Lord of Prayer

When he woke up, he had somehow returned home, completely unaware of anything that had happened in the interim.

He felt his mind was flooded with countless brilliant ideas, so many that his head felt like it was about to explode.

He began to write. He wrote frantically, ceaselessly, for forty-nine days straight, until he had finally exhausted every last idea in his head.

The moment the book was finished, he died.

And I was born.”

The mysterious figure raised his head and spread his arms, as if looking down with cold indifference, solemnly proclaiming to the insignificant ant before him:

“—I am the Spirit of the End!”

In that instant, Darkness surged like a geyser, sweeping over the mortal world and bestowing silent annihilation. The world fell silent, and all of creation stepped into the eternal end.

Eternal life…

Is not eternal death a form of eternal life?

Although the dark, turbid torrent was merely an Illusion, it sent Zhou Chen’s and Li Xiye’s Souls spiraling rapidly toward corruption.

In the profound Darkness, a speck of pale fire suddenly flared to life. Sweat poured from Zhou Chen as he gasped for breath, as if under immense pressure. The flames on his body grew stronger and more intense, little by little, until they blazed as brightly as a torch, banishing the Darkness.

“How beautiful. Like the most exquisite work of art in the world.”

The Spirit of the End sighed with sincere admiration. Reflected in his eyes were the brilliantly burning flames, and the shining Soul within that mortal shell. He couldn’t help but reach out a hand, as if trying to touch it from across the distance.

“—The Soul of one who reversed their destiny.”

The Spirit of the End murmured, “Nothing in this world can compare in value to your Soul. What in the world have you been through?

How, exactly, did you defy your fate?”

‘This guy is after me?’ Zhou Chen panted, his gaze cold. “You secretly promoted the spread of the contamination source, causing the Spirit Realm to merge with reality, all just to find a chance to avoid the Star Association and contact me?”

“No, no, no, no, no, no…”

The Spirit of the End shook his head. “You are mistaken. To me, you are merely… a bonus.”

“I believe I just introduced myself, did I not? I am the Spirit of the End. My mission from birth is to destroy the World and bring everything to its eternal end.”

He said, “Many years ago, I was severely wounded by the Star Association, forcing me into a deep slumber. A few years ago, Charles and Howard found me, and in doing so, accidentally awakened my consciousness.

“So, upon waking, I resumed my plan to destroy the world. Just as humans are born to eat and drink, destroying the world is my instinct, and my mission.

“I secretly influenced their minds, making them believe they had discovered the secret to eternal life. In reality, it was just a short formula related to space-time fixation.

“The so-called Eternal Life Machine is nothing more than an oversized Space-Time Instrument, used to open a Space-Time Tunnel. It also comes with a search function to find suitable candidates.

“And the Eternal Energy is even more laughable. That is merely Essence I dispersed from my own body. Those who are ‘baptized’ in it do indeed become younger, but they also become a part of me, Assimilated by me.

“Charles died long ago. He was Assimilated the moment he was injected with the Eternal Energy. Everything that came after was just an act I put on to avoid being disturbed.”

‘So that’s the truth of the Eternal Life Machine. Charles and Howard really were tricked from the very beginning…’ The flames on Zhou Chen’s body burned hotter, now able to resist the encroaching dark torrent. The pressure on him gradually eased. “A search function? Suitable candidates? Like me?”

“Yes, like you. A person who once defied fate. Your Soul is exceptionally precious; you are a rare, suitable candidate.”

The Spirit of the End said with a beaming smile, “No need to be so tense. I’m not prepared to kill you just yet. You’re the one who asked me to come out and meet you.

“Only the fusion of the most extreme despair and the most brilliant Soul can cultivate the fruit I desire. Now is not that time.”

He reached out and tossed a strangely shaped metal key, which landed at Zhou Chen’s feet.

“I will be waiting for you at the end of all things. Don’t even think about seeking help from the Star Association; they will have their hands full from now on. And if you try to run…”

The Spirit of the End pointed from a distance. A dark halo bloomed around Li Xiye, and a vicious Curse enveloped her entire Soul. The Curse, potent enough to cause instantaneous corruption, didn’t detonate. Instead, it was planted like a time bomb, a fatal hidden danger.

“…your friend might just turn into an Abyssal Demon.”

The Spirit of the End took off his hat, smiled faintly, and gave a Gentleman’s bow. His figure then vanished, and the illusory dark torrent dissipated right after.

“How are you?” Zhou Chen turned and anxiously checked on Li Xiye.

“I’m… I’m okay for now…”

Li Xiye let out a breath and forced a smile. “It’s nothing major. Just a time bomb planted in my Soul.

“That guy is bad news. You absolutely cannot go after him. If we find Lin Yun now, she’ll definitely have a solution.”

Facing the Spirit of the End alone… It was undoubtedly a trap!

Zhou Chen said nothing. Of course he knew it was a trap.

‘I wish to remove the Curse from Li Xiye’s Soul.’

He made the wish internally, but it failed. The Curse left by the Spirit of the End had too high of a Status, and he didn’t have enough “wish value” to erase it. One thing was certain now: the Spirit of the End was the living Forbidden Ancient Book.

‘What about the Hammer of Forging? No, that won’t work either. Rashly touching the Curse could detonate it prematurely…’

‘And where is Lin Yun right now?’

His thoughts raced. After a moment’s hesitation, Zhou Chen picked up the metal key from the ground, pocketed it, and said reassuringly, “Let’s contact Lin Yun and the Star Association first.”

The Nightmare then collapsed.

The scene flashed, and the two of them appeared in the residential complex’s Garden.

Li Xiye quickly took out her phone and called Lin Yun, but no one answered. She then tried to contact Gong Su, the head of the Special Operations Team, but again received no reply.

They had already expected this. Dream Realms were constantly popping up all over Hong City like bubbles. Just as the Spirit of the End had said, the Star Association had its hands full.

“The Space-Time Instrument, the Space-Time Tunnel… What is the Spirit of the End planning…?”

Zhou Chen gazed at Hong City, now covered in countless brilliant Dream Realms, and a deep sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

·

「New Era Year 174.」

Hong City International Financial Mansion, in a laboratory.

A Blood Royal Prince named Xiu Ka was prostrated on the floor. Many other high-ranking members of the Blood Race knelt beside it, including the Blood Race Saint Child, Pansi.

“Master, the machine is ready. It can be activated at any time.”

The once-arrogant Blood Royal Prince was like a lowly house dog, stripped of all pride and honor for its race. Its eyes were pitch-black and dull, long since controlled by the Spirit of the End.

Although the Spirit of the End’s injuries had not fully healed, he possessed far too many forbidden secrets of the Abyss. He had spent a month slowly and carefully corroding the Blood Royal Prince when its guard was down.

The Blood Race has a strict hierarchy where superiors can suppress their subordinates. Controlling a Prince was equivalent to controlling all the Blood Race members here.

The Spirit of the End smoked his pipe, nodded slightly, and revealed a smile of anticipation:

“The other side is also ready. Activate it.”

·

「New Era Year 234.」

Hong City, a mysterious laboratory.

The seven members of the first batch of immortal Blood Race started a riot. They displayed unparalleled strength, swiftly occupying the laboratory and initiating lockdown procedures before reinforcements could arrive.

The Blood Race’s agent, Steve, rushed over with a group of high-ranking officials. It hammered on the quarantine window, roaring, “What do you think you’re doing?! Rebelling?!”

“No.”

The seven immortal Blood Race members answered in unison, revealing perfectly synchronized smiles:

“Destruction.”

Looking at those eerie smiles, even Steve felt a bone-deep chill.

“The world will meet its end!”

The seven immortal Blood Race members shouted, then slammed the button to activate the machine.

·

Spanning sixty years of time, from opposite ends of the timeline, two Eternal Life Machines activated at full power. They erupted with terrifying energy fluctuations, tearing open the dimension of reality.

The chaotic gates of space-time were thrown open.