Acknowledging a Master

The clash of souls continued.

The domain of Time Pause barely held under the reinforcement of the Law Ocean, but Fang Yan could feel that colorful sea slowly beginning to recede.

At most, thirty breaths remained.

"Big Sister Overlord, have you considered it?"

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

"Rather than becoming my soul slave, with your life and death beyond your control, 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.

To make her 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 ice.

"Then there's nothing I can do."

Fang Yan sighed, with a trace of regret in his tone.

"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 at ten percent. What will you use to fight her?"

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

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

The entire clan's undying beings had died in battle. Two Venerables had burned themselves away, becoming insights into the laws to help her break through...

The faces of her 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.

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

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

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

At last, Black Sky Overlord spoke.

Her voice was no longer icy, instead carrying an indescribable exhaustion and helplessness.

"...Fine."

A huge weight lifted from Fang Yan's heart.

A warm, gentle radiance lit up between them.

Fang Yan felt an immense, 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 a faint... sense of relief?

"Big Sister Overlord, happy cooperation."

At that moment, the Law Ocean completely receded.

The domain of Time Pause shattered like a broken mirror, crashing into countless fragments.

Time resumed its flow.

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

Then she froze.

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

But to her, it had only felt like a blink.

And within that "blink," everything had changed.

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

The shattered Black Sky Lotuses bloomed again, restored and whole.

Meanwhile, 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 abruptly constricted. She finally realized what had happened.

"Brat, you're courting death!"

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

But Black Sky Overlord was faster.

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

Boom—

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

"You..."

Venerable Yu Qing stared 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 increasingly bright.

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. It had returned to that aloof, regal tone.

Venerable Yu Qing sneered. With a single strike, she had seen through Black Sky Overlord's true condition.

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

Top Universe Overlords could already contend with a First-Tier Universe Lord at full strength, let alone when Black Sky Overlord was in such terrible condition.

Yet in the next instant, 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 burly and rough-featured, emanating a suffocatingly domineering aura, as though wherever he stood was the center of heaven and earth.

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

Great Axe Venerable.

Void Gold Venerable.

Two of the Human Race's greatest overlords had arrived together!

Venerable Yu Qing's pupils abruptly shrank, and the spear in her hand came to an abrupt halt in midair.

"Giant Axe, Void Gold! Are you master and disciple never going to let this go?"

There was a gritted quality to her voice.

Great Axe Venerable snorted coldly. His gaze swept over the petal fragments scattered across the Dawn Zone, undisguised killing intent filling his eyes.

"Since you secretly came here, Yu Qing, it seems you have no intention of properly discussing the 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 Rainclear Race!"

Void Gold Venerable smiled faintly at those words.

"Teacher, why waste words on her? With master and disciple joining forces, we can take her down directly!"

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

"Fine. Very fine!"

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 stabbed out, the entire void trembled as though it could not withstand the weapon's power.

"Good!"

Great Axe Venerable laughed loudly. A black giant axe appeared out of thin air in his hand, its blade flowing with Chaos-like law fluctuations.

He took a step forward, sweeping his giant axe sideways and smashing it fiercely against Venerable Yu Qing's spear.

Boom!

A visible shockwave erupted from the collision point. Vast stretches of void throughout the Dawn Zone collapsed, while 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 mouth.

Great Axe Venerable remained where he stood without retreating a single step, though the hand gripping his axe trembled slightly as well.

"Even among Top 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 world-destroying power.