Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent: Volume 10: Chapter 4 (366): [Cultivation and War]

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Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent
Volume 10: [Breaking Through with Force]
Chapter (366): [Cultivation and War]
(4th of Volume 10)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Luo Feng still continued with his frugal method of comprehension.

He studied fragmented materials such as- a single scale, a tendon, a piece of flesh, a drop of blood- observing the profound patterns within these scattered materials.

He then integrated these insights, shaping them into what he envisioned as the most perfect form before comparing them to the "Hunyuan Bloodline".

The cave residence built by the lords nourished his soul and flesh, accelerating his thought processes to a thousand times their speed in the Dark Holy Realm!

With the aid of certain rare treasures, his mental speed could easily reach ten thousand times its usual rate!

At such speeds, coupled with his far higher realm than before, even meticulous comprehension allowed him to decipher a hundred kinds of low-level Hunyuan bloodlines in just one century at the start!

From ten thousand Hunyuan bloodlines to a hundred thousand Hunyuan Bloodline, Luo Feng's comprehension grew increasingly profound.

Finally, one day-

"The insights and mysteries I've integrated surpass even the original structure of these Hunyuan bloodlines?" Luo Feng realized that his attempts at refinement had begun to exceed the inherent designs of these low-level bloodlines.

"Natural creation isn't necessarily the best. These are, after all, low-level Hunyuan lifeforms- they still have flaws!"

"This low-level Hunyuan bloodline has far too many flaws. I've already spotted dozens of them!"

As time passed, Luo Feng progressed from identifying ten or twenty flaws to uncovering dozens in each bloodline.

Sometimes, a single glance was enough for him to pinpoint numerous weaknesses.

These flaws made them weak, limiting their strength to only early- or mid-stage God Emperor Realm among low-level Hunyuan lifeforms.

There were too many flaws!

The high-level Hunyuan bloodlines were far more intriguing- their intricacies were on another level.

After when he finally finished studying all the low-level Hunyuan bloodlines and moved on to the high-level Hunyuan bloodlines, Luo Feng felt a surge of excitement.

The profound mysteries within high-level Hunyuan bloodlines contained countless unexpected revelations, broadening his horizons.

Luo Feng was like a devout student, he meticulously compared and learnt from their rune patterns, uncovering new truths about life, destruction, and everything in between.

For most of this cultivation journey, Luo Feng remained highly motivated. Even when occasional fatigue set in, a brief respite with family and friends in his homeworld was enough to reinvigorate him before he resumed his studies.

Infinite Hunyuan Space - The Jade River World Clusters!

At the heart of this world cluster lay the shattered remains of the Yuhe Holy Realm, resembling an egg devoured until only fragments and debris floated in the vast Infinite Hunyuan Space.

This cluster held countless worlds, including numerous origin worlds.

Many of the billions of worlds had already been breached, and their native lifeforms had already been exterminated.

As for the origin worlds, many had undergone great destruction, with their lifeforms wiped out entirely, forcing those worlds into new cycles of rebirth.

Some fared better, but countless others had vanished completely- devoured without a trace.

Seven terrifying figures stood within the boundless Infinite Hunyuan Space.

Their mere presence drew the attention of countless factions across the realm.

Each of them wielded power at the highest level, having grasped the fundamental essence of strength.

All held seats in the Land of Origin, and their united front was a force that instilled fear across all factions.

"The Hunyuan Progenitors have temporarily retreated!" 

Yet, the seven showed no relief.

"The Seventy-five Hunyuan Progenitors joined forces against just the seven of us!" A deep-skinned being sighed softly. 

"Even united, we were at a disadvantage. We could only watch as the endless armies of innate Hunyuan lifeforms ravaged the origin worlds, other billions of worlds and the countless smaller realms."

He shook his head. 

"The Progenitors tied us down while their vast legions ran rampant. Their numbers are beyond measure- we couldn't stop them while fending off the Progenitors."

"This war... we cannot win. The outcome is inevitable."

"Shut your mouth, Naigu." The Lord Jin- clad in silver-white armor with twelve horns and a long, spiked tail, snarled in fury. 

"If they wish to devour our practitioner faction's world clusters, those Progenitors will pay with their lives! So far in this war, we've already slain three of them. Let's see how many more they're willing to sacrifice!"

"I agree with Jin." A tall, slender man draped in a black cloak smirked. 

"War always brings losses. Some origin worlds will fall; countless smaller realms will perish. But the Infinite Hunyuan Space will birth new ones in time, and we can always create more worlds. The cost means nothing- what matters is making the entire realm understand that challenging our faction demands a bloody price!"

"We must think of a solution," Yuan frowned. 

"We can't just watch as they conquer world cluster after world clusters."

"This is not a solution."

Each world cluster represented countless epochs of meticulous effort by the lords.

Every origin world had been carefully arranged, every ordinary world filled with thriving civilizations.

The spatial-transport networks, surveillance systems, resource extraction sites...

"Xing Mang, do you have any ideas?" The colossal Wu Lan turned to a middle-aged man.

Lord Xing Mang- who had taken on forms ranging from child to elder across countless reincarnations in different origin worlds- merely smiled faintly.

His appearance and race were ever-changing, a testament to his endless cycles of rebirth.

Among the seven lords, Lord Xing Mang truly possessed the most diverse methods!

The Hunyuan Progenitors of the Innate Hunyuan Lifeform faction had wildly differing temperaments, and their internal conflicts also ran deep.

"This time, they've managed to rally 80% of the Progenitors to war- 93 in total," Lord Xing Mang said. 

"So far, we've slain three. The remaining 90 rotate frequently, withdrawing the heavily injured to recover while others take their place."

"Is there a way to kill another Progenitor?" Lord Wu Lan asked.

The other five lords turned their gazes toward Xing Mang.

Xing Mang- whose clones walked countless possible futures, observing and recording the Infinite Hunyuan Space across past, present, and future- was the chronicler of all timelines.

"After battling us for so long, the Progenitors have learned from their losses," Lord Xing Mang said with a faint shake of his head.

"With just the seven of us, it's nearly impossible to kill another Hunyuan Progenitor now."

Though the seventy-plus Progenitors held the numerical advantage against the seven lords, but sheer numbers couldn't suppress the lords' power.

Unbeknownst to them, the Progenitors had suffered injuries- some severe enough that if they accumulated for a long time, it could even kill a Hunyuan Progenitor!

"I must also warn you," Lord Xing Mang continued, "most of our territory has already fallen in this war. The World-Class Hunyuan Lifeforms of the enemy faction have devoured too many Origin World's Source- meaning several new Progenitors will likely emerge soon."

"More Hunyuan Progenitors?!"

The lords exchanged grim looks.

Origin World's Source is the most coveted feast for the Innate Hunyuan faction.

If the World-Class Hunyuan lifeforms consumes enough sources, there is a slim chance they could ascend to Hunyuan Progenitor.

"Let us withdraw and recuperate," Yuan declared.

"The Progenitors have retreated for now, but they'll return once fully healed. We must use this time to recover as well."

The others nodded.

A single Progenitor was no threat- but seventy-plus, all wielding supreme power, had worn them down.

While the enemy could rotate their forces, the seven lords had no reinforcements.

The relentless pressure had left them weary, both physically and mentally.

With a thought, they vanished.

They weren't worried about ambushes- because one or two stealth-specialized Progenitors might slip past, but an army of seventy?

It would be Impossible to conceal the different powers of more than seventy Hunyuan Progenitors.

The lords would detect them instantly.

And with Xing Mang's mastery over time and space, any attack would be intercepted before it even struck.

"We've poured endless resources into nurturing new lords, yet none have emerged," the black-cloaked Mo Man said with a sigh. 

"I've always believed lords aren't forged by resources alone. True strength comes from trials- excessive aid only breeds weakness."

"I agree," Lord Jin growled. 

"Harsh tempering breeds warriors."

"Coddling them? That just creates trash."

"Enough debate on cultivation methods," Yuan interjected.

"We'll revise our approach in the next era."

Mo Man and Jin fell silent.

"Speaking of which... there's a practitioner of the Fusion Path- Luo Feng," Yuan remarked casually. 

"His talent is noteworthy."

"Oh? A Origin World Lord without relying on bloodlines?" Lord Wu Lan asked.

Yuan shook his head. 

"He'll likely still need to refine one."

"Then he has no hope," a golden-robed woman said dismissively.

"None at all," Lord She Gu agreed. 

"Only by comprehending the Hunyuan Bloodline Path, like I did, can one resist its pollution."

"Luo Feng doesn't walk the Bloodline Path?"

"He follows the Life-Death Dao," Yuan confirmed.

"Hopeless," She Gu scoffed.

The other lords seemed disappointed- except for Xing Mang, whose eyes glinted with curiosity.

"The past is fixed. The present unfolds. But the future holds infinite possibilities."

Xing Mang's countless clones traversed divergent timelines. As reality shifted, some futures collapsed into oblivion- erased from existence.

"They underestimate Luo Feng."

A childlike incarnation of Xing Mang stepped away from the fading timelines, moving into those still intact.

"I've observed over 30 million potential paths for Luo Feng... and in a few, he becomes a lord."

In one, Luo Feng refines a World-Class Hunyuan Bloodline, ascending to World-Class Hunyuan lifeform.

Despite the will and memory pollution, he abandons his original path, forcibly comprehending a Hunyuan Life-Death Dao- which was steeped in destruction and taint.

"Even with a bloodline, he becomes a lord. But I've only seen this succeed once."

"As for breaking through with force? I've witnessed eight victories."

A spark of anticipation lit in Xing Mang's eyes.

Among the 237 World-Class Hunyuan practitioners in their faction, only a handful had futures where they ascended to lord Realm. Most possibilities led to dead ends.

"Succeeding a few times out of 30 million? His potential is the highest among the new generation."

Xing Mang smiled, clearly looking forward to it.

The future is unwritten.

And Luo Feng's story had only just begun.

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END OF CHAPTER

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