Chapter 1099: Grand Ceremony

Author: SanjiuyinyuWord Count: 1305

"So that's Chen Ling...""He looks just like he does in the newspapers, and he's so handsome!!""Right?! Right?! The two newspaper issues that featured him were practically worn out from being read by Xiao Taozi and her friends! We still don't know who has them now...""I'm telling! Sister Miao secretly cut out the newspaper and hid it under her pillow!!""Xiao Tao! You... what nonsense are you talking?!""Did you all see? He can maintain his colors even outside the Mother Tree's canopy. That red opera robe is so beautiful...""There are truly no traces of disaster fusion on him; he looks just like a normal person... Is this what Teacher Ye called the world's only unique fusionist? The ultimate special, an anomaly among anomalies.""Seriously, guys, why is my heart pounding so much?!"

Whispers rippled through the crowd. Everyone curiously sized up the slightly rigid figure in the opera robe. They had deliberately stood on both sides of the path, leaving the widest and most spacious route in the middle for Chen Ling and his group, as if they had just stopped short of rolling out a red carpet.

Chen Ling sighed deeply to himself. Only after Zhao Yi nudged him twice more with his elbow did he finally step forward.

Thud—

Chen Ling had barely taken two steps when a dark-skinned boy suddenly went weak in the knees and fell heavily before him.

Chen Ling: ?????

Chen Ling froze instantly.

What's going on?!!

It was his first day at the Fusion Faction, and not only had he made everyone come out to greet him like a big shot, but he had also forced a child to kneel on the spot... If word of this got out, his reputation in the human realm would surely suffer again.

It wasn't just him; the other Fusion Faction members were also dumbfounded. They stared blankly at the dark-skinned boy performing such a deep bow, then at Chen Ling, who stood before him with an incredibly strange expression. The air fell into a dead silence...

"Xiao Bai, what are you doing?" a girl nearby quickly stepped forward, trying to pull him up. "There are so many people here... Don't let Mr. Chen Ling laugh at us, get up quickly!""It's not that I don't want to get up... I... I don't know why... I just can't stand steady..."The dark-skinned boy, called Xiao Bai, spoke with a hint of a whimper. He hit his wobbly legs twice, his whole body trembling uncontrollably...

Just then, Chen Ling seemed to realize something and quietly sniffed the air.

"Is the disaster power in you... from the Abyss of Ghost Mockery?"

Chen Ling's voice fell upon Xiao Bai's ears like a devil's whisper. Xiao Bai felt his heart almost burst, and just as he opened his mouth to say something, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

"Xiao Bai!! Xiao Bai, are you alright?!""What's wrong? He's not even in a seizure phase... Go get Teacher Ye quickly!""No need."

A magnetic young man's voice echoed from the Mother Tree's entrance.

The moment they heard the voice, everyone turned to look, a flash of joy in their eyes... A man in a plain gray shirt was walking directly towards them.He was plainly dressed, with an ordinary appearance, wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses. If he had two textbooks tucked under his arm, he would look like any young teacher you'd find in any middle school... and not a demanding one like a math, physics, or chemistry teacher. His expression and voice were very gentle and casual, like a history or music elective teacher.

"Teacher Ye! Quickly, look at Xiao Bai... Xiao Bai, he...""He's fine. The disaster power within him, which hasn't fully fused yet, was just startled by the King's aura... He'll be fine after a good sleep." Teacher Ye looked at the two boys beside him. "Could I ask you two to carry Xiao Bai back? Be gentle on the way.""No problem, Teacher Ye!"The two boys immediately rolled up their sleeves, easily lifted Xiao Bai who was lying on the ground onto their backs, and hurried into the depths of the Mother Tree.

After this interlude, Teacher Ye walked through the crowd and directly approached Chen Ling, pushing up his glasses with an apologetic expression:

"I apologize for the spectacle, Mr. Chen.""...It's nothing." Chen Ling glanced at the boy being carried away. "If anything, I'm the one who caused you trouble..."

"Haha, it's our honor that Mr. Chen Ling is willing to come to the Fusion Faction." Teacher Ye turned slightly and gestured for him to follow,"Mr. Chen, please follow me."

Zhao Yi and the others did not follow Chen Ling. They knew that this was now time for the leader of the Fusion Faction and Chen Ling to have a private conversation.

Once Chen Ling and Teacher Ye disappeared into the Mother Tree's entrance, the surrounding boys and girls immediately crowded around Zhao Yi, chattering excitedly!

"Holy Son! Holy Son!! So what you said before, that you grew up with Chen Ling and were childhood friends, was true after all?!""And is it true that you used to bully him all the time when you were little??""Old Wolf, did you guys fight the Silver King when you went to the Boundless Realm this time?""You actually brought Chen Ling back!! That's so cool?! Holy Son, you're amazing..."

Zhao Yi basked in the surrounding adoration and curiosity, feeling an indescribable sense of satisfaction. While calmly waving his hand and feigning an air of nonchalance, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up."Oh, these are just minor things... This trip to the Boundless Realm was truly perilous... You wouldn't even dare to imagine what happened!""Huh?? Really??? Holy Son, please tell us!""Ah, Holy Son, I'm a bit hungry from all that traveling... And my shoulders are a bit sore...""I'll go get you some snacks!!""Holy Son, I'll give you a shoulder massage..."

The clamor at the entrance gradually faded. Chen Ling followed Teacher Ye up several flights of treehouse stairs, the wooden planks creaking beneath their feet.

Finally, Teacher Ye pushed open a wooden door, entering a room that resembled an office... Though called an office, the room was quite small. Its only advantage was the excellent view: a large, open window faced the grey realm sky, and from there, one could gaze far into the distance.

"Our Fusion Faction is located deep within the grey realm, and our living conditions are simple, Mr. Chen. Please don't mind them." Teacher Ye chuckled helplessly as he prepared tea.

Chen Ling looked around and sat down in the chair opposite."This is quite good already... Honestly, I never imagined there would be a place like this in the grey realm."

"Oh? What kind of place?"

"Safe, natural, comfortable... lively."

A steaming cup of tea was placed before Chen Ling. Teacher Ye raised an eyebrow and nodded with a hint of pride, "Indeed... While our facilities here are simple, the atmosphere is certainly no worse than in the human realms...""So, Mr. Chen, did you like the welcoming ceremony earlier?"

"Um..." Chen Ling paused for a moment. "...It was a bit too grand."

"Grand?"Teacher Ye laughed, took a sip of his tea, and spoke unhurriedly,"The Golden Society envoy who once stood proudly at the entrance of the Mortal Realm, shouting 'Have someone come welcome me'... The Heart of Six who had Lu Xun clear the way for you under the watchful eyes of everyone in the Heavenly Pivot Realm... Are you now unaccustomed to even such a small scene?"