Virtual Universe, a special dimension.
"Teacher!"
The Demon Heart King looked at the powerful figure with a pair of black wings before him with utmost respect.
" Demon Heart, the reason I summoned you here is to ask you about that matter between you and the Myriad Laws King. How did you handle it?"
"Teacher..."
The Demon Heart King was startled. This was the third time his teacher had brought up the matter. Fortunately, his teacher had taken it to heart after the last time and personally went to Chaos City to resolve the feud between the two.
Otherwise, if the teacher doesn't receive a satisfactory answer today, their opinion of him will likely drop significantly.
"Teacher, ever since you reminded me last time, I have..."
The Demon Heart King slowly began to speak, recounting how he uncovered the truth, how he compensated the disciple of the King of Myriad Laws King, and how he personally went to Chaos City to apologize.
After he finished speaking, he clearly felt that the pressure in front of him seemed to have lessened considerably.
" Demon Heart, you handled this matter quite promptly..." The Dark Demon Venerable sighed, "Do you know that the Myriad Laws King of the Virtual Universe Company has now successfully broken through to become Universe Venerable?"
" The Universe Venerable?"
The Demon Heart King exclaimed in shock, his expression one of utter astonishment.
How terrifying is the Universe Venerable?
That's the same level as a teacher; even within the Human Race, that's a pinnacle of achievement.
How long has the Myriad Laws King been Immortal God? At most, only a few eras. Yet now he has become a teacher-like figure.
A mix of emotions—joy, jealousy, envy, and fear—swirled in the Demon Heart King's heart.
He was originally a master of the soul, having cultivated the " Six Desires Soul Devouring " and " Demon Heart Soul Control " created by his teacher. Naturally, his will was firm, but now he could not perfectly control his expression.
"Don't even mention you. Even I was shocked to receive this news. To break through to the Universe Venerable in such a short time shows that Myriad Laws Venerable's talent is too strong, so strong that even we Universe Venerable have to look up to him. His future achievements will definitely be extraordinary. Even I dare not offend him now. Your initiative to apologize and resolve the grudge can be considered as making amends after the fact."
"Thanks to your reminder, teacher."
The Demon Heart King knelt on the ground, feeling a lingering fear in his heart.
If the grudge between him and the other party had not been resolved, and the Myriad Laws King, now the Myriad Laws Venerable, could have directly killed him based on their past grievances, and the higher-ups of the Human Race probably wouldn't have had any objections.
The difference between Universe Venerable and King-level Immortal is too great.
His powerful backers might deter other King Rank figures from harming him, but even Universe Venerable might not give his teacher the same respect.
"Hmm..." The Dark Demon Venerable simply nodded, then continued to advise, "Although you have resolved your grudges, it is inevitable that a trace of resentment will remain in the heart of the Myriad Laws Venerable. Your family's territory is adjacent to Ganwu Universe Country, so be sure not to have any further conflicts with them."
"Disciple understands."
"Yes, go ahead, learn from this experience."
"Yes."
The Demon Heart King left the Virtual Universe and returned to reality, his face still showing shock.
The teacher would never lie to him.
Myriad Laws Venerable... Myriad Laws Venerable...
The Demon Heart King muttered to himself, recalling the grand ambitions he had harbored after leaving Qingshan Residence. Now, thinking back, they seemed nothing short of a joke.
Catching up with the other person? Ridiculous. Even if the other person stops progressing now, it's still a height he can never reach.
The gap between him and his opponent will not narrow at all; on the contrary, it will only widen.
"The teacher's reminder was timely. Although Myriad Laws Venerable had personally promised not to pursue this matter further, he may still harbor some resentment. If he were to seize upon any weakness of my Barnes Family, then..."
Families granted King Rank King Rank special privileges, so they generally act beyond the established rules.
This is an unspoken rule, and generally no one will care. But if it's being watched by a Universe Venerable, it's a disaster.
Sometimes, doing things strictly according to the rules can be a terrible thing.
Without further hesitation, the Demon Heart King summoned all the high-ranking members of the Barnes Family to his palace.
" Di An, Gai Ya!"
The Demon Heart King looked at the two Immortal God leading the way. They were both at the peak of the Immortal Army Lord Peak, and were the most powerful beings in the Barnes Family besides himself.
"Greetings, Master."
The two rose and bowed.
The Demon Heart King declared, "From this day forward, our Barnes Family will abolish all slave trade. All slaves we previously purchased will be released and their legal status within the Barnes Empire will be secured, along with arrangements for their future."
"Master! No!"
Upon hearing this, the two immediately became anxious.
"Patriarch, the Barnes Starfield is relatively barren, with few mineral resources. The slave trade currently accounts for the largest portion of our family's income. If the slave trade is abolished, many people in our family may not even have basic cultivation resources."
"Yes, and arranging those people is also a considerable expense. The patriarch usually doesn't concern himself with these small matters and probably doesn't know the number of slaves in our family."
Not only the two of them, but all the other Immortal God were very anxious.
The slave trade was a major source of income for the Barnes Family, from which these Immortal God would profit.
"Um!"
The Demon Heart King snorted coldly, and an aura swept over everyone, so frightening that no one dared to speak.
"I'm informing you, not discussing it with you. If you want the Barnes Family wiped out, then continue doing as you please."
"What? It's that serious?"
"Exterminate the Barnes Family..."
The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
Could it be that their great patriarch was under immense pressure to make such an arrangement?
The Immortal God are not fools; from the information revealed by the Demon Heart King, they sensed something unusual.
"I will personally oversee this matter. Anyone who dares to disobey will suffer the same fate as Suo Er and the clansmen from the Ganwu Universe Country branch. I don't want to make an example of someone, so I hope you won't make me take action."
The Immortal God of the Barnes Family all felt a chill run down their spines; they dared not harbor any more illusions.
"Master, I am willing to cooperate with you to abolish all slave trade."
"Me too, for the Barnes Family."
The two strongest individuals were the first to speak, followed by the others who spoke one after another, and the matter was thus settled.
Although the profits from the slave trade were substantial, they amounted to nothing compared to the survival of the family.
The Demon Heart King looked at each of his clansmen who had expressed their opinions and sighed softly.
"Hopefully, what we've done this time will dispel the prejudice that Myriad Laws Venerable holds against our Barnes Family."
The Myriad Laws Venerable's prohibition of the slave trade in the Ganwu Universe Country demonstrates his deep dislike for it.
Their abolition of the slave trade was, in a way, a statement of their stance.
Black Dragon Mountain Starfield, Qiu Long Star.
As the Maple Leaf Empire developed, the Qiu Long Star, which was outside the realm of elementary cosmic civilization, was also incorporated into the Maple Leaf Empire.
It became the most prosperous commercial planet in the Maple Leaf Empire, even surpassing the Maple Leaf Empire's capital.
After all, the capital of the Maple Leaf Empire now is not the Maple Leaf Star of the past.
In Qiu Long Star's luxurious restaurant.
A composed young man with a single horn on his head sat opposite a Guard Army of the Qiu Long Star Guard, who was wearing silver armor.
The lightning bolt mark between the unicorn boy's eyebrows was very obvious.
"It's unbelievable that the naive boy who came to Qiu Long Star with our teacher back then has now become a powerful World Lord Level expert, and a World Lord Origin Law Recognition."
A hint of envy flashed in the eyes of the general in silver armor.
Lei Ming chuckled, "You're not bad either, Beta. It's been tens of thousands of years. I really didn't expect to run into you on Qiu Long Star. I still vividly remember how bitter and resentful you looked back then."
"You flatter me. The slave owner who controlled our home planet was scared away by Lord Silver Armor Bulu. I gained ownership of the home planet, and now I've broken through to the Domain Lord Level, becoming one of the three great generals of this Qiu Long Star. I have no regrets."
General Beta, clad in silver armor, is very satisfied with his current life.
Do you remember Meng Na?
Beta opened its mouth.
" Meng Na..." Lei Ming took a deep breath, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips as he thought of the name: "I remember, that girl from Illusory Color Star, who worked in a plant shop, was very innocent and beautiful. How is she now?"
"Dead!" Beta's words were a real letdown. He laughed and said, "Don't overthink it. She wasn't in any danger. She's fine. She became the savior of the Illusory Color Star, and later even broke through to the Star Level. She lived for ten thousand years. When she passed away, billions of people on the entire Illusory Color Star came to see her off. She was very lucky..."
"However..." Beta looked at Lei Ming's expression and changed the subject, saying, " Meng Na never married or dated anyone in her entire life. She said she was always waiting for someone. But that person was too cruel. For over ten thousand years, until the end of her life, he never appeared again, and she could only leave with regret."
"Is that so..." Lei Ming didn't reply. Back then, he did have some feelings for Meng Na. Later, when he was undergoing trials with his teacher, he made the first stop on the Illusory Color Star, killed the three demons, and returned the Illusory Color Star to Meng Na's people.
To this day, the Illusory Color Star is still nominally, but in reality, under his name.
However, he soon went to the Initial Universe to cultivate in seclusion.
Tens Canghai thousands of years have passed since he left the Initial Universe... The world has changed beyond recognition. If Beta hadn't brought it up, he would have almost forgotten about it.
" Beta, I'm sorry, back then..."
"Don't say that. You were only a Star Level being back then, while the one who enslaved my home planet was a Domain Lord Level being."
Beta quickly shook his head.
"Actually, I'm already very happy to see you again. Let's go visit the Illusory Color Star sometime."
"Yes, I had this idea when I returned to the Maple Leaf Empire this time."
With the expansion of the Maple Leaf Empire, it now possesses territories in more than twenty star systems, including this Illusory Color Star.
"Hmm?" Beta seemed to have received some news, and showed a slightly apologetic expression. "Brother Lei Ming, I have some things to attend to and must leave first. Please come visit Qiu Long Star often in the future."
"Go ahead and get busy." Lei Ming nodded.
Not far from the restaurant, in an ordinary bungalow.
A hint of resentment flashed in the eyes of the old man dressed in hemp clothing.
"Cancel the mission? Why cancel the mission? I've waited tens of thousands of years, and now I've finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, and Lu Qingshan's disciple has arrived. Why cancel this mission?"
" Kui En, I have no choice. According to reliable sources, Lu Qingshan has already become Universe Venerable. Your assassination attempt is pointless. Go to the Zerg Territory. As long as you kill that genius, your mission will still be considered complete."
Damn it!
Kui En's somber eyes closed as he shut down a mechanical communication screen. This was a product of the Machine Race; to evade detection from the Virtual Universe, they could only communicate using the most primitive methods.
That Zerg genius is a disciple of a Universe Master. Killing him would be far more risky for him... and even after gaining his freedom, he would face the risk of being hunted down by the Universe Master.
Lu Qingshan... has become Universe Venerable...
Wow, that's fast!
Venerable Kui En never expected that... before he could even meet Lu Qingshan, he would receive news that Lu Qingshan had become Universe Venerable.
At that moment, a young man in silver armor walked out of the door.
Kui En composed himself and watched as the other person pushed open the door and walked in.
"I've met Mr. Kui..."
" Beta, haven't you always wanted to become my disciple?" Kui En said.
After spending ten thousand years together, he developed a fondness for this kind-hearted boy. However, due to his mission at the time, he couldn't do this, otherwise he would have harmed the boy.
"Disciple Beta greets Master."
Upon hearing this, Beta's face lit up with joy, and he immediately knelt down on the ground.
He knew that this Mr. Kui was very powerful, at least at the World Lord Level. If it weren't for Mr. Kui's guidance, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to break through to the Domain Lord Level.
Moreover, this Mr. Kui is very indifferent to fame and fortune. He has been living in seclusion on Qiu Long Star for many years and does not like to be disturbed. Beta has never revealed any information about him.
Kui En smiled and quietly withdrew a wisp of his Spiritual Imprint from Beta.
He gave the other person some pointers, but though well-intentioned, he was still wary. If the other person didn't tell others about him as agreed, this Spiritual Imprint would cause the other person to die silently.
"My success today is entirely due to two secret techniques, and these two techniques are extremely valuable."
Kui En took out a World Ring and threw it over.
"Here are some basic secret techniques, and some resources sufficient for you to cultivate to the level of Immortal God. I will directly imprint those two secret techniques into your mind. Only when your will breaks through to the level of Immortal God will you be able to obtain the memories of those secret techniques..."
Beta raised his hand and put the World Ring away, only needing to glance at it to be utterly shocked.
There are so many treasures inside, along with countless secret manuals.
"Teacher, are you planning to leave?"
"Well... I'm just a passerby; when my time comes, I'll naturally leave."
"Will this disciple have another chance to see Master in the future?"
Beta asked with some concern.
"Perhaps you'll have a chance after you learn my two secret techniques... or perhaps you'll never have a chance..."
Kui En shook his head, and with a flick of his wrist, Beta fainted. Moments later, his figure vanished without a trace before his disciple's eyes.
(End of this chapter)