Swallowed Star: Lord of the Wolf

At the welcoming banquet at Wancui Terrace, Xu Yang remembered the entrustment of the great saints and felt the acceptance and expectations of the core circle of the Mother River of Life.

After the banquet, he did not linger in the Mother River World.

“Since you are so eager to take up your post as soon as possible, I will personally see you off,” said Marquis Qing Teng, seeing Xu Yang’s eagerness to return home.

"Thank you for your trouble, Marquis Qing Teng." Xu Yang nodded.

He was filled with curiosity about this sacred land of life, but he knew that the true core could not be opened to him at present. Therefore, he longed to grasp the foundation of his own power—Xuanhu City.

The two bid farewell to the Great Sage Cui Ling and all the other Great Sages present.

The great sages did not try to keep them, but instead offered their blessings once again, their eyes filled with goodwill.

It was still that divine king's jade token, flowing with life runes.

At the edge of Wan Cui Terrace, Qing Teng Hou summoned the jade token, which shone brightly, tore through space, and directly opened the stable passage to the Mother River of Life in the core hub of the Green Wave Kingdom—"Green Wave City," known as the "Ring of Life."

This place is located in the center of the Green Wave Kingdom, with a teleportation array that leads directly to Xuanhu City, and it is not far from Xuanhu Chaos State, where Xuanhu City is located.

“Gu You, please.” Qing Teng Hou gestured.

Xu Yang took one last look at this sacred place that flowed with the rhythm of life, and then stepped into the radiant jade passage with Qing Teng Hou.

……

The Burning Flame Clan, the clan chief's secret chamber in the Ruins of Chaos.

Thick, viscous, dark red blood churned and bubbled in the enormous pool of blood, emitting a nauseating stench of decay and venom.

The writhing dark red membranes on the cave walls, the protruding, tormented skeletal limbs, and the broken organs floating in the blood pool together form an eternal picture of hell.

On the twisted platform in the center of the blood pool, made of bones and rotting flesh, the former patriarch of the Burning Flame Tribe, Burning Flame, has now been completely transformed into a terrifying lump of flesh that is constantly expanding and writhing, completely dominated by the power of darkness and chaos.

The decaying, bluish-purple skin was covered with oozing pus and blood from lumps and fissures, deep within which lay countless tiny eyeballs and writhing dark matter. Its limbs had been replaced by dark red tentacles, deeply embedded in the blood pool, greedily drawing nourishment. Huge compound eyes flickered with chaotic red light, and its mouth, torn to its ears, dripped with foul saliva and black flames, emitting unintelligible, agonizing roars.

Elder Black Fiend stood silently at the edge of the blood pool, like the most loyal guard and the most ruthless overseer.

His resolute face was expressionless, except for a deep, unfathomable fervor and anticipation pulsating in the depths of his dark green eyes.

"Burning Flame." Elder Black Fiend's icy mental intent pierced the core of the maddened mass of flesh on the platform like a poisoned ice spike. "The tempering of countless epochs, the nourishment of endless vengeful spirits, and the infusion of the core source power of the 'Dark Mother Nest'... your chaotic demonic body is finally... about to be completed!"

The chunks of flesh on the platform began to writhe violently, countless eyeballs swirled wildly, and the gaping mouths emitted even higher-pitched and more chaotic roars, as if responding, or as if enduring some kind of extreme pain and...desire.

"Power! Unparalleled power surges within you!" Elder Black Fiend's thoughts were inflammatory, like the whispers of a devil. "You have touched that threshold! That fragile membrane that prevents you from ascending to the realm of the Chaos Ruler is clearly visible! Now, only the final step remains! Only the ultimate sacrifice—the one that ignites the Chaos Fire and breaks the eternal shackles—is needed!"

In Fen Yan's chaotic consciousness, fragments of memories about the "one hundred and eight eternal true gods" were instantly ignited, bursting forth with a strong, twisted desire.

His enormous compound eyes were fixed on Elder Black Fiend, his mind filled with a greedy roar: "Sacrifice! Give me... sacrifice!! The eternal... true god!"

"No!" Elder Black Fiend's resolve suddenly surged, carrying a cruel determination and an even greater allure. "Fen Yan! You're wrong! You're short-sighted!!"

The chunks of flesh on the platform suddenly froze, and countless eyeballs and tentacles solidified for a moment, their chaotic red light revealing confusion and violence.

"Only one hundred and eight eternal true gods were sacrificed?" Elder Black Fiend's thoughts were filled with contempt and madness. "Their primordial essence is not enough. Without an extremely chaotic consciousness, how can you be worthy of the supreme position you are about to ascend? How can your perfect demonic body be completely sublimated and forged into an unparalleled chaotic demonic foundation?!"

His eerie green eyes were fixed on Fen Yan, his will like the most potent poison injected: "To break through this chaotic shackle, to make your demonic body, forged through millions of epochs of suffering, completely perfect, what is needed is... a massive amount of pure, refined 'wishes of all beings' and 'life essence', imbued with the very essence of life's birth and propagation!"

"The power of all beings' wishes... the essence of life?" Fen Yan's chaotic thoughts chewed on these two words, filled with bewilderment and an even more intense greed.

"Yes!" Elder Black Fiend's will was resolute, carrying an undeniable allure. "Only the torrent of life essence, forcibly harvested and condensed from billions of living beings at the most brilliant and vigorous moment of their lives! Only the darkest resentment condensed from the extreme fear, despair, unwillingness, and hatred they unleashed when facing destruction! These two forces, one the ultimate of life, the other the pinnacle of death, yin and yang in harmony, chaos naturally formed!"

His thoughts unfolded like a blueprint for destruction: "And the Burning Flame Tribe, this majestic city that has stood here for countless ages! The billions of people within this city. They have multiplied and thrived here generation after generation. Their bloodline has long resonated with this molten land and the chaotic ruins deep within the earth's veins. Their life essence naturally contains the purest 'earthfire chaos' aura! Their fear and resentment will be the best kindling to ignite the boundless darkness and chaos within you!"

Elder Black Fiend suddenly pointed outside the secret chamber, as if piercing through thick layers of rock, towards the prosperous and bustling city of blazing flames: "The entire city! Billions of lives! Their lives! Their souls! Their fear and resentment! All of this... is the most perfect! The most magnificent! The most irreplaceable... ultimate sacrifice for you to ascend to the realm of the Chaos Ruler!"

boom! ! !
Burning Flame's consciousness seemed to be struck by a destructive lightning bolt! The entire mass of flesh fell into an unprecedented, deathly silence! Even the painful roars and the writhing of its tentacles ceased.

Millions of clansmen... an entire city... a blood sacrifice?!

A faint conscience, originating from the deepest part of the soul and forcibly suppressed by dark forces for millions of epochs, began to flicker violently like a candle in the wind!

That was his responsibility as the clan leader, his last vestige of... attachment to his bloodline descendants?
But this glimmer of light was instantly crushed by Elder Black Fiend's next words.

"Burning Flame! Look at yourself now!" Elder Black Fiend's thoughts were like the coldest mockery. "You have sacrificed so much; you are about to ascend to a higher dimension of chaotic beings! These lowly, ant-like clansmen, their existence is merely to become stepping stones for you to reach the pinnacle. Think of that supreme power, think of the might of the Chaos Ruler! Think of the boundless pain you have endured throughout countless eras. Once you complete this ultimate blood sacrifice, all of this will end! You will be reborn! You will possess the power to rule everything! You can easily recreate an even stronger and more glorious Burning Flame Clan! Even... transcend territorial boundaries and dominate a region!"

"Sacrifice them...to make you! This is their destiny! And it is your...only way out!"

"Power... rebirth... domination..." In Fen Yan's chaotic thoughts, the last trace of humanity and struggle was completely annihilated, swallowed up by boundless darkness, extreme pain, and infinite greed for power.

In the enormous compound eyes, the chaotic red light was completely extinguished, transforming into two pure dark vortexes that devoured all light.

"Roar—!!!" A roar filled with destructive desire, without the slightest hesitation or pain, like that of a primordial beast, erupted from the gaping maw of the Burning Flame.

The entire cavern walls trembled violently, and the blood pool surged with towering waves.

A terrifying aura of darkness and chaos swept out like a tsunami.

He agreed!

No, it was a complete embrace of this inhumane ultimate blood sacrifice.

"Hahahaha!" Elder Black Fiend let out a more maniacal and unrestrained laugh than before, the eerie smile on his dark face twisted to the extreme. "Very good! Burning Flame! This is the Chaos Demon Lord I have been waiting for!"

His eerie green eyes flashed with a cold light that seemed to control everything, and he issued his final command: "The time has come! Three days from now, when the chaotic tide is at its most turbulent, and when the origin of the Chaotic Ruins is at its most active, I will activate the ultimate form of the 'Ten Thousand Souls Sacrifice Demon Array'—the 'City Burning Refining World Array.' This array will use the entire Burning Flame City as its furnace, and billions of living beings as its fuel, to offer you... this sacrifice for ascension to godhood!"

"And you," Elder Black Fiend looked at the terrifying mass of flesh on the platform, "simply open your demonic body in this Chaos Origin Chamber, fully circulate the 'Chaos Origin Demonic Scripture' I taught you, and devour, refine, and transform all the endless life essence and the darkest resentment that have gathered here into your own... Chaos Dominator Power!"

……

Outside, inside the Flame Heart Palace, the atmosphere appeared calm.

Elder Zhuyin was discussing the allocation of clan resources with several core elders.

Xu Yang sat at the lower end, seemingly listening, but in reality, his spatial perception was like invisible tentacles, quietly covering the subtle fluctuations throughout the entire hall.

He had only come out for a walk after his breakthrough, but he didn't expect to be dragged here to listen in.

suddenly!

Om-!
A spatial fluctuation, extremely subtle yet carrying an indescribable malice, was instantly detected by Xu Yang, like a poisonous stinger thrown into a calm lake.

The source is—above!
This fluctuation was extremely brief, fleeting, and mixed in with the earth vein energy of the Flame Heart Palace itself. If Xu Yang hadn't broken through to the Chaos Ruler level and become extremely sensitive to space, he would have been almost unable to detect it.

But the will contained within this fluctuation... is cold, cruel, and carries a madness that will destroy everything and... expectation?
Xu Yang's heart skipped a beat; he had never seen such malice before.

And there was a sense of... impatience? As if confirming something, or as if... initiating something?
He calmly picked up the cup of spiritual tea in front of him, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the tea above.

……

Three days is but a fleeting moment for a colossal city that has existed for countless ages.

The millions of people in the city continued to live their lives in an orderly manner.

Beside the lava river, the forging workshops are brightly lit with furnaces, and the sound of hammers is deafening. In the huge lava fields, the crimson earth crops grow vigorously. The streets are bustling with people and noisy with trade. Children play and chase each other in specially designed safe areas. Everything seems prosperous and full of life.

Deep underground in a seemingly inconspicuous warehouse filled with discarded lava ore in the Burning Flame City, the air was stagnant in a narrow, enclosed room that could only accommodate a few people.

An eternal true god, whose aura was restrained and whose code name was Ash, was staring intently at a rhombus-shaped crystal embedded in the rock wall in front of him, which was shimmering with a faint red light.

Inside the crystal, a complex array of runes slowly circulated, connecting to extremely secretive energy sensing nodes secretly buried throughout the Burning Flame City.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on "Ash's" forehead, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

Over the past three days, the activity level of the earth vein energy in the Burning Flame Giant City has far exceeded historical records, and the activity point is highly concentrated underground in the Flame Heart Palace.

Based on the organization's years of suspicion and surveillance of Elder Black Fiend, he had already raised the alert level to the highest level.

"The peak of the energy tide is approaching... The core energy flow is abnormally locked... Underground in the Flameheart Palace... The index has broken through the threshold of previous years!!" Ash's voice trembled slightly as he whispered urgently to the crystal, "'Dark Raven's Nest' is calling 'Nest'! The abnormal energy reaction of the Burning Flame Division has reached the highest level, and the fluctuation is highly suspected to be a precursor to the activation of the Forbidden Blood Sacrifice! Repeat, highly suspected to be a precursor to the activation of the Forbidden Blood Sacrifice. Requesting emergency support!"

His fingers flew across the surface as he quickly inscribed the final crucial data and information onto another rune plate, then slammed his hand on the crystal.

hum!
A faint but powerful stream of information burst forth from the crystal core, ignoring the energy barrier above the Burning Flame City, and shot toward a secret node deep within the Eastern Extreme Domain.

This is the highest level of alert issued at the cost of burning the node core!
The moment the message was sent, the defensive runes on the rock walls of the secret chamber where "Ash" was located instantly lit up with a dazzling red light, those runes disguised as ordinary mineral patterns. A cold and malicious will originating from the depths of the earth's veins, like an invisible giant hand, fiercely gripped this exposed node!

At the very instant that "Ash" sounded the alarm!

Rumble——! ! !
It was as if the entire wasteland was trembling!

Above the Burning Flame City, the originally blazing and bright lava sky was instantly covered by a thick, viscous, dark red cloud layer that looked like congealed blood!
The clouds churned, and countless twisted, pained faces appeared and disappeared within them, emitting silent wails!
The earth is groaning!
The once gentle flowing lava river suddenly erupted into a raging torrent, leaping into the air like an enraged python and furiously pounding against its banks. The sturdy lava structures groaned under the strain, and the ground cracked open with deep, bottomless fissures spewing forth foul black smoke. (End of Chapter)