Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 214 The Seventh Battlefield! Lord of Youhou

On the edge of the universe, a desolate star field where even starlight is reluctant to set foot.

In the depths of the void, the supreme and magnificent will of the Six Paths traversed endless time and space, and descended upon this place with a thunderous roar.

For nearly ten million epochs, this forgotten star field has become almost a tacit "meeting room" for the giants of the four peak races.

It has been visited by these strongest beings in the universe time and again.

The endless darkness was dispelled by an invisible force, and six blurry figures, each containing the ultimate truth of the universe's birth and death, slowly coalesced.

"Giant Axe, Chaos, you have arrived." A clear, noble voice, seemingly carrying both endless allure and aloofness, rang out first.

The Zerg Queen's figure quietly appeared. She was breathtakingly beautiful, shrouded in a hazy halo, as if she embodied the essence of the universe, yet she also possessed an aura of majesty that commanded respect.

The figure of the Chaos City Lord became clearer. He wore a magnificent golden robe, his face was gentle and peaceful, but his eyes seemed to have seen through endless cycles of reincarnation, and he possessed a wisdom that understood the ways of the world.

"How could I dare not come when the Empress has invited me? But I wonder why you have the leisure to summon us here today?" His voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable weight.

The founder of the giant axe, resembling a savage giant, solidified beside the Lord of Chaos City. His hair was disheveled, his arms were crossed, and he looked bored and unwilling to waste any more words.

Humanity is now thriving, with a stable territory, a plethora of geniuses, and abundant treasures. He truly felt that arguing with these old rivals was a waste of time.

"Chaos, Great Axe," a cold, emotionless metallic synthesized voice cut in, and the figure of the Mechanical Father God, perfectly constructed from countless strange metals, appeared, data streams silently flashing in his crystalline eyes, "That Star Tower is an ultimate treasure, with limitless power. Do you, the human race, really have such generosity that you can just throw it away like that?"

Its questions go straight to the heart of the matter, with a hint of subtle probing.

Upon hearing this, the Giant Axe Founder grinned, revealing a wild and undisguised smug smile: "Our human race truly has no shortage of such a supreme treasure!"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room froze subtly for a moment.

Looking back, the human race possessed no supreme treasures, ranking last among the four top races in strength and facing a difficult situation.

However, ever since Emperor Yan Lingxuan appeared out of nowhere, the number of humanity's most powerful treasures has exploded, making them the race with the most powerful treasures in the original universe. Their strength has also soared to the undisputed number one position among the four peak races.

Giant Axe's words were like an invisible thorn, precisely piercing the "pain point" of the mechanical race's father god.

Among the six strongest beings present, only the Mechanical Race still does not possess a single supreme treasure!
This makes the overall strength of the Machine Race significantly lower than that of the other three races.

If it weren't for the fact that their racial characteristics happen to be relatively effective against the Zerg, who are adept at soul attacks, they would probably have been excluded from the ranks of the four top races long ago.

The mechanical god's metallic face was expressionless, but the radiant light of the laws flowing around him was subtly disrupted for a moment, clearly indicating that he was quite taken aback by the giant axe's words.

"Giant Axe, what you're saying makes no sense." The Dream Demon Ancestor's enormous silver serpentine shadow coiled in the void, its scarlet forked tongue flicking, emitting a menacing voice as it stepped in to rescue the Mechanical Race Father God.

In her view, the Zerg Queen's attitude is now ambiguous, and she seems to be afraid of humans and dare not confront them directly. Only the Mechs are still reliable allies.

"In this vast universe, who would complain about having too many supreme treasures?" Her enormous serpentine eyes swept over everyone present. "Zhenjiao and I each possess only one supreme treasure. Although the Empress has a Palace, which, like the Star Tower, belongs to the palace category of supreme treasures, she has never publicly declared that she no longer needs any other supreme treasures, has she?"

The Zerg Queen, whose name was mentioned, wore a half-smile on her beautiful face. She lightly covered her lips with her slender fingers, her voice possessing a captivating magnetism, yet she mercilessly exposed him: "Meng Cha, you need to make this clear. I'm here today simply to see if there's any chance I can acquire a suitable supreme treasure for our Xuan Gu."

"You!" The Dream Demon Ancestor was so enraged that he forgot to flick his tongue. His massive snake head suddenly turned towards the Zerg Queen, his cold vertical pupils filled with fury. "Queen! I think you're getting more and more senile!"

Upon hearing the Zerg Queen's words, the Giant Axe Founder tried his best to keep a straight face, but the corners of his mouth still twitched slightly, clearly struggling to suppress his laughter.

"Alright, everyone." The Chaos City Lord spoke up at the right moment. He glanced with slight surprise at his old companion beside him, who rarely showed a mischievous expression, and calmly but firmly interrupted the pointless argument. "These emotional words are useless. Just state your thoughts directly. As for the Star Tower and the affairs of my human race, we humans will handle them ourselves. There is no need for you to worry about them."

"The Chaos City Lord is indeed reasonable." The Mechanical Race Father God immediately took over, his metallic synthesized voice quickening as if afraid of causing further turmoil. "Our four peak races are roughly equal in strength, maintaining a balance of power in the primordial universe, with none able to completely suppress the others. To reduce large-scale wars that damage the foundations of our races and to focus more on their development and inheritance, we jointly opened six extraterritorial battlefields for our elites to hone their skills and resolve disputes. Now, with the flourishing of our races and the emergence of numerous geniuses, the six battlefields are becoming increasingly crowded and unable to meet the demand. I believe it is time... to consider opening a few more new extraterritorial battlefields."

When the Mechanical Race Father God said, "The strength is evenly matched, and neither can suppress the other," the Giant Axe Founder's eyebrows twitched sharply. He barely managed to suppress his laughter, only glancing at the Mechanical Race Father God and the two Demon Ancestors with a playful look.

The Lord of Chaos City, with a clear mind, directly pointed out: "A very good idea. So, you have your eye on the Miluo Secret Realm and want to develop it into the seventh extraterritorial battlefield, is that right?"

“That’s right, Chaos!” The Dream Demon Ancestor chimed in, her serpentine eyes gleaming. “That Star Tower is incredibly mysterious. Although it cannot recognize a master, it gives birth to a ‘Star-Sealing Element’ every long period of time. This item may be just an ordinary treasure to you and me, but it is an invaluable treasure to the immortals and cosmic venerables of our various races! Rather than letting these treasures scatter in the Miluo Secret Realm, where they are obtained by the lucky ones from the weak natives or ordinary races, their brilliance wasted, it would be better for our four great races to manage them together and recruit useful talents. Moreover, what if there are truly exceptionally talented descendants in the future who can gain the Star Tower’s recognition? Wouldn’t that be a shared opportunity for our four great races? What do you think?” She tied the interests and future possibilities together, trying to increase her persuasiveness.

Both the founder of the Giant Axe and the Lord of Chaos nodded slightly in agreement with the core of this proposal, as it indeed aligned with the overall interests of the four major races.

"Ling Xuan, what do you think of this matter?" the founder of the Giant Axe asked in the virtual universe.

Throughout the meeting, they maintained synchronous transmission through the virtual universe, allowing Ling Xuan to participate in real time.

Although Ling Xuan possesses immense strength, he has not yet broken through to become the strongest in the universe, and cannot, like them, freely manifest his will in any corner of the primordial universe. This is the respect and right that the strongest humans deserve.

Ling Xuan pondered for a moment before replying, "Teacher, I think we can agree. The conditions for the Star Tower to recognize a master are harsh, and only those with extraordinary willpower can do it. Forcing it will be pointless. Turning the secret realm into a battlefield can both hone the younger generation of our human race and bring resources such as the sealed stars under our control. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks. As for the original inhabitants of the secret realm... that is the law of survival in the universe."

"Good!" The founder of the giant axe felt reassured upon receiving the affirmative reply.

Immediately, in the desolate star field, the booming voice of the Giant Axe Founder rang out: "Since this is beneficial to all four races, we humans agree!"

Hearing such a straightforward reply from humans, the Zerg Queen, the Machine Father God, and even the Dream Demon Ancestor and the Tremor Demon Ancestor all breathed a sigh of relief, almost imperceptibly.

In the primordial universe, decisions made jointly by the four dominant races are practically final, and no force can stop them.

However, if one of them strongly opposes it, many things will be difficult to implement; this is the balance of power between the top clans.

"In that case," the Zerg Queen's captivating voice rang out again, melodious yet tinged with a cold indifference towards all living beings, "let's proceed according to the usual practice of opening up extraterrestrial battlefields. Each race will dispatch a Universe Lord to command an elite army and thoroughly 'clean up' the Miluo Secret Realm. It's time for that star field to change its master."

With a casual gesture, the fate of tens of millions of races and trillions of intelligent lives within the vast 110 million light-year range of the Miluo Secret Realm was decided.

In the eyes of the supreme being, they are nothing more than obstacles that need to be eliminated.

"Agreed." Zhen Yaozu roared in a deep voice, his body covered with a serrated shell exuding a fierce aura. "For a mere Miluo Secret Realm, to send four Universe Lords to attack at the same time is already giving them a huge favor, it can be called a high-level deployment. We must fight with thunderous force and finish this quickly to avoid any unforeseen complications."

The Lord of Chaos City and the Founder of the Giant Axe exchanged a glance and slowly nodded.

The four parties then discussed the details of the troop deployment, the timing, and the rules and framework for the subsequent extraterritorial battlefield, and finally reached an agreement. Immediately afterwards, the supreme will of the Six Paths vanished silently from this desolate cosmic borderland as if it had never existed, and the barren star field returned to its deathly silence.

virtual universe.

When faced with a major strategic matter concerning the race that requires the deployment of a cosmic ruler, a decision must be made by the Supreme Council.

Soon, the consciousnesses of all the human race's Universe Venerables and above descended upon the Giant Axe Temple.

Inside the magnificent temple, thrones floated in the air.

Upon closer inspection, the layout of the Giant Axe Temple has undergone some subtle yet significant changes.

Originally, there were only two black thrones at the top of the temple, symbolizing the highest authority. One belonged to the founder of the giant axe, while the other was left vacant for a long time, representing the tribe's remembrance and waiting for their ancestor.

But now, the Black Throne has become four!
Ling Xuan, as the Lord of the Universe, sat prominently in the very center, next to the empty black throne.

The thrones of the Giant Axe Founder and the Chaos City Lord were positioned to the left and right of Ling Xuan and the empty throne, respectively.

This subtle adjustment silently but powerfully proclaimed a fact.

Ling Xuan's status as "Emperor Yan" has officially surpassed that of his teacher, the founder of the giant axe, making him the de facto supreme leader and pillar of the human race.

Although he is not the strongest in the universe, his prestige, contributions, and strength have earned him the unreserved recognition of the entire race.

The lords and venerable beings of the universe took their seats in turn, their gazes involuntarily drawn to the four black thrones, their hearts filled with respect.

Just then, the Chaos City Lord, who was in charge of daily affairs, suddenly revealed a hearty smile. He looked around at everyone and said in a gentle yet powerful voice, "Hahaha, it seems that today, we old guys will have to add another seat."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, the founder of the giant axe showed interest on his rugged face and laughed, "Chaos, from what you're saying, your Virtual Universe Company has given birth to another Universe Lord?"

Only a powerhouse at the level of a universe lord could be solemnly mentioned by the Lord of Chaos City on such an occasion.

Ling Xuan's heart stirred slightly. He turned his gaze to the Dark Lord, whose aura was strange and profound, and asked, "Is that You Hou?"

He remembered that in the original trajectory, before Luo Feng, the fifth universe master of the Virtual Universe Company was the Lord of Youhou.

Moreover, the other party has been cultivating diligently for over a hundred million epochs, and according to the timeline, it is indeed time for them to break through.

"Not bad!" The Lord of Darkness's face, which was usually filled with an evil aura, revealed a rare, undisguised, even somewhat "sunny" smile. He touched his shiny bald head, his tone filled with barely suppressed pride, "It was my worthless disciple who, after wasting hundreds of millions of epochs, finally stumbled and staggered over this threshold."

Although he said "useless," everyone present could feel his extreme satisfaction with this disciple. His smile, a mixture of wickedness and "cheerfulness," seemed strangely harmonious at this moment.

"Excellent! This is a great fortune for our human race!" the founder of the giant axe exclaimed, appearing extremely happy.

He then raised his hand and lightly touched his own black throne with his fingertips.

Om-!
To the left of the Ice Peak Lord, the void rippled, and a brand-new golden throne rapidly materialized, representing the formal coronation of yet another cosmic lord.

The next second, a slightly lean figure, dressed in dark armor, with eyes as sharp as a hawk, instantly appeared on the golden throne. It was none other than the newly ascended Lord of the Universe—Lord Youhou!
He bowed slightly to the four black thrones above and the seniors around him, his face showing a mixture of excitement and solemnity.

Congratulations, Marquis You!

Congratulations on becoming the ruler of Youhou!

A chorus of congratulations immediately filled the temple, creating a lively atmosphere.

The birth of each cosmic lord represents a significant boost to the strength of the race.

The Lord of Chaos City pressed his hands together, and after the scene quieted down, he said in a deep voice, "Alright, we can discuss the joyous occasion later. Now, let's begin the first agenda item of this meeting: In order to open up the seventh extraterrestrial battlefield, our human race needs to send a Universe Lord to the Miluo Secret Realm to oversee the preliminary cleanup and base establishment. Everyone, does anyone have a candidate to suggest?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the Lord of Darkness spoke again, his voice still carrying his unique eerie quality, but his tone was very firm: "I think, how about we hand this mission over to Youhou for some training?"

This is a rare instance of him taking the initiative to create opportunities for his disciples.

However, his proposal was immediately met with opposition.

“That’s not advisable.” Sitting on the other side, the Lord of the Desolate Mirror, with an ancient face and a sharp aura, shook his head, his brows furrowing slightly. “Youhou has only just broken through to the level of a Universe Lord. He probably hasn’t even fully mastered the ultimate secret technique yet, and his divine body is far from complete. On this journey to the Miluo Secret Realm, we will have to face Universe Lords from other races such as the Demon Race and the Insect Race. If they discover our weaknesses and launch a sneak attack, the consequences will be unimaginable!”

His concerns are justified.

Most newly appointed universe masters are only at the first tier of strength, with their divine bodies, secret techniques, and supreme treasures all in a weak phase.

If they were to encounter a top-tier cosmic overlord like the Lord of the Heavenly Eclipse Palace, who is comparable to a second-tier cosmic lord, they might even face the danger of perishing.

Lord of the Wilderness was genuinely worried that the new star that his race had finally produced would perish abroad.

The fact that the human race has produced three universe masters in just over ten million epochs is nothing short of a miracle.

However, both Emperor Yan and the Lord of Blazing Sun are extraordinary geniuses who cannot be judged by ordinary standards.

Youhou's breakthrough within one hundred million epochs already places him among the top geniuses.

Throughout the long history of humankind, it takes an average of 50 billion epochs to give birth to a single universe master!
Each one is a treasure of the tribe.

"Hahaha!" The Lord of Darkness let out a low laugh upon hearing this, as if he had been prepared for it all along. "Huang Jian, I understand your concerns. However, since I dared to make this suggestion, I have my reasons."

Before his breakthrough, Youhou had already fortunately grasped the prototype of an ultimate secret technique. After the breakthrough, he could refine it without much trouble. As for the transformation of his divine body... he could simply request a 'primordial treasure' from his clan for temporary use to accelerate the transformation process. There was still some time before the army officially assembled and set off, and with the primordial treasure, he could complete the basic transformation of his divine body.

At that time, combined with his supreme treasure 'Youhou Thorn', his strength will not be considered weak among second-tier universe masters.

Moreover, the cosmic lords sent by various races to clean up the secret realms are most likely not top-tier beings. This is a good opportunity for Youhou to broaden his horizons and establish his reputation.

(End of this chapter)