Swallowing the Stars: The Birth of a Cosmic God King

"Out of quarantine!"

When Yan Ning walked out of the training room, the sun was shining brightly.

In the living room.

Shen Yao was teaching Yan Xi to read, Zhao Zixuan was holding Yan Yang and sunbathing, and Su Wanqing was pushing Yan Qing in a stroller and pacing around.

Qin Xiuyue sat on the sofa, holding Yan Xiu in her arms.

The four women had grown accustomed to Yan Ning's seclusion.

Every time her husband went on a mission, he would return with a full load of goods, ensuring that their little family had no worries about food, clothing, or shelter. So, she could go into seclusion.

"Brother Ning has lost weight again." Shen Yao's voice was gentle, filled with concern.

"fine."

Yan Ning walked over and looked at the four children one by one. Then he sat down next to Qin Xiuyue and looked down at Yan Xiu in the swaddling clothes.

The little guy has grown a lot since a month ago. He's chubby and fair-skinned, with big, bright eyes that look like two black grapes.

When he saw Yan Ning, he actually smiled and reached out his little hand to grab Yan Ning's nose.

Yan Ning laughed and dodged away, then took the food with both hands and started teasing it.

"Oh, right."

Qin Xiuyue suddenly spoke, her voice somewhat grave, "A lot has happened outside during the month you were in seclusion."

"What is it?"

"North."

Qin Xiuyue said, "The Inca base city, near 60 degrees north latitude, was suddenly attacked by a monster from within the Arctic Circle, resulting in heavy casualties and almost being destroyed."

Yan Ning frowned.

"The news was originally supposed to be kept under wraps, but that base city is too big to be contained. It's already spread outside, and although the Federation is trying its best to suppress it, people's hearts are still somewhat unsettled."

"Is there any other bad news?" Yan Ning asked.

"The pressure on defense lines in various regions is increasing."

The density of Warrior-class monsters has increased by at least 30%, and the casualty rate among warriors has doubled compared to the same period last year. Near the Arctic Circle, the number of Lord-class monsters cleared out after Operation Icebound has recovered to 30% of its previous level... and this is only a little over six months later.

Yan Ning's brows furrowed even more.

In just over six months, it recovered to 30%.

At this rate, in another year or two, the number of Lord-level monsters will return to the level before Operation Frozen.

Operation Frozen was an achievement that humanity paid a huge price for. More than a hundred war gods were mobilized, four of the six inspectors came, and the Primordial Emperor personally oversaw the operation, but in the end, it still ended in failure.

Those monsters evolve much, much faster than humans.

"There's one more thing."

"According to Azure, the evolution speed of wild monsters is accelerating. Previously, it took three to six years for a beast soldier to evolve into a beast general. Now, it may only take a year if things go smoothly."

The living room fell silent for a moment.

Yan Ning looked at her youngest son in her arms.

The little guy didn't know what the adults were talking about; he just quietly chewed on his fist.

Life goes on.

Yan Ning raised his head, his gaze sweeping over his four wives and four children. "Eat when you're supposed to, sleep when you're supposed to, cultivate when you're supposed to. If the sky falls, I'll hold it up."

……

Life in Nanjiang Base City continues.

Yan Ning's life seemed no different from before, but his focus in cultivation had changed.

The growth of the Golden Horned Beast's clone requires a large amount of life energy.

Fortunately, the eggshell contained immense vitality, which could perfectly help the Golden Horned Beast transition through its weak period, allowing Yan Ning to focus on energy sources in the early stages.

Time, it takes time.

"We need more."

"I just wonder if there's any suitable metal on Azure for it to use after eating the eggshell..."

"Let's wait a little longer."

Yan Ning suppressed the impulse in his heart.

"My clone is still too fragile. I don't stand much of a chance against that king-level beast right now. I should wait until it grows stronger, and ideally, until my main body breaks through one or two more realms..."

At that time.

The white behemoth within the Arctic Circle is no longer a threat, but rather a source of nourishment.

......

Just as Yan Ning was occasionally clearing out monster lords near the Nanjiang base city, the Golden Horned Beast was eating eggshells.

The external situation is deteriorating rapidly.

The truth will eventually come out.

News of the attack on the base city near 60 degrees north latitude eventually leaked out.

Although the federal government used all its resources to block the spread of information, in the era of social media, the speed of information dissemination is far faster than the speed of blocking.

Various rumors began to circulate online.

The rumors are a mix of truth and falsehood.

But every word she uttered was stirring up public sentiment.

Qin Mufeng personally stepped forward to give a speech, denying the rumors of "the defeat in the Primordial War," stating that the monster activity in the Arctic Circle was a normal fluctuation and that the Federation had sufficient capacity to protect the safety of its citizens.

But not many people believe it.

Panic began to spread among the public.

The Azure Federation mobilized all its resources to maintain stability.

However, the results were not ideal.

People scroll through the forums, where posts are constantly being deleted and then reappearing.

Some say they saw an overwhelming herd of beasts near the Arctic Circle; others say a certain War God Squad was wiped out; still others say the Primordial One has already perished in battle, and the Federation is merely covering up the truth.

No one cared what Qin Mufeng said.

They only care about one thing—

The primordial era did not appear!

The highest mountain and the hardest blade on the Azure Star, the strongest warrior who fought his way out of the Cataclysmic Era.

He is the true pillar of strength in the hearts of the people.

As long as he stands there, even without saying a word, people's hearts will not waver.

But the Primordial Chaos did not appear.

One day, two days, three days.

One week, two weeks, three weeks.

Qin Mufeng delivered four speeches, each more earnest than the last, but the public only saw one fact—

The primordial chaos never appeared.

The man who slaughtered his way through hordes of beasts during the cataclysmic era, the man who always stood at the forefront in times of human crisis—this time, he did not appear.

Naturally.

Panic spread like a plague.

A large-scale southward migration began to occur in the base cities in the north.

Traffic stretched for dozens of kilometers on the highway, train stations were overcrowded, and even plane tickets were being sold at exorbitant prices.

Housing prices in the southern base cities have skyrocketed, resources are scarce, and prices have soared. Some remote small base cities have even faced food shortages.

The Azure Federation mobilized all its resources to maintain stability.

Qin Mufeng mobilized troops to maintain order, and a material rationing system was implemented in major base cities. The sensitive word database on the internet was updated more than a dozen times a day.

But once panic spreads, it cannot be suppressed by force.

unless...

Unless the Primordial God himself steps forward and tells them: I am here, don't be afraid.

But the primordial chaos is gone.

He went to the S01 ruins.

That desolate land with a 99% mortality rate, that place that weighed on the last hope of humanity.

Three years.

For martial artists, three years is not a long time, but for the people who are filled with fear and anxiety, three years is too long.

It grew so long that they lost all hope, so long that they began to doubt whether something had truly happened to the primordial world, so long that they began to plan for their own future.

Panic leads people to seek change.

Some wealthy businessmen in the north began selling off their assets in an attempt to purchase "tickets" to spaceships through underground channels.

Some powerful officials have begun relocating their families, sending their children to safer overseas bases.

Some even began building their own spaceships, attempting to escape the planet before the chaos ensued.

Qin Mufeng killed some and imprisoned others, but he couldn't kill them all or imprison them all.

The root of the panic does not lie with those people.

In everyone's hearts, there was no one to lead them.

The blue-clad humanity needs someone.

A person who can stand in the place where the ancient world once stood and tell them, "I am here, don't be afraid."

It wasn't Qin Mufeng.

Qin Mufeng is very strong, but he is "second".

Between second and first place lies a chasm that ordinary people cannot see but can feel.

The public may trust Qin Mufeng, but they will not stake their lives on him.

They need a new mountain.