Swallowing the Stars: Sacrifice for a Thousandfold Return

Page 125

Success is just around the corner!

The next step is to figure out how to seize this opportunity.

Lu Ming took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions, and stared intently at the mysterious "source" point. He cautiously began to approach, while simultaneously raising his perception to the limit, wary of any potential final test or danger.

Lu Ming cautiously approached the mysterious "Source" point, his heart filled with vigilance and anticipation.

Just as his fingers were about to touch the point of light that seemed to contain the mysteries of the universe's origin—

hum!

A very faint, almost transparent, yet incredibly strong barrier silently appeared, blocking his fingers from entering.

This barrier is not a physical entity, but rather a pure energy field, or a manifestation of some kind of rule.

It exudes a gentle yet undeniable repulsive force, as if guarding the last secret.

Lu Ming pressed his fingers against the barrier and could feel its amazing resilience, which was far more refined and harder to shake than the thin film at the entrance.

"There's still one barrier even at the very end?"

Lu Ming frowned slightly, withdrew his finger, and carefully examined this last obstacle.

This barrier is not offensive; rather, it is more like a final "certification" or "test."

He tried to reach out again, slowly injecting divine power, attempting to communicate and penetrate as before.

However, the energy structure of this barrier was flawless, and his divine power was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, unable to cause the slightest ripple, let alone find any "gaps" or patterns.

He then tried to use the laws of space to distort the local space and pass through directly, but found that the space here was more stable than he had imagined, as if it were integrated with the "source" point itself, and could not be distorted by itself.

"It seems that taking shortcuts won't work."

Lu Ming's eyes narrowed, and he made a judgment.

His gaze fell once again on that seemingly thin but actually indestructible barrier, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Should this barrier... also be shattered?"

Since gentle methods have failed, it seems that only one path remains—to forcefully break through this final defense with absolute power!

He slowly raised the Sky-Splitting Battle Blade in his hand, and the vast divine power within his body began to surge.

"Let me see if your last barrier can withstand my blade that cleaves through ten thousand paths!"

Divine power, begin to burn!

"Primordial Beginning: Sever the Path to Me—Break!"

A fierce glint flashed in Lu Ming's eyes, and he no longer held back in the slightest!

The vast divine power within his body surged and burned like a volcanic eruption. The Sky-Splitting Battle Blade followed that incomparably profound trajectory, carrying the supreme intent of cutting through all paths and seeing the true self, and fiercely slashed towards that final barrier!

A faint light, extremely restrained and seemingly tracing back to the beginning of the universe, condensed on the blade!

This faint light was not dazzling, but it contained a terrifying power that made even the rules of the universe retreat!

The instant the blade touched the barrier—

There was no deafening roar, no explosive bursts of energy.

There was only one extremely faint sound, yet it seemed to resonate deep within the soul—

"Boom~"

A sound like a bubble bursting.

That incredibly tough and flawless barrier, before this strike that traced back to the origin and severed the rules, was like ice and snow under the sun, instantly melting and disintegrating, turning into the purest energy particles and vanishing into nothingness!

The barrier has shattered!

It was forcibly shattered by the absolute power of the sixth-order top-tier secret technique, "Primordial Beginning: Severing the Dao to See Me"!

The moment the barrier shattered, the "Source" point that had been suspended at the center seemed to have lost its last restraint and suddenly burst forth with an incomparably dazzling light of indescribable color!

A surge of primordial energy, hundreds of times purer and richer than before, swept through the entire core area like a burst dam!

Lu Ming was the first to be hit and was completely overwhelmed by this vast primordial energy!

At the core of that endless, dazzling light, which seemed to contain all the fundamental mysteries of the universe, Lu Ming's perception pierced through the torrent of energy and finally saw the true nature of the "Source" point—it was not an object, but a slowly rotating, transparent crystal covered with incredibly complex and ancient patterns.

Chapter 155 The Protoss

Just as he saw the crystal clearly, a gentle, ancient, and seemingly timeless thought, as if it had transcended countless cycles of reincarnation, slowly awakened from the crystal, transforming into a blurry phantom that appeared before Lu Ming.

The figure's exact appearance was unclear; one could only vaguely discern a human-like outline. It exuded an aura of tranquility and remoteness, yet also carried a hint of regret and anticipation.

His very existence seems to tell the story of an extremely ancient era.

"The latecomer..."

An aged thought resounded directly in Lu Ming's consciousness, carrying a hint of relief and a touch of emotion.

"You have reached this point and broken through the final barrier I set up, proving that your will has reached the state of 'a heart as clear as crystal, reflecting the true self,' and that you have great perseverance and great opportunity. I, 'Qi,' can now rest assured."

Lu Ming felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that this was probably a legacy mark left by some ancient powerful being. He respectfully bowed and said, "Junior Lu Ming greets senior."

The illusory figure "Qi" nodded slightly and continued to convey information through thought, slowly revealing an ancient secret sealed in the long history of the cosmic sea to Lu Ming.

“My race is called the ‘Star Spirits’. Countless eons ago, we once stood atop the cosmic sea.”

As Qi narrated, a vast picture unfolded in Lu Ming's mind.

It was a civilization of unparalleled brilliance. The Protoss were born close to the origin of the universe and had a unique advantage in comprehending the laws of nature.

The clan is full of geniuses and powerful individuals, with over ten thousand universe masters!

Furthermore, there were nine of the strongest beings in the universe, known as the "Nine Star Lords," who were awe-inspiring throughout the entire universe and were the undisputed number one race at the time!

"I am one of the Nine Luminaries."

Qi's thoughts carried a hint of nostalgia for the past, but more so an unyielding heaviness.

"Our race seeks transcendence, yearning to break through the cycle of reincarnation and witness the scenery beyond, so that our race may attain eternity. To this end, we, the Nine Luminaries, leading all the cosmic lords and a large number of elites, have mobilized the entire race's strength to launch an assault on the cycle of reincarnation..."

Qi's voice lowered, and the regret and sorrow contained in his thoughts still made Lu Ming's heart tremble, even after countless years.

"Failed……"

"The dangers of reincarnation far exceeded expectations. It was not a simple test, but a confrontation with the fundamental rules of the entire universe... Our clan unleashed its full strength, and the Nine Star Lords fell one after another... In the end, almost the entire army was wiped out."

"With the help of a special treasure, I barely managed to preserve a wisp of my remnant spirit, carrying part of my clan's core heritage and hope. After wandering for endless years, it finally fell here and formed this 'Primordial Land'."

Lu Ming was shocked. A race with nine of the strongest beings in the universe had been almost completely wiped out during the cycle of reincarnation! The terror of reincarnation was evident.

"Latercomers,"

Qi's illusory figure stared at Lu Ming, his blurry face seemingly filled with utmost solemnity.

“I left this place here, setting up tests of will and accelerating time, not to select a successor, but to screen out the ‘hope’ that truly has the potential and the willpower to break through the cycle of reincarnation!”

"This 'Source Heart Crystal' contains a portion of the core heritage of my Star Spirit Clan, as well as my many insights into the origin of the universe and reincarnation. It also contains the inexhaustible resources that my clan has left."

"Having received this inheritance, I hope you will remember: the path to transcendence is rugged and arduous; willpower is the boat, strength the oars. I hope you can go far, and if one day... you can break through the cycle of reincarnation, on that other shore, I hope you can threaten us... and leave behind this legacy..."

Qi's phantom began to become increasingly blurry, as if his last bit of power was about to be exhausted.

"Those who come after... take care. The future of this cosmic sea... depends on you..."

The voice gradually faded away, and the blurry phantom eventually turned into specks of light, completely merging into the slowly rotating "Source Crystal".

The vast fluctuations of primordial energy around him gradually subsided, leaving only the crystal that carried the last hope and legacy of a glorious clan, quietly floating in front of Lu Ming, waiting for his acceptance.

Lu Ming stood there, speechless for a long time. His heart was filled with awe at the magnificent history of the Star Spirits, awe at the difficulty of traversing the cycle of reincarnation, and a heavy sense of responsibility.

He reached out and solemnly grasped the "Source Crystal".

Holding the cool Source Crystal in his hand, he bowed solemnly in the direction where the illusory figure had disappeared, his voice deep and firm: "Thank you for your generous gift, Senior Qi! I, Lu Ming, will always remember your and the Star Spirit Clan's legacy!"

He straightened up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, as if making a vow: "If one day, I am fortunate enough to break through the cycle of reincarnation and reach the other shore, I will do my utmost to continue the legacy of my ancestors!"

This commitment is not only an expression of gratitude for the opportunity, but also a sign of respect for those who have gone before, and a spur to one's own path.

After calming his mind, Lu Ming focused his attention on the Source Crystal in his hand.

Rather than being a supreme treasure, this crystal is more accurately described as an extremely special storage treasure containing a vast universe within it, with an internal space far exceeding any other world ring he had ever seen.

When his consciousness probed into it, even with his current state of mind, he couldn't help but be shocked!

Vast!

Vast beyond measure!

The first thing that catches the eye is a mountain of precious materials.

Some were rare metals that he had seen recorded in the treasure trove of human races but had long since disappeared; some were strange plant roots that exuded a rich life force and seemed capable of nurturing a world; and many more were strange crystals and liquids that he had never even seen before, but whose extraordinary nature he could tell from their fluctuations... The variety and quantity of them were so great that it was as if the entire treasure trove of a top race had been moved in!

"So many!!"

A storm raged in Lu Ming's heart.

"As expected of the strongest race that once dominated an era and the cosmic sea! Their foundation is terrifying!"

If these resources are used properly, they are enough to support the human race in cultivating a large number of powerful individuals, and the overall strength can be raised to a higher level!

Immediately afterwards, his attention was drawn to the massive amount of inherited information.

Countless jade stones recording secret techniques, strange runes containing insights into laws, and various scriptures on auxiliary paths such as treasure refining, potions, and formations are neatly categorized and organized. The completeness of its system and the profundity of its content far surpass the existing accumulation of humankind.

However, as Lu Ming quickly scanned the treasure areas, he discovered that while there were many top-tier and top-level treasures, there were only two truly powerful treasures.

"There are only two supreme treasures..."

After a moment's thought, Lu Ming understood the reason.

"The Protoss race launched a full-scale attack on the Cycle of Reincarnation, with all nine of the universe's strongest beings participating. They certainly wouldn't only possess two supreme treasures. I'm afraid the others were either destroyed in that fierce battle or left behind in the Cycle of Reincarnation."

Chapter 156 Get rich overnight

Thinking about this, his understanding of the dangers of venturing into reincarnation deepened.

Even the most powerful treasures can be damaged, so you can imagine how devastating it must be.

Besides the resources and treasures, what really excited Lu Ming were the unique secret techniques of the Star Spirit race.