Swallowing the Stars: The cheat system only comes when I'm almost a god?

Virtual universe, inner city of Hongmeng City.

Inside a magnificent mansion, shimmering with light, more than a dozen figures were raising their glasses and chatting. They were all cosmic venerables of the human race, gathered here to celebrate Lawrence's recent breakthrough.

"Heavenly Eclipse, I didn't expect you to break through to the Universe Venerable level so quickly!" Venerable Xuanming from the Virtual Universe Company raised his cup and laughed. "Moreover, you were able to escape unscathed from the Zerg Soul Killer Venerable right after breaking through, and even made him lose one of his clones. Such a feat is truly remarkable."

Celestial Eclipse Venerable said humbly, "Senior Sister Xuanming is too kind. I was able to withstand the attack of Soul Killing Venerable mostly because of the supreme treasure bestowed upon me by my teacher."

"Moreover, although the opponent's clone was destroyed, the main body was not seriously injured, so it can't be considered a great victory."

"That's already very strong!" exclaimed a cosmic venerable with three curved horns on his head. "Soul Killer Venerable is a high-level venerable, not far from being a cosmic overlord. The fact that you forced him to self-destruct and retreat is enough to prove your strength."

Another winged being raised his cup in agreement: "Indeed, the loss of such a massive divine body is enough to cause the Zerg considerable pain. Come, let us celebrate the Eclipse!"

"Congratulations on the eclipse!"

"Congratulations to my human race!"

Everyone raised their glasses, creating a lively atmosphere in the mansion.

A Venerable of the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance laughed and said, "Recently, our human race has been very fortunate. First, Venerable Flame Moon broke through in the outer battlefield, and now, less than 500,000 years later, Venerable Heavenly Eclipse has also successfully entered this realm."

If this trend continues, what will the other three top races have to compete with us?

"That's right!" A Venerable One shrouded in black robes said with a smile, "The successive birth of two new Venerable Ones is a spectacle that is rare to see in tens of millions of eras."

As they were talking, another figure walked in through the gate of the mansion.

"Venerable Mingkong!" Everyone stood up to greet him.

The newcomer was none other than Venerable Mingkong, the third disciple of the Lord of Dragons, a cosmic overlord who had been famous for many years.

He has been following the Dragon Lord in handling affairs for many years and holds a high position within the Virtual Universe Company.

"Senior brother." Venerable Tian Shi stepped forward quickly.

Venerable Mingkong nodded slightly, his expression solemn: "I have come on the orders of my teacher to deliver a message that your proposal to join the Supreme Council has been approved by the highest level of the tribe."

From this day forward, you are officially qualified to sit in the highest meeting.

"The Supreme Meeting..." A look of joy flashed in the eyes of Venerable Tian Shi. He had finally truly entered the core of the human race, and from now on he would be able to obtain first-hand information on various treasures and important decisions of the race.

Congratulations on the eclipse!

"Congratulations, Venerable Celestial Eclipse!"

……

The venerable ones around him offered their congratulations; they were all experienced and understood what this meant.

Just then, as the light and shadow shifted at the entrance of the mansion, another figure appeared.

With long, crimson hair, a cold and beautiful face, and a flame-shaped divine mark between his brows that emanated a chilling fluctuation of law—it was none other than Venerable Yan Yue.

"Flame Moon!" Venerable Celestial Eclipse rose to greet him.

Everyone greeted them warmly.

Although Venerable Flame Moon broke through 500,000 years earlier than Venerable Heavenly Eclipse, his record of fighting two mechanical race Venerables single-handedly in the outer battlefield had already spread far and wide, and his strength was recognized by all.

"I haven't been out and about for a long time. I heard it's lively here, so I came to join in the fun." Venerable Yan Yue's voice was clear and crisp as he nodded to the crowd.

She walked to Venerable Celestial Eclipse's side and picked up the wine cup offered by the waiter: "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Venerable Tian Shi raised his cup to clink with the other's, and the two drank it all in one gulp.

After the congratulations and pleasantries, Venerable Yan Yue looked at Venerable Tian Shi and said, "Lawrence, you've now broken through to the Universe Venerable realm. Would you be interested in exploring the Primordial Star?"

Upon hearing this, Venerable Celestial Eclipse's eyes revealed a thoughtful expression.

Venerable Yan Yue continued, "The large divine body I lost during my breakthrough has almost recovered after these days of accumulation."

So I'm currently planning to find a team to try my luck on the Primordial Star, and a high-ranking Venerable from the Cosmic Galaxy Bank has already agreed to lead the team.

Her gaze fell on Venerable Celestial Eclipse, with a hint of inquiry: "If you are also interested in going, we can reminisce about our past camaraderie on the battlefield beyond the realm, so that we can look out for each other."

The Celestial Eclipse Venerable's heart stirred slightly.

He had long heard of the Primordial Star, a place of opportunity and slaughter for the cosmic venerables.

He had just broken through to the next level, and although he was confident in his strength, going alone was indeed quite risky.

With a powerful ally like Venerable Flame Moon, and a veteran high-level Venerable leading the team, safety would undoubtedly be greatly increased.

He looked at Venerable Yan Yue and asked earnestly, "When do you plan to set off?"

"Some preparations still need to be made, probably several hundred years from now," Venerable Yan Yue replied. "At that time, I will contact you through the virtual universe."

"Alright." Venerable Celestial Eclipse nodded. "I will definitely go with you then."

"Then it's settled." Venerable Yan Yue nodded slightly.

……

Several days later, in another elegant courtyard in the virtual universe.

The scenery here is serene, with babbling brooks and pavilions scattered in a pleasing manner, quite different from the luxurious style of Hongmeng City.

This is a plane opened by Lord Lawrence of the Eclipse with private privileges, specifically for small gatherings.

At this moment, more than ten figures were scattered in the pavilion, most of them familiar faces who had fought side by side on the battlefields beyond the borders.

Lin Yuan sat by the water, toying with his wine glass, his gaze fixed on Lawrence, who sat at the head of the table.

No, he should now be called the Celestial Eclipse Venerable.

Lawrence's aura was more than ten times deeper than when he was crowned king. Even though he tried to suppress it, the faint pressure of a cosmic lord still lingered around him.

He was chatting and laughing with Lei Huanwang, Jian Wang Ling Chen and others, but his expression no longer had the sharp and intimidating edge of the past, but rather a calm and unpretentious demeanor.

"Lin Yuan." Lawrence suddenly turned to look at him, a smile in his eyes. "Why are you sitting alone? Is this place not to my liking?"

Lin Yuan raised his glass in acknowledgment: "I was just thinking about some old times. Back then in the Seventh Battlefield, you were still a Realm Lord, but now you are a Venerable One whom I must look up to."

These words, spoken so frankly, caused a moment of silence in the pavilion.

Lei Huanwang laughed and said, "Lin Yuan, why do you belittle yourself? You have become a disciple of Venerable Yan Yue, and you are now an invincible king, only one step away from becoming a Venerable."

At your rate of progress, perhaps at the next gathering, we'll be calling you 'Venerable Lin Yuan'.

"Brother Lei Huan is right." Sword King Ling Chen nodded. "Of the three members of the Firewood Squad, Venerable Yan Yue and Venerable Tian Shi have both broken through. How could you, as the captain, fall behind?"

Everyone chimed in, and the atmosphere became lively again.

Lin Yuan smiled and agreed, but a complex feeling welled up inside him.

He was both afraid that his brother would suffer and afraid that his brother would drive a Land Rover—this saying, though common, perfectly reflected his current state of mind.

He fought alongside Lawrence on the extraterrestrial battlefield for hundreds of thousands of years. At that time, although Lawrence was exceptionally talented, he was still a realm lord and needed the protection of his team.

Now, the other party has risen to a high position in the tribe and is the focus of everyone's attention.

With his own enlightenment ability, his talent, comprehension, and even understanding of the laws are no less than Lawrence's.

However, the Enlightenment ability cannot be used all the time. Since breaking through to the King of Kings and becoming invincible, he needs to spend 50 million points each time he activates it.

Although Lin Yuan still had nearly a trillion points in reserve, he dared not squander them. After all, the higher the realm, the higher the cost would be, so he had to set aside funds for the future.

Without the ability to comprehend the Dao, relying solely on his own comprehension and cultivation, he would never have been able to catch up with such a peerless genius who appears only once every tens of millions of epochs.

"Fortunately... there's still the Devouring Heaven Demon Art," Lin Yuan thought to himself.

He couldn't help but feel grateful for his initial choice.

The Devouring Demon Art he obtained from the world of Shrouding the Heavens became his greatest reliance in catching up with these geniuses. He used this art to devour the bloodline origin of the Yan God Clan, changing the foundation of his clone and bringing its genetic level closer to that of the Yan God Clan.

Without this incredible stroke of luck, he would probably have been left further and further behind by someone like Lawrence.

But now, he has the confidence to catch up.

"Lin Yuan." Lawrence walked up to him at some point, raised his glass and said, "The other day, Venerable Yan Yue was chatting with me and mentioned that you have received the Demonic Sound Fire God Bell bestowed upon you by her."

With top-tier treasures protecting you, you'll be more at ease on the outer battlefield. Since you have a clone and aren't afraid of death, you might as well experience more life-or-death trials. Perhaps we'll have another chance to fight side-by-side when the Primordial Star opens next time.

Lin Yuan's heart stirred slightly: "Your teacher even told you about this?"

"She has high expectations for you," Lawrence said earnestly. "She said that although you started a little late, you have a strong will and plenty of opportunities. Becoming an invincible king is by no means your final destination."

The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

At this moment, Lei Huanwang came over with a cup of wine: "What are you two whispering about here? Are you plotting to sneak into some secret realm to make some profits again?"

"Just reminiscing about the past," Lawrence chuckled. "Speaking of which, Lei Huan, when are you going to break through? You've been stuck at the King-level limit for hundreds of millions of years, haven't you?"

Lei Huanwang shook his head with a wry smile: "The hurdle of fusing the three great mysteries is not so easy to overcome. I can't even find the direction right now, so I can only grind it out slowly."

"But Sword King..." he looked at Ling Chen, "I heard you've already reached the threshold of fusion?"

Sword King Ling Chen nodded slightly: "I have gained some insights, but I'm still far from truly merging with it. Reaching the Venerable Realm is indeed difficult."

Everyone who heard this was moved.

There were more than ten people in the pavilion, all of whom, except for Lawrence, the newly appointed Venerable One, were all enfeoffed as kings.

Among them, there are three who have reached the limit of becoming a King, and only Lin Yuan has reached the invincible level of becoming a King. It seems that they are only one step away from becoming a Venerable, but this one step has trapped countless geniuses for billions of years.

"This is the nature of cultivation," Lawrence said calmly. "When I was a Realm Lord, I comprehended all the mysteries of the laws of space, but after breaking through to Immortality, it took me hundreds of thousands of years to integrate those mysteries. Now that I have become a Venerable, there is still a long road ahead. Perhaps only when I become the Lord of the Universe will I be able to catch my breath."

His words were spoken calmly, yet they sent a jolt through the hearts of the several princes present.

Even if you become a Venerable One, there are still the Lord of the Universe and the Strongest Being in the Universe above you... The path of cultivation is endless.

The party lasted until late at night in the virtual universe.

Lawrence personally escorted everyone to the courtyard gate. Before parting, he transmitted his voice to Lin Yuan, saying, "My teacher asked me to tell you not to go to dangerous secret realms recently. Two of the three members of the Firewood Squad have successfully broken through. The alien races are probably paying as much attention to you as they do to me now."

Lin Yuan nodded: "I understand."

After leaving the courtyard, Lin Yuan's true consciousness returned to his mansion in Chaos City.

In the quiet room, he opened his eyes, and the small purple bell appeared in his palm—the Demonic Sound Fire God Bell.

The fluctuations of top-tier treasures are gentle and restrained, yet they contain a terrifying power.

"Unrivaled in the title of King..." he murmured to himself.

With this treasure in hand, he was indeed not afraid of ordinary universe venerables, but if he wanted to truly break through, he still needed to reach the threshold of his own understanding of the laws.

"The Devouring Heaven Demon Art has initially modified the bloodline origin of the clone Han Li, but the Azure Dragon Body is too huge. Even if it absorbs all the immortal origins of the Yan God Clan, it can only raise the genetic level to about eighty times. Compared with the other clone, it is still too weak. We need to find some other treasures to improve it."