Chapter 349: Unknown Choice, Mortal Peril, Forbidden Character!

The Kunxu Cauldron rotated slowly, its deep blue characters gradually coming to a halt.

【Facing this situation… you choose.】

1. Let Lu Yu pursue Ouyang Huangquan. (Hint: Possible significant gains, but also significant danger.)

2. Go together to pursue Ouyang Huangquan. (Hint: Possible significant gains, possible danger.)

3. Do not let Lu Yu pursue; kill the people inside the house first. (Hint: Possible danger.)

4. Do not let Lu Yu pursue; leave the people inside the house untouched. (Hint: Possible significant gains, possible danger.)

5. Leave. (Hint: Possible crisis, possibly affecting those around.)

6. Have Lu Yu injure Ouyang Huangquan but spare his life, then return immediately. (Hint: Possible unexpected rewards, possible unknown outcomes—choose carefully.)

7. Participate personally. (2/3)

Yu Ke stared at the seven choices that had suddenly appeared before him.

Such a large number of choices rarely appeared; each time they did, it signaled great complexity.

From the simulations, many were displeased by Lu Chen's descent from Mount Zhongnan to claim the throne.

News from Baoyue Tower had already leaked.

The Grand Master of Yue Tangjiang ambushed the Prince of Yan!

Whether true or deliberately planted as false information,

the danger was certainly real.

Their target had always been Lu Chen.

It was not only the four kingdoms opposing him, but also murderous intent from the Jianghu.

Looking at the first two options, Lu Yu's pursuit might be a "tiger-call ruse."

But why would choosing not to pursue also bring danger?

Even if they stayed together, danger still loomed.

This was strange!

Had all five of the world's supreme masters arrived? Otherwise, Yu Ke truly couldn't believe anyone was stronger than his younger brother, Lu Yu.

The third and fourth options were even stranger—the old man behind them already had sinister intentions.

Killing or sparing him both carried grave risk.

Yu Ke didn't want to risk a mishap now, after finally achieving Heavenly Reincarnation and simulating so far, just as rewards were about to drop.

Especially now!

Yu Ke wanted to give Lu Chen a perfect ending.

You can't half-ass a game when there's no resurrection card, no save system, and no second run.

If Lu Chen meets misfortune, the Heavenly Reincarnation simulation ends.

Every step must be taken with utmost caution.

Option five—even choosing "Leave" without provoking anyone still brought danger, and risked harming those nearby.

Excluding the final option, 7. Participate personally,

Yu Ke reviewed them all again, yet found nothing truly viable.

Only one remained!

6. Have Lu Yu injure Ouyang Huangquan but spare his life, then return immediately. (Hint: Possible unexpected rewards, possible unknown outcomes—choose carefully.)

It offered rewards!

It was also the only option with no warning of danger.

Yet it specifically noted: possible unknown outcomes—choose carefully.

Yu Ke pondered for a moment, and, for safety's sake, chose option 6.

It was the only option among the seven that was definitively safe.

As for the unknown!

When the cart reaches the mountain, a path will appear—better to play it safe for now.

With your choice made, the simulation continues.

…………

…………

Beyond the Yue Tangjiang.

Deep within a dark, dense forest nearby.

In the forest's heart stood a towering ancient tree, over thirty feet tall, its trunk so thick it required three men to encircle it.

Perched atop its branches was a middle-aged scholar, radiating elegance and maturity.

He stood with hands clasped behind his back; though a heavy rain had just passed, his shoes and socks were dry, his robes unstained.

He was none other than Huang Dao, one of the Five Supreme Masters of the World.

Beside him stood a young man, holding a broad green lotus leaf as an umbrella, his entire being brimming with vigorous yang energy.

This man was Xie Mu.

He gazed toward the sky; as the dark clouds thinned and sunlight pierced through, he casually let go of the lotus leaf.

It fell from the branch, striking the ground with a crisp snap.

Xie Mu asked: "Are we too far away?"

Huang Dao's expression turned grave; his gaze pierced through layers of trees, as if seeing through five li of dust and clamor.

Slowly withdrawing his sight, he spoke with unusual solemnity: "The Grand Master realm is beyond ordinary human reach—and that man… his cultivation is unfathomable, perhaps even touched the Heavenly Person threshold. We must act with extreme caution."

"Better safe than sorry—caution is never wrong."

Speaking of Mount Zhongnan!

Every time he heard the name of a Mount Zhongnan disciple, he'd rather detour than have any contact.

Remember this:

Before his encounter with Mount Zhongnan's calamity, Huang Dao had roamed the Jianghu unchallenged, ruling the world with pride, once declaring:

"The world is vast—but only one man may walk it!"

Xie Mu couldn't help asking: "Why not tell Xiao Yue outright how terrifying Lu Yu is?"

Huang Dao smiled: "You think he doesn't know Lu Yu's terror? He simply doesn't know how terrifying Lu Yu truly is."

"He prides himself on having the best mobility in the world—he believes even if he loses, he can escape. How could I crush my ally's morale and embolden the enemy?"

"Besides, if not him, then who? You and I? Surely not."

Xie Mu nodded. "That makes sense."

Before he cultivated, he'd thought Lu Yu was merely very strong. But after he began cultivation, every time he recalled that earth-shattering punch from Mount Zhongnan,

"I doubt I'll ever land such a punch in this lifetime."

He sighed, feeling the heavens above.

Huang Dao suddenly spoke: "They're here!"

Xie Mu, a Grand Master himself, felt nothing.

He waited silently for Huang Dao's next words.

"Ouyang Huangquan has appeared. He's still sensible—though he fled in disarray, he kept his life. Had he delayed another moment, the Jianghu would have lost one of its Grand Masters."

Xie Mu's gaze sharpened: "Are we ready to act?"

Huang Dao gave no direct answer, only murmured: "Let's see how they choose…"

"As long as they draw out Lu Yu, I'll take the Prince of Yan's head for the four kingdoms."

Lu Chen, a Grand Master, could be killed with a flick of the wrist.

Xie Mu fell silent.

"Aren't you worried Lu Yu will come after you for revenge?" he finally asked.

Huang Dao shook his head gently, a confident smile on his lips:

"Once I kill Lu Chen, seize Yan's destiny, and join forces with Xiao Yue and others to exterminate Lu Yu—what a glorious moment that will be."

"Can any undertaking in this world be without risk? Only that risk and opportunity walk hand in hand."

"Moreover, the number of experts gathered here is unprecedented. If we miss this chance, assembling such a force again will be nearly impossible."

Huang Dao's words carried urgency and resolve.

Martial cultivation is like climbing a mountain.

One step ahead, and you stay ahead.

Especially now—spiritual energy has clearly hit a bottleneck, and no one knows if it will vanish again.

Time is short!

The founders of every great sect in the world have left legends of "Shattering the Void."

It is the ultimate realm every martial cultivator dreams of achieving.

Hearing this, Xie Mu grew even more curious:

"Are there other experts beyond Grand Master here? Does the Baoyue Tower's claim of Grand Masters ambushing the Prince of Yan refer to more than just us?"

Huang Dao nodded slowly: "Of course. The Jianghu is vast—there are always ancient, hidden masters. I've sensed several Grand Masters lurking nearby, disguised and nameless."

"Also, the Wolf King of the Northern Wind, Wanyan Yunshan, has arrived!"

"Wanyan Yunshan?"

A top-ten force on the Jingzhe List, though unranked.

The top ten have all killed Grand Masters.

Here, Huang Dao paused slightly, his tone gaining a measure of reverence:

"The Xuantianzi has arrived. Though I cannot sense him, such a master's presence alters the spiritual energy around him."

"Xuantianzi is not here for peace!"

Xie Mu's face darkened with shock.

Xuantianzi was one of the Five Supreme Masters of the realm, the Patriarch of the Taiping Dao, and many even hailed him as the greatest in the world.

Huang Dao's expression grew grave when mentioning him.

The Five Supreme Masters were all genuine, unassailable figures.

He had fought all except Xiao Yue; whether Xuantianzi or the Empress Dowager, each was a true master who had entered the Heavenly Human realm.

Each had forged their own path in martial cultivation—centuries ago, any one of them could have dominated the martial world for sixty years.

Yet!

Among these five, Huang Dao felt Lu Yu exerted the strongest pressure, while the Empress Dowager was equally formidable and unchallenged.

In contrast, Xuantianzi felt different—he gave off an elusive, hard-to-predict aura.

It was said that on the Taiping Dao stood a Shousui Pavilion, whose abbot was the sect's Patriarch.

Every generation's abbot bore the title Xuantianzi, a lineage spanning seven hundred years.

As for Xiao Yue!

He was even stranger—no lineage, no roots, no record of his early life, not even a whisper in history.

Yet!

When he moved, the world trembled. His martial cultivation surpassed even Grand Masters, and his techniques belonged to no known school—truly an anomaly.

Huang Dao shook off his thoughts. Undeniably, all five were extraordinary talents.

Xie Mu heard him but did not fully agree with Huang Dao and the others.

Defeating a master above Grand Master level is vastly different from actually killing one—the gap is as wide as heaven and earth.

Lu Yu's strength was unfathomable; even if two or three of the Five Supreme Masters joined forces to assassinate him, they might not succeed.

Huang Dao saw his concern and frowned slightly:

"Xiao Yue has his own methods to counter Lu Yu."

"Methods to counter a Heavenly Human?"

Xie Mu's eyes flickered with surprise.

He knew well that a Heavenly Human's cultivation had reached a divine level—most poisons and weapons in the world could not harm them.

To restrain such a being was no simple matter.

Huang Dao did not conceal it—he had known Xie Mu for years. Since rising in the demonic path, he had had no friends, not even someone to confide in.

"Xiao Yue, he used some secret method to forge a blood talisman."

"This talisman has the extraordinary effect of corrupting the primordial Dao body. Once implanted, even a Heavenly Human cannot unify inner and outer heaven and earth, nor draw upon celestial spiritual energy for a time."

"Can a Heavenly Human who cannot draw upon celestial spiritual energy still be called a Heavenly Human?"

"This talisman is called the 'Jin' Character Talisman—its name is plain enough."

Xie Mu sighed softly.

The Prince of Yan truly faced mortal peril.

(End of Chapter)