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

"Swallowing the Stars: Only in My Later Years Did I Start Paying for My Life" - Stunning writing style and a thrilling plot!

A week later.

The ruins of a certain island nation, once a world-class metropolis, are now a paradise for monsters.

The dilapidated skyscrapers stand like tombstones, their glass curtain walls shattered, steel bars exposed and rusted. Those buildings that once symbolized the pinnacle of human civilization are now just grim skeletons, casting distorted shadows under the gloomy sky.

At the bay, the seawater surged, and countless monsters crowded the entire Tokyo Bay and the surrounding waters stretching for dozens of kilometers.

This is a sight that would chill anyone to the bone.

A massive, armored crocodile, tens of meters long, lay on the abandoned port, its spines resembling rows of sharp blades that gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

A sea serpent covered in scales coiled on the dilapidated bridge, its triangular head held high, its scarlet tongue flicking in and out. Its body, as thick as an ancient tree, was wrapped around the steel cables of the bridge, twisting and deforming the once sturdy structure.

There are countless other sea monsters whose names I don't know, ranging from Beast General to Lord, layer upon layer, stretching as far as the eye can see.

In the deepest part of the bay, a purple behemoth, stretching nearly a kilometer, lies dormant.

......

At the same time, monitoring centers in major cities around the world sounded piercing alarms.

"Beep beep beep beep—!"

In the military command center of Jiangnan Base City, China, countless red dots appeared like a tide on a huge holographic screen.

Each red dot represents a monster's life signal. These red dots, layered upon each other, almost completely dyed the screen a glaring red.

"Report! Abnormal energy fluctuations detected in the Pacific Ocean!" A soldier's voice trembled. "Coordinates: 35°41′N, 139°46′E. The map shows it's located in the former Tokyo Bay area of ​​Japan!"

"Monster count... currently being tallied..."

"My God!" Another monitoring soldier suddenly stood up, his face deathly pale. "There are over 100,000 monsters at the Beast General level or higher! And over 2,000 at the Lord level!"

"King-level... There are 29 King-level beasts!"

Inside the command center, there was an instantaneous deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone is still processing these numbers: 100,000 beast generals, 2,000 lords, and 29 kings.

This is almost the sum total of all the high-level monsters in the entire ocean!

"This can't be..." someone murmured, their voice filled with despair. "What are they going to do? Is this a general offensive? We can't stop them..."

The news has already spread within the Palace of the God of War.

Almost simultaneously, all the online members of parliament and heads of state flooded into the virtual space, and figures appeared one after another. Within just a few minutes, the council chamber was packed with hundreds of people.

All eyes were fixed on the center, where the drones dispatched by the Extreme Martial Arts Academy and the HR Alliance were transmitting images in real time.

In the scene, Tokyo Bay is filled with monsters, a dark mass that stretches as far as the eye can see.

Those enormous creatures wriggled among the seawater and ruins, emitting low roars that echoed through the broadcast equipment, sending chills down the spines of everyone who heard them.

"Why are they gathered there?" someone asked in a trembling voice.

"These coordinates... Zhou Mu mentioned them a week ago. Could it all be his doing? To incite a beast tide and destroy humanity?!"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Just then, a deep purple lightning bolt suddenly appeared on the screen.

The bolt of lightning streaked across the horizon at an unbelievable speed; one second it was on the horizon, and the next it was hovering over Tokyo Bay.

As the lightning dissipated, a figure stood with his hands behind his back.

White hair, black clothes.

Around the world, countless eyes widened simultaneously.

"It's Zhou Mu!"

"These monsters gathering were indeed related to him!"

"What is he trying to do?!"

Hall suddenly stood up, staring intently at the screen, his hands trembling slightly as he gripped the table.

Inside the Ares Palace, all the councilors held their breath.

In the scene, Zhou Mu looks down at the dense army of monsters below, a slow smile creeping onto his lips.

"Good, everyone's here."

His voice was soft, yet it seemed to penetrate the screen and reach the ears of everyone watching the live stream.

The enormous and majestic dragon emerged from the ocean, raising waves several meters high, and bowed its ferocious head before Zhou Mu.

The world is in uproar!

"This beast king is submitting to him?!"

"This unprecedented beast tide was indeed related to him!"

"Quickly! Sound the alarm! Frontline war bases are on high alert! This beast tide will be a disaster!"

Several national leaders rose and left the Ares Palace to begin preparations for war.

Several members of parliament with poor temperaments collapsed into their seats.

In the scene, Zhou Mu's gaze swept over the horde of monsters below, and then he said calmly, "Let them attack me."

Thunder Dragon Emperor was taken aback, then looked at his master. After confirming that his master was not joking, he raised his head and let out a long dragon roar.

The next moment, countless monsters went berserk and surged towards Zhou Mu like a tidal wave.

People all over the world exclaimed in surprise.

"Is Zhou Mu committing suicide?"

"Is Zhou Mu committing suicide?"

"Get out of the way!"

However, Zhou Mu in the picture remained motionless.

Until the first flying monster rushed to within a hundred meters of him.

A deep purple light burst forth.

Lightning Realm!

The beam of light instantly enveloped an area of ​​ten kilometers, covering tens of thousands of monsters.

The next second, countless bolts of lightning exploded simultaneously!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thunder poured down like a torrential downpour, covering the entire Tokyo Bay!

Each bolt of lightning carried destructive power, striking a monster with pinpoint accuracy.

Those beast-general level monsters were as fragile as paper before this lightning. They didn't even have time to react before they were blasted into dust.

Blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the seawater was instantly stained black and purple.

Lord-level monsters can last a breath or two longer, but only a breath or two, before they all perish.

People all over the world were stunned.

"What...what kind of power is this?!"

Within a few breaths, countless monsters perished, leaving only a few king-level monsters barely holding on under the lightning.

Zhou Mu raised his right hand, and twelve scarlet blades flew out simultaneously, transforming into a huge scarlet vortex.

Blood River!

Wherever the vortex passed, the remaining King-level monsters were all shredded into minced meat.

The battle ended in less than thirty breaths.

The seawater in Tokyo Bay has turned a deep, dark purple.

Countless shattered monster corpses floated on the sea surface, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The world is silent.

After an unknown amount of time, someone spoke in a trembling voice within the Palace of the God of War:

"Is he...is he even human?"

No one answered.

Hall slumped into the chair, as if all his strength had been drained away.

Those who once clamored for Zhou Mu's trial now only want to hide themselves away, never to be seen by that person again.

Because that person can no longer be described simply as a "strong person".

He is God!

He is a god who stands above all humankind on Earth!