The night sky resembled a massive black satin drapery, pressing down heavily upon the upper reaches of Linhai City. This once-prosperous metropolis was now shrouded in a dead silence. Abandoned vehicles lay strewn haphazardly across the streets like casually discarded toys, their shattered windshields littering the ground and gleaming with a cold light beneath the dim moonlight. Enormous cracks on the buildings resembled gruesome wounds, silently recounting the catastrophe they had suffered.
Lin Qiye stood quietly atop the city's ruins, his figure appearing both solitary and resolute in the night wind. His once-bright eyes were now obscured by hatred, his gaze revealing an endless chill and unyielding determination. Draped in a black trench coat, the hem fluttered wildly in the wind, making him look like the Grim Reaper dancing in the dead of night. He gripped the blood-stained sword tightly in his hand, the blade trembling slightly as if responding to the fury within its master's heart.
"Why... why did you let all of this happen!" Lin Qiye roared up at the sky, his voice echoing through the empty city without receiving any response. Terrifying images continuously surfaced in his mind: the screams of his family, the blood of his friends, the city collapsing in flames... All of this tangled around him like a nightmare, making it hard for him to breathe.
During that revelry of the Gods, humanity had become the most innocent victims. The Gods once revered by mortals had now transformed into demons destroying the world. They wantonly wielded their power, trampling upon human dignity and lives. Yet Lin Qiye, once the star of hope, had lost everything at the crucial moment. His power seemed so insignificant before the Gods; he could only watch helplessly as the disaster descended, utterly powerless.
"I want revenge!" Lin Qiye gritted his teeth, pronouncing each word with deliberate force. A fire burned within his heart, one that nearly consumed his sanity while simultaneously granting him the strength to keep moving forward. He knew that to exact revenge, he must become stronger—strong enough to contend with the Gods.
Just then, a low growl came from the distance, sounding like the roar of an evil spirit from the depths of hell. Lin Qiye abruptly turned his head, his gaze sharp as lightning, staring fixedly at the direction of the sound. A pack of werewolf-like monsters came charging toward him, their eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty gleam, their fangs looking exceptionally sharp under the moonlight.
"Hmph, come on then!" Lin Qiye let out a cold snort, tightening his grip on the sword. He crouched slightly, preparing himself for battle. Although these werewolf monsters were fierce, to him at this moment, they were merely a minor episode on the road to vengeance.
The werewolf monsters quickly rushed before Lin Qiye, pouncing toward him with claws bared and teeth gnashed. Lin Qiye's gaze turned frosty, his figure flashing like lightning as he instantly vanished from the spot. The next second, he appeared behind a werewolf monster, and the sword in his hand slashed forward without hesitation. A flash of cold light swept past, and the werewolf monster's head flew high into the air as blood spurted out like a fountain.
Seeing this, the other werewolf monsters not only failed to retreat but instead pounced toward Lin Qiye with even greater frenzy. Lin Qiye moved through them as if stepping into an empty realm, his sword dancing up and down, every swing kicking up a storm of blood and gore. Around him, the corpses of the werewolf monsters piled higher and higher, yet his face remained completely expressionless, resembling a cold-blooded killing machine.
However, just as Lin Qiye was deeply engrossed in the slaughter, a massively built werewolf chieftain emerged from the pack. Standing fully three meters tall, its entire body was packed with bulging muscles, and its eyes flickered with a glint of intelligence. It let out a roar toward Lin Qiye, then lunged forward fiercely, its massive claws whipping up a violent gust of wind as it slammed down heavily at Lin Qiye.
Lin Qiye sensed the immense power of this werewolf chieftain and dared not be careless, hurriedly raising his sword to parry. With a deafening boom, the force of the blow drove Lin Qiye stumbling backward, his boots carving two deep trenches into the ground. A numbness surged through both his arms, and blood had already seeped from the webs of his thumbs.
"Not bad." Lin Qiye furrowed his brow slightly, reassessing the chieftain's strength in his heart. Yet he felt not the slightest fear; instead, he grew even more exhilarated. Only by continually challenging the strong could he elevate his own strength all the faster.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Qiye charged toward the werewolf chieftain once more. This time, he unleashed his signature technique—Star Slash. Brilliant starlight erupted from his body, converging upon the blade and causing it to shine with an even more dazzling brilliance. Leaping high into the air, he slashed down fiercely at the werewolf chieftain; this strike seemed imbued with Astral Power, possessing terrifying might.
Sensing the threat of this blow, the werewolf chieftain opened its blood-fed jaws and spat out a black energy wave, meeting Lin Qiye's Star Slash head-on. With another loud crash, the energy wave and the Star Slash collided, triggering a massive explosion. The powerful shockwave blew the surrounding werewolf monsters flying, while both Lin Qiye and the werewolf chieftain were knocked backward through the air.
Lin Qiye steadied himself mid-air, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth as his gaze grew even more resolute. He knew this battle had to be resolved swiftly; otherwise, once more enemies arrived, he would find himself in a desperate plight. He employed his movement technique again, rushing toward the werewolf chieftain. This time, his speed was even faster, and his attacks far sharper.
The werewolf chieftain refused to be outdone, brandishing its massive claws to engage Lin Qiye in intense close-quarters combat. For a time, their figures intertwined until they were indistinguishable from one another. Only the sounds of clashing steel and angry roars echoed through the night sky.
After a bitter struggle, Lin Qiye finally found an opening in the werewolf chieftain's defenses. Seizing the opportunity, he violently thrust his sword into the creature's throat. The werewolf chieftain let out a shrill, miserable scream, its massive body crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
With the death of the werewolf chieftain, the remaining werewolf monsters instantly scattered in all directions like birds and beasts. Looking out over the littered battlefield, Lin Qiye felt not a trace of joy. For him, this battle was merely the beginning of his path of vengeance. He knew even more arduous trials awaited him ahead, but he no longer had any retreat.