Chapter 1905: Liberating the Audience

Chen Ling seized this moment of clarity and pushed [Painting the Rouge] to the limit!

The crimson seawater wrapping around his body was gradually pushed away by an invisible force, and Chen Ling’s self-awareness gradually recovered...

In the final analysis, for the Red Star to swallow his consciousness, it had to erase the self-awareness of "Chen Ling." But as long as this anchor point remained, Chen Ling was safe.

The crimson seawater was frantically scouring Chen Ling’s surroundings, and Chen Ling could clearly feel his anchor point being impacted as well.

If it weren't for the fact that Chen Ling had been fighting the confusion of "who am I" all along this journey, honing his anchor point to be absolutely rock-solid, he would likely have been assimilated the moment the Red Star consciousness swallowed him...

But even so, for an individual consciousness to fight against the Red Star, an extraterrestrial object, was still an impossible task.

What should he do??

Chen Ling looked at the endless crimson seawater around him, feeling incredibly anxious.

No... it shouldn't be like this. Since the Red Star is wary of him, it means there must be something about him that can threaten the Red Star consciousness... What exactly is it?

Chen Ling seemed to think of something, and a glimmer flashed in his eyes!

His consciousness sank rapidly into the stage.

……

Deng deng deng—

The strong light of the spotlights turned on one after another above Chen Ling’s head. On the stage, the actor in red suddenly opened his eyes.

Chen Ling’s gaze first fell on the stage beneath his feet, pondering for a moment, then he raised his eyes to look at the dense crowd of black audience members below the stage...

Chen Ling knew very well that although this stage had a mysterious origin, it couldn't help him solve his current predicament; its function was only "recording" and "lottery"... What could truly threaten the Red Star consciousness were these "malicious audience members" formed by the humans of the Gray World destroyed by the Red Star.

His own consciousness was tiny and fragile before the Red Star consciousness... but what if it were a group of people?

What if it were thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of people?

So what Chen Ling needed to do was not to fight the Red Star with his own strength, but to release all the audience members to fight the Red Star consciousness!

But the problem now was, even if he walked off the stage, the other audience members would only kill each other on the stage to decide who would get out... How could he release all the audience members from this theater at once?

Chen Ling turned slowly to look at the huge curtain behind him. On the curtain, the image of the crimson exterior was currently appearing.

This curtain was the "fourth wall" blocking the stage from the outside world. Once, when the expectation value dropped below 20%, Chen Ling had returned to the outside world from here... Perhaps this was the only passage out.

Chen Ling glanced at the screen in front of the stage:

[Current Expectation Value: 95%]

"At this point... I can only try." Chen Ling muttered to himself.

He stood before the curtain, clenched his fist tightly... and then, struck the curtain with all his might!

Dong—!

A strong sense of vibration was transmitted from the curtain to Chen Ling’s hand.

The terrifying force almost shattered his arm, but at the same time, the curtain seemed to loosen slightly... This was the first time Chen Ling had actively tried to destroy the fourth wall while the audience expectation value was above 20%.

A glimmer of light ignited in the depths of Chen Ling’s eyes!

There’s hope?!

[Audience Expectation Value +1]

[Current Expectation Value: 96%]

As two lines of characters floated up from the screen, Chen Ling could clearly feel that the audience below the stage was becoming restless.

They had been watching Chen Ling, watching the outside world, so naturally, they knew that Chen Ling had already ascended the Red Star... When Chen Ling started trying to smash through the fourth wall, these audience members couldn't help but tremble, and an unprecedented light burst forth from their scarlet pupils!

This trembling was not fear, but excitement, and... madness!

They were originally humans of the Gray World; they died because of the Red Star, and becoming what they were now was also due to the Red Star’s power. Seeing Chen Ling fighting the Red Star consciousness now, how could they not be excited?

Their pure malice had completely turned into a raging fire of revenge, burning fiercely in the theater’s auditorium!

The brilliance in Chen Ling’s eyes grew more intense. Ignoring the pain in his right arm, he raised his fist again...

And swung it heavily!

Dong—!!!

[Audience Expectation Value +1]

[Current Expectation Value: 97%]

Fine cracks appeared on Chen Ling’s right arm, and blood flowed down the wounds, dripping onto the stage.

Dong!

Dong!!

Dong!!!

The audience stomped their feet heavily on the ground, venting their excitement and anger. The dull sound was like a drum, growing more and more intense within the theater!

Except for when Chen Ling first stood on the stage and the audience’s sense of novelty was at its highest, there had been such a scene... This kind of grand explosion of audience emotion hadn't appeared for a very, very long time.

And the stomping sound now was several times louder than before, almost completely drowning out Chen Ling on the stage.

Dong—!!!

Chen Ling’s third punch completely overlapped with the audience’s stomping.

Hideous cracks suddenly pierced through the curtain from top to bottom. This fourth wall, which blocked the theater from the outside world, began to show a gap!

[Audience Expectation Value +1]

[Current Expectation Value: 98%]

Almost at the same time, Chen Ling’s body on the outside also began to be covered in a touch of scarlet unique to the Calamity of Mockery.

A strange aura leaked out from the crack in the fourth wall and drifted into the air. The Red Star consciousness seemed to realize something, and the endless ocean suddenly boiled violently!

"Are you crazy?!!"

"Don't forget, it is precisely because of the existence of these consciousnesses that your power was nurtured!"

"If you release them, your 'negation' will also cease to exist!! Even your own consciousness will be completely swallowed by them!!"

"Do you think you can defeat me by releasing them?"

"No..."

"You will only push yourself into the abyss with your own hands!"

The threat of the Red Star consciousness reached Chen Ling’s mind.

The intense pain was almost making Chen Ling lose consciousness, but he acted as if he hadn't heard it at all, gritting his teeth and swinging his next punch!

Dong—!!!!!

[Audience Expectation Value +1]

[Current Expectation Value: 99%]

The audience expectation value had reached its highest point in history.

And this time, it was no longer the audience’s mockery and teasing of Chen Ling’s experiences, no longer looking down on everything as a superior audience... At this moment, everyone had become a part of the performance.

Only when the audience themselves became part of the stage performance would they push the sense of expectation to its climax.

Chen Ling’s body was already tottering.

In his blood-stained red theatrical robes, he stood in the center of the stage, looking back at the dense crowd of audience members behind him...

"Can't wait anymore... everyone." Chen Ling said lightly,

"Then..."

"Enjoy this performance."

Chen Ling took a deep breath and, with all his might, smashed his fist into the crack-filled curtain!

Dong—!!!!

[Audience Expectation Value +1]

[Current Expectation Value: 100%]

The fourth wall on the stage shattered instantly!!