Swallowing the Stars: Starting with Panlong

Chapter 81 Breakthrough to Planetary Level

Ancient Civilization Relic No. 9, located in the underground base.

This base was built jointly by various forces on Earth. The five major powers, the two martial arts schools, and the HR Alliance are all qualified to send personnel into the No. 9 ancient civilization ruins, and many of the members here come from different factions. They are responsible for monitoring the operation of the ruins, recording the data of those who enter, and providing rescue when necessary.

The base was built deep underground, with limited space and rudimentary facilities. A few long tables, dozens of chairs, and a few old entertainment devices were all the belongings there. Since there were almost no entertainment facilities, people usually just played cards together to pass the time.

"A pair of Aces." A middle-aged man in an HR Alliance uniform threw down two cards and smiled smugly.

"I can't afford it." The person on the other end shook their head.

"I can't afford it either."

"Haha, then I won!"

Just as everyone was preparing to shuffle the cards and continue, a metallic scraping sound suddenly rang out.

Nearly a hundred members in the entire base's main hall turned to look at the large door. It was the passageway leading to the ruins of Ancient Civilization No. 9. Unless actively opened, the passageway's sensor system would automatically open upon detecting the emergence of a War God.

"Is someone coming out?"

"That's not right, it's already December 29th. The last batch of War Gods went in on September 29th, could someone have been inside for three months?"

On September 29, 2054, a group of fourteen war gods were sent in. So far, six have successfully emerged, four are wounded, and three have died. One person remains missing.

Everyone thought that person was dead inside.

"Damn, some people actually stayed there for three months before they came out."

When Lin Yun emerged from the passage, everyone was stunned. Three months—a full three months. This was the longest anyone had ever stayed inside the No. 9 ancient civilization ruins since their discovery.

Lin Yun's expression was calm, and there were no wounds on his body. His combat uniform was intact, his steps were steady, and his eyes were clear. He did not look like he had just gone through a life-or-death ordeal.

"Who is he?" someone asked in a low voice.

"Lin Yun, Inspector of Jiangnan Base City from the Limitless Martial Arts Academy. The invincible war god at sixteen."

"Sixteen years old...Invincible God of War..." The man murmured these two words repeatedly, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Lin Yun ignored the stares. He took a shower in the base's lounge, changed into clean clothes, and then left the base with his backpack.

The sun shone warmly on my skin. The sky over the Amazon rainforest was exceptionally blue, with a few white clouds drifting lazily by. In the distance, two streaks of light were rapidly approaching.

Two streaks of light flew in front; the one in front was Lin Yun's King-class intelligent fighter jet, "Panlong." The moment he emerged from the ancient civilization ruins, he issued the command via his communication watch, and the intelligent fighter jet immediately flew over.

"Hmm? That's—" Lin Yun looked at the blood-red triangular fighter jet next to him, his pupils slightly contracting.

A prehistoric-level intelligent fighter jet. The only one of its kind in the world, belonging to Hong.

Two fighter jets landed simultaneously on the open ground, and the cabin doors opened. Hong, dressed in black, stepped out first, followed by his personal guard Yaorao and Inspector Liuhe.

"Master." Lin Yun bowed slightly.

Hong's gaze fell on Lin Yun, his dark eyes seeming to see through everything. He was silent for a moment, then said, "Alright, I knew you wouldn't die so easily. Let's go, let's go back first."

"Yes."

With the Primordial-level intelligent fighter jet in front and the Panlong behind, the two fighter jets soared into the sky one after the other, flying towards the Hongning Base City.

The interior space of the Primordial-class intelligent fighter jet is much larger than that of the Panlong. The black seats form a circle, with a metal table in the center. Hong, Lin Yun, Yao Rao, and Liu He each sit on one side.

"Lin Yun, you possess translation software, so how come you've spent three months inside Ancient Civilization Ruins No. 9?" Hong looked at Lin Yun with a hint of inquiry in his eyes. "Did you discover some secrets of Ancient Civilization Ruins No. 9?"

As the first human on Earth, Hong had also inherited some technological knowledge from ancient ruins. Few things could pique his curiosity anymore, but this No. 9 ancient civilization ruin remained a mystery to him.

Lin Yun had already prepared his explanation.

"Because of my identity as a mentalist, I was put into a training and assessment mission," Lin Yun said, half-jokingly. "I need to complete the training before I can leave."

"Training mission?" The people present were all somewhat surprised.

Hong asked, "Are the rewards the same as the other War Gods? There should be differences, right?"

In the past, anyone who successfully entered the No. 9 Ancient Civilization Ruins always received a set of Black God armor. This was a fixed reward, without exception.

"There's a difference," Lin Yun said. "I not only got a set of Black God armor, but also a cultivation method for a mentalist."

"Oh?" Hong nodded slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

He was a martial artist, his energy entirely devoted to martial arts. According to the information Hong himself had about the universe, although he was only a "Planetary Level Sixth Rank" expert, his martial arts realm was already extremely high—many Star-level experts had not even been able to possess their own domain, while he had already done so. With such a high level of martial arts, he naturally wouldn't waste time cultivating his mental power.

"The cultivation methods of a spiritualist are indeed useful for you," Hong said. "Cultivate them well."

"Yes."

The fighter jet landed at Hongning Base City. Lin Yun handed the Black God Set to Hong—according to the agreement between the martial arts school and the ruins, Lin Yun had already obtained a set from the martial arts school, so this set naturally had to be handed over.

After finishing his business, Lin Yun went to visit He Lingruo.

The special operations team's base was located in the eastern district of Hongning Base City, in a detached white building. The building was heavily guarded, with tight security. Lin Yun presented his inspector's credentials before being allowed entry.

He Lingruo was practicing her marksmanship in the training room.

She wore a white training uniform, her long hair tied in a ponytail. The Silver Moon Spear in her hand transformed into a streak of silver light, each shot accompanied by a sharp whistling sound. Her marksmanship was even more fluid and polished than three months ago, just a step away from reaching the half-step realm of mastery.

"Senior Sister," Lin Yun called softly from the doorway of the training room.

The gunshot abruptly stopped. He Lingruo turned around, saw Lin Yun, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. But she quickly regained her composure, sheathed her gun, and stood still.

"You're out?" Her tone was indifferent, but Lin Yun could hear the suppressed joy in it.

"You're out." Lin Yun walked into the training room. "I heard you've been on a mission lately?"

"Hmm." He Lingruo nodded. "The special operations team has a lot of work to do. They went to Europe last month and dealt with a King-level monster."

"King-level?" Lin Yun frowned slightly. "Are you alright?"

"No." He Lingruo's lips curled up slightly. "I'm already at the peak of the Advanced War God level, just one step away from the Planetary level. As for King-level monsters, if I can't beat them, I can always run away."

Lin Yun looked at her, a warm feeling welling up in his heart. Three months had passed, and she had become more capable; the childishness in her eyes had faded considerably, replaced by a composed and spirited air. But in his presence, the quiet and gentle demeanor she had shown during training camp would still unconsciously resurface.

"Senior sister, I'm waiting for your good news," Lin Yun said.

He Lingruo glanced at him but didn't reply. After a moment of silence, she asked, "When are you going back?"

"tomorrow."

"So fast?"

"Yes, there are still some things to take care of."

He Lingruo nodded and said nothing more. The two stood quietly in the training room for a while, neither of them speaking.

Early the next morning, Lin Yun set off back to Jiangnan Base City.

The Panlong flew at high speed through the clouds. Lin Yun leaned back in his seat, looking down at the city through the porthole. Three months had passed since he last returned, and Jiangnan Base City seemed unchanged. The streets were bustling with traffic, pedestrians hurried along, and everything was running smoothly.

The Panlong landed on the helipad in Mingyue Community. Lin Yun stepped out of the cabin and took a deep breath.

The air of early autumn carries a hint of coolness, mixed with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms. The osmanthus trees in the neighborhood are in bloom, their golden petals shimmering in the sunlight.

Lin Yun pushed open the door to her home, where her grandfather, Lin Guodong, was watching TV in the living room.

"Grandpa, I'm back."

Lin Guodong turned his head, saw his grandson, and a smile immediately spread across his face. The old man stood up, walked over quickly, and looked Lin Yun up and down.

"You've lost weight," the old man said, his voice trembling slightly, "but you're in better spirits."

"Grandpa, I'm fine." Lin Yun smiled and hugged her grandfather.

Lin Yun was somewhat surprised by Lin Guodong's transformation. Under the influence of the thousand-year-old ginseng wine, the old man began to rejuvenate. Originally in his sixties, he now looked no more than fifty. The wrinkles on his face had diminished considerably, his hair had darkened considerably, he walked with a brisk pace, and he was full of energy.

"Grandpa, how are you feeling?" Lin Yun asked.

"Great!" Lin Guodong patted his chest. "I can carry several hundred kilograms of stuff now without even breaking a sweat."

Lin Yun smiled. His grandfather's physical condition had reached the warrior level. Although he wouldn't let his grandfather go to the wilderness, good health was the greatest blessing.

The day after returning home, Lin Yun received a wedding invitation.

The red envelope bore the inscription "To Mr. Lin Yun" in gold lettering. Inside was a wedding invitation from Lin Zheng and Liu Xu. The wedding was set for February 14, 2055—Valentine's Day before the Great Rebirth.

"They're finally getting married." Lin Yun's lips curled up slightly, happy for the couple.

He immediately replied to Lin Zheng, promising to attend on time.

Now, all he has to do is go into seclusion to cultivate the Nine-Nine Divine Forging Technique and break through to the Planetary level.

Lin Yun entrusted all matters, big and small, of the Limitless Martial Arts Academy to Zhou Zhengyong, and then locked himself in the training room. He posted a note on the door—"Secluded training, please do not disturb." Then he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

The Nine-Nine Refining of the Gods consists of eighty-one steps. Each step takes an hour and a half, and if one stops midway, one must start all over again. This means that he needs to cultivate continuously for more than one hundred and twenty hours—five days and five nights.

For these five days, you cannot eat, drink, sleep, or have any interruptions.

Lin Yun took a deep breath and began to circulate the secret technique.

The first step is to internalize one's mental energy and concentrate it deep within one's consciousness.

The second step is to project one's mental energy outwards and resonate with the body's magnetic field.

Step 3...

Time ticked by. Lin Yun's consciousness was immersed in a strange state. His spiritual energy flowed continuously within his body, becoming more solid and pure with each flow. Under the tempering of his spiritual energy, his body was also undergoing subtle changes—his cells were rejoicing, his genes were evolving, and his level of life was leaping forward.

On the first day, he completed the first sixteen steps. His mental strength began to undergo a qualitative change, and a tiny point of light appeared in his sea of ​​consciousness.

The next day, he completed the thirty-second step. The spot of light gradually expanded and began to rotate slowly.

On the third day, he completed the forty-eighth step. The point of light transformed into a miniature sphere of light, its rotation speed increased, and a magnetic field began to form.

On the fourth day, he completed the sixty-fourth step. The sphere of light stabilized, emitting a warm glow. Lin Yun felt his soul and will rapidly improve, and his perception range expanded to an astonishing degree.

On the fifth day, he completed eighty steps. Only one step remained.

Lin Yun's mental energy had been exhausted to its limit, and his body was on the verge of collapse. But his consciousness remained clear, and his gaze remained firm.

Step 81.

Lin Yun concentrated all his mental energy into the sphere of light in his sea of ​​consciousness, and then released it suddenly.

"boom--"

The sphere of light in the sea of ​​consciousness exploded. Countless points of light spread in all directions, then quickly contracted and reformed into a more solid and dazzling sphere of light.

That sphere of light wasn't just a simple core of mental energy; it possessed a strange ability. It could be described as a "miniature planet"—it rotated and had its own magnetic field. At Lin Yun's command, it could control the magnetic field around his body, counteracting Earth's gravity and allowing him to levitate in the air.

Planetary level.

Lin Yun opened his eyes, and his body slowly rose from the ground, hovering in mid-air.

He looked down at his hands, feeling the surging power within him. The quality and quantity of his genetic energy had undergone a qualitative leap, and his physical abilities had improved by at least one major level. His mental power had also increased dramatically, expanding its range from two thousand meters to five thousand meters.

"This is planetary level," Lin Yun murmured.

Like the Saint-level powerhouses in the Panlong world, reaching the Planetary level naturally grants one the ability to fly. This is not flying by using mental power to control objects, but true flight relying on one's own magnetic field.

The instant he reached the planetary level, countless insights into the laws of nature suddenly flooded into his mind. These insights seemed to come from another cosmic dimension, clear and profound, like instincts etched deep within his soul.

Thunder-related domain.

He had already comprehended the second level of the lightning domain, but at this moment, the level of the domain began to rise rapidly. Third level, fourth level, fifth level... it only stopped when it reached the fifth level.

It's not just lightning-based.

Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, and Light—these five elements also comprehended their domains instantly, reaching at least the second level. Only the Metal and Wood elements remained silent, but Lin Yun didn't care.

"Five elemental domains..." Lin Yun hovered in the air, feeling the flowing elements of heaven and earth around him, and an uncontrollable excitement surged in his heart.

In the world of Swallowed Star, possessing a domain at the planetary level almost means being invincible among peers. And throughout the entire universe, those who can possess a domain at the planetary level belong to the category of top geniuses, and countless forces will compete for them.

He did it.

Lin Yun slowly descended from the air and sat cross-legged back on the ground. He closed his eyes and carefully sensed the changes within his body.

Planetary level 1, five elemental domains, lightning element 5th level, other four elements 2nd level.

This level of strength is already considered top-tier on Earth. Hong is at the sixth level of the planetary realm, and Thor is at the eighth level. His cultivation level might not be as high as theirs, but his true strength is another matter entirely.

"Next, I need to consolidate my realm and then improve step by step," Lin Yun thought to himself.