Chapter 730: Confused Audience

Ahead lies the territory of the Forbidden Sea.

To Red Sleeve's right, a middle-aged figure carrying a scroll spoke in a low voice, "Is there really no way to avoid it?"

"Theoretically, it can be avoided," a figure entirely cloaked in black fabric on Red Sleeve's left replied hoarsely. "However, since the annexation of the Aurora Realm, the Forbidden Sea's territory has expanded significantly. If we were to detour, it would take at least three more days..."

"Just three days. Is the situation really as urgent as they claim?"

"You've seen the message from the Mortal Realm... Lord Wuji was defeated, nearly half of his soul was sealed, and the majority of the remaining soul is still in the Wuji Realm. The problem is, Lord Wuji willingly abandoned his carbon-based body. So, without a new Philosopher's Stone, the greater part of his soul will remain in a mercury-like state, unable to move, attack, or possess clear self-awareness. Therefore, now is the best time to kill Lord Wuji!"

"What if, during this time, someone slaughters the residents of the Wuji Realm to forcefully refine a Philosopher's Stone for Lord Wuji?"

"That possibility isn't ruled out, but it's unlikely... Brand, the former vice-president of the Sorcery Association, was the foremost alchemist of this era. After he and nearly all high-ranking Sorcery Association combatants died in the Mortal Realm, even if any alchemical paths still exist in the Wuji Realm, their numbers would be extremely few. Moreover, not just anyone can set up the alchemical array required to refine a Philosopher's Stone."

"So, are you saying the Wuji Realm isn't much of a threat?"

"If the Wuji Realm truly posed no threat, it wouldn't have lost all communication throughout its domain," Red Sleeve, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. "The situation in that realm is definitely not as simple as we imagine..."

"Exactly. In short, the longer we delay, the more variables will arise. We still need to reach Wuji as soon as possible to see what the situation truly is there."

"I understand... but the Forbidden Sea..."

"The Forbidden Sea isn't actually that terrifying," the figure cloaked in black suddenly interjected. "Don't forget... one of us fought their way out of it alone."

At these words, everyone paused, as if realizing something. Their gazes gradually converged on Red Sleeve, who was at the front... Their eyes glimmered slightly.

"Don't underestimate the Forbidden Sea," Red Sleeve's expression was more solemn than ever. "Even if our overall strength is not weak, crossing it—even just a small part—will require us to be prepared for significant casualties."

The expressions of the others also grew serious. They glanced back at their group of nearly a hundred people, and after a long silence, nodded slightly.

"...Understood."

"Who... am I?"

Light and shadows intertwined on the stage, like a film playing. Extremely realistic sound effects enveloped them from all directions. In the dim theater, only the stage seemed to glow... Meanwhile, countless black figures sat quietly in the audience, their crimson eyes fixed on the moving lights and shadows, seemingly lost in enchantment.

As the performance on stage continued, they were sometimes angry, sometimes mockingly amused, and sometimes bored and dissatisfied. With each shift in their emotions, a small line of text floated across the display screen in the center of the stage...Audience Expectation 1Current Expectation: 22

On stage, the protagonist "Chen Ling," shrouded in light and shadow, occasionally caught a glimpse of this small text line, and his expression would immediately darken... After silently cursing a few times, he quickly caught up with the other two, immediately unleashing a torrent of fierce insults.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the audience, a spectator enveloped in shadow did not react to the emotional shifts of the others... He simply sat there, staring blankly at the performance, confusion appearing in his eyes.

"Who... am I?"

He looked at the other two characters appearing in the performance and felt a profound sense of familiarity, yet he couldn't recall where he had seen them. Or rather... he couldn't think at all. He was like an empty shell, devoid of consciousness, passively sitting there, letting the performance's content enter his mind. But unlike the other audience members, a sliver of confusion existed within him; he was attempting to think.

His gaze was fixed intently on the performance, trying to find more familiar elements... He leaned slightly forward, like an utterly absorbed spectator.

"Why does it feel colder the further we go?"

Three figures walked across the desolate land. A wailing cold wind swept by, leaving a faint white frost on the ground. Even Jian Changsheng, with his thick skin and strong build, couldn't help but cross his arms and shiver.

"Chen Ling," nearby, sneered, "Fragile."

Jian Changsheng: ?

Jian Changsheng felt this person was probably sick. Every time he said something, the other had to contradict him. Why did it matter to him if Jian Changsheng felt cold?

"It's normal to feel cold; we're nearing the Forbidden Sea's territory," the Master calmly replied.

"The Forbidden Sea? Are we back in the Aurora Realm?" Jian Changsheng asked, utterly surprised.

"It's not that we returned; the Forbidden Sea has expanded," the Master explained unhurriedly. "After annexing the Aurora Realm, the entire northern region is now part of the Forbidden Sea's territory. If the Mortal Realm hadn't been hidden within the 'Flower,' likely a large portion of its area would also overlap with the Forbidden Sea... This must be the largest disaster territory in the Grey Realm."

"Aurora Realm, Forbidden Sea..." Jian Changsheng muttered these two names, his thoughts seemingly drifting back to the icy wilderness. A mix of emotions stirred within him, and he let out a helpless sigh.

"Feigning," "Chen Ling" said disdainfully. "Every day... Mention a name, and you reminisce! Mention a name, and you reminisce! Just filling up space, aren't we?! Where do you get so many memories worth cherishing? Go on, keep pretending to be melancholic, keep pretending!"

"? No, are you sick?!" Jian Changsheng was on the verge of being driven mad by this person.

Hearing the curses from behind, the Master seemed accustomed to them. He calmly gazed into the distance, as if seeing something, and slowly came to a halt.

"Senior Red King, why have we stopped?" Jian Changsheng asked, puzzled by this.

"No hurry. If we move any faster, we'll run into a group of people... It's better to avoid trouble."

"Oh? So what do we do now? Just wait?"

After a moment's hesitation, the Master reached into his sleeve. The next moment, a familiar dining table and several familiar benches appeared on the frost-covered desolate ground.

With another flick of his sleeve, plates of dishes materialized out of thin air. Although they were all black and white in the Grey Realm, they still looked mouthwatering.

The Master glanced at "Chen Ling" next to him and spoke slowly:

"There's no rush to leave anyway... Sit down and eat."