Shocking the Nine Heavens With My Sword
Chapter 450 - 434: Star Core! (3/3)

Chapter 450: Chapter 434: Star Core! (3/3)

"Star Core?" Zhou Heng asked, puzzled.

He knew of Demon Cores, which equated to the Dantian space of a Demon Beast. He knew of Spirit Cores, which were the essence of Spirit Stones condensed... Huo Tian could produce Spirit Cores during her cultivation, but who would dare let her cultivate?

But, what was a Star Core?

"A Star Core is the core of a planet, harboring billions or even hundreds of billions of years of the planet’s accumulated energy!" Old Swindler said very seriously.

"So that’s how it is!"

Zhou Heng finally understood. No wonder the Black Sword had always aimed for the Earth’s Core—it must have sensed the Star Core! However, the layers of earth were extremely thick, so it was undetectable in most places, with only a few small areas where it could be sensed.

Yet another question arose: The masters of the Four Great Death Places must have come from other planets, arriving through the Star Gate for the obvious purpose of contending for the Star Core to aid in their becoming immortal! But why? Did their planets not have Star Cores, forcing them to come here?

"Does the Star Core need time to ’mature’?" Zhou Heng didn’t know which word to use.

"Mature?" Old Swindler repeated and then laughed, "Your perception isn’t bad, you’re not wrong calling it mature! A Star Core is not something that can simply form; it only emerges when a planet approaches the end of its life, funneling all its energy into a small core—that is the Star Core!"

"So, the object of contention between the Great Eternal Emperor and the masters of the Four Great Death Places back in the day was Xuanqian Star’s Star Core?" Zhou Heng said.

"Hehehe, they were indeed born out of season. They came tens of thousands of years too early—the Star Core had just begun to condense and was far from the stage where it could be absorbed and refined. Thus, they all wasted their efforts!" Old Swindler laughed heartily, filled with schadenfreude.

Zhou Heng furrowed his eyebrows and said, "So, does that mean the Star Core will fully form within a few years?"

If not, so many ancient beings wouldn’t have chosen this time to break their seals and emerge!

"Another great disaster is coming. This time, no matter who wins or loses, the entire continent will disintegrate completely and dissipate into the vast universe!" Old Swindler sighed, his tone filled with an intense sense of desolation.

"Senior, if you wished to contend for it, I suppose no one could rival you, could they?" Zhou Heng joked.

Old Swindler had twelve puppets. If all were like Nalan Yaoyue, he could wield Immortal Level power eleven times—how could anyone in the Mortal Realm compete with him?

"Brat, you’re underestimating the old monsters in the Four Great Death Places!" Old Swindler grunted, his face showing his displeasure.

"How so?"

"Those four old monsters have all survived the Two Tribulations as Deities. Their strength is indescribable! Although the puppets I hold are genuine immortals, their power has been sealed. At most, they are equivalent to One Tribulation Quasi-Immortals, only capable of defending themselves but unable to defeat those old fellows!"

Old Swindler shook his head, his eyebrows tightly furrowed: "Besides, I have a mission. Having previously obtained the Heavenly Mysterious Spirit Crystal from you, that was a great achievement. People from the Immortal Realm will naturally let me become immortal again—there’s no need for me to fight over that Star Core!"

So, the Poisonous Vast Heavenly Venerate and others were actually that formidable!

A One Tribulation Quasi-Immortal, a Two Tribulations Quasi-Immortal—that was equivalent to having formed a Spirit Sea of Deity caliber. Although still considered just Spirit Sea Realm, they could completely crush other Spirit Sea Realms that hadn’t formed Deities! In the presence of Poisonous Vast Heavenly Venerate, Li Wujie, despite being a Heavenly Venerate as well, stood no chance—the difference was enormous!

"If the Star Core is taken away, will Xuanqian Star be doomed?" Zhou Heng looked troubled.

"No need to take it away; the Star Core is the essence of all a planet’s energy. Once formed, Xuanqian Star will lose its cohesion, shattering immediately into pieces that will drift in the vast universe, eventually turning into endless dust!" Old Swindler said emotionlessly.

This was a transformation in the natural order, not swayed by human will. Once the Star Core was formed, this world was destined to collapse, just as mortals must go through the processes of birth, aging, sickness, and death—not something anyone could change.

"Senior, how long until the Star Core is fully formed?" Zhou Heng asked.

"At shortest, half a year; at longest, no more than three years. Boy, do you also wish to join this contest?" Old Swindler asked.

Zhou Heng couldn’t help but give a bitter smile and said, "Do I have any other choice but to join this contest?"

If he didn’t become immortal, drifting in the dark universe would only slowly deplete his lifespan, eventually dying a death of atrophy in the barren vacuum!

If the destruction of Xuanqian Star was inevitable, then he naturally had to join in this contest for Immortal Fate!

"Senior, could you give me a few more puppets?" Zhou Heng boldly asked. Although the sealed immortals could only exhibit the battle power level of a One Tribulation Quasi-Immortal, it was better than nothing, especially since the Poisonous Vast Heavenly Venerate and others couldn’t possibly always maintain their peak condition—that was the price they paid for living through tens of thousands of years!

"Brat, I can’t just decide that freely. Last time I gave you one in exchange for a favor involving the Heavenly Mysterious Spirit Crystal; unless, you can give me another piece of Heavenly Mysterious Spirit Crystal!" Old Swindler immediately showed his greedy side, matching up well with Black Donkey.

"Old Swindler, I’m sure you duped me last time; the value of a Heavenly Mysterious Spirit Crystal is definitely not just that. Hurry up and compensate me with five more puppets!"

"No way!"

Old Swindler clutched his pockets and hurriedly started to run: "I suddenly recall having something urgent to attend to. I’m off! I’m off!"

He also didn’t know what movement technique he used, his speed not a bit weaker than Zhou Heng running at full strength using Swift Cloud Radiant Step. Within the blink of an eye, he had vanished without a trace.

Zhou Heng stood still, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

The conversation with Old Swindler had placed immense pressure on him.

He must seize the Star Core; otherwise, with the collapse of Xuanqian Star, he and his loved ones and friends would all face a certain death. To qualify for this, he first had to become a genuine Divinity Transformation Heavenly Venerate. With his heaven-defying battle power, perhaps he wouldn’t need a Tribulation to compete with a Two Tribulations Quasi-Immortal like Poisonous Vast Heavenly Venerate!

The issue was, he had at least half a year, at most three years—was that enough time for him to reach the Divinity Transformation Realm?

The higher the realm, the harder and longer it took to advance further! Zhou Heng’s Dantian space was exceptionally large, and his battle power was indeed very strong, but this also meant that advancing through conventional means was simply unrealistic for him.

After all, the world did not abound with extraordinary fortunes, and one cannot always depend on luck to live by!

Then carve out a piece of heaven and earth for yourself!

Zhou Heng immediately strengthened his resolve. He was not a selfless person, nor did he have any intention of sacrificing himself for others. If the world was destined to be destroyed, then he was determined to be among those who survived!

For himself, for his family and his beloved wife, and for his friends!

What did it matter if he became a god of slaughter and demons?

Zhou Heng turned back on the road, running swiftly. Before he reached Lanling City, a sudden change occurred in the world, resonating throughout Xuanqian Star.

Someone had broken through to the Divinity Transformation Realm!

After Li Wujie achieved enlightenment, it was as if he unlocked the chains of heaven and earth. In less than half a year, an unprecedented number of Heavenly Venerates emerged one after another!

Boom!

Only two days had passed when another great disturbance spread. The sixth living Heavenly Venerate had risen!

At this time, Zhou Heng had just returned to the Zhao Family.

Boom!

The seventh Heavenly Venerate emerged!

Boom!

The eighth Heavenly Venerate emerged!

Four Heavenly Venerates appeared within just ten days—unthinkable even in Ancient Times! During the Ancient Times, many experts chose to seal themselves, but prodigies were rare. How could so many Heavenly Venerates suddenly appear like a flood?

After a few days, a major announcement shocked the world. The newly advanced four Heavenly Venerates each hailed from one of the Four Great Death Places!

They were not the old Heavenly Venerates who had reduced their own Cultivation Level, but their descendants!

Zuoqiu Wenguan from the Death Forest, Cheng Shangchen from the Poisonous Vast Sea, Gong Hong’en from the Flamefire Desert, and Yang Zitong from the Thunder Light Valley.

With the news out, it stunned almost everyone!

After enduring Li Wujie’s laughable plan to flatten the Four Great Death Places, the Martial Artists of the world also learned that the masters of these places had not perished, and their true strength was shockingly powerful!

Who could have imagined that even their progeny could break through to the Divinity Transformation Realm? What incredible monsters!

How could they be so powerful?

Yet, Zhou Heng was not at all surprised. The masters of the Four Great Death Places were all Two Tribulations Quasi-Immortals. If not for the environmental restrictions of the world, they would have already passed through three tribulations and become True Immortals! With such strong individuals, it was absolutely normal for their descendants to break into the Divinity Transformation Realm.

But if so, had the Great Eternal Emperor turned to ashes already?

The insufficiency of nature’s spiritual energy was a serious flaw. Even someone as powerful as the Great Eternal Emperor could do little to remedy that.

Although Zhou Heng was a descendant of the Great Eternal Emperor, tens of thousands of years separated them, so naturally, there wasn’t much of an emotional connection. However, out of respect for the singular title of "sole emperor of eternity," Zhou Heng did not wish to see this emperor meet a sad end, reduced to dust and earth.

He hoped that this Great Eternal Emperor could miraculously ascend to immortality!

After all, miracles do happen in the world, and a supremely mighty figure like the Great Eternal Emperor, who alone matched the four Two Tribulations Quasi-Immortals, definitely stands out as a peerless genius among elites.

Just as he was lost in thought and admiration, more news arrived. There were rumors that the mansion left behind by the Great Eternal Emperor had surfaced due to the significant changes in the world!

Instantly, the world was shaken to its core!

Who was the Great Eternal Emperor?

He was the first emperor in the history of Xuanqian Star, who single-handedly dominated the universe and overshadowed the masters of the Four Great Death Places with unrivaled divine might and invincibility in the Mortal Realm!

How priceless his legacy would be?

Everyone was enticed, for claiming the legacy of this emperor might not make them the second emperor, but it would assuredly allow them to break through to the Divinity Transformation Realm and become one of the supreme experts under the heavens!

Even though several Heavenly Venerates had emerged recently, it did nothing to diminish the value of the Divinity Transformation Realm!

In a whirlwind of activity, everyone who could still walk headed toward the Seven Lush Mountains, where the legendary mansion left by the Great Eternal Emperor lay, holding his lifetime’s legacy!

Zhou Heng, of course, would not miss such a spectacle. Setting aside the fact that the Great Eternal Emperor was his ancestor and that he had both the right and the obligation to reclaim this heritage, aiming for the Divinity Transformation Realm was reason enough to choose a crowded place for a great slaughtering spree!

Moreover, he wanted to use this opportunity to confirm whether the Great Eternal Emperor had indeed ascended to immortality, or if he had... perished. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for it or send monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)