Forty-One: Three Thousand Years of Enlightenment!

Within the Demon Clan's territory.

A colossal Zerg Hive Nest, suffocating in its enormity, hung silently in the void. Its volume surpassed even that of a planet, its surface covered in countless biomass-like folds and pores, emitting a faint purple glow.

Space around the Hive Nest twisted faintly, as if even light was devoured by it.

At the Hive Nest's core, inside a crystalline central palace, a stunning woman lounged lazily upon a throne.

Her skin was like snow, her eyes deep as the starry sky, and with every subtle expression, it seemed even the laws of the universe would bow to her.

She was a Universe Master of the Zerg Clan, a Hive Mother—the Dreamy Nether Lord!

At that moment, a Zerg Venerable knelt respectfully before her, reporting intelligence in a low voice.

"Master, news from the Ancestral God Sect: the human's Demon Flame King has won fifty thousand consecutive battles in the Glory World. His combat power far exceeds his peers, and he even has the strength to slay Venerables. If allowed to grow, he will surely become a great threat to our clan."

The Dreamy Nether Lord tapped her slender fingers lightly on the armrest of her throne, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips, revealing a meaningful expression.

"Oh? Fifty thousand consecutive wins? That's somewhat interesting."

Her voice was like a heavenly melody, yet carried a soul-shaking allure, as if it could directly erode one's spirit.

The Zerg Venerable lowered his head slightly, not daring to meet her eyes, and asked in a deep voice, "Master, should we arrange an assassination? Our clan has inheritors skilled in soul arts within the Ancestral God Sect; we could attempt..."

The Dreamy Nether Lord gently waved her hand, cutting him off.

"No need."

A glint of amusement flickered in her eyes.

"That Demon Flame King... isn't he from the Yan God Clan?"

The Zerg Venerable paused, then quickly caught on.

"Yes, according to intelligence, he is indeed of the Yan God Clan."

The Dreamy Nether Lord let out a soft laugh, a wisp of deep purple energy coiling around her fingertips as she spoke slowly, "I recall... the Yan God Clan and the human race... have a grudge, don't they?"

Her gaze pierced through the void, as if crossing endless time and space to fix on some existence.

"What do you think... that Yan Emperor fellow... will do?"

The Zerg Venerable's pupils contracted, and a look of realization dawned on his face.

"Master means... to use a borrowed knife to kill?"

The Dreamy Nether Lord did not answer, merely closing her eyes gently, that mysterious smile still lingering on her lips.

"Just wait and see. The real show... is only beginning."

Yan God Realm · Yan God Palace.

In the vast universe, a crimson realm hung like a burning nebula, eternal and unquenchable. This was the Yan God Realm, the core territory of the Yan God Clan!

Deep within the realm, a towering flame palace floated in the void, forged entirely from crimson divine metal, its surface flowing with magma-like patterns, radiating a scorching and violent aura.

Around the palace, space twisted, as if even the laws were being incinerated by the flames.

Inside the Yan God Palace.

At the center of the great hall, a throne stood silently. Upon it sat a towering figure.

He was tens of thousands of kilometers tall, his body covered in red-gold scales, each etched with ancient Yan God Clan runes.

His eyes were like two burning stars, and wherever his gaze fell, even space trembled!

He was the supreme leader of the Yan God Clan—the Yan Emperor!

At that moment, below the throne, a Sealed King of the Yan God Clan knelt on one knee, head bowed, voice trembling slightly: "Your Majesty, our subordinates have received news that the traitor Yan Ning of our clan has been making a grand showing in the Ancestral God Sect, even... even slaying a Universe Venerable while still a Sealed King!"

"Boom—!"

A terrifying pressure erupted from the Yan Emperor, causing the entire Yan God Palace to quake!

"Yan Ning?!"

His voice was low and icy, like a thunderclap erupting from deep within molten lava.

"That traitor who defected to the human race?"

The Sealed King's forehead beaded with cold sweat as he quickly replied, "Yes! He has won fifty thousand consecutive battles in the Glory World, his combat power far surpassing his peers. Even the Demon Clan and Zerg Clan have begun to take notice of him!"

The Yan Emperor's eyes narrowed, a flash of brutality in his red-gold pupils.

"A fine traitor indeed!"

"Boom—!"

He suddenly rose, the laws of flame boiling around him, the temperature of the entire hall spiking sharply!

"Betraying the clan, siding with humans, and now daring to be so arrogant?! You seek death, you seek death!! I gave you a chance!"

His voice exploded like thunder, shaking the void itself.

"Does he truly think... This Seat cannot deal with him?!"

The Sealed King experts, suppressed by this pressure until they could barely breathe, hurriedly said:

"Your Majesty, the Ancestral God Sect is under the protection of the Five-Colored Aurora Lake; we cannot make a direct move..."

The Yan Emperor snorted coldly, killing intent blazing in his eyes.

Their Yan God Clan currently didn't even have a single inheritor, so there was no way to enter and kill him.

"Keep a close watch on his movements. The moment he leaves the Ancestral God Sect, report to me immediately!"

"Yes."

Although none of the clans had formally begun any action, their surveillance of Yan Ning had grown even more intense.

The number of inheritors from these clans on Redbud Island numbered in the tens of thousands.

Every single thing Yan Ning did, every move he made, was transmitted back in real time.

His behavior could be described as a straight line.

Fight in the Glory World, earn Glory Points, then receive inheritance, comprehend.

Until a hundred years later.

This time, the many foreign experts observing outside his residence noticed something different.

Today, Yan Ning did not come out.

At first, the various foreign experts paid it no mind.

He usually emerged every few years or so.

Counting from the last time Yan Ning left for the inheritance grounds, today should have been the tenth year.

They estimated that Yan Ning would come out again soon.

But...

One year, two years, three years...

A hundred years, two hundred years, three hundred years...

A full two thousand years.

Yan Ning never came out again.

At first, these foreign experts thought it was normal, but later they realized it wasn't.

What the hell was going on? His battle records in the Glory World were still occasionally updating.

But he just wouldn't come out.

Holding so many Glory Points in hand yet not going to receive the inheritance—was the Demon Flame King planning to stockpile them and go later?

This struck the foreign experts as strange and also gave them a sense of crisis.

They were terrified that Yan Ning might suddenly break through.

But theoretically, that situation was impossible.

A Universe Venerable's breakthrough was nothing like an Undying's.

It required completely comprehending a high-level law.

In the blink of an eye, three thousand years passed.

"Hahahahaha, three thousand years, and the third stage is about to be perfected!"

For three thousand years, Yan Ning had been cultivating the Fire-Void Fusion Law while simultaneously comprehending the Burial Intent.

He integrated the Fire-Void Fusion Law into the Seven Absolute Burial Heavens.

Over three thousand years, the fourth technique, Spirit Burial, was also fully cultivated.

While cultivating the Fire-Void Fusion Law, his Space Law also advanced by leaps and bounds.

Looking back, he had previously gained some insight into Space Teleportation and Space Seal.

But after these three thousand years of comprehension, he had fully mastered the path of teleportation.

Though Space Seal still lagged behind, it wasn't far off.

"It's time to go out. With all these accumulated Glory Points, plus three thousand years of comprehension, battle, and constant reflection, this time I should be able to perfect the third stage of inheritance directly!"

A moment later.

Creak...

After three thousand years, Yan Ning once again opened his door.