Swallowing the Stars: Only in my later years did I come to the life-spending panel.

One month later...

The main building of the Peak Training Camp, the head instructor's office.

Zhou Mu stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the students sweating profusely on the training field below. These geniuses, nurtured by various forces, were gradually shedding their naivety.

His thoughts drifted away.

A soft knocking sound came from outside the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and a tall, slender figure stepped in. He had black hair and black eyes, a resolute face, and a calm aura. It was Luo Feng.

He has changed a lot in just one month.

At this moment, Luo Feng exuded a sense of oppression that only a War God-level expert could possess, an outflow of energy from his rapidly improving physical attributes that he had not yet fully mastered.

"Master." Luo Feng stood in front of the desk and bowed respectfully.

"sit."

Zhou Mu turned around, his gaze falling on him, and nodded slightly: "Not bad, your physical attributes have reached the initial level of War God, half a month faster than I expected. It seems you have perfectly absorbed the dragon blood."

"It's all thanks to the dragon blood bestowed upon me by my master," Luo Feng said modestly.

"No need to be so modest, that dragon blood is just an aid." Zhou Mu waved his hand. "I've given that stuff to quite a few people, but you're the only one who can absorb it to this extent."

"I know better than you how painful the absorption process is. It's your own skill to be able to endure it. Back then, I finally got a portion of dragon blood from Po Jun and used it on him. He only lasted for less than a minute before fainting from the pain."

Luo Feng remained silent for a second, offering no rebuttal.

He would never forget the pain of using dragon blood.

Every second felt like torture in hell, and every time I was on the verge of collapse, I was pulled back by sheer willpower.

"How is your progress in mental cultivation?"

Luo Feng raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Peak of Advanced War God, only one step away from Planetary level."

A look of satisfaction appeared in Zhou Mu's eyes.

In just three months, he went from an intermediate-level warrior to a beginner-level war god, and his mental power even reached the peak of a high-level war god. You won't find another person like him in the whole world at this speed.

"Very good." Zhou Mu sat down, took out the tea set and skillfully brewed a pot, then used his mental power to place the teacup in front of Luo Feng.

"I called you here today because I have something to ask you."

Luo Feng picked up the teacup, took a sip, and looked at Zhou Mu with a focused expression.

"Li Yao and his wife have increased the reward by 500 billion yuan, just to find any clues about the murderer."

Luo Feng's pupils contracted slightly.

"This month, their actions have become increasingly aggressive; they've been investigating relentlessly," Zhou Mu continued. "Although there's no concrete evidence yet, they've narrowed their focus to the Jiangnan Base City. Some smaller families have members who have accepted bribes from them and are secretly gathering information."

Luo Feng clenched his fists and remained silent.

"Feeling the pressure?" Zhou Mu joked.

"I called you here today to ask you," Zhou Mu poured Luo Feng a cup of tea, his gaze fixed on his face, "what are you planning to do?"

Luo Feng remained silent for a long time before raising his head: "Master, I want to handle this myself."

Zhou Mu looked at Luo Feng, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"You'll handle it yourself?" He raised an eyebrow slightly. "Aren't you afraid of them anymore?"

Luo Feng raised his head, his gaze calm and resolute: "I'm afraid! I'm afraid they'll hurt my family. They are all high-level war gods, and the heads of the Bolenas family in the HR Alliance. With my current strength, I can't fight against them."

"But I don't want to live under someone else's protection my whole life!" He clenched his fist. "Master, you can protect me for a while, but not forever. This matter started because of me, so I should settle it myself!"

A smile appeared on Zhou Mu's lips, a smile that contained satisfaction, appreciation, and a hint of "I knew it."

"Well said!" Zhou Mu stood up, walked to Luo Feng, and patted him on the shoulder. "Your master is old but still vigorous. What does it matter if I protect you for the rest of my life?!"

"However, I respect your choice."

He turned around, walked to the window, and stood with his hands behind his back.

"Li Yao and his wife are indeed a good whetstone." His voice was calm. "They are high-level war gods with the Black God Set, ruthless, and backed by a powerful force like the Bolenas family."

"If you can defeat them on your own, getting through this hurdle will greatly help your growth."

Luo Feng listened quietly.

"but--"

Zhou Mu then changed the subject, "A whetstone should look like a whetstone. A stone that's too hard will break the knife; a stone that's too soft won't sharpen a good knife."

He turned around, his sharp gaze piercing Luo Feng's eyes. "Li Yao is too tough a rock for you right now. So tough that you don't even need to lift a finger; the 150 billion bounty alone will attract countless people who want you dead."

Luo Feng remained silent.

He knew his master was right. Since entering the training camp, he had heard some news from the outside world. Many unfamiliar powerful figures were secretly trying to find out his background. If the training camp hadn't been isolated from the outside world, and if his master, a notorious interplanetary powerhouse, hadn't been there to keep him in check, some risky martial artists would have already taken action.

"So," a cold glint flashed in Zhou Mu's eyes, "before you take action yourself, you need to test this rock first. Let it know what it can touch and what it can't."

Luo Feng was taken aback. "Master, you mean...?"

Zhou Mu's lips curled into a meaningful smile: "Tomorrow, come with me to Europe."

"Europa?"

Luo Feng was stunned.

"The Bolenas family head's residence is over there," Zhou Mu said calmly. "Li Yao and his wife... are also there."

Luo Feng's pupils contracted slightly.

Should we go see Li Yao and his wife?

With his current strength, wouldn't going to Li Yao and his wife be suicide?

Zhou Mu seemed to sense Luo Feng's doubts and waved his hand, "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to risk your life. I just want you to stay by my side and make an appearance."

"Show yourself?"

"That's right." A cold glint flashed in Zhou Mu's eyes. "Let them see that you, Luo Feng, are my disciple, Zhou Mu. Let them know that touching you is touching my people, and let them think twice before doing anything, considering the consequences of angering me."

Luo Feng stared at him blankly, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

beat.

The master was taking him to give Li Yao and his wife a warning.

It's not simply about clearing obstacles for him, but about respecting his ideas, supporting him, becoming his backer, and making that whetstone suitable.

"Master..." Luo Feng's voice trembled slightly.

Zhou Mu raised his hand to interrupt him: "Don't overthink it. I've said you're my disciple. Your business is my business. I won't kill for you, but it's only right that I stand up for you."

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "But you can't be careless because of this. You have to make the final cut yourself, so don't mess it up."

Luo Feng took a deep breath and nodded emphatically.

Zhou Mu ruffled Luo Feng's short hair with satisfaction. "Go back and get ready. We'll set off early tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Master!"

Luo Feng turned to leave, but stopped abruptly at the door.

He turned around, looking at the dark figure by the window, at the white hair gleaming faintly in the setting sun. His lips moved, but in the end, he only uttered one sentence:

"Master, thank you."

Zhou Mu didn't turn around, he just waved his hand.

Luo Feng pushed open the door and went out.

Inside the office, Zhou Mu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the setting sun gradually sinking outside the window.

"Li Yao, Vinina..." he muttered to himself, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"I hope you're smart enough not to let this warning of mine turn into your death sentence."