Ren and the Overlord

Deep inside Nether Mountain, in the Gray Mist Zone, the elemental giant face showed no interest in anyone else after forming. It looked straight at Ren.

"Ren, have you reached Paragon? What brings you to Nether Mountain?" the Nether Overgod asked. Though phrased as a question, her tone was full of certainty. After all, an Overgod couldn't mistake Willpower.

"Overgod, I came to Nether Mountain because I have something I'd like to discuss with the Sovereign of Death." Ren raised his head to look at the Nether Overgod and spoke slowly.

"I see. Once you pass through the Purple Mist Zone, you can meet the Sovereign of Death in the hall." The Nether Overgod spoke. Then, with a thought, she guessed that this might have something to do with the Four Divine Beasts Clan.

With Ren's Paragon strength, he had no reason to fear the Four Divine Beasts Clan. Even several Asuras together would be no match for him. But the Four Divine Beasts Clan were Overgods, after all. The Four Divine Beasts Sovereigns were especially unusual among the Overgods; they might well lower themselves to attack him.

"Looks like Reding and the others are going to be in for a rough time," the Nether Overgod mused, then looked at Asers and the other two.

"Asers, take Ren to meet the Sovereign of Death."

"Yes, Overgod!"

Asers had now recovered his wits and replied respectfully.

After the Nether Overgod finished speaking, her Sovereign's Might slowly faded, and the sky returned to calm.

"Lord Ren, please follow me," Asers said respectfully as he stepped up to Ren. The golden and silver serpents had already resumed their human forms and followed behind Asers.

Ren nodded slightly and said nothing. He simply followed the three of them toward the Purple Mist Zone.

Only after they had left did the people who had been kneeling on the ground gradually rise. Their faces were filled with shock. Today, they had seen an Overgod and the legendary Paragon High-God. They were still reeling from it all.

"A Paragon High-God! Looks like I'll have to keep waiting."

Bolelei let out a soft sigh and rubbed his temples. His brown hair fluttered in the breeze as melancholy washed over him.

He had spent countless billions of years preparing for the Nether Fruit. This time, he had been on the verge of success, only for someone else to snatch it away. It was impossible not to feel disappointed. But the other party was a Paragon High-God, and he didn't dare entertain any ideas. All he could do was keep waiting. He, Bolelei, would never leave without getting the Nether Fruit!

Meanwhile, inside the Purple Mist Zone, the place where countless little green snakes should have been was completely quiet. They encountered no obstacles along the way, and soon the group left the zone and arrived at the purple-black hall at the mountain's peak.

The hall was awash in purple-black hues and radiated a chill. Aside from Ren, the other three had been here before, so they knew their way around. They soon reached the throne.

"Overgod!" "Overgod!" "Master!"

The three immediately knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads. Even though Yinwina and the Sovereign of Death were linked by their birth, Yinwina would never show the slightest disrespect.

"Overgod!"

Ren also bowed slightly. Though he already knew the answer, he still had to keep up appearances.

"Raise your heads."

A cool voice rang out from the throne, revealing no emotion.

Ren slowly raised his head and looked toward the throne. There sat a woman with blood-red hair and a purple robe. Her exquisite eyes held a hint of pressure.

"You..."

Ren's mouth fell slightly open, forming an expression of "shock." It wasn't entirely an act. Even though he had known all along, seeing this with his own eyes still felt absurd.

"Hahaha! Ren, didn't you think I was a Prefect? Now that you've seen me, what do you think?"

Seeing Ren's "shocked" expression, the Sovereign of Death was delighted. She had already forgotten her earlier displeasure at Ren concealing his Paragon status from her. The corners of her mouth lifted into a beautiful smile.

Yinwina and Jin, still kneeling on the ground, exchanged glances. They could both see the surprise in the other's eyes. In their memories, the Sovereign of Death rarely seemed so cheerful. Asers could only maintain his original posture, while inwardly sighing.

"When I first met an Overgod, I felt the same way. But she lost interest in me almost immediately. Her attitude toward Lord Ren is completely different."

Asers knew that Paragons were unlike ordinary Gods. As a Sovereign Envoy, he also knew that Overgods usually treated Paragons as equals and friends, completely unlike disposable servants such as them.

"I never would've guessed the Overlord was the owner of the inn." Ren's expression of "surprise" faded, and he spoke with a hint of resignation.

"There's nothing unusual about that. When they're bored, many Overgods use their Divine Clones to go exploring. One of the Water Overlord's clones is even the Prefect of Baiye Prefecture in the Water Divine Plane!"

The Sovereign of Death chuckled, clearly in high spirits. But after glancing at the others below, she reined in her amusement a little.

"The Water Overlord? The Prefect of Baiye Prefecture?" Ren's thoughts stirred. He had once learned about some of the powerful figures in the Water Divine Plane at Fiend Castle, and he remembered the Prefect named Tilly.

When he had first seen that name, he had suspected she was Tilly, the Water Overlord from the memories of Blue Star. Now the Sovereign of Death had confirmed it.

"Enough, Yin. You three may leave," the Sovereign of Death said, her smile fading as she waved them away with an imperious air.

"Asers takes his leave!" "Yinwina takes her leave..." The three bowed respectfully in unison, then quickly left.

"Ren, now that you've reached Paragon, you can't have come to Nether Mountain for the Nether Fruit. What did you come here for?" Once the others had left, the Sovereign of Death asked. She already had a guess.

"Overlord, I had a conflict with the Four Divine Beasts Clan because of Emmanuel. I doubt they'll let it go." Ren looked at the Sovereign of Death and spoke slowly. There was no need to hide anything, and he couldn't have kept it from her anyway.

"With your strength, you have no need to worry about the Four Divine Beasts Clan. You're concerned about Reding and the other three, aren't you? Those four aren't exactly the sort of Overgods who care about their dignity!" The Sovereign of Death curled her lip slightly. She didn't think much of the Four Divine Beasts Sovereigns, either.

"But the four of them are nothing in front of me. Ren, would you be willing to become my envoy?" The Sovereign of Death leaned back against the throne and looked at Ren seriously. A trace of anticipation flashed in her eyes.

"Overlord, I'm willing." Ren nodded slightly and didn't refuse. This had been his goal all along.

Ordinary Sovereign Envoys were servants, while Paragon Envoys were friends. An Overgod didn't need to ask a Paragon for anything in their daily affairs, and couldn't force one to do anything. So Ren had no qualms about becoming an Overgod's envoy.

Many Paragons chose not to become Sovereign Envoys not because they were unwilling or disliked the idea, but simply because there was no need. After all, becoming an envoy wouldn't get them anything they didn't already have. If they wanted a Sovereign Artifact or Sovereign's Might, they could easily get them.

Still, a few Paragons had become Sovereign Envoys. Dannington served the Destruction Overlord, and Clementine served the Radiant Overlord. It was hard to believe that none of the eight Paragons vying for control of the Ocalan Plane served other Overlords.

"Good. What kind of Sovereign Artifact do you want?" The Sovereign of Death rose from the throne, her manner no longer as casual as before. She was showing Ren the respect due to a Paragon.

"Overlord, I'd like a sword-shaped Offensive Sovereign Artifact." Ren thought for a moment before making his request. For a Paragon, the type of Sovereign Artifact made little difference, but Ren felt that an offensive one would be better suited to studying and comprehending ultimate techniques.

"Very well. I'll grant you an Offensive Sovereign Artifact. From today onward, you'll be the fourth envoy under my command."

As she spoke, the Sovereign of Death waved her right hand. A long sword radiating a green glow flew out. Given her standing, she had naturally obtained Sovereign Artifacts and Sovereign's Might of other elements from the other Overgods over the years. A wind-attributed Sovereign Artifact sword was no exception.