The Melancholy of the Four Divine Beasts, Mission of the Supreme God of Destruction

Just as the Plane War in the Water Elemental Plane had come to an end, on the other side, in Hell, on the Bloodridge Continent, lay the Tianji Mountain Range.

Towering, massive sculptures stood along the perimeter of the mountain range, carved with intricate patterns of divine beasts. From a distance, one could see a colossal Azure Dragon sculpture radiating a terrifying aura.

At the four corners of the Tianji Mountain Range stood the sculptures belonging to the Four Divine Beasts: the Azure Dragon hovering and humming, the White Tiger roaring with dominance, the Black Tortoise as steady as Mount Tai, and the Vermilion Bird bathed in fire. Together, they formed the ancestral grounds of the Four Divine Beasts Clan.

Within the territory of the Azure Dragon clan, patrol warriors flew across the dragon paths from time to time. Whenever anyone looked toward the blue palace at the highest point, they would show a hint of reverence, for that was the Azure Dragon Hall, the highest council chamber of the Four Divine Beasts Clan.

"BOOM~~"

Inside the Azure Dragon Hall, a terrifying pressure surged into the sky, instantly causing all members of the clan to feel an immense sense of oppression.

Inside the hall, four figures sat in a circle. Suddenly, the figure with blue hair and green robes, who had been sitting calmly with eyes closed, opened them. A terrifying aura erupted from his body, and dozens of spatial rifts instantly appeared in the surrounding air.

The only ones who could cultivate in seclusion within the Azure Dragon Hall were the ancestors of the Four Divine Beasts Clan, the Four Divine Beasts Sovereigns. The green-robed figure whose aura had suddenly erupted was none other than the Azure Dragon Sovereign—Reding.

The first to react was the woman sitting to Reding's right. She wore a fiery red robe, her exquisite red hair draped over her shoulders, and a flicker of scorching flame flashed between her brows. The terrifying Sovereign pressure signaled her identity.

Vermilion Bird Sovereign—Nimo!

"Big Brother? What happened? Are there enemies?"

Nimo suddenly opened her fiery red eyes. The red robe on her body instantly transformed into a layer of faint golden wings, as if a phoenix were taking flight, her expression filled with vigilance.

"No other Sovereigns are approaching?"

The brown-haired man to Reding's right narrowed his eyes. His arms instantly swelled by several sizes, and an aura as immovable as a mountain radiated from his body. His divine sense quickly swept through the surroundings before he shook his head slightly and spoke.

Black Tortoise Sovereign—Bowen!

"Big Brother, what is going on?"

The last to stand up was a young man wearing loose white robes. A blood-red kingly mark was etched onto his forehead, and his palms instantly transformed into sharp tiger claws. While remaining vigilant, a hint of confusion appeared in his white pupils.

White Tiger Sovereign—Lius!

Although they did not know what had happened, the tacit understanding built over many years made the Four Divine Beasts inseparable, as if they were one. Thus, the moment Reding's aura erupted, the other three quickly entered a state of combat readiness.

"Alright, everyone calm down. No enemies are approaching!"

In an instant, the Azure Dragon Sovereign retracted the energy within his body, speaking with a complex tone before slowly landing on the ground.

Hearing this, the other three breathed a slight sigh of relief and deactivated their combat preparations, but they immediately looked at their eldest brother with confusion.

"Just now, I received a portion of Willpower."

A look of astonishment flashed through Reding's icy blue eyes, and he sighed helplessly.

"What? Willpower? Could it be the Plane Battlefield? Did the Water Elemental Plane actually win?"

White Tiger Sovereign Lius exclaimed instantly, his grayish-white pupils filled with shock, his tone carrying a hint of disbelief.

"This? Is the Sovereign of Water... really that powerful?"

Vermilion Bird Sovereign Nimo also parted her small lips, muttering in disbelief. The four of them had not gone to the Plane Battlefield, so naturally, they did not know what had transpired.

The Four Divine Beasts Sovereigns did not participate in the Plane War. Although they knew that this was the tenth battle for the Water Elemental Plane and that a victory would grant all Water-type Sovereigns a portion of Willpower, they were unaware of the outcome.

However, in the minds of the four, the Water Elemental Plane should have had no chance of winning. After all, the Chief Sovereign of Light's Twelve-Winged Angel was recognized as powerful, and it was unlikely that the Water Elemental Plane could secure help from other planes for a ten-game winning streak.

"As expected of the oldest Sovereign from the time the world was first created. It seems the Sovereign of Water has his own trump cards."

Even the usually calm face of Black Tortoise Sovereign Bowen showed ripples of emotion.

"Unfortunately, this doesn't mean much to us."

Azure Dragon Sovereign Reding rubbed his temples with a headache, eventually letting out a helpless sigh.

Generally, gaining an extra portion of Willpower and increasing one's strength tenfold would be a cause for excitement, but Reding only felt a sense of bitterness.

Although the Water Elemental Plane had achieved a ten-game winning streak, and Reding, as one of the Water-type Sovereigns, could receive a portion of Willpower and increase his strength by a level, this portion of Willpower felt somewhat useless to him.

The four of them were only Lowgod Sovereigns by nature. Even as Super Divine Beasts, it was already difficult enough to contend with an average Midgod Sovereign. Even with an extra portion of Willpower, they would still be no match for a Rule Sovereign.

Yet, their opponents were all Sovereigns. Unlike ordinary Sovereigns, the four of them could use their innate bloodline to unleash attacks comparable to Sovereigns. This was their advantage, but it also made them highly coveted prizes.

After countless years, every Sovereign wanted to become stronger, and the bloodline of the Four Divine Beasts was a treasure that many Sovereigns desired.

The Sovereign of Destruction had secretly captured members of the Four Divine Beasts Clan and had even approached the four of them multiple times, demanding a few drops of their essence blood for research.

Although the Sovereign of Fate had never expressed anything, his close friend, the Chief Sovereign of Light, Augusta, had taken actions both overtly and covertly.

The Four Divine Beasts were not fools. They could see that their situation was dangerous, so they never dared to separate, fearing that they would be killed by some Sovereign if they were alone. At the same time, the four were planning their future direction.

They had never participated in the Plane War, the fundamental reason being that it held no meaning for them. The only way they could truly contend with a Sovereign was through their combined Innate Divine Ability, which relied on the four of them maintaining a special balance through their bloodlines.

Therefore, even if they helped one of the Earth, Wind, Water, or Fire planes achieve a ten-game winning streak, their strength would not change. Unless all four planes achieved a ten-game winning streak, allowing each of them to gain a portion of Willpower, their combined Innate Divine Ability would not increase in power. But that was an impossible feat; even sacrificing the entire Four Divine Beasts Clan wouldn't make it happen.

"Big Brother, after this battle, the Water-type Sovereigns have received the Willpower reward. Should we continue to target the Sovereign of Water?"

After a long silence, it was Black Tortoise Sovereign Bowen who finally broke the quiet.

The Four Divine Beasts Sovereigns were clear about their situation and would not sit idly by. They had been researching their ultimate techniques, and after so many years, they had made a breakthrough; the Innate Divine Ability that could originally only be used once could now be used twice in succession.

Therefore, they had been plotting to hunt down one or two Sovereigns to refine their Godheads for the clan members, thereby increasing the number of Sovereigns in their ranks and fundamentally changing their situation.

Choosing a target was not done randomly. Excluding the four Rule Sovereigns, among the seven Law Sovereigns, they had to consider not only the Sovereign's strength but also the strength of the Highgods within the Four Divine Beasts Clan. For instance, although the Sovereign of Darkness was relatively weak, the strongest Dark-type Highgod in the Four Divine Beasts Clan was only a Six-Star Fiend who had fused three Mysteries.

For a Sovereign to fuse at least five Mysteries is based on spending time cultivating with the power of faith; it is not as if any Highgod who refines a Godhead immediately becomes a Sovereign who has fused five Mysteries. If the Dark Godhead were given to a Highgod of the clan, a Sovereign who has only fused three Mysteries would be too weak, and it would take time for them to cultivate until they have fused five. The Four Divine Beasts Clan dared not gamble that no danger would occur during that time.

Therefore, Reding and the other three chose two targets: one was the Chief Sovereign of Light, Augusta, and the other was the Sovereign of Water, Hope.

All along, the primary target of the Four Divine Beasts was the Chief Sovereign of Light, Augusta, because the gains from killing Augusta would be the greatest. Not only could they obtain a Highgodhead, but they could also acquire a Supreme Attack Artifact, and there were even one or two Seven-Star Fiend Highgods of Light within the clan.

By then, as long as the Godhead was given to a clansman who cultivated the Laws of Light to refine, the Four Divine Beasts Clan could possess a Chief Sovereign of Light wielding a Supreme Artifact of Fate.

The Sovereign of Water, Hope, was the second target because among their four children, the strength of Gaislesen was slightly stronger than the others, and furthermore, the Sovereign of Water, Hope, was not a Divine Beast and appeared relatively weak in terms of overt strength.

However, now that the Water Elemental Plane had obtained the ten-consecutive-victory reward, it meant that Hope's strength had increased. An extra portion of Willpower would be fine; they had the confidence to give it a try by relying on the advantage of their Innate Divine Ability. But the Sovereign of Water was not just Hope; Palhouse was one as well.

"The Midgod Sovereign of Water, Palhouse, is a Paragon. With this additional portion of Willpower, his strength is comparable to a Sovereign. As a loyal subordinate of the Sovereign of Water, Hope, they are rarely separated. If we want to kill Hope, we might have to fight both of them at the same time..."

The Azure Dragon Sovereign, Reding, muttered softly, falling into deep thought for a moment.

A Paragon Midgod Sovereign was originally not much different from an ordinary Sovereign who had fused five Mysteries. It was just that although many Sovereigns were not Paragons, most had fused a portion of their sixth Mystery. Added to the Innate Divine Ability and physical strength of a Divine Beast, Palhouse was slightly inferior to a true Sovereign, but with an extra portion of Willpower, he was a genuine Sovereign.

From the perspective of the four of them, the best method was to kill one of either Augusta or Hope, or perhaps even both, give the Godheads to their clansmen to refine, simultaneously gain two Sovereigns, and obtain a Supreme Divine Sword.

However, killing these two each had their own difficulties, and Reding also had concerns. Augusta held a favor from the Sovereign of Fate, Oufu, which might draw out the Sovereign of Fate.

As for Hope, he had a subordinate at the Sovereign level, Palhouse. Although the Innate Divine Ability of the Four Divine Beasts was powerful, it could only be used once in a short period. Although they had found a way to use it twice through countless years of research, it was very difficult to kill both Hope and Palhouse at the same time.

"Let's kill Augusta first. Oufu's favor can only be used while he is alive. Afterward, once we give the Godhead of Light to Milton to refine and succeed, the five of us will kill Hope together!"

Reding was silent for a moment, a flash of determination crossing his eyes as he set the target for their future actions.

"Augusta! Hope!"

A sharp glint flashed in Reding's eyes, and then the four people in the secret chamber returned to silence.

However, at this very instant, a gray sheet of paper and a golden bead radiating the aura of golden energy flew from a space rift that was about to heal and landed in front of them.