Chapter 113 Reward: Supreme Weapon!

Deng Tianlong gritted his teeth, cold sweat seeping from his forehead.

He was gambling.

This was a high-stakes gamble; the wager was his life and the hope for revenge.

"I am... Deng Tianlong."

After a long while, Deng Tianlong finally spoke. Although his voice was weak, every word seemed squeezed from between his teeth. "I want to destroy... the Feather God Dynasty! The Blood Feather Vulture Clan that has usurped the throne!"

Although they had expected it, the hidden agent nearby couldn't help but twitch his eyelids upon hearing the name.

The Feather God Dynasty!

That was one of the thirteen supreme hegemon-level powers of the Eastern Continent!

Although not ranked at the top among the thirteen powers, it was a genuine dynasty with vast territories, a million armored soldiers, and even a true powerhouse of the Martial Venerable Realm sitting in the royal palace!

Unlike the recently destroyed Sword Burial Mound Sect, which was just a sect with its roots at the mountain gate, a dynasty was blessed by destiny. Everything was interconnected, and its foundation was terrifyingly deep.

Ye Haocheng's expression beneath his mask did not change in the slightest upon hearing this.

In fact, from the first moment he saw Deng Tianlong, he had roughly guessed the man's identity.

Prince Cao Fen's appearance at the Sword Burial Mound Sect, aside from attending the Furnace Opening Ceremony, had a more important mission: hunting this man down.

To make Prince Cao Fen pursue him so relentlessly, this man must have a blood feud with the Feather God Dynasty.

"Deng Tianlong..." Ye Haocheng tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of the altar table, making a rhythmic thud-thud sound. "As far as I know, you are from the previous royal family of the Feather God Dynasty, a collateral bloodline of the Golden-Winged Roc Clan, right?"

"Three hundred years ago, the Blood Feather Vulture Clan colluded with external enemies, launched a coup, slaughtered the entire Golden-Winged Roc royal family, and replaced them to establish the current Feather God Dynasty."

"You are the descendant of the few who escaped that massacre."

Having his background exposed, Deng Tianlong shuddered, a red light of intertwined pain and hatred flashing in his eyes.

"That's right!"

Deng Tianlong suddenly raised his head, roaring hoarsely, "I am a member of the Golden-Winged Roc Clan! For all these years, every single day, I have been thinking about how to take revenge!"

"My clansmen were skinned and drained of their tendons to be forged into magical treasures! My parents were hung on the city walls for three months after their deaths! If I don't avenge this, I, Deng Tianlong, swear I will not be a man!"

As he spoke with agitation, Deng Tianlong began to cough violently, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground—a shocking sight.

He had indeed thought about relying on himself before.

He cultivated desperately, but reality was cruel.

The Feather God Dynasty was too powerful.

The Blood Feather Vulture Clan that had stolen the throne was now at the height of its power. And he was just a lonely ghost.

Being hunted by Prince Cao Fen this time made him realize the reality even more. If not for the supreme treasure passed down by his ancestors in his possession, he would have died ten or eight times over.

Just a few days ago, he was hiding in this dilapidated temple to heal, and despair was on the verge of swallowing him.

Until he heard that rumor—

The recently rising and mysterious assassin organization, "Asura Hall," which claimed, "As long as the price is paid, gods and demons can all be killed."

At first, he didn't believe it.

But when he was at his wit's end, he would clutch at even a straw.

"So, you found the Asura Hall."

Ye Haocheng interrupted his memories, his tone still indifferent. "You want to use us as the blade in your hand to help you overthrow a massive dynasty."

"You certainly have a good plan."

"However, Deng Tianlong, you must understand one truth."

Ye Haocheng stood up and walked toward Deng Tianlong step by step. As he approached, the pressure grew stronger, making Deng Tianlong almost unable to breathe.

"In this world, there is no hatred without a cause, and even less, love without a cause."

"For us to destroy the Feather God Dynasty, we need to pay a huge price. People will die, blood will flow, and it might even cost the entire Asura Hall."

"On what basis do you ask this?"

"Just on your worthless life? Or on your ethereal promises?"

Ye Haocheng's words were like a basin of ice water, extinguishing the trace of hot blood that had just ignited in Deng Tianlong's heart.

Yes.

On what basis?

The Asura Hall was not a charity; they were assassins, profit-driven desperadoes.

If he couldn't produce enough chips to entice them, why would they risk clashing with a peak dynasty for a fallen royal remnant?

Deng Tianlong fell silent.

The dilapidated temple fell into dead silence again, with only the sound of rain outside remaining clamorous.

Seeing this, a trace of impatience flashed in Ye Haocheng's eyes.

"It seems you are just wasting my time."

Ye Haocheng snorted coldly and turned to leave. "Wasting my time has serious consequences. Considering that you are a pitiful person, I won't kill you today. Take care of yourself."

Seeing Ye Haocheng about to leave, Deng Tianlong panicked completely.

This was his last chance! His only lifeline! If he missed the Asura Hall, he would never have a chance at revenge in this lifetime, and he might even die at the hands of the Feather God Dynasty's pursuers tomorrow!

"Wait! Don't go!!"

Deng Tianlong lunged forward, but was repelled by the cold aura radiating from Leng Yi.

Ignoring his injuries, he fell heavily to his knees and shouted at Ye Haocheng's back:

"I have a reward! I have a reward sufficient to make the entire Eastern Continent go crazy!!"

Ye Haocheng's footsteps paused.

He turned around slowly, looking at Deng Tianlong kneeling on the ground through his mask, a trace of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"Oh?"

"Then take it out and let me see."

Deng Tianlong reached toward his chest with trembling hands.

His movements were slow and hesitant.

Because he knew that once he took this item out, there would be no turning back. This item was both his amulet and his death warrant.

But for the sake of revenge, for that sliver of hope, he had no choice.

Hum—!

As Deng Tianlong took an object from his inner clothing, the space inside the dilapidated temple seemed to freeze instantly.

An ancient, desolate, and overbearing aura erupted from the object.

The strength of this aura was so great that it instantly shattered the roof of the temple, and even forcibly pushed away the wind and rain outside, forming a vacuum zone several meters in radius!

"This is..."

Beside him, Leng Yi, with his perpetually icy face, revealed a look of shock, instinctively gripping the hilt of his sword.

Ye Haocheng's pupils also contracted sharply.

In the palm of Deng Tianlong's hand lay a palm-sized ancient bronze seal.

This ancient seal was a dull blue-black color, covered in mottled rust, looking ordinary, even somewhat dilapidated.

But on top of the ancient seal sat a lifelike statue of a Golden-Winged Roc.

The Roc was poised to take flight, and although its eyes were carved from bronze, they seemed to possess life, exuding a supreme majesty that looked down on the world and disdained the firmament.

The moment this ancient seal appeared, the heaven-burning sword intent within Ye Haocheng's body resonated, emitting a slight trembling sound.

To be able to trigger a reaction from the heaven-burning sword, this item was definitely no ordinary object!

"Is this... an ultimate venerable weapon?!"

Ye Haocheng took a deep breath, and for the first time, a ripple appeared in his tone.

The so-called "ultimate venerable weapon" was not an ordinary Martial Venerable-grade weapon.

It was a peerless fierce weapon forged by a peak Martial Venerable powerhouse who, upon the verge of breaking through to the Martial Emperor realm or at the end of their life, fused their entire life's "Dao" and "Law" into the weapon!

The power of an ultimate venerable weapon could even rival an ordinary quasi-Emperor weapon!

It not only possessed world-destroying might, but more importantly, it contained the complete inheritance and Dao rhyme of a peak Martial Venerable!

For any power, possessing an ultimate venerable weapon meant having the foundation to suppress destiny and the absolute capital to contend with powers of the same level.

Even the current Sword Burial Mound Sect was beaten into having no power to fight back by Ye Haocheng's single Martial Venerable sword talisman precisely because they lacked such a treasure. If they had an ultimate venerable weapon in hand, Venerable Withered Sword might not have died so miserably.

"This... this is the treasure of my Golden-Winged Roc Clan—the Heaven-Overturning Roc King Seal!"

Deng Tianlong held the ancient seal with both hands, his eyes filled with longing and determination. "In that battle back then, my Royal Father fought to the death to hand this seal to me, telling me to take it and run."

"For these three hundred years, if not for the slight lingering power of this seal concealing my aura, I would have died long ago."

"This... is my reward!"

Deng Tianlong suddenly raised his head, looking at Ye Haocheng with burning eyes. "As long as the Asura Hall can help me destroy the Feather God Dynasty, kill the royal family of the Blood Feather Vulture Clan, and use their heads to sacrifice to my clansmen..."

"This ultimate venerable weapon will be yours!!"

Gulp.

The hidden agent responsible for leading the way swallowed hard, his eyes going straight.

An ultimate venerable weapon!

If this thing were auctioned off, it could probably buy ten large cities like Jianlai City! It could even cause a bloodbath across the entire Eastern Continent, causing countless old monsters to crawl out of their coffins!

Trading an ultimate venerable weapon for the destruction of a dynasty.

This deal... was too big! Big enough to make one's scalp tingle!

Ye Haocheng looked quietly at the Heaven-Overturning Roc King Seal, the expression beneath his mask shifting unpredictably.

He admitted that he was moved.

Although he possessed a system and countless trump cards, it didn't mean he didn't lack good things.

Although the Asura Hall was developing rapidly, its foundation was too shallow. Aside from him, it lacked top-tier treasures that could truly hold the fort.

If he had this ultimate venerable weapon, plus the fact that Jin Daoming was a Golden-Winged Roc himself, if he handed this seal to Jin Daoming to use...

The power would definitely not be as simple as one plus one!

That guy Jin Daoming, combined with this clan artifact, might truly possess the terrifying combat power to challenge Martial Venerables across ranks!

Moreover, the Feather God Dynasty...

Ye Haocheng sneered in his heart.

The thirteenth prince of the Feather God Dynasty had already died in his hands; this feud had already been forged.

Even without this deal, the Feather God Dynasty would come looking for revenge sooner or later.

Since they had to fight sooner or later, why not earn an ultimate venerable weapon along the way?

"Fine."

After a long while, Ye Haocheng finally spoke.

This single word seemed as heavy as a thousand jun, echoing in the dilapidated temple.

Deng Tianlong trembled violently, a look of wild joy erupting in his eyes, his body shaking violently from excessive excitement.

"Hall Master... you... you agreed?!"

Ye Haocheng reached out and summoned the Heaven-Overturning Roc King Seal, which automatically flew into his hand.

The cold and heavy touch came, followed by a powerful energy fluctuation completely different from the spiritual power within his body.

"I accept the item."

Ye Haocheng toyed with the ancient seal in his hand, his tone indifferent yet overbearing. "Since I've taken the payment, I must get the job done. This is the rule of the Asura Hall."

"The Feather God Dynasty... the Blood Feather Vulture Clan..."

A cold glint flashed in Ye Haocheng's eyes. "Their lives are reserved by the Asura Hall."

"However."

Ye Haocheng changed the subject and looked at Deng Tianlong. "Destroying a nation is not like killing a chicken; it requires time to plan. Moreover, since this Feather God Dynasty is one of the thirteen hegemon powers, its foundation must be deep."

"Since you are a royal remnant, you must know quite a few secrets about the interior of the imperial palace, right? For example, the weaknesses of the Great Guardian Array, or the place where the old emperor is in secluded cultivation..."

Deng Tianlong kowtowed like a pestle pounding garlic: "I know! I know everything! Although I have been on the run for these three hundred years, I have also been collecting information! I have a secret map of the palace, and a spare key to the Great Guardian Array left behind by my Royal Father..."

"Very good."

Ye Haocheng nodded with satisfaction.

With an ultimate venerable weapon, insider information, and the bloodline suppression of Jin Daoming as a "true Golden-Winged Roc."

This Feather God Dynasty didn't seem as hard to chew as he had imagined.

"Get up."

Ye Haocheng casually tossed a bottle of top-grade healing pills to Deng Tianlong. "Heal your injuries first. In your current ghost-like state, you'll die before the day of revenge arrives."

"From today on, you will stay in the Asura Hall for the time being and wait for orders."

"When the time is ripe, I will take you to the Feather God Dynasty."

"I will let you watch with your own eyes how that palace, which once belonged to you and now belongs to the enemy, is reduced to ashes under the blade of the Asura Hall!"

Deng Tianlong took the pill, clutched it tightly, and his eyes welled up with tears.

Three hundred years.

He had never felt the hope of revenge so clearly, so within reach, as he did today.

"Thank you, Hall Master! Thank you, Hall Master!"

Deng Tianlong kowtowed heavily three times, his forehead dripping with blood, but he felt no pain at all.

Ye Haocheng turned and walked out of the temple door.

The rain was still falling.

But at this moment, Ye Haocheng's mood was surprisingly good.

"Leng Yi."

Walking out of the temple, Ye Haocheng instructed lightly, "Send the order to have Jin Daoming rush here as soon as possible. This ultimate venerable weapon is tailor-made for him."

"Also, notify all Asura Guards currently on missions; except for essential tasks, everyone is to withdraw and fall back to prepare for battle."

"This battle will be the one where my Asura Hall truly makes a name for itself and shakes the Eastern Continent!"

Leng Yi cupped his hands respectfully, his voice resonant and powerful:

"Yes! This subordinate obeys!"

In the night, Ye Haocheng's figure gradually disappeared into the depths of the rain curtain.

But the faint light emitted by the Heaven-Overturning Roc King Seal in his hand was like a star about to detonate, foretelling that in the near future, a heaven-shaking and earth-shattering bloodbath would surely erupt on the land of the Eastern Continent!

Feather God Dynasty, your death knell has already rung.