Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 2 The Candle Dragon's Secret Realm
Looking at the magnificent scene ahead, Ling Xuan felt a surge of pride and excitement.

In this life, I will surely make a name for myself in this boundless starry sky and conquer this vast universe.

Okay, conquering by clinging to someone's coattails also counts as conquering.

Passing through the dazzling starlight and swirling clouds, the spaceship landed steadily in front of a massive and ancient temple.

This ancient temple is built from massive stones that exude a rustic aura. The surface of the stones is covered with strange runes, as if telling the story of the vicissitudes of time.

At the main entrance of the temple, several huge stone pillars rise from the ground, their bodies carved with ancient ferocious beasts of various shapes, lifelike, as if they would break free of their restraints and roar to the sky at any moment.

The dome-shaped roof, with its mysterious metallic luster appearing and disappearing under the cosmic rays, adds to its solemnity and mystery.

A group of young people filed out of the spaceship's hatch and quickly formed a neat line.

The elder who led them strode forward, his gaze sharp as he surveyed each person, and said loudly, "Your trial will take place within 10,000 kilometers outside the Ancient God Temple, and will last for three days. Don't think that it's simple just to kill a third-tier planetary-level demonic beast. The dangers in this secret realm are far beyond your imagination, and it's not just limited to planetary-level demonic beasts."

His expression was solemn. He paused, then continued his lecture, “In wilderness combat, always be aware of your surroundings and utilize the terrain and resources. If you encounter a monster you cannot defeat, do not be reckless. Call for help through the virtual universe. But remember, once you call for help, you are eliminated and will have to wait until next year to complete your coming-of-age ceremony with the next generation. This is undoubtedly extremely shameful. However, nothing is more shameful than losing your life. Safety is always the top priority!”

After a brief pause, the burly man's tone softened slightly as he encouraged, "But I believe in you all; you are all promising talents of the ancient barbarian tribe. As long as you remain calm and focused, and give it your all, you will surely pass the trial smoothly. Go forth and prove your strength to the tribe!"

After saying this, the young people took a deep breath, filled with tension and anticipation, and strode out of the temple, heading into the depths of that mysterious realm full of unknowns and challenges.

Ling Xuan and his two twin sisters mingled in the crowd and quietly entered the dense forest.

An eerie tranquility permeated the area near the ancient temple.

The monsters living in the Candle Dragon Secret Realm may not know that humans are the pinnacle of the universe, but the survival laws of trillions of years have long been etched into their blood—every temple is an inviolable forbidden zone.

Therefore, traces of monsters are rarely seen here; only the occasional falling withered leaves and the slight sound of the wind break the silence.

"I've heard that treasures appear in every secret realm. I wonder what treasures will appear in the Candle Dragon Secret Realm?" Ling Xue's eyes lit up. Despite being in a secret realm, she couldn't hide her curiosity and excitement.

"Second brother, the Candle Dragon Secret Realm is extremely dangerous. Even the elders only allow us to move within a radius of tens of thousands of kilometers. Forget about treasures, the most important thing is to complete the mission."

The eldest sister, Ling Yue, frowned slightly, her tone steady, her eyes filled with worry and vigilance.

"I was just curious," Ling Xue pouted and mumbled in response.

Seeing that the two were about to start bickering again, Ling Xuan quickly smoothed things over: "Alright, my two beautiful and lovely sisters, let's take a break for a while."

After his persuasion, the two calmed down and focused their attention on the gloomy, dense forest around them.

As the three ventured deeper, the roars of beasts from afar grew deeper and more frequent, as if countless giant beasts were lurking in the shadows, waiting for their prey to approach.

"Be careful, we're getting closer to the edge of the Ancient Temple. We might encounter some powerful monsters." The eldest sister, Ling Yue, gripped her bone knife tightly. The blade gleamed coldly in the dim light. She scanned her surroundings warily, not missing a single unusual movement.

Ling Xue, the second sister, also swallowed hard, gripping her spear tightly. The two of them tacitly protected Ling Xuan in the middle.

Looking at his two older sisters' tense expressions and their guarded demeanor, Ling Xuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

The coming-of-age ceremony was the first real combat experience for the members of the Mangu tribe. Although the two older sisters were a few years older than him, they also had no experience fighting against real demons.

No matter how realistic the simulation in the virtual universe is, it cannot bring the suffocating tension and fear of facing a life-or-death crisis.

Ling Xuan gripped the three-pointed, double-edged sword tightly, its blade gleaming with a cold light.

Although Ling Xuan has not yet mastered the planetary-level secret technique, he can exert twelve times the power thanks to the secret technique he learned at the apprentice level.

The monsters in the Candle Dragon Secret Realm lack complete inheritances and rely solely on their physical talents in combat. Even those that reach the planetary level and possess intelligence can only exert 4-6 times their physical strength. Therefore, Ling Xuan's combat power is comparable to that of a second-tier planetary level monster.
However, he knew in his heart that he still had little chance of winning against an experienced third-tier planetary-level demon beast, and he could easily fall into a desperate situation if he was not careful.

After advancing several hundred kilometers, the roars of beasts were so loud they made my eardrums hurt, and the surrounding air seemed to be filled with a dangerous atmosphere.

Ling Yue stopped and suggested, "We're quite a distance from the Ancient God Temple now, and there are plenty of traces of demonic beasts around. Why don't we train here? Let's find a couple of demonic beasts to practice on first, and then look for planetary-level third-tier demonic beasts."

In this tense and oppressive atmosphere, even Ling Xue, who usually loved to bicker, nodded silently without arguing.

Holding detectors, the three men carefully made their way through the deep, dark jungle, where vines entwined everywhere.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the occasional beeping of the detector breaking the stillness and sounding an alarm for impending unknown dangers.

Ling Yue's eyes were sharp as she stared intently at the detector's screen, not missing a single subtle change.

Soon, several red dots flashed on the screen, revealing the tracks of several first and second-tier planetary-level monsters.

"Found it!" Ling Yue lowered her voice, her eyes revealing a hint of excitement and nervousness.

The three quickly exchanged glances, and relying on their rich combat experience accumulated in the virtual universe, they instantly and tacitly dispersed, each locking onto a monster and quietly approaching it.

Ling Yue moved with agility, like a cheetah in the dark. The beast bone knife in her hand gleamed with a cold light, and like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, she went straight for the vital points of the demon beast.

Sensing danger, the monster suddenly turned around, revealing its sharp fangs and letting out a series of roars.

Ling Yue, however, showed no fear. With flashing sword light, she engaged in a fierce battle with the demonic beast.

Ling Xue brandished her spear, let out a delicate shout, and charged toward her target with the force of a thunderbolt.

Each swing of the spear carried immense power, forcing the monster to retreat step by step.

The spear in her hand was like a nimble dragon, thrusting, parrying, and sweeping, making it impossible for the monsters to defend against.

Ling Xuan moved nimbly, using his small size to quickly move around the monsters.

The three-pointed double-edged sword in his hand flashed with a cold light, and he seized the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to the monster.

Warm blood splattered onto his face. He raised his hand to wipe it away, his eyes gleaming with excitement and determination.

Their combat experience in the virtual universe was put to full use in reality, allowing them to gradually find their rhythm in battle.

After a fierce battle, the three successfully killed their respective targets.

He was panting heavily, his body covered in the blood of demonic beasts, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

Ling Yue glanced around warily, held the bone knife horizontally in front of her chest, and said, "Don't let your guard down yet, the detector isn't ready..."

Before he could finish speaking, a slight tremor suddenly came from the ground beneath his feet, as if some heavy object was moving rapidly in the distance.

The three men instantly tensed up, gripping their weapons tightly and warily observing their surroundings.

However, the vibrations quickly disappeared, and there were no abnormal movements on the detector, so the three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"There's a difference between reality and the virtual universe," Ling Xue muttered. "If this were the virtual universe, we would have rushed up to investigate immediately. But in reality, we should be careful."

Devouring seedlings, seeking support

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(End of this chapter)