Lord of Prayer

CLANG!

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG…

The Hammer of Forging fell without mercy. The crisp, rhythmic sound of metal striking metal echoed melodiously, sending brilliant sparks flying.

Grievous, hammered dents appeared on the bodies of the male and female Evil Spirits. They howled in agony, unleashing shrieks sharp enough to pierce eardrums. They thrashed about with savage fury, baring their claws and fangs in an attempt to shred the human before them.

But they were bound tightly by layers of pale, fierce flames that had formed into chains and shackles. Like rabid dogs in a cage, they exhausted all their efforts but couldn’t shake the iron bars in the slightest.

Zhou Chen’s eyes were focused, completely immersed in the Forging. This was his first time attempting to modify an Extraordinary Artifact, and every step was an entirely new experience.

Deadly Love was a Cursed Object. The Extraordinary Ability it possessed was inextricably linked to the Curse within it. Rashly removing the Curse would, with a ninety percent probability, cause the Cursed Object to lose its Extraordinary nature and revert to a pair of ordinary rings.

Remodeling it was undoubtedly an incredibly difficult task. The slightest mistake would mean failure. Even Zhou Chen, who possessed the legacy of the King of Melting and Casting, had to handle it with caution and diligence.

As the high-temperature forging continued, a series of procedures unfolded in an orderly fashion.

Essence seeped in to analyze its structure. With each strike of the Hammer of Forging, he unleashed a controlled Destruction of All Things against the Root Curse, continuously grinding away the harmful “impurities” and neutralizing the Curse Source within.

The results of each precise step were reflected in the bodies of the male and female Evil Spirits. The dense, black smoke of the Curse was utterly consumed by the Soul-Burning Flame. Their smoke-like forms shriveled up like empty soda cans, looking as though they had been hammered a million times—pitted, dented, and mangled beyond recognition.

Finally, with a powerful, sonorous clang of the hammer, the tragic couple was utterly pulverized by the fiery light. Their bodies shattered like black crystals, exploding into pieces.

This was the deepest, most tangible form of the Curse, condensed from an unknown number of Undead they had tainted—”Twisted and Pathological Love.” It was also the core Power of the Cursed Object, Deadly Love.

At Zhou Chen’s command, the surging, tsunami-like Cyan Flame suddenly receded, contracting into a Fireball that contained the densely packed fragments of the shattered Curse crystals.

He tossed the two rings in, subjecting them to the Molten Fire along with the Curse crystals. The crystals quickly dissolved into a pitch-black liquid that, under the guidance of the flames, flowed continuously into the two rings.

Zhou Chen exhaled, relaxing for a moment before tensing his mind once more. He performed Melting and Transformation, extracting the core Ability, “Mind-Body Communication,” from the negative Curse of “Twisted and Pathological Love” and converting all the Cursed energy.

Finally, using the authority of the Hammer of Forging, he granted the Artifact an Ascension Transformation.

The flames dispersed, and two shimmering golden rings fell from the air. Zhou Chen caught them and held them up for a closer look.

The diamonds originally set in the rings had evaporated into carbon dioxide from the intense heat, so Zhou Chen had reforged them in the style of a “Magic Ring.” The surface was smooth, with a simple and understated elegance. When used, they would glow with beautiful, flame-colored patterns.

And this Cursed Object, thanks to his modifications, was now completely harmless. A wearer would no longer develop a pathological love for the other and be driven to commit terrible acts.

Now, the two rings were called the Bonds Ring. The effect of sharing Life Force, Spiritual Power, Essence, and the Skills from their Extraordinary Abilities remained. In fact, thanks to the Ascension Transformation from the Hammer of Forging, they had even gained an additional Ability.

The two wearers of the Bonds Ring would randomly receive a certain bond-related bonus, which would refresh each time the rings were removed and put on again.

It was an incredibly powerful effect.

Moreover, this Forging had also allowed the Hammer of Forging to recover a tiny fraction of its Power. Evidently, the more difficult the Forging, the more Power the hammer would recover.

All in all, the Forging was a resounding success!

Happily humming a little tune, Zhou Chen pulled out his phone and sent a message telling Li Xiye to come down.

Less than fifteen seconds later, Li Xiye came rushing down the stairs—TAP, TAP, TAP. She glanced around the basement. “Where is it?”

Zhou Chen held out his hand, revealing the two rings in his palm.

“…”

Li Xiye froze, then grew a little flustered. “Are… are you serious?”

“Of course. This thing’s a Divine Artifact. Here, try it on.” Zhou Chen picked up one of the rings and handed it to her.

Li Xiye took it instinctively. Seeing Zhou Chen put his on, she hesitated for a moment before sliding her own ring on as well. The moment both Bonds Rings were on, an invisible connection of their Souls bound them tightly together.

“Huh???” Li Xiye cried out in bewildered surprise. The connection at the level of her Soul was a completely novel experience. She felt an invisible thread linking her to Zhou Chen, a thread that formed an intangible bridge, creating a state of Mind-Body Communication that connected them intimately.

‘Such abundant Essence…’

She could feel the surging Essence within Zhou Chen’s body, his powerful Spiritual Power, his vigorous Life Force, and…

With a mere thought, Li Xiye’s body was engulfed in pale cyan flames. There was no burning sensation, only a pleasant, comfortable warmth. She quickly learned how to control and use the fire, conjuring a small flame to dance between her fingers, thoroughly enjoying herself.

And Zhou Chen, in turn, gained Li Xiye’s Extraordinary Ability: Aspiration of the Blue Clouds.

‘So, the stronger my Willpower, the stronger my Power…’

Zhou Chen rubbed his hands together and took a deep breath. His expression turned cold and grim as he entered a combat state. A brilliant cyan electric light suddenly erupted from his body, extending half a meter around him and shooting up to the ceiling, as if a bolt of cyan Thunderbolt had descended upon the room.