Swallowing the Stars: Starting with a Meteor Tear

Chapter 313 Passing the First Level

Zhou Yang had no idea what the others were feeling at that moment, but when he saw the lines of text appearing on the huge plaque, he was already overjoyed!

The strength of the gatekeeper is determined based on the current level of the challenger.

My current realm has only just reached Heng Zhou, which is the Mahayana stage of this world. Therefore, even the most difficult ninth level, the guardian's strength is only equivalent to a ninth-level Celestial Immortal.

Even a ninth-level Celestial Immortal with perfect combat experience is still just a Celestial Immortal; at most, they can unleash power comparable to a first or second-level Golden Immortal.

With the support of his own will, he could unleash power comparable to that of a Golden Immortal using only his soul power. In addition, with the special preparations he made before this trip, unless there were any unexpected circumstances, it was practically a certainty that he would pass the ninth level!

"At least nine divine artifacts, and there's even a chance to obtain a special opportunity even more precious than a high-grade divine artifact. This trip was truly worthwhile!"

Zhou Yang couldn't help but feel secretly excited. "I wonder what's so magical about the artifacts in this world, and how they differ from the world-devouring treasures."

While Zhou Yang was still examining the characters on the huge plaque, some people in the crowd couldn't contain themselves any longer.

"Hahaha, so many amazing artifacts as rewards! We've struck it rich this time! Everyone, I'll be going now!"

With an excited shout, the Crimson Flame Demon King from the demon cultivators' side transformed into a streak of blood-red light and rushed into the entrance under the huge plaque.

Since he was the only one among the celestial envoys who entered this time, and had no subordinates to take care of, he was naturally much more at ease.

In his view, there were as many as 36 powerful individuals who entered this secret realm this time, and who knew whether the divine artifacts stored in the Nine Heavens were sufficient.

If you wait until the very end, painstakingly overcome the challenges, only to find there's no divine artifact reward, wouldn't that be a huge loss?

Therefore, in this situation, it's naturally better to clear the level as quickly as possible.

The other celestial messengers reacted instantly upon seeing his actions.

"Let's go, let's begin! We can't let Crimson Flame get there first!"

One by one, the celestial envoys looked at the rogue immortals and demons under their command and solemnly spoke:

"The difficulty of these nine heavens is determined by the cultivator's cultivation level, so you all have a chance to pass. Give it your all! If anyone manages to bring out the divine artifact, His Majesty the Immortal Emperor (Demon Emperor/Demon Emperor) will surely reward them handsomely!"

"Yes, sir, we will do our utmost!"

Whether they were cultivators of immortality, demons, or monsters, the scattered immortals all respectfully accepted the order.

They all understood that even if they obtained the divine artifacts, they would ultimately have to hand them over to the celestial messengers.

After all, the value of divine artifacts is extremely high. Even some powerful figures at the "Mysterious Immortal" level in the Immortal Realm may not possess divine artifacts.

However, this did not dampen their enthusiasm in the slightest.

Even if they ultimately cannot keep the divine artifacts in their own hands, after handing them over, the celestial messengers behind them will surely bestow generous rewards.

These celestial envoys represent the most powerful beings in the celestial realm, and the rewards they bestow are sure to be exceptional!

"Alright, go ahead and explore!"

Without pausing, the celestial envoys transformed into streaks of light and rushed into the entrance of the Nine Heavens Tower.

Following them were the top-tier rogue immortals (rogue demons? rogue monsters) from various forces in the mortal realm, who rushed into the tower ahead, closely following the celestial envoys.

In just a moment, only Zhou Yang remained standing outside.

Whether intentionally or not, ever since entering this secret realm, all the celestial envoys have deliberately kept their distance from him, making him appear as if he had been neglected.

However, Zhou Yang seemed quite unfazed by the situation. Instead, he became rather curious about the owner of this mysterious Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion.

The master of that immortal mansion went to such great lengths to build this immortal mansion, yet he did not reveal any purpose whatsoever. In particular, within this immortal mansion's secret realm, there is only this solitary nine-story tower. Apart from requiring some strength from the challenger, there are no other tests, making it seem somewhat rudimentary.

It seems that this secret world was created simply to give people divine artifacts.

What mysterious opportunity awaits after clearing the ninth level?

Zhou Yang, slightly curious, stepped into the open portal of the black tower.

Zhou Yang's body seemed to pass through an invisible layer of water light, and when he reappeared, he had arrived at a vast and boundless green grassland.

A gentle breeze ripples across the grassland, clouds drift and swirl in the sky, accompanied by the fragrance of flowers—a truly idyllic scene.

The moment Zhou Yang appeared, a golden cloud twisted and fell down. When it reached the ground, the golden cloud transformed into a burly figure wearing golden armor and holding a golden staff.

"Challenger, I am the guardian of the first level."

The golden-armored figure spoke, his voice like the clash of metal, crisp and highly penetrating.

"In this level, I will use the same realm as you, the same combat techniques, and no more combat experience than you. During the challenge, you may not use any defensive armor. Killing me or rendering me unable to fight will be considered a successful challenge. The battle will begin in ten breaths. Please be prepared."

After the golden-armored figure finished speaking, he stood there motionless, like a golden statue.

"Hmm, it was transformed directly from the clouds. It seems to be an energy-based life form, but it also resembles a mechanical puppet."

Zhou Yang looked at the golden-armored figure with curiosity, a look of interest on his face.

Before he could investigate further, ten breaths had passed in the blink of an eye, and an astonishing aura immediately surged from the golden-armored figure!

"The challenge begins!"

The golden-armored figure uttered a cold shout, his internal energy churning continuously, and streaks of golden light particles constantly emerged, forming a hazy golden nebula with a diameter of over a thousand meters around his body in the blink of an eye.

"Hiss hiss hiss~~~"

"Meteor Strike!"

All the golden particles quickly ignited, and the golden-armored figure instantly transformed into a dazzling golden meteor, which then crashed directly into Zhou Yang!

Its fierce momentum carved a deep trench into the earth.

"Interesting. He even simulated the moves from 'Stellar Transformation,' which I've never even used before. How did he simulate them? Could he directly extract my memories, or...?"

Upon seeing this scene, Zhou Yang couldn't help but smile faintly.

"Or was this all just an illusion?"

As Zhou Yang's laughter rang out, his extremely powerful will erupted!

"Click, click~~~"

It was as if an invisible mirror had been shattered, and the whole world had been stripped of some kind of disguise. All the nebulae and meteors had disappeared, leaving only the golden-armored figure standing there, slightly taken aback.

"Buzz~"

Zhou Yang's gaze narrowed slightly, and an invisible wave protected a sharp sword that instantly rushed into the head of the golden-armored figure. In just an instant, the golden-armored figure fell into a daze.

At the same time, a tremendous sound resounded in the sky.

"Congratulations to the challenger for passing the first level. The reward is the low-grade divine artifact 'Flowing Cloud Divine Sword'."

(End of this chapter)