Aspiring to the Immortal Path - Chapter 1256: Father and Son (1)
A destructive power appeared with such suddenness that not even Tang Jie had sensed it beforehand.
It immediately surged toward Tang Jie, and at the same time, a million kilometers away, space suddenly exploded as out of the void stepped an imposing figure: White Tiger Wang Yao!
The Myriad Yin Yang Furnace above Tang Jie’s head turned, casting out misty clouds of light that cloaked Tang Jie, neutralizing and grinding away at the attack. Yet though that torrent of energy came from only a single punch, it seemed to be evolving and transforming, as if it was a punch extended over a million years.
Even Tang Jie felt like he was being subjected to an endless torment.
As if the weight of ten thousand years had fallen upon him.
The Dao of Time!
Wang Yao had hidden himself with the Dao of Space, and then he had unleashed a punch infused with the supreme power of the Dao of Time. While it lacked explosive power compared to the Combat Emperor punches, it was extraordinarily persistent, the Dao of Time transforming an instantaneous eruption of power into an infinity.
Nothing had been held back with this punch.
Bang!
The punch finally dissipated.
Tang Jie instantly retreated thousands of kilometers.
This was the first time he had retreated in his clash with Nine Disaster.
“Bao’er!” Tang Jie called out.
Wang Yao strode through the void and bellowed, “This child greets his adoptive father!”
He gave the deepest bow possible to Tang Jie.
“Excellent! A fine adoptive son, giving me such a generous present on meeting me,” Tang Jie said.
Wang Yao grinned. “Adoptive Father, don’t misunderstand;
your child simply hadn’t seen you in so long and was saying hello. Adoptive Father, you are now a Gold Immortal, and your child has broken through his bloodline restraints and also attained Boundless, so a test of strength was only natural. I am sure that you are happy to see that your child was so diligent.”
Tang Jie, Nine Disaster, and Wang Yao stood in a triangle in the void, all manifesting as massive giants that seemed the size of domains. Although their true forms were not truly this size, these manifestations were enough to stun and awe the Immortals.
“Bao’er! It’s Bao’er!” Yiyi looked up and shouted in excitement.
Even though she had cultivated to Immortal Platform, Yiyi still couldn’t see through the world as Tang Jie did, or see into the minds of others.
She celebrated on pure instinct, even ignoring that Wang Yao had punched at Tang Jie the moment he appeared.
She instinctively and naively believed in Wang Yao’s explanation, believing that Wang Yao had just been too excited.
But Xu Miaoran was solemn, watching with slight concern.
Tang Jie seemed to be unperturbed.
He smiled at Wang Yao’s words. “I truly am very happy. After a thousand years of not having seen you, you’re no longer a child. You’ve grown up.”
Wang Yao smiled. “Adoptive Father, you’ve gotten older and easily forget things. You already said this back in the Beast Garden. At that time… I was no longer a child.”
“But back then, you wouldn’t have attacked me. At that time, you still knew how to respect me,” Tang Jie answered.
Wang Yao scratched the back of his head. “Adoptive Father seems to still be brooding about my attack just now. Ah, it was all to save this old man Nine Disaster. Nine Disaster, you old baldy, if the relationship with my father is ruined over this, I won’t forgive you!”
He turned to the Nine Disaster Fiend Monk and rumbled.
Nine Disaster sat on his seven-petaled lotus platform, which slowly turned and flashed with Dao Runes as it helped him recover. Meanwhile, Nine Disaster smiled and said, “My friend White Tiger, don’t make things more serious than they are. While I was at a disadvantage against Domain Lord Tang, my life was far from being in danger. This old monk refuses to say that I owe you gratitude for saving my life.”
The old devil immediately and unceremoniously called Wang Yao a liar.
Tang Jie didn’t mind, simply nodding at Wang Yao. “Indeed, you are no longer a child. The Bao’er of the past would have never treated me this way. But that’s no surprise. You’ve been in the Primordial Fog for so many years, surrounded by nothing but darkness and corruption. If you didn’t become heartless and shameless in that environment, you wouldn’t get anywhere. Your adoptive father does not blame you, only hopes that you correct your ways.”
“‘Correct my ways’?” Wang Yao narrowed his eyes. “If avenging my ancestor is the wrong path, then what exactly is the correct path?”
Unsurprised, Tang Jie said, “As expected, you haven’t forgotten that grudge.”
“Wouldn’t it be far stranger if I forgot?” Wang Yao laughed.
“So you attacked me. Because you knew I wouldn’t let you do this?”
After a pause, Wang Yao turned serious. “Yes!”
He looked at Tang Jie and solemnly said, “Adoptive Father, do you know how many times I imagined this meeting…”
His voice trailed off.
Fourteen hundred years.
He had envisioned countless times what his next meeting with Tang Jie would be like.
Embracing each other in tears, sitting down and having a long chat, treating each other like strangers, patient guidance and debate…
But in most of the scenarios, Tang Jie would rebuke him for taking revenge against the Basking Moon Sect, and the two would part on unhappy terms.
He had considered countless arguments to try and explain to Tang Jie why he needed to take revenge, and he had tried to find countless reasons to convince himself to give up on it. He had even thought about killing Tang Jie if he dared to stop him. All kinds of thoughts, both good and evil, had tormented Wang Yao.
But in the end, Wang Yao had recognized deep down what he wanted to do.
He knew that he couldn’t put aside his grudge, nor could he betray the kindness his father had shown him, which had resulted in this current course of action.
He seemed disloyal and callous, but this was all to hide his true emotions so that he could face Tang Jie with greater confidence.
But as he faced Tang Jie, he finally couldn’t help but speak his mind.
Gazing at Tang Jie, Wang Yao said, “Adoptive Father, I respect you as my second father, so I do not wish to meet you on the battlefield. But I also know that if you are here, you will not permit me to attack the Basking Moon Sect. Thus, I had no choice but to join hands with Nine Disaster to restrain you. But Adoptive Father may rest easy. My target is only the Basking Moon Sect, and Nine Disaster’s target is only the Gigantes Domain. With me around, Adoptive Father will only face imprisonment, not execution, if you are defeated. Once I have defeated the Basking Moon Sect, I will restore your freedom.”
Tang Jie chuckled. “You’re being a little too simpleminded.”
Wang Yao answered, “I know that Adoptive Father possesses prodigious powers and that imprisoning you is a challenging task, but I am a master of the Daos of Space and Time and have some confidence in my ability to fashion a cage, particularly with Nine Disaster’s help.”
Tang Jie shook his head. “That’s not what I’m talking about. What I mean is… when did I ever say that I would stop you from taking revenge on the Basking Moon Sect?”
“What?” Wang Yao was taken aback.
He had imagined countless meetings with Tang Jie and tried to persuade him so many times.
But Wang Yao had never once been able to convince Tang Jie to allow his revenge.
Tang Jie was a disciple of the Basking Moon Sect and was now Domain Lord of the Rosecloud Domain.
With his current status, there was simply no way he could agree to such a thing.
Thus, after going back and forth, Wang Yao decided to give up on the idea and instead work with Nine Disaster to seize Tang Jie. His bottom line was only that Tang Jie was not to be killed, but there was nothing to be done about his desire for revenge.
This was why the first thing he did upon appearing was to attack.
Attack Tang Jie!
He had used his actions to show that there was no compromise to be had. To this end, he even suppressed his emotions and attempted to alienate himself from Tang Jie, thus hardening his resolve.
But it had all been pointless.
Because right now, Tang Jie was casually saying to Wang Yao, “When did I ever say that I would stop you from taking revenge on the Basking Moon Sect?”
These simple words had such an effect on Wang Yao’s mind that he froze on the spot.
Tang Jie’s one sentence had crushed all his previous concerns and plans, rendering them pointless.
Nine Disaster grimaced.
Like Wang Yao, Nine Disaster had also envisioned what today might turn out like. He had considered what would happen if Tang Jie managed to use his relationship to shake Wang Yao’s resolve, but he ultimately decided to believe in Wang Yao, believe that Wang Yao would never forget the immense cruelty and slaughter his ancestors had been subjected to.
But like Wang Yao, he had also not expected this reaction from Tang Jie.
Those words had turned the worlds of Nine Disaster and Wang Yao upside-down, and Nine Disaster realized that Wang Yao was highly likely to be unnerved by them.
He shouted, “Don’t believe him! He’s tricking you!”
Shivering, Wang Yao glared at Tang Jie and said, “Adoptive Father, do you really take me for such a fool?”
Tang Jie chuckled. “Why would I need to fool you? Can I assume that your army has also arrived? Since they’re here, you can go ahead and give the order to attack. If you’re still uneasy, you can even stay here and keep an eye on me. Let those down below handle their own affairs. Isn’t that even better? Or are the forces of two Demon Sovereigns unable to destroy a single Rosecloud Domain?”
Wang Yao scoffed. “Of course not.”
The strength of the Nine Disaster Fiend Monk’s faction alone required the Rosecloud Domain and Gigantes Domain to come together. The forces of Nox Alba joining the fray would make the demons unstoppable.
“If that’s the case, then shouldn’t we just sit back and watch the show? Or do you really want the two of us, father and son, to fight to the death?”
Wang Yao was struck dumb with realization. Indeed, if Tang Jie said he wasn’t going to stop them, then wasn’t it fine for him to just stay here and prove his words with his actions?
Tang Jie continued, “Bao’er, do you realize how happy I am? For so many years now, I’ve been thinking about you, wondering if you were doing well, if you had become a demon after entering the Primordial Fog. Even if you are a demon, I don’t care. You are my child, and that remains true even if you are a demon. I was only afraid that you would cease to recognize me after becoming a demon. Did you know? When you called me Adoptive Father, I was ecstatic. My Bao’er has finally returned. He still remembers, still acknowledges me!”
Wang Yao was stunned by the sincerity in Tang Jie’s voice.
Tang Jie then said, “Although you no longer treat me as affectionately as before, I can’t blame you. We were simply parted for too long. And it’s also understandable that you would presuppose that I would try to stop your revenge. I don’t blame you. After all, what can’t be talked out between father and son? If there’s any misunderstanding, we just need to explain it.”
Wang Yao shakily said, “You really won’t care if the Basking Moon Sect lives or dies?”
Tang Jie laughed. “It would be a lie if I said that I didn’t care at all, but nobody made the Basking Moon Sect commit all those crimes, and so they have to pay for that. Your revenge is only natural, and I have no reason to stop you. If I try to stop you as your father, I will only lose you. I won’t do something so dumb, nor do I wish to lose a son like you. Thus, now that you’re back, let the two of us simply stand on the side and have a good chat between father and son so that I can know what you’ve been through all these years. Doesn’t that sound great?”
Wang Yao had no idea how to even react to all this.
