Ah Yin's Question (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

The phantom of the Blue Silver Emperor, marked with golden veins, swayed gently in the air. A soft aura of life rippled outward, smoothing away the agitated life energy left in the wake of the fierce battle.

The phantom gradually solidified, outlining a vague yet gentle and graceful female silhouette. Though indistinct, Tang Hao could never mistake that aura, which originated from the very source of her soul.

The Blue Silver Emperor before him was none other than Ah Yin, the woman he had missed day and night and searched for every single day.

"Ah Yin... is it really you?"

"You're still alive... thank goodness... thank goodness!" Tang Hao's voice shifted from an initial tremor to wild ecstasy. He instinctively reached forward, desperate to touch the phantom he had longed for so dearly.

However, the phantom of the Blue Silver Emperor drifted slightly backward, evading his touch.

A thought, laden with profound sorrow and disappointment, was clearly transmitted into Tang Hao's mind, echoing in the hearts of everyone present:

"I am still alive? Do you not wish for me to be alive? Indeed, you truly did not want me to be alive..."

"Hao... why?"

These three simple words struck Tang Hao's heart like three cold needles.

"Why... why did you leave me alone in that sunless, lightless cave?"

"Why... did you not let me bathe in the sunlight, not let me drink the dew, and even deprive me of a single breath of free air?"

"I am a plant-type spirit beast; I naturally require sunlight, dew, and fresh air to thrive."

"Why have I seen no growth at all after all these years? I foolishly trusted you, but did you ever truly love me in all that you did?"

"You claim to love me, but is this your way of showing it?"

"By imprisoning me like a prisoner in darkness and solitude?"

"You say you love me, but how many times have you come to find me in these past years? Every time you came, you reeked of alcohol. You knew I detested that smell, yet you always appeared before me in that state!"

Ah Yin's thoughts flowed like a trickling stream, yet they carried the grievances and accusations accumulated over years, each word striking the most vulnerable part of Tang Hao's soul.

Tang Hao froze in place, the ecstasy on his face solidifying. He opened his mouth to explain, only to find his throat constricted as if blocked by something.

What could he say? That it was to protect her? But how was such "protection" any different from imprisonment?

Could he say he was waiting for a chance to resurrect her? If he truly wanted to bring her back, he could have found her a habitable place.

With his strength as a Titled Douluo, there was nowhere on the continent he could not reach. He had kept her in that cave simply so he could see her whenever he pleased; Tang Hao had been truly selfish.

"I... I did it to protect you! The Spirit Hall..." he struggled to force out a defense, his voice dry and raspy.

"Protect?"

Ah Yin's thoughts carried a trace of desolation. "Placing me in that sunless cave, cutting off my vitality—is that protection? Hao, look at me! Look at what I have become!"

The phantom of the Blue Silver Emperor flared with light, her vibrant life force a stark contrast to the dying state she had been in within the cave.

"It was Gu Han. He brought me out of that desperate darkness, nourished me with Breath Soil, gave me sunlight and dew, and allowed me to be reborn."

"And you... besides sealing me away in your memories, what have you done?"

Ah Yin's questioning was like a heavy hammer, shattering Tang Hao's last shred of hope.

He snapped his head up, his blood-red eyes locked onto Gu Han, who stood protectively before Ah Yin's phantom. All his shock, confusion, and helplessness transformed in that instant into a towering rage and jealousy.

It was him. It was all this brat's fault.

If not for him, how could Ah Yin have left that "safe" cave? How could she have left his side? And how could she have recovered to this state to stand against him?

If not for him, how could Ah Yin harbor such resentment toward him?

He must have bewitched Ah Yin; he had destroyed everything between them!

"It's you! You bewitched Ah Yin!"

"You must have used some evil art to cloud her mind."

Tang Hao acted like a madman, pointing at Gu Han and roaring, crudely blaming all his faults on the youth. "Give Ah Yin back to me, or I will tear you to pieces today!!"

His spirit power surged violently once more, blood-red light swirling around the Clear Sky Hammer. He was ready to strike regardless of the consequences, even disregarding Ah Yin's presence beside Gu Han.

However, his irrational slander became the final straw.

The once-gentle phantom of Ah Yin suddenly erupted with unprecedented light and fury.

A powerful soul fluctuation swept out like a storm, and the Blue Silver Emperor phantom instantly became incredibly solid, her golden veins glowing with a blinding radiance.

"Tang! Hao!"

This time, it was not a sorrowful thought, but a clear, cold, and deeply disappointed female voice that resonated across the heavens and earth.

"Even now, you still push the blame onto others? Slandering the benefactor who saved me from fire and water?"

"Has hatred blinded you? You say you love me, yet you would strike me down along with my savior? Is this your love for me?"

"I truly feel that you only stayed with me before for the sake of my spirit ring and spirit bone. Otherwise, why would you ignore me after I sacrificed myself for you, and now, you even want to strike out the spirit ring I have finally recovered?"

The Blue Silver Emperor's phantom shone with immense brilliance, her powerful life force and soul pressure temporarily holding back Tang Hao's violent killing intent.

"You have disappointed me too much..."

Ah Yin's voice carried a calm that felt like a dead heart, yet it held more impact than any roar.

"From this day forward, the ties between us... are severed forever!"

The four words "severing all ties of grace and duty" fell like a final judgment, heavy and crushing.

The shimmering phantom of the Blue Silver Emperor took one last, deep "look" at Tang Hao. That gaze was complex and inscrutable, filled with pain, resentment, and relief, before ultimately dissolving into a cold, icy indifference.

The next moment, the phantom retracted, transforming into a streak of light that submerged back into Gu Han's body, returning to the vibrant Breath Soil within the system space.

In the sky, only the stunned Tang Hao remained, alongside Gu Han and Chen Xin, who stood with swords drawn and expressions cold.

Tang Hao stared blankly at the spot where Ah Yin had vanished, the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand hanging limply as his monstrous aura leaked away like a punctured balloon.

The madness, rage, and jealousy on his face all faded, leaving behind only an endless sense of bewilderment and a hollow heart.

Ah Yin... did not want him anymore.

The obsession of his entire life, and the very motivation that had kept him alive, collapsed completely at that moment, along with those four words: "severing all ties of grace and duty."