Swallowing the Stars: Starting with the Battle of Geniuses

Chapter 217 The Conspiracy of the Lord of Yuan'ao, and the Fellow Villager Sitting on the Mountain

"Yuan Ao, what do you think?" Lord Hao Lei asked without panting, with an expression that said, "I've already come up with a plan, and now I'm just testing you."

Sharing the master's burdens is an instinct ingrained in the genes of a soul slave.

Lord Yuan'ao's brain was working at high speed. Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow and his eyes lit up: "Master, I have a plan. Please listen carefully."

"Tell me quickly!" Lord Hao Lei's face darkened as he urged.

Lord Yuan Ao dared not try to be clever any longer and quickly revealed his thoughts: "Master, didn't you want to avoid attracting the attention of that Time God? There is a candidate who can perfectly meet this condition—the Dream Demon Ancestor!"

Seeing that Lord Haolei was moved and showed interest, Lord Yuan'ao continued, "As long as this fragment of the map is traded to the Dream Demon Ancestor, regardless of whether he suspects it is a conspiracy, he will not reveal it to the hostile God of Time and Space. Because even if it is a conspiracy, if it is powerful enough for the God of Time and Space to exert his power in the cosmic sea where he can exert his power the most, most conspiracies, especially those targeting only the Dream Demon Ancestor's level, will not be effective against the God of Time and Space. They will only benefit the God of Time and Space."

"Based on this, and given the gradual decline of the demon race, it's impossible for the Dream Demon Ancestor not to be tempted by the hidden benefits within the fragment. Whether he goes all out to explore it or chooses to transfer the fragment to someone else, at the very least, he can lure one of the strongest beings in the universe into a trap. Moreover, in the process, he will definitely consider all aspects and try his best to prevent the God of Time and Space from discovering the existence of the fragment."

Lord Yuan'ao's idea made Lord Hao Lei nod slightly.

Giving the fragmented map to the Dream Demon Ancestor is tantamount to giving it to the demon race.

Even after being weakened, the demon race is still a powerful force, far beyond what he, the strongest lone wolf, can compare to.

It's not just about the treasures and resources, but also about the cosmic overlord who is completely loyal to the exploration, and the connections accumulated over the years.

The efficiency and success rate of the schemes orchestrated by the Lord of Hao Lei Star to the Lord of Yuan Ao are hard to match with those of the Dream Demon Ancestor, who carried out his schemes with the help of the demon race.

Moreover, giving it to the demon race has a significant advantage over giving the fragmented map and trap to the strongest beings in other universes.

Most of the universe's strongest beings would be extremely wary of such a good thing as a Jedi map being handed to them, and would not easily fall for it.

This is why, in the original work, the Lord of Kaki's main character had to take such a long detour, first using a strange object to attract the attention of the Ancestral God Cult, and then causing a great commotion that led to many forces vying for the fragments of the map.

This was to lower their guard against the conspiracy.

This was a fragment of a map that they obtained by chance after spending a great deal of effort and money!

Relax and be on guard naturally.

But now there is a big problem.

The original plan was that if the disturbance became too large, it would likely attract the Time and Space God, causing all the fragments of the map to fall into his hands, thus conflicting with the current interests of the Beast Mohe.

However, if the fragment of the map were traded to the Dream Demon Ancestor, who was already nearing the end of his rope, it would be highly unlikely that he would let go of the benefit of the fragment of the Peak Realm map, which could allow his race to rise again.

but……

"I think your idea is good."

Looking at the delighted expression on the face of Lord Yuan'ao upon hearing this, Lord Hao Lei smiled enigmatically and said, "However, having the Dream Demon Ancestor devise another plan is tantamount to adding an extra layer of complexity, one that's difficult for us to manipulate. I think it's going too far. How about this? We'll make a slight change, hmm... like this: 'The Lord of Yuan'ao believed the demon race was weak. Although he was a solitary ruler of the universe, he attempted to offend and encroach upon the demon race's territory, provoking the Dream Demon Ancestor's wrath, who then killed him. The Dream Demon Ancestor, after killing Lord Yuan'ao, discovered a fragment of the map of the Peak-Tilting Realm among his remains'..."

The lord of the Gakuin Palace's expression changed drastically.

They're going to use him as a pawn!

While this move would likely lower the Dream Demon Ancestor's guard and make him revel in the joy of unexpected gains, the price he would pay would be his life!

Even after becoming a soul servant, the Lord of the Caverns did not wish to die.

If Lord Haolei Star directly ordered him to his death, he would not hesitate at all. But in the current situation, there is still room for maneuver, so he naturally wants to make a struggle.

Lord Yuan'ao's mind raced, a brilliant idea flashed through his head, and he suddenly exclaimed, "Master! I... I have another plan!"

Lord Hao Lei nodded calmly: "Tell me."

The Lord of Yuan'ao's mind worked with unprecedented clarity: "While Master's plan is foolproof and free of many variables, it also has a major drawback due to the lack of variables! That is, the Dream Demon Ancestor will only devour the map alone, ultimately resulting in only one of the universe's strongest beings being captured!"

"If we lure them with a deal, while the Dream Demon Ancestor might not immediately decide to take the risk, we are not entirely without options. Taking this risk could allow us to sabotage the situation and gain even greater benefits!"

"The biggest uncontrollable factor is that the Dream Demon Ancestor secretly transferred the fragment of the map, and we will probably have a hard time tracking down who the fragment ended up in."

"But setting that aside, if the Dream Demon Ancestor intends to explore on his own and maximize his profits, our opportunity will arise. We can choose one or more of the races most at odds with the Demon Race—the Prison Clan, the Insect Clan, and the Human Clan—to conduct a secondary transaction, leaking information about the Dream Demon Ancestor's journey to the Peak Realm and providing a fragment of the rubbing. This way, we can trap at least two of the universe's strongest beings! Although the risk has increased, the rewards are at least double!"

After listening to Lord Yuan'ao's plan, Lord Hao Lei narrowed his eyes and said, "Oh? Sounds good. But how do we reduce the risks? The profits could double, but it's also possible to end up with nothing. Wait a minute, there's no need to continue. I can probably guess what you're thinking. You mean the three major powers that are currently encroaching on the demon race's territory can't sit idly by and watch the demon race turn the tide, they won't let go of even the slightest possibility, so they won't let the Dream Demon Ancestor go?"

"But when you proactively leaked the information, most of those faction leaders could have guessed that you were plotting against the Dream Demon Ancestor for greater gains. How can you be so sure that they would rather be a part of your schemes, even if it meant being a mere Lord of the Enclosure, than miss the Dream Demon Ancestor?"

Lord Yuan'ao grinned: "Master, I cannot guarantee it. However, with interests and conflicts at stake, if the Prison Clan, the Insect Clan, and the Human Clan all know that the Dream Demon Ancestor obtained the fragment of the Peak Realm map, in order to prevent the other two clans from continuing to grow stronger and winning in the upcoming battle for supremacy, there is a very high probability that they will not give up."

After the Lord of the Cave had finished speaking, he offered no further explanation.

Lord Hao Lei also understood that this strategy was by no means foolproof; it was simply a matter of choosing one option over another.

He decided to report this to his superiors.

Mohe quickly provided its answer.

……

"Hey, old man, I went to great lengths to get this done for you, shouldn't you say thank you?"

The mountain dweller wiped away non-existent sweat, looked at Hunzhen, and asked with an O^O expression on his face.

Hunzhen took the object, which resembled a luminous pearl, examined it closely, and then looked up to ask, "So, did it meet expectations?"

Upon hearing this, the man sitting on the mountain immediately puffed out his beard and glared: "So you mean you thank me if you meet the standard, but if you don't, you don't? You really don't know how to respect your elders!"

Looking across the entire universe, he had never seen a guy who showed him neither fear nor respect!

But this is precisely one of the reasons why the Mountain Dweller was willing to communicate with Hunzhen.

"Alright, alright."

The man sitting on the mountain waved his hand, a smile spreading across his face, and said, "I won't keep you in suspense any longer. I've fulfilled your mission perfectly. As for how to use this thing—"

Before the mountain hermit could explain, Hunzhen had a thought, and the bead had already merged into his body, a smile appearing on his face.

Its name is Chaos Pearl, and it is an Eternal True God-level treasure on the same level as the complete Chaos Golden Wings.

It contains forty-nine restrictive runes, with seven runes forming one level.

There are five levels. The first level, which is the highest level, involves the use of seven secret runes and is the level of a sixth-order universe master.

The second level is the highest level of a top-tier True God at the tenth rank.

The highest level of the third tier is the peak of the Void True God.

The highest level of the fourth level is the initial stage of entering the Eternal True God realm.

The fifth level is the ultimate level of the Eternal True God.

It can be used to infuse the body with offerings, envelop the divine body, and be used for three main purposes: defense against enemies.

When it is offered into the body, it merges with one's own divine power, becoming "Great Freedom".

As its name suggests, it can avert many calamities. Although its mechanism of action is different, its actual effect is somewhat similar to the time-space maze of Hunzhen.

In the process of Hunzhen deduction, after merging with the Chaos Pearl, the burden on him to perform Void Walk will be greatly reduced. The effect of performing it in this primordial universe should be similar to that in the cosmic sea.

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Enveloping the divine body is called "Minor Freedom".

Simply enveloping itself provides a suppressive and defensive power similar to that of palace treasures and armor treasures, which can greatly weaken or even resist external material and soul attacks.

Enveloping both allies and enemies is similar to the use of the "Inherent Time Control" domain treasure. The master wielding the Chaos Orb receives no additional boosts and is unaffected, but the trapped enemies will be subject to varying degrees of time stop constraints.

Unlike the previous "Inherent Time Control", even if the maximum stop time limit is exceeded or the opponent breaks free from the time stop effect, Hunzhen can inject additional divine power to weaken the time stop into time slowing and continue its effect.

Finally, the Chaos Pearl was unleashed like a telekinetic weapon to defend against the enemy, resulting in "not being able to be free".

Compared to the time shuttle, the Chaos Pearl, as a psychic weapon, is far slower and completely inferior in terms of unpredictability.

In contrast, they take the path of using their power to intimidate others in a dignified and upright manner.

If one is hit by the Chaos Pearl, the continuous attack from the Chaos Pearl is like being directly suppressed by a supreme treasure such as a sealed palace, or like Kuafu carrying Mount Buzhou on his back. Movement methods, including teleportation, will be greatly restricted.

This treasure perfectly embodies the characteristics of Zuoshanke's previous works, emphasizing multifunctionality and the ability to combine offense and defense.

Unlike other treasures, these abilities are not forcibly added, consuming extra resources and burdening the treasure. Instead, they are in line with the nature of the treasure itself, naturally extending from its core abilities.

Hunzhen unleashed three techniques from the Chaos Pearl in succession, a satisfied smile spreading across his face: "Not bad, not bad, Senior Sitting Mountain Guest, it seems you haven't been slacking off. I'm very satisfied, extremely satisfied!"

Seeing that the mountain dweller was playing with the Chaos Pearl on his own without waiting for an explanation, the mountain dweller suddenly raised an eyebrow.

He recalled the scene of taking Hunzhen to his treasure vault to select treasures.

"Goodness, now you're not pretending anymore, are you!" The mountain dweller laughed and cursed.

Little did he realize that Hunzhen had seen through the function of those treasures at a glance and even understood their usage directly.

Otherwise, how could they have chosen the Thinker sculpture, which was specifically designed to deal with the Machine Race Father God?

He initially thought he was really lucky!

Seeing this, Hunzhen winked and patted Zuoshanke on the shoulder, grinning, "Haha, Senior Zuoshanke, we're practically family! From the very beginning, I've felt a unique closeness to you, like meeting a fellow countryman in a foreign land, almost to the point of tears. I wouldn't hide it from you, sir!"

Faced with Hunzhen's "showdown" and the overly familiar "fellow villager" trying to get close to him, Zuoshanke was speechless.

After Hunzhen voluntarily acknowledged his identity as a "reincarnator," he felt somewhat relaxed and at ease. However, this was quickly followed by a deep sense of homesickness and nostalgia.

On the surface, he rolled his eyes and said, "Come on, you've tricked me more than once or twice. How can you say something like that now?"

"I'm so sorry, why shouldn't I be sorry?"

Hunzhen loosened his grip on the mountain dweller's shoulder and snorted, "I, Old Hun, am not some heartless person. You've done me a great favor. Once I, Old Hun, have transcended reincarnation and achieved a position of great power, if you, senior, ever have any trouble, I will certainly do my duty to help within my capabilities!"

Upon hearing this, the mountain dweller's heart skipped a beat, and he stared blankly at Hunzhen.

Hunzhen did not utter any words that exceeded the limits of the original universe's will, but the meaning was already very clear.

"What, you don't believe me?"

Seeing the stunned look on the mountain dweller's face, Hunzhen curled his lip and said, "How about I make you a rule-based oath right now?"

The Mountain-Sitting Guest scoffed, "Alright, alright, you think I'm falling for that? You brat, I've eaten more rice than you've slept with women. Trying to squeeze money out of me by playing the emotional card? No way!"

Hunzhen immediately blushed: "Old man, how do you know how many women I've slept with!?"

Even the guest sitting on the mountain was taken aback: "Is this the crux of the problem?"

The two started teasing each other like old friends, but their relationship was subtly different from before.

During this process, for some unknown reason, Luo Feng was inexplicably demoted by a generation, and Hunzhen was no longer addressed as "Junior Brother".

"So, old man, how's your disciple going? Has he become a master of the universe yet?"

"You think everyone's as beastly as you?"

The mountain dweller, somewhat embarrassed and angry, snapped, "Don't be so smug, brat! Once Luo Feng comes out of seclusion, I'll immediately give him a new training program and show you what a super-primordial level advancement speed really is!"

Original Ancestor: Good grief, I've become a unit of measurement?

As the mountain hermit spoke, his tone shifted, and he glared at him coldly, saying, "So you want to compete with me in training disciples? Where are your disciples, you bastard?"

"I don't have any disciples."

Hun Zhen looked at the mountain dweller with righteous indignation: "Indeed, comparing a disciple to our elders is a bit unfair. How about... we have a little match?"

The man sitting on the mountain glared at him and said, "How can you bully your fellow villagers like this?"

(End of this chapter)