Swallowed Star: Lord of the Wolf

During cultivation, time seems to lose its meaning.

Xu Yang sat cross-legged, like an unchanging ancient rock. His consciousness had long been immersed in the vast and boundless mysteries of the fundamental laws of life, focusing on the profound mystery of its branches—the "Branch of Blood" and the transformation of "Life and Death".

The "blood" of life is the carrier of life's rhythm, a river surging with vitality.

It nourishes all things and contains the power of creation and revival.

"Life and death" is the end of this river, the inevitable destination of life's depletion and the return of all things to stillness. The two seem to be opposites, but in fact they are like two sides of a coin, closely connected and inseparable.

Xu Yang was completely absorbed in it.

He "saw" a drop of essence blood. At the microscopic level, billions of life particles were born and died like stars, carrying endless information about reproduction, evolution, and repair.

That is the rhythm of life, the spark of an unceasing flame.

He "saw" a decaying corpse, its life force extinguished, its flesh and blood turning to dust and merging into the earth. But within this utter stillness lay a strange "nourishment," nourishing new seeds and nurturing the life force for the next cycle of reincarnation.

Death is not the end, but the beginning of another form of life.

Life and death, like two ouroboros connected head to tail, drive the pulse of the universe in an eternal cycle.

This is the 40th era since Xu Yang went into seclusion on the Origin Continent. Even when Gu Ji broke through to the Chaos Ruler, Xu Yang only came out of seclusion and offered a few words of encouragement.

His consciousness seemed to be on a boundless ocean of life, with vibrant crimson waves below and a silent, deep gray fog of death above.

Where the two meet, a strange interplay of light and shadow is formed.

At that very moment when the mind and spirit are completely immersed in the true meaning of the cycle of life and death—

hum!
An unprecedented, soul-deep throbbing erupted without warning.

It was not a deafening roar, but a silent tremor like the beginning of the universe and the birth of all things.

Xu Yang's core of mental will, which had long reached the peak of the Chaos Ruler, was as tough as immortal divine metal, and was capable of severing all illusions, was suddenly rippled with incomparably brilliant and dynamic wisdom as if an invisible strange stone had been thrown into it.

These ripples were neither the active operation of the "Hundred Tribulations of Demon Refining" secret technique, nor were they a result of the passive burning of demonic fire.

It stems purely from a profound resonance and sudden enlightenment with the essential cycle of "life and death"!

It was the most direct and fundamental baptism and sublimation of his will core by the two major branches of the Great Dao of the Origin of Life after it opened a trace of the ultimate mystery to him.

The light of enlightenment in the will!
Within the core of will, the willpower that was originally unyielding and as solid as a rock suddenly became incredibly agile and vast!
Like billions of streams of life converging into the sea, it contains vibrant vitality and limitless potential for expansion.

Willpower is no longer simply "tenacity," but possesses a spirituality like life itself, encompassing "growth," "reproduction," "adaptation," and "creation."

It can instantly divide into billions, like seeds of life, sowing them into every corner of consciousness, with keen insight and complete control.

But beneath that vibrant and boundless vitality, a deeper and colder sense of "annihilation" quietly emerges.

This annihilation is not the fear of extinction, but an absolute understanding and acceptance of "death," an inevitable law of the universe.

It is like the cornerstone of the universe's return to nothingness, giving that vibrant life a place to belong, and giving the core of will an indelible "steadfastness"!
Even if the external demonic fire scorches the sky and afflicts the body with countless calamities, the core of the will can maintain that absolute "stillness and immovability," just like death itself, indestructible through countless eons.

The brilliance of life and the stillness of death are perfectly integrated and rotated deep within the core of Xu Yang's will!
Like the eternal cycle of life and death!

At this moment, his mind and will underwent a complete qualitative transformation, stepping into a completely new world—the Undying Heart!
In the cycle of life and death, they undergo a deeper level of refinement and sublimation.

The world may perish, but my spirit will never die!
Willpower can be concentrated at will, like life itself converging to form an overwhelming torrent of will. It can also be divided into billions, like seeds of life, permeating, perceiving, and controlling the minute details of all things, ensuring an endless flow of vitality.

Even if the mind and will suffer a devastating blow and are shattered, as long as the core containing the "stillness of death" remains intact, it can draw strength from the annihilation and quickly recover to its peak state by relying on the infinite vitality of the "spirit of life," like a withered tree coming back to life or ashes being rekindled!
This is also one of the highest realms pursued in "Refining Demons Through a Hundred Tribulations"—unbreakable through countless tribulations, with an eternal will!

……

Xu Yang's transformation was not a matter of following the conventional path of being tempered by demonic fire after the "Hundred Tribulations of Demon Refining." This sudden enlightenment, in its high level and profound essence, had already surpassed the guiding scope of the "Hundred Tribulations of Demon Refining" secret technique itself!

However, at the very moment when Xu Yang's core will completed the transformation into the "Heart of Immortality"—deep within his soul, the long-dormant "Hundred Tribulations of Demon Refining" secret technique imprint seemed to be strongly stimulated and "attracted" by this higher level of will radiance, and suddenly burst forth with unprecedented light.

hum!hum!hum!
The dark golden demonic runes, which had originally only spread to the eighty-third level, were now as if they had been infused with supreme power, and began to spread, multiply, and deepen at an unprecedented speed!
The eighty-fourth level!
The eighty-fifth level!
The eighty-sixth level!
……

The shape of the magic runes also underwent subtle changes.

They were no longer merely cold, intricate patterns filled with destructive energy. As they spread, these magical patterns began to spontaneously absorb the profound mysteries of "the light of life" and "the stillness of death" from the core of Xu Yang's will.

On the newly formed demonic runes, some became incredibly fluid and dynamic, like a flowing river of life, radiating vibrant vitality and dazzling spiritual light. Within the runes, it seemed as if countless tiny life runes were constantly being created and destroyed. Other runes, however, became incredibly profound and condensed, like solidified death stars, exuding an indestructible chill of annihilation. The runes themselves resembled the final marks of the universe, indestructible and unbreakable.

Two completely different yet perfectly blended magical runes intertwined and spread wildly in Xu Yang's soul sea, eventually forming a vast, complex, and unimaginably profound three-dimensional scroll.

At the heart of this scroll is his "immortal heart" that shines with eternal brilliance!
It was precisely at the moment when the demonic runes of "Hundred Tribulations of Demon Refining" finally stabilized, covering Xu Yang's entire core of will, and perfectly fused with the "Undying Heart"— Boom!!!
An indescribable, vast pressure of will, surpassing even the chaos, suddenly erupted from Xu Yang's seemingly calm body!

This oppressive force is not an impact on the energy level, but a manifestation of pure mental will!
It is like an invisible divine law, like the embodiment of the rules of the universe!
The abnormally stable space of the Origin Continent, in the face of this oppressive will, was like a fragile bubble, emitting a mournful cry of unbearable pressure—vibrating violently, with countless fine cracks appearing, as if it would collapse completely at any moment due to being unable to withstand the presence of this will.

Xu Yang slowly opened his eyes.

The depths of his eyes no longer held the vision of stars fading and laws shifting.

The left eye, like the singularity of the universe at the dawn of life, contains endless vitality, creativity and possibilities, its light flowing as if it could give birth to all worlds.

The right eye, like the end of the universe where all things return to nothingness, is deep and cold, representing absolute annihilation and termination, indestructible through countless eons, regarding all rise and fall as dust.

Life and death achieve a perfect balance and cycle in these eyes!

"A God-King level will... actually formed under such circumstances?!" Xu Yang realized this in his heart. While he was overjoyed, it was as if water had flowed into a channel. There was no ecstasy, only a kind of clarity and calmness as if he had seen through the fog and reached the peak.

It was at this moment that he instantly understood the insights Luo Feng had once gained in the original work.

Without this sudden enlightenment about the nature of life and death, relying solely on the arduous process of "Refining Demons Through a Hundred Tribulations" might have taken thousands or even tens of thousands of epochs to finally reach the threshold of a god-king's will through painstaking effort and gradual accumulation.

This sudden enlightenment was like breaking through a crucial window, allowing him to leap directly over that insurmountable barrier.

He embarked on a path that integrated the profound meaning of the origin of life, a path of "reincarnation of life and death, immortal will," the beginning and end of which seemed to be more magnificent and profound than the simple tempering of demonic fire.

"A god-king level will, combined with my life, the Great Dao of Destruction, and many secret techniques..." Xu Yang's thoughts stirred slightly, and an invisible force of will swept across all directions.

In the distance, the several layers of restrictions set up by the City Lord's Mansion, which were enough to trap and kill ordinary Chaos Rulers, melted and disintegrated silently like ice and snow under the sun, without even causing a ripple.

This is the terrifying power of a god-king level will!
On the level of will, he already possesses an absolute advantage that can crush the vast majority of Chaos Rulers!
With the help of the terrifying secret technique "Hundred Tribulations of Demon Refining," which specializes in attacking willpower, he was even confident that he could severely injure or even kill a Chaos Ruler with a slightly weaker willpower simply by using willpower to attack.

Ordinary Chaos Rulers would lose any chance to fight back in his presence.

The transformation of will was like lighting an eternal lamp deep within the soul. The vast mind of a god-king was like an invisible sky, enveloping the entire Xuanhu City and also Xu Yang's own perception of the laws.

In this profound moment of enlightenment, Xu Yang's mind stirred slightly, and a wisp of divine power from the Cosmic Sea silently separated, traversing layers of void, heading straight for the primordial universe that had given birth to him.

……

The primordial universe, vast and boundless, exudes an ancient and magnificent life force.

Xu Yang's divine power avatar hovered outside the cosmic membrane, as insignificant as a speck of dust. He released no energy fluctuations, only his vast will at the god-king level, like an invisible tide, silently yet with an undeniable pressure, slowly spreading out, gently yet firmly touching the will barrier of the primordial universe.

Om-!
The entire primordial universe seemed to tremble slightly.

A massive, bewildered, instinctively wary wave of will emanated from it, carrying with it questions and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

"The Primal Cosmic Will." Xu Yang's divine avatar calmly transmitted his thoughts, his voice resounding directly at the primordial level of the universe. "You should know that I am a being born from this universe, and I have now ascended to a higher realm. According to the rules of the universe, I have the qualifications and the ability to demand that you completely open your primordial realm to me."

The primordial cosmic will conveyed its intention to resist and negotiate, attempting to maintain the status quo and open only certain areas.

Xu Yang's will suddenly turned cold and hard, like a peerless divine weapon unsheathed: "I am not negotiating with you. Open up the Origin Land, every inch of it, without reservation. This is my demand. You only have two choices: agree or refuse."

Boom!

The will of the God-King level was no longer restrained; like countless invisible swords, it pierced the core of the will of the primordial universe!

That power of will carries the true meaning of understanding the cycle of life and death, the indestructible spirit of immortality, and the terrifying sharpness forged by the "Hundred Tribulations of Demon Refining"!
The primordial cosmic will fluctuated violently, causing intense ripples to spread throughout the entire cosmic membrane.

It draws upon the very origin of the universe, its total will being unimaginably vast, like a boundless ocean. However, Xu Yang's God-King will is like the purest, sharpest drill bit—an absolute, qualitative crushing force!
The ocean may be vast, but it cannot stop this will, concentrated to its extreme, from penetrating!
"You might be able to mobilize your primordial power and temporarily shatter this avatar of mine," Xu Yang's thoughts coldly stated the facts. "But what will be the price? My true self is still on the Origin Continent. This avatar is something I can reshape with a mere thought. You can shatter it once, ten times, a hundred times... but I possess boundless divine power and endless assaults of will! From the very beginning, you were destined to fail in this clash of wills. Every act of resistance will only inflict deeper wounds on your own primordial will, accelerating your decline and demise!"

The primordial cosmic will fell silent.

That vast ocean of will surged with anger and resentment, but even more so with fear stemming from the primal instinct for survival.

It clearly sensed the "undying spirit" characteristic contained in Xu Yang's will—even if it was defeated, it could quickly regenerate, endlessly, until it completely annihilated its opponent, while it itself was consuming the foundation of its own existence with every confrontation.

It remembered that before, there was a being called "Yuan" that tried to replace it from within, but was eventually suppressed.

But the being before him was an external, higher-dimensional crushing force. However, it didn't seek replacement, but rather absolute control, control over the very foundation upon which it depended for survival—its very origin!
"Om..."

A complex message circulated, carrying a sense of compromise, attempting to bargain and hoping that Xu Yang would promise never to erase its will.

"There is indeed a cause and effect between us." Xu Yang's will softened slightly, but it remained unwavering. "It is because of this cause and effect that I am giving you a choice. Open the Origin Land, I will comprehend the laws, you will maintain its operation, and we can coexist. But if you even obstruct this opportunity for comprehension..."

His will sharpened once more, "Then don't blame me for doing the thing that completely replaces you!" (End of Chapter)