Chapter 1296: Stop the War

The three-eyed giant turtle had half of its body on land. However, the enraged Catastrophe of Envy in the sea, along with countless other Forbidden Sea Catastrophes, had no intention of letting it leave.

Boom—!!!

A earth-shattering wave surged from the depths of the ocean, crashing directly onto the land right behind the three-eyed giant turtle. The churning seawater shattered the coastline and, like a rising tide, engulfed the three-eyed giant turtle once more, pulling it back into the sea. The Forbidden Sea, capable of engulfing the Aurora Domain and covering vast stretches of the Gray Realm, could naturally also submerge the three-eyed giant turtle near the shore. Their habitat at the bottom of the sea did not mean they couldn't reach the land.

“Damn it... why are they relentlessly pursuing us??”

Seeing this, Old Ancestor Pu Guizong of the Pu Family, who was on the turtle's back, had an extremely grim expression. He had worked so hard to clear a path for the three-eyed giant turtle precisely because he hoped they could avoid underwater attacks once on land. However, he never imagined that the Catastrophe of Envy would pursue them so relentlessly, even going so far as to submerge a part of the land to keep them trapped.

The churning waves continued to pour into the South Sea Domain through the cracks in the turtle's shell, bringing with them numerous Forbidden Sea Catastrophes. The three-eyed giant turtle's hind legs remained entangled by the Catastrophe of Envy, making it impossible to move. The surrounding seawater continued to freeze into icebergs, blocking the turtle's escape path. Nothing had changed.

Pu Guizong didn't know how much longer he could contend with the Catastrophe of Envy, nor whether Chu Changqing still held a trump card. But without a doubt, the three-eyed giant turtle, burdened with the South Sea Domain, was rapidly reaching its limit. If the three-eyed giant turtle died here, the South Sea Domain would be unable to move, and they would face an unavoidable death trap!

“...Hm?” Pu Guizong seemed to sense something and looked back. Unbeknownst to him, a large group of enormous, crimson centipedes were rapidly crawling towards the three-eyed giant turtle's shell!

Pu Guizong's heart jolted with alarm: “Why are there Catastrophes from the Abyssal Laughter here too?!” One Forbidden Sea alone had pushed the South Sea Domain to the brink of collapse; if another Abyssal Laughter Catastrophe appeared, they would surely perish!

Strangely, however, these centipedes did not attack the three-eyed giant turtle. They merely continued to crawl along its limbs, while at the same time, the Catastrophe of Envy from the deep sea launched another assault! Countless grotesque giant shadows erupted from beneath the ocean surface, as if poised to shatter the three-eyed giant turtle's body directly.

Seeing this, Pu Guizong gritted his teeth, about to forcefully intervene again, when a sharp hiss echoed from behind him! Pu Guizong turned to look, only to see an unusually thick, crimson centipede baring its fangs towards the Catastrophe of Envy, as if issuing a warning. The colossal, sky-obscuring tentacled shadow immediately froze in mid-air.

Wu Yi was powerful, even capable of fighting an Eighth-Rank Catastrophe, but before the Catastrophe of Envy, it was merely a larger ant. The Catastrophe of Envy couldn't possibly fear Wu Yi; it stopped because it was wary of the one behind Wu Yi. Wu Yi was on its way to greet the King of Abyssal Laughter. If it were to attack Wu Yi now, it would be tantamount to declaring war on the Catastrophe of Laughter. Undoubtedly, the Catastrophe of Envy was absolutely unwilling to provoke that entity.

The Catastrophe of Envy halted its movements, and the Forbidden Sea Catastrophes that had climbed onto the three-eyed giant turtle's back intelligently cleared a path for the centipede legion. They merely surrounded the three-eyed giant turtle without attacking, seemingly determined to wait for the centipede legion to retrieve the Catastrophe of Laughter before launching their assault.

Witnessing this scene, a look of astonishment appeared in Pu Guizong's eyes. He had never imagined that Chen Ling's mere mention of 'Wu Yi' could bring the entire Forbidden Sea to a halt. And the South Sea Domain, with its millions of inhabitants, had gained a precious reprieve thanks to those two words from Chen Ling. The decline faced by all of humanity in this era had, at this moment, been momentarily halted. The root of all this was Chen Ling, who had been forced out of the human domain.

In that instant, a thought suddenly arose in Pu Guizong's mind: Had forcing Chen Ling away truly been the right decision? But he quickly suppressed the thought. Ultimately, the Catastrophe of Envy had stopped out of respect for the Catastrophe of Laughter, and the Catastrophe of Laughter was an inherently unstable entity. Entrusting humanity's future to such a dangerous being would indeed be a mistake.

On the street, Chen Ling slowly looked up. He saw a swarm of shadow centipedes pouring in through the crack in the turtle's shell, each one grotesque and terrifying, their numbers horrifyingly vast. The moment they appeared, the residents of the entire South Sea Domain erupted in fearful cries! Although Forbidden Sea Catastrophes had also entered earlier, they were mixed with the seawater, and deep-sea creatures were inherently twisted and indistinct, making it hard for people to see them clearly. However, these grotesque centipedes were visibly terrifying.

The people frantically urged the surrounding Divine Path wielders to block these invading Catastrophes, but the next second, all members of the Pu Family received a warning from their Old Ancestor: Under no circumstances were they to attack these centipedes! They needed to understand that the Catastrophe of Envy had ceased its assault precisely because of these centipedes. If they were to attack the centipedes themselves, regardless of whether they could defeat them, it would be a foolish act of self-destruction. And if they were to provoke the Catastrophe of Laughter below, things would become even more troublesome.

Chen Ling's centipede legion thus swaggered into the streets of the South Sea Domain with an air of absolute arrogance. Neither the Forbidden Sea nor the South Sea Domain dared to block their path. Finally, the centipede legion converged around the figure in the theatrical robe, observed by all. Wu Yi, its body like a mountain, let out a soft cry, then respectfully prostrated itself as if kneeling before Chen Ling. Its mouthparts twitched slightly, its gaze seemingly filled with excitement and anticipation. Simultaneously, all the other shadow centipedes immediately lowered themselves. The centipede legion awaited the 'King's' command.

In the residential buildings on both sides, everyone's hearts were in their throats. They nervously watched the red-robed figure, as if fearing Chen Ling would simply utter, “Kill them,” and then the terrifying centipedes would slaughter everyone on the entire street. Given the centipedes' attitude towards Chen Ling, they would not hesitate for a second, no matter what he commanded. The surrounding populace seemed to have long forgotten their earlier curses against Chen Ling, now frantically praying in their hearts for him to spare them.

Under everyone's tense gaze, Chen Ling raised his hand and gently stroked Wu Yi's head. His crimson theatrical robe, like a swirling red cloud, danced in the cold wind, and his vermilion earrings swayed with it. Chen Ling's gaze slowly swept across the domain, his eyes revealing deep fatigue and disappointment. He was tired. He no longer wanted to deal with these people; he simply wished to find a quiet place to be by himself. The human domain didn't welcome him, the Integration Faction had lost their home, and the Ancient Trove of Theatrical Arts held someone he didn't wish to see. In this world, he seemed to have only one remaining sanctuary.

He parted his lips slightly and spoke hoarsely:“Return...”“...to the Abyssal Laughter.”