Chapter 1135: Rotation and Killing Spirits

Chen Ling's hollow remains were consumed by the surrounding red paper. With his death, the monster before them seemed to completely break free from its restraints, surging outwards in all directions with an almost boundless presence.

Red clouds, like flames, erupted from the cliff face, as countless uncontrolled pieces of red paper shot skyward, eventually engulfing the entire heavens.

Witnessing this, Diamond Jack's eyes were filled with bewilderment. "Did he just… commit suicide?"

"Yes," Sun Bumian shrugged. "But for Heart, this is commonplace."

Diamond Jack was baffled.

Not only Diamond Jack, but even the Archbishop struggled to comprehend what was happening. Chen Ling was clearly dead, yet the monster's body still moved. And why did its aura become even more terrifying after his demise?

The Archbishop, gripping his bone staff, stood in the center of the crimson village, his gaze fixed on the turbulent red sky. Slowly, two black, crescent-shaped eyes opened in the heavens, as if someone was mockingly gazing down upon the ant-like earth through the expanse of the sky.

Simultaneously, all the shadow centipedes concealed on the cliff trembled. They prostrated themselves respectfully on the ground, not daring to make the slightest movement under the scarlet sky, as if praying for their king's mercy to spare their lives.

From the surging calamitous aura, the Archbishop finally pinpointed its source, and a flicker of terror crossed his dark eyes.

He couldn't fathom why Taocai was here, especially having infiltrated the Jiangtian Cult in a semi-human form. However, one thing was certain: Taocai already regarded him as its prey.

Knowing there was no retreat, the Archbishop tightened his grip on the bone staff. With a defiant roar, he charged headfirst towards the sky!

Current Expectation Value: 62Actor connection lost. Performance interrupted.Audience Expectation Value: 50Current Expectation Value: 12

Warning! Warning! The audience is beginning to intervene in the performance!

Ding—ding—ding… Dazzling spotlights illuminated the stage above, and lines of dark green characters scrolled across the screen.

Chen Ling slowly opened his eyes. He didn't immediately rise, but remained lying on the floor for a while before leisurely standing up.

He glanced back, observing the colossal curtain that displayed the ongoing battle between Taocai and the Archbishop in the outside world. The Archbishop, who moments ago had exuded such an oppressive presence when facing Chen Ling, was now being mercilessly battered like a punching bag. No sooner had he leaped into the air than he was slammed back down to the ground with a mighty blow.

After numerous deaths, Chen Ling had long since grasped the relationship between audience expectation and Taocai's power. This time, with 12 expectation points remaining upon his death, the audience members who went out would likely possess Tier 7 strength. Combined with Taocai's inherent suppression of the Jiangtian Cult, brutally beating the Archbishop should pose no problem.

Chen Ling walked directly to the curtain, tentatively extending his fingers behind it.

The Fourth Wall, which should have been incredibly solid, felt as soft as jelly before Chen Ling. This meant he could effortlessly pass through it and reclaim his body whenever he wished.

Previously, Chen Ling would have found it nearly impossible to achieve this feat on his own. However, he now controlled a portion of Taocai's power, and an expectation value of 12 was precisely a point where he could move freely. Even before the ritual began, Chen Ling had devised this offensive-defensive strategy based on the audience's expectation levels.

If he could fight using his own strength, he would; if not, he would commit suicide and let Taocai take over.

"There's still plenty of time," he mused. "Since you've already come onto the stage... don't leave."

Chen Ling's large red opera robe glowed with a blood-like sheen under the spotlight. He slowly raised his hand and fiercely clawed at his face! *Screech—!!*

Red and black flames ignited between his fingers. As embers danced, a grotesque Nuo mask replaced his original face, now exposed to the air. The large red opera robe billowed as if by an unseen wind, and as the flames coursed over it, it was refined into a magnificent red and black with gilded patterns.

As Chen Ling summoned the Nuo mask, activating the soul of Yao within it, his palm reached across the Fourth Wall and pressed forcefully into the outside world!

The next moment, shadowy figures, as if conjured from thin air, shot forth from behind the Fourth Wall! Divine Descent!

These figures were the audience members who had seized the chance to rush onto the stage, critical components of the Taocai outside. Moments ago, they had been gleefully pummeling the Archbishop; now, Chen Ling had directly yanked them back onto the stage, a trace of bewilderment still lingering in their crimson eyes.

"This is a rare opportunity," he muttered. "Let's take them batch by batch."

In the center of the stage, the figure in the red and black opera robe stretched. A chilling gleam emanated from the grotesque Nuo mask, and his eyes blazed with soaring battle intent. It was as if he no longer viewed this as a mere stage, but a life-or-death arena!

After several days, Chen Ling once again activated Soul Slayer!

For other fusionists, Soul Slayer could be performed at any time, but not for Chen Ling. The Fourth Wall created a barrier between him and the audience, meaning he could only activate Soul Slayer when they actively stepped onto the stage.

An audience expectation value dropping to a controllable range below 20 was a rare occurrence, so Chen Ling had no intention of letting this opportunity pass. Whether it was batch by batch, he planned to capture every single audience member who had rushed onto the stage this time.

As Chen Ling completed the Divine Descent, the bright spotlights began to flicker.

In the dimness, Chen Ling's figure moved like a specter, darting from his spot with a swift whistle. He abruptly seized the shoulders of the nearest audience member, tearing a rift in them.

The audience member's crimson eyes flared with terror and rage, but the next moment, Chen Ling's mouth tore directly into the wound, and both crashed heavily to the ground!

*Boom—!!!* Bloody silk, like the tentacles of a colossal octopus, lashed down from the heavens, swatting the Archbishop, who had just sprung up, back to the ground with devastating force!

Now unleashed, Taocai's power was more than enough to overwhelm the Archbishop. Its terrifying might shook half the village into ruins, and as the earth fractured, the Archbishop's chest was covered in grotesque wounds, his entire body stained crimson.

Even so, the Archbishop's body refused to collapse. He stared fixedly at the red monster that had become the sky, propping himself up with his bone staff, slowly attempting to rise from the cracked earth.

As an eerie red light ascended to the single eye in the sky, the very ground where the Archbishop stood suddenly seemed to awaken, imbued with a strange sentience. The previously fractured fissures visibly transformed into two rows of grotesque fangs, which then abruptly clamped shut!

Trapped in the center of the fissure, the Archbishop was like a minuscule morsel in a colossal mouth. Before he could even react, he was instantly crushed and furiously chewed by the monstrous maw that the earth had become, emitting terrifying, bone-grinding sounds.