Yanfeng Planet

"Your Highness, these celestial bodies around the headquarters of the Giant Axe Martial Arena may look natural, but they're actually powerful technological weapons," Napa explained respectfully. "Even those mountains and rivers conceal mysteries. They're all part of the headquarters' defense system."

Ling Xuan nodded, secretly marveling.

With the Giant Axe Martial Arena's strength, turning an entire continent into an impregnable fortress was naturally no challenge.

But the planet at the center was rather peculiar.

They had built such a vast continent around the entire planet, as though protecting it. He wondered what was so special about it.

"Puff, help me look up the information on this planet," Ling Xuan ordered, driven by curiosity.

"Yes, Master." Puff began searching with the privileges Ling Xuan had access to.

"Strange. There wasn't any response just now, but suddenly I've found information on this planet." Puff murmured in puzzlement, as if the system had encountered a bug that even an advanced intelligent life like her couldn't understand.

"Did you find anything, Puff?" Ling Xuan asked.

"I did, Master. This planet is called Yanfeng Planet. It seems to be the homeworld of an ancient race, the Yanfeng Clan. Your Zhulong Clan appears to have originated on Yanfeng Planet as well," Puff replied.

"No wonder. Everyone believed Yanfeng Planet had been destroyed over the course of history, but the real planet was actually protected by Teacher Giant Axe at the Giant Axe Martial Arena headquarters."

"No wonder Teacher Giant Axe was willing to give Luo Feng a Peak Supreme Treasure and return ownership of Earth to him in the future. They both felt the same way about protecting their homeworlds."

Whoosh!

After flying at sublight speed through the continent's entrance passage for several minutes, the spacecraft finally slowed to a stop.

With the undying Napa and the others following him, Ling Xuan flew out through the hatch.

More than a dozen men and women in uniform were waiting outside. As Ling Xuan arrived, the silver-armored man with green horns who led them stepped forward and said respectfully, "His Highness Ling Xuan, I'm here on the Venerable's orders to await your arrival. Please follow me."

"Mm." Ling Xuan nodded.

"Thanks, Napa." Ling Xuan turned to the lean old man.

The undying Napa smiled. "It was my honor to accompany Your Highness for three years."

After that, they went their separate ways.

Ling Xuan walked with the silver-armored man and the others along a dreamlike corridor. The far end was transparent, offering a clear view of the beautiful starry sky beyond, along with the surrounding mountains.

In just a moment, Ling Xuan was led into an oval hall. The walls and ceiling were entirely transparent, revealing an endless starry sky overhead and the headquarters' beautiful scenery in the distance. Spaceships could be seen passing by, along with undying beings streaking past like shooting stars.

"Ling Xuan."

"Yanmo, you're here."

As soon as Ling Xuan entered, he was greeted by quite a few people.

He was the top-ranked contestant in this Genius Tournament, the super genius who had beaten up Yanshen Cao Benqi and was the first to fight his way through the Trial Tower.

Apart from looking crazy when he fought, Ling Xuan was actually very easy to get along with in everyday life.

Most importantly, they were all from the same generation. They might be able to rely on him in the future, so everyone who had already arrived greeted him warmly.

"Li Shuang, Yanqiu, Yaoli..." Ling Xuan smiled and warmly greeted everyone in turn.

Over the past three years, the young people who had joined the same batch had gotten to know one another. Except for a few who were extremely solitary, most of them had become friends, or at least could chat and laugh together.

Especially the three women, Feng Lishuang, Leng Yanqiu, and Yaoli. With Ling Xuan making a point of approaching them, their relationships had progressed rapidly. They were just one last step away from making it official.

Don't ask how Ling Xuan could marry three women. The answer was that he had cheats.

"Ling Xuan..." A chilling, terrifying voice suddenly rang out from behind him. The air pressure around them seemed to drop.

The other geniuses hurriedly retreated, afraid to approach the center of the storm that was about to erupt.

Ling Xuan frowned and turned to look at the newcomer. "I could've sworn I heard a dog barking."

Cao Benqi froze at his words, the veins on his face bulging as he flew into a rage. "Do you dare to fight me at the Giant Axe Martial Arena?"

"You and I are the most outstanding geniuses at the Giant Axe Martial Arena. Its tradition is to temper its members through life-and-death trials. Don't tell me you're afraid?" Cao Benqi glared at Ling Xuan.

Ling Xuan sneered. I wasn't afraid of you in the Virtual Universe, much less in real life.

In reality, he could call in reinforcements, and the Giant Axe Martial Arena had never said they couldn't use treasures to aid them in battle.

Add his Innate Secret Technique and the Zhetian Method, which had already broken through to the Second Heaven of the Xiantai Realm, and beating up Cao Benqi, who had only just reached Universe Level, would be child's play.

"Ling Xuan, don't accept. The Yanshen Clan's real advantage lies in their bodies," Feng Lishuang hurriedly cautioned him before he could agree.

"The Yanshen Clan is the only race in the Human Race with a life Gene Multiplier greater than one. Their physical talents are terrifying," Leng Yanqiu added.

"Exactly. I've heard that Yanshen is the greatest genius in the history of the Yanshen Clan. His Gene Multiplier is probably over five, which means his combat strength in reality is more than five times what it is in the Virtual Universe."

"What's wrong? Are you scared? You coward—you hid from me like a tortoise during the Genius Tournament, never daring to face me. Now you're going to cower in front of your women, too?" Seeing that Ling Xuan still hadn't accepted his challenge, Cao Benqi grew even more brazen.

"A fight at the Giant Axe Martial Arena? That's exactly what I want." Ling Xuan's voice held a trace of killing intent. "But let's get one thing straight: once I hammer you into a pulp, the Yanshen Clan had better not come crying to me."

With Teacher Giant Axe backing him, Ling Xuan was becoming more and more assertive.

Cao Benqi roared and took half a step forward. Just then, the entire hall suddenly shook violently.

Brilliant golden light poured down from the dome, and a tangible pressure bore down on them. Cao Benqi's steps abruptly halted, while everyone else was forced to drop to one knee.

"Enough." A deep voice seemed to come from the depths of the universe. "Geniuses aren't toys to be used against one another. Cao Benqi, if you keep acting recklessly, go back to the Yanshen Clan. The Giant Axe Martial Arena isn't a place where you can throw your weight around."

Cao Benqi was filled with resentment. Why was this powerful figure from the Giant Axe Martial Arena only reprimanding him, while Ling Xuan, the other person involved in the conflict, received none of the punishment he deserved?

But no matter how resentful he felt, he didn't dare show it. When facing someone far stronger than himself, he still had a remarkably clear head.

If that powerful being knew what Cao Benqi was thinking, he would've laughed aloud. What a joke. Ling Xuan is the personal disciple of the Giant Axe Founder, and this is the Giant Axe Martial Arena. If I didn't protect him, should I take the outsider's side instead? Besides, you're the one who started this.

"Yes."

"Come with me." As soon as the voice finished speaking, a powerful, irresistible force enveloped the thousand young people present.

Whoosh!

They instantly became streaks of light. After flying for several minutes, they arrived before an unusual spacecraft resting on the lawn. Only then did the force set down all one thousand young people.

"Whew."

Ling Xuan let out a breath. Being carried through the air like that had been extremely uncomfortable. He hadn't felt safe at all.

"Everyone, get inside. This is my final warning to the troublemakers among you: once you reach the Initial Universe, behave yourselves. No one will tolerate you causing trouble there. Even if your Universe Country Lord comes to plead for you, you may still be put to death." The mysterious powerhouse continued admonishing them.

"Yes, sir." Everyone answered in unison, then finally noticed the spacecraft in front of them.

It was a large, gray-black vessel shaped like a bird. The feathers on its wings were still quivering slightly, making it seem like a real bird.

The bird's belly had a hatch that was clearly full of technological features. It was wide open, revealing the passage inside.

Amid their amazement, Ling Xuan and the others boarded the spacecraft.

Inside the hall.

The invisible pressure kept the thousand geniuses from making a sound. Even the dozen or so undying beings aboard the spacecraft, including the mysterious man, bowed slightly.

The one standing in the center was the Venerable presiding over this Genius Tournament, Venerable Beiyan.

P.S. I'm skipping the romance scenes. If I wrote them, you'd all get sick of them, and they'd slow down the pacing. Besides, the female lead in Swallowed Star is mostly just there to prove the male lead isn't impotent. While you were waiting for an update these past nine hours, the male lead got married and registered the marriage. I'll skip the details, okay?

Thanks to 'Er Liang Chen Mo' for two monthly votes, 'Supersonic Snail_Ba' for one monthly vote, 'Antitoxin Little Prince' for one monthly vote, '@-985' for one monthly vote, and 's Starry Sky Behemoth' for one monthly vote.

The Behemoth is finally here! My very first reader, and the first reader to give me a recommendation vote. I've missed you all so much.

Please vote, collect, follow, comment, and invest. It's really almost been thirty days, and the rewards are about to be handed out.