Standing high in the sky, Gu Rong, the high priest of the Flesh Society, turned his head and spoke. "Blessed by the gods, we have advanced once more, transcending the mundane entirely. We no longer need to skulk and hide as we did before. Now, spread the Dao and will of the gods across the world."
The high priest of the Dark Heaven Society chimed in, "Let us begin with the Feiqiu Federation. Those who submit shall live and become our Lord's believers; those who defy shall die like insects."
The remaining three nodded in unison. After a brief discussion, the five flew off in their respective directions.
Whoosh!
High-altitude winds whipped violently. Gu Rong flew at extreme speed, leaving the deathly silent Akron City far behind him. About ten minutes later, he arrived at the next city.
Baya City.
An ordinary metropolis where hundreds of thousands lived. On the streets below, traffic flowed like water and crowds bustled.
Suddenly, a white-robed figure swept across the sky, churning up violent air currents as he hovered over a hundred meters above the ground, drawing the gazes and murmurs of many.
"Is that a person up in the sky? Is he doing a magic show?"
"I haven't heard about any magic performances here today. Could he really be flying?"
"A martial artist! He's definitely a martial artist of terrifying power!"
"Just how strong do you have to be to fly? I attended a small martial artist gathering once, and every single one of them was an expert of the second transformation of qi and blood, yet none of them could fly."
"Tch, what kind of experts are at the second transformation of qi and blood? A true expert has to be at least Limit Break, right?"
"Whatever tier counts as an expert, that guy flying up there is definitely incredible."
"Daddy, I want to fly too!"
"I've got a bad feeling about that guy in the sky..."
Various voices drifted into his ears. Gu Rong cast a sweeping glance below, spread his arms wide, and cried out in fanatical fervor:
"The hunger in my mouth is the bitter poison cast down by the Feast Lord.
The fire in my belly is the hearth kindled by the Feast Lord.
All that passes through my teeth shall become fragments of the sacred feast.
All food that enters my throat and intestines shall merge into the eternal cycle.
Until my flesh becomes the feast, and my spirit becomes the offering!
In the frenzy of devouring and being devoured, return to the primal hunger, return to the ultimate satiety!
The Feast Lord is formless, and the feast alone is His true countenance; we are formless, and hunger alone is our mark.
Those who enter this gate shall never be sated, nor shall they ever lack!"
His voice resonated across the entire city, carrying a bewitching power that made listeners dizzy and threw them into a daze.
Suddenly, someone roared in fury, "The Feast Lord! It's an evil god cult! Don't let him bewitch you—he's a madman worshipping an evil god!"
That enraged roar snapped some of the surrounding pedestrians out of their stupor. Shocked and furious, they couldn't help shouting curses.
"Madman!"
"Get out of our city! You're not welcome here!"
"Bastard, how dare you try to bewitch me! Come down here right now, and I'll kick your ass with my leather boots!"
"Scum, get out of Baya City!"
Angry curses rose one after another, shaking awake many who had fallen into a trance. Once awakened, they joined in the cursing, and the shouts surged like a tidal wave.
Listening to the filth and vitriol, Gu Rong sneered coldly. "Those who do not believe deserve death!"
As soon as his voice fell, his gaze swept across the crowd below. The bodies of several hundred people abruptly stiffened before exploding without warning, turning into a bloody firework of flying guts and shredded flesh.
For a moment, the air fell deathly silent.
Then, terrified shrieks erupted.
"Murder!"
"Run! Quick, run!"
"He really is a madman! Slaying people in broad daylight in the city center?!"
"Hide, stop cursing, save your lives!"
"Mama, run this way! Run this way!"
"Victor, put your gun away! You won't kill him, you'll only get yourself killed!"
"Get out of my way! Move, move!"
The streets were filled with panicked pedestrians scattering in chaos. Cars crashed into one another in chain collisions, and elderly people and children fell to the ground.
"Damn it! These evil god cultists only know how to run rampant with their martial violence!"
Around a street corner, a medium-built, red-haired young man gritted his teeth, his eyes almost spitting fire. He pulled out his phone, preparing to call Clear Light. Clear Light was an agency similar to Dawnlight, responsible for overseeing martial artists and purging evil god cults within the Feiqiu Federation.
However, before he could dial, he saw six individuals clad in specialized combat suits rushing forward in the distance. Wielding alloy sabers, they leaped nimbly through the panicked crowd. Then, digging the tips of their boots into the ground, they vaulted high into the air and slashed horizontally toward Gu Rong suspended above.
Farther in the distance, nearly a thousand soldiers advanced in armored vehicles, equipped with all manner of weaponry. Across the horizon, more than a dozen helicopters streaked through the sky.
"It's Clear Light and the military!" The red-haired young man breathed a sigh of relief. "Their response is so fast. With this many weapons and martial artists, there's no need to wor—"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Before he could even finish exhaling that breath, he watched the scene unfold above. Facing the six who had vaulted up to strike, Gu Rong merely let out a soft huff. A colossal sonic wave billowed outward.
Like the toll of a giant bell, visible ripples warped the air. As the ripples washed over the six airborne fighters, their figures abruptly froze.
Then, with loud pops, they detonated!
Combat suits and flesh blended into a rain of blood that showered down from on high. Their alloy sabers tumbled through the air before plunging deeply into the street below, trembling slightly.
"Target him! Prepare to fire!"
Seeing six comrades slain, a commander among the nearby troops barked furiously.
Numerous armored vehicles rapidly adjusted their firing ports, and the soldiers raised their weapons in unison. Suddenly, Gu Rong lifted his right hand and pressed down toward the military unit!
The instant his palm pressed downward, a colossal, blood-red palm that blotted out the sky coalesced out of thin air. Wisps of dark red aura swirled around the palm as it bore down upon them!
"Fire! Maximum firepower!"
Engulfed by the colossal palm's shadow, the commander roared at the top of his lungs.
Boom— Whoosh!
Machine guns spat out a torrent of metal, and rockets trailed plumes of fire as they rocketed into the sky, filling the air with fiery flashes.
Yet the moment everything touched the dark red aura surrounding the giant palm, it melted away like snowflakes beneath a blazing sun.
Completely unharmed, the giant palm pressed downward relentlessly!
The air was violently compressed, producing continuous, rumbling booms like rolling thunder.
The soldiers below felt as though the entire sky had collapsed, bearing down on their shoulders. Their bones creaked and cracked, suffocating them, leaving them to watch helplessly as the blood-red shadow expanded rapidly in their vision—
BOOM!!!
The giant palm slammed into the ground. Nearly a thousand bodies exploded, ground into bloody paste. The earth caved downward in a neat indentation. A massive shockwave swept outward, cracking the ground, toppling buildings, and sending shards of glass flying like bullets in all directions, while dust surged skyward like dragons!
"Vulnerable insects..."
Gu Rong scoffed softly. Glancing at the helicopters flying toward him, he waved his left sleeve. An invisible force pushed across the sky like a surging river tide.
Bang!
The foremost helicopter abruptly froze, and its fuselage was flattened like a crushed can. Materials and instruments were crumpled together before violently detonating.
Boom! Boom, boom!!
Over a dozen massive, blazing orange-red fireballs blossomed across the sky in sequence, continuous explosions reverberating to the heavens.
Scorching air currents carrying metal fragments and burning parts rained down upon the streets below like molten iron.
Shockwaves rippled outward ring by ring, rattling the glass of distant skyscrapers until countless panes shattered.
The screams of pedestrians grew even shriller.
The red-haired young man stood dazed. "So... so strong..."
"This man's strength is too terrifying! How much longer until reinforcements arrive?!" In an underground fallout shelter in Baya City, a middle-aged man stared at Gu Rong's overwhelming display on the screen before him, overcome with anxiety.
Beside him, his secretary was drenched in cold sweat. "Mr. Kruma, the Martial Grandmaster closest to Baya City, has already set out, but he still needs over ten minutes to get here!"
"Which means all we can do is watch this man slaughter indiscriminately for another ten-plus minutes? Damn it!" the middle-aged man cursed.
"Actually..." The secretary hesitated, swallowing his words.
"Actually what?" The middle-aged man frowned.
"Actually, even if Mr. Kruma arrives, he might not be able to defeat this man," the secretary said, steeling himself. "This person's strength seems to have already exceeded the Martial Grandmaster level. Besides, daring to preach the divine doctrine of this Feast Lord so openly means he isn't afraid of being encircled and killed at all... Shouldn't we evacuate Baya City first? This shelter might not truly be safe."
The middle-aged man fell silent. He knew more than his secretary. His superiors had informed him beforehand: this white-robed man was named Gu Rong, the high priest of the Flesh Society. Just ten minutes ago, he and the high priests of the four other evil god cults had "sacrificed" over a million people in Akron City. Because of that, his cultivation seemed to have reached a higher tier—no longer at the Martial Grandmaster level, but... Supreme!
The Supreme realm, known as the King of the World!
As long as a single Supreme realm martial artist appeared, he alone could suppress the entire world!
Although modern technology was far more advanced than it had been thousands or tens of thousands of years ago, facing a Supreme realm martial artist, it still seemed completely helpless.
No, they might not have truly broken through...
The middle-aged man could only comfort himself this way, forcing himself to stay calm. "Don't think about evacuating. I'll wait right here for Mr. Kruma!"
The secretary sighed, nodding helplessly.
Above the city, after slaughtering some "ants," Gu Rong flew leisurely along the airspace above the main thoroughfare. As he flew, he called out loudly:
"The hunger in my mouth is the bitter poison cast down by the Feast Lord. The fire in my belly is the hearth kindled by the Feast Lord..."
Many citizens trembled in terror, yet gradually fell under the sway of his voice. Their expressions slowly turned peaceful, and some even knelt to chant along:
"The hunger in my mouth is the bitter poison cast down by the Feast Lord..."
In just a dozen minutes, Baya City was filled with the sound of chanting. Some had truly succumbed, while others were forced to chant out of fear of being slaughtered.
Rat-tat-tat—
Suddenly, a fighter jet streaked across the sky. Gu Rong glanced up and saw two figures leap abruptly from the aircraft.
One was an old man with a head of white hair and a stern expression. His knuckles were thick and covered with calluses, and a combat saber hung at his waist. The other was a burly man with a hulking frame and a heavy, profound aura, gripping an alloy staff.
"Mr. Kruma is here!" In the underground shelter, the middle-aged man was overjoyed. "And Mr. Bilong! He arrived alongside him! With two Martial Grandmasters taking action, our chances of winning aren't small!"
The secretary grew excited upon hearing this, his eyes glued to the screen.
"Flesh Society trash?" In midair, his white hair whipping in the wind, Kruma narrowed his eyes. Without hesitation, he raised his combat saber high with both hands and turned into a bolt of lightning, slashing straight down!
Almost the exact instant the saber glow ignited, the alloy staff in Bilong's hands swept across!
Staff shadows layered upon one another like a colossal wall capable of toppling cities and collapsing mountains. Winds howled, rolling air currents blasted outward, and sonic booms cracked incessantly.
Faced with this saber and staff, Gu Rong maintained an unruffled composure. He raised his right fist and smashed it toward the saber!
Clang!
A tremendous crash shook the surroundings. The combat saber in Kruma's hands instantly shattered, and the fist drove straight into his chest. His entire body plummeted toward the earth like a meteor!
Boom!
The asphalt rolled like waves. Over a dozen cars were tossed into the air, instantly swallowed by the following avalanche of gravel and dust. A crater over thirty meters in diameter appeared in the center of the street.
At the very center of the crater lay Kruma's mangled remains.
Having shattered Kruma with a single blow, Gu Rong delivered another punch. His fist tore through the layered staff shadows and printed itself onto Bilong's burly torso.
Bang!
With a look of stunned shock on his face, Bilong's entire body instantly blew apart into a crimson shower of blood, drifting down through the air.
"D-Dead?" Inside the shelter, the middle-aged man and his secretary plunged into bottomless dread.
Two incomparably powerful Martial Grandmasters had been slain in the blink of an eye. It was utterly terrifying!
"Supreme! He has truly broken through to the Supreme realm! And not just him—all four other high priests have attained the Supreme realm!" Politicians and martial artists around the world observing the situation via satellites and other means blanched.
"A single Supreme leaves us helpless. Five of them..."
"What do we do now?"
"What do you mean, what do we do? Mobilize every Martial Grandmaster and fight them to the death!"
"Ridiculous! Why should Martial Grandmasters throw their lives away? Against a Supreme, even if all the Martial Grandmasters in the world banded together, they might not win."
"If that's how you feel, we might as well just surrender!"
"Hah, if you want to worship evil gods, go ahead. I have no desire to."
"What's the use of arguing? Think of a solution!"
"In truth, we have only one last resort..."
"You mean...?"
"The ultimate weapon! Nuclear warheads!"
"...It's the only thing left to try."
"Why hesitate any longer? There is no other choice. I vote to deploy nuclear warheads!"
"I agree."
"As do I."
"..."
"Unanimously approved! Issue the order immediately!"
Half an hour later, in Baya City, Gu Rong looked down upon the entire city and observed the countless people kneeling in prayer. A satisfied smile appeared on his face. "Insects that dedicate their devout souls to the gods are good insects."
Stepping upon empty air, he swiftly flew away from Baya City toward the next city.
A dozen kilometers out from Baya, over a desolate wilderness, Gu Rong's expression shifted slightly. He looked up at the sky. A nuclear missile was plummeting aggressively, trailing a plume of fire!
"Futility at its finest!
Though I could easily evade it, there is no need!"
The corners of his lips curved slightly upward, and he thrust his right fist skyward like a spear!
Instantly, a thousand-meter-tall phantom materialized behind him, glowing with a dark red radiance as if it were a titan stepping out from purgatory.
The phantom mirrored his punch, smashing its fist directly into the warhead!
BOOM!!!
It was as if a miniature sun had risen high in the sky, unleashing boundless light and heat!
A mushroom cloud enveloped in dust blocked out the sky and the sun. In all directions, above and below, the shockwave swept across like a raging deluge, snapping forest trees like twigs.
"Phew..." Politicians and martial artists from various nations stared unblinkingly at the satellite feed, their breathing slow and heavy.
"Is he... dead?"
"God preserve us..."
"So long as someone is human, it's impossible to survive the ultimate weapon!"
Under the tense gaze of the crowd, the blinding light gradually receded, and the rolling mushroom cloud dispersed. A figure clearly emerged.
It was Gu Rong.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he hovered in midair. His white robes were not even ruffled, and a faint smile played upon his lips.
"Insects, how could you ever comprehend the might of a god!"
Everyone witnessing this scene held their breath. Their faces instantly turned deathly pale, terror flooding their eyes.
"Humanity is finished..."
***
In a clean, bright hotel room in Baidi City, Yangbai Federation, Huang Tian silently sensed the changes in his body.
After all these days, I've finally polished my qi, blood, and physical body to perfection, reaching the bottleneck of the new realm...
Mm, it's time to break through!
He produced two lustrous, translucent Longming Pills and swallowed them together.
In an instant, boundless medicinal potency detonated within his belly, rushing to every corner of his body. His physique began to rapidly undergo metamorphosis...
Chapter 218