.

So on this day, Yan Jing opted to stay home and paint portraits of Fei Yu.

He painted many pieces.

Finally, on the sixth day counting down to the Dungeon's confirmation.

The train axles clattered along, bringing billowing steam and news from far Across the Lake.

A human Seventh Rank powerhouse had ventured deep into enemy territory alone, directly kidnapping all three young masters of the East Lake Prefecture's governor!!!

Using a method no one had ever seen before and abilities no one had ever encountered, he completely tore through East Lake Prefecture's so-called iron-wall defenses and captured all of the governor's young masters in one fell swoop.

He left behind only a single sentence.

"Trade the secret of Huang Family Village for them!"

Originally, the higher-ups Across the Lake thought it was the previous Huang Family Village incident that had angered the humans, leading to this dramatic turn of events.

Because of this, the policies adopted by Across the Lake during this period could be said to be incredibly accommodating to humans.

That was what led to Advisor Yan's entire sequence of events.

But after so many days, it proved completely ineffective.

This absolutely panicked the higher-ups Across the Lake.

The governor was in secluded cultivation!

If this matter wasn't resolved properly, there was no telling how many heads would roll once the governor came out of seclusion.

But what on earth was the secret of Huang Family Village? Who could make sense of that?

They were entirely clueless themselves!

During this time, it could be said that everyone was in a state of panic, each fearing for their own life.

And as of today, almost a month had passed since the incident began.

Left with no other choice, the deputy governor finally made a decision:

Activate the Prohibited Item!!!

The target was aimed directly at the human players who would soon enter Minhu.