Lord of Prayer

Suddenly, the seven Blood Race members performing some kind of religious ritual in the laboratory all let out a wail in unison. Their skin was rapidly covered in a layer of grayish-white, as if they had lost their vibrant Life Force, and they silently crumbled into piles of grayish-white dust.

’Dead?’ Yang froze for a moment. ’What’s going on?’

Before he could figure it out, the situation on the battlefield changed.

Another fully armed squad of Omega mercenaries joined the fight, led by a captain whose strength was no less than Christina’s. With this team’s help, the scales of victory began to tip in favor of the Blood Race and Omega.

“Take the Energy Source!” the Blood Race spokesperson, Steve, roared. Although he didn’t know why the traitors in the lab had died, this was undoubtedly the best time to act.

The other parts of the Eternal Life Machine could be abandoned, but not the Energy Source. The Energy Core, named the “Eternal Burning Star Core,” was among the world’s most top-tier Alchemy Creations and was extremely difficult to craft. If they left it here, it would be a huge loss for the Blood Race, and they wouldn’t be able to find a replacement energy source for a very long time.

Several figures rushed toward the laboratory’s Barrier, using the Blood Race’s ancestral Secret Technique to open the Barrier Array. Nearby Crimson Cultists immediately charged out to stop them, and the two sides engaged in a chaotic melee.

“And I’d like to say thank you~~~”

Yang hummed a little tune happily, his Perception Power unleashed to its absolute limit.

The pouring rain, the howling wind, the raging Fiery Fire, the chaotic battlefield… With so many interfering elements all at once, it was nothing short of a disaster for a sniper.

But luckily, he was one of the world’s top snipers.

The World fell silent in an instant. Not another sound existed—only the distant target in his scope remained.

Essence poured into the chamber, merging with the Alchemy Bullet. The moment he aimed, he pulled the trigger.

Searing hot enough to vaporize the rain, the bullet spun out of the barrel, leaving a clear trajectory in the dark night. Like a nimble bird, it rode the wind, spreading its wings to soar freely through the rainy night, piercing the downpour and Thunderbolt in its path.

A streak of fire, so tangible it seemed solid, left the whistling shockwave behind as it crossed the vast distance, accurately striking the core component of the Eternal Life Machine.

A bullet hole appeared on the metal machine, and an incredibly dangerous, searing red light began to glow from within.

Before anyone could react, the light swelled and erupted. It exploded with the force of a Giant Dragon’s breath, tearing the Eternal Life Machine to pieces. Even the specially crafted alloy melted into molten metal under the terrifying heat.

“Woohoo! That was some serious power.”

Yang whistled happily. Mission complete!

But just as he was about to pack up and leave, a figure he hadn’t seen in a long time appeared in his scope: a formidable-looking man with spiky white hair, a cross-shaped scar on his face, and a naturally intimidating expression, wielding two straight swords and dressed in a special combat suit.

His murderous aura was chilling. Like the Death God himself, he was reaping the lives of the Abyssal Demons on the battlefield.

“Still alive, you undying bastard,” Yang murmured, his voice ice-cold as he stared silently at his old enemy through the scope.

Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

The cross-scarred man, who was darting across the battlefield, showed a slight change in expression. His blade slashed down, slicing the murderous Alchemy Bullet in two. His figure then vanished like a phantom, dodging the ensuing explosion.

Seeing his shot had failed, Yang wasted no more time. He skillfully disassembled his rifle, packed it away, and vanished from the rooftop into the rainy night.

’The road to revenge is long. There’s still plenty of time.’

·

「Stars Association Headquarters, Central Conference Room.」

“The transmission was a success!”

In the command room, a joyful voice rang out. A Great Sage from the Alchemy Realm clenched his fists in excitement. “Based on the Energy consumed, our act of sending a message to the past has altered the timeline to some extent!”

The heavy atmosphere in the conference room instantly lightened, but some remained skeptical. “But can something like this really succeed?”

“We can’t be certain, but at least we’ve done what we had to do,” a black-haired, middle-aged man said calmly. “Now, all we can do is wait and hope, while also preparing for the worst.”

After the brief exchange, the highest meeting of the Star Association was dismissed. The leaders of each department returned to their posts to continue maintaining the operation of the entire World.

·

「New Era, Year 174.」

The place where time and space converged gradually vanished. The Tower of the End trembled violently, and its Barrier dissipated.

Ignoring the others trying to stop her, Li Xiye rushed into the collapsing Tower of the End. What she saw, however, was an endless, pure-white staircase spiraling upward.

She gritted her teeth, activated her Extraordinary Abilities to their limit, and transformed into a streak of cyan lightning that shot skyward. When she reached the peak of her flight, she grabbed the edge of a step for leverage and launched herself upward again.

Finally, she reached the top of the tower. The space was ethereal and silent. Only the battle scars littering the floor and the shattered remains of the Eternal Life Machine proved that a fight had once taken place here.

Seeing the empty hall, Li Xiye felt her own heart turn empty. Stabbing pains shot through it, as if she had lost something precious, leaving a hollow void that the wind blew right through.

She looked up and saw the collapsing summit of the tower and, far beyond it, the brilliant starry sky.

The cold moonlight spilled down, illuminating her desolate heart.

For some reason, the moon grew larger and larger… as if it were about to swallow the entire night sky.