[Hypnosis]: Causes the target to fall into a hypnotic state, allowing them to be manipulated at will.
[Neck for Slaughter]: Releases a Pupil Technique, causing all hostile individuals within view to involuntarily attack themselves or kill each other.
Chu Yi valued this skill the most; it actually had a group control effect.
WHOOSH!
Chu Yi stretched out his left hand. The dark red Power of the Demon God swirled around it, causing his hand to swell grotesquely, expanding to three times its normal size, resembling the grafted claw of some prehistoric behemoth.
"My Lord, if you spare me, the Wolf Fang Mercenary Corps will pledge its undying loyalty to you!" Zhang Heng cried out. "For generations to come, we will never betray you!"
His pupils contracted sharply. He bit his tongue, desperately trying to maintain a shred of clarity amidst the corrupting radiation of the Demon God, and swore this desperate oath.
"Tearing Claw!"
THWACK!
Zhang Heng's lowered head was struck with such force that sparks flew, leaving a searing white gash on the back of his skull.
Chu Yi was secretly startled. A Silver Beast Tamer's body, tempered by Spiritual Energy, is truly invulnerable—Vajra Indestructible! Even with the blessing of the Power of the Demon God, I can't break through his defenses in such a short amount of time.
"Stop! Let go of my dad!"
At this moment, a young man, unable to restrain himself any longer, stepped out from a corner. A trembling Gale Dog followed at his feet.
It was Zhang Han, who had worked alongside Chu Yi for a day. Even before their mission had concluded, he had contacted his father, making it clear he wanted that Pet Beast. This demand had set the stage for the earlier ambush. Their attempt to seize the Fire Bird had failed because they underestimated Chu Yi's strength, forcing Zhang Heng to take action personally.
"Oh, it's you." Chu Yi glanced at him, his claw continuing its relentless assault. The dark red claw blades sliced through the air with an astonishing roar, as if tearing through the very fabric of the wind.
THUD.
Zhang Heng's head was struck again. Dizziness washed over him, and he saw stars.
"Let go of my dad, or I'll expose you as an Evil God Cultist!" Zhang Han yelled, nervously fumbling with his Star Bracelet. "You'll have no place left in Yaoguang City! We'll all go down together!"
His gaze remained fixed on Chu Yi, his face a mask of hatred mingled with a dawning hint of regret. Zhang Han's heart ached. Had he known this Beast Tamer was an Evil God Cultist in disguise, with strength enough to crush his Silver-rank father, he would rather have eaten dirt than face such a terrifying enemy.
"Threatening me?" Chu Yi's voice turned cold. He pressed his claw down on Zhang Heng's head, his nebula-like eyes glinting with an eerie light. "Your son dares to threaten me. That makes me very unhappy."
"And so…"
Zhang Han sensed the imminent danger. "M-My Lord," he stammered, "please, calm down…"
The scythe flashed, a mere flicker in the span of a breath.
Zhang Heng's eyes went vacant as he collapsed. His head seemed to split open along a central line from his forehead, exploding gruesomely!
Even in death, as half of his face flew off to land before his son, his eyes remained wide with disbelief. He had been killed because of his son.
"AHHHHHH!"
The scene dealt a devastating blow to the young Zhang Han. Even when the patrolling City Defense Army arrived promptly and slew the Evil God Cultist, Zhang Han remained unresponsive, like a zombie.
「In the days that followed.」
Zhang Han lived mired in guilt and remorse. When he slept, he dreamed of his father's hateful, twisted face. In these nightmares, he could only kneel at his father's feet, wailing and repenting his actions.
"Dad, I didn't mean to, WAHHH…"
「On the battlefield.」
Zhang Han clutched the Gale Dog, crying as if his own father had just died.
His spirit has collapsed? Chu Yi mused. This Hypnosis seems quite effective. During the release of the Power of the Demon God, my Spiritual Power increased geometrically, and my Hypnosis Ability improved significantly.
The next moment, Chu Yi noticed someone fiddling with a Star Bracelet. He immediately shifted his gaze, his Star Eyes shooting out a beam of brilliant light, locking onto a man.
"Ahh…"
The man's body trembled. His attempt to dial his Star Bracelet faltered as he involuntarily succumbed to the Pupil Technique. In his vision, Chu Yi's figure grew ever larger, vast and imposing, like a towering deity. The man could only look up at a pair of eyes filled with divine majesty, their pull irresistible, drawing him deeper and deeper into their thrall.
It was the special skill, [Neck for Slaughter].
"Kill! Kill that demon from hell!" he shrieked, completely unhinged. He summoned a Double-bladed Mantis, which, under its master's command, immediately attacked its nearby allies.
"Tang Xian, are you insane?! AH!"
"Damn it, damn you all! You worthless trash, go die!"
"Last month, you stepped into the room with your left foot first! I've wanted to kill you for ages!"
"…"
After Tang Xian fell under the spell, the seven Beast Tamers hidden in the corner were all ensnared by Chu Yi in one fell swoop. Their summoned Pet Beasts began to slaughter one another. Even the masters joined the fray, frantically tearing at each other's faces with their teeth.
The Silver Pet Beast, the Moon Worship Wolf King, struggled desperately against the Pupil Technique and the corrupting radiation.
This special skill, when used, produces a bizarre "attraction." Even if victims knew not to look into the caster's eyes—even if they closed their own or looked away—they would still involuntarily open them and stare into the caster's eyes until they harmed themselves or killed each other. Moreover, this was a Range Technique. It used this bizarre attraction to compel all enemies within sight to look into the caster's eyes, thus causing them to fall into the trap.
"This power… it is… it is His Highness, the Divine Lord!" the cultist leader exclaimed, his voice filled with immense excitement, his already cracked head looking even more deranged.
"Divine Lord?" The nearby gray-robed man looked stunned. It was the first time he had heard this title. "Leader, what great being is the Divine Lord? Could he be the Divine Lord?!"
"Heh heh, you're merely an outer disciple. Naturally, you wouldn't understand the significance of the Divine Lord." The leader was ecstatic, his limbs thrashing in a mad dance, and the very atmosphere around him seemed to warp and become tainted. His head, perched on his neck, had split open into twelve fleshy petals, slowly writhing like a grotesque, Twelve-Petal Golden Lotus. A voice laced with madness emanated softly from it:
"The Divine Lord is Our Lord's incarnation! He has specially descended from the supreme River of Chaos into this world, taking a mortal shell to walk among us and lead our cult into a new era! Last night's blood moon disaster was the divine miracle of Our Lord's descent!"
Upon hearing this, the gray-robed man looked utterly incredulous. "Our Lord can truly descend?! But didn't the Federation say that Our Lord, and all the gods and their followers from that era, are eternally… gone?"
"Bullshit!" the leader cut him off. "How could those ignorant fools in the Federation possibly comprehend the greatness of Our Lord! Every decision Our Lord makes appears profound and unfathomable; there must be a deep meaning to it."
The gray-robed man was momentarily stunned. "Leader," he asked, puzzled, "since Our Lord has descended, why aren't we going to assist His Highness?"
"Why are you asking so many damn questions?" the leader snapped, displeased. The twelve-petaled lotus that was his head revealed bloody eyeballs. They blinked with an expression of utter reverence. "On the first day of his descent, the Divine Lord will certainly wish to engage in a great slaughter. How could we dare disturb Our Lord's enjoyment? Alright. Once the Divine Lord has finished enjoying himself, we, his humble and devout servants, will immediately go and welcome His Highness."
Zhang Heng's scalp prickled with horror. What! In just a few breaths, my Wolf Fang Mercenary Corps has descended into chaos! Their spirits have collapsed, their minds are twisted—they're turning their blades on their own men! And not a single one of them is dialing their Star Bracelet for help!