"I still have some matters to take care of. I'll leave the rest of the tribe's affairs to you."
After outlining the tribe's development path, Su Xingyu left the elders exchanging confused glances as he disappeared into seclusion once more.
But none of them were surprised. They were used to this by now.
Their chieftain often vanished without warning—only to return later with the mysterious blessings of the King of Eternal Night, stronger than ever, bolstering the tribe each time.
Now, with the Ye Tribe's population booming and responsibilities piling up, his sudden departure placed even more pressure on the elders. Most of them braced themselves for sleepless nights and overtime.
Fortunately, Su Xingyu had already sketched out a clear roadmap for development. As long as they followed it step by step, things wouldn't spiral out of control.
Once the tasks were divided, everyone scattered to handle their respective duties.
…
Meanwhile, Su Xingyu headed to the heart of the tribe, where the Temple of the Gods stood—an imposing structure that had consumed vast resources to build.
It was the spiritual and symbolic center of the Night Tribe.
Guarded heavily at all times, the temple was protected by two squads of warriors in pitch-black armor—each one an elite, possessing at least second-tier strength.
"Patriarch."
The guard captain stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
Su Xingyu gave a faint nod, then said as he walked, "I will be praying to the King. Maintain full security and allow no interruptions."
"As you command, Patriarch."
The captain immediately signaled his men to patrol the area and secure the perimeter. No one would be permitted to approach the temple while the patriarch was within.
Su Xingyu pushed open the massive doors and strode inside. His footsteps echoed through the dark stone halls as he made his way to the inner sanctum.
There, at the heart of the temple, stood a colossal black statue—a god over ten feet tall, shrouded in mystery.
The faceless statue gripped a broad shield in its left hand and a jagged blade in its right. It exuded an overwhelming pressure, as if watching all who dared step before it.
This was the King of Eternal Night, the dark god worshiped by the Night Tribe.
Su Xingyu sat down beneath the statue, leaning against its cold surface. He slowly closed his eyes.
…
Darkness. Endless and absolute.
He was now within a space darker than any void—like falling into an abyss with no bottom, no light, and no end.
At the center of this abyss, a pair of eyes slowly opened.
Not his eyes—His.
Eyes of shadow, heavy with exhaustion. It was clear that He had been shouldering a great burden.
"Goddamn… it's finally over," Su Xingyu muttered, exhaling a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
Back in his true domain, he finally allowed himself to relax.
Because the truth was this—Su Xingyu was not only the patriarch of the Ye Tribe. He was also the very deity they worshiped. The King of Eternal Night was none other than himself.
Su Xingyu wasn't even from this world.
Two and a half years ago, a cataclysmic event had swept across existence. A mysterious being had gathered humanity and thrust them into this alien world, gifting each of them a piece of divine essence.
From that moment on, they could walk the path of divinity.
But the so-called "divinity" was little more than a spark.
Su Xingyu had not yet comprehended any laws. His divine fire had not been ignited. His divine body remained incomplete.
To call him a god was a stretch. A false god might've been more accurate.
When he first arrived, a mysterious System assigned him a task—to unify the surrounding tribes. As a bonus, he was given a single starting tribe… one with just a few hundred people and almost no warriors.
It sounded doable—until he realized how hopeless it was.
The Red River region had hundreds of tribes. The weak were like the Ye Tribe. The strong boasted tens of thousands of battle-hardened warriors, veterans forged by snow, wind, and bloodshed.
More than once, Su Xingyu was nearly killed during the early struggles.
But the System rewarded progress in stages, offering technological blueprints like iron smelters and forging furnaces—ancient black tech that tipped the scales just enough.
And as the number of believers grew, so too did his divine power. He could finally begin bestowing true blessings.
Two and a half years later, after countless battles and bloody conquests, Su Xingyu had succeeded.
The Night Tribe now ruled the Red River. Hundreds of thousands of followers, tens of thousands of soldiers—it was more than anyone could have dreamed.
"After all that… I can finally rest."
He opened his divine interface for the first time in weeks.
[Deity Interface]
Name: Su Xingyu
Divine Title: Lord of Darkness, King of Eternal Night
Godhead: DarknessAuthority: Fallen
Divine Fire: Unignited
Divine Domain: Dark Domain
Divine Body: Uncondensed
Divinity: 1
Extraordinary Trait:Darkness Favors (Greatly enhances night vision and physical quality in darkness. Effect scales with faith level.)
[Faith Interface]
Cult Name: Eternal Night
Worship: King of Eternal Night
Sect Emblem: Endless Abyss with a single central eye
Divine Arts: Withering, Strength Enhancement, Mental Weakness, Dark Gun, Burning Blood, Devouring
Followers: 437,663
Fanatic Believers: 25,698
Devout Believers: 65,896
Ordinary Believers: 203,656
General Believers: 85,685
Pseudo Believers: 36,728
Power Levels:
Level 4: 1
Level 3: 123
Level 2: 5,687
Level 1: 35,258
Faith Value: 7,866,778 units (10,000 units = 1 Divine Source Unit)
Divine Source Available: 6,583 units
To anyone else, the interface might've looked like a game panel. Su Xingyu had thought the same at first. But the agony of wounds and the sting of blood proved otherwise.
This was no game. Death here was real—and permanent.
But that made it even better.
Because if this world was real, then so was the path to godhood.
Back in his original world, Su Xingyu had been just an ordinary man. Food, housing, comfort—he had it all, yet still found life empty.
But here?
Here, strength ruled all. And strength could lead to eternity.
He liked this world. Even if he could die at any moment, it was a place of endless challenge, endless growth.
His eyes narrowed as he noticed several new icons at the bottom of the panel.
[City of the Gods][Information][Plane]
He focused on City of the Gods.
"A divine refuge, eternally safe. Gods may trade, rest, and reside here. (Note: Each visit consumes 10 units of Divine Source. Each additional day costs 10 more units.)"
He mentally confirmed his choice to enter.
Suddenly, a radiant white portal shimmered into existence before him. Su Xingyu stepped forward without hesitation.
And just like that, the King of Eternal Night vanished from his temple, stepping across the threshold into a place where gods walked.