Chapter 775: Betrayal?

In a haze,

Chen Ling slowly opened his eyes.

Chen Ling didn't know how long he had slept, nor did he know where he was. An unprecedented sense of exhaustion surged from every corner of his body, and his consciousness remained blurred... In his mind, that hideous ghost face amidst the lightning and that black-and-red theatrical robe suddenly reappeared.

Ghost face... Theatrical robe... The Path of the Theatrical God...

"Wait, your divine path... is actually twisted too??" This sentence echoed in Chen Ling’s ears like a thunderclap!

His chaotic consciousness instantly cleared. He bolted upright from the bed, beads of sweat sliding down his cheeks...

What did he mean by "too"?

Could there be anyone else in this world besides him who possessed a twisted Path of the Theatrical God?

No, impossible... His Path of the Theatrical God was twisted because of the Calamity of Mockery, because of Chen Yan, and because of a myriad of complex reasons... This twisted path could not possibly be replicated!

This sentence was like a nail driven into Chen Ling’s heart. He was desperate to know the identity of that person, to know if there were truly other twisted Paths of the Theatrical God in this world... But he couldn't access the era archives right now.

Chen Ling let out a long sigh, taking a long time to gradually calm down from his anxiety and urgency.

He began to look around.

He was currently lying on a pristine white bed. This seemed to be a quiet private room, with curtains blocking out the light from the outside world, making the room exceptionally still.

As for Chen Ling himself, he was wrapped in thick bandages, looking like a mummy that had just crawled out of a tomb... His chest and left arm were empty, looking utterly miserable.

"Did that shot shatter a shoulder..." Chen Ling recalled the sniper bullet that had pierced through dozens of kilometers, feeling a lingering fear.

Although Chen Ling possessed the 【Blood Garment】 and his recovery ability far exceeded that of ordinary people, the sniper's ability seemed even more vicious... After being hit by that shot, his flesh-and-blood recovery speed was severely suppressed. Even though the bleeding had stopped, relying on self-healing to recover was basically impossible.

For an ordinary person, this would mean a lifelong disability, but for Chen Ling, it wasn't a big deal...

As long as he died once while his expectation value was sufficient, all wounds would be automatically repaired, restoring him to his peak state. A pierced chest and a shattered arm were nothing at all.

Just as Chen Ling was pondering, the door opened, and a figure walked in unhurriedly with his hands in his pockets.

"Yo~~ Isn't this our 'Don't worry, it won't explode this time' Heart 6..." Jian Changsheng looked as if he had just gotten a haircut and styled it; his stylish wolf-tail was clean and sharp. He walked in while being sarcastic.

"What's the matter, Brother Don't-Worry, did you mess it up this time??"

Chen Ling: ...

Chen Ling could bet that this guy had definitely been waiting outside the door for a long time, perhaps even secretly rehearsing this scene several times, just waiting for him to wake up so he could deliver the ultimate blow to his face.

The moment he finished that sentence, every cell in Jian Changsheng’s body was screaming "satisfaction"!

He had been unlucky for so long, suppressed by Chen Ling for so long; finally having a chance to vent, he naturally wouldn't miss it for the world.

Chen Ling went straight to the point. "Where is this place?"

"Obviously the Tian-Shu Realm, and furthermore, it's my outpost." Jian Changsheng emphasized the words "my outpost," hands on his hips, seemingly waiting for Chen Ling to ask further.

And Chen Ling followed his lead, asking that very question:

"You have an outpost in the Tian-Shu Realm?"

"Of course." Jian Changsheng said leisurely. "During the time between leaving the Aurora Realm and going to the Red Dust Realm, wasn't I out doing other missions? Guess where I was then?"

"No wonder..."

Chen Ling instantly understood what Jian Changsheng meant. It seemed that during that period, Jian Changsheng’s mission had been carried out in the Tian-Shu Realm... Counting it up, this was Jian Changsheng’s second time in the Tian-Shu Realm, so it was normal for him to have had an outpost here before.

"If it weren't for me this time, you would have really died in the Gray Realm." Jian Changsheng looked at Chen Ling. "What happened to 'it won't be like last time'? Do you have any idea how far I walked carrying you? I even ran into that bastard on the way... If I hadn't shielded you underneath me, you would have probably turned into a puddle of meat!"

"Bastard? What bastard?"

"The bastard on the train, wearing a Tang suit and small round sunglasses—he looked punchable the moment I saw him! I was planning to hitch a ride, but he kicked me right off!" Jian Changsheng gritted his teeth.

"That guy was probably heading to the Tian-Shu Realm too. I’d better not run into him again, otherwise..."

Hearing Jian Changsheng’s description, Chen Ling roughly guessed the situation. Just as he was about to ask something else, the room door opened again.

A figure in a long black robe walked in calmly from outside.

"...Awake?"

"Of course, I told you, this guy is tough as nails." Jian Changsheng answered familiarly.

Chen Ling looked at this unfamiliar figure and turned to Jian Changsheng in confusion. The latter immediately explained:

"This is..."

"Nice to meet you, Heart 6." Before Jian Changsheng could introduce him, the man spoke for himself. "I’ve been hearing about you from Little Jian ever since he came last time. Now I finally have the chance to meet you... I am 【Spade 9】. Little Jian’s mission last time was one I led him on."

As he spoke, he took a playing card from his pocket; the face of the card was exactly 【Spade 9】.

"So you are a senior from the Twilight Society." Chen Ling nodded slightly.

"How are your injuries?" Spade 9 asked with concern.

"Oh, just some minor wounds."

Spade 9 looked at Chen Ling’s chest, at the blood hole through which one could see the window outside, and at his left arm, which was empty even at the shoulder. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he didn't say anything more.

This Heart 6, just like the rumors said, is a ruthless man...

"By the way, there’s some big news today. You two just came from the Gray Realm, so you probably don't know yet." Spade 9 seemed to remember something and took a newspaper from his pocket. "You can take a look first."

Jian Changsheng was closest to him and took the newspaper directly. After glancing at the headline, his pupils contracted sharply, and he stood there stunned.

"This... how is this possible?"

"Let me see."

Chen Ling saw Jian Changsheng’s reaction and felt some doubt in his heart. He reached out to take the newspaper, and upon seeing the content, his whole body shook!

He read the article carefully three times and still couldn't recover his senses...

It wasn't until a long time later that he looked up blankly:

"Five Adjudicator Proxies... betrayed the Human Realm simultaneously??!"