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

Virtual universe, Mount Pantheon, Temple of Pantheon.

All the cosmic sages of the human race have gathered here, awaiting the convening of the Supreme Council.

Lin Yuan sat on the throne in the cosmic overlord region, surrounded by familiar overlords such as Blood Edge, Light and Shadow, and Star Mark.

The group whispered amongst themselves, speculating about the content of the meeting.

"I heard that the Northern Frontier Alliance has recently withdrawn from all fronts and has voluntarily backed down in many border conflicts," Venerable Starmark said in a low voice. "It seems they can't hold on any longer."

Bloodblade Venerable nodded: "After losing so many Universe Venerables and Overlords in succession, even if the Northern Frontier Alliance has many Universe Lords, the cost of reviving them must be too great. A ceasefire is inevitable."

The Venerable of Light and Shadow shook his head slightly: "I always felt it wasn't that simple. The True God of the Northern Frontier is not one to easily admit defeat."

Lin Yuan listened quietly, lost in thought.

Based on his understanding of the original plot, the Northern Frontier Alliance will eventually become the ninth superpower in the original universe, but the specific process is unclear.

Now it seems that the turning point should be today.

"Gentlemen."

The Chaos City Lord's majestic voice resounded throughout the hall, and all discussions instantly ceased.

The cosmic rulers of the human race had all taken their seats, and the founder of the giant axe, seated at the head of the table, swept his gaze across the area below.

"The main purpose of today's summit meeting is to announce one thing," the Chaos City Lord stood up. "After negotiations between the clan's high-ranking officials and the Northern Frontier Alliance, an agreement has been reached."

"From this day forward, our human race officially recognizes the Northern Frontier Alliance as the ninth superpower in the primordial universe. At the same time, our race will cancel all hunting missions targeting the Northern Frontier Alliance."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in uproar.

"Cancelled?"

"What about the treasures we rented before?"

"I just killed a high-level Venerable from the Northern Frontier Alliance, and the reward hasn't been given out yet!"

The reactions of the various cosmic venerables varied; some were puzzled, while others were anxious.

The Lord of Chaos raised his hand to suppress the discussion: "Everyone, rest assured, the rewards for the tasks that have already been completed will be issued as usual."

Treasures borrowed from the clan's treasury can be returned within a thousand years without interest.

Upon hearing this, the crowd below stopped arguing. This meant they could continue to use the rented treasures to explore the world. If they could acquire one or two new treasures in the next thousand years, it would be a pure profit.

Of course, if they lose these treasures due to their fall, they will have to bear the consequences themselves.

"As for why this decision was made..." the Chaos City Lord continued, "I can only tell you that this is an agreement reached between the clan's high-ranking officials and the Northern Frontier True God. The Northern Frontier Alliance paid a sufficient price to gain our recognition."

He did not mention Qiqu Starlight Lake, nor did he mention the battle in the Cosmic Sea.

There are some things that even those at the level of cosmic sages do not need to know.

Lin Yuan understood.

As expected, the Northern Frontier Alliance gained a firm foothold.

Although we don't know exactly what they paid, the price to gain the approval of all six major powers must have been considerable, perhaps even involving many top-tier or peak-level treasures.

"From now on, when encountering powerful members of the Northern Frontier Alliance, treat them as you would any other force," the Chaos City Lord emphasized again. "The struggle on the Primordial Star will not cease, but the target will no longer be limited to the Northern Frontier Alliance."

"I hope that you will continue to fight for more benefits for our community in the time to come."

The meeting ended quickly, and many cosmic venerables left with mixed feelings.

……

At the summit of the central mountain range of Thunder Island, inside a majestic temple entirely composed of crystalline ice.

The Lord of Ice Peaks sat high on the throne of ice, his body radiating a chilling aura that seemed to freeze even time and space.

"Yan Cang, I need to speak with you. Come see me immediately."

Inside the Yancang Temple.

Venerable Yan Cang was sharing some combat experiences from the Primal Star with Lin Yuan when he heard this voice and frowned slightly.

"Teacher, is there something you need?" Lin Yuan noticed the change in Venerable Yan Cang's expression.

"Hmm." Venerable Yan Cang nodded. "The Ice Peak Lord has summoned me, presumably because the clan has a task for me. Go back and cultivate first, and seize the time to create your own ultimate secret technique. Do not disappoint your master's expectations."

"Disciple understands." Lin Yuan bowed respectfully.

After Lin Yuan's figure disappeared, Venerable Yan Cang took a deep breath and his figure vanished from his temple.

The next moment, he appeared outside the Ice Peak Temple.

"Come in."

The temple gates opened silently.

Venerable Yan Cang stepped inside, his feet resting on a crystal-clear ice floor, with giant pillars standing on either side.

At the far end of the hall, the figure on the icy throne slowly opened his eyes.

"Yan Cang, sit down." The Lord of Ice Peak invited him to sit down.

"Bingfeng, what brings you here?" Venerable Yancang asked directly.

He had known the Lord of Ice Peak for countless eons, and they were already extremely familiar with each other, so there was no need for formalities when they spoke.

The Lord of Ice Peaks did not answer immediately, but instead raised his hand and waved it.

Suddenly, a three-dimensional star map appeared in the sky, marked with a special coordinate. The location of this coordinate was a total of eighteen independent continents, each of which emitted a faint blood-red light.

"The Eighteen Star Prisons," the Lord of Ice Peaks spoke slowly. "You should be familiar with them."

Venerable Yan Cang's eyes narrowed slightly.

The Eighteen Star Prisons are where the human race imprisons serious criminals, and the higher the prison number, the more dangerous the environment.

The Upper Nine Hells imprison the weakest human criminals and are relatively lenient; however, the Lower Nine Hells are for powerful alien races who are enemies of the human race, and even kings and immortals may perish if they enter them.

"Of course I'm familiar with it," Venerable Yan Cang said in a deep voice. "Back then, I was ordered to guard the Third Star Prison for three million years. What, is there a problem with the Star Prison?"

"That's not a problem, but now that place needs a guardian." The Lord of Ice Peak looked directly at Yan Cang. "After discussion among the clan's higher-ups, it has been decided that you will be in charge of managing the Eighteen Star Prisons from now on."

Venerable Yan Cang raised an eyebrow: "You want me to be a jailer?"

"They are the guardians," the Lord of Ice Peaks corrected. "They are the supreme administrators who oversee all affairs of the Eighteen Star Prisons."

"Give me a reason." Venerable Yan Cang did not refuse immediately, but his tone revealed obvious reluctance. "I have recently made great gains on the Primordial Star. It is the time to accumulate resources and hone myself. Asking me to go to the Star Prison now is a joke."

The Lord of Ice Peaks seemed to have anticipated his words, and tapped his finger lightly.

As the star chart changes, rows of data emerge.

"Our human race has achieved brilliant results in this operation against the Northern Frontier Alliance," the Lord of Ice Peak said slowly. "We have killed more than 2,100 alien Venerables, captured 37 Universe Venerables, and 2 Universe Overlords."

Venerable Yan Cang glanced at the data and nodded slightly.

This achievement is truly remarkable, especially the number of prisoners captured.

Killing a Venerable One is easy, but capturing one alive is much more difficult, since most Venerable Ones will choose to self-destruct once they realize there is no hope of escape.

"Among these prisoners, there are nineteen Universe Venerables and one Universe Overlord, thanks to your lineage," the Lord of Ice Peak continued. "Lin Yuan, Yan Yue, and Lawrence have been fighting on the Primordial Star for hundreds of years, bringing back more than a dozen prisoners. This time, in opening up the extraterrestrial battlefield, his seventh squad captured seven more High Venerables and the Ink Cloud Venerable."

A hint of pride appeared on Venerable Yan Cang's face; Lin Yuan and the others had indeed made him proud.

"But that's where the problem lies." The Lord of Ice Peak changed the subject. "Thirty-seven Cosmic Venerables and two Cosmic Overlords. The Soul Masters within the clan who can enslave them have either exhausted their slave quotas or cannot afford the cost of buying slaves. Therefore, we can only lock them up for now."

Venerable Yan Cang remained silent.

He understood what the Lord of Ice Peaks meant: releasing them was impossible. The captured prisoners harbored boundless hatred for humanity, and releasing them would only provoke their revenge against their race.

Killing them directly would be the same; the Universe Lord of the Northern Frontier Alliance and the True God of the Northern Frontier could resurrect them, and things would return to square one.

They couldn't kill him, they couldn't release him, and enslavement was not an option, so they had no choice but to imprison him.

"But why must I be the one to guard it?" Venerable Yan Cang asked. "The Star Prison is usually guarded by several overlords on rotation, and these prisoners can't possibly wake up under their noses. What could I possibly do there?"

"That was before. Now, we really can't do without you." The Lord of Ice Peak said, enunciating each word clearly. "This time, we've captured too many powerful alien races. The Northern Frontier Alliance will definitely do everything they can to rescue them. The few overlords on duty alone may not be able to suppress them."

The Lord of Ice Peak looked at Yan Cang: "You are a top overlord and you also possess a supreme treasure of the peak domain type. Even if you fight against a true cosmic lord, you can withstand it for a long time. With you guarding the Star Prison, the clan will feel most at ease."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Yan Cang frowned even more deeply.

He understood the hidden meaning in the Ice Peak Lord's words.

"So, in the end... you want me to leave the Primal Star as soon as possible? Are you afraid I'll lose the Flame Luo Heaven-Locking Ring?"

"Exactly." The Lord of Ice Peak readily admitted, "Yan Cang, you are well aware of the value of a top-tier domain-level treasure. If you continue to stay on the Primordial Star, there's no guarantee that an alien universe lord won't take the risk and attack you."

"And in the core territory of my human race, even the most audacious cosmic lords from other races wouldn't dare to come," the Ice Peak Lord continued. "This is my human territory, and the Giant Axe Founder, the Chaos City Lord, the Dark Lord... any one of them can descend upon this place at any time."

"I understand what you mean. Don't take the Flame Luo Locking Heaven Ring out before you truly break through to the level of the Lord of the Universe, lest it be snatched by other powerful beings, right?" Venerable Yan Cang took over the conversation, his tone tinged with self-deprecation.

The Lord of Ice Peaks did not deny it: "This is the safest approach, Yan Cang. Even if you cultivate in seclusion within your clan's territory, you might still break through to the level of a Universe Lord. Why bother risking your life on the Primordial Star?"

Venerable Yan Cang remained silent.

He knew perfectly well that the Lord of the Ice Peaks was right.

But he was still somewhat unwilling to give up the opportunity of the original star to guard that monotonous star prison.

Although the original planet is dangerous, it is also the best place to hone oneself and find opportunities for breakthroughs.

As for Star Prison... there's nothing there except for the prisoners, not even a virtual universe!

Seeing that Venerable Yan Cang was still hesitating, the Lord of Ice Peak used his trump card.

"Yan Cang, are you aware that Emperor Yan recently acquired a top-tier treasure in the cosmic sea?"

"Emperor Yan?" Venerable Yan Cang suddenly looked up, his eyes blazing with flames.

Yan Di was his old rival, and Yan Di's defection was largely due to him. If he hadn't exposed Yan Di's crimes on the Primal Star, Yan Di would probably still be plundering treasures.

"He acquired a top-tier domain-level treasure called the Myriad Flowing Heavenly River," the Lord of Ice Peaks continued. "Moreover, he has publicly declared that he wants to catch up with you."

Venerable Yan Cang's pupils contracted slightly.

Yan Di is a third-order universe master. The power of the top-level domain treasure he fully activated is indeed similar to that of the peak domain treasure he activated. If he were to encounter Yan Di on the original star, he would be trapped by Yan Di's Myriad Flowing Heavenly River and would find it difficult to escape.

"Does the clan mean I should avoid their sharp edge?" Venerable Yan Cang looked at the Lord of Ice Peak.

"We should avoid their sharp edge for now and break through safely," the Lord of Ice Peaks corrected. "It's not too late to settle your grudges when you truly become the Lord of the Universe. At that time, you can fight them however you want."

Venerable Yan Cang closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes, the flames in them having subsided.

"Okay, I agree."

The Lord of Ice Peaks nodded slightly, not surprised by the result.

Although Yan Cang has a fiery temper, he is not stupid, and he naturally understands the balance between advantages and disadvantages.

"However," Venerable Yan Cang suddenly said, "can I still not use my original title, Flame God, in the future?"

The Lord of Ice Peak shook his head and said, "The matter of the Flame Emperor's defection has caused too much of a stir, and the Flame God Clan has also become a taboo among the clans. Since your original title is a homophone of it, it is best not to use it in public."

A complex look flashed in Venerable Yan Cang's eyes.

Flame God was his original title, but after the Flame Emperor became the ruler of the universe, he was forced to change his name in a humiliating way. That was his obsession, and also his knot in his heart, but now...

"I understand." Venerable Yan Cang took a deep breath, and the flames in his eyes reignited.

He looked at the Lord of Ice Peak and said, word by word, "I don't like the name Yan Cang either. Since I will be guarding the Star Prison from now on, and I don't know when I will be able to come out, then from now on, I will change my name to—"

"Star Prison Demon Lord!"

As soon as those four words were uttered, the temperature in the entire Ice Peak Temple plummeted.

Star Prison Demon Lord.

Guarding the Star Prison, controlling the demons within.

This title perfectly matches his future duties and also exudes a chillingly domineering aura.

A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the Ice Peak Lord, but it quickly turned into admiration.

"Star Prison Demon Lord... Good! From this day forward, the human race will no longer have Venerable Yan Cang, only the Star Prison Demon Lord."

Yan Cang—no, the Star Prison Demon Lord—stood up, and the flames around him subsided.

"When will you take office?" he asked.

"Within three months," said the Lord of Ice Peak. "You can use this time to make arrangements for your disciples, since it's quite difficult to log into the virtual universe from there."

"it is good."