Chapter 731: So Much for a Worthless Bunch

"…Eat?" Jian Changsheng mused. The Red King certainly was a particular individual; here they were in the Gray World, with an Annihilator sitting nearby, and he was still eating on time.

Jian Changsheng himself was actually already hungry, but given the special circumstances, he hadn't said anything. He sat down naturally on the bench next to the Red King. Just as he was about to pick up his chopsticks, his master's voice leisurely rang out: "You, switch places with him."

Jian Changsheng's outstretched hand paused in mid-air, then silently retracted. He exchanged a glance with "Chen Ling" and sat back down on the other side.

"Chen Ling" frowned, scrutinizing the master and the mysteriously appearing dish, as if suspicious of a trap. After a moment of hesitation, he gave a cold snort and confidently sat down next to the master.

The moment he sat down, the surroundings began to change. Familiar walls rose from the previously dark ground, and a house folded into existence from thin air, enclosing all three of them. The open-air environment instantly transformed into a lively indoor dining room.

Jian Changsheng was very curious about this scene, but "Chen Ling" suddenly froze as he saw the familiar surroundings.

This was his third senior brother Wen Renyou's home.

"Chen Ling" stared at the master with a frown, wondering what scheme this person was up to.

"Let's eat," the master said calmly, naturally picking up his bowl. "There's more rice in the kitchen if you need it."

"Thank you, senior!" Jian Changsheng said with profound respect.

Meanwhile, in the theater's audience seating, a figure shrouded in darkness and confusion felt a growing sense of familiarity as he watched the scene unfold. While other audience members grew impatient with the boring plot, he alone sat transfixed, completely engrossed, as if he himself were the protagonist on stage.

Hesitantly, "Chen Ling" still picked up his chopsticks and took a tentative bite of a dish.

There was no lethal poison, nor was it particularly unpalatable; it was just like everyday home-cooked food, utterly unremarkable. Watching Jian Changsheng across from him practically devour his meal, most of "Chen Ling's" suspicions dissipated.

On the frost-covered ground of the Gray World, the cold wind howled. Three figures sat inside the house, enjoying a steaming table of home-cooked dishes.

The atmosphere settled into an eerie harmony.

Audience expectation value: 1

"Chen Ling's" expression suddenly stiffened.

At this point, the "audience" seemed to be gradually losing interest in this new "protagonist." He had failed to provide any emotional value or stir anyone's anticipation, and the story hadn't become more interesting because of his presence. He wasn't acknowledged by anyone—neither by the master, nor Jian Changsheng, nor the audience in the theater.

"Eat more," the master said.

With an expressionless flick of his sleeve, the master conjured three steaks out of nowhere, placing them in front of each person.

The master's own steak was probably medium-rare, tender and vibrant in color, its aroma filling the air.

The one in front of "Chen Ling" was a well-done steak, even a bit tough and hard to chew.

And Jian Changsheng stared blankly at the completely raw steak in front of him, untouched and still bloody.

"Senior Red King... why isn't mine cooked?" Jian Changsheng asked bewilderedly.

The master sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm: "Because it's tender."

"Then why is mine well-done?" "Chen Ling" asked with distaste.

"It's fine; it can pretend to be tender."

"Chen Ling": ...Jian Changsheng: ...

Jian Changsheng finally understood. So, the matter of him calling the Red King a "little brat" still hadn't been forgotten. He awkwardly scratched his head and silently continued to eat.

*Bang—!!*

"Chen Ling" directly slammed his fist onto the table, shattering it along with all the dishes. He had completely lost his patience, glaring fiercely at the master.

The audience's expectation value continued to plummet. "Chen Ling" was extremely anxious; to regain their anticipation, he needed to recover his full power and then aggressively stir up conflict. However, the pair of paper shackles blocked all his efforts.

The master looked at the mess on the floor, his expression calm, as if he had long anticipated this.

"You're too impatient."

"Impatient? You don't understand anything!!"

"That's the difference between you and Sixth," the master said, glancing at him indifferently. "He's a born actor and a born director, while you... you're just an imitator full of negative emotions and terrible acting skills, a self-important 'audience' member."

"Chen Ling's" fists clenched tighter and tighter. Annihilation-level pressure, unleashed with his rage, shook the house in the Gray World, making it tremble precariously.

"Enough nonsense... Don't waste my time here! Quickly, unbind these shackles!!"

Seeing this, the master merely sighed helplessly. With a wave of his hand, he gathered all the mess and the house into a disc. "Alright then, let's go. We're almost there."

"Where exactly is this place you're talking about?"

"Over there."

The master raised his sleeve, his fingertip pointing towards the far end of the dim ocean. "The deepest part of the Forbidden Sea."

Jian Changsheng was stunned, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Wait! You mean... we're going to break into the deepest part of the Forbidden Sea? Isn't that another Annihilator's lair? Will it let us in?"

"The Forbidden Sea..." "Chen Ling's" eyes narrowed slightly.

He turned back to the master, speaking grimly, "As long as we get there, do you guarantee you'll remove these shackles for me?"

"I've already sworn by the name of the Divine Path."

"Good."

"Chen Ling" let out a cold snort and walked directly towards the Forbidden Sea.

Snow-like waves crashed repeatedly onto the reefs. Freezing winds swept in from the sea, turning everything into ice. In the distance, lead-gray clouds hung like towering mountains over the ocean, oppressive and desolate.

The figure in the large red opera robe slowly stopped at the edge of the Forbidden Sea.

"Hey, didn't you hear Senior Red King?" Jian Changsheng couldn't help but ask. "The Forbidden Sea is currently the largest disaster territory in the entire Gray World... If we just waltz in like this, how is it any different from breaking in to rob a place?"

"The largest disaster territory?" "Chen Ling" scoffed.

With a casual gesture, a large red paper umbrella floated lightly into his palm. Although no power emanated from it, the next moment, the Annihilation aura of the Ghost Mocking Abyss surged up from the edge of the sea like a towering beacon.

The figure in the large red opera robe stepped onto the surface of the sea without fear. Its terrifying pressure directly parted the water on either side as it walked forward, seemingly on air.

The latter half of his sentence emerged faintly from beneath the large red paper umbrella: "Just a bunch of chickens and dogs."