Bewildered Audience
"Ahead is the territory of the Forbidden Sea."
To Hong Xiu's right, a middle-aged figure carrying a scroll spoke in a deep voice, "Is there really no way to avoid it?"
"Theoretically, it can be avoided." To Hong Xiu's left, a figure entirely shrouded in black cloth spoke hoarsely. "But ever since swallowing the Aurora Domain, the territory of the Forbidden Sea has greatly expanded. If we want to take a detour, it will take at least three more days..."
"It's just three days. Is the situation really as urgent as they say?"
"You also saw the news coming from the Red Dust Domain... The Lord of Wuji lost the battle. Nearly half of his soul was sealed, while the other large half of his soul remains in the Wuji Domain.
But the problem is, the Lord of Wuji actively gave up his carbon-based physical body. So if there is no new Philosopher's Stone, that large half of his soul can only maintain a mercury state indefinitely, unable to move, unable to attack, and not possessing a clear self-consciousness.
So, right now is the best time to kill the Lord of Wuji!"
"Then what if during this period, someone slaughters the residents of the Wuji Domain to forcefully refine a Philosopher's Stone for the Lord of Wuji?"
"So you're saying, the threat of the Wuji Domain is actually not big?"
"If the Wuji Domain really had absolutely no threat, then it wouldn't have fallen into a state of complete disconnection from all domains." Hong Xiu, who had remained silent all along, suddenly spoke. "The situation in that Domain is definitely not as simple as we imagine..."
"Exactly. In short, the longer we drag it out, the greater the variables. We still have to arrive at Wuji as soon as possible and see what the situation there is really like."
"I understand... But the Forbidden Sea..."
"The Forbidden Sea is actually not that scary." The figure entirely shrouded in black cloth suddenly spoke. "Don't forget... among us, there is someone who fought her way out from inside single-handedly."
As soon as this sentence came out, everyone was instantly stunned. As if thinking of something, their gazes gradually gathered on Hong Xiu at the very front...
Their eyes lit up slightly.
"Don't underestimate the Forbidden Sea." Hong Xiu's expression was unprecedentedly solemn.
"Even if our overall strength is not weak, if we want to cross through there, even if it's just a corner... we must be prepared for large-scale sacrifices."
The expressions of the other few people also became serious. They looked back at this team of nearly a hundred people. After a long silence, they nodded slightly.
"... Understood."
...
"Who... am I?"
Light and shadow intertwined on the Stage, like a movie currently playing.
Extremely realistic sound effects surrounded from all directions. In the dim Theater, it seemed only the light on the Stage was flowing... At the same time, countless black human figures were sitting quietly in the audience seats Off Stage. Their scarlet gazes stared at the playing light and shadow, as if intoxicated by it.
As the performance on the Stage progressed, they were sometimes angry, sometimes chuckled playfully, and sometimes were bored and dissatisfied;
And every time their emotions changed, a line of small text floated out on the display screen in the center of the Stage...
[Audience Expectation Value -1]
[Current Expectation Value: 22%]
On the Stage, the lead actor "Chen Ling" shrouded in light and shadow occasionally caught a glimpse of this line of small text somewhere, and his expression instantly became somewhat ugly... After cursing silently a few times, he hurriedly caught up with the other two, and opened his mouth to deliver a barrage of fierce verbal abuse.
At the same time.
Somewhere in the audience seats, an Audience entirely shrouded in shadow did not change with the emotional changes of the other people... He just sat there blankly, watching the performance silently, bewilderment surfacing in his eyes.
"Who... am I?"
He looked at the other two roles that appeared in the performance and felt very familiar in his heart, but couldn't think of where he had seen them before;
Or rather... he fundamentally couldn't think. He was like an empty shell that had lost its consciousness, passively sitting there, allowing the contents of the performance to be input into his mind. But his difference from the other Audiences lay in the fact that there was a trace of Bewilderment in his heart; he was trying to think.
His gaze stared closely at the scenes of the performance, trying to find more familiar points... His body leaned slightly forward, like an extremely immersed Audience.
...
"Why does it feel like the further we walk, the colder it gets?"
Three figures advanced along the desolate earth. Whimpering cold winds brushed past, leaving faint white frost on the ground. Even Jian Changsheng, who had thick skin and tough flesh, couldn't help but hug his arms and shiver at this moment.
"Chen Ling" beside him let out a cold laugh, "Squishy."
Jian Changsheng: ?
Jian Changsheng felt that this person was mostly likely sick in the head. Every time he said a sentence, this guy had to contradict him. He felt cold, what did that have to do with him?
"It's very normal to feel cold. Ahead is the territory of the Forbidden Sea." Master answered calmly.
"Forbidden Sea? We returned to the Aurora Domain again?" Jian Changsheng was incredibly surprised.
"It's not that we returned, it's that the Forbidden Sea expanded." Master explained unhurriedly. "After swallowing the Aurora Domain, the entire north is already the area of the Forbidden Sea. If it weren't for the Red Dust Domain being hidden within a flower, I'm afraid a large half of its area would also overlap with the Forbidden Sea... This should be the most massive Calamity territory in the Gray World."
"Aurora Domain, Forbidden Sea..."
Jian Changsheng muttered these two names softly. His thoughts seemed to drift back to that world of ice and snow. For a moment, his heart was filled with mixed feelings, and he helplessly let out a long sigh.
"Pretending." "Chen Ling" spoke disdainfully,
"Day after day... recalling memories whenever a name is mentioned, recalling memories whenever a name is mentioned! Dragging out the word count here, right! Where did you get so many memories worth missing? Keep pretending your sentimentality, keep pretending!"
"? No, are you sick in the head?!!" Jian Changsheng was about to be driven crazy by this guy.
Hearing the cursing coming from behind, Master seemed to have gotten used to it. He cast a leisurely glance into the distance, as if seeing something, and slowly stopped his steps.
"Senior Red King, why did we stop?" Seeing this, Jian Changsheng asked in confusion.
"No rush. If we walk any faster, we'll bump into a group of people... Less trouble is better than more trouble."
"Ah? Then what do we do now? Just wait dryly?"
After hesitating for a moment, Master reached his fingertips into his sleeve. The next moment, a familiar dining table, as well as a few familiar long benches, were placed on the desolate earth covered in white frost.
With another wave of Master's sleeve, plates of dishes manifested out of thin air. Although they were all black and white in the Gray World, they still gave a mouth-watering feeling.
Master glanced at "Chen Ling" to the side and spoke leisurely:
"Anyway, we're not in a hurry to leave... Sit down and have a bite to eat."