"You… you've actually gained full control over the Heaven Dao Divine Book."
The woman in the plain dress could hardly believe it. But her rapidly shattering body told her the truth.
Yang Cheng's eyes were cold, without the slightest hint of hesitation.
That woman in the plain dress was breathtaking, noble and flawless, without question one of the most enchanting women in existence. She seemed as if she had been sculpted by the Dao of Heaven itself.
Across two lifetimes, Yang Cheng had met many outstanding women. Yet when it came to sheer perfection of beauty, none could compare to her.
Even so, he only watched with cold indifference as her form crumbled apart.
From the very instant she appeared, she had acted high and mighty, demanding that he obey her for life. And when she wasn't pleased, she had tried to force him to kneel.
If he kept her, then sooner or later he would only become her servant, nothing more than the pathetic "bootlicker" mocked in rumors.
The problem was that her charm was overwhelming, and her abilities were far beyond his. Yang Cheng couldn't guarantee that one day he wouldn't fall under her control, broken by her strength and methods.
To erase that possibility, he chose without hesitation to annihilate her. With complete mastery over the Heaven Dao Divine Book, he had that authority.
She was a spirit born from the book itself. Once the Heaven Dao Divine Book abandoned her, she had no choice but to die.
In just a breath, she vanished like foam on water.
When she disappeared, Yang Cheng still felt an odd pang of loss. That fleeting emotion only made him more certain he was right. The influence of that spirit was terrifying. In such a short time, she had already planted this strange attachment in his heart.
Taking a quarter of an hour to calm himself, Yang Cheng turned his palm and summoned a small cauldron.
This was the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron, a supreme artifact of the highest grade. Liu Wuji's Devouring Heaven Technique had come from this cauldron. It could refine and purify the essence of life itself. Without it, the Devouring Heaven Technique would only swallow life force while pulling in countless impurities.
But Yang Cheng felt no temptation at all. To him, this thing was nothing but pure evil.
It was precisely because of this cauldron that Liu Wuji became the infamous Heaven-Devouring Ancient Demon.
The bad reputation alone didn't matter. The real problem was that endlessly consuming the vitality of others to grow stronger would inevitably warp the mind.
Who knew how much hatred a person unleashed at the moment of death? Yang Cheng did not believe this cauldron could fully erase such venomous emotions. Inevitably, fragments of that resentment would slip through.
Over time, those fragments would pile up into an ocean of malice. And if a man spent centuries soaked in it, what kind of twisted monster would he become? Would the self of centuries later even still be him? That was a question mark Yang Cheng didn't dare gamble on.
Besides, to him, this cauldron was unnecessary. With his own talent, even without the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron, his cultivation speed would never be slow. There was no need to consume others' lives.
[Mission triggered. The host has slain Liu Wuji and obtained the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron, now facing immense temptation.]
[The Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron is a supreme artifact, able to consume the life force of all beings to empower oneself. Even gods would struggle to resist its lure.]
[The host must make a choice—Option One: Refine the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron, with no mission reward. Option Two: Abandon the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron and obtain one Fate-Severing Parent-Child Talisman.]
Fate-Severing Parent-Child Talisman?
Yang Cheng had never heard of such a thing. But he had already planned to discard the cauldron. Even without a mission, he would have done the same. Now that it came with a reward, he had no reason to hesitate.
"Option Two," Yang Cheng said firmly in his mind.
[Congratulations to the host for making a choice. Would you like to claim the reward now?]
"Yes."
In an instant, two talismans of ordinary yellow paper—one large, one small—floated into the air.
Yang Cheng reached out and took them. At once, a torrent of information flowed from the talismans into his mind.
These two yellow talismans were the Fate-Severing Parent-Child Talisman.
Their purpose was simple—seizing another's fortune.
As long as one person held the parent talisman, then whoever came into contact with the child talisman would have their fate continuously siphoned away by the one holding the parent.
Yang Cheng's mind stirred.
He discovered that the child talisman could conceal itself perfectly, even fusing into other treasures. That was its most important use. After all, most people wouldn't dare to casually touch a talisman of unknown origin.
If he wanted someone to come into contact with the child talisman, it needed to be hidden and disguised. Embedding it into a treasure was without doubt the best option.
At once, Yang Cheng pressed the child talisman onto the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron.
Buzz!
The talisman ignited, then turned into an invisible seal that etched itself deep inside the cauldron.
The Fate-Severing Parent-Child Talisman touched upon fate itself—it was a truly heaven-defying thing. Its rank was in no way inferior to the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron. That was exactly why the system had given it as compensation for abandoning the cauldron.
Unless one was a Martial Ancestor, no being could detect its presence. Even half-step Martial Ancestors were no exception.
Yang Cheng's thoughts grew sharper.
What was Yang Xiu's greatest support? Not the Zhuang clan, not Lin Xinglan—it was destiny itself. He gained all kinds of aid only because fate rested on him.
But if Yang Cheng kept cutting away Yang Xiu's fortune, even if he couldn't destroy his destiny outright, he could weaken it. Perhaps he might even kill Yang Xiu earlier than he had planned.
"How should I get the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron into Yang Xiu's hands?"
Yang Cheng rose and walked outside. "Hu Po, go find out where Hong Xiang, heir of the Hong family in Canglan City, is right now."
He didn't need to seek out Yang Xiu directly.
By the original course, Hong Xiang was destined to become one of Yang Xiu's closest followers. Though much had changed by now, Yang Cheng understood the twisted power of a Heaven's Mandate Son. He was certain Hong Xiang would still submit to Yang Xiu.
So to find Yang Xiu, he didn't need to look for Yang Xiu—he only needed to find Hong Xiang.
"Hong Xiang?" Hu Po was puzzled but asked no further questions. She immediately sent people to investigate. For her, this was hardly a difficult task.
Before long, she returned to report. "Your Highness, today Canglan City is holding the Canglan Gathering. This event is held once every three years. Each time, the young talents of Canglan City and other cities in Chanzhou gather here to exchange in martial cultivation. Right now, Hong Xiang is participating in the Canglan Gathering."
"Where is it being held?" Yang Cheng asked.
"At the East Bay Villa in Canglan City," Hu Po replied.
East Bay Villa.
Hundreds of young geniuses had gathered there. Among them, the brightest was none other than Canglan City's number one prodigy, Hong Xiang of the Hong clan.
At fifteen years old, Hong Xiang was already a Martial King. Though not equal to the absolute peak prodigies, in a place like Canglan City, his strength crushed all others without doubt.
"Brother Hong, I heard you recently took in a sworn younger brother?"
"That's right."
"They say you treat this sworn brother with utter sincerity and deep respect."
"My sworn brother has great ambition. I admire him deeply and believe he will accomplish world-shaking feats in the future."
Hong Xiang and a few other young talents chatted idly.
Not far away, another fifteen-year-old boy wore an expression of displeasure.
He was Xu Qingxue's elder brother, Xu Qingdong.
The Xu family of Canglan City was a rising force. In recent years, their power had grown quickly, but they still couldn't match the Hong clan. Old noble families like the Hong clan viewed upstarts like the Xu clan with hostility.
And since Xu Qingdong's talent was on par with Hong Xiang's, their relationship was naturally poor.
At that moment, two figures appeared at the entrance.
Xu Qingdong was first stunned, then overjoyed. He recognized them instantly—his younger sister Xu Qingxue and His Highness the Crown Prince.