Swallowed Star: Lord of the Wolf

Just as Xueyin was immersed in the profound mystery of his newly acquired power—

Above Blood Hidden City, a silent ripple spread across the space like the surface of water. There was no dazzling light, no oppressive aura, but a figure materialized from nothingness.

He wore a plain white robe, his face obscured by light, except for his eyes, which were as deep as the singularity after the collapse of the ancient starry sky, calm and still. When he looked up, every dark gold scale on Xueyin's body trembled instinctively, as if a young beast had encountered a primordial behemoth.

It is none other than the Heavenly Emperor!

"Disciple Xueyin greets Master!" Without the slightest hesitation, Xueyin immediately bowed, his posture as respectful as ever.

Even the divine king's status is as insignificant as dust before the emperor.

Emperor Tianguang's gaze swept over Xueyin, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the scales of his divine body and see right through him.

"From chaos and disorder, true order is born; from the end of destruction, new life is hidden." The Emperor finally spoke, his voice calm yet carrying the power to soothe the ripples of the laws. "'The Chaotic Heaven Lineage' has actually reached perfection in the Chaotic Realm, thus opening the door to the God-King realm. Very good!"

He nodded slightly, approval flashing in his eyes: "The road is treacherous, and you have overcome this obstacle. Well done."

He took a step and landed in front of Blood Shadow, the formation ignoring him completely.

The sleeves of the robe fluttered lightly.

A strange object enveloped in a chaotic halo of light silently hovered in front of Blood Shadow.

It is a token that is neither gold nor jade, but flows with a chaotic dark golden luster. On the front, an ancient character "天" (heaven) seems to be engraved by billions of tiny lightning bolts, while on the back is a lightning mark that tears through chaos—the Heavenly Light Token.

This decree is not only a symbol of being personally passed down by the Heavenly Emperor, but also contains a trace of the Emperor's will.

By possessing it, one can draw upon a portion of the power of the "Eternal Thunder Array" within the territory of the Thunder Ancient Kingdom to protect oneself. In times of crisis, through mental communication, one can invoke an attack from the Emperor that transcends time and space. Furthermore, one possesses the supreme authority to prioritize the exchange of core resources from the ancient kingdom's "Divine Firmament Treasury."

A loan amount of up to one million is incredibly valuable!

"The Heavenly Light Token is a token of your sect and your reliance when traveling through the ancient kingdom." The Emperor's voice was calm. At this moment, Blood Shadow was finally completely accepted into the core by the Heavenly Light.

Blood Shadow solemnly put it away.

"Thank you so much, Master! I am deeply grateful!"

"Rise." The Heavenly Emperor raised his hand with an irresistible, gentle yet powerful force. "Now that you have achieved the path of a God-King, you should establish your own. What do you wish to do?"

Blood Shadow stood solemnly, his eyes filled with the swirling lightning of destruction: "Reporting to Master, as a newly promoted God King, my primary task is to stabilize my realm and delve into the Great Dao of Destruction. Once my foundation is solid, I wish to seek a treasure land of the Primordial Elements to hone myself and reach an even higher realm."

“The treasure land of the Yuan Dynasty?” Tian Guang was taken aback, then shook his head and said, “The treasure land left behind by the Yuan Dynasty is the foundation of an ancient kingdom. The allocation of its quotas has its own ironclad rules. Even as your master, I cannot overstep the rules.”

Yuan was a super strongman who was countless times more powerful than the ancestor of the ancient kingdom. Every treasure land he left behind possessed super resources enough to support beings who transcended the mortal realm.

For these emperors, they are extremely useful!

Unlike the contribution points established by the ancient kingdoms themselves, which are indeed valuable, as many secret techniques and resources at the ultimate level of God-King and even higher require contribution points to exchange, these so-called contribution points are simply a means for these ancient beings and upper-level figures to hone their skills.

Blood Shadow's heart sank, and he raised his Destruction Eyes, a hint of confusion in his eyes: "Master means... even as a God-King of an ancient kingdom, personally taught by Master, I am not qualified to enter?"

Having thoroughly read the original text, Xueyin naturally knew what the situation was, but he had to feign confusion and ask Emperor Tianguang for clarification, to see if there was any solution.

"It's not that they lack the qualifications, but rather that they need to pay a 'price'." Emperor Tianguang stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky. "The Ancestor taught that the resources left behind by the Yuan Dynasty are the foundation of the ancient kingdom. The royal bloodline, because it maintains the core of the ancient kingdom, has its own quota, which is the responsibility borne by the bloodline. However, those who are not of the royal bloodline and wish to seek the treasures and opportunities of the Yuan Dynasty..."

He paused, his gaze falling on Xue Yin: "There are only two paths."

"First, one must establish a monumental achievement that can shake the fate of the nation and influence the rise and fall of an ancient country. Such an achievement must be so great that it requires the approval of the current ruling emperor before a quota can be granted. This path is as difficult as ascending to heaven and can only be achieved through a war that can turn the tide and save the day."

Everyone wants to achieve great merit, but it's not easy to earn. Throughout history, very few people have obtained a place through this path.

"Secondly," Emperor Tianguang continued, nodding slightly as he saw Xueyin remain silent and unperturbed, "it is a fair exchange. An equivalent, or even greater, contribution or resource is exchanged for an entry slot from an ancient kingdom. The cost of this is beyond the capacity of ordinary god-kings. Even I, as your teacher, if I use resources beyond my own quota for you, must pay an equivalent contribution to the ancient kingdom's 'Divine Firmament Treasury.' This is an ironclad rule established by the Ancestor; those who violate it are considered traitors."

Emperor Tianguang did not say it aloud, but Xueyin understood the implied meaning.

This price was too high; even Emperor Tianguang would find it extremely painful, and it was impossible for him to receive it for nothing. It must be understood that Emperor Tianguang himself had countless offspring to support, a considerable burden.

The room was completely silent.

Immeasurable achievements...

Fair exchange...

Both paths were like abysses looming before him. He was a newcomer to the God-King realm, with shallow foundations. How could he possibly have the power to shake the fate of a nation? Even if the two ancient kingdoms were to wage war now, with his current strength, he would probably only be crushed... After all, those God-Kings who had served for many years were all cunning and shrewd. Who knew what trump cards they had hidden away?

Secondly, where would one find resources comparable to the extraordinary resources of the Yuanzhi Treasure Land? The loan amount of one million contribution points is probably not even a fraction of what is exchanged at this level.

Emperor Tianguang seemed to see through the resentment and disappointment churning in Xueyin's heart, and sighed softly, with a hint of regret at being unable to help: "If you were still in the Chaos Realm..."

A flash of lightning appeared in Xueyin's eyes as he caught the subtle shift in his master's words.

"Perhaps I can offer some advice," Emperor Tianguang's voice carried a hint of reminiscence and helplessness. "The two ancient kingdoms of the Origin Continent meet along a long border where rare treasures of heaven and earth are often born. According to the tacit agreement of the ancient kingdoms, when Chaos Realm cultivators clash, God Kings do not interfere. If you are still in the Chaos Realm, with your strength to contain the Devouring World Thunder Dragon, you are undoubtedly among the top in the Chaos Realm! With the help of your weapons, sweep across the border like locusts, seize all the rare treasures of the Yanfeng region, and force them to become overwhelmed and voluntarily offer up a quota of one of their Yuan Treasure Lands in order to seek peace."

He shook his head slightly, his tone filled with deep regret: "This is an open strategy, a fight based on skill. Within the rules, even the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom can't do anything about it. But... this plan relies on you being at the 'Chaos Realm'! Now..."

Emperor Tianguang's gaze fell upon Xue Yin's undisguised divine king-level life force and destructive aura: "You have already ascended to the realm of a divine king, and the Origin Continent will soon know. If you continue to act as a chaotic realm cultivator, it is tantamount to burying your head in the sand and deceiving yourself. Under the rules, if a divine king dares to set foot on the chaotic realm battlefield, it is tantamount to openly tearing up the tacit agreement between the two ancient kingdoms, which is equivalent to declaring war! This path... is closed!"

Tian Guang's words were like a cold judgment, completely blocking the moves that Luo Feng had used in the original story.

Yes, he is already the King of Gods.

With his identity exposed, he could no longer pretend to be in the Chaos Realm to "reasonably" crush and reap losses.

"All I can do is inform you of the several Yuan-level treasure lands controlled by the ancient kingdom, and the contribution required to exchange for their quotas, so that you have a clear understanding." The Heavenly Light Emperor flicked his sleeve, and a stream of light containing information flowed into the Heavenly Light Token in Xue Yin's hand. Xue Yin's divine sense sank into it, and a series of breathtaking astronomical figures instantly flooded his mind—

Tianyuan: 500 million contribution points are required for exchange.

Territory: Exchange requires 300 million contribution points.

Unlimited Space: Requires 50 million contribution points to redeem.

Five hundred million, three hundred million, fifty million!

Each number struck Xueyin's heart like a heavy hammer. The seemingly enormous "one million contribution points" in the Heavenly Light Token he had just acquired seemed as insignificant as dust in the face of these numbers.

A violent and resentful force, originating from a destructive instinct, roared and surged deep within his bloodline. The muscles beneath his dark gold scales tensed, and even the pulse of his heart became restless.

The Gate to the Void!

A single chance encounter with the Gate of the Void granted him the unparalleled fortune to travel to another world, devour the Blood-Clad Demoness, and ultimately attain the status of God King.

If one could enter another true treasure land of the primordial elements... what a terrifying boost that would be!

How far will his spiritual path progress?
pity.

This seemingly insurmountable stairway to heaven is kept aloft by cold astronomical figures and ironclad rules, remaining shrouded in mist.

Emperor Tianguang... ultimately could not possibly pay this enormous sum of money, which would make even an emperor feel the pinch. He also had a large faction and countless descendants behind him who required massive resources to support them.

"This is reality, you should know it." The voice of Emperor Tianguang pulled Xueyin back from his turbulent emotions. "Stabilize your realm, accumulate merits, and plan slowly. The Yuan Treasure Land cannot be reached overnight."

After speaking, the figure shrouded in light seemed to dissolve into the void, fading away silently, leaving only the faint Daoist aura of thunder permeating the quiet room, and... the indescribable sense of loss in Xue Yin's heart.

The quiet room became completely silent.

Xueyin slowly lowered his head, looking at the Heavenly Light Token mark in his palm, which symbolized supreme status and authority.

In this vast continent of origin, amidst the strict hierarchy and rules of the ancient kingdoms, the newly ascended God-King is still struggling at the 'bottom' of the resource chain. Those astronomical contribution points are like cold chains, binding him tightly.

“The Treasure Land of the Primordial…” He murmured these four words, the chaotic dark golden lightning vortex in his eyes of destruction spinning wildly, filled with a complex light that intertwined the desire for power with the cold powerlessness of reality.

The allure of the Void Realm Gate made him almost unable to resist the temptation of such a top-tier opportunity. Unfortunately, finding a way through the ancient kingdom was unlikely.

……

In an endless territory, somewhere in a spacetime rift, lies the Palace of Two Realms.

This is not the material world, but rather a vast "void" woven from countless flowing starlight and deep void. A magnificent palace, whose form cannot be described in words and which seems to be forcibly pieced together from countless fragments of planes, the Two Realms Palace, a treasure surpassing the ultimate realm of God-King, silently floats in the center of the "void".

Deep within the palace, the indistinct figure of the deputy palace master, "The Traveler," stood before a star map composed of billions of points of light. Each point of light represented a monitored node on the Origin Continent, within which countless streams of information surged like a galaxy.

The moment the destructive phenomenon appeared above Blood Hidden City, a point of light on the star map representing the Blood Hidden City region of the Thunder Ancient Kingdom suddenly burst forth with a dazzling dark golden light, its brightness instantly surpassing countless surrounding stars.

The traveler's black hole-like eyes stared at the bursting point of light. His blurred face seemed expressionless, but the surrounding emptiness grew even deeper and more viscous. He extended a finger and gently touched the dark golden point of light, silently transmitting a thought: "Target has transformed. 'Seed' Project, priority upgraded to 'Shadow' level. You can try to make contact."

Xueyin cultivates the bloodline of the Devouring World Thunder Dragon and has now broken through to the first level of the God King realm. Given time, he is very likely to become a second-level overlord. Although the Vice Palace Master Xingzhe and even the Palace Masters of the Two Realms Palace who just transmitted their thoughts are both God Emperor realm experts, they have been suppressed by the supreme will after descending to this other world. No matter how high their realm is, their actual strength is only equivalent to a troublesome first-level God King.

That's why they can only hide in the shadows.

They need to lure some local strongmen to become their henchmen, to seize resources and gather intelligence for them on the Origin Continent.

……

Originating on the edge of the continent, at the Wanfa Tower.

This is a towering pavilion whose height cannot be measured. It is made up of countless jade slips, books, and ribbons of light that flow with runes, and it exudes a vast and boundless aura of knowledge.

The top floor of the pavilion has no physical form, only countless three-dimensional runes composed of pure information flow, constantly being created, colliding, and evolving.

The information about Blood Shadow was collected, quickly archived, and then transmitted.

Now that the master of Wanfa Tower is not here, no one can make a decision.

……

Amidst the turbulent currents of time and space, a lone boat adrift in the chaos.

A flat boat, its body entirely gray and its shape ancient, seemingly sculpted from frozen spacetime itself, floated silently in the center of a raging torrent powerful enough to tear apart any chaotic realm, remaining unmoved despite being battered by a spacetime storm powerful enough to annihilate stars.

At the bow of the boat, a hunched figure, draped in a tattered gray robe, was quietly fishing. He held no fishing rod, only a faint, almost invisible thread, as if formed from a tributary of the river of time, which dipped into the turbulent currents of time and space below.

The moment the Blood Shadow Breakthrough Dragon Roar's fluctuations reached this place, like a pebble thrown into the river of time, its ripples crossed dimensions—

The gray-robed figure fishing, with his withered, twig-like fingers holding the "fishing line," twitched almost imperceptibly. The chaotic, temporal currents that had been raging and churning the lone boat were strangely calmed by this slight movement, forming a brief, relatively tranquil vortex around it.

At the center of the vortex, a blurry image of the collapsing thunderclouds and soaring dragon shadows above Blood Hidden City was reflected. An indescribable, decaying aura, seemingly from eternity ago, emanated from the gray-robed figure.

“…Roar…” A low, hoarse, inhuman sound came from beneath the gray robe, as if it were chewing on the rhythm of the destructive dragon's roar, “…World-Devouring Thunder Dragon…”

The voice was intermittent, carrying a kind of indifference that had settled over the ages, and... a very faint trace of interest.

The fishing line trembled slightly, and the reflected image shattered and vanished like the moon in the water.

The raging spatial currents instantly returned to normal, crashing against the lone boat even more fiercely. The gray-robed figure fell silent once more, like an ancient, unchanging reef, with only the invisible fishing line still dangling in the boiling abyss of spacetime, awaiting the next ripple that might stir up fate. (End of Chapter)