Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 235 I Gave You a Chance
The Cosmic Sea, the middle section of the Path of the Molten Core.

This is a forbidden zone for life, a place so terrifying that even the Lord of the Universe trembles at the mere mention of it.

Looking out, the endless void was filled with a viscous, dark red energy flow. It was not an ordinary flame, but the destructive energy released by the collapse and decay of ancient stars, like the blood of the universe boiling and flowing here.

The massive energy tides erupt periodically, easily tearing through space and time, forming terrifying vortexes capable of annihilating even divine bodies.

Occasionally, fragments of broken stars are swept away by the torrent of energy, their speed and power enough to severely injure even a master of an ordinary universe.

In a relatively "calm" spot within this extremely dangerous area, Zhou Heng's clone was quietly sitting cross-legged on a giant, floating dark meteorite.

He was surrounded by faint ripples of void energy, which quietly dissolved and guided the destructive energy that was encroaching upon him.

This place is about 10,000 light-years away from General Xuan Yan's tomb. It is a defensive line he chose for his true self, who is currently undergoing crucial enlightenment in the core area of ​​the tomb.

The main body cultivates within the Star Prison, and once it begins to undergo trials, its consciousness will sever ties with its several clones.

At that time, even Zhou Heng's clone would not be able to perceive the true form's specific condition. The only thing he could do was to guard this place, block all possible routes leading to the tomb chamber, and ensure that nothing went wrong.

at this time--

The viscous, dark red energy flow in the distance was forcibly pushed aside by a brute force, and a majestic figure slowly descended.

He was about 10,000 kilometers tall, and his skin was like cooled lava, covered with cracks, beneath which a faint golden light flowed.

Three pairs of crimson eyes, arranged in a spiral on its head, gleamed with curiosity and scrutiny as they gazed at the Zhouheng clone on the meteorite.

"The Lord of the Void Blade?" A deep voice, tinged with surprise, pierced through the raging energy tide and clearly reached the ears of Zhou Heng's clone.

"I never expected that one of the three most renowned ultimate geniuses would be in seclusion in the middle of the 'Path of Molten Core' alone?"

The newcomer was the "Molten Mountain Demon God" from the first cycle era, a universe-leading being renowned for his defense and power.

Zhou Heng's clone slowly opened his eyes, looking calmly at the Molten Mountain Demon God. He did not get up, but simply said, "Molten Mountain Demon God, this is a place I found for quiet cultivation. Please do me a favor."

The six crimson eyes of the Molten Mountain Demon God narrowed slightly as it carefully examined Zhou Heng's clone and the area behind him that appeared no different from other places but was actually being subtly protected by him.

His mind raced: the Path of the Molten Core was an extremely harsh environment, even the Lord of the Universe had to be very careful here, and it consumed a great deal of energy.

Although the Lord of the Void Blade possesses extraordinary talent and is hailed as the "ultimate genius," he is ultimately just a Lord of the Universe, and has chosen to "seclude himself" here.
This reason is really far-fetched.

There must be a secret!

It is very likely that they have discovered some kind of precious treasure, or the entrance to some ancient ruins, and are trying to collect or protect it!

Thinking of this, the Molten Mountain Demon God's huge mouth grinned into a seemingly simple but actually meaningful smile: "Haha, Lord of the Void Blade, why be so formal? This Molten Core Path is an unclaimed area in the Cosmic Sea. When did it become a private place for meditation? I see you've been here for some time now. Could it be that you've encountered some difficulties? Or... discovered something interesting?"

His massive body took a slight step forward, and the boiling flow of destructive energy around him was slightly suppressed by the aura he naturally exuded: "I am quite familiar with this place, and perhaps I can be of some help. If there is any benefit, everyone who sees it will share in it, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The probing intent in his words was obvious.

He suspected that the Lord of the Void Blade was guarding some kind of opportunity here, wanting a share of it.

Zhou Heng's clone's eyes turned slightly cold, and the faint ripples in the void around him suddenly became sharp, as if an invisible blade was brewing.

He remained seated, but his demeanor suddenly became dangerous and resolute:
"Mountain Demon God, I told you, this is my place of seclusion." His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. "Stop ahead."

The six crimson eyes of the Lava Mountain Demon God flickered uncertainly as it weighed the pros and cons in its mind.

The name of the Lord of the Void Blade is too famous in the Cosmic Sea. As one of the three ultimate geniuses recognized by the entire Cosmic Sea, his ability to fight and even suppress some of the strongest people in the ordinary universe at the level of the Lord of the Universe has long been known to all forces.

The general consensus in the universe is that these three geniuses are not incapable of breaking through, but rather are deliberately accumulating experience, waiting for a moment to erupt. After comprehending the evolution of chaos, their strength will far surpass that of the strongest beings in the ordinary universe, and they may even be able to transcend reincarnation in the future.

'Offending him now would be unwise,' the Molten Mountain Demon God thought to himself. 'But this is like trying to hide something obvious; the more he obstructs us, the more it proves there's something valuable inside! Something that the Lord of the Void Blade values ​​so highly must be extraordinary! It might even be a powerful legacy or a supreme treasure from an ancient civilization!'

Greed ultimately prevailed over fear.

The Lava Mountain Demon God forced a seemingly benevolent smile onto his enormous lava face: "Why is the Lord of the Void Blade so angry? I am merely curious. In the middle section of the Lava Core Path, the energy tides are so violent; it is hardly a good place for quiet cultivation. You seem so tense; could it be that you have discovered some legacy left by our predecessors? According to the rules of the Cosmic Sea, those who find it share it; to keep it all to oneself... is probably not a good idea?"

As he spoke, his enormous divine body began to move slowly, not rushing directly towards the direction guarded by Zhou Heng's avatar, but meandering in an arc. His three pairs of crimson eyes flashed, carefully examining every abnormal flow of energy in the surrounding void, trying to find the hidden secrets.

With each stomp of his lava-like feet, the surrounding boiling, dark red energy flow receded, creating a brief vacuum.

Zhou Heng's clone sat cross-legged on the meteorite, his eyes growing increasingly cold.

He hadn't expected the Lava Mountain Demon to be so troublesome, refusing to leave under the guise of exploration.

My enlightenment is at a critical juncture and I will not allow any disturbance.

The longer the time goes, the greater the variables.

"Molten Mountain." The voice of Zhou Heng's clone was as cold as ice, carrying an undeniable warning, "I'm saying this for the last time: leave. Otherwise, you'll stay here forever."

The Demon God of Lava Mountain paused slightly, feeling the palpable killing intent in those words, and his heart tightened.

But he was, after all, the strongest being in the universe during the first cycle of reincarnation, having lived for countless years, and naturally possessed his own arrogance.

Being so rudely driven away by a cosmic ruler, he was somewhat embarrassed.

"Lord of the Void Blade!" The voice of the Molten Mountain Demon God deepened, tinged with anger. "I respect your talent and will give you some face, but don't be too arrogant! The Lord of the Universe is still the Lord of the Universe! Do you really think I'm afraid of you? This is a public area of ​​the Universe Sea. I'm exploring here. How is this considered provocation?"

He concluded that the Lord of the Void Blade was relying on his exceptional talent to disregard him and wanted to monopolize the treasure.

This feeling of being underestimated ignited a fire of rage within him. 'Even if your future potential is limitless, you haven't broken through yet! I, Lava Mountain, have traversed the cosmic seas for over two lifetimes, and possess the supreme treasure armor protecting me, granting me unparalleled survivability. Even if you become the strongest in the universe, killing me won't be so easy! Today, I'm determined to seize this opportunity!'

Thinking this, the Lava Mountain Demon God stopped beating around the bush. One of its massive lava arms suddenly rose, gathering boundless divine power and drawing upon the surrounding destructive energy flow to transform into a gigantic fiery palm that blotted out the sky. Instead of striking directly at Zhou Heng's clone, it explored the area of ​​void behind him that was being subtly protected, shouting, "Let me see what you're protecting!" This palm strike, seemingly an exploration, was actually a probing attack, containing the power of the strongest being in the universe. Wherever it passed, space collapsed layer by layer, and the dark red energy flow was completely ignited, transforming into a sea of ​​fire that incinerated everything.

Just as the giant fiery hand was about to pass the location of Zhou Heng's clone—

"Buzz!"

An invisible sword intent suddenly erupted!
There was no dazzling light, no earth-shattering roar, only a sense of annihilation that seemed to originate from the end of all things and the return of the universe to nothingness, which instantly spread out from the center of Zhou Heng's avatar!
Under the influence of this aura, the giant meteorite beneath him silently transformed into a stream of basic particles and vanished without a trace.

The figure of Zhou Heng's clone had already stood up at some point. He did not hold any weapon in his hand, but simply pointed his fingers like a knife and gently slashed at the giant, fiery hand that blotted out the sky.

"Return to the ruins."

A thin, almost imperceptible black thread spread from his fingertip.

Wherever the black line passed, color, light, energy, matter, and even the spacetime structure of that area itself seemed to be thrown into an invisible "end point," quickly becoming gray, silent, and then completely annihilated, returning to the most primitive "nothingness."

The immense divine power and destructive energy contained in the giant fiery palm were extinguished silently the moment it came into contact with the black threads, like ice and snow meeting the spring sun.

"What?!" The Lava Mountain Demon God's pupils shrank sharply, and an incredulous light burst forth from all six of its crimson eyes.

He felt the divine power connection of his palm strike completely severed, not destroyed, but completely disappeared!

It's as if it never existed!
What method is this? !

However, before he could think it through, the thin but deadly black thread did not disappear after "erasing" the giant fiery hand. Instead, it suddenly appeared in front of his outstretched lava arm in a way that was almost like a law of cause and effect!
"laugh--!"

A chilling, faint sound, as if everything were withering away, came from the room.

The lava arm of the Lava Mountain Demon God, which was strong enough to withstand the bombardment of a supreme treasure at the peak of the attack, instantly lost all its divine luster and energy fluctuations at the point where it came into contact with the black threads. It became like a stubborn rock that had been weathered by the years for hundreds of millions of years, and then shattered into dust inch by inch!
And this "return to nothingness" effect is rapidly spreading upwards along the arm!
"Roar!!!"

The Lava Mountain Demon God let out a roar of shock and rage. The intense pain and the fear stemming from his life-or-death instinct made him make a decision in an instant.

His divine power burned wildly, and the secret patterns of laws shone brightly. He forcefully shattered the part of his arm that had been eroded by the "Return to Nothingness" conception. His massive divine body transformed into a stream of light and retreated rapidly, creating distance.

At the severed point, the lingering dark sword intent, like the most vicious curse, stubbornly eroded his divine power, preventing its regeneration.

In just one exchange, he was severely injured and forced to mutilate his own divine body!
"Lord of the Void Blade! What... what kind of trick is this?!" The Molten Mountain Demon God was both shocked and furious, his voice trembling slightly.

He stared intently at Zhou Heng's clone, especially at the still-lingering, chilling black light emanating from the clone's fingertips.

He couldn't understand how a ruler of the universe could wield such terrifying and unreasonable power!

Zhou Heng's avatar hovered in the void, his body exuding an aura of annihilation that silenced even this raging star field, his eyes as cold as ancient, unmelting ice: "I gave you a chance."

He said no more, and with a slight movement, as if merging into the void itself, he appeared directly above the Molten Mountain Demon God like a ghost in the next instant.

With his hands clenched in a fist, endless Guixu sword intent gathered and compressed wildly in his palms, eventually transforming into a black longsword that seemed both real and illusory, as if it were formed from countless scenes of shattered universes—not a physical treasure, but the ultimate manifestation of his life-and-death sword intent, the Guixu Blade!
With his current level of cultivation, even ordinary True God-level supreme treasures and swords cannot enhance his attacks; only the Heaven-Slaying Sword can barely be used.

Not only was the Heaven-Slaying Blade not in the hands of Zhou Heng's clone, but he also only had a top-tier treasure-level battle blade, which could not withstand his full power.

Fortunately, he can now unleash twelfth-tier secret techniques with his bare hands, so the lack of a supreme treasure doesn't matter.

"cut!"

The black longsword fell silently.

Where the blade flashed, the originally violent and noisy dark red energy background of the Path of the Molten Core seemed to have been forcibly removed, leaving a pure and absolute "nothingness" trajectory, carrying the will of the law that judges the end of all things, pointing directly to the core of the Molten Mountain Demon God!
The Demon God of Lava Mountain was terrified, sensing an unprecedented and deadly threat from that black blade of light! He roared, no longer daring to hold back, and used his most trump card:
"The Lava Kingdom! A world-shaking realm of countless ravines!"

buzzing!
Centered on him, countless illusory lava mountain ranges burning with eternal divine fire appeared out of thin air. Each of these mountains seemed to bear the weight of a great world, layer upon layer, interconnected, forming an incomparably heavy, enormous kingdom phantom that seemed capable of suppressing the entire galaxy, firmly guarding him in the center.

This is the strongest defensive secret technique he created by combining his own miniature universe origin, and he is confident that even a strong person of the same level would find it difficult to break through in a short time.

At the same time, he activated the precious and supreme treasure armor on his body—"Heart of Molten Core"!
A vast amount of divine power was poured into it, and countless complex and mysterious crimson-gold patterns instantly lit up on the surface of the armor, emitting an indestructible and heavy aura that seemed to originate from the core of the universe, firmly protecting his entire divine body.

Faced with that strange Guixu sword intent, he dared not be negligent in the slightest. Each of his five intact arms held a powerful attack treasure, drawing upon the overwhelming divine power and his own fire law origin, transforming into five molten torrents powerful enough to incinerate the star sea, roaring as they actively met the Guixu sword!

He attempted to use offense as a form of defense to dismantle this terrifying attack.

“Boom, boom, boom, boom—!!!”

The five torrents of lava, each containing the full force of the Lava Mountain Demon God's attack, were like embers thrown into a black hole the moment they came into contact with the Returning Void Blade Light. Their light quickly dimmed, the laws and structures they contained collapsed, and their energy essence was forcibly reduced to "nothingness." They couldn't even delay the blade light for a moment!

The next moment, the black blade light, which seemed capable of ending everything, lightly struck the incredibly thick "Lava Kingdom" barrier.

"Crack...crack..."

A series of chilling cracking sounds rang out.

The divine barrier that could halt the attacks of even the strongest beings in the universe was like a nemesis in the face of the Returning Void Blade Intent. Starting from the point of impact, it quickly lost all color and energy, becoming gray and lifeless, and then countless spiderweb-like cracks spread out. Finally, it collapsed with a silent wail!
It turned into countless lifeless fragments of stone and dust, which were swept away by the surrounding energy flow.

"puff!"

The secret technique was forcibly broken, and with their minds connected, the Demon God of the Molten Mountain trembled violently, and his aura instantly weakened considerably.

What terrified him even more was that after the Guixu Blade Light shattered the divine kingdom, its remaining power slammed into his supreme treasure armor!

"clang--!"

A deafening roar, so deep it seemed like two universes had collided!

The supreme and precious armor, "Heart of the Molten Core," trembled violently, its crimson-gold light flashing, ultimately blocking the direct slash of the blade.

However, the terrifying "Return to Nothingness" realm was like an invisible poison, and a portion of it still managed to penetrate the defenses of the supreme treasure, seeping into his divine body and continuing to erode it, directly targeting his true god's heart!
(End of this chapter)