Promise

Listening to the God of Death's constant temptations, the expression on Dai Yueheng's face grew increasingly calm.

"What you say is very tempting, and you have painted a future for me that is worth looking forward to."

"However, I am afraid I still cannot become a beast like you, casting aside the honor I have upheld for over a decade."

The God of Death Avatar was slightly taken aback by these words, looking at Dai Yueheng with a hint of unease.

"You must believe me. As long as we join forces, and with your status, once we seize control of the army, it will be enough to complete the great cause of unifying the entire continent."

"By then, you could easily take your revenge on Huo Yuhao, and perhaps even reclaim the throne of the Star Luo Empire."

Dai Yueheng shook his head, responding with a very calm demeanor.

"I previously only thought that Huo Yuhao would become a top-tier powerhouse on the continent in the future. I thought that as long as I could endure this round of targeting and continue to improve, I would eventually have a chance to prove myself."

"At that time, as the Duke of White Tiger, I might not be much worse than him. But looking at it now, I fear this is a goal I will struggle to reach in this lifetime."

"Watching the battle between you and him, I realized I have no chance to contend with him again in this life. Your arrival has indeed given me hope."

"But let me tell you, you are too arrogant, and you have underestimated me far too much."

"Before I met Huo Yuhao, I was a genius who relied on my own steps to become a top student in the inner court of Shrek Academy."

"I hate Huo Yuhao. I hate him for killing my brother, and I hate him for causing me to live like a stray dog."

"But I tell you, I am not like Dai Huabin. I became the Duke of White Tiger to be a hero who guards the empire, to garrison the borders, and to protect the people of Star Luo."

"I strive for fame, for a name that will be passed down through the ages. Cooperate with you? To become the second Rakshasa God?"

"However, you have helped me today. As long as I kill you, I will at least count as half a hero who defended the Star Luo Empire."

The God of Death Avatar sensed that something was wrong. He frantically used his divine sense to invade Dai Yueheng's Spirit Sea, risking the extinction of his own consciousness to attempt a forced possession.

But he discovered that Dai Yueheng was completely disregarding the safety of his Spirit Sea, controlling his soul power to rampage wildly within his own body.

After manifesting his White Tiger Martial Soul, he thrust a claw into his own heart.

Seeing Dai Yueheng's life force fading rapidly, seeing that he could no longer be saved, the God of Death Avatar could no longer control his emotions and roared like a madman.

"Dai Yueheng, I have already read your memories. You are nothing but a selfish, self-interested villain. Putting on such a sanctimonious act, do you really think of yourself as a hero?"

"Do you think sacrificing yourself will earn you a good reputation? Don't dream. Your family will only say that you met your retribution because of the Duchess."

Before Dai Yueheng could refute, a voice suddenly interrupted the God of Death's hysterical words.

"He will die as a hero. This is a guarantee I make as the next Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion."

"Dai Yueheng, son of the Duke of White Tiger, sacrificed himself in the Mingdou Mountain Range to extinguish a strand of divine sense belonging to the God of Death worshipped by the Evil Soul Masters."

Huo Yuhao, who had just arrived at the camp, used his divine sense to cut off the God of Death, temporarily sealing him, and used the power of Life Gold to stabilize Dai Yueheng's injuries.

Dai Yueheng turned his head to look at Huo Yuhao, his lips pale from excessive blood loss.

Despite the treatment from the Life Gold, it was merely like pouring water into a shattered bowl; it was still a drop in the bucket.

Dai Yueheng's face carried a flush of final vitality. No longer hiding his irritable temper, he shouted angrily at Huo Yuhao.

"Huo Yuhao, let me tell you, I hate you. You are the second person I hate most, after Dai Hao."

"Anyway, I am going to die today. I no longer need to curry favor with you, my enemy, nor do I need to maintain any damn aristocratic etiquette."

"There are some things I have kept bottled up inside for over a decade. I never expected that I would be saying them to you right before I die."

Dai Yueheng watched as Huo Yuhao used a barrier formed by divine power to isolate their voices, finally revealing his true self.

"There is one thing I think you are absolutely right about: Dai Hao is a bastard. He doesn't know the first thing about fairness."

"Just because of some trashy martial soul fusion skill, he favored that narrow-minded, hot-tempered piece of trash Dai Huabin for five years, letting that bastard dance in front of me for five whole years."

"Every day he touted how upright he was, saying that anyone who couldn't resist beauty was trash. How utterly shameless."

"If he were a decent man who could control himself, would I have so many brothers? Would I have ended up in this state today?"

"Dai Hao lied to me. Since I was a child, he lied to me, saying I would be the Duke of White Tiger. He lied to me, saying I would be a general. He lied to me about protecting the people of the Star Luo Empire."

"Now, a person as selfish as I am has been lied to so thoroughly by him that I can't even muster the humanity to become an Evil Soul Master who seeks revenge at will."

"This actually benefits you. You have had your complete revenge. Aside from that bastard, everyone who caused your mother's death has met a bad end."

Huo Yuhao looked at Dai Yueheng, whose demeanor was vastly different from before, sighed slightly, and quietly acted as a loyal listener.

Two lines of tears streamed down the corners of Dai Yueheng's eyes, and he sobbed uncontrollably:

"That bastard Dai Hao lied to me for over a decade, and I believed him for over a decade. For these ten-plus years, I haven't slacked off for a single moment."

"Huo Yuhao, tell me, what exactly did I do wrong?"

"As the eldest son of the Duke of White Tiger, I awakened my martial soul at six and entered Shrek Academy at twelve, never taking a single day of rest."

"Every day, it was nothing but cultivation and training. Now, at only nineteen, I have already become a level 64 Soul Emperor."

"Why could Dai Huabin, whose talent is not as outstanding as mine, shake my position as heir? Why did the family abandon me just because of the feud between you and him?"

Huo Yuhao did not answer Dai Yueheng's questions. Everyone has their own suffering. He could not forgive the Duchess and her family, but he could understand Dai Yueheng's pain.

If he were in his shoes, Huo Yuhao would not be able to keep his own heart calm either.

"Do you have any other wishes? Aside from the Duchess, I will try my best to help you fulfill them."

Hearing Huo Yuhao's response, Dai Yueheng laughed heartily.

"Huo Yuhao, I, Dai Yueheng, apologize to you and Huo Yun'er on behalf of my mother. After I die, I only hope you can protect the Star Luo Empire."

"If the Sun Moon Empire raises an army in the future, help me guard the Mingdou Mountain Range and protect the people of Star Luo."

"If any books remain in the future, let them record my name. Let it be known that I, Dai Yueheng, resolved the rift between Huo Yuhao and the Star Luo Empire."

As his voice fell, Huo Yuhao, at Dai Yueheng's pleading look, withdrew the divine sense barrier. Dai Yueheng's voice carried far into the distance.

The people all around noticed Dai Yueheng, who was gradually losing his life, and stared in a daze at the laughing expression he wore before his death.