The territory of the Ethereal Alliance.
Miao Yun Master led eighteen Universe Masters, arrayed neatly in the void. Behind them stood the core members of their respective races, while countless Divine Kingdom Teleportation passages lined up in the distance.
"I, Miao Yun, on behalf of the nineteen races of the Ethereal Alliance, hereby formally swear allegiance to the Human Race!"
Miao Yun Master knelt on one knee, his voice echoing through the starry sky. His body, covered in pale purple scales, trembled slightly—not from fear, but from excitement.
The nineteen Universe Masters all knelt together, making for a magnificent sight.
City Lord of Chaos had come in person, accepting their allegiance on behalf of the Human Race.
"From today onward, the nineteen races of the Ethereal Alliance will be members of the Hong Alliance." City Lord of Chaos's voice was gentle and steady, yet carried unquestionable authority. "The Human Race will protect your territory and your people. But if any of you harbor ulterior motives..."
He did not finish, but the aura radiating from a Fifth-Order Peak Universe Master had already made every Universe Master present tense.
"Rest assured, City Lord. We swear to remain loyal to the Human Race for generations, without a hint of disloyalty!" Miao Yun Master spoke first, and the eighteen Universe Masters behind him echoed his words in unison.
City Lord of Chaos nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction on his face.
Though the nineteen Universe Masters of the Ethereal Alliance were generally not very powerful, they made up for it in numbers and controlled a considerable amount of territory and resources.
More importantly, they had set a good example.
The first to pledge allegiance would always receive the best terms.
"Miao Yun, you made the right choice." Before leaving, City Lord of Chaos patted Miao Yun Master on the shoulder.
Miao Yun Master watched City Lord of Chaos depart, then let out a long breath. Turning to the Universe Masters behind him, he said, "Everyone, from now on, we belong to the Human Race. Put your doubts aside and do your jobs well."
No one objected.
When life and death were at stake, so-called freedom was nothing but a luxury.
The Ancestral Hall of the Demon Beast Alliance.
Unlike the jubilant mood in the Ethereal Alliance, the atmosphere here was so oppressive it felt as though it could be wrung like a wet cloth.
Beast Ancestor sat upon his throne, his dark golden scales gleaming coldly in the dim light. His fingers tapped the armrest again and again, producing a dull sound.
"Reporting, Alliance Leader." Lord Juefeng lowered all nine of his heads and reported cautiously. "The twenty-six Universe Masters of the Nine Domains Alliance have all confirmed that they will stay. The fifteen Universe Masters of the Thorn Ring Alliance have also stated that they will not leave."
"Additionally, two scattered races that broke away from the former Snow Border Alliance, with three Universe Masters between them, have officially joined the Demon Beast Alliance."
"And then there's the Bone Demon Race..."
"Wasn't the Bone Demon Race going to join the Human Race?" Beast Ancestor asked coldly.
"There's been a split within the Bone Demon Race," Lord Juefeng hurriedly explained. "Bone Demon Master insists on joining the Human Race, but his deputy, Bone Breaker Master, refused. Bone Breaker Master broke away with three Universe Overlords and some of their people, then joined us."
"The Blood Soul Race and the Shadow Race, two scattered races that had always remained neutral, have also contacted us on their own and expressed their desire to join."
Beast Ancestor's fingers stopped tapping the armrest.
"Give me the total."
"Reporting to the Alliance Leader, after excluding the defecting Ethereal Alliance and adding the races that recently joined, our Demon Beast Alliance now has a total of 72 Universe Masters!"
At last, there was a hint of confidence in Lord Juefeng's voice.
Seventy-two Universe Masters.
That number already surpassed the Monster Race and the Machine Race, placing them behind only the Insect Race and the Human Race!
Beast Ancestor slowly rose to his feet, his scarlet gaze sweeping across the Universe Masters in the hall.
"Seventy-two... It's not a lot, but it's not a small number, either."
His voice was low and powerful. "Send out orders. From today on, ten Universe Masters will remain in my small universe to preserve our strength. The remaining sixty will be divided into three groups and take turns guarding the borders of our territory. No one is to provoke the Human Race without my permission."
"Also, do everything you can to win over the scattered forces that are still watching from the sidelines. We can be flexible with the terms, but we must ensure their loyalty! Anyone willing to join must send some promising young talents to train in my small universe."
"Yes!"
Lord Juefeng accepted the order and left.
Taking in these newcomers meant bringing them into his small universe—in effect, holding them as hostages. This was also a way to ensure their loyalty.
Beast Ancestor sat back on his throne, a cold glint in his eyes.
He had not forgotten the moment Founder Giant Axe had forced him to retreat.
But he would not endure it forever.
"Those two fools from the Monster Race, that old Starry Sky Progenitor, and Giant Axe..."
Beast Ancestor muttered, "Just you wait. My era will come at last."
Deep in the void, at the edge of the Flame World.
While the Demon Beast Alliance regrouped, the scattered forces that had yet to find a powerful patron were desperately searching for a way forward.
Mountain Sitting Guest had turned down every invitation, prompting them to turn their attention to two other equally powerful loners with no race to tie them down: True Void Demon God and Shihua Island Master.
A streak of Flowing Light cut through the void and stopped at the edge of the Flame World.
"Lord True Void! I am Silver Moon Master, leader of the Silver Moon Race. I beg you to come out of seclusion and serve as our race's honored guest! You may name your own terms!"
Silver Moon Master's voice echoed through the void, full of urgency and pleading.
Yet the Flame World gave no response.
"Lord True Void!"
Silver Moon Master called again, his voice now edged with desperation.
At last, a detached voice came from within the Flame World. "I told you, I'm not interested. If you keep pestering me, you won't be going back."
Silver Moon Master went pale. He did not dare say another word and fled at once.
The same scene played out in several places across the Primal Universe.
At least a dozen groups of envoys gathered outside Black Abyss Palace, the residence of Shihua Island Master. Some came from scattered races, others from minor alliances, and there were even spies from the Crystal Race and the Prison Race.
Yet the gates of Black Abyss Palace remained firmly shut.
"Everyone, please leave." Shihua Island Master's voice came from within the palace, gentle but aloof. "I, Shihua, am used to being alone. I have no interest in becoming an alliance leader."
"My lord..."
"If you don't leave now, you'll never leave."
Outside Black Abyss Palace, silence fell.
The envoys looked at one another, then could only depart in disappointment.
Deep inside Black Abyss Palace, Shihua Island Master sat cross-legged, his silver hair falling over his purple robe. His handsome face was utterly expressionless.
"The Divine Power Burning Technique..."
Shihua Island Master murmured, "I never imagined the Primal Universe would produce such an incredible secret technique. Mountain Sitting Guest got a Fire Spirit Fruit, Giant Axe got three Supreme Treasures, and even that fellow Old Beast God obtained the burning technique..."
"But what does any of that have to do with me?"
He slowly closed his eyes and continued comprehending the Path of Time and Space.
To him, all the turmoil in the outside world was no more than a passing cloud.
Transcendence of Reincarnation was his one and only goal.
An unnamed planet, Jin King Palace.
Yang Yu sat on a mountain peak, holding a jug of wine and sipping it at leisure.
Through his eldest disciple Puti, who had joined the Human Race, Yang Yu had kept track of every faction's movements.
"True Void and Shihua both refused to become alliance leaders. That saves me a lot of trouble."
Yang Yu smiled faintly. "If they started an alliance like Beast Ancestor did, the Primal Universe would truly descend into chaos."
He was not afraid of chaos, but he did not want to see the situation spiral out of control.
After all, Luo Feng was still in his Growth Stage and needed a relatively stable environment.
"Beast Ancestor has gathered seventy-two Universe Masters. Not bad." Yang Yu recalled the original story. "But with Giant Axe keeping him in check, he won't be able to stir up much trouble for now."
He took a sip of wine and looked through endless space and time, toward the depths of the Universe Ocean.
"As for those fellows from the First Reincarnation Era and the Second Reincarnation Era... They've probably heard the news from the Sky Screen, too."
Yang Yu's lips curled slightly. "This should be interesting."
Before you continue