Chapter 611: Meeting Gift

"Damn it! Is this really the Abyss of Ghostly Mockery?!"

Chen Ling's expression instantly became strange as he saw streaks of black shadows surging from deep within the distant earth.

He should have realized it sooner. The Crimson Sky cultists' suicide ritual was right before them. Since the "Audience" intervened in the performance at this moment, it was impossible for them, given their nature, to merely be seeking entertainment...

But they actually pulled a bait-and-switch, twisting the Crimson Sky cultists' ritual and changing the originally designated "Wailing Wasteland" into the "Abyss of Ghostly Mockery"?!

In the Gray World, Chen Ling didn't know if the "Abyss of Ghostly Mockery" bordered the "Wailing Wasteland"... But in the Mortal Realm, with the entire surroundings currently enveloped by the "Wailing Wasteland," the sudden appearance of an "Abyss of Ghostly Mockery" area merging with it was akin to an iceberg suddenly descending into a raging sea of fire, turning the already chaotic Mortal Realm situation into a clash of ice and fire.

Of course, with the current convergence area of the "Wailing Wasteland" being so vast, a mere "Abyss of Ghostly Mockery" could hardly contend with it... But Chen Ling guessed that the Mockery Disaster didn't care about these details at all. It didn't even care how many casualties the disasters from the "Abyss of Ghostly Mockery" suffered, as, in its eyes, these disasters were merely sweet and delicious meat chickens when it was in the Aurora Realm.

The reason it modified this ritual, creating an "Abyss of Ghostly Mockery" within the "Wailing Wasteland," was likely just to disgust the World-Ender of the "Wailing Wasteland."

This act was like jumping onto someone's dining table just as they were about to eat and suddenly taking a massive dump – not very harmful, but extremely insulting.

Audience Expectation Value: 3Current Expectation Value: 84

Under the gaze of countless playful scarlet eyes, a large number of black shadows crawled out from the Gray World convergence point. They didn't spare a glance for the mortal residents on the street but instead circled in mid-air for a moment before swarming towards the surrounding "Wailing Wasteland," as if they had sniffed out some utterly repulsive scent!

Chen Ling saw this scene and, for a moment, couldn't tell if the situation was good or bad... He shook his head helplessly and pulled Li Qingshan to his feet.

"Brother Lin, you killed that Crimson Sky cultist with just a wave of your hand earlier... How did you do that? Was it a Path skill?" Li Qingshan asked, unable to resist, as he looked at Chen Ling's sleeve so close to him, the recent scene replaying in his mind.

"No, that was a Theatrical Dao secret art."

"Theatrical Dao secret art?"

"It's one of the four secret arts derived from the basic principles of Theatrical Dao... The one just now was 'Sleeve-Flicker Heaven-Stir,' which, simply put, involves instantly erupting with astonishing power through the soul resonance between oneself and a character."

"Sleeve-Flicker Heaven-Stir?"

Li Qingshan murmured the four words, lost in thought.

"Let's not talk about that for now, Brother Li. You should get the medicine and head back quickly." Chen Ling glanced at the sky outside. "Now that the disasters from the 'Abyss of Ghostly Mockery' and the 'Wailing Wasteland' are fighting each other, this street is the safest place... If you go back now, you shouldn't encounter any sudden disaster attacks."

"Oh! Right!"

Only then did Li Qingshan remember he was there to get medicine for Kong Baosheng and immediately started rummaging through the dimly lit pharmacy.

He packed all the medications for lymphoma, and feeling it wasn't enough, he also grabbed a large quantity of common drugs like painkillers, fever reducers, and antibiotics. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he left a silver note on the broken counter.

"The staff are all gone, why are you still paying?"

"If I take the medicine, of course I have to pay for it; whether anyone is here or not is irrelevant... If I didn't pay, wouldn't that be theft or robbery?" Li Qingshan replied as a matter of course.

Seeing Li Qingshan's earnestness, Chen Ling shook his head without saying more and walked with him to the pharmacy entrance.

"Brother Lin, I'll be going then." Li Qingshan said gravely, "Please be careful yourself."

"Mhm."

Li Qingshan hurried a couple of steps, then suddenly seemed to remember something, turning back to look at Chen Ling.

"If the Director asks later why you didn't come back, what should I say?"

Chen Ling froze for a moment, then remembered Wang Jincheng was still at the playhouse. He and Li Qingshan had gone out for medicine together, but only one of them would return, which would indeed be hard to explain...

Chen Ling pondered for a moment. "Just say that we encountered a disaster on the way, and we got separated."

"Alright, I understand."

Li Qingshan nodded, carrying a large bag of medicine, and quickly ran towards the playhouse.

Chen Ling watched his figure gradually disappear at the end of the street. Eventually, only he remained, a lone red-clad figure standing at the dilapidated intersection.

A sighing breeze ruffled his clothes, and Chen Ling rubbed the corner of his eye helplessly.

"No one was left alive, and all clues are gone... Now, where do I find those Crimson Sky cultists?"

If Chen Ling had left the playhouse before purely because the Mockery Disaster was too annoying and he couldn't rest until the issue of the Wailing Wasteland's World-Ender arriving was resolved, then the situation was entirely different now... The Mockery Disaster had caused such a massive disturbance that if the World-Ender were truly summoned, it would probably be so enraged it would tear Chen Ling into a thousand pieces. Facing a World-Ender in such a furious state, even ten lives wouldn't be enough for him.

In any case, the Crimson Sky cultists could not be allowed to summon the World-Ender; otherwise, the day it arrived would be the day Chen Ling died violently!

But the Gray World's convergence area was so vast that Chen Ling didn't know where these Crimson Sky cultists were. His only option now was to search bit by bit, relying purely on luck.

"Why isn't this 'Emperor's Fate' working when it matters most?" Chen Ling sighed deeply.

"If only those Crimson Sky cultists would just run right into me..."

As he stood at the intersection, about to randomly choose a direction, a gentle breeze brushed against Chen Ling's cheek.

On the other side of the intersection, in the opposite direction from where Li Qingshan had left, a pair of shimmering black dancing shoes stepped over ruins and dried blood. A black dress, like rose petals dancing in the wind, moved lightly and steadily towards him.

She walked silently, her misty, rain-like long hair fanning out in the wind, as if she weren't walking over ruins but treading a red carpet, preparing to greet a grand performance.

Believer Liu Qingyan, dressed for the occasion;

The moment he saw that face, Chen Ling froze, seemingly not expecting to encounter her here...

As Liu Qingyan was about to reach him, Chen Ling snapped back to reality. He opened his mouth, about to ask something, when the girl's elaborate skirt suddenly swayed, and half a blood-stained head tumbled out from beneath it, rolling to a stop in front of Chen Ling.

Liu Qingyan's delicate body suddenly trembled.

Chen Ling stared blankly at the half-head on the ground, its eyes wide in death, then at Liu Qingyan, who looked like she wanted to bury her head in the ground. He couldn't help but ask:

"This is..."

Liu Qingyan pressed her lips together and silently picked up the half-head of the Crimson Sky cultist with both hands, offering it to Chen Ling, her eyes not daring to meet his.

She spoke, a little embarrassed,

"It's... it's a gift from me to Lord Chen Ling."