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The very next second, the already vast spirit power pressure coming from Tang Hao surged once more, becoming even more intense. The air in the hall seemed to turn into solid ice, and the heavy weight of his presence made both Niu Gao and Bai He take half a step back without even realizing it.
Tang Hao stepped forward, his tall and powerful figure giving off a sense of total control that no one could match. His eyes were blood-red as he stared directly at Yang Wudi. His voice was cold and filled with a majesty that no one could argue with.
"Yang Wudi! You need to remember your place!" Tang Hao's voice boomed through the room. "Back then, your Breaking Clan was just a small group that followed my Clear Sky Sect. You only survived and grew because you lived under the shadow and protection of the Sect! The Sect gave you our legacy and kept you safe while you developed your strength. That is a great favor we did for you!"
Tang Hao did not stop there. "The Sect had its own big problems and hard choices to make when we closed the gates years ago. In war and conflict, people have to make sacrifices! You only think about what your Breaking Clan lost, but have you ever thought about how much the main Clear Sky Sect had to give up? My own father, the old Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, was a great hero. Did he not die from the stress and sadness of those times? My wife was forced to give her own life for me, and I was chased like a criminal across the whole continent. Are those not sacrifices too?"
He pointed a finger at Yang Wudi, his tone sounding like a parent scolding a child. "Now, I have come here myself to speak for the Sect. I am willing to put away the old fights and give you a chance to come back.
You could share in our glory and finally get your revenge on our enemies! Instead of being thankful or remembering our old friendship, you stand there talking nonsense. You even talk about joining Spirit Hall? You are acting like a fool who doesn't understand how the world works. You are being ungrateful and you have no loyalty!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the spirit power around Tang Hao shook violently. A loud boom echoed as a visible wave of energy moved out from him like a ripple in a pond. This energy wave did not hurt the people standing there, but it was incredibly strong. It slammed right into the Soul Breaking Spear that Yang Wudi was still holding.
A sharp clanging sound rang out. Yang Wudi felt a force he could not fight against travel through his weapon. His hand shook so hard it felt like it might break, and his whole arm went completely numb.
The Soul Breaking Spear was connected to his very mind, but the pure force of Tang Hao's power knocked it right out of his grip. With a loud thud, the spear flew across the room and stuck deep into the stone wall. The end of the spear kept shaking back and forth for a long time.
Yang Wudi was pushed back several steps by the force. He would have fallen if Bai He had not caught him from behind. His face was white as a ghost, and he looked both shocked and very angry. Tang Hao did not even look at the spear stuck in the wall. He just looked down at the messy-looking Yang Wudi.
"Yang Wudi, I will give you a few days to think about this clearly," Tang Hao said coldly. "If you are smart and decide to come back to the Clear Sky Sect, I can speak for the Sect and forget everything that happened in the past. The Breaking Clan will become our sharpest weapon once again.
But, if you choose to be stubborn..." Tang Hao paused, his eyes turning even colder. "If you really want to join Spirit Hall, then go ahead. However, if you do that, the price will be that you and your ungrateful clan will stop existing. I hate Spirit Hall more than anything. Anyone who joins them is my enemy for life! I, Tang Hao, always mean what I say!"
After he finished his warning, he didn't look at Yang Wudi anymore. He didn't even look at the worried faces of Niu Gao and Bai He. He just gave a small nod to Tai Tan. Then, he turned around and walked out of the hall with heavy, loud steps.
Far away from the heat of the argument, in the Extreme North Land, a different kind of tension was in the air. The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm had just finished explaining a new idea. He talked about something called intelligent spirit rings and how they could all live forever if they helped a human become a god. This idea had surprised the Ice Empress and the Snow Empress. It showed them a future they never thought was possible.
However, they were still the rulers of the frozen North. They were very proud and they did not trust humans at all. It was very hard for them to make a choice that went against everything they believed in. The Snow Empress stayed quiet.
A soft blue light moved in her eyes as she thought about the good and bad parts of the plan. She wasn't sure if she should give up her freedom. The Ice Empress was also very shaken, but she grit her teeth. She did not want to bow down to anyone so easily.
Tang Chuan was there too, inside a giant dragon form that had the power of the Great Dragon Di Tian. He saw that talking nicely was not working on these two powerful rulers. He spoke with a deep, scary voice. "It seems that being kind is a waste of time."
The dragon giant slowly raised a huge, sharp claw. It was covered in black scales and had a dark gold glow. He pointed it right at the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress. "Since you don't care about living forever and you want to stay on your fake thrones until you die... then I have to turn you into spirit rings right now. But if I do that, you will lose your minds. You will just be energy and broken pieces of souls. you will just be a tool for my power with no thoughts of your own."
As he spoke, the black dragon claw squeezed shut a little bit. The dark light around it got brighter and pushed away all the snow and ice. It felt like the whole world was getting smaller. "On one hand, you can follow me. You can keep your minds and your thoughts. We can become gods together and live for eternity.
On the other hand, you can become mindless spirit rings. You can disappear forever, and all your hundreds of thousands of years of hard work will be wasted. You will just be part of the snow and nobody will remember you. Snow Empress, Ice Empress, have you made your choice?"
The dragon claw did not move back. Instead, it started to press down toward them with even more terrifying power. This pressure felt like heavy chains locking them in place. Even though they were the strongest beings in the North, they could not fight back against this power. Tang Chen had Di Tian's strength, the power of Ring Explosion, and a million-year soul. He was just too strong.
"I will fight you to the end!" the Ice Empress groaned. she tried her best to move and resist the pressure. But the Snow Empress saw things differently. She saw the absolute gap in power. She saw the choice between life and death very clearly.
The look in her blue eyes changed from doubt to logic. She slowly raised her hand. She wasn't trying to fight. She was telling the Ice Empress to be calm.
Her voice sounded like the wind, but it wasn't as cold as before. It sounded like she had accepted her fate. "I see what you mean... it seems I don't really have a choice at all."
Tang Chuan's dragon claw stopped in the air. "What do you think?" he asked in a deep voice. "I am not asking you anymore. I am telling you." The air felt like it was about to explode. It seemed like a huge battle was about to happen that would destroy the Extreme North.
"Bingbing! Snow Empress! Please, just trust me this once!" the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm cried out. He was very worried. He could see they were close to choosing. "By the Ice God above, I swear on the name of ice. If I am lying to you, or if I don't help you become intelligent spirit rings after you give your souls, then let all my ice power be taken away from me forever!"
To a human, this oath might not mean much. But to the Ice Empress and Snow Empress, it was the most serious promise a spirit beast could ever make. Time seemed to slow down. Every second felt like a thousand years. The Snow Empress looked up. Her eyes showed the black dragon shadow, the falling snow, and the land she had ruled for so long. She felt pride, fear, and a wish to live forever all at once.
Finally, she became very still and calm. She saw the small path that looked like giving up, but it led to a life that never ended. She also saw the path of death closing in. Facing this huge pressure, the ruler of the North finally made up her mind. She closed her eyes for a moment. Her long silver eyelashes looked like tiny butterfly wings covered in snow. When she opened them, she was ready.
Her voice was clear and went through the sound of the wind. "Fine. I don't have any other choice. I will take this gamble! This Spirit Master is so young and already so strong. He has Di Tian and the Emperor Auspicious Beast helping him. He must be the luckiest person on the whole Douluo Continent! Maybe he really can become a god in the future!"