Swallowing the Stars: Sacrifice for a Thousandfold Return

Page 41

"My people...will not let this go..."

The electronic voice of the Nightmare King abruptly stopped, the ghostly blue soul flames completely dimmed, and the massive metallic divine body quickly turned gray and decayed, eventually turning into a pile of lifeless cosmic dust.

With a wave of his hand, Lu Ming put away the three world rings and some precious mechanical debris. Without even glancing at the now lifeless nebula, he turned and stepped into the quietly appearing spaceship.

"Qingyuan, next target."

……

Time has passed, and there has never been peace on the battlefields beyond our borders.

A century is but a fleeting moment on a cosmic scale, but on the battlefield beyond the Ninth Domain, this century felt exceptionally long and bloody because of one name.

The name "Yanfeng" swept across the battlefield like the most terrifying nightmare.

He was elusive and ruthless, never getting entangled with other races who held the title of king. He would often kill them with a single blow and then flee thousands of miles away.

The souls that perished under the blade gradually spread from the initial demon race to the mechanical race, the insect race, and even some powerful alien alliances, becoming immortal kings.

His achievements, through the military system, have repeatedly shocked the human leadership and the Hongmeng.

His bounty skyrocketed among the opposing camps, reaching a terrifying figure that even those at the pinnacle of the King's title coveted.

A century of carnage, blood staining the star field.

On this day, Lu Ming temporarily ended his hunt and stayed in the training room of the Qingyuan spaceship.

A screen of light floated in front of him, displaying statistics on the results of battles over the past century.

"A hundred years..."

Lu Ming's gaze swept across the screen, his voice calm and unwavering.

"Thirty-two alien kings were killed."

The list on the screen is clear.

The highest rank of king: seventeen.

Peak of being crowned a king: Thirteen.

The limit for being crowned a king: two.

Behind these two short lines of data lies the complete demise of thirty-two immortal kings who were pillars of their respective clans—a tremendous loss that could enrage the clan's leadership!

This even includes two Kings who stand at the pinnacle of immortality!

Lu Ming has finally earned his title of king!

A century of war, blood and fire forged a glorious name.

His infamous reputation, codenamed "Flame Edge" but actually based on "Burning Sky," had already swept across the entire Ninth Domain Outer Battlefield like a destructive storm and spread to other cosmic territories.

"Have you heard? That 'Flame Blade' killed a total of thirty-two alien kings in a hundred years!"

"Thirty-two? My God! Two of them are at the peak of the King-level! This... this is simply a massacre!"

"His swordsmanship is terrifying! The dark red flames of his swordsmanship are said to be so powerful that even a peak-level King would find it difficult to withstand a single strike!"

"And then there's his plant life form, the 'Thunder Vine,' which can strangle even the most powerful King-level cultivators like slaughtering dogs!"

"The demon race, the mechanical race, the insect race... countless powerful kings turned pale at the mere mention of his name, and he slaughtered them all despite their joint attempts to encircle and annihilate them!"

"Such strength is absolutely at the invincible King level! Our human race has given birth to another invincible powerhouse!"

Chapter 50 Joining the Hongmeng

Throughout the battlefields beyond the realm, the powerful figures of the human faction and many allied races all spoke of "Yanfeng" with awe and excitement.

Meanwhile, the opposing camp was shrouded in gloom, regarding "Yanfeng" as a thorn in their side, yet they were helpless to do anything about it.

Such a brilliant record and such formidable strength have already surpassed the scope of ordinary kingship.

According to the conventions of the human race and even the Hongmeng, when an immortal god displays terrifying power enough to intimidate a region, he will be recognized by billions of races in the universe and granted a unique title of king!

This title is an affirmation of his strength and a symbol of his illustrious reputation!

The virtual universe, Thunder Island, the meeting place for high-level officials.

A simple discussion is underway regarding the title of "Yanfeng" (炎锋).

"Within a century, he has slain thirty-two alien kings, including two who were at the peak of their power... Such a feat is rare on the battlefield outside the realm in the past ten thousand epochs."

"His swordsmanship is like burning stars and boiling seas, with raging flames soaring through the sky. It carries the absolute law of fire and air, and should be taken as the core."

"Although his codename 'Flame Blade' has been passed down, it is not enough to show his invincible power. Judging from his battle footage, when he draws his blade, the starry sky is shattered and all things are reduced to nothingness... So, let's call him—'King of the Burning Sky'!"

"King of Burning Sky?"

"Burning the starry sky, cleaving the firmament with a blade... Excellent! This name is fitting!"

"Can!"

"And so it is decided."

There were no objections.

With Lu Ming's strength reaching such a level, his title of King was almost directly tied to his battle record and fighting style, and it came about naturally.

"King of Blazing Sky! What an imposing title!"

"It truly lives up to its name, burning the entire starry sky!"

"From this day forward, anyone who sees the King of Burning Sky must give way!"

Humanity and its allies were overjoyed and their morale soared.

Meanwhile, opposing factions such as the demon race and the mechanical race have all placed "Burning Sky King" on their highest danger list, causing his bounty to soar once again.

The Qingyuan spaceship, inside the training room.

Lu Ming slowly opened his eyes, ending his brief cultivation session.

On the screen in front of him, besides the battle results statistics, there were hundreds of emails marked as "unread," with the top few clearly coming from "Hongmeng."

"An invitation from Hongmeng?"

Lu Ming glanced at the email title, his expression calm.

A hundred years ago, after he first showed his talent and killed four demon kings, including the Tears-Chasing King, the Hong Alliance had already passed a resolution.

However, during these past hundred years, he was either engaged in fierce battles or deeply immersed in enlightenment, leaving him no time to deal with these trivial matters in the virtual universe.

"Inviting me to join the Hongmeng? Hoping to meet me in the virtual universe?"

Lu Ming muttered to himself, a knowing glint in his eyes.

He was well aware of the rules of the Hong Alliance. Those who reached the level of being crowned king, especially those who had demonstrated "invincible crowned king" strength like him, would definitely be invited by the Hong Alliance.

only……

"I am in a virtual universe, and it seems I have no fixed abode."

Lu Ming shook his head slightly. After obtaining an identity in the Qianwu Universe Kingdom under the name "Yan Feng", he went directly into the extraterritorial battlefield. Over the years, apart from necessary training in the virtual universe training grounds, he has hardly purchased any properties in the virtual universe.

The Hongmeng envoy wanted to pay a visit, but found that he didn't even have a "door," which was rather embarrassing.

"Very well, let's buy one then."

With a thought, Lu Ming connected his consciousness to the virtual universe network.

With his current wealth, buying a residence in the virtual universe would be a piece of cake.

Soon, he selected a grand and ancient palace complex in a scenic and tranquil area of ​​the Qianwu Continent as his residence in the virtual universe.

"Reply to Hongmeng with my address."

Lu Ming said to Qing Yuan.

Shortly after the email was sent, a notification came from the virtual universe system—a guest had arrived at the palace gates.

Lu Ming smiled slightly, stood up and walked out of the magnificent temple gate.

Nine figures stood outside the door.

They came in various forms, some human and some other races, but without exception, they all exuded a powerful immortal aura, clearly being king-level beings!

They looked at Lu Ming with a hint of curiosity and scrutiny in their eyes, but more than anything, they looked at him with an equal and friendly gaze.

"Welcome, everyone."

Lu Ming smiled and spoke, his voice calm.

"Let's go into my temple and talk in detail."

"Haha, King Burning Sky, excuse me for disturbing you."

The leader, a burly human man clad in crimson armor with flame patterns on his forehead, laughed heartily. His smile was cheerful and carried a scorching aura that unconsciously inspired goodwill in those around him.

"We've been waiting for this for so long!"

Led by Lu Ming, the delegation sent by the Hongmeng entered the temple and arrived at the luxurious reception room that had been prepared in advance.

In the living room, an exquisite banquet was already prepared, with delicacies and energizing elixirs radiating an enticing glow and aroma.

"Everyone, please take a seat."

Lu Ming, as the host, greeted them.

These members of the Hongmeng Alliance were all powerful figures who had traversed the universe, but they all remained polite in front of Lu Ming.

After all, Lu Ming's achievements over the past century were too terrifying; he was recognized as "almost invincible and a king," and his strength and status were above theirs.

After the nine envoys were seated, Lu Ming also took the main seat and said with a smile, "Don't you know any of them yet?"

The burly man in red armor, who was at the head of the group, introduced himself with a smile: "I am a human, the Flame King!"

His aura was scorching, resonating somewhat with Lu Ming's Blazing Sky Flames.

The other eight envoys also introduced themselves.

"Human, King Binglin."

"Human, King of a Thousand Feathers."

"King of Red Rock."