"Ferryman!" The illusory voice was filled with flattery and malice. "The core of this story is deception and selfishness, not sacrifice! He is tarnishing your voyage! Such a low-quality lie is not worthy of a ticket!" It attempted to steal the value of the story, belittling Xiao Han as a fraud.
Before Xiao Han could react, Mei'er in his sea of consciousness let out a disdainful sneer.
"Hehehe... These days, is lying so unsophisticated?" Her voice was full of lazy mockery. "Let me teach you what it truly means to... expose someone's secrets."
Before the words were even finished, an invisible, alluring force precisely pierced the core of the remnant soul known as the "Lie Monarch." Before the Lie Monarch could even react, its most shameful and cowardly memory from its previous life was forcibly extracted and made public.
In the scene, during a dimensional war, in order to survive, it personally pushed its trusted allies to the enemy's blade, even kneeling down to beg for mercy, displaying a disgraceful behavior. In the end, it was still killed by the enraged enemy with a single sword strike.
"Traitors, do you even deserve to talk about sacrifice?" Mei'er's voice carried a deadly sarcasm.
"You!" The remnant soul of the Lie Monarch fluctuated violently, both shocked and furious.
Xiao Han's eyes had turned into a cold abyss. He had never been so angry. The other party had not only defiled his story, but also insulted the sacrifices of Emperor Xia and Lin Qingxia.
"Court death!"
The killing intent materialized, and the [Overlord's Gaze], which had merged with the peak power of the Martial Grandmaster Realm Third Layer, transformed into a jet-black spiritual sword, carrying boundless rage, and fiercely stabbed at the remnant soul of the Lie Monarch!
"Ah--!"
The Lie Monarch let out a shrill scream, and its phantom instantly dimmed, clearly having suffered an irreversible and devastating blow.
Just then, the Ferryman, who had been silent all along, moved for the first time.
It simply raised its withered, bony hand slowly and gently squeezed it towards the direction of the Lie Monarch.
Ferryman approves of is never the truth or falsehood of the story, but rather the will and emotions contained within the storyteller's tale. In Xiao Han's story, that indomitable and defiant will is its most satisfying "sustenance."
"Noisy."
With this word, seemingly born from the friction of withered bones, the remnant soul of the Lie Monarch was utterly crushed by an invisible force amidst a desperate wail, transforming into a wisp of the purest soul energy, which merged into the bone ship, increasing its speed even further.
The remaining phantoms on the ship fell silent, trembling with fear.
Xiao Han's story has finally come to an end. He reforged the seal with his own life, and the world collapsed into endless nothingness behind him. As the last image dissipated, the entire space seemed to tremble slightly because of this final tragedy.
The soul fire in the Ferryman's eyes burned to its fullest extent.
"A fascinating story," it said indifferently, "Enough to pay... for a ticket to the outer reaches of the 'Asura Blood Sea'."
As soon as the words were spoken, the bone ship shuddered violently, tearing open the last veil of nothingness.
The scene before my eyes suddenly changed drastically.
A boundless, crimson ocean, formed from viscous blood and boiling resentment, unfolded before my eyes. On its surface floated the remains of mountains resembling those of gods and demons, and shattered stars rose and fell in the sea of blood. With each surge of the waves, the roars of countless lives filled with their unwillingness echoed.
This is one of the three forbidden areas of the Shattered Star Sea, the Asura Blood Sea.
The Ferryman pointed his long, white bone oar at a terrifying vortex deep within the sea of blood, a vortex that constantly devoured light and was impervious even to divine sense.
"We've reached the outer perimeter," it said calmly. "To enter the core and find the 'Primordial Soul Spring' you speak of, you'll need to pay... the fare for the next leg of the journey."
Xiao Han frowned, suppressing the shock in his heart, and asked in a deep voice, "What else do you want?"
The ferryman slowly turned around, and for the first time, the two eerie green soul flames locked onto Xiao Han with such clarity and unwavering focus.
It uttered a sentence that froze Xiao Han's soul.
"Pay with a story that hasn't happened yet."
"Tell me about your 'future'. Your ambitions, your path forward, your... ending."
If your future is bright enough, I'll take you there.
The Skeleton Ferryman's tone carried an age-old indifference, yet it exuded a suffocating oppression.
"If you're nothing special... then this sea of blood will be your end."
Tell me about your 'future'.
The Ferryman's empty eyes were fixed on Xiao Han, as if they could see through the long river of time and reach the end of fate.
This requirement is more demanding and more deadly than any divine weapon or rare treasure.
"Young master, don't be fooled." In her mind's eye, Mei'er's languid voice took on an unprecedented solemnity for the first time. "This is an ancient 'Fate Contract.' Once you utter it, your fate will be dictated by this thread. If you speak too confidently, it's a death warrant; if you speak too cowardly, it's your epitaph. Either way, you're doomed."
Before the words were even finished, a cold system notification sound followed.
[God-Level Choice activated!]
[Option A: This story tells of a future where one dominates all realms and controls their rise and fall. By embracing the bloodthirsty nature of the Asura Blood Sea with supreme ambition, one may gain the Ferryman's approval. The price: One's Dao heart will be completely eroded by desire, turning one into a slave to power.]
[Option B: Tells a story of saving humanity and restoring Order. Upholds one's principles and demonstrates humanitarian will. Cost: Such a grand ambition may seem mundane to the Ferryman, and is highly likely to be considered a "boring" story, abandoned in a sea of blood along with the ship.]
[Option C: Refuse to recount your experience and force your way into the bloodbath. In your current state, your survival rate is less than 0.001%.]
Each option is like a carefully prepared poison; no matter which one you choose, you cannot escape death.
Xiao Han's gaze swept across the boundless sea of blood before him. Boiling resentment coalesced in the sea into twisted, tormented faces of gods and demons, roaring and struggling.
This scene instantly stirred two completely opposite forces within him.
Between his brows, the [Human Dao Merit Golden Wheel] radiates a warm and compassionate light, seeking to purify this endless suffering.
Deep within his heart, the [True Demon Origin Imprint] trembled with excitement, yearning to devour this massive amount of negative energy and transform it into resources for his own growth.
One saint, one demon. One compassionate, one greedy.
At this moment, in this extremely chaotic place, a strange balance was achieved.
Xiao Han suddenly smiled. There was no surrender or confusion in that smile, only a profound understanding and resolute determination.
He slowly raised his head, meeting the Ferryman's gaze that scrutinized his fate, and let out a long, resounding howl that echoed through the void.
"My future is not something I tell, but something I create!"
He did not choose any of the scripts provided by the system.
A pure and extreme "will" surged from the top of his head.