Chapter 743: 兜底

## Chapter 743: The Safety Net

A visible aura surged in the void, sweeping across the Forbidden Sea!

That single word contained the power to destroy worlds. The moment it rang out, the entire ocean fell silent... Even the waves crashing against the reefs seemed to be briefly muted, utterly soundless.

Jizai froze; all the calamities of the Forbidden Sea froze; Jian Changsheng, who had just finished vomiting, covered his ears with his hands. He had just dazedly looked up when he saw Master's face exposed in the open... Then, he too froze on the spot.

In this eerie silence, Master snorted coldly. As his sleeve brushed lightly across his cheek, he transformed back into his youthful height and appearance. He turned, pulled the arm that had returned, and exerted force once more!

Bang—! A complete figure burst out from within! The figure swayed unsteadily in the air, seemingly dizzy and almost falling headfirst, but the next moment, an arm steadily supported him.

Chen Ling shook his muddled head. He looked at the youthful opera-robed boy in front of him and took a moment to regain his senses.

"Master?!"

Master's lips curved slightly upward. "...It finally worked," he said.

Chen Ling's gaze swept aimlessly around. He first saw the bewildered Jian Changsheng, then the wave of calamities frozen on the sea surface behind them, and the colossal black shadow in the distance...

"Master, them..." Chen Ling's expression was subtly complex, sensing the terrifying world-ending aura.

"Don't mind them," Master said, waving his hand indifferently. "Let's go. They wouldn't dare pursue us."

Having said that, Master calmly put his hands behind his back and slowly walked forward, right in front of the many calamities of the Forbidden Sea.

Chen Ling froze for a moment. Although the world-ending aura felt like daggers in his back, he still chose to trust Master. After taking a deep look at the Forbidden Sea, he quickly followed.

"Wait... Red Heart! Wait for me!" Jian Changsheng saw himself being left behind and immediately scrambled up from the ground, trotting to catch up, fearing that if he ran any slower, he would be swallowed by the calamities.

As the three figures gradually disappeared at the horizon's edge, the colossal shadow in the deep sea also fell silent. It did not choose to pursue.

After an unknown amount of time, the surging world-ending aura gradually receded... A pair of eyes, like giant lanterns, seemed to have deeply imprinted the three figures into memory, before slowly sinking into the seabed amidst the surging waves.

The bone-chilling coldness gradually receded behind them, leaving only endless gray desolation before their eyes.

Master walked at the very front, with Chen Ling and Jian Changsheng walking behind him, one on each side. At this moment, Chen Ling had just recovered from his dizziness, and his mind was still replaying the recent scene.

He only remembered that after grabbing Master's hand, he was pulled by a great force, directly breaking through an iron-like curtain to return to his original body. The first thing he saw after seeing the light of day again was Master with his back to him, his opera robe fluttering in the wind, slowly transforming from an adult back into a youth.

Chen Ling felt that Master held many secrets.

For example, how did he reach into the theater? Why did he know about the existence of Chen Ling of District Three within him? Why did he know about the relationship between Chen Ling of District Three and the Witch God's Way? What were those four nameless performer's spirit tablets? And the very first question...

Master, why did he specifically instruct him to join the Twilight Society? Was it because he knew Chen Ling carried the Mocking Calamity? Was that all?

Countless questions flooded Chen Ling's mind. He looked at the youthful figure walking ahead, and after much hesitation, he finally spoke:

"Master..."

"Hmm?"

"Just how much do you know?"

"About what, specifically?" Master asked.

"About me... about the theater, about Chen Ling, about the Mocking Calamity..." Chen Ling said thoughtfully. "Actually, I heard your voice during my last memory recall... You were there that rainy night too."

"Yes, I was indeed there," Master calmly replied.

"Did you orchestrate all of this?" Chen Ling continued, "I was actually quite puzzled before. Why did it have to be that rainy night? Why such a coincidence, for one family to have an elder brother with a talent for the Witch God's Way and a younger brother with a talent for the God of Theater's Way... I always felt there was an invisible thread connecting everything that night." Chen Ling paused. "Master, were you the one who connected everything?"

Master's footsteps paused slightly. He didn't answer, just turned back and gave Chen Ling a deep look. "Old Sixth," he said, "there are some things I'm not unwilling to tell you, but it's not the right time yet... Knowing everything in advance won't do you any good."

"Then when will it be the right time??" Chen Ling pressed.

"When you can unravel all the mysteries yourself," Master replied after a pause. "Trust me... That day won't be too far off."

Chen Ling had already guessed Master's answer; otherwise, Master would have told him everything during the ancient theater treasure hunt, and he wouldn't be so confused now.

Chen Ling changed the subject and continued to ask:

"There's one more thing I don't quite understand. During the Domain War, you yourself were clearly in the Mortal Domain. Why did you hint for me to release the Mocking Calamity? If you had acted yourself, the outcome wouldn't have been much different, would it? And there wouldn't be so many complications now."

Although Chen Ling was replaced by the audience, he saw everything in the theater: from fighting the Mocking Calamity alone and sealing it with spirit tablets, to later using various tricks and deceptions to bring it into Jizai's belly. Master paid too high a price to bring him back; in fact, he could have avoided all of it from the very beginning.

"Although this was risky, it was good for you," Master calmly stated. "Only by understanding that place and the Mocking Calamity better can you go further. Moreover, after successive battles, the Mocking Calamity has been significantly depleted, and your resistance to it has increased. In the future, you'll be able to handle its loss of control more calmly..."

"You went through all this trouble, just for me?" Chen Ling was startled.

Master chuckled softly:

"You are my disciple; if not for you, then for whom? In this era, only I can suppress the Mocking Calamity for you and help you gain experience. While I'm still here, I should do more for you. However, I can only help you with this once. When I'm no longer around, you must not attempt such things lightly."

Hearing this, both Chen Ling and Jian Changsheng were startled, and immediately felt nervous...

Especially Chen Ling. As a former director, he was too sensitive to such lines. Weren't such words usually spoken by people setting up a 'death flag' before making a sacrifice?!

Chen Ling immediately retorted, "Master, what do you mean by 'when you're no longer around'?"

Master was startled, then chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Hahahahahahaha, it naturally refers to distance! I'm a very busy person; I can't always follow behind you to cover your back, can I?"