The wind howled along the jagged cliffs, the sea below roaring like a trapped god. Hidden beneath a curtain of mist was an ancient cave, sealed for centuries by layers of spirit-forged stone. Mo Tianzun stood at its edge, eyes calm, robe fluttering against the wind.
He had traveled far from the fishing village. Far from humans, gods, and memories. But the System had spoken again, after nearly two decades of silence
[Quest Activated: Acquire the Pendant of Veiled Silence]
[Location: Mount Roaring Stone]
[Warning: Guardian beast class — "AbyssalFang."]
[Success will resultin: Total concealment of host's Qi, Power, and Divine Trace.]
He needed it.
If he were to walk among men, devils, or gods… unseen.
If he were to survive long enough to understand the sickness infecting the world.
Mo Tianzun pushed open the stone door with a single palm, and a chill like death breathed from within.
Inside, the cave walls glowed faintly with moss and old blood. Bones littered the path—some from beasts, some disturbingly human. The air reeked of decay and old magic. But it was quiet. Too quiet.
He stepped lightly.
The sound of dripping water echoed above. Then, silence.
Then—
A roar that cracked the cave walls.
The Abyssal Fang descended from the ceiling like a demon torn from a starless sky. Its body was coiled in black scales with silver threads. Fangs like broken swords jutted from a split jaw. Eyes glowed the color of eclipses.
It didn't hesitate.
Itlunged.
Mo Tianzun's body flashed like lightning.
He had no sword. No seals. Only his bare hands and decades of bloodshed in his bones.
The fight shattered the cave. Claws met shadow, fangs clashed with bare palms that shimmered faintly with infernal flame. Mo Tianzun moved with precision—cold, elegant, deadly. But the beast was ancient. It was born in an age when dragons still ruled the clouds.
It slashed across his chest. Blood sprayed.
He didn't flinch.
Instead, he grabbed the beast's neck with both hands and pushed his demonic Qi into its bones. A scream like thunder shattered the air. The creature twisted in agony, but it was too late.
With a final breath, Mo Tianzun whispered coldly "Rest."
The Abyssal Fang fell.
From its shattered heart, nestled in black flame, floated a small pendant—a sphere of translucent jade suspended within a ring of gold.
It shimmered not with power, but silence.
[Pendant Acquired: The Veil of Silence]
[Effect: Complete suppression of Qi, Energy, and Divine Signature. Host will not be detected by gods, mortals, spirits, or tools of fate.]
Mo Tianzun fastened it around his neck.
For the first time in years, the world grew truly quiet around him.
His presence vanished.
He no longer existed—except to himself.
—————
The forest shifted beneath the weight of a shadow no longer cast.
Mo Tianzun emerged from Mount Roaring Stone bloodied but unreadable. Not even the wind seemed to touch him now. The pendant glowed briefly, then dulled, embedding itself into his spirit like a buried seal.
He walked slowly, back toward the edges of the mortal realm. The System's voice returned—calmer this time.
[Host concealed. Detection level: 0%]
[Divine systems will register presence as void.]
[Proceed with Investigation: False Light Detected in Eastern Domain]
[Suspected origin: Celestial-level figure masking corrupted Qi.]
He clenched his fist.
He had seen a shadow like this before. Long ago—when Liu Shengjie stood at the gates of the Demon Realm, sword raised in feigned righteousness.
And now?
The gods praised him.
Shrines were built in his name. Mortals knelt with incense in hand. His face—sculpted in stone—sat high above cities.
But Mo Tianzun knew.
That golden light… was rotting from within.
—————
For days, he walked through villages and towns.
He hid among the people, silent and watchful. No one noticed the quiet old man with the alcohol gourd and disheveled beard. But he noticed everything.
A little girl singing a hymn not from the heavens, but from a forbidden war chant.
A temple priest who whispered Shengjie's name but bled black tears when alone.
A merchant whose wares turned to ash when touched by prayer.
All wrapped in a veil of gold, blessed by the stars.
False miracles.
Corrupted belief.
He sat one evening near the village well, listening to a pair of elderly farmers speak in hushed tones.
"You hear the sky last night? It groaned again."
"Yeah. Like it's heavy. Like… someone is climbing Heaven's ladder without permission."
Mo Tianzun closed his eyes.
[Observation Confirmed]
>False god rising through belief manipulation.
>Memory, faith, and fate are being rewritten.
A plan built over decades.
And only he had survived to see through it.
"Shengjie," he murmured. "You want to become Heaven's will itself?"
A crow cawed above. The wind blew cold. The pendant at his neck burned faintly in warning.
[New Directive]
>Interfere without revealing identity.
>If world believes in him… he becomes their god.
>Only doubt can destroy false light.
Mo Tianzun rose slowly, adjusting his robe.
The hunt had begun.
But this time, he wouldn't strike with armies or war. This time… he would unravel the world's lie piece by piece—until they begged to remember who their true devil was.