Chapter 1091: Chen Ling and the Red King

The Ritual Dance of the Gods had ended.

The omnipotence of a "god" was like a dream made of foam; once it was popped, cold reality and pain once again enveloped Chen Ling. The good news was that he wasn't left with nothing.

He had saved the lives of those he cherished.

Bodies lay strewn across the barren ruins; their breathing had gradually stabilized, but they hadn't immediately regained consciousness, remaining in a coma. Ning Ruyu, Luan Mei, Wenren You, Mojo... his elder martial brothers and sisters from the Ancient Trove of Theatrical Arts were all fine, and that was enough for Chen Ling.

An unprecedented weariness surged into Chen Ling's mind. He staggered as he turned, about to leave...

A voice, like a sleep-talker's, sounded from behind him:"Kill it quickly... Kill Chaozai... It's too terrifying; it's killed too many people...""Kill it while it's still weak... Kill it quickly... Otherwise, there won't be another chance...""If Chaozai doesn't die... humanity will eventually perish..."

Chen Ling's steps faltered slightly.

He looked back and saw the unconscious scholar, extremely pale, muttering as if having a nightmare.

The wailing cold wind swept across the ruined realm, making the theatrical robes flutter. That vibrant crimson figure stood alone on the ground, his apricot-red eyes silently watching everything. An emotion, hard to describe as either shattered or poignant, spread with the sway of the earrings.

Chen Ling's sacrifice had no audience. The world would only know the terror of Chaozai's world-ending rampage, but who would remember Chen Ling, the actor who restored everything?

"Little Junior Brother... it's time to eat..." Ning Ruyu's indistinct murmurs echoed in the wind. "Why did you only bring a basin... If Fifth Brother sees you, he'll laugh at you again..."

Chen Ling froze.

A breeze ruffled Chen Ling's hair. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth... He shook his head, a self-deprecating gesture, and seemed to feel much lighter as he turned and walked away into the distance.

How the world saw him, what did it matter to him?

What Chen Ling truly cared about were only the people around him.

Chen Ling took faltering steps, passing through the bodies strewn across the ground, and walked straight in a certain direction. The Ritual Dance of the Gods had ended, and Chen Ling could logically rest, but he didn't just collapse. Before that, there were still some things he absolutely had to figure out.

"Cough, cough... cough, cough, cough..." Chen Ling coughed violently as he walked, his body swaying unnaturally as if he might fall to the ground at any moment.

Sun Bumian and the others nearby saw this and immediately moved to support him. But before they could get far, Chen Ling slowly stopped in front of a patch of emptiness.

Chen Ling took a deep breath, his gaze seeming to pierce through the void towards a certain figure. He bowed slightly: "Disciple Chen Ling... greets Master."

Sun Bumian and the others immediately froze in place.

One second, two seconds, three seconds... After a long silence, a curtain in the void was slowly drawn open.

A figure stepped out from within. Their spotless red theatrical robes lightly fluttered in the wind, and a youthful face with bright eyes and white teeth appeared before Chen Ling, wearing a complex expression.

"How did you discover me, your master?" Red King couldn't help but ask.

Chen Ling lowered his head, not answering. Just now, when he activated the Ritual Dance of the Gods and entered the "god" state, nothing could hide from his sight. He could see the bridge in another space collapsing, and naturally, he could also see the figure who had always been hiding in the shadows, watching the chaos from afar.

"Since Master was here all along... why didn't you intervene for so long just now?"

Chen Ling's counter-question made Red King's eyes narrow slightly.

"Even if Chaozai is strong, and you, Master, can't defeat it... but saving Senior Brother should not have been difficult, right?" Chen Ling spoke again, his voice hoarse and bitter. He dared not look into Red King's eyes, because he was afraid... afraid of seeing the calm and indifference he least wanted to see in his master's eyes.

Red King was full of secrets. Even Chen Ling, his disciple, didn't know how strong he truly was. Even if Chaozai was the natural enemy of the Theatrical Divinity Path, as long as Red King willed it, saving Ning Ruyu from its grasp would certainly not be difficult. He even had ways to suppress Chaozai and save everyone present. Yet he did nothing. From the beginning of the battle, he simply remained hidden in the void, observing everything like an outsider. Or rather, like a cold, calculating mastermind.

Red King sighed deeply. With his hands clasped behind his back, he calmly looked at Chen Ling: "Sixth Disciple, what do you want to say?"

"Was all of this part of your plan too?" Chen Ling couldn't hold back anymore. He abruptly raised his head, his eyes fixed on Red King's. "The Silver King stole my self, letting Chaozai run wild... Then you killed him, letting my consciousness return to my body, starting the struggle against Chaozai..."

"You allowed Senior Brother and the other martial brothers and sisters to be slaughtered by Chaozai, simply to use their deaths to provoke me, to make me fight against Chaozai desperately, and ultimately regain control of this body from it..."

"You used everyone's lives to set up a game... a game to make Chaozai, the natural enemy of the Theatrical Divinity Path, more 'obedient,' to ensnare Chaozai deeper into your control..."

As Chen Ling's words fell, the air fell into a dead silence.

This was not an inquiry, but an accusation. It was the junior disciple of the Ancient Trove of Theatrical Arts accusing his master, Red Heart 6 of the Twilight Society accusing Red King.

Sun Bumian, Zhao Yi, and Han Meng, whether members of the Twilight Society or not, all three of them held their breath at that moment, awaiting Red King's answer.

Looking at Chen Ling's sharp and pained gaze, Red King remained silent for a long time, the geniality in his eyes gradually fading...

Replaced by a calmness like a winter lake.

"That's right," Red King said faintly. "The Silver King was intentionally released by me, and Ning Ruyu's death was also intentionally allowed by me. If you had been a bit later, Second, Third, and Fourth Brothers would have died too. Only with their deaths could you burn your bridges and truly begin to control Chaozai."

Red King paused for a moment and pointed to where Chen Ling had just performed the Ritual Dance of the Gods: "It proves that your master was right... Didn't you do very well just now?"

Chen Ling's face instantly turned ashen.

Chen Ling had been looking into Red King's eyes, not missing a single detail. He knew very well that Red King was speaking the truth... His right hand trembled as he raised it, tightly clutching his chest, where a curse was throbbing faintly. It felt as if someone had forcefully smashed Chen Ling's heart, causing excruciating agony in his empty chest cavity.

"Controlling Chaozai... is it that important?" Chen Ling gritted his teeth and asked hoarsely.

"Important," Red King replied without hesitation.

"Controlling Chaozai is more important than anything."