Chapter 1297: Leaving and Promotion

Unprecedented joy filled the eyes of Wu Yi and the many other shadow centipedes. They looked at Chen Ling excitedly, their gazes seemingly asking, "My King, have you finally decided?!"

The Ghost Taunt Abyss had been masterless for too long. A world-ending domain without a world-ender to preside over it plunged the entire abyss into confusion and turmoil. What's more, while other calamity domains were aggressively attacking the human realm, the Ghost Taunt Abyss remained utterly still, as if completely abandoned. Wu Yi and the others had also been away from the Ghost Taunt Abyss for a long time. Upon hearing Chen Ling say he would take them home, they were naturally overjoyed!

Wu Yi's head was deeply prostrated on the ground, allowing Chen Ling to step on it, moving forward step by step until he finally stood on its back. The massive, scarlet body slowly rose, like a skyscraper towering over a low-lying city. As Wu Yi let out a sharp shriek—

"Children, clear the way for the 'King'!""We're going... home!!"

All the surrounding shadow centipedes quickly rose, surging and crawling towards the rift in the sky. From a distance, they looked like a torrent flowing through the South Sea Realm. Wu Yi, carrying Chen Ling on its back, surprisingly snaked its colossal body up into the void, approaching the sky's rift step by step.

Chen Ling was unable to return to the sky by his own power; now, Wu Yi was his crutch. A scarlet flood of calamity rolled forward, clearing the path for him. He stood atop the towering behemoth, his red cloud-like theatrical robe billowing like a king's cape beneath the crumbling sky. The aura of world-ending calamity continuously erupted from within him. Combined with the centipede legion surrounding him, absolute dread gripped the heart of every resident of the South Sea Realm.

They didn't know why the Forbidden Sea had stopped, nor why the South Sea Realm dared not intervene. But this time, no one in the entire South Sea Realm dared to utter a single word of slander against Chen Ling. They simply watched the many colossal figures depart with trepidation, praying that they would never reappear again.

"It's Big Brother Chen Ling!!" The Integration Faction, who had just entered the South Sea Realm, shouted in delighted surprise upon seeing the centipede legion soaring skyward and the exaggerated red cloud theatrical robe.

"It's Big Brother Chen Ling and his legion!""Oh my goodness, Big Brother Chen Ling looks so magnificent standing on the legion, like a great general!""Big Brother Chen Ling's theatrical robe actually covered a corner of the sky!""So cool!!!""That's Big Brother Chen Ling, the great hero of the human realm, the one who brought us into the South Sea Realm! If he's not cool, who is??""Why aren't those people in the South Sea Realm moving?""Nonsense, who is Big Brother Chen Ling? Didn't you see that the Forbidden Sea didn't dare to touch a single hair on us when Big Brother Chen Ling made his move? Let alone the South Sea Realm?""It must be thanks to King Chen Ling that we could enter the South Sea Realm this time, right?""King Chen Ling is amazing... When can I become someone like him?""Hmph, maybe in a hundred years!""I heard there are lots of delicious ingredients in the South Sea Realm. Let's find time to cook Big Brother Chen Ling a meal together, okay? Even if it's not worth much, it's our heartfelt gesture.""Hahahahaha, if we throw Xiaobai in as an ingredient and cook him, Big Brother Chen Ling will definitely be happy!"

Having narrowly escaped death, they had just entered the South Sea Realm when they saw Chen Ling. It was like seeing a family member in an unfamiliar place. They all excitedly stood up, extending their hands towards the red cloud figure and shouting:

"Big Brother Chen Ling!!! We're in!!!""Big Brother Chen Ling!!""Thank you!!"

Chen Ling, on Wu Yi's back, seemed to hear their calls. His pair of vermilion earrings swayed gently in the wind as he turned his head to look in that direction. When he saw those familiar, youthful figures waving their arms at him, a faint smile finally touched Chen Ling's lips.

"Children..."

Just then, Teacher Ye looked at the red-clad figure in the distance, riding on Wu Yi's back and slowly ascending into the sky. His eyes filled with guilt and struggle as he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Perform the great salute... to bid Mr. Chen Ling farewell as he leaves the city."

The Integration Faction children simultaneously turned to look at Teacher Ye, seemingly puzzled. Teacher Ye offered no explanation, and the children asked no further questions. If Teacher Ye said so, there must be a reason for it. The next second, all the children who had survived the Forbidden Sea knelt down, facing the direction where the red cloud theatrical robe was departing, and bowed in unison. Teacher Ye also saluted with both hands, bowing deeply, almost bending to the ground.

"Farewell to our Benefactor as he leaves the city!""—Farewell to our Benefactor as he leaves the city!!!"

The calls of the Integration Faction echoed exceptionally clearly in the silent South Sea Realm, but Chen Ling was already barely able to hear them. As they drew closer to the rift in the sky, the sounds from the ground could no longer reach Chen Ling's ears. However, he saw the Integration Faction members prostrated on the ground in the distance and could roughly guess what they were saying.

Chen Ling smiled helplessly, brushed his red cloud-like sleeves, and redirected his gaze towards the monstrous rift above. Regardless, his connection with the human realm had come to an end. Only he knew what he had experienced on this journey. He had never expected that upon his departure, besides endless slander and defamation, he would hear such pure and fervent voices. In this corrupt world, the cries of these children were as precious as gems. Perhaps this would be Chen Ling's best impression of this era for decades to come.

As the calls of the Integration Faction rang out, Chen Ling suddenly felt his aura surge explosively, breaking through the limits of peak fifth-tier and officially entering the sixth-tier!

"So, this is the performance you wanted to see..." Chen Ling murmured, looking down at his hands. Amidst the audience's doubts and cheers, the king found his destination. Chen Ling, not long ago, would never have imagined that this performance would conclude with such an ending. Unlike the usual tranquility after a show, this time, a trace of resentment and bitterness lingered in Chen Ling's heart. It was as if a performance, not yet fully concluded, had abruptly stopped just before its true climax.

Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly. He could feel the audience beside him cheering for the performance's end. Their gazes were still playful and mocking. Chen Ling knew that his forced departure from the human realm and reluctant journey to the Ghost Taunt Abyss was exactly what the audience wanted to see. Or rather, it was what "Taunt" wanted to see. If he wanted to advance, he had to complete the performance. After so many experiments, Chen Ling had long discovered that the conditions for his performance were almost entirely tailor-made based on everything the audience experienced through him.

So... was he truly and completely independent of the Taunt Calamity?