Looking at Master Nianjiao voluntarily stepping out of his palace-type supreme treasure, Giant Axe showed no surprise.
After all, Master Nianjiao was now fish on the chopping block, completely at another's mercy.
However, Giant Axe did not attack him. He merely spoke calmly.
"Hand over everything you have."
"I won't kill you."
"Notify Dream Demon Ancestor. I want to conduct a negotiation with him."
After speaking, Giant Axe recited a Virtual Universe communication number.
Hearing this, Master Nianjiao said nothing and simply nodded.
He then handed over everything on his person.
At the same time, he removed ownership recognition from all his supreme treasures.
After collecting everything, Giant Axe disappeared directly.
"Sigh…"
Master Nianjiao looked toward the place where Giant Axe vanished and let out a sigh.
He made no attempt to escape. Instead, he closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, floating quietly within the Origin Core region of Giant Axe's miniature universe, waiting in silence.
…
Demon Race.
Master Nianjiao's divine power avatar opened its eyes and sighed once more.
"Sigh…"
The surrounding Demon Race Universe Masters all revealed gloomy expressions.
Master Nianjiao looked toward Dream Demon Ancestor, who was watching him nervously nearby.
"Dream Demon Ancestor, I have already been taken into Giant Axe's miniature universe."
"I am currently at the Origin Core region of his miniature universe."
"All treasures on me have already been taken by Giant Axe."
Hearing this, the expressions of the surrounding Demon Race Universe Masters worsened.
Dream Demon Ancestor likewise showed concern.
After living together for countless years, the Universe Masters shared deep bonds.
At this moment, Dream Demon Ancestor was extremely worried about Master Nianjiao's situation.
He feared that the divine power avatar might suddenly dissipate.
With only this small portion of divine power remaining, once the true body died, such avatars would immediately disperse.
The process was extremely fast, sometimes leaving no chance even for final words.
At this moment, Master Nianjiao continued speaking.
"However, he has no intention of killing me."
Hope immediately returned to the eyes of the Demon Race experts.
Dream Demon Ancestor looked at him expectantly and asked anxiously,
"Did humanity propose any conditions?"
"What price must be paid to bring you back?"
"Rest assured, we will spare no cost to rescue you."
Master Nianjiao shook his head.
"Giant Axe did not say what conditions would secure my release."
"But he said he wants to negotiate with you."
He then relayed the Virtual Universe communication number given by Giant Axe.
The Virtual Universe restricted login access to races outside humanity.
This restriction primarily applied to souls.
As a result, foreign races were almost unable to use the Virtual Universe.
Once logged in, abnormal souls were easily detected.
The account would then be immediately destroyed and revoked.
The races within the Hong Alliance were exceptions, placed on a special whitelist by the Virtual Universe Company.
Even so, their access still carried limitations.
Additionally, races aligned with humanity on the Extraterritorial Battlefield could receive temporary authorization.
Aside from these methods, the only alternatives were enslaving a human expert to log in on one's behalf, requesting high-authority Virtual Universe Company personnel to grant temporary access, or using anonymous accounts.
However, anonymous accounts were also quickly discovered.
Universe Strongest experts such as Dream Demon Ancestor were different.
Humanity generally avoided offending such existences excessively.
Therefore, Universe Strongest experts could usually log into the Virtual Universe without issue.
Reputation still mattered greatly at their level.
Although granted access, they rarely caused disturbances within the Virtual Universe.
Even within a virtual environment, releasing pressure or consciousness shockwaves could still kill weaker humans.
Although the Original Universe lacked true will-based secret techniques, consciousness pressure alone could still carry minor will impacts.
However, such attacks were far weaker.
Against equal-level experts, or even those one or two realms lower, they were largely ineffective.
It was like comparing two forms of water.
A will-based secret technique condensed water into ice spikes to pierce an enemy.
Pure consciousness pressure merely splashed water toward the opponent.
The difference between the two was enormous.
…
After memorizing the communication number, Dream Demon Ancestor directly logged into the Virtual Universe.
Upon entering the number, he arrived within a private space.
The moment he appeared, he noticed Giant Axe seated at a round table not far away, quietly watching him.
"You've come?"
"Sit."
Dream Demon Ancestor did not hesitate and walked forward to take a seat.
A drink appeared before him.
"This is a new beverage from our race, called tea."
"Care to try it?"
Due to Luo Fan's rise, Earth's influence within humanity had grown significantly.
Human experts also discovered that drinking tea helped calm the mind and steady one's spirit.
As a result, many powerful figures developed a liking for it.
Even experts like Giant Axe had come to enjoy tea.
Some varieties were personally cultivated by Luo Fan within his Original Universe avatar, possessing exceptional flavor.
These tea leaves even contained a trace of the avatar's Origin power.
Thus, production was extremely limited.
Only top human experts and those close to Luo Fan could enjoy it.
Dream Demon Ancestor did not immediately ask about Master Nianjiao.
At their level, although long-time rivals, they were also quite familiar with one another.
They had sat down for discussions before.
With a thought, the cup floated up before him.
After taking a sip, he looked at the tea with slight surprise.
The tea simulated here was modeled after the one cultivated using Luo Fan's Original Universe avatar's Origin power.
Even for the Virtual Universe, reproducing such tea required considerable energy.
Though surprised, he thought little of it.
He sensed a trace of Origin power within the drink.
He assumed it was something cultivated within Giant Axe's miniature universe.
Naturally, such a beverage could not exist in large quantities.
Although it provided slight benefits even to Universe Masters, that was its limit.
At most, it allowed one to sense a hint of miniature universe Origin power.
Relying on such a trace to break through to Universe Strongest was impossible.
"This tea is quite good."
After another sip, Dream Demon Ancestor spoke slowly.
The two did not immediately discuss Master Nianjiao or the Demon Race's suppression of humanity, instead chatting casually.
After an unknown amount of time passed, the tea before them was finished.
Giant Axe collected the cups and spoke calmly.
"I'll state humanity's conditions."
Dream Demon Ancestor remained silent, watching him steadily.
Meeting his gaze, Giant Axe continued,
"First, Master Nianjiao is a Fifth-Tier Universe Master. Exchanging him for three peak supreme treasures should be reasonable."
Dream Demon Ancestor thought briefly before replying,
"Weapons or armor types."
Although Master Nianjiao was extremely important and the Demon Race was determined to rescue him, they could not simply agree to everything humanity demanded.
Giant Axe nodded.
"Acceptable."
In truth, humanity's primary objective was not the peak supreme treasures.
The following condition was far more important.
"Second, the Demon Race must cease suppression of humanity for one hundred million eras."
"Normal competition for treasures in secret realms or the Extraterritorial Battlefield does not count."
Giant Axe deliberately did not mention matters within the Universe Sea.
Although the three races targeted humanity, the focus was mainly on Immortals and Venerables.
If conflicts escalated to the Universe Master level within the Universe Sea, the price would be enormous.
Such escalation would effectively trigger an irreversible racial war.
Dream Demon Ancestor hesitated.
Humanity's momentum was currently overwhelming.
The World Master-level Bloodline Evolution Serum alone had already produced countless geniuses.
If suppression ceased for one hundred million eras, humanity's strength would grow explosively.
Maintaining suppression at least slowed humanity's development and allowed infiltrators to attempt obtaining the serum formula.
If humanity were allowed unrestricted growth, given enough time, the number of human experts would surge dramatically.
Universe Masters might not increase immediately.
But Immortals and Venerables would at least double.
Possibly several times over.
This was an extremely terrifying prospect.
The greater the number of Immortals and Venerables, the higher the probability of producing top experts.
New Universe Masters might even emerge.
This was precisely why the three races continuously suppressed humanity.
However, relying solely on the World Lord–level Bloodline Evolution Serum made producing a Universe Strongest extremely difficult.
Universe Strongest experts could not be created merely through numbers.
Because the Original Universe lacked complete inheritances, every Universe Strongest followed a unique path.
Once a path had been taken, it became blocked.
Later generations could not follow the same route to achieve breakthrough.
This was also why the three races suppressed humanity's Immortals and Venerables rather than launching a full racial war.
Even with the serum, the emergence of new Universe Strongest experts remained exceedingly unlikely.
At most, humanity would only produce additional Universe Masters.
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