Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 210 The Mountain Dweller: Just Now You Were Teasing Me

The fiery red light that Cao Benqi left behind was completely annihilated in the depths of interstellar dust. Only then did Zuoshanke slowly withdraw his gaze, his brows furrowed with an unyielding indifference.

He turned and stepped into the most secluded chamber in the courtyard. With a flick of his finger, the triple isolation barrier vanished—on the suspended platform in the center of the chamber, a palm-sized black palace floated silently.

The palace was engraved with intricate and complex patterns, each line flowing with a dim purple-gold halo. This was the prototype of the supreme treasure palace that he had meticulously crafted for his three future disciples.

Although the palace is not yet fully formed, it already has a preliminary appearance: the outline of the palace can be vaguely seen with flying eaves and brackets, and the internal spatial structure is exceptionally stable. It only needs the final step of condensing the core to become a supreme treasure that can support the Lord of the Universe to roam the starry sea.

With a flick of his finger, the Mountain-Sitting Guest shattered a fist-sized chaotic crystal, its pure primordial power transforming into countless silver threads, which he skillfully channeled into the temple's body.

The dark palace trembled slightly, the brightness of the flowing patterns suddenly increased, and the surface of the palace gleamed with a warm, jade-like luster.

This is the culmination of nearly a thousand epochs of effort by the Mountain Dweller. Although it is not as powerful as the ultimate treasure, it is still the finest among the pinnacle treasures.

At this moment, only one last step is needed to complete the process.

"Merge." The Mountain Guest pointed his fingers like knives, divine light flowing from his fingertips, and smoothly completed the final secret rune.

Just as the last secret rune merged into the palace and the treasure was about to be fully formed, a crack suddenly appeared in the dome of the secret chamber without warning!
This was not caused by external force, but by some kind of power that transcends the laws of the primordial universe, which easily tore apart the top-level restrictions set up by the Mountain-Sitting Guest, like a hot knife cutting into butter.

A dazzling golden light poured down from the crack, its color as pure as the primordial light at the beginning of chaos, yet it carried a heart-palpitating pressure, causing even space to ripple under its golden light.

"Not good!" The mountain dweller's expression changed drastically. This aura far surpassed that of any of the strongest beings in the universe he had ever seen in his life.

Without a second thought, he suddenly raised his hand and struck out with a palm. A defensive light barrier, formed from his life's cultivation, instantly materialized. At the same time, he shouted sternly, "Who are you! How dare you trespass on my residence!"

The light barrier was as clear as glass, strong enough to withstand the direct impact of the most powerful treasures, but it was as fragile as paper in the face of the golden light.

Without pausing for a moment, the golden light pierced straight through the light barrier and shot directly toward the dark palace on the platform.

The mountain dweller's pupils shrank suddenly, and he instantly teleported to the front of the palace, unleashing hundreds of fierce attacks with his palms in an attempt to intercept them.

But the golden light seemed to possess its own consciousness, skillfully avoiding all obstacles with a speed beyond the perception of time.

A clear, resonant sound shook the secret chamber, and golden light precisely merged into the roof of the dark palace.

The originally dim palace instantly burst forth with thousands of rays of light, illuminating the entire secret chamber and even the surrounding star field several light-years away in a magnificent display.

The mountain dweller was forced back several steps by an invisible repulsive force, staring in horror at the dramatic changes taking place on the platform: the dark palace was expanding and deforming at a speed visible to the naked eye. The originally exquisite palace outline gradually stretched and transformed into a majestic tower-like shape, instantly breaking through the boundaries of the secret chamber, piercing through the deep blue mountain peak, and piercing straight into the deep space of the universe.

In just a few breaths, the originally palm-sized black palace had expanded to a height of nine light-years.

The tower's base is as thick and heavy as an ancient star, firmly rooted in the void. Even the surrounding interstellar dust is absorbed by the power emanating from the tower's base, forming a dazzling ring of stars. The tower's body is clearly divided into nine layers, each layer's edge surrounded by a halo of laws of different colors. Amidst the interwoven patterns, one can vaguely see the power of laws flowing within like a stream.

What alarmed the visitors even more was that the black color on the surface of the tower did not fade due to the deformation, but instead became even deeper, as if it contained the darkness of the entire universe. From a distance, it looked like a black hole suspended in the starry sky, which even swallowed light. The simple secret patterns that originally belonged to the palace had disappeared, and were replaced by a completely new system of secret patterns.

These secret runes spiral around the tower, forming nine layers, each containing three independent secret techniques.

These twenty-seven secret techniques endow this divine tower with a variety of incredible abilities, including the ability to absorb, suppress, protect souls, defend, tame, attack, and even nurture treasures.

"This...this is?" The mountain dweller stared wide-eyed at the unrecognizable giant tower before him, his fingers trembling slightly uncontrollably.

He clearly crafted a supreme treasure palace, so how did it transform into this?

"Damn it, my palace's most precious treasure has been possessed?" The Mountain Dweller couldn't help but curse, his heart filled with shock and anger.

If the treasure goes out of control, not only will a thousand years of hard work be wasted, but it may also attract the attention of the primordial universe.

Fortunately, the next second, he sensed a faint connection remaining between himself and the giant tower.

As the creator, although he could not fully control this mutated treasure, he still retained certain operational authority before the treasure recognized him as its master.

With a thought, the towering tower, nine light-years high, trembled slightly. A faint golden light flew out from the ninth floor of the tower, condensing in the air into a tower bead the size of a dragon's eye, which landed steadily in his palm.

The pagoda beads feel warm and smooth to the touch, and contain the core information of the giant pagoda.

The mountain dweller closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then suddenly opened them, his face instantly filled with ecstatic joy.

This treasure is even more powerful than his "Jinwang Palace". Even at his peak, it would have been impossible for him to create a treasure of this caliber.

If he had been able to forge such a treasure with his own strength back then, why would he have needed to fear the Heavenly Kun Kingdom Lord? He could have easily made the other party call him "daddy" with a single slap.

"Hahaha! I actually managed to forge a God-King level treasure! Hahaha! You wouldn't believe it, would you, Primordial Universe? I just broke the rules!" The Mountain-Sitting Guest laughed wildly, his voice booming like a tangible force, causing dozens of meteorites with diameters of thousands of kilometers to crack on the surface, and tiny fragments to scatter like meteors in the vacuum.

He had been feeling stifled for far too long for trillions of years.

The mighty Refining God King of the Origin Continent was forced to cower in the Primordial Universe to avoid disaster, concealing his true name and strength, spending his days laughing and joking with those "stinky fish and shrimp" in the Cosmic Sea, fearing that he would attract the suppression of the Primordial Universe's original will.

Now that this supreme treasure of the God-King level has appeared out of nowhere, it's like an ancient boulder that has been pressing on his heart has suddenly been lifted off his feet. How could he not be overjoyed?
Before the laughter could travel light-years away, a terrifying and inexplicable will suddenly descended!
This will had no form, yet it carried the most primal pressure of the original universe, as if the entire starry sky had turned into a giant rock pressing down on his heart, instantly locking the Mountain-Sitting Guest firmly in place.

The surrounding laws of power suddenly solidified, and even his surging divine power was forcibly suppressed back into his body, the laughter that had just reached his throat was abruptly stopped.

"Gah~" The joyful laughter came to an abrupt halt, like a male duck being choked.

Even though that will cannot speak or express any emotion, the Mountain Dweller could still sense a hint of "surprise" within its oppressive power.

—You just said you violated the supreme rules, didn't you?

You told me, didn't you?
I haven't wronged you this time, have I?

The man sitting on the mountain swallowed hard, his ecstasy vanishing instantly, replaced by panic.

He hurriedly waved his hands and took a half step back, his voice trembling: "You're kidding! I didn't refine this treasure! I'm only at the True God level now, how could I possibly create something like this!"

He knew better than anyone that the ironclad rules of the primordial universe could not be transgressed in the slightest. Once he was deemed to have violated the supreme rules by using god-king level power, all that awaited him was the destruction of his soul and spirit, and he might not even have the chance to be reincarnated.

But that will did not fade away; instead, it became even more solid, and the invisible pressure piled up like a tide, especially tightening on the bead in his palm.

It was as if it were questioning: If you didn't forge it, why is the core of this treasure in your hands?

"It really wasn't me! Even at my peak, I couldn't forge such a divine tower!" The Mountain Guest was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead, and he even threw away his composure as the "God King of Treasure Refining".

His response was met with even stronger suppression.

An invisible, immense force suddenly lifted him into the air. His divine power within his body was like solidified mud, unable to flow. The soul within the Heart of the True God was being pressed down with excruciating pain, as if it were about to collapse at any moment. "It wasn't me, it really wasn't me!" The Mountain-Sitting Guest struggled desperately, his voice pleading, "I was just joking, just joking!"

The moment he finished speaking, the terrifying will that had been locking onto him vanished without a trace. The solidified power of the laws began to flow again, and the suffocating pressure was suddenly cleared away, as if the terrifying scene just now was just an illusion.

Only a faint trace of regret remained in the void, letting the Mountain Dweller know that everything that had just happened was real.

"Whoosh~" The mountain dweller suddenly collapsed into the void.

"That was close. Just how much did this primordial universe want to kill me?"

For trillions of years, he has always been cautious and walked on thin ice. Just now, he almost suffered a fatal fall due to a moment of pride. Thinking back on it now, he still feels lingering fear.

But his fear was quickly replaced by ecstasy. He gripped the warm pagoda bead in his palm tightly, looked at the giant pagoda floating not far away, and his eyes burned with fervor: "If I can train a disciple who can recognize this treasure as his master, he will surely help me avenge myself one day!"

This god-king level treasure is the most crucial bargaining chip in his revenge plan.

With a thought, the Mountain Guest raised his hand and made a gesture in mid-air towards the giant tower that was nine light-years high.

In an instant, the aura of laws on the surface of the giant tower rapidly receded, and the dark tower body shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye. The enormous object that originally spanned the starry sky was reduced to the size of a palm in just a few breaths, and landed steadily in his palm.

The small tower is pitch black, with the outline of its nine square cones clearly discernible. Ancient patterns on the surface of each layer shimmer slightly. Although small and exquisite, it exudes a majestic aura capable of suppressing the starry sky.

"Go." The Mountain Guest no longer hesitated. With a flick of his wrist, the small tower transformed into a dazzling golden light, breaking through layers of spatial barriers like a meteor, and sped towards the depths of the universe, finally landing in a secret realm.

This secret realm is inconspicuous in the universe, with a maximum diameter of about 110 million light-years. It contains many continents, including the Yanji Continent, and has given birth to many ordinary races.

A golden light swept across a rocky planet. In the cave below, the Ironclaw Clan cubs, who were gnawing on the flesh of a strange beast, only glanced up once before lowering their heads to continue eating.

Finally, the golden light stopped in a desolate starry sky.

The tiny tower, no bigger than a palm, had just touched the "landing point" in the void when it suddenly unleashed a golden shockwave that shook the entire star field!

The first shockwave spread at the speed of light, instantly engulfing an area of ​​tens of light-years.

Wherever it passed, meteorites with diameters within light-years were vaporized directly, and rocky planets within tens of light-years had several kilometers of rock scraped away from their surfaces, exposing the scorching mantle beneath. Spaceships traversing the starry sky were like fallen leaves in a raging storm; nearly a thousand small spaceships were directly torn apart by the shockwave, and larger spaceships further away were also thrown tens of thousands of kilometers away, their hulls riddled with cracks and emitting blinding sparks.

Even more terrifying was the second energy ripple—this ripple carried the vibrations of the laws, and although its spread was slow, it caused ripples in the space within a range of hundreds of light-years.

As the shockwave subsided, the small tower began to expand wildly at a speed visible to the naked eye: the nine-story tower was like a balloon being blown up, but it expanded billions of times faster than a balloon. In just ten breaths, it grew from the size of a palm to a height of nine light-years!

Immediately afterwards, the entire tower suddenly unleashed a terrifying suction force that swept across the entire area without warning.

Cosmic energy, interstellar dust, rock fragments, and even material from the surface of distant asteroids within the secret realm were all drawn together by an invisible vortex, frantically converging towards the small tower.

In just a few dozen breaths, a dark golden nebula with a diameter of one light-year formed around the small tower, with nine huge spiral arms encircling the tower from the center, like a deadly flower blooming in the center of the secret realm.

The entire nebula was like a giant energy purgatory, and its rotation caused violent tremors in the secret realm's spacetime.

"A supreme treasure has been born!"

Almost simultaneously, all the powerful beings in the secret realm awoke from their respective territories.

Whether it was a reclusive cosmic venerable or a crowned immortal presiding over the core of their race, they were all firmly attracted by the terrifying energy fluctuations emanating from the nebula's core.

Without hesitation, streaks of light pierced the sky above the secret realm, hurtling towards the Nine-Spinning Nebula.

The greed in their eyes was almost tangible. Even though they were light-years apart, the energy pressure that far exceeded that of ordinary treasures made their hearts race: as long as they obtained this treasure, they could break free from the shackles of the secret realm, occupy a place in the vast universe, and even have the opportunity to break through to a higher realm.

This is an opportunity that could change the fate of the entire community, and no one wants to miss it.

But when they reached the outer edge of the nebula, they truly experienced the terrifying power of the Nine Spiral Nebula: this nebula was not a chaotic energy vortex, but was clearly divided into nine spiral arms, and the tearing force increased exponentially the further inward they went.

At the fourth spiral arm, the powerful immortals who had been granted the title of King were pulled by the vortex and their divine power surged. Their divine bodies were easily torn apart like thin paper. Only the cosmic venerables could stand firm in it. The seventh spiral arm was even more like a death zone. Several cosmic venerables who did not believe in evil tried to test it, but as soon as they touched the edge of the spiral arm, their divine bodies were instantly torn apart.

In just half an hour, nearly a hundred powerful warriors were defeated and killed.

In the end, only a few peak-level Kings and three Universe Venerables remained, hovering far away on the outer edge of the nebula, their eyes filled with fear and resentment.

The treasure is right before their eyes; would they really give it up? Absolutely not!
This pagoda is clearly still unclaimed, yet the energy it unconsciously emits possesses such terrifying power.

If it could be activated by a powerful being, its power could probably easily crush the Lord of the Universe!

Even these powerful figures from clans who have been trapped in secret realms for years and have limited knowledge can vaguely guess the level of this treasure. This is by no means an ordinary peak treasure, but a legendary supreme treasure!

If they can obtain this supreme treasure of the palace type, they will not only be able to lead their race to rise, but also have the opportunity to challenge for the position of the Lord of the Universe, or even touch the threshold of the strongest being in the universe!

Therefore, even though the Nine-Spinning Nebula was like a barrier of death, these powerful individuals did not show the slightest intention to retreat.

They flew slowly around the nine-light-year-high divine tower, their obsession with the treasure transforming into an endless passion for exploration, their gaze sweeping over every corner of the tower like that of a falcon.

Soon, a joyful shout broke the silence: "Look! There's an entrance at the bottom of the tower!"

Following the sound, everyone looked and indeed saw nine huge entrances neatly arranged at the bottom of the divine tower, like nine portals connecting to the core of the treasure.

Strangely, the nine-spiral nebula that could have annihilated a cosmic lord actually retreated automatically around the entrance, forming a safe vacuum area.

"This treasure absolutely belongs to my Yanji clan!" A bald, powerful man with six jade arms was the first to challenge. He was a Universe Venerable of the Yanji clan, surrounded by scorching energy. Before he finished speaking, he rushed toward the nearest entrance.

"Venerable Baiyan, you're dreaming!" Another powerful figure with seven-colored wings on his back instantly blocked his way. He was none other than the Winged Clan's Universe Venerable. "This divine tower rightfully belongs to my Winged Clan!"

"Hmph, let's rely on our own abilities!" The third Venerable from the "Bone Demon Clan" snorted coldly, tapped the void with his bone staff, and flew towards another entrance.

Seeing this, the other powerful individuals also gave up the argument.

They knew that the powerful clans and forces outside the secret realm could detect any unusual activity here at any time.

The most urgent task right now is to enter the Divine Tower and attempt to claim a master before those giants can react, rather than engaging in infighting and wasting time at the entrance.

After all, for countless years, various races have fought endlessly in the secret realm, and no one has been able to completely suppress the others. It would be better to first try to break into the core of this treasure and see who can gain the recognition of the Divine Tower.

In an instant, the three Universe Venerables rushed into three different entrances, and the remaining King-level experts followed suit, each choosing an entrance and leaping in.

(End of this chapter)