The Sky Demon extended his hand to Sun Lang.
It was an invitation, a reconciliation, a proposal, and a deal.
He was the one who understood Sun Lang the most in the world.
Every word was based on his understanding of Sun Lang, and every point of view was to the point that Sun Lang cared about the most. Then, he would show his strength, express his sincerity, and make a promise.
There would be no cruel rule, no harm to the people that Sun Lang cared about, and even the world would become better because he had greater ideals and demands.
As long as Sun Lang agreed to his proposal.
On the other hand.
Then he would fight with all his might.
It was hard to tell who would win or lose, but the only thing that could be confirmed was that many, many people would die. His former subordinates and lovers would not survive, and this country would be reduced to ruins.
Sun Lang stared at that hand.
The Sky Demon did not rush him. He had plenty of patience.
Furthermore, it was not an easy choice to make.
"To be honest …"
Sun Lang suddenly rolled his eyes. "Did you get your inspiration from China's Anomaly Zone?"
The Sky Demon was startled, and then he laughed.
"I only realized it later … It's really similar." He shook his head. "But it's not, and there are many, many things that we can do."
Sun Lang said faintly, "You look like you're relieved of a burden."
"I was indeed relieved when you started talking about this kind of joke that only I could understand."
The Sky Demon said, "In fact, I've already come up with many ideas. 'But I refuse!
I, Sun Lang, by the shore, like to say 'no' to a self-righteous person like you. It should be the line that has the highest probability of appearing … "
Sun Lang also laughed. "This line is indeed the most appropriate one … I really want to say it."
The Sky Demon shrugged. "If you just want to say it, it's still okay. No matter how many words you say, it's fine."
Sun Lang didn't say anything.
The Ancestor Sky Demon also stopped smiling, and his tone was still sincere. "I know you are still holding a grudge... but we still have a lot of time. The long years will wash away the past grudges and become a topic of conversation when we drink and smile at each other. You have made a wise choice. I know you will do so."
He stepped forward and stretched out his hand, attempting to pat Sun Lang's shoulder. But when he met Sun Lang's calm gaze, he awkwardly withdrew his hand and shook his head with a bitter smile. "It seems that this face is really not likable."
With Li Guangyuan's appearance, the Sky Demon slowly said, "I know you've been wronged. You're only giving up on fighting me to the death for the sake of those people's lives. Otherwise, I really don't have the confidence to defeat you. At that time, all of my efforts and arrangements would've been for naught, and you would've lost everything. Both sides would've suffered. That's the most annoying outcome … isn't it?
There won't be any winners. Neither of us likes that. "
He stood beside Sun Lang. The Dragon Qi protecting the palace had gradually dissipated, and the dark clouds above the capital were also slowly dissipating. The sun shone, and the blue sky reappeared, as if all the disasters and sorrows had passed.
"I will do my best to give you everything you want, whether it's nobility or carefree, power or freedom. According to our agreement, you can take anyone you want to take with you to travel around, and those people you care about will get the most appropriate place. If you want, when I slightly unify the power of the Houtu, I will start to set up the portal connecting to Earth …"
"I will treat you as a brother, and my people will also see you as a leader. We will engrave your name on the sacred gate, and with the breath of the Spirit of Roja, it will spread throughout the universe forever. Sun Lang, time is long, and the future is far away. We can make our names last longer."
Sun Lang didn't say anything.
His eyes swept over the silent people behind the Sky Demon. The eyes of the Sky Demon who had succeeded in the possession were burning with strong spiritual flames … Of course, there were three people who didn't have any abnormalities, just like humans.
Three Sword Saints.
Wei Wangshu, Wei Xihe, and Shen Yaohua.
Sun Lang slowly raised his hand and pointed at the undead who had turned to the Sky Demon.
He turned to look at the Ancestor of the Origin Sky Demon. "You can bring the dead back to life?"
This was the key factor that made Shen Yaohua decide to turn to the Sky Demon … This infatuated woman was obsessed with resurrecting her husband, listened to the nonsense of the Sky Demon, and ignored the serious barrier between life and death.
The Ancestor of the Origin Sky Demon calmly said, "Of course I can't do it."
Sun Lang didn't speak, but his eyes gradually became sharp as he looked at the Sky Demon.
"Don't look at me like that," the Sky Demon said.
The Heavenly Demon said, "Although I can't bring the dead back to life, I can fulfill her wish and let her see her husband again."
Sun Lang's tone was extremely cold. "So you can let her die?"
The Sky Demon shook his head and said, "Of course she can live."
"…" Sun Lang calmly said, "Explain."
"There's nothing to explain. It's very difficult to resurrect a dead person, almost impossible. But it's very simple for me to let Shen Yaohua and her husband reunite."
Sun Lang's eyes shook violently.
He had an extremely shocking conjecture.
"… What do you mean?"
The Ancestor of the Origin Sky Demon's face showed an extremely complicated expression. There was confusion, and there was also a sigh. Perhaps he still couldn't understand the flaw in the Great Barren Mountain, and he couldn't figure out the reason even if he cracked his head.
"Brother Zhan's soul …" he sighed. "It's the sword spirit of the holy sword of water."
Sun Lang showed an extremely shocked expression. He stared at the Sky Demon, trying to find the fake expression on his face, but there was none. The other party didn't look like a disguise.
"… Nonsense," he murmured. "He's obviously a human …"
"He's not, he's my child. Gong Gong's chaotic young spiritual light was personally inserted into the body of the baby of the Cao family by me. At that time, I was trying another path … Otherwise, how do you think he was able to suppress all the top powerhouses of the empire and obtain the approval of the holy sword of water with the best aptitude?"
The Sky Demon sighed and said, "I thought that was a feasible path, but even the Sky Demon, after being nourished and raised in a human body, can become like a human being. He has his own thoughts and will, and even overcomes his natural instinct to obey me and chose another path …"
Speaking of this matter, he also sighed with a face full of emotions.
Now, he had achieved great success, so he could calmly recall his previous failures. The plan in the Great Barren Mountain was originally perfect, but from Brother Zhan to Sun Lang, one link after another collapsed one after another, and then there was a chain of failures … He misjudged a human being from an alien world, and also misjudged another Sky Demon.
"I don't blame him anymore, even if it's for your sake. I know he's very important to you, and you've been holding a grudge. But now, I can bring him back to life, because he's Gong Gong, a soul from the holy sword of water. He's a part of my soul. As long as I'm alive, he can always be alive and regain peace and happiness."
The Sky Demon said warmly, "We can all let go of the past. Sun Lang, we can look forward. You've fulfilled your promise. You can continue to protect this world and watch how I govern and develop it."
"If I violate my promise and treat humans with violence and plunder, you can stand up and fight me at any time to punish me for breaking my promise … Sun Lang, it takes a long time to build trust. If you have any conditions or requests, you can tell me."
Sun Lang was stunned and speechless. Then, he suddenly remembered something. "… Is he the only one who did it this way?"
The Sky Demon said in surprise, "Of course … What's wrong?"
Sun Lang slowly shook his head. "Nothing … I'm going out to take a look first."
The Sky Demon of the Ancestor of the Origin smiled and said, "I can understand. You're a sentimental person, and this is a good thing for me. But the empire can't be without a ruler for a day. We still need to discuss and explore how to end today's situation. Remember …"
Before his voice died away, Sun Lang had already rushed out like an arrow leaving the bow.
The Sky Demon shook his head and lowered his eyes.
He hid the sharp light in his eyes.
Behind him, Shen Yaohua was still standing with her hands down, waiting quietly.
Sun Lang rushed out of the palace gate.
He saw the messy corpses outside the Xuanwu Gate. Following the reaction of the Gold Glorious Holy Sword, he followed the tracks of the military horses and galloped all the way on the vast imperial road. He ran very fast. Many chaotic thoughts came one after another. He almost wanted to hold his head and scream. He wanted to roar loudly. Even someone like him couldn't sort out his feelings at this moment, let alone know whether what he did was right or wrong.
He just wanted to see them now.
Then he could calm down.
As he approached the Houtu Sword Palace, there were many Sky Demon on guard in the distance. Seeing him rushing over like a hurricane, they quickly retreated. It seemed that they had been warned and warned. If they were killed by this person, there would be no way for them to complain.
At a glance, Sun Lang saw the corpses all over the ground.
There were panicked warhorses fleeing in all directions, corpses strewn all over the ground, and power armors standing like statues … Only a few people were left standing.
He saw Zhao Yunlong and Lu Shu-jen looking around for corpses with serious faces. Miss Zhao pursed her lips. He saw Yinluo taking off her helmet and leaning against the wall, while Courrier accompanied her.
Ping Yang was sitting in the distance.
Everyone saw Sun Lang almost at the same time.
Miss Zhao cried out. Even the most independent and indifferent Lu Shu-jen had red eyes.
Sun Lang approached like lightning and asked, "Is anyone hurt?"
He saw that Chao Po-tao and Auntie Lu were fine. Miss Zhao was crying loudly. Courrier's Seraph didn't even have a few scratches. Only Yinluo was sitting in the corner. His heart ached. He came to the girl and said, "Yinluo."
The girl raised her head in a daze and looked at Sun Lang's familiar face. Tears filled her eyes.
"Sun Lang …" Her voice was weak and dazed, as if she was in a nightmare that she hadn't woken up from. The girl's voice was careful, seeking warmth.
Her eyes and words were full of trust … and pleading.
"Did we … win?"
Sun Lang's heart seemed to be hammered.
He said in a low voice, "… I'm sorry. The so-called sword mark was a trap. The Empire was defeated by a conspiracy that had been planned for hundreds of years. Houtu is finished. I can't do anything."
Yinluo's eyes were dazed, as if he couldn't understand Sun Lang's words.
Sun Lang took a deep breath and looked at Zhao Yunlong. "There's no time to mourn. Chao Po-tao, take them immediately … What's wrong?"
He looked at Zhao Yunlong in surprise, because Chao Po-tao's face was full of hesitation.
Chao Po-tao was silent for a moment and then moved to the side.
She didn't say anything and only pointed at Ping Yang.
Sun Lang was stunned. He blinked and then took a deep breath. The world seemed to have become far away in an instant. For some reason, many memories and fragments of the past surged into his mind.
An inexplicable sourness surged from the lake in his heart.
He seemed to have realized something, but he wasn't willing to believe or accept it. He just took a step and walked toward Ping Yang, who was sitting on the ground.
He walked very slowly. Although it was very short, it felt as if he had walked for eight years.
Ping Yang sat on the ground, surrounded by fallen soldiers. Her body was stained with blood, and her armor was damaged in several places. Her hair was disheveled, and there were broken swords and sabers around her. Sitting there, she was like a mourner on the battlefield, remembering the names of all the dead.
She was like a valkyrie in Norse mythology, flying through the battlefield to receive the souls of the brave.
She slowly turned her head and looked at Sun Lang.
She wanted to smile, but her face was full of sadness.
"Master …"
She said as if she was in a dream.
"Sister is dead …"