Bai Muye

In a side chamber of a manor, two humans with antennae on their foreheads were observing a nutrient pod.

"Big brother, it costs quite a lot to restore a Universe-level rank 5 whose only remaining part is a head..."

"It's manageable. Luoluobai Muye's physique isn't particularly massive," Bastian, who was slightly plump and otherwise identical to an Earth human save for the antennae, looked at the nutrient pod and said indifferently: "This last victory earned us a tidy sum. Even with the high cost of recovery, we're still making a huge profit. Plus, the rank 3 telepathic weapon left behind by the opponent he killed will sell for a good price... not to mention the cumulative appearance fees from the moment he started his life-and-death battles..."

He turned his head to look at Baspencer beside him: "Second brother, with Luoluobai Muye's strength, as long as he recovers well, there is a great hope for him to claim the title of 'Cosmic-level Great Axe Warrior'. After all, he has already won 921 matches... and the appearance fee for every match from here on will only get higher..."

Baspencer nodded: "Big brother is right. I was just complaining... as long as he keeps winning, we will continue to make money..."

He glanced at the nutrient pod and switched to telepathic transmission: "Big brother, if this slave really does win a thousand matches in a row, do you really intend to grant him his freedom?"

A shadow of gloom flickered in Bastian's eyes as he replied via telepathy: "I don't want to, but this is a promise made to every slave who enters the Giant Axe life-and-death battle. It was witnessed by people from the Giant Axe Arena; otherwise, how would these slaves believe it? How would they fight for their lives?"

"Is there no other way?" Baspencer's face held a look of regret. "Although we've earned a lot of money from him, it's truly heartbreaking to actually set him free..."

"The people at the Giant Axe Arena are not easy to fool," Bastian's face also showed helplessness. "While we can control the life and death of these slaves, offending the Giant Axe Arena for the sake of one slave..."

He shook his head: "It's absolutely not worth it!"

Looking at the nutrient pod, his eyes turned sinister: "We can only increase our bets in the upcoming life-and-death battles—I hope you don't disappoint me!"

This last sentence was directed at Muye inside the nutrient pod, but Muye remained motionless. Beneath his only remaining head, flesh and blood were gradually growing from his mangled neck...

Bai Muye's consciousness gradually cleared, but he realized he was in a bizarre state.

He could not perceive his own body; his consciousness existed only in an illusory state. The surroundings were a boundless, hazy space where it was impossible to distinguish up from down or left from right. In this entire space, apart from himself, there was only a pitch-black seed!

Isn't this the seed I picked out earlier...

No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than the seed seemed to pulse, and something in the surrounding space appeared to be absorbed.

Before he could react, he saw the seed extend a root like a spider silk, piercing into his consciousness, and then an immensely vast surge of memories crashed into him.

Muye was born into a family named Luoluobai on an ordinary life planet in the Wild Peak Universe Kingdom. The lord of that planet was a Universe-level powerhouse. Later, after offending a powerful enemy and being killed, the entire planet was sold to slave traders.

Luoluobai Muye only had Planet-rank strength at the time, but he had already displayed extraordinary cultivation talent. Therefore, after being implanted with a slave chip, he was sent to a training camp for brutal training.

After a series of hellish eliminations, he stood out and reached the Universe-level, at which point he was forced to sign an agreement to participate in the "Universe-level life-and-death battle" held by the Giant Axe Arena.

The Universe-level life-and-death battle took place in reality. Every time, one had to fight to the death against a cultivator of the same rank, and only one person could survive each match.

The slave trader promised that if he could win a thousand consecutive matches and earn the title of "Great Axe Warrior," he would be granted his freedom!

From Universe-level rank 1 to rank 5, from having no domain to a level-four domain, Muye had been lucky enough to win 920 matches in a row. However, in the 921st battle, he encountered another Universe-level rank 5 psychic. Although he ultimately killed his opponent, he was also struck by the opponent's final desperate counterattack, which obliterated his entire body, leaving only his head.

This was the most severe injury he had suffered since participating in the life-and-death battles.

Fortunately, he had won in the end. The vitality of a Universe-level being was incredibly tenacious; even with only a head left, one could survive for a long time.

In the end, he was grabbed by his hair by the Domain Lord-rank supervisor and tossed to Bastian.

The expression on Bastian's face when he caught the head with both hands was enough to make one laugh.

Perhaps the battle this time was too tragic, or perhaps he had been placed in the nutrient pod too late, but Luoluobai Muye's soul had failed to hold on and was on the verge of shattering. Even if his body were restored through the nutrient pod, he would likely end up a soul-shattered, Universe-level vegetable.

Then, Bai Muye's soul was brought over by this seed, occupying the sea of consciousness.

Normally, thousands of years of memories, even if received at high speed, could not be viewed in such a short time. Yet, for some reason, Bai Muye felt as if he had gone through all the memories in no time at all.

The final memory of Luoluobai Muye was his entire soul being pierced by a root that seemed like a spider silk, appearing from nowhere, and then the memory froze—

His entire soul was swallowed in a flash.

"It's actually the world of Swallowed Star!"

"In my past life, I suffered from a terminal illness and was tormented by pain. I never expected to transmigrate into this vast and mysterious world... Where is the Wild Peak Universe Kingdom? Isn't Luo Feng in the Ganwu Universe Kingdom..."

Before he could finish his thoughts, a faint voice drifted over.

"A Universe-level soul's energy has barely allowed me to recover my consciousness..."

Bai Muye's consciousness jolted as he looked at the pitch-black seed. He hadn't noticed it before, but now, seeing that darkness, he felt as if his soul were about to be sucked in.

"What... what are you?"

"Don't use 'thing' to describe me. I am the great Soul-Devouring Tree. Even in the Infinite Hunyuan Space, I am a renowned existence. Unfortunately, after every long epoch, I must undergo reincarnation, nirvana back into a seed, and develop once more. After each nirvana, I become stronger than before. But for some reason, after this reincarnation, I ended up in your previous dimension. That dimension was too barren and had no energy to supply my growth, so I had to seal myself, leaving only my instincts..."

The pitch-black seed transmitted a message.

"Infinite Hunyuan Space... what kind of place is that?" Bai Muye was puzzled, but he was more concerned about the words "Soul-Devouring."

"Soul-Devouring Tree? As the name suggests, you devour souls? Then why didn't you devour my soul?"

"You were just an ordinary person who had never cultivated. Although the quality of your soul wasn't low, it contained too little energy. What would be the point of devouring it?" The Soul-Devouring Tree seed sounded somewhat disdainful. "If I hadn't been unable to cross dimensions on my own, I wouldn't have brought you along..."

"There's no other way now. When crossing dimensions, according to the laws of the planes, I have already bound myself to you. If you die, I won't survive either, so rest assured, I won't devour your soul... Fortunately, we transmigrated into one of the dimensions of a Source World, so there is still a chance to return to the Infinite Hunyuan Space..."

"I have now devoured the soul of this Luoluobai Muye and let you view all his memories," the Soul-Devouring Tree seed chuckled coldly. "If it weren't for my protection, how could your ordinary soul have withstood the impact of thousands of years of memories from a Universe-level warrior? You would have turned into an idiot long ago..."

"This body is now effectively ownerless, and you have essentially possessed it. I suggest you hurry up and familiarize yourself with controlling this body, because once you are recovered, there are more life-and-death battles waiting for you..."

The Soul-Devouring Tree rattled on. Through the memories it had transmitted, Bai Muye naturally understood his situation, and he was already attempting to take control of the body.

Fortunately, since only the head remained, it was relatively easy to control. He slowly managed to open his eyes a crack, and what met his gaze was greenish-gray stone.

He had read Swallowed Star several times in his past life. Although he didn't necessarily remember every detail, he had a deep impression of things like nutrient pods and knew that this was certainly not ordinary stone.

Closing his eyes, as the flesh below his neck slowly grew back, he controlled this powerful body bit by bit.

Ten days later, the last toe had finished growing, and Bai Muye finally opened his eyes again, reaching out to press the button on the side.

A buzzing sound rang out. Soon, Bastian arrived and pressed a button; the liquid in the nutrient pod quickly vanished, and the lid slowly opened.

The two-meter-tall Bai Muye sat up, lightly pressed the edge of the nutrient pod, and jumped out.