Swallowing the Stars: Starting with Panlong

Chapter 85 The Fury of the Monster Mountain Range

The morning air in the Monster Mountains was thick with mist.

Lin Yun hovered above a mountain peak, his immense spiritual power spreading in all directions, covering an area of ​​tens of kilometers. This was his twentieth day hunting Saint-level magical beasts deep within the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Since breaking through to the planetary level in martial arts cultivation, he has tasted the benefits of Saint-level magical beast cores. A single early-stage Saint-level core can visibly increase the total genetic energy of his body in the Devouring Star World. Mid-stage and high-stage Saint-level cores have even more potent effects.

He couldn't stop.

In the world of Swallowed Star, cultivation beyond the planetary level requires massive amounts of energy. The cosmic energy in the world is scarce, and absorbing it is like trying to drain the ocean with a straw. The Saint-level magical beast crystal core is the best cultivation resource he can find at this stage.

"There is a mid-level Saint Realm armored dragon twenty kilometers ahead." Lin Yun's mental power detected the target.

His body transformed into a streak of light and flew in that direction. Saint-level experts are already quite fast flyers and don't need any external aids.

Lin Yun is now a figure feared by all Saint-level magical beasts deep within the Magical Beast Mountain Range. In the past twenty days, he has hunted and killed more than a dozen Saint-level magical beasts. From the initial Saint-level to the advanced Saint-level, not a single magical beast can withstand three moves from him.

The Ironclad Dragon is a colossal dragon covered in silvery-white metallic scales. It is enormous and possesses extremely strong defenses. Its scales are as hard as refined gold, making them impenetrable to attacks from ordinary Saint-level experts.

But in front of Lin Yun, these scales were like paper.

"Dimensional Slash".

An invisible spatial rift tore open the armored dragon's neck, slicing through its silvery-white scales along with the flesh beneath. The armored dragon let out a mournful roar, and its massive body crashed to the ground.

Lin Yun landed on the ground, took out the crystal core, and stored it in his spatial ring. Then, he used the small cauldron to teleport the crystal core to the Swallowed Star World.

"The eighteenth," he silently counted in his mind.

Among these eighteen Saint-level magical beasts, there are seven at the initial Saint-level, six at the intermediate Saint-level, four at the advanced Saint-level, and one at the peak Saint-level—a Nine Nether Earth Python at the peak Saint-level that he hunted down on the fifteenth day.

But what he didn't know was that his hunting had already caused a huge uproar deep within the Monster Mountain Range.

Although the magical beasts of the Holy Realm do not usually interfere with each other, they have their own territorial awareness and survival rules. When an outsider repeatedly hunts their kind, this threat will gradually accumulate and eventually trigger collective anger.

Deep within the Monster Mountain Range lies a colossal black peak. Soaring into the clouds, its upper slopes are perpetually shrouded in dark clouds, with lightning constantly flashing within them. Here dwells the most powerful being in the Monster Mountain Range—the Hydra King.

The Hydra King is the ruler of the Hydra race, a peak-level being in the Saint Realm. Its nine heads are a full size larger than those of an ordinary Hydra, each containing world-destroying power. Its intelligence is no less than that of a human, and having lived for thousands of years, it has witnessed the rise and fall of countless powerful human beings.

At that moment, the Hydra King raised all nine heads simultaneously, its eighteen eyes gazing towards the southeast of the Monster Mountain Range. There, the aura of another Saint-level monster had vanished.

"The eighteenth one," the middle head of the Hydra King said, its voice low and cold.

"Humans, you've gone too far," said one of the heads on the left.

"We must stop him," said one of the heads on the right.

"Otherwise, we'll be next," another head added.

The Hydra King remained silent for a moment, then let out a deafening roar. The sound pierced through layers of forests and echoed throughout the depths of the Demon Beast Mountain Range.

This is a call to arms.

A moment later, powerful auras converged from all directions.

The first to arrive was a colossal dragon, entirely golden—a Golden Dragon at the peak of the Saint Realm. It was twice the size of an ordinary dragon, its golden scales shimmering in the sunlight, radiating a breathtaking dragon's might.

Then came the Frost Phoenix, a peak Saint Realm being, its entire body covered in ice-blue feathers, each flap of its wings stirring up a flurry of snowflakes.

Next came the Cerberus, a Saint-level peak-level being, its three heads constantly spewing flames and poisonous mist, its eyes filled with savagery.

There are also the Shadow Panther at the peak of the Saint Realm, the Thunder Giant Bird at the peak of the Saint Realm, the Earth Bear at the peak of the Saint Realm, and the Storm Giant Eagle at the peak of the Saint Realm...

One, two, three... In the end, nine peak-level magical beasts gathered at the foot of the black mountain.

They come from different regions of the Monster Mountain Range and usually fight among themselves. But at this moment, they have a common enemy.

"Humans hunted down eighteen of our kind." The Hydra King's voice echoed below the mountain. "He must pay the price."

"Where is he?" Golden Dragon asked.

"Southeast, about three hundred kilometers from here," Hydra King said. "He's looking for his next target."

"Then what are we waiting for?" the three heads of Cerberus growled simultaneously, "Kill him!"

Nine peak-level Saint-level magical beasts simultaneously took to the air and flew southeast. They were incredibly fast, and wherever they passed, the lower-level magical beasts in the Magical Beast Mountain Range prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling in fear.

Lin Yun was dealing with the corpse of a high-level Saint-level magical beast.

This was his second prey of the day. He had just acquired a high-level Saint-level crystal core, and his mental energy had been significantly depleted during the battle. He was now preparing to find a place to rest.

Suddenly, his mental energy sensed something was wrong.

In the distance, nine extremely powerful auras were rapidly approaching. The intensity of those auras far surpassed that of any of the Saint-level magical beasts he had previously hunted—each one was no weaker than him.

"Peak of the Saint Realm, and there's more than one." Lin Yun's expression changed.

He quickly ascended into the air and looked in that direction. On the horizon, nine figures were rapidly approaching. Some were flying, some were running on the ground, but all were moving at extremely high speeds. Their target was very clear—he was the target.

"One, two, three... nine." Lin Yun's heart sank.

Nine peak-level Saint-level magical beasts. Even he absolutely could not fight them all at the same time.

He recognized several of them. The giant, golden dragon was a Golden Dragon, one of the most powerful beings in the Saint Realm. The enormous hydra was the Hydra King, the ruler of the Hydra race. There were also the Frost Phoenix, the Cerberus, the Shadow Panther, the Thunder Bird, the Earth Bear, the Storm Eagle… each one a ruler of the Monster Mountain Range.

"Looks like we've hunted too many and attracted all the big shots." Lin Yun smiled wryly.

Without hesitation, he turned and ran.

Nine peak-level Saint-level magical beasts were pursuing him simultaneously; this was no time to be reckless. He was fast, but those peak-level Saint-level magical beasts were not slow either. Especially the Thunder Giant Bird and the Storm Giant Eagle, whose speed was even slightly faster than his.

"Dimensional Slash!" Lin Yun didn't even turn his head, and unleashed several Dimensional Slashes behind him.

Spatial rifts tore open in the air, slowing down the pursuers. However, those peak-level Saint-level magical beasts possessed rich combat experience; they skillfully avoided the Dimensional Slash's attack range, their speed remaining almost unaffected.

"Human, you can't escape!" The golden dragon's voice boomed like thunder, echoing through the sky.

Lin Yun did not respond, pushing his speed to the limit. His body transformed into a silver streak, darting through the air above the forest at high speed.

But the Monster Mountain Range is the home ground of those peak-level Saint-level magical beasts. They know the terrain like the back of their hand and can always find the shortest route to outflank them.

The Thunder Bird was the fastest, overtaking Lin Yun from the side and blocking his path. Its wings spread, and countless bolts of lightning shot from its feathers, forming an electric net that sealed off Lin Yun's escape route.

Lin Yun abruptly turned and flew in another direction. But the Storm Eagle was already waiting there. Its wings flapped, creating a gust of wind that made Lin Yun's body sway unsteadily.

"Damn it." Lin Yun gritted his teeth.

He stopped running and faced the nine peak Saint-level magical beasts.

Nine enormous figures surrounded him, blocking every escape route from the ground to the sky.

The nine heads of the Hydra King simultaneously looked down at Lin Yun, their eighteen eyes filled with icy killing intent.

"Human, you have killed eighteen of my kind," the Hydra King's voice was deep and slow. "Now, you will pay the price for your actions."

Lin Yun looked around, quickly calculating in his mind.

He couldn't possibly defeat all nine peak-level Saint-level magical beasts. But if he were to break through, he still had a chance.

He didn't waste any words and took action immediately.

"Dimensional Slash!" He swung his hands repeatedly, unleashing dimensional slashes towards the weakest points. At the same time, his mental energy transformed into invisible fluctuations, spreading in all directions and interfering with the perception of those magical beasts.

The Hydra King's nine heads simultaneously unleashed elemental attacks, blocking most of the Dimensional Slash. The Golden Dragon's golden dragonfire largely neutralized the power of the Dimensional Slash. The Frost Phoenix's frost breath caused the air temperature to plummet, affecting Lin Yun's speed.

But he didn't linger in the fight. The instant he cleared the path with the dimensional slash, he transformed into a streak of light and rushed towards the opening.

"Trying to run?" Cerberus's three heads simultaneously spewed flames and poisonous mist, blocking that direction.

The shadow leopard's figure flickered in the darkness, instantly appearing beside Lin Yun, its claws tearing through the air as it lunged at him.

Lin Yun had to turn around again to avoid the Shadow Panther's attack.

"No, they're working together too well." A sense of helplessness welled up in Lin Yun's heart.

Nine peak Saint-level magical beasts, each perhaps weaker than him, and their coordination was not particularly refined, but their sheer numbers made it impossible for Lin Yun to break through.

We must find a way.

Lin Yun took a deep breath and concentrated his mental energy to the extreme.

"Soul Impact!"

He didn't use necromancy—that would reveal his identity as a necromancer and attract the pursuit of the Church of Light. But Soul Impact was a basic application of the rules of death; it didn't require summoning the undead, but simply converting mental energy into soul power to directly attack the enemy's consciousness.

An invisible wave spread in all directions. The nine peak-level Saint Realm magical beasts simultaneously felt a sharp pain deep within their consciousness, and their bodies stiffened abruptly.

Although it only lasted less than half a second, it was enough.

Seizing the moment, Lin Yun burst forth from the weakest point, transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the horizon.

"Chase!" the Hydra King roared.

Nine peak-level Saint-level magical beasts gave chase with all their might, but Lin Yun's speed was too fast, and his soul attacks constantly interfered with their senses. The nine magical beasts pursued him for hundreds of kilometers, but in the end, he still managed to escape.

Lin Yun flew out of the Monster Mountain Range before landing on a hill.

He was panting heavily, his mental energy almost completely depleted, and his soul power almost gone.

"I almost died in there." Lin Yun gave a bitter smile.

He sat down cross-legged and began to recover his depleted mental energy.

Half an hour later, he opened his eyes, and his energy had mostly recovered.

"Nine peak Saint-level magical beasts..." Lin Yun murmured, "I'll remember this debt."

He wasn't in a hurry to return to the Monster Mountain Range. Those nine peak-level Saint-level monsters wouldn't give up easily; going back now would be like walking into a trap. He needed time to digest what he had gained and become even stronger.

Lin Yun switched his consciousness to the Swallowed Star world.

In the cultivation room of Mingyue Community, his other body opened its eyes and took out nearly twenty Saint-level magical beast crystal cores from the spatial ring.

Seven early-stage Saint Realm experts, six mid-stage Saint Realm experts, four high-stage Saint Realm experts, and one peak Saint Realm expert.

"I'll absorb the initial stage of the Saint Realm first," Lin Yun planned.

He closed his eyes and began to practice the Five Hearts Towards Heaven cultivation method.

The energy of the initial Saint-level crystal cores was gentle and relatively easy to absorb. After absorbing all seven, his martial arts cultivation and mental power both increased to the second level of the Planetary Realm.

Then there are the six crystal cores at the mid-level of the Saint Realm.

The energy of intermediate-level crystal cores is far greater, with each one containing no less than the total genetic energy of his body, and the absorption process is also much more intense. Absorbing each crystal core requires his complete concentration to control the flow of energy and avoid causing damage to his body.

After absorbing all six, his martial arts cultivation and mental power both reached the peak of the third level of the planetary stage.

Next are the four high-level crystal cores of the Holy Domain.

The energy of the high-level crystal core surged into his body like a torrent, and the moment it entered, Lin Yun felt every cell cheering. His genetic energy was circulating wildly within him, and his physical attributes and mental strength were rapidly improving.

After absorbing all four, his martial arts cultivation and mental power both reached the peak of the fourth level of the planetary stage.

Finally, there was that crystal core from the peak of the Saint Realm.

The energy of a Saint-level peak crystal core is several times that of a high-level crystal core, and it even contains a small amount of fragments of laws.

A crystal core at the peak of the Saint Realm propelled his martial arts cultivation and mental cultivation to the peak of the fifth level of the Planetary Realm, allowing both to advance in tandem without any weaknesses.

Lin Yun opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them. He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within his body.

"A peak fifth-tier planetary-level martial artist, a peak fifth-tier planetary-level mentalist." Lin Yun's lips curled slightly upward. "If we encounter those nine peak Saint-level magical beasts again..."

He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.

Even with his current strength, he would still be no match for nine peak Saint-level magical beasts simultaneously. However, in a one-on-one fight, he was confident he could kill any one of them within ten moves.

"No rush." ​​Lin Yun finished organizing the remaining materials. "Once I fully digest the increased strength I've gained this time, my strength can reach another level."

He switched his consciousness to the Panlong World.

On the outskirts of the Monster Mountain Range, Lin Yun's other body sat cross-legged on a hill, opening his eyes.

The absorption of nearly twenty Saint-level magical beast cores not only enhanced the strength of the Devouring Star World but also deepened his understanding of the laws within the Panlong World. The fragments of laws contained within those cores resonated with the seven elements of law, resulting in varying degrees of progress in his fourteen profound mysteries.

At the same time, the feedback from his physical strength also allowed his warrior and mage cultivation to reach the high level of the Saint Realm. Even without entering the dragon transformation state, his current strength is enough to face any Saint Realm peak expert!

"For now, we will not venture deeper into the Monster Mountain Range," Lin Yun decided.

Those peak-level Saint-level magical beasts are enraged; going in now would be suicide. He needs to wait, wait for their vigilance to lower, and wait for his strength to increase.