Swallowing the Stars: The Birth of a Cosmic God King

The sky above the Fire Dock Realm within the Fire Dock Realm cracked open.

Like a flower that has burned for too long and finally exhausted its last bit of strength, the petals silently curled outward, revealing a huge opening.

At the edge of the exit, the space rippled like water, and a distorted light curtain separated the two worlds.

The first person stumbled out.

His body was charred black, his armor was shattered, and his left arm was severed at the elbow.

His eyes were unfocused, clearly indicating that he had experienced a nightmare in the secret realm that was unimaginable to ordinary people.

But when he stepped onto the scorched earth of the blazing fire and breathed in the sulfurous air, a look of ecstatic joy at surviving the ordeal appeared on his scarred face.

"I...made it out alive!"

He knelt on the ground, his voice hoarse, tears mixed with blood streaming down his face.

Then came the second, the third, the tenth, the hundredth…

The living poured out of the exit.

Some helped each other, some dragged their disabled bodies, and some carried their seriously injured and unconscious companions on their backs.

None of their armors were intact, and each of their faces bore the deep marks of exhaustion and fear.

But they are all alive.

1.3 million people went in, and more than 400,000 came out.

Nine hundred thousand star-level elites remain forever in that scorched earth and lava.

Those once spirited geniuses, those ambitious powerhouses, those names that fought tooth and nail on the leaderboard—more than 90% of them have vanished without a trace, not even leaving behind their remains.

Only the gray fog remembered them.

……

"How long has it been?"

A wandering cultivator sat on the ground, asking the person next to him in a daze, "How long have we been inside? It feels like only ten days or so..."

"Not just ten days or so."

His companion painstakingly calculated, "The time record in the virtual universe... is eight or nine months."

"Eight or nine months?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was stunned.

How is that possible?

They only experienced about twenty days within the Fire Dock Realm, but eight or nine months had passed in the outside world?

"The flow of time in the Fire Dock Realm is different from that in the outside world."

A knowledgeable person whispered, "When the World Lord fell, his inner world collapsed, and fragments of the laws of time scattered, causing the internal flow of time to slow down."

One day inside could feel like more than a month outside.

"No wonder...no wonder it felt like I held on for so long, but only twenty days had passed..."

Everyone fell silent.

Eight or nine months is enough time for a lot to happen in the outside world.

But none of that matters to them.

The important thing is that they came out alive!

Moreover, they passed the space trainee mercenary assessment!

more importantly...

Most people hold dozens, even hundreds, of cosmic crystals in their hands!

Those cosmic crystals erupting from the earth's veins, those spatial rings looted from the bodies of dead adversaries.

And the wealth salvaged from the lava river at great personal risk is all real.

One piece of cosmic crystal, worth 3.3 million Qianwu coins.

Ten directions, thirty-three million.

One hundred and thirty million.

For Hengxing, this is a fortune that could change his destiny!

Also.

He also passed the cosmic mercenary assessment, which opened up many more avenues for him to explore.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that from now on, the sky's the limit and the sea's the limit.

"That's enough, that's enough."

A middle-aged martial artist clutched a spatial pouch, his eyes reddening. "I've collected twenty-three cubic meters. That's enough for me to cultivate to the peak of the Eternal Star level. It's worth it, this life was worth it!"

"I have forty-one cubic meters!"

The young man next to him was so excited his voice was trembling, "I can buy a top-of-the-line energy armor now!"

But soon, a more realistic person poured cold water on the idea, saying, "Don't be too happy yet, take a look outside first."

They looked up, glanced around, and then... their pupils contracted simultaneously.

Almost simultaneously, everyone's smiles froze.

The once empty plaza at the Port of Blazing Mars is now densely packed with people.

It's millions!

The cosmic pressure was like dark clouds pressing down, and the aura of the domain lord was like towering mountains, crushing down from all directions.

Colorful flags fluttered in the hazy sky.

The Black Tank Empire, the Crimson Peak Empire, the Iron Hand Empire, the Void Order, the Illusion Heart Clan... more than a dozen empires and forces surrounded the entire port.

"What...what's going on?" someone asked, their voice trembling.

"What else could it be? It's the legacy of the Fire-Chonghu Realm Lord!"

"But we're not the ones who inherit the legacy... We did pay the fees and passed the assessment, so the leaders of the Space Mercenary Group should send someone to guard us, right?"

Do you think they'll believe it?

Moreover, if they want to get out alive, these rogue cultivators will inevitably be exploited!

The resources and opportunities that I risked my life for are about to be mostly given away!

With this in mind.

The faces of everyone present were extremely grim.

They had just crawled out of hell and hadn't even had a chance to catch their breath when they were surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves.

Those powerful beings at the cosmic or domain lord levels looked at them as if they were lambs to the slaughter!

"Listen up, everyone!"

A burly man at the ninth level of the cosmic realm stepped forward, his voice booming like thunder.

"Hand over all the cosmic crystals, treasures, and secret techniques you obtained in the secret realm! Those who hand them over may live! Those who hoard them will die!"

Behind him, a dozen or so cosmic-level powerhouses simultaneously released their auras, making it almost impossible for 400,000 people to breathe.

Some people closed their eyes in despair.

Someone was clutching the spatial ring tightly; death was acceptable, but the spatial ring was not!

Some people knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

"It's over...it's all over..."

Just now.

A cold voice came from above, not loud, but everyone could hear it clearly.

"Who dares?"

A figure descended from the highest point of the port.

The old man, dressed in a gray robe, had a simple and honest face and eyes as sharp as knives.

He didn't release any aura, but every step he took felt like stepping on everyone's hearts.

Lord of the Fiery Rain Domain.

The Cosmic Mercenary Alliance, Rank 9, Domain Lord level.

A being who is just one step away from becoming a realm master!

He held a severed head in his hand, blood still dripping from it, dripping along his fingers onto the scorched earth with a sizzling sound.

That's the head of the ninth-tier cosmic-level giant who just shouted.

"During the cosmic mercenary assessment, no one may disrupt the assessment order or rob the examinees of their legitimate gains," the Fire Rain Domain Lord said calmly.

"Those who disobey will be executed without mercy!"

He casually tossed the head aside, and it rolled into the crowd, causing a commotion.

"This is the first and the last time."

The Fire Rain Domain Lord's gaze swept across the entire arena, and those powerful figures at the Universe and Domain Lord levels all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

The entire room fell silent.

The 400,000 survivors, witnessing this scene, finally felt a huge weight lifted from their hearts.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

"Long live the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance!"

Lord Fire Rain didn't speak. He turned around, walked back to the high place, sat down cross-legged again, and closed his eyes.

But his presence had already silently enveloped the entire port.

Anyone who dares to move will die!

……