Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 160 Returning to the Chaotic Ruins
Ling Xuan didn't look back and continued to flee forward.

He could see that not far ahead, Yin Tuo had already burrowed into a crevice in the rock, and the figure of the golden unicorn lizard had disappeared into the darkness; the Lord of Black Fiends was driving his palace treasure at an astonishing speed, and was about to escape the attack range of the Lava Demon God.

While he was still some distance from escaping, the Lava Demon God's pursuit was getting closer and closer. The giant hand rose again, and a golden pillar of magma condensed in its palm, shooting towards him.

Ling Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. He poured all his divine power into the Heaven-Slaying Blade, unleashing his full quasi-emperor aura. The supreme imperial might flowed through the blade, and the black blade patterns moved like living things.

He roared, and a black blade of light that stretched across the sky slashed towards the pillar of light. Wherever the blade of light passed, space was torn open with a crack, and even the magma was frozen by the blade's intent.

"Boom!" The sound of the collision shook the God-Slaying Gorge. The beam of light was split in two by the blade's edge, whistling past Ling Xuan's sides and instantly turning the surrounding rocks into dust.

But the Lava Demon God did not stop. It opened its huge mouth and spewed out countless tiny magma projectiles. Each projectile carried a locking aura and shot towards Ling Xuan like a homing missile.

Ling Xuan's heart sank, knowing that he could not completely dodge. He could only keep swinging the Heaven-Slaying Blade, the blade's light weaving into a black net, shattering all the approaching magma projectiles.

However, due to the sheer number of bullet comments, some still managed to break through the blade net and strike his Flame Beast Domain, causing ripples to spread across the domain.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Ling Xuan accelerated again, but the Lava Demon God's pursuit was like a leech clinging to a bone.

It suddenly bent down and slapped the surface of the magma sea with its giant hand, creating a magma wall that was 500,000 kilometers high and pushed it towards Ling Xuan.

The magma wall is like a moving volcano; wherever it passes, everything is melted, and even space is covered by magma, forming a "magma space".

Ling Xuan was greatly alarmed, knowing that once caught up with this wall of lava, even with the protection of the Flame Beast Domain and the Heavenly Palace, he would be instantly melted.

He decisively changed direction and flew towards the other side of the lava sea, trying to bypass the lava wall.

Just as he was about to bypass the lava wall, the giant hand of the Lava Demon suddenly reached out from the lava wall and grabbed at him.

This grab was completely unexpected, and Ling Xuan had no time to react. He could only hold the Heaven-Slaying Blade horizontally in front of him and unleash the full power of the Extreme Dao Laws.

"Bang!" The giant hand grabbed the Heaven-Slaying Blade. The extreme imperial might on the blade collided with the power of the giant hand, and the resulting shockwave shook the surrounding magma away.

Ling Xuan was pushed backward by the force of the giant hand, his divine body almost shattered, but he held on tightly to the Heaven-Slaying Blade and refused to let go.

"Open for me!" Ling Xuan roared, his divine power surging into the Heaven-Slaying Blade. The blade's light instantly surged, prying open a gap in the giant hand's fingers.

Using the gap, he darted out like an eel and continued to flee toward the cutting point.

However, the giant hand's palm wind still caught up with him, causing his domain to dim slightly and his divine body to be severely shaken.

Ling Xuan dared not linger and continued flying towards the sea of ​​lava—only by taking advantage of the chaos of the sea of ​​lava could he conceal his aura and escape the pursuit.

Just as he was about to plunge into the sea of ​​lava, the giant hand of the Lava Demon suddenly slammed down from the side, blocking his escape route at a tricky angle.

At the critical moment, Ling Xuan shrank the Flame Beast Heavenly Domain to its limit, transforming it into a thin layer of flames covering his body. He held the Heaven-Slaying Blade horizontally in front of him, and the Supreme Emperor's Might merged with the power of the Flame Beast Heavenly Domain to form a strange layer of black flames.

"Bang!" The giant hand slammed into the flames, shattering them instantly. Ling Xuan's arm went numb from the shock, but he used the recoil to dash into the sea of ​​lava like a meteor.

The temperature in the magma sea is extremely high, enough to melt even the most precious treasures. However, Ling Xuan is protected by the Flame Beast Heavenly Domain and the Mystic Ancient Set, and he is also a Quasi-Emperor, so he can withstand it for the time being.

He darted through the lava, constantly changing direction, trying to escape the Lava Demon's pursuit.

But the Lava Demon God did not give up. It also dived into the sea of ​​magma, its huge body churning in the water, forming countless magma vortexes, each containing power enough to tear apart the body of the Lord of the Universe.

Ling Xuan could sense that the surrounding magma was becoming increasingly chaotic, and the territory of the Flame Beast Heavenly Domain was being continuously eroded.

Ling Xuan was shocked. He swung the Heaven-Slaying Blade again, its blade light carrying the ultimate laws, slashing towards the giant hand.

"Boom!" The blade struck the giant hand, and the Lava Demon God, in pain, roared and the giant hand slammed down again.

Ling Xuan did not turn back and continued to flee out of the God-Slaying Abyss.

Ling Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. He poured all his divine power into the Heaven-Slaying Blade, unleashing his full quasi-emperor aura. The supreme imperial might flowed through the blade, and the black blade patterns moved like living things.

A black blade of light, stretching across the sky, slashed towards the pillar of light. Wherever the blade passed, space was torn open with a crack, and even the magma was frozen by the blade's intent.

"boom!"

The sound of the collision shook the God-Slaying Gorge. The beam of light was split in two by the blade's edge, whistling past Ling Xuan's sides and instantly turning the surrounding rocks into dust.

He decisively changed direction and flew towards the other side of the lava sea, trying to bypass the lava wall, while accelerating towards the Flame Lake—he could vaguely see the interplay of water and fire in the distance, which was the direction of the Flame Lake.

Just as he was about to bypass the lava wall, the giant hand of the Lava Demon suddenly reached out from the lava wall and grabbed at him.

This grab was completely unexpected, and Ling Xuan had no time to react. He could only hold the Heaven-Slaying Blade horizontally in front of him and unleash the full power of his Supreme Emperor Might.

"Bang!" The giant hand grabbed the Heaven-Slaying Blade. The extreme imperial might on the blade collided with the power of the giant hand, and the resulting shockwave shook the surrounding magma away.

Ling Xuan was pushed backward by the force of the giant hand, and the domain of the Flame Beast Heavenly Domain fluctuated violently.

Ling Xuan dared not linger and flew towards Flame Water Lake with all his might.

At this moment, he could clearly see the edge of Flame Lake.

The entire lake spans tens of millions of light-years, its waters bubbling with fine bubbles. Each bubble bursts with a low rumble, clearly indicating its terrifying weight. Above the lake, blue flames swirl, dancing in the darkness and emanating a chilling aura.

Further away, twelve enormous abysses floated above the lake. Six of the abysses continuously spewed out azure frozen lake fire, with silver lightning intertwined within the flames. The other abyss frantically devoured these fires, forming a bizarre cycle.

He could even see a region of space about three light-years in diameter frozen at the edge of the lake, which was the "cold wind belt" recorded in the data.

"This is it!" Ling Xuan was overjoyed and sped up to rush into the Flame Water Lake area.

As soon as he stepped into the lake area, he felt a terrifying gravity—the lake water under his feet was like solidified metal, each drop weighing more than a neutron star, and the Flame Beast Heavenly Domain shrank slightly under the pressure of gravity.

He dared not approach the lake water, and could only hover in mid-air, using the blue flames swirling on the lake surface to cover his figure.

The moment Ling Xuan stepped into the Flame Water Lake, the Lava Demon God behind him suddenly let out an angry yet fearful roar.

Ling Xuan looked back and saw the giant hand of the Lava Demon God stopped at the edge of the Flame Water Lake, letting out a deafening roar.

As expected, these terrifying creatures, feared even by the strongest beings in the universe, were indeed unable to leave the God-Slaying Abyss.

It roared by the lake for a long time, its huge body pacing back and forth at the boundary between the lava sea and the flame water lake. Its crimson eyes were fixed on Ling Xuan in the lake, but it never dared to cross the boundary.

Finally, it roared in resentment, turned and sank into the sea of ​​lava, leaving only the churning lava to tell of its anger. Ling Xuan's heart finally settled down, and he carefully avoided the lake water below.

As he scanned the lake area, he discovered that, apart from the cold wind belt at the edge, the spatial fluctuations in other areas were relatively active, clearly indicating that teleportation was possible.

He attempted to teleport, instantly appearing tens of thousands of kilometers away, avoiding a blast of frozen lake fire emanating from the abyss.

The moment the azure flame touched the space where he had been, the surrounding air froze instantly, and even the space itself cracked slightly—this was the Frozen Lake Thunderfire, capable of freezing the body of a god of the universe. If he hadn't reacted in time, his god body would probably have been damaged long ago.

He dared not linger, using teleportation to traverse the lake, avoiding the cold winds and the dissipating thunderfire, and flew towards the other side of the lake.

During the flight, a bolt of frozen lake fire suddenly fell from above. Ling Xuan decisively teleported to avoid it. The fire crashed into the lake water with a "sizzle," and the lake surface instantly froze into an ice layer with a diameter of millions of kilometers. The lake water beneath the ice layer also stopped flowing.

He was startled and became even more cautious in controlling his teleportation, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

"Hmph, I wonder if those guys are dead or not. If they're not, they'll all be in for a world of hurt." Ling was never a magnanimous person, and this time he almost lost two clones and even his ultimate imperial weapon. How could he not be furious?

……

Within the Ancestral God Mystic Realm, Ling Xuan was once again warmly recruited by the Ancestral God Sect. They not only presented him with a top-tier treasure-level three-pointed double-edged sword, but also made him the sect's guardian deity.

However, Ling Xuan's title of Protector of the Faith is different from that of the Lord of the Nine Netherworlds, who are completely of one mind with the Ancestral God Sect and can establish and guard a space-time within the Ancestral God Sect's Mystic Realm. Ling Xuan is merely a figurehead.

The key is to help the Ancestral God Cult when they need him.

Having read the original work thoroughly, Ling Xuan knew that the Ancestral God Cult would not target or oppose any particular ethnic group.

They usually take action when instructed by the original will of the primordial universe to eliminate those things that harm the primordial universe.

For example, the Lord of Yuan'ao, who brought strange objects into the primordial universe in later generations and was enslaved by the three strongest beings who surrendered to the World Beasts.

As early as when he was bestowed with innate secret techniques by the Primal Universe three times, Ling Xuan knew that he and his cheat were not things that would harm the Primal Universe. They were not unregistered entities, but things recognized by the supreme rules. Of course, he would accept the recruitment of the Ancestral God Sect.

Meanwhile, the transformation of the Nether Sea clone was nearing its limit, and Ling Xuan, without further hesitation, directly pushed his breakthrough to become a Universe Venerable, continuing to increase the area of ​​the Nether Sea.

He chose to break through by comprehending the laws of space. He wasn't in a hurry for the path of the Beast God. With more than 100,000 opportunities to comprehend it, he wasn't worried about fully comprehending the laws of fire and space fusion. He could take it slowly.

"Emperor Yan, what a fine name." Upon hearing the imperial title that Ling Xuan had given him, a look of satisfaction flashed in the eyes of the Void Mirror deity.

He has been in this universe for thousands of years. Thanks to the omnipotent virtual universe system of mankind and Ling Xuan's super privileges, he has a thorough understanding of all forces and cultivation systems.

Most powerful individuals, after reaching the level of a universe lord, or emperor, habitually refer to themselves as "Lord of So-and-so," but Ling Xuan takes a different approach.

In his view, the name "Emperor Yan" is a manifestation of Ling Xuan's gratitude for the legacy of the Void Emperor.

"Now that you have attained enlightenment, your combat power has surpassed that of the peak emperors of the past. It is time to go to that place."

"Are you referring to the Chaos Ruins?" Ling Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

Only a few thousand years had passed since the journey to the Chaos Abyss. At that time, the Void Mirror deity discovered the extraordinary nature of that place, which contained a mysterious and powerful void power that should not have appeared in the primordial universe.

At that time, Ling Xuan was merely a Domain Lord and a Great Saint, with low strength, and had no right to step inside and explore.

Now that you have attained enlightenment, you might as well give it a try.

"That's right." The Void Mirror Deity nodded slightly, his expression solemn. "I once sensed that a highly refined void power is hidden deep within the Ruins Abyss, its strength far surpassing that of a Great Emperor at his peak. If you can gain an opportunity from it, it will surely add a significant chapter to your subsequent cultivation path. Furthermore, you have already comprehended the laws of space, and by studying the Void Scripture, you have already embarked on the path to the Great Dao of the Origin of Space. Continuing to comprehend it will undoubtedly lead to a supreme path."

Upon hearing this, Ling Xuan pondered to himself.

The Great Dao of the Origin of Space is undoubtedly one of the most mysterious and powerful Daos in the universe.

Once one truly comprehends even a trace of the origin of space, one can step into the ranks of eternal true gods; if one can comprehend even a branch of it, one can attain the position of god-king.

Although I still have a long way to go before reaching that level, I cannot let this opportunity slip by.

“What you say is absolutely right, senior. However, I need to digest my recent insights first.” Ling Xuan’s lips curled up, revealing a confident smile.

After bidding farewell to the Void Mirror God, Ling Xuan went straight to the Beast God's Inheritance Site and received the Beast God's Inheritance once again.

Now that he no longer suppresses his insights, his progress in comprehending the Path of the Beast God is like a flood bursting its banks, surging and surging forward.

The Beast God Path, which had originally been stagnant at the third level, grew rapidly like seedlings that had been parched and then received timely rain, and leaped all the way to the fourth level.

After that, he frequently traveled to the land of inheritance, and each time he comprehended it, it was like having a soul conversation with the ancient beast god.

He then studied the Dao of the Beast God several more times, and only stopped temporarily after raising it to the fifth level.

He had originally wanted to see if any fifth-level alien inheritors would come to challenge him, but after spending half a day in the Glory World, every alien powerhouse who passed by him bowed respectfully, and not one of them wanted to try to crush the Lord of the Universe.

After completing his comprehension of the Path of the Beast God, Ling Xuan returned to his palace in the Ancestral God Sect with a slight sense of regret.

After a short rest, he used the teleportation array in the Divine Kingdom to leave the Ancestral God Sect and arrive at the Giant Axe Arena.

The Chaos Ruins are now considered an important place for humanity. It produces treasures and precious artifacts from time to time, and is rich in resources. There are also many dangerous places to train in. Currently, the second senior brother, Venerable Liefu, who came to support Ling Xuan in the last Chaos Ruins, is temporarily in charge.

Recently, after Ling Xuan "broke through" to become the Lord of the Universe, some voices have begun to emerge within the Giant Axe Arena, hoping that he will take charge and oversee the Chaos Ruins.

After all, the Axe Master was just a cosmic overlord, and his strength was not enough to deter alien races, especially since this was a border cosmic country within human territory.

Such an important place naturally had a special divine kingdom passage built for it. After arriving at the Giant Axe Arena, Ling Xuan had someone open this divine kingdom passage to send him there.

"Uncle-Master." When Ling Xuan teleported to the Giant Axe Arena branch of the Chaos Ruins, a clear and melodious voice, like jade striking jade, came from behind him. It was respectful in just the right amount, yet also contained a touch of familiar gentleness.

Ling Xuan turned around and his gaze fell on the person who had come in. It was his good junior nephew, Venerable Qian Yue.

She wore a silver-white gradient body armor, the lines of which were clean yet not stiff, perfectly conforming to her body shape.

The breastplate on the upper body has a rounded curve, which naturally lifts the bulging outline of the chest, without being too revealing, while clearly outlining the fullness.

A wide-brimmed waist armor of the same color was tied around her waist. The lower edge of the waist armor was slightly tapered inward, fitting perfectly at the narrowest part of her waistline. Below that was a battle skirt that covered the middle of her thighs. There were narrow slits on the side of the battle skirt, so that her long legs wrapped in black trousers could be vaguely seen when she walked. The lines were straight and well-proportioned.
Her silver ponytail was tied high at the back, with the ends hanging down, just brushing against her round and perky buttocks. With each movement, it swayed gently, making the firm and full shape of her peach-shaped buttocks even more obvious.

She stood there, her shoulders and back straight, her eyes and brows exuding an intellectual calm, yet the curves of her figure outlined by the armor revealed a unique tension characteristic of a mature woman.

(End of this chapter)