Chapter 1329: 凝固的脸

Chapter 1329: The Frozen Face

Chen Ling was incredibly pleased.

He had completed three Slayings of Evil, gained soul abilities, and his strength had skyrocketed. Wu Yi had also become the new Poison Leader. The hidden dangers of Ghost Mocking Abyss had been completely eradicated, and he had fully taken control of the entire Doomsday Territory!

Compared to when he was recently driven out of the South Sea Domain, everything now felt like a dream. Unbeknownst to him, he had grown to an astonishing degree…

If he were given a chance to return to the Human Domain now…

No, that opportunity was gone.

Chen Ling couldn't go back, nor did he want to. Wouldn't being a free and unrestrained Calamity King in Ghost Mocking Abyss be far more comfortable than returning to the Human Domain?

Here, he had everything: power, influence, status, dignity… He was thoroughly content.

That night, Wu Yi killed many venomous creatures that challenged it.

That night, Chen Ling drank another entire jar of Five-Poison Wine.

He returned to his underground palace, completely drunk, unable to walk steadily. He swayed erratically, like a silent, red-clad male ghost intruding into an empty hall, bizarre to the extreme.

Just then, Chen Ling saw his reflection on the mirror-like floor tiles…

He suddenly froze.

"How could this be…"

In the reflection, he wore his familiar large red opera robe, but his face… was still that of the "Black Robe Play Phantom."

Only now did Chen Ling realize that after the third Slaying of Evil, although his opera robe had returned, his face had not reverted to its original state… It was like a lingering side effect after he had devoured the Black Robe Play Phantom.

His face seemed to be clogged by something, and even using the Formless ability couldn't change it.

His skin was pitch black, his eyes crimson, and his features blurred. Red paper fragments would even occasionally peel off his face like old wall paint, making him look utterly inhuman, like an incredibly terrifying monster.

In that moment, he no longer resembled Chen Ling; instead, he perfectly matched the calamitous image of "Mocking Calamity."

Chen Ling's fingertips lightly brushed his cheek.

"Is this… the price of gaining power?"

He had devoured the power of Mocking Calamity too quickly, so much so that his body couldn't fully digest the Black Robe Play Phantom. The stubborn remnants had settled on his face like toxins…

Chen Ling tried using "Painting Crimson Faces." It did have some effect; Chen Ling could feel the toxins accumulated on his face beginning to melt away, but the process was extremely slow. It would take at least several months to fully restore his original face.

During this time, he would have to live with this terrifying and monstrous calamitous face.

After a brief frown, Chen Ling's expression relaxed.

It didn't matter.

Anyway, he was Mocking Calamity now. What did it matter if he looked like a calamity? What did it matter if he couldn't get his original face back?

Perhaps, when dealing with these venomous creatures, his current face was even more suitable and would help him blend better into Ghost Mocking Abyss!

He lifted the wine jar and took a big gulp, a drunken smile returning to his lips. He turned and continued to stumble into the darkness…

The red robe fluttered like a solitary butterfly, drifting away.

***

Xuan Yu Domain.

Violent roars echoed from the distant edge of the domain. The ground trembled, and menacing cracks began to spread across the surface.

"Is the fighting over there that intense?"

In the fields several dozen kilometers from the edge, Jian Changsheng observed the visibly withered rice paddies around him, his gaze incredibly solemn.

The calamitous aura from the Illusory Mountains had already seeped into the earth through the distant battlefield. Even the fields this far away were affected, proving that the war on the front lines was already quite brutal.

Beside him, Jiang Xiaohua quietly sat up from the soil, muttering unhappily:

"It's too noisy, I can't sleep…"

"Tsk… Meihua, when do you think they'll be done fighting?"

Jiang Xiaohua honestly shook her head.

"I don't know."

"...Forget it, asking you is useless."

Jian Changsheng looked around, mumbling, "That guy Fang Kuai said he was going to scout the battlefield. He's been gone for most of the day, why isn't he back yet?"

"He didn't die, did he?" Jiang Xiaohua blinked.

"..." Jian Changsheng was a bit speechless. "If you're so brave, wait until he gets back and say that to his face."

Before Jian Changsheng finished speaking, he suddenly seemed to sense something. He grabbed Jiang Xiaohua's arm and sharply pulled off the bandage, revealing a large patch of fair skin.

At the same time, a mysterious power emanated from Jiang Xiaohua's body, instantly concealing both of their auras without a trace.

The next second,

several streaks of light streaked across the sky!

These figures were all emitting Level 8 auras. The leader looked towards the battlefield, and with a raised hand, gigantic, coffin-like shadows began to materialize in the void. Large amounts of Level 7 and Level 8 auras surged forth from them.

"Oh, isn't that an old acquaintance?" Hiding in the fields, Jian Changsheng's eyebrows rose when he saw the person's face.

"Who?"

"Don't you remember? That Judgment Agent from the Boundless Domain, a Level 8 Puppet God Path practitioner, the older brother of the Esoteric Sect's Young Sect Master."

"Oh..." Jiang Xiaohua nodded, unsure if she actually remembered or not.

After Tian Huai's figure streaked across the sky, he disappeared into the far end of the battlefield. A moment later, even more terrifying roars echoed from the distance.

At the same time, a stealthy figure appeared in the fields.

"Fang Kuai! Over here!" Jian Changsheng waved at Sun Buxian.

Only then did Sun Buxian see the hidden Jian Changsheng and the other person, and he quickly walked over.

"How is it?"

"It's very intense," Sun Buxian said solemnly. "On the Xuan Yu Domain side, the Esoteric Sect has almost fully mobilized. In terms of numbers, they are far fewer than the calamities from the Illusory Mountains, but they are all Puppet God Path practitioners, each generally controlling more than one puppet, so they aren't at such a disadvantage...

"I just saw Tian Huai join the battle as well. With hundreds of puppets, he should be able to help the Xuan Yu Domain stabilize the situation more quickly."

"It's a stalemate then..." Jian Changsheng mused. "What about Delusional Calamity? Xuan Yu doesn't have a demigod presiding, so they shouldn't be able to hold it back."

"That's the problem," Sun Buxian paused.

"I searched the entire battlefield, but I couldn't find any trace of Delusional Calamity... It's as if it hasn't participated in this war at all."

Jian Changsheng was utterly surprised. "Is it that confident? Does it think its subordinate calamities can overwhelm the Xuan Yu Domain even without its intervention? Or is it that..."

"Or rather, it's wary of Lord Xuan Yu," Sun Buxian completed his sentence.

"I think that's the more reasonable guess. It knows that once it acts, the situation will become overwhelming, and if the Xuan Yu Domain is pushed too hard, they will directly awaken Lord Xuan Yu... choosing mutual destruction."

"It would fear Lord Xuan Yu?"

"Who knows..."

"So what do we do? Continue waiting here?"

Sun Buxian pondered for a moment. "I think we can no longer passively wait... We need to take the initiative!"