A Father's Plan for His Children: Offering Himself as a Hostage

In the blink of an eye, a hundred years have passed in the Blood Fiend Secret Realm.

Deep within the Blood Fiend Secret Realm, inside a bamboo building, Tang Ping was sitting around a purple copper hot pot.

He held a sizzling string of beef rolls in his left hand and a jar of amber-colored fruit wine in his right, humming a tune that had been passed down for countless years.

After eating pickled vegetables and stewed tofu, even the emperor is no match for me!

Over the past century, he has watched his children finally find good partners. Although they face various life-or-death crises every day, they love each other dearly, and everything goes according to plan, so he is naturally in a good mood.

But after a moment of joy, Tang Ping's hand, which was holding a beef roll, suddenly stopped, the smile on his face gradually faded, and he fell into deep thought.

The life trajectories of these three children are all perfectly controlled by an unseen hand, leaving them no freedom whatsoever. Even their every breath and every choice is subject to simulation and deduction by a super-intelligent system.

And what about him?

Could Tang Ping, the King Anle, also be a pawn manipulated by a hidden hand?

Thinking of this, Tang Ping slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the dome of the bamboo building, looking towards the blood-red sky deep within the secret realm.

His eyes suddenly became deep, his dark pupils seeming to hold an endless abyss, dark and silent, enough to make any living being sink into it.

Is that you?

Peng Yuyan? Or Hu Ge, Daniel Wu?

No one responded.

After a long while, Tang Ping suddenly grinned. He had to admit, if there really was such an invisible force pulling the strings behind the scenes, the script they'd arranged for him was quite enjoyable.

"I hope all of you big shots can Pingping, healthy, and happy." He picked up the wine jar, took a sip, and savored the rich, mellow taste. "After all, only when you're comfortable can we continue to enjoy ourselves so much, right?"

Hehehe~

After chuckling a few times, Tang Ping stopped dwelling on those vague speculations, lowered his head, and stuffed the hot beef roll into his mouth. The meat was tender and chewy.

The ingredients on the table may look no different from those in the mortal world, but they are actually made from special spiritual materials from a secret realm and contain immense primal Origin Force. If an ordinary mortal were to accidentally eat them, they would probably be poisoned and die instantly.

Just as he was enjoying his meal...

"Dad! We're back! And we brought you a few friends!"

Tang Ping the wine jar and looked up.

Tang An, Tang Yiyi, and Tang Guo, the three siblings, walked in side by side, each accompanied by a good-looking and elegant figure.

They were their respective partners: Ling Yue the Wind Wind-Rain Race from the Windfall Universe Country, skilled in speed and assassination; Wen Chen of the Fire God Race from the Yanhuang Universe Country, skilled in the Flame Law; Long Hao of the Xinghan Universe Country, possessing pure Dragon-Man Race blood.

Upon seeing this, Tang Ping's eyes lit up instantly. He quickly got up and went to greet him, laughing loudly, "Hahaha!"

"It's good to be back! It's good to be back! Please sit down, the hot pot is still hot, let's try some of my newly brewed spirit wine."

"Hello, Uncle." Ling Yue and the other two greeted him in unison, their tone respectful.

They had heard their partner mention this mysterious father before, and upon meeting him today, they were indeed impressed by his extraordinary bearing. It's worth noting that most of their elders had also been trapped here, and their highest level was now only at the Universe Level.

This person is at the peak of the World Lord Rank, and has been praised by the elders of the Soul Hall as the most likely to break through to immortality.

He's a true genius!

Tang Ping smiled and waved his hand, "No need to be so formal. Since An'an and the others have chosen them, they're family."

Then came a brief exchange of pleasantries.

Tang Ping would occasionally inquire about the group's cultivation progress and past experiences, and Ling Yue and the other two would answer truthfully, their words clear and their attitude sincere.

After several rounds of drinks, Tang Ping put down his glass, his expression serious, and glanced at the six young people before him. "I'm very happy that you've come together. Since you're all here today, I'll tell you a secret about the Soul Hall."

Upon hearing the word "secret," all six of them perked up, stopped what they were doing, and listened intently.

"The Blood Fiend Secret Realm appears to be closed off, but in reality, it has a hidden passage connecting it to the outside world," Tang Ping said in a deep voice. "To bind you even more rigorously, the Soul Hall will encourage you to have offspring!"

If you choose to go to Earth to have children, you can use a secret passage to "temporarily leave here and arrive on Earth."

"What?!" the six exclaimed in unison.

Tang An stood up excitedly. "Dad, is it true? We can really get out?"

All six of them were inexplicably abducted to this Blood Fiend Secret Realm, where they have remained for a full six thousand years. During these six thousand years, they have longed for the prosperity of the outside world, yet they have been unable to make any contact with it.

If they can reach Earth, with its Virtual Universe Network, they will surely find a way to contact their respective families' powerful allies and then try to rescue their trapped family members!

Tang Ping nodded slowly. "It's true, but there's one condition."

The six men's hearts jumped, and they asked in unison, "What are the conditions?"

Tang Ping's gaze fell on his children, his tone heavy, "If you want to leave, someone must stay behind as a hostage to restrain the Soul Hall and prevent you from revealing the existence of the secret realm, especially the secrets of the Soul Hall, after you leave."

The atmosphere inside the bamboo house froze instantly.

"I'll stay!" Tang An spoke first, his eyes resolute. "My sisters are still young; they should go out and look for opportunities for rescue."

"Brother, you can't stay!" Tang Yiyi said urgently. "Your cultivation is the highest, and you have the greatest chance of finding strong reinforcements after you get out. You should be the one going out! I'm staying!"

"Sister, I'll stay!" Tang Guo retorted, not to be outdone.

Seeing how filial the children were, Tang Ping's eyes welled up with tears. He was so touched! He even felt embarrassed to have taken advantage of the children like that!

=(".*)) Sigh, there's nothing I can do, it's all for the child!

He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and said in a deep voice, "Stop talking, all of you. I'll take this hostage."

"Dad! No!" the three siblings cried out in unison, their voices trembling with sobs.

Tang Ping's Gentle gaze swept over the six young people, and he said expectantly, "After you leave, don't come back. Live well, cultivate diligently. Finding a chance for rescue is certainly good, but if you can't, there's no need to force it."

Remember, preserving yourself and ensuring the continuation of my Old Tang Family bloodline is the most important thing.

"Dad--" Tang An wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by Tang Ping.

"This is my decision." Tang Ping's voice carried a hint of authority. "You only need to remember that no matter what the future holds, you must live well. As long as you are well, I am at ease here."

Moreover, I possess the Tang Family's secret. As long as I don't reveal it, the Soul Hall will absolutely not kill me! After you all get out, cultivate diligently. Once you become unparalleled powerhouses and destroy the Soul Hall, I too can escape alive!

The bamboo house was quiet except for the bubbling sound of the hot pot broth.

After a long while, Tang An wiped away his tears and slowly knelt down. The others followed suit and knelt down, kowtowing three times to Tang Ping.

"Dad, don't worry!" Tang An's voice was hoarse but firm, "We will definitely find the strongest support, we will definitely come back to save you! If we cannot rescue you in this lifetime, we swear we will not give up!"

Tang Ping looked at the kneeling children with great satisfaction. He stepped forward and helped them up one by one. "Good, good, I'll be waiting for you."