Chapter 269: Yaoyang City’s Predicament
Seeing Chen Shilong admit it personally, Wu Xian’s already heavy mood became even more complex.
“Why? Could it be that you’ve been caught by some handle by the Evil God Scroll Painters?”
“Chen has lived an upright life. Even if caught by a handle, it’s impossible for me to betray the successive mayors and the city they’ve guarded,” Chen Shilong said solemnly: “Including the cooperation with the Evil Scroll Painters.”
“Cooperation?” Wu Xian was puzzled: “Cooperate with them? What’s the point?”
Chen Shilong hesitated slightly in his contemplation, “I hope the following conversation, Master Xiao Wu, can help me keep it confidential.”
Wu Xian nodded, signaling Chen Shilong to continue.
“You should have noticed too that Dimensional Leaks in Yaoyang City have become more frequent recently, right?” Chen Shilong asked.
“Isn’t that the Evil Scroll Painters causing trouble?” Wu Xian was stunned.
“What if I say this matter actually has nothing to do with them?” Chen Shilong said faintly.
“?! ” Wu Xian was shocked, “Then what is it because of? Could it be that something went wrong with the seal of the Dimensional Gate.”
Chen Shilong took a deep breath and said solemnly: “Strictly speaking, it should be that Yaoyang City is about to hold out no longer.”
Wu Xian listened in a daze, “What does that mean?”
“As the first-generation shelter, Yaoyang City being able to sustain until now has already been quite difficult,” Chen Shilong explained with a bitter smile: “Especially after the influence of that disaster eighteen years ago, the current Yaoyang City is essentially riddled with holes and could collapse at any time.”
“Collapse?” Wu Xian didn’t understand, “Such a big city, could it collapse instantly?”
Chen Shilong was slightly taken aback and added: “Strictly speaking, Yaoyang City is not just a city, but also a special Scroll Painting.”
“Ah?”
Wu Xian once suspected he had misheard.
“A special existence called 【Heaven and Earth Scroll Painting】, drawn by several First Generation Scroll Painters using heaven-defying means in the past.” Chen Shilong continued: “Including those new cities today, they are all such Scroll Paintings.
The difference is that the other new cities are masterpieces of the Upper World, while our Yaoyang City and the several brother cities around it can only be considered stepmother-raised.”
“Heaven and Earth Scroll Painting?” Wu Xian’s worldview somewhat collapsed.
“That’s right,” Chen Shilong said: “The specific drawing method has long been lost, or perhaps sealed and monopolized by the Upper World. In short, with the collapse of the Heaven and Earth Scroll Painting, the entire Yaoyang City will be exposed to erosion from various other dimensions in the future, turning into something like a Dimensional Control Zone.”
“Where is Yaoyang City’s Scroll Painting?” Wu Xian asked in shock and curiosity.
“Heaven and Earth Scroll Paintings have no Scroll Painting Body, or rather, the Scroll Painting Body has merged into the Heaven and Earth Laws, becoming the land where Yaoyang City now lives.”
“Similar to Otherworld Outposts?”
Wu Xian couldn’t help but think of the scene where the Underworld had taken root in the Abyssal Realm before.
“Not quite the same,” Chen Shilong shook his head: “But there are indeed many similarities. I’m not too clear on the specifics. The Earth Temple is somewhat like it, but it seems not quite the same either.”
Chen Shilong was not a Scroll Painter after all, so naturally he couldn’t figure out the differences.
Wu Xian took a deep breath and asked seriously: “Then why would this Heaven and Earth Scroll Painting collapse? Could it be that the Upper World is causing trouble?”
“The Upper World is just taking a hands-off attitude,” Chen Shilong said: “The real problem lies in Twisted Pollution and other-dimensional erosion. The two complement each other, making nothing eternal.”
“I see,” Wu Xian took a deep breath, “So your cooperation with the Evil Scroll Painters is to curb the Twisted Pollution.”
“On one hand, they can absorb Twisted Pollution for cultivation. On the other hand, they understand Twisted Pollution even better,” Chen Shilong pondered: “It can help relieve a lot of pressure for Yaoyang City.”
“As long as stable human spiritual substances are provided to them?” Wu Xian frowned.
Chen Shilong nodded: “But that bunch also has their own intentions, all waiting for Yaoyang City to collapse so they can have a good feast.”
“If we strike first, wouldn’t they eat even fuller?” Wu Xian was puzzled.
“Don’t worry, they are very afraid of death,” Chen Shilong joked: “Our Yaoyang City still has some hidden strength. Just President Cui alone is enough to deter them.”
“Okay,” Wu Xian thought and asked, “What are your plans now?”
“Take it one step at a time,” Chen Shilong sighed wistfully, “If it really doesn’t work, we can only transfer to the surrounding brother cities in advance. But the problem is, the surrounding brother cities aren’t much better off, at most holding out another one or two hundred years.”
Wu Xian said: “How long can our Yaoyang City hold out?”
“Hard to say, it could be anytime.”
“But speaking of which, are you sure that bunch of Evil God Scroll Painters aren’t making things worse?” Wu Xian’s soul asked.
“This… I don’t dare guarantee either,” Chen Shilong said helplessly: “But since they came, Yaoyang City’s situation has indeed been somewhat contained.”
“What if they are just pretending on the surface but working in the dark?” Wu Xian asked again.
“…” Chen Shilong’s mouth twitched, speechless.
“I can understand your choice, but dancing with tigers is always not very secure,” Wu Xian analyzed, “It’s still better to drive them away as soon as possible.”
“But what about Yaoyang City?” Chen Shilong worried: “Although now with your Underworld Club, it should reduce a lot of casualties by then, but…”
Chen Shilong clearly had deep feelings for Yaoyang City and was unwilling to see the day it collapsed.
“It’s something we have to face eventually, isn’t it?” Wu Xian said, “And even without Yaoyang City’s protection, we can still live on. It’s just that ordinary people might not be suitable for surviving in such an environment.
Speaking of which, can’t Domain Scroll Paintings take root here and establish outposts?”
“They can, but the premise is being eroded and modified by otherworldly power first,” Chen Shilong said: “But Domain Outposts are not Heaven and Earth Scroll Paintings after all, unable to isolate other-dimensional erosion.”
Wu Xian understood.
Domain Scroll Paintings create outposts that are essentially fusions and shapings with otherworlds, not suitable for human survival, especially ordinary people.
“Do you have any information related to Heaven and Earth Scroll Paintings?” Wu Xian probed.
Chen Shilong shook his head bitterly, “If I did, I would have given it to you during the first visit.”
“Alright,” Wu Xian sighed helplessly, “Is there no one nowadays who understands Heaven and Earth Scroll Paintings?”
“Unlikely,” Chen Shilong analyzed: “The association high-levels and dojo high-levels might have some information preserved.”
“As long as it can integrate into our human world’s Heaven and Earth Laws, can it achieve effects similar to Heaven and Earth Scroll Paintings?” Wu Xian pondered.
“Domain Scroll Paintings inspired by our human world?” Chen Shilong’s expression was odd, “From what I know, our human world is different from other dimensions and seems unable to bear the Heaven and Earth Shaping of Domain Scroll Paintings.”
Wu Xian shook his head, “I don’t think so. Can’t the Earth Temple perfectly integrate?”
“No no no, strictly speaking, what the Earth Temple integrates into is Yaoyang City’s Heaven and Earth Scroll Painting, not the human world itself.” Chen Shilong subconsciously corrected, but suddenly realized something, “Eh?”
His expression then became excited as he locked eyes with Wu Xian. The two clearly thought of the same thing.
“Speaking of which, have there been any Dimensional Leaks around the Earth Temple?”
Wu Xian pondered and thought. Although the Tudi Temple Farm hadn’t been established for long, it couldn’t yet be used as a basis for judgment.
But at least so far, there had indeed been no Dimensional Leak incidents around the Earth Temple.
