Chapter 1731: Sigh

"Alchemist Association..."

Chen Ling murmured this name, his brows slightly furrowing. "In the previous world, I have never heard of this organization."

"Actually, even in the previous world, they also existed, it's just that during the more than three hundred years of development, they gradually changed their appearance until no one recognized them." Liu Qingyan paused for a moment. "Red King, My Lord, do you still remember the Witchcraft Association?"

"Of course."

"Their predecessor was precisely the Alchemist Association."

"What?" Chen Ling was somewhat surprised.

When Chen Ling was in the Wuji Domain, he didn't deal with the Witchcraft Association any less. Whether it was that alchemy genius Durand, the Association President Brand who instigated the Lord of Wuji to refine Philosopher's Stones, or...

Wait...

Chen Ling seemed to have realized something. "So that's how it is, Brand was someone from the Alchemist Association?"

"The original intention of establishing the Alchemist Association was precisely to pursue the Philosopher's Stone that only appeared in rumors... And at the most appropriate time, Brand met the Lord of Wuji at the time."

"It's just that he was too naive. He thought he could use the Philosopher's Stone to entice the Lord of Wuji, slowly making the other party be used by the Alchemist Association. But who knew the Lord of Wuji not only wasn't bewitched by him, but was even more ruthless than him. After knowing how to refine the Philosopher's Stone, he instead used the Red Dust Domain to eliminate Brand. Not only getting rid of a hidden danger in his heart, but also logically controlling the entire Witchcraft Association."

Hearing this, Chen Ling finally considered to have understood the cause and effect of the events back then... When it comes down to it, Brand actually thought very well, it's just that the one he encountered was the Lord of Wuji, Lou Yu, who was a true ruthless person among the Nine Monarchs.

"Then in this world, does the Alchemist Association still exist?"

"These few hundred years, I have always been tracking their whereabouts. However, because Ying Fu secretly laid out plans and attacked the eight major bases, snatching political power, those people from the Alchemist Association were probably also absorbed into the Chengtian Domain... Our intelligence network in the Chengtian Domain is relatively weak, so currently there are only vague clues."

"However, what can be confirmed is that the Alchemist Association of this world is hiding even deeper than the Witchcraft Association of the previous world."

Chen Ling's eyes slightly narrowed.

The Alchemist Association was the chief culprit that led the Red Dust Domain to be reduced to nuclear ruins, and also the core reason that caused the Lord of the Red Dust's accident in the two worlds. In the previous world, it would have been fine if he didn't know the existence of the Alchemist Association, but now since he knew what all this was about, he naturally wouldn't let them off.

"There's another matter I haven't figured out." Chen Ling turned his head to look at Liu Qingyan. "The Grey King said that the Ancient Vault of the Courtesan Path has a Dao Foundation Secret Treasure that can help people extend their lifespan, so you could safely walk through these more than three hundred years of time... But Ying Fu, he is also just a body of flesh and blood. How did he live until now?"

Liu Qingyan smiled bitterly:

"Ying Fu's method of extending his lifespan, even in the Chengtian Domain, is the highest secret. With our current intelligence, we still can't penetrate into this matter... But I guess, perhaps... it's also related to the Alchemist Association."

"Alright... later, compile the current clues regarding the Alchemist Association and then tell me. I will go investigate this matter." Cold light flickered in Chen Ling's gaze. "I really want to see just what exactly they are plotting..."

"Yes."

Liu Qingyan respectfully nodded. "Red King, My Lord, where are you preparing to go now?"

Chen Ling pondered for a moment, looking up at a certain direction in the distance, complexity flashing through his gaze:

"...Home."

...

Gray World.

The location where the Wuji Domain was originally located had already been replaced by a massive and prosperous brand new domain. The towering city walls perfectly guarded the city within. Judging solely from the area covered by the domain, it was fully twice that of the other domains.

Within the domain, houses, fields, factories, and commercial districts were well-ordered. A large number of buildings were compactly connected together, and various dazzling transportation tools shuttled among them...

This place, was the largest and most prosperous domain in human history——[Chengtian].

And in the coremost area of the Chengtian Domain, an Imperial Palace where the ancient and modern coexisted, was like an entrenched golden dragon, overseeing the world.

"...After receiving the news, we rushed to the Red Dust Prison at the first moment."

"After taking inventory, there were no casualties among the citizens, only some buildings were affected, causing some property damage... Although the cracking of the outer wall is somewhat thorny, it can also be resolved."

"When we arrived at the core area suppressing the Red Dust Domain, the four Marquises of Thoroughness had already died in battle. On that piece of earth, someone used their blood to write two large characters..."

Below the solemn great hall, a figure lowered his head. After struggling for a long time, he still slowly spat out two words:

"——[Dusk]."

On the golden throne, a finger that was lightly tapping the back of the chair abruptly paused.

In a split second, the temperature of the entire great hall rapidly decreased. The crowd currently reporting to that person inside the hall only felt like they were placed in an ice cave, their entire bodies shivering uncontrollably...

A vast emperor's overbearing aura like a monstrous river wreaked havoc and churned from the golden throne, pressing them until they couldn't even catch their breath.

But this aura only appeared for a short few seconds before vanishing without a trace.

Even though this aura lasted for such a short time, the crowd's backs were already soaked with cold sweat. If it lasted for another half a second, the crowd would probably lose their strength and kneel directly.

It was unknown how much time passed before a calm voice sounded from the imperial throne:

"We know..."

"Withdraw."

The moment this sentence came out, the crowd was like receiving a great amnesty: "Yes."

They originally thought that with the Red Dust Prison being attacked this time and four Marquises of Thoroughness dying, His Majesty would probably be furious like thunder, assigning the crime of "ineffectiveness in handling affairs" to all related personnel and beheading them all... After all, what His Majesty hated the most was dereliction of duty, and this was a major matter concerning the million population of a prison. If something truly went wrong with the citizens, it wouldn't be excessive to let them die a thousand times... So before coming, they had even already written suicide notes to their families.

But they didn't expect that His Majesty was actually only angry for an instant, and then let them off... He didn't even have the slightest intention of holding them accountable.

As the crowd retreated and left, the great hall once again fell into dead silence.

Only that figure on the golden throne continued to lightly tap the back of the chair, emitting a faint tapping sound...

No one knew what he was thinking. After a moment, those eyes as sharp as swords slowly looked toward a certain direction in the nothingness, a stream of golden color circulating within.

"What a 'Dusk'..."

"Is it the dusk of the Dusk Society... or the dusk of Our Chengtian Dynasty?"

"Chen Ling... you disappeared for hundreds of years. Why did you insist on choosing this time to return..."

"If you had just disappeared forever, how wonderful would that be..."

A sigh sounded from the imperial throne.