Emmanuel's account was detailed, and with Kedun's additions, Gaislesen soon learned the whole truth and determined Ninisha's identity: a new Sovereign Envoy.
A powerful Asura who could produce a Sovereign Artifact could only be a Sovereign Envoy or a child of a Sovereign. If Ninisha had been a Sovereign's child, she would have killed Emmanuel outright from the start. Therefore, she couldn't be one.
As for the veteran Sovereign Envoys, not one of them dared provoke the Four Divine Beasts Clan. Reinasi of Hell, Barbary of the Water Elemental Plane, Wenna of the Wind Elemental Plane, and the others were all like that.
It was clear that Ninisha was a new Sovereign Envoy who didn't know much about the Four Divine Beasts Clan. That was why she had been "reckless enough" to clash with Emmanuel.
"Very well. You two may leave for now. You did well and didn't bring shame on the clan. The clan will avenge you."
Gaislesen thought in silence for a while, then offered a few words of comfort to Emmanuel and Kedun.
"Thank you, Patriarch!"
Emmanuel and Kedun knelt and knocked their heads heavily against the floor, then slowly withdrew from the hall.
"Ninisha, is it? If you've provoked the Four Divine Beasts Clan, then you'd better be ready to die!"
Gaislesen let out a cold snort, not taking Ninisha seriously at all.
Though Asura-level powerhouses were among the top experts in Hell and the Divine Planes, and few besides Sovereigns and Paragons could claim they were certain to kill an Asura, Gaislesen didn't care.
In the past, the Four Divine Beasts Clan had fought Prefect-level powerhouses more than once. In the end, those people had all paid the price, while the Four Divine Beasts Clan had remained standing.
As Gaislesen thought, he sent a message to the patrolling warriors, telling them to summon the Grand Elder and the other clan leaders to the Azure Dragon Hall for a meeting. Then he settled back onto his throne.
A moment later, a streak of blue light was the first to rush into the hall. It transformed into a white-haired man wearing a white robe patterned with tiger stripes.
"Big brother, what happened? Why did you summon all of us?"
The White Tiger Clan Leader Gus's hearty voice rang out at once, and faint wind blades shimmered in his hand.
"There's no rush. We'll talk once everyone's here."
Gaislesen shook his head slightly and didn't explain yet. If he did, he would only have to explain it all over again later.
At this, the White Tiger Clan Leader Gus said nothing more. He merely nodded, then took one of the six seats around the round table at the front.
Though Gaislesen was the eldest among them, they were all children of Sovereigns. Whenever they discussed matters, the six of them sat around the round table. Gaislesen couldn't take the seat of honor in front of his younger siblings. Even if he wanted to, the Azure Dragon Sovereign wouldn't allow it.
Soon, a red-haired woman radiating heat, a tall figure with flowing blue hair, and two brown-haired men with austere faces arrived in turn.
At last, all six Asuras of the Four Divine Beasts Clan had gathered: the Azure Dragon Patriarch Gaislesen, the Azure Dragon Grand Elder Gaia, the White Tiger Clan Leader Gus, the Vermilion Bird Clan Leader Tiya, the Black Tortoise Clan Leader Morei, and the Black Tortoise Grand Elder Mori.
"Big brother, what exactly happened?"
The tall, blue-haired woman sitting beside Gaislesen was the first to ask. Her usually cold voice held a little more warmth than usual.
The others also looked at Gaislesen, their eyes full of questions. It was rare for the Four Divine Beasts Clan to summon all six of them at once.
"Everyone, Emmanuel, an elder of the Azure Dragon Clan with a Water Divine Clone as his strongest clone, has fallen on the Zijing Continent."
Meeting the gazes of his younger siblings, Gaislesen drew a deep breath and spoke calmly.
"What? Big brother, you mean Emmanuel...?"
Gaia was the first to rise. Dragon scales instantly appeared across her body, and tremendous pressure split the floor with fine cracks.
Though Gaia was known for her strict impartiality within the Four Divine Beasts Clan, that didn't mean she didn't care about her descendants. She often kept an eye on her son, Fuerhan, and her grandson, Emmanuel.
That was precisely why Gaia knew Emmanuel had only two Divine Clones: a Water Divine Clone and a Wind Divine Clone. He hadn't even had the chance to recover his strength by refining a Divine Spark. How could she not be furious?
Within the clan, she had been twice as strict with Fuerhan and Emmanuel. At times, her treatment had seemed downright cold to her son and grandson, but that didn't mean she would allow outsiders to hurt them.
"Who did this? How could anyone be so audacious?"
The Vermilion Bird Clan Leader Tiya's brows knitted together. A crimson flame-shaped mark appeared on her forehead, revealing the fury in her heart.
"It was a Sovereign Envoy named Ninisha. She took the Heaven and Earth Wonder Emmanuel had found and intended to offer to our ancestors. She also killed Emmanuel's and Kedun's clones."
Gaislesen's blue eyes fixed on his two younger sisters, and his voice carried a trace of killing intent.
"Big brother, we absolutely can't let this go! So what if she's a Sovereign Envoy? How dare she 'bully' the Four Divine Beasts Clan and kill one of our Seven-Star Fiend elders!"
The White Tiger Clan Leader Gus was the first to speak, his voice dark with anger. A multitude of blue patterns on his white robe began to glow faintly, as if he were about to charge out at any moment.
"Exactly, big brother. Gathering Heaven and Earth Wonders was our four fathers' decision. That Ninisha dared to take what belongs to us. She must have a death wish."
The Black Tortoise Clan Leader Morei clenched his fist. Yellow-brown ripples appeared in his palm, revealing the fury in his heart.
"All right, calm down, everyone. Of course, we can't let this go. If someone 'bullies' us and we don't fight back, what will become of the Four Divine Beasts Clan's reputation?"
Gaislesen raised a hand, calming his agitated younger siblings.
In truth, Gaislesen was suppressing his own fury as well. But as their eldest brother, he had to remain calm in front of them.
"Ninisha must die. But she is an Asura, after all. If we want to kill her, we need to make thorough preparations..."
After speaking, Gaislesen looked at his younger siblings and continued slowly:
"Mori, you stay with the clan. We can't all go. The rest of us will bring Kenuofei and the other four. Ten of us will be enough."
After hearing Gaislesen's words, the Black Tortoise Grand Elder Mori opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He wanted to go too, but one of them had to remain at the clan's ancestral grounds. Otherwise, if an elder had an urgent matter, there'd be no one to make a decision.
"Big brother, you're giving Ninisha too much credit. You're sending ten Asuras after her?"
The White Tiger Clan Leader Gus curled his lip and muttered under his breath. The Four Divine Beasts Clan currently had fourteen Asuras in all: the six children of Sovereigns and eight Sovereign Envoys. Sending ten of them at once was a massive undertaking.
"Over the past million years, a lot of unfavorable rumors about our Four Divine Beasts Clan have spread beyond our borders. So this time, we'll use our strength to make the Divine Planes tremble and show everyone how powerful we are!"
A faint, cold smile appeared at the corner of Gaislesen's mouth. His words held a hint of arrogance.
By order of the Four Divine Beasts Sovereign, the Four Divine Beasts Clan had grown increasingly overbearing over the past million years. Unfavorable rumors had begun to circulate. In Gaislesen's view, it was because the clan had been quiet for too long.
So Gaislesen decided to send ten Asuras to show the Divine Planes their strength and make everyone understand that anyone who angered the Four Divine Beasts Clan would die—even if they were an Asura.