Chapter 1002: Bonds

At that time, he was merely a substitute member. He watched with his own eyes as the Joker mercilessly slaughtered every single person on his team, toying with them.

The Joker, seeing that the owner of this 'Seed of Vengeance' was just a child, did not deliver the killing blow. Instead, he brazenly and defiantly demonstrated all his methods to the child, right before his eyes. In other words, the Joker was the greatest shadow in the heart of the Seed of Vengeance's owner, and the fundamental reason he embarked on his path of revenge.

Originally, he thought he would never encounter the Joker again. After all, despite being his greatest enemy, the Joker was also one of the mentors who set him on this path of revenge, playing an extremely important role in his life. Since growing up, he had continuously cultivated his desire for revenge, transforming it into the most brutal revenge technique. He himself had become a contradictory being, living solely for hatred, confined to the dark corners of existence.

It was precisely because of this unique backstory that, during his wanderings in the Endless Sea, he was bestowed the Seed of Vengeance by the Eternal Demonic Tree and placed within this Demonic Naval Corps. The fact that this prisoner was handed over to him felt very much like a twist of fate.

"Your voice sounds very familiar to me. Could it be that you are someone I once knew?"

The Joker, struggling against his extreme confusion, shook his head vigorously, trying his best to focus his gaze on the person before him. To grant the Joker's wish, the other person gently removed their veil in front of him. What was revealed was an incredibly delicate yet melancholic face, which instantly brought back a flood of long-buried memories for the Joker.

"You're the child from all those years ago!"

"Yes, Mr. Joker. To be precise, I should even call you 'Teacher.' Had it not been for the series of powers you displayed before me back then, planting such a deep seed of hatred within me, how could I have endured and survived until today? How else could I have inherited your legacy and forged a revenge system unique to myself? Coupled with the immense power of the Seed of Vengeance, I am now incredibly powerful when the flames of hatred ignite within me. And this very space is the perfect embodiment of my retaliatory power. I have used this doorless space to imprison countless enemies, punishing them with methods even more brutal than yours. From it, I gained the same spiritual experience you once enjoyed. I know very well that I am a person who has descended into depravity, but everything I am today was bestowed by you. And fate has truly favored me, finally allowing me to meet the person from all those years ago today. I will certainly use my most refined methods to entertain you."

As the Avenger finished speaking, he suddenly let out a cry. Simultaneously, a variety of incredibly cruel killing tools materialized out of thin air before him. Each of these tools, if brought onto a battlefield, would be a terrifying instrument of death, but now they served as the medium for the game between him and the Joker.

"Tell me, however you want to play, I'll see it through to the end. After all, what happened back then was my doing. Today, no matter how you play or how you target me, it won't be too much."

The Avenger seemed very pleased with the Joker's attitude, nodding with a smile.

"Don't worry, I won't show you any mercy whatsoever. You are the one who cultivated my seed of vengeance, and I will make you taste the most extreme pain in this world!"

"Since you can't make a choice, then let me control the rhythm of this game."

As the Avenger's words fell, he began to retrieve one cruel instrument after another, striking at the Joker's physical form. Agonized screams continuously erupted from the Joker. As a fellow top-tier avenger, his opponent knew precisely how to deal with the Joker, and exactly where his most vulnerable points were. Consequently, in an utterly unfair combat environment, the Joker was reduced to a mere target, ruthlessly butchered by his opponent, without any say whatsoever. What was even more terrifying was that as the Avenger unleashed more and more methods, the Joker's injuries grew increasingly severe. The Avenger's internal flames of revenge also seemed to burn more fiercely, creating a vicious cycle destined for a tragic end.

Even while enduring the cruel and endless pain, the Joker began to laugh unrestrainedly.

"It seems my entire life has been a complete mistake. I used a wicked method to showcase what I believed to be my greatest achievements. But this path has only brought the most severe harm to others. The outcome I face today is entirely my own doing."

Amidst the endless torment, the Joker finally reached a state of remorse. Seeing the person before him, who was continuously inflicting pain, as a direct consequence of his past sins, he finally shed a tear of regret.

The next moment, the Joker shockingly decided to self-destruct as a means to atone for his sins.

"Boss, it seems my wish to reach the continent's peak alongside you will be difficult to fulfill. My final moments in this life will likely only be spent in this manner of self-redemption."

The next moment, the Joker suddenly clenched his fists, and an immensely powerful aura of primal energy surged wildly within him. In fact, with his primal energy cultivation system, the Joker could have easily suppressed the Avenger before him and completely broken free from the cage he was trapped in. However, he did not do so. Instead, he frantically mobilized his primal energy, allowing it to violently collide with his meridians. The moment the primal energy surged to its absolute limit, his body would self-destruct from within, bringing an end to everything.

Soon, five energy vortexes simultaneously opened within the Joker, and the limit of primal energy these vortexes could contain was constantly being pushed. It's important to understand that the energy vortexes, which hold the primal energy, are where every primal energy cultivator accumulates power in preparation for battle. If energy is merely condensed without being released externally, it will eventually reach the physical body's maximum capacity. At that point, the bursting of the energy vortexes is akin to a bomb exploding within the body. Once this limit is broken, even the most formidable power would find it incredibly difficult to repair the damage perfectly.

At this critical, life-or-death moment, a deafening roar suddenly erupted in his mind. Simultaneously, the Joker felt a powerful force, as if coursing through all his meridians, instantly pouring into his back.