Swallowed Star: Lord of the Wolf

The five-colored streak of light on the distant horizon was getting closer and closer, and its shape could be clearly seen.

It was a magnificent chariot inlaid entirely with gemstones of five different colors. Nine black Qilin, each exuding a dense, malevolent aura, pulled it from the front. Each Qilin possessed an aura comparable to a top-tier Chaos God, and the combined power of the nine was overwhelming. Layers upon layers of five-colored halos surrounded the chariot, their rotation generating endless, mysterious melodies. Countless celestial music echoed, captivating the listener and drawing them into a state of utter fascination.

Such a grand display and imposing presence clearly demonstrate the extraordinary power and esteemed status of the carriage's owner.

Faced with such a formidable foe, even Bai Yu, with her resolute will, had to admit that her opponent indeed had the capital to be arrogant. She had to be extremely vigilant and cautious to have any chance of overcoming this predicament; otherwise, her fate would be dire and the consequences unpredictable…

The five-colored chariot stopped above the ruins of the Thousand Desires Temple. The nine-headed black Qilin trod through the void, with black lotuses blooming beneath its hooves, exuding a chilling aura of malevolence.

The carriage curtains were not drawn.

But that cold and majestic divine thought had already locked onto Bai Yu, as if an invisible hand had grasped the lifeline of this world.

"Why do you not answer my question?" A cold voice came from inside the carriage, each word accompanied by a strange rhythm, as if it could stir the deepest emotions in the hearts of living beings—not joy, but a kind of instinctive fear and submission.

Karum and the old devil were already prostrate on the ground, not daring to even breathe.

However, to their surprise—

As the carriage's owner, Le Yinshen, swept his divine sense across the white jade, his thoughts raced rapidly.

"The aura of the Blood Robe has completely dissipated... not even a trace of its remnant soul remained." The divine sense of the God of Music Yin covered every corner of the ruins like a finely crafted net. "This newly breakthrough little fellow is quite interesting... Devouring the Great Dao? And he even fused with that fool Blood Robe's 'Joy' authority?"

Le Yin Shen sneered inwardly: "That fool Xueyi has been plotting for countless years, only to have it all go to someone else in the end. But... so be it."

He was indeed somewhat annoyed—the Blood-Clad Demoness was one of his most capable lieutenants, having controlled the Thousand Desires Demon Palace for many years, accumulating vast resources for him, and cultivating numerous spies. Now, her death, so inexplicable, was a significant loss.

But after his divine sense carefully examined Bai Yu's condition... Le Yinshen changed his mind.

“He just broke through to the Yin Heaven God realm… yet his aura is far more stable than that of ordinary newcomers.” Le Yin God silently assessed, “The Devouring Dao is one of the top Daos, revered by the supreme rules, and has enormous potential. Moreover, he was able to perfectly fuse the power of ‘Joy’… This is not something that can be achieved simply by devouring.”

"This child either has had a special encounter... or possesses extraordinary talent and willpower..."

"Either type... they are worth recruiting!"

Thinking of this, Le Yinshen's murderous intent gradually subsided.

In this dog-eat-dog world where the strong rule and the strong are respected, it is certainly a pity for a subordinate to die... but if you can recruit a more promising and stronger being... then you will not only not lose, but you will actually make a huge profit!
How many eras has the Blood-Clad Demoness been trapped at the Half-Step Yin Heaven God level?
I've never been able to truly take that step.

Even if this ceremony succeeds, it will only be a barely passable breakthrough, with limited future achievements.

But this newcomer is different—the combination of the Devouring Great Dao and the Authority of Joy. With such talent and comprehension, once he grows up, he will definitely become a force no less than his, and may even be able to reach a higher realm in the future.

“However…” A glint of light flashed in Le Yinshen’s eyes, “We can’t let him think that recruiting them is too easy. These geniuses are often arrogant and proud. If we don’t first blunt their arrogance… we may find them difficult to control in the future.”

Using both kindness and severity—this is the most effective way to manage the powerful.

Establish authority first!
Show mercy again!
Make the other person understand the differences between you, who is primary and who is secondary. Then extend an olive branch... and the other person will naturally accept it with gratitude.

With this in mind, Le Yinshen formed a plan.

……

On top of the ruins.

The white jade floated silently in the air, its surface shrouded in a slow, dark aura of devouring divine power. A faint pink glow flickered within the pure black singularity mark between its brows.

He did not answer immediately when faced with the oppressive questioning coming from inside the carriage.

He is perceiving... assessing...

The opponent is very strong!

It was so strong that it made him wary, but strangely... the killing intent didn't seem intense? Instead, it had a sense of scrutiny and assessment?

"Could it be..." A thought flashed through Bai Yu's mind, "that the other party isn't here for revenge?"

at this time--

"Hmph! How dare you kill one of my generals and seize his opportunities..." The voice inside the carriage suddenly turned cold, "You have quite the nerve!"

The words have not yet fallen.

Om-! ! !
The five-colored halo around the chariot suddenly accelerated its rotation, and countless mysterious musical pieces exploded!

Visible, five-colored sound waves transformed into tangible blades and swept towards the white jade!

These sound waves were not purely physical attacks—each sound wave contained the power of complex emotions: some were sorrowful, causing grief to the soul; some were angry, inciting violent killing intent; some were fearful, shattering the will to fight… All these emotions intertwined to form an invisible net, aiming to completely trap Bai Yu's mind!

at the same time.

A dazzling pillar of light condensed at the center of the five-colored halo. This pillar of light, which combined the five colors, appeared beautiful and dazzling, yet it emitted destructive fluctuations of power!
Clearly, even a newly ascended Yin Heaven God would suffer severe damage if struck.

Double attack!!
Emotional manipulation combined with physical finishing moves!!

This is a common tactic of the God of Music and Intent—first, use emotional manipulation techniques to distract the opponent and make them reveal a weakness, then defeat or kill them with a thunderous strike.

Over the years, countless powerful figures have fallen victim to this move.

Bai Yu's pupils constricted slightly in response to the sudden attack.

But he did not panic.

"Well done!" A fighting spirit flashed in Bai Yu's eyes. He was just testing the limits of his newly acquired power. He pointed his claw at the air in front of his chest, and the dark devouring core inside his body spun wildly.

Boom——! ! !
Centered on him, a pure black vortex with a diameter of ten thousand feet appeared out of thin air, and from the depths of the vortex, a faint pink hue could be seen flowing, emitting a unique "ecstasy of debauchery" fluctuation!
This was the rudimentary form of the Seven Emotions Devouring Realm that he had just comprehended—although it was only a rudimentary form and far from perfect, it already possessed the dual characteristics of devouring material energy while influencing the emotions of enemies.

The black vortex collided with the sweeping five-colored sound waves.

A miraculous scene unfolded—

The sound waves, imbued with various negative emotions, began to melt away the moment they came into contact with the black vortex, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun. Moreover, the pinkish "Delusion of Joy" waves flowing deep within the vortex spread outwards, eroding and resisting the emotional power contained within the five-colored sound waves!

One against five.

sizzle-

The void emitted eerie sounds, the clash and annihilation of different emotional rules. But could the Yin God's attack be so simple?
Just as the five-colored sound waves were being blocked and dissolved by the black vortex—

The dazzling five-colored beam of light has already descended!
The power contained in this attack caused the surrounding space to collapse and distort, clearly indicating that it had invoked some kind of primordial power!
Bai Yu's expression was solemn. He knew that taking this attack head-on would inevitably injure him... After all, the difference in their cultivation levels was significant, but at this moment there was no way out but to fight with all his might!

"Devouring Heaven and Earth!" Bai Yu shouted, pushing the Devouring Core within his body to its limit. The entire black vortex suddenly contracted inward, condensing into a jet-black beam of light that clashed head-on with the five-colored pillar of light.

This was his ultimate attack, pushing the Devouring Dao to its limit. He abandoned all defenses and concentrated all his power into one point, striving to break through the surface with that point.

It's not a secret technique; it's a pure attack based on the Great Dao.

After all, he had only just broken through, so how could he possibly know the secret techniques and killing moves that devour the Origin Dao?
Two beams of light, one black and one colorful, collided violently in the void.

boom--! ! !
A terrifying energy storm exploded, sweeping in all directions.

The entire ruins of the Thousand Desires Demon Palace were completely reduced to dust, and the surrounding mountains and rivers for tens of thousands of miles were also razed to the ground. All buildings and living beings were annihilated in this attack, without even having time to scream!
Karum and the Old Demon were caught in the aftershocks and were instantly annihilated, their souls turning to dust, utterly dead.

Until their very last breath, they didn't understand why they had been drawn into a battle of this magnitude, becoming insignificant victims... Perhaps this is the tragedy of the weak, not even having the right to watch.

And the collision center—

The jet-black beam of light ultimately failed to completely withstand the five-colored pillar of light, retreating steadily. Clearly, in terms of pure power, Bai Yu was still inferior. After all, he had only just broken through, while his opponent was a seasoned Yin Tian God who had been famous for many years, with profound foundations, making them incomparable.

Just as the five-colored beam of light was about to shatter the black beam and strike the white jade body—

Sudden changes occur.

The five-colored beam of light suddenly dissipated on its own.

As if it had never existed, all the terrifying power instantly subsided, leaving only a few aftershocks lingering in the air...

Bai Yu was taken aback, looking at the carriage in the distance with a look of doubt in her eyes.

A soft laugh came from inside the carriage: "Not bad...not bad at all..."

The voice was no longer cold, but carried a hint of appreciation: "To be able to block half of my power's 'Five Emotions Annihilation Light' with your newfound strength... although you were ultimately no match for it, you can still be proud of yourself..."

Fifty percent of the strength?

Bai Yu was shocked. That attack just now was only half of the opponent's power?! If the opponent had gone all out, wouldn't he have been unable to withstand even a single move?!

Is this the power of a seasoned Yin-Yang God...?

The gap is indeed huge...

But what's strange is why the other party suddenly stopped? And even offered praise?

Just as Bai Yu was on guard—

The carriage curtains were finally slowly drawn back.

A handsome, almost otherworldly young man, dressed in a five-colored robe, sat upright within. He appeared to be only in his early twenties, with strange, multicolored swirling pupils in his eyes that seemed to captivate the soul.

A five-colored lotus mark on his brow slowly rotated, emanating a mysterious and unfathomable Daoist aura.

It was none other than the God of Music and Yin—an ancient being who controlled the five emotions, one of the top powerhouses in this world of origin, whose forces, "The Abyss of Decay," spread throughout the continent of ten thousand demons, wielding immense influence.

The God of Music's gaze fell on Bai Yu, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Now you can give your name, right?" His voice was calm, but tinged with goodwill.

Bai Yu was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Bai Yu".

“Bai Yu…” Yue Yinshen pondered the name and nodded slightly. “A good name, simple and clean. Unlike those old guys who insist on using long, flamboyant names to show off their status…”

He paused, then changed the subject: "You killed Xueyi and stole her opportunity; you should pay with your life..."

Before the words were finished, an invisible pressure descended once more, making Bai Yu's heart tighten as she thought the other party was still going to make a move.

But the next moment——

"...However, I admire your courage and talent." Yue Yin's tone softened. "That fool Xueyi schemed for countless years, only to have it all come to your aid. This is her fate, and also your opportunity. In this world, the law of the jungle is the only truth. She was outmatched and died, so she has no one to blame but herself..."

Hearing this, Bai Yu became even more puzzled; the change in attitude was far too sudden.

As expected, Le Yin's divine intervention shifted again: "I'll give you a choice—"

He extended a finger, its tip shimmering with multicolored light: "First, die here, your soul and spirit annihilated. All your creation vanishes like smoke, and from this world, you will cease to exist..."

Then he extended a second finger.

"Secondly, join my 'Rotten Abyss' and become its second-in-command. You will take over the position of Blood Robe, and all the resources and sphere of influence she originally controlled will be yours. I will also provide you with more supplies. I will guide you in your cultivation and help you go further on the Path of the Seven Emotions..." He dared not speak of the Great Dao of Devouring, after all, he did not know it. But he was very familiar with the Path of the Seven Emotions.

At this point, a profound meaning flashed in Yue Yinshen's eyes: "You should know how to choose." His words contained a hidden threat, yet also offered a great temptation.

To succeed the Blood-Clad Demoness? To control all her resources and power? And to receive guidance on cultivation? For Bai Yu, who had just broken through and urgently needed to consolidate his realm and understand the rules of this world, the temptation was indeed considerable.

But there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Joining another's faction means becoming subject to their control and having to serve and risk one's life for them.

How should I choose?

Bai Yu fell into deep thought...

At this moment, Yueyin Shen seemed to see through his concerns and smiled faintly, "Don't worry. My 'Rotten Abyss' is not an ordinary sect or organization, and it won't impose too many restrictions on you. You only need to fulfill your duties periodically, and you can cultivate freely in the rest of the time. As for the means of control..."

He shook his head: "I disdain using such despicable methods to control my subordinates. If you are truly loyal, you will naturally be so; if you harbor ulterior motives, even forceful control will eventually backfire. What I want are people who can genuinely serve me, not puppets and slaves..."

These words were quite unexpected.

Seemingly sensing Bai Yu's doubt, Le Yinshen continued, "If you don't believe me, you can ask other forces about the reputation of 'Xiuyuan'. I have always been generous to my subordinates, and I never hesitate to reward them for their merits. If Xueyi hadn't been cultivated by me, how could she have reached the half-step Yintian God realm? It's just a pity that her talent is ultimately limited, and she is unlikely to achieve great things..."

This statement is partly true and partly false. The Blood-Clad Demoness was indeed trained by him, but the so-called generous rewards were based on absolute loyalty and enormous contributions. Otherwise, she would have been abandoned long ago and would not have survived to this day...

However, for Bai Yu at this moment, this information was already sufficient. (End of Chapter)