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

"The battle of the ultimate geniuses across the entire human realm... has begun!"

The few words Zhou Mu uttered softly, though not loud, seemed to contain a kind of magic that could penetrate the soul, making Luo Feng feel as if the blood in his body was burning violently like boiling magma.

Five years!

For this day, they endured tedious, brutal, and even life-or-death trials day after day on this desolate and lifeless planet. All for this: to make their voices heard on this grandest stage, a gathering place for billions of galaxies and countless human geniuses from across the universe!

"Master, what should we do now..." Luo Feng's breathing was rapid, his eyes were fixed on Zhou Mu, and his fists clenched involuntarily.

"What else can we do?" Zhou Mu's lips curled into a sharp smile, his eyes seemingly a mix of lightning and time, "Of course, we'll enter the virtual universe to register, so that this vast universe can get to know us."

……

Virtual universe, Heilongshan Island.

The moment Zhou Mu and Luo Feng's consciousness connected into the virtual universe, the scene before them completely shocked them.

It's gone mad! The entire Black Dragon Mountain Island, no, it should be said that all the universe nations and star system islands in the entire virtual universe network, have completely fallen into unprecedented madness and frenzy at this moment!

The once azure artificial sky has now been completely replaced by a colossal list that blots out the sky. The list radiates a dazzling golden light, with ancient and profound laws flowing around its edges. Just a glance at it instills a sense of awe and reverence from the depths of one's soul.

On that enormous golden list spanning the entire sky, several lines of large characters, written in the universal language, were enough to drive any martial artist mad:

"A once-in-a-millennium event!"

"A Battle of the Ultimate Human Geniuses Across the Universe!"

"This event is jointly organized by Virtual Universe Company and 1008 cosmic nations across the universe!"

"This is the testing ground for geniuses! This is the only shortcut to the pinnacle of the universe!"

"If you are exceptionally talented enough to rank among the top 1,000 in the universe, you will directly enter the core layer of the Virtual Universe Company, gaining unimaginable endless resources, top-tier secret techniques, and even personal guidance from great and immortal gods!"

"You, do you dare to come?!"

Boom—On the streets of the entire Black Dragon Mountain Island, countless martial artists, whether they were at the Eternal Star level, the Universe level, or the high and mighty Domain Lord level, were looking up at the golden list in the sky, letting out a series of hysterical roars.

For ordinary martial artists, this might just be a grand carnival and visual feast on a cosmic scale; but for those truly ambitious and exceptionally talented star-level geniuses, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leap over the dragon gate and ascend to the heavens in one step! As long as they can break through, even if they only make a name for themselves in their respective cosmic kingdoms, it will be enough to change their own fate and even the fate of their entire family!

"This commotion is truly terrifying." Luo Feng walked down the street, looking at the fellow martial artists of the same level around him with bloodshot eyes and trembling with excitement, and couldn't help but sigh. On his shoulder, the demon Babata was even more excited, jumping up and down, constantly muttering things like "the opportunity for the rise of the Meteorite Star lineage".

"Virtual Universe Corporation is one of the five largest behemoths in the entire human race. Naturally, their selection of core members involves the most brutal selection process across the entire universe." Zhou Mu walked ahead with his hands behind his back, his expression calm, but a sharp light flashed deep in his eyes.

The two did not linger on the street, but followed the surging crowd to the huge registration booth that had been temporarily erected in the central square of Heilongshan Island.

The registration process is very simple and quick; the powerful computing power of the virtual universe network can instantly verify identity and bone age.

"drop!"

"Nationality: Black Dragon Mountain Empire. Identity: Zhou Mu. Cultivation Level: Ninth Rank of the Constant Star. Registration Successful!"

"Nationality: Black Dragon Mountain Empire. Identity: Luo Feng. Cultivation Level: Sixth Rank, Constant Star. Registration Successful!"

As two crisp system notifications rang in their minds, Zhou Mu and Luo Feng exchanged a smile, the weight lifted from their hearts. They had the tickets; now it was time to draw their swords.

"Let's go, Luo Feng. Let's go see an old friend." Zhou Mu closed the registration interface and turned to Luo Feng.

"Go to Lord Mingyu's place?" Luo Feng immediately realized.

"Mm." Zhou Mu nodded.

……

Virtual Universe, the most core area of ​​Heilongshan Island, the area for the wealthiest and most exclusive individuals.

Here float magnificent aerial manors, and anyone who can own a property here is undoubtedly a true big shot in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, either extremely wealthy or powerful.

Zhou Mu and Luo Feng arrived at a vast and magnificent dark gold manor with ease. Before they could even announce their arrival, the manor's intelligent system had already recognized them, and the heavy gates automatically swung open to both sides.

"Hahaha! Zhou Mu, Luo Feng! You two reclusive fanatics, have you finally decided to come out of seclusion today?"

Accompanied by a hearty and loud laugh, a giant man, over three meters tall, as imposing as an iron tower, with a vertical eye between his eyebrows, strode out from inside the manor to greet them.

This person is none other than Ming Yu, an external steward of the Black Dragon Mountain branch of the Virtual Universe Company and a domain lord-level powerhouse!

"Brother Mingyu." Zhou Mu greeted him with a smile, and the two exchanged a high-five in perfect familiarity. Luo Feng also respectfully performed a junior's bow: "Greetings, Lord Mingyu."

"Alright, alright, this is my turf, no need for formalities." Ming Yu put his arm around Zhou Mu's shoulder, like old friends who hadn't seen each other for years, and pulled the two of them toward the reception room deep inside the manor. "I knew that as soon as the announcement for the Peak Genius Battle came out today, the two of you would definitely show up."

Walking down the luxurious manor corridor, Zhou Mu looked at the Domain Lord-level expert beside him and felt a warmth rise in his heart.

Over the past five years, his relationship with Mingyu has evolved from an initial exchange of interests where each party got what they wanted to a true friendship that transcends age.

After leaving Thunder World, Zhou Mu donned the guise of an "external member of the Virtual Universe Company," but the news of his massacre of tens of thousands of star-level elites in Wind and Thunder Canyon and his suspected possession of the World Lord's inheritance still made many ancient families and forces in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire green with envy.

They dare not carry out open assassinations, but their covert probing, suppression, and even searches for Earth's coordinates come one after another, like maggots clinging to a bone.

All of this was stopped by Ming Yu with extremely tough and ruthless methods!

As the de facto deacon of the Virtual Universe Company, Ming Yu not only used his intelligence network to cut off all the claws reaching towards Zhou Mu and Earth, but also personally took action in an extremely dangerous assassination attempt, directly killing a ninth-level cosmic-level assassin sent by a certain family in public!

In that battle, Ming Yu uttered a harsh threat: "Zhou Mu is a brother I, Ming Yu, value! Anyone who dares to touch him is provoking me, Ming Yu, and I will make their entire family pay the price!"

Since then, the forces in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire that had been blinded by greed have completely ceased their activities and dared not cross the line again. Zhou Mu was thus granted a full five years of absolutely peaceful seclusion.