Nightmare Emblem

The blood-stained Nightmare emblem lay in Fang Gang's palm, chilling him to the bone. That eye, composed of countless twisted vortexes and devoid of pupils, seemed to silently mock all light in the world. A constant thrum came from the Grudge Pupil brand on his left arm, greed and desire threatening to burst from his flesh, only to be suppressed by his newly enhanced mental strength.

[True Mirror Still Water Heart Sutra (Basic Chapter): Minor Accomplishment (0/500)]

[Spirit: 25 (Resilient Barrier)]

Within his sea of consciousness, the clear and strong mental mirror rippled slightly, isolating the rampant thoughts of the brand. Fang Gang's gaze was as cold as iron.

His phone screen lit up, displaying a text message from an encrypted number:

"The emblem points to the 'Starlight Charity Gala,' tomorrow night at 8 PM, Hilton's top floor. Host: 'Starlight Group,' suspected to be outer circle of Nightmare. Target: Phantom Nightmare Priest. Old Smoker."

Starlight Charity Gala? Starlight Group?

A cold, sharp curve touched Fang Gang's lips. They hid deep, and their methods were cliché. Hiding a flesh-and-blood altar beneath the guise of a glamorous charity event—that was truly the style of these rats. Phantom Nightmare Priest? A scumbag who manipulates illusions!

"Hilton... top floor, huh." He put away his phone, his gaze drifting towards the cluster of brightly lit skyscrapers at the city center. Tomorrow night, the light from those crystal chandeliers should change color.

The next day, precisely 8 PM.

The Starlight Banquet Hall, atop the Hilton Hotel.

A massive crystal chandelier poured down brilliant yet unobtrusive light, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime. Guests, dressed in dazzling attire, held champagne glasses, their faces adorned with perfect smiles, either reserved or warm. The air was filled with high-end perfumes, the aroma of food, and insincere flattery.

Elegant figures mingled amidst clinking glasses. This was a stage for money and celebrities, the shining heart of this city.

The thick, carved doors of the banquet hall opened silently.

A figure stepped into this world of light and color.

There was no magnificent evening wear, only a pair of washed-out black tracksuits. No meticulously styled hair, only—a bald head that reflected a near-metallic, hard sheen under the brilliant lights.

Slung casually over his shoulder was an ancient, heavy Bronze Battle Halberd, utterly out of place in this luxurious environment. The halberd's edge was blunt, yet it exuded a menacing aura that made hearts pound.

It was Fang Gang.

His attire, like a rhinoceros crashing into a flock of swans, instantly drew the attention of everyone in the hall!

Bewilderment, disdain, curiosity, disgust—gazes focused on him like searchlights, while whispering spread like a tide.

"Security! Where's security? Who is this guy?"

"Oh my god, what is he carrying? A weapon?"

"What kind of lunatic is this? How did they let him in?"

"That bald head... it's so jarring..."

Several burly security guards in black suits with earpieces quickly surrounded him, their eyes sharp and alert, hands resting on the stun batons at their waists.

"Sir, please show your invitation! This is not a place you should be!" The lead security captain was imposing, his tone forceful and carrying an irrefutable command. The guards behind him subtly formed a closing circle.

Fang Gang's steps didn't falter. His gaze swept across the hall like a scanner, finally locking onto a figure at the far end of the banquet hall, surrounded by several wealthy businessmen and celebrities.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in a perfectly tailored silver-gray suit, his hair neatly combed, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and sporting a gentle, refined smile as he chatted animatedly with others. A subtly luxurious watch gleamed on his wrist.

Lin Yaoming, the CEO of Starlight Group.

In Fang Gang's perception, this man was enveloped in an extremely subtle, cold, and nauseating spiritual fluctuation! It originated from the same source as the residual aura in Lost Alley and Fu Shou Yuan Cemetery! Furthermore, it resonated faintly with the Nightmare emblem in his palm!

Phantom Nightmare Priest! Found him!

"Move aside." Fang Gang's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an irrefutable clarity, clearly cutting through the surrounding noise.

"Sir! This is your final warning! Leave immediately! Otherwise, we won't be polite!" The security captain's face darkened, his hand already gripping the stun baton's handle.

Fang Gang finally shifted his gaze from Lin Yaoming to the guards blocking his path. His eyes were calm and steady, as if he were looking at a few bothersome stones.

"Noisy."

Before the word was finished, he moved!

There were no superfluous flourishes, just a slight shift of his shoulder! An invisible, overwhelmingly potent force erupted outwards from him like a tsunami!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The surrounding security guards were hit as if by a speeding truck! Before they could even react, they felt an irresistible, immense force slam into them. Their vision instantly went black as they grunted and were sent flying backward! They crashed hard into the buffet tables and decorative pillars in the distance! The sound of shattering glasses and plates, along with screams, erupted instantly!

The entire banquet hall fell into a dead silence for a moment!

All smiles froze on faces, all whispers ceased abruptly! Only the light from the crystal chandeliers continued to flow, but it now seemed to carry a hint of icy chill.

Fang Gang, still shouldering the Bronze Battle Halberd, walked steadily through the stunned, bewildered crowd like a reef parting the water, his target directly at Lin Yaoming at the far end of the hall!

The gentle smile on Lin Yaoming's face had long vanished, replaced by an offended gloom and a trace of imperceptible surprise. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes behind the lenses becoming sharp as knives, filled with a condescending scrutiny and a cold warning.

"My... friend," Lin Yaoming's voice remained steady, but it carried a chilling edge, "This is not a place for you to run wild. No matter who you are, leave now, and I can pretend nothing happened. Otherwise..."

His words were cut short as Fang Gang reached within ten paces of him!

"Otherwise what?" Fang Gang stopped, his dark golden bald head reflecting the light of the dazzling crystal chandeliers, almost making Lin Yaoming squint. "Continue using your cheap illusions to give these people nightmares?"

Lin Yaoming's pupils contracted sharply!

"You... know?!" he hissed, his refined mask instantly cracking, revealing a hint of ferocity! He suddenly raised his hand, and the dial of the seemingly luxurious watch on his wrist instantly lit up with an eerie, violet glow! The light didn't spread outwards but coiled around his fingers like a living thing!

Simultaneously, he made an extremely subtle movement behind him with his other hand, and to his surprise, he drew a weapon with a strange design from his lower back!

It was a folding fan! The fan ribs were as black as ink, neither metal nor wood, emanating a chilling aura. The fan surface, made of some pale, white skin membrane, was painted with a dark red pigment depicting a twisted, chaotic pattern filled with countless terrified faces! Just a glance was enough to make one dizzy and filled with fear!

The "Thousand-Face Nuo Opera Fan"! The Phantom Nightmare Priest's signature artifact!

"Since you're looking for death, then become nourishment for the 'Thousand Faces'!" Fang Gang roared, dropping all pretense! The purple light in his eyes flared, and he violently unfurled the sinister, deathly pale bone fan in his hand!

"Whoosh—!"

An invisible, intangible yet intensely mind-contaminating chill, accompanied by the shrieks and wails of countless twisted faces on the fan's surface, surged like an unseen tide, instantly engulfing the entire banquet hall!

"Ah—!"

"Ghosts! There are ghosts!"

"Don't come any closer! Don't come near!"

"Mommy! Save me!"

The guests, who were impeccably dressed just a second ago, instantly felt as if they had plunged into an endless hell! The world in their eyes completely distorted and collapsed! They saw their deepest fears manifest! Some crouched down, screaming frantically, others flailed their arms attacking wildly, and some collapsed on the ground, losing control of their bowels and bladder! The entire banquet hall instantly transformed into a hysterical, mad purgatory!

Phantom Nightmare Domain! Activate!

And over ninety-nine percent of this torrent of mental pollution surged towards the sole target in the center of the arena—Fang Gang!

Countless twisted specters, ear-piercing wails, and bone-chilling phantasms of fear, like solid waves, threatened to drown and tear apart Fang Gang's consciousness!

A cruel and triumphant sneer spread across Lin Yaoming's face. No one could remain sane within his Thousand-Face Illusion Domain! This bald man would soon become a walking corpse, then be absorbed by the fan's surface, becoming a new "face"!

However, his smile froze on his face the very next second.

Fang Gang stood in place, unmoving.

His dark golden bald head was like a lighthouse in a storm amidst the chaotic and frenzied crowd! The light from the crystal chandeliers fell on his smooth scalp, reflecting a peculiar, clear golden radiance that seemed to pierce through illusion!

Within his sea of consciousness, the steadfast mental mirror, constructed by the minor success stage of the "True Mirror Still Water Heart Sutra," blazed brightly! His 25 points of mental power formed a solid barrier, firmly blocking the surging mental pollution from the outside! Countless distorted specters crashed against the mental mirror like bubbles hitting a reef, instantly scattering and annihilating! The bone-chilling phantasms of fear, under the mirror's reflection, were exposed for their true nature, like a shoddy shadow play!

"Is that all you've got?" Fang Gang looked up, his gaze piercing through the chaotic mental storm, accurately locking onto Lin Yaoming, whose expression had drastically changed. His voice was calm, yet carried a chilling mockery, "All flash and no substance."

The triumphant sneer on Lin Yaoming's face was completely replaced by shock! Impossible! His Thousand-Face Illusion Domain was ineffective?! What kind of monster was this bald man?!

"The charade is over." Fang Gang's eyes sharpened, and the supreme yang blood and qi from his perfected Nine Yang cultivation erupted! Molten gold and red flowed beneath his skin! A terrifying, yang-filled aura that could incinerate all directions and shatter illusions soared upwards!

He wasted no more words, taking a single step forward!

The expensive marble paving the ground instantly cracked! He transformed into a burning, golden-red afterimage, ignoring the distance, carrying the terrifying power of a rampant elephant supporting the sky, and unleashed a punch! His target was directly at the sinister Thousand-Face Nuo Opera Fan in Lin Yaoming's hand!

Where his fist pointed, the air distorted! The supreme yang true fire burned away all yin and evil illusions!

"No—!" Lin Yaoming let out a desperate roar, desperately urging the bone fan to resist!