Chapter 121 The Bloody Lord

As Ye Haocheng stepped onto the final stair and stood at the entrance of the main hall, an invisible pressure instantly enveloped the entire hall.

"Who goes there?! How dare you trespass into the forbidden grounds of my Soul-Devouring Eagle clan!!"

A furious shout came from the depths of the hall, making the entire structure vibrate.

Immediately following that, several terrifying auras surged into the sky.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

A dozen figures instantly appeared at the entrance of the hall, blocking Ye Haocheng's path.

The leader was an old man dressed in a black-feathered robe, with a withered face, sunken eyes, and ghostly green flames flickering in his pupils.

He was none other than the current patriarch of the Soul-Devouring Eagle clan, Ying Changkong, who possessed the terrifying cultivation of the ninth level of the Martial Saint Realm!

Behind him, over a dozen elders stood in a row, all of them exuding profound auras, with the weakest being at the fifth level of the Martial Saint Realm.

This was the foundation of the Soul-Devouring Eagle clan! Such strength, if placed in the outside world, would be enough to sweep through any first-class sect.

Ying Changkong stared at the young man in white before him with a sinister gaze, while his heart was churned by stormy waves.

How did this group get in? Were all the guards outside killed? Why did even the clan-protecting array not react at all?

When his gaze fell upon Ye Haocheng and the eyes of Deng Tianlong, which were filled with hatred, his pupils violently constricted.

"Asura Hall... Ye Haocheng?!"

Ying Changkong's voice turned sharp, "And you... Deng Tianlong?! You remnant, you're still not dead?!"

"Thanks to you, I'm living quite well."

Deng Tianlong stepped forward, golden light surging around his body—a sign of the awakening of his Golden-Winged Roc Clan bloodline. "Ying Changkong, back then you betrayed your promise and slaughtered my clan. Today, I have come to settle the debt!"

"Hahaha! Just based on you lot?"

Ying Changkong laughed in extreme anger. Although he felt some trepidation toward Ye Haocheng, this was, after all, his lair, and he had over a dozen Martial Saint elders behind him, giving him full confidence. "There is a path to heaven, but you choose not to take it; there is no door to hell, yet you throw yourselves in! I was just worrying about not being able to catch you to claim credit with the Emperor, I didn't expect you to deliver yourselves to my doorstep!"

"Elders, hear my command! Form the array! Keep them all here today, leave not a single one alive!"

"Yes!"

The dozen Martial Saint elders roared in unison. Black mist rolled around their bodies, instantly forming a bizarre battle array. Countless wronged souls and fierce ghosts wailed within the array, rushing toward Ye Haocheng and his group.

Facing this overwhelming offensive, Ye Haocheng did not even lift an eyelid.

He merely glanced indifferently at Jin Daoming beside him and said softly, "Daoming, it's yours. Don't kill that patriarch; as for the rest, do as you please."

The next moment, Jin Daoming moved.

Boom! A golden blood aura, even more terrifying and noble than that of Ying Changkong and the others, erupted from Jin Daoming's body.

If the aura of the Soul-Devouring Eagle clan was like a rat in a sewer, then Jin Daoming's aura was like a divine dragon soaring through the nine heavens! It was an absolute suppression originating from the depths of his bloodline!

"Screech——!!" A bird's cry, piercing through metal and stone, resounded through the heavens.

Behind Jin Daoming, the phantom of a massive Golden Winged Peng manifested, its wings spanning a thousand zhang, blotting out the sky and sun.

"This... this is... a pure-blooded Golden Winged Peng?! That's impossible!!"

Ying Changkong and the group of elders felt the trembling originating from the depths of their souls; their faces instantly turned pale, and the battle array they had formed began to shake.

This was their natural predator! It was a fear carved into their very bones!

Jin Daoming gave them no chance to react at all; he transformed into a streak of golden lightning and charged directly into the crowd.

He did not use any flashy martial techniques, relying solely on his terrifying speed and his indestructible sharp claws.

Puchi! A fifth-level Martial Saint elder didn't even have time to scream before Jin Daoming crushed his skull with a single claw, instantly shattering his soul as well.

"No!!" "Retreat quickly!!" Ying Changkong screamed in terror, turning to flee.

But how could Jin Daoming possibly let them go?

He rampaged through the crowd like a tiger among sheep. Those Martial Saint powerhouses who were usually high and mighty were as fragile as mere dirt and dogs before him.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Clusters of blood mist exploded at the entrance of the hall. Severed limbs flew about, and black feathers drifted all over the ground.

In less than ten breaths of time, all the Soul-Devouring Eagle clan elders, except for Ying Changkong, had fallen!

They didn't even have the chance to self-destruct before they were completely crushed by Jin Daoming's overbearing golden spiritual power.

"Too weak, truly too weak." Jin Daoming shook the blood off his hands and looked coldly at the trembling Ying Changkong.

At this moment, Ying Changkong had long since lost his previous arrogance. He collapsed onto the ground, his whole body shaking, his eyes unfocused. Looking at the familiar corpses surrounding him, his psychological defenses completely collapsed.

These were over a dozen Martial Saints! It was the accumulation of his Soul-Devouring Eagle clan over thousands of years! Just like that... they were gone?

"Don't... don't kill me..." When Ye Haocheng walked up to him, this ninth-level Martial Saint patriarch actually knelt on the ground like a dog, kowtowing desperately. "I beg you, don't kill me! I am willing to submit! I am willing to give you all the treasures in the clan treasury! Just spare my dog life!"

Watching this scene, a trace of gratification flashed in Deng Tianlong's eyes, but there was also a touch of sorrow. It was this spineless coward who had destroyed his proud Golden-Winged Roc Clan back then.

Ye Haocheng looked down at Ying Changkong from above, his eyes filled with contempt. "This is the so-called third greatest force of the Feather God Dynasty? How laughable."

Ye Haocheng's voice was cold, "Your life is worthless in my eyes. As for those treasures, I can take them just the same after killing you."

"However..." Ye Haocheng's tone shifted, a playful smile curling the corner of his lips, "I have always been a merciful person; I can give you a chance to live."

Upon hearing this, Ying Changkong felt as if he had been granted amnesty. He hurriedly raised his head, a glimmer of hope igniting in his eyes. "Please speak! Please speak! As long as I can live, I will do anything! Even if it means assassinating the Emperor, I am willing!"

"Assassinate the Emperor? Are you even worthy?" Ye Haocheng scoffed, then slowly crouched down, looking straight into Ying Changkong's eyes, and said word by word, "I want you to do one thing."

"Now, immediately, right away, send a message to the Imperial Court. Say that... your Soul-Devouring Eagle clan has discovered an ancient secret realm, and inside it, there is suspected to be a divine object capable of helping people break through the bottleneck of the Martial Venerable Realm. However, there is a powerful restriction in the secret realm, and you need the Imperial Court to dispatch an expert at the Martial Venerable Realm to assist in breaking the array."

Hearing this, Ying Changkong stiffened, his pupils instantly dilating. Although he was greedy for life and afraid of death, he was not a fool. Ye Haocheng was planning to... hunt a Martial Venerable?!

"What? You're unwilling?" Ye Haocheng's gaze turned cold, and Jin Daoming immediately stepped forward, his golden claws already resting on Ying Changkong's neck.

"No, no, no! I'm willing! I'm willing!" Feeling the stinging pain from his neck, Ying Changkong was scared out of his wits. "I will send the message right now! The ancestor of the Blood Feather Vulture clan, 'Venerable Blood Wither', happens to be in seclusion seeking a breakthrough recently. If he hears this news, he will definitely come! He will definitely come!"

"Very good." Ye Haocheng patted Ying Changkong's old face with satisfaction and stood up, gazing out at the pitch-black night sky outside the hall.

"Venerable Blood Wither, is it... I hope this bait is heavy enough."

"Deng Tianlong, clean up the battlefield and empty the treasury of this Soul-Devouring Eagle clan. Then, set up the array. We will stay here and wait for the prey to come to us."

"Yes!" Deng Tianlong received the order, his eyes flashing with the flames of revenge.