Swallowed Star: Lord of the Wolf

No wonder the opponent is so powerful and uses such strange methods.

With the Mother River of Life as its backing, what resources or secret techniques can't it obtain?

Seeing the Blood Prison Great Sage's reaction, Yan Jin continued, "Not only that. Just recently, this Gu You, along with two other members of the Mother River of Life—Crimson Fire and Shadow Fang—ambushed and killed one of my Yan Feng Ancient Kingdom's important guests, Shi Fang Ke, within the territory of Fengquan Prefecture!"

His voice took on a cold tinge: "The guest of the Ten Directions is a guest elder of my ancient kingdom, a peak Chaos Realm existence! This grudge will never be forgotten by my Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom!"

"A guest elder at the peak of the Chaos Realm?!" The Blood Prison Great Sage gasped again. To kill a peak Chaos Realm cultivator, even in a three-on-one fight, was enough to prove the strength and courage of these three! Especially this newly promoted Gu You, whose role in the matter was probably not simple either!
"Therefore," Yan Jin, the guest elder, looked at the Blood Prison Great Sage, his tone carrying a hint of profound meaning, "information about this Gu You is classified as 'Level A' secret in our Yanfeng Guild. At the same time, he himself has already been listed on the highest bounty list of our Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom!"

Blood Prison Great Sage's heart skipped a beat: "Bounty? How much?"

Instead of answering directly, Guest Elder Yan Jin raised his hand and tapped the crystal wall in the center of the quiet room. A light screen appeared, clearly displaying:

[Bounty Target]: Gu You

[Identity: Official member of the River of Life]

[Realm: Top-tier Chaos Ruler (Possesses peak Chaos Realm techniques)]

[Main method: Destroying the fundamental Dao (suspected to have mastered an extremely profound understanding, details unknown)]

[Bounty Amount: 280 billion Cosmic Sand or 80000 Merit Points for Guest Retainers of the Flamewind Ancient Kingdom] (Note: This merit option is only available to guest retainers of this country)
[Bounty posted by: Royal Family of the Ancient Kingdom of Yanfeng]

Looking at the gleaming "280 billion cosmic sands" and "80000 merit points", the Blood Prison Great Sage's heart skipped a beat!
280 billion cosmic sands!

This was a number that captivated him, enough to drive many Chaos Overlords mad!
Even for a veteran ruler like the Blood Prison Great Sage, it would take an unimaginable number of years to amass this wealth!

As for the 80000 merit points that he couldn't obtain, they were said to be priceless! In the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom, merit points could be exchanged for all sorts of rare resources, secret techniques, treasures, and even opportunities to enter certain ancient secret realms that were unimaginable to outsiders.

Its value far exceeds that of an equal amount of cosmic sand!

greedy!

An uncontrollable greed surged into the heart of the Blood Prison Great Sage in an instant!

If... if I could get this reward...

However, just as the fire of greed was ignited, the eight characters "Official Member of the Mother River of Life" poured down like a freezing spring from the depths of hell.

"Mother River of Life... Mother River of Life..." the Blood Prison Great Sage murmured to himself, his greed quickly replaced by fear and reason.

He was just a rogue cultivator!
Despite its fearsome reputation, it is not even an ant in front of the behemoth that is the Mother River of Life!
The opponent could simply send out a god-king level being, without even needing to take action personally, and just issue a mission targeting him within the River of Life, and countless powerful beings would swarm in and tear him to shreds!
For 280 billion cosmic sands, would we offend the Mother River of Life?
This is tantamount to suicide. Even if he manages to kill Gu You and collect the bounty, where can he escape to? The Origin Continent may be vast, but there's probably nowhere for him to hide!

The Blood Prison Great Sage's expression turned extremely ugly, his mood shifting unpredictably.

A tremendous temptation and a deadly threat clashed fiercely within him.

Yan Jin, the guest elder, watched his struggle and sneered inwardly. He was naturally happy to see a ferocious person like the Blood Prison Great Sage take the lead, test the depths of that Ancient Netherworld, and even better, perish together with him.

He added slowly, "Brother Blood Prison, the intelligence fee is one million cosmic sands. It contains detailed intelligence files about 'Ancient Nether' Xu Yang, including his known activity patterns, analysis of suspected abilities, and background information related to the Mother River of Life."

He raised his hand and handed over a crimson jade slip bearing the emblem of the ancient Yanfeng Kingdom.

The Great Sage of Blood Prison looked at the jade slip, then at the glaring bounty amount and the label "Mother River of Life" on the light screen. In the end, the struggle in his eyes turned into deep fear and resentment.

With a gloomy face, he silently tossed out a spatial treasure containing a million units of cosmic sand.

Then he grabbed the crimson jade slip and eagerly probed into it with his mind.

The information within the jade slip was more detailed than what was displayed on the light screen: Gu You first appeared in Thunder Swamp City, where he befriended Chi Huo and Ying Ya, members of the River of Life, and teamed up for missions. He also had ore trading dealings with the Thunder City branch of the Thunder Kingdom…

The more he looked at her, the uglier his face became.

Finally, his face turned ashen as he withdrew his thoughts and put away the jade slip. The temptation of 280 billion cosmic sands was still immense, but the four words "Mother River of Life" were like an immense shackle, firmly suppressing all his greed and vengeful impulses.

"Hmph!" The Great Sage of Blood Prison snorted coldly, no longer looking at Guest Elder Yan Jin, turned around and strode out of the quiet room, his back view showing a bit of dishevelment and frustration.

As Yan Jin, the guest elder, watched the departing figure of the Blood Prison Great Sage, the smile on his face vanished completely, replaced by an icy coldness.

The Blood Prison Great Sage doesn't dare to make a move? No problem.

On this continent of origin, there is no shortage of desperate outlaws blinded by greed. A bounty of 280 billion cosmic sands is enough to tempt many powerful and arrogant lone rulers.

Using others to do one's dirty work, or driving one enemy to devour another, is the common tactic used by the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom to deal with powerful foe.

Let those greedy hyenas test and exhaust that ancient You. Whatever the outcome, it won't do any harm to the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom.

At this moment, Blood Prison Great Sage, who had left Yanfeng Guild Hall with a belly full of evil anger, stood on the bustling streets of Qingfeng City, looking at the clear sky, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

“Ancient You… Mother River of Life… 280 billion…” He chewed on these words repeatedly, his heart filled with resentment and bitterness.

Direct retaliation? He dared not.

He wouldn't dare until he found a way to completely block the River of Life's pursuit, or until he was strong enough to be unafraid of the River of Life's retaliation.

“But…” A glint of bloodlust flashed in the Blood Prison Great Sage’s eyes, and a sinister thought emerged, “If I can’t do anything to you, can’t I at least make things difficult for you? Let you know the price of offending me?”

There's no way to deal with that ancient evil spirit, but at least we should vent our anger.

The details of the intelligence provided by Elder Yan Jin flashed through his mind, and a sinister plan quickly took shape.

“Thunder City… Thunder Swamp… ore trading…” The Blood Prison Great Sage’s lips curled into a sinister smile. “The Thunder Ancient Kingdom is riddled with internal factions, and the infighting is even more intense than in the Flame Wind Ancient Kingdom. Moreover, they are very wary of outsiders interfering… especially an outsider backed by the Mother River of Life!” His figure flickered, and an avatar split off. Then, the avatar transformed into an imperceptible stream of blood-red light, silently merging into the chaotic void, its target being the Chaos State where Thunder City was located.

Half a month later, in Thunder City.

This colossal city, belonging to a subordinate kingdom of the Thunder Ancient Kingdom, features sharply defined, rigid architecture. The air is perpetually filled with a faint smell of ozone and active lightning particles. On the city walls, enormous purple lightning runes appear and disappear, radiating powerful protective energy.

The Blood Prison Avatar concealed all its aura and even altered a trace of its original fluctuations, blending into the massive crowd of Thunder City like an ordinary Eternal True God rogue cultivator.

Changing appearance and altering bones and tendons are mere child's play for bloodline techniques. And this so-called protective formation of Thunder City is naturally useless against the deliberately lurking Chaos Ruler.

Blood Prison Avatar did not go directly to Lei Ze, the head of the Thunder City branch. That would be too deliberate, and the risk of taking action against a city-level leader of the Thunder Merchant Guild would not be proportional to the reward.

He chose a more insidious and covert method—spreading rumors.

Using his soul power to bewitch several "insiders" of different identities and strengths, the Blood Prison Great Sage began engaging in seemingly unintentional but actually precise "casual chats" in several large ore exchanges, weapon-refining workshops, and restaurants and teahouses where powerful individuals gathered in Thunder City.

"Have you heard? That guy who's been making headlines lately has a huge appetite! Apparently, he placed a massive order for high-grade ore with the Thunder Merchant Guild, with extremely demanding requirements and a tight delivery deadline! Tsk tsk, having the River of Life backing him up really makes a difference; he completely disregards the rules of our Thunder Ancient Kingdom..."

"That's right! I have a distant cousin who works at the branch office. He said that the guy there is extremely arrogant and bosses around Director Lei Ze like he's his subordinate. He said things like, 'When the Mother River of Life is doing things, the Thunder Ancient Kingdom must fully cooperate'... Hey, Director Lei Ze is, after all, the head of a city in my Thunder Ancient Kingdom, representing the face of the ancient kingdom. How can he put up with this kind of treatment?"

"Hmph, it's more than just attitude!"

"Sigh, there's nothing we can do; their connections are too strong. But I think things are bound to get messed up sooner or later. Director Lei Ze betrayed us...? Our Thunder Kingdom's surveillance system isn't to be underestimated!"

"..."

These rumors, like cold water dripped into a boiling oil pan, quickly spread throughout the relevant circles in Thunder City.

At first, it only circulated in a small circle, but as more and more "insiders" came forward and the details became more and more "rich," especially the sensitive topics such as "disrespecting the ancient country," "exploiting resources," and "officials selling out their interests," coupled with the background of the "Mother River of Life," it immediately caused a huge uproar.

The River of Life has a branch in Thunder City, and its existence is no secret to the people of Thunder City.

The second tallest spire of the Thunder Merchant Guild branch is the residence of the head of the guild.

Lei Ze, a tall, stern-faced middle-aged man with faint purple arcs of electricity crackling around him, had a furrowed brow. He held several intelligence jade slips in his hand, which detailed the rampant rumors circulating in the city.

"Absurd!" Lei Ze slammed his palm on the table made of Ten Thousand Year Lightning-Struck Wood. Purple lightning flashed, but the table did not budge. "My transaction with that Ancient Netherworld Ruler was fair in price and complete in procedures. How could there have been any fraud? Let alone any contempt for the ancient kingdom!"

He was shocked and angry.

What shocked him was how swiftly and accurately the rumors spread, directly targeting the sore spot in his deal with Gu You. What angered him was that someone was clearly stirring things up behind the scenes, attempting to sow discord.

"Investigate! Find the source thoroughly!" Lei Ze ordered his intelligence chief, his voice deep and rumbling like thunder. "I want to see who dares to stir up trouble in my Thunder City!"

However, the Blood Prison Great Sage was extremely cunning and treacherous. His method of spreading rumors was extremely covert. He used blood magic and multiple disguises. After spreading the rumors, the source disappeared without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea. Therefore, it was impossible to trace him in a short period of time.

The rumors, however, spread like wildfire, growing ever stronger and even beginning to spread beyond Thunder City.

Razer felt immense pressure.

These rumors not only damage his personal reputation, but may also be exploited by those with ulterior motives to escalate the issue to the level of "damaging the interests of the ancient kingdom" and "undermining the dignity of the ancient kingdom," becoming a handle for other factions to attack him.

This forced him to suspend some ore deliveries with Guyou and strengthen the review process in an attempt to clarify his position and quell the controversy.

This, in a way, did indeed hinder Xu Yang's subsequent material supply plans.

Hidden in the shadows, the Blood Prison Great Sage watched the tense atmosphere permeating Thunder City and Lei Ze's overwhelmed state, sneering inwardly, "Gu You, this is just an appetizer! The real 'gift' I've prepared for you is yet to come!"

……

However, just as the Blood Prison Great Sage was secretly stirring up trouble and Thunder City was in turmoil due to rumors, an even more shocking piece of news swept across the entire central and northern region of the Origin Continent like a super storm. Its influence far exceeded the Blood Prison Great Sage's conspiracy and instantly attracted the attention of all the top beings!

The message originated from a top-level announcement from the Thunder Kingdom.

One hundred epochs later, the Thunder Ancient Kingdom's 'Nine Heavens Thunder Prison' will launch the 'Heart of Thunder Source' battle in the core area of ​​the 'Thunder Punishment Abyss'!

The "Heart of Thunder Source" is a supreme creation specially left behind by the ancestor of the Thunder Ancient Kingdom, containing the origin of bloodline and the true essence of the Thunder Great Dao.

This mind is neither real nor unreal; it is a wondrous entity formed from the condensation of laws and bloodlines.

Those who can withstand the ultimate tempering of the 'Nine Heavens Thunder Prison' and ultimately resonate with the 'Heart of Thunder Source' will receive the following opportunity—

There is a chance that it will trigger a transformation in one's own bloodline, potentially breaking through the shackles at the level of one's life genes and achieving a fundamental leap. It is only particularly effective for special life forms and bloodline cultivators.

It allows one to closely perceive the true meaning of the origin of thunder and greatly enhance one's understanding of the Great Dao of Thunder. It is one of the few secret places on the Origin Continent where one can experience some of the Great Dao of Thunder.

The 'Nine Heavens Thunder Prison' is itself a supreme treasure land for tempering the divine body. With the guidance of the Thunder Source Heart, it can bring about a qualitative leap in the strength of the divine body, with unlimited potential.

However, eligibility for participation is strictly limited; only members of the royal family of the Thunder Kingdom and Chaos Guest Elders are allowed to participate.

This announcement alarmed many ancient beings throughout the central and northern regions of the Origin Continent, and even in more distant places!
"The Heart of Thunder Origin?! The True Essence of Bloodline Origin?!"

"Heavens! This is an incredible opportunity that can defy fate!"

"Nine Heavens Thunder Prison...the legendary holy land for body refinement! Combined with the Heart of Thunder Origin, it is hoped that the divine body can reach the peak of the Chaos Realm, and even glimpse the threshold of the God King?"

"The Chaos Ruler of the Thunder Ancient Kingdom is up for grabs?! It seems that for this, I have no choice but to risk my life for the Thunder Ancient Kingdom!"

Many old monsters who had cultivated in seclusion for countless years, stuck at a bottleneck and unable to make any further progress, suddenly unleashed a terrifying glint in their eyes! (End of Chapter)