Swallowed Star: Lord of the Wolf

boom!
A shallow crater was punched into the incredibly hard, patterned stone ground, and spiderweb-like cracks spread outwards.

"Good! Good! Good!" Lei Zhan exclaimed three times, his massive body trembling slightly with excitement. He took a step forward and instantly appeared in front of the Blood Shadow Elder, his resolute face, covered with lightning patterns, flushed with excitement.

"Impressive! You truly possess genuine skill!" Lei Zhan's voice boomed, filled with indescribable excitement. "Lei Zhan was blind and offended you earlier! Blood Shadow, your divine abilities are truly remarkable! Among all the peak Chaos Realm experts I have ever seen in my life, there are very few who can rival your effortless skill in neutralizing my full-force attack! I will forever remember this timely help!"

He stared intently at the Blood Shadow Elder, as if he were looking at a rare treasure: "Please, please come with me to the back room for a deeper discussion. This is not the place to talk!"

He didn't even glance at Venerable Qingmu and Granny Kurong beside him. With a wave of his hand, he made a "please" gesture and led the way, walking hurriedly toward an inconspicuous side door of the Thunder Punishment Hall, his steps revealing his heartfelt urgency.

The Blood-Hidden Elder's cloudy eyes remained calm; he merely nodded slightly and followed with unhurried steps.

Two figures, one as muscular as a mountain and the other as withered as rotten wood, vanished in the blink of an eye behind the side door, leaving behind the heavy sound of the palace doors slowly closing.

Inside the main hall, only Venerable Qingmu and Granny Kurong remained.

The air seemed to freeze.

The lingering aura of thunder within the hall had not yet dissipated, but the crimson, deathly stillness that was enough to devour and destroy the thunder was etched into their hearts like a brand.

The gentle and calm expression on Venerable Aoki's face had vanished, replaced by a deep solemnity and an indescribable sense of loss. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the emerald green vine staff, his knuckles turning slightly white.

Granny Kurong's hunched body seemed to shrink even further, and her deep eyes, filled with wrinkles, churned with extremely complex emotions—shock, disbelief, and deep apprehension, but even more so, intense humiliation from being ignored and threatened.

At the tip of the withered vine cane in her hand, the gray bead trembled slightly, emitting unstable fluctuations of law.

"Fellow Daoist Qingmu..." Granny Kurong's voice was like sandpaper rubbing, dry and cold, breaking the suffocating silence.

Venerable Qingmu slowly turned his head, his eyes sharpening as well: "Fellow Daoist Kurong..."

Their eyes met in mid-air, and without a word, they instantly understood the meaning in each other's eyes.

crisis!

A massive crisis!
The Blood-Hidden Elder displayed overwhelming strength and realm, not only easily neutralizing Prince Lei Zhan's violent attack that was enough to threaten the peak of the Chaos Realm, but also instilling a deep-seated fear in the two of them with his mastery of the Great Dao of Life!

What does Prince Lei Zhan's ecstasy and eagerness signify?
This means that the Blood-Hidden Elder will become the absolute core of Lei Zhan's plan to seize the Heart of Thunder Source, the true trump card, and the hope to fight against the Xuan Yin Lady and the Palace Master of Qi Yun!
So, what about the two of them?

Venerable Qingmu cultivates "Life Spirituality," excelling in healing, recovery, and group buffs, possessing extremely strong support abilities. Granny Kuru's "Life Death" is both offensive and defensive, employing unpredictable methods, and is particularly adept at preserving her own life and weakening enemies.

When there were only the two of them, they were the pillars of Lei Zhan's command.

But now, the pillar's position has been shaken—no! It has been replaced!

This mysterious Blood-Hidden Elder is also a cultivator of the Great Dao of the Origin of Life, which means that in many aspects, his abilities overlap with or are even more substitutable with those of Qingmu and Kurong!
His Highness Lei Zhan's attitude just now has already explained everything—he only has the Blood Shadow Elder in his eyes.

The two of them seemed to have become dispensable.

The journey to the Abyss is limited!
His Highness Lei Zhan only has two guest elder positions, so he can't bring a group of people to compete for the Thunder Source Heart. He needs the elite of the elite!
The addition of the Blood Shadow Elder almost inevitably means that... at least one of them will be replaced! And this is based on the premise that the Blood Shadow Elder only displays his current level of strength.

What if he's even stronger?
What if he could bring other assistance?
A chilling feeling and a strong sense of crisis rose simultaneously in the hearts of Venerable Aoki and Granny Kurong.

"Hmph!" Granny Ku Rong snorted coldly, slamming her cane heavily on the ground with a dull thud. The aura of the Ku Rong Domain spread uncontrollably in a small area, and the thunder-patterned stone ground under her feet instantly lost its luster, turning gray and cracked, as if its vitality had been drained. But then it slowly recovered as if time had reversed.

"What a Blood Shadow! I will not admit defeat!"

Her words were full of targeting and intense fighting spirit. This fighting spirit stemmed from both her fear and apprehension towards Elder Blood Shadow, and also from an invisible pressure on Venerable Green Wood.

Both were cultivators of the Great Dao of Life, but their paths differed.

At this moment, under the common crisis, the competition is even more brutal. Whoever can better demonstrate their unique value in the abyss will be the one to survive!
Venerable Aoki's expression was calm and composed, and his gentle life force suddenly became sharp.

He gently stroked the emerald green vine in his hand. The tender buds at the tip of the vine seemed to sense their owner's emotions, swaying slightly and exuding an even stronger vitality.

“Fellow Daoist Kurong is absolutely right. The abyss is far more dangerous than usual. The more strength we have, the more secure we are. It seems that the two of us also need to carefully consider how to make our moves in this game.” He deliberately emphasized “the two of us,” bringing Granny Kurong into the same competitive circle, implying that they were not allies, but competitors facing the same fate of elimination.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes still heavy with unspoken resolve and mutual scrutiny.

They fell silent, turned away, and, with heavy hearts, transformed into two streaks of light, silently departing from the oppressive Thunder Punishment Hall.

……

In the back hall of the Marquis's mansion, there was a secret room filled with powerful isolation barriers, decorated in a more ancient and heavy style, and even carrying a hint of royal majesty.

Lei Zhan had already removed his ferocious armor and put on a more comfortable yet equally dignified purple brocade robe.

The ecstasy on his face subsided slightly, but the excitement and eagerness in his eyes remained burning.

He personally poured a cup of spiritual tea—the Purple Mansion Spirit-Nourishing Tea—for the Blood Shadow Elder sitting opposite him. This tea, which exuded a strange and fragrant aroma and contained a rich essence of life, was extremely precious and rarely enjoyed even by members of the royal family.

“Blood Shadow,” Lei Zhan’s voice was much calmer, filled with sincerity, “This place is absolutely safe. The restrictions were personally set up by my father, and even the will of a God-King would find it difficult to probe without alerting me. Whatever your request, speak freely! I, Lei Zhan, swear to my ancestors that as long as it is within my power, I will do everything in my power to fulfill it!” Lei Zhan had truly been forced to the brink of despair. Now that a powerful guest had finally come to him for refuge, he didn’t hesitate to reveal his true intentions… Rather than haggling and hiding things, it was better to be straightforward. As long as he could achieve a good ranking in the Thunder Punishment Abyss, the effort he put in now would be repaid a hundredfold or a thousandfold in the future!
Hearing Lei Zhan's frank words, the Blood Shadow Elder looked at him with newfound respect. His turbid gaze swept over the restrictive patterns flowing on the walls of the secret chamber, which contained a terrifying aura, and he nodded slightly.

He picked up the teacup, inhaled the refreshing aroma of the tea, and took a gentle sip. A warm and powerful life energy instantly nourished his entire body, and even his clone felt a sense of comfort.

"Your Highness is very generous." A hoarse voice rang out. "I only ask for two things. First, Your Highness should cover all expenses for the journey to the Abyss so that I can use the Thunder Source Heart to cultivate. Second, after successfully obtaining the Thunder Source Heart, I need Your Highness's introduction to cultivate the Hunyuan Bloodline System."

After a pause, the Blood Elder continued, "I don't want that kind of ordinary... bloodline."

Upon hearing this, Lei Zhan not only did not hesitate in the slightest, but his eyes gleamed even brighter: "No problem! Absolutely no problem! The expenses of the journey to the Abyss are simply my duty! As for the Chaos Origin Bloodline..."

"I can help you, but you must completely join my Thunder Ancient Kingdom. Ordinary guest elders won't do." He wasn't afraid of Xue Yin making demands; he was afraid of him having no demands at all. Now he understood that Xue Yin had probably been stuck at the peak of the Chaos Realm for too long, unable to break through to the God King Realm. He wanted to use the opportunity of the Thunder Source Heart trial to join the Thunder Ancient Kingdom and cultivate the Chaos Origin Bloodline System!
As expected, the Blood Shadow Elder nodded and replied, "Of course."

Seeing this, Lei Zhan was overjoyed. He waved his hand, exuding a heroic air, "Blood Shadow, it's a great fortune that you can help me! I'll make the decision now and give you half of the deposit, right now!"

The storage ring on his finger shimmered, and treasures radiating rich energy fluctuations and the aura of laws appeared out of thin air, hovering in the air in front of the Blood Shadow Elder.

Three jade bottles, crystal clear, engraved with dragon and phoenix patterns, contain three drops of dark gold, viscous liquid with tiny purple electric arcs dancing on its surface—Nine Revolutions Thunder Tribulation Liquid!

This is a secret treasure of the royal family of the Thunder Ancient Kingdom. It is made with the power of nine chaotic thunder tribulations as its core and refined with countless rare divine medicines. It has miraculous effects on tempering the divine body and even comprehending the Great Dao of Thunder.

A single drop is priceless, enough to make even Chaos Realm experts envious and fight over it!
A fist-sized, irregularly shaped crystal, its entire body a deep purplish-gold color, with countless tiny lightning runes seemingly flowing and disappearing inside, exuding an extremely pure aura of lightning origin and a trace of chaotic Dao charm—Chaotic Lightning Source Crystal!

This is a rare treasure that can only be nurtured deep within the Chaos Thunder Pool. It is the core material for refining top-tier Chaos Thunder-type treasures and can also be directly refined and absorbed to enhance one's understanding of the Thunder-type origin and divine power origin.

A box containing purple chalcedony.

The box was opened, and inside lay three strange fruits, each the size of a baby's fist, shaped like a heart, and as red as blood, with natural lightning patterns on their surface—the Blood Thunder Bodhi Fruits.

This fruit contains a violent blood energy and pure thunderous vitality, making it an unparalleled tonic for cultivators who cultivate blood energy and the Great Dao of the Origin of Life, and it can also stimulate the explosion of bloodline potential.

The value of any of these resources is immeasurable, especially the Nine Revolutions Thunder Tribulation Liquid and the Chaos Thunder Source Crystal, which are the core treasures of the royal family. It is extremely difficult for outsiders to obtain even one. For those who urgently need them, it is commonplace to offer billions of cosmic sands for a single drop or piece.

In comparison, the Blood Thunder Bodhi Fruit is slightly easier to obtain. It is the fruit of a divine tree that grows on the border between the Flame Wind Ancient Kingdom and the Thunder Ancient Kingdom. The two sides fight over it regularly, so it occasionally circulates in the market on the Origin Continent.

But any one of them is worth billions!
Taking out these three treasures cost Lei Zhan at least tens of billions of cosmic sands. Even though his father was a God-King, it was still too much for him to bear... After all, his father had more than one son, and no matter how much he doted on him, he couldn't give him resources without limit.

Lei Zhan's actions not only fulfilled his promise but also demonstrated his desperate, all-or-nothing determination. He was showing Elder Xueyin through his actions: If you help me, I, Lei Zhan, will spare no expense! I'll even go bankrupt for it!

"Blood Shadow, this is half of it, please accept it!" Lei Zhan stared intently at the Blood Shadow Elder.

Deep within the murky eyes of the Blood Shadow Elder, a faint crimson light flickered. Lei Zhan's scheme was far beyond imagination!

However, he did not refuse. With a gentle wave of his withered hand, all the treasures floating in the air disappeared instantly and were put into his possession. These things were of great use to him.

"Your Highness's sincerity is appreciated by this old man," the Blood Shadow Elder said hoarsely. "I will do my best in the journey to the Abyss. I can intervene to stop one of the Xuan Yin Lady's Xuan Yin Ice Prison or the strange methods of the Qi Yun Palace Master."

He didn't boast that he could take on two opponents at once, as that would seem too arrogant and unbelievable.

Saying he could only stop one person is consistent with his demonstrated level of strength, while also leaving room for maneuver, making him seem credible and composed.

Upon hearing this, Lei Zhan's eyes shone even brighter, but he did not completely lose his senses amidst his ecstasy.

He stared intently into the Blood-Hidden Elder's eyes and said in a deep voice, "Is this true? The Mysterious Yin Lady and the Palace Master of Qiyun Palace are no ordinary people! Especially when the two of them join forces..."

The Blood-Hidden Elder's face remained calm and composed, but the crimson glint deep within his eyes seemed to swirl like an abyss, and an even deeper, more ancient and desolate aura of bloodlust and death vanished in an instant, like a fleeting glimpse of a startled swan.

Although it was only for a moment, Lei Zhan felt his blood suddenly freeze, as if his heart was being gripped by an invisible, cold hand of death.

It was a terrifying aura that stemmed from the very instinct for survival!
It was purer and more vast than what I had felt in the Thunder Punishment Hall. It was as if what was sitting in front of me was not a person, but an ancient blood sea graveyard that had been silent for billions of years and buried countless gods and demons.

This aura came quickly and went quickly.

"I believe you, Blood Shadow, I believe you!" Lei Zhan's voice was filled with excitement and joy. "With you here, what is there to fear from that Mysterious Yin Fortune! Even if they join forces, I dare to contend with them!"

At this moment, the last trace of doubt in his heart completely vanished. This Blood-Hidden Elder's strength was absolutely unfathomable!
Far exceeded his initial estimate!

They are probably among the very elite, even at the peak of the Chaos Realm! To intercept a Xuan Yin or a Qi Yun? And likely, it's more than that!

This is exactly the effect that the Blood Shadow Elder wanted.

A subtle yet powerful intimidation is more convincing than any grand pronouncements. He didn't want to reveal his extraordinary strength, but he still needed to project an aura of pressure far exceeding that of an ordinary peak Chaos Realm cultivator, so that Lei Zhan would be completely devoted to him.

"Your Highness flatters me," the Blood Shadow Elder said calmly. "The Abyss is treacherous and full of unpredictable changes. We must proceed with caution."

"That's right!" Lei Zhan nodded, his expression relaxing considerably. He now regarded the Blood Shadow Elder as his greatest asset for turning the tide, and his words were full of respect. "Then, without further ado! To show our sincerity and to bind both sides, how about we sign the contract under the witness of this Holy City Grand Array?" (End of Chapter)