Throne Of The Forbidden God

Whispers in Azure City

"Stop! Show your identification!" barked a guard at the great gate of Azure City.

Ravian didn't flinch. He took a deep breath, tasting the city air he hadn't breathed in years. The same air, yet now it felt toxic. Behind his pitch-black mask, his eyes narrowed, staring at the impatient guard.

"Just a traveler, sir," Ravian's voice sounded hoarse, like stones grinding against sand. He handed over a few dull silver coins.

The guard snatched the money, then eyed Ravian's mask suspiciously. "Why the mask? Do you have a contagious disease, or are you just trying to hide your ugly face?"

"My face is none of your business, is it?" Ravian replied flatly.

[Master, your heart rate has increased by fifteen percent. Anger is an unnecessary variable at this moment. Focus on the primary objective.]

That cold, mechanical voice echoed inside Ravian's head. It was the Forbidden God System. The only reason he was still breathing after being cast into the Abyss of Soul Annihilation by the people he once called family.

I know, System. Be quiet, Ravian thought.

"Get in, trash! Don't let the line behind you get any longer!" The guard spat on the ground, making way for Ravian to step into the heart of the Astrala Continent's grandeur.

As soon as he passed through the gate, the hustle and bustle of Azure City hit him instantly. The scent of expensive incense from temples, the smell of merchants' sweat, and the clanging of weapons from passing cultivators created a sickening symphony for Ravian. He walked slowly, head down, but his eyes moved constantly, scanning every corner.

"Have you ever seen that building, System?" Ravian asked internally, his eyes fixed on a tall tower looming in the city center. A bright blue sun emblem was displayed there. That was the residence of the Arkana Clan. His former home. His former prison.

[Analyzing building structure... Complete. The Arkana Clan residence has forty-two high-level defensive formation points. Recommendation: Do not approach within a one-kilometer radius without thorough preparation.]

"Forty-two? There used to be only twelve. They’ve certainly grown rich after stealing what belonged to me," Ravian muttered softly.

"Hey, you! Get out of the way!" A luxury horse carriage adorned with gold sped past him. Ravian was forced to step aside into the muddy gutter.

Through the open carriage window, he saw a young man in white silk, laughing arrogantly while embracing a beautiful woman. Ravian recognized that face. Kaelan Arkana. His cousin. The first person to drive a dagger into his back when they were at the abyss.

Kaelan... you look so happy now, Ravian thought. His hands clenched tightly beneath his cloak, nails digging into his palms until they bled.

[Warning: Hell Meridian energy leak detected. Master, if you release your killing intent now, your presence will be detected by the elders in that tower within three seconds.]

Ravian closed his eyes. He inhaled the cold air, forcing his rage back down to the depths of his soul. Not yet. I must wait.

"How much for information on the Blue Cloud Sect's movements today?" Ravian asked a street vendor who looked more like an informant than a fruit seller.

The merchant stared at Ravian's mask, then whispered, "Ten gold pieces, sir. But if you're asking about Lin Xuelan, the price doubles."

Ravian placed a small bag of silver coins on the table. "I don't have gold. Take this or I leave."

The merchant snorted but took the bag anyway. "Lin Xuelan... she is the new goddess of the Blue Cloud Sect. Rumor has it she just reached the peak stage of Soul Refinement. Tomorrow, there will be a grand ceremony in the city square to celebrate her rise in status."

"A ceremony?" Ravian asked.

"Yes. The Arkana Clan will be there to strengthen their alliance. They say Lin Xuelan will become the future empress for the heir of the Arkana Clan. A very profitable relationship, isn't it?" the merchant chuckled.

Ravian felt as if his chest had been struck by a massive hammer. Lin Xuelan. The woman who once promised to wait for him at the peak of cultivation was now preparing to belong to the man who tried to kill him.

"Very profitable," Ravian replied coldly. "Thanks for the information."

He turned and walked toward the seedier part of the city. He needed a place to hide, a place where no great cultivator would spare him a glance.

[Master, why don't you attack them during the ceremony tomorrow? It would be a dramatic moment for your revenge.]

"You're too naive for a system, or perhaps you're intentionally trying to see me die sooner?" Ravian sneered internally.

[The System only provides options based on the probability of maximum chaos.]

"I am no longer a child easily swayed by emotion, System. If I attack now, I will only be dust under their feet. I need to destroy their foundation first. I want them to feel what it's like to lose everything before I stop their breath."

Ravian stopped in front of an old inn with a crooked sign. The smell of cheap liquor and dust stung his nose. This was the perfect place.

"One room. For a week," Ravian said to an old man behind the dusty reception desk.

The old man looked at him with his one functioning eye. "Three silver coins. No breakfast, no hot water."

Ravian gave him the money and received a weathered wooden key. He climbed the stairs that creaked with every step, heading to the room in the darkest corner.

Once inside the room, Ravian immediately locked the door. He removed his black mask, revealing a face covered in horrific burn scars, contrasting with eyes that still held the clarity of steel.

He sat cross-legged on the hard bed. "System, open my status."

[Loading Master's Status...]

[Name: Ravian Arkana]

[Status: Heir of Hell (Initial Level)]

[Cultivation: Perfect Body Refinement Stage]

[Kekuatan Utama: Hell Meridians (90% Locked)]

[Active Mission: Observe and Plan]

"Still so far away," Ravian muttered. He touched his chest, where his pure Spirit Meridian once resided. Now, that place was occupied by a cold darkness.

"Lin Xuelan, Kaelan... do you think I've become history?" Ravian chuckled softly, a laugh that held not a shred of joy.

[Master, there is movement outside your room. Two individuals with low cultivation levels are eavesdropping.]

Ravian went silent instantly. He didn't turn, but his ears caught the sound of very subtle footsteps on the creaking wooden corridor.

"Did you hear? He said he has silver," a voice whispered behind the door.

"He must be a merchant down on his luck. That mask is probably to hide his face from debt collectors," another voice replied. "Let's take his things while he's asleep."

Ravian smiled thinly. It seemed that no matter where he was, trash was always present. "System, will killing small-time thieves like them increase my level?"

[Their essence value is too low for a significant increase. However, it could serve as good practice for your energy control.]

"Right. Practice," Ravian said quietly.

He stood up soundlessly, his shadow on the wall appearing long and terrifying under the dim candlelight. He didn't need weapons to deal with people like this.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open. Two large men entered with daggers in their hands.

"Hand over all your money, masked man!" one of them shouted.

Ravian remained standing with his back to them. "You chose the wrong time to be greedy."

"Huh? What did you say? Hey, look at his face!" The man shouted in shock as Ravian turned around. The candlelight illuminated the scars on his face, making him look like a demon fresh from the grave.

"You... are you human?" the other man asked, his hands trembling.

Ravian didn't answer. In one swift motion, he was in front of the first man. His hand gripped the man's throat, and instantly, black steam began to pour from Ravian's palm.

"Argh! Hot! Help!" The man struggled, but his voice slowly faded as his skin began to blacken and wither.

The second man, seeing his friend die in seconds, immediately dropped his dagger. He tried to run for the door, but Ravian simply flicked his finger.

A black shadow darted from the corner of the room, wrapping around the man's leg and dragging him back into the room.

"Don't... please don't kill me! I just needed to eat!" the man whimpered, kneeling and crying.

Ravian looked at him with a blank stare. "This world knows no mercy for the weak. I learned that in a very painful way."

Without hesitation, Ravian ended the second man's life with a single strike to his chest. No blood came out, only life essence being absorbed into Ravian's body.

[Essence absorbed. Power increase: 0.01%.]

"Pathetic," Ravian said, wiping his hands with a ragged cloth. "But at least tonight, I don't have to worry about interruptions."

He dragged the two corpses under the bed as if they were nothing but meaningless trash. Sitting back down cross-legged, he stared out the cracked window. In the distance, the Arkana Clan tower still shone brightly, dominating the night sky of Azure City.

"You built a heaven upon my hell," Ravian whispered. "So I will bring that hell back to your doorstep."

Ravian closed his eyes, beginning his meditation in the darkness. Inside his head, scheme after scheme began to take shape. The black market, forbidden information, sabotage he would destroy them step by step.

Tomorrow was the day of Lin Xuelan's ceremony. He would be there, among the crowd, an invisible shadow. He would watch how that woman smiled atop her stage of hypocrisy.

And when the time was right, that smile would be the beginning of her tears.

"System," Ravian called out in the silence of the night.

[Yes, Master?]

"Make sure I don't sleep too soundly. I want to savor every second of this hatred before the sun rises."

[Understood. Surveillance protocol active. Sleep in your resentment, Master.]

Ravian leaned his head against the cold wall. Behind the mask lying beside him, a grand plan had been born. Azure City might still be shining tonight, but for Ravian, a black storm had just begun from a forgotten, dilapidated inn.

The cultivation world would soon realize that the trash they threw away had returned as the king of the deepest darkness.