Swallowing the Stars: Starting with the Battle of Geniuses

Chapter 128 The Final Choice, The Showdown

Three figures moved rapidly through the rain.

Xingluo was perfectly aware that in this torrential rain, Hunzhen's advantages were magnified tenfold or a hundredfold.

Whether it's a clone or the original, as long as one of them can pass through the rain curtain, victory can be secured instantly.

But this was a scene that was destined to never come to pass.

Because the rain curtain is not an inanimate object, but is under the control of Hunzhen.

Under Hunzhen's control, this ultimate realm always followed him like a shadow.

It's like a giant birdcage, trapping the stars that should be able to fly freely and traverse space inside, preventing them from ever escaping.

The birdcage could not contain the elusive, mosquito-like nature that clung to him.

He was incredibly agile, dodging and blocking the attacks of the Silver Demon King's clones and the Demon Shadow himself time and time again.

Then, every now and then, they'll sneak up a gap and quietly give the other person a little nip, like a mosquito bite.

It was neither too light nor too heavy, yet it was both painful and itchy.

Ninety-nine out of a hundred attacks were feints, with no killing moves used, and most were successfully blocked by the Silver Demon King's clone.

But that one and only killing move will inevitably penetrate through layers of defenses and strike the relatively weak demonic shadow.

Under the gaze of those silver eyes that could see into the future, there were no coincidences, only the inevitable result derived from countless calculations.

But Xingluo is not a vegetarian either.

Even if the future is predetermined, in that predetermined future, the cooperation between the main body and the clone still brought considerable consumption to Hunzhen.

However, whenever Hunzhen's mental energy is over-exhausted and his aura plummets to its lowest point.

Restoration, restoration, restoration, restoration...

His power seemed inexhaustible; anyone facing such an enemy would feel despair.

But Xinglu remained unmoved, maintaining a machine-like calmness, constantly getting used to Hunzhen's offensive, making his output efficiency higher and higher.

The fierce battle lasted for two months.

The speed at which Hunzhen replaced Yuan Shen weapons was getting faster and faster, and in the blink of an eye, it had exceeded one hundred pieces.

Meanwhile, the aura of the Silver Demon King was steadily declining.

One percent, two percent, three percent...

10%, 15%, 20%!

Then, it started to slowly recover, by 21%, 22%...

It's not that the tide of battle has turned.

In order to ensure the speed of energy recovery, Xingluo had to allow the energy reserves in his body to begin to be consumed.

Another month has passed.

Hunzhen consumed over a hundred replacement Yuan Shen weapons once again.

But it actually managed to "kill" the Shadow Demon once.

Revealing its life core, a pitch-black ore that seemed to have swallowed all colors.

The Shadow Body was reassembled, and its aura was reduced by 10% compared to when it suffered the backlash from its failed breakthrough.

Once is never enough. When Hunzhen killed the Demon Shadow for the third time and truly damaged the life core that was like a black ore, Xingluo had to once again deplete the energy of the Silver Ghost King's clone.

The battle was extremely intense.

But only Hunzhen himself knew...

If his destined death interrupted Xingluo's breakthrough, it would give him a greater than 70% chance of defeating Xingluo.

Therefore, when he first inflicted two-thousandths of damage on the Silver Demon King's clone, he had already secured the victory.

Everything that followed was already within the grasp of those eyes burning with silver-gray flames.

If Xingluo had not encountered the suppression of the power of the Abyss's will, it could have recovered from the loss of two-thousandths very quickly.

But without this "if," it means that if the battle continues, the rate at which he consumes energy is already greater than the rate at which he recovers it.

Conversely, Hunzhen can perfectly restore its power without limit.

That seemingly insignificant loss of two per thousand was actually the key to victory.

As Hunzhen spent a long time with Hunzhen and learned about the many methods and characteristics of the Silver Ghost King, Xingluo also learned about Hunzhen's unique ability to regenerate infinitely.

Therefore, seizing the opportunity to switch from Hunzhen to Yuanshen weapon and launch a surprise attack was not a whim, but rather a desperate measure taken after keenly perceiving one's own disadvantages, demonstrating extreme sensitivity to the battle situation.

However, Hunzhen readily accepted it, making it part of expanding the victory.

Splash!

Three years and seventy-two days later, the Silver Demon King's clone vanished with the wind.

Only a demonic shadow and the true form stood facing each other.

The demonic shadow trembled slightly before returning to its original form as Xingluo.

Hunzhen's eyes flickered.

His old friend, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, smiled slightly at him: "Let's do it, Hunzhen."

Hunzhen's gaze was complex.

When he possessed the Silver Demon King, he foresaw the future where the Sims would be unable to act because they had invested too much emotion in him.

Therefore, he took the initiative to withdraw in advance, viewing the Silver Demon King as a "resource for possession" from an absolutely calm perspective, thus stripping away emotional projection, and ultimately possessing him without hesitation.

But Xingluo is different.

He was a friend to whom Hunzhen had already poured his emotions.

The psychological burden of killing an "object" is worlds apart from that of killing a "friend".

He could resolutely use the Silver Demon King as a stepping stone, but he couldn't take it for granted that he would have the same thoughts about Xingluo.

Moreover, he had a choice, a choice to preserve Xingluo's life.

Unlike what he saw in the future, where Xingluo kidnapped him in an attempt to communicate with the Star Prison Demon Lord, ultimately leading to the enraged Star Prison Demon Lord killing the hostage.

Now, he is strong while Xingluo is weak, and the initiative is in his hands.

Take one step forward, achieve extraordinary life, and the path to becoming the Lord of the Universe will be fully opened.

Taking a step back and choosing to possess a Blood Silver Demon, there's a 90% chance of becoming the Lord of the Universe. The only difference is that he'll miss the opportunity to become a special life form, and his strength will likely be significantly weaker in the future.

Then, by using his authority, he made Xingluo a vassal of the human race. Given Xingluo's potential, the human race would most likely gain another alien universe master.

but……

Can he really guarantee that Xingluo will stand on his side?

Can he really guarantee that Xingluo considers him a friend?

Can he still trust Xingluo without reservation?

The answer is no.

Before learning the truth about Xingluo, he could have upheld the principle that "as long as he doesn't harm me in future records, I will treat him as a friend, no matter what his purpose is."

But that's no longer possible.

He already knew that Xingluo, despite having the ability to save himself, allowed the simulated version of himself to die.

He already knew that he would die as Xingluo's bargaining chip for freedom.

Perhaps Xingluo was truly powerless to save it?

Perhaps Xingluo underestimated the Star Prison Demon Lord's tolerance for alien races?

Regardless...

They have already turned against each other with swords drawn.

Eight years ago, Hunzhen might have hesitated.

but……

Eight years have passed, and he has long since let go of these entanglements.

He did not hesitate.

In the blink of an eye, the secret technique of possession was used, and Hunzhen had already arrived in Xingluo's spiritual world.

In the sea of ​​consciousness formed by the brilliant starry sky, a giant serpent formed from pale air suddenly rushed in, as if it wanted to devour the sky and the earth.

And atop the giant snake's head stood the figure of Hunzhen.

hum--.

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Just like the first time it possessed someone, the will of the abyss twisted the spearhead, and terrifying power invaded the serpent's body formed by the possession technique, attempting to destroy it.

However, this level of power cannot shake the current Hunzhen in the slightest; it merely weakens his soul power by more than half, just as it did with Xingluo before.

Hunzhen's feet quietly left the giant snake's head, and he floated up into the air.

The giant serpent that invaded the starry sky then bit its own tail, transforming into an ouroboros, which slowly coiled and rotated like a wheel, its body gradually expanding and growing larger.

For Xingluo, whose strength is less than one-tenth, the Great Serpent can completely occupy his sea of ​​consciousness in just one day, allowing Hunzhen to complete the possession.

Without the Soul Jade, even if Hunzhen regrets it now, he cannot reverse the Body Seizure Technique unless he takes his own life.

There will be only one outcome: one will perish and the other will triumph.

In the starry world, on a bright blue planet, Xingluo looked up at Hunzhen's figure, a serene smile appearing on her face.

"I thought I had accepted the fact that I could only live in this small world forever."

But on that day, you came.

Xingluo began to tell his story, but Hunzhen just listened quietly.

"You think I've created thousands of avatars to monitor the changes in the sky in order to spy on the movements of extraterrestrial visitors and then attack you?"

No, you're wrong.

Hunzhen raised an eyebrow slightly, wanting to hear Xingluo's explanation.

And Xingluo certainly did not disappoint Hunzhen.

"It's more accurate to say that I'm constantly worried about that supreme being outside the abyss, worried that one day he will suddenly break into this world and destroy all of us, along with this world."

"I am always on edge, and I always have my avatar keep an eye on the changes in the sky."

"But countless eons have passed, and that powerful being has shown no sign of making a move. Over time, I gradually shifted my focus of observation to the weak extraterrestrial visitor."

"You fell and appeared."

"I noticed from afar that this visitor from outer space was unusual."

"All the visitors from outer space before you only had the cultivation level of a universe, but you are the only one with the strength of a domain lord."

"You must have a purpose that is different from that of an ordinary extraterrestrial visitor."

Suddenly, Xingluo conjured a silver throne out of thin air, transformed into the appearance of the Silver Ghost King, sat on the throne, and said, "Just as you said, this world has been silent for far too long."

The next moment, the divine throne dissipated, and he returned to his original form as Xingluo, continuing his narration.

"I'm curious, just like I've encountered every extraterrestrial visitor in the past, to bring the closest clone closer to you."

"Of course, the initial plan was just to take a look."

"Every extraterrestrial visitor embarks on a magnificent adventure in this world. Approaching them, observing their adventures, occasionally lending a helping hand, occasionally causing trouble, and adding fuel to the fire are some of my few pleasures. Apart from this 'little bit of help,' I will not interfere with the extraterrestrial visitors in any other way."

"Hunzhen, you... weren't an exception at first. It's just that your status as a domain lord made me pay extra attention to you, and I was curious whether you could create some different kinds of fun."

"As it turns out... you really did give me a huge surprise."

Xinglu smiled gently.

He pointed a finger, conjuring a semi-transparent face of the Dark Lord, and said, "That guy Black Luo is extremely wary of me, never giving me any chance to devour him."

"His vigilance was justified."

"Black Luo and Silver Luo, they have long known of the existence of the outer world. But each of them, limited by their own talents, will never be able to break through the suppression of the will of the abyss unless they devour the other and evolve."

"Therefore, in the pursuit of freedom, countless conflicts and wars have broken out between the two sides over countless years."

"Hundreds of billions of years ago, a great war broke out between Black Luo and Silver Luo, and between the Black Demon Clan and the Silver Ghost Clan, causing a historical break in the Abyss World and plunging both sides into unprecedented devastation."

"Unfortunately, although I am weak, I was born before them. They are unaware of my existence."

"And having finally waited for such a golden opportunity, I seized the chance to use my innate secret technique to devour Yin Luo, thus gaining this 'clone'."

"Previously, I knew I was weak and had never coveted power or even freedom."

"But at that moment, the ambition for freedom took root in my heart."

"I even considered using Hei Luo as a second clone. But I haven't tried it yet. A premonition tells me that this is absolutely impossible to succeed, and if I try, I will have wasted the opportunity to condense a second clone."

"We can only settle for second best and try to continue Silver Luo's original breakthrough potential by attempting to devour Black Luo."

"However, they fought each other for countless years, mortal enemies, but also close friends. He noticed the subtle changes in my disguise as Yin Luo, became suspicious, and after several tests, he went into complete hiding."

"With my own talent, it is almost impossible for me to withstand the suppression of the Abyss's will and break through to the Realm Lord realm that you extraterrestrial visitors mentioned. Only by letting my clone devour Hei Luo and evolve to obtain some of the Time Talent can I temporarily withstand the Abyss's will and complete the breakthrough."

"But my plan has been temporarily declared bankrupt, and I can only enter a long period of dormancy and waiting for Black Luo to show a flaw again."

"During this period, I reformed and promoted changes to the first layer of the abyss, allowing my avatars to better conceal themselves at the top of the abyss, making it easier to observe changes in the sky and the arrival of visitors from outer space. Awaiting more 'variables'."

At this point, Xingluo finally dispelled the illusion of the Black Demon King and looked at Hunzhen.

"Your unusual nature makes me think you're more likely to bring change than other extraterrestrial visitors. Hearing your enthusiasm for the 'Grand Martial Arts Festival,' I initially thought you were like other extraterrestrial visitors, coming to become a knight, which was slightly disappointing."

"After a long period of observation, without making any indirect inquiries, but through understanding you as a person and from the details of your words and actions, I finally discovered that that was not your true purpose."

"Your goal... is to get close to my clone, the being known as the Silver God."

Hunzhen's pupils dilated, and he finally understood how he had revealed his weakness.

That's the understanding your friends have of you after spending a long time together.

The most effective method of espionage than any conspiracy or open scheme is the subtle and pervasive integration.

Even if Hunzhen tries to hide his purpose, as long as he is sincere in his friendships, he cannot conceal his feelings and habits in front of his friends.

Intelligence can be concealed, but emotional changes cannot.

"Once I deduced that you had ulterior motives regarding my clone, I naturally brought you to my side as soon as possible to uncover your true purpose."

Only now does Hunzhen truly realize the reason why the Silver Demon King openly expressed his favor towards him.

Xingluo said softly, "I anticipated that you would pose a threat to my clone. It wasn't that the Silver God deliberately set an ambush, but rather that I was truly in danger. Only in this way could Black Luo believe that I was completely unprepared and proceed with the devouring."

As he spoke, he gave a helpless smile: "I just didn't expect that your way of threatening it would be through possession."

(End of this chapter)