Chapter 1010: Non-existent Divine Path

Whoever steps onto the stage becomes "Chen Ling."

Chen Ling had previously wondered why, after he unleashed the Mocking Disaster and was completely dragged off the stage, he also took on the appearance of a spectator. He had thought the theater assimilated him with the audience, but it now seemed that was not the case.

After another "spectator" seized the stage, it became a "Chen Ling" with a different personality. It was ecstatic and cherished this opportunity immensely, even going so far as to impersonate the previous "Chen Ling" to beg for mercy from his master.

If not for Yao helping him return to the stage, he would likely still be a "spectator" offstage to this day.

"The Mocking Disaster isn't one person... it's a group of 'spectators'..."

"And I..."

"Am I one of them?"

Chen Ling was like a drowning person struggling in a tsunami, utterly submerged by confusion. Yet, at this moment, he was gradually uncovering the source of that bewilderment.

On the pale theater stage, a twisted divine path extended from beneath Chen Ling, and everything around him blurred.

Chen Ling now stood on the fourth step. Countless pairs of mocking scarlet eyes surrounded both sides of the staircase, which twisted its way step by step towards the end of the firmament, where a warm star silently flickered.

That was what Chen Ling had once believed to be the direction of "home."

The destination of traversing the twisted divine path was home—this had been the driving force behind Chen Ling's progress. But as he delved deeper into his confusion, everything shifted.

That warm star visibly transformed, becoming a scarlet and eerie eye, like an eyeball gouged from a spectator's socket. It hung high above the unreachable firmament, mockingly gazing down at Chen Ling, who, like an ant, clumsily crawled up the steps.

The bizarre, eye-like divine path star;The countless "spectators" lining both sides of the staircase;The "performance objectives" required for each advancement;And the mysterious, twisted "Drama Divine Path" that belonged to no known divine path...

"Actually, I've always been curious: my so-called 'twisted divine path' is just a combination of two divine paths, not truly twisted... But your Drama Divine Path, from beginning to end, genuinely emanates an eerie aura."

"Can yours... truly be considered a 'divine path'?"

Shen Nan's voice echoed in Chen Ling's ears once more.

Chen Ling offered a desolate smile, as if something had just clicked... He understood. He understood everything.

There was no "Twisted Drama Divine Path,"No "Divine Path Skills,"From the very beginning,This was the power of the Mocking Disaster itself...

Thousands of "spectators," shapeless and faceless, delighted in mocking the world. They could become anyone... and anyone who stepped onto the stage could become "Chen Ling"...

Twisted Drama Divine Path, First Stage—Shapeless.The words silently appearing on the floor;Dr. Lin's replaced tea;The peach disguised as a heart;The distress signal tampered with while heading to the Ancient Military Treasury...

Whenever Chen Ling's expectations faltered, the "spectators" would intervene in the performance. Their cunning and bizarre tricks often pushed Chen Ling into the abyss of ridicule.

Twisted Drama Divine Path, Second Stage—Scarlet Illusion.The Shapeless King, mocking fate.

Fate manipulated like a puppet, with promotion contingent only upon completing a "performance"—upon closer inspection, each performance's conditions seemed to perfectly align with Chen Ling's experiences...

It was as if an invisible hand were pushing Chen Ling towards the storyline most anticipated by the "spectators."

Twisted Drama Divine Path, Third Stage—Fate Weaver.Tampering with reality, negating everything.

The calamity domain of the world-destroying Mocking Disaster: under those mocking eyes, any established reality that did not align with its wishes would be directly overthrown. It was with this ability that it thrashed the Envy Disaster and kicked Jian Changsheng, who was possessed by Bai Qi...

Twisted Drama Divine Path, Fourth Stage Domain—Card.

Chen Ling realized that every skill he now possessed had appeared during the process of the spectators intervening in reality.

From the very beginning, he hadn't been acquiring skills from a divine path...Instead, he had been gradually mastering the power that belonged to the Mocking Disaster.

"Brother, you must live..."

"What lies at the end of the Drama Divine Path? Will you go see for me?"

The familiar voice echoed in Chen Ling's ears again. He seemed to jolt awake, surrounded by howling wind and snow, and the unforgettable figure of a young boy beside him.

The boy's theatrical robe swayed in the wind. He looked at Chen Ling, holding thirty-six fragments of the Drama Divine Path, his eyes brimming with tears...

A Yan...

Chen Ling's body began to tremble.

He seemed to realize something, slowly turning to look behind him... A divine path descended from the firmament, connecting with the half-laid path Chen Yan had prepared...

"No... that's not right..."

Chen Ling's eyes were bloodshot. He pulled hard at the void, and a false curtain abruptly fell away!

Unbeknownst to him, the half-section of the Drama Divine Path that had descended from the firmament had become hideously twisted, emitting a sinister scarlet aura, as if imbued with despair and ill omens.

Chen Yan's thirty-six fragments of the Drama Divine Path had indeed laid half of a divine path for him... but the other half that was drawn in was not a Drama Divine Path at all; it was...

"How could this be...?"

Seeing that half-section of twisted divine path connected to the Drama Divine Path he had laid, Chen Yan stood rooted, a deep fear emerging in his eyes.

"That's not the Drama Divine Path... Brother! Wait! Something's wrong..."

"Chen Ling!! Stop! You can't take that path!!" Chu Muyun's voice came urgently. He was like a streak of light, desperately trying to intercept Chen Ling.

"Brother!! That's not the Drama Divine Path! Don't go!"

All these voices interwoven in Chen Ling's ears.

Yet, he seemed not to hear them.

One by one, scarlet eyes appeared behind him, watching Chen Ling with mocking excitement, as if having enchanted him with a trick, leaving only one voice in his ears...

"Walk this path, and the world will belong to you, brother."

Then,

Chen Ling slowly took a step, setting foot upon it.

Everything around him shattered. Chen Ling, draped in a large red theatrical robe, knelt weakly on the fourth step of the Twisted Drama Divine Path, resembling a desiccated corpse drained of life.

"The divine path is also fake..."

"All my efforts... were merely steps towards becoming the Mocking Disaster..."

"No wonder so much confusion was hidden in my heart..."

Chen Ling forced out a self-mocking, desperate smile, the hem of his large red theatrical robe trembling with his grim amusement, appearing eerily sinister on the twisted divine path.

He had unraveled much of the surging confusion in his mind, but a portion of it remained, mysterious and unpredictable, beneath his feet.

"If I was a 'spectator' from the very beginning... then where did 'Chen Ling' come from?"

"Who sealed away my confusion..."

"And who made me myself?"

"I'm close to finding... the final answer..."

Chen Ling slowly extended his hand, reaching into that deepest veil of bewilderment.