Swallowed Star: Lord of the Wolf

"Baiyu, wake up."

Bai Yu, who was still in seclusion in the quiet room, was suddenly awakened. The token at his waist vibrated slightly, and the voice of the Blood Burning Yin God came from it. This voice no longer carried the usual composure of having everything under control, but instead revealed a rare solemnity and urgency.

Bai Yu's mind sharpened, and he immediately ended his cultivation, probing the token with his mind: "Burning Blood, has anything changed?"

"Something has happened in Shenxinghai." The voice of the Burning Blood Yin God was concise. "The Joyful Yin God is currently fighting with Qingmingzi of the Myriad Transformations Sword Sect and Kalemir of the Holy Radiance Palace. The situation... is not good. You must immediately leave seclusion and go to the Blood Corpse Palace to meet with the Soul Yin God and prepare reinforcements."

The situation isn't good?
Bai Yu was shocked.

He was well aware of the strength of the Yin God of Joy. Although he was only at the first level, the Seven Emotions Dao was unpredictable and particularly adept at defeating the strong with the weak and seizing victory in chaos. Ordinary first-level cultivators were no match for him. Now, the Yin God of Burning Blood was describing the situation as "not good," and even needed to urgently mobilize him and the Yin God of Souls to provide reinforcements... The opponent was coming with great force.

"Alright!" Bai Yu didn't dare to delay for a moment and immediately got up. The stone door of the quiet room slid open silently, and he took a step out. His figure was already millions of miles away, rushing towards the majestic temple in the core area of ​​the Ten Thousand Demons Continent that was shrouded in blood-red skeleton phantoms all year round.

As he flew away, his mind raced.

"The Myriad Transformations Sword Sect and the Holy Radiance Palace... have actually launched an attack on the Myriad Demon Continent at the same time? They've even dispatched combat power at the Yin Heaven God level to penetrate deep into the Sunken Star Sea..." Bai Yu frowned deeply. In his understanding, although these two sides were both top forces in the Light Faction, they were not a united front and each had their own calculations.

Now they've actually joined forces, and their target is the Starfall Sea, one of the three most dangerous places on the Demon Continent...

"My strength is indeed quite good now, at least enough to qualify me to dominate a region, but if the opponent is too strong and things become unmanageable, I should prioritize preserving myself," Bai Yu thought to himself.

The previous anomaly of his cheat ability brought him immense benefits; a mere wisp of demonic energy made his physical body comparable to the second level of the God King realm… No one knew if there was more demonic energy in the ancient well of demonic origin, so as long as there was a sliver of possibility, he would not abandon the Myriad Demon Continent to save himself.

Meanwhile, beneath the continent of ten thousand demons, in that molten sea space composed entirely of boiling lava.

The true form of the Blood-Burning Yin God sat enthroned on his throne. His face was shrouded in a hazy orange-red mist, except for his eyes, which shone with a profound light, like two floating blood-red stars.

His gaze, piercing through the water mirror and into endless space, was "watching" the battle above the Sea of ​​Sinking Stars.

Seeing the Seven Emotions Domain of the God of Joyful Yin being continuously stripped away by Qingmingzi's sword intent, seeing Kalemir's holy light purifying the power of the Seven Emotions like scorching snow under the blazing sun, seeing the God of Joyful Yin being forced to use the Seven Emotions to possess his body and even trying to detonate the origin of the domain... the God of Burning Blood's eyes grew colder and colder.

"Qingmingzi... Kalemir..." he murmured the two names, his voice rippling through the sea of ​​lava. "The old man behind you is really willing to spend a lot this time. Does he really think my Ten Thousand Demon Continent is made of clay?"

In the eyes of the Blood-Burning Yin God, this expansion of the territory was quite unusual!
Throughout countless ages, the Demon Continent had interacted with these two neighboring forces. While both seemingly belonged to the 'Order' camp, friction and discord existed between them, and they had never been so united. More often, the Myriad Transformation Sword Sect and the Holy Radiance Palace joined forces to suppress the Demon Continent, vying for power and creating a three-way power struggle. Sometimes, these two forces would even secretly collude with the Demon Continent to sabotage each other!
This time, after only a few thousand years of testing, he directly fell to the level of Yin Tian God... His determination to wipe out the Myriad Demon Continent made the Burning Blood Yin God somewhat uneasy.

The old fogies behind the Myriad Transformations Sword Sect and the Holy Radiance Palace must have reached some kind of agreement to join forces and divide up the Myriad Demon Continent!

Wow~~~~
Another water mirror appeared, and in it, Soul Yin God and White Jade tore open a spatial passage and disappeared into the sky above the Myriad Demon Continent. The blood-red light in the eyes of Burning Blood Yin God stabilized slightly. With the reinforcement of two Yin Heaven Gods, even if they could not repel the powerful enemy, they could at least stabilize the battle line in the Sinking Star Sea and prevent Le Yin God from really perishing there.

But... that's not enough.

The other party's determination and ability to act far exceeded expectations.

The fact that the Myriad Transformations Sword Sect and the Holy Radiance Palace were willing to invest so much power for just a piece of the Sunken Star Sea, and even seemed to be forming a joint attack, made the Blood Burning Yin God sense a deeper crisis.

“There must be an even bigger scheme behind this.” He stroked the armrest of the throne, the touch of which was like warm crystal, with dark golden blood flowing inside. “If the old fogies behind them are really determined to join forces… our Ten Thousand Demon Continent alone definitely cannot withstand it.”

Although he was confident in his strength, he was also aware that Duan Qing, the invincible sword god of the Myriad Transformations Sword Sect, and Archbishop Radiant of the Holy Radiance Hall were both renowned and unfathomably powerful Yin Heaven Gods.

If these two were to personally intervene, or even join forces... the situation would completely spiral out of control.

Not to mention, behind the Holy Radiance Hall is a 'Great God of Light', a god of great divine power.

Therefore, the Continent of Ten Thousand Demons needs more trump cards and stronger external support!

The Blood-Burning Yin God remained silent for a moment, then reached into his robes. His fingertips touched a cold metal token with strange patterns. The token was heavy in his hand, made of neither gold nor jade, and had slight wear on its edges, clearly having been handled countless times.

On the front of the token is engraved a magnificent peak shrouded in mist, with the outline of a palace faintly visible atop it. Below are two ancient yet profoundly Taoist characters—

"Yun Huan".

On the back is a line of even smaller characters, as if carved with finger strength: "Presented to my old friend Xue Luo. If you ever encounter difficulties in the future, take this token to the 'Yun Huan Dao Alliance,' and I will certainly help you. —Master Xuanji."

Master Xuanji...

A rare hint of reminiscence and gentleness flickered in the blood-red eyes of the Burning Blood Yin God.

That was a very, very long time ago.

At that time, he was not yet known as "Burning Blood," but was merely a chaotic god-demon who traveled in the central part of the Origin World, of humble origin but ambitious, and called himself "Blood Luo."

During a chaotic battle for the opportunity of an ancient ruin, he encountered a young Taoist priest who was also traveling alone, heavily injured, yet whose eyes still shone brightly like stars. The Taoist priest called himself "Xuanji," and came from a reclusive sect called "Yunhuan Dao Alliance." His cultivation was only at the third level of the Chaos God realm, but with his exquisite array formations and puppetry skills, he cooperated with him in the perilous ruins, carving out a bloody path and ultimately sharing the opportunity.

Moreover, the two are remarkably compatible in temperament—both are willing to use any means to achieve their goals, yet they share a rare sincerity and commitment to those they consider "like-minded."

So they traveled together, venturing into secret realms, exploring ancient ruins, seizing treasures, and even joining forces to scheme against some renowned experts.

For hundreds of millions of years, we have fought side by side, sharing life and death.

They had both shielded each other from fatal blows and had both entrusted their backs to each other without reservation.

At that time, although Xuanji possessed exceptional talent, his strength was always inferior to Xuanji's. Whenever they encountered powerful enemies, it was usually Fenxue (Xueluo) who charged ahead, while Xuanji provided support with array puppets. Back then, Xuanji had jokingly said, "Xuanji, with your skills, if it weren't for a brave warrior like me carrying the load, you'd probably have been torn to pieces long ago." Xuanji simply smiled gently, "So, isn't that why I'm relying on Brother Xueluo?"

However, fate is unpredictable.

During an exploration of a secret realm suspected to be left behind by a powerful being from beyond the realm, they encountered an unprecedented crisis. In their struggle to escape, they nearly burned their very essence, sustaining severe injuries and teetering on the brink of death. However, by sheer chance, Xuanji unexpectedly triggered the core of the secret realm in their dire situation, obtaining its true inheritance—a puppetry Daoist manual entirely different from their own world, perfectly suited to Xuanji's needs!
Since then, Xuanji's cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, and he has forged an unprecedented path in the art of puppetry.

He returned to the Cloud Realm Dao Alliance and went into seclusion to cultivate. When he reappeared, he had already achieved the position of Great Heavenly God (Third Level of God King), and with his supreme puppetry skills, he unified the Dao Alliance, becoming a powerful figure who ruled over a region!

As for Burning Blood, although he also gained some benefits, his cultivation improved after his injuries recovered, and he eventually broke through to the Yin Heaven God level. He then established a foundation in the chaotic land of the Ten Thousand Demons Continent and became a regional overlord.

But compared to his old friends, the gap is now as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.

Master Xuanji once personally came to the Continent of Ten Thousand Demons, intending to invite him to join the Cloud Realm Alliance and share the Great Dao. But Burning Blood... refused.

He had his pride and the foundation he had built. He did not want to live under the wings of his old friends, nor did he want to be seen as a dependent.

Call him stupid or pedantic, but that's just who Fenxue is.

In the end, before leaving, Master Xuanji left behind this token, saying only, "This token will live on forever. I, Xuanji, will always have you as a friend."

Since then, the two have had less and less contact.

Burning Blood knew that this was his deliberate distancing. Occasionally, he would hear that the name of Master Xuanji resounded throughout the central part of the Origin World, and that the power of the Cloud Alliance was growing ever stronger. Although he felt a pang of regret, he became even more determined to walk his own path.

As the endless years passed, he treasured the token but never used it.

today……

As the Blood God of Yin watched the increasingly fierce battle in the water mirror, the Soul God of Yin's Soul Sky Canopy and the newly revealed White Jade Devouring Vortex had temporarily repelled the sharpness of Qingmingzi and Kalemir, but there were still many powerful opponents who had not yet appeared, so he was still able to handle the situation with ease.

He took a deep breath, and the orange-red steam churning in the lava space condensed slightly.

He slowly channeled his divine sense into the cold "Cloud Token" in his hand.

hum...

On the surface of the token, the cloud-shrouded mountain pattern seemed to come alive, the clouds began to swirl, and the palaces on the mountain peaks emitted a hazy, clear light.

A peaceful, gentle voice, seemingly devoid of any worldly concerns yet containing an indescribable profound Daoist wisdom, resounded directly deep within his soul:
"Blood Luo?"

There was a very subtle hint of surprise in his voice, and... a sense of familiarity that had been touched again after being buried by the dust of time.

The Blood-Burning Yin God was silent for a moment before responding with his divine sense. His voice, unusually devoid of its usual coldness and domineering tone, was now tinged with a deep sigh: "Xuanji... is me."

"...It's been a long time." The voice paused, as if calming some emotion. "Counting from the last time we parted, it has been 307.2 billion epochs, hasn't it? Is there some difficulty in using this command today?"

"Yes." Burning Blood didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "The Myriad Transformations Sword Sect and the Holy Radiance Palace have joined forces and are attacking the Sinking Star Sea of ​​my Myriad Demon Continent. Not many of the enemies have met their end, but we have sent everyone on our side except for myself. Unfortunately, the situation... is still tense. I suspect that they may have a bigger scheme behind them, not just a simple battle between realms."

“The Myriad Transformations Sword Sect… the Holy Radiance Palace…” Master Xuanji’s voice was thoughtful. As a major demonic force, he was naturally familiar with righteous forces of this level. “Although these two belong to the ‘Order’, they have always been outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds. It is indeed unusual that they can be so united. That Great God of Light is a troublesome character.”

"So, I want to ask you... for help." When Fen Xue said these words, he felt a slight unease in his soul. Proud as he was, he would never have uttered these words unless forced by circumstances.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the token.

The silence made Fenxue's heart tighten, followed by a self-deprecating smile. Yes, he had been estranged from the other person for countless years, only to think of asking for help now that he was in trouble... If he were in that situation, he probably would have hesitated too.

However, Master Xuanji's voice rang out again, still calm, but with an undeniable decisiveness: "Why be so formal between us? Our past friendship cannot be easily erased by time. Since you have asked, I will naturally help you."

Burning Blood's mind jolted.

"I will set off immediately to restrain the Great God of Light and prevent him from intervening," Master Xuanji continued.

Burning Blood felt a jolt in his heart, a silent emotion stirring within him.

"Although I myself cannot participate, among the secret realm inheritances I obtained back then, besides the secret manuals, there was also a..." Master Xuanji's voice carried a strange sense of emotion, "...'Heavenly Puppet'."

"Heavenly Puppet?" Burning Blood asked in confusion.

"That was a puppet of unknown origin, probably not from this world. Its crafting techniques and core drive were completely different from any materials I knew. I spent countless efforts and resources, but I could not replicate it, and could only barely repair it," Master Xuanji explained. "Although it has no life, it possesses near-perfect combat instincts. The sturdiness of its materials, the vastness of its power, its adaptability to the laws, and its destructive power... are absolutely invincible below the Great Gods."

"Even when facing the existence of a great god, thanks to its special material and structure, it can hold its own for a while, and at least it will not be easily destroyed."

Burning Blood gasped.

Absolutely invincible below the Great God? What a terrifying puppet this is!
“This celestial puppet possesses a spirit, and I will name it ‘Shu’,” said Master Xuanji. “I will immediately activate an ultra-long-distance teleportation array to send it to the outer edge of the Myriad Demon Continent. It will obey your commands. But remember, although this puppet is powerful, it also consumes a great deal of energy, and its independent consciousness is quite proud. Do not treat it as an inanimate object.”

"Understood!" A fierce light shone in Burning Blood's eyes. "Mystery... Thank you!" (End of Chapter)