The End Part 2 & Part 3 Choices made

"Well, this is a sticky wicket." Liang Yu pulled out the Tianjie sword. Destroying it in front of all of them and absorbing it into the Metal Seed completely. The destruction of a high-powered weapon left them in awe. "I can only wonder if killing you all before heading further in will help matters?"

His words and tone did not go over well at all.

"Can you feel that.." Mingye turned to the direction of the towers. "..that.. qi is foul! What could possibly be going on over there?"

"The Demon emperor is most likely sacrificing countless people to waken the Steele in the place. With the death of so many members of the Royal Family by us, he will need the blood of others descendant from the fool. Namely.." Looking at Ye Xighe directly, a small trace of pity flashed before vanishing. ".. the members of the Azure Feather Family. They carried the blood of Ye Tianhong after all. So... sacrificing them in large numbers would give the blood offering needed."

"You know much." A soft voice came from behind. Yun Ling of the Youlan palace accompanied by several of her fellow sisters moved over. "For that, I can not allow you to waste time here. Head on further to.."

"Umm, who the hell does she think we are?" Mingye had an angry look on her face. The look of the various woman irked her a bit. Especially some of the looks a few of them gave her. "What was it you said that you needed to do to their mistress again?"

"Haha, needed to curb stomp her. But then again, her threat to me was paid back already." Liang Yu gave a small chuckle. Lightning danced around his body as he prepared to fight it out with those gathered. "This should make everything better. Well for me that is.."

"Think you can defeat all of us?" Ye Xinghe was sure the odds were their favor. "Once we take you out, the Demon Emperor will be next." An Xuanyuan next to him however was not that sure of things. She grabbed his arm pulling him back. "What is it?"

"We cannot defeat him." Her voice sounding completely like Shangguan. Liang Yu and Xia Yuning bother were shocked at this. She walked away from Ye Xinghe towards Liang Yu having made her decision already. "If I allow you to kill me.. with that be enough to let them all go?"

"No!" Ye Xinghe was about to jump in but was stopped by Xia Lie and Xia Yuning. "Let me go!" His struggles were futile. The combined strength of the two dwarf his own completely. 'When.. when did they get this strong!?'

"Let her do this." Xia Yuning bit her lip in agitation. Not liking this one bit herself. But the strength Liang Yu had was more needed than An Xueyun/Shangguan's strength. "Make it quick!"

Right as he was about to rip the cultivation away from them, a breeze passed in the area followed by the entire place turning black then white. Time froze as a figure dressed in gold moved through the area.

Destiny moved directly towards Liang Yu with purpose. Decrepit fingers moving about within the robes as it weaved gold lines through those gathered. Taking a little something from each of them.

"Ughh!" Liang Yu's body throbbed a little in discomfort but he was able to move after a few moments. "What the hell is happening to me!?" A purple miasma left from his body. The Dragon Dantian inside was emptied out.

"Someone snuck something inside of you. Something that does not belong." Destiny grabbed the miasma into it's palm. "Infecting your soul and preventing you from acting.. well like yourself. Soon you would have gone off the deep end and killed everyone just to live."

*Shine!* The purple miasma was snuffed out entirely. Leaving a small trace of pure white qi. It entered back into him slowly restoring his emptied Dragon Dantian.

Liang Yu was still having trouble getting his bearings. But instincts told him to not look up at the figure in front of him. His Flame Vortex Core and the Star Martial Dantian inside started to spin slowly to heal the wound to his soul.

"A word of caution, forget them and head to deal with the Demon Emperor before it is to late." Destiny turned away. Slowly walking leaving a few bites of rich qi in its wake. "The Dimension, in some form or fashion might make it if you do."

*Shine!* Destiny vanished and time restored itself. Everyone blinked seeing a down Liang Yu but couldn't tell what happened.

"Liang Yu!" Mingye was the first to recover. "What happened!?" She was no doctor but could tell whatever did this to him had to have done some internally. 'None of them are strong enough to have done this.'

"A trap that I never notice was slowly about to take over me." Liang Yu stood up letting out his Celestial Realm cultivation. "Forget them, we have other matters that need to be taken care of."

Liang Yu grabbed Mingye by the waist then shot off. His Astral Sense already alerting him to several of his forces heading the same way.

"Did you do something to him?" Xia Yuning asked Yun Ling. "I can think of anyone else having the ability to hurt him unseen." The minstrel shook her head no which only annoyed her. "Then we may have more trouble ahead of us."

"I gravely miscalculated." Shagguan muttered. Xi Lie close to her, thought this was odd that the girl was a teen but spoke with the voice of an adult. "He has broken through the Celestial Being Realm at such a young age. That should be impossible!"

Regret festered inside he heart.

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Snooping then brawling-

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A few hours later, Liang Yu met up with his people and made it inside the tower. The lack of security outside made the situation even worse in his book.

"We are not here to kill any of them really. Let them kill each other then we will go from there." Liang Yu said. Liang Jian, Lei Hong, Mingye, and Lin Yin did not like the plan. Well, to be precise, the lack of one really. "We wait and strike after most of the work is done."

"This lacks any trace of honor." Lei Hong muttered,

"Yeah well.. fuck your honor. I am trying to live not to get killed because of something stupid like that." Liang Yu rolled his eyes and kept moving along the side. His qi was still recovering at this time. 'Welp, there goes the royals.'

The "emperor" was monologing. Which was fine be Liang Yu really. Gave the others time to deal with the shock of what was happening. Seeing the actual emperor, as well as the highest people in the Empire, get executed one by one was enough to make their blood run cold.

He looked at the boy who was one of the keys for everything.

"To be able to cultivate to the 9th Heavenly Realm so quickly, just goes to show how much can be done with the right "physique" and incentive. All the right energy here in one place as countless souls of the deceased will become your finest source of nourishment every night." The fake emperor, Ling Tian said. "When it is at its peak, then everything can truly begin!"

*Fwip!* A chain shot through the air hitting the body of the real emperor's grandson. With a yank, he was snatched into the darkness away from everyone near the Steele. Before any of his blood could be spilled allowing some of the things on it to activate.

"One problem down." Liang Yu pulled the boy into his Internal Space. Inside, Ye Yue ripped his head off and tossed him into the Flame Vortex Core. Not a hint of hesitation could be seen when she did so. "Take care of Ling Tian's flunkies while I fight the emperor!"

"Right!" They shot off coming out the gate with everything they had to deal with those in front of the Steele.

"What did you do with him!?" Ling Tian shouted. He was met with a Lightning Lance right to the face. Striking it away was a dumb move. A small tingling sensation was felt as star energy seeped into his flesh. 'If I can recover him, and Ye Xinghe hurries up, this can all be solved with a wave of my hand!'

"Umm, he's dead!" Liang Yu did a flying leg kick to the man's chest. Every last drop of qi from his Star Martial Dantian infused inside. Every blow was going to be everything he had to end it all as fast as possible. Or at least cripple the lunatic. "Like you will be!"

*Crack!* The fake emperor Ling Tian's entire chest caved in. His bones piercing his organs and stuck out of his back. His followers looked on in shock but then needed to defend themselves against the others.

"Huk!" Ling Tian vomited up blood in agony. His hair looking a mess as well as his clothes. His bare chest, mangled. But then it started to recover visibly.

The fighting was intense as they gave everything to end the lives of those that supported the Emperor. No time to determine who were on his side really and those who were not.

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Showdown-

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Liang Yu constantly knocked Tian Ling away from the Steele every chance he got. One to keep him from doing anything with it further. Two to prevent him from sneak attacking any of his people.

Liang Tian looked back just in time to dodge a strike to the back. Unfortunately, the person who tried to hit him was just to weak.

"Wuxiang!" The demon emperor shouted. He went on the offensive not liking the situation currently. 'I still need to prepare the Steele before the other key arrives!' His hand stretched into that of a claw.

"The Nether Spectral Claw!" Wuxiang jumped away in fear. His large body was quite flexible. Liang Yu just wanted to call him a stupid great ape for getting in the way. "I cannot take you lightly!"

*Babump!* Wuxiangs already beastial from took on another level. His power and ferocity increasing quickly. He really looked like a Golden Great Ape! But nowhere as powerful or shooting mouth beams.

"Hah!" Liang Yu fired off several Flame Darts infused with Lightning inside. With a few tosses, over a 100 surrounded the demon Emperor. "Your Simian Sutra is incomplete and defintely lacking. Not really good old man!"

*Bzzt!* The Emperor thought nothing of the Flame darts until he heard a buzzing noise. But by then it was to late. Liang Yu smacked his hands together commanding the countless darts to start slashing his opponent.

The compressed flame burned the flesh of his opponent as well as increase the amount of lighting inside the body. Just enough to slow the qi circulation of the Demon Emperor down. But not enough, unfortunately.

Wuxiang brought his large hands down onto Liang Tian. The blow would have pulverized a normal man. Hell, even a normal cultivator would have died. But the demon emperor shrugged it off easily.

"Ugh!" Well, not that easy as a trickle of blood dripped down the side of his mouth. "You think this will be enough to stop me? Parlor tricks!" Ling Tiang forced the surrounding Flame darts that kept cutting across his body to dissipate with just a flex of his qi. "The Ultimate Demonic Codex is not something a human can deal with!"

Liang Yu was about to stab him in the back with a Flame Lance. But the outburst actually sent him back. Far back towards the others, he spent so much time getting away from them during the fighting.

"Get out of here now!" Liang Yu ordered. They did enough and having taken out the lackeys made it easier for him to fight the fake emperor without having to worry about backup and sneak attacks. With the injuries they all had, it was for the best they get out of the area and take care of the other tasks assigned to them. "You know what has to be done!"

"To think someone like you plans on killing me by yourself... it is laughable."

"Heh!" A shrug was all he answered with. "Man to much on the battlefield, have to get rid of it all!" Looking past his opponent, he saw the grave wound on Wuxiang. 'Well, this blasted ape is no longer useful fighting wise!'

*Woosh!* Liang Yu sucked all the qi and the souls in the place up. His Astral Sense reaching out to every fallen person and pulling them into the Flame Vortex Core. As all four spun in synch, his body lit up with the blue-white qi lines. Eyes no longer visible as only purple light could be seen.

"What are you!?" Ling Tian felt a bit of fear. Which only served to make him more upset at the situation. 'He is growing stronger by the second! I need to end this!'

"Someone who just wants to live."

"I can agree with that." Undetected by Liang Yu, Tianyin had arrived. By the looks of it, she meant business. Also grew stronger from the last time they met. "Liang Yu... we will have words after he is killed."

"Tch... yeah sure. Over a cup of coffee." Liang Yu said a little upset. He couldn't fight with the woman really considering she defintely could help take down the fake Emperor. "Long as you understand he has at the second level of that thingy he cultivates."

"Do you really have to oppose me like this, Tianyin?"

"It's not that I want to oppose you..."

"You should be, considering he killed your.. guess booty call." Liang Yu interrupted. His hand whipped out as several Flame Darts were launched. They were a distraction for the real attack coming from below. 'Just a little more...'

"Humph!" Ling Tian backhanded the darts offended. "Such a weak skill. Think it will work on me again?"

*Bzzt!* A lightning bolt-shaped like a fist shot out the ground hitting him in the chin.

*Fwish!* Liang Yu shot forward lunging directly at the demon's heart. His hand covered in scales as his Dragon martial arts were pushed to the limit. His tail appeared whipping behind him creating a hum.

Covered in Flames, the Flame Blade Technique pierced right through. His fingers unflattened and curled as he pulled back. As his feet dug into Ling Tian's thighs the claws on his feet dug into the man's flesh.

"Don't just stand there like a dumb ass.." Liang Yu said toward the frozen woman. ".. attack damn it!"

"She is not ruthless like you. Not really." Ling Tian's voice had humor in it. His hand reached down grabbing Liang Yu's clawed feet. The other one was grabbed by a ribbon. "Oh?"

"I am no dumb ass.. just caught off guard for a moment." Ling Tian said more for herself than them.

"Get off me!"

"Nope!" Liang Yu opened his mouth wide then bite down as hard as possible onto Ling Tian. His fangs secreting the strongest possible poison he was able to make. Entering it into his opponent's bloodstream, he guided it along with the Star Energy that was injected inside earlier. 'Here goes nothing!'

*BBzzzzzzzzzt!* The entire area started to hum as Liang Yu's tail started to vibrate producing sparks. Tianyin held her ribbon a little bit longer but let go when she needed to get back.

A Lightning Field generated then pulled in. The bright light causing Tianyin to shield her eyes reflexively this time. The lightning started to burrow into its target but stopped all of a sudden.

*Schlick!* The sound of flesh getting cut was heard.

*Ping!* Two metals hit each other. Then a blast of violent qi erupted. A figure shot out flying several feet before bouncing on the ground.

"Ha..ha. ha...should have known better." Liang Yu was breathing heavily as he stabilized his wound. "Blasted sword!" Ling Tian had the Divine Jade Dragon Sword in hand and used to try and cut him in half. "Heh, so weak in strength you couldn't even.. kuff!"

Liang Yu vomited blood up as he dropped to his knees. A weird golden energy circled around him. It matched that of the Jade Dragon Sword qi. The good news it was mostly the fake emperor's qi that hurt him. Not the special quality of the sword. It just allowed the demon's qi to get pass his senses.

"You are full of so many tricks." Ling Tian raised his sword up and pointed it at him. "A shame you couldn't join me. Today is the day you die!" He was very confident in himself.

*Roaar!* A golden dragon shot out of the sword towards Liang Yu. It spun in the air mouth open wide.

"Heh!" Standing up, Liang Yu circled his dragon qi to attack. "Show you a real dragon!" His transformation receded completely.

*Grrrrooo!* The crystal-looking Dragon appeared and went forward. Smashing into the manifested Dragon destroying it. Its large body stretched out and started filling in some more. The more Liang Yu took in from the surroundings, the more the crystal dragon-filled in.

"You have so many tricks!" Ling Tian was infuriated. He was trying to find any hints on what Liang Yu did to hide the boy from him. He could feel his other prize heading towards him. 'I will have to rip apart the corpse of this one to see what method was used to hide the other away.'

"Yup!" Liang Yu sent the dragon to deal with his opponent. He shot towards the Steele nearby. Both Tianyin and Ling Tian had no idea what he was up to. 'Fuck it!' Touching the Steele, it was immediately pulled into his Flame Vortex Core. "Whew, thought something bad was gonna happen."

The loss of Ye Xinghe no longer containing Destiny's guidance left a lot of things open for grabs. Since he didn't try to cultivate the Steele, the spirit didn't get a chance to manifest.

"What did you do to it!?" Ling Tian was livid.

"I removed it from this existence." Which was true since it was under refinement. 'I don't have time for whatever is inside it to learn but that qi inside is defintely needed!' But a voice echoed in his head.

"That which becomes influential enough to be transformative becomes acred, while that which is sacred beyond knowledge is the Divine. Transmute nothingness into elixirs, transform the Way into one's wellspring, and refine one's temperament into the abstract."

*Scrch!* The scroll obtained from the Dragon King, opened up and absorbed a portion of the Steele. It copied all the symbols down onto itself before closing back up.

"A single intent awakens all of Heaven and Earth, a single thought awakens all of one's senses!"

"Well.. that is not something I have time for!" Liang Yu turned towards Tianyin, she gave a nod as both attacked Ling Tian in a pincer move. Bad enough it was the same thing the demon ape uttered before. "Glad we're on the same page."

The Crystal dragon actually took a small breath. A type of frost leaving its mouth that carried some corrosion. The sword however protected, Ling Tian from it.

A sword thrust was delivered to Tianyin. She wrapped her ribbon around it restraining it by pulling back and placing her foot on a part of the ribbon. This caused Ling Tian to step off balance.

"Eat dirt!" Liang Yu gave him a sweep kick as the dragon came down stomping. 'Need to use all the dragon qi up in the next attack to do real damage!'

*Crack!* Ling Tian looked up as the dragon smashed him further into the ground. It literally jumped of his body and came back down again and again. Each blow weighed more than the last. A hum in the air causing his ears to bleed.

"Damn.. you.. both!' Ling Tian said between stomps. The next stomp he lost ahold of the sword. "What!?" The moment it left his grasp, Liang Yu snatched it up with Astral Sense. "You.. little..shit!"

The sword was swallowed into the Metal Seed. The rich power inside was consumed and immediately adding more to the hum he produced. Close enough, he swept up Wuxiang finally.

Ye Yue inside of him delivering the final blow to the old man. Tossing the remains into the Flame Vortex to help push Liang Yu's cultivation even further. She herself was getting antsy as well as the demon wolves that wanted to get out.

'I hate being back up!' Ye Yue muttered angrily. The demon wolves sensing her agitation. 'If he takes a critical blow I am getting out despite not having the strength to hurt this bastard!'

"You little thief!" Ling Tian's body bulged as a demonic qi lashed out in all directions. He was about to attack the dragon with a manifestation of his own but turned to attack Tianyin. "I'll get rid of you first!"

*Flutter!* The ribbon wrapped around Ling Tian just enough to weaken his attack. Despite the entanglement, the blow was still enough to knock her around. Keeping her hold, Ling Tian kept his assault on her.

"Dragon Strike!" Ling Yu shouted just to make sure Ling Tian turned his way. Like he was swinging a bat, he rotated his hips delivering his clasp fists towards the midsection. Every bit of Dragon qi inside it.

"Ahhh!" Liang Tian yelled in pain as a chunk of his side was gouged out. He took a knee gasping for breath. But the pain was nothing compared to the humiliation he felt. "I haven't been so angry for a long time now."

His body started to swell as he reverted to his demon form. Ling Tian's hunched over as additional arms sprouted from his body while his skin turn a dark black.

"Everything you got!" Liang Yu emptied out all the refined energy so far with every bit from his Flame Martial Art Dantian. The Flame Vortex was still refining everything that it could. But it was not fast enough currently.

Liang Yu produced Flame Blade on both arms. Lightning dancing with a little explosion of sound occurring. He did a dip and a spin creating a tornado that engulfed Ling Tian.

*Fwoosh!* The tornado engulfed Ling Tian causing his transformation to halt every few seconds. His lungs and stomach started burning from the flame. The small explosion of sound made the demon's body jerk about violently.

"Got to keep going!" Liang Yu connected the technique with Astral Sense. Guiding it to spin faster and faster with the motion of his hands. Soon his hands were no longer visible as the tornado spun more. "For the love of whatever you hold dear lady... prepare an attack or give me your fucking qi!"

Tianyin walked over to him head down. She very gently grabbed his face before scratching it. Blood trickled down that she licked off her finger. Liang Yu just blinked at her completely lost.

"You are human.." It was defintely the wrong time for this but not much he could do about it currently. Ye Yue was yelling at him to let her out of his Internal Space. But she was the escape card in case things turned really bad. "..we will defintely have that coffee later."

*Woom!* The qi from Tianyin invaded his body nourishing his emptied Dantians. The tornado started to have a green swirl in it next. Minutes turned into an hour as Liang Yu just kept the attack up.

Tianyin collapsed to the ground exhausted and stared as Liang Yu didn't stop. She was sure Ling Tian was dead but he did not think so. Off to the side, people started to come over. It was the North Guardian Lord Mansion's people.

Then members of Youlan Palace and the Divine Sword Family coming over. Ye Xinghe came out with An Xueyun and a few others. Members of the various captured people that manage to escape the hands of the demon Emperor.