Chapter 316: Red Kite

“Well then, don't blame me.”

The next moment, Han Meng felt his hand suddenly lighten. He stared down blankly, realizing that the detonator he had been clutching had, at some point, turned into a piece of black coal.“You…?!”Han Meng reacted swiftly, raising his gun toward Chen Ling. But before he could fully lift it, the gun, too, transformed into coal.At the same instant, Chen Ling raised his own gun toward him…

“Who says the same trick won't work twice?” Chen Ling chuckled softly.Bang bang!Two gunshots rang out, and Chen Ling's bullets struck Han Meng in both knees!Han Meng had not expected Chen Ling to actually attack him. The two shots precisely hit the nerves in his knees, causing him to involuntarily sink to his knees, losing the ability to walk freely…As Chen Ling's third shot fired, a deconstructing bullet whistled past Han Meng's ear, tearing a large hole in the center of the elevator behind him!

The next moment, Chen Ling's boot powerfully connected with Han Meng's chest!A tremendous force emanated from Chen Ling's foot, causing Han Meng, who had lost his balance, to instinctively fall backward and plummet straight into the hole… Below the opening was a vertical abyss leading directly to the Aurora Base.Han Meng’s figure fell into the deep chasm. The sky rapidly receded from his vision, and in his startled gaze, the red-clad figure standing at the edge of the hole had a slight smile playing on his lips…

Audience Expectation Value +3Current Expectation Value: 74Boom—!!The elevator was engulfed in a burst of fire, and the ground's rocky structure collapsed with a roar. The Aurora Base's only passage to the outside was destroyed, completely sealing off the surface from the underground.

On the surface, Chen Ling held the detonator in one hand and slowly put away his pistol with the other, letting out a long sigh:“I finally get a chance to perform, and you just had to try and steal it from me… Why bother?”Chen Ling cast a final glance at the elevator, then turned and walked away into the distance.

As the vibrant red opera robe approached, the surrounding calamities exchanged glances, yet still cleared a path for him. Chen Ling paid them no mind, reopening his black umbrella and walking expressionlessly down the street…

These calamities had no idea what Chen Ling intended, but they instinctively feared the crimson hue, especially the lower-tier ones.However, this did not mean he could act with impunity within the Forbidden Sea.

Chen Ling could feel a gaze piercing through the endless void, silently observing him from the end of the street, beyond the shattered city wall, and in the deep abyss of another dimensional seabed… It was not fear that the gaze held, but rather bewilderment, scrutiny, and suspicion.Chen Ling knew that the owner of this gaze was the "World Destroyer" of the Forbidden Sea.

Several Eighth-tier calamities, standing like mountains in the distance outside the city wall, were also unafraid of him. They seemed hesitant to enter, perhaps fearing their massive bodies might accidentally crush the nascent young within, but more importantly, they awaited the command of the "World Destroyer."

Chen Ling's presence here was akin to a head of state from one superpower suddenly appearing in the territory of another. Both possessed weapons capable of mutual destruction, yet no one dared to make a move before understanding why he was there…This dangerous and delicate atmosphere was precisely what Chen Ling desired.

He naturally couldn't unleash the true Mockery; he could only leverage that powerful identity to buy himself time for action. He couldn't show fear or any weakness. Only by perfectly playing the role of Mockery could he ensure his safety… This was what Chen Ling excelled at.

Chen Ling proceeded through the street, heading directly toward the tower. However, he was forced to stop before the Seventh-tier calamity that had devastated Winter Harbor.

“…Get out of the way!”He spoke in a deep voice.The calamity's body was too massive; circumventing it would not only waste time but also raise suspicion among other calamities… Therefore, Chen Ling chose a head-on confrontation.

The crimson opera robe billowed wildly in the cold wind. Under Chen Ling's chilling and immensely intimidating gaze, the Seventh-tier calamity obediently shifted its colossal body, clearing a direct path to the tower for Chen Ling.At the same time, other calamities clustered behind this path also retreated, their gazes filled with apprehension and dread.

Chen Ling continued forward, his expression blank, holding his umbrella.His shoes crunched on the cold frost and snow, and on both sides of the road lay the ruins of buildings crushed by calamities, alongside countless corpses overgrown with Forbidden Flowers…

They lay hollowed out on either side of the street, or in their own living rooms and bedrooms, huddled together in twos and threes. Luscious red flowers bloomed from their eyes and mouths, while runes pulsed beneath their skin, and their flesh withered at a visible rate.

He even saw, reflected in a window, over twenty familiar figures in a small building, all with red flowers blooming from their bodies, even young children.

Chen Ling heard it. He heard the Forbidden young reveling within the corpses;It was the sound of bones being gnawed, the sound of flesh being sucked. Had there not already been no souls left in those shells, even their souls would likely have become sustenance for them… Aurora City, bustling just days ago, had now become a breeding ground for calamities.

It likely wouldn't be long before these bodies were completely drained, and hideous monsters would burst forth from within them, becoming mortal enemies for the next realm.

Chen Ling stopped before the tall tower.

He looked up at the sky, where auroras surged wildly, resembling countless helpless figures roaring in fury. Unfortunately, their cries could not transform into sound, and their forms remained frozen in the sky.

“I hear you…” Chen Ling murmured, gazing at the auroras filling the sky. “I will grant you eternal peace.”

He glanced at the time, then began to ascend the steps.

As he climbed the tower, the calamities clinging to its exterior wall seemed perplexed. They didn't know what Chen Ling intended, but simultaneously, the entity deep within the Forbidden Sea appeared to sense something amiss, as ripples began to spread across the thin surface of the sea!

Buzz—!!A low hum reverberated across the sea. At that moment, all calamities suddenly looked towards Chen Ling, who was ascending the tower, and surged towards him as if driven mad!

The Rune Giant staggered to its feet, let out a furious roar, pulled its long staff from the ground, and charged headlong toward the tower. The Seventh-tier calamity that had annihilated Winter Harbor extended countless seaweeds that surged forth like a tide. The few Eighth-tier calamities waiting outside the city seemed to go mad, letting out shrieks as they stormed into the city!

They seemed to know what Chen Ling intended to do.

The Catfish Calamity clinging to the tower's outer wall exerted sudden force, instantly pulverizing the building's surface. Feeling the steps beneath his feet become unstable, Chen Ling unhesitatingly drew his gun and fired three shots directly into his own heart!!

Bang, bang, bang!Infinitely close to death, he gained explosive power. He propelled himself upwards with a powerful leap, soaring into the sky like a crimson meteor!

“Only reacting now?” Chen Ling's blood-stained lips curved into a smile as he looked at the city full of frenzied calamities, grinning. “Too late…”

A dense swarm of calamities surged into the tower, like colossal black hands reaching out, grasping at Chen Ling as he continuously soared skyward. Just as they were about to touch his body, the figure in the vibrant red opera robe spread his arms wide!

In that moment, Chen Ling seemed to transform into a red kite flying into the heavens, about to embrace the aurora!

“Watch closely, everyone…”“This time, I will bring you salvation.”

As Chen Ling pressed the button in his hand, dozens of blinding suns instantly erupted from the ground beneath him. Scorching light converged into a sea, engulfing the entire city!!