Swallowing the Stars, Hu Yanbo's Pre-Godhood

Does the "Storytelling King" exist? (Chapter 245)

Stepping through the stone hall's gate, one is greeted by an endless, chaotic void.

Empress Fengdu led the way, with Huyan Bo following closely behind. The two seemed to be stepping on invisible stairs. With each step, they passed through a mysterious spatial barrier, and the surrounding chaotic air currents changed accordingly. Countless floating points of light could be vaguely seen, like a sea of ​​stars.

"Junior brother, the token." Ahead, Empress Fengdu stopped in her tracks.

Hu Yanbo took out the token that glowed with a bluish light, and as soon as he held it in his hand, the token lit up slightly.

The endless chaotic mist ahead suddenly parted to both sides, revealing a breathtaking view.

On the left, countless crystalline orbs of light floated silently, each containing a vast flow of information—precious inheritances that led directly to the Great Dao, including cultivation methods, secret techniques, and the cultivation insights and systematic guidance of predecessors.

On the right are countless illusory images of real objects, including divine weapons, exotic materials, and crystals and spiritual fruits radiating surging energy. Each item has a brief description and a clear number—the merit points required to exchange for it.

What caught Hu Yanbo's eye the most were the rows of particularly eye-catching options in the very center.

Hu Yanbo's gaze settled on the first row in the very center, and his heart skipped a beat. This was a treasure trove of resources left behind by the Yuan Dynasty.

"Unlimited Space (Entry Qualification), Exchange Requires: 5 million Merit Points"

The Infinite Space is one of the treasure troves of opportunity left by the supreme being "Yuan". As a guest elder, the qualification to enter the Infinite Space is worth as much as 50 million merit points within the ancient kingdom. Only the most core members of the royal family have the privilege of exchanging it for 5 million merit points.

In the Eastern Extreme Region, with this token personally passed down by the ancestor, he directly possessed exchange privileges equivalent to those of a core member of the royal family of an ancient kingdom!

Yes, the ten million merit points bestowed by the teacher are not worth the same as the ten million merit points of a guest!

Empress Fengdu caught a glimpse of Huyan Bo's joy and a slight smile played on her lips: "How is it? Are you satisfied with the gift your master gave you?"

Hu Yanbo nodded emphatically: "Thank you, senior sister, thank you, teacher."

"Then you can take your time looking around here. If you have any questions, just send a message with your token."

After saying that, her figure swayed slightly and then disappeared into the chaotic void like a gentle breeze.

Hu Yanbo's gaze lingered on the "infinite space" for a moment before turning away.

The most urgent task is to repay the system's prepaid tasks.

Hu Yanbo's gaze shifted to the dense array of illusory figures on his right. His divine sense swept over them and quickly locked onto the target: "Confront the Great Dao of Cause and Effect (once). Exchange requires: 600,000 merit points."

The price is still quite high, but compared to the prices set for guest elders within the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom (except for the Time Origin which requires 900,000 merit points, the others generally require 800,000), it is already much cheaper.

Although it's not as drastically reduced to one-tenth as the "Infinite Space" qualification, the discount is still considerable.

"The authority personally passed down by the ancestor is indeed different." Hu Yanbo understood perfectly.

Besides the qualification to enter the treasure land, the exchange prices for other inheritances and treasures are also far more favorable than those for guest retainers.

As for the other eleven emperors of the Eastern Extreme Region, don't be fooled by the fact that those god emperors also call him "senior brother and senior sister of the Empress of Fengdu" and seem to belong to the same lineage of the Eastern Extreme Region.

But in the end, they were merely peripheral figures who had heard the ancestor preach and considered themselves disciples, not true disciples who were included in the inner circle.

Therefore, in terms of exchange privileges, they can still only be treated according to the standards of the "Guest Elder" level.

Only Senior Sister Fengdu and he were entitled to the core disciple price.

With that thought in mind, Hu Yanbo began to exchange for the Great Dao of Cause and Effect that he needed.

"These super powers—the two ancient kingdoms, the Eastern Extreme Region, and the three extraterrestrial forces—have numerous disciples. What methods do they use to observe the various fundamental Daos?" Hu Yanbo was quite curious.

His approach was truly unique: observing the origin of life was to enter the original source of the universe.

To comprehend the Great Dao of Destruction, one must nurture the Beast King Mohe, allowing it to grow while its own "internal realm" also grows, thus opening up the Great Dao of Destruction within its "internal realm" for Mohe to study.

As for the profound mysteries of the Great Dao of Destruction within the current Mohe Realm, he knows them all.

"As for the other Great Daos, such as the Boundless Dao, the Dao of Time, and the Dao of Space, how did the God Emperors help their disciples observe and learn them?"

"exchange."

The token in his hand flashed with a faint blue light, and his merit points were deducted.

The next moment, a transparent crystal with countless fine causal threads flowing across its surface condensed from the chaotic void and fell into his palm.

"Crystal?"

Hu Yanbo held the transparent crystal that seemed to shimmer with the illusion of cause and effect, and paused slightly.

How could facing the fundamental Dao be presented in such a way?

Hu Yanbo's mind raced, and he quickly came to a guess.

Although the Great Dao within the Origin World is vast, it is ultimately limited by the world itself, reaching the ultimate level of the God-King realm.

Beyond the Origin World, in the vast and boundless Primordial Space and numerous high-level Sacred Realms, powerful beings abound, possessing extraordinary abilities.

The ultimate realm of the God-King is at the bottom of the hierarchy there.

"It seems that there is a way in the Holy Realm to ask those ultimate realm Great Dao God Kings to imprint and seal a Great Dao Origin Mark into this crystal."

Hu Yanbo thought to himself, "In this way, even within the Source World, one can use this seed to glimpse the true and complete origin of cause and effect."

Hu Yanbo stared at it for a while, then stopped thinking about it and let his consciousness sink into the crystal.

boom-!

boom--!

It was as if I had been thrown into an endless torrent, and the scene before my eyes changed drastically.

"No longer the chaotic void inside the stone hall, but a place that cannot be described in words."

Countless dazzling and intricately complex bands of light, chains, and networks—intertwined and extending.

Birth and death.

At first glance, it resembles an upside-down giant tree that spans all time and possibilities, with each leaf representing a fragment of cause and effect and each branch representing a trajectory of destiny.

Upon closer inspection, it resembles a boundless net that encompasses all living things, with every node trembling and pulling on countless threads.

There is no sound, no form, only the most fundamental connection and inevitability.

This is the fundamental principle of cause and effect!

Hu Yanbo unleashed his full mental and physical power, greedily gazing upon this vast and boundless scene.

All his past understandings of the Dao of Cause and Effect, and the mysteries of all its branches, seemed to have found their source at this moment.

After an unknown amount of time, the crystal quietly turned to ashes in his palm.

Hu Yanbo slowly opened his eyes. In the depths of his eyes, countless fine threads of cause and effect seemed to flash by before returning to stillness.

"Cause and effect—" Hu Yanbo thought to himself.

Unlike other great paths, he seemed to have an innate affinity for cause and effect.

Even when he was in the cosmic sea, his clone contemplated the Great Dao of the Origin of Life day and night, but his progress was always slow and sluggish, as if separated by an invisible barrier.

However, the causes and effects are different.

This single encounter with the origin brought forth a flood of previously scattered insights, like rivers flowing into the sea, spontaneously converging and transforming.

The connection is subtly leading to a complete branch.

He could even vaguely sense that if he could observe this several more times, he might truly comprehend a certain branch of the divine realm and enter the realm of the God-King.

After summarizing his reflections, a somewhat eccentric thought suddenly flashed through Hu Yanbo's mind.

"Since there is a Great Dao of Cause and Effect in countless source worlds, is there also a Great Dao of Cause and Effect that is completely opposite to it?"

His affinity for the fundamental Dao of cause and effect largely stemmed from the system panel in his mind.

That reversed path of "effect first, cause later" has always accompanied his growth.

"I don't think so." He then shook his head to himself.

"If there truly is a complete path of cause and effect," wouldn't those who achieve mastery of cultivation become "storytelling masters"—first crafting the ending, then working backward to fill in the details?

He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he recalled a comic he had read in his previous life as Xiao Feng.

"The storyteller is truly unbeatable!"

The thought flashed through his mind, but Hu Yanbo quickly regained his composure and returned to the main topic.

"There are now 9.4 million merit points remaining."

Entering the "Infinite Space" requires five million, leaving four million four hundred thousand, which must be used wisely.

To efficiently rack up points in an infinite space, one must first break through in terms of willpower, rather than physical strength.

Hu Yanbo focused his thoughts, and the repayment conditions for "the will of the God King in the third realm" clearly appeared on the system panel.

His gaze swept back to the vast resource list on the right, his divine sense quickly passing over the illusory images of treasures.

Suddenly, Hu Yanbo's gaze sharpened.

"Found it—the Mind-Cleansing Elixir."

"Cleansing Spirit Elixir, requires 2.9 million merit points to exchange."

Nearly 2.9 million merit points, which is almost an astronomical price.

Moreover, even in the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom, guest elders cannot exchange for them.

If converted to cosmic sand, its value would approach hundreds of billions.

Trading hundreds of billions for a single spirit liquid to temporarily boost one's soul power is something even a god-king wouldn't be willing to do.

"With the Cleansing Spirit Elixir, half of the repayment condition has been fulfilled."

But one more thing is still missing—

—

"The beast-trapping picture personally drawn by Emperor Ming—" Hu Yanbo's mind raced.

The system offers another option: "Observe the Shadow of the Calamity Beast thirty times." The Eastern Extremity Treasury also offers "Shadows of the Calamity Beast" for exchange.

As a god-emperor, Feng hope would naturally also have records of such creatures from outside the continent of origin.

But to observe it thirty times in a short period of time?

This is so eye-catching.

If it is carried out in a piecemeal and slow manner, it will inevitably take a long time.

Comparing the two options, repaying with the "Heavenly Spirit Elixir plus the God's personally inscribed beast-stealing painting" is clearly a better choice.

As Hu Yanbo pondered this, he walked out of the ancient stone hall and took out a causal communication token. This token was given to him by Emperor Xuan Hong before he left the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom, so that he could contact the emperor in the future.

With a slight thought, a clear message was transmitted.

Xuandu, the residence of Emperor Xuan Hong.

Di Xuanhong, who was handling affairs, sensed the fluctuation of the communication token, took it out to check, and was first stunned, then smiled.

"Brother Xiao Feng, you want to buy a painting of a beast-trampling creature personally painted by the 'Emperor Ming'."

Emperor Xuanhong pondered for a moment.

The "Beast of Calamity" paintings personally drawn by Emperor Ming, and the so-called "genuine works of millions of cosmic sands" circulating in the outside world, are all replicas of his early works. Otherwise, how could they have sold so many and for so long?

The original version was collected by many god-kings long ago as Emperor Ming's status rose.

"I remember—" Di Xuanhong recalled, "It seems that there was a senior God King in my Di Xuan lineage who once collected a calamity painting of Emperor Ming before he had fully matured."

"Although not his masterpiece, it is undoubtedly his own work."

There may be factional disputes and ideological differences among emperors, but at the level of god-kings, what they pursue is a real increase in power.

Emperor Ming is known for his strong will, and it is even rumored that his willpower has already transcended the realm of the Origin Gate Continent.

Such a true being, bearing the imprint of its will left from its early years, is bound to be attractive to the God-King.

Even though they belong to different emperors, it does not hinder the following god-kings from admiring and yearning for Emperor Ming—after all, strength is the eternal pursuit.

"Early paintings of Emperor Ming —" Hu Yanbo pondered, his gaze sweeping over Xia Haizhong's system panel.

In the original story, Luo Feng obtained a masterpiece created by the long-term retention and repeated refinement of the Emperor Ming's consciousness in an infinite space, and was able to break through by combining it with the Cleansing Spirit Elixir.

However, the panel only requires obtaining the beast-hunting illustration personally drawn by "Emperor Ming", and does not specify that it must be a work from his peak period.

If you only need to be genuine and have an early advantage, you're more likely to succeed.

"Then I'll trouble Brother Xuanhong to inquire on my behalf. As long as it's genuine, there's no need for an early work." Huyan Bo replied to Emperor Xuanhong, who quickly responded, "Brother Xiaofeng, you're too kind. Wait for my news."

Deep within Xuandu, in a quiet side hall.

Emperor Xuanhong stood outside the hall and respectfully conveyed his purpose through telepathy.

A moment later, the hall opened silently, and an old figure sat cross-legged on a futon, his eyelids slightly raised.

"The Saint of Xiao Feng Sect?" The old man's voice was hoarse.

"That newly crowned number one transcendent being in the Chaos Realm? The newly accepted disciple of the Eastern Extremity Domain's founder?"

"That's right." Di Xuanhong bowed.

A brief silence fell over the hall.

This old man, known as the "Mysterious Flower God King," was only at the first level of the God King realm, but he held a high seniority in the Emperor Xuan lineage. He was aloof and reserved, and spent most of his time in seclusion, rarely interacting with the outside world.

The painting of the "Emperor Ming" in his hand, depicting an early tribulation, was obtained by chance during his early travels and helped him take a crucial step in cultivating his willpower.

But as time passed, the meaning in the painting had long since dried up for him, and it was now nothing more than an old collection that was shelved.

"The first to transcend the Chaos Realm—" Xuanhua God King slowly repeated these words.

Although he was in seclusion, he was not completely unaware of the outside world.

Transcending to the Chaos Realm has always been a hallmark of the most outstanding geniuses in the Origin Gate Continent.

The title of "Number One" is not an empty honor. It is equivalent to someone who has ever reached the top. As long as they have not fallen, they are all overlords of the Zongheng Sect, and their strength far exceeds that of the ruler of the Food Kingdom.

Not to mention, this person was also taken in as a personal disciple by the ancestor of the Eastern Region.

The thoughts raced through the mind of the Xuanhua God King.

An old painting, no longer of any use to him, was exchanged for a favor from a future powerhouse at least at the second level of the God-King realm.

This deal is worth it no matter how you look at it.

With a flick of his sleeve, the Xuanhua Divine King sent an ancient scroll flying out and hovering in front of Emperor Xuan Hong.

"The painting is here. You should give it to him."

Di Xuanhong was taken aback, not expecting this eccentric elder to agree so readily. He quickly said, "Senior, Brother Xiao Feng is willing to exchange something of equal value."

"No need," Xuanhua God King interrupted him. "It's just an old painting."

"This..." Di Xuanhong was speechless for a moment, the scroll in his hand seemed to be faintly hot.

Everyone knows that free gifts often come with a much higher price tag. This painting doesn't accept anything of equal value, so what's owed is a pure favor—Didi Xuanhong wanted to say something more.

But the hall in front of him, in the brief moment of his hesitation, slowly closed its doors.

"These old guys are all incredibly shrewd!" Di Xuanhong thought to himself as he stood silently for a few breaths, holding the scroll.

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