Swallowed Star

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

High up in the air, that gigantic divine eye was looking down at 40 warriors.

An aged voice continued to resonate within their minds: “All you 40 warriors, based on the powers you have displayed in the first two levels… on this third level, only 15 of you will be able to survive! The 15 of you who can survive the third level will make it up to the fourth level and earn yourselves various incentives. Until you endure the crisis on the third level, entering the battleship is forbidden. Doing so would render you an immediate failure, and you will fall straight into annihilation.”

The words of the aged voice gave Luo Feng a shock. How could there only be 15 survivors?

The majority of the warriors instantly started to worry. Those who could make it past the third level would definitely be extraordinary, but still, more than half of them would die! Other than a handful like Luo Feng, the other warriors would certainly not be daring enough to say they would survive this level.

Hong! Hong!

Another two explosive sounds rang, and huge branches and leaves could be seen spreading out. They radiated a dazzling golden light that continuously lashed at every tribal warrior. Upon receiving such a direct lashing, one pitiful warrior, who had been left with less than 1 percent of its godly power, was annihilated to nothingness.

“What!”

“It killed a warrior!”

The other fortunate survivors looked on in shock.

Even Luo Feng looked over. The warrior who had made a move earlier was a plant life form, and one of the radiantly colored flowers that formed part of this it sneered, saying, “Wu Qi Tower mentioned that only 15 could survive, but it did not forbid us from fighting one another. The more I kill, the fewer opponents I am left with. Haha! Meet your doom.”

The torture from the “miniature world” that they had all just experienced on the second level had left most of these warriors with severe injuries. The weakest ones did not even have 1/1,000th of their peak power left.

“Escape!”

“Beware!”

“Let’s go!”

Several warriors who considered themselves to be severely injured were quick to scuttle off in all directions while trying their best to maintain a safe distance from the more powerful warriors.

However, high up in space, the Divine Eye had enshrouded an area that was within one billion kilometers of the domain of light. No matter how hard they tried to escape, there was no way they could make it out of this area. At that point, the area that was within the Divine Eye’s domain of light, there was total chaos.

Luo Feng stood rooted to his spot, ignoring everything in his surroundings. Besides, there was not a single warrior who dared approach him. Even the most arrogant warrior, who was a plant life form, did not dare to attack him.

Hong! Long! Long!

The gigantic Divine Eye high up in space suddenly lit up. Streaks of golden light shone down and gradually spread out.

“Ah! This is…”

Several warriors who had still been fighting earlier on suddenly felt as though their souls (life imprints) were struck by a sudden impact. Many of them temporarily stopped fighting one another. First and foremost, they had to focus on mounting a vigilant defense. No one knew what kind of danger lurked in the third level. If it was some very terrifying danger and they remained distracted with all the fighting, then they would truly be courting their own doom.

A short moment later, three out of the 40 warriors were annihilated. All three had already been near death from severe injuries sustained while on the second level. They had just been trampled to death. Even their automaton type treasures, armors, and weapons were taken away from them.

“Luckily, this Milky Way did not make any move.” Xu Zhong looked at Luo Feng from afar, then tilted his head back to look high up into the sky where the Divine Eye was.

The many warriors on land were all looking up at the Divine Eye. The Divine Eye had released an endless golden light that enshrouded everything beneath it. The powerful impact of its willpower was, to the relief of the warriors, bearable for them all.

“This third level—what kind of danger does it contain?”

“Just this one Divine Eye?”

“The second level started out with mere diagrams of secret engravings, but after that, out popped the rock giant and all. Who knows? There might be some kind of bizarre danger that may emerge on this third level.”

The warriors were all filled with apprehension. There were even some who immediately flew up into the air, not daring to stay near to the ground lest something suddenly appear from the grassland.

The endless golden light shone down on the grassland and upon every single warrior. Its power was gradually increasing.

“The impact of the willpower is becoming stronger!”

“Could this be the third level of Wu Qi Tower? A test of willpower?”

One after another, the warriors were resisting. No one was willing to concede defeat so easily. They were all aware that this third level was the final level that contained the threat of death. Starting at the fourth level, there would only be various incentives and rewards to gain. Who would not want to take that gamble?

Luo Feng endured the impact of the willpower as he silently sighed to himself. No wonder those warriors who were severely injured had been unable to get any treatment. This was a test of willpower. The loss of a godly body would have a great impact on combat power but would only affect the influence on willpower by a minute amount.

“The impact of willpower is gradually increasing!” Luo Feng turned his head and looked into the distance at that Xu Zhong, who had taken the form of a Bib Bird. “This impact of willpower has no influence over me at all! I must seize the moment, while the impact of the willpower is still weak, and get rid of him first!”

Sou!

Luo Feng’s speed skyrocketed, and without further delay, he flew toward Xu Zhong far in the distance.

******

Xu Zhong was in the midst of resisting the impact of that willpower while remaining watchful over his surroundings. He might have had Bib Bird—which boasted impressive escape skills—but earlier on, when he had been on the second level of Wu Qi Tower, he had sustained serious injuries because of Bib Bird’s relatively weaker frontal combat skills. Even though he had been able to recuperate for recovery during the downtime, upon entering the second level, he only managed to recover around 50 percent of his godly body. His power was left with only one-tenth of what he had started with! Of course, he had to exercise extra vigilance.

“Huh?” Xu Zhong spotted a streak of light flying toward him from afar. “Milky Way!”

Xu Zhong was dumbfounded. He was terrified of this Milky Way.

Sou!

Xu Zhong transformed into a large white bird and picked up speed as he flew. At the same time, he sent a voice transmission: “Milky Way, Milky Way! We are both from the East Army. Why must you pursue me so painstakingly?”

“If I don’t kill you, who else should I kill?” Luo Feng returned the voice transmission coldly.

Xu Zhong suddenly felt his heart sink. Earlier on, when they had just started on the first level of Wu Qi Tower, he had launched a sneak-attack on Luo Feng. At the time, he had told Luo Feng, “You are a new recruit. If I don’t kill you, who else should I kill?” Now, the tables were suddenly turned.

Xu Zhong was desperate as he replied via voice transmission, “Milky Way, so long as you spare me, I am willing to offer this automaton type treasure as a gift to express my apology.”

“Humph!” Luo Feng merely replied with a cold snort.

While his goal was to break through levels in this Wu Qi Tower, Luo Feng was not really interested in killing. But he truly abhorred people like Xu Zhong. To one’s face, they acted as though they were brothers, yet the moment one turned his back, they would pounce. Back when Luo Feng had still been a nobody, he had once been met with a sudden ambush by his partner, Mo Luo, while journeying about demon note mountain. Since then, Luo Feng had cultivated a deep hatred for such a character.

Xu Zhong? Of course, he had to kill him!

******

Luo Feng pursued as Xu Zhong fled.

Xu Zhong took the form of a big white bird, and although his power was only one-tenth of what he had started with, his speed of flight was still much faster than Luo Feng.

“Blaze up!”

With a move of intention, Luo Feng executed the first volume of Extermination, and the speed of Golden Claw God Luo Feng immediately soared. He had his Shi Wu Wings, which were adept in acceleration during flight. He might not have brought it with him to the World of Jin, but he had studied it meticulously for over eight million eras. He had also studied Shi Wu Wings as an overall treasure, along with many other secret techniques. And the body technique “Flowing Gold” was highly suited for acceleration.

Hua!

Luo Feng’s speed skyrocketed.

“Milky Way, Milky Way!” XU Zhong looked behind him with a flustered expression. “What will it take for you to let me go?”

Luo Feng transmitted his voice message with great indifference. “When you are gone for good, naturally, I will let go of you.”

They flew, one after the other, both moving at a terrifyingly fast speed. The area under the domain of light was shrouded by the Divine Eye. It was merely one million kilometers wide. Given their current speed, they would not require more than a second to traverse the entire region within the domain of light. This was why Xu Zhong had been following an arc-shaped route while flying, turning corners as he tried his best to fly.

“Huh?” Luo Feng could not reach him even after half a minute of hot pursuit.

Perhaps, because he was in the face of imminent death, Xu Zhong was putting in his utmost best. Or perhaps Bib Bird was exceptionally skilled at flying.

“If I execute the second volume of Extermination, I can capture you in an instant.” Luo Feng shook his head to himself. In Nine Smoke Marsh, he had dared to execute the second volume of Extermination because the area had not been under the control of warriors. But at Wu Qi Tower, every move he made was apparently under close observation. Thus, it was only natural for him to refrain from executing the second volume of Extermination.

“Let’s see how long you can hold out.” Luo Feng continued to give chase, forcing Xu Zhong to stay vigilant without any chance for a breather.

Xu Zhong was extremely agonized, resentful, and regretful.

******

Time continued to pass. The Divine Eye, high up in the sky, was radiating a golden light that contained a willpower with an impact that was continuously on the rise. In the beginning, they had all been able to bear the impact easily, but now, a number of warriors were feeling the pressure.

“The impact of this willpower has reached the ultimate limit of a law master!”

Some of the warriors were already in extreme agony. They might have all been elite warriors, but in respect to willpower, most could be regarded as having achieved the breakthrough of the bottleneck to attain the willpower at true god level, while there were still a handful who fell short of this standard.

“Kill.”

“Kill!”

While trying to bear the impact of this willpower, there were warriors who persisted in fighting and killing—especially warriors who personally felt that they were lacking in terms of willpower. All the more, they were giving their all to eliminate opponents.

“The more we kill, the fewer opponents we have. So long as the last 15 are left standing, everything comes to an end.”

“Kill!”

Everything fell into darkness.

Over 30 warriors transformed into streaks of flowing light and flew at high speed while occasionally crossing paths with one another. Under such circumstances—where they had to fight for their lives while resisting the impact of the willpower—the moment they let their guard down, they would likely be hit. Those who were slower or had weaker powers would gradually begin to be annihilated. The number of warriors was starting to drop.

As the impact of the willpower of the Divine Eye high in the sky gained strength, the warriors were all growing fearful. Earlier, when they had all been fighting one another, the impact of the willpower of the Divine Eye had only been a small threat. But now, the impact of that willpower was gradually beginning to exceed the limit of endurance for a number of these warriors.

“No!”

“No!”

As the impact of the willpower exceeded the ultimate limit of a law master—

Hong! Hong! Hong! Hong! Hong! Hong!

Nine warriors, who were flying at high speed while dodging and fighting, started experiencing convulsions throughout their entire bodies. The next moment, they fell into a state of unconsciousness, then collapsed. Obviously, the impact of the willpower was too much to bear. And high up where it was, the Divine Eye shot out nine streams of eye-piercing purple light!

Shua! Shua! Shua!

Nine streams of purple light struck the nine unconscious warriors who had fallen, causing them to be annihilated, only leaving behind pieces of armor, automaton type treasures, and some other belongings.

“Hmm!” Luo Feng, who was in the process of pursuing Xu Zhong, was flying pass at an extremely fast rate of speed. He whistled past and, with a single wave of his hand, collected all the belongings that one of the nine warriors had left behind. “That’s quite a large number of treasures.” He swept through the surroundings. “This third level of Wu Qi Tower offers quite a good opportunity to seize large amounts of treasures. If I miss this chance, I don’t know if I will ever encounter another opportunity in the future.”

Every warrior was, in essence, a moving treasure vault. Nearly every warrior would at least possess two automaton type treasures. After all, they had made it through the first and second levels.

“Ah!” In the distance, Xu Zhong was still trying his best to escape. “I must escape—I want to escape! I cannot die! Ah! This impact of the willpower is getting too strong. I don’t think I can bear it any much longer.”

Buzz!

The Divine Eye shone upon the grasslands and onto every warrior. The willpower of those golden rays contained an impact that was growing stronger with the passing of time, albeit quite slowly. Warriors who were unable to bear the increasing impact only had one way out: death! Only 15 could survive!