Swallowed Star 2: Land of Origin

As the Yuan Xiang Palace Master, a being who has mastered two Half Primordial Level Paths, he has endured relentless corruption and torment but remained unyielding. Naturally, he would not give up easily.

“Elders, we all know that the situation has grown dire.” Yuan Xiang Palace Master sent a transmission, “Now, outside Yulan City, a massive Low Level Primordial Life Army has us surrounded. In this siege, escaping is something only a handful in the city can accomplish! I, for one, cannot manage such a feat.”

The more than three hundred elders understood this as well. Even if they tried to flee, they wouldn’t succeed!

Master Gai Tao, who has spent years refining Weapon Secret Treasures, believes the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm is far safer than the Dark Sacred Realm. This is his artifact-refining stronghold, and many of his accumulated Weapon Secret Treasures represent the bulk of his wealth; he cannot afford to lose them. That’s why he spared no expense purchasing escape treasures.

Other elders, in terms of wealth, are no match for Master Gai Tao. The life-preserving items they possess provide no guarantee of their survival either.

“If escape is impossible, then we defend to the end.”

“I have already requested reinforcements from the Dark Sacred Realm! There is a Super Limit Level Enchanting Heart Worm involved this time, and the Dark Sacred Realm has dispatched a cultivator squad. They will arrive at Yulan City in just over a day.”

“As long as we hold out for more than a day, we can secure victory!” Yuan Xiang Palace Master spoke candidly.

The cultivator squad consists of three members, each no weaker than Yuan Xiang Palace Master at his pinnacle. They first need to reach the Teleportation Lake of the Dark Sacred Realm.

Afterward, they must travel from the Teleportation Lake of the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm to Yulan City. Even with rapid travel speed, the total time required is still over a day.

“The 92 elders in the Star Array, continue intercepting the Lurker teams.”

“The other elders, disperse your avatars as quickly as possible. If discovered by the Lurker teams, have the avatars self-destruct immediately. We must delay their advance for as long as possible.” Yuan Xiang Palace Master issued his orders one by one.

“Understood.” All the elders responded in unison.

Previously, Master Gai Tao could have dispersed multiple avatars to delay time. However, Master Gai Tao loathed the gamble because, in the face of terrifying entities like ‘The King’ and others chasing him, even the slightest hesitation could result in the complete annihilation of all his avatars and treasures.

But at this moment, the elders within the city either had no choice or rejected the idea of escape. Naturally, they did whatever they could to stall.

…

Rumble~~~

With Master Gai Tao gone, the Star Array’s power diminished by one-third. However, at this moment, the entire Star Array only targeted three teams out of the 39 elite Lurker squads.

Once the array’s power concentrated, these three elite teams began to suffer casualties.

“King, these elders are too cunning; once they detect us, they immediately dissolve their avatars. And they have other avatars too!”

“The array’s power is overwhelming. Our team has already lost three core members’ True Bodies!”

“King, our team has only 60% of its strength left! These elders are too sly!”

“We succeeded! Elder Qiao Ge’s avatar speed is far inferior to our spiritual forms. His fleeing avatars have all dissolved. There’s now one less elder inside Yulan City.”

A stream of messages reached The King, of which only one was positive news.

The King had anticipated this.

The pressure from the Low Level Primordial Life Army outside wasn’t enough; their lurking operations became even more dangerous.

“Hold on. We’ve already reached Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s cave mansion.”

The King, along with 30 Leader Level True Bodies, launched an attack here. Originally, there were 32 Leader Level True Bodies among the Lurkers in Yulan City; two had already died during the interception missions.

“Boom——”

The King and his 30 Leaders, each resembling fleeting phantoms, moved at lightning speed, charging towards Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s cave mansion with a thunderous roar.

Yuan Xiang Palace Master sat there, smiling as he regarded them.

“You’ve arrived,” Yuan Xiang Palace Master smiled faintly, then simply dissolved.

“Hmm?”

The King and the 30 Leaders landed nearby.

“King, I can’t sense any of Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s avatars inside Yulan City anymore,” one of the Leaders said with confusion.

“Nor can I,” the King murmured, slightly puzzled. He looked up at the array overhead, observing its operations. “But Yuan Xiang Palace Master is one of the City Builders; if he had died, we would’ve lost his control, and the city’s array power should’ve drastically diminished. Yet… the array’s power hasn’t changed! He’s still alive!”

“Indeed, I am still within Yulan City.”

A voice echoed within the cave mansion.

The King and the 30 Leader Level True Bodies carefully tuned their senses.

“I have been battling the corruption, pouring my Heart Force into resistance. I know I’m the greatest weak point of Yulan City—how could I not have prepared?” Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s voice rang out. “With just your efforts, you will never find me.”

“Damn it!”

The King and the 30 Leaders were visibly irked.

Earlier encounters with Wei Yang Palace Master and Master Gai Tao had gone smoothly, following their plans as those two either died or fled.

Yet now, facing the most vulnerable Yuan Xiang Palace Master, they couldn’t even locate him.

“Take a guess—where am I hiding?” Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s voice’s tauntingly persisted.

“Ignore him. He’s just stalling for time.”

The King’s gaze swept across the 30 Leaders. “Proceed with the next phase of the plan. I will act solo; you divide into five squads and begin assaulting the elders one by one. The more we kill, the weaker the array’s power will grow.”

“Understood.”

The King wasted no more time on Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s voice. He quickly split off, initiating attacks on the elders’ cave mansions one by one.

“Huff!”

Inside one of the cave mansions.

Elder Qu Yuan couldn’t react in time before being struck by the King. Using his Innate Secret Technique, ‘Enchanting Heart,’ to a level beyond comprehension, Elder Qu Yuan, with only a single precious Secret Treasure—a possession kept in the Dark Sacred Realm—had no means of defense in his Yulan City body. He perished instantly.

One elder’s avatars across the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm ceased to exist.

“Next,” the King’s icy gaze sharpened.

Though Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s realm was the highest in Yulan City, even for the King, attacking him was nearly impossible.

But for the other elders, they fell before they even realized the King was there.

When unable to resist, their avatars across the Nine Rivers Sacred Realm were irrevocably destroyed.

…

“Sigh.”

In a modest cave mansion within Yulan City’s Outer City District, Yuan Xiang Palace Master concealed himself. He wielded a Secret Treasure, completely veiling all traces of light, aura, causality, and presence. Not even Luo Feng using the Biomimetic Destruction Eye could locate Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s cave mansion.

Yuan Xiang Palace Master understood his weakness, but he was exceedingly wealthy. Long ago, he had purchased a Secret Treasure capable of perfectly hiding himself. In the Dark Sacred Realm, there were only a handful who could penetrate such concealment.

“Though the elders can disperse avatars, these lurking enemies, being Spiritual Beings, are too fast. The elders are being picked off one by one.”

“Forget lasting a day; even half a day might be difficult.” Yuan Xiang Palace Master observed the situation, leveraging the array that encompassed the city to understand the dire circumstances.

While the Star Array inflicted losses on the Lurker teams here and there, primarily among their core lineage, the King and the Leaders remained formidable adversaries—eliminating them was a far greater challenge.

******

Inside the Dan Tower.

Luo Feng was in seclusion, cultivating, with his most powerful avatar stationed outside the Quiet Room as a guardian.

“Brother Luo Feng.” The Changqing Building Owner quickly arrived.

“Building Owner.” Luo Feng looked at him, puzzled.

“Brother Luo Feng, I’m one of Yulan City’s elders and a target for these lurking enemies. An elite squad has already approached the Dan Tower.” The Changqing Building Owner took out a bracelet and handed it to Luo Feng. “This represents all the treasures within Dan Tower, valued at approximately 27 billion Primordial Crystals. Please help safeguard it, Brother Luo Feng.”

“The treasures of Dan Tower? That’s too valuable. I’m not confident I can protect them. Building Owner, you should find another way,” Luo Feng replied.

“At least you’re not an elder, making you less likely to be targeted by the lurkers. Your strength surpasses mine, and your chances of survival are certainly higher.” The Changqing Building Owner attempted to persuade Luo Feng. “Even if these treasures cannot be protected, I will not hold it against you. But if they survive… I would be immeasurably grateful! Consider the Hundred Tribulations Heart Essence from before as part of your payment for safekeeping.”

“The Hundred Tribulations Heart Essence’s cost must still be settled afterward,” Luo Feng said as he accepted the bracelet. “I’ll help you store the Dan Tower’s treasures. I can only promise to do my best!”

“Thank you, Brother Luo Feng.” The Changqing Building Owner turned and looked to the outside.

The elite Lurker squad had already arrived at Dan Tower.

“Huff!”

The Changqing Building Owner shot into the sky, fleeing swiftly.

“Kill the Changqing Building Owner.”

This elite squad consisted of eight Leader Level avatars, six core lineage True Bodies, and fifty-nine core lineage avatars. A single core lineage True Body alone could threaten the Changqing Building Owner. Together, such a team was terrifying.

“Roar——”

A massive, illusory snake suddenly let out a furious roar. The sound reverberated throughout the Dan Tower complex, striking the fleeing Changqing Building Owner and briefly disturbing his presence.

The Enchanting Heart Worms and Soul-devouring Snakes, of the Low Level Primordial Life species, were spiritual life forms capable of transitioning between illusion and reality. They bore some resemblance to the spiritual beings Luo Feng had confronted in Infinite Space, though clearly more terrifying.

“Hmph!”

Accompanied by an abrupt cold snort.

A mighty blood-colored tidal wave materialized out of nowhere, engulfing the vast surroundings of Dan Tower in an instant. It eradicated the elite Lurker squad’s True Bodies and avatars alike.

In a mere moment, all of them had perished—without exception.

“Hmm?” The fleeing Changqing Building Owner observed this scene in stunned disbelief.

“This can’t be!” The Changqing Building Owner was incredulous.

…

“This is——”

Watching intently from a concealed cave mansion in the Outer City District, Yuan Xiang Palace Master, hidden from all traces or senses, witnessed the events at Dan Tower unfold.

An entire elite Lurker squad had been annihilated instantly with no chance to resist!

“Enchanting Heart Worms and Soul-devouring Snakes of Late Stage Divine Emperor-level, capable of shifting between reality and illusion, possess extraordinarily tenacious life forces. For someone to annihilate their bodies in one strike, fewer than twenty in the city could achieve it! To eliminate an entire squad in a single move, only Wei Yang Palace Master or Master Gai Tao could manage it.” Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s eyes lit up.

Master Gai Tao had fled without a fight.

Wei Yang Palace Master had stood strong against ‘The King’ and twelve Leader True Bodies, resisting for several seconds.

An elite Lurker squad was, in terms of threat, roughly equivalent to a single Leader’s True Body.

At Palace Master levels of strength, one could effortlessly destroy such a team.

“Luo Feng, have you reached the realm of a Half Primordial Level Enlightened One?” Yuan Xiang Palace Master quickly sent a transmission. Amidst the death of one Palace Master and the escape of another, it seemed a new Palace Master had emerged within Yulan City.

——

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