Acknowledging a Master

The soul battle continued.

Bolstered by the Law Ocean, the Time Pause domain barely held on, but Fang Yan could feel that the colorful ocean was already slowly receding.

At most, thirty breaths remained.

"Overlord Sister, have you made up your mind?"

There was a hint of temptation in Fang Yan's voice.

"Rather than becoming my soul slave, with your life and death no longer in your own hands, why not acknowledge me as your master?"

"If a plant life-form acknowledges a master, you can still retain your independent thoughts. How about it?"

"It's not a bad deal."

Black Sky Overlord fell silent. Of course, she knew Fang Yan was telling the truth.

In the Primordial Universe, 99.9% of plant life-forms eventually acknowledged masters.

But she was the overlord of the Black Sky Lotus Race, a great being who had broken through to become a Universe Lord.

For her to acknowledge a World Lord as her master...

That was even harder to bear than killing her.

"Don't even think about it."

Black Sky Overlord's voice was as cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice.

"Then there's nothing I can do."

Fang Yan sighed, his tone carrying a trace of regret.

"Once the Law Ocean recedes and Time Pause fails, the first thing Venerable Yu Qing will do is kill you."

"You just broke through to become a Universe Lord. Your divine power conversion isn't even ten percent complete. What can you use to fight her?"

"Overlord Sister, do you want to watch the Black Sky Lotus Race go extinct like this?"

Fang Yan's words were like a blade, striking precisely into Black Sky Overlord's softest spot.

All the Immortals of her race had died in battle, while two Venerables had burned themselves away and turned into law insights to help her break through...

The faces of those younger sisters appeared before her one by one.

They had given her everything.

If she died, the Black Sky Lotus Race would truly be finished.

"I..."

A trace of hesitation finally appeared in Black Sky Overlord's voice.

"The Human Race can protect the Black Sky Lotus Race."

Fang Yan pressed his advantage.

"Behind me stand Flame Ruins Lord and Chaos Lord."

"As long as I live, the Black Sky Lotus Race will not perish."

Another silence followed as the Law Ocean receded faster and faster.

Finally, Black Sky Overlord spoke.

Her voice was no longer cold. Instead, it carried an indescribable exhaustion and helplessness.

"...Fine."

A huge weight lifted from Fang Yan's heart.

A warm, gentle light shone between them.

Fang Yan felt a vast, pure life force pour into his soul. It was the feedback from Black Sky Overlord acknowledging him as her master.

Black Sky Overlord had officially acknowledged Fang Yan as her master.

Fang Yan took a deep breath. He could feel Black Sky Overlord's anger, grievance, unwillingness, and even a trace of... relief?

"Overlord Sister, happy cooperation."

At that moment, the Law Ocean completely receded.

The Time Pause domain shattered like a broken mirror, collapsing into hundreds and thousands of fragments with a crash.

Time began to flow again.

Venerable Yu Qing's figure reappeared in the void of the Dawn Zone. Silver light gathered in her palm once more, and her spear shot forth like a river of stars.

Then she froze.

During that instant of Time Pause, she had lost all perception.

Yet in her mind, she had merely blinked.

And within that "blink," everything had changed.

Black Sky Overlord's giant lotus was no longer dilapidated. Instead, it radiated a steady golden glow.

The shattered Black Sky Lotuses bloomed again, restored to their original state.

And that enormous black-gold cicada was rapidly retreating from beside the giant lotus, the cracks on its wings clearly visible.

"A time-type innate secret technique?!"

Venerable Yu Qing's pupils constricted sharply. She finally realized what had happened.

"Brat, you're courting death!"

The spear changed direction and stabbed toward Fang Yan's Spring Autumn Cicada avatar.

But Black Sky Overlord was faster.

The giant lotus abruptly spread open. All ten thousand eight hundred petals trembled at once, and a black curtain of light condensed before Fang Yan, forcibly blocking the silver-white spear light.

Boom—

The black curtain of light shook violently, spiderweb-like cracks appearing across its surface, but it ultimately held.

"You..."

Venerable Yu Qing looked at Black Sky Overlord, disbelief flashing through her eyes.

"You succeeded in breaking through?"

Black Sky Overlord's giant lotus slowly rotated, its black radiance growing brighter and brighter.

But Fang Yan could sense that her divine power conversion rate was not even half a percent.

"Yu Qing."

Black Sky Overlord's voice was no longer weak, returning to its usual cold and commanding tone.

Venerable Yu Qing sneered. With that one attack, she had already seen through Black Sky Overlord's true condition.

"You've just become a Universe Lord, and your divine power conversion is less than ten percent complete. Yet you dare spout nonsense before me?"

Even among peak Universe Overlords, there were differences. They could already challenge a first-stage Universe Lord in peak condition, let alone Black Sky Overlord, whose current state was terrible.

However, in the very next moment, a majestic voice exploded from the entrance of the Black Heaven Secret Realm, resounding through the entire void like thunder.

"Yu Qing, how dare you!"

Two figures tore through the void and appeared above the Black Heaven Secret Realm.

One was broad and burly, with rugged features. His entire body radiated a suffocatingly tyrannical aura, as though the moment he stood there, he became the center of heaven and earth.

The other was slender and refined, but his eyes were as deep as Xingkong, making others afraid to meet his gaze.

Giant Axe Venerable.

Void Gold Venerable.

The Human Race's two peak overlords had arrived at the same time!

Venerable Yu Qing's pupils shrank sharply, and the spear in her hand stopped dead in midair.

"Giant Axe, Void Gold! Are you master and disciple really not going to let this go?"

Her voice carried a hint of gritted fury.

Giant Axe Venerable snorted coldly. His gaze swept over the petal debris scattered throughout the Dawn Zone, and the killing intent in his eyes was undisguised.

"Yu Qing, since you came here in secret, it seems you have no intention of properly discussing ownership of the Black Heaven Secret Realm with my Human Race?"

Venerable Yu Qing sneered.

"The Black Heaven Secret Realm has always been within the territory of my Yu Qing Race!"

Void Gold Venerable smiled faintly at those words.

"Teacher, why waste words with her? Now that master and disciple have joined forces, let's take her down directly!"

Venerable Yu Qing's expression darkened completely. She had not expected the Human Race to react so quickly.

"Good. Very good!"

Venerable Yu Qing tightened her grip on her spear, and her aura began to rise.

Before her words had even faded, she flashed forward, turning into a silver-white streak of light that shot toward Great Axe Venerable.

The instant her spear thrust out, the entire void trembled, as though it could not withstand the power of that strike.

"Good!"

Giant Axe Venerable laughed loudly. A massive black axe appeared in his hand from thin air, Chaos-like law fluctuations flowing along its blade.

He took a step forward and swept the Giant Axe horizontally, smashing it fiercely against Venerable Yu Qing's spear.

Boom!

A visible shockwave erupted from the point of impact. Vast stretches of void in the Dawn Zone collapsed, and countless spatial cracks spread in every direction like a spiderweb.

Venerable Yu Qing was sent flying backward, a trace of golden blood spilling from the corner of her lips.

Giant Axe Venerable remained where he was without taking a single step back, though the hand gripping his axe trembled slightly as well.

"Even among peak Universe Overlords, there are differences!"

"Again!"

He charged forward once more. His Giant Axe chopped, cleaved, swept, and hooked. Every move was simple and unadorned, yet each contained the power to destroy heaven and earth.