Heart of the Martial God

Am I dead? Ling Xuan looked around, utterly confused.

"Thump-thump, thump-thump..."

The world was utterly silent. The only sound was the steady beating of a heart like a war drum, especially clear in the deathly quiet.

Ling Xuan clutched his chest. His heart pounded violently, each beat seeming ready to burst through his ribs. It made him uncomfortable, but it also told him he was still alive.

The next moment, an unknown force—searing hot and immense—surged ceaselessly from his beating heart.

Like raging magma, the force rushed through his limbs and body, restoring strength to Ling Xuan's exhausted frame.

"The Heart of the Martial God has begun to awaken."

A flicker of understanding passed through Ling Xuan's mind. He knew he had awakened something called the Heart of the Martial God. Not only would his innate talents improve dramatically, but his strength would also undergo a qualitative leap.

As his heart continued to pound like a war drum, wave after wave of power surged from it, and Ling Xuan's strength kept rising.

But such violent beating also put enormous strain on him.

His face had turned as red as a ripe tomato, his veins bulging like winding little snakes. It seemed his heart might burst at any moment.

Just as Ling Xuan was about to reach his limit, his wildly beating heart gradually slowed. It didn't burst.

Ling Xuan gasped for breath, greedily drawing in air as he tried to ease his discomfort.

Just then, the world's black-and-white colors receded like a swiftly ebbing tide.

Ling Xuan's reflexes had improved dramatically. He darted aside, dodging the crocodile's bite.

The crocodile's upper and lower rows of teeth clamped together with a grating crack.

The crocodile jerked its head, unable to believe that the human who had seemed so clumsy just moments ago had dodged its bite.

After awakening the Heart of the Martial God, the power surging inside Ling Xuan was like floodwater about to burst through a dam. It rampaged through his meridians until it finally found an outlet.

He looked at his two sisters, both covered in wounds and still struggling to hold on, and a raging battle spirit rose within him.

With a thought, a Flame Domain dozens of meters in diameter burst open around him.

The scorching heat seemed almost tangible as it swept across the area. At the domain's edge, space rippled and warped as if kneaded by an invisible hand. The air shrieked under the intense heat, as though it might ignite at any moment.

The few demon beasts that had been roaring and lashing out with arrogant fury froze the instant they touched the mysterious Flame Domain, as if struck by lightning. Their ferocious eyes were overtaken by fear. Then they let out a series of anguished howls, filled with despair and terror.

A Giant Bat Beast had been soaring arrogantly through the sky on its broad wings. Now it seemed trapped in an invisible, viscous mire, each flap of its wings an immense struggle.

Every inch of its body touched by the flames was wracked with the agony of a thousand ants devouring it. The pain burrowed deep into its soul, leaving it unable even to scream. It could only beat its wings frantically in the flames, struggling in vain to escape the terrifying inferno.

Ling Xuan's gaze was cold as frost. He gripped the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear and swept his arm.

In an instant, the entire Flame Domain surged like a boiling sea of fire. The raging flames gathered into a dazzling blade of light and came crashing down with the force to destroy the heavens and earth.

With a sharp crack, the Abyssal Giant Crocodile before him was cleaved in two before it could react. Torn flesh curled along the cut, giving off the smell of roasted meat. Its enormous body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Little brother?" Blood covered Ling Yue and Ling Xue's faces, but they stared wide-eyed at Ling Xuan standing amid the flames like a god of war, their expressions full of astonished delight.

They knew exactly what this power meant.

With a Flame Domain, Ling Xuan was invincible at the Planetary Level!

The demon beasts attacking them were only at the Planetary Level, too. No matter how many there were, against Ling Xuan and his Flame Domain, they were nothing more than targets he could take down with a single sweep of his spear.

Ling Xuan looked at his sisters' scarred faces, his heart aching.

He spun the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear in his hand. The flames within the Flame Domain surged again, transforming into countless fiery blades that shot toward the remaining demon beasts.

The beasts shrieked as the fiery blades struck them. In moments, they had all fallen, leaving behind heaps of charred remains.

After finishing off the beasts, Ling Xuan hurriedly withdrew his domain and rushed to his sisters. He caught Ling Xue just as she nearly collapsed, his voice choking with emotion. "Sister, how are you?"

Ling Xue managed a faint smile and answered weakly, "Silly boy, I'm fine... Did you... awaken a Flame Domain?"

Ling Yue fought through the pain and gently patted Ling Xuan on the head. Her eyes shone with pride and relief. "Our little brother has finally grown up. From now on, we might have to count on you to protect us."

Ling Xuan's eyes reddened. Still shaken, he said, "From now on, I'll protect you!"

"Second sister, our little brother really is a genius. He's only eighteen this year, right? He broke through to the Planetary Level less than a month ago, and he's already comprehended a domain." Ling Yue took a moment to regulate her breathing and recover some of her strength.

Planetary Level powerhouses were naturally resilient. As long as their vital organs were unharmed, recovering wasn't difficult.

Fortunately, their injuries hadn't cost them any limbs. They would heal after some time.

The three of them had never been pampered growing up. These injuries didn't bother them much.

Now that the danger had passed, Ling Xue quickly regained her usual liveliness and chimed in, "Exactly! I've never heard of anyone in our tribe mastering a domain right after breaking through to the Planetary Level. Even the Tribal Chief only gained his domain at Planetary Level Nine, I think. Now he's already a World Lord."

"Does that mean our little brother might become a World Lord someday, or even stronger?" Ling Yue's eyes flashed with delight.

Ling Xuan hurriedly waved his hands, pretending to be modest. "Don't say that. The Tribal Chief went through countless hardships and years of cultivation to become a World Lord. I still have a long way to go."

Neither sister believed him. They noticed the corners of his mouth turning up, and if Ling Xuan had a tail, it would already be sticking straight up in the air.

His confidence came not only from comprehending a domain so early, but, more importantly, from the Heart of the Martial God inside him.

It had only just begun to awaken, yet it had already greatly increased his comprehension and given him a domain. As it awakened further, the help it would provide in cultivation was almost unimaginable.

Ling Xuan quietly considered his prospects. With the Heart of the Martial God and his advantage in the timeline, perhaps one day he really could measure himself against City Lord Luo.

"Enough. We should go help the rest of the tribe first. This doesn't look like a trial anymore." The eldest, Ling Yue, looked toward the tribespeople still fighting, her face full of concern.

Although the experts of Mangu Temple had all been dispatched, they were merely stationed around the secret realm. Their strength couldn't compare to that of the Domain Lord Level elders.

And since they hadn't expected the beasts to suddenly go berserk, they alone couldn't bring the beast tide under control quickly.

The Devouring Seedling isn't a literal heart. I'll gradually explain the details later. I'll try not to write romance, but please bear with me where it can't be avoided. I know it does seem like there hasn't been enough buildup.

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