Chapter 77: Monsters And Enlightenment
Back to the mine.
After continuing to chat familiarly for a while, the two finally bid farewell and left.
Coming out of the Mechanical Wasteland, Tang Tiaotiao excitedly went back to show off to Father and Brother.
Meanwhile, Wu Xian went straight back to the North Street District Small Villa.
He happened to encounter Third Uncle Xue from next door sunbathing and meditating with closed eyes at the door, probably knowing that if he didn’t sunbathe a bit more, he would start to get moldy.
“Third Uncle, hello.”
Wu Xian politely stepped forward to greet him. After all, he was his “guardian,” so he couldn’t just see him and not say a word.
Third Uncle Xue slightly opened his eyes. “In terms of generation rank, you should call me Third Master.”
“Got it, Third Master.” Wu Xian couldn’t help feeling a bit stiff and speechless.
It seemed Master Sister was right; her Third Uncle indeed had a quirky personality.
“You’re sunbathing?”
“Mm, and sorting out some thoughts,” Third Master Xue squinted and nodded. “That girl Lingling already told me. If any villains come later, I will take action myself.”
Wu Xian smiled and expressed gratitude, then curiously inquired, “What do you think about the previous incident?”
“No particular thoughts. As long as it doesn’t disturb old man researching pigments, old man is too lazy to meddle.”
“…”
“Now that the girl Lingling has said it, old man will keep it in mind.”
After Third Master Xue finished speaking, he silently closed his eyes to meditate.
Wu Xian was too lazy to warm a cold face, so he opened the door and went home.
He took out twelve 【Black and White Impermanence】 rubbings, contacted a delivery company in the vicinity to pick up the goods, and completed the order.
Then he began to seriously study the spiritual structure of that Commander-level Plunderer.
It clearly felt somewhat off somewhere, but he just couldn’t pinpoint it.
He then searched online for the monster atlas of Mechanical Marauders, compared the image and information of the Commander-level Plunderer in the atlas, and pondered thoughtfully.
As he expected, it was indeed different from a normally evolved Commander-level Plunderer.
Not only were there subtle differences in appearance, but even the rare spiritual components were different.
“How about consulting those big shots on the forum?”
Logging back into that niche forum, he found a bunch of backend private messages, all asking him about issues with making Ancient Scroll Paintings.
From the content of these big shots’ private messages, it was not hard to see that drawing Ancient Scroll Paintings was a very difficult thing.
Recalling his own drawing process back then, and his deep understanding of the Scroll Painting World during this time, Wu Xian vaguely grasped some of the tricks.
To draw Ancient Scroll Paintings, it was probably not as simple as just “sincerity brings spirituality.”
Perhaps it required perfecting the corresponding Scroll Painting Concept to a certain degree.
Tang Tiaotiao’s Jade Rabbit, and Xue Lingling’s Soul Devouring Ghost King, were both drawable just by being “generally similar,” indicating that the current Scroll Painting method did not have strict requirements for Scroll Painting Concepts.
Whereas Ancient Scroll Paintings might have stricter requirements in this aspect.
After all, in historical records, the number of First Generation Scroll Painters was very small. After the Other Dimension Invasion erupted back then, only a few painters’ works “came alive” and transformed into Life-bound Scroll Paintings.
It was only after the First Generation Scroll Painters jointly explored and developed the current Scroll Painting method that the Scroll Painting Era truly began.
Therefore, even those First Generation Scroll Painters back then might not have fully understood 【Ancient Scroll Paintings】 and how they formed.
To them, the appearance of Ancient Scroll Paintings was more like a wondrous Extraordinary awakening.
“I’m consulting everyone on some Dimensional Monster issues. I’ve discovered a Commander-level Monster with an abnormal spiritual structure here, which seems different from normally evolved monsters of the same type.
Moreover, I’ve also found similar spiritual abnormalities on some Normal Monsters, as if they were artificially modified.”
After the post was sent, the forum big shots began replying one after another, replying with utmost seriousness.
Old Zhou of Beihai: “What artificial modification? It should have been enlightened by a God-level Scroll Painting, right?”
Four Generations Under One Roof: “Commander-level Monster—that should have been enlightened a long time ago. It’s probably some ‘wild offspring’ left behind by an old Scroll Painter from your side in the Other Dimension Control Zone.”
Arrogant and Unable to Withstand Me: “Normal nowadays. It’s quite hard to find a true wild Elite Monster in the major Other Dimension Control Zones.”
Savage Three Punches: “I don’t think so. Little Senior said those monsters’ spiritual structures and components are abnormal. It’s very likely those Evil Scroll Painters at work.”
Old Zhou of Beihai: “Possible. Monsters enlightened by Evil God Scroll Paintings are generally not quite normal, and they grow and evolve more rapidly through some evil methods.”
Arrogant and Unable to Withstand Me: “Little Senior, be careful. If you get killed by an Evil Scroll Painter, who do we go to?”
Yang Wudi: “Need protection? I can be your bodyguard for free.”
Savage Three Punches: “Yeah, Little Senior, quickly tell us where you are. What if something happens to you?”
Four Generations Under One Roof: “To tell the truth, I have quite some experience in dealing with Evil Scroll Painters. Little Senior, I’m the most suitable for you.”
Little did they know, at this moment Wu Xian’s heart was pounding wildly, his scalp numb.
Enlightenment?
So other God-level Scroll Paintings could also enlighten Dimensional Monsters of the same type as themselves?
And from their tone, basically all the Elite Monsters in the major Other Dimension Control Zones nowadays were products that had been enlightened.
The abnormal monsters in Yaoyang City now were very likely enlightened by Evil God Scroll Paintings, which was why they were different from normal Elite Monsters.
“Does that mean those little ghosts from last time could really evolve into Yin Soldiers and Ghost Soldiers and such in the future?”
Wu Xian secretly felt expectant and excited.
At the same time, he edited the insights he had explored about Ancient Scroll Paintings into a post and sent it to the forum, just as returning the favor.
As for whether they could draw Ancient Scroll Paintings, that depended on their skills.
To be fair, after getting along with these netizen big shots for a while, they actually seemed quite cute.
The next day.
He stepped on his sword to the Bubble Match venue and easily resolved the battle.
The opponent was too weak, unable to showcase Black and White Impermanence’s strength and selling points.
In the end, it still depended on the performance in the subsequent Bronze Tier League.
“Let’s go to the Beginner Instance in the Abyssal Realm together, you coming?”
After the match ended, Xue Qingyang enthusiastically called everyone to team up for the instance.
The other members all went. Ever since getting the Ghost King Scroll Painting, this group ran to the Abyssal Realm whenever they had time, having a blast.
Wu Xian originally wanted to go to the Abyssal Realm too, to check on those few enlightened little ghosts from last time.
But unexpectedly, he received a call from Xue Lingling.
“Tier 3 Death Mountain Town, coming?” Xue Lingling was simple, crude, and direct. “In the club nowadays, only good disciple is qualified to go to Tier 3 Death Mountain Town with me.”
“Coming! Master Sister, wait for me, right away!”
After saying that, he directly ditched Xue Qingyang and the others, hurriedly rushing to report at the Ghost King Club.
Not long after, he met up with Xue Lingling in the inner hall where the 【Death Mountain Town】 Scroll Painting was stored.
“Cheer up. Whether we can get an extra portion of 【Divine Power Factor】 all depends on you,” Xue Lingling said seriously with expectation. “Master can stably get one portion. If you can secure the other, it will be yours.”
“Divine Power Factor?” Wu Xian was puzzled. “What is that?”
“A must-have material for Gold Scrolls, a special spiritual substance containing Law Power, which can be used directly as pigments.”
Wu Xian’s eyes instantly lit up.
Divine Power Factor—turns out this was the true value of Scroll Painting Instances?
Of course, getting the Divine Power Factor was obviously not that easy, but one sentence: whatever demons, monsters, or ghosts, just do it.
While Xue Lingling unhurriedly activated Tier 3 Death Mountain Town, she chatted and teased, “I heard good disciple went on a date with his little girlfriend yesterday? Did you have fun?”
“Just classmates.” Wu Xian stiffly explained.
“Whether classmates or not doesn’t matter,” Xue Lingling’s mouth curved slightly. “What matters is whether you can help Master get a few Optimus Primes. The family mine needs them, and it can also help Master rip off that old elder brother of mine.”
“Huh?” Wu Xian laughed wryly. “I’ll ask around later.”
As they spoke, the Death Mountain Town Scroll Painting had unfolded, its might and power fluctuations clearly much stronger than before.
Even before entering, he could clearly feel a sinister and terrifying aura.
“After going in, stick close to Master. The monsters in Tier 3 Death Mountain Town are not easy to deal with.”
“Got it.”
Wu Xian obediently nodded and followed Master Sister to touch the Scroll Painting.
Space-time twisted, colors dazzlingly distorted before his eyes, and he was once again in the familiar Death Mountain Town.
It was just that the resentment and malevolent energy in this Tier 3 Death Mountain Town were extremely dense, making it hard even to breathe.
