Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 204 Testing each other
"Consider?" The Dream Demon Ancestor's serpent head suddenly shot forward, its serpentine shadow carrying a sharp, oppressive aura. "Does Your Majesty intend to stand idly by? If my demon race is destroyed by humans, the next to follow will be the insectoid race!"

"Dream Demon Ancestor, please calm down." The Zerg Queen's voice remained calm, and a pale purple mist gently spread. "It's not that I'm unwilling to advance or retreat together, but we need to clarify the boundaries of 'support'—is it merely sending a warning, or is it necessary for a supreme being to personally come to our aid? If it's just a warning, the Zerg can agree immediately; if it requires personal aid, we need to discuss it further."

"Your Majesty, do you really think that the giant rock of the Golden Wall Lord can withstand the Heavenly Eye of the Flame Emperor?" The Dream Demon Ancestor's expression was extremely ugly. "You must know that even my Dream Scale Armor cannot completely withstand the attack of the Heavenly Eye. That is the power that surpasses the strongest beings in the universe, the power that is destined to surpass reincarnation. That giant rock can defy the heavens for a time with its innate secret techniques, but can it defy the heavens forever?"

There were no other witnesses to the battle between the Divine Eye Clan and the Xuan Gu clone.

The Divine Eye Clan, having been brutally beaten, naturally wouldn't publicize it everywhere. The Zerg Queen, however, had other plans and strictly forbade the Lord of Bilong to reveal it to outsiders. Therefore, the Dream Demon Ancestor and the others were unaware of the terrifying combat power and talent of the Xuan Gu clone.

"Dream Tea, you know that's power that surpasses the strongest beings in the universe, power that is destined to transcend reincarnation. If that's the case, how dare you drag my Zerg race to be enemies with humans? Are you out of your mind or do you think I'm stupid?" The Zerg Queen didn't tolerate it at all and retorted directly.

"Does the Zerg really intend to give up the territory they currently occupy?" The Machine God asked with some doubt, reminding him, "Don't forget, our four races occupy the most core region of the primordial universe. Humanity will never let the Zerg go."

"That's why I said we need to plan for the long term. We shouldn't keep fighting against humans and making enemies. Emperor Yan will eventually get through the cycle of reincarnation, and this era of reincarnation will end sooner or later. At that time, you and I will both be adventuring in the cosmic sea. I don't want to face Emperor Yan's endless pursuit," said the Zerg Queen.

The metallic patterns on the black sphere darkened slightly, and the voice of the Mechanical Father God carried a hint of helplessness: "The situation is urgent now. It's better to start with 'intelligence sharing + emergency communication support' than to be completely unprepared. Once the situation becomes clearer, we can discuss the matter of a supreme expert personally providing assistance, shall we?"

"I'm fine." The serpentine shadow of the Dream Demon Ancestor subsided somewhat, and a hint of weighing appeared in its serpentine eyes. "At least we should find out the movements of the strongest human beings first, so as not to be passively attacked."

The Zerg Queen's figure swayed slightly, and her voice from within the light mist softened: "In that case, the Zerg can agree to intelligence sharing and emergency communication support. However, if we want to deepen our 'mutual support' in the future, we will need to discuss it further."

As soon as she finished speaking, her thoughts did not immediately dissipate; instead, they lingered for a moment, as if confirming the attitudes of the other two parties.

“Alright! Let’s make these two points our alliance for now.” The black sphere pattern of the Machine God’s father god lit up. “Our race will immediately integrate the existing intelligence on humanity and pass it on to you two later.”

"My demon race will also access human data and share it with us," the Dream Demon Ancestor added.

The Zerg Queen nodded slightly, and the pale purple mist gradually became transparent: "The Zerg intelligence will be released in a timely manner after it is compiled."

After saying that, her thoughts completely withdrew from this desolate star field, and her phantom image dissipated among the meteorite cluster.

The serpent head of the Dream Demon Ancestor gazed in the direction where the Empress had disappeared, its serpent shadow twitching slightly: "This woman still left herself an escape route; I'm afraid she wasn't truly committed to forming an alliance."

"Being able to share intelligence and communicate urgently is already the first step." The black sphere of the Machine God slowly rotated. "At least in the future, we will no longer be completely unaware of the movements of the strongest human beings. Next, we only need to keep a close eye on Ling Xuan and the Giant Axe and wait for the Zerg's intelligence to be synchronized."

As soon as the words were spoken, the black sphere and the serpent head phantom faded simultaneously, eventually disappearing completely into the desolate star field.

The meteorite in the void continued to float, as if the three peak-level thoughts had never descended.

But everyone knows that this conversation has already planted new seeds in the inter-species struggles of the primordial universe.

Inside the Queen's Palace, which is speeding towards the primordial universe, the crystal-like dome reflects the starlight, and the primordial divine crystal suspended in the center emits a warm glow.

Xuan Gu's clone sat cross-legged amidst the crystal light, the divine patterns on his body flickering with the flow of energy as he absorbed the essence of the divine crystal to restore his divine body.

The Zerg Queen stood quietly to one side, her figure perfectly outlined in a tight-fitting silver-purple battle dress.

Her full breasts swelled into an alluring cleavage beneath the battle skirt, rising and falling gently with her breath. The skirt barely covered her upper thighs, revealing a pair of straight, slender, and fair legs, her skin gleaming delicately in the light. Her waist was as slender as a willow branch, which accentuated her pert hips. With each slight turn, the battle skirt clung tightly to her hip curves, outlining a breathtaking arc.

Her butterfly-like transparent wings fluttered occasionally, stirring up tiny particles of light that landed on her bare shoulders, neck, and legs, adding to her allure.

She suddenly chuckled, breaking the silence in the hall: "Xuan Gu, that old fellow from the Mechanical Race is quite impatient. The other day, he secretly contacted me and the Dream Demon Ancestor of the Demon Race through telepathy, actually wanting to discuss forming an alliance to fight against humans."

Xuan Gu's clone slowly opened his eyes, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit, his tone full of eagerness: "Oh? An alliance with the demon race and the mechanical race? That's a good idea. The human race is currently at its peak. If our three races can join forces, we might be able to contend with them. If we really go to war, then I'll deal with Emperor Yan Lingxuan. I'll make sure he tastes my methods."

"You, bringing up war again." The Zerg Queen shook her head helplessly, her fingertips tracing the energy threads condensed in the hall. As she turned, the curve of her hips rippled gently yet powerfully beneath her battle skirt, and the cleavage on her chest appeared even deeper with the movement.

Her tone carried a clear dissuasion: "Didn't I tell you before? The Zerg have never intended to be enemies with humans. Humanity's top combat forces are now gathered together; forcibly resisting them would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock. Why drag your race into the war?"

Xuan Gu's clone raised an eyebrow, deliberately asking with a hint of confusion, "Then how will you respond to the Mechanical and Dream Demon Ancestor? You can't just refuse outright, can you? You know, if we miss this opportunity, and the human race really wants to expand in the future, we will be left isolated and helpless."

"Of course I won't refuse outright," the Zerg Queen said frankly, her voice still gentle.

She stepped forward, her long legs beneath her silver-purple battle skirt moving with graceful, flowing lines. When she paused, her toes slightly pointed, inadvertently revealing the delicate skin between her calves. "I only said that we need to observe the movements of the human race first, and for now, we will rely on intelligence sharing. If an emergency occurs, we will send a message to remind them. However, the 'fighting together' alliance has not been finalized." Mengcha was impatient and immediately became somewhat displeased. Although the machine had no choice, it could only agree to this compromise for the time being.

"Just intelligence sharing?" Xuan Gu's clone sighed with feigned regret, the divine crystal aura rippling around him. His gaze unconsciously swept over the cleavage of the Empress's chest and the shapely curve of her buttocks. "That's far too conservative. With the top combat power of the three races, we might not be without the strength to fight back. Why not just finalize an alliance? Could it be... that Her Majesty the Empress is afraid of Emperor Yan Ling Xuan?"

Upon hearing this, the Zerg Queen raised her eyes to look at Xuan Gu, a subtle yet profound meaning hidden in her gaze. She leaned slightly forward, her battle skirt taut with the movement, accentuating the contrast between her cleavage and the curves of her waist and hips, her long, white legs dazzling in the crystalline light: "Afraid? The Zerg have traversed the universe for billions of years, never fearing a single powerful individual. It's just that there's no need to jeopardize the foundation of our race through pointless battles. I especially don't want you to fight the Flame Emperor—Ling Xuan's combat power is unfathomable, and rashly confronting him would likely bring no benefit."

She straightened up, her wings fluttering to shield her from a blinding ray of light. Her figure, accentuated by the interplay of light and shadow beneath her battle skirt, was even more alluring. From the cleavage of her chest to the curves of her waist, her shapely hips, and her long legs, every part of her exuded ultimate feminine beauty: "Besides, humans aren't a bloodthirsty race. As long as we don't provoke them, they might not necessarily target the Zerg. Instead of getting bogged down in forming an alliance against humans, let's wait for the situation to become clearer. Why force each other into opposing sides?"

Xuan Gu's clone remained silent for a moment, then closed his eyes again to absorb the energy of the divine crystal. However, the fighting spirit in his tone had faded, leaving only a faint probing: "That may be true, but who can fathom the ambitions of the human race? If they insist on expanding, how long can we hide by merely watching?"

The Zerg Queen gazed at the increasingly dense divine crystal aura surrounding him, a subtle smile curving her lips.

She turned her body slightly, her silver-purple battle skirt flowing over her body like water, the lines of her hips and legs drawing alluring curves with each movement. Her voice was as soft as a sigh: "If it really comes to that, the Zerg will have their own way of dealing with it. But until then, we just need to guard our territory and not make enemies. After all... it's always safer to be on good terms with others than to be their enemy."

Silence returned to the palace, with only the aura of the primordial divine crystal still flowing, casting the empress's exquisite figure in a silhouette of varying shades on the dome.

Xuan Gu's avatar's breathing gradually became steady, as if he was focused on healing his injuries, but a trace of thought flashed deep in his eyes, "What exactly is this old woman up to? Is she really intimidated by my invincible power and no longer dares to be an enemy of humanity?"

Ling Xuan didn't realize that the Zerg Queen had discovered him. In the past ten million epochs, he had never actively sabotaged the Zerg's plans, although the Zerg had never planned to attack humans.

Moreover, he had helped the Zerg several times and was the only pro-war faction among them, without revealing a single trace or flaw. How could this woman possibly guess his identity?

He shook his head, clearing his mind of these distracting thoughts. These problems weren't a big deal; he had enough strength and confidence to handle anything.

……

Outside the entrance to a dazzling secret realm, the void still held lingering energy ripples, from which several figures staggered as they escaped.

"Damn it! This Lord of Blazing Sun is indeed a super genius of mankind! Although his strength is not as overwhelming as that of Emperor Yan Lingxuan, he is still extremely troublesome!" Lord of Stone Fiend roared in a rough voice. This being, whose entire body was made of black rock, had a murderous aura that was almost solidified. The cracks on the surface of the rock were still seeping dark purple energy, obviously having just experienced a fierce battle.

He stared intently at the entrance to the secret realm, his eyes filled with shame and anger.

They thought they could seize this top-tier treasure, but they never expected to be defeated by a junior.

"Alright, Shi Sha." The Lord of Blood Chains beside him reached out and pressed his shoulder. This powerful member of the Prison Clan, whose body was wrapped in blood-red chains, spoke with a hint of weariness but remained relatively calm. "Losing is losing. Lord Lan Cang is a veteran fourth-tier Universe Lord, and Lord Lie Yang is his personal disciple. His halberd is unpredictable, and that Flame God Halberd is definitely not an ordinary treasure. Losing to them is not shameful. Besides, the Demon Ancestor has already decided on a plan to form an alliance with humanity, so this treasure should be temporarily given to the human race."

Before the fight, none of them took the Lord of the Blazing Sun seriously—after all, he had only been famous for a short time compared to them, these veteran universe lords. But after they started fighting, they discovered that his crimson-gold halberd was not only ridiculously fast, but each strike was also imbued with terrifying power. His unpredictable moves were simply too much for them to handle.

That is definitely not a treasure that a newly promoted universe master could obtain; it is absolutely a top-grade treasure.

This makes them marvel at how fortunate and enviable the geniuses of humankind are.

Just then, two equally disheveled figures swept in from the other side; they were none other than the Demon Lord Mohu and the Lord Mengwan.

"Stone Demon! Blood Chain! You two idiots!" The Lord of Ink Tablet shouted angrily as soon as he stood firm, his voice full of hatred. "You could have eliminated the humans first, but you couldn't hold back and attacked us, allowing the Lord of Blazing Sun and the Lord of Azure Clouds to reap the benefits!"

He grew angrier as he spoke: At first, the Lord of Blazing Sun underestimated his enemy and acted rashly, trying to fight the four of them alone. They joined forces to trap him in the dangerous core of the secret realm. If they had just held him back for a little longer and repelled the Lord of Lanzang on the periphery, the human lineage would have been completely eliminated.

But unexpectedly, Stone Demon and Blood Chain suddenly launched an attack on them, their moves ruthless and merciless, giving the Lord of Blazing Sun an opportunity.

After escaping their predicament, the Lord of Blazing Sun and the Lord of Azure Mist attacked from both sides. Their combined strength overwhelmed the entire scene, and the survivors were unable to withstand them, ultimately forced to flee in disarray.

"If you hadn't been so impatient, how could this treasure have fallen into the hands of humans?" Lord Mengwan echoed, his beastly eyes filled with resentment. "The human race originally had two fourth-tier combatants, the strongest contenders in this contest. We could have joined forces to kick them out first, but now, we've lost more than we gained!"

"Hmph! Easier said than done!" The Lord of Blood Chains sneered, crimson chains swirling around him. "Do you really think that if you trap the Lord of Blazing Sun, the Lord of Lan Cang will retreat? He's his personal disciple. Do you think he'll just stand by and watch the Lord of Blazing Sun be besieged by us?"

He stepped forward, his tone laced with undisguised sarcasm: "Besides, from the very beginning of the battle, your demon race targeted the two of us, wasn't it just to eliminate our Prison Clan first? If it weren't for the Lord of Blazing Sun suddenly appearing and trying to take on four of us, we would have been facing a four-on-two situation long ago! Now that we've lost, you're turning around and blaming us?"

The Lord of Stone Fiends echoed, his rocky fists clenching so tightly they cracked: "That's right! You demon race started this underhanded scheme, and you still have the nerve to turn around and blame us? Do you really think our Prison Clan is easy to bully?"

The atmosphere at the entrance to the secret realm instantly plummeted to freezing point. The powerful members of the Prison Clan and the Demon Clan glared at each other, and the energy fluctuations around them became violent. If they hadn't just experienced a fierce battle and suffered severe damage, they probably would have started fighting again on the spot.

The lingering energy waves in the void were still rippling, and the faint echoes of the treasures from the secret realm being taken in the distance made the faces of the people present even more grim.

A battle for a priceless treasure that should have been a sure victory ended in a lose-lose situation, with humanity reaping the benefits. This frustrating outcome was something they couldn't swallow.

(End of this chapter)