Swallowing the Stars: The Birth of a Cosmic God King

The last day.

Countdown, just one hour left.

The light from the Flame Flower illuminated half the sky, and the golden-red patterns on its petals pulsed like a heartbeat, as if it were about to fully bloom at any moment.

Yan Ning settled Yin Su and Yin Xue in a secluded underground cave.

The cave has a natural magma barrier deep inside, and with a branch vine left by the Moyun Vine King, it is enough to prevent any star-level exploration from taking place.

"Stay here, don't go out, wait for me to come back," Yan Ning instructed the two sisters.

Yin Su bit her lip, wanting to say something, but in the end she just nodded vigorously.

Yin Xue held her sister's hand and whispered, "Be careful, senior."

Yan Ning did not turn around, and his figure disappeared into the gray mist.

He made no attempt to conceal his breath.

The oppressive aura of a fourth-level star was released without reservation, shining brightly in the gray fog.

Within a radius of hundreds of miles, everyone sensed his presence.

That dark gold name, that number one with 6,400 points, is swaggering towards the Flower of Flames.

……

Before the Flower of Flames.

A scorched plain, spanning nearly 100 square kilometers, was cut into several pieces by lava rivers.

The plain was densely packed with people.

The top 10,000 elites, the rogue cultivators who came to watch the excitement, and the small forces that wanted to take advantage of the chaos were all mixed together.

The total number of people exceeds 30,000.

All eyes were fixed on the dark gold name that was approaching in their field of vision.

"Here they come! The number one player has arrived!"

"Alone? He came alone?"

"Nonsense, look at his points, 6,400. One person is worth 3,000 of ours. Do we need to bring anyone with us?"

"But he's only at the fourth level of the Constant Star rank... How did he rack up those points?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's just good luck, or maybe they have a hidden card."

The crowd whispered amongst themselves, their gazes a mix of emotions.

Jealousy, doubt, greed, and awe—various emotions spread among the people.

Yan Ning emerged from the gray fog.

He wore black armor, a sword at his waist, and had a calm expression.

The dark gold name and sword-shaped emblem above their heads gleamed in the firelight.

The aura of a fourth-tier star level was completely undisguised.

"It really is a fourth-tier star level... but how is that possible?" Someone gasped.

"That's it? I thought it had three heads and six arms."

"Don't underestimate him. There's definitely something fishy about him being able to score 6,400 points."

"Strange? No matter how strange, he's still a star level! There are 30,000 of us here; we could drown him with a single spit from each of us."

The person speaking had a loud voice, but their feet honestly took a few steps back.

He went too far with his boasting and realized something was wrong, so he quickly retreated.

Nobody is a fool.

For a fourth-tier celestial being to reach first place, they either have an incredible trump card or have an immortal force backing them up.

Neither of them are people you should mess with.

But not taking action doesn't mean not having thoughts about it.

Countless eyes were fixed on Yan Ning, like a pack of wolves eyeing a lone prey.

……

Yan Ning walked directly beneath the Flower of Flames and looked up at the giant flower that had been burning for millions of years.

The petals closed, lava flowed on the surface, and the outline of an ancient building could be vaguely seen in the center.

He withdrew his gaze and glanced at the crowd around him.

More than 30,000 people, clearly divided into three groups.

The innermost circle consists of the top thousand strongest individuals, each possessing a powerful aura and sharp gaze.

In the middle are the top 10,000 elites, well-equipped and disciplined.

The outermost layer consisted of independent cultivators who were just watching the spectacle, gathered in small groups, ready to change their allegiance at any moment.

Yan Ning ignored them, sat down cross-legged on the spot, and closed his eyes to rest.

To those with ulterior motives, this stance appears as blatant provocation.

"This guy... is too arrogant, isn't he?"

"They have the right to be arrogant, do you?"

"Hmph, capital? Wait till they're surrounded and killed, then let's see if they're still so arrogant."

Discussions arose one after another, but no one dared to be the first to make a move.

Everyone understands the saying, "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down."

……

Chifeng Mercenary Group Camp.

Chi Hu stared at Yan Ning's back, his fingers tapping lightly on the hilt of his sword.

"What are the odds of winning against one person out of five thousand?"

The adjutant hesitated for a moment: "If he has no trump cards, one hundred percent, but if he does..."

Red Tiger interrupted him: "Of course I know, the question is, what's his trump card?"

No one can answer.

Just then, the Illusion Heart Clan arrived.

Mo Lin, leading the remaining five hundred men, had a terribly gloomy expression.

"Commander Red Tiger, may I speak to you in private?"

The two walked to a secluded corner, and Mo Lin cut to the chase: "Help me kill Yan Ning, and name your terms."

Red Tiger raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance: "Oh? What grudge does your Illusion Heart Clan have against him?"

"He killed 1,700 of my clansmen! This is an irreconcilable hatred!" Mo Lin's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth.

Red Tiger pondered, utterly astonished: "Seventeen hundred people... he killed them all by himself?"

"Are you perhaps making fun of us?"

"Absolutely no lie!"

Red Tiger's pupils contracted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Killing him is possible, but the price will be high. Like I said before, what can you offer?"

Chi Hu added meaningfully, "That map is useless!"

"Of the profits from the Flower of Inheritance, my Illusionary Heart Clan will only take 10%, and the remaining 90% will be divided between your Crimson Peak and the Void Order."

"One-tenth?" Red Tiger shook his head.

"That's too few. How many people do you, the Illusion Heart Clan, have left? Five hundred?"

"Now that you've entered the Flower of Inheritance, what do you have to compete with us? Even a tenth place is already an honor for you."

Mo Lin gritted his teeth: "Half a percent, no more than that."

"All or nothing!"

"…make a deal!"

Red Tiger nodded in satisfaction and turned to walk towards the Void Order's camp.

Mo Lin stood still, watching Chi Hu's back, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

—Let me let you be smug first.

Once I obtain the inheritance of the Realm Lord, I'll make you vomit up twice as much as you've eaten today!

……

Void Order camp.

After hearing Red Tiger's purpose, Shadow remained silent for a long time.

"There's been some movement on the map of the Illusionary Heart Clan," the shadow suddenly said.

Red Tiger was taken aback, then his eyes lit up: "You mean... the map points to the Flower of Inheritance?"

"After approaching the Flame Flower, the markers on the map began to flash."

The voice from the shadows was hoarse.

"That idiot Mo Lin thinks others don't know, but the energy fluctuations on his body can't fool me."

"So, Yan Ning must die?"

"No.

"Yan Ning's life or death is unimportant; what matters is the map." The shadow paused. "But since Mo Lin is willing to make a price, we can kill Yan Ning without any loss."

Red Tiger laughed loudly: "Good! Then let the three parties join forces, three thousand against one, there's no chance of failure!"

"Finally, let's wipe out the Illusion Heart Clan!"

The shadow did not speak.

His gaze pierced through the gray fog and landed on Yan Ning.

—A fourth-tier star in the Eternal Star Realm, with 6,400 points, is this person really as simple as he appears on the surface?

……

The news spread quickly.

The Chifeng Mercenary Group has 2,500 members, the Void Cult has 500 members, and the Illusion Heart Clan has 500 members.

A total of 3,500 people came out in full force.

Three thousand five hundred figures converged on the Flower of Flames from three directions.

No one concealed their intentions.

The armor's reflection shimmered in the gray mist, the cold glint of weapons pierced through the smoke and dust, and the killing intent was so palpable that it forced the surrounding rogue cultivators to retreat repeatedly.

"Holy crap, what are they trying to do?"

"Need you even ask? Just kill the number one player!"

"Three thousand five hundred against one? That's outrageous!"

"Face? What's face worth compared to the legacy of a Realm Lord?"

The crowd gasped, but their feet honestly took a step back.

Within a radius of tens of square kilometers, the crowds receded like a tide, leaving behind a vast open space.

In the center of the open space, only Yan Ning remained.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and remained silent.