Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Zoros’s words were like a blade stabbed into Tang Jie’s heart.

Every word was aimed right for his weak point.

Anyone else who heard this would have exploded into rage, felt despair, or refused to believe it.

But Tang Jie chose none of these options.

On the contrary, he dropped his head and thought for a moment before nodding. “So that’s what happened? It’s my mistake. Without me to deal with the Underworld Nether Attendants, and against the endless reinforcements from the ghosts, it’s no wonder they would think about retreating.”

Zoros chuckled. “So, Tang Jie? Doing your all for the humans but ultimately being abandoned doesn’t feel good, right?”

Tang Jie smiled. “If I said I didn’t feel anything, you definitely wouldn’t believe me and insist that I was just being stubborn. But to be honest, this really has no effect on me.”

Zoros and Flying Swallow were both taken aback, and Flying Swallow shrilly said, “Impossible! You did so much for those people, but they betrayed you. All of them are disloyal scoundrels who deserve death–”

“They didn’t betray me,” Tang Jie interrupted. “I’m not their master, so no matter what they do to me, you can’t call it betrayal. Flying Swallow, your biggest problem is that you never understood what loyalty meant. You think because you did something for them, they should die for your sake. Alas, this isn’t called loyalty, but investment. By ‘investment’, I mean paying now for gains in the future, and the objective has nothing to do with loyalty. If you don’t get what you wanted, or if it doesn’t meet your expectations, you get furious and even end up taking extreme measures. You are nothing but a failed investor, and you’re angry not because of the death of loyalty, but because you worked hard and got nothing for it. You never had any loyalty to begin with, so how can you talk about loyalty with me?”

“‘Old-fashioned’?” Tang Jie smiled.

This was the first time someone had described him this way.

“You think I said that just to reclaim some of my dignity after being abandoned? Or do you think I’m just stubbornly trying to prove that you’re wrong? No, you’re wrong. I never placed my hopes on them. Because I’m not like you. If I want something, I’ll take it myself, not do a bunch of outwardly selfless things and then wait and hope that other people repay me.”

Tang Jie then explained his deal with the Flame Yang Domain, raising three fingers. “Three billion! This is how much the cultivators of the Flame Yang Domain borrowed, with a 3% monthly interest rate. Even at its prime, the Flame Yang Domain would have found it extremely hard to pay off, let alone when it’s in ruins after the Nether Domain invasion. They are bound to work for me for all their lives… This is what I gained. So I don’t find it surprising that they want to abandon me. I don’t need a reason to hate them, because I’m not a hypocrite. Everything I do for the people here is paid for.

“As for you.” He looked at Flying Swallow and scoffed. “A selfish and stupid woman. I can’t believe you would get so angry over being abandoned by the human cultivators that you would join the Nether Domain. You don’t have even the slightest bit of self-awareness that such a vicious woman should have, unable to clearly see others and unable to clearly see yourself. You really thought that you were betrayed, that it was only right that people sacrifice themselves for you. Is there anything more ridiculous? But I can’t blame you. Idiots are often conceited and arrogant, constantly feeling that the world owes them something, that performing just a little good makes them a saint, and when they suffer the smallest setback, the entire world is collapsing–”

“Shut up!” Flying Swallow shrieked.

Tang Jie’s vicious and sharp tongue lashing had been right on the mark.

In Tang Jie’s view, all her anger, hatred, and revenge were nothing more than a farce.

He wasn’t arguing for anything lofty like righteousness and loyalty, only using simple facts to tell Flying Swallow that she was a fool!

Her treatment was simply because she was an idiot, and her anger was also because she was an idiot.

She was both selfish and foolish, so such a result was inevitable.

This answer truly was impossible to accept.

Flying Swallow was shuddering in rage. “And you think you’re better than me? No matter how openly you confront it, in the end, you’ve also been abandoned. No matter what sort of promises or benefits you extracted from them, they are now no longer yours!”

“Has everyone given up on me?” Tang Jie casually countered, looking toward Zoros.

“This…” Zoros fell silent, not knowing what to say.

He truly wanted to deceive Tang Jie and say that everyone had abandoned him, but from the confident look in Tang Jie’s eyes, he knew that his lies would be of no use.

From that moment of hesitation, Tang Jie already knew the answer.

He chuckled. “No, right? There’s a group of cultivators that refuses to agree! So they’re still outside, still fighting!”

Tang Jie wouldn’t have even been here if he lacked even this confidence in Wei Tianchong and the others.

Zoros took in a deep breath. “So what? In the end, you’re still trapped in here, facing two emperors. You won’t get another chance. As for the Chaos Net Heavenly Formation… Ghost King River!”

He roared.

An ugly hippo Ghost King appeared in the formation and prostrated. “The three Nether Wheels are complete, and so is the Nine Bends Yellow Springs Formation. The Chaos Net Heavenly Formation can be activated.”

“Hahahaha! Did you hear that? Tang Jie, in the end, you couldn’t stop this emperor!” Zoros crowed.

As he spoke, a vast energy began to surge out of the Chaos Net Heavenly Formation.

This energy formed a vortex, just like the Yellow Springs vortex Flying Swallow had emerged from, but even larger and deeper, leading off into a distant unknown.

“This is…” Tang Jie was slightly surprised. “The Nine Nethers River?”

When this Chaos Net Heavenly Formation activated, it created a passage to the Nine Nethers River. It was no wonder it possessed such formidable Space energy! But why?

The Nine Nethers River was part of the Nether Domain, and it was used by ghosts to travel to and from the Nether Domain. So while it was rare for humans, it was as natural as the air to ghosts, so why did they need to specifically establish a formation to link to it?

Unless…

An idea occurred to Tang Jie.

He blurted out, “You want to extend the invasion time of the Flame Yang Domain?”

The Nine Nethers Feast was caused by the eruption of the Yellow Springs’ power, but this power would eventually run dry. So the formation linking to the Nine Nethers most likely had the goal of maintaining the power of the Yellow Springs and extending the length of the invasion.

But why would they do this?

Tang Jie didn’t understand.

The Nether Domain invasion could be likened to a bandit raid on the border, looting the prosperous human cities and then running off, not permanently taking up residence. The doom of the humans of the Flame Yang Domain was not the goal, only the method.

Thus, after the Nine Nethers Feast, the ghosts would go back to count their spoils and resume their usual business. What was happening right now was very unusual.

Zoros let out an eerie laugh. “If you don’t understand, then just watch as this grand project of the Nether Domain commences. Kill! Begin the offerings!”

As Zoros shouted, a wailing began to rise from the formation.

The ghosts finally began to slaughter the humans imprisoned in the formation, and as heads dropped and blood flowed, souls flew out of the bodies of the deceased and were drawn by the Yellow Springs into the vortex.

As hundreds of souls entered the vortex, the vortex grew larger and larger, and the waters of the Yellow Springs roared. And beneath the roaring of the water was another frenzied roar, like that of a wild beast.

Countless wailing souls were sinking into the river, traveling from life to afterlife, and at the end of the vortex was a hazy light that greedily devoured each and every soul.

“NO!” Tang Jie shouted.

Even though he was constantly saying that he was someone who didn’t care about loyalty or righteousness, that didn’t mean he could be unmoved by the deaths of so many people.

While he was cunning and sly, he still had a bottom line and still knew that he was human. And after reaching Immortal Platform, he understood that he had to act with the magnanimity and responsibility of a Titan.

He couldn’t bring himself to sit back and watch as all those humans were slaughtered by ghosts.

So he had come to save them!

As countless civilians were slain, he activated the Five Elements formations. After that explosion, there was not much energy left in the formations, but he still mustered all the power within them and sent a torrent of power at Zoros. Tang Jie also used the Evil Punishing Seal, its evil-suppressing light enhanced to the maximum by the formations, merging with their power. Even a Deification-level existence like Zoros turned serious when faced with this fusion of formation and cultivator power.

With his current condition, he wasn’t even sure that he could endure it.

But he wasn’t worried, because Flying Swallow was at his side.

Flying Swallow extended a hand, swatting at that onrush of energy.

Just like before, that delicate hand halted Tang Jie’s attack with a light wave.

Flying Swallow giggled. “A mantis trying to stop a carriage, not knowing its own strength! Tang Jie, no matter what, you’re still just a puny Celestial Heart cultivator. You can’t possibly contend against the powers of a Nether Emperor. The difference in cultivation level can’t be made up with only talent. If you are willing to hand over the secret to that mental seal and then obediently accept your death, I can give you the chance to become a zombie!”

“‘The difference in cultivation level’?” Tang Jie snorted. “If that’s the case, I’ll let the two of you properly experience what that means.”

Tang Jie took out a talisman and stuck it on his forehead.

A black grain flew out of his forehead and fell on the paper.

A moment later, a vast and majestic power descended from the heavens onto Tang Jie’s body!

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