The Choice

The old man looked at Han Ming, his gaze unmoving, but within, his thoughts were racing. He was calculating rapidly.

The situation had deteriorated too far to remain idle. He had no way of knowing what the young man before him was truly thinking, but there was one thing he could be certain of... Han Ming had not yet made a move to slaughter them all.

But before he could react or even prepare himself, Han Ming's figure vanished from sight, and he could no longer sense his presence.

In that instant, from the corner of his eye, he saw Han Ming standing beside Ye Lin, the junior disciple of Shangguan Tingting. In his hand, a Sword of Light materialized, and without hesitation, it slashed toward Ye Lin's neck.

However, a surge of brilliant crimson flames shot in between them, intercepting the strike at the final moment. It was Hua Jinru.

Yet the sacred flames stood no chance against the sword.

The impact sent Hua Jinru flying, slamming into Ye Lin, both of them hurled far into the distance.

Though Ye Lin had not been struck directly, the sheer force of the blow left his body utterly broken. His bones were shattered, and his cultivation collapsed entirely.

As for Hua Jinru, even though she had used her hands coated in sacred flame to block, it was useless. All ten of her fingers were severed. Blood poured from her wounds without end.

She stared at Han Ming, her gaze transformed. This was the man she had once scorned during the disciple selection ceremony. The one she had dismissed in front of her own students, saying confidently that he would surely be expelled within a year.

In her eyes back then, Han Ming was nothing more than a common man who had gotten lucky. Nothing about him seemed special in the slightest.

But now…

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Dozens of Swords of Light pierced into Hua Jinru's body. They severed every nerve, every limb, and her spine. Her body collapsed, and she could no longer move.

And yet, Han Ming did not choose to kill her just yet.

Boom!

An overwhelming force erupted from his body, crashing down upon all the disciples of Pure Bamboo Peak. Their bodies collapsed to the ground at once. A scream burst from Shangguan Tingting's lips.

"Ahhhhh!"

The old man cried out in panic, his voice cracking. "Please... don't hurt the young lady!"

But that plea drifted away like dust in the wind. Han Ming didn't even glance his way. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled the powerless bodies of Ye Lin and Hua Jinru toward him. No one could guess what he was about to do.

Meanwhile, far outside, the incarnations of Sui Zimeng and Wu Wen were silently watching Han Ming's actions from a distance.

Wu Wen spoke in a low, uneasy tone. "Strange... what exactly is that boy doing?"

Sui Zimeng was silent for a moment. Then her eyes sharpened with a seriousness she had never shown before.

"If I had to guess... though I hate to admit it, this is something I never wanted to witness from anyone."

Wu Wen turned sharply. "What do you mean?"

Sui Zimeng answered clearly and firmly.

"That man... is luring the Heavenly Tao."

Her words plunged Wu Wen into complete silence, the kind of silence where even the sound of breathing felt deafening.

Han Ming gave a faint smile, then spoke softly yet the pressure in his voice gripped the very air itself.

"Your name is Ye Lin, correct?"

Ye Lin, still lying injured on the ground, looked up at Han Ming.

"If you want to do something to me, go ahead... but leave my master and senior sisters out of this. They have nothing to do with it."

Han Ming let out a soft, cold chuckle.

"Such noble words... very well, I'll give you a choice."

He paused for a moment, then continued in a calm tone, as if recounting a story.

"I'll give you four choices. Let's start with the first... I will spare your first master, Hua Jinru."

But before he could even finish the sentence, Han Ming's killing intent burst forth and slammed into Ye Lin with overwhelming force. The icy, oppressive aura struck like a blizzard piercing through the soul, and Ye Lin trembled violently, barely able to breathe.

Even Shangguan Tingting, Feng Er, Mei Jingya, Shen Yuehua, and Wang Fangxian, lying at a distance, felt as if a thousand needles were piercing their bodies. Their limbs trembled uncontrollably.

Han Ming continued, his voice emotionless and cold.

"But everyone else... will die. Your senior sisters, your second master, and even you. None of you will survive except your first master."

Those words froze everyone in place as though they had been cursed. The old man said nothing, but he knew at once... the young man before them would not hesitate to carry out his words.

Ye Lin clenched his teeth until blood seeped from the corners of his mouth. He growled out a curse.

"You bastard... what do you really want?!"

Bang!

Han Ming's foot slammed directly into Ye Lin's face with brutal force. Two teeth flew out, blood spraying as Ye Lin's body rolled across the ground.

"Arghhh!"

His scream echoed with agony, his mind on the brink of blacking out.

Han Ming crouched down, staring at him with cold, indifferent eyes.

"I know those words were meant to win the favor of the women around you... but I don't like being interrupted when I'm speaking."

He stood back up again.

"Option two. Everyone here lives... except you and your first master. You both die in their place."

His voice remained perfectly steady.

"Option three. You die alone... in exchange for the lives of everyone else here."

"And the final choice. You live alone... and everyone else dies."

Ye Lin, collapsed on the ground, slowly gathered his senses. His vision was blurry, and pain coursed through every part of his body, yet his voice still rose with unwavering resolve.

"I... choose the third option..."

But Han Ming raised his hand, gesturing for him to stop.

"Not so fast, young man. It's not time to choose just yet."

He smiled faintly, then released a wave of radiant golden aura from his body. The sacred power surged outward, washing over the entire area. From the air, he drew a sword brimming with immortal energy. The blade gleamed with a pure light that struck the eyes of all who looked upon it.

Han Ming brought the sword down slowly not upon any of their bodies, but high above their heads.

In that instant, one of the old men within the group turned deathly pale. His face contorted with overwhelming tension. He sensed something being severed. Swallowing hard, he muttered under his breath.

"An immortal weapon... capable of severing the connection to the Soul Hall..."

He raised his eyes, filled with disbelief.

"May I ask, young master... from which divine clan do you hail? If it's not too much trouble... the Shangguan Clan would be honored to invite you for tea..."

But Han Ming paid him no mind. He didn't even glance in his direction.

Outside the battlefield, the avatar of Sui Zimeng who had been observing the situation sneered.

"Just as I suspected. That damned brat... he must be the Son of a God from some powerful clan. Who in the lower realm could possibly possess an immortal weapon with the rare ability to sever a soul's link to the Soul Hall?"

Wu Wen remained silent for a moment, then softly offered a different perspective.

"You might be overthinking this... maybe he just stumbled upon the treasure by chance..."

Sui Zimeng, who had been quietly watching the entire time, spoke again in a low voice.

"What made me realize he's far from ordinary... wasn't the weapon, nor the overwhelming power he displayed. It's his mysterious fate. Even after sacrificing a great portion of my lifespan, I still couldn't glimpse a single thread of it. It's as if... his fortune is being shielded by someone so powerful that they've removed him from the laws of this universe altogether."

Wu Wen gave a slight nod, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Meanwhile, below, Ye Lin lay grievously injured on the ground, and slowly, he began to sense something within his body change. The fragment of his soul once bound to the Wu Clan's Soul Hall… had just been severed.

In that moment, he had imagined himself dying in a dignified way, sacrificing his life to save everyone, earning praise from his master and the beautiful senior sisters. He would become someone's hero.

But those sweet dreams… were utterly crushed by the man before him. Worse still, he was forced into yet another impossible situation.

His heart plunged into confusion, unsure of what to do. His body ached to the point of numbness. His mind drifted in the void.

Then… a voice rang out within him. The voice of his former master.

"Ye Lin… choose them. I am willing to dissipate… to become but a wisp of soul once more."

Ye Lin's eyes widened instantly, as if a flame had been lit within the darkness.

"Thank you, Master…" he whispered softly, but with firm resolve.

Hua Jinru, not far from him, was shaken. Though their bond as master and disciple no longer remained, a part of her heart still clung to that past.

"You… won't even hesitate?"

But what neither Ye Lin nor Hua Jinru realized was… the voice within their hearts was not as silent as they thought. Every word had been transmitted to everyone present by Han Ming.

The five disciples of Pure Bamboo Peak, and Shangguan Tingting's protector, all heard the exchange loud and clear. Even Ji Yiren, who appeared to still be unconscious she had already opened her eyes some time ago. She had watched everything in silence, waiting for the right moment. And of course… she heard every word as well.

Wang Fangxian lightly shook her head, weary. The once-tender look she had for Ye Lin was now filled with disappointment. Even the other senior and junior sisters remained quiet, but their eyes said everything.

All except for one Shen Yuehua. Her gaze was different. Not disappointment, but… admiration. His willingness to sacrifice his master to save them touched something quietly within her heart.

Ye Lin, struggling to lift himself with his battered body, managed a faint smile. Then, between ragged breaths, he spoke.

"I… choose the second… option…"