Choose to Stand Firm or Save Lives?

Wang Xingyu ignored him, Blue Silver Grass directly wrapped around the Evil Soul Master's body. At the same time, a blue bone appeared on his forehead— the Spirit Skull Bone was activated, preparing to pull the opponent into an illusion.

Two seconds later, nothing happened. The illusion couldn't be created.

He looked down at his hands. His Soul Power was flowing normally, so why couldn't he release it? What was the purpose of this Soul Power?

He tried opening the Storage Soul Tool again, but there was no response, and he couldn't take out the antidote that Little San had given him.

The Evil Soul Master looked down at the Blue Silver Grass wrapped around his body, then at Wang Xingyu's expression, a grim smile spreading across his face, "Lord Soul Master, what are you doing? Be careful, they'll all be dead in a little while."

Wang Xingyu ignored the other party's taunts.

Is the only antidote available to Evil Soul Master?

Just then, a voice suddenly rang in my mind—the same voice that had read out the rules in the illusion earlier, but this time the tone was more human.

"The test here is: choose justice, or choose salvation."

So this was the core of the test.

Wang Xingyu turned his head and met Xiao Wu's gaze.

"Xingyu, did you hear that voice just now? Choosing justice or choosing salvation?" Xiao Wu heard it too.

Wang Xingyu nodded.

Since the test is about "choosing justice or choosing salvation," forcing the Evil Soul Master through special means will definitely not work.

This is really a difficult situation, just as difficult as choosing between loving your dad or loving your mom!

Xiao Wu leaned closer and lowered her voice, "Xingyu, should we pretend to let him go? We can catch him again after we get the antidote?"

Wang Xingyu glanced at her.

Good, Xiao Wu's thinking has improved a lot.

He nodded, but before he could speak, the Evil Soul Master shouted, "Hahaha, as long as you release me and swear by your Martial Soul that you will never hunt me down again, I'll give you the antidote! Hurry up, they don't have much time left!"

Immediately, someone from the group of poisoned people behind him shouted, "Lord Wang Xingyu, don't listen to him! He's definitely faking it!"

Unexpectedly, the Evil Soul Master directly addressed the question, even with a hint of sincerity in his tone.

"Don't worry, I swear on my Martial Soul. As long as you release me, I will definitely give you the antidote."

Wang Xingyu silently recited the words "swear by my Martial Soul" in his mind, vaguely feeling that some kind of constraint would fall on him. If he really broke the oath, it would probably cause irreversible damage to himself.

Is the only option to choose the positive one?

He didn't rush to make a decision, but silently asked himself: If I choose to save these people and let the Evil Soul Master go, will the others find out?

The voice that answered the test question simply replied, "Yes."

Xiao Wu also realized the constraint of not being able to use her Martial Soul to swear an oath, and turned her head to quietly ask, "Xingyu, what do we do now? Should we let the Evil Soul Master go?"

Wang Xingyu shook his head.

The Blue Silver Grass tightened abruptly, binding the Evil Soul Master firmly to the spot.

The group behind him paused for a moment, then erupted in cheers. "Good! Lord Wang Xingyu!" Someone rushed forward and kicked the Evil Soul Master, "Hand over the antidote now, or you'll regret it!"

The Evil Soul Master was kicked and fell to the ground, but his laughter grew even more maniacal. "Hahaha, how could that be! I swear on my Martial Soul —if you don't let me go, you'll never get the antidote in your entire lives!"

The cheers abruptly ceased. Two seconds later, someone shouted in a panic, "Wang Xingyu, search him! The antidote must be on him!"

Wang Xingyu walked up, pretended to search the Evil Soul Master's body, and then threw an empty cloth bag into the crowd.

Actually, he had already searched the area when he tied the person up, and there was no antidote there.

The group hurriedly picked up the cloth bag, turned it upside down, and sure enough, there was nothing there.

Someone kicked the evil Evil Soul Master Evil Soul Master a few more times, but he didn't dodge, just lay there on the ground laughing, "Hahaha, what's wrong? If you don't let me go, you'll all die! Do you really want to sacrifice your lives for this kind of justice? Don't you have families? Hahaha--"

The crowd quieted down. The purple abscesses were still expanding, and they could feel their condition worsening.

A teenage boy was the first to speak, his voice filled with obvious fear. "Lord Wang Xingyu... should we let him go?"

The words had barely left his mouth when someone immediately retorted sharply, "Release him? How can we release him? He killed so many people!"

The young man's voice was already trembling with tears. "I know... but I don't want to die. I'm an only child, and I have a mother. What will happen to her if I die?"

The person who disagreed with him opened his mouth but couldn't find a word to say.

Several more people stepped forward and whispered in agreement with the young man's request.

Within the group of a dozen or so people who were poisoned, signs of division emerged.

Xiao Wu watched this scene with a pang of pity. "Xingyu, is it really not right? Let him go and let someone else kill him?"

Wang Xingyu also wanted to see if there were any other methods.

But the voice in their minds rang out again, calm and resolute.

There is no other way. You can only choose to let it go or not.

By choosing to spare the Evil Soul Master, both this group and the Evil Soul Master will survive.

If we choose not to let them go, both this group and the Evil Soul Master will die.

And—the choices you've made will be known to everyone in the world; you are the leaders of this world.

Wang Xingyu sighed silently to himself.

The answer was clear from the beginning, but when it came to actually making a choice, it was much harder than "I like my dad or my mom."

He reached out and silently took Xiao Wu's arm. The Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone activated, blue wings unfurled behind him, and he flew into the sky with Xiao Wu.

The action itself is the answer.

We won't let them get away with it.

The group below looked up, watching the two figures rise higher and higher, flying farther and farther away.

Those who wanted to survive finally realized what had happened, and their mental state completely collapsed.

A scream rose from the ground, a sob of despair and bewildered rage. "Wang Xingyu—why? Why can't we live!"

Wang Xingyu did not turn around.

He kept flying higher and higher, until the sounds could no longer catch up with him, and until those below could no longer see him.

The Evil Soul Master ultimately did not provide the antidote.

In despair, the group killed the Evil Soul Master, and not long after, they all collapsed in the open space.

The two were suspended in mid-air, looking down at the scene below.

Xiao Wu never questioned Wang Xingyu's decision from beginning to end, but she was a little doubtful. "Xingyu, is it really impossible to save them?"

Wang Xingyu shook his head. "If these are the only two options, then no."

If they choose to let the Evil Soul Master go, the harm they cause in the future will only be greater—they might go on a hostage-keeping spree, because they know this tactic works.

Letting him go would be breaking the rules.

He looked down at the woodland that had fallen silent.

One person cannot protect everyone, but rules and order can.

Xiao Wu stood to the side, deep in thought, feeling as if she had absorbed a lot of knowledge today.

Wang Xingyu withdrew his gaze and stopped looking at the open space.

He understood those people.

Not everyone is willing to sacrifice—if it were him, he would be poisoned and would have to let the other person go in order to get the antidote.

I'd probably beat up the leader immediately to force him to release the hostage, get the antidote first, and survive first.