Chapter 131: The Descent of the Void God

Everyone turned at the sound to see Sonia, her angelic face framed by a long black dress, emerging from the temple. Usually, they would have lingered on her beauty and offered sincere compliments, but at this moment, their entire focus was fixed on what she had just said. Lord Kassadin was about to descend? Could they truly be so fortunate as to behold him? At this thought, no one dared to speak, watching her in hushed silence. Tony, immensely grateful to Harvey for this timely rescue, took the opportunity to quietly slip to the back.

Just as everyone wondered where the great Lord Kassadin would appear, a massive purple black hole tore through the sky above Void Island. Deep, swirling Void energy permeated the air—a sight that should have been terrifying, yet as the black hole mirrored the starlight of the heavens, it drew only reverence from the members of the Void Sect.

A colossal figure, over two hundred meters tall, emerged. His body was composed of purple starlight, draped in white robes and golden armor. His face, hidden behind a golden mask, remained obscured, but his eyes glowed like twin golden wheels, radiating a brilliant, piercing light. In his right hand, he held a shimmering Void Blade that seemed forged from the stars themselves. He stepped out from the black hole as if emerging from a distant galaxy, descending upon them.

As this figure appeared, everyone held their breath. Even Sonia, who had seen Mr. Kassadin countless times and was accustomed to his usual indolent nature, found herself breathless at the sight of this figure, now radiating such mystery, majesty, and power. Even Tony, who knew this was merely an avatar of Harvey, stared in disbelief.

"The great God of the Void has descended!"

With the arrival of the divine form, a surge of purple Void energy was released, bathing the entire island in a sky of purple starlight—a breathtaking spectacle.

***

Many on Xandar saw the astonishing phenomenon from afar. Hundreds of Nova Corps soldiers across Xandar City watched with alarm as an undeniable purple light erupted in the southeast. Several high-ranking generals of the Nova Corps wore grave expressions.

"Norman, when you requested an audience last time, did you really phrase things correctly?" asked a woman of dignified and noble bearing, looking toward Norman Hulse.

"I followed your instructions to the letter. I expressed absolute goodwill and even offered one billion credits just to have a conversation," replied Norman Hulse, a burly, blonde-haired man, his expression serious. "But this Kassadin refused to meet with us."

"I had attempted to estimate just how troublesome this individual might be, but I never imagined it would reach this level," he continued. "With this much energy, if it were to detonate at this range, the radiation would directly affect Xandar City."

"The protective shields are already active; let us observe his movements for now," another officer said. "If he intended to go to war with us, he wouldn't be erupting from his own island; he would have descended directly upon Xandar."

The centurions exchanged opinions. They were elite commanders wearing three-star Nova uniforms, powerful enough to fly rapidly through the vacuum of space, and they had seen many formidable foes. Yet, they had never encountered an entity like Kassadin, the God of the Void. He could not be described as a person; he was a monster, a demon, a god—the only terms fit to describe the threat he represented.

Faced with an unknown and powerful existence, and in the absence of overt hostility, the Nova Corps had hoped to engage in dialogue to understand his intentions. However, their previous attempts had been rebuffed, and they dared not force the issue. If they were perceived as trying to coerce him into submission and a battle broke out, Xandar would suffer heavy casualties. Thus, it had been delayed, though their surveillance of Void Island had never waned—in fact, it had been significantly intensified.

Therefore, even on this holiday, when everyone intended to spend time with their families, the anomaly on Void Island triggered an immediate alert. They notified all centurions and Nova Corps soldiers, convening an emergency meeting to decide how to respond. For now, the consensus was to wait and see.

"I hope he has some sense of morality and will not trigger a conflict on New Year’s Day, a time of celebration for everyone," said Irani Rael, the Nova Prime of Xandar, standing in the command room and looking at the projections around her. "I apologize for interrupting your holidays, but I ask all centurions to be ready for deployment at a moment's notice."

"Yes!" the centurions responded in unison.

***

Inside Void Island, following the descent of the great God of the Void, Lord Kassadin:

"We welcome the great God of the Void."

Hundreds of people, without a single command, fell to one knee in a synchronized motion, bowing their heads. Their voices rose in unison, shaking the clouds; the reverence and admiration in their words were deeply moving. Tony, seeing this, feeling the infectious weight of the atmosphere, felt it would be inappropriate not to follow suit. He descended from the air and joined the crowd.

"The Void Sect has few rules beyond our doctrine and the three commandments," the divine voice resonated, echoing through the cosmos as Harvey, in his Kassadin avatar, hovered above, looking down at the hundreds below with a touch of appreciation. "I have seen your sincere prayers, your devout faith, and your growth. I have heard you all. Now, raise your heads."

"Today is the New Year on Xandar, a time for reunion, joy, and festivity. Whether you are from Xandar or not, follow the custom of the land and celebrate to your heart's content."

"Yes!" the crowd replied in unison.

It was precisely because the Void Sect had few restrictions that most people instinctively adhered to those three simple commandments. Even those who had never seen Lord Kassadin on the island had maintained their faith. Now that he had descended, confirming that all they had seen and heard was true, their awe for the Void grew even deeper.

As everyone raised their heads, the God of the Void took a single step, his body seemingly phasing into the Void itself, vanishing without a trace. This sight only fueled the fervor in the eyes of the sect members. It was the very display of power they had witnessed when they first embraced the Void—the ability to cross galaxies in a single stride.

After the God of the Void departed, the starlight that had covered the sky of Void Island slowly faded, leaving behind only the memory of a wondrous miracle.