Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent-Chapter 273 : Departure, Beyond the Source World

Chapter 273: Departure, Beyond the Source World

Milky Way Divine Kingdom, the capital.

“Come, come, pour the wine! Guixu, why’s the wine gone already?” the Blackfire Demon Lord shouted.

“I only managed to trade for three jars of this fine wine after rendering great merit last time. You lot finished an entire jar in no time,” said Emperor Guixu, reluctant to part with it. “This wine was brewed from some rare treasures within the Dream Domain.”

“Don’t be stingy, bring it out,” Divine King Wuxin urged from the side.

Divine King Yuntian smiled as he watched the scene unfold.

“This is good wine,” Master Great Freedom said contentedly with a sigh.

“Alright, alright, we’ll just drink it all today then,” Emperor Guixu said helplessly, taking out another jar with a pained expression. Divine King Wuxin was the first to snatch it, eagerly pouring the wine.

The members of the Wheel Reincarnation Pavilion had always acted with low profiles in the past, but ever since the establishment of the Milky Way Divine Kingdom, they had all come forward to join one after another! Especially after Luo Feng’s true identity was publicly revealed not long ago—even the Blackfire Demon Lord had voluntarily pledged allegiance.

Having lived in the shadows for so long, who wouldn’t wish to live freely and openly now?

In the capital of the Milky Way Divine Kingdom, even those Emperors and Monarchs wouldn’t dare act recklessly.

“Tell me, how did Fengdu have such sharp eyes? He invited our Ruler to join the Wheel Reincarnation Pavilion back when he was still only at the Chaos Realm,” sighed the Blackfire Demon Lord.

“The Ruler’s rise was astonishing. Back then he was still at the Chaos Realm, and now he’s one of the highest existences on the Origin Continent,” Divine King Wuxin also sighed. By now, none of them dared call him by name—only by the respectful title, Ruler.

When the difference in status grew too vast, reverence naturally followed.

“The Ruler avenged me. Emperor Wu and Emperor Xi are both dead, and Emperor Yan fled beyond the Origin Continent—he won’t live long,” Emperor Guixu said, drinking deeply. “Never would I have imagined I’d live to see the day I killed an Emperor.”

“The days when the two royal clans ruled with iron fists are over,” Divine King Wuxin added, feeling relieved.

Now, the two royal clans dared not act as domineering as before. The independent Divine Kings of the Origin Continent all found life far easier.

……

The deaths of Emperor Yuan, Monarch White Demon, Monarch Lando, Emperor Wu, and Emperor Xi—five Emperors and Monarchs in total—had left a profound impact on the Origin Continent. At the very least, the two royal clans were now truly frightened, and acted far more cautiously.

“When Luo He killed me, it took him two or three breaths’ time. I still had enough time to perform the Reincarnation Secret Technique,” Emperor Yuan said in a tavern. “But the later Emperors and Monarchs—rumor has it they didn’t even have time to reincarnate.”

“I, the greatest sinner of the Origin Continent, might have ended up the luckiest one,” Emperor Yuan laughed softly.

“Well, even if I can’t return to the royal clan or cultivate the Ultimate Realm Lifeform anymore,” he thought, “I’ve severed countless causal ties. Now I can focus entirely on cultivation. Perhaps I may even glimpse the Great Dao.”

In the past, Emperor Yuan’s sins had been boundless; among all Emperors and Monarchs, he was the most unrestrained. But ever since Luo Feng’s rise, Emperor Yuan no longer dared to act so wantonly.

“Emperor Wu and Emperor Xi are dead; Emperor Yan shouldn’t be alive either,” he thought. “Unless he escaped.”

“Emperor Yan has always been slippery.”

Emperor Yuan shook his head slightly.

Having known Emperor Yan for many ages, he had always looked down on him. Emperor Yan had lived long and accumulated vast resources, yet his realm had remained unimpressive.

Still, one thing had to be admitted—Emperor Yan had an extremely sharp intuition and formidable means! Among the Emperors of the Ancient Flame Kingdom, Emperor Yan wasn’t strong, but he was the only one capable of rallying the others, reaping far more benefits and resources than Emperor Fu and Emperor Ming.

Now, with Emperor Wu and Emperor Xi dead, Emperor Yan still lived.

……

In an ordinary large city, a seemingly unremarkable Eternal True God was reading reports from the Flame Pavilion.

“Luo He is the Ruler of the Milky Way?”

The Eternal True God could hardly believe it. “When I first noticed him, he was only an Eternal True God! Back then, just an Eternal True God in Huyang City, and now he stands shoulder to shoulder with the Two Kingdoms’ Ancestors?”

“Fortunately, I reincarnated quickly,” thought Marquis Liu Yin, feeling a wave of relief.

He hadn’t even rushed to break through; after reincarnation, he remained at the Eternal True God level. With his power, even in a large city, no one could threaten him.

“I must stay cautious. Once I become Chaos Realm, there are so few Chaos Realms in the Origin Continent—it’d be too easy for the Ruler of the Milky Way to notice me.”

“There are countless Eternal True Gods across the Origin Continent. It’s much safer.” Marquis Liu Yin deeply feared that Luo He.

That rate of ascent—it was terrifying.

He didn’t want to be noticed by the Ruler of the Milky Way. If he accidentally revealed even a clue, with the Ruler’s current capabilities, perhaps his memories could be forcibly read.

The best way was to ensure the Ruler never paid him any attention.

“I must’ve been quite something, to provoke the Ruler of the Milky Way back when he was weak,” Marquis Liu Yin thought, then stopped dwelling on it, continuing his carefree life as an Eternal True God in that ordinary city.

……

“In my homeland, the Milky Way Ancestor was a legendary figure. Now, here on the Origin Continent, he stands on equal footing with the Two Kingdoms’ Ancestors.”

East Emperor, reading through reports, couldn’t help but sigh. “I, this so-called East Extremity Ancestor, only managed to take that critical step and reach Eternal True God level thanks to a legacy and resources bestowed upon me by Luo Feng himself.”

Without resources, achieving Eternal True God was nearly impossible.

Many human cultivators who had traversed reincarnations to reach the Origin Continent—no matter how much top-tier cultivation they received—still remained mostly stuck at the Void True God level.

“According to Luo Feng, Ziyue should have already died.”

East Emperor sighed again.

He believed it, for if the Milky Way Ancestor had confirmed her death through his mastery of causality, then she was truly gone.

In the blink of an eye, three more eras passed.

“‘The Nine Realms of Extinction’ goes to extremes—it’s utterly maddening. Yet it truly helps in comprehending the Origin Path of Destruction.” Luo Feng didn’t lose his sanity during his comprehension.

His accumulation along the Path of Destruction was already profound—he had grasped several Ultimate Realm secret techniques and even possessed a Destruction Demon Body Clone.

Moreover, he had already fused the Path of Life and Death, easily resolving the dangers within the cultivation process of The Nine Realms of Extinction.

“Although I dislike such madness, it allowed me to understand what the Path of Destruction at the Primordial level truly is.”

As a Perfect-level Inheritance, it contained no explanations for the various Daos—it was assumed that comprehension of such fundamental paths was natural.

The First Realm, the Realm of Dao Observation, involved perceiving the imprinted memories of Destruction upon the Source World. These imprints… were the most intense memories of destruction throughout the endless ages of the Source World’s history.

Memories of the Source World’s own apocalyptic collapses, the annihilation wrought by Realm Beasts, the dooms initiated by cultivators themselves, and even higher-level destruction scenes recorded from the Primordial Space beyond the Source World…

Some imprints were shallow, others deep—the deeper the memory, the more terrifying it became.

Certain memories of destruction even carried intense corruption, capable of twisting one’s spirit. When Luo Feng witnessed some of the higher-level scenes of destruction, his very soul trembled in awe.

“From the very first realm, it aimed to give cultivators a vague impression of the ‘Path of Destruction at the Primordial level.’ The so-called Realm of Dao Observation is to observe the ‘Dao of the Primordial level.’”

Luo Feng understood well the ambition of the creator—it was clear that the intent behind creating The Nine Realms of Extinction, this Perfect-level inheritance, was to help future generations break free from the confines of the Caged World and, at the very least, reach the level of a World-level Primordial Lifeform.

Of course, the outcome proved otherwise.

The inheritance was far too terrifying, and instead hindered the descendants from developing their own paths. As such, the Infinite Space now only retained redemption rights up to the fifth realm.

“My strength is improving too slowly, and I lack resources. It’s time to head beyond the Source World.” Luo Feng looked outward.

Even the ordinary auxiliary resource he had long relied on, the Primordial Crystal, had become unaffordable.

Ever since his lifeform reached the Early-Stage God Emperor level, he could consume up to three hundred Primordial Crystals per era. Such expenses—how could he possibly bear them? Lately, he had been cultivating without using any treasures at all, which had greatly reduced his efficiency.

“Hu.”

With a single step, Luo Feng left Huyang City and arrived at the Emperor Chu Palace in Chu Capital.

Inside the palace—

“Master.” Luo Feng saw his master, Master Emperor Chu.

“Luo Feng?” Emperor Chu smiled at his disciple. “Are you ready to depart?”

“Yes.”

Luo Feng nodded. “Once I reach beyond the Source World, I’ll be able to meet countless powerful beings and exchange insights with them. There are also far greater resources there—it’ll make my cultivation much smoother. Master, are you sure you won’t come along?”

“I won’t.” Emperor Chu shook his head. “Beyond the Source World, my strength would be at the very bottom. Going would only hold you back.”

“I plan to cultivate on the Origin Continent until I’m near extinction, then I’ll venture out.” Emperor Chu laughed heartily. “That way, even if I die out there, it won’t be a loss.”

Luo Feng didn’t try to persuade him further.

He himself was only at the early stage of the God Emperor Realm; even his weapons and treasures were inferior to those of many strong beings outside. At such a time, he couldn’t really help his master much.

“You go ahead and venture boldly. In the future, this master might need your protection instead,” Emperor Chu said with a smile.

“Yes.” Luo Feng nodded. “Then this disciple will take his leave.”

“Go, focus on your cultivation, and don’t overthink.” Emperor Chu encouraged him. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

……

Luo Feng then met with Elder Yuan, the City Lord of Chaos, and Morosa.

“I’m heading beyond the Source World to temper myself. Of course, one of my clones will remain in the Origin Continent,” Luo Feng said. “However, while I’m adventuring outside, I’ll need greater focus! The clone within the Origin Continent will mostly stay in seclusion.”

“If anything important arises, you three can send me a message.”

“I’ll receive your transmissions, but… during my seclusion, I won’t respond to anything else,” Luo Feng continued.

“Yuanzu, Master—the Milky Way Divine Kingdom and the Blade River Sect will mainly rely on you.” Luo Feng instructed. “Morosa’s temperament can be rather unruly, so I’ll count on the two of you to keep him in check.”

“I’m very obedient,” Morosa said, glaring wide-eyed.

“Don’t worry, leave it to us,” said Yuanzu and the City Lord of Chaos with a nod.

Luo Feng looked at Morosa with a faint smile.

If it weren’t for Yuanzu and the City Lord of Chaos overseeing things, who knew what trouble Morosa would stir up during his absence?

“I’ll begin my seclusion.”

That clone of Luo Feng turned and walked deep into the cave residence, entering the quiet chamber within the Star Tower.

This was also the norm for the Two Kingdoms’ Ancestors, the East Extremity Region Ancestor, and Emperor Qing—most of their time was spent in seclusion.

Occasionally, they would emerge to relax a bit.

Hu! Hu!

Luo Feng and Emperor Qing streaked across the skies, flying toward a remote location within the Extremely Cold Ice Field. There, within a mountain valley forged of solid ice—the Icy Valley—lay a Dark Deep Pool.

That pool served as the Transmission Channel of the Origin Continent.

“Luo He, Emperor Qing.”

Beside the Dark Deep Pool sat a cross-legged figure—it was Emperor Fu. At this moment, Emperor Fu stood up and smiled at the two.

“Emperor Fu.” Luo Feng nodded with a smile.

He had a favorable impression of Emperor Fu; after all, whenever Emperor Yan had tried to suppress him, Emperor Fu had stood on his side.

“Emperor Fu, have you been staying here all along?” Emperor Qing already had a guess at his clansman’s intent.

“There are countless dangers beyond the Source World, so I wish to go venture with you two,” Emperor Fu said.

Emperor Qing frowned slightly.

Emperor Fu’s strength was still a bit lacking. Even if he came along, at most he would serve as a helper or errand-runner.

“If you want to come, I have no objections,” Emperor Qing said. After all, they were of the same clan and shared a bond forged through endless ages. He turned to Luo Feng. “But we should ask for Brother Luo He’s opinion as well.”

Emperor Fu looked at Luo Feng. For so many years, he had quietly and openly supported Luo Feng—all for this very moment.

“Since Brother Emperor Qing has no objections, of course I don’t either,” Luo Feng said with a smile.

Emperor Fu’s face lit up with joy.

Emperor Qing nodded thoughtfully. “Since we’re bringing Emperor Fu, let’s bring Emperor Ming as well. Among the Emperors of our Ancient Flame Kingdom’s royal clan, the two of them are the most worthy of cultivation.”

“Emperor Ming’s strength surpasses mine; along the Primordial Bloodline Path, he’s already brushing the threshold of the God Emperor Realm,” Emperor Fu added.

“If Emperor Ming is willing, then let’s go together.” Luo Feng had a good impression of Emperor Ming too, and thus did not object.

Seeing Luo Feng’s agreement, Emperor Qing sent a message to Emperor Ming.

Soon—

A flash of light descended into the valley—it was Emperor Ming.

“Brother Luo He and I have discussed it; you and Emperor Fu will come with us,” Emperor Qing said.

“Thank you, Brother Luo He.” Emperor Ming was genuinely grateful. Though proud and solitary by nature, he knew full well that with his current strength, he was far too ordinary beyond the Source World.

“That Tribulation Beast Diagram you gifted me before was of great help in my cultivation—I haven’t yet thanked you,” Luo Feng said with a smile and nod.

Emperor Fu’s mood brightened further.

At least he wasn’t the only weaker one; Emperor Ming was coming along too.

Emperor Qing nodded. “Then let’s depart.”

An invisible force enveloped the four of them, carrying them together into the Dark Deep Pool. Emperor Qing had long possessed a Primordial Space imprint of the Jiugang Holy Realm, allowing him to lock onto its distant location instantly.

Hu!

Light swirled within the pool, and Emperor Qing, Luo Feng, Emperor Fu, and Emperor Ming were transmitted beyond the Source World—headed straight toward the Jiugang Holy Realm.

(End of Volume)

The Origin Continent storyline officially ends here! Next begins the Beyond the Source World arc.

As the upcoming world structure, plot design, and character setups beyond the Source World require more preparation, the author Tomato will be taking three days off.

The next volume’s updates will begin on the 19th.

Lastly, special thanks to the new ally Mu Zi Hua Kai_Wei You Yi Lai for the reward! And thanks again to the old ally Old K for another generous donation!