Swallowing the Stars: Starting with the Battle of Geniuses

Chapter 172 Niu Niu's Advice, the Betting Battle Begins

After the Lord of Chaos spoke, his weight as the leader of the Virtual Universe Company determined the conclusion of the meeting.

And this result was exactly what Hunzhen truly wanted.

Hunzhen had already told the Lord of Chaos City that this was a trap set by the alien race.

It's not just a trap for Death Wheel King, but also a trap for Time Abyss King.

The former goes without saying.

The key lies in the latter, which is a mixture of psychological warfare and probing.

Hunzhen knew that in a dozen or so epochs, the pattern of the primordial universe would undergo tremendous changes due to the turbulence of the cosmic sea.

The interests in several war zones are worth fighting for now, but if we look at the bigger picture, they are really not worth mentioning.

But it would be a bit outrageous for him to be able to see so far into the future, and even if he informed the Lord of Chaos City and forced him to abandon the duel, causing both King Shiyuan and King Silun to avoid the battle.

Not to mention how public opinion within humanity would explode.

The fact that the Chaos City Lord protected the Time Abyss King alone proved that the three races' probing had been effective.

They would no longer care about Shi Yuanwang's true identity, because no matter what, this person was undoubtedly a die-hard humanist.

The meeting reached a conclusion.

The duel will take place on a temporary battleground jointly created by the four races' cosmic lords in a desolate star field, on a special continent with a gravity approximately trillion times greater than the base gravity.

On this special continent, even the destructive power of the top cosmic overlords is weakened by a factor of ten thousand.

The fact that these top immortals with Venerable-level combat power are fighting here will prevent the conflict from affecting other star regions.

The start time of the duel was set for 2,500 years later.

This time was not chosen randomly, of course.

Then, in the blink of an eye, a century passed quietly.

"Little, little sister Xiaomi..."

"Don't call me that."

Hunzhen looked at the awkward minotaur with disdain and said coldly, "So, what brings you here after going through all this trouble to find me?"

This is a lie.

Hunzhen knew perfectly well what Niu Feiyang wanted from him.

He had blocked the other party's contact information a long time ago, since Niu Feiyang was no longer of any use to him.

Even so, this guy managed to indirectly connect with him through various means, including bribing his acquaintances in the Ancestral God Sect and paying fines for disturbing others.

Even at this point, Hunzhen can still turn a blind eye.

But he had already seen through his future vision that even so, this guy would still cling to him like a piece of chewing gum.

Even after paying fines and having their Glory Points deducted multiple times, they still come to harass them.

The other party was willing to sacrifice face and money.

Aside from finding an opportunity to kill him directly, there's really no good way to get rid of him.

Rather than being constantly disturbed, Hunzhen decided to resolve the problem once and for all.

Over here, Niu Feiyang looked at Hunzhen, who didn't hide her "true self" at all, and felt no dissatisfaction. Instead, he felt a strange joy: "Hehe, she's always calm and indifferent to others, but she shows this expression only to me. What does this prove? It proves that she doesn't hide her true nature only in front of me, and it proves that she cares about me!"

Hunzhen's change in attitude did not lead Niu Feiyang to think that he was "too lazy to even pretend," but Niu Feiyang took it as evidence of the relationship's escalation.

But Niu Feiyang, upon recalling the news he had gathered, forgot his joy and his expression turned serious. He said, "Little Xiaomi, do you know that you have been chosen by humans to participate in the four-race duel more than a thousand years from now?"

Hunzhen nodded: "So what if I know?"

Niu Feiyang's face showed a hint of urgency: "Little Xiaomi, you absolutely mustn't go! It's a trap, a trap specifically for you!"

Hunzhen took a step back with a strange expression, dodging Niu Feiyang's outstretched hand: "Since it's a trap, and you even knew it was a trap, doesn't that mean it's a scheme by your demon race? Is that all you're telling me?"

Niu Feiyang, beaming with pride, declared, "So what if it involves clan plots? I simply can't stand by and watch you jump into the fire!"

Niu Feiyang thought that after saying this, his little sister Xiaomi would look at him with either affection or admiration.

To everyone's surprise, it wasn't like that at all; the other person's disgust deepened even further.

"Alright, tell me the truth."

Hunzhen directly exposed Niu Feiyang's disguise.

"Well."

Niu Feiyang looked embarrassed.

Even with his temperament, he would never betray his clan, and the demon race was not so magnanimous as to send him to deliver the message.

Niu Feiyang simply didn't expect that the other party, who was clearly a complete "newbie" in the cosmic society, could be so perceptive.

But after a brief moment of awkwardness, Niu Feiyang, with his quick wit, instantly transformed the embarrassment into admiration for Hunzhen: "As expected of Xiao Mi, she's so clever!"

Then he whispered, "However, what I'm saying is really true. Little Xiaomi, humans have treated you like a pawn, so why bother working for them? As long as you go onto the arena and 'fix' the match, don't worry about being punished by humans. My demon race has powerful figures who will protect you. That way, there won't be any traps..."

"Is that all you wanted to say?"

Hunzhen shook his head.

He could easily agree right now.

However, if he doesn't throw the match once he's on the field, he'll anger the demon race because of his pretense of agreeing beforehand.

He would certainly go all out, so playing along would be the worst possible strategy.

He refused without hesitation, saying, "Tell the demon race behind you that I have no intention of stabbing humans in the back. Also, don't bother me again!"

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Niu Feiyang staring blankly at him.

It seems that the rebuff to the demon envoy caused both the mechanical race and the insect race to abandon their plans to recruit Hunzhen before the competition.

Two thousand years have passed quietly.

On this day, Hunzhen finally crossed the threshold of chaos and achieved entry!

"After more than two thousand years of learning the principles of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, I finally managed to comprehend a wisp of the mystery of chaos."

"This is the chaotic energy flow."

Inside the cultivation palace, Hunzhen looked at the hazy gray energy swirling in his palm and sighed inwardly.

In the universe, only by using extremely powerful treasures or the most powerful secret techniques created by the Lord of the Universe can chaotic energy be transformed.

Now, he can summon a wisp of chaotic energy with a thought, and even freely integrate it into his combat techniques to further enhance their power.

Or, based on this as the foundation and main axis, we could directly create a secret technique that truly possesses the rudiments of chaos!

"With the addition of this wisp of chaotic energy, my strongest combat technique will reach the peak level of the Universe Lord. Although it is only barely reaching this level, it is already at the level of the Immortal and Venerable."

With a profound understanding, once his spacetime fusion law truly reaches a minor level of mastery, his secret technique will naturally establish him at the peak level of the universe master without any special deductions.

This breakthrough, which was a natural outcome of years of accumulated experience, did not cause much disruption or disturbance. Soon, Hunzhen once again immersed himself in the years of cultivation.

Before they knew it, the time for the agreed-upon duel had arrived.

Above that continent, formed by the four cosmic lords of the four races.

On the human side, the Chaos City Lord (carrying the avatar of Qianbaohe) led a team of a thousand Hongmeng Venerables, plus ten pre-selected participants.

As for the three-race alliance, it was led by the Heavenly Lord of the Mechanical Race, the Yellow Dragon Lord of the Demon Race, and the Bloodthirsty Lord of the Insect Race. These three alien universe lords, who were at the third or fourth level, also had about a thousand Venerables under their command.

This also shows that it wasn't the human race that insisted on sending out a leader like the Lord of Chaos City.

In reality, it was unavoidable.

Although everyone knows that the alliance of the three races is only a nominal and temporary alliance of interests, it is unbreakable at least until the gambling war ends.

With the three old-school universe masters joining forces, apart from the strongest member of the Hong Alliance, the Creator of the Giant Axe, who cannot be easily mobilized, only someone like the Lord of Chaos City could keep the situation in check.

The meeting of four cosmic lords from different forces was a scene rarely seen in a lifetime, and thousands of Venerables and more than ten Immortals were all deeply moved.

However, they dared not look too closely at these four peak-level cosmic warriors, fearing that they would be seen as offending them. If they incurred the wrath of the cosmic lord of this hostile force, they might not have a good end.

Therefore, in the end, everyone's attention was focused on the sixteen immortals who participated in this competition.

"Ah, that guy is King Longyue! Damn it, he killed my disciple on the extraterrestrial battlefield hundreds of years ago! Even a Venerable wouldn't be able to break free from his illusions for a short time! And this guy is one of those six on the other side!?"

"And then there's the Bloodthirsty King. Not only does he have a gene multiplier exceeding 1000, but he's also extremely ferocious and has terrifying endurance. My four teammates and I once teamed up to hunt him down, but he always managed to escape!"

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"And then there's King Tianzhen, King Wuying, King Kuanglong, King Wanren... each one a top-tier powerhouse who has forged a formidable reputation and slaughtered countless geniuses of our human race!"

"These guys are no less than mid-level Venerables in terms of their individual abilities, and with their various characteristics, they can even fight against high-level Venerables. Add to that the treasures bestowed by the three races... tsk, troublesome!"

The Hongmeng faction's gaze swept over the three-race alliance's chosen contestants, and they began to discuss among themselves.

Among the thousand Venerables, quite a few had even had direct conflicts with these six people and knew how troublesome they were.

In their eyes, these six people were all monsters who had broken through to the Venerable level and were firmly established as cosmic overlords, or even monsters who could directly reach the level of top overlords.

Looking at their own side, although they had a few who could fight back, they just felt that something was missing.

"That's King Shiyuan?"

"She does have a decent appearance, but does she really possess the power of a cosmic overlord?"

"It doesn't seem to have that sharp, commanding presence..."

Hunzhen's battle record is too exaggerated, and the battle footage is not made public, so even most of her own side do not believe that she really has the combat power of a hegemon, and think that a high-level Venerable is the highest she can achieve.

"Everyone is here."

The Lord of Yellow Dragons smiled at the Lord of Chaos City and said, "In that case, according to our previous agreement, we will send someone first—"

His gaze shifted downwards to a bewitching figure with a face as ethereal as a dream: "King Longyue, you go first."

"Yes." Although King Longyue belonged to the Zerg Alliance, he still responded respectfully to the orders of the Yellow Dragon Lord.

The immense divine power enveloped the Moon King, instantly bringing him to the battlefield on the continent.

"My Lord, King Longyue is skilled in illusion magic. I, King Qianxin, volunteer for the battle!"

On one side of the Hongmeng Alliance, a humanoid being with a figure like mist spoke respectfully.

Judging from his appearance and his words of requesting battle, it is clear that this Thousand Hearts King is also skilled in illusion.

The Lord of Chaos City merely glanced at Hunzhen and said calmly, "King Shiyuan, you go."

"Yes."

Without needing the power of the Chaos City Lord, Hunzhen appeared directly opposite the Moon King in a flash.

"Um?"

"That's incredible spatial manipulation."

Many knowledgeable venerable ones exclaimed in amazement.

The arena continent, formed by the efforts of the four universe lords, is exceptionally stable. Even ordinary universe venerables cannot teleport there, which is why the Moon King needed the Yellow Dragon Lord's help to move.

At this moment, the Abyss King easily teleported to the continent on his own.

King Longyue was also taken aback, then covered his mouth and chuckled, "As expected of the incomparably famous King Shiyuan, I really didn't want to be the first to face you. Your reputation is so great, but... I really don't think you can withstand my illusion magic."

A huge, phantom eye suddenly appeared.

Among the spectators, even the most reclusive cosmic beings with slightly weaker wills were briefly thrown into a daze.

"What a terrifying illusion!"

"I was briefly misled even from a distance, and back then, the Abyss King was facing forward—uh!?"

All the amazement came to an abrupt end.

A flash of dark red light streaked past, and a dark red sword blade cleaved directly towards King Longyue.

Within the treasured armor, his body was directly reduced to countless fragments.

It coalesced again, but its aura had already declined significantly.

"Even with a supreme armor, a single strike weakened the Moon King's divine body by more than ten percent?!"

A sharp-eyed venerable one immediately understood the situation and exclaimed in surprise.

"you!?"

King Oborozuki's eyes widened.

The most shocked person was herself.

"If illusion magic is useless, then illusionists are nothing more than wooden stakes."

Hunzhen coldly delivered his verdict.

With the threat of death looming over him, King Longyue cried out in terror, "I admit it—"

"Delete completely".

Before King Longyue could utter a word of surrender, the Time-Sorrow Demon Blade merged into the void, instantly making tens of thousands of cuts, directly annihilating King Longyue's divine body.

Quiet.

"Cosmic Overlord!"

"Absolutely a cosmic overlord, and already very close to the pinnacle!"

After a brief silence, a deafening gasp erupted.

As if it were someone else being talked about, Hunzhen simply raised his head and looked at the remaining five people in the distance.

The Lord of Heaven's expression turned solemn as he muttered to himself, "Compared to the last time I saw her, she has taken another step forward in that realm! How could this be? How could she have grown so quickly!?"

He immediately looked at King Tianzhen and said in a deep voice, "Next, King Tianzhen, you go up."

King Tianzhen shuddered, then looked at Hunzhen and nodded solemnly.

The next second, he was teleported into the continent by the Lord of Heaven.

Hun Zhen was naturally not surprised at all by this choice of opponent.

With his futuristic vision, he already knew the purpose of Tianzhen King's appearance.

"One for one?"

Looking at Tianzhen Wang, who resembled a rigid robot, Hunzhen smiled slightly: "How could ants possibly replace stars?"

(End of this chapter)