Chapter 157: Celebration Banquet! An Uninvited Guest?

That was an ancient continent, scorched into scorched earth by endless war.

In the sky, giant dragons with bodies comparable to mountain ranges were spewing dragon breath capable of destroying cities.

On the ground, Titan giants a hundred meters tall were brandishing warhammers forged from stars.

In the ocean, deep-sea behemoths stirred up monstrous waves, devouring everything.

And above these terrifying giant beasts, there were even greater existences, impossible to describe with words.

Their figures were blurry and indistinct, but the mere aura they radiated was enough to make space collapse and time stand still.

This was a war of world-ending proportions, between gods and gods, between giant beasts and giant beasts!

Roko's consciousness, amidst the imagery of this cataclysmic war, was as insignificant as a speck of dust.

He felt his spirit could be completely crushed by this massive flow of information at any moment, turning him into an idiot.

"No! Hold on!"

Roko bit down hard on the tip of his tongue; the intense pain allowed him to maintain a sliver of clarity.

He could not fall here!

If he fell, Tain would truly be beyond saving!

Just when he was about to lose his grip.

The Flame Griffin Emblem of the Raymond Family on his chest suddenly emitted a warmth.

A pure and familiar power of bloodline surged from the emblem, rapidly merging into his limbs and bones.

This power was like a sturdy dam, steadily blocking the chaotic torrent of elements that was rushing toward his mind.

Roko's mental pressure suddenly eased.

He seized this opportunity, his mind stirring.

He no longer attempted to resist the elemental torrent, but instead tried to use his Holy Sun Battle Qi to wrap around it, guide it, and sort it out.

This was an extremely delicate and mentally exhausting task.

It was like trying to straighten out a tangled mess in the middle of a violent hurricane.

Time passed, minute by minute.

Roko's forehead was covered in beads of sweat, and his face became increasingly pale.

The Holy Sun Battle Qi within his body was being consumed at an astonishing speed,

but he did not give up.

Under his unremitting efforts.

The violent elemental torrent within Tain's body finally began, bit by bit, to become stable and docile.

Those miscellaneous, conflicting elements were also carefully separated by him, then guided to merge into Tain's bloodline and bones.

He did not know how much time had passed.

When the last trace of chaotic energy was completely sorted out.

Roko abruptly let go, his whole body leaning backward, and he collapsed heavily onto the ground.

He gasped for air, feeling as though the strength in his body had been completely drained.

"Master!"

Fula exclaimed, hurriedly running over to help him up.

"I'm fine—"

Roko waved his hand, a smile of relief appearing on his face.

He cast his gaze toward the animal-skin mat.

He saw that Tain, who had previously been in a deep sleep, had now slowly opened its eyes.

Its size seemed to be a circle larger than before.

The color of its fur had also become deeper, as if flowing light were circulating upon it.

Most importantly, its eyes.

They were no longer the ignorant, beastly eyes from before.

Instead, they were filled with the radiance of spirit and wisdom.

It looked at Roko and tilted its head, as if thinking about something.

Then, it leaped up from the mat and, taking light, small steps, ran in front of Roko.

It used its small, furry head to affectionately rub against Roko's palm.

"Chirp chirp!"

It let out a crisp, pleasant cry.

In Roko's mind, a young, milky voice simultaneously rang out.

"Daddy—"

Roko was stunned.

He looked down at Tain, and Tain was also looking up at him with those clear eyes.

Man and beast stared at each other.

"System, this is—"

Roko asked silently in his heart.

【Ding! Congratulations to the host, your magical pet "Tain" has successfully passed the Bloodline Awakening period and officially entered the juvenile stage!】

【Talent "Ancient Bloodline (S+)" has been activated!】

【New ability awakened: Primary Elemental Control (can manipulate elemental power in a small range), Bloodline Resonance (can slightly amplify the host's Battle Qi power and accelerate the host's cultivation speed)】

【A mental link has been established with the host, allowing for simple telepathic communication.】

A series of system notification sounds rang out in Roko's mind.

A monstrous wave surged in Roko's heart.

He knew Tain was not simple, but he never expected him to be this not simple!

A descendant of an ancient divine beast?

This damn thing, he had struck gold!

"Tain, you... can you understand me?"

Roko tried saying to Tain in his heart.

"Mm!"

Tain nodded and rubbed his head against him again.

"Dad... hungry..."

Roko was instantly caught between laughter and tears.

After all that, the first thing this guy did upon waking up was to cry of hunger.

"Fula, go get some food, the best roasted meat!"

"Yes, Master!"

Fula responded, forcefully suppressing the shock in her heart, and hurried toward the kitchen.

Just at this moment.

Tain, who had just awakened, suddenly stiffened.

He abruptly raised his head and looked vigilantly toward the northern sky.

A low, hostile "growl" emanated from his throat.

The fur all over his body stood slightly on end.

It was as if there was something in that direction that made him feel extreme disgust and hatred.

"What is it? Tain?"

Roko noticed his abnormality.

He followed Tain's gaze and looked toward the north.

There lay the continuous, cloud-piercing Black Wind Mountain Range.

On the other side of the mountain range was the vast and boundless Orc Wasteland.

"Danger... arch-enemy... scent." Tain intermittently transmitted his feelings to Roko.

Roko's pupils shrank violently.

Orc Wasteland?

Arch-enemy?

Could it be...

A bad premonition surged into his heart.

"Master! Master!"

A messenger came rushing in from the front courtyard, tumbling and crawling, his face filled with anxiety and joy.

"The victory banquet is already prepared! All the Masters of the alliance have arrived!"

"They are just waiting for you to go and preside over the situation!"

Vanguard Valley, Lingzhu Fu, banquet hall.

Tonight, this place was brightly lit and bustling with noise.

Melodious music flowed through the air.

Nobles and Knights in gorgeous attire gathered in twos and threes, holding crystal glasses filled with fine wine, talking and laughing loudly.

Everyone's face was overflowing with the joy of victory and longing for the future.

This grand victory banquet, held to celebrate the destruction of Viscount Enade and the unification of the southern part of Xin Feng Province, had gathered almost all the core figures of the entire alliance.

"Haha, Viscount William, I toast you! Your men were the ones charging at the very front during the attack on Black Stone Castle this time!"

"Not at all, Baron Martin, you flatter me! If it weren't for Master Roko descending like a god and breaking the city with one sword, even if we had twice as many people, we wouldn't have been able to touch the city walls!"

"That is true! Master Roko is truly too powerful! Having him as our alliance leader is truly the blessing of everyone in our Xin Feng Province!"

The nobles flattered each other, but in every word, they could not leave that name.

Roko.

That young man who, with the momentum of thunder, had leapt from an unknown small Baron to become the hegemon of the entire southern Xin Feng Province in just a few months.

His name had now become a legend.

An existence that everyone had to look up to.

In the corner of the hall, several stronger Viscounts were gathered together, whispering to each other.

Their expressions were not so relaxed.

"You all received Master Roko's 'notice', right?"

A slightly plump Viscount sipped his wine and said in a low voice.

"Mm."

Another Viscount with a sharp face nodded, his expression somewhat ugly.

"He's only giving us thirty percent of the spoils, and he swallowed Black Stone Castle and Enade's territory in one gulp. He didn't even leave us a drop of soup."

"Hmph, it's more than just not leaving soup; he is beating us into submission!"

The third noble snorted coldly.

"The messenger I sent had his legs go soft from fear when he returned. It is said that Master Roko spoke directly to his face: whoever dares to disobey will be beheaded."

"Too overbearing! They don't put us allies in their eyes at all!"

The chubby Viscount said indignantly.

"Then what can we do?"

The lean Viscount gave a bitter smile.

"Not satisfied? Do you dare to lead troops to fight him?"

"Never mind fighting, if his five hundred Storm Knights wearing Obsidian Gold Armor just stand at your front door, half of your men would mutiny first."

"Not to mention, he himself is a Silver-rank monster who can split a castle gate with one sword strike!"

"We are simply not in the same weight class as him."

These words made everyone present fall silent.

Yes, strength.

In this world, having big fists is the only hard truth.

In the face of Rocco's overwhelming, absolute strength, any schemes or tricks, any dissatisfaction and complaints, seemed so ridiculous and powerless.

"Actually, if you think about it from another angle, following such a powerful leader might not be a bad thing."

The fourth Viscount, who had been silent all along, spoke slowly.

"At least we don't have to worry about being used as cannon fodder by the Temple of Light or those big shots in the Royal Capital anymore."

"And, don't forget about the Strong Liquor from Vanguard Valley."

"As long as we can cling tightly to Master Rocco's thigh, just the sales agency for the Strong Liquor would be enough for us to make a fortune."

These words made the eyes of the others light up.

That's right!

There is still the Strong Liquor!

That top-tier fine wine that can sell for a sky-high price per cup!

Compared to that, what is this little bit of spoils from Black Stone Castle?

Having figured this out, the moods of the several Viscounts immediately eased up quite a bit.

The worried looks on their faces also turned into smiles.

"Come, come, come, let's toast to our wise and mighty Alliance Leader Rocco!"

"Cheers!"

Just as the atmosphere in the hall was becoming increasingly heated.

Accompanied by a loud announcement.

"The Lord is here!"

The entire hall instantly quieted down.

Everyone's gaze was cast toward the entrance in unison.

Rocco was seen wearing a well-tailored black noble formal suit, with the Flame Griffin Emblem symbolizing the Raymond Family pinned to his chest, walking slowly into the hall surrounded by Hart and Fula, who were in full military attire.

His pace was steady and powerful, and he wore a faint smile on his face.

But those deep eyes seemed to contain a sea of stars, making people afraid to look directly at them.

An invisible aura of ruling the world naturally radiated from him.

It made all the nobles present subconsciously hold their breath.

"Greetings, Master Alliance Leader!"

It was unclear who was the first to kneel on one knee; immediately after, all the nobles and Knights in the hall knelt on one knee in unison.

A sound like a mountain collapse and a tsunami echoed through the entire hall.

"Greetings, Master Alliance Leader!"

Rocco walked to the main seat, turned slowly, and swept his gaze across the room.

"Everyone, please rise."

His voice reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Today is a victory banquet that belongs to all of us."

"We defeated the brutal Enade, eradicated the lackeys of the Poison Scorpion Society, and brought long-lost peace to the Xin Feng Province."

"All of this could not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of everyone here."

"I, Rocco Raymond, hereby express my most sincere gratitude to everyone!"

After speaking, he raised his wine glass to signal to the crowd.

"I propose that this first cup of wine be a toast to those heroic soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the war!"

"To the heroes!"

Everyone raised their wine glasses high.

"The second cup of wine, a toast to our hard-won victory!"

"To victory!"

"This third cup of wine..." Rocco's gaze became sharp.

"A toast to the bright future of our Xin Feng Alliance!"

"To the Alliance! To Master Alliance Leader!"

After three cups of wine, the atmosphere in the hall was ignited.

The nobles' eyes looking at Rocco were filled with awe and fanaticism.

They knew that from this moment on, this young man had become the irreplaceable leader in their hearts.

However, just as the atmosphere of the banquet reached its climax.

A guard walked in hurriedly with a strange expression on his face.

He walked quickly to Roko's side and whispered a few words.

Roko's eyebrows arched slightly.

He waved his hand, signaling the guard to withdraw.

Then, he spoke in a clear, loud voice to everyone in the hall.

"Everyone, we have guests."

"A group of uninvited guests."

Everyone was stunned.

Who had such nerve to come uninvited to Master Roko's victory banquet?

Before they could react.

A burst of arrogant and haughty laughter came from the entrance of the hall.

"Hahaha, what a lively scene!"

"It seems we have arrived at just the right time."

Accompanied by the laughter, a group of more than ten people swaggered in from outside the door.

Leading them was a young man wearing gorgeous silk clothing with his face smeared with thick white powder.

His chin was held high, and he surveyed everything in the hall with a scrutinizing, or perhaps even contemptuous, gaze.

It was as if he were not here to attend a banquet, but to inspect his own backyard.

The people behind him were also, one by one, high and mighty, their eyes filled with disdain for these "country nobles."