Light Beast God

Listening to the words spoken in that gentle, clear voice, a monstrous wave surged in Luo Zhiyuan's heart, leaving him feeling incredibly panicked and at a loss.

A natural-born Beast God? Natural-born Beast Gods in the universe were ancient and powerful existences, born in the early stages of the universe. They were innate Universe Masters, beings even more powerful than the rulers of high-level cosmic civilizations.

Moreover, it had been established in Swallowed Star that they should have all perished long ago; how could a natural-born Light Beast God still exist?

This entity, who called himself Chenxi, mentioned a term that filled Luo Zhiyuan with terror—calling him a "mysterious visitor." Did this mean the other party knew he had transmigrated?

The other party said he had waited for him for over hundreds of millions of epochs. If one were to infer from time, the other party could indeed be a natural-born Beast God from the ancient era, but how could he have known hundreds of millions of epochs ago that he would transmigrate?

The original work of Swallowed Star never mentioned any ability related to prophecy!

At this moment, Luo Zhiyuan was incomparably flustered, his mind flashing through memories of novels from his past life, trying to find some way or reference to deal with this current situation.

However, the other party's strength was too great; his current body was completely restrained by him, and there was a strange yet familiar feeling constantly surrounding his body... Was this the power of the Law of Time? It seemed he was currently trapped within a very high-level time secret technique.

"Do not panic. I have no malice, and besides, in my current state, I am unable to inflict any substantial harm upon you," the Light Beast God said to Luo Zhiyuan with a sense of bitter laughter and helplessness.

"Oh? You actually possess a soul space. Let us move there to converse; you might feel a bit more comfortable that way." Without waiting for Luo Zhiyuan to reply, the Light Beast God pulled his soul into his own soul space.

Inside the soul space, a tall and mighty exotic beast manifested, almost filling the entire area, radiating a powerful and mysterious pressure.

The beast was covered in white fur, with two pairs of white wings growing from its back. On top of its head were two purple-gold giant horns that curved past its brain and slanted upwards. Its tail resembled a powerful nine-section whip, covered in white scales, and beneath its body grew four thick legs covered in white fur, ending in sharp, crimson hooves.

Luo Zhiyuan also condensed a figure within the soul space, but the pressure from the white beast caused his soul space to vibrate incessantly, even emitting a humming sound.

The white beast looked down at Luo Zhiyuan's figure and spoke: "This is the appearance of my true body. It is a pity we cannot communicate in person; my true body perished long ago. This is merely a mental imprint I left behind using a time secret technique."

"Do not doubt it; I am the Light Beast God. If you go to the Ancestral God Sect in the future, there should be a statue of me there."

Luo Zhiyuan certainly knew of the Ancestral God Sect; it was a super-faction that had emerged at the very beginning of the universe. All eight natural-born Beast Gods had once been the guardian Beast Gods of the Ancestral God Sect, though those eight had all perished later on.

As the Light Beast God spoke, he wore an expression of deep nostalgia, though he made no other movements, simply standing there, looking down and carefully examining Luo Zhiyuan.

"Oh? It seems you are a human, and very young—no, I should say, very small. You are only a few years old, aren't you?"

"I am truly filled with curiosity about you and have many questions I would like to discuss with you, but I should first explain the current situation, as you still seem quite uneasy."

"Hmm... where to begin? I am not sure if you know, but there are eight of us natural-born Beast Gods, each representing different fused cosmic laws. I represent the fusion of the Light and Time laws, and therefore, I possess some abilities that differ from the others."

Although Luo Zhiyuan still wore a cautious expression, he nodded to indicate he understood. Seeing this, the Light Beast God continued: "We practitioners of the Law of Time can alter the flow of time within a certain area, and can even achieve time stoppage."

"And after perfectly fusing with the Law of Light, I cultivated a unique ability—the power to see images of things that might happen in the future."

"These images all became reality, so some old friends used to call me an old charlatan, haha." As he spoke, the Light Beast God revealed a look of reminiscence.

"However, this ability of mine aroused the vigilance of the Origin Law of the Universe. It warned me not to attempt to change things that were destined to happen, otherwise, it would create even more chaotic chain reactions. The laws of the universe's operation cannot be defied!"

With a huff, the Light Beast God expressed clear dissatisfaction, curling his lip as he said: "Most of the time I followed this rule, but that was only because it didn't involve my own vital interests. I tried changing a few futures with minor impacts and found that as long as the object of my change wasn't significant enough, there were no consequences."

Putting away his dissatisfied expression, the Light Beast God sighed and, after a moment of silence, said: "Until one day, I saw the death of my good friend, the Metal Beast God. I couldn't help but warn him, allowing him to avoid a fatal outcome."

"Heh! Who would have thought that while he missed that one death crisis, it brought about the end for all eight of us natural-born Beast Gods!"

"Originally, only the Metal Beast God would have perished, but because of my interference, the laws of the universe's operation produced a chaotic chain reaction, leading to the death of all eight of us. This truly makes me sigh with regret."

Hearing this, Luo Zhiyuan suddenly understood. So, the eight natural-born Beast Gods had all perished due to the butterfly effect caused by the Light Beast God's intervention.

When he read the book, he had wondered why all eight natural-born Beast Gods had perished. Had the Ancestral God Sect not intervened? Even if the sect had taken no action, had the eight Beast Gods not thought to save themselves?

It seemed the Origin Law of the Universe had warned or stopped the Ancestral God Sect, preventing them from shielding these Universe Masters. Otherwise, as the number one faction in the universe, how could they have easily sat by and watched their eight guardian Beast Gods perish?

The Light Beast God also looked full of regret, shaking his head as he continued: "However, the matter was already set in stone. Even if I interfered again, I could not save us from our destined demise, so I began to wander the universe in despair."

"Finally, when I arrived in this star region, I inadvertently foresaw that the mysterious fellow known as Zuoshanke would be meddling here."

"As one of the earliest Universe Supreme Beings born in the universe, that old fellow Zuoshanke was always mysterious. No one knew the extent of his strength. A special star region that he spent so much effort to create could not be simple, so I stayed here for a while, wanting to see what that guy was up to."

Widening his eyes, the Light Beast God said with an expression of admiration: "Heh heh, I never expected that this old guy's methods would be truly formidable. He actually used a single planet as the center to modify the surrounding stars within a thousand light-years to guide and transform the life born on this planet!"

"This planet is the one where you were born in this world. I do not know Zuoshanke's specific purpose, but I foresaw a bright future for this planet; it will give birth to a powerful cosmic race!"

Luo Zhiyuan no longer felt any vigilance, only overwhelming admiration. Because he had read the original Swallowed Star, he knew the specific reason Zuoshanke modified Earth, and he knew that the Earth lineage would become an important race among the cosmic humans in the distant future. However, he had not expected that this Light Beast God could use his unique ability to foresee these things.

The Light Beast God sighed to himself and continued his story: "I originally thought I had seen through the future and intended to leave, but I did not expect that just as I turned to go, I would make a new discovery!"

Looking down at Luo Zhiyuan, the Light Beast God examined him carefully for a while before continuing: "In a single moment on this planet, I discovered an uncertain factor, something that had never happened before."

"My previous visions were always able to see a clear outcome, but this time, the light and shadow were blurry and indeterminate. I didn't even know if this image was real!"

"My ability has never been wrong; I am extremely confident in that. So, I began to examine it carefully, intending to see it from the moment the image appeared until it ended."

"What I didn't expect happened again: I could not find the beginning, nor could I find the end. This image seemed to be in the cracks between time and space, elusive and untouchable."

"I could only see that the image represented a life—a mysterious, unfathomable life of unknown origin." The Light Beast God paused, shaking his head as he sighed: "After I probed this image, the Origin Law of the Universe descended."

"The Origin Law of the Universe rarely descends, and even when it does, it usually relays messages through the three Ancestral Gods of the Ancestral God Sect, as it did with the warning I received last time. I did not expect it to communicate with me directly this time."

"The Origin Law of the Universe told me that this mysterious life is a branch of the laws of the universe's operation, and can be considered an accident. It is not a native product of this universe, but an external life—a variable that might or might not happen. It asked me to leave a mental imprint here, and if this mysterious life appeared, I was to relay some precautions."

Pausing, the Light Beast God continued: "I did not understand what an external life was, or what was so special about it that the Origin Law of the Universe would care so much, so I asked what precautions I needed to relay."

"Heh heh, this allowed me to learn a monumental piece of news: this mysterious external life would actually know all the major changes that would occur in the universe in the future, and could even influence the operation of the universe!"

The Light Beast God looked at Luo Zhiyuan with a smile that carried an ambiguous meaning: "That mysterious life is you!"

The expression on Luo Zhiyuan's face was truly spectacular—a mix of surprise, fear, and anticipation. So, his transmigration had long been foreseen by this Light Beast God and the Origin Law of the Universe. He was an accidental product; he wondered how the Origin Law of the Universe would treat him.

The Light Beast God put on a serious expression, pausing for a moment to let Luo Zhiyuan collect his thoughts before continuing: "The Origin Law of the Universe wants me to tell you: do not attempt to interfere and change the major events destined to happen in the future. Otherwise, this universe might collapse and fall into a state of premature mass extinction. To prevent such a dire situation, it may take action to eliminate you."

"However, it also said that when necessary, as long as you push major events in a direction favorable to the development of the universe, it will grant you some extra benefits!"

"Little friend, I have already told you everything the Origin Law of the Universe asked me to convey. Now, can you satisfy my curiosity?" After relaying the message from the Origin Law of the Universe, the Light Beast God wore a look of intense curiosity.

Upon hearing what the Light Beast God said, Luo Zhiyuan felt much more at ease. It seemed that as long as he didn't change the plot too drastically, he wouldn't be targeted by the Origin Law of the Universe. If he could help the Origin Law of the Universe when the Sector Beast eventually tried to destroy the universe, he could even earn some rewards for himself; that was not bad at all.

Oh, no wonder he possessed innate secret techniques; this must be a perk provided by the Origin Law of the Universe to ensure he could grow safely and rapidly.

Furthermore, the fact that he knew the plot trajectory of this world was very similar to the Light Beast God's ability to foresee the future, which was likely why his comprehension of the Laws of Light and the Laws of Time had been so smooth. This was probably another benefit the Origin Law of the Universe had pre-allocated to him.

Luo Zhiyuan bowed to the Light Beast God and said, "Respected Light Beast God, it is a great honor to meet you, and I am very happy to communicate with you. Thank you for the information you have relayed to me, but there are still some things I don't quite understand and would like to ask you about."

"Although I do know the beginning, process, and ending of certain events, may I ask what exactly counts as a 'major event'?"

The Light Beast God nodded nonchalantly and said, "No need to be so formal with me. I have already fallen long ago, so I don't care about those tedious formalities. Let's just communicate as equals."

"Hmm... you ask what a major event is. The Origin Law of the Universe didn't specify, only saying that anything involving the development of races or the universe counts as a major event. In fact, it wants you not to change anything at all."

"However, based on my own experience, things that happen to little guys whose influence doesn't reach the Undying level don't count as major events; changing those isn't a big deal. As for others, if you want to intervene, you should weigh your options carefully."

"By the way, where exactly do you come from, and how do you know the beginning, process, and ending of important events in the universe?"

Luo Zhiyuan felt thoughtful after hearing the Light Beast God's reply. It seemed he needed to be very careful with his actions, or else causing a major incident would be disastrous.

After hearing the question, he thought for a moment and decided to answer the Light Beast God truthfully. After all, the Light Beast God had already fallen, so it shouldn't cause any repercussions. He replied, "I actually come from..."

Luo Zhiyuan suddenly discovered that the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat; he couldn't express them smoothly. He asked the Light Beast God in confusion, "I can't say it. I want to tell you, but I just can't get the words out. Why is that?"

The Light Beast God pondered for a moment and said with a hint of regret, "It seems your origin is very mysterious. This must be the Operating Laws of the Universe preventing you from speaking. Never mind then; I have already fallen, so it doesn't matter whether I know or not."

"By the way, our meeting is a great stroke of fate. I have left some gifts for you, which should be of some help."

"Heh heh, back then, knowing my fall was inevitable, I refined a large portion of my divine power, along with many treasures I had obtained over countless eons. I didn't want these things to be seized by those who killed me. Aside from leaving a few iconic treasures for them to fight over, I have given everything else to you."

"Later, after you leave this soul space, I will give you a World Ring. Everything is inside, along with a Memory Stone. I have stored all my combat techniques and valuable memories within it. Once your willpower reaches the Undying level, you can use your spiritual force to open it and read the contents. You can refer to them if you find anything useful."

After a brief pause, the Light Beast God's face showed a mix of nostalgia and mischief as he said, "Oh, right, the items in the World Ring are quite numerous and disorganized. I once fused an auxiliary light brain with the ring. Many eras ago, the AI within the light brain evolved into an intelligent life form and wandered the universe with me."

"However, that guy was always noisy and annoying, so I eventually sealed it away using a time secret technique. Once you have the World Ring I left behind, you only need to follow the unlocking method I teach you to break my seal and claim ownership."

"After you claim ownership, that guy will recognize you as its new master and tell you what everything in the ring is, but you'll have to endure its chatter, hahahaha!"

"Alright, the final mission I had here is complete. My true body has been gone for a long time, and I have nothing left to linger for. Little friend, do you have any other questions? If not, it's time for us to say goodbye."

Looking at the white figure of the Light Beast God, Luo Zhiyuan felt a complex mix of emotions. He didn't know what else he should discuss with the other party.

After all, the other party was only a remnant of a divine thought, yet the Light Beast God had left Luo Zhiyuan with a vast amount of wealth that would provide him with tremendous help, and all without asking for anything in return.

Luo Zhiyuan was deeply grateful. If he didn't say anything more, it seemed the other party would dissipate immediately. What should he do?

After a moment, Luo Zhiyuan said to the Light Beast God with a solemn expression, "Senior Chenxi, I have received such great kindness from you for no reason, and my heart is uneasy. I wish to take you as my master; I wonder if you would allow me to join your sect?"

"Although I am currently only a planetary-level six spiritual master, I have already comprehended the two major origin laws of light and time, which coincides with your path. I implore you to take me as your disciple and stay to teach me for a while longer."

The Light Beast God was very surprised to hear Luo Zhiyuan's words. He had not expected Luo Zhiyuan to want to take him as a master; this was completely beyond his expectations.

Think of him, Chenxi, the dignified Light Beast God, once renowned throughout the universe, only to be hunted down and killed by a coalition of powerful beings. By now, he was likely forgotten by them, leaving no trace behind.

Upon hearing Luo Zhiyuan's request for apprenticeship, the Light Beast God was quite moved.

On one hand, Luo Zhiyuan's actions showed he had a pure heart. In the universe, the relationship between master and disciple is the closest bond among the strong. If he were to take such a talented and well-natured disciple, it would be a rare opportunity. On the other hand, after training him to be strong, he could leave some of his own marks in the universe once again.

However, after pondering for a moment, the Light Beast God rejected Luo Zhiyuan's request: "Better not. My true body has already fallen in the universe. Based on my understanding of my true body, even if I fell, the powerful beings who participated in the hunt would not have succeeded easily; they must have paid a heavy price."

"If they discover you are my successor, you will be in extreme danger. I am very touched and happy that you have this thought, but as a dead man, I should not linger any longer. Farewell, little friend. I am very happy to have met you."

After saying these words, the Light Beast God dissipated directly within Luo Zhiyuan's soul space. Before completely vanishing, he left Luo Zhiyuan with a special method of spiritual force manipulation, which was the secret technique to unlock the ring's seal.

Luo Zhiyuan exited his soul space and saw an ancient-looking ring floating in front of him. He caught it with both hands and clutched it in his palm, his heart unable to calm down for a long time.

PS: Luo Zhiyuan has calmed down, but I cannot. As of the time I posted this, we have 163 favorites and 225 recommendation votes. I've written 73,000 words in six days; I didn't even know I could write so much at once. Seeing several readers write "Keep it up" yesterday really moved me.

I already have a general idea for the story ahead, and I will organize it thoroughly today. After all, the world of Swallowed Star is too vast; what to skip, what to summarize, and what I want to improvise all require careful consideration.

Therefore, there might only be this one chapter today, but I will try my best to write more. I can't guarantee a second chapter, or perhaps I could write half and release it, maybe splitting it into parts? What do you all think? You can tell me in the chapter notes or comments, and I will consider it.