Swallowing the Stars: Starting with Panlong

Chapter 153 Luo Feng's Second Avatar

Time flies, and it is now August 2069 on Earth.

Three years have passed since the end of the arena tournament. The Qianwu Universe Kingdom's Reincarnation Tournament officially concluded in March 2069. Those contestants who were eliminated due to bad luck in the final arena battles fought for the final spots through a long elimination tournament. However, since the Reincarnation Tournaments of other universe kingdoms have not yet concluded, the final of the Peak Genius Battle has been scheduled for September 2070.

There's still a year left.

Over the past three years, the lunar surface has been completely transformed. Countless enormous craters resemble scars left by meteorite impacts, and crisscrossing trenches stretch for tens of kilometers, with some areas even blasted into deep rift valleys. These marks bear witness to countless battles fought between Lin Yun, Hong, and Lei Shen.

At this moment, the surface of the moon is completely silent.

Lin Yun sat cross-legged on the edge of a crater, his eyes closed. No light emanated from him; his aura was utterly contained, as if he had merged with the surrounding天地 (heaven and earth). The ten fundamental laws—metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, light, time, and space—had all now crossed the threshold of the primordial laws. The insights gained from multiple laws merged within him, returning to chaos, a return to simplicity.

The most difficult thing is the law of time.

After successfully creating the Time-Space Nightmare Beast clone, Lin Yun poured a large amount of his consciousness into it. The Time-Space Nightmare Beast naturally possessed an extremely high affinity for the laws of time and space, but the profundity of these laws far exceeded his imagination. Even with the Time-Space Nightmare Beast clone, comprehending them was extremely difficult.

What truly allows the laws of time to be broken is the rule of life.

Lin Yun continuously optimized the life gene level of his Time-Space Nightmare Beast clone using the rules of life. Originally, the Time-Space Nightmare Beast only had a life gene level of 6 times, but under the enhancement of the rules of life, it increased to more than 90 times, the same as the human original and the Golden Horned Beast, within a year and a half. The leap in life gene level brought about a qualitative leap in its affinity with the laws. The Time-Space Nightmare Beast's time-space law talent was fully activated, and in Lin Yun's view, it was at least no lower than the time-space law talent of the World Tree at the World Lord level.

With this terrifying talent, the Time Law finally stepped into the threshold of the Origin Law a month ago.

"I have grasped all ten principles." Lin Yun opened his eyes, his gaze devoid of any light, only a profound tranquility.

The depth of their understanding of the laws has also reached a clear level.

His deepest understanding remains of the three laws: wind, thunder, and light. He has corresponding divine avatars in the Panlong world for each of these three elements, and the insights gained in the two worlds corroborate each other, allowing him to progress at a rate far exceeding that of other laws. Among them, his understanding of the law of thunder has reached a considerably profound level, while his understanding of the laws of wind and light is not far behind.

But what Lin Yun cared about most was not simply the depth of his understanding, but the profound integration of knowledge.

Regarding the fundamental laws of lightning, the profound mysteries of lightning speed have been fully comprehended. The fusion of lightning speed and lightning explosion has entered its final stage, as has the fusion of lightning speed and lightning resonance. This means that once either of these fusions is fully completed, the lightning-type divine avatar in the Panlong World will be able to step into the realm of a mid-level god.

But Lin Yun's ambitions didn't stop there.

Using the profound mystery of lightning speed as a bridge, he simultaneously fused lightning speed with lightning explosion and lightning speed with lightning resonance, while searching for the point of convergence among the three mysteries. His goal was to achieve a complete fusion of the three mysteries—once he reached the intermediate god level, he would be an intermediate god who had fused all three mysteries, with strength equivalent to that of an upper god who had fused two mysteries.

In the world of Panlong, a mid-level god who can fuse three profound mysteries is an extremely rare genius. Linley in the original story, at the mid-level god realm, displayed strength nearly equivalent to a leader of a peak seven-star demon, precisely because he simultaneously comprehended and fused these mysteries, completing the fusion of multiple mysteries at a relatively low level. This approach is extremely difficult, requiring exceptional comprehension and patience, but once successful, invincibility among those of the same level is merely the norm, and challenging those of higher levels becomes the norm.

Significant progress has also been made in the fusion of the profound mysteries of different laws.

The three profound mysteries of the Law of Wind and the Law of Light—"Clone Technique," "Refraction of Light," and "Speed ​​of Light"—have been nearly fully integrated. The secret technique "Wind God: Seven Kills," created based on this integrated set of mysteries, has completely surpassed the boundaries of ordinary peak secret techniques, far exceeding the peak secret technique "Flowing Light and Illusion" created by the Lord of the Light and Storm Realm, becoming Lin Yun's most powerful trump card at present.

All other laws also progressed normally. Lin Yun did not pursue reaching the intermediate or upper god realms as quickly as possible, but rather comprehended the profound mysteries while fusing them. This was the most correct approach—fusing the profound mysteries at a lower realm was far less difficult than fusing them upon reaching the upper god realm.

However, very few people have the patience to do this. This is because both the four supreme planes and the various god planes are fraught with danger. Only high-level gods possess some self-defense capabilities, and few have the perseverance to simultaneously comprehend profound mysteries and fuse them. Therefore, in the original story, Linley, despite being a mid-level god, displayed strength nearly equal to a leader of a peak seven-star demon, leading other families to mistakenly believe he had already reached the level of a mid-level god who had fused five profound mysteries, just one step away from reaching the Great Perfection realm.

Lin Yun followed this path. His six divine avatars were all cultivating diligently in miniature planes, taking one step at a time without haste or impatience.

"Master, with your current strength, the probability of winning the championship in the finals is extremely high." Xiao Lan's voice rang in his mind. "You have all entered the threshold of the ten basic laws, and the wind, thunder, and light elements are close to the minor completion stage. Your profound fusion is also far superior to those of the same level. Among the geniuses of the Hengxing level in the entire universe, there are probably very few who can contend with you."

"Don't be careless." Lin Yun shook his head. "The universe is vast, and there are countless geniuses. There might even be someone stronger than me."

"Master is right," Xiao Lan said. "However, given your rate of progress, in a few more years, it will be difficult for you not to become number one."

Lin Yun nodded and didn't say anything more.

He stood up, transformed into a streak of light, and flew back to Earth.

In the cultivation room of Mingyue Residential Area, Luo Feng sat cross-legged, with the Divine Weapon floating before him. The dark golden staff had disintegrated, and 10081 small golden swords swirled around him, forming a solid golden phantom sword. The phantom sword's form was completely different from three years ago—no longer an illusory sword shadow, but rather as substantial as a physical object, with fine golden patterns flowing along its blade.

The second level of the Divine Weapon – "Piercing the Sky Style".

The core of this technique is to condense the profound mystery of "sharpness" from the fundamental law of metal to its extreme, transforming it into an indestructible sword rainbow. Unlike the first level, "Illusory Sword Style," "Piercing Heaven Style" abandons the illusionary nature, focusing solely on ultimate offensive power. With a single thrust, nothing is immune to its power.

Luo Feng's mastery of the fundamental laws of metal had reached an extremely profound level, and he had fully mastered the second level of the Divine Weapon. Compared to his contemporaries in the original story, he was more than one level stronger. Lin Yun believed that even if he encountered Rong Jun, who had defeated him in the preliminary rounds, Luo Feng could still defeat him.

More importantly, Luo Feng's Golden Horned Beast true form has already reached the ninth rank of the Universe level. Luo Feng's situation differs from Lin Yun's—Luo Feng's Golden Horned Beast is his true form, and its cultivation can surpass that of his clone. Lin Yun's Golden Horned Beast, however, is an clone, unable to surpass his human true form, thus remaining at the peak of the ninth rank of the Constant Star level. Luo Feng's consciousness strength is already at the ninth rank of the Universe level, giving him an overwhelming advantage over opponents only at the ninth rank of the Constant Star level in terms of reaction speed, combat judgment, and mental manipulation. Although he can only use a ninth-rank Constant Star body in the Genius Battle, the difference in consciousness is insurmountable.

"Luo Feng, you've mastered the second level of your Divine Weapon Technique." Lin Yun walked into the training room. "Next, you can try the third level."

Luo Feng opened his eyes, shook his head with a wry smile: "The third level of 'Heaven-Slaying Style' requires the fusion of the two profound mysteries of 'sharpness' and 'solidity' of the fundamental laws of metal. I haven't even touched the threshold of 'solidity' yet, I'm far from it."

"No rush," Lin Yun said. "There's still a year until the finals, let's take it slow."

Luo Feng nodded and put away the Divine Weapon.

"Lin Yun, how far have you come to understand the laws?" Luo Feng asked.

Lin Yun smiled but didn't answer directly: "A little better than you."

Luo Feng rolled his eyes and stopped asking questions.

On the moon, Hong and Thor were also cultivating.

Hong's mastery of the Law of Light has reached near completion. His marksmanship is incredibly fast; each shot leaves a trail of light, making it impossible to follow. Three years of real combat against Lin Yun have elevated his combat skills and application of the Law to a new level. He has mastered the use of the speed and refraction of light, two profound mysteries, to perfection.

The same applies to Thor's Law of Lightning. The fusion of lightning speed and lightning explosion is largely complete; his battle blade crackles with lightning, each strike carrying devastating power. In his battle against Lin Yun, he has already withstood dozens of moves without defeat.

Lin Yun estimated that with Hong and Lei Shen's current strength, they could easily rank in the top ten or even the top five among the top 1000 in the Qianwu Universe Kingdom. They would be second only to him, Luo Feng, Rong Jun, and a few other top geniuses. With such strength, they could achieve good results in the finals.

"Big brother, Thor, take a break." Lin Yun landed on the lunar surface. "You've made rapid progress."

Hong sheathed his gun and stood still, his breathing steady: "Not enough. The opponents in the finals come from all over the universe, far stronger than the geniuses from the Qianwu Universe Kingdom."

"So you still have a year," Lin Yun said. "A year is enough time for you to make another breakthrough."

Thor grinned: "Lin Yun, do you think we can make it into the top 1000 in the finals?"

Lin Yun thought for a moment and said, "There's a chance. But it depends on luck and how well we perform."

"As long as there's a chance!" Thor clenched his fist. "I'll give it my all!"

The three figures intersected once more, and lightning and light exploded on the lunar surface.

Time passed day by day.

One day in mid-August 2069, Luo Feng was practicing his Divine Weapon training in the cultivation room when suddenly his body shuddered violently.

"What's wrong?" Babata's voice echoed in his mind.

"The Demon Slayer Clan's avatar... is about to be born." Luo Feng's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

He closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink into the world inside his body.

Within the Golden Horned Beast's inner world, a mass of black liquid was violently churning. Within the liquid, dark golden runes flickered continuously—the imprints of the fundamental laws of space. The liquid condensed, deformed, solidified…

A strange humanoid creature emerged from the liquid.

Its size is similar to a human's, its entire body is jet black, and its skin is covered with dark golden runes. Its face is indistinct, without features, only a pair of golden eyes that gleam with a cold light. Its body is translucent, and one can see energy flowing within it.

The Demon Slayer Clan.

The pinnacle race among energy-based life forms, they hold the title of "the strongest assassin race." They are born to be favored by space, possessing an extremely high affinity for the fundamental laws of space.

"Pregnancy time... 3 years and 9 months." Luo Feng received the message from his inner world.

3 years and 9 months. From the end of the tournament until now, it has been exactly 3 years and 9 months. The timing is just right.

Luo Feng immersed his consciousness into the Demon Slayer Clan clone, experiencing everything about this new body.

The Demon Slayer Clan avatar's cultivation level is the same as the main body, at the ninth rank of the Constant Star level. Its life gene level is not high, only about six times that of an ordinary human, somewhat lower than the Golden Horned Beast's ten times. However, its value lies not in its basic strength, but in its spatial law talent.

The spatial law talent of the Demon Slayer Clan's clone is terrifyingly powerful. Lin Yun once said that using the Life Tree clone to sense the wood law is like having a magnifying glass. Luo Feng now senses the spatial law with the Demon Slayer Clan clone and feels the same way—the incredibly clear law patterns are even more intuitive than the Golden Horned Beast's affinity for the metal law.

In the perception of the Demon Slayer avatar, the fragments of spatial laws were no longer blurry specks of light, but clear patterns. Each pattern contained the mysteries of spatial laws, within reach.

"With this clone, my spatial laws will soon be able to make a greater breakthrough." Luo Feng was excited.

His divine weapon requires a dual understanding of the Law of Metal and the Law of Space. He has already achieved considerable depth in the Law of Metal, but the Law of Space has always been his weakness. Now that his Demon Slayer Clan clone has been successfully conceived, this weakness will soon be overcome.

"Luo Feng, your Demon Slayer Clan clone has been successfully conceived?" Babata's voice was filled with excitement.

"It's a success." Luo Feng opened his eyes, his eyes full of smiles.

"That's fantastic!" Babata exclaimed excitedly. "With the Demon Slayer Clan clone, your spatial laws will undergo a leap forward. The third level of the Divine Weapon requires the fusion of the Metal Law and the Spatial Law. Previously, your spatial laws were barely at the beginner level, making it virtually impossible for you to master the third level. Now, there's hope!"

"Hmm." Luo Feng nodded. "But there's no rush. We still have a year. Let's deepen our understanding of the laws of space first, and then consider the third level."

"Yes, one step at a time."

Luo Feng stood up and walked out of the cultivation room.

In the living room, Xu Xin was playing with her two children. When she saw Luo Feng come out, Xu Xin looked up, her eyes full of tenderness.

"Have you finished cultivating?"

"Hmm." Luo Feng walked over, picked up Xiao Hai, and said, "Daddy's clone has been successfully conceived."

"What clone?" Xiao Hai asked, tilting his head.

"A very powerful clone," Luo Feng said with a smile. "Dad will become even more powerful in the future."

"Can Dad beat Uncle Yun?" Xiao Hai asked.

Luo Feng's smile froze for a moment, then he said, "When your Uncle Yun stops cultivating, he should be able to."

Xu Xin couldn't help but laugh.

Luo Feng touched his nose and stopped talking.

In another villa in Mingyue Community, Lin Yun was sitting cross-legged in the cultivation room.

His consciousness simultaneously sank into four bodies—his human form, the Golden Horned Beast clone, the Tree of Life clone, and the Time-Space Nightmare Beast clone.

The human protagonist continues to cultivate the seven elemental laws, focusing on the profound fusion of wind, thunder, and light, as well as perfecting the secret technique. Wind God Seven Kills still has room for improvement; he hopes to perfect this secret technique to its ultimate form before the finals.

The Golden Horned Beast's avatar focused on the Laws of Metal and Space, while simultaneously absorbing metal to cultivate its "True Body and Heaven." Because the Golden Horned Beast was an avatar, it couldn't surpass the cultivation level of its human counterpart, thus remaining at the peak of the ninth rank of the Constant Star level. However, its comprehension of laws and cultivation of secret techniques remained unaffected; its Laws of Metal and Space were steadily progressing.

The avatar of the Sacred Tree of Life is comprehending the Laws of Wood and the Rules of Life. It has already entered the threshold of the Laws of Wood and is progressing towards minor mastery. Its understanding of the Rules of Life is also deepening; although the rate of advancement in its life gene level has slowed, it is still steadily increasing.

The Time-Space Nightmare Beast clone had only been conceived for a year and a half, and its main focus was on familiarizing itself with its innate secret techniques and comprehending the laws of time. Its use of the Golden and Silver Eyes was already showing initial proficiency, and it had also entered the realm of the laws of time. The next step was to delve deeper.

Four bodies, cultivating simultaneously. The efficiency is several times that of an ordinary person.

Lin Yun opened his eyes and looked out the window at the starry sky.

There's still one year until the finals.

A year later, he will stand on the stage of the All-Universe Genius Battle and compete against top geniuses from various universe nations.

"Soon," he said softly.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the world of Panlong.