Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 189 The Tomb Ship
Deep within the Zerg territory, there stands a purple palace.

The dome was adorned with luminous starlight, and soft purple light filtered through the gossamer-thin veils, illuminating the dark purple velvet carpet inside the hall. A faint, sweet fragrance filled the air.

On the high platform in the center of the hall, the Lord of Purple Iris leaned against a soft couch inlaid with seven colors, her posture languid yet unable to conceal her dignified and noble aura.

She wore a deep purple off-shoulder dress with a slit that reached her upper thigh. One of her fair and slender left legs was crossed over her right, forming an elegant arc. The skirt slipped down slightly with her movements, vaguely revealing the mysterious white fabric embroidered with dark patterns on the inside of her thigh. Her skin shone with a delicate luster under the purple light.

Her full breasts were outlined by the long dress, creating a full curve. A belt inlaid with pearls was tied around her waist, making her slender waist appear even more delicate. The belt and her round, perky buttocks formed an alluring curve. Every subtle movement exuded a natural charm.

"You mean, the human race has produced another genius who has conquered the Primordial Tongtian Mountain, a cosmic-level peak?" The voice of the Purple Iris Lord was slightly languid and hoarse, yet it exuded an undeniable majesty.

She held a piece of lustrous white jade between her fingers, turning it gently as her gaze fell on the Zerg general bowing and reporting below. Her eyes conveyed both the gentleness of a woman and the sharpness of a ruler.

An immortal human knelt on one knee, his head bowed low, his voice respectful and steady: "Reporting to the Lord of Purple Iris, it is indeed so. This person is named Meng Yan, a personal disciple of Emperor Yan. According to intelligence, he crossed the cosmic-level Primordial Tongtian Mountain in just one thousand years, setting a record as the strongest genius of the human race in nearly ten million epochs. He now enjoys extremely high prestige among the human race."

Upon hearing this, the Lord of Purple Iris gently swayed her left leg, which was resting on her right leg. The silver bells at her ankle made a soft tinkling sound, and her skirt slipped down a little more with the movement, revealing more of her fair skin with a delicate luster.

She slightly raised her eyes, and as her gaze shifted, the playfulness from before faded slightly, replaced by a hint of barely perceptible coldness: "Emperor Yan's disciple? How interesting. It's a pity that my sister has already given orders that we should not provoke the human race again in the near future, so we can't get rid of this little fellow."

Below, as a Zerg soul servant, it was currently lying prostrate on the carpet, its head pressed tightly against the ground, not even daring to look up at the Lord of the Purple Iris.

Hearing this, he hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but speak in a trembling voice, "Great...Great Lord, I don't know why you say this? This Meng Yan is a rising star of the human race. If we can eliminate him as soon as possible, it will definitely weaken the future fighting power of the human race, which will be of great benefit to our insect race..."

He was so focused on the Zerg that he didn't notice the air inside the hall had quietly solidified.

"Oh?" The voice of the Purple Iris Lord suddenly turned cold, the shimmering white jade stone spinning on her fingertips abruptly stopped, and the elegant aura around her was instantly replaced by a chilling pressure.

She sat up slightly, her full breasts appearing even more prominent beneath her off-shoulder dress. Her previously languid gaze was now icy, fixed intently on the human immortal on the ground. "My sister is the supreme leader of the Zerg, and her decisions naturally have profound meanings. We only need to obediently follow her. What? You dare to question my sister's wisdom?"

Before the words were even finished, a terrifying pressure, as if it were a tangible force, crushed down on the immortal human.

He felt a tightness in his throat, as if an invisible hand was gripping his neck, making it difficult to breathe. His bones creaked, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his clothes.

He struggled to lift his head, his face filled with terror and humility, his lips trembling, unable to utter a complete sentence: "My...my lord, please forgive me! I...I dare not! I was just...just momentarily confused, I had no intention of questioning Her Majesty the Queen! Please, my lord, spare my life!"

Seeing how terrified he was, the coldness in the eyes of the Lord of Purple Iris faded slightly, and her oppressive aura also weakened a bit.

She leaned back on the soft couch, her left leg still crossed over her right. Her tone had returned to a slightly languid one, but still carried a hint of impatience: "Hmph, really, it would be beneath me to argue with a soul servant like you. Get out of here, don't get in my way."

"Yes! Yes! Your subordinate takes his leave!" The human immortal felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He hurriedly pressed his head back to the ground, not daring to even get up. He retreated on the carpet in an extremely humble and ugly posture, like an insect.

He moved with extreme caution, afraid that even the slightest breeze from his robes might displease his lord. Only after exiting the palace and confirming that the oppressive aura had completely dissipated did he dare to stagger to his feet and leave.

The palace returned to silence, with only the gauze curtains swaying gently in the breeze.

The Queen of Purple Iris raised her eyes, her gaze passing through the star crystal on the palace ceiling, looking towards the star field deep within the Zerg territory that symbolized the Queen's authority. Her tone carried a hint of helplessness: "Sister, sister, why has your attitude towards humans suddenly changed so drastically?"

She has always advocated uniting the demon race and the machine race to suppress the human race, which is now thriving, constantly expanding its territory, and whose ambitions are rapidly growing—after all, the human race's rise is too fast and has already threatened the insect race's position in the primitive universe.

But she knew even better that the Zerg Queen was able to become the strongest being in the universe in the early days of the primordial universe, transforming a small, enslaved race that had almost become playthings of the major races into the powerful race that now dominates the cosmic sea. Her wisdom and foresight were far beyond what she could match.

The Zerg have never been a "dominant race" like humans.

Humanity has remained a top race in all three cycles of reincarnation, but the powerful races in the current cosmic sea, such as the Divine Eye Race and the Skeleton Race, either never existed in the second and third cycles or were eliminated early on. Even the three insect races that competed with humanity in the primordial universe were nowhere to be found in the first and second cycles, or could only survive as vassals.

Only they, the Zerg, under the Queen's leadership, have gradually made it to where they are today.

Thinking of this, the helplessness in the eyes of the Purple Iris Queen was gradually replaced by awe, and she murmured, "Never mind, my sister has her own reasons."

……

Inside the Giant Axe Secret Realm, Meng Yan had been diligently cultivating ever since he received the request from the Flame Emperor to be accepted as a personal disciple.

He only emerged from seclusion after receiving orders from the higher-ups of the Giant Axe Arena to take up the post of Inspector in the Azure Peak Universe Kingdom.

It should be noted that the fact that he was allowed to continue cultivating at headquarters for over a hundred years was already a favor from the higher-ups, considering that he was Emperor Yan's disciple. The normal procedure should have been to release him after confirming that he had reached the peak of the Domain Lord level.

A hundred years is enough time for a genius to prepare everything and set off. Even if it is an assassination attempt by an alien race, they probably wouldn't dare to make a move at the Giant Axe Arena branch of the Qingfeng Universe Kingdom.

Not only are there three marquis-level branch ministers there, but the Qingfeng Universe Kingdom, as the universe kingdom to which the Giant Axe Arena belongs, also has its ruler who can provide support at any time.

Knowing that Meng Yan would face relentless assassination attempts from the three races once he left the Giant Axe Secret Realm, King Cang Yan had already arranged for a Marquis-level disciple to serve as Meng Yan's bodyguard captain.

……

At the core of the spaceship, a sea of ​​fire filled the sky like a boiling ocean of magma. The crimson flames, carrying temperatures high enough to melt even the most precious treasures in the universe, rolled and surged in the void, scorching and distorting space itself, causing ripples to spread across it.

A fiery red energy figure sped through the sea of ​​fire, surrounded by a faint aura of chaos. Wherever it passed, the endless sea of ​​fire seemed to be cleaved open by an invisible blade, automatically retreating to both sides to reveal an unobstructed path.

With a flash, Zhou Heng's clone rushed out of the sea of ​​fire that would deter even the Lord of the Universe, and landed steadily on a floating black rock.

As soon as he regained his footing, Ling Xuan raised his hand and took out a pure white token. The token was emitting a dazzling white light, with complex patterns faintly appearing in the light, creating a subtle resonance with the space in the distance.

"We've finally arrived." Ling Xuan looked at the radiant token in his hand, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes.

This token was left behind by the Lord of Xuangu before his death, and it contains a clue to the inheritance of an ancient civilization. The Lord of Xuangu spent his entire life searching for the secret to breaking through the cycle of reincarnation, and before his death, he left a record stating that this ancient civilization might hold the key to breaking through the cycle of reincarnation.

Unfortunately, the Lord of Xuan Gu was ultimately just one step short of achieving his full potential.

Those dangerous places where clues were hidden were either filled with spatial rifts that could tear apart a god's body, or were inhabited by terrifying creatures whose strength far exceeded that of ordinary universe masters. He exhausted all his strength but still could not completely overcome them. In the end, he failed to break through to become the strongest in the universe before the cycle of the universe. He could only place this hope in the token.

But now, this opportunity has fallen into Ling Xuan's hands.

The accumulation of countless epochs has made his strength far surpass that of the Xuan Gu Lord of yesteryear. His Great Emperor Divine Body, with its thousand-fold genetic strength, is like immortal divine iron, and its defensive strength even exceeds that of many of the strongest beings in the universe.

Those dangerous places that even the ancient lords hesitated to tread were merely stepping stones to his goal. He overcame all obstacles and finally arrived at the destination guided by the token.

Ling Xuan looked up and his pupils contracted slightly. In the center of the void shrouded in endless darkness, a huge dark gold ship was quietly floating.

Preliminary visual estimates suggest that this ship has already traveled billions of kilometers.

The ship was dark gold in color, and its hull was covered with traces of the erosion of time. Countless mysterious runes were engraved on the ship's walls. Although they had lost their luster, one could still feel the terrifying power contained within them.

What confirmed Ling Xuan's goal even more was that the token in his hand shone even brighter, forming an invisible pillar of light with the direction of the Tomb Ship. Clearly, this token was the key that guided him to the Tomb Ship.

The surrounding void was eerily calm, with no flames or spatial rifts, yet it made one dare not relax for a moment.

The safer a place seems, the more deadly the danger it often hides.

Moreover, the human race currently has very few records of the Tomb Ship. It can be said that apart from the two holy lands, the other forces in the Cosmic Sea know very little about the Tomb Ship.

Ling Xuan took a deep breath, gripped the token tightly, and his chaotic energy surged again, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.

He took a step forward, his figure flying towards the Tomb Ship like an arrow released from a bow, his heart filled with anticipation and vigilance: "The inheritance that the Lord of the Ancient Era could not reach, the secret to transcending reincarnation, may lie within this Tomb Ship..."

Ling Xuan instantly arrived beside the Tomb Ship, the light of the token in his hand surging like a tidal wave, almost engulfing his entire body.

As Ling Xuan approached with the token in his hand, the beams of light connecting the two grew increasingly intense.

In an instant, the entire tomb ship trembled violently. The dim and mysterious runes on the ship's walls seemed to be infused with a vibrant power, and began to shimmer with a ghostly blue light. The runes intertwined and flowed, forming complex and ancient patterns.

With a low rumble, the hatch of the Tomb Ship slowly opened.

Behind the hatch was a long corridor, filled with a thin layer of silver mist, within which tiny sparkles of light, like countless fragments of stars suspended in the air.

Ling Xuan carefully stepped into the passage, taking each step with extreme caution, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily.

The walls of the passage were covered with strange reliefs, depicting ancient war scenes, enormous cosmic beasts battling in the void, and beams of energy crisscrossing each other.

Following the passage, they soon arrived at an incredibly vast open space—it was like a central hall hundreds of millions of kilometers wide, with a smooth, mirror-like floor that clearly reflected Ling Xuan's figure, as if he were standing on a deep, black lake.

At the edge of the venue, ten passageways, each emitting a different faint light, extend like a spider web: the blue is soft, the red is fiery, the purple is mysterious... each one exudes an aura of the unknown.

Ling Xuan did not make a hasty choice, but instead followed the faint energy fluctuations in the void and walked towards the tallest archway in the depths of the hall—the archway was engraved with runes of the same origin as the token, clearly indicating the direction leading to the core area.

Passing through the archway, a wider corridor appears before you, at the end of which is a tightly closed metal door, inlaid with countless tiny crystals forming a totem related to the control room.

Ling Xuan took out the token again and affixed it to the center of the metal door. The token's light resonated with the crystal on the door, and the door slowly slid open to the sides, revealing the control room inside.

The control room was filled with complex instruments, and countless blue-glowing energy lines weaved between the devices. In the center was a circular control console with three huge screens floating above it. The screens were completely black, clearly indicating that they had been dormant for hundreds of millions of years.

"I never expected to be so lucky, finding the control room of this Tomb Ship so easily," Ling Xuan couldn't help but exclaim.

Walking to the control panel, his gaze swept over the textured control buttons, and he knew in his heart: to operate the Tomb Ship, he must first try to obtain operating permissions for the device.

He didn't touch the button rashly, but instead first probed the control panel with his divine sense—this was the safest way to explore ancient equipment.

But as soon as his divine sense touched the control panel, it was bounced back by an invisible barrier without any response.

Ling Xuan was not giving up and tried to inject divine power into the energy interface of the control panel in an attempt to activate the device core, but the divine power was like flowing into a bottomless abyss, and there was still no response.

The core mechanism of this tomb ship has long been locked, making it impossible to obtain access through recognizing a master or imprinting a life mark. The protection left by the ancient civilization is far more stringent than he imagined.

Just as Ling Xuan was pondering a solution, the token he was holding suddenly shone brightly again, and a pale white beam of light shot out from the top of the token, landing precisely on the central display screen.

The next second, the pitch-black screen lit up instantly, and countless data streams rolled rapidly on the screen, eventually converging into a route map shimmering with golden light—the route was winding and pointed to a coordinate in the depths of the cosmic sea that had never been marked before.

At the same time, several pale blue indicator lights lit up on the control panel. Ling Xuan tried pressing one of the buttons that was emitting a green light, and the Tomb Ship began to vibrate slowly, obviously having been activated by him.

To his surprise, although he could not obtain full access or claim a master, he was able to barely control the tomb ship to execute basic navigation commands with the guidance of the token.

Ling Xuan stared at the route map on the screen, a determined look flashing in his eyes: "This must be a guide left by a powerful Wu Kingdom warrior who perished on a spaceship. Whatever lies ahead, it is worth exploring."

Guided once again by the token, the button on the control panel was pressed, and the Tomb Ship slowly departed from the core of the spaceship. The ship cut through the void, leaving a long silver trail behind it, and headed towards the unknown coordinates.

(End of this chapter)