Chapter 644 441: The Choice

Fang Qingyuan's faintly crazed laughter echoed in Chunyu Hua's ears. The sound sparked a sudden thought within him.

'He can really kill me!'

The thought suddenly flooded Chunyu Hua's mind. Recalling Fang Qingyuan's recent Ten Linked Godslaying Stabs, he completely lost any confidence that he could have blocked them.

His entire perspective had shifted. If just a short while ago Chunyu Hua had been confident, proud, and certain of his victory, now—after Fang Qingyuan laid the facts bare—he was becoming terrified.

It was as if a basin of ice-cold water had been dumped over his head in the dead of winter. No longer thinking of victory, Chunyu Hua now began to wonder if he could truly defeat Fang Qingyuan, and if he should really waste his life in a place like this.

No!

'I'm a Divinity Transformation Descendant, of the direct bloodline! I'm still young, and I have a wonderful future ahead of me. I don't want to die.'

'Admitting defeat would be a huge loss of face. It would tarnish my reputation and hinder my future prospects. But if I die now, what future is there to even talk about?'

In the span of a few breaths, Chunyu Hua had considered it from every angle. In the end, he came to a realization about himself: he was, after all, afraid of death. No matter that he was from the Beast Taming Sect, no matter how illustrious his status, he only had one life to live.

"I don't want to die!"

Chunyu Hua had lost his composure, and he couldn't control the tone of his voice. The desperate cry was so loud that even Qing Ji, who was busy fighting two Dharma True Spirits, spared a moment to glance back at him in astonishment.

"A wise choice, Chunyu Hua. Since you've chosen to live, you must hand Hao Shi over to me. I don't know why he follows you, and I don't understand the bond between you two, but I'm guessing his life isn't more important than yours."

Chunyu Hua nodded, then shook his head. Hao Shi had helped him immensely, even saving his life once. But in return, he had spent a fortune in resources to help Hao Shi reach the Late-stage Golden Core. As far as Hao Shi was concerned, that was already a generous repayment.

'The situation is beyond my control. Hao Shi, just help me one last time.'

At that moment, Chunyu Hua desperately tried to justify his decision. He had always thought of himself as someone who valued loyalty and his own reputation, but he now saw that in the face of death, none of that truly mattered.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Physical death is one thing, but breaking a person's spirit is another. Dabai died a valiant death, so Hao Shi should have one too. He attacked Dabai on your command, so now, I want you to give him another command: to die in your place. Do you think he'll be so obedient?"

Fang Qingyuan's voice was now laced with psychological venom. He intended to kill Hao Shi, but he wasn't about to let Chunyu Hua off scot-free. Unfortunately, Chunyu Hua's status was too sensitive; the price for killing him was too steep. Looking at the matter rationally, Fang Qingyuan decided that killing Hao Shi to appease the Bear Wind faction would suffice.

If Lechuan had been the one to take in the Bear Wind faction, he would never have done something like this. It highlighted the difference in their philosophies and methods.

Hao Shi's death would be like severing one of Chunyu Hua's own limbs, a loss that would make his heart bleed. Now, Fang Qingyuan wanted to drive a wedge between them—ideally, to the point where they became bitter enemies. That way, Chunyu Hua wouldn't nurse a lifelong grudge over this incident, constantly plotting revenge.

"He..."

Faced with Fang Qingyuan's curious question, Chunyu Hua hesitated. He thought back on Hao Shi's demeanor over the years and realized either outcome seemed possible. But would Hao Shi, a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator, truly be willing to sacrifice his own life for him?

"There's only one way to find out. Now, you're going to do exactly as I say. And one more thing... I've already recorded what just happened with a Memory-Recording Magical Artifact. If you don't want your reputation destroyed, if you want to maintain your dignity as a Divinity Transformation Descendant and uphold the honor of the Chunyu Family, then you'd best not even think about going back on your word later.

"Of course, you could also choose to sacrifice yourself. Let me kill you right here, right now. You'd cement the Chunyu Family's reputation for having brave, unyielding men. Because if this pathetic display of yours gets out, the Chunyu Family will clean up their own house without me lifting a finger. You still have a choice. So, what's it going to be, Young Master Hua? Which one will you pick?"

.......

"Godslaying Needle!!"

An enormous Godslaying Needle tore through the pool of water in the center of the arena, slamming violently into Chunyu Hua's body.

"Pthoo!"

The sickening sound of someone spitting blood cut clearly through the chaos of the battle. Chunyu Hua coughed up a mouthful of blood toward the sky before collapsing heavily onto the arena floor, unconscious and hovering between life and death.

"Young Master Hua?! Open the array! Hurry and save Young Master Hua! We surrender!"

The cultivators who had come with Chunyu Hua were frantic. They rushed toward the Nangong Family cultivators, screaming for them to open the array.

"We lost?? Haha, it's all gone... all of it! What's the point of living anymore? Don't try to stop me! Just let me die!"

"Aha! We won! We're rich! I knew it! Sect Leader Fang clawed his way up from a mere Tier One White Body to build this entire enterprise. Betting on him was the right call! So what if he's some direct descendant of a great family from the Beast Taming Sect? He still ended up losing to the upstart from White Mountain, didn't he?"

For a moment, sounds of weeping, cursing, and wild laughter erupted from the private boxes all at once, a perfect display of the human condition.

Meanwhile, in the center of the arena, Fang Qingyuan emerged from his Five Elements Escape Technique. He fixed Qing Ji with a cold stare, a gaze so intense it felt like her scales were about to stand on end.

"Don't attack me! I was just here to help! Since he's already lost, I surrender, too. Fellow Cultivator, please, withdraw your Divine Techniques."