Swallowed Star: Lord of the Wolf

The risks of joining the Mother River of Life naturally exist—

Externally, there is the formidable enemy, the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom; internal power struggles among major forces are complex and intricate… but the opportunities are equally immense, making it worth exploring.

Having made up his mind, Xu Yang revealed a perfectly timed expression: "I am delighted that Venerable Azure Eyes values ​​me so highly. The name of the River of Life is renowned far and wide, and to be personally invited by the Venerable is truly a great honor. However..."

He changed the subject slightly, "I have just arrived in Thunder City and purchased my cave dwelling. I am busy with trivial matters, and my servants also need to be settled..."

He did not refuse directly, but rather tactfully expressed that he needed to deal with the matters at hand first.

Upon hearing this, Qingheng's smile remained gentle, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes: "Divine Lord, there is no need to worry. The Venerable One has already instructed that everything should be done with the Divine Lord's cultivation as the priority. The Divine Lord only needs to settle matters within the manor, and when it is convenient, you can take this token to go there at any time."

Xu Yang nodded in agreement: "Very well. Then wait a moment while I settle my servants, and then I will go to pay my respects to the Venerable One."

"Qingheng awaits the arrival of the Divine Lord." Qingheng gracefully stepped back a few paces and stood quietly to the side.

Xu Yang led Guji and Jiu Wuye into the cave.

The gate was closed, isolating the inside from the outside.

Inside the main hall of the cave, Xu Yang quickly instructed: "Jiu Wuye, you stay here to guard the cave, familiarize yourself with the environment, and focus on your cultivation. Also, don't neglect your brewing skills; brew more high-quality divine wine to keep on hand."

"Yes, Master! I will do my best to brew fine wine." Jiu Wuye immediately accepted the order, his eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.

“Guji,” Xu Yang looked at him, “You stay here for now, with Jiu Wuye. The chaotic energy inside the cave is abundant, which will also benefit your understanding of your own bloodline. I’ll be right back.”

Guji nodded. "Understood."

Xu Yang quickly scanned the entire cave with his will, ensuring that the restrictions were functioning properly. Without further delay, he turned around and opened the door again.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, please lead the way." Xu Yang nodded to Qingheng, who was waiting.

"My Lord, please follow me." Qingheng smiled and led the way.

The two of them, one after the other, transformed into streaks of light and left the Purple Lightning District, flying towards the vibrant western area of ​​Thunder City.

Soon, a building with a style completely different from the Thunder Chamber of Commerce came into view.

It is not a colossal tower piercing the sky, but a magnificent palace complex that seems to be naturally formed by countless huge ancient trees and jade stones growing and intertwining – the Thunder City branch of the Mother River of Life.

A rich, invigorating life force permeated every corner of the air, a stark contrast to the ubiquitous thunderous power elsewhere in the city. The palace was covered in verdant vines and bloomed with strange spiritual flowers, while ethereal beings composed of pure life energy frolicked and danced among the petals.

Qingheng led Xu Yang directly to the entrance at the base of the tallest tower in the center of the palace complex, which resembled a giant emerald tree. There were no guards at the entrance; only the enormous vines that had been intertwining parted naturally, revealing a deep and vibrant passageway.

"My Lord, please." Qingheng led the way.

Upon entering the passage, Xu Yang immediately sensed a shift in space.

It was as if they had entered another world. The hustle and bustle of Thunder City outside had completely disappeared, leaving only an extremely rich aura of the primordial laws of life. The road beneath their feet felt like soft moss, and the walls on both sides were made of flowing emerald luster, naturally depicting mysterious patterns of life evolution and the growth of all things.

Without any complicated teleportation array, Qingheng simply moved naturally through this channel filled with life energy, yet her speed was astonishing, clearly due to the power of the laws governing this world.

Xu Yang followed closely behind, experiencing this unique environment, and gained a deeper understanding of the profound significance of the Mother River of Life.

A moment later, the passage opened up into a bright and spacious area.

Before them lay a vast space, resembling a forest palace. The dome was woven from verdant vines and softly glowing crystals, casting dappled light and shadow. The center of the palace was not a cold stone floor, but fertile soil, upon which grew various rare and exotic plants, and even a few small spiritual trees exuding an aura of immortality.

The air was filled with the fragrance of grass and trees and pure life energy.

Most striking is a throne deep within the hall, formed by countless thick, gnarled ancient vines that naturally grow and intertwine, radiating powerful life energy.

At this moment, a figure on the throne is looking over with a smile.

He was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark green, wide-sleeved robe. He had a handsome face and eyes like the purest emeralds, deep and full of wisdom. He was none other than the Azure-Eyed Venerable.

He did not exude any deliberate pressure, but the life force that naturally flowed out and was perfectly integrated with the entire hall and even the entire branch space demonstrated his terrifying cultivation and remarkable attainment of the laws of life.

Eternal True Gods generally find it difficult to access the true Origin Dao, but there are a very few individuals with powerful backgrounds or extraordinary luck who can access God-King level inheritances or even the true Origin Dao at the Eternal True God level... Even if their main focus is on comprehending the laws of chaos, after witnessing the Origin Dao, they will also possess some remarkable abilities.

"Hehe, honored guest, welcome to the Emerald Forest." The Azure-Eyed Venerable's voice was gentle and magnetic, like a spring breeze blowing through the forest, carrying a reassuring and approachable quality. "No need to stand on ceremony, please have a seat."

As he spoke, several thick vines on the ground beside Xu Yang quickly grew and coiled, forming a similarly rustic and natural rattan chair in the blink of an eye.

Qingheng bowed quietly and withdrew, disappearing into the jade-green light walls surrounding the hall.

Xu Yang assessed the situation and realized that this Azure-Eyed Venerable gave him an even more unfathomable feeling than Lei Ze, the president of the Thunder Chamber of Commerce.

He sat down on the rattan chair as instructed, its warm and comfortable texture making his blood seem to surge a little more.

"Thank you for your kind invitation. My name is Gu You. I greet you, Your Excellency." Xu Yang bowed respectfully, his demeanor polite yet dignified.

The Azure-Eyed Venerable's emerald-like eyes fell on Xu Yang, his gentle smile unchanged, but a barely perceptible ripple flickered deep within his eyes.

Can't see through!
With his cultivation at the limit of the Eternal True God, coupled with the various secret techniques he inherited from his special position in the River of Life and his unique insight into the essence of life, he was still unable to clearly see through the Eternal True God who called himself "Gu You" in front of him!

The opponent's aura seemed shrouded in a deep mist. His divine body strength, divine power cultivation, and the depth of his understanding of the laws—things he could roughly sense when facing other Eternal True Gods—were all blurred in Xu Yang's presence. This situation was extremely rare. Either the opponent's strength far surpassed his own, but that was highly unlikely, since the Chaos Ruler wouldn't claim to be an Eternal True God to mock him, or he possessed an extremely sophisticated concealment technique or a special treasure.

However, although he couldn't see through Xu Yang's specific strength level, the life force hidden deep within his body and soul, as vast as a starry sea, was clearly reflected in his perception like the blazing sun in the night.

The quantity and quality of this life force reached an unbelievable level.

"Who exactly is this person? A reincarnated great being? Possessing an extraordinary destiny? Or..." The Azure-Eyed Venerable's mind raced with thoughts of surprise and uncertainty. But regardless, one conclusion was clear and firm: this was definitely a hidden dragon!
Inviting such a powerful individual with boundless potential and unpredictable strength to join the River of Life is of immeasurable value.

If successful, he will not only gain a valuable future asset for the organization, but as the recommender, he will also receive generous rewards and a great deal of credit from the higher-ups of Mother River!
Thinking of this, the doubts and apprehensions that had arisen in the Azure-Eyed Venerable's heart due to his inability to see through things were instantly replaced by immense excitement and eagerness.

Their attitude quickly shifted from initial appreciation to genuine, heartfelt respect.

“No need for formalities.” The Azure-Eyed Venerable’s smile became even more sincere, and his tone became even more amiable, as if he were treating an old friend he had known for many years. “I am Azure-Eyed, and I am the head of the Thunder City branch of the Mother River of Life. Gu You, you are new to Thunder City, and I have not come to greet you. It is I who have been impolite.”

He got straight to the point, no longer beating around the bush, and spoke earnestly: "You possess such vast and pure life energy, which is truly the only one I have ever seen among the eternal true gods! Such talent is naturally in harmony with my Mother River of Life! If it is buried and allowed to be covered in dust, it would be a waste of heaven's resources and a regret of the Great Dao."

The Azure-Eyed Venerable leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Xu Yang, filled with utmost solemnity and allure: "My invitation today is on behalf of the Thunder City branch of the Mother River of Life, and even in my personal capacity, to sincerely request that Gu You join my forces! Enter my Mother River Holy Land and enjoy the supreme Dao."

His voice carried a convincing power:

"You can directly access all the life secrets and scriptures that my Thunder City branch can provide. I can also specially apply for a God-King level life inheritance for you—the first volume of the original 'Record of the Origin of All Spirits,' which is a unique Great Dao inheritance of my Mother River of Life."

The words of the Azure-Eyed Venerable were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a tidal wave in Xu Yang's heart.

"The original first volume of the God-King level life inheritance, 'The Record of the Origin of All Spirits'".

Xu Yang maintained a calm and composed demeanor, his eyes as deep as an ancient well, but inside, his heart was churning with turbulent emotions.

These conditions are... fantastic!

It was so good that it instantly set off alarm bells for him!

A divine-king level inheritance.

Even just the original first volume is extremely valuable. Just like what I saw at the Thunder Merchant Guild, any genuine first volume would be worth tens of millions of cosmic sands! Moreover, this secret technique is unique to the Mother River of Life, making its value even higher!
The Azure-Eyed Venerable keenly caught the fleeting, extreme calm in Xu Yang's eyes—a calmness so profound that it betrayed his inner astonishment and suspicion.

The Venerable One understood perfectly, but his smile remained unchanged, displaying a gentle and patient understanding of the ways of the world.

“Gu You,” the Azure-Eyed Venerable’s voice remained calm and amiable, as if he had already anticipated the other’s reaction, “I know you must have doubts in your heart. The inheritance of the God-King is of great importance and is no ordinary matter. If I were to make a promise casually, it would only make me appear frivolous and hypocritical.”

He leaned back slightly on his throne, his posture relaxed yet exuding unspoken confidence: "The reason I dare to offer such conditions is mainly due to your own extraordinary qualities."

"The fact that you are here today clearly means that you are not a core seed cultivated by those super powers."

"To possess such strength without being a core seed of a superpower is to demonstrate your absolute potential."

Any super-powerful organization that invests enormous sums in nurturing geniuses will release them for training, but will absolutely not allow these geniuses to join the core of other super-powerful organizations. And the River of Life, on the Origin Continent, is certainly worthy of being called a super-powerful organization.

And these eternal true gods invited by the River of Life are all core reserve members.

"To tell you the truth, while a God-King level inheritance is precious, it's not particularly rare for me." The Azure-Eyed Venerable tilted his head slightly, radiating arrogance.

Although he didn't explicitly reveal who his backer was, it was enough to show that he had an extraordinary background.

Xu Yang wasn't particularly shocked. From the moment the Azure-Eyed Venerable said he could apply for a God-King level inheritance for him, he guessed that the Azure-Eyed Venerable had a very powerful background... He might be the direct descendant of some Chaos Ruler, or a core member of a God-King family... Perhaps, the "Record of the Origin of Ten Thousand Spirits" was even written by his ancestor...

It's not impossible.

The various regions of the Origin Continent have been divided up by major forces, which has made full use of the continent's resources but has also exposed many drawbacks—the biggest being that there are no secrets to be found.

For the Eternal True God, the perilous wilderness was merely a 'field' for the Chaos Ruler and the God-Kings to raise exotic beasts and resources. The Chaos Ruler could easily traverse the major Chaos Continents by traversing the void, and as for the God-Kings? That was even simpler.

The Origin Continent is not very large for the God-King... If he were to travel freely, he would probably have traversed it all in no time.

Therefore, the Origin Continent is actually just a large 'town'.

The consequence of this high degree of visualization is that younger generations tend to lack experience and training, and without experience, they naturally struggle to develop into capable individuals. This is why, on the Origin Continent, battles are generally fought between soldiers and generals.

It's not that those god-kings and chaos rulers weren't smart enough to prevent future troubles.

Rather, it is an unspoken rule established by the top leadership of the entire Origin Continent. Unless the weak offend the superiors, even in the struggle for large cities, it is usually the two kingdoms and the two Chaos Marquises who mobilize their troops and send Eternal True Gods to fight each other. The Chaos Marquises are just there to check each other...

Otherwise, a large city wouldn't be enough for the Chaos Overlord to flatten with a single slap.

Therefore, the Azure-Eyed Venerable was released by the forces behind him to become the head of a branch in a large city, which was also part of his training... Only when he truly became a Chaos Realm cultivator would this kind of life end.

"How is it?" The Azure-Eyed Venerable frowned slightly. "The conditions of my Mother River of Life are definitely the highest. It's impossible for any other power to offer such conditions to recruit newcomers."

Xu Yang nodded: "That's right, Bi Mou, you are indeed very sincere."

"I've joined." (End of Chapter)