Devouring Star Heart: Illusionary Demon Lord

The Flame Palace transformed into a streak of crimson-gold light, breaking through layers of chaotic dark cosmic spacetime turbulence.

The illusory flame clone sat upright in the main hall of the Flame Heaven Palace, its divine sense spreading to its limit. Following the guidance of the Light and Time Beast God Inheritance Ring, it captured that faint but firm aura of the Light and Time Law in the boundless spacetime turbulence—that was the location of the secret realm.

Three years later, in an extremely remote location in the primordial universe, the Flame Palace suddenly broke out from the dark universe. This was a forbidden zone for life in the primordial universe, a desolate and uninhabited star belt.

It took half a month to finally sense spatial fluctuations in a void region of the Shattered Star Belt. If it weren't for the guidance of the Inheritance Ring, even the Lord of the Universe would have had difficulty detecting its presence.

"This is it." A glint flashed in the eyes of the illusory flame clone, and the Flame Heaven Palace suddenly stopped. The flames and spatial energy around him surged, transforming into a huge Flame Sky Blade, which fiercely cleaved towards the seemingly empty void.

With a deafening roar, the giant blade crashed into the invisible barrier, stirring up ripples of light across the sky. Fine silver and gold patterns appeared on the surface of the barrier, a defense formed by the interwoven laws of light and time. Each pattern contained ancient and immense power, resisting the impact of the Fiery Sky Giant Blade.

The illusory flame clone was not surprised. The inheritance ring was a relic left behind by the Beast God of Light and Time, so it could naturally unlock the entrance to the secret realm. He took out the ancient silver ring and poured his spiritual power into it. The ring instantly burst out with a dazzling silver-white light, shooting straight at the barrier in front of him.

The moment the beam of light made contact with the barrier, the originally solid barrier of laws slowly dissipated like melting ice and snow, revealing a circular entrance with a diameter of about 100 feet.

Inside the entrance, a dense, impenetrable mist of light and time lingered. Within the mist, the vague outlines of heaven and earth could be vaguely seen. An ancient, vast, and pure aura of the laws of light and time surged out from the entrance and rushed towards us.

This aura was completely different from the Light and Time Law that Wu Qingfeng had previously comprehended. The heat and purity of the Light Law and the profundity and remoteness of the Time Law were perfectly intertwined without any conflict. Instead, they formed a strange yet harmonious rhythm. Wu Qingfeng's understanding of the laws was subtly touched, and the power of the world within his body trembled slightly.

"Such a rich concentration of the Law of Light and Time! There must be the core of the Light and Time Beast God's inheritance within this secret realm." The Void Flame Avatar felt increasingly intense. It put away the Flame Heaven Palace, and with a flash, it transformed into a stream of light, rushing straight into the entrance of the secret realm.

The moment the illusory flame clone passed through the entrance, it felt a blur before its eyes, and the spacetime around it seemed to be distorted. The chaotic spacetime turbulence completely disappeared, replaced by a tranquil and magnificent world—this was the inheritance secret realm of the Light and Time Beast God, an independent space completely shrouded by the laws of light and time, far purer than the cultivation area of ​​Chaos City, and the speed at which one could comprehend the laws of light and time fusion could be increased several times.

He slowly opened his eyes, carefully examining this secret realm. Everywhere his gaze fell, there were breathtaking sights.

The sky of the secret realm is not the azure or pitch black of the primordial universe, but a sky interwoven with seven colors and silver-white. The seven colors represent the pure laws of light, and the silver-white represents the profound laws of time. The two colors flow and blend together, forming a dazzling fusion of light and time, which slowly falls down, turning into fine rain of light, shimmering with a soft yet dazzling light.

In the distance, countless majestic peaks stand tall, their entire bodies sculpted from light-time crystals. The surfaces of the peaks are engraved with dense light-time runes, which exude a powerful aura of law as they flow. At the summits, the outlines of ancient palaces can be faintly seen, covered by a thin layer of mist, revealing their mystery and solemnity.

Within the secret realm, there are no ordinary flowers, grasses, or trees. Instead, there are various strange plants—some shaped like coral, entirely crimson, burning with faint light and fire, with time-like patterns flowing on their leaves, radiating intense light energy; others shaped like vines, entirely silver-white, twining around the peaks of Light and Time, their writhing distorting the surrounding spacetime, creating subtle ripples of time; still others shaped like crystals, rooted beneath the crystallized ground of Light and Time, with a small flower of Light and Time blooming at their tip. Each time it blooms, it releases a wisp of pure fragment of the Laws of Light and Time, which, when inhaled, can greatly enhance the speed of comprehending the Laws of Light and Time.

In the center of the secret realm, there is a long, winding river. The river water is not an ordinary liquid, but is formed by the condensation of pure light and time energy, presenting a golden and white color. The speed of the river flow is sometimes fast and sometimes slow, sometimes as turbulent as thunder, sometimes as slow as still water, containing endless rhythms of time. When it flows fast, it seems to make people feel the passage of time and age hundreds of years in an instant; when it flows slowly, it seems to make people freeze time and feel the tranquility of the years.

Countless bubbles of light float on the long river. Within these bubbles, one can vaguely see ancient scenes, fragments of the Light Beast God's cultivation and battles. However, the bubbles are extremely fragile and will shatter and dissipate into the air at the slightest touch.

Countless tiny particles of light and time float in the air. These particles are the essence condensed from the laws of light and time. Inhaling them can purify the divine body and enhance the strength of the soul.

The illusory flame clone took a deep breath, and countless particles of light and time surged into his body, flowing along his meridians to nourish his Fire Void Divine Body. At the same time, his divine sense was also rapidly absorbing the surrounding light and time law aura, and his understanding of the light and time law in his mind was also slowly deepening. Although he mainly cultivated the Fire Void Fusion Law, the wills of his several clones were the same, and their understanding of the law and their comprehension were interconnected.

Just as the illusory flame clone was immersed in the aura of the secret realm's laws, a faint aura entered his perception range. Within the aura, there was an fluctuation of immortal-level divine power. Although it was faint, it carried a trace of vigilance and hostility.

The illusory flame clone instantly calmed his mind, his mental energy quietly spreading out as he cautiously probed the source of the aura to avoid alerting the enemy. His purpose in coming here was to obtain the inheritance of the Light-Time Beast God, not to be an enemy of the forces in the secret realm. However, if the other party took the initiative to provoke him, he would not hesitate to act decisively.

With the spread of mental power, the illusory flame clone quickly discovered the owner of the aura—a team of about ten short, silver-white beings, each about one meter tall. Their bodies were composed of countless tiny grains of light-time sand, their heads were round, and they had no obvious facial features, only a pair of eyes that shimmered with silver-white light. They were surrounded by faint fluctuations of the laws of time, and they held weapons made of light-time crystals. They were patrolling along the banks of the River of Light-Time, their expressions vigilant, their eyes constantly scanning the surrounding environment.

"This must be the race that lives in the secret realm." Xu Yan's clone thought to himself, and then used his innate secret technique "Void Domain" to merge into the void. He followed the team for more than half a month to understand the general situation of the entire secret realm space.

Within the secret realm, there isn't just one race, but six different races, each possessing strength at the Immortal level, with two races boasting Venerable-level experts. The number of people in each race ranges from hundreds of thousands to millions, with the strongest race residing at the entrance of the Inheritance Palace, consisting of only a few dozen individuals. Each of the six races occupies a region within the secret realm, their boundaries clearly defined yet maintaining a delicate balance.

The first group he discovered was composed of light-time sand, and it was called the "Time Sand Clan".

The members of the Time Sand Clan are short in stature and skilled at manipulating time sand. They can unleash abilities such as time slowing down and time acceleration. Their combat strength leans towards support and control. The strongest member of the clan is the Invincible Immortal King, who is also the clan leader. He wields a top-tier treasured longsword that can manipulate time sand. The clan numbers over five million and guards the lower reaches of the River of Light and Time.

The second race inhabits the mountainside of Mount Guangshi. The members of the race are tall and red, with their bodies burning with intense light and fire. Their heads are flame-shaped, their limbs are thick, and they wield light blades. They are skilled in light-based attacks and have formidable combat power. The race is small, numbering only a few hundred thousand, and is called the "Flame Light Clan".

The members of the Flamelight Clan are known for their volatile tempers and extreme aggression. The strongest member of the clan is the Invincible Immortal King, who is also the clan leader. The Flamelight Clan possesses a powerful light-based innate secret technique, which is responsible for guarding the mountainside area of ​​Lighttime Peak and preventing outsiders from approaching the palace at the summit.

The third race lives in seclusion in the Forest of Light on the edge of the secret realm. The members of the race are slender and transparent, able to blend into the light-time mist. They are skilled in stealth and assassination, and hold long, thin threads of light-time in their hands, which can cut through space. They are called the "Light Concealment Clan".

The members of the Light Shadow Clan are solitary and dislike fighting, but they are extremely vigilant. Once they discover outsiders, they will secretly launch an assassination. The strongest member of the clan is also a King-level Immortal, an elder of the Light Shadow Clan, who is skilled in assassination and is responsible for guarding the edge of the secret realm.

The fourth race resides in the center of the River of Light and Time. Its members are fish-shaped, with their bodies being gold and white. They can move freely in the River of Light and Time, manipulating the water to launch attacks. They are skilled in the laws of water and light and are called the "River of Light Clan". They are also the largest race among the six races, with a population of over seven million.

The members of the Light River Clan possess exceptional water-based magical abilities, doubling their combat power within the River of Light and Time. The strongest member of the Light River Clan is the Great Elder, whose strength is at the King-level, invincible, and immortal level, possessing a powerful treasure armor. Furthermore, they have a domain-level treasure capable of controlling the waters of the River of Light and Time, responsible for guarding the central region of the River of Light and Time.

The fifth race, stationed outside the palace atop Mount Lighttime, consists of tall, golden-haired members clad in light-patterned armor and wielding lighttime spears. They excel in defense and array attacks, and are the most disciplined of the six races. This race is known as the "Light Armor Race."

Almost all members of the Light Armor Clan possess strength at the level of a Realm Lord or above, and are responsible for guarding the outer perimeter of the palace. The strongest member of the clan is the clan leader, Venerable Jade Light, who possesses the strength of a mid-level Venerable and wields top-tier treasures such as a spear and armor, making him extremely powerful in combat.

The sixth race, living in seclusion near the core area of ​​the secret realm, has members with peculiar physiques. Their bodies are formed entirely of light and time energy, without a fixed form, and can change at will. They are skilled in comprehending and applying the laws of light and time, and are the race among the six that are most proficient in the talent of the light and time fusion law, known as the "Light and Time Clan".

The Lighttime Clan has the fewest members, only about thirty, but each one is an Immortal with considerable strength. The strongest member of the clan is the High-Level Venerable "Light Evolution Venerable," who has the highest cultivation level in the entire secret realm.

At the same time, he is also the strongest among the six races, responsible for guarding the core area of ​​the secret realm, controlling the entrance to the Light and Time Beast God's inheritance, with formidable strength, proficient in the Light and Time Fusion Law, possessing a Light and Time attribute psychic treasure, a top-tier heavy treasure battle suit, and is also the biggest obstacle for the Void Flame clone to obtain the inheritance this time.

After thoroughly investigating the distribution and strength of the six clans, Xu Yan's clone formed a plan.

His purpose in coming here was to obtain the inheritance of the Light-Time Beast God, not to destroy these six races. However, if these races actively obstruct him, he will have no choice but to take action.

Considering that Venerable Guangyan is a high-level Venerable, with countless powerful figures from several races, his strength far surpasses that of his current illusory flame clone. A direct confrontation would be no match for him; he can only rely on his own soul advantage—after all, he possesses the high-grade, supreme soul treasure, the Black Soul Tower, and his soul will has reached the level of a top-tier cosmic overlord. Coupled with the top-tier soul secret techniques from the Dark Codex, he is more than capable of crushing immortal-level powerhouses. Even against a high-level Venerable, he is confident he can kill him with his soul secret techniques.

The illusory flame clone concealed its aura, maintained its innate secret technique integrated into the void, and simultaneously activated the concealment technique from the Dark Codex. Its figure merged into the light and mist, moving silently towards the core area of ​​the secret realm like an invisible shadow.

He evaded the patrols of the Time Sand Clan, bypassed the territory of the Flame Light Clan, and carefully traversed the Light Time Forest. Although the members of the Light Concealment Clan were skilled in concealment, they were completely unable to detect his presence in the face of the soul perception and concealment techniques of the False Flame Clone, allowing him to pass through silently.

The journey was unimpeded, and the illusory flame clone quickly arrived at the central area of ​​the River of Light and Time. This was the territory of the Light River Clan, where members of the Light River Clan patrolled and moved through the River of Light and Time, their bodies surrounded by energy fluctuations of light and water attributes.

The illusory flame clone transformed into an invisible spatial ripple, silently traversing the River of Light and Time, and arriving at the foot of the Mountain of Light and Time.

At the foot of Mount Guangshi, several members of the Flamelight Clan were stationed. Their bodies were crimson, and they were engulfed in flames. They scanned their surroundings warily, ready to sound the alarm if they detected anything unusual.

He slowly ascended the steps of Mount Lighttime, paved with Lighttime crystals, each step exuding a rich aura of the laws of lighttime. Along the way, he encountered several patrols of the Flamelight Clan, each patrol ranging in strength from World Lord to Immortal Army Lord. Relying on his innate secret techniques, his Void Flame Avatar caused no disturbance.

Soon, he arrived at the mountainside of Mount Guangshi, the core territory of the Yanguang Clan, where the clan leader, King Yanguang, was presiding over the palace.

Without alerting the enemy, Wu Qingfeng continued towards the palace at the mountain peak.