Swallowed Star: Lord of the Wolf

A glint flashed in Lei Jin's eyes, but his face still wore a grateful smile: "Fourth Brother's consideration is thorough, I admire you. We will do as Fourth Brother says! After the Abyss opens, we will meet together and then make further plans. As for the discussion on offerings... Offering Huang Wu will naturally cooperate fully with Xue Yin."

Just then, Lei Zhan seemed to suddenly remember something, frowned slightly, and asked with a hint of concern, "By the way, Sixth Brother just mentioned that some force dared to infiltrate your residence to assassinate you? This is no small matter! Have you found out who did it? Is it related to Eldest Brother and Second Brother? What has the royal family done about this?"

His tone was concerned, but his eyes were fixed on Lei Jin's face, trying to catch the slightest change in his expression.

Upon hearing this, Lei Jin's face immediately showed sorrow and resentment. He slammed his fist heavily on the armrest of his chair: "Fourth Brother! Let's not talk about this anymore! Those three thieves were all at the Chaos Realm, their methods were strange and ruthless, and their cooperation was seamless! If it weren't for Elder Huang Wu's vigilance and the timely activation of a trace of the Holy City's power by the Marquis's Mansion's array, I would have almost been killed. It's a pity... they escaped!"

He gritted his teeth, "Afterwards, I mobilized all available resources to investigate, but the other party vanished without a trace. My eldest and second brothers... are the prime suspects. I even considered reporting this to the royal family, but I lacked concrete evidence..."

What he said was half true and half false.

The assassination attempt is true, and the perpetrator's escape was also bizarre, but the claims that "all available resources were mobilized to investigate without success" and that "the eldest and second eldest brothers are the most suspicious" are debatable.

This was precisely the smokescreen he used to garner sympathy and divert attention.

Upon hearing this, Lei Zhan's sneer intensified.

How could someone assassinate a prince and escape unscathed? Under the very nose of the Holy City's grand formation, it must have been either a traitor within the organization or Lei Jin orchestrating the whole thing himself!

More likely, the sixth prince was deliberately creating a smokescreen, either to test the other five princes, causing them to become suspicious and flustered, or to lay the groundwork for some "outrageous" actions he might take later.

Instead of exposing it, he wore an expression of deep agreement and said in a deep voice, "Such a thing has happened! This is utterly lawless! This matter must be thoroughly investigated! Don't worry, Sixth Brother, I will also keep an eye out in secret. If I find any clues, I will inform you immediately. On our journey to the Abyss, we brothers must work together even more closely to prevent any further sabotage from villains!"

"Thank you, Fourth Brother." Lei Jin cupped his hands again, his eyes seemingly glistening with gratitude. He then stood up. "Since it's settled, I won't disturb your preparations any longer. The Abyss is about to open, and I need to go back and make some more arrangements, hoping to recruit another peak Chaos Realm cultivator."

"Alright, take care, Sixth Brother." Lei Zhan also stood up to see them off, his smile sincere and warm, and personally escorted Lei Jin and Huang Wu to the entrance of the Marquis's residence.

Watching the figure in black robes board the carriage and drive away under the protection of a beautiful woman, Lei Zhan's smile slowly faded, his eyes becoming incredibly deep, carrying a hint of cold mockery.

"Your Highness," the trusted old servant appeared quietly behind him and whispered, "The Sixth Prince, he..."

"An alliance?" Lei Zhan's lips curled into a cold smile, his voice low but clear. "He just wants to use my influence to get a share of my profits. When it really matters... he'll probably stab me in the back! Who can hide his little schemes from him?"

He turned and strode into the mansion, his steps carrying a heavy air of authority: "The rabbit and the fox, let's see who can outmaneuver whom."

……

The quiet room of Zi Lei Xuan.

The Blood-Hidden Elder sat cross-legged, the withered "Intertwined Flourishing and Withered Lightning-Struck Wood" floating above his thin palm.

As the life force containing the profound meaning of life and death cycle was continuously poured into his body, the tiny cracks on the surface of the withered wood seemed to come alive, slowly wriggling and expanding.

A rich, pure aura, a blend of desolation and vitality, emanated from the cracks and filled the entire quiet room.

This aura carries a sense of deathly stillness, as if all things have withered and returned to dust, yet in the deepest part of this stillness, it nurtures a tenacious, faint yet enduring yearning for new life.

hum!
Deep within the Blood Shadow Elder's eyes, a crimson light began to swirl rapidly like a vortex. His powerful divine king will was completely immersed in this strange fluctuation.

In his perception, this piece of dead wood seemed to have transformed into a microcosm of the universe. It had been bombarded and destroyed by countless violent thunderbolts. Each destruction nearly turned it into ashes, but the strange source within it absorbed the purest imprint of creation contained in the thunderbolts at the end of each destruction!
Like a seed buried deep in the ground during an endless, dark winter, it gathers strength in the long silence, waiting for the moment when the ice and snow melt and spring arrives!
Destruction (Thunder) → Annihilation (Desolation) → Imprint of Creation (Seed of Life) → Nurture of New Life (Rebirth from the Extreme of Death)!

This cycle, though weak and slow, is incredibly resilient, containing a universal truth of "the cycle of flourishing and decay, the interdependence of life and death."
"So that's how it is..." A clear understanding flowed through the Blood Shadow Elder's heart. "What I pursued—the cycle of life and death, the return of the blood sea to nothingness—was a pursuit of a large-scale, macroscopic control of laws and energy transformation. And this lightning-struck wood, with its intertwined withering and flourishing, is, at the microscopic level, a persistent protection and long gestation of the opportunity for 'life' in an environment of extreme destruction and annihilation..."

"Macro and micro... a spark of life amidst destruction and annihilation..."

It's like putting new wine in old bottles. The truths I've understood countless times before are now being grasped in a new light!
The "Radiant Golden Body" technique within his body quietly began to operate. Strands of thunder power, tempered by the Chaos Thunder Source Crystal and containing the true meaning of destruction and creation, began to resonate with the rhythm emanating from the withered wood in his palm, along with his own vast blood energy and deathly will.

Sizzle... crackle...

A faint sound, like the growth of trees or the leaping of thunder, echoed in the quiet room.

The withered wood in the Blood Shadow Elder's palm began to become visibly darker and cracked at an alarming rate, as if accelerating its decay towards complete annihilation.

But at the same time, in the deepest core, a faint yet dazzling point of emerald green light, like a supernova explosion, is emanating more and more clearly and steadily!

Beneath his skin, the occasional purple lightning patterns became more frequent and their color deepened.

seem--

The branch of life and death has taken another small step forward at the peak of the Chaos Realm...

……

Lei Jin's chariot traveled smoothly through the bustling streets of the holy city, shutting out the disturbances of the outside world.

Inside the car, all the humility, sorrow, and gratitude on Lei Jin's face had vanished, replaced by a calmness akin to controlling a chess game. He lightly tapped the edge of the car window with his fingertips, making a rhythmic sound, his gaze indifferent as he looked out at the dazzling, bustling scene outside. The undercurrents and murderous intent surging beneath the prosperity seemed to be reflected in his deep pupils.

“Your Highness,” Huang Wu, sitting opposite him, spoke in a voice as clear and cold as an icy spring, but with less of the aloofness she showed to outsiders, “This Fourth Prince is a man of deep thoughts. His promises are nothing but castles in the air.” She stretched out her slender fingers and gently brushed across Lei Jin’s slightly furrowed brows, then used her snow-white sleeve to wipe away the thin layer of sweat that had been forced out of his forehead by his acting earlier.

The movements were gentle, carrying an unspoken intimacy.

Lei Jin didn't dodge; instead, he relaxed and leaned back in the soft chair, letting those fingertips, carrying a hint of icy coolness yet containing a hidden warmth, brush across his forehead. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and the unique, cool fragrance emanating from Huang Wu lingered in his nostrils, like the first bloom of a thousand-year-old plum blossom.

"Don't you trust him?" Lei Jin's lips curled into a playful smile. He didn't open his eyes, as if enjoying this brief moment of peace. "Of course I know I can't trust him. Who is Lei Zhan? He's fierce and domineering, yet suspicious and fickle. If he hadn't been cornered by his older brothers, would he ever have given me, his youngest brother, a second glance?"

He opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, looking at Huang Wu's breathtakingly beautiful face, a face that held awe no matter how many times he looked at it. The sharpness and scrutiny that he had hidden deep in his eyes when facing Lei Zhan earlier had now transformed into undisguised trust and a touch of tenderness.

"But he was right about one thing: the combined strength of the eldest and second eldest brothers is too overwhelming. If we face them alone, the outer edge of the abyss will be a dead end. Forming an alliance with him, at least in the early stages, can help us share most of the pressure from the eldest and second eldest brothers."

Lei Jin's voice was low and calm. "As for Lei Zhan's promise? Hmph, it's nothing more than a temporary measure to appease me. Like a flower in a mirror, the moon in the water." He leaned forward slightly, closer to Huang Wu, his voice even lower, carrying a secretive fervor: "Huang'er, what I want has never been his promise. What I want is just a title, a legitimate opportunity to get close to him! Only by his side can we see the true strength and weakness of that suddenly appearing Blood Shadow Elder! And only by his side, when he is fighting his elder brothers to the death, can we... find that most fatal, perfect flaw!"

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows finally locking onto its prey: "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The fiercer they fight, the sweeter their blood will be. In this abyss, everyone except you and me... is just a stepping stone! Including... me, your 'good fourth brother'!"

On Huang Wu's perfectly frozen face, a faint smile finally appeared, a smile that was enough to melt away millennia of ice.

She didn't say anything, but simply held Lei Jin's hand gently.

Her hands were icy cold, while Lei Jin's hands were as hot as if they contained the heat of a volcano.

Ice and fire mingled, forming a strange halo in her palm, like a small world in the cycle of birth and death. Deep within her icy blue eyes, pure ice flames and blazing golden flames seemed to dance and merge quietly, reflecting the burning ambition in Lei Jin's eyes.

"What Your Highness desires is what Phoenix Dance will pursue." She finally spoke, her voice still cold, yet carrying a reassuring firmness. "Within the abyss, wherever Your Highness points, Phoenix Dance's blade will reach. Whoever stands in Your Highness's way to the top will be reduced to ashes and ice shards."

This promise is heavier than a sacred mountain.

Because she is not only the sharpest and most secretive sword in Lei Jin's hand, but also the partner he has long since chosen! This bond and loyalty have long transcended the master-servant relationship, becoming an integral part of each other's life essence. Outsiders only know her as the "Blazing Snow Phoenix," a powerful peak Chaos Realm elder, but they do not know that she is also Lei Jin's deepest hidden trump card, the only burning flame in his icy heart.

The wheels rolled over the hard, black stone road of the holy city, making a regular sound.

The tranquility inside the car contrasted sharply with the noise outside.

Lei Jin grasped Huang Wu's slightly cool hand in return, feeling the vast, glacial, and molten power within her. His anxiety and scheming slowly subsided.

"It'll be soon..." He gazed at his and Huang Wu's blurry reflections in the car window and murmured to himself, "The dragon and snake rise from the land, right here in the abyss."

……

The First Prince's Residence, Haolei Hall.

The icy voice of the Goddess Xuan Yin echoed: "Lei Jin... went to Lei Zhan's residence? And talked for a long time?"

An intelligence agent shrouded in shadow knelt on one knee: "Yes, Your Majesty. The two sides had a very pleasant conversation. When the Sixth Prince left, the Fourth Prince personally saw him off to the door, and his attitude was quite friendly."

"Hmph!" Lei Hao snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with lightning. "One is feigning madness, the other is being hypocritical! This kid, Sixth Brother, has quite the scheme! Trying to team up with Fourth Brother to oppose us? Dream on!"

He looked at Lady Xuanyin and Palace Master Qiyun, "With the Abyss open, prioritize targeting Lei Zhan's faction! That Blood Shadow... must be eliminated first! As for Lei Jin? If he knows what's good for him, he'll stay far away. If he dares to interfere... turn his 'Blazing Snow Phoenix' into a dead bird!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Xuan Yin Niang Niang's eyes flashed with cold light.

The Palace Master of Qiyun Palace toyed with the restored Fortune-Stealing Purple-Gold Bell, a mysterious smile on his face: "Your Highness, rest assured, in the abyss, fortune flows, and no one can escape it. That Blood Shadow... his good luck has come to an end."

……

The Second Prince's Residence, Xuan Guang Pavilion.

Shadow King materialized like a shadow: "Your Highness, the Sixth Prince and the Fourth Prince have secretly met and seem to have reached some kind of alliance."

Lei Xuan was playing with a chess piece carved from a fragment of a star. Upon hearing this, her movements paused slightly. Her gentle smile remained unchanged, but her eyes became even more profound.

"An alliance?" he murmured to himself. "A brute and a drama queen... they're quite a match."

He put down the chess piece and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips.

"Shadow Assassin, how is Project Dark Star progressing?"

"The target is extremely vigilant and seems to possess some kind of special anti-tracking instinct. After a brief encounter in the Dark Ruins of the Holy City, all tracking clues were invisibly severed. The target seems to have an unimaginably keen perception of the energy flow in various areas of the Holy City, making it difficult to detect its fixed patterns."

Shadow King's voice carried a hint of solemnity.

"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Lei Xuan's eyes, which then turned into even greater interest. "It seems that this Blood Shadow Elder is even more interesting than we imagined. Continue to follow him, but don't engage in direct conflict. The Abyss... is the best stage."

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "As for the 'alliance' of the fourth and sixth brothers... ha, perfect, let them gather together, saves us the trouble of searching for them one by one."

"As ordered!"

……

Deep within the Holy City, inside the Divine Thunder Emperor Palace, which floats at the highest point.

In a quiet room surrounded by endless lightning.

A blurry figure, seemingly composed of pure lightning essence, sat quietly in meditation.

His gaze seemed to pierce through layers of palaces and restrictions, landing on the direction of the Purple Thunder Pavilion in the Thunder War Prince's Mansion, and then sweeping over the movements of the other princes' residences.

"Blood Concealment...the cycle of life and death..."

"Mysterious Yin... Miraculous Fortune..."

“Lei Hao… Lei Xuan… Lei Zhan… Lei Jin…” A sigh, which only he could hear and which seemed to contain the first thunderclap at the beginning of the universe, echoed softly.

"It's all just petty squabbles in the pond..." Silence returned to the depths of the imperial palace.

Only the eternal thunder shines silently. (End of Chapter)