Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 21 The Battle of Geniuses Begins (4700 words, two parts combined)

When Ling Xuan left the secret realm, he had gained a lot. After deducting the entire spiritual essence crystal core, the value of the treasures and various materials he obtained was estimated by Puff to be comparable to that of a powerful peak realm lord. In addition, he also unexpectedly obtained five precious soul-nourishing fruits.

Ling Xuan couldn't wait to consume a Soul-Nourishing Fruit. However, with the blessing of the Heart of the Martial God, he already possessed extraordinary comprehension, and the Soul-Nourishing Fruit did not bring him any significant improvement.

However, Ling Xuan was not surprised, as the previous incident with the Spirit Crystal Core had already given him a general understanding of the treasures in his own secret realm.

"Take it back to my eldest and second eldest sisters; they need it more than I do."

"Puff, let's go back."

"Yes, Master." Little Puff obeyed the order and piloted the spaceship away from the Candle Dragon Secret Realm back to Savage Dragon Star.

When the Crimson Flame landed above the Ling family's residence on Savage Dragon Star, Ling Xue, who was cultivating outside the animal skin tent, looked up curiously.

"Boss, come quick! A big shot has come to our house."

Lingyue lifted the curtain and hurriedly came out to greet them, looking up at them.

This D9-class spaceship is reserved for elders on Manlong Star. As elders and big shots, they have no choice but to come out to greet them.

The hatch opened, and Ling Xuan landed in front of his two older sisters.

"Eldest sister, second sister, I'm back."

"Third brother? Is this your spaceship?" Ling Xue excitedly looked Ling Xuan up and down.

"This was a gift from the temple's envoy, to make it convenient for me to travel between Savage Dragon Star and Candle Dragon Secret Realm. I sometimes go there to train," Ling Xuan explained.

"Wow, little brother's made it big!" Ling Xue exclaimed excitedly. She was naturally lively, and her relationship with her brother had been excellent since childhood, so she naturally wouldn't stand on ceremony with Ling Xuan.

Ling Yue smiled happily as well.

"Sister, look what good stuff I brought back for you."

Ling Xuan took out four Soul-Nourishing Fruits and Spirit-Nourishing Crystal Cores and handed them to the two women.

"What is this? Is it delicious?" Ling Xue asked, looking at the Soul-Nourishing Fruit that emitted a faint, refreshing fragrance.

"Of course it's delicious."

The Soul-Nourishing Fruit isn't a Devil Fruit; there are very few rare and delicious spiritual fruits in the universe.

"Never mind, let's try it first!" She grabbed one and took a bite. The moment the fruit entered her mouth, she felt a jolt.

The parts of the secret techniques I had been practicing that I found obscure immediately became clear.

"This is?"

"Is this the Soul-Nourishing Fruit?" Ling Yue asked, the data already organized on her auxiliary computer.

"One 50 billion cosmic coin?"

Ling Xue looked at the price on the virtual screen and the Soul-Nourishing Fruit in her hand, which had been bitten into.

"Ugh~ One bite of mine costs at least 10 billion universe coins, even if I sold my sister, it wouldn't be enough," Ling Xue wailed.

"Not only that, even if you add up all three generations of our parents, grandparents, and so on, it still wouldn't be enough to cover a fraction of the total," Ling Yue continued to tease.

"It's over~" Ling Xue felt utterly hopeless.

"Haha, it's not that bad. You have a genius younger brother." Ling Xuan burst into laughter upon hearing this, unable to suppress his laughter any longer.

"Third brother, where did you get this?" Ling Yue asked.

"Didn't I say I would often go to the Candle Dragon Secret Realm for training? This is what I brought out from the secret realm, but it's not very useful to me. It's perfect for giving two to each of my two older sisters."

Ling Yue pushed Ling Xuan's hand back, and Ling Xue also wanted to exchange the Soul-Nourishing Fruit she had taken a bite of for her own.

"Even if it's not of much use to you, you can still exchange it for money to buy powerful secret techniques."

"Sister, don't refuse. This fruit can't buy a truly powerful secret technique. You should take it. The clan has already taken care of the secret technique for me." As she spoke, she showed off her top-tier fifth-order primal force weapon.

“This was tailor-made for me by my community.”

"You really gave it to me?" Ling Xue still found it hard to believe. Five hundred billion universe coins were just given to her like that?
Isn't that a bit too extravagant?
When Dad comes back and finds out, will he beat this spendthrift daughter to death?
Where's Mom?
Mixed doubles between husband and wife?

Ling Xue shuddered, but what she had eaten could only be excreted; it was too late to regret it now.

"Sisters, you can eat without worry. I don't need these things now. There will be even more and better things in the future. I don't want to look back after I've reached the top of the universe and find that you're not here with me," Ling Xuan said.

Even a Great Emperor who could cover the heavens for over ten thousand years would feel the desolation of the world, let alone in this eternally lifeless Devouring Starry Sky.

After much persuasion from Ling Xuan, Ling Yue and Ling Xue finally accepted the Soul-Nourishing Fruit.

The spaceship took off again. Ling Xuan stared at the clouds rushing past the porthole and muttered to himself, "Next, I need to continue cultivating the Heaven-Covering Technique. However, to cultivate quickly in the Dragon Transformation Realm, I need the dragon energy of the dragon marrow to assist me. I don't have any dragon marrow."

The Heaven-Covering Technique, as a quick method, is an important reliance for him on his cultivation path, and the cultivation of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm is imminent.

However, even in the relatively barren world of Shrouding the Heavens, dragon marrow is not considered precious. In this vast and boundless universe, one can surely find a substitute treasure.

"Puff, go to the Cosmic Galaxy Bank in Dragon City and open an account. Sell all our spoils." Ling Xuan gave the order decisively.

The account opening process went surprisingly smoothly. After Ling Xuan consigned his spoils, worth 10 Mixed Yuan Units, he finally reached the threshold of a three-star customer and had his own account.

He then immediately instructed Puff to search the virtual universe for cultivation treasures that could replace dragon marrow.

As he expected, the search results showed that he had collected all the alternatives for just over three million cosmic coins, which was cheaper than buying an E-grade nutrient capsule. The main reason was that Ling Xuan had bought almost all raw materials, with no processing fees.

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the past decade, Ling Xuan's life has been regular and fulfilling.

During the day, he focused on comprehending the secret patterns of the divine bird of fire law and the matching secret techniques of the Fire God's Absolute Domain Blade in the temple; at night, he immersed himself in the Dao essence of the Void Mirror, studying the "Void Scripture" with great care, and exploring the ultimate truth in the obscure text.

In his spare time, he would go to the Candle Dragon Secret Realm to "purchase goods".

Although the temple messengers and the guardians of the Candle Dragon Secret Realm were fully aware of this, they all turned a blind eye.

After all, although the treasures in the Candle Dragon Secret Realm are the main source of wealth for the Candle Dragon Clan, Ling Xuan, as the most outstanding genius in the clan, crossed the threshold of the Flame Law in the second year, which is entirely worth the investment.

Moreover, the resources he could take away were just a drop in the ocean.

In order not to hinder the development of this genius, they simply acquiesced to his actions.

Over the past decade, Ling Xuan's cultivation achievements have been remarkable.

In the second year, he successfully crossed the threshold of the Flame Law and received personal guidance from the Savage Dragon Marquis, who bestowed upon him the spatial law movement technique "Wandering Dragon" and the soul defense technique "Soul-Suppressing Cauldron." In the third year, he comprehended the "Void Scripture" and grasped a trace of the spatial law. In the fifth year, he officially stepped into the threshold of the spatial law. By the ninth year, his spatial law had been cultivated to a terrifying level, enabling him to unleash hundreds of illusory bodies. He had also cultivated the "Wandering Dragon" movement technique to the third level, Dragon Battle in the Wilderness, and the "Soul-Suppressing Cauldron" to the third level. It could be said that a stellar-level soul attack was almost impossible to harm him.

The cultivation of the Heaven-Covering Technique proceeded step by step, steadily and without the slightest slackening.

However, among the many cultivation methods, the cultivation of the Fire God's Absolute Domain Blade Secret Technique is of paramount importance.

The Vulcan Blade is comparable in value to the Nine Divine Weapons.

Although there are many types of martial arts weapons and no precise ranking like the Great Divine Weapons, it is undoubtedly the top among fifth-tier Force weapons.

Its accompanying secret techniques are also divided into nine levels, each level representing a higher realm. The first level is "The First Bloom of the Flame Blade":
It is quite difficult for a stellar-level martial artist to perform.

The user must precisely control the combination of the primal force within their body and the power of the fire law in order to unleash the true power of this move, making it virtually invincible at the stellar level.

The second level of "Burning Wave Horizontal Slash":
As the blade swept across, flames surged like waves, forming a flame curtain a hundred meters wide.

Wherever the flames passed, the air twisted into charred vortexes, capable of both suppressing large groups and melting enemy weapons with high temperatures.

When unleashed, the flames on the blade surged and roared, sweeping towards the opponent like a raging sea.

Each wave of fire carries a powerful impact, capable of burning not only the surface of the opponent's body but also damaging their internal organs.

It is inspired by the endless waves, signifying a continuous and unending offensive.

The third level, "Blade Domain Whirlwind Kill": A cosmic-level expert swings his blade and spins, the arc drawn by the blade transforming into three afterimages.

The phantoms intertwine to form a net, which can be used to strangle opponents when advancing or to form a defensive barrier when retreating, trapping enemies within the range of the blade's power and strangling them.

The fourth level of "sun-piercing slash":
When the blade falls, it's like the sky collapsing; it can split mountains and cleave seas, making it virtually invincible within the universe.

The fifth level, "Sky-Splitting Moon Cleave": With a trembling blade, three arc-shaped blade energies are slashed out at an extremely fast speed.

Wherever the blade energy passed, ripples spread through the space, and the wounds of those struck felt as if they were being repeatedly cut by invisible blades, making healing difficult.

The sixth level, "Imprisoning Dragons and Binding Tigers," features a continuous barrage of sword strikes, with each strike connected to the previous one, forming a cage of sword light.

If those trapped attempt to break through, they will run into an impenetrable net of blades and be torn apart.

The seventh level, "Meteor Fall": The peak Realm Lord leaps up with all his might, raises his three-pointed double-edged sword, and smashes it down from above.

Upon impact, the ground within a radius of thousands of kilometers collapses, and the resulting shockwave can overturn all obstacles.

The eighth level, "All Things Return to the Blade," integrates the body's strength and understanding of the laws into the sword technique, instantly unleashing thousands of sword shadows.

These seemingly chaotic sword shadows actually contain hidden trajectories, eventually converging into a deadly slash that leaves the opponent with no way to avoid it.

The ninth level, "Godfall Strike": A strike delivered with a return to simplicity. This strike may seem simple, but it contains the ultimate understanding of power and martial arts. Wherever the blade's light reaches, everything will be severed. Even immortal powerhouses must be cautious in dealing with it.

Over the past ten years, Ling Xuan has successfully mastered the second level of the Burning Wave Horizontal Slash.

On this day, Ling Xuan was honing his skills in the killing arena when suddenly, the sky of the virtual universe cracked open, and an enormous black ranking list appeared in the sky.

The edges of the notice emitted a mysterious light. It was pitch black, but the characters on it shone with a dazzling white light, making it eye-catching and majestic.

"Humanity in the Universe - Battle of Peak Geniuses"

"Once in a million years!"

"Coming soon!"

"This event is jointly organized by the Giant Axe Arena and all the cosmic nations!"

"Are you a genius? Can't find an opponent at the same level? Then join the 'Peak Genius Battle'. Here, there will be a fierce battle between billions of geniuses from many cosmic countries in the entire universe!"

"For details, please visit the official website of the 'Virtual Universe Network' through the virtual assistant."

……

Within the virtual universe continent where the Qianwu Universe Kingdom and the Qianwu Secret Realm are located.

The greatest being in the Qianwu Universe Kingdom, the Qianwu King, is summoning all the stellar-level geniuses he has nurtured for a reprimand.

"Listen up, all of you. In this battle of geniuses, you must secure at least half of the top 1,000 spots for the Qianwu Universe Kingdom, and at least one spot in the overall top 1,000 for the entire universe. Don't disgrace the Qianwu Universe Kingdom."

Below, countless stellar-level geniuses trembled in fear, while others were filled with pride, thinking that the king was making a fuss over nothing. The top 1,000 rankings were a piece of cake.
Ling Xuan stared at the notice on the sky, his heart pounding, his eyes gleaming with fervent light: "It's finally here!"

The Barbarian Dragon Marquis, who was in charge of guiding Ling Xuan, was also trembling with excitement. He clenched his fists and muttered to himself, "This year, my Candle Dragon Clan is destined to make a name for itself!"

With Ling Xuan's astonishing strength of being able to create hundreds of illusions at the Stellar level, he could almost certainly hold the top spot in this battle of geniuses, unless he encountered a top-tier human genius who only appears once every tens of millions of epochs.

But in the long river of time, how could an era possibly give birth to two such extraordinary geniuses at the same time?

The answer is obviously no.

"Register! Quickly get that brat to register! Don't let him miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Marquis Manlong was extremely anxious, pacing back and forth in the virtual universe, his eyes fixed on the registration interface for the Genius Battle, as if afraid of missing any crucial information.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become famous throughout the universe, and it must not be missed.

"You brat, what are you dawdling for? Hurry up and register!" The Barbarian Dragon Marquis arrived in the virtual universe and rushed to Ling Xuan's side. Seeing that the boy was still staring blankly at the sky, he immediately stepped forward and made a move to register him for him personally.

Ling Xuan smiled. He just wanted to see how fast the number could jump. "Puff, sign me up. It's time for the whole universe to know my name."

"Yes, Master, let's shine together in this universe!" Puff's voice was also filled with excitement as her fingers flew across the virtual keyboard, instantly submitting Ling Xuan's information.

At this time, the number of applicants for the Qianwu Universe Kingdom had surged past 20 billion, and this number was still climbing at an astonishing rate, demonstrating the enormous influence of the Genius Battle throughout the universe.

"Young man, with your strength, securing a top-ten finish in the Genius Battle will be a piece of cake. If nothing unexpected happens, reaching the top spot won't be difficult either. But you must remember, you absolutely cannot be careless in the slightest. This is a grand event watched by all of humanity in the universe. If you were to slip up unexpectedly, you would be humiliated in front of the entire universe." The Barbarian Dragon Marquis solemnly warned Ling Xuan with earnest words.

Ling Xuan straightened his chest slightly and solemnly replied, "Don't worry, Ancestor. The Candle Dragon Clan only has brave warriors who die in battle, and there are absolutely no reckless fools who are careless."

"Yes, go ahead. As long as you can win first place in the Genius Battle, the clan will definitely present you with a rare treasure." Marquis Manlong nodded with satisfaction, his smile growing even wider.

"Hmm?" Just then, as if he had received some important news, the Marquis of Barbarian Dragons' eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Come with me. The Ancestor said he would personally instruct you in the laws of fire and space."

After saying that, he grabbed Ling Xuan and started teleportation in the virtual universe.

In an instant, a flash of light appeared, and the two of them appeared before a massive, magnificent island shrouded in mist.

"This is Tianzhou Island of the Giant Axe Arena. All the immortal powerhouses belonging to the Giant Axe Arena reside here in the virtual universe. Our ancestor's location in the real world is beyond our current capabilities, but in this virtual universe, we can visit him at any time." As he explained, Marquis Manlong led Ling Xuan toward a simple and ancient-looking temple exuding a mysterious aura at the foot of the mountain.

Upon arriving at the temple gate, one sees two powerful, universal characters inscribed above it: "Zhulong".

"When you go in and meet the Ancestor, you must be extremely polite in your words and actions, understand?" Marquis Manlong instructed again, his expression full of awe.

"Yes." Ling Xuan nodded vigorously, his heart filled with curiosity and respect for the Candle Dragon King, who had existed for countless epochs and could be considered a living fossil of humanity.

The barbarian dragon stood quietly in front of the temple for a moment.

A moment later, the temple doors slowly opened automatically, emitting a dull creaking sound.

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, the two stepped inside one after the other.

After walking along the long corridor for a short while, they saw the Candle Dragon King waiting quietly in a spacious palace.

The Candle Dragon King before them was a robust, red-haired old man whose red hair was like a burning flame, wildly unrestrained.

However, his aura was unusually restrained, and one could not sense the terrifying pressure that a powerful king should have. He was just like an ordinary old man next door.

It has a completely different style from its rugged appearance.

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(End of this chapter)