Star City.
The night had fallen, and Star City remained brightly lit.
The Mist Lord and Feng Qi, cloaked in black robes, walked down the street toward the "End of the World" bar.
Feng Qi was no stranger to this bar.
It was here that the Mist Lord had once gathered intelligence, leading him to successfully reel in members of the Night Shadow Clan. This ultimately allowed him to infiltrate the Night Shadow Clan's ranks and successfully carry out subsequent plans for the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
When they reached the narrow alleyway leading to their destination, Feng Qi stopped in his tracks and said, "I'll wait for you here."
"It won't take long," the Mist Lord replied.
With that, the Mist Lord walked toward the neon sign at the far end of the alley.
Feng Qi watched as the Mist Lord's figure disappeared into the darkness, then stood still, waiting for his return.
Before launching the plan to suppress the Dark God Sect's branch in Star City, the Mist Lord had decided to take care of one important matter first.
As of now, the known forces in Star City, aside from the human factions, included members of various weak domain species alliances.
Their existence didn't directly hinder the Mist Lord's plan to promote "Flesh Sacrifice."
In fact, it could even serve to push the plan forward.
Once "Flesh Sacrifice" was spread throughout Star City, these domain creatures hiding within the city would inevitably come into contact with it and might even attempt to cultivate it.
But the situation in this timeline was different.
In this timeline, the Mist Lord not only wanted to promote "Flesh Sacrifice" but also to help himself gather human faith power.
At this point, suppressing the Dark God Sect branch became particularly crucial.
It was necessary to eliminate the threat before the force could grow stronger.
After all, belief in gods directly conflicted with the belief in heroes.
Having control over most of the media in Star City, the Mist Lord knew that suppressing the Dark God Sect wouldn't be difficult. However, he had to first address a potential risk.
According to the Mist Lord's analysis, if the Star City branch of the Dark God Sect were suppressed, the domain force behind it would definitely become cautious and take some form of action.
Facing an unknown force, the Dark God Sect's backers would not act recklessly.
The best option was to investigate the unknown enemy.
Only by understanding the full extent of the unknown force could they decide whether to retreat or take proactive action.
At this moment, intelligence was crucial.
If the Dark God Sect's backers wanted to acquire intelligence in Star City, the most effective channel would be through the domain weak species alliance in the city.
The members of the weak species alliance were a group of desperados.
As long as the price was right, they would risk their lives to investigate.
Even if the target for investigation was the Tiger Soul Research Institute, they were still willing to take the risk in exchange for substantial rewards.
The Mist Lord felt that if he were the force behind the Dark God Sect, he would definitely not want to give up on the vast potential follower base in Star City. Even at great cost, they would try to find out which force was behind the opposition.
Investigating the unknown hostile force would also help with future planning.
This was undoubtedly a win-win situation.
The domain weak species alliance lurking in Star City would undoubtedly become a hindrance to the plan to suppress the Dark God Sect.
Before proceeding with the suppression plan, the Mist Lord decided to carry out a bloody intimidation campaign against the domain weak species alliance in Star City.
In the Mist Lord's words:
"The domain world is a place where the weak are preyed upon by the strong. The law of the jungle is that the bigger the fist, the more power you have."
"Persuading people with kindness will only lead to despair; only force is the way to make others fear and submit."
It was impossible to wipe out all the members of the domain weak species.
They were like wild grass—small, humble, and yet incredibly resilient, not easily eradicated.
At this point, the only way to make them fear and cower was with one method:
...
Now, wrapped in his black robe, the Mist Lord arrived at the front of the "End of the World" bar.
He walked straight in.
After walking through a dimly lit corridor for more than ten meters, he stopped in front of an iron door.
Unlike last time, this time he didn't knock.
He extended his hand and placed it on the iron door. Immediately, a powerful gray mist surged from his palm, enveloping the door.
The iron door, made of an unknown metal, began to melt at a visible speed, revealing a broad, muscular man behind it, who looked utterly stunned.
Realizing that the visitor meant no good, the two-meter-tall gatekeeper immediately took several steps back but did not take the initiative to attack.
Stepping through the hole in the door that had been melted open, the Mist Lord reached out and waved his hand toward the still retreating man.
Instantly, gray mist burst forth, wrapping around the man.
A chilling scream rang out.
The large man was consumed by the gray mist in the blink of an eye, his blood and energy absorbed into the mist.
The scream caught the attention of the domain weak species warriors inside the bar.
They turned to look toward the entrance of the bar.
As the gray mist swirled around the Mist Lord, the expressions of the domain creatures inside the bar turned to one of shock.
"This friend, what do you mean by this?" A seductive woman at the bar counter coldly spoke up.
"I have something to inform you. From now on, Star City is under my control. If your alliance still wants to exist, every task you take on must be reported to me. Not a single one will be allowed to slip by," the Mist Lord stated, lifting his head and revealing a face shrouded in the gray mist beneath his black cloak.
A ferocious grin spread across his face, one that exuded a powerful sense of intimidation.
It was clear that this visitor meant trouble. The woman in charge of the local alliance looked conflicted, her expression shifting between uncertainty and anger.
The other domain creatures in the bar also showed their snarling faces.
They were all desperados.
How could they simply submit to a few harsh words? If they were that easily subdued, they wouldn't have left their own clans to lurk in Star City, working hard for their people's future.
But no one made the first move.
They were all waiting for someone else to test the waters. Whoever stepped up first would be the one to face the unknown consequences.
The seductive woman, now on high alert, spoke again:
"Friend, which force are you from? We have no conflicts, so there's no need for this."
"Want to investigate my background? You're not qualified," the Mist Lord replied.
As he spoke, the Mist Lord took a step forward. The gray mist around him surged and expanded behind him, blocking the path.
Looking back at the domain creatures in the bar, the Mist Lord's face twisted into a mocking smile.
"Let's play a game. I'll start a massacre now. Only one-third of you will make it out alive. Now... struggle for your survival."
As his words rang out, the gray mist erupted from his body, sweeping through the bar, engulfing the domain creatures within.
The domain creatures were caught off guard by the sudden attack.
They clearly hadn't expected the Mist Lord to be so ruthless.
Before they could react, several domain creatures were already enveloped by the gray mist.
Under the terrifying corrosive power of the mist, their flesh disintegrated at a visible speed, their bones melting away in the blink of an eye.
In the end, they were reduced to swirling blood mist, absorbed into the gray fog.
This scene chilled the hearts of the remaining domain creatures.
Facing the Mist Lord's slaughter, the resistance quickly began.
More than ten domain creatures gathered together, launching an attack on the Mist Lord.
The spiritual energy floating in the air was manipulated by them, forming several purple energy arrows that rapidly condensed and shot toward the Mist Lord.
The Mist Lord raised his hand.
At once, a dense gray mist formed a barrier in front of him. The purple energy arrows struck the mist, creating ripples before dissolving and vanishing.
Looking at the frightened faces of the domain weak species, the Mist Lord's face twisted into a sinister smile.
The gray mist continued to spread, blocking off another exit of the bar. Soon, the entire "End of the World" bar was completely enveloped in the gray mist.
The bloody massacre had begun.
In the Mist Lord's eyes, the domain weak species members in the bar were nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.
If he wanted them to remember him, there was no other way—he would have to be brutal.
The scene quickly turned into the Mist Lord's feast.
Bloody mist swirled into the gray fog, becoming part of the Mist Lord's strength.
The slaughter continued for half an hour.
When only a third of the domain weak species members remained, the Mist Lord stopped.
"Congratulations, you've survived," he said.
Upon hearing this, the remaining domain creatures could not hide their fear.
The power the Mist Lord had just demonstrated made them feel the terrifying approach of death. They were still shaken by the memory.
Now, hearing that the Mist Lord was saying they had survived, the stark contrast deepened their fear of him.
When it came to manipulating emotions, the Mist Lord had undoubtedly succeeded.
The Mist Lord waved his hand, pulling the gray mist back into his body, and then turned to the person in charge of this weak species alliance branch.
"Remember what I said. There won't be a second time. From now on, you can contact me using this method."
With that, the Mist Lord took a business card from his pocket, slowly walked up to the bar counter, and slid the card toward the terrified woman.
The Mist Lord's face appeared with a dazzling smile.
After speaking, he turned and walked toward the bar's exit.
Standing at the door, he glanced back at the domain creatures in the bar.
Those who met his gaze immediately lowered their heads.
The law of the jungle was on full display at that moment: the weak either resist or submit before the strong.
Resistance often leads to death, or even to the extinction of a clan.
"Remember what I said, from now on, Star City will be under my management. All your actions must be reported to me... Of course, I will also bring you sufficient benefits," the Mist Lord finished, walking out of the bar without looking back.
The initial intimidation had been successful, but he knew that controlling the Domain Weak Tribe Alliance was far from simple.
Walking down the dimly lit alley, he soon reached Feng Qi, who had been waiting outside.
"Finished showing off?" Feng Qi asked.
"Done showing off. Next stop, more showing off, and a little snack while we're at it," the Mist Lord replied, his face emerging from the gray mist, now sporting a confident smile.
With that, the Mist Lord took the lead and walked toward their next destination.
Feng Qi followed closely behind.
The night had deepened, and they walked side by side on the quiet street. Feng Qi couldn't help but ask, "Old Mist, I'm curious. After you've refined enemies into blood mist and consumed them, how much of their strength do you absorb?"
The Mist Lord pondered for a moment before replying.
"It's hard to say. Strength and bloodline strength are completely different things."
"Strength is made up of several components. For instance, bloodline strength affects physical power, the quality of spiritual energy inside the body influences the power of techniques, and the structure of the techniques themselves can also affect their power. So, strength is influenced by many factors."
"I can only absorb their blood essence. Other factors that enhance strength, like spiritual power or technique mastery, I obviously can't absorb. So, I'll answer your question from another angle."
"For example, some creatures are extremely strong but specialize in technique-based combat. Their strength lies in their spiritual power and the quality of their spiritual energy, but their bloodline strength is weak. After absorbing them, I hardly get any blood essence."
"On the other hand, I prefer enemies whose strength is enhanced by physical power. Their blood is rich and dense, which is a great supplement for me."
Feng Qi was enlightened by the Mist Lord's explanation and asked another question, "So, how much of their bloodline strength can you absorb from the dead?"
"It depends on the situation," the Mist Lord responded. "The process of absorbing blood essence involves refinement, and during this, a lot of energy that is difficult for me to absorb, or impurities, will be lost. Then there's the process of purifying the blood essence and improving its quality, during which another portion of the energy is lost."
"Every creature has different blood essence quality. Some domain creatures have very few impurities in their blood, and the quality is extremely high. For these, I only need to do simple processing before absorbing them, and the absorption rate is very high."
"I categorize my prey into five tiers based on their bloodline strength, blood impurity, and blood quality: Blood Food, Blood Hunt, Blood Spirit, Blood Spring, and Blood Source."
Feng Qi now understood the Mist Lord's system.
"What about the blood of the super domain creature we encountered in the Old Day Canyon? What tier does it fall into in your eyes?"
"That one's blood is somewhere between Blood Spirit and Blood Spring. It could cross space with its physical body, and its bloodline strength was extremely high. It was a huge boost for me."
At the mention of the super domain creature, a hint of nostalgia appeared on the Mist Lord's face.
"Between Blood Spirit and Blood Spring? So, what level of life form would need to have the bloodline quality of Blood Spring or Blood Source?"
The Mist Lord shook his head.
"I'm not sure. I've never eaten anything from that tier myself. The standards for Blood Food were passed down from my ancestors. It's not something I created."
"It's said that my ancestors once absorbed a drop of blood from the Pillar God, which gave them immense power. The rise of my clan is also tied to that drop of blood. It contained vast knowledge that boosted the potential of my Mist Clan to an entirely new level."
"So, your Mist Clan was once quite glorious?" Feng Qi asked.
"Of course," the Mist Lord replied. "According to the elders, at the peak of our Mist Clan, we occupied twelve domain worlds near our ancestral lands, enslaving countless domain weak tribes to mine resources for us. We even raised many smaller clans with excellent blood quality as Blood Food."
This was the first time Feng Qi learned about the history of the Mist Clan, so he asked further, "Then why did you fall from grace?"
"No strong clan can stand forever in a world ruled by the law of the jungle, unless they become a Pillar God, far above all others. Otherwise, there will always be stronger enemies challenging your rule. My Mist Clan was worn down by constant challenges, and by the time I became clan leader, we had already retreated into our ancestral domain and had lost our former glory."
Feng Qi nodded, understanding the situation. "I see... But I have one more question. The Pillar Gods are so powerful. How did your ancestor get hold of that drop of blood?"
The Mist Lord's face showed a slight awkwardness.
After thinking for a while, he replied, "At that time, my ancestor was a low-level slave to a powerful clan. He was assigned to a dark, underground mine to dig for spiritual ores. By chance, he unearthed a strange stone with a drop of long-dried blood on it, a bloodstain that had been there for who knows how many years."
"And then?"
"My ancestor, attracted by the blood, put down his pickaxe and took a sip. That's when he became stronger, and thus began his legendary life."
"Haha, was it really that easy?" Feng Qi laughed.
"What else was he supposed to do? The weak start at a much lower point than the strong. To catch up, you need generations of effort. You can't do it just by working hard. Of course, you need a stroke of luck," the Mist Lord said, rolling his eyes.