Chapter 530: Ancient Tibetan Change of Heaven

"I feel pretty well recovered, so I came down for a walk," Chen Ling replied.

Ning Ruyu was speechless.

Ning Ruyu glanced at the wounds, which seemed on the verge of splitting open, and his mouth twitched uncontrollably. Without a word, he hurried Chen Ling back to bed, strictly forbidding him from getting up and moving around before his wounds healed. He almost tied him down with a rope.

"Senior Brother, I'm quite sturdy; a few steps won't kill me," Chen Ling tried to protest.

Ning Ruyu gritted his teeth and said, "No, it won't kill you, but I don't want to see your intestines spill out onto the floor as you walk... I'd have to sew you up again."

"Junior Brother, don't risk your life. You're moving too fast and taking too big steps; something could easily go wrong."

Seeing Ning Ruyu's solemn admonition, Chen Ling gave up struggling. Lying on the sickbed, he nodded helplessly.

Seeing this, Ning Ruyu's expression finally relaxed slightly. He put on his shoes and prepared to open the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To talk to Master and the other junior brothers and sisters about something... You just rest well here."

As Ning Ruyu left, closing the door behind him, the room fell silent.

Chen Ling, wrapped in bandages, lay alone on the bed, his eyes idly fixed on the ceiling above. A line of text floated up before his eyes:

Current Anticipation: 59

It's dropping again...

When Chen Ling was in the theater earlier, the audience's anticipation was still at 60. It seemed that the dull recovery period was starting to bore them. At this rate, by the time he fully recovered, the anticipation would probably drop significantly again.

"I've been in the Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts for almost half a year now... I wonder how things are in the Mortal Realm?"

Chen Ling had spent more time in the Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts than he had even in the Aurora Domain, yet he felt no particular difference. Perhaps it was because of the tranquility of the place; Chen Ling barely noticed the passage of time. Every day, he studied theater and practiced martial arts, and a day would pass in the blink of an eye.

They say time stands still in the mountains, and Chen Ling's secluded existence in the Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts was no different from living as a recluse in the wilderness. He had no idea about the situation outside or what was happening in the Nine Great Domains.

Chen Ling tossed and turned on his sickbed, contemplating for a long time before muttering to himself:

"I've mastered most of the basic skills of theatrical arts, and the most important one, 'Scarlet Face,' has also been activated. It would be difficult to make further progress by staying here... Perhaps it's time to leave."

A week quickly passed.

Chen Ling's injuries had completely healed. Whether it was due to the powerful healing ability of his Blood Garment or Ning Ruyu's miraculous medical skills, not a single scar remained on his body. His skin was smooth as jade, and his energy and spirit had returned to their peak.

During that week, Ning Ruyu primarily took care of him personally. Third Senior Brother Wenren You brought him meals every day, and the other senior brothers and sisters took turns visiting, seemingly worried that Chen Ling would be bored. Of course, Chen Ling himself wasn't bored; only the "audience" was.

It's worth mentioning that after Ning Ruyu went out that day, Master descended the mountain that very evening.

When Chen Ling asked where Master had gone, his senior brothers and sisters mumbled evasively, unable to give a clear explanation. They only said he was going to find a mysterious person who supposedly knew many secrets and had even relayed information to the Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts. However, this person's whereabouts were so elusive that only Master could possibly track him down.

Although the other senior brothers and sisters were lighthearted and jovial when visiting Chen Ling, for some reason, Chen Ling always felt they had something on their minds. This was especially true for Ning Ruyu; Chen Ling had seen him more than once sitting under the moonlight, frowning in deep thought.

After that, Mo Jiao also descended the mountain.

Before leaving, Mo Jiao also visited Chen Ling, explaining that he was going to investigate some matters as a member of the Twilight Society and would likely return in three to five days. Chen Ling took the opportunity to suggest accompanying him down the mountain but was refused on the grounds that his "injuries hadn't fully recovered."

With Master and Mo Jiao having successively descended the mountain, and Chou Jiao always stationed on Chou Peak, the entire Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts, apart from Chen Ling, was left with only Ning Ruyu, Luan Mei, and Wenren You. Whenever it was time to eat, Chen Ling would look at the four people, barely filling the table, and always feel a sense of emptiness.

On the day Chen Ling fully recovered, he finished a whole bowl of rice, put down his bowl, took a deep breath, and said:

"Senior Brother, I'd like to leave the Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts for a while."

Luan Mei and Wenren You exchanged a complex glance, their eyes simultaneously turning to Ning Ruyu. With Master absent, Senior Brother was the pillar of the Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts and the patriarch for all of them.

"Why?" Ning Ruyu asked back.

"I just feel like I've been too comfortable here for too long," Chen Ling replied truthfully. "No matter what, I'm a member of the Twilight Society, and just staying in the Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts isn't a solution. Whether it's taking on missions or infiltrating other domains, I want to go out and do something."

Ning Ruyu pondered for a moment.

"Junior Brother, I think you're still too hasty. You're only at the third tier right now, and you haven't even mastered a domain. You won't be able to protect yourself after leaving the Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts. Furthermore, of the four major basic skills—singing, reciting, acting, and martial arts—you still haven't learned one."

"How about this: you stay in the Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts for a while longer. It would be safest to leave after you've mastered a domain and learned the 'Martial Arts' secret technique."

Chen Ling paused, then shook his head. "That would take too long."

Chen Ling had completed his mid-third tier performance, and indeed, his promotion to the fourth tier wasn't far off. However, it would still take several months at least, and the conditions for his final promotional performance were unknown. Not all performances could be resolved by using the "era archive."

For Chen Ling, waiting until he reached the fourth tier in the Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts before leaving was too slow and overly cautious. For the "audience," it was even less acceptable.

"Then at least, you'll have to master all four major basic secret techniques, right?"

"Of the four major basic secret techniques, I only have the 'Martial Arts' technique left to learn. My body has now recovered to peak condition; I can start anytime."

"Alright." Ning Ruyu nodded. "However, practicing the 'Martial Arts' secret technique requires a specific environment... I'll probably need three or four days to prepare."

"Three or four days, huh..."

Chen Ling considered this. Waiting in the Ancient Repository of Theatrical Arts until he reached the fourth tier would be too long, but a few days was manageable. He nodded in agreement.

Over the next few days, Chen Ling spent his time waiting.

During these days, Ning Ruyu was largely nowhere to be seen. Their usual daily close-quarters combat training didn't take place, and Chen Ling only saw him during dinner each evening.

By the fourth day, during dinner, Chen Ling couldn't help but ask again when he would learn the "Martial Arts" secret technique. However, Ning Ruyu said that things were a bit troublesome and would probably take another two or three days.

"Still so long?"

Chen Ling vaguely felt that something was amiss, but after a long hesitation, he decided not to ask further.

He looked up at Luan Mei and Wenren You beside him. Both avoided his gaze, silently continuing to eat with their heads bowed, saying nothing.