Inside the hollowed mountain belly, time seemed to lose all meaning.
Compared to the bloodshed and turbulence raging across the Nebula World, this place was unnaturally tranquil—so calm that it felt detached from reality itself. Chaotic time–space fluctuations continued to pulse rhythmically around the core, yet the atmosphere between the two figures was oddly peaceful.
Perhaps because the wait was too long, or perhaps because both knew that violence before the final moment would only damage the treasure they desired, Bai Yue and Arceus occasionally exchanged words.
Their conversations were calm. Measured.
They did not resemble mortal enemies standing on the brink of a life-and-death struggle, but rather two ancient scholars discussing the nature of the universe.
Of course, neither of them was truly discussing philosophy.
Every sentence was a probe.
Every reply concealed intent.
The Outside World
When Arceus asked about the world beyond the Nebula World, Bai Yue did not hide anything.
He spoke openly.
"The Primordial Universe is boundless," Bai Yue said calmly. "It nurtures tens of thousands of races. The Human Race is merely one of them—though a powerful one. The Nebula World you know is nothing more than a secret realm that has only recently begun merging with the Primordial Universe."
He described the vast starfields, the endless Universe Sea, the Original Universe and the Primordial Universe, the rise and fall of races, the wars between Universe Lords, and the brutal competition for survival.
Arceus listened in silence.
Only when Bai Yue finished did he let out a long sigh.
"Only today do I understand how small my world truly was."
That sigh carried both regret and self-mockery.
"For endless years, I believed myself to be the Creator of all things here, believing the Nebula World to be the entirety of existence. I was nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well."
Bai Yue smiled faintly.
"This is not your fault. It is a limitation imposed by your birth and environment. To reach the Universe Lord realm purely through self-exploration, without inheritance or guidance, already proves that your talent is exceptional—even among the Primordial Universe."
That was not flattery.
A Universe Lord born in isolation, without the Law Sea guidance, without a mature cultivation system, was exceedingly rare. If Arceus had been born within the Primordial Universe, his ceiling would have been terrifyingly high.
Arceus's single eye flickered.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again.
"Lord of Hunyuan… may I ask you something?"
"Speak."
"If I were to join the Human Race's Hong Alliance… would I be welcomed?"
The question was direct.
Bai Yue's expression remained relaxed, but his thoughts moved swiftly.
"A Universe Lord like you joining the Great Alliance would naturally be a gain for the Human Race," he replied. "But alliances are never unconditional. What do you want?"
Arceus did not hesitate.
"As long as you give up competing for the Universe Heart, withdraw the Human Race from the Nebula World, and help me block invasions from other races in the future, I will join the Human Hong Alliance without reservation."
The conditions were clear.
And on the surface… not unreasonable.
Bai Yue fell silent for a brief moment.
From a purely strategic standpoint, trading one origin treasure for a Universe Lord with immense potential was profitable. Extremely profitable.
But Bai Yue did not miss the underlying tension in Arceus's words.
His obsession with the Universe Heart was absolute.
That alone was enough to raise alarms.
Bai Yue smiled.
"How about this instead?" he said calmly. "The Universe Heart is indeed an origin treasure, but its true value lies in refinement. Hand it over to the Human Race. In return, you may choose a peak-level treasure from our treasury."
"And after we finish modifying and upgrading it," Bai Yue continued, "you may also apply to use it."
It was a generous offer.
Peak treasures were not difficult for the Human Race to provide.
But the Universe Heart was different.
This was not merely a treasure—it was a foundation.
An origin-type treasure that encompassed all laws of the Primordial Universe.
For a race, it was nothing short of a strategic weapon.
In the Primordial Universe, the moment a cultivator breaks through from World Lord to Undying, they receive a single, unrestricted baptism from the Law Sea of the universe origin.
That moment transforms their body into god power.
It happens once.
Afterward, all recovery—whether from injuries or further breakthroughs—relies on slow absorption from the Law Sea.
Under normal circumstances, this is sufficient. Undying beings have infinite lifespans.
But war changes everything.
Burning god power is routine.
A Universe Exalt losing 30%–50% of their god power may require an astronomical amount of treasures to recover. Even entire fortunes may not be enough.
For a Universe Lord, the situation is far worse.
Losing half their god power is a catastrophic loss for the entire race.
Origin-type treasures exist precisely to solve this problem.
They allow their users to connect more efficiently with the Law Sea, accelerating god power recovery by thousands—or even millions—of times.
With a suitable origin treasure, what would normally take millions of years to recover could be restored in mere decades.
For Universe Lords, decades are nothing.
The Universe Heart, containing all attributes of the Primordial Universe, could be used by any strong individual. Its value was immeasurable.
It was not a personal treasure.
It was a racial cornerstone.
After Bai Yue finished speaking, Arceus remained silent.
The law aura in the mountain belly subtly shifted.
Finally, Arceus spoke.
"It seems… we must fight."
His tone was calm.
Decisive.
Bai Yue nodded inwardly.
"As expected," he thought. "This treasure is far more than it appears."
Even after fully understanding the might of the Human Race, Arceus still refused to yield.
That meant only one thing.
He had absolute confidence.
Silence returned to the mountain belly.
Neither spoke again.
They waited.
Months passed.
Then—
Buzz… buzz… buzz…
A deep resonance echoed throughout the hollow mountain.
The law fluctuations destabilized, surging violently as if time and space themselves had become disordered.
Both Bai Yue and Arceus straightened instantly.
At the core, the Universe Heart was completing its final transformation.
The secret patterns on the gray crystal fully stabilized, then faded. Its absorption of energy from the Law Sea slowed rapidly.
Below it, the eight luminous pools shrank, then vanished.
The chaotic time–space around it began to normalize.
Within days, everything returned to calm.
The Universe Heart rotated slowly, radiating a profound origin aura.
It was complete.
Boom!
Without warning, Arceus ignited his god power.
His speed exploded instantly as he rushed toward the Universe Heart.
Bai Yue moved at the same time, accelerating to near-light speed.
But—
Arceus suddenly turned.
His massive form surged toward Bai Yue instead, killing intent blazing.
"Die, human!" Arceus roared coldly. "The victor will be me!"
In that instant, Bai Yue understood.
Arceus restored his original divine body—over one hundred thousand kilometers tall.
Then—
He detonated it.
The mountain peak shattered.
The floating island disintegrated into countless fragments, crashing into the lake below.
A Universe Lord's god body, self-destructing at full power, unleashed energy that exceeded the attacks of most Universe's Strongest—pushing against the absolute limits allowed by the Primordial Universe.
Endless waves of destruction erupted outward.
Bai Yue barely had time to react.
The white-robed supreme defensive treasure activated, enveloping him completely—
And then he was swallowed by annihilation.