In the Treasureland, they did see some broken stones and remnant light algae that had turned to ash, indirectly proving Angel’s words true, yet no other clues were discovered.
Ultimately, they returned empty-handed from the Void back to the Vine House.
"What plans does Lord Rhein have next?" Angel asked once they stood still.
"I had a conversation with Leaf Groot earlier; later, it will take me on a stroll through the Green Forest Domain to see the peculiarities of this place and interact with the elemental creatures here to understand their attitudes and thoughts." Rhein intended to use this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the Tidal World for future negotiations.
"I see." Angel contemplated briefly, his lips subtly moving as a whisper flowed into the wind.
"I spoke with Lobal, once Lord Rhein departs, Lobal will accompany you to assist." Angel said.
Although Lobal’s primary and secondary heads are somewhat unreliable, the tail head is quite useful. With the tail head’s help, Rhein can grasp the essence of the Tidal World more quickly.
Rhein nodded, "What about you? From what you mentioned, are you planning to stay here temporarily?"
Angel nodded. Not only he, but Sanders also expressed a desire to stay here.
Rhein gave a profound look at the teacher-student pair, feeling that they were harboring some secret... However, since it concerned internal matters of the Illusion Demon Island, Rhein decided not to intrude further.
"Alright then," Rhein said, "I intend to leave now, but before I depart, I want to see the so-called... Magic Painter Wizard’s gift you mentioned."
The gift from the Magic Painter Wizard Rhein referred to was the painting Feng had left for Angel.
Because the oil painting contained energy fluctuations left by Feng, Angel wasn’t sure if it was good or bad and intended to seek Lord Rhein’s evaluation at an opportune time. Now that Lord Rhein brought it up, Angel naturally had no objection.
Angel unraveled the green patterns sealing the area near the oil painting, then took it out from the bracelet space.
Previously, neither Rhein nor Sanders had seen the painting, and Angel had never used illusion techniques to showcase it, because according to Angel, the painting itself wasn’t important; the crucial part was the energy contained within.
Precisely for this reason, Rhein and Sanders had no particular expectations regarding the painting’s content.
Yet when they finally beheld the painting, they were utterly stunned.
This painting may be called a painting, but at first glance, it completely lacked a sense of flatness. The night sky depicted had transcended time and space, and those sparse midnight clouds seemed to drift through the paper, swirling before their eyes.
But that was just the beginning; what surprised them the most was the content within the painting.
The vast, starry night served as a backdrop, the endless wilderness as the background, and up close, Angel and Feng were seated face to face. The gentle starlight outlined the light and shadow of their faces as they chatted and laughed amidst the sparse stars and bright moon.
The title "Night Talk of Close Friends" in the bottom right was also very prominent.
Rhein stared intently at the painting.
He was not looking at the painting itself but at the unspoken meaning conveyed within it.
Though Rhein wasn’t an avid art enthusiast, his long life had exposed him to many of Feng’s works, and he knew that Feng rarely painted himself.
Even when Feng did, it was typically a self-portrait, seldom involving other people.
This was the only painting Rhein had ever seen that featured both Feng and someone else. Angel might not be aware, but Rhein understood the painting’s value immensely.
While Feng’s paintings were often whimsical, this straightforward depiction of himself and Angel sitting as equals, enjoying each other’s company, with a "Night Talk of Close Friends" title, was Feng communicating through the painting to Angel and the world:
There exists a deep connection between Angel and him.
If admirers of Feng or his descendants saw this painting, there might be a chance they would directly regard Angel as a forebear.
And this was precisely the subtext Feng was eager, almost impatient, to convey.
For Feng, Angel’s significance was clear.
Should anyone in the future truly wish to stand against Angel, upon seeing this painting, they might think twice.
Rhein could perceive what Feng wanted to express, yet he couldn’t grasp why Feng valued Angel so profoundly. Was it a truly fateful encounter?
Rhein couldn’t understand and decided not to dwell on it. Now that the painting was presented, symbolizing the connection between Angel and Rhein, he realized this information might prove beneficial in the future.
Rhein gave a deep look at Angel, glanced at Sanders by his side, and once again felt gratified for Sanders insisting on bringing Angel into the Barbarian Cave back then.
"Did Lord Rhein perceive anything?" Angel inquired.
"Within indeed lies a profoundly complex energy. Though not abundant, its level is exceedingly high, making it challenging to decipher the information within." Rhein did not comment on the painting but spoke of the energy within it.
He could sense that the energy inside must at least be Legendary Level, making it hard to decipher. However, given its limited quantity, a forced decryption attempt might be plausible, but any inherent information would likely suffer irreparable damage.
Moreover, forcibly decrypting it might not succeed.
This left Rhein somewhat helpless.
Even though he had reached the Half-step Legend level, the techniques of a true Legendary Wizard remained inscrutable. Half a step away felt like a chasm.
Seeing that Rhein also drew no conclusions, Angel had no choice but to reseal the oil painting with the green pattern.
Angel wasn’t certain if the green pattern could truly seal the energy aura within, but he had no other options and had to try it first.
"From my understanding of the Magic Painter Wizard, if he named this painting ’Night Talk of Close Friends,’ he likely does see you as a close friend. Whatever energy is contained within, even if it holds information, I believe it wouldn’t harm you, so there’s no need to worry too much." Rhein advised.
Angel nodded; if things were indeed as Rhein said, that would be ideal. However, regarding the notion of a close friend, Angel cared little since he and Feng spent only those few short hours together, hardly enough to claim a close friendship. Moreover, even if they were close friends, it was merely with the fragment of Feng’s consciousness, not Feng himself.