Lord of the Rending Stars

The cracks in the dilapidated walls of Zhenmo City have almost completely disappeared, the collapsed palaces have been rebuilt, the sculptures in the square have been restored to their original appearance, and the entire city has been completely renewed.

"The third trial is to gain the approval of the Demon Suppression City. The one who finds the 'Core of Chaos' and gains its approval will become the lord of the Demon Suppression City and will obtain all the inheritance within the Demon Suppression City."

"Note that the Chaos Core will only recognize one person."

The last words of the Chaotic Sea Eye's will froze the atmosphere instantly, signifying that this final challenge was a true, unrestricted struggle.

After a brief silence, all three forces rushed towards the city gate simultaneously. Inside Chaos City were a complex web of streets. Each street was permeated with the aura of a different law, and even more strangely, the space within the city was constantly shifting. You might step into a street and the entire street would vanish the next second.

"The spatial maze, coupled with the interference of laws," the King of Killing Spirits analyzed, "is causing the location of the chaotic core to constantly shift, and the pattern of this shift is unpredictable."

The Zerg Queen released tens of thousands of scout Zerg, but these Zerg were instantly annihilated by the laws of certain streets as soon as they entered them.

Qingyang closed his eyes, focusing his mind on sensing. The Mind-Clearing Mirror Stone emitted a faint light on his chest, keeping his mind clear. The Nine-Source Crystal Heart resonated with the entire Demon-Suppressing City; having repaired the city with his own laws, he understood its legal structure best.

"Follow me." Qingyang opened his eyes and flew in one direction. Bingfeng and King Jiuyu followed without hesitation. The Mechanical Race and the Insect Race hesitated slightly, but also chose to follow.

At least until the core is found, following the person most likely to find it is the optimal strategy. Qingyang traversed the maze quickly, sometimes going straight, sometimes turning, sometimes retreating. His choices seemed illogical, but each time he managed to avoid the most dangerous areas of the laws and find a relatively safe path.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the central plaza of the city. In the center of the plaza floated a gray crystal the size of a fist. The crystal's surface was as smooth as a mirror, yet countless stars swirled within, as if sealing a miniature universe—the core of chaos!

The three teams halted simultaneously, silent, as battle erupted instantly. The King of Slaughter launched the first attack. Sixty-nine puppets (forty-six remaining) combined to form three mechanical giants, surrounding the plaza in a triangular formation, and opened fire simultaneously. The artillery fire wasn't directed at humans or the insectoids, but rather at the plaza's surface, creating chaos and preventing anyone from approaching the core.

The Zerg Queens adopted a more direct strategy. The hive split open, and two Queen bodies flew out simultaneously, but the aura they emitted was several times stronger than before, clearly indicating that they had been concealing their strength during the previous trials.

"Soul Storm!"

The Queen Mother unleashed a soul-devouring shriek, and an invisible soul shockwave swept across the plaza like a tsunami. The mechanical race was unaffected by this attack, but the souls of Qingyang and the other two were simultaneously struck. Bingfeng let out a muffled groan, and King Jiuyu's sword-wielding hand trembled slightly. Only Qingyang's Bright Heart Mirror Stone shone brightly, neutralizing seventy percent of the soul storm.

"Now!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Queen Hunting Soul rushed towards the core of chaos. Its insect wings tore through space, instantly traversing a distance of a thousand meters, and it was about to touch the core.

But a sword light was faster than her. "Nine Universes Return to One, Slash!" King Nine Universes burned one percent of his divine body, unleashing the most powerful sword strike of his life. This sword ignored spatial distance and appeared directly in front of the Queen Mother "Soul Hunter".

"Pfft!" One of her insect wings was severed, and Queen Hunter screamed as she staggered backward. But the direction she retreated was exactly where Ice Peak was lying in ambush.

"Nine Transformations of the Frost Abyss - Eternal Ice Coffin!" With a flick of his wrists, Bingfeng conjured a coffin entirely composed of the laws of ice, sealing the Queen Mother's Soul within.

Inside the coffin, time stood still, space was frozen solid, and even thought ceased. This was a technique that Bingfeng had just mastered. Although it couldn't be maintained for long, sealing the invincible King for several dozen breaths was enough.

"Sister!" The Queen Mother's eyes widened in fury as she unleashed her full power in a soul attack, but Qingyang had already blocked her way.

"Your opponent is me."

Qingyang said calmly, "With the Mind-Clearing Mirror Stone protecting me, and the ordinary treasure Soul-Destroying Pearl also guarding me, I have no fear of the Mother Queen's Soul-Destroying attack." Nine Source Crystal Hearts flew out, and Qingyang was able to contend with the Mother Queen's Soul-Destroying attack simply by relying on the basic laws.

Meanwhile, the three giants of the Mechanical Race had broken through the influence of the soul storm and were charging towards the core of chaos. King Jiuyu had just unleashed his ultimate move, and his divine body was weakened, making him powerless to stop them. Ice Peak, maintaining his eternal ice coffin, was also unable to concentrate on the task.

Just as the mechanical race was about to succeed, Qingyang suddenly made a move that surprised everyone. He abandoned his maneuvering with the Queen Mother, turned around and rushed towards the Chaos Core, but not to seize it; instead, he punched the core!

"Are you crazy?"

For the first time, the electronic voice of the King of Killing Spirits showed emotional fluctuation. The instant the fist touched the core, the entire Demon-Suppressing City trembled violently. Countless cracks appeared on the surface of the core, as if it would shatter at any moment.

"The will of the Chaos Eye will not recognize those who forcibly seize power," Qingyang's voice echoed across the plaza, "nor will it recognize madmen who only know how to destroy. But I want to see what kind of people it will recognize."

He was actually gambling, gambling on the choice of the will of the Chaos Sea Eye. If the Demon Suppression City Trial was truly the kind of event that only valued combat strength, then whoever was the strongest today would inherit the legacy.

But the Chaos Eye that Qingyang sensed while repairing the city was a will of "balance," "inclusivity," and "endless vitality." So he bet that the Chaos Eye would choose those who "understand" it, rather than those who "conquer" it.

The core crack stretched to its limit, yet it did not shatter. Instead, a soft light emanated from the crack. The light swept across the entire area, and everyone felt a vast consciousness scrutinizing them.

This will swept past the Mother Queen "Soul Devourer," humanized and shook its head; it also swept past the Mechanical Race's Soul-Slaying King, shaking its head again; it swept past the Nine Universe King, pausing briefly; it swept past the Ice Peak, lingering even longer; finally, it settled on Qingyang. This time, the will of the Chaos Sea Eye did not leave.

"You fixed it, you understood it, and you were even willing to take risks for it."

An ancient and gentle wave of will resonated in Qingyang's mind, "Tell me, if you obtain the Demon-Suppressing City, what will you use it for?"

Qingyang answered in his heart: "Protect what I must protect, climb what I must climb. Demon Suppression City is not a tool, it can be a partner."

After a moment of silence, the will of the Chaotic Sea Eye resounded.

"Haha, what a great partner! After hundreds of billions of epochs, someone has finally uttered this word."

The light from the core of chaos shone brightly, and the cracks instantly healed. It transformed into a stream of light and entered Qingyang's brow.

Qingyang felt an ancient city unfold in his mind, every building, every street, every line of law clearly visible. He had become the master of the Demon-Suppressing City.

In the plaza, the battle abruptly ceased. The Demon-Suppressing City had acknowledged its master, and its legacy had found its rightful owner. The Zerg Queen, Soul Devourer, ceased her soul attacks, looking at her frozen sister, her mental fluctuations filled with bitterness. "Human, there are three Law Fruits here. Release my sister, and my Zerg will withdraw from the contest and leave immediately."

Bingfeng looked at Qingyang and King Jiuyu, who both nodded. The Eternal Ice Coffin dissipated, and the Queen Mother's Soul Hunt was freed, but her aura was weak, clearly indicating that she was seriously injured.

The mechanical eyes of the King of Killing Spirits flickered for a long time before finally speaking, "The Mechanical Race acknowledges this outcome. But remember, outside the Eye of Chaos, we remain enemies."

Qingyang calmly replied, "Of course, everyone relies on their own abilities." The Zerg and the Machine Race said nothing more and turned to leave. They would be teleported out of the Chaos Sea Eye. This exploration of the secret realm had been quite fruitful for them, but they had ultimately missed their greatest opportunity.

Only Qingyang and his two companions remained in the square.

"Congratulations." Bingfeng patted Qingyang on the shoulder and smiled sincerely. King Jiuyu also smiled: "Lord of Demon Suppression City...what a prestigious title."

Qingyang shook his head: "The Demon Suppression City is a treasure, but also a huge problem. With my strength, possessing it will attract countless covetous eyes."

Qingyang looked at his two comrades and said, "I need you to keep this a secret."

"Nonsense," King Jiuyu waved his hand dismissively, "the three of us are sworn brothers who braved the Chaos Sea Eye together!"

"Exactly." Bingfeng nodded. Qingyang smiled, feeling a warmth in his heart. The three looked up at the sky, where the exit of the Chaos Sea Eye was slowly opening.