Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 208 The Birth of the Mountain and Sea Realm

Cao Benqi looked at his teacher, took a deep breath, and turned to step onto the bridge of light.

He walked extremely fast, his toes even creating tiny ripples of energy as he touched the bridge of light, as if lingering for even a second longer would be torture.

The hatred in his heart grew wildly like vines in the undercurrent, entwining every inch of his soul: Once I find an opportunity in the cosmic sea and become the strongest in the universe, I will definitely make this old thing taste the bitterness of being crushed. The Northern Prison, the inherited secret techniques, everything that belongs to me, I will take back tenfold!
After his figure disappeared into the spatial interlayer, the Mountain-Sitting Guest slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as cold as icy iron: "As expected, he still has the same temperament..."

He lightly tapped his knee with his fingertips, and the sound of his blue armor clashing echoed in the void. "The Yan God Clan's mental weakness is ultimately a fatal flaw. In the early stages, they relied on the affinity with the laws gained through physical evolution to charge ahead of the Lord of the Universe. But once they reached the level of the Lord of the Universe, their mental flaws became a dead end. I, Ben Qi, even went astray."

As soon as he finished speaking, the halo of light on the deep blue mountain peak dimmed slightly, with only the crystalline horns on his forehead still shining faintly.

Cao Benqi, who had gone far away, was completely unaware of this, and had already cursed the ancestors of Zuoshanke to the eighteenth generation in his heart.

"A weak physical body can be compensated for by external forces, and scarce resources can be obtained by refining treasures, but one's temperament is something that is completely beyond one's control." The Mountain Guest stood up on the mountain peak, his body, which was more than 90,000 kilometers long, stretched out in the void. The black light around him merged with the starry sky. He looked up at the starry sky and let out a long sigh, which made the surrounding asteroids tremble slightly.

He left the Origin Continent and came to the Primordial Universe to cultivate a warrior god-king's helper to avenge the destruction of his country and family, not to be a babysitter for these Primordial Universe beings or to play house.

He wanted to learn from the Purple Wood God King of Tianmu Kingdom and enslave a Realm Beast, but he didn't know when the Realm Beast was born, nor how to enslave it.

Having exhausted all other options, he had no choice but to train strong individuals himself.

To become a God-King level powerhouse, one must also possess formidable combat power among God-King level powerhouses, capable of assisting oneself. This necessitates following the path of divine power, achieving a 90,000-fold genetic breakthrough at the third level, and becoming the strongest being in the universe.

Therefore, he cultivated the Yan God Clan from the very beginning, a race capable of autonomously evolving multiple genes.

Races with self-evolving genes are not only more likely to comprehend the mysteries of genes and have a greater chance of breaking through gene multiplication in the future, but they are also incredibly powerful in the early stages of cultivation in the primordial universe.

What a terrifying thing it would be if a genius had exceptional talent, a high affinity for the laws of nature, and the ability to autonomously evolve their genes multiple times.

This means that with each breakthrough in gene evolution, his talent will double, and he will become the master of the universe at an unimaginable speed. After that, he can slowly study genes and seek the third level of gene breakthrough of 90,000 times to become a true god.

"Character, character is the most important thing!" The Mountain-Sitting Guest pondered, looking at the starry sky. "What I need to cultivate is a strong person who can help me take revenge, not an ingrate who will hold a grudge against me. Otherwise, even if he becomes a God-King in the future, he may not be willing to make enemies with two God-Kings for my sake."

He now envies the founder of the Giant Axe immensely for being able to take a genius like the Flame Emperor as his disciple.

Even with his knowledge as a god-king, he felt that the Flame Emperor's talent was terrifying and unimaginable, and even on the Origin Continent, it would be the most outstanding.

Most importantly, he could see that the reason why Emperor Yan had not broken through to become a true god was not because he was unable to break through, nor because he wanted to accumulate enough foundation to comprehend the chaotic evolution when breaking through to become a true god.

The other party undoubtedly received the inheritance from the Origin Continent, knows the path to breakthrough in divine power, and is constantly breaking through their genes.

Not long ago, when the opponent appeared and killed the Wind Beast God, it was clear that he had reached a genetic level of nearly 60,000 times, and had already gone a long way on the path of divine body.

"Why can't I be so lucky?" The Mountain Dweller sighed and shook his head. He walked out of his dwelling again, faced the boundless starry sky, aimed in a direction, and teleported away.

Before long, he arrived at a star field next to the Qianwu Universe Kingdom.

This star field has not yet been incorporated into human territory, which makes it convenient for him to transform this star field—he does not want to create an ordinary planet, but to guide a new race with extremely outstanding soul potential.

The Mountain-Sitting Guest hovered in the center of this desolate star field. His body, which was over 90,000 kilometers long, slowly shrank to the height of an ordinary person. The black light around him subsided, and densely packed treasure-refining runes appeared on his cyan armor. As a treasure-refining master inherited from the Origin Continent, what he was going to refine this time was not a weapon, but a super treasure that could transform the soul and strengthen one's character.

He raised his hand and pressed it into the void. The black light in his palm suddenly surged, not to devour interstellar dust, but to draw in the thinnest and purest "cosmic origin" in the star field. This is the original energy that nurtured life in the primordial universe, containing the most primitive soul potential, and scattered throughout the universe.

This primordial energy is different from the cosmic energy that martial artists guide during cultivation; it contains a certain amount of life essence.

The distribution of this energy is not completely uniform; some areas have more, while others have less.

For example, the territories where the four most powerful clans reside are the richest and most abundant.

The remote and barren areas of the universe are relatively infertile.

Although the area of ​​a cosmic secret realm is much larger than that of a life-bearing planet, it also occupies a vast territory and nurtures a great many kinds of life.

It is equivalent to the primordial energy of the universe within several light-years being used to nurture the numerous life forms within the entire secret realm. Each life form receives less primordial energy from the universe, and thus has lower potential.

Unlike other planets, which are extremely rare, life-bearing planets are very few in number.

It's equivalent to the primordial energy of the universe within several light-years being used to nurture life on a single planet. Therefore, each life form absorbs far more primordial energy at birth compared to life in a secret realm, resulting in higher potential.

The various races vie for those life-bearing planets and territories in the hope of seizing more of the universe's origin to propagate their offspring.

What he needs to do now is to transform this life-bearing planet, to make more efficient use of the surrounding cosmic primordial energy to nurture life with higher potential, and at the same time, to transform their souls so that they can more easily achieve breakthroughs in their mental state.

With a flick of his fingertips, he unleashed a series of profound treasure-refining seals, each seal carrying his understanding and knowledge of the soul as a god-king.

The primordial energy of the universe gathered in the black light in the palm of the Mountain-Sitting Guest. At first, it was just a faint point of light, as fine as a grain of rice, but it shone with a brilliance that could illuminate the chaos.

As one profound treasure-refining seal after another was cast, the light spot expanded at a visible speed, its outer layer spontaneously attracting the surrounding interstellar dust. Under the pull of the primordial energy, the dust was compacted layer by layer, eventually condensing into a gray sphere the size of a basketball.

This sphere is completely different from ordinary planets—its core is not a lifeless rock, but a faint yet tenacious aura of soul light, like the pulse of a newborn, with each beat releasing wisps of soul energy.

The energy spread into the void, causing the originally cold interstellar space to ripple gently, and even the surrounding spatial rifts seemed to be smoothed out by this gentle force.

"The Yan God Clan lost because of their lack of mental fortitude and resilience of soul. So I will create a planet that can hone the soul." The Mountain Guest stared at the gray sphere, his voice filled with certainty.

He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of azure divine fire. The flames were not as violent as ordinary divine fire; instead, they were like warm, flowing water, slowly enveloping the sphere.

Under the nurturing of the divine fire, the soul essence at the core of the sphere became increasingly active, and the halo gradually changed from a faint, luminous white to a dazzling seven colors; the gray dust on the outer layer gradually differentiated under the catalysis of the divine fire—the low-lying areas condensed into azure oceans, and the raised areas transformed into brown land. Even the mountain ranges of the land and the currents of the ocean seemed to have become a kind of wondrous array and secret pattern, which helped to transform the soul.

The Mountain-Sitting Guest did not stop his creation process; he raised his hand and gently touched the void.

In an instant, countless invisible and imperceptible primordial energies of life converged from the depths of the universe, like an invisible stream, and steadily settled above the planet.

These energies can subtly elevate the upper limit of life's growth, allowing for a broader space for the evolution of the soul and body. In a short while, the planet was fully formed.

The azure ocean covers nearly seven layers of the surface, and sunlight shines on the sea, refracting into shimmering waves; on the brown land, pristine vegetation grows quietly under the nourishment of life, and the air is filled with a fresh breath of life.

Looking at the vibrant planet, the Mountain-Sitting Guest nodded in satisfaction, a rare smile playing on his lips: "This aesthetic sense is worthy of my title as a master of treasure refining."

His gaze then turned to the Qianwu Universe Kingdom not far away, which was on the edge of human territory.

"In the end, the race of the third disciple must be human." The Mountain Guest muttered to himself. If he hadn't already made up his mind, he wouldn't have chosen a planet so close to human territory. "Disciples of the Soul lineage are inherently weaker than ordinary strongmen, so we must prepare methods and treasures to enhance their gene multipliers in advance."

As soon as he finished speaking, the mountain dweller flipped his hand and took out a black metal plate.

The metal plate was entirely black, with a dull luster on its surface. The material was not from the original universe, but rather a "Heavenly Soul Crystal" that he brought from the Origin Continent. This crystal could carry the laws of the soul and genetic runes, and had a special attribute: only one copy could exist at a time, and there was absolutely no possibility of duplication.

He pointed his fingers like knives, and a blue divine light emanated from his fingertips as he quickly inscribed on the Heavenly Soul Crystal.

Each mark contains a wealth of information; it is the "Nine Tribulations Secret Manual" he prepared for his future disciples.

This secret technique can not only gradually increase the genetic value of the physical body, but also temper the soul during each "tribulation", perfectly meeting the needs of strong individuals of the soul lineage.

More importantly, the secret technique contains the legacy of the Jin state. Once one cultivates it, it is equivalent to acknowledging his identity as a "remnant of the Jin state".

Just as the secret manual reached the seventh kalpa, a sudden change occurred!

The temperature of the entire star field suddenly dropped, the originally active cosmic energy instantly stopped, and even the sunlight from distant stars became dim.

An indescribable, terrifying pressure descended from the depths of the universe. This pressure was silent, yet it carried the purest "warning" from the very origin of the universe.

It was as if they were watching over him to make sure he didn't do anything beyond the limits of the supreme rules, and that if he dared to cross the line even slightly, he would immediately be subjected to the most terrible punishment.

The Mountain Guest paused slightly in his hand holding the Heavenly Soul Crystal. He slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the endless starry sky, as if he could see the primordial will of the universe behind that oppressive aura.

"Don't worry, I won't give you a chance." His voice was calm but carried an undeniable firmness. "You should know the characteristics of this Heavenly Soul Crystal. Only one copy can exist at a time, and the 'Nine Tribulations Secret Manual' that I inscribed will only have this one copy."

The divine light at his fingertips did not stop; he continued to inscribe on the Heavenly Soul Crystal: "Moreover, this secret technique has strict limitations: it cannot be passed on to outsiders, and there can only be one inheritor at a time. Only when the inheritor perishes can a new inheritor be born, and it will never interfere with the balance of the original universe."

Despite his explanation, the terrifying pressure did not lessen in the slightest; it was clearly still observing his actions and did not believe his explanation at all.

The mountain dweller said no more and quickened his pace of carving.

Azure divine light flowed across the Heavenly Soul Crystal, and the secret patterns of the eighth and ninth tribulations were quickly completed, finally finishing the inscription of the entire "Nine Tribulations Secret Manual".

The moment the inscription was completed, the Mountain Guest raised his hand and gently snapped the Heavenly Soul Crystal.

With a soft "click," the Heavenly Soul Crystal was precisely split into nine pieces, each corresponding to one of the tribulations in the "Nine Tribulations Secret Manual."

He carefully put away the nine Heavenly Soul Crystals, and completely concealed the azure divine light at his fingertips.

Only then did the terrifying pressure emanating from the primordial will of the universe slowly recede.

The temperature in the star field gradually rose, cosmic energy flowed again, and the sunlight regained its previous warmth.

The mountain dweller let out a long sigh and wiped the sweat from his forehead—even as a god-king level being, he couldn't help but feel pressured under the might of the universe's primordial will.

The origin of the primordial universe far surpasses that of a first-realm god-king like him. If it were to truly unleash its full power, no god-king could withstand the attack of the primordial universe.

"Next, it's time to wait." The Mountain Guest gazed at the azure planet shrouded in the aura of soul light, a barely perceptible hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes. His fingertips unconsciously caressed the fragments of the Heavenly Soul Crystal in his storage space. "I hope this planet can give birth to the disciple I want—a disciple with a resilient character, sufficient soul potential, and who will not disappoint me again."

As soon as he finished speaking, he did not leave immediately. Instead, he transformed into a streak of azure light and quietly disappeared into the spatial interlayer at the edge of the Qianwu Universe Kingdom.

The mountain dweller's gaze pierced through the spatial barrier and landed within the territory of the Qianwu Universe Kingdom—where the human race thrived, with a vast number of people, from ordinary citizens to cultivators, and sufficient genetic diversity.

He chose to "select" people from here, rather than creating new life directly, precisely to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

The thought of Emperor Yan caused the Mountain Dweller to furrow his brow slightly. The disciple of that giant axe-wielding creator not only possessed terrifying talent, but his genetic level, nearly 60,000 times higher, was already at the forefront of the divine power path.

More importantly, the Heavenly Eye doesn't seem to be something that could be born in the cosmic sea; one wonders what kind of powerful existence it is.

He didn't even know whether the Heavenly Eye was a secret technique or a supreme treasure.

If it is a supreme treasure, the primordial universe will not interfere with its normal exertion of power.

If the power of a secret technique can reach that level, then this secret technique is definitely not something born from the primordial universe or even the cosmic ocean.

Moreover, the activation will be interrupted by the primordial universe the moment it is activated. It should be noted that even the secret techniques of the God King cannot be activated due to the suppression of the primordial universe.

However, the Heavenly Eye was completely unaffected by the suppression of the original universe and activated instantly, clearly indicating an extremely high level.

"My current identity cannot be exposed, and I cannot afford to clash with Emperor Yan." He pondered to himself, "That little guy not only has a mysterious background, but his own strength is also unfathomable. If he targets me, my plans in the Primal Universe will likely fall apart, and revenge will be hopeless."

Even with his divine body in the Cosmic Sea, he wasn't confident he could withstand the attack from the Heavenly Eye, and at the same time, he dared not unleash power exceeding that of the strongest being in the universe within the Cosmic Sea.

Otherwise, the primordial universe wouldn't have just gently suppressed him like it did with the progenitor; instead, it would have directly sought an opportunity to destroy him, giving him no chance to turn the tables.

After all, the primordial ancestor only had the opportunity to possess it, and it was a life form nurtured by the original universe itself. But he could possess it completely, and it was not a life form nurtured by the original universe. The difference is huge.

Instead of choosing prosperous planets, he targeted remote colonies and interstellar refugees—the disappearance of these people would neither attract the attention of the high-ranking officials of the Qianwu Universe Kingdom nor trigger the early warning mechanisms of the human race.

(End of this chapter)