Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 191 The Stone of Memory
With a thought, Ling Xuan's armor transformed into a stream of light and automatically donned onto his body.

The shoulder armor fits snugly against the shoulders, the chest armor protects the torso, and the arm and leg armor precisely cover the key areas. There is no sense of restriction; instead, it exudes a comfortable feeling that perfectly matches the divine body.

The original name and core origin of the armor remain unclear, but the triple rune pattern contained within it has clearly emerged.

Each layer of the rune diagram consists of three levels, with a total of nine runes, all of which are attack-type runes.

Now that the recognition of his master is complete, he can comprehend these nine secret runes. With his talent, he quickly understood the first secret rune and was able to activate it.

A surge of violent energy flowed within the armor, causing his fighting aura to surge dramatically.

He tried to activate this power, and the dark crystals on the surface of the armor faintly lit up. A condensed energy blade shot out, so fast that it tore through the air and even caused a brief distortion in the surrounding spacetime.

Ling Xuan watched as the energy blade struck the distant rocks, instantly cleaving the several-kilometer-thick black rock in two. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "A basic rune with sixth-tier attack power, that's quite impressive."

Moreover, this armor has extremely strong defensive capabilities, completely immune to attacks below the ninth rank.

Physical attacks of rank nine and above will be reduced to one ten-thousandth, and soul attacks will be reduced to one percent.

After completing the test, he withdrew his power, activated the domain perception of "Azure Lake" once again, gripped his longsword, and walked deeper into the ruins to continue exploring more hidden opportunities.

He walked slowly along the edge of the circular ruins. The black rocks beneath his feet made no sound, except for the occasional faint rustling of air from the distant mist, which added to the eeriness of this deathly silent space.

As you go deeper, you see more and more architectural remains in the surrounding area. Broken stone pillars and fractured platforms are scattered everywhere. The stone pillars are also engraved with regular grooves, just like the wall patterns you saw earlier.

Ling Xuan noticed that the damage to these ruins was not due to natural weathering, but rather as if they had been forcibly destroyed by some kind of energy.

After walking for about half a month, a relatively intact giant stone wall appeared ahead.

This stone wall was taller than any of the walls seen before, and its surface was unusually smooth, clearly having been deliberately polished, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding dilapidated ruins.

Ling Xuan's heart stirred, and he quickened his pace to get closer. However, when he saw the surface of the stone wall, his brows furrowed slightly: the area in the center of the stone wall that should have been engraved with murals was now completely blank, as if it had been completely erased by a special means, without even leaving a trace of a line.

He reached out and touched the blank spot on the stone wall, feeling a cold, hard sensation on his fingertips, just like the rest of the stone wall.

“Strange, although the other murals are worn, their general content is still visible. Only the murals on this wall have been deliberately erased…” Ling Xuan walked around the stone wall and carefully examined every corner. He found that there were still a few small grooves on the edge of the stone wall that had not been completely removed. The direction of these grooves was very similar to the style of the lines of the previous murals, which were obviously left when the murals were painted.

To be able to completely "erasure" something inside a treasure of the cosmic level like the Spaceship, looking across the entire cosmic sea, perhaps only the original will of the universe has such an ability.

Ling Xuan wondered to himself, "Could it be that these murals hold secrets about the Origin Continent?"

After all, this place was originally the resting place of the powerful beings of the cosmic ship. Logically, there should be countless remains of Void True Gods. But now, looking around, there are only empty ruins and deathly silence, without even a trace of bones.

The answer is then obvious.

It must have been the original will of the primordial universe that hid the corpses of those void gods, but no one knows where they are hidden.

He couldn't help but mutter to himself: This primordial will of the universe is like a little hamster hoarding treasures. The more precious and powerful something is, the deeper it is hidden, and it is unwilling to easily reveal even the slightest clue.

Don't let me find it!
Suppressing the surging speculations in his heart, Ling Xuan gripped the long sword in his hand and once again activated the "Azure Lake" domain to explore. A pale blue light membrane flowed around him as he walked deeper into the ruins.

"It's a pity. A burial ground is ultimately a place of rest. Who would bring their legacy into the grave?" Ling Xuan shook his head slightly, his tone tinged with disappointment.

Thinking back to the mural whose information had been deliberately erased, I am even more certain that there is no legacy left here.

If even the content of the murals is to be completely erased, how could a cultivation secret method that allows someone to break through be left behind?

"If only my tomb ship were the one from Duan Donghe, then I could truly rise to the top in one step and achieve complete success."

He couldn't help but fantasize, his mind filled with images of the precious raw materials from the Duan Donghe inheritance, and his heart began to race. "Maybe among them is a raw material for a three-pointed double-edged sword that's perfect for me..."

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he forcibly suppressed it.

Daydreaming is useless; we still have to rely on the exploration in front of us.

With this complex mix of disappointment and anticipation, Ling Xuan stepped into the depths of the ruins.

The silence around him grew even deeper, and even the sound of his footsteps was swallowed up in the void. Only the faint sound of the light membrane of "Canglan Lake" flowing reminded him that he was still moving forward.

More and more dilapidated buildings appeared along the way, broken stone pillars were stuck diagonally in the black rocks, and collapsed platforms were covered with millions of years of dust. However, after searching, there was nothing of value except broken stones.

Disappointment slowly rose like a tide, and Ling Xuan's steps slowed down, but he did not give up.

It was a great difficulty to finally enter the tomb, which is the resting place of countless beings above the Void God level.

Just as he passed through a narrow passage, the "Azure Lake" light membrane around him suddenly trembled violently, and a faint but unusual energy fluctuation came from the end of the passage.

Ling Xuan instantly perked up, gripped his longsword tightly, and strode forward.

At the end of the passage, embedded in the wall, is a smooth, black pebble, its surface as smooth as a mirror, gleaming with a faint, eerie light.

He reached out and gently touched it, and found it to be warm to the touch. A strange resonance traveled from his fingertips into his mind, as if the stone was whispering to his soul.

"This is... the Stone of Memory?" Ling Xuan's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart was filled with shock.

The Stone of Memory, also known as the Stone of Inheritance, contains a special spatial structure. It can store not only the memories of a super strong person, but also the entire inheritance of a civilization.

He suppressed his excitement and carefully channeled his divine sense into the Memory Stone.

The next second, countless pieces of information flooded into my mind like a burst dam.

The first thing that emerged was an extremely comprehensive cultivation guide, from consolidating the foundation of the Lord of the Universe, to the key insights to break through to the strongest in the universe, and then to the guidance to reach the limit of the strongest in the universe. The key points, pitfalls, and even the secret methods of creating medicine shops at each stage were explained in great detail.

Ling Xuan's breathing became rapid, his eyes filled with ecstasy.

What humanity lacks now is this kind of inheritance: guidance on cultivating to become the strongest being in the universe, and guidance on reaching the limits of that strongest being.

Adding more wouldn't make a difference, because that thing is practically invisible now.

Ling Xuan continued browsing the contents of the Memory Stone.

Immediately afterwards, a secret technique for burning divine power called "Burning God" came to mind.

This is a special secret technique similar to his original innate secret technique, "Flame Burst." This technique can burn divine power with extremely high efficiency and utilization, and can completely enhance one's combat power by one level.

However, the level of this "Burning God" should not be very high, only one level, at most it can be used up to the level of Eternal True God.

In addition, there are several secret techniques that can only be cultivated by True Gods and above. Although they are not top-tier secret techniques, they each have their own unique uses.

However, when he tried to explore the cultivation path of those stronger than the strongest in the universe, the information in front of him suddenly stopped, leaving only a blank space, as if he were completely isolated by an invisible barrier.

"As expected, before the calamity of the Beast Realm manifests, the little hamster will absolutely not allow anything above the True God level to appear," Ling Xuan said with a smile.

Just as they were about to continue forward, news came from the territory of Canglan Lake that they had reached the end.

Unwilling to give up, Ling Xuan followed the passage to its end. He tried countless times on the wall but still couldn't find anything, so he had no choice but to give up and start to return.

"With this Memory Stone, I'm afraid the number of the strongest beings in the human universe will explode." Back on the Tomb Ship, Ling Xuan activated the treasure again to return.

The Lord of Xuangu's intuition was correct; the token was indeed related to an ancient civilization.

However, he doesn't plan to announce this good news for the time being, since that good-for-nothing Cao Benqi hasn't betrayed him yet.

Even if I can't kill this good-for-nothing, I'll wait until he leaves the human race before sharing this treasure. Otherwise, if Cao Benqi breaks through to become the strongest in the universe with my help, I'll be disgusted to death.

……

A few hundred years pass in the blink of an eye, which on a cosmic scale is but a moment when a speck of dust brushes past a star.

At this moment, within a secret cosmic realm shrouded in chaotic mist, the deathly silence is being shattered by three immense auras powerful enough to tear apart galaxies.

The sky above the secret realm was dark purple, with flowing patterns of light like solidified magma. The ground was made of black rock veins with a metallic sheen, and every line was engraved with the lingering charm of an ancient restriction. The three groups of people were firmly locked in a triangular formation on the stone platform in the center of the ruins that emitted a faint light. Their killing intent collided with each other as if it were a tangible thing, causing fine cracks to appear in the surrounding space.

The human faction was located on the east side, with Cao Benqi and the master and disciple of Lanzang standing side by side.

The demon clan camp on the west side was even more imposing.

A terrifying behemoth, as imposing as an ancient mountain, stood in place, its entire body covered in dark golden scales. Faint purple mist seeped from the gaps in the scales, and with each breath, it caused visible ripples in the surrounding air.

Not far away, a strange bird made entirely of gray bones hovered in mid-air. Each bone feather gleamed like a sharp blade, and eerie green soul fire flickered in its eye sockets. Its sharp beak opened and closed from time to time, emitting a soul-shaking fluctuation that made one's heart tremble.

The most unsettling is the Prison Clan camp on the south side.

The one on the left is a rock-type life form, its body composed of dark brown crystals, its surface covered with cracks like those of cooled lava, from which flowed dark red liquid, exuding an aura of decay and heat. Its right hand has transformed into a giant stone axe, the blade still bearing traces of lingering blood light—clearly a powerful being who rose from countless killings.

On the right is a flesh-and-blood being, tall and thin, with deathly gray skin, its entire body wrapped in black chains, the ends of which are inlaid with magic crystals that shimmer with red light. With each sway of the chains, a faint wailing of souls can be heard. Its eyes are two bottomless black holes, exuding pure malice.

The energy fluctuations around the two were extremely violent, consistent with the Prison Clan's law of condoning slaughter and selecting the strong.

"Lord of Lanzang, you humans certainly know how to choose your timing! The restrictions on this secret realm are almost broken before you show yourself. Do you really think my demon race is easy to bully?" The giant demon beast on the west side spoke first, its voice echoing like a deep drumbeat throughout the secret realm, its gaze fixed on Lord of Lanzang. "This treasure was discovered first by my demon race, and it rightfully belongs to my demon race!"

Before Lord Lanzang could respond, Cao Benqi beside him spoke coldly: "The demon race has always acted arrogantly. Just because you arrived first, you think you can monopolize the opportunity? I doubt you even have the ability to protect the treasure."

"Lord of the Ink Tablet, Lord of Mengwan, stop with your empty words. This treasure should belong to the capable." Lord of Lanzang replied calmly, his hands still behind his back beneath his blue robe, his mind as calm as a still well in the face of the demon race's provocation.

Cao Benqi nodded repeatedly, his gaze burning as he stared intently at the faintly shimmering aura of the supreme treasure within the restriction.

He thought to himself: The light of this restriction is getting dimmer and dimmer, and it is obviously about to fail. Once that layer of light completely dissipates, the three parties will definitely launch a thunderous attack in an instant.

Since it is a matter of the capable, one may well be able to take possession of the treasure based on one's own strength.

Just then, the prison clan camp on the south side suddenly made a move.

The flesh-and-blood creature shook the chains binding it, and the faint wails of its souls suddenly amplified, its voice chilling and piercing: "The demon race and the human race are arguing back and forth, but they've forgotten about us? Shi Sha, do you think these two humans are taking themselves too seriously?"

The rock-like life form known as "Stone Fiend" slowly raised its giant stone axe, dark red liquid dripping down the blade and leaving burn marks on the black rock veins: "Blood Chain, haven't humans and demons always been like this? They're used to being domineering."

His gaze fell on Cao Benqi, filled with undisguised mockery. "I've long heard that the human race produced two unparalleled geniuses tens of millions of epochs ago, who advanced to the level of Universe Lords in just a few hundred epochs. You must be the Lord of the Blazing Sun, right?"

"Hehe." Cao Benqi's lips curled into a smug smile, feeling extremely pleased.

Unexpectedly, his reputation had already reached the ears of the Prison Clan, and even his enemies would mention him. This was proof of his strength.

He raised his halberd and pointed it directly at Shi Sha, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance: "Since you know my name, why don't you retreat now, lest you lose your life?"

The Lord of Stone Fiends was taken aback at first, then sneered, the dark red liquid flowing faster in the crack: "You think you can scare me with just a name? Heh, I didn't expect the famous Lord of Blazing Sun to be like this. It seems you are far inferior to that Flame Emperor Ling Xuan."

The Lord of Blood Chains beside him also sneered, the chains rattling: "Shi Sha is right. I have roamed the universe for many years and have never seen such an impatient Lord of the universe."

"You're asking for death!" These words were like a spark igniting a powder keg, and Cao Benqi's anger erupted instantly.

He hates it most when people compare him to Ling Xuan, and he can't stand being told that he is "not as good as Ling Xuan".

Before he finished speaking, his divine power surged suddenly, and he swept out the Flame God Halberd in his hand. The raging flames surged out from the halberd and turned into a raging sea of ​​fire that swept towards the Stone Fiend Lord and the Blood Chain Lord. The scorching aura instantly distorted the surrounding chaotic mist.

"Hahaha, with such a poor character, how dare you compare yourself to Emperor Yan?" Upon seeing this, the Lord of Stone Fiend and the Lord of Blood Chain laughed triumphantly, clearly having anticipated his impulsive attack. The black chains around the Lord of Blood Chain were already taut, and the red magic crystals shimmered with a dangerous light.

Just as the sea of ​​fire was about to collide with the prison clan's camp, a pale blue light wall suddenly blocked Cao Benqi's path.

The light wall, though seemingly thin, managed to stop the raging sea of ​​fire. The flames rolled and burned on the surface of the light wall, unable to advance an inch.

"Nonsense!" The Lord of Lancang's voice carried a hint of sternness, though he remained standing, pointing his right hand at the wall of light, runes flashing at his fingertips. "Calm down!"

Cao Benqi's offensive was forcibly interrupted, and his anger was hard to quell. He turned to look at the Lord of Lan Cang, his tone filled with resentment: "Teacher! They insulted me, saying I am inferior to Ling Xuan. How can I tolerate this?"

Lord Lancang slowly withdrew his finger, his gaze falling on Cao Benqi's face, filled with obvious disappointment.

He sighed inwardly: Cao Benqi's talent was indeed outstanding; he had advanced to the level of a Universe Lord in just a few hundred epochs, making him a true prodigy of the human race. But his temperament was so impetuous; he was easily provoked by words and couldn't even manage the most basic self-control.

On the battlefield of the Lord of the Universe, victory or defeat often hinges on a single thought. If I hadn't stopped him today, he would probably have already fallen into the trap of the Prison Clan.

No wonder the founder of Giant Axe often said that those with unstable minds, even if they have talent, will find it difficult to achieve great things.

(End of this chapter)