Crisis of the Barbary Clan

The Four Divine Beasts Clan only deliberated for a brief moment before they began preparing to move against the Barbary Clan.

After all, in their eyes, a mere Barbary Clan was not worth their serious attention.

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the Water Divine Plane, at the Barbary Clan headquarters.

"Patriarch, according to news sent from the Underworld by the Ashcroft Clan, it seems that something has gone wrong with the people the Four Divine Beasts Clan sent to hunt down young master Sean?"

The butler spoke with extreme caution.

The Ashcroft Clan was an Asura-level clan in the Underworld, and originally, they had no connection to the Barbary Clan.

However, because the Four Divine Beasts Clan was arrogant and overbearing, they had offended quite a few people.

Consequently, many clans that had been bullied by them began to interact in secret.

Although they dared not openly resist the Four Divine Beasts Clan, they could still quietly trip them up.

The eight great clans of the future in the original timeline were essentially linked together in this way, due to a common, powerful enemy.

After the incident this time, the Reinass Clan in Hell quickly learned the news and quietly passed it on.

The Ashcroft Clan in the Underworld, upon receiving the news, immediately began to investigate.

The Ashcroft Clan soon uncovered some information regarding this incident.

Of course, this was also because the members of the Four Divine Beasts Clan had no filter and would say anything, making it very easy to gather information.

"What is the reaction of the Four Divine Beasts Clan to this?"

Barbary's tone was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger, but the way his fists were clenched showed that his mood was far from calm.

"This... it is said that they may be planning, planning to wipe out our Barbary Clan."

The butler wiped his forehead and spoke with some uncertainty.

Of course, this uncertainty was not because he thought it impossible, but because the news had arrived too easily.

It was as if the Four Divine Beasts Clan had made no effort to cover anything up, nor did they forbid their subordinates from running their mouths.

It was as if they were openly telling Barbary: even if you know, it is useless; you cannot change anything.

"Too much! This is too much! Four Divine Beasts Clan, I will not share the same sky as you!"

Veins bulged on Barbary's forehead as he flipped over a table, gasping for air, his roar echoing throughout the entire mansion.

He had never imagined that the Four Divine Beasts Clan would dare to go this far; he had already abandoned his youngest son, yet he still ended up with this outcome.

For the sake of his clan, he had endured the wanton insults of a Seven-Star Fiend, apologized with a forced smile, and suppressed his grief to exile his youngest son.

Yet, the Four Divine Beasts Clan still wanted to wipe them out, just because a few clansmen sent to hunt Sean had died.

What did the Four Divine Beasts Clan take him for? Dough? Something to be kneaded at will?

He, Barbary, was an Asura-level powerhouse; did they really think he had no temper? Four Divine Beasts Clan!

Back at the Four Divine Beasts Clan, after receiving the news from the Underworld, Gaiselesen immediately contacted his sister Gaia and the other three patriarchs.

After the group discussed it, they finally decided to exterminate the Barbary Clan and issued a patriarch's decree, ordering the Water Divine Plane to make all necessary combat preparations.

Theoretically, this matter should have been kept strictly confidential, but the members of the Four Divine Beasts Clan had never cared; when they went out to drink, they would openly boast about wiping them out.

Moreover, Gaiselesen and the others did not take it to heart, nor would they deliberately forbid their clansmen from talking.

Coupled with the information gathered from the Ashcroft Clan in the Underworld, it was basically certain that the Four Divine Beasts Clan was going to move against them.

Barbary knew clearly that the reason things were still calm was simply because they were waiting for their forces to assemble.

After all, Barbary was an Asura, and to kill him, one would at least need to be an Asura-level existence.

If no Asura intervened and they relied on a siege by Seven-Star Fiends, the casualties would inevitably be heavy.

Although the Four Divine Beasts Clan was powerful, an Asura-level existence could not be killed just like that.

If Seven-Star Fiend elders were used to besiege an Asura, some would certainly die or be injured, which was not what they wanted.

Therefore, the best method was to use Asuras to besiege Barbary.

The true Asuras belonging to the Four Divine Beasts Clan numbered only five: the four patriarchs and the Great Elder of the Azure Dragon clan.

Even the genius elder of the Azure Dragon clan, Bru, was only rumored to be close to the level of a Sovereign, but his true strength was still lacking by quite a bit.

Of course, there were also a few Chief God's Envoys belonging to the Four Divine Beasts' Chief Gods, who could barely be counted as Asuras of the Four Divine Beasts Clan.

However, they nominally only listened to the orders of the Chief Gods; they did not belong to the Four Divine Beasts Clan, nor did they need to follow the clan's instructions.

Of course, in reality, as long as Gaiselesen spoke up, and the request wasn't too disgustingly unreasonable, they would give him some face.

Chief God's Envoys, when facing the children of a Chief God, were ultimately much weaker.

As a lower-level Chief God, one could take on two Chief God's Envoys; theoretically, the Four Divine Beasts could take on eight Chief God's Envoys, which meant eight Asuras.

Therefore, the Four Divine Beasts Clan could theoretically mobilize a maximum of thirteen Asuras.

Of course, the current number of Chief God's Envoys was not full; there were only five.

But even five were more than enough; Barbary was only one person, and although he had some friends, none of them would intervene in a matter involving enmity with the Four Divine Beasts Clan.

"Patriarch, what... what should we do?" After a long silence, the steward asked cautiously.

Barbary fell into silence. What to do? He wanted to know that himself. Fight to the death? What would be the point?

Even if they knew in advance that the Four Divine Beasts Clan was coming for them, what could they do? Was there any way to resolve this?

At most, he could act ruthlessly and strike first before Gaiselesen and the others arrived, killing a few more Seven-Star Fiends of the Four Divine Beasts Clan to vent some of his anger.

But after the killing was done, the clan would still inevitably be destroyed, and he, Barbary, would likely not escape the fate of death; he wouldn't even be able to drag an Asura down with him.

The Asuras of the Four Divine Beasts Clan were all children of Chief Gods, blessed with Chief God Artifacts and an inexhaustible supply of Chief God's power.

As long as they besieged Barbary, even if he gave his all, it wouldn't be enough to take one down with him.

Moreover, as children of the Four Divine Beasts, they all possessed parchment that could contact the Chief Gods; if anyone tried to kill them, the Chief Gods would not stand idly by.

Normally, Chief Gods did not interfere in the battles of gods, but if someone tried to kill a Chief God's child, the Chief God would certainly make them understand why a Chief God is a Chief God!

"Pass the order: select seeds from within the clan and send them in batches to different Material Planes. At the same time, have everyone in the clan at the level of Six-Star Fiend or higher head to the Radiant Plane in batches!"

Barbary pondered for a long time before finally speaking with great difficulty.

"The Radiant Plane? Patriarch, what do you mean?"

The steward was lost in thought, seemingly recalling the only time the Four Divine Beasts Clan had ever suffered a setback.

"Looking across the four Supreme Planes and seven Divine Planes, only the Augusta Clan dares to confront the Four Divine Beasts Clan. I just don't know if they will accept us."

Barbary muttered to himself, feeling little confidence.

However, things had reached this point, and he could only treat a dead horse as if it were still alive.

Twenty years later, in the Water Divine Plane, at the base of the Four Divine Beasts Clan.

"Elder Isaac, the people of the Barbary Clan seem to be fleeing?"

Below the great hall, a Highgod knelt to report.

All these years, they had been investigating the recent situation of the Barbary Clan.

"Oh? They are quite well-informed, but they don't think they can escape, do they?"

Isaac said with disdain, not taking Barbary seriously at all.

Flee? If fleeing were useful, where would the face of their Four Divine Beasts Clan be?

Over the years, many people had fled after offending their Four Divine Beasts Clan, and hadn't they all ended up dead?

"No need to pay attention to them. Just keep an eye on Barbary himself. As long as he dies, the others are naturally nothing to fear."

Isaac replied in a flat tone.

Barbary was the only Asura in their clan and the only existence the Four Divine Beasts Clan regarded with any slight importance.

As long as he was killed, the rest were not worth worrying about; it made no difference where they ran.

"This..."

The person reporting below was momentarily speechless.

Keep an eye on Barbary? You want us to go? Why don't you go yourself?

Barbary is an Asura, after all; is it my place as an ordinary Highgod to keep watch on him? Even if you went, you wouldn't be able to keep track of him.

If Barbary wanted to leave, no one in the Four Divine Beasts Clan in the Water Divine Plane could stop him.

Right now, we only know he hasn't left under our observation, but if he wanted to slip away secretly, how could we possibly notice?

"You don't need to worry. That guy Barbary won't abandon his own clansmen to save his own life. Just make sure their clansmen aren't fleeing in large numbers."

Isaac seemed to realize his previous words were inappropriate and corrected himself.

However, it was clear that Isaac still underestimated Barbary's resolve to cut off his own arm to save his life.

This time, Barbary knew they were facing a catastrophe.

So, he very decisively left behind over seventy percent of his clansmen, including a portion of the Seven-Star Fiends, having them live as usual to lull the Four Divine Beasts Clan into a false sense of security.

As for the remaining clansmen, he secretly sent some of the outstanding young ones to Material Planes just in case, while he himself, taking the remaining elders, headed straight for the Radiant Plane.

Barbary knew that although the Augusta Clan did not fear the Four Divine Beasts Clan, they would not make enemies of them without reason, nor would they take action for the sake of an unfamiliar Barbary Clan.

His only bargaining chip was his allegiance. Barbary had already decided that as long as the Augusta Clan was willing to take them in, he would swear eternal loyalty in the name of the Supreme God.

Even for a clan as vast and powerful as the Augusta Clan, Asura-level experts were precious resources; counting their Chief God's Envoys, they barely had more than ten.

For an existence of Barbary's level, if he were willing to pledge loyalty, it would be a good thing for them.

It was just that he didn't know if they were willing to provoke a conflict with the Four Divine Beasts Clan for this.

Frankly, Barbary had no confidence in his heart, but this was the only way he could think of.

If the Augusta Clan refused his allegiance, he would have no choice but to fight the Four Divine Beasts Clan to the death!

When the time came, he would go into hiding and specifically target the weaker members of the Four Divine Beasts Clan to kill.

That way, even if he were eventually besieged and killed by Gaiselesen and the others, at least he would have had a satisfying end before dying.