Chapter 49: 10 Disasters

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: 10 Disasters

Demon Dragon Plaza did not have a long history.

Tracing back its origins, its construction began about two years ago, when the legend of the [Azure-headed Demon Dragon] was just reaching its first peak of popularity.

The plaza was located in the very center of the city. Originally, this was where the city hall stood.

But for the sake of the art in their hearts, the artists of Chaotic City worked together to demolish it.

The entire plaza covered an area of about 30,000 square meters, its ground completely paved with marble slabs.

Likewise, everything from the marble ground to the various sculptures and jade pillars was covered in the artists’ graffiti.

Only this time, it wasn’t painted, but [etched].

Unfortunately, the artists didn’t use carving knives, but machetes, making the graffiti appear a bit crude and frenzied.

At the very center of the plaza stood a massive jade wall.

Chen Qi had been documenting the various graffiti and finally arrived here.

However, before he could admire the mural on the jade wall, the bracelet on his right wrist vibrated, alerting him to the approach of a [powerful Life Form].

The newcomers were [Kolos] and [Jiru].

Now that the two uninvited guests had tactfully departed, Chen Qi finally had time to properly admire the [Demon Dragon Praise Painting].

’Is this depicting a battle?’

Chen Qi had assumed the so-called praise painting would be a scene of religious worship.

Something along the lines of humans prostrating themselves before the Demon Dragon, kowtowing and offering gifts.

However, the mural on the jade wall clearly disagreed with Chen Qi’s assumption.

On the jade wall, the [Azure-headed Demon Dragon]’s four claws were like Celestial Pillars, its head like a hill. Its ink-jade body undulated endlessly, like a mountain range stretching for a hundred thousand li.

It coiled in the sky, casting a shadow that enveloped the entire continent.

But on the continent below, there were no prostrating masses to be seen.

A terrifying, ten-thousand-zhang-tall creature with three heads and six arms was roaring at the Azure-headed Demon Dragon.

The two sides were locked in a hostile standoff, and the terrifying pressure could be felt by Chen Qi, even through the jade wall.

The artistic achievement of this mural was more than ten thousand times greater than that of the graffiti artists.

However, this was not the entirety of the mural. On the continent shrouded by the Demon Dragon, there were human cities. Although their architectural style was somewhat unfamiliar and ancient, they were still instantly recognizable as human constructions.

Within the cities, crowds of people swarmed like ants. Countless individuals pumped their fists and looked to the sky, seemingly cheering for one of the two confrontational parties.

In a city that resembled a Royal Capital, Chen Qi saw a tall altar.

Countless high officials and dignitaries were performing some kind of ritual on the altar.

······

"This is the [Demon Dragon Praise Painting]. It depicts the descent of the [Azure-headed Demon Dragon], one of the [Ten Calamities], upon the [Heaven-Reaching Empire] five thousand years ago!"

Chen Qi was pondering what secrets were hidden within this mural and whether it had a deeper connection to the graffiti outside.

Just then, an old man spoke up abruptly behind him. Chen Qi was startled and subconsciously glanced at the bracelet on his wrist.

No abnormal readings!

Chen Qi turned to look at the old man. He appeared to be in his fifties or sixties, with a withered and sickly complexion.

He was carrying a small bucket. Chen Qi couldn’t see what was inside, but he could smell the scent of fresh blood.

"It seems you know a great deal about the origin of this painting, sir?"

"Are the Ten Calamities you mentioned the legendary [ten terrifying existences] that destroyed the previous human era?"

The data displayed on his bracelet was very clear: this old man was just an ordinary person, and a dying one at that.

A Life Magnet Field generally reflects a person’s vitality and life force. This old man’s Life Magnet Field was far below that of an average human; he was like a flickering candle in the wind.

The reason Chen Qi hadn’t noticed his approach was that his Heart God had been captivated by the mural on the jade wall.

Although he confirmed the man’s physical body was only at the level of an ordinary person, Chen Qi did not let his guard down completely.

Demon Dragon Plaza was likely the source of everything.

’How could someone appearing here at this time be a mere passerby?’

"You actually know of the Ten Calamities?"

"I don’t know if the previous era was destroyed by the [Ten Calamities], but I do know that the [Azure-headed Demon Dragon] is ranked ninth among them!"

"What do you think of this painting?"

The old man sized Chen Qi up in surprise. Knowledge of the [Ten Calamities] was not recorded in the Lanyu Kingdom. ’How does this fellow know about it?’

He had originally spoken casually, but now he felt a slight willingness to converse.

However, the scene that followed did not play out as he had expected!

Chen Qi suddenly acted as if facing a great enemy, rapidly putting distance between them.

The old man looked astonished, not understanding how he had exposed himself.

"If I’m not mistaken, you’re the player hiding in Chaotic City!"

"And this *Demon Dragon Praise Painting* is also your handiwork!"

Chen Qi’s face was full of certainty, as if he had seen through everything.

He certainly wasn’t going to tell the old man that he hadn’t found any flaws in his act.

He just thought this old bastard was highly suspicious and planned to test him with [Body Control].

But the moment he made that decision, his [intuition] suddenly blared a warning—a life-or-death one.

This made Chen Qi realize that if he made a move, he might be the one to die.

’I don’t know why this old bastard’s body is in such bad shape, but in this city, the only one who can kill me is a player.’

’And this guy knows so much about the [Azure-headed Demon Dragon]. The answer is obvious.’

"A pity, a pity!"

"I was hoping to have a nice chat with you about art."

"Red Heart 7, or should I say, [Jomoya Chris]. You are not welcome in Chaotic City. It’s not too late for you to leave now!"

The old man dropped his pretense completely. After speaking, a purple light flickered around his body, and a jade-colored calligraphy brush appeared in his hand.

The old man dipped the jade brush into the small bucket, and the bristles instantly turned blood-red.

But the moment the old man activated his ability, Chen Qi had already shot out of Demon Dragon Plaza at a speed of one hundred meters per second.

Chen Qi’s choice was somewhat beyond the old man’s expectations!

The latter muttered "a pity" a few more times, then stopped paying attention to Chen Qi. Instead, he walked up to the jade wall and began to paint.

······

’The medium for this guy’s ability is a calligraphy brush?’

Outside the plaza, Chen Qi didn’t continue to flee. Instead, he stopped to watch.

The old man didn’t seem to care, focusing solely on his creation!

In front of the jade wall, the old man, just like those graffiti artists, continuously added color to the mural.

Soon, the entire jade wall was covered in blood-red lines.

Even from outside the plaza, Chen Qi could see everything clearly.

At first, Chen Qi didn’t notice anything unusual. But as time passed, the gradually illuminating blood-red lines began to look more and more familiar to him!

Finally, Chen Qi realized where this sense of familiarity came from!

’Damn, it was really well hidden. I was almost fooled!’

’To hell with art, what an idiot!’

By now, Chen Qi had more or less figured things out.

’Interesting, truly interesting!’

’If this city is really what I think it is, then it’s simply incredible.’

’This is definitely not something that this self-proclaimed artist—who’s really just a craftsman—could accomplish on his own.’

And it was precisely because of this that the city before him had "become" a treasure trove in Chen Qi’s eyes.

Otherwise, having already seen a part of the truth, Chen Qi would have fled long ago.

’I just wonder what this old bastard’s relationship with Najir is. Is he not planning a dog-eat-dog move?’

’Forget it. Najir isn’t important right now. The whole city is what matters.’

Having come to see the city as a treasure trove, Chen Qi began his [treasure hunt] with even more vigor!

He walked through streets and alleys, traversing every road in the city, recording all the graffiti he could see.

Gradually, the puzzle became more and more complete, and Chen Qi grew increasingly confident in his judgment.

······

"Why didn’t you kill Red Heart 7 just now!"

"If that guy were dead, it wouldn’t be so easy for those annoying pests to track us."

Inside a studio, Najir Buffon stared at the drawing board before him.

It was a simple map of the city, on which five black dots were moving constantly.

The one representing Red Heart 7 in particular was darting around like a headless fly.

It was this guy who was acting as a relay station, broadcasting my location to everyone.

And the person Najir was questioning was none other than the old man, who had just finished his artistic rendering and returned to the studio.