Lord of Prayer

After two Supernova Bursts, the Heavenly Punisher was utterly annihilated.

“Zhang Tao, I’m done on my end. The lab has sunk into deep space.”

The communication channel filled with static, jammed once more.

POP!

The light at the end of the hallway suddenly went out. The faint sound of dripping liquid echoed in the darkness. Then, the lights along the entire corridor exploded in succession, plunging everything into darkness.

In the silence, the crisp sound of clashing weapons rang out. Bursts of sparks briefly illuminated a series of hideous, inhuman faces.

Eighteen figures stood there, draped in tattered robes. Their faces were bronze masks of evil ghosts, each with a different expression of joy, anger, sorrow, or grief. They carried a massive arsenal, veritable walking armories. Sharp blades protruded from their shoulders, elbows, and knees—from every joint. As they dodged and weaved, they whipped up a fierce, whistling wind. Countless streams of Sword Qi left deep gashes on the walls, floor, and ceiling, like a deadly, flesh-grinding whirlwind.

The Eighteen Arhats of the Buddhist Sect were known for their golden, indestructible bodies, granting them limitless strength and making them impervious to any weapon. These eighteen Hellish Evil Ghosts were, in fact, those same Eighteen Arhats of old. They had been corrupted by the influence of the Lord of Joy, had fallen into the Abyss, and had become honored guests in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Their Buddhist Dharma, once meant to deliver all sentient beings, had devolved into a vicious art of slaughter, their fearsome reputation spreading far and wide throughout Hell.

After their fall, all eighteen of them reached the Tier Five Monarch Level. Working together, they had once killed an Abyssal Demigod.

“Freeze.”

Zhou Chen apathetically uttered a single syllable. In the next second, the eighteen figures abruptly froze, solidifying like statues.

“Perish.”

He uttered a second syllable. The bronze-faced evil ghost closest to Zhou Chen let out a crisp cracking sound. Fissures spread across its body, visible to the naked eye, before it silently crumbled to the ground.

Then the second, the third…

“ROAR!”

Just then, a sound like a thunderclap boomed out. Zhou Chen’s mind instantly jolted as if struck by a Vajra Pestle, his very Soul trembling.

Buddhist scriptures lit up on the bodies of the remaining fifteen Hellish Evil Ghosts, but the golden glow was exceptionally dim, as if coated in a layer of filth. They instantly recovered, unleashing a dazzling storm of weapons and hidden projectiles that rained down upon Zhou Chen.

“Repel.”

But Zhou Chen’s spiritual will was immense. Dazed for only an instant, he reacted immediately, generating a repulsive field around himself that sent all incoming weapons flying. The iron rain showered back at the attackers, tearing their robes and striking showers of sparks from their mottled bronze skin.

These Hellish Evil Ghosts were originally the Eighteen Arhats of the Buddhist Sect, and their physical prowess was astonishing. Each had cultivated an indestructible golden body, perhaps even taking it a step further. Every weapon was imbued with the power of an Authority; even the most inconspicuous blade or needle held enough power to obliterate a city. Yet, when they struck the ghosts’ bodies, they merely produced sparks.

Zhou Chen’s gaze was calm. He prepared to use the Great Exile Technique again, to toss them into the cosmos to face a Supernova Burst. But the evil ghosts had secretly witnessed the Heavenly Punisher’s miserable fate. How could they not be prepared?

Then, one of the evil ghosts pulled a red kasaya covered in star charts out of the void. Tossing it upwards, the robe expanded, transforming into a Prison that enveloped the area.

The space in this area was sealed. Zhou Chen’s Prayer was fruitless, so he decisively switched tactics.

The pale Molten Fire ignited as the Authority of the King of Forging came into effect. “Fragilization” and “Destruction of All Things” descended simultaneously. The fifteen Hellish Evil Ghosts shuddered in unison. A loud CLANG rang out from their bodies, as if struck by an invisible hammer. Countless cracks spread across their mottled bronze skin and iron bones. The slightest movement caused their limbs to crumble to dust.

Their bronze faces, once expressing joy, anger, sorrow, or grief, now all showed expressions of utter disbelief. Zhou Chen gripped his Forged Warhammer and smashed it into the ground. A shockwave spread out, completely shattering the bodies and Souls of the fifteen Hellish Evil Ghosts.

Reduced to dust.

“Zhang Tao, can you hear me? I’ve really taken care of it this time.” Zhou Chen dusted off his hands. The comms channel was back online.

“The defense system is rebooting. They’ve retreated. Come to the conference room,” Zhang Tao replied. He sounded busy, and the line went silent again.

An Any Door opened in front of Zhou Chen. He pushed it open and stepped into the Time House.

Zhang Tao and the other high-level members were in the middle of an important discussion. Zhou Chen didn’t interrupt, instead finding a chair to the side and sitting down to take stock of his battle results.

The “Demon” and the “Star” from Fallen Paradise had also died in the Supernova Burst. This meant that in just over ten minutes, twenty-one Tier Five Monarchs had died at his hands. Among them were ruler-class Tier Fives like the Heavenly Punisher and the eighteen evil ghosts.

Destruction and the End were also Authorities under his control. By killing so many powerful enemies, he had climbed a full eighty steps on the Ascension Ladder. This actually gave him a new idea.

‘Heaven creates all things…’

‘Oh no, that’s not it. The Abyss creates all things to nurture Demons, yet Demons have nothing with which to repay the Abyss…’

‘However, the Star Association probably wouldn’t let him run off to Hell and go on a killing spree. It would be too easy for an Abyssal King to come knocking.’

Soon, the high-level members finished their discussion. Zhang Tao snapped his fingers, and everyone else in the conference room instantly vanished, leaving only him and Zhou Chen. The others had been temporarily shielded.

“If your former self was a fierce wolf, then the you right now is a carefree husky.”

Zhang Tao’s opening words left Zhou Chen speechless. ‘Who’s he calling a dog?’

“Was I a badass before?” Zhou Chen asked.

“Extremely badass,” Zhang Tao said, leaning back in his chair and reminiscing. “You were confident, powerful, mature, and had this incredibly strong charisma. It was like you could do anything, solve any problem. Cain just mentioned that you pulled the World back from the brink of destruction three times. That wasn’t an exaggeration.”

“You once told me about your wishes. The first was to save the World, and the second was to live a happy, carefree life. It’s clear you’ve now achieved both.”

Zhou Chen nodded. It was true. ‘Having four loving girlfriends… this is a blissful life, just like Heaven. Pure bliss.’

“You also told me that if I ever saw you again, I had to stop you from trying to recover your memories. You said those memories are heavy and painful, and that it would be best to abandon them. You were tired and just wanted to enjoy a happy life.”

Zhou Chen was silent for a long while. “What exactly did I go through?”

Zhang Tao spread his hands. “I don’t know. Only you can know your own experiences. Hmm… your past self had me warn your present self not to be curious about those things. He said it’s a Curse. If you want to live happily, don’t let your curiosity run wild and bring suffering upon yourself.”

“Since it’s a warning from myself, it definitely can’t be anything good,” Zhou Chen said, understanding immediately. ‘Don’t I know myself? It’s absolutely nothing good.’

“I’ll just say this much and leave it at that.”

Zhang Tao adjusted his posture. “Next, let’s talk about the history you’re most concerned with.”

“First, the Prayer Bottle.”

“It was a bold experiment. And clearly, we succeeded.”

Zhang Tao chuckled. “We made a wish to the Miracle Light—to unlock the potential within the genes of all humanity.”