Lord of Prayer

BOOM!

A deafening roar erupted in the lounge. A hurricane of force expanded outward, instantly blasting the walls into a cloud of fragments. Zhou Chen was sent flying backward, smashing through seven or eight walls before he finally came to a stop.

The hand gripping Dream Light and Shadow trembled slightly. The skin on his palm and arm was shredded, and blood dripped down the shaft of the spear, staining the Crystal Spear a sinister crimson. Dream Light and Shadow itself hummed and vibrated, a crack appearing on its blade.

The next moment, the sound of space shattering echoed. The rules and laws of this area let out a silent wail as they were forcibly twisted. A fist with six pitch-black fingers came crashing down, carrying a terrifying power capable of collapsing heaven and earth.

Dream Light and Shadow vanished from Zhou Chen's hand. He met the incoming fist bare-handed, not to clash head-on, but to parry it with impeccable technique. He deflected the terrifying power, then redirected it back along its original path, straight toward his opponent's face.

"Amplify it a thousand times."

In an instant, the power contained within the fist was amplified by an unbelievable thousandfold.

SPLAT!

A crisp sound, like a water balloon bursting, rang out. The illusory figure shattered into dust in an instant.

After a brief delay, a colossal boom like a great bell erupted. A shockwave surged outward, and the entirety of Zone One trembled violently from the roar of this immense force.

The Tier Five Monarch from the Abyss had been obliterated by his own attack.

"Sigh... I told him his skills were lacking, but he insisted on coming along. Well, now he's dust to dust, ashes to ashes."

Just as Zhou Chen healed his injuries, an aged voice drifted from the void.

"My foolish apprentice was unskilled. Please excuse the poor display."

A chill ran down his spine. Zhou Chen's hair stood on end. 'There's another master?'

An outline rapidly took shape in the void. A muscular, elderly man walked out slowly. His eyes were a lightless black, containing the quintessential dregs of the Abyss's calamities. Though his pace was slow, like an old man strolling through a park, Zhou Chen couldn't react at all. Even his thoughts were a beat too slow.

"This old one is the 'Heavenly Punisher.' I'll be borrowing your head," the old man grinned.

Then, a thunderous crack echoed. All of Zone One was engulfed in turmoil. A power even more terrifying and tyrannical than before spread wantonly, destroying rooms and buildings one after another.

Zhou Chen was sent flying amidst the debris. His battle-hardened body was pierced by a pair of iron fists. Blood splattered as he smashed through an unknown number of buildings, finally crashing against shattered steel and sliding slowly to the ground.

But in an instant, his injuries recovered. The tyrannical will and the unknown abyssal toxins lingering in his flesh and soul were all purged.

"Oh? You can recover from even that?" The Heavenly Punisher ambled over as if taking a leisurely stroll.

WHOOSH!

The moment the words left his mouth, his figure vanished. He reappeared in the boundless starry cosmos, flying toward the endless darkness at a terrifying speed. After a moment of confusion, he realized—he had been exiled.

Back in Zone One, a brilliant and solemn crown materialized above Zhou Chen's head, its radiance infinitely beautiful, as if forged from miracles.

"So, you think you're tough, eh, old bastard?"

Realizing that even his thoughts couldn't keep up with his opponent's speed, Zhou Chen had decisively activated his ability. He teleported the enemy to an unknown star system 3,000 light-years away and erased the gravity acting upon him.

The planet beneath them rotated at 1,700 kilometers per hour. Without the pull of gravity, anything would be flung right off its surface. This was exactly what had happened to the old bastard. The instant he lost gravitational capture, he was teleported into the vacuum of the cosmos, where he would now be flying at supersonic speeds.

But Zhou Chen knew this wouldn't be enough to finish him.

Heavenly Punisher... Although he had never been to the Abyss, he had heard the name. He was one of the nine rulers of the Blood Country, personally appointed by the Blood Monarch. He ruled over hundreds of Hell Planes and was in a league of his own below the level of a Demigod, his fearsome reputation well-known.

'That makes sense. You wouldn't dare attack Zone One without some real power.'

'I have to really turn up the heat on him.'

"Time for a classic rerun..."

Zhou Chen made a wish: "Let him have a taste of a Supernova Burst."

In the cosmos, as the Heavenly Punisher was flying at immense speed, an endlessly blinding light suddenly flared before his eyes. Terrifying light and heat surged toward him as a wave of destruction, instantly engulfing him.

The Supernova Burst from an exploding star was completely redirected by Zhou Chen to the Heavenly Punisher's vicinity. It was followed by a second, then a third...

Knowing his opponent's formidable strength, Zhou Chen unleashed five Supernova Bursts in a row. The Crown of Authority above his head dimmed slightly. He hadn't used wish value, but had channeled his Authority directly, which was quite draining.

At this moment, amidst blaring alarms, Zone One was in chaos. Layers of blast doors slammed shut, and laboratories were sealed away one by one into deep space. Scholars evacuated in a hurry as defense protocols activated, beginning to exterminate the invading sources of contamination.

"Zhou Chen, get to Lab 621! Fallen Paradise and the Abyss have forced their way into Zone One. They're trying to take something extremely important. Don't let them succeed." Zhang Tao's voice came over the communication channel, sometimes clear, sometimes faint.

A map of Zone One appeared in Zhou Chen's soul, marking the exact location of Lab 621. Then, a blank identification form appeared, which quickly filled with his personal information. With the stamp of a bright red official seal, his security clearance was fully activated.

Zhou Chen wasted no time and immediately rushed toward Lab 621.

At the entrance to the heavily sealed laboratory, two figures were violently breaking down the door.

One had crimson skin, demonic horns on his head, and demon wings sprouting from his back.

The other appeared to be a young man in his early twenties, with the sun, moon, and stars swirling in his eyes.

Two Tier Fives, Demon and Star from Fallen Paradise... Without a second thought, Zhou Chen activated his Authority, exiling them to the starry cosmos. He then once again unleashed a Supernova Burst upon them. Before such absolute power of the cosmos, even a Crowned King would fall.

Zhou Chen arrived at the laboratory's main entrance. The heavy seals had been shattered by the two, leaving a crack in the door. He peered inside.

It was an impossibly vast space.

Ocean waves churned, yet they were frozen in place.

A colossal ship sailed on the sea's surface. Its hull was dilapidated and covered in moss, looking as if it had endured hundreds or thousands of years, already decayed and radiating a thick aura of death.

On its deck were countless animals covered in red fur. Their eyes were scarlet, their faces savage, and their bared fangs and claws made them look like malevolent ghosts—they too were frozen in stillness.

It was as if time for everything in this patch of sea had been frozen, like a painting in a frame.

Zhou Chen stared at the decaying ship and murmured to himself:

"Noah's Ark?"

"To be precise, this is the Doomsday Ark."

A playful voice sounded from behind him.

Zhou Chen spun around to see Cain, dressed in a linen robe. His figure was illusory; it was only a projection.

"It's been a long time, Zhou Chen," Cain greeted with a smile.

He began to clap. "Even as an enemy, I must admit I deeply admire your deeds. You pulled the World back from the brink of destruction three times, single-handedly ended the Divine War, and achieved unparalleled merits. If you hadn't died, the position of President of the Star Association should have been yours."

"Unfortunately, you are no longer the man you once were."

Cain revealed a mocking smile:

"The you of today poses no threat compared to the you of the past."

'Damn, just how many world-shaking things did I do in the past?' Zhou Chen was stunned by what he heard, but his expression remained impassive. He raised his Demon-Breaking Sword and slashed, destroying the projection, then pressed his hand against the laboratory door.

The fire of Forging ignited, repairing the crack on the door. The sealing procedure that had been abruptly halted resumed, and with a series of thunderous rumbles, the entire laboratory was sealed away into deep space.

Before Zhou Chen could even breathe a sigh of relief, RRRIP.

A pair of blood-stained hands reached out from the void and, with a sudden pull, violently tore space apart.

A battered, charred figure struggled to return, smoke billowing from its body. Its pitch-black eyes lifted, filled with a furious, savage killing intent.

—The Heavenly Punisher!

'He's still not dead?'

Zhou Chen frowned, amazed at the Heavenly Punisher's terrifying power. A full five Supernova Bursts hadn't been enough to take its life.

'As expected of a ruler of the Blood Country.'

'Then I have no choice... but to do it again.'

WHOOSH!

The newly returned Heavenly Punisher vanished, exiled once more.

In the distance, his indignant roar could be faintly heard.