Chapter 1219: Calligraphy and Painting

Calligraphy and Painting

Chu Changqing looked back in bewilderment.

Within that largest gray rift, countless branches, leaves, and roots were surging outward, as if more and more Calamities were crawling out. But that gaze looking at him wasn't coming from them... it was coming from something behind them.

For some unknown reason, the moment he was targeted by this gaze, a shuddering feeling welled up in Chu Changqing's heart!

"What's wrong?"

Su Zhiwei, who was carrying him on her shoulder, felt the leaves on her shoulder trembling slightly and asked in confusion.

"...I feel like something is watching me."

"Where?"

"In there..."

"No, it's different... Sigh, I don't know how to describe it to you, but it seems to only be looking at me?"

Su Zhiwei no longer had the time to listen to Chu Changqing. Countless translucent veils resembling blood vessels fell from both sides, like a wave constructed by some kind of swarming saprophytic organisms, madly approaching the fleeing crowd and making the already tight escape space even narrower.

Because she was carrying Chu Changqing on her back, Su Zhiwei's speed was considerably slower than a normal person's. Although she was going all out, the distance between them and the wave was still constantly shrinking...

"Su Zhiwei, put me down." Seeing this scene, Chu Changqing couldn't help but say, "Carrying me, you'll die too."

Su Zhiwei didn't speak.

Or rather, she wasn't listening to what Chu Changqing was saying at all. She just gritted her teeth and ran forward with all her might. Beads of sweat slid down her cheeks, leaving only the determination and persistence she had honed since childhood in her eyes.

The rolling saprophytic wave approached them. Just as Chu Changqing was incredibly anxious, a figure draped in a theatrical robe and holding starlight descended from the sky!

Bang—!!!

The starlight in Chen Ling's hand swept across, forcibly tearing open a gap in the saprophytic wave. The red earrings swayed in the foul-smelling wind of the Forest of Corruption, and his gaze was incredibly sharp.

"Director Chen!" Su Zhiwei and Chu Changqing shouted simultaneously.

"Run quickly, we'll talk when we're safe!"

With more and more Calamities surging toward the crowd, whether it was Chen Ling or Ying Fu, the pressure they were bearing was massive. He completely didn't have the time to say more to the two of them. Densely packed crimson paper extended from his body, charging toward the other side.

The Red Paper sliced through countless roots. Chen Ling forcibly carved a path of blood through them, only then seeing Shen Nan and Fu Kun wrapped and entangled within.

After the high-tier Calamities entered the fray, the combat power of most people was no longer enough to look at. If Shen Nan hadn't intervened, Fu Kun would have probably been ground into pieces. But even so, the two were still trapped together in the endless roots, struggling to break free.

"Chen Ling!" Seeing Chen Ling fight his way over, Shen Nan's eyes instantly lit up.

At the same time, purple lightning danced wildly as Ying Fu's figure also charged out from the other side, approaching them.

"Your Majesty!" Fu Kun was moved to tears of gratitude.

Just as Ying Fu opened his mouth to say something, a low rumbling sounded from ahead. Three giant figures were seen crawling out from that expanded rift...

They were three moving tree shadows, nearly a hundred meters tall. One was blooming with flesh and blood, bizarre and ferocious, resembling a peach tree. One was formed by thousands of bone joints connecting into willow branches, fluttering in the wind. One was a massive, upright giant pine, its trunk covered in densely packed hands.

"What the fuck... are these things!!" Seeing those monsters that were neither human nor tree, Fu Kun's mind shook violently.

As the three giant trees approached them, Chen Ling's brow furrowed tightly, and a crimson cloud began to churn wildly beside him!

His crimson pupils stared fixedly at that direction, and the aura of a World-Ending Calamity swept out!

"Scram!!"

A visible wave of air swept across the Forest of Corruption. The Calamities large and small in the surroundings all violently paused, as if deterred by this aura. Even those three giant trees froze in place, and the world fell into a dead silence...

The slaughtering White Hands of Bureau 749, the fleeing civilians, and even Fu Kun, Zheng Zhiqing, and the others all looked at Chen Ling in shock, their mouths unconsciously opening wide.

But the next moment, another World-Ending aura erupted from deep within the rift!

That entity in the Forest of Corruption seemed to have issued some kind of command. The Calamities that originally hadn't dared to act recklessly instantly resumed their offensive, and the mighty branches, leaves, and roots continued to surge toward the crowd!

"It seems the Turbid Calamity isn't afraid of you," Ying Fu said indifferently.

"..."

Chen Ling turned his head to look at Shen Nan and the others. "What are you still looking at? Take advantage of this moment and run!"

Only then did Shen Nan snap back to his senses. Turning his head, he took advantage of the gap while those Calamities were paused to run wildly outward. Ying Fu, the others, and Chen Ling followed closely behind.

Chen Ling actually knew long ago that although he was the Calamity of Mockery, facing a Calamity territory that also had a World-Ending entity overseeing it, his aura couldn't change anything. Furthermore, strictly speaking, this was already the territory of the Forest of Corruption.

It was like charging into someone else's home and yelling at them. As long as the other party had any temper at all, they wouldn't swallow their anger. Being able to delay them for an instant was already extremely good.

"It's no good, there are more and more monsters coming out of the rift. At this rate, we'll be caught up to sooner or later."

As Fu Kun ran, he looked back over his shoulder, his expression incredibly ugly.

Right at this moment,

An Embroidery Dragon flew past right above their heads!

Chen Ling and Ying Fu were startled and looked back, only to see two elderly figures standing on the back of the Embroidery Dragon. In front of those three towering giant trees and the saprophytic wave in the distance, their hunched figures were incredibly small.

"Han Shuzhi, it's still not too late for you to go back now."

Xiao Chunping's silver-white hair fluttered in the wind. She glanced at Chancellor Han beside her and coldly snorted. "People still have to accept getting old. If we go any further, there will be no turning back."

"The one who should go back is you, Teacher Xiao," Chancellor Han said leisurely. "That good grandson of yours is still waiting for you to return in the underground engineering project. If you're not by his side to instruct him, in a couple of years he'll be left far behind by my student."

"Even if a fledgling eagle has no one to instruct it, it is still an eagle. There will always be a day when it relies on itself to spread its wings and soar."

Xiao Chunping paused for a moment, as if recalling something, and a flash of gentleness crossed her eyes. "That good grandson of mine is not an embroidered pillow. Even without me, he will definitely be able to do very well."

"It seems neither you nor I will be able to wait for the day they determine a victor." Chancellor Han held his hands behind his back and let out a long sigh.

"I said it, you can turn back."

"You alone won't be able to hold on for long." Chancellor Han looked back. "His Majesty is still behind me."

"A 'His Majesty' this, a 'His Majesty' that. You old man, I think you've grown muddle-headed with age! He's just a lucky fellow who obtained the Path of the Sovereign, how is he worth you risking your life like this??"

"You don't understand..."

Chancellor Han shook his head. "You haven't seen His Majesty's inner heart, he is no lucky fellow... He is the Emperor destined to command the human world, the hope of this world.

I risk my life, not for him alone, but for the human future he represents."