Chapter 1463: Chapter 156 Trapped in Desperation_3
The man in black respectfully said, "Yes, my lord." He casually pulled down the hood and mask from his head, revealing a face that Ah Dai was all too familiar with. A tremendous shock struck Ah Dai’s heart as he exclaimed, "You... you’re not dead? No, impossible, how could you be alive?" He turned his head towards the Grand Duke, his eyes flashing with cold light as he said bitterly, "You... you are the true lord."
The lord maintained his warm smile. "That’s right, I am the President of the Assassin’s Guild, the ’lord’ they speak of, and at the same time, I am also the Grand Duke revered throughout all of Sunset Empire. You find it surprising that I hold so many identities, don’t you? Why would I, a high-ranking official of the Sunset Empire, organize the Assassin’s Guild? Actually, it’s quite simple. I can be candid with you: it’s because our Dark Forces need operational funds, and a lot of them. From the start, I was planted in the Empire of Sunset City as a spy by the Dark Forces. You may call me ’lord,’ or you may refer to me as the Fifth Elder of the Church of the Dark Saint. I climbed my way up from a common Viscount to my current position in the Empire, all for the purpose of amassing funds to help the Dark Forces rise again. The Church? What are they worth? When darkness descends upon the continent, they will be the first to be destroyed. Wasn’t it just half a year ago that they already suffered a loss? That was just a warning. The Church’s annihilation isn’t far off. The Tianyuan Continent will soon embrace the God of Netherworld. Darkness will never fade." As he spoke, the lord’s black pupils changed. The dark irises gradually turned blood-red, radiating a sinister glow. He pointed his finger at Ah Dai and said, "Boy, you must be very curious about the origin of the lethal poison of ’No Equal Holy Water’ in your body, and how I knew you were coming. Actually, it’s simple. I’ll let you meet someone, and then you’ll understand."
The lord, despite his overwhelming advantage, refrained from making the first move. In truth, he still feared Ah Dai’s Sword of Hades. Even he was not confident enough to counter the fifth move of the Hades Sword Technique—Netherworld. By revealing these secrets to Ah Dai, the lord sought to distract him, allowing the poison of the ’No Equal Holy Water’ in his body sufficient time to spread completely.
The dizzying sensation in Ah Dai’s head grew more intense. He wasn’t unaware that the lord was stalling, but the revelations were too shocking, leaving him suppressing his urge to act. He continuously channeled his Golden Body, trying to locate the venom of the ’No Equal Holy Water.’ However, as the most unparalleled poison in the world, ’No Equal Holy Water’s defining characteristic was its volatility. Even someone with immense internal energy could only delay the time it took to take full effect but couldn’t force it out of the body. Yet, despite the venom’s ferocity, Ah Dai did not panic. Within his Dragon’s Blood was a silver bead that could temporarily suppress the deadly poison of the ’No Equal Holy Water.’ It was the very same silver bead that had extended Owen’s life by five years in the past. As long as the bead could keep the poison at bay long enough for him to kill these people, he wouldn’t care if he perished afterward. For now, Ah Dai was barely holding back the onset of the poison, waiting for the lord to unravel the mysteries confounding his mind.
The lord cast a glance at Mie Yi, who responded with a sly smile before turning and leaving the hall. The lord then said to Ah Dai, "Your strength may be great, but your mind is somewhat lacking. If you pledge allegiance to my Assassin’s Guild and the entire Dark Forces now, I will suppress the poison in your body, preventing it from taking effect, and I will allow you to serve as my right hand. Moreover, I’ll let you continue to wield the Sword of Hades. You should realize that even if you weren’t poisoned, under the assault of so many of my experts, you would not escape unscathed. Here, not only are the assassins of my guild all of the highest level, but these young women are also my secret weapons against enemies. Each one of them was adopted and trained by me since childhood. Among hundreds, only the best of the best stand here, each possessing at least Destruction-class fighting energy. No matter how strong your Sword of Hades may be, can it rival over sixty Destruction-level masters? Consider my proposition carefully. This is your last chance. Life or death—all depends on a single thought."
Although surprised, Ah Dai’s face remained expressionless. He calmly said, "Before you show me that person, let me show you something. After you see it, you won’t feel so certain of your victory anymore. In fact, you might even realize how foolish you truly are." A cold gleam flashed through the lord’s blood-red eyes as he replied indifferently, "Very well! I am curious to see what could possibly shock me."
Ah Dai chanted softly, "With Dragon’s Blood as the bond, open wide, O gates of time and space!" A faint blue light appeared, and an enormous figure emerged, soaring into the air. Though the hall was spacious, it suddenly felt cramped with the appearance of this massive form. A colossal gray body over ten meters long, layered with thick overlapping scales, shimmered with silvery light under the illumination of the hall. Most dazzling of all were the seven spiraling golden horns crowning the immense form. The golden horns radiated an unparalleled Sacred Aura, deeply detested by the lord of the Assassin’s Guild. What Ah Dai had summoned from the Dragon’s Blood was none other than Sheng Xie, the Sacred Evil Dragon Xiao Qie. Over the past days, no one understood the changes in Ah Dai’s heart better than it did. However, due to the depletion of Dragon’s Blood energy, Sheng Xie had been unable to communicate directly with Ah Dai, secretly anxious within the confines of the Dragon’s Blood. Ah Dai’s overwhelming thirst for vengeance had left Xiao Qie increasingly agitated. Yet, following this period of meditation, combined with the Sacred Aura emitted by Ah Dai as he regained his willpower, Sheng Xie’s condition had improved significantly, and its strength had grown substantially.
