The Light Beast God

Hearing that gentle, clear voice speak, Luo Zhiyuan felt a huge turmoil rise in his heart, leaving him utterly flustered.

A Natural Beast God? The Natural Beast Gods of the universe were ancient, powerful beings. They had been born in the universe's earliest days, and were Universe Masters by nature—beings even more powerful than the rulers of advanced civilizations.

Moreover, Swallowed Star had explained that they should have all perished long ago. How could there still be a Natural Light Beast God?

This being, who called himself Chenxi, had used a phrase that filled Luo Zhiyuan with terror—he had called him a "mysterious visitor." Did that mean the other party knew he had crossed over from another world?

The other party said he had waited for him for billions of eras. Judging by the timeline, he really could have been a Natural Beast God from ancient times. But how could he have known, billions of eras ago, that Luo Zhiyuan would cross over?

The original Swallowed Star had never mentioned any prophetic abilities!

Luo Zhiyuan was in a complete panic. Memories of novels from his previous life flashed through his mind as he tried to find a way to handle this situation, or at least some guidance.

But the other party was too powerful. Luo Zhiyuan's body was completely restrained, and a feeling both unfamiliar and strangely familiar surrounded him... Was this the power of the Law of Time? It seemed he was trapped within an extremely advanced time secret technique.

"Don't panic. I mean you no harm, and I can't cause you any real harm in my current state, either." The Light Beast God spoke with a bitter, helpless smile.

"Oh? You actually have a Soul Space. Let's talk there instead. You may feel a little more comfortable." Before Luo Zhiyuan could reply, the Light Beast God pulled his soul into his Soul Space.

A tall, imposing beast appeared in the Soul Space, nearly filling it entirely. A powerful, mysterious pressure radiated from it.

White fur covered its body, and two pairs of white wings grew from its back. Two enormous purplish-gold horns curved over its head to shield it before angling upward. Its tail resembled a powerful nine-section whip, though it was covered in white scales. Four thick legs covered in white fur supported its body, ending in sharp, crimson hooves.

Luo Zhiyuan also condensed a figure within the Soul Space. The white beast's pressure made the entire space tremble incessantly, even producing a buzzing sound.

The white beast lowered its head to look at Luo Zhiyuan and spoke. "This is what my true form looked like. Unfortunately, we can't communicate in person. My true form perished long ago. This is only a Spiritual Imprint I left behind using a time secret technique."

"Don't doubt it. I am the Light Beast God. If you ever go to the Ancestral God Sect, you should find a statue of me there."

Luo Zhiyuan of course knew of the Ancestral God Sect. It was a superpower that had existed since the birth of the universe. The eight Natural Beast Gods had all once served as Guardian Beast Gods of the Ancestral God Sect, though all eight had eventually perished.

As he spoke, the Light Beast God wore a wistful expression. He made no other movements, simply standing there with his head lowered, carefully examining Luo Zhiyuan.

"Oh? So you're a human, and a very young one at that. No, I should say a child. You're only a few years old, right?"

"I'm truly curious about you. There are so many things I'd like to discuss with you, but I should explain the situation first. You still seem a little uneasy."

"Hmm... Where should I begin? I don't know if you're aware, but there are eight Natural Beast Gods in all, each representing a different fusion of the universe's laws. I represent the fusion of the Law of Light and the Law of Time, so I have some abilities the others don't."

Though Luo Zhiyuan still looked cautious, he nodded to show that he knew. Seeing this, the Light Beast God continued. "Those who cultivate the Law of Time can alter the flow of time within a certain area. They can even stop time."

"After perfectly fusing it with the Law of Light, I cultivated a unique ability of my own—I can see visions of things that may happen in the future."

"All those visions came true, so some of my old friends used to call me Old Mystic. Heh." As he spoke, the Light Beast God's expression turned nostalgic.

"But my ability aroused the vigilance of the Origin Law of the Universe. It warned me not to try to change things that were fated to happen, or the resulting chain reaction could cause even greater chaos. The laws governing the universe cannot be defied!"

The Light Beast God snorted, clearly displeased, and curled his lip. "I obeyed that rule most of the time, but only because those matters had little to do with my own interests. I even tried changing a few insignificant futures, and found that as long as the person involved wasn't important enough, nothing much happened."

His displeased expression faded. The Light Beast God sighed and fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Then one day, I saw my friend, the Metal Beast God, perish. I couldn't help warning him, and I managed to save him from one death."

"Heh! Who would've thought that he'd avoided that one brush with death only to bring about the deaths of all eight of us Natural Beast Gods!"

"Originally, the Metal Beast God was the only Natural Beast God destined to perish. But when I interfered, the laws governing the universe triggered a chaotic chain reaction, until all eight of us were destined to die. It still fills me with regret."

Luo Zhiyuan finally understood. So the eight Natural Beast Gods had all perished because of the butterfly effect caused by the Light Beast God's interference.

When he'd read the book back then, he'd wondered why all eight Natural Beast Gods had perished. Hadn't the Ancestral God Sect tried to stop it? And even if the sect hadn't acted, hadn't the eight Beast Gods tried to save themselves?

It seemed that the Origin Law of the Universe had warned or stopped the Ancestral God Sect, preventing it from protecting those Universe Masters. Otherwise, how could the greatest power in the universe have stood by while all eight of its Guardian Beast Gods' original bodies perished?

The Light Beast God looked regretful as well. He shook his head and continued. "But it was already set in stone. Even if I interfered again, I couldn't save us from our eventual deaths. So I began wandering the universe, disheartened."

"Finally, when I arrived in this star region, I accidentally foresaw that a mysterious fellow named Zuoshanke would be up to something here."

"As one of the earliest Universe Strongest Beings to be born in the universe, that old fellow Zuoshanke is always shrouded in mystery. No one knows how powerful he is. A special star region that he'd gone to the trouble of creating surely wouldn't be simple, so I lingered here a while longer to see what he was up to."

The Light Beast God widened his eyes, looking impressed. "Heh, I never expected that old fellow to be so capable. He actually used a planet as the center and modified the planets within a thousand light-years of it, guiding and transforming the lives born on that planet!"

"That planet is the one where you were born in this world. I don't know exactly what Zuoshanke's purpose was, but I foresaw that this planet had a bright future. A powerful cosmic race would be born here!"

Luo Zhiyuan no longer felt the slightest bit wary. He was filled with admiration instead. Having read the original Swallowed Star, he knew why Zuoshanke had modified Earth, and that the Earth Human Lineage would become an important group within humanity in the distant future. But he hadn't expected the Light Beast God to foresee all this with his unique ability.

The Light Beast God sighed to himself before continuing. "I thought I'd seen everything the future held and was about to leave, but just as I turned away, I made another discovery!"

He lowered his head and stared at Luo Zhiyuan, examining him closely before continuing. "In a single moment on this planet, I discovered an unknown variable. That had never happened before."

"My past visions had always shown clear outcomes. But this time, the images were indistinct and uncertain. I couldn't even tell whether they were real!"

"My ability had never failed me, and I was absolutely confident in it. So I began investigating carefully, intending to follow the images from their beginning all the way to their end."

"To my surprise, something happened again. I couldn't find the beginning or the end. The images seemed to exist in the gap between time and space, beyond my grasp."

"I could only see that the images represented a life—a mysterious, inscrutable life whose origins were unknown." The Light Beast God paused, then shook his head with a sigh. "After I investigated those images, the Origin Law of the Universe actually descended."

"The Origin Law of the Universe rarely descends. Even when it does, it usually speaks through the Three Ancestral Gods of the Ancestral God Sect. That was how it warned me last time. I never expected it to communicate with me directly this time."

"The Origin Law of the Universe told me that this mysterious life was a branch of the laws governing the universe. It was also an anomaly, not something native to this universe, but an outsider. It was something that might or might not happen. It told me to leave a Spiritual Imprint here, so that if this mysterious life appeared, I could explain a few things to it."

After a pause, the Light Beast God continued. "I didn't understand what an outsider was, or what made one so special that the Origin Law of the Universe would care so much. So I asked what I was supposed to tell you."

"Heh, that's when I learned something astonishing. This mysterious outsider would know all the major changes that would occur in the universe in the future—and could even influence the universe's course!"

The Light Beast God looked at Luo Zhiyuan with an inscrutable smile. "That mysterious life is you!"

Luo Zhiyuan's expression was indescribable. He was surprised, afraid, and hopeful all at once. It turned out that the Light Beast God and the Origin Law of the Universe had foreseen his arrival long ago. He was an anomaly, and he had no idea what the Origin Law of the Universe would do to him.

The Light Beast God put on a solemn expression. He paused to give Luo Zhiyuan a moment to collect himself, then continued. "The Origin Law of the Universe wants me to tell you not to try to change major events that are fated to happen. Otherwise, this universe may collapse and plunge prematurely into a state of total annihilation. To prevent such a terrible outcome, it may step in and destroy you."

"However, it also said that when necessary, if you help steer major events in a direction that benefits the development of the universe, it will give you some additional rewards!"

"Little friend, I've told you everything the Origin Law of the Universe wanted me to pass on. Now, could you satisfy my curiosity?" Having conveyed the Origin Law of the Universe's message, the Light Beast God's face filled with curiosity.

After hearing what the Light Beast God said, Luo Zhiyuan felt much more at ease. It seemed that as long as he didn't alter the plot too drastically, he wouldn't be targeted by the Origin Law of the Universe. And if he helped the Origin Law of the Universe when the Sector Beasts tried to destroy the universe in the future, he might even get some benefits. Not bad.

Oh, so that was why he had an Innate Secret Technique. The Origin Law of the Universe had given him that benefit to help him grow safely and quickly.

Also, his knowledge of the world's plot was very similar to the Light Beast God's ability to see the future. That was probably why he'd been able to comprehend the Law of Light and the Law of Time so easily. Maybe those were more benefits the Origin Law of the Universe had given him in advance?

Luo Zhiyuan bowed to the Light Beast God and spoke. "Honored Light Beast God, it's a great honor to meet you, and I'm glad we can speak. Thank you for passing this information on to me. But there are still a few things I don't quite understand, and I'd like to ask your advice.

"I do know how certain things begin, unfold, and end. But what counts as a major event?"

The Light Beast God nodded casually. "There's no need to be so formal with me. I perished long ago, and I don't care about those pointless formalities. We can speak as equals."

"Hmm... The Origin Law of the Universe didn't explain what counted as a major event. It only said that anything involving the development of a race or the universe was a major event. In fact, it wanted you not to change anything at all."

"But in my experience, events involving little fellows below the Immortal Level aren't major events, so changing them shouldn't matter much. As for anything else, you'll have to think carefully before getting involved."

"By the way, where do you come from? How do you know how major events in the universe begin, unfold, and end?"

Luo Zhiyuan considered the Light Beast God's answer. It seemed he'd have to be careful about where he drew the line. Otherwise, he could cause serious trouble.

When he heard the question, he thought for a moment and was about to answer truthfully. After all, the Light Beast God had already perished long ago, so answering shouldn't cause any problems. "I'm actually from..."

Luo Zhiyuan suddenly realized that he couldn't say what he wanted to. He was unable to express it, so he could only ask the Light Beast God in confusion, "I can't say it. I want to tell you, but the words just won't come out. Why is that?"

The Light Beast God thought for a moment, then said with some regret, "It seems your origins are very mysterious. The laws governing the universe probably won't let you talk about them. Never mind, then. I perished long ago anyway, so it doesn't matter whether I know or not."

"By the way, our meeting is a rare stroke of fate. I've left you some gifts that should be of help."

"Heh, when I realized my death was inevitable, I refined a large portion of my divine power, along with some of the treasures I'd collected over countless years. I didn't want the ones who killed me to get their hands on them. I left a few signature treasures behind for them to fight over, but I'm giving the rest to you."

"Once we leave your Soul Space, I'll give you a World Ring with everything inside. There's also a Memory Stone. I stored all my Combat Secret Techniques and valuable memories in it. Once your will reaches the Immortal Level, you'll be able to open it with your Spiritual Force and read its contents. You can look through it and see if anything is useful."

After a moment, an expression combining nostalgia and mischief appeared on the Light Beast God's face. "Oh, right. There's a lot of stuff in the World Ring, and it's all rather disorganized. I once fused an Auxiliary Optical Computer with the ring. Many eras ago, the Auxiliary Intelligence inside evolved into an Intelligent Life and began wandering the universe with me."

"But it was always pestering me with its chatter. It was so annoying that I eventually sealed it with a time secret technique. Once I give you the World Ring, just follow the method I teach you to break the seal and claim it as your own."

"After you do, it'll accept you as its new master and tell you what's inside the ring. But you'll have to put up with its incessant chatter. Hahahaha!"

"Well, I've fulfilled my last duty here. My true form perished long ago, and there's nothing left to keep me here. Little friend, do you have any other questions? If not, it's time for us to say goodbye."

Looking at the Light Beast God's white figure, Luo Zhiyuan felt conflicted. He didn't know what else he should say to him.

After all, this was only a remnant of his consciousness. But the Light Beast God had left Luo Zhiyuan a great many treasures, which would help him enormously—and asked for nothing in return.

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

After a moment, Luo Zhiyuan addressed the Light Beast God with a solemn expression. "Senior Chenxi, I've received such a great kindness from you for nothing. I feel uneasy about it, and I would like to take you as my master. Would you accept me as your disciple?"

"Although I'm only a Planetary Level Six Spirit Reader, I've already comprehended the two Origin Laws of Light and Time. My path aligns with yours. I sincerely ask you to take me as your disciple and stay to teach me for a while longer."

The Light Beast God was taken aback by Luo Zhiyuan's words. He'd never expected Luo Zhiyuan to want him as a master. It was completely beyond his expectations.

He, Chenxi, had been the renowned Light Beast God, famous throughout the universe. In the end, he'd been hunted down and killed by a host of powerful Universe beings. By now, they'd probably forgotten him, and he'd left behind no trace.

After hearing Luo Zhiyuan's request, the Light Beast God was deeply moved.

For one thing, Luo Zhiyuan's actions showed that he was kind-hearted. Among the powerful beings of the universe, the closest relationship was that between master and disciple. A disciple with such a temperament and talent was a rare find; for another, once Luo Zhiyuan grew powerful, he could leave another trace of the Light Beast God in the universe.

However, after thinking for a moment, the Light Beast God still refused Luo Zhiyuan's request. "Better not. My true form perished in the universe long ago. Knowing my true form, even though I perished, the powerful beings who took part in the hunt wouldn't have gotten away unscathed. They must have paid a terrible price."

"If they discover that you're my successor, you'll be in grave danger too. I'm touched and happy that you feel this way, but as a dead man, I shouldn't cling to anything. Farewell, little friend. I'm glad I met you."

After saying this, the Light Beast God disappeared from Luo Zhiyuan's Soul Space. Just before he vanished completely, he left Luo Zhiyuan a special method of circulating his Spiritual Force—the secret technique for breaking the ring's seal.

Luo Zhiyuan withdrew from the Soul Space and saw an ancient-looking ring floating before him. He caught it with both hands and clasped it in his palm, unable to calm his thoughts.

PS: Luo Zhiyuan may have calmed down, but I can't. As of the time I'm posting this, we have 163 followers and 225 recommendation votes. I've written 73,000 words in six days. I had no idea I could write so much. Seeing several readers write "Keep it up!" yesterday really moved me.

I've already got a rough idea of where the story is going. Today, I'm going to organize it properly. After all, the world of Swallowed Star is vast. I need to think carefully about what to skip, what to summarize, and where I want to take creative liberties.

So I may only post this one chapter today, though I'll try to write more. I really can't promise there'll be a second chapter—or maybe I'll write half and post that, splitting it into parts or something. What do you all think? Let me know in the chapter comments or reviews, and I'll consider it.