Lord of Prayer

Its mere existence affected the rules of both physical reality and the mysterious Extraordinary.

It was precisely because the "mass" of the Power Furnace was so immense that it interfered with the time-stop ability, causing World’s duration to gradually shorten.

This was good news for them. World could use his ability three or four more times at most before he exhausted his Essence and Spiritual Power and could no longer stop time.

But judging by the Black-robed Man’s current state, he probably wouldn’t last that long. Every time he negated the time stop, it placed a tremendous burden on him.

’If the Black-robed Man dies, I’m done for. But before that happens, I have to get my hands on that Matrix Core no matter what...’ Zhou Chen steeled his resolve and mentally asked Eva, "Eva, how many wish points will it cost to let me move during the next time stop?"

[Wish Points Required: 4000]

Zhou Chen currently had over six thousand wish points left, enough to make this wish come true. But he only had one chance. If he missed it, he wouldn’t have enough wish points to negate the time stop after next. Moreover, revealing himself now would definitely alert World, who might then try to eliminate him first, no matter the cost.

There was only one chance.

At that moment, World sneered mockingly. "I can stop time three more times, but how many more times can you use the Wish Box?

"The next time I stop time, I will cut off your head!"

Suddenly, the entire world fell silent. The rising dust, the crackling sparks of electricity, the flowing blood... Everything froze in time.

BANG!

A gunshot rang out within the circle of stopped time. The Black-robed Man dodged instinctively, but no bullet came.

It was an illusion created by World using an Alchemy Tool, intended to distract the Black-robed Man for a split second. His goal achieved, he clenched his hand, a revolver covered in strange patterns materializing in his grip. He aimed at the Black-robed Man and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

A crimson calamity bullet, brimming with curses and potent venom, shot toward the Black-robed Man’s body—any ability used by the two, who were unaffected by the time stop, was likewise unaffected.

Just as the bullet was about to hit the Black-robed Man, the Wish Box vibrated softly. The bullet abruptly reversed its course and shot back toward World.

World seemed to have anticipated this. He produced a smooth glass mirror from somewhere and held it in front of him. The calamity bullet entered the mirror, which didn’t shatter but rippled like the surface of water. A moment later, the bullet shot back out of it.

Seeing this, the Black-robed Man seemed to activate some kind of ability, twisting the bullet’s trajectory and making it veer off to the side. But almost immediately, World used an Extraordinary Artifact to twist its path back, and the calamity bullet returned to its original course.

SPLAT! Blood flew.

However, the one who was injured was not the Black-robed Man, but World!

—The Black-robed Man had used the Wish Box to make a wish for "damage transfer."

A bloody hole appeared on World’s chest, blood gushing out. The curses and potent venom within the calamity bullet instantly detonated inside him, causing his flesh to wither rapidly. Moisture evaporated, vitality was lost, and a layer of gray dust fell from the wound like fine powder.

World seemed stunned, but not overly shocked. A white medical glove appeared on his right hand. He wiped it across the bloody hole in his chest, and the wound miraculously vanished. The snow-white glove was instantly stained a filthy, deep black, and he quickly pulled it off.

The entire exchange between the two had occurred in less than a second, leaving Zhou Chen, now free from the time stop’s effect, dazzled. Ascenders of this level not only used their own Extraordinary Abilities in battle but also a wide array of Extraordinary Artifacts. For instance, the revolver, glass mirror, and medical glove World had just used all looked ordinary, but were in fact expensive Alchemy Tools. The Black-robed Man, on the other hand, possessed a B-Level Forbidden Object, which was why their clash was so bewildering to watch.

Zhou Chen seized the opportunity. Channeling Inner Force through his feet, he shot forward without a sound. He had hoped to go unnoticed, but he had underestimated the perception of an Uncrowned. The moment he moved, both Tier Four Ascenders sensed him.

"What?!"

World was shocked. ’Someone else can move within the realm of stopped time?’

’Did the Black Death God make a wish to make him immune to the time stop? Impossible. The Black Death God is already overloaded just resisting it himself; he couldn’t possibly have the spare capacity to help him... Damn it...’ World snapped out of his shock, his revolver immediately targeting Zhou Chen. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a sharp, piercing sound erupted.

The Black-robed Man waved his hand, and the air wailed as it seemed to shatter. A surging hurricane formed an invisible blade that slashed down, severing World’s wrist. The dismembered hand flew dozens of meters, gouging a long scar into the hall’s floor. The shot was never fired.

Zhou Chen successfully dashed to the Matrix Core and shot out his hand to grab it. But in the next instant, his body suddenly moved against his will. His outstretched hand snapped back, his feet began to shuffle backward, and his entire person started retreating along his previous path.

’Fuck, time reversal!’

Zhou Chen was dumbfounded. Cursing inwardly, he returned to his original position in the reversed flow of time. It seemed the time-reversal ability only affected individuals, as World, the Black-robed Man, and the surrounding environment showed no signs of it.