Chapter 1291: Please... Okay?

*Thud—thud—thud...*

The ripples beneath the Lake Pavilion were higher than the last, and amidst the dull drumbeats, they had even evolved into waves in the lake.

Chen Ling didn't know what was happening outside, but he could roughly guess that the situation in the South Sea Domain was not good... At least Chu Changqing's expression had gradually turned from the initial calmness to solemnity.

"I actually don't care how you see me... I've long been used to it." Chen Ling calmed his mood and said slowly,

"But at the very least, you should let the children of the Fusion Faction in."

Chen Ling was telling the truth. Along the way, he had long been used to the malice brought by the "Calamity of Mockery" label. In the end, Chu Changqing was just like them. It was Chen Ling who had raised his psychological expectations through his experiences in the era archives, which was why he felt angry.

But now, he had completely let go...

He and Chu Changqing were not as close as he was with Yang Xiao, Su Zhiwei, and the others. Since that was the case, why should he care about the other party's opinion?

Chen Ling's purpose in coming here was never to reminisce with Chu Changqing; he just wanted to save the children of the Fusion Faction and let them have a place to stay in the South Sea Domain.

Hearing this, Chu Changqing frowned again. He looked back at Chen Ling and sneered:

"So... this is your purpose."

"You don't trust me, but you should at least trust Teacher Ye, who raised you. I don't know what happened between you two back then, but now is not the time to let personal conflicts affect your judgment." Chen Ling said calmly,

"After Teacher Ye injects the reagent, he can also exert power comparable to a Demigod in a short time. Coupled with the other fusers under him, if they cooperate properly, they can greatly reduce your pressure... All they want is a place to live and some food."

Chu Changqing was about to say something when his gaze suddenly flashed, looking at a certain void nearby...

A figure in a simple shirt had appeared there at some point.

Teacher Ye?

Chen Ling was extremely surprised to see Teacher Ye appear out of thin air. Just now, neither he nor Chu Changqing had noticed anyone approaching this pavilion. He was like a ghost from another dimension, appearing here in the blink of an eye.

No...

Chen Ling looked down at Teacher Ye. In the Lake Pavilion, there was no shadow of him.

Was he really a ghost??

"...Teacher Ye."

A flash of complexity crossed Chu Changqing's eyes as he looked at Teacher Ye. "Breaking into other people's thoughts at will comes with a price."

Since Chen Ling met Chu Changqing until now, this was the first time he had shown an expression other than "disgust" and "solemnity." Chen Ling could feel that Chu Changqing's attitude toward Teacher Ye was very subtle, completely different from his pure hatred for himself.

Teacher Ye also stared at Chu Changqing, his tone extremely bitter:

"If you hadn't taken things so far, why would I have to take such a risk..."

"You know my attitude toward the Fusion Faction."

"...I know."

Teacher Ye seemed to remember something, a flash of helplessness in his eyes. "I know what you experienced in the Gray World, and I know that experience makes you hate the existence of all Calamities... But you cannot let your personal emotions affect your rational judgment. Your persecution mania has no scientific basis at all!"

"Teacher Ye, you know me." Chu Changqing's tone was soaked in indifference. "I am one of the Nine Lords; the burden on me is heavy. I will not risk the future of humanity... It was so in the past, and it is so now."

"Why?!" Chu Changqing's words seemed to touch a scar in Teacher Ye's heart. His tone was a bit agitated,

"Are the Nine Lords so amazing?? You keep talking about the Nine Lords, and using the two words 'Nine Lords' as an excuse, you can lightly deny the research results of others' entire lives? Don't forget, the reason the Nine Lords are the Nine Lords is because of the praise from the survivors back then, not a golden medal you pinned on yourselves!"

This was the first time Chen Ling had seen Teacher Ye so uncomposed, but thinking about it carefully, it made sense...

Teacher Ye was the pioneer of fusion technology. He had spent countless years and effort in this field and achieved fruitful results, only to be completely denied by his own proud student. Most importantly, all of this had no theoretical or experimental support, just because the name "Nine Lords" could not be risked...

Chen Ling didn't speak again, partly because he didn't understand science and technology and didn't know what the "persecution mania" the two were arguing about was; and partly because since Teacher Ye had come here, it was best to let this pair of teacher and student solve the following matters themselves.

During this process, Chu Changqing didn't speak either. He just watched Teacher Ye's expression gradually transform from anger to calmness.

Teacher Ye took a deep breath and said again:

"I am already conducting maternal gene sequence testing experiments. I will prove with facts that you are wrong."

Chu Changqing still did not respond.

He knew that Teacher Ye had no chance to complete the experiment at all... He, and those children of his, would all die in the Forbidden Sea.

The entire Lake Pavilion fell into a deathly silence.

Teacher Ye understood Chu Changqing's silence.

He closed his eyes bitterly:

"I can not enter the South Sea Domain... At least, let those children in."

"This is not a question of whether you enter or not." Chu Changqing finally responded. "All Calamity fusers are not allowed to enter the South Sea Domain, and neither are those children of yours."

"They only fused with some ordinary Calamities, and the fusion is not deep... They absolutely have no problems."

Teacher Ye's tone carried a hint of pleading.

Chu Changqing shook his head calmly:

"No."

Teacher Ye's fists clenched tightly.

*Thud—thud—thud...*

The roaring beneath the Lake Pavilion became more frequent, and the entire South Sea Domain trembled like an earthquake. The thick turtle shell seemed to be smashed with gaps, and the ice cold from the Forbidden Sea drilled into the city bit by bit.

A cold wind blew across the surging lake surface, and Teacher Ye's heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cellar.

He remained silent for a long time, his feet slowly retreating half a step...

Then,

He fell to his knees in front of Chu Changqing with a *thud*.

Chen Ling was stunned, and Chu Changqing in front of him was also slightly startled...

Teacher Ye's body bowed slowly, his hands pressed against the floor of the flower-filled stone pavilion, and his forehead knocked heavily, making a dull sound.

At this moment, the pride and dignity of an elderly teacher were personally knelt into fragments by him. Every time his forehead knocked, it stabbed his heart until it was dripping with blood... In an extremely humble posture, he kowtowed three times to the student he had once been most proud of.

"Xiao Chu..."

"Please show mercy and give the children a way to survive... It was I who turned them into fusers... It was I who brought them to the South Sea Domain..."

"I beg you as your teacher... Teacher begs you... Okay?"