Swallowing the Stars: Starting with the Battle of Geniuses

Chapter 212 The Eighth Order in the Primal Universe

Hunzhen was unaware of Zhenyaozu's test, and even if he had known, it probably wouldn't have mattered.

Not all leaders of all factions possess the same do-or-die determination as Zhen Yaozu.

The saying goes that individuals are driven by personal grudges, while the collective is driven by interests.

As a top power, the demon race has always harbored the ambition to further dominate an era of reincarnation.

But for most of the top powers in the original universe, such ambitions were simply nonsense.

If they knew that Hunzhen was humanity's backer, and that humanity not only possessed the strongest being in the universe, but also had obtained the complete inheritance of Duan Donghe, many forces would probably give up competing with him, or even consider joining him.

Alternatively, they could take a completely opposite route, with numerous top forces uniting to follow the development path of the original Swallowing the Stars.

While Zhen Yaozu might not be able to foresee all possible developments, he was well aware that if his own speculations proved true, it would greatly shake the resolve of many forces.

The difference between a lone, unparalleled strongest being who sweeps across all the universe's strongest beings and a true strongest being backed by a powerful force is entirely different.

Power is both a hindrance and an aid to such strong individuals.

With manpower available, the problem of being overwhelmed in some situations is avoided, and the ability to gather intelligence and collect resources is greatly enhanced.

A powerful force also means a secure stronghold, much like a demon king's castle in a role-playing game, with numerous levels that consume the hero's stamina, meaning that the difficulty of defeating the final boss increases dramatically.

In extreme cases, Hunzhen can preserve itself through sacrificial tactics, then exchange pieces with the enemy's core members one by one, or, in the event of the extermination of its clan, hide in the shadows and wait for an opportunity to retaliate.

Therefore, Zhen Yaozu would not voluntarily reveal his speculation.

Because he couldn't determine whether, after this shocking news was made public, the various forces would choose to stand on the same side as his demon race to fight against an unprecedented enemy, or fear conflict and annihilation and directly and decisively choose to side with the other side.

However, whether Hunzhen knows it or not is a different matter from whether he doesn't know it.

Ultimately, it stems from Hunzhen's insufficient emphasis on the human race.

If Hunzhen considers the human race to be the most important thing in his heart, he will naturally be very careful in making any choice. In the simulation, he will not be completely immersed in cultivation, but will set aside some time to carefully analyze the possible consequences of his actions.

He does care about the human race and is very willing to make the race stronger. He will take the initiative to help humanity eliminate threats. However, it is absolutely impossible for him to care about the race to the extent that the Lord of Chaos City devoted himself to it.

He is willing to make sacrifices for the human race, firstly in order to repay the race for nurturing him.

But more often, it's the love extended to the house and its inhabitants by certain unique individuals within the group.

Given the character of someone like Hunzhen, it's impossible for him to possess a strong sense of righteousness.

People who prioritize personal love over public love and selfishness over public interest are a true reflection of this type of person.

He would try his best to avoid causing trouble for the community, but he couldn't meticulously explore the many possibilities of the butterfly effect, like a high school student stuck on a puzzle game, carefully checking every detail of the event.

Even knowing that a seemingly insignificant action of his had indirectly caused trouble for the tribe, he would probably still say frankly—

"It is my responsibility that our ethnic group has been thrust into the spotlight, but I will not apologize."

Therefore, after handing over all the materials for refining weapons to the Mountain Guest, Hunzhen did not intend to do what most human universe masters or top universe overlords do: either guard a place, establish a sect to teach, or return to the universe sea to expand the map boundaries of dangerous areas for their race.

He prepared to visit those old friends he hadn't spoken to in a long time.

Of course, before that... he planned to deal with the trouble that was following him.

Just like stepping into mud, it's definitely not polite to go to a friend's house with mud on your feet.

Hunzhen considered himself a very polite young leader, and naturally did not want to violate this basic courtesy.

"They really acted quickly. I barely left the mountain dweller's place before I was surrounded?"

"Should we say you're quick and efficient, or is it just that teleportation within the primordial universe is too convenient?"

In the starry sky, Hunzhen looked around at the descending figures and muttered to himself.

One, ten, hundred...

There are a total of 127 cosmic lords.

Faced with this unprecedentedly large-scale attack, Hunzhen remained calm and composed, as if he were the one being surrounded, not someone else.

It's not surprising that the Demon Ancestor could move at such a speed.

The military situation is extremely urgent.

For the strongest beings in the universe, leaving the primordial universe for the cosmic sea is merely a matter of blinking an eye.

Even among the strongest beings, divine sense can instantly land on any point in the primordial universe. Once locked onto Hunzhen, a moment of carelessness could cause his aura to escape.

Therefore, Zhen Yaozu's actions were not hasty, but rather a necessity.

Moreover, Zhen Yaozu obtained a lot of information from the mechanical race's father god, in addition to his last words.

He naturally knew something about the wondrous artifact in Hunzhen's possession that could stop even the time of the strongest being in the universe.

The special requirements of Hunzhen at that trade fair, and the exchange of special materials from various forces, were no secret.

Such a special need naturally aroused the curiosity of many forces.

The demon race was also a trader with Hunzhen, and given the dying wish of the mechanical race's father god, Zhen Yaozu naturally couldn't ignore Hunzhen's needs.

Considering the properties of those materials that tend towards spacetime, and the fact that Hunzhen went straight to the location of the weapon-refining master, Zuoshanke, upon returning to the primordial universe, the answer is almost self-evident.

In Zhen Yaozu's eyes, if Hunzhen loses the ability to stop time, his chances of escaping will decrease by 90%!

Even if there was only a 50% chance that Hunzhen would hand over that strange object to Zuoshanke for weapon forging, Zhenyaozu was still willing to take the gamble.

He was convinced that this was the best opportunity to target Hunzhen!

To be honest, the facts are pretty much the same.

Without the Discoloration Core, Hunzhen's ability to fight against large-scale battles in the primordial universe has decreased by 90%.

The reason it is limited to the primordial universe is because the current level of the Colorless Core is only equivalent to a peak treasure, and it has a strong suppressive power against beings below the sixth rank.

However, in the cosmic ocean, its ability to suppress the strongest beings in the universe is greatly reduced.

If there were a hundred true god statues surrounding Hunzhen like this, even if Hunzhen used his colorless core, he wouldn't be able to control the group.

However, despite clearly understanding this, Hunzhen still handed over the colorless core to Zuoshanke.

"God of Time and Space! Surrender! This is the primordial universe, not some cosmic sea where you can act arrogantly!"

The leader of the hundreds of universe lords was naturally Zhen Yaozu, the initiator of this plan.

He looked at Hunzhen, his face completely devoid of the cautiousness he had shown when trading with Hunzhen in the black-patterned stone pillar space, instead exuding a majestic and imposing aura.

Outside this space-time sealed off by the temporary coalition of cosmic lords, the top powers within the primordial universe were all shocked and astonished as they looked at the arrogant Zhen Yaozu.

"How dare he?"

"Is the Demon Ancestor Zhen really that kind of person? Is this his tactic? Is he deliberately provoking the God of Time and Space?"

"No, isn't this what they call a petty person getting ahead?"

"Wait, I understand! The Demon Ancestor is threatening us! He sees through our plan to reap the benefits without lifting a finger. He knows we fear the God of Time and Space and believe he might escape, so we dare not act directly. This behavior could very well lead the God of Time and Space to see us as the same kind of people as the Demon Ancestor, plotting to harm him, and thus hate us!"

"Hiss—what a vicious scheme! No wonder he's the Demon Ancestor! Is he trying to force us to retreat like this?"

"Everyone, is it possible... that Zhen Yaozu really didn't think that much of a thing, and it's just a case of a petty person getting their way?"

"Shut up, you upstairs! How could the strongest being in the universe have such simple thoughts!?"

Many powerful individuals who had witnessed Hunzhen's might as a Time and Space God shared their opinions.

These powerful figures, holding the respect for the strong, did not believe that Hunzhen would so easily and simply perish amidst the encirclement and suppression of a group of universe lords.

At this moment, Zhen Yaozu's deliberately provocative words made them somewhat uneasy.

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Of course, only a minority truly believed that the God of Time and Space would regard them and the Demon Ancestor and others as birds of a feather.

Most people simply felt that since the God of Time and Space had been so disgraced, he would likely hold those who witnessed the incident accountable afterward.

but……

"I've already seen it."

"Lord God of Time and Space, this is not our fault. Blame that old codger, Ancestor Zhen Yao!"

Ultimately, with a bit of a "get something for nothing" mentality, and with very few exceptions, the strongest beings and universe masters of all the major powers did not leave.

It's also in this area.

The founder of the giant axe, along with a dozen or so cosmic lords from the core of humanity, went into hiding.

The reason for not bringing along the alien universe lords from the Hongmeng to enhance the overall strength is quite simple.

Zhen Yaozu had greatly overestimated Hunzhen's ability to control space and time, but in order to directly and severely injure Hunzhen or even cause his demise, he only arranged for a little over twenty people to seal off space and time.

The spacetime sealed off by more than twenty universe lords could be shaken by the combined power of all of humanity's top leaders, including a dozen or so universe lords.

The two highest-ranking humans, the Giant Axe Founder and the Chaos City Lord, were no less confident in Hunzhen's abilities than Zhen Yaozu, and perhaps even more so.

As long as there is even a moment of tremor, a moment of respite, they feel that Hunzhen has a chance to escape.

"The God of Time and Space has fallen into the trap set by the Demon Ancestor. Giant Axe, what are you waiting for? Why don't we just make our move?"

Faced with a question from a cosmic ruler, the creator of the giant axe replied in a deep voice: "This is the bottom line of the God of Time and Space."

The Lord of the Universe, the Lord of Desolation, was stunned: "Bottom line? What bottom line?"

The founder of the giant axe replied, "He said we don't trust him to overcome this difficulty, and he won't argue anymore. But even if we were to take action, we should at least have seen the initial clash—if he really couldn't even withstand the first blow, then it would prove that he indeed doesn't have the ability."

"This...this is child's play!?"

The Lord of Desolate Insight stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief, and said, "Don't you know the power of a combined attack from hundreds of universe lords?! The God of Time and Space couldn't withstand the first blow; he would surely perish instantly!"

The other universe lords also looked at the Giant Axe Founder with similar expressions, their doubts practically written all over their faces.

Some with darker intentions even wondered, "Could it be that the Giant Axe sees the God of Time and Space's status as potentially surpassing his, and is therefore deliberately acting this way?!"

The Lord of Desolation suddenly turned to look at the Lord of Chaos City: "Lord of Chaos City, the God of Time and Space is your disciple! Are you just going to follow suit with this nonsense, with the Giant Axe doing this?"

The Chaos City Lord, unusually somber, responded, "Huang Jian, the God of Time and Space never does anything without certainty. Our previous reaction may have actually allowed the Demon Ancestor to guess the God of Time and Space's connection with us humans, leading to this situation! Therefore... I choose to trust my disciple!"

"You, you all..."

The Lord of the Wasteland looked left and right, but ultimately could not change his decision.

The Cosmic Mercenary Alliance is said to be one of the five major human powers, but everyone knows that the Giant Axe Arena and the Virtual Universe Company are the true leaders of humanity.

At this moment, with the decision endorsed by both leaders, there was no point in the Lord of Desolation opposing it.

The answer the Lord of the Wasteland received silenced the leaders of the other two major human powers as well.

They realized that opposition was futile, and that without uniting the power of all the universe's rulers, they could not break the deadly trap facing Hunzhen.

Even with the speed at which the Lord of the Universe and the strongest being in the universe communicate, what seems like a long conversation is actually only a fleeting moment.

The Demon Ancestor and the Primordial Lord were locked in a standoff, but had not yet begun a war.

After Zhen Yaozu finished speaking, he vaguely sensed the location of the human aura among the spy, and with some doubt in his heart, he suddenly jumped up.

"Even now, humanity hasn't made a move?"

"No, this shouldn't be! The will of the race (humanity as a whole cannot gamble with Hunzhen's death), and the selfishness of the individual (Hunzhen's instinct as an intelligent being to be selfish), how dare they let the God of Time and Space face the army of the Lord of the Universe alone!?"

"Could it be... that I was just used as a pawn by that mechanical thing?"

The Demon Ancestor's ideas began to waver somewhat.

He never imagined that the two human leaders would ultimately choose to believe Hunzhen and forcefully suppress the dissatisfaction of all the other high-ranking humans.

The reason for this was that his probing had inadvertently alerted the Lord of Chaos City, making him realize that his disciple's judgment of the situation had once again surpassed his own.

It can be said that every drink and every bite is preordained.

Hunzhen looked at Zhen Yaozu, his sharp gaze seemingly discerning Zhen Yaozu's wavering. A sneer appeared on his lips as he said, "You rat who only dares to plot in the shadows, you should have been prepared to die when you dared to scheme against me, right?"

Zhen Yaozu's heart skipped a beat again. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "All troops, attack!"

At a single command, the power of hundreds of universe lords instantly united.

The Lord of the Universe is an existence favored by the primordial universe.

If they were in the cosmic sea, their powers would likely clash, let alone unite.

However, with the blessing and help of the primordial universe, their combined power was almost comparable to the combined power of several true masters of the God-Eye Clan. Their power was fused together with almost no waste, achieving an effect greater than the sum of its parts.

Hundreds of universe lords, mainly third and fourth rank, with some approaching fifth rank powerhouses, joined forces to unleash a power of laws approaching the eighth rank in this primordial universe, locking down all spacetime around Hunzhen and directly slamming into his face.

(End of this chapter)