In the end times, many children bring more blessings. I pick up a goddess every day.

"Boom——!"

The ground beneath the Hell of Flame completely cracked, dark red magma gushing out like boiling water. The entire palace trembled violently, threatening to collapse. The fire crystals on the roof fell one after another, creating deep, smoking pits in the ground.

Su Qingyao stood at the temple's entrance, her sleeves fluttering. Her once cold, almond-shaped eyes now held only madness and determination. She rapidly formed hand seals with her hands, muttering something to herself. The spiritual energy surrounding her surged out like a tsunami, resonating with the magic array within the temple.

"Liu Yang, do you think that just getting past the Flame Prison Qilin and the eight Fire Spirit statues is the end? How naive!" Her voice was sharp and distorted. "This hundred layers of purgatory are a tomb tailor-made for you! Now, feel the true power of my 'Burning Heaven Art'!"

As her last syllable fell, a roar resounded from beneath the Flame Altar, resounding through the heavens. An immensely thick pillar of crimson-gold flame shot up from the base of the altar, breaking through the temple's roof and piercing the heavens. The crimson clouds in the sky were instantly ignited, transforming into a boundless sea of ​​fire. The entire Tower of Babel seemed enveloped in this terrifying flame.

Amidst the flames, a massive figure slowly coalesced into form. It was a humanoid silhouette composed of pure Southern Ming Lihuo fire, tens of feet tall, its body ablaze with raging flames. Every breath it took mobilized the fiery power of heaven and earth, emanating a pressure powerful enough to shatter the mind of even a Spiritualization Stage cultivator.

"Is this... the Nanming Lihuo Spirit?" Liu Yang's eyes were solemn. He hadn't expected Su Qingyao to be able to summon such terrifying power. This Nanming Lihuo Spirit wasn't a physical entity, but rather a condensation of the essence of fire. It was immune to physical attacks, and ordinary spells could hardly inflict damage on it.

Su Qingyao's figure hovered above the Nanming Lihuo spirit, a smug smile on her face. "Indeed! This is the Nanming Lihuo spirit that I summoned after expending a thousand years of cultivation and using my own blood and essence. Its power is enough to incinerate everything in the world! Liu Yang, you can't escape today!"

As soon as the words fell, Su Qingyao raised her hand and pointed at Liu Yang: "Fentian!"

The Nanming Lihuo Spirit roared silently, its massive right hand swooping down towards Liu Yang. Wherever that flaming hand passed, space was distorted and burned, the air filled with a stifling heat, and even light seemed to be swallowed by the flames.

Liu Yang didn't dare to be careless, instantly increasing his Eternal Freeze and Lightning Powers to their maximum potential. He crossed his arms, and a massive black and white shield instantly condensed before him—a perfect fusion of ice and lightning. Ice crystals and lightning patterns intertwined across the shield's surface, emitting waves of chill and destructive aura.

"boom--!"

The giant flaming hand collided with the ice-thunder shield, emitting a resounding, earth-shattering roar. A terrifying energy shockwave spread outward, instantly razing the entire Flame Hell Palace to the ground. The ground sank several feet, and the lava river was stirred up by this force, forming massive waterfalls.

The Ice Lightning Shield shook violently, and dense cracks appeared on its surface. It was obvious that it could not hold out for much longer under the terrifying power of the Southern Ming Fire Spirit. Liu Yang felt a huge force coming from him, his arms went numb, his blood surged, and a trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

"Hahaha! Liu Yang, you can't do it!" Su Qingyao's laughter was full of mockery. "Although your ice and thunder power is unique, it is ultimately vulnerable in front of my Nanming Lihuo Origin! Give up resistance, I can make your death quicker!"

Liu Yang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes still calm, even with a hint of disdain. He ignored Su Qingyao's ridicule and immersed himself completely in the eternal power of freezing and lightning in his dantian.

"Future prediction."

He once again unleashed this incredible power, countless future battle scenarios flashing through his mind. He saw every flaw in the Nanming Fire Spirit, the precursor to every attack, and even saw the patterns of spiritual energy flow as Su Qingyao manipulated the Fire Spirit.

"So that's how it is. Although the Nanming Fire Spirit is powerful, its strength is completely dependent on Su Qingyao's control. As long as her spiritual power output is interrupted, the Fire Spirit will naturally collapse on its own." Liu Yang understood and his eyes became sharp.

He bit his tongue hard, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The blood landed on the Ice Lightning Shield, instantly merging with it. The cracked shield suddenly erupted in a dazzling light, black and white energy surging wildly, unexpectedly blocking the attack of the Southern Ming Fire Spirit.

"What?!" Su Qingyao's face changed drastically. She didn't expect that Liu Yang had such a backup plan.

Just as Su Qingyao was stunned, Liu Yang moved. He suddenly withdrew his ice and lightning shield, flashed his body, and teleported, instantly appearing behind the Southern Ming Fire Spirit. He clenched his right hand into a fist, and the power of eternal freezing and lightning condensed into a small black and white vortex on his fist, emitting a heart-pounding aura of destruction.

"Thunder Ice Breaks!"

Liu Yang let out a low roar and slammed his fist into the back of the Nanming Lihuo Spirit. This punch seemed ordinary, but it contained the fusion of the two ultimate powers of ice and thunder, enough to shatter the void.

"boom--!"

The fist smashed into the back of the Nanming Lihuo Spirit, and a black and white vortex instantly erupted. The Nanming Lihuo Spirit let out a shrill scream, its huge body trembling violently, and the flames on its body dimmed slightly.

"puff--!"

Su Qingyao spat out a mouthful of blood, her face instantly turning pale. The Nanming Lihuo Spirit was connected to her mind, and when the Lihuo Spirit was damaged, she also suffered a severe backlash.

"Liu Yang! I will kill you!" Su Qingyao's eyes were full of bloodshot. She forcibly suppressed the surging blood in her body, increased her spiritual power output again, controlled the spirit of Nanming Lihuo to turn around, and sprayed a terrifying breath of fire at Liu Yang.

This breath of fire was more powerful than any previous attack. It was red-gold in color and even contained a trace of the power of law. Wherever it passed, the space was directly burned into nothingness.

Liu Yang's eyes narrowed, knowing he couldn't withstand the blow head-on. He teleported again, flashing several times before appearing not far from Su Qingyao. He raised his left hand, and several icy spikes appeared out of thin air, raining down on Su Qingyao like a hail of arrows.

These ice spikes were not ordinary attacks, but contained the power of eternal freezing, specifically targeting Su Qingyao's spiritual meridians. Su Qingyao was forced to distract herself from resisting the ice spikes, and the spiritual power controlling the Southern Ming Fire Spirit began to stagnate slightly.

It was this slight delay that gave Liu Yang an opportunity. He teleported again, instantly appearing in front of Su Qingyao. His right hand shot out like lightning and grabbed her wrist.

"Ah!" Su Qingyao screamed, trying to break free, but found Liu Yang's grip as firm as an iron clamp, motionless. An extreme chill passed from Liu Yang's palm into her body, instantly freezing her spiritual energy meridians.

"Su Qingyao, the game is over." Liu Yang's voice was icy cold. "Your Nanming Lihuo Spirit is nothing but a useless fire without your control."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Yang extended his left hand towards the Nanming Lihuo Spirit. The power of eternal freezing instantly erupted, transforming into a massive ice chain that firmly trapped the Nanming Lihuo Spirit. The chill from the ice chain continuously eroded the Lihuo Spirit's flames, causing its body to shrink at a visible rate, eventually transforming into wisps of crimson-gold flame that dissipated into the air.

Without the support of the Nanming Lihuo Spirit, Su Qingyao's body fell limply and was grabbed by Liu Yang. She looked at Liu Yang's cold eyes, felt the frozen spiritual power in her body, and fear rose in her heart for the first time.

This man, whom she had always considered a "wild cultivator," possessed such terrifying strength. The hundred layers of purgatory she had cultivated over millennia were so vulnerable before him. Her proud Southern Ming Lihuo, too, lost its former power before his ice and thunder.

In the ruins of the Flame Prison Palace, only Liu Yang and his captor, Su Qingyao, remained. The surrounding magma gradually cooled, and the scorching heat in the air dissipated, leaving only the faint scent of gunpowder.

Su Qingyao was pinned to the ground by Liu Yang, unable to move. She looked up at the handsome yet cold man in front of her, her eyes filled with resentment and humiliation. She was the master of the Tower of Babel, a high-ranking immortal cultivator. When had she ever been treated like this?

"Liu Yang, just kill me." Su Qingyao's voice trembled slightly, but she still maintained her final stubbornness. "Even if I die, Su Qingyao will never surrender to a wild cultivator like you!"

Liu Yang squatted down, grasped her chin, and forced her to look him in the eye. His gaze was calm, yet held an undeniable authority. "Kill you? That's too easy for you. You've spent thousands of years cultivating yourself, setting such a vicious trap, just to kill me?"

Su Qingyao turned her head away and snorted coldly: "I am the guardian of the Tower of Babel. If you force your way in, I will naturally kill you."

"Guardian?" Liu Yang smiled disdainfully, "I think you are here to protect this Ice Thunder Token?" He took out the black and white token from his arms and shook it in front of Su Qingyao.

Seeing the Ice Thunder Order, Su Qingyao's expression instantly became complicated. There was shock, fear, and a hint of subtle greed. She opened her mouth, but said nothing.

"It seems I guessed right." Liu Yang put away the Ice Thunder Order and said calmly, "What exactly is this Ice Thunder Order? Why do you value it so much?"

Su Qingyao was silent for a moment, then finally spoke, "The Ice and Thunder Token is a relic of the ancient Ice and Thunder Celestial Venerable. Legend has it that whoever holds it can control the two ultimate powers of ice and thunder, and even have the chance to break through to the legendary Tribulation Crossing Stage. I guard the Tower of Babel just to wait for the destined person to pass on the Ice and Thunder Token."

"The destined one?" Liu Yang raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you think I'm not the destined one?"

"You?" Su Qingyao looked him up and down, her eyes filled with disdain. "You're just a casual cultivator who changed career paths. Your cultivation may be good, but your foundation is shallow. You're not worthy of possessing the Ice Thunder Order at all!"

"Shallow foundation?" Liu Yang shook his head, too lazy to argue. He stood up and looked down at Su Qingyao. "I give you two choices. First, submit to me. From now on, you are my servant. I can spare your life and even let you see a wider world. Second, I will destroy your cultivation and throw you into this magma, leaving no trace of your body."

Su Qingyao's body trembled violently, her eyes filled with fear. Having her cultivation destroyed would be more painful than killing her. She had cultivated for a thousand years to achieve her current achievements. If her cultivation was destroyed, all her efforts over the past thousand years would be in vain.

However, she was unwilling to submit to a "wild cultivator". She was the high and mighty Su Qingyao, the master of the Tower of Babel, so how could she be someone else's servant?

"I..." Su Qingyao hesitated, a conflict between her conscience and her desires. The humiliation of submission and the fear of losing her cultivation kept intertwining, causing her unbearable pain.

Liu Yang didn't rush her, but just watched her quietly. He had plenty of time, and he believed that Su Qingyao would make the right choice in the end.

After a long moment, Su Qingyao finally raised her head. The stubbornness in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by helplessness and resignation. She took a deep breath, her voice slightly hoarse, "I...I choose to surrender."

Hearing this, Liu Yang's mouth revealed a satisfied smile. He reached out and untied the restraints on Su Qingyao, and helped her up.

Su Qingyao stood up, head lowered, not daring to meet Liu Yang's eyes. Her former pride and aloofness were gone, leaving only humiliation and resentment. Her fingers clutched the corner of her clothes so tightly that her nails practically dug into her flesh.

Liu Yang looked at her like this, feeling no sympathy at all. This was all her own fault. If she hadn't been so conceited and hadn't set such a vicious trap, she wouldn't have ended up like this.

"Very good." Liu Yang's voice was still cold. "From now on, you are my servant. My name is Liu Yang, and you can call me Master."

"Master... Master." Su Qingyao uttered these two words with difficulty. Every word was as painful as swallowing a razor blade.

"Very good." Liu Yang smiled with satisfaction. "Now, you can get up. From today on, you will follow me."

Su Qingyao slowly stood up, still keeping her head down, not daring to look at Liu Yang. Her heart was filled with despair, knowing that her life had completely changed from that moment on. The high-and-mighty, arrogant master of the Tower of Babel, Su Qingyao, was dead. Now, she was just a servant of Liu Yang.

Liu Yang looked at her distraught appearance, his heart remaining calm. He turned and walked out of the Tower of Babel, saying calmly, "Follow me."

Su Qingyao didn't dare hesitate and hurriedly followed. She followed Liu Yang, gazing at his tall figure, a mixture of emotions welling up in her heart. She had once believed herself to be a gifted child, a leader in the world of immortal cultivation, but today, she realized that there are always people better than you.

Outside the Tower of Babel, the clouds still surged. Liu Yang stood on a suspended platform, overlooking the sea of ​​clouds below, his eyes deep. Su Qingyao stood behind him, head bowed, like a child who had done something wrong.

In the past, she had always stood here, receiving the admiration and respect of others. But now, she could only stand behind others, looking up at their backs. This huge contrast filled her heart with humiliation and resentment, but she was helpless.

"Master, where are we going next?" Su Qingyao asked cautiously, with a hint of timidity in her voice.