102: Tang Heng's Choice

"Tang Heng, are there some things we should talk about?"

Yao Yian's voice was neither sad nor happy, appearing exceptionally calm.

He slowly turned his head and looked toward the ground in the distance.

There lay a man who seemed to be in a deep coma.

Yao Yian's tone was steady, but his eyes flickered with a sharp light.

In the distance, Tang Heng slowly stood up.

"We indeed should have a good talk."

"I just so happen to have many things to say to you..."

"Then, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Yao Yian said, "I think you know what I'm referring to."

Tang Heng smiled slightly. "Do you think I wouldn't know?"

"Very well! When did you find out?"

Tang Heng's tone was very calm. As he answered, he threw his spatial ring, Magical Artifacts, and other items behind him.

"From the very beginning."

"Then why didn't you make a move?"

"I thought I could control you forever!"

"So that's how it was."

Yao Yian walked a couple of steps dejectedly, his gaze shifting toward the distant sky.

"Now that things have come to this, how do you want to resolve it?"

Tang Heng gave a bitter smile, his face filled with unwillingness and helplessness.

"I know that no matter what, you won't let me go."

"Whether it's your secret, or the relationship between you and the Scarlet Butcher just now."

"Although I can still use the control talisman to manipulate you a bit, I am already powerless to turn the tide and no longer pose a threat to you."

"Tang Heng, do you know? You are a sensible person."

Yao Yian looked over again, his voice mixed with a trace of complex emotion.

"You have many contemptible traits."

"However, there was indeed a moment when I didn't want to kill you."

"But the way you do things, you truly have no principles."

"You are capable of doing anything."

"As long as you're alive, I cannot feel at ease."

Yao Yian slowly walked toward Tang Heng with firm steps.

By now, Tang Heng's condition was extremely poor. Not only had he endured a series of cruel tortures from the Aether Coral Fortress Cultivators,

but ninety-seven or ninety-eight percent of the essence blood in his body had been burned away. He looked incredibly haggard, as if he were about to die.

"What do you think should be done?"

*Thud.*

Tang Heng knelt on the ground, his head bowed as he knelt forward a few steps and cried out.

"Now that things have come to this, I know that death is my only end."

"But, may I beg you to do two things for me?"

"What things?"

Yao Yian shook his head slightly and sighed. "I don't want to deceive you; I can't guarantee I'll definitely help you."

"However, go ahead and state your requests. If I have the strength to spare, I will naturally consider helping."

"Thanks."

"I, Tang Heng, have Cultivated for over forty years, betraying and selling out countless people. I thought this was the norm in the cultivation world."

"Only now do I realize that it was I who was wrong."

"Throughout my journey of cultivation, many people treated me with sincerity, yet I viewed them as tools to achieve my schemes."

"Yao Yian!"

"I beg you to rescue that Hundred Treasures Hall Master of the Aether Coral Fortress—Mu Qiuxue—and tell Elder Guo of the Righteous Qi Sect that if there is a next life..."

"I, Tang Heng, wish to be born in a world of the Righteous Path, abandon the great Dao, and spend a leisurely life with her."

"Are you finished?"

Yao Yian's expression was calm, remaining alert to the other party.

"I want to ask one last thing."

"Speak."

"If we were both born in a peaceful and prosperous age where the Righteous Path prevailed, could we have become... friends?"

Tang Heng's attitude was sincere, his voice trembling slightly, seemingly anticipating something.

Yao Yian's tensed nerves relaxed slightly, and the thought of sparing the other's life surfaced once again.

He was just about to respond to the question.

However, in the next second, Tang Heng detonated the control talisman in Yao Yian's divine soul without any warning.

Rumble!!!

Only the sound of heaven and earth splitting apart and thunder exploding could be heard in his mind!

Boundless thunder shook, as if his entire mental world were collapsing inch by inch at this moment.

"Hahahaha!"

Tang Heng leaped up with a sinister grin, laughing wildly as he charged straight at Yao Yian.

Meanwhile, Yao Yian's divine soul was severely injured by the backlash, and he instantly felt an extreme pain surging like a tide.

It almost suffocated him, and he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

He gritted his teeth in resistance, clutching his head with both hands, his eyes wide as he stared deathly at Tang Heng.

"Go to hell!!!"

Under Yao Yian's intense will, a ceremonial blade instantly shot from his hand, piercing straight toward Tang Heng's chest with irresistible force.

Bang!

The power of the blade was unstoppable.

Seeing that he was about to be pierced by the ceremonial blade, Tang Heng suddenly moved.

"Ancient secret technique! Soul-Stilling Wandering Spirit Art!"

With a bang, Tang Heng's body exploded.

As blood mist filled the air, a transparent mini-Tang Heng manifested.

That tiny transparent figure had an expression of indescribable madness as it burrowed into Yao Yian's body.

"Hahaha, this body is mine!"

He laughed toward the sky and then prepared to dive into Yao Yian's Sea of Consciousness, attempting to completely occupy this Physical Body and become its Dominator.

However, just at that moment—

A cold voice rang out, interrupting his next move: "If you want to steal my things, you have to ask for my permission first!"

Tang Heng froze, his gaze quickly searching for the source of the voice.

In the crimson Sea of Consciousness, Yao Yian's figure gradually appeared, and he beckoned with his hand.

A Treasure Artifact mirror, entirely blood-red, slowly emerged and landed before him, sacred and majestic.

Hum—

The surface of the Treasure Artifact mirror suddenly lit up, instantly erupting with ten thousand zhang of red light, illuminating the surroundings and blinding the eyes with its radiance.

Puchi.

Caught off guard, the mini-version of Tang Heng was enveloped by the dazzling red light.

Immediately after, a powerful suction force suddenly emerged, forcibly pulling the mini-version of him into the Treasure Artifact mirror.

"Ah!"

Tang Heng screamed as he was pulled into the twin star mirror.

"Yao Yian! Remember! What you promised me!!!"

Ding!

The radiance of the Treasure Artifact mirror gradually dimmed—refining complete!

Many of Tang Heng's Cultivation Techniques and his vast experiences became Yao Yian's... Tang Heng was dead.

Quiet.

It was too quiet.

Yao Yian felt as if the entire world had fallen into tranquility.

However, this tranquility only lasted for fifteen minutes.

The Restriction formation of the Primordial Ruins above suddenly let out a crack.

Following that, the sound of cracking spread from the Restriction, followed by a rumbling vibration as the earth shook violently.

"Oh no, the Primordial Ruins are about to open."

Yao Yian's scalp tingled because there were still thousands of evil cultivators outside, and they were the most wicked of the wicked.

Although they were still evil cultivators,

they were the elites among evil cultivators, even super Prodigies, and every single one was extremely difficult to deal with.

"I need to find a place to hide and recover my strength quickly."

Yao Yian did not hesitate for a second, quickly taking Tang Heng's spatial ring and other items.

He immediately found a corner and went inside.

Closing his eyes and focusing his mind, he circulated his Cultivation Technique to recover his strength.

Once the Primordial Ruins opened, evil cultivators would swarm in. If he were discovered, he wouldn't be able to escape even if he wanted to.

So Yao Yian had to seize the time to restore his state... Meanwhile, in another part of the Primordial Ruins,

there was a crimson figure.

Like the moon's wheel, forever pure and bright; unyielding to ice and snow to warm thee.

The Scarlet Butcher sat cross-legged on the ground, with eight ceremonial blades revolving around her as protection.

Her blood energy surged like a tide, and an invisible pressure spread out, striking fear into people's hearts.

In her arms, a pale golden light floated, and a Treasure Artifact in the shape of a jade pendant could be vaguely seen slowly rotating.

Suddenly, the jade pendant burst with brilliant radiance, illuminating the surroundings.

Li Weiqing stretched out her slender, jade-like hand and grabbed the jade pendant, her face showing a look of confusion.

"Vir... tue... Mer... it... how... is... it... com... plete?"

"Time... to... leave... now."

...Boom boom boom boom!

Around the Heaven Shaking Divine Palace, the sky seemed to be torn apart, echoing with deafening rumbles.

Over a thousand Evil Dao Cultivators frantically performed various techniques, pouring toward the divine palace like a violent storm.

Fire and lightning intertwined, various energies filled the sky, and light raged.

One powerful spiritual light after another flashed, the Void Realm distorted, and mountains crumbled.

The defenses of the Heaven Shaking Divine Palace were damaged. The already decaying Restriction teetered on the brink of collapse and vanished before everyone's eyes in an instant.

"Boom!" With a loud crash, the shattered Restriction of the Heaven Shaking Divine Palace instantly turned into specks of starlight and dissipated into the air.

Following that was a majestic and thick surge of spiritual power, sweeping across the field like a tsunami.

The eyes of many Evil Dao Cultivators blazed as they greedily looked toward the interior of the Heaven Shaking Divine Palace.

"Haha..."

"Charge! Kill your way in! Seize the treasures, hurry!"

"Kill... First come, first served!"

Over a thousand evil cultivators shouted in unison, frantically flying toward the interior of the Heaven Shaking Divine Palace.

This was their best opportunity. Once they missed it, it would be difficult to encounter such a massive trove of treasures again in the future.

For a moment, countless evil cultivators whistled through the air.

They flew toward the Heaven Shaking Divine Palace, some even moving on flying swords at extreme speeds.

"Hahaha... These trash dare to compete with me? Simply overestimating themselves."

A young man wearing a black robe with a sinister face sneered repeatedly.

Without even looking at the Cultivators nearby, he charged straight for the Heaven Shaking Divine Palace.

The news of the Heaven Shaking Divine Palace's appearance spread at extreme speed, and a steady stream of people rushed here.

Within the Secret Realm, Yao Yian decided to seize the time to Breakthrough to the Spirit Manifestation Realm!

With a flick of his wrist, he took out various items needed for Spirit Manifestation.

"Today... Spirit Manifestation!..."