Swallowing the Stars, Hu Yanbo's Pre-Godhood

Blow up!

The power of a self-destruction by a peak-level King-rank expert is comparable to a casual strike from a Universe Venerable.

However, just as the Mantis King had predicted—

Just before its divine light reached its peak, Huyan Bo's eyes were indifferent, and his thoughts stirred slightly.

The spatial blockade was lifted instantly.

The next moment, his figure swayed slightly and then silently teleported millions of kilometers away, far beyond the core killing range of the self-destruction.

He even had the leisure to wave his hand and take away the sleeping Mo Lao Wang's divine body as well.

Rumble—!!!

An indescribable, terrifying energy shockwave, centered on the location where the Mantis King had originally stood, swept outwards like the Big Bang at the beginning of the universe!

Endless light and heat devoured everything, and space shattered like fragile glass, forming an ever-expanding, destructive ocean of energy!

But this destructive feast didn't even manage to touch the hem of Huyanbo's clothes.

He hovered silently in the distant void, coldly watching the ball of light slowly expand and then gradually dissipate.

The fall of a king who had reached the pinnacle of power was ultimately like a lonely and helpless firework display in the endless universe.

It was filled with determination, but also with... endless frustration.

.....

On the other side, almost at the same moment that the Mantis King self-destructed, its final roar, filled with endless frustration and resentment, was also transmitted intermittently through the Demon Alliance's rudimentary and intermittent communication system to the consciousness of all the powerful members of the demon faction within the Netherworld:

The gist is—[All demon kings beware of human gambling!]

...

Due to the relatively backward communication technology of the demon race, in the energy-turbulent environment of the secret realm, videos, pictures, and even clear divine power fluctuations could not be effectively transmitted. Only the most basic and vague fragments of consciousness and language could be transmitted.

The entire demon race's communication network in the mysterious realm fell silent for a moment.

Countless demon kings and marquises who were exploring, fighting, or sleeping received this incomplete message, which contained extreme anger and despair.

"Human 'Bo'? Which 'Bo'? Are there any human kings among the powerful beings with that name?" A giant lizard-like king-level immortal being who was devouring a mineral vein raised its head in confusion, its compound eyes full of bewilderment.

"Never heard of it! Every human king with even a little fame has a resounding title. 'Bo'? That sounds like a random code name or abbreviation!" Another demon king responded, his tone disdainful.

"What was the meaning behind that last message from the Mantis King? It sounded incredibly resentful. And he warned us to be wary of this 'Bo'?" A King sensed something was amiss.

Suddenly, a slightly surprised voice rang out over the communication network: "If that's what the Mantis King said, could he have already perished?!"

This speculation was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples!

"Fallen? That can't be! He's the Blade Mantis King! A peak-level King-rank expert! In a place like the Outer Domain Battlefield, being besieged by several peak-level King-rank experts from the human race might be possible. But in the Netherworld Mystic Realm? Who here can kill him?!" A King-rank expert immediately retorted, finding the idea utterly absurd.

"Yes, wasn't King Mo Lao traveling with him? Two beings at the peak of the King-level realm, even if they couldn't defeat the top human Kings, should at least be able to escape, right?"

However, more and more powerful members of the demon race began to feel a chill.

The emotion in the Mantis King's final message was unmistakable; it was a roar of despair, a cry of hopelessness! And after that roar, the communication markers between the Mantis King and the Ink Prison King fell completely silent, offering no further response…

"Could they really have perished?" A chilling thought emerged that sent shivers down the spines of all the demon kings.

"When did the human race produce such an extraordinary king?!"

......

Meanwhile, on Huyanbo's side, just as he lifted the spatial seal, teleported away, and casually took away the sleeping divine body of the Ink Prison King—

hum!hum!hum!

Several powerful spatial fluctuations rippled out almost simultaneously in the void millions of kilometers away from the explosion's epicenter!

Upon receiving the distress signal, the closest peak-level and ultimate powerhouses of the human camp quickly arrived at the area near the battlefield in the Netherworld via divine kingdom teleportation. The moment they sensed the spatial blockade being lifted, they instantly teleported there!

However, as soon as they stepped out of the spatial ripples and steadied themselves, the scene that came into view made even these peak-level and ultimate powerhouses who were used to seeing the grand scenes of the universe's secret realms instantly shrink their pupils and their faces were filled with extreme shock and astonishment!

Before me lay a terrifying scene, like the devastation of the universe.

The void, spanning millions of kilometers, was now filled with countless menacing spatial rifts, resembling black lightning bolts. Deeper still, one could even see interlayered spaces!

Moreover, the powerful aftershocks of energy are still reverberating within a range of tens of millions of kilometers!

The sheer power of the aftershocks from this energy alone was enough to terrify them, considering that the powerful experts who came to their aid were at least at the peak of the King-level realm.

"Fortunately, we were cautious and didn't teleport directly to the center as soon as the spatial blockade was opened, otherwise we would have been dead for sure!" A human king-level expert, clad in crimson scale armor, with a single horn on his head and an incomparably sharp aura, murmured to himself with disbelief and shock.

"Crazy..." another great being of the demon race with purple eyes whispered in a daze, sensing the shattered spatial structure around her and the suffocating remnants of power.

"This level of energy intensity is like a Limitless King self-destructing?"

"This, this..." The third powerful figure to arrive was a giant of the peak of the King realm, whose aura was as steady as a mountain. He looked at the shattered starry sky, and then suddenly turned his gaze to a figure that was quietly floating not far from the sphere of destruction, which was completely out of place in this apocalyptic scene. For a moment, he did not know what to say.

Their gazes eventually converged on the same point—

At the edge of that destructive storm, a human figure clad in dull black armor stood with his hands behind his back.

It's like watching a fireworks display that's worth appreciating quietly.

And that was precisely their target for this rescue operation—Huyanbo!

In his hand, he casually held a ball of... a dark green mist-like divine body that was in a deep slumber and whose aura was extremely weak!

That's... the King of Ink Prison?!

A demon king at the peak of his realm?!

All the peak-level and ultimate powerhouses who rushed over felt as if their brains had been struck by a heavy hammer, falling into a brief blank and immense confusion.

He was supposed to be besieged by the Mantis King and the Ink Prison King, in imminent danger, and in dire need of rescue.

The current situation is...

The person being rescued appeared to be merely standing to the side, 'admiring the scenery,' with only a slightly dirty hem of their clothing, and was carrying a crippled demon king at the peak of his cultivation...

And it seems that another, even stronger demon king at the limit of his power... has already self-destructed?!

Judging from the force of the aftershocks, it's almost certainly true!

This script! Is it upside down somewhere?!

Several humans who had reached the pinnacle of their power and were at the limit looked at each other, all seeing the same shock and bewilderment in each other's eyes.

Finally, it was Bloodblade King, whose aura was the most formidable, who spoke first. His blade-like gaze swept over the Ink Prison King held by Huyan Bo, then looked at the gradually calming core of destruction. His voice was dry and incredulous as he tentatively asked Huyan Bo:

"Huyan Bo? Excuse me, what exactly happened here? The Mantis King..."

Upon hearing this, Hu Yanbo slowly turned around, weighed the sleeping Mo Lao Wang in his hand, and looked at the human king-level powerhouse who had come to his rescue.

"Thank you all for risking your lives to come to my rescue, Huyanbo... I will remember you!"

Although he turned the tide through hard work and sweat, he was ultimately walking on a knife's edge.

If he hadn't broken through on the spot, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

After he sent out his distress signal, these powerful members of his own race, knowing full well that their opponents were the infamous Blade Mantis King and Ink Prison King, still tore through space and crossed perilous secret realms without hesitation to come to his aid…

This friendship, this mutual support among humankind, gave Hu Yanbo, a "lone wolf" who was used to going it alone, a long-lost and solid support.

"I will never forget your kindness today. If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word, and I will do my utmost to help, no matter how strong my abilities!"

These words came from the bottom of my heart.

Although the human race has only 100,000 kings, far fewer than the top races like the demon race and the mechanical race, it has been able to stand firm in this vast universe and among the competition of billions of races, largely due to this deep-rooted unity and camaraderie!

They may have competition or disagreements in normal times, but when faced with external enemies, they can usually put aside past grievances and unite against them!

Most of them are people of great loyalty and righteousness!

"This Huyan Bo... is truly a man of great loyalty and righteousness!" The powerful kings sighed inwardly, their gazes toward Huyan Bo now filled with genuine appreciation and recognition.

"Regarding the matter that Bloodblade King just asked about, since I made a slight breakthrough in the battle, if that Mantis King hadn't self-destructed, he would have faced being enslaved by me," Huyan Bo continued.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

As soon as the words were spoken, the shattered starry sky fell into a deathly silence.

The expressions on the faces of the increasingly powerful human forces, including Bloodblade King, Phantom King, and Rock Giant King, instantly froze.

They understood every single word.

When combined into a sentence, the grammar is completely correct.

It uses the universal language common to all humankind.

But why... when they're put together, does it seem like they didn't understand a single word?!

"A slight breakthrough in the final moments"?

What kind of "slight breakthrough" is so powerful?

Isn't this breakthrough a bit too 'slight'?!

What does it mean that if you don't self-destruct, you will be enslaved by me?

Slavery?!

A king's limit?!

You make it sound like you're just going to the market to pick out a cabbage, and if it's not fresh, you just go to another store!

That's the royal family of the demon race, the pinnacle of the kingship!

Its soul defenses are incredibly powerful! Enslaving it is far more difficult than killing it!

Too many flaws!

The amount of information is overwhelming!

So much so that the brain processors of several peak/ultimate powerhouses almost crashed.

They looked at Huyanbo's calm, even somewhat innocent, expression, then at the Ink Prison King he was carrying, and at the slowly dissipating, destructive energy aftershocks that represented the ultimate fall of a king in the distance...

A profound sense of absurdity and awe, indescribable in words, swept over their souls like a cosmic chill.

The powerful figures exchanged glances, all seeing the same fear and the same thought in each other's eyes.

This person's secrets and methods are beyond our ability to find out!

Strength is the ultimate power. No matter what method he used, he was able to force the Mantis King to self-destruct.

At this moment, Hu Yanbo has been classified in their minds as an absolutely ruthless person who is not to be provoked at the limit of the King level, and he is the kind of person who is extremely strange and extremely dangerous!

Bloodblade King coughed lightly, forcibly suppressing the raging storm in his heart. His tone became more polite than ever before, even carrying a hint of respect, as he took the initiative to change the subject:

"Ahem! I see. You are truly a man of great talent." He struggled to find a suitable adjective.

"However," Bloodblade King changed the subject, his expression becoming solemn, "given the strength and achievements you have displayed, if you were to be addressed by your real name without a title, it would be disrespectful to the strong among our human race, and also impolite to us."

The Illusionary Spirit King beside him immediately nodded in agreement, his voice clear yet solemn: "Blood Blade King is absolutely right. The strongest beings in the universe all display their power and majesty with titles. Your achievements today are enough to forge a formidable reputation, deserving a title commensurate with it, to be spread far and wide, and to intimidate other races!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Yanbo remained calm, merely nodding slightly in acknowledgment of their suggestion.

He did not actively ask for or propose any title; he simply waited for the other party to continue.

This was his previous idea about titles: having someone else put a crown on your head is much more valuable than putting a crown on yourself.

The many kings present quickly exchanged glances, communicating with each other and instantly reaching a consensus.

Bloodblade King took a deep breath, his gaze fixed intently on Huyan Bo, his tone incredibly solemn, his voice ringing out like metal on stone, proclaiming loudly in this shattered starry sky:

"In today's battle, you single-handedly reversed a hopeless situation, forcing the Demon King of the Mantis to self-destruct and capture the King of the Ink Prison alive. Your power shook the starry sky, and your methods are unfathomable!"

Regardless of whether it's a secret cosmic realm or an extraterrestrial battlefield, the probability of a King-level expert falling is extremely low. Perhaps the fall of some early or advanced King-level experts might happen occasionally.

But it's like this, with one at the peak of becoming a king and the other at the limit, falling one after the other.

The last time something similar happened was during the opening of the secret realm, when a cosmic sage descended upon the scene.

Bloodblade King's voice suddenly rose, filled with respect:

"Soul Destroyer King!"

"We have never heard of you among the human race before. You appeared out of the mist, and when you did make a move, it was earth-shattering!" Bloodblade King's voice was filled with heartfelt admiration.

"Furthermore, you appear to be a formidable master of the soul; the Ink Prison King seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep due to your soul attack!"

"Such exquisite and powerful spiritual attainments—you truly deserve this title!"

In Bloodblade King's view, the self-destruction and death of a King-level expert forced to the brink of death is far more valuable than killing a few or a dozen beginner King-level guys!

As Hu Yanbo listened to Blood Blade King's vivid and evocative explanation, a strange thought flashed through his mind:

"The Soul Destroyer King?"

Upon closer examination, the phrase "soul annihilation" surprisingly resonates with his combat style in "Lotus in the Void," which involves obliterating the very essence of the soul.

This title certainly carried more weight and carried more weight than any title he had ever considered before.

Hu Yanbo nodded slowly, which was considered as his acknowledgment of the title.

Upon seeing Hu Yanbo nod in agreement, Blood Blade King and more than a dozen other King-level experts couldn't help but reveal an uncontrollable joy in their eyes!

To bestow a name upon a newly emerging top powerhouse is itself an extremely high honor and recognition in the universe.

Moreover, the "Soul Destroyer King" Huyan Bo in front of us is someone who, once he speaks, astonishes everyone!

His record is so impressive that it far exceeds the limits of ordinary kingship!

Being able to personally participate in and witness the birth of such a powerful figure's title is something to talk about in itself.

Moreover—what if… just what if.

If this Soul Destroyer King can go further in the future and break through to the Cosmic Venerable that billions of immortals dream of...

So today, the history of the birth of the title "Soul Destroyer King" witnessed by them will surely become a glorious chapter in their resumes, and they are truly honored!

"Greetings, Soul Destroyer King!" Bloodblade King was the first to offer his congratulations.

"I've met the Soul Destroyer King!"

"I've met the Soul Destroyer King!"

.........

Against the backdrop of a shattered starry sky, a new king among humanity, a peak-level powerhouse, officially announced his rise with a stunning reversal and an overbearing title filled with the aura of death and the end!