Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 207 The Disappointed Mountain Dweller
"Pfft-"

Six muffled thuds erupted almost simultaneously as the crimson spears pierced precisely through the bodies of the six alien beings.

The attack wasn't particularly powerful, but it carried a chilling, eerie quality. In their experience, they felt the opponent's attack method was unprecedented, difficult to dodge, and even more difficult to withstand.

With a flick of his wrist, the man in the blood-red robe sent six spears flying back, merging once more into the surging sea of ​​blood-red clouds around him.

He let out a series of eerie, cackling laughs, his tone filled with savagery: "Is this all the trash from the Thorn Ring Alliance is capable of?"

"Who exactly are you? Why are you interfering in the affairs of my alliance?" The multi-ringed jellyfish-like alien forced a question, his tone revealing barely concealed fear.

He had lived for millions of eons and had never seen such an arrogant and unreasonable ruler of the universe.

The opponent's strength is unfathomable, and his actions are completely unpredictable, just like the rumored Lord of the Northern Prison.

No! The opponent is even more terrifying than the Lord of the Northern Prison.
The Lord of the Northern Prison was already like a stray dog ​​under their siege, but the unfamiliar Lord of the Universe before them was indeed incredibly mysterious.

"The Thorn Ring Alliance? It's nothing but an anthill huddled in a corner of the universe. How dare it ask my name?" The red-robed man chuckled, his laughter booming like thunder in the void.

Wherever it passed, the already collapsing void instantly cracked open into countless tiny black holes, and the particle stream churned wildly amidst laughter.

Why should I explain my actions to you worthless scum?

This arrogance that disregarded everything transformed into a tangible pressure, crashing heavily into the hearts of the alien races.

They stared at the crimson energy flowing around the man in the blood-red robe, and watched as he could disrupt the void with just his laughter; only deep fear remained in their hearts.

This was definitely a top-tier expert they had never encountered before. If they rashly provoked him, they might not even know how they died.

Cao Benqi's pupils contracted sharply as he stared intently at the figure in the blood-red robe, frantically searching his memory for any trace of this person, but to no avail.

He was about to express his gratitude when he saw the blood-robed man's gaze sweep over the gathering energy fluctuations in the distance. His tone was calm but carried an undeniable urgency: "Aren't you leaving? Are you waiting for them to gather more powerful figures, or for them to provoke the Flame Emperor and kill you?"

Upon hearing this voice, Cao Benqi shuddered – the deliberately lowered yet undeniably powerful tone clearly belonged to his teacher, Zuo Shan Ke!
He was filled with doubts. Why would his teacher, a top being in the universe, disguise himself like this? And why would he hide his identity from the Thorn Ring Alliance?
But now was not the time to ask questions. He swiftly flipped his hand and took out the Northern Prison, and a dark, illusory palace instantly unfolded.

With a flash, the figure entered, and the Northern Prison immediately transformed into a streak of light, hurtling towards the depths of space.

"Trying to run away?!" The multi-ringed jellyfish-like alien saw Cao Benqi trying to escape and a hint of resentment flashed in its eyes.

The metal ring instantly shot out dozens of sharp spikes, carrying the power to tear through space, heading straight for the flight trajectory of the Northern Prison.

"Hehehe, trying to run? Did you ask me first?" The blood-robed man smirked and casually raised his right hand.

The blood-red sea of ​​clouds suddenly coalesced into a light curtain as thin as a cicada's wing.

The spikes struck the light screen without making a sound, melting away instantly like ice and snow meeting fire, leaving not even a trace of energy.

Immediately afterwards, the man in the blood-red robe flicked a blood-red thread from his fingertip, precisely wrapping it around the multi-ringed, jellyfish-like alien's metal ring.

With a gentle tug on the thread, the metal ring, powerful enough to seal off several light-years of space, flipped uncontrollably and crashed heavily onto its own energy shield, producing a dull thud.

Upon seeing this, the lava aliens hurriedly activated their domain treasures in an attempt to stop them.

But the man in the blood-red robe simply reached out and hooked, causing the blood-red sea of ​​clouds to surge and completely overturn the opponent's domain.

The Lord of the Rock Life Universe hastily prepared to charge, but was stopped by the Sea of ​​Blood.

A giant wave, several light-years high, crashed onto it, instantly causing it to stagger backward. Although it did not cause any real damage, it completely disrupted its attack rhythm.

The humanoid alien and the gaseous alien exchanged a glance, still harboring resentment.

One transformed into a swirling sandstorm that swept into the void, while the other condensed into a corrosive mist that enveloped the path, attempting to encircle it from both sides.

The man in the blood-red robe did not move, but simply raised his hand and pressed it into the void—the sandstorm instantly stopped, like a frozen tide; the mist, enveloped by the blood-red energy, continued to shrink, eventually turning into a fist-sized mist bead, which floated in the man's palm, allowing him to play with it.

Throughout the entire ordeal, the man in the blood-red robe never attempted a fatal strike, nor did he inflict serious injury on any of the alien races.

But with each move, he precisely thwarted their attacks, manipulating the five universe lords like a cat playing with a mouse.

This seemingly effortless difference in strength is more terrifying than a direct kill.

The other side clearly had the ability to easily annihilate them, yet chose to demonstrate their intimidation in this way, obviously showing that they didn't take the Thorn Ring Alliance seriously at all.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" The multi-ringed jellyfish-like alien was pale-faced. Looking at the mist beads that kept spinning in the blood-robed man's palm, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

It dared not linger any longer and steered the metal ring to escape first.

Seeing this, the other alien races also withdrew their remaining fighting spirit, dragging their disheveled bodies and following closely behind, not daring to utter a single harsh word.

The man in the blood-red robe watched the fleeing aliens but did not give chase.

The mist in his palm gently dispersed, turning back into gaseous energy and dissipating into the void.

He gazed in the direction where the Northern Prison had disappeared, a complex light flashing in his eyes. Then, the crimson sea of ​​clouds surrounding him gradually receded, and his figure vanished instantly into the collapsing area like an ink droplet merging into the void, leaving no trace.

The streak of light from the Northern Prison pierced the abyss of the universe, eventually arriving at a desolate and empty star field.

There are no stars here, only an ancient stone palace floating in the void, surrounded by a faint halo of laws.

As soon as Cao Benqi stepped out of the Northern Prison, he saw the crimson sea of ​​clouds surrounding the man in the blood robe recede like a tide, revealing the figure that had inspired awe in him for countless eons.

The old man was approximately 90,000 kilometers tall, his entire body shimmering with a dark light that seemed to devour all surrounding light. Even seated cross-legged atop a deep blue mountain peak, he exuded an aura of dominance over the universe. He wore seemingly ordinary blue armor, devoid of any superfluous decorations, yet it gleamed with a cold luster under the black light.

A pair of crystalline horns grew on its forehead, the tips of which were condensed with tiny specks of light from the laws of nature. With each breath, the void around the mountain peak trembled slightly.

“Teacher.” Cao Benqi stood with his hands at his sides, his fingertips unconsciously curling up, his lowered eyelids concealing the fierceness in his eyes.

It wasn't that he lacked the courage to look up; it was that he was afraid the mountain dweller would notice the dissatisfaction in his eyes.

The black light surrounding the Mountain Guest made his body tense, but his mind was already in turmoil: If it weren't for the old man's abnormal mission, why would he have risked provoking the Thorn Ring Alliance? If he hadn't refused to give him a stronger treasure, why would he have been surrounded and powerless to fight back?
The mountain dweller did not open his eyes. His voice came from the top of the deep blue mountain peak, calm yet carrying immense weight, as if it resounded directly into the depths of Cao Benqi's soul: "Come up."

A bridge of cyan light stretched from the mountain peak to Cao Benqi's front.

He stepped onto the bridge of light, walking cautiously with each step, his fingernails secretly digging into his palms.

He resented the harshness of the mountain dweller, and even more so the embarrassment of being "rescued" by him.

In his view, he fell into the trap entirely because the task was too difficult, not because he lacked ability. The mountain dweller not only showed no sympathy, but also used this as an excuse to make trouble, which was simply unreasonable and domineering.

When he stood atop the mountain peak, beside the mountain dweller, he could finally see the other man's appearance clearly: the mountain dweller's eyes were slightly closed, and his blue armor fit his body perfectly, not bulky but exuding unparalleled defensive power.

The two horns on his forehead flickered slightly in the void, and the black light around his body rose and fell like breathing, faintly echoing the energy of the deep blue mountain peak, forming a small, independent space.

"Tens of millions of epochs have passed. How many of the tasks I gave you have you completed?" The Mountain Guest finally opened his eyes. There was no extra emotion in his eyes, only a deep blackness, as if it could reflect all of Cao Benqi's thoughts.

Cao Benqi stiffened, his Adam's apple bobbing several times before he whispered, "This disciple... only hunted down three Universe Lords."

In his heart, he cursed: What a load of bull! Ten Universe Lords? They think they can just kill them like that? Every Universe Lord is a cunning old fox who has cultivated for countless epochs. I'm already doing well by killing three, and this old bastard is still not satisfied!
“Three.” The Mountain-Sitting Guest repeated the two words, his fingertips lightly tapping on his knees, the clinking of his azure armor producing a crisp sound. “The goal I set for you was ten Universe Lords, or one strongest being in the universe. Ten million epochs have passed, and you’ve been a Universe Lord for ten million epochs, yet you’ve only completed thirty percent?”

His tone remained calm, but the black light around him suddenly intensified, causing Cao Benqi to subconsciously take a half-step back.

Cao Benqi lowered his head, his lips pressed into a straight line.

This is pure torture!

That old man is talking without any sense of the situation. What kind of demanding requirements are these? He's clearly deliberately making things difficult for me! If I didn't need his resources, I would have turned my back on him long ago.

"What disappoints me even more is the target you hunted." The Mountain Guest's tone finally turned cold, and the light from the two horns on his forehead suddenly sharpened. "When I passed on the identity of 'Lord of the Northern Prison' to you, how did I tell you? This identity is one that all races in the universe fear and hate, a ruthless character who can kill his way in and out of the top races! But what about you?"

He raised his hand and waved it, and a beam of light condensed in the void, containing Cao Benqi's past hunting records—his targets were all second-tier universe lords, and all were marginal figures in the alliance of small and medium-sized alien races. "You only dare to target the weak, turning a name that should terrify all races into that of a 'bully who bullies the weak'! This is not only disgracing the reputation of the Lord of the Northern Prison, but also completely trampling the inheritance I gave you under your feet!"

As the last sentence was uttered, the black light surrounding the Mountain Guest suddenly surged, and dense energy patterns appeared on the surface of the deep blue mountain peak.

Cao Benqi's face flushed red instantly, then quickly turned deathly pale, and his knees trembled slightly uncontrollably.

At this moment, he finally realized the true terror of this strongest being in the universe, whom even powerful beings from all races dared not provoke.

But inside, he was screaming: So what if the weak are easy to kill? The real skill is completing the mission alive! Am I supposed to go and die? This old bastard is just using me as a pawn!
"And your foolish methods." The words of the Mountain-Sitting Guest were like whips, each strike landing on Cao Benqi's heart, the light from the horns on his forehead growing ever brighter. "Hunting a Lord of the Universe should be done discreetly, by surprise, but what did you do? Your target was too obvious. Others didn't even need to set up a trap; they just needed to bait you, and you would bite. Even a fringe power like the Thorn Ring Alliance could predict your movements and set a trap for you. Do you think all the races of the universe are fools, or are you just too stupid to even plan?"

Cao Benqi lowered his head even further, his divine power surging within him, suppressing the killing intent in his heart and the hatred in his eyes.

Recalling the panic he felt when he was surrounded and attacked, instead of reflecting on his actions, he hated the Mountain-Sitting Guest even more: If it weren't for that old man insisting that he hide his identity, how could he have been schemed against by scum like the Thorn Ring Alliance? He would settle this score with the Mountain-Sitting Guest sooner or later!
"What chills me to the bone is that you don't even have the courage to step into the Cosmic Sea." The voice of the Mountain-Sitting Guest finally revealed a hint of weariness, and the black light around him gradually dimmed. "Did I really assign you the task of ten Cosmic Lords so that you could 'farm kills' in the Primal Universe? I wanted you to go to the Cosmic Sea! To fight in that real arena of life and death!"

The primordial universe is already a greenhouse for you, but you insist on hiding inside, basking in your pitiful achievements.

Ten million epochs have passed, and you haven't even touched the edge of the cosmic ocean. Is this the 'path to becoming a strongman' you seek?

Cao Benqi shuddered, his heart filled with disdain: The Cosmic Sea? Every powerful figure who ventures there possesses extraordinary abilities. Second-tier Cosmic Lords like the Demon Clan's Lord of the Heavenly Wolf and the Black-Patterned Clan's Lord of the Patterned Blade almost never go to the Cosmic Sea. He wasn't stupid; why would he provoke those terrifying beings when he could peacefully hunt weaklings and accumulate strength in the Primal Universe?

This old man really doesn't treat the Lord of the Universe as a human being, and he doesn't consider himself a disciple at all.

"Not to mention your laughable combat strength." The Mountain-Sitting Guest waved his hand, and the light and shadow switched to Cao Benqi's past battle scenes, all of which showed him relying on the Northern Prison, the Flaming God Halberd, and his innate secret techniques, but without creating any of his own methods. "In ten million epochs, you can't even create a single strongest secret technique of your own! The intimidating power that the Lord of the Northern Prison should have is reduced to nothing but 'weakness' in you—if it weren't for the Flaming God Halberd, a supreme treasure, you might not even be able to defeat a second-tier Universe Lord. Is this your answer sheet for growth?"

Cao Benqi clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh.

This old man only gives you tasks but no support, and he still has the nerve to criticize him?

If it weren't for his own abilities, he would have died on the training path long ago, how could he still be alive now?

Create a secret technique?
How can someone create something if their teacher doesn't teach them any secret techniques?
He was given only two supreme treasures, and he was to personally kill ten cosmic lords.

Which being who can become the ruler of the universe doesn't have a wide circle of friends? Which one is a simple person?
“Teacher…” Cao Benqi’s voice trembled with feigned trembling, but there was no remorse in his eyes. “This disciple knows he was wrong.”

He knew he had to back down now.

Once he gets the resources and finds the opportunity, he will never put up with that old man's temper again!
"You admit your mistake?" The Mountain Hermit looked at him with a complex expression—disappointment, regret, and a barely perceptible hint of expectation. The black light around him completely subsided, and the light from the two horns on his forehead softened. "I'm taking back the Northern Prison, and I won't give you time to reflect."

"I'll give you one more chance. Go to the Cosmic Sea to train, whether it's the first reincarnation era or any other reincarnation era. As long as you can kill a Cosmic Lord of the third rank or above with honor as the 'Lord of the Blazing Sun,' come back to see me. If you can't do that, then never acknowledge me as your teacher again."

"Anyway, now your human race has Emperor Yan backing you up. He has broad shoulders and can withstand the retaliation from those alien races."

Cao Benqi looked up at the mountain hermit, his eyes filled with a deliberately feigned determination: "This disciple will not fail in his mission! This disciple will enter the Universe Sea and forge his own renown!"

In his heart, however, he was cursing wildly: Old bastard! Emperor Yan, Emperor Yan, all he ever knows is Emperor Yan!
Just you wait! Once I find an even stronger opportunity in the cosmic sea, I'll make you regret making things difficult for me today!

When the time comes, I will take back the Northern Prison, and I will seize all the treasures you have hidden!
The mountain dweller nodded and said no more. His eyes closed again, and the black light around him rose once more, merging with the deep blue mountain peaks as if he had become part of them.

(End of this chapter)