Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 216 Heaven
Cao Benqi trembled violently, staring intently at Ling Xuan, only to find that the other party didn't even glance at him out of the corner of his eye. A bellyful of resentment choked in his throat, turning into a silent roar.

He clenched his teeth, feeling the various gazes directed at him from all around—some sympathetic, some mocking, and some gloating.

Seeing Ling Xuan express his opinion, those who had some doubts were completely relieved and expressed their agreement.

"Emperor Yan, you are wise!" a cosmic ruler echoed loudly.

“Venerable Qianyue is indeed more suitable.” The other nodded in agreement.

Even the Lord of Ice Peak nodded slightly and said no more.

Seeing this, the Lord of Chaos City smiled gently: "Now that the leader and deputy have been chosen and the structure is clear, Ling Xuan, as the leader of this new force, it is up to you to give it a name."

In an instant, the entire Giant Axe Temple fell silent once more, and everyone's gaze, including the encouraging look in the eyes of the Giant Axe's founder, was focused on Ling Xuan.

Ling Xuan closed his eyes slightly, his consciousness seemingly traveling through time and space, returning to that blue planet, recalling the legends of the supreme divine court on that ancient land, which ruled the three realms, governed the heavenly way, and maintained the order of the universe.

A name imbued with supreme majesty and boundless grandeur resounded in his heart.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze seemingly holding the birth and death of the universe. His voice was calm, yet carried a resolute and powerful declaration of an era's transition, clearly resonating throughout every corner of the temple:
"Since it controls order, determines the laws, and oversees all things, then... this sixth great power shall be called—the Heavenly Court!"

Heaven!

As soon as the two words were uttered, it was as if an invisible Daoist voice echoed in the temple, and a majestic aura that ruled over all heavens and regulated all spirits rushed over, causing all the powerful beings, from the Lord of the Universe to the Venerable One of the Universe, to be shaken to their core and feel a sense of awe from the depths of their souls.

"Excellent! What a magnificent Heavenly Court!" The Lord of Chaos City was the first to applaud, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "To rule over all the heavens, to establish moral order, and to maintain the law! This name perfectly matches our vision, its grandeur is truly fitting!"

"Hahaha! Excellent!" The founder of the giant axe laughed loudly, his voice shaking the palace. Looking at his disciple, his face was full of pride and satisfaction. "Heavenly Court! Ling Xuan, this name is worthy of your status, and it is worthy of the future vision of my human race! This is the kind of spirit you should have!"

"I second that! The name 'Heavenly Court' is truly deserved!"

"We agree! We are willing to obey the decree of Emperor Yan!"

"The Cosmic Mercenary Alliance agrees!"

"Cosmic Galaxy Bank, no objections!"

"The world's number one bank, fully supporting you!"

The leaders of the Virtual Universe Company, the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance, the two major banks, and all the lords of the universe, regardless of which faction they previously belonged to, were now all sincerely convinced and expressed their agreement in unison!
The establishment of the Heavenly Court, with Emperor Yan Lingxuan in charge, is a foregone conclusion!

"In that case!" The founder of the giant axe suddenly stood up, his towering figure like a divine mountain supporting the universe. His voice was like thunder, turning a new page in the history of the human race. "From this day forward, the sixth greatest power of our human race—the Heavenly Court—is officially established! It shall be ruled by Emperor Yan, Ling Xuan! Venerable Qian Yue shall be his deputy, assisting Emperor Yan, and holding the highest authority over legislation, justice, trial, and supervision within the race!"

His gaze swept over the leaders of the other four major forces: "My Giant Axe Arena will first divert 30% of its Immortal and above powerhouses and allocate corresponding resource star fields to the Heavenly Court as its foundation! The Virtual Universe Company, the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance, the Cosmic Galaxy Bank, and the Cosmic First Bank must also allocate their corresponding supervisory and law enforcement departments and elite personnel to the Heavenly Court within ten thousand years, without delay!"

"We obey the command of the founder of the Giant Axe!" The leaders of the four major forces solemnly responded.

A profound transformation that would shape the future of humanity was settled at this supreme meeting.

……

The Star Tower stands majestically at the heart of the Miluo Secret Realm, its nine-light-year-wide structure shrouded in endless chaotic energy, as if it had existed since the beginning of the universe.

At this moment, within the Star Tower, a new "Sealed Star" is about to be born!
"Stop them! This star is destined to belong to my 'Molten Fire Clan'!" roared a cosmic venerable whose body was covered in magma. He was tens of thousands of miles tall, and with each breath he spewed out flames powerful enough to melt stars.

He led the powerful members of the Molten Fire Clan into a battle formation, and the scorching aura distorted the very space around them.

"Arrogant! This treasure should belong to my Ice Skeleton Clan!" On the other side, the Ice Skeleton Clan Venerable, formed from billions of ice crystals, shouted coldly. Extreme cold air spread out, rivaling the blazing heat of the Molten Fire Clan. Explosions of ice and fire clashing echoed continuously in the void.

This is only one corner of the battlefield.

Surrounding the black sphere, about 80,000 kilometers in diameter, that was slowly emerging from the tower wall, dozens of the most powerful races in the Miluo Secret Realm were engaged in a fierce battle.

The powerful warriors of the Lightning Clan charged forward in thunder chariots, the Shadow Spider Clan darted through the unstable spatial rifts to carry out assassinations, and the Rock Giant Clan rampaged through the world with their massive divine bodies... The shockwaves from the collision of divine power continued to reverberate, completely clearing away the floating meteorite belts around them, and even stirring up the stable chaotic air currents around the Star Tower into turbulent waves.

All forces were bloodthirsty over this "Sealed Star," which could make an entire race even stronger.

At the height of the battle—

"Buzz——"

An indescribable and irresistible terrifying pressure, like the weight of the entire universe, suddenly descended!

In an instant, spacetime within a radius of tens of light-years centered on the Star Tower was completely frozen! The Molten Fire Clan Venerable, who was charging forward, froze in mid-air, his spewing flames remaining in their explosive form; the Ice Skeleton Clan Venerable's extreme cold attack stopped in his tracks; all the powerful figures who were shuttling, colliding, and fighting were like mosquitoes in amber, forcibly fixed in place!
Even thinking becomes incredibly sluggish, with only boundless fear growing within.

"The Lord of the Universe." A Molten Clan Universe Venerable barely managed to conjure a thought with his powerful will, his consciousness filled with boundless despair.

Immediately afterwards, a scene that sent shivers down the spines of all the powerful beings in the secret realm unfolded like an apocalyptic scroll:

East.

A massive gaping hole, stretching across the sea of ​​stars, silently opened up in the void.

A massive, seemingly endless metal fleet, like a cold, steel torrent, silently sailed out.

They were arranged in a perfect geometric formation, and the surface of each warship was covered with the unique laws and runes of the mechanical race, exuding absolute rationality and order.

At the very forefront of this terrifying fleet, a figure composed entirely of strange metal stood silently, seemingly the core of the entire metal kingdom.

—The master of the mechanical universe, the master of the Bracer!
With his arrival, the entire eastern part of the Star Tower region was brought under the absolute control of the Machine Race, and all energy activity within the area instantly ceased.

In the west, a sky full of purple starlight gently descended like a dreamy veil.

However, beneath this beauty lies a chilling stillness.

Amidst the starlight, countless Zerg warriors surged forth like a destructive tide.

The lowest level is the World Lord level, and there are countless Immortal-level insectoids. They have different forms, but they all exude a cold killing aura.

In the center of this sea of ​​insects, on a magnificent throne, the Lord of the Insect Clan, the Lotus of the Netherworld, leaned lazily. With a light touch of her slender fingers, an invisible soul impact swept through like a storm, and countless weak beings in the western space instantly had their souls shattered.

south.

A piercing, soul-wrenching cry echoed through the starry sky!
The Lord of the Changjiu, whose entire body is covered in blue scales and whose wingspan is enough to obscure the stars, breaks through the sky!

Its cold, golden eyes swept across the battlefield, and the violent aura of the demon race's universe lord was released without restraint.

Closely following behind was the real demon army!

Countless powerful members of the demon race revealed their enormous forms: a nine-headed demonic lion engulfed in dark flames, a giant serpent that coiled and churned, stirring up space and time, and a divine bird whose cries shattered the void... They roared, and their turbid aura gathered into billowing smoke, turning the southern space and time into a desolate inferno.

north.

The profound darkness spread silently, like the dark side of the universe capable of devouring everything. In this darkness, the Lord of Youhou, the ruler of the human race, stood with his hands behind his back.

Although he is a newly appointed ruler of the universe and his reputation is not well-known, his great power to control a region of space and time is undeniable.

Behind him, the human fleet stretched out like a Great Wall of Steel. Although it was not the largest, its imposing presence and superior equipment demonstrated the strength of a top-tier race.

"If you have someone to blame, blame yourself for not being human!" Lord Youhou sighed.

The elite legions of the four universe lords and the four peak races, from four directions, like four insurmountable walls of despair, completely surrounded the Star Tower and all the secret realm experts within it who were vying for the power to seal the stars!

"No—! It's the four top races! They...they've joined forces!" A knowledgeable Shadow Spider Clan Universe Venerable cried out in a state of near-frozen terror.

His response was a cold and ruthless sweeping.

Lord of the Brazar raised his metal arm, pointing it towards the Molten Fire Clan's camp.

Without any light or sound, the elite Molten Fire Clan, composed of several Cosmic Venerables and dozens of King-level Immortals, along with the space around them, vanished without a trace, like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser.

The Lord of the Nether Lotus smiled languidly as his gaze swept over the Ice Skeleton Clan.

An invisible soul storm swept by, and the soul fires in the eyes of all the Ice Skeleton Clan powerhouses were extinguished like candles in the wind, their enormous ice crystal bodies turning into cosmic dust.

"Screech!" The Lord of Changjiu let out a shrill cry filled with killing intent. With a flap of its wings, countless cyan wind blades swept towards the Thunder Chariots of the Thunder Clan like a death hurricane.

The chariot, powerful enough to withstand an immortal attack, was as fragile as paper before the might of the Lord of the Universe, and was torn to shreds along with the Thunder Clan warriors within.

Lord Youhou remained silent, but the dark domain he controlled was steadily expanding.

All the Shadow Spider and Rock Giant warriors who attempted to rush towards the Star Tower for protection vanished completely the moment they touched the darkness, without even a ripple.

massacre!

A naked, unequal, and despairing massacre!

The powerful figures from the secret realm who were fighting desperately to suppress the stars just moments before are now like lambs to the slaughter.

Their attacks, their defenses, their struggles—all seemed so laughable and powerless before the immense power of the Lord of the Universe who controlled space and time.

"Why... We haven't offended any of the top races, so does weakness mean death?" A Rock Giant Immortal uttered his last sorrowful spiritual message before his body disintegrated.

no respond.

In the laws of survival in the primordial universe, weakness is the original sin.

Centered on the Star Tower, a comprehensive "formatting" cleansing of the entire Miluo Secret Realm is underway. The cries of billions of lives and traces of civilization are being ruthlessly erased.

The foundation of the Seventh Extraterrestrial Battlefield is being laid in the most brutal and bloody way by the four Universe Lords and their legions.

In this battle, the three races didn't cause any trouble. They just took action because they thought that Lord Youhou, a newly promoted universe lord, was easy to bully.

After all, this secret realm was developed only for use as an extraterritorial battlefield. It has no resources, and there is no benefit in fighting a world-class power. On the contrary, it may trigger a war between races.

When the Flame Emperor's divine kingdom teleports over, that will truly be the end of them. Among their race, the only strong one who can rival the Flame Emperor is the strongest being in the universe, but even the strongest being in the universe cannot teleport his own divine kingdom.

Even the briefest moment it takes for Emperor Yan to summon his servants is enough for him to kill them several times over.

Naturally, no one dared to act recklessly, and everyone focused on developing this extraterritorial battlefield.

……

The dust of the destruction of the Miluo Secret Realm has finally settled. That starry sky that once nurtured countless civilizations is now nothing but cold star remains and shattered fragments of the continent floating in the void.

The once resounding names of myriad races, and the epic civilizations that shone for countless eons, have all vanished under the iron hooves of the four dominant races.

From then on, only one name will be recorded in the annals of the universe—the Seventh Extraterrestrial Battlefield.

This newly formed battlefield, because of the towering Star Tower at its core, spanning nine light-years and exuding an aura of vastness, and the sealed stars that would be born within the tower every long period of time, instantly became the most coveted treasure in the entire primordial universe.

Although the allied forces of the four major races have completed the initial cleanup, everyone knows that deep within this vast star field spanning 110 million light-years, there are still countless treasures hastily hidden by the indigenous civilizations before their demise, the cave dwellings left behind by those fallen powerful beings, and even the lost legacies of some cosmic venerables.

What excites countless powerful individuals even more is that the Star Tower remains unclaimed to this day!
Although even the strongest beings in the universe have confirmed that they cannot claim a master, this fact has only fueled the fantasies of many more people.

What if this supreme treasure is blind and admires its own good looks, or approves of its own unruly personality?

Even if one ultimately fails to obtain the Star Tower, acquiring a sealed star would be enough to drive any immortal god mad.

Less than ten thousand years after the opening of the Seventh Battlefield, while various forces were still vying for entry qualifications, another piece of news swept through the entire primordial universe like a cosmic storm.

The Primordial Star is about to be re-established!
"Master! Master!"

A streak of light merrily pierced through layers of spatial barriers and darted into Ling Xuan's secluded meditation room deep within the headquarters of the Giant Axe Martial Arts Arena.

The light faded, revealing a beautifully sculpted kitten girl.

Like a little bird returning to its nest, she joyfully rushed into Ling Xuan's arms, who was meditating with his eyes closed.

Ling Xuan slowly opened his eyes, and the vast and wondrous phenomenon that had evolved the creation and destruction of the universe gradually subsided.

He looked down at the little one nestled in his arms, a tender, doting expression softening his usually stern face. He gently ruffled her soft little head, saying, "Still so clumsy."

"Master! Huge news!" Puff looked up, her large, clear eyes, as bright as the starry sky, sparkling with excitement. "The Primal Star is about to open! Master, aren't you going?"

Ling Xuan chuckled upon hearing this, lightly flicking her smooth forehead with his finger. "You... those so-called ultimate treasures are of little use to me anymore. But you..." His deep gaze seemed to see right through him, carrying a knowing smile, "You rushed here to deliver this message so eagerly, isn't it because you want to go and explore the world yourself?"

When her owner saw through her thoughts, Puff's little face immediately flushed with a cute blush.

She lowered her head shyly, twisting the hem of her clothes with her small hands, her voice barely audible: "I...I've been following my master in cultivation for so long, I'm no longer that clueless little one I used to be. I also want to be like Meng Yan and Lord Youhou, to make a name for myself in the universe..."

Seeing her expectant yet apprehensive expression, Ling Xuan couldn't help but feel a pang of tenderness.

Puff has been with him since it left the factory, witnessing his entire journey from weakness to the top.

Over the years, she has silently taken on the responsibility of being his assistant, managing his daily life and cultivation in an orderly manner. Under his unintentional guidance, her own cultivation has also reached the realm of a cosmic venerable. It is indeed time for her to experience things on her own.

A moment of silence fell over the quiet room, with only the soft, anxious breathing of Puff echoing through the air.

Just as she thought her master wouldn't agree and lowered her head in disappointment, Ling Xuan's gentle voice came from above: "If you want to go, then go."

(End of this chapter)