Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 220 The Unfortunate Lord of You

The aftershocks of their battle plunged the entire starry sky into chaos.

Spacetime is constantly breaking and reassembling, cycling between fragmentation and wholeness.

The surface of the primordial planet undulated like waves under this force, mountains collapsed, and rivers flowed backward.

The cosmic lords watching the battle were horrified to discover that the spacetime around them was constantly shifting, sometimes returning to the past a few seconds earlier, and sometimes leaping to the future a few seconds later.

Even a being like the Lord of Annihilation had to retreat repeatedly, setting up layers of defense in front of him, for fear of being affected by the terrifying aftershocks of the battle.

The more Xuan Gu's clone fought, the more alarmed he became.

He sensed that the Chaos City Lord's control over spacetime had reached a completely new level. The true meaning of spacetime contained in the chaotic energy was actually able to rival his supreme imperial might, without being at a disadvantage in the slightest!

The Lord of Chaos City was equally shocked.

He clearly sensed the high level of that dark golden light, which completely surpassed the scope of ordinary universe masters.

"As expected of the Flame Emperor, the number one genius of our human race. Even a casual clone of his has such powerful strength. I'm afraid the combat power of this Xuan Gu clone is far from its limit."

"Okay! Again!"

Xuan Gu's clone let out a long roar, and the dark golden light surged once again.

Having finally gotten the chance to fight the Lord of Chaos City, he naturally wanted to go all out, and it was definitely not just to beat up the Lord of Chaos City.

This time, he held nothing back, unleashing his full power as an extreme emperor!
The entire starry sky seemed to groan under this oppressive force, and even the distant stars trembled slightly!
The Lord of Chaos City finally became serious. The chaotic energy around him materialized, and a phantom river of time slowly emerged behind him. As a pillar of the human race, his foundation far exceeded ordinary people's imagination!
"Time and spacetime turn!"

The Lord of Chaos City swung his hands, palm prints filling the sky, and the spacetime structure of the entire starry sky began to change drastically.

Past, present, and future intertwine here, forming a perfect spatial-temporal loop!

Xuan Gu's clone suddenly felt as if it were stuck in a quagmire, and every movement had to resist the resistance of the entire space-time.

But he was not afraid at all. He unleashed his full power as the Supreme Emperor, and the dark golden light forcefully carved out a domain of his own within the closed loop of spacetime!

"The Emperor descends upon the Nine Heavens!"

Xuan Gu's clone clasped his hands together, and dark golden light condensed into a giant sword that pierced through the heavens and earth.

The sword was imbued with the imperial might that suppressed all paths; with a single strike, the spatial-temporal loop shattered!

Two powerful figures engaged in an earth-shattering battle in the sky above the original star, the intensity of which left all the spectators dumbfounded.

Finally, after a dramatic collision, the two men both staggered back several steps, facing each other from a distance.

Xuan Gu's avatar gave the Chaos City Lord a deep look, his voice tinged with regret: "As expected of the Chaos City Lord."

The Lord of Chaos City responded calmly, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes: "The strength of the Lord of the Golden Wall is astonishing."

Xuan Gu's clone snorted coldly, glancing down at Cao Benqi, who had just broken free of his restraints and was in a sorry state. It seemed there would be no chance to teach him a lesson today. Then, his towering figure slowly dissipated into the void.

The Lord of Chaos City looked in the direction where the Xuan Gu clone had disappeared, a deep and unfathomable light flashing in his eyes. Was that brat Ling Xuan trying to beat me up too?
He then turned to the still-shaken Cao Benqi, "Let's go."

Cao Benqi nodded with a livid face and followed the Lord of Chaos City away from the primordial star that had caused him so much humiliation.

On his way back to human territory, Cao Benqi was consumed by rage.

"Why?" he roared inwardly, "That Lord of the Golden Wall is just a lucky stone golem, why is he stronger than me?"

"And the Lord of Chaos City! Despite being the strongest human, he favors outsiders and failed to offer timely assistance!"

He blamed all his failures on others—the luck of the Lord of Golden Wall, the favoritism of the Lord of Chaos City, and even the environment of the Primordial Star that limited his strength.

They never reflected on their own shortcomings.

Back at the headquarters of the Giant Axe Arena, Cao Benqi drowned his sorrows in alcohol and lashed out at his subordinate Cosmic Venerables.

He never considered going into seclusion to cultivate and improve his strength; instead, he became even more resentful and complained about his fate.

In this state, ten thousand years passed by in a flash.

On this day, Cao Benqi received news that the main body of a top-tier palace-type treasure was being nurtured on the original star numbered 07456!
On the original planet, top-tier domain treasures, top-tier soul treasures, top-tier flying palace treasures, and pinnacle weapon treasures... such treasures of the same level will appear many times.

They are all incomplete and will be scattered across different primordial stars.

What appeared this time was the main body of a top-tier palace-type treasure.

Even just the main body is worth as much as a top-tier ordinary treasure. If all the other parts could be collected, its value would be immeasurable!
"Finally, an opportunity has arrived!" A ruthless glint flashed in Cao Benqi's eyes. "This time, we must obtain this supreme treasure and let everyone know the power of the Lord of the Blazing Sun!"

When he arrived on this primordial star, he discovered that the Lord of Youhou, the ruler of the human race, had already arrived.

"Lord of the Blazing Sun." Lord Youhou greeted him with a friendly smile and a nod.

Cao Benqi snorted coldly, not even giving him a proper look.

In his view, a mere ordinary universe lord like Lord Youhou was not worthy of speaking to him.

Upon seeing this, Lord Youhou simply shook his head, unconcerned.

It's normal for someone to think that the other person is strong and talented and therefore looks down on them.

Soon, the cosmic rulers of other forces also arrived one after another:
The Star Lord of the Northern Frontier Alliance arrived riding a silver streak of light, surrounded by fine starlight.
The Lord of the Ring Blades of the Thorn Ring Alliance descended with an eerie green halo, the edges of which gleamed with a sharp, cold light.
The Machine Race's Lord of the Bracers transformed into a dark gray metallic giant, radiating a chilling killing intent;
The Lord of the Bone Prison of the Prison Clan exudes a sinister aura, and his divine body is composed of countless white bones;
The Crystal Clan's "Master of Crystal Diamonds" is composed entirely of transparent crystals, refracting seven colors of light.

Cao Benqi looked around at his opponents and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

These are not the top universe lords among the various forces; most of them are at the third-tier level. With his strength as a fourth-tier universe lord, he is fully capable of seizing this treasure.

"It seems like this opportunity is very good," Cao Benqi thought to himself. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this treasure is definitely mine!"

The main body of this top-tier palace-type treasure was already considered an extremely precious item on the primordial planet. All the descending cosmic lords waited silently, and a suffocating atmosphere of tension permeated the entire primordial planet.

As Cao Benqi felt the wary or cautious gazes around him, a long-lost sense of confidence welled up in his heart.

This time, he is determined to avenge his previous humiliation and make the whole universe know the might of the Lord of the Blazing Sun!
Ripples spread through the space like waves, gradually revealing the phantom of a palace, entirely silver-white with a surface that shimmered like mercury.

Although it was just a phantom, the profound aura it exuded moved all the universe lords present.

"It is about to be born!" the Star Lord of the Northern Frontier Alliance whispered, as starlight began to gather around him.

"Let's see who has the best skills," said the Ring Blade Master of the Thorn Ring Alliance coldly, a green halo slowly rotating behind him.

Cao Benqi stood proudly in the void, the Flame God Halberd already in his hand, golden divine flames burning around him.

He glanced contemptuously at the other five universe lords, considering these third- and fourth-tier opponents to be utterly insignificant.

Just then, the spatial fluctuations reached their peak, and the silver-white palace treasure was finally fully revealed!

It was only the size of a palm, yet it exuded a terrifying aura, clearly the main body of a top-tier palace-type treasure of extremely high quality!
“Get started!”

Almost the instant the treasure was fully born, the six figures moved simultaneously!
Cao Benqi took the lead, his Flaming Divine Halberd carrying the power to incinerate the starry sky as it headed straight for the treasure. He didn't take his other opponents seriously at all, confident that he could easily seize the treasure.

However, the next moment, something unexpected happened! "Deal with the Lord of Blazing Sun first!" the Lord of Starlight suddenly shouted, and billions of starlight beams shot towards Cao Benqi like a torrential rain.

"That's right, he's too strong. We must join forces to deal with him first!" The green halo of the Lord of the Ring Blades instantly expanded, and came from the side with a sharpness that could cut through space and time.

The Lord of the Brahma Conch transformed into a gray streak of light, his metal fist carrying the power to shatter stars as it slammed into Cao Benqi's back.

The bone chains of the Lord of Bone Prison and the seven-colored beams of light from the Lord of Crystal Diamonds also attacked at the same time!
The five lords of the universes unanimously chose to join forces to deal with the strongest, Cao Benqi!
"You're courting death!" Cao Benqi roared in fury, his Flaming Divine Halberd swirling like a dragon, golden divine flames forming a barrier to block all attacks.

But how easy is it to defeat the combined forces of the five cosmic lords?

Although neither of them individually could match Cao Benqi, they each had their own advantages when they joined forces.

They are all beings who have traversed countless eras in the universe, and each possesses one or two unique skills.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Under the siege of the five powerful figures, Cao Benqi was struggling to hold on. Although he managed to hold on with the help of the armor, breaking through the encirclement to seize the treasure was extremely difficult.

Just as Cao Benqi was engaged in a fierce battle with the five powerful figures, the Lord of Youhou, who had been lurking on the periphery, seized the opportunity!

His figure flashed like a ghost, and while everyone's attention was drawn to Cao Benqi, he transformed into an almost invisible phantom and headed straight for the silver-white palace floating in the air.

"Not good!" The Lord of Stars was the first to notice the anomaly, but it was too late to stop it.

Lord Youhou's hand had already touched the silver palace, and the treasure instantly recognized its master, transforming into a stream of light that entered his body.

"The treasure has been taken by humans!" the Lord of the Ring Blades cried out in despair.

Seeing this, the five powerful figures knew that the situation was hopeless and that continuing the fight was pointless.

They exchanged a glance, and although they were unwilling, they still decisively chose to leave.

Cao Benqi was extremely frustrated. Although he hadn't been seriously injured during the attack by the five powerful figures, his divine power had been greatly depleted.

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief watching the other powerful figures depart, he suddenly realized that the supreme treasure had already been obtained by the Lord of Youhou! An unnamed rage erupted within him, instantly becoming powerful enough to incinerate the heavens and the seas.

Lord Youhou was in high spirits after obtaining the treasure.

He flew to Cao Benqi and said sincerely, "Lord of the Blazing Sun, it was thanks to you that I was able to seize the opportunity to obtain this treasure. This treasure is indeed very important to me, but I won't let you work for nothing. I have a high-grade weapon-type treasure here, the 'Shadow Shuttle,' which, while not as valuable as this palace treasure, is still a small token of my appreciation."

As he spoke, Lord Youhou took out a shuttle-shaped treasure that was entirely black and had a dark light flowing across its surface, and prepared to hand it to Cao Benqi.

However, at this moment, Cao Benqi could no longer suppress his anger when he saw the "hypocritical" smile of the Lord of Youhou.

In his mind, if he hadn't fought five powerful figures alone, how could Lord Youhou have had the chance to obtain the treasure?
Now look what's happened! Lord Youhou has the best treasure, yet he wants to fob him off with a second-rate treasure?
"Who do you think you are?" Cao Benqi suddenly roared, a ferocious glint in his eyes. "You dare to possess such a treasure?"

Lord Youhou was stunned; he hadn't expected Cao Benqi to react this way at all: "Lord of the Blazing Sun, what do you mean by this?"

Even if you're not satisfied with your payment, you can always discuss it further, right?
"What do you mean?" Cao Benqi grinned maliciously. "This treasure should have been mine! If I hadn't fought so hard just now, would you have succeeded? Now, obediently hand over the treasure, and I might spare your life out of kinship!"

Lord Youhou was both shocked and furious: "Cao Benqi! Have you gone mad? We are of the same clan! If I hadn't seized the opportunity just now, this treasure would have been taken by a powerful figure from another force!"

"Enough nonsense!" Cao Benqi ignored all explanations, and the Flaming Divine Halberd suddenly erupted with towering divine flames. "Hand over the treasure, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Lord Youhou looked at Cao Benqi, who seemed to be going mad, and felt a chill in his heart.

He never expected that this genius, who was once on par with Emperor Yan, would actually steal a treasure from his own clan!

We are all masters of the universe. It's one thing for you to look down on me, but to humiliate me like this is quite another.
This treasure was meant to be kept by whoever seized it. The fact that he was willing to give up a high-grade weapon as a token of respect was already a favor to Cao Benqi, but Cao Benqi showed no gratitude whatsoever.

"Cao Benqi, have you thought this through!" Lord Youhou roared. "Robbing a member of your own clan's most precious treasure is a grave crime! Emperor Yan and the Heavenly Court will never forgive you!"

The words "Emperor Yan" were like igniting a powder keg, and Cao Benqi's face instantly turned ferocious and terrifying.

"Emperor Yan? Ling Xuan?" He practically spat out those two names through gritted teeth. "You dare use him to intimidate me?"

The most sensitive string in my heart was touched.

For countless eons, he has been compared to Ling Xuan in every way, and that name is like an insurmountable mountain weighing on his heart.

Every time he heard others praise Ling Xuan's talent and his contributions to the human race, he felt as if they were denying his own worth.

"Very well!" Cao Benqi laughed in fury, his golden divine flames surging wildly around him. "Today I'll show you who the true genius of the human race is!"

The Fiery Divine Halberd slashed down with the power to incinerate the starry sky!
This attack was unleashed in fury; the full force of a fourth-order universe lord's strike caused the entire starry sky to tremble!

Lord Youhou's expression changed drastically. Although he was a second-tier universe lord, his strength was far inferior to that of his opponent, and he would not surrender so easily.

His signature weapon, the "Netherworld Thorn," instantly transformed into countless dark streaks of light, each containing a sharpness capable of tearing through the void.

"Countless shadows!"

Countless dark streaks of light rained down on the Flame God Halberd, a secret attack technique that Lord Youhou was most skilled at, specifically designed to deal with power-type opponents.

However, the gap in strength is simply too great!

"Hiss hiss hiss—"

The moment the golden divine flame collided with the dark, flowing light, billions of rays of light melted away as quickly as ice and snow meeting the sun.

Cao Benqi's Flaming Divine Halberd was unstoppable, tearing through all defenses!
"clang!"

Amidst the deafening collision, Youhou Thorn's main body was violently cleaved away, and Youhou Lord was struck even harder, flying tens of millions of miles backward, instantly losing 8% of his divine body!

"Is that all you've got?" Cao Benqi pressed his advantage, unleashing a second halberd strike. "You think you're worthy of possessing a top-tier palace treasure?"

This time, the flames condensing on the Flame God Halberd were no longer simple divine flames, but transformed into nine roaring golden fire dragons!
Each fire dragon contains the terrifying power to incinerate a star field. When all nine dragons emerge together, the entire starry sky is transformed into a fiery hell!
Lord Youhou gritted his teeth and used the defensive secret technique "Shadow Barrier," a thick, dark light curtain condensing in front of him.

However, under the onslaught of the nine fire dragons, the shadow barrier shattered in an instant!
"boom--!"

Lord Youhou was blasted away again, his divine body instantly suffering 15% damage!

He knew that if he continued fighting, he would surely die, so he hurriedly activated the silver-white palace that had just recognized him as its master.

"Buzz!"

A flash of silver light, and the figure of Lord Youhou vanished instantly, disappearing into the palace's treasure.

Although this top-tier palace-type treasure is only the main body, its defensive power is comparable to that of an ordinary top-tier treasure. Unfortunately, it does not have the function of isolating all attacks like a complete palace treasure. A considerable amount of the aftershocks of attacks still seeped into the palace and caused injuries to Lord Youhou.

"Hide? Let's see how long you can hide!" Cao Benqi attacked the silver palace frantically, and every time the Flame God Halberd fell, the palace trembled violently.

Although the defenses could not be broken in a short time, the relentless attacks made even the Lord of Youhou inside the palace feel terrified.

Inside the palace, Lord Youhou's face was solemn, his heart filled with resentment and anger.

He fought for the human race for countless epochs and made countless contributions, but now he is going to die at the hands of his own kind, and because they are jealous of his acquisition of a supreme treasure!

(End of this chapter)