"Master!"
Venerable Guan Ri stared up at the sky, his voice trembling with terror.
The vortex formed by swirling nebulae stretched overhead, countless stars twinkling within its spiraling depths like jewels embedded in velvet. Colors shifted and blended, violet, azure, crimson, creating a cosmic scene so breathtaking it felt sacrilegious to disturb.
The vortex expanded outward from its center, the entire nebula growing at an exponential rate. Within moments, it had swallowed the size of an entire galaxy, and still it continued to spread.
BOOM!
A deafening roar shook the entirety of the Eternal Lake Secret Realm!
Space itself trembled. The surrounding laws of the universe twisted and warped, ripples of different law energies appearing in the air like visible waves, some crackling with lightning, others shimmering with spatial distortions. The very fabric of reality bent before the overwhelming power emerging from that cosmic vortex.
A towering figure slowly emerged from the nebula's heart.
The Lord of Eternal Lake!
His true form was a special life resembling a purple nebula given consciousness, his divine body reaching an approximate diameter of thirty million kilometers. Even among special life forms, he was a terrifying existence. Within the entire Eternal Lake Secret Realm, perhaps only the Lord of Starsea could surpass him!
"Master?"
Venerable Guan Ri tentatively stepped forward, but the immense aura radiating from Lord Eternal Lake immediately pressed down on him like a physical weight, nearly driving him to his knees.
"Hahaha! My apologies, Guan Ri. I've just broken through and haven't quite adjusted to a Universe Master's power yet." Lord Eternal Lake's voice resonated throughout the starry sky as he laughed heartily, though there wasn't a trace of genuine apology in his tone.
"Congratulations, Master, on becoming a Universe Master!" Venerable Guan Ri quickly said, bowing deeply.
For countless years, he had been serving Lord Eternal Lake's orders. Even though Lord Eternal Lake had been in deep slumber while breaking through, he would occasionally awaken to send out messages and commands.
Venerable Guan Ri received these messages dutifully, and Lord Eternal Lake treated Venerable Guan Ri as his true servant, or more accurately, his property.
"Mm." Lord Eternal Lake nodded slightly. He raised one massive hand, and a colossal purple throne condensed from the swirling nebula behind him, allowing him to sit upon it like an emperor surveying his domain.
Venerable Guan Ri, understanding his place, stepped forward to attend his master with utmost obedience, presenting refreshments and positioning himself to serve.
"The Virtual Universe Company, have they made any moves lately?"
The turbulent starry sky around them gradually calmed as Lord Eternal Lake spoke.
"No, Master. They likely know of your existence and don't dare attack," Venerable Guan Ri quickly replied.
Although he was responsible for gathering intelligence for Lord Eternal Lake, most of the information he provided was carefully curated, incomplete at best, deliberately misleading at worst.
To completely eliminate Lord Eternal Lake and gain his freedom, Venerable Guan Ri had told his master that the strongest member of the Virtual Universe Company was merely a top-tier Universe Overlord, utterly insignificant compared to a Universe Master like Lord Eternal Lake.
"They're not coming anymore? How disappointing." Lord Eternal Lake frowned, and the surrounding spacetime visibly distorted in response to his displeasure.
Such was the power of a Universe Master.
As a special life form possessing a genetic level far exceeding ordinary beings, Lord Eternal Lake had skipped past the weakest first-tier Universe Master realm despite having just broken through. Even without creating a peak Universe Master secret technique, he could already be considered a second-tier Universe Master.
If he were to develop the corresponding ultimate secret technique and acquire sufficient supreme treasures, Lord Eternal Lake could likely reach the third tier of Universe Masters.
Of course, even as a special life form, he couldn't break through to the fourth tier solely through his innate talents. The stronger one's power, the higher the genetic level required. Those fourth- and fifth-tier Universe Masters almost universally possessed genetic multiples thousands of times greater than even special life forms.
"Master, please calm yourself," Venerable Guan Ri said hastily, his voice trembling. "There are still several Venerables from the Virtual Universe Company within the Eternal Lake Secret Realm. If Master desires... entertainment, you could start with them."
"Oh? Take me to see them," Lord Eternal Lake said, a spark of interest lighting in his eyes.
Lord Eternal Lake enjoyed tormenting others, it was his favorite pastime.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have forcibly separated three special beings who were as close as brothers and placed soul restrictions on them, binding them to eternal servitude.
Venerable Guan Ri had possessed the weakest mental state and talent among the three. Under Lord Eternal Lake's relentless torment and malicious influence over the years, his personality had twisted beyond recognition. Initially, he'd been a gentle, elder brother-like figure who took care of Lord Starflow and Venerable Blood Moon. Now, he had become something warped, a broken shell of his former self.
Lord Eternal Lake had spoken, and Venerable Guan Ri dared not disobey.
Although they supposedly had a cooperative relationship with Han Jue and his companions, the Universe Master from the Virtual Universe Company hadn't arrived yet. Lord Eternal Lake was still the true ruler here!
'The Virtual Universe Company's Universe Master should arrive soon. Otherwise, those three humans are likely doomed,' Venerable Guan Ri thought to himself as he led the way.
However, Venerable Guan Ri failed to notice the flash of murderous intent in Lord Eternal Lake's eyes behind him.
The truth was clear!
Lord Eternal Lake had learned of the outside world through other means, and he knew of Venerable Guan Ri's betrayal.
'I didn't expect you would be the first to betray me,' Lord Eternal Lake thought viciously. 'Guan Ri must die. Nothing less will satisfy me.'
Shattered Moon Island
Venerable Blood Moon, seated cross-legged atop the crimson satellite he called home, suddenly changed expression and stood abruptly.
"That bastard has awakened!"
"He really broke through to the Universe Master realm, consuming most of the Eternal Lake Secret Realm's resources to do it."
"Damn it..."
Venerable Blood Moon's expression shifted between shadow and light, emotions warring across his features.
Lord Eternal Lake was his absolute nemesis!
Among the three unique special beings, Blood Moon had been the youngest and received the most care from Venerable Guan Ri and Lord Starflow. He valued the bond between them more deeply than anything else in the universe. Yet Lord Eternal Lake had forcibly torn them apart.
The soul restriction alone was an abomination, something every living being naturally resisted.
Now that Lord Eternal Lake had truly broken through to the Universe Master realm, Venerable Blood Moon's hopes for revenge seemed more remote than ever.
"What can I do... Virtual Universe Company! Yes, that's right," Venerable Blood Moon murmured to himself.
"I must seek help from the Virtual Universe Company!"
Wuling Star
Venerable Wuling transformed into her butterfly form, her delicate wings trembling as she looked worriedly in the direction Venerable Guan Ri had departed.
"Lord Eternal Lake..."
Venerable Wuling murmured, murderous intent flickering in her compound eyes despite their beauty.
"If Guan Ri is harmed, I will kill you, no matter the cost!"
Without Venerable Guan Ri, there would be no Venerable Wuling. He had saved her life, given her purpose, and shown her kindness when she had nothing.
Venerable Wuling valued Venerable Guan Ri's life more than her own, even though Venerable Guan Ri himself had long forgotten what happened back then. She remained willing to sacrifice everything for him.
The Primal Universe
"That old bastard succeeded in his breakthrough?"
Sensing the pull of the soul restriction, Lord Starflow snorted coldly, his expression dark.
"Fortunately, I've also sensed the opportunity for my own breakthrough. The Virtual Universe Company had better act slowly, I'll kill that monster myself after I break through!"
His eyes hardened with determination.
"Hopefully, Blood Moon won't do anything foolish."