Chapter 444: 419 Choice

"Wangliang?"

Tang Zhao narrowed his eyes and gazed into the distance.

At the edge of the sky, a vast expanse of shadow was unfolding.

Looking from afar, the shadow resembled rolling black smoke, or perhaps pure black quicksand, flowing slowly through the air.

In such a deep night, the firmament was already pitch black, but that patch of shadow was so intensely dark that it was impossible for anyone to ignore.

That kind of blackness was completely devoid of any light, like a Black Hole in the universe; all light passing by would be sucked in.

Moreover, it was too massive.

That patch of shadow hovered in the air, appearing even more gargantuan the closer it got, almost obscuring every angle within a person's field of vision. Length and width nearly lost their meaning; small clouds before it were like ants looking up at a high mountain.

We can't get past!

This thought flashed through Tang Zhao's mind. The shadow was too massive; never mind charging through, even detouring was difficult.

The white fox let out a sharp cry, arching its back and bristling its fur, like a cat that had been provoked.

"That's it! That kind of shadow... the shadow that day was even bigger than today's!"

Looking at this black smoke, Tang Zhao suddenly thought of "Wangliang Mountain."

It was said to be the darkest place in the world; could that kind of shadow really be even larger than this?

It was said there was only one Wangliang, and the others were all clones or Fragments. If this was only the scale of a clone, wasn't it too big?

How large, then, was the main body, Wangliang Mountain?

And...

"We're going to crash!"

While Tang Zhao was lost in thought, Black Widow and the others were already terrified.

That flower, along with the vast cloud, was crashing right into that patch of black smoke!

"Stop quickly—"

The crowd was alarmed. Even without knowing the name Wangliang, one look told them the shadow was ominous, and they all desperately tried to stop it.

Tang Zhao tried to use the slight rapport he had cultivated with the cloud during their long journey of capture to pull back the cloud that was attempting to charge into the shadow, but he found it completely meaningless.

The cloud did not listen to him; instead, its speed grew faster and faster, rushing toward the Wangliang shadow like a moth to a flame.

"Are you crazy? Isn't this seeking death?" Tang Zhao tried in vain to save the situation, but it was as powerless as pulling the sail of a small boat in a storm. He looked back at the white fox, wanting to ask if it could stop it.

The white fox suddenly said, "Baiyujing—our Baiyujing is inside Wangliang, right there!" It ran to the very front, gazing at Wangliang: "It's there! They have all sensed it; everyone wants to go back."

Perhaps the cloud and the flower did not have the "homesickness" in the emotional sense that the white fox did, but the goal of both person and object was the same at this moment: to go back, to return to the place from one hundred years ago.

Even if separated by layers of shadow, even if spanning a long passage of time, whether it be person or monster, Dongjun or Wangliang, nothing could hinder them.

This kind of emotion, Tang Zhao of course...

Could not empathize with.

Who wants to seek death!

Knowing he couldn't count on them, Tang Zhao said loudly, "Prepare to jump ship! Sister Yin!"

Black Widow hadn't heard the white fox's words, but she saw the terrifying black mist and said, "This thing seems familiar..."

Tang Zhao remembered that when the White-haired Swordsman released Wangliang, although Black Widow hadn't participated in the battle, Black Spider Villa was not far from there; perhaps she had caught a glimpse of Wangliang's appearance back then. He said, "That is the monster Wangliang, a disaster that even a Sword Hero cannot handle. Let's not be stubborn, let's go."

Black Widow said softly, "Once we leave... we won't be able to come back."

She said this subconsciously, then realized it herself—this was not the time for greed; life was paramount. She was also a decisive female overlord; how could she not understand the principle that people die for wealth? It was just that she was too eager, and thus worried about gains and losses, so she stopped after saying that one sentence.

Tang Zhao grabbed Black Widow and reached out toward Yue Lai, saying, "Brother Yue, let's go."

Actually, even without him, an expert like Yue Lai should know the Sword Technique; as long as one could fly with a sword and had an Art Tool, one could fly down. But a Sword Guest flying with a sword was completely different from an ordinary person doing so. With Wangliang present and at such a high altitude, it was not certain that someone who wasn't a Sword Guest could land safely in such a complex situation.

He and Yue Lai had no friendship, but since they had shared a boat for half a night, it was fate, so Tang Zhao still politely offered to take him down. As for Shangguan Jianke, not only was there no friendship, there was a grudge—that old fellow had ambushed his student without distinguishing right from wrong; it was somewhat unpleasant, so Tang Zhao naturally wouldn't bother with him.

Yue Lai stared fixedly at the white flower overhead and said, "He hasn't come out yet."

Tang Zhao was a bit anxious and said, "What?"

At this moment, the shadow of Wangliang was pressing closer and closer; everyone's face was shrouded in a layer of shadow, making their features look distorted, eerie, and terrifying.

Yue Lai said, "Meng Huazhou, he is hiding inside. He won't leave; he is going into that shadow!"

Tang Zhao looked at the white flower, which was taking the lead, rushing toward the shadow at a speed that felt like falling, and said, "He would like to come out, but Shangguan Jianke is blocking the door outside. He dies if he comes out, and he dies if he doesn't, so he might as well take that Sword Guest with him to the grave."

Yue Lai shook his head and said, "No, I know he chose not to come out himself. That hellish place has what he wants, so he will go even if he dies. He won't get away! I want to kill him."

Tang Zhao said in astonishment, "Are you crazy? He is hiding in the cloud; it's uncertain whether he can even survive, and you standing here will absolutely die! He is blinded by greed for that Xiancheng; are you also blinded by some hatred?"

Yue Lai's gaze was like a nail driven deep into a wall, with no room for maneuver, and he said, "It is exactly a ghost! I was a ghost to begin with; what do I need a heart for? He wants to take the item, I want his life. Even if I die today, I will kill Meng Huazhou before I do."

He was so persistent, as if he had already been deeply integrated into the shadow, unable to extricate himself.

Tang Zhao sighed, took a Sun Hand-Lantern from his sleeve, held it up, and with a click, a flame of light shot into the sky.

The firelight was so bright that it easily pierced through the firmament.

"Sun Hand-Lantern."

Tang Zhao turned the switch to the maximum and pushed an Origin Stone into it; the flame grew even brighter, almost as if it were going to blaze fiercely. Under its Shine, the shadow retreated.

In the Lamp light, the two men's faces returned to brightness, looking as they always did.

Tang Zhao handed the Sun Hand-Lantern to him and said, "Take it; this can help you avoid the shadow."

Thinking back to when he first encountered Wangliang, he had relied on the fire of a Lihuo Sword Dharma Artifact to protect his companions within Wangliang, struggling until Xing Ji came to the rescue. It was evident that Wangliang could ultimately be forced back by light.

And his Sun Hand-Lantern's light source was real sunlight, a substitute version of his Sword Image radiance; while it couldn't be said to drive away Wangliang, it should be useful for self-preservation in the shadow, right?

Yue Lai's eyes were dazzled by the light, and he turned his head to look at him; the radiance made his pupils shine brightly.

He was stunned for a moment before taking it and saying, "Thank you. I... thank you."

Tang Zhao said, "If you survive, settle the bill for the Art Tool later. The product has our firm's address. Seeing that you don't look like someone who would default on a debt, I'll let you experience it first."

His friendship with Yue Lai amounted to nothing more than a torch, and he immediately turned back to pull Black Widow away.

Black Widow suddenly said, "That hand lamp tube of yours... leave one for me as well."

Tang Zhao was startled, then immediately became furious, saying, "Sister Yin, how could you be like this too? By rights, I shouldn't be lecturing you on anything. But your head is not clear..."

Black Widow sighed, "It is precisely because it is not clear! I am not reconciled. The thing Meng Huazhou wants is inside, and the thing I want is also inside. Having reached this point... having reached this point. I do not want to give up; I still want to try again. Even if I fail and pay with my life."

She pointed at the torch in Tang Zhao's hand and said, "I have always wanted to be like this, just like this lamp, burning to my heart's content. It is just that on the ground, I am the leader of the spiders, and I have no opportunity. But in the sky, I am already drifting, and I do not want to land."

Tang Zhao was very helpless and said, "You are making things difficult for..."

Black Widow cut him off, saying, "It is precisely making things difficult for you. So you must absolutely not say anything about staying behind with me, otherwise, that would be making things difficult for me. If you were to stay, how could I let you lose your life for me? Naturally, I would have to give up. But if I give up today, I will surely regret it in the future. How can a person do things that make them regret?"

This last sentence touched Tang Zhao, and Tang Zhao thought of himself; he had also said similar words before.

Black Widow was so resolute that he could only sigh, take out the Time Jar, and grab several hand lamp tubes, piling them on the clouds—since it was Black Widow who wanted them, taking a few more was not a waste; he also took out several Origin Stones and handed them to Black Widow, saying, "At least hold on for a while longer. It is truly too difficult to keep everyone rational."

Black Widow suddenly gave a gentle smile and said, "You little brat, don't you often have times when you disregard everything? Why are you laughing at others? This—" she took out a bottle of medicinal pills and handed it to Tang Zhao, "give this to Xu Siyao. I promised her that whether I die or not, as long as you are alive, you must give her the antidote. As long as she hasn't done anything to wrong me, I will not go back on my word."

The words ended there; there was no need to mention anything else about taking care of Black Spider Villa or looking after Jingzhe Villa. Tang Zhao would naturally look after those with whom he had a friendship, and as for those Tang Zhao did not care about, would Black Widow care about them?

The two finished their handover, and Tang Zhao turned around and walked to the edge of the cloud. His sword had already transformed into a brilliance and left its sheath, but at this moment, he suddenly stopped his steps.

The white fox stood on the edge of the cloud, stretching its paw toward him.

Tang Zhao gritted his teeth and said, "What do you want to do now?"

The white fox said angrily, "The hand lamp tube. Are you not going to leave one for me?"

Tang Zhao was speechless for a moment, and the white fox bristled, saying, "I can't compare to that beauty, but am I not better than that kid surnamed Yue? What good has he done for you? I have helped you with many things! Before, you promised to go to Xiancheng with me, and now that you are leaving at the last minute, I am not even holding it against you, yet you are stingy with even a small item? Even if you only had two hand lamp tubes, you should have taken that kid's and given one to me."

Tang Zhao really wanted to say, "What do you, a Sword Hero, need my little trinket for? It's not like I'm asking you to eliminate the Wangliang. Don't you have your own means to preserve yourself among the Wangliang?"

But in the end, he did not say these words; instead, he said, "I can give you one, but you must also do me a favor."

The white fox said, "Stop dawdling, speak quickly, otherwise you won't catch the last chance to leave."

Tang Zhao said solemnly, "I want you to help me hide."