53: Tang San, the Chosen One

Demon Realm, deep within Heavenly Nether Hall.

The air here was forever permeated with the scent of blood mixed with despair.

Dark red magma flowed slowly through the ravines, reflecting the hall's hideous skeletal decorations; the residual Devilish Qi had not yet fully dispersed, carrying the shame of defeat and violent ferocity.

On the throne in the center of the hall, the Hall Master of Tian You Hall, shrouded in black mist, had an unstable aura; clearly, having just been resurrected and then going all out against Leng Qingshuang had cost him dearly.

Below, the remaining high-ranking members of Heavenly Nether Hall were as silent as cicadas in winter.

Beside the throne, a young man dressed in dark purple brocade robes, with a handsome but gloomy and pale face, was tightly clutching a dim and shattered soul jade.

His fingers were so strained they turned white, veins bulging on the back of his hand, and deep within those seemingly gentle eyes, bone-deep resentment and icy coldness surged.

He was the son of the Demon Lord of Heavenly Nether Hall, Tang San.

His name was ordinary, but his ambition and hypocrisy were anything but.

Inside the soul jade was a wisp of the remnant soul of his fiancée, Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu was his only relative in the outside world before he returned to Heavenly Nether Hall and found his biological father!

She was the relative who grew up with him and his long-destined fiancée!

However, two years ago, due to an accident, the two of them were ambushed by an unknown powerhouse and he was separated from Xiao Wu. Because of her severe injuries, Xiao Wu reverted to her original form as a rabbit demon and was eventually brutally killed by an unknown Cultivator!

They even cruelly boiled and ate his fiancée's rabbit demon corpse!

When he found Xiao Wu's body, he only saw pieces of bone on the ground; by the looks of it, they had even eaten spicy rabbit head!

In the end, he only managed to preserve a wisp of her remnant soul.

He promised to resurrect her, sparing no expense to collect various soul treasures, and even acquiesced to a series of collaborations between his father and Tang Zhen within the Canglan Sacred Sect.

But now, the soul jade was completely shattered.

Not only because that trash Tang Zhen failed at the last step, but also because Xiao Wu's last bit of remnant soul had been scattered by the piercing Killing Intent of Ling Feiyan's War Demon Army and the sudden burst of Pure Qi from the Canglan Sacred Sect during the great battle!

Resurrection was no longer possible.

"Cold... Clear... Frost!!!"

Tang San squeezed the name out from between his teeth, his voice low and raspy, like a snake's hiss.

If it weren't for that woman's sudden recovery and Breakthrough in strength, how could... "And that Lu Yu from the Tianyan Sect, and Ling Feiyan..."

He slowly raised his head, and the mask of gentleness and justice he usually wore to disguise himself completely peeled away, leaving only naked ferocity.

"Good, very good. You ruined my plans, destroyed Xiao Wu's remnant soul, and stopped my father from exterminating your entire sect... You already have a path to death!"

His tone was very calm, with almost no fluctuations, but those who knew him knew this was a sign of extreme rage.

Tang San was best at being two-faced, saying high-sounding reasons while being more sinister and vicious than anyone else.

He considered himself a future reformer of the Demon Realm, wanting to establish a new order, but in reality, everything stemmed from his own ambition and selfish desires.

Anyone who stood in his way "naturally had a path to death" in his eyes, and he felt no psychological burden in eliminating them.

The Demon Lord looked at his son, whose eyes were full of hatred, and sighed.

"Xiao San, Xiao Wu's remnant soul is shattered; resurrecting her will be even more difficult now!"

As he spoke, the Demon Lord couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

But at this moment, Tang San's gaze was firm.

"No, Father. No matter how difficult it is, I will resurrect Xiao Wu!"

The Demon Lord nodded helplessly.

"If you want to resurrect Xiao Wu, I know of another way."

Tang San's eyes lit up instantly, and he bowed to his father.

"Please tell me, Father!"

"I heard in my early years that there is a special sacred medicine in this world called the lovesick heartbreak red. This sacred medicine can fulfill any wish in your heart that does not exceed its limits, but... picking the lovesick heartbreak red is very difficult."

"The picker must possess an undying love for their beloved, with only that person in their heart and no stray thoughts. While picking, they must repeatedly think of their loved one, using the most sincere emotions from the depths of their heart to trigger a resonance with the Immortal Plant. Only then is there a chance to pick the lovesick heartbreak red."

Tang San's gaze was firm, as if this method of picking was no trouble for him at all.

"This is child's play for me. My love for Xiao Wu is already bone-deep and undying. I will definitely obtain the lovesick heartbreak red!"

"The only difficulty now is finding it!"

The Demon Lord nodded, full of confidence in his son!

Tang San was also very confident; over the years, he had never lacked opportunities!

"Father."

Tang San turned to the Demon Lord in the black mist, his voice regaining its calm, even carrying a hint of grief and consideration for the bigger picture. Knowing there was another chance to resurrect his Xiao Wu, hope surged in his heart once again.

"After this battle, although the Canglan Sacred Sect won, it was a pyrrhic victory, and their grudge with the Heavenly Demon Hall has deepened. That Ling Feiyan from the Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect openly interfered in the dispute between our Demon Realm and the Canglan Sacred Sect with such arrogance. These two sects are both serious threats to our Heavenly Nether Hall and must be eliminated."

The Demon Lord's muffled voice came from the black mist: "What are your thoughts?"

"On the surface, we need to temporarily avoid their edge and accumulate strength."

A calculating light flickered in Tang San's eyes.

"But in secret... the Luck of the Canglan Sacred Sect has changed, and I fear there is something abnormal. That Lu Yu from the Tianyan Sect, a mere Golden Core... no, he should be a Nascent Soul now, was actually able to trigger such a Heavenly Tribulation and stir up trouble in Canglan; he must have secrets. Perhaps we can start from here. I've heard that the Xuanhuang Domain has not been very stable lately, and soon the Sword Soul Secret Realm in the Heavenly Sword Domain, which belongs to the seven domains of the Human Race, will also open. We cannot afford to be absent!"

He didn't continue, but the meaning was already clear.

If they couldn't win in a direct confrontation, they would play dirty—sowing discord, shifting trouble onto others, or... precisely striking key figures.

"I leave this matter to you to plan in secret."

The Demon Lord said slowly, "Do not be a useless waste like Tang Zhen and alert the enemy."

"Your son understands."

Tang San bowed, his lips curling into a cold, determined smile.

"Lu Yu, Leng Qingshuang, Ling Feiyan... let's play slowly."

"I will let you know what a true... path to death is..." Lu Yu meditated in his Immortal Cave all afternoon, digesting most of the medicinal power of the jade soothing origin nurturing pill that Sixth Senior Sister Lin Xiaoyou had given him.

It felt quite good; the spiritual energy in his body flowed more smoothly, and his Nascent Soul became increasingly solid, like putting a bridle on a galloping wild horse, making it easier to control.

When he opened his eyes, the sky outside the window had already darkened, and starlight began to appear.

He stretched, his bones popping; he couldn't be in a better state.

Then, he suddenly remembered something, and his movements froze.

During the day, Fifth Senior Sister Li Miaoer seemed to have said... to go to her Miaoyin Pavilion tonight for a grand gift?

Lu Yu rubbed his temples.

To go, or not to go?

If he didn't go, with Fifth Senior Sister's vindictive... no, "passionate" personality, she would definitely find ways to torment him tomorrow.

If he did go... he felt that the grand gift wasn't anything decent.

After hesitating for about three seconds, Lu Yu decided to go.

You can dodge it today, but you can't dodge it forever.

Besides, he also wanted to see what this quirky Fifth Senior Sister was up to.