Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent

Chapter 167: Attention

The Ancient Flame Kingdom, Flame Capital.

Flame Capital was the city of the first emperor of the Ancient Flame Kingdom, ‘Emperor Yan.’ There was also another palace here, ‘Flame Dome Palace.’ Both Emperor Yan and Flame Dome were the earliest Divine Kings born from the entire royal family. They had walked similar paths, but Flame Dome had always been stuck in the Second Realm of the Divine King and could not advance further.

Deep in the ancient Flame Dome Palace, a vast world had been created.

Inside this vast world.

There were numerous volcanoes in this world, with black winds howling! The black winds swept up countless streams of magma into the sky, letting them scatter freely.

“This Luo He…”

Suddenly, the entire world continent sat up straight. It was a humanoid beast-like creature. On its back were countless volcanoes, and its natural breathing through its nostrils formed a raging black wind. Its golden eyes were imposing and terrifying.

On the membrane of this world’s wall, countless secret patterns flowed, and invisible energy descended repeatedly to cleanse the massive beast’s body.

“A mere Chaos Realm guest official, yet he gets to enter Infinite Space?” The beast’s single golden eye was filled with anger.

“Di Fu!”

The massive beast directly spoke.

Countless secret patterns on the world’s membrane wall flowed naturally, condensing into a figure—it was the current emperor of the Ancient Flame Kingdom, Di Fu!

Di Fu looked at the massive beast and sighed inwardly before speaking, “Brother Yanqiong, what is it that you seek me for?”

“I encountered Luo He in Infinite Space.” The massive beast’s voice boomed, far more powerful than it was in Infinite Space. “How could a Chaos Realm non-royal enter Infinite Space? I suspect that Di Chu has violated the rules set by the Ancestor…”

“You misunderstand Luo He,”

Di Fu said, “He earned the opportunity through his own strength.”

“How could a mere Chaos Realm Transcendent earn such an opportunity?” the massive beast said.

“You’ve been imprisoned here, focusing solely on refining the Primordial Bloodline, and you know too little about the outside world,” Di Fu responded.

“I’ve kept up with intelligence on outside experts. What don’t I know?” the massive beast retorted.

Di Fu gently shook his head. “Over a hundred eras ago, Luo He consistently competed for rare treasures along the borders. By doing so, he forced the Ancient Thunder Kingdom to give up a spot in Infinite Space, in exchange for his promise not to participate in the border competitions.”

“With his unrivaled strength in the Chaos Realm, had he kept competing, even the Ancient Thunder Kingdom wouldn’t have been able to bear it,” Di Fu explained. “So he truly earned the opportunity himself.”

The massive beast fell silent.

So that’s how it was?

The negotiations and deal between the Ancient Thunder Kingdom and Luo Feng had been highly secretive and never made public.

“Earned it himself?” The massive beast snorted. “It’s only because of his status as a guest official of the Ancient Flame Kingdom that he could participate in the border competitions! Only then did the Ancient Thunder Kingdom suffer such a heavy loss.”

“If he were just a wandering Chaos Realm outsider, he wouldn’t even have the qualifications to participate.”

The massive beast continued, “By leveraging his status as our guest official, he gained such benefits! Shouldn’t that spot have been given to the royal family instead? At worst, he could have been given some rewards!”

Di Fu fell silent, looking at this once wise and respected elder of the clan.

“Brother Yanqiong, haven’t you noticed that the Primordial Bloodline has been affecting you more deeply?” Di Fu said. “I’ve been using formations to help suppress the corruption, yet you’re already this agitated? Without the formations, you’d likely lose control.”

In the Ancient Flame Kingdom, those cultivating the Primordial Bloodline were claimed to never lose control.

In reality…

Without sufficient clarity, they would never be released.

“I am very clear-headed,” the massive beast looked at Di Fu. “We are the royal family. With so many powerful figures in our royal family, we deserve to claim the best resources on Origin Continent! The fact that we allow guest officials to exchange for legacies and resources is already kind enough. Why give them such freedom? In my opinion, guest officials entering treasure grounds should be under our royal family’s command.”

“The ordinary guest officials do have enough freedom,” Di Fu said. “You must understand, the guest official system was established by the Ancestors.”

“Just because the Ancestors established it, does that mean it can never be changed? The rules set by the Ancestors countless eras ago are supposed to remain eternally correct?” The massive beast raged.

Di Fu’s expression turned cold.

The massive beast’s heart trembled, realizing its own recklessness.

“Di Fu, I helped you in the past,” the massive beast looked at Di Fu.

“Brother Yanqiong, I have never forgotten your kindness, which is why I’ve been helping you all this time.” Di Fu said, “I built this world for you. I gave you many treasures and resources. I’ve always hoped you could maintain true clarity.”

“I still need…” The massive beast started to speak.

“You’ve already owed the clan too much,” Di Fu cut him off. “Back then, you borrowed an enormous amount of resources to break through to the Emperor level. But you failed, and you’ve never been able to repay that enormous debt. Yet, you keep asking for more. Brother Yanqiong, you should understand… the royal family doesn’t revolve around just you. Resources cannot all be given to you.”

“Yet you’re willing to give resources to Luo He and those other guest officials? But unwilling to give me more?” The massive beast raged with unwillingness.

Being imprisoned forever was, of course, a bitter fate.

“You owe the clan too much,” Di Fu said. “But Luo He and the other guest officials exchange their rewards based on merit and don’t owe the clan anything.”

“I remind you again, the guest official system was jointly established by the two Ancestors! It is absolutely beyond your challenge,” Di Fu looked at the massive beast. “You should also understand that, in the eyes of the Ancestors… your life and the life of a guest official likely hold no difference.”

The massive beast grew even more enraged.

He knew all too well.

Even within the royal family’s struggles on Origin Continent, some Divine Kings had fallen, and the Ancestors had never intervened.

“Focus on refining your heart. You should seek more guidance from Emperor Ming. If your mind and will could reach even a fraction of Emperor Ming’s, you would have long suppressed the corruption, maintained absolute clarity, and become a new Emperor,” Di Fu said. “In the current era of this Origin Continent cycle, in terms of willpower, Emperor Ming ranks first. It’s not shameful to bow your head to him.”

“I’ve already bowed and asked for his guidance,” the massive beast grew more hysterical. “But he has repeatedly humiliated me, making me serve him, making me his follower, making me his gatekeeper… How could I bear that?”

“You once humiliated him as well,” Di Fu said.

“That was when he was weak,” the massive beast replied.

“And in his eyes now, you are weak,” Di Fu said. “Reflect on this. In my opinion, your only chance to become an Emperor… is through asking Emperor Ming for guidance.”

With those words, Di Fu vanished.

“Hahaha, ask for his guidance? I’d rather remain imprisoned forever, or even fade into oblivion, than endure his humiliation again.” The massive beast grew even more frenzied.

…

Di Fu stood in the world he had created.

“The royal family, favored too much by the Ancestors, yet they still feel it’s not enough. They even want to take away the meager portion given to the guest officials,” Di Fu shook his head lightly. “These fools… do they really think the Ancestors care about them?”

“The Ancestors are beings born several cycles ago.”

“What sentiment could they have for descendants from cycles so far removed?” Di Fu shook his head gently.

******

The treasure ground, ‘Infinite Space.’

The arrogance of the royal family didn’t bother Luo Feng; he only kept a respectful distance from them.

“Thankfully, it’s in Infinite Space, where everyone’s strength isn’t too different. If it were outside… I’m afraid they’d have slapped me down with just a flick,” Luo Feng thought with a smile.

According to his intelligence, Divine King Yanqiong was an ancient Second Realm Divine King, and it was said he had switched to cultivating the Primordial Bloodline. Coupled with the royal family’s resources and secret treasures, his strength was unimaginable.

However, Divine King Yanqiong remained very low-key in Origin Continent and hardly ever appeared in public.

“Many ancient beings are hard to encounter in the outside world, but in Infinite Space, you can meet quite a few,” Luo Feng found Infinite Space to be quite interesting.

In Infinite Space, everyone was given an ordinary Divine King-level body! If you wanted a stronger body, you’d have to forge your own path in cultivation. But so far, no one in Infinite Space had been known to open a path to the Second Realm of the Divine King.

So, everyone’s physical bodies were generally at the First Realm of the Divine King.

Only their mental willpower might differ significantly.

“Emperor Ming’s willpower is truly terrifying,” Luo Feng couldn’t help but think of Emperor Ming. In all his time in Infinite Space, Emperor Ming’s willpower was the only one he was certain had absolutely surpassed the ultimate realm of a Divine King.

It was overwhelming and completely transcendent—a qualitative difference.

“Hm?”

Luo Feng suddenly sensed a Mind Creature ahead. “My luck’s pretty good, I’ve found one.”

Luo Feng had nine avatars searching in different places, always heading to remote areas.

He didn’t mind how few he found. As soon as he discovered a Mind Creature, he would station one avatar there to claim the area.

One avatar occupying just one Mind Creature wouldn’t arouse the envy of the major powers. But in truth, with his many scattered avatars, the total number of Mind Creatures Luo Feng had claimed was considerable.

Of course, only those with many avatars could carry out such a strategy.

In Infinite Space, very few people had opened a path that allowed them to use avatars.

…

In the Eastern Pole Domain, inside a grand and ancient palace.

A woman in a green robe sat there. In the palace, a vast formation naturally appeared, with countless secret patterns flowing and constantly changing.

“Di Fu is truly remarkable. Relying on formations alone, he’s reached the Emperor level. Compared to him, I’m still far inferior,” the green-robed woman praised. She suddenly looked at a part of the changing secret patterns in the formation, “Oh? I’ve finally deduced this secret. Divine King Wuxiang loudly called out Luo He’s name in the palace, and just happened to disappear from Infinite Space afterward… His disappearance is connected to Luo He, and the death of the ‘Mist Envoy’ from the Shadow Sky Realm is also tied to Luo He.”

“The master of the Shadow Sky Realm actually endured it? No major follow-up?”

“This Luo He is no ordinary figure.”

The green-robed woman observed the formation.

She could reflect many traces from Origin Continent through the formation and deduce many secrets. The more traces she reflected from the world, the more accurate her deductions became.

“Perhaps I should invite him to join my side?” The green-robed woman had a thought and immediately began deducing through the formation. The formation reflected the world, like the evolution of the future.

“Although it’s a bit unclear, it seems like a very good decision? This Luo He appears to be favored by the Supreme Rules as well.” The green-robed woman was a bit surprised. She had long known that the Supreme Rules had their own preferences.

The more dazzling a cultivator was, the more they were favored.

Even beings like Realm Beasts were born favored, smoothly reaching the ultimate realm of the Divine King. The more they destroyed and devoured, the faster they grew.

Ordinary cultivators might start off inconspicuous, but gradually, the brightest ones would be filtered out.

“If he’s favored by the Supreme Rules, that’s even more reason to invite him.” With this thought, the green-robed woman, still seated, sent a thought across the great distance to the equivalent city of the Ancient Flame Kingdom.