10: Star's Grudge 1

"Boom!" The earth cracked open, and the figure of Xiang Yan shot out from underground, then landed heavily on the ground.

His irritable gaze swept across the surroundings, his scarlet eyes filled with disbelief and monstrous rage. "Why?! Just a little bit more, just a little bit more!"

He could clearly feel that breaking through his current life form and touching that Advanced level of power was within reach, but he was always missing a sliver of opportunity, a sliver of opportunity sufficient for him to cross the chasm. Although he could still continue to grow stronger in his current state, it was not what he wanted.

"Damn it!" Xiang Yan roared, his eyes blood-red, as if they were about to spew flames. He slammed a fist into the towering mountain beside him. With a loud "Boom", the mountain instantly collapsed, rubble splattered, and dust filled the sky.

Powerful energy surged violently around him, not only stirring the surrounding air, making it churn endlessly like boiling water, but also triggering a small natural disaster.

The energy storm howled, bending trees and scattering branches and leaves, as if nature itself were trembling, fearing the ravages of this power. Dust was whipped up, forming yellow tornadoes that blocked out the sun, leaving everything in sight in Chaos.

The earth began to tremor, cracks on the ground spread rapidly like spiderwebs, and stones and soil tumbled down amidst the shaking.

The surrounding living beings felt the oppression of this power; beasts fled in all directions, searching for safe shelters; birds flew away in terror, emitting shrill cries. The entire area seemed to have fallen into an apocalyptic scene, filled with despair and fear. Yet, it could not quell the rage in his heart.

"Forget it, let's return to the theocracy first." Xiang Yan suppressed the irritability in his heart, took a step forward, and vanished from the spot.

...

The familiar palace, the familiar evil aura, Xiang Yan's figure appeared once again in the center of the Nightmare Immortal Cult headquarters, sitting high upon a throne piled with white bones.

Below the great hall, Kleid, dressed in a black robe, knelt on one knee, his expression fanatical and devout, "Welcome back, my Lord!"

"Hmm." Xiang Yan responded indifferently. His gaze swept over Kleid, and he could feel the surging Power Of Faith within the other's body, causing a sliver of satisfaction to rise in his heart.

"Speak, what is the situation on this planet now?"

"Kleid," Xiang Yan's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a chill from the abyss, "To whom does this planet belong now?"

Kleid's body trembled slightly; he knew this was his Lord testing his devotion to the faith. "Reporting to my Lord, except for that heretical force of Cassius, all the land and living beings on this planet have been bathed in your glory and have submitted to your feet."

"Oh? Cassius?" A cold glint flashed in Xiang Yan's scarlet eyes. "Is that the bug who dared to surround and attack me back then?"

"It is him, my Lord." Kleid lowered his head. "Since you left, we have compressed Cassius's forces into the Far North, but we did not wipe them out completely. We have been waiting, waiting for your return, to personally descend divine punishment upon this sinner who blasphemed the gods!"

"Very good." The corners of Xiang Yan's mouth curled into a cruel arc, his eyes flashing with cold killing intent.

"Pass on my order!" Xiang Yan stood up abruptly, his powerful pressure sweeping through the entire hall like a tsunami, causing Kleid to almost be unable to breathe. "Assemble all the Believers and prepare to launch an all-out attack! I want Cassius and his forces to completely disappear from this world!"

"By your command, my Lord!" Kleid's eyes flashed with fanatical worship. In his heart, Xiang Yan was an omnipotent god, and his will was the supreme decree.

"My Believers, I look forward to you presenting me with an interesting feast."

He turned and left, his figure vanishing within the theocracy, yet his words echoed in the theocracy for a long time.

"For the glory of my Lord!" Kleid raised his hands high and shouted fanatically, and all the Nightmare Immortal Cult followers in the hall echoed him, their voices shaking the heavens, like evil ghosts from the abyss, greedily licking their blades, preparing to welcome the impending bloody feast.

Outside the theocracy, countless Nightmare Immortal Cult followers dressed in black robes surged like a black tide. They held high flags symbolizing destruction and death, the fire of fanatical faith burning in their eyes, advancing in the same direction, aiming straight at—the Far North, the last fortress of Cassius!

"Rumblings..." The earth began to tremble, and the sky was shrouded in dark clouds, as if predicting that a terrible disaster was about to descend...

The black torrent engulfed the Far North.

The Nightmare Immortal Cult followers were like a flood breaking a dam, carrying a fanaticism that destroyed everything, crashing through the last line of defense that Cassius had painstakingly managed. Although Cassius's soldiers were brave, they appeared vulnerable before the fanatical Believers. Their numbers decreased rapidly under the tide of faith, and in the end, only Cassius remained, standing alone in front of the destroyed command post.

He looked at the apocalyptic scene before him, a bitter smile appearing on his pale face. He knew he had lost, lost completely, and no matter how much he struggled, he ultimately failed to leave this shitty place.

The subsequent development was a bit unexpected; he had thought he would be killed by this group of terrifying lunatics, but he did not expect them to simply bind him and take him away.

Soon, he was escorted by the Believers and brought before Xiang Yan.

Cassius looked at the young man, roughly 20-something years old, before him, not understanding what this meant.

Xiang Yan silently looked at Cassius before him, looking at this first enemy since coming to this world. He had thought he would be impatient to vent the tyranny in his heart, yet he found that upon truly seeing him, there was not much pleasure in his heart; instead, there was a sense of Perfection of having a beginning and an end, causing his constantly restless spirit to calm down a little.

Actually, Xiang Yan had always known that his current mental state was problematic. After all, what kind of person he was in the first 20-something years of his life—he was just a pure loser bathed in the glory of socialism, a shut-in enjoying peace.

And then looking at all the shitty things he had done over the past year or so. If he still couldn't realize that something was wrong with himself, then that would be ghosts.

However, such thoughts only appeared for a moment, and soon he was submerged by the spirit that could become restless again.

"Cassius," Xiang Yan's voice was low and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against rock, "Long time no see."

"Or perhaps, should I say, 'Nice to meet you for the first time'?"

"Who are you?" Cassius asked calmly, although he was captured now, he was panicking inside.

But after all, he hadn't been beheaded yet, so he had to try his best to stall for time; every extra second was a second, maybe in the next second Karalda would descend like a divine soldier.

Moreover, this group of lunatics from the Nightmare Immortal Cult, he didn't know why they liked to make people fall into despair before beheading them, so he had to stabilize his state of mind now, otherwise he would truly be not far from death.

"Oh? You don't recognize me? That's right, after all, when we first met, I was not in this form. Then let me help you remember properly."

After speaking, Xiang Yan was enveloped by suddenly appearing, churning black mist, his face indiscernible, with only a pair of scarlet eyes, like an evil ghost from the abyss, emitting a cold and piercing light.

Seeing this form of Xiang Yan, Cassius's pupils suddenly contracted, and he shouted out in loss of voice, "It's you! That Special Life Form!"

Cassius's voice trembled, and he looked around in terror, only to find that those Believers were all kneeling on the ground, their gazes towards Xiang Yan filled with fanaticism and devotion.

The two words "nightmare immortal" suddenly flashed through his mind, making him feel terrified.

nightmare immortal!

Cassius suddenly realized something, he lifted his head in disbelief, looking at that guy he had regarded as a Special Life Form.

So, this was the nightmare immortal!

So, this guy had been wandering right under his nose the whole time.

In an instant, Cassius felt as if struck by lightning, countless thoughts flashing through his mind. He finally understood why, over this past year, various bizarre events had occurred on the planet one after another, why so many people had suddenly gone crazy, and why the Nightmare Immortal Cult had been able to develop and grow to such an extent in just a short year.

All of this was because of him! All of this was because of this monster!

Xiang Yan watched the wonderful changes in expression on Cassius's face, a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth, though due to the black mist, no one could see it. He slowly raised his hand, pointing at Cassius, a sliver of mockery flashing in his scarlet eyes.

"Cassius, the siege against me didn't succeed back then; I heard you spent a lot of effort looking for me afterwards? What? Now that I appear before you, aren't you happy?" Xiang Yan's voice was low and magnetic, yet like a devil's whisper, full of power to bewitch people's hearts.

Cassius collapsed to the ground, it's over.

He had originally wanted to rely on his excellent acting skills to stall for a bit more time.

Who knew he would run directly into the target's hands; it's over, this time he's really done for.

"Originally, I intended to kill you." Xiang Yan's voice was cold and ruthless, like a cold wind from the nine nether Hell, making Cassius feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave. "But on second thought, you at least count as my initial witness."

Cassius's body trembled violently, an ominous premonition welling up in his heart.

"So I changed my mind." The corners of Xiang Yan's mouth curled into a cruel smile. "Since you are the initial witness, then try your best to witness until my end."

Before the words fell, Xiang Yan suddenly stretched out his hand, and an invisible force instantly enveloped Cassius. Cassius only felt his consciousness as if it were being torn apart, the intense pain causing him to be unable to help but emit a scream.

"You... what did you do to me?!" Cassius roared in pain, but it was to no avail.

"I am granting you rebirth." Xiang Yan's voice echoed in Cassius's ear like a ghost. "From now on, you will become my most loyal lackey, the chronicler of my journey, the spreader of my glory."

Cassius's consciousness gradually blurred amidst the pain, his eyes filled with fear and despair, but he was powerless to resist, allowing his will to be swallowed by darkness bit by bit.

Don't know how long it had been, the pain finally subsided. Cassius lay limply on the ground, his eyes empty and lifeless, like a Puppet that had lost its Soul.

"Master..."

Cassius's voice was dry and hoarse, yet filled with fanatical worship and submission.

Xiang Yan smiled with satisfaction.