In the Heavenly Sacrifice Mountain Range, at the Azure Dragon Clan's territory within the Four Divine Beasts Clan, the enormous Dragon Path wound and twisted. Seen from afar, it formed a ten-thousand-meter-long Azure Dragon. At its summit stood an ancient, sprawling castle that radiated a blue glow.
The Azure Dragon Palace was the symbol of the Azure Dragon Clan, one of the Four Divine Beasts Clan. Whenever clan members made their rounds, they gazed toward the distant palace with reverence, knowing it was the home of their ancestor, the Azure Dragon Sovereign, Reding.
As a Sovereign, Reding spent most of his time away. In fact, not only him, but the Four Divine Beasts Sovereigns were also absent from their clans most of the time. Ordinary clan members had no right to know where they went.
In the Four Divine Beasts Clan's daily life, only two people were permanent residents of the Azure Dragon Palace: the Azure Dragon Clan's patriarch, Gaiseresen Reding, and its Grand Elder, Gaia Reding. Without an invitation, no one else was allowed to enter at will—not even a Seven-Star Demon elder. But today... two figures knelt on the floor, staring at the figure seated in the place of honor, not daring to breathe too loudly.
"What did you say? Fuerhan, say that again!"
A tall figure cloaked in black robes abruptly rose to her feet. Her flowing blue hair, which reached down to her hips, lifted into the air. Even behind her silver mask, her suppressed fury was unmistakable.
"Grand Elder, Elder Emmanuel's clone was killed on Bifu Continent by an Asura named Ren. That Ren is despicable—he showed no respect at all for our Four Divine Beasts Clan." Sweat beaded on Fuerhan's forehead as he spoke cautiously.
Although he was the Grand Elder's own son, that was precisely why he understood her nature even better. She was truly impartial toward her clan members and cared most about the clan's honor.
Emmanuel was the one who had been "wronged," but in the Grand Elder's eyes, he had still brought shame upon the clan. Given her temper, she might fly into a rage and send Emmanuel off to reflect in seclusion—or even take her anger out on him, his father, and send him along. Fuerhan was more than a little afraid.
"Bastard! How dare a mere Asura attack our Four Divine Beasts Clan? First the Venna Clan, and now this Ren. It seems we've been quiet for too long, and people out there no longer take our clan seriously."
Gaia's voice rang out, cool and sharp. Her eyes, hidden behind the mask, revealed a terrifying killing intent, and the air around them seemed to turn sharply colder.
"The clan will handle this. You two may leave." Gaia glanced at Emmanuel, her expression somewhat complicated. Then she transformed into a streak of blue light and shot into the sky.
In the southern part of the Heavenly Sacrifice Mountain Range, a massive bird spread its wings, its body blazing with flames. It stood nearly as tall as the surrounding peaks, and the blue feathers on its forehead radiated an imposing aura.
The bird's body crisscrossed the mountain peaks, forming a maze of complex pathways where members of the Vermilion Bird Clan lived. At the place of the Vermilion Bird's feathers stood a vast palace that exuded an ancient aura.
The Vermilion Bird Palace was the residence of the Vermilion Bird Sovereign. Though the Sovereign rarely returned, every clan member knew this was their ancestor's home and the symbol of the Vermilion Bird Sovereign.
Inside the Vermilion Bird Palace, a red-haired woman in a red robe sat quietly in the place of honor, her entire body radiating the aura of flames. Her flowing hair blended with her robe, making her look like a blazing fire.
Her presence there made her identity clear: Tia Nemo, the Vermilion Bird Clan's patriarch, an Asura of the Four Divine Beasts Clan, and the eldest of the clan's second generation.
"Hm?" Tia's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened. She looked up toward a spot nearby, surprise flickering across her face.
The next moment, blue light gathered, and Gaia appeared on the floor before walking slowly into the hall.
"Gaia, what brings you here?" Tia asked, a little surprised.
The six siblings had always been close, ever since birth. But each managed their own clan and lived in one of the four territories. They occasionally visited one another, but Gaia had last come to see her eldest sister only about a century ago, so Tia was surprised.
"Big sister, something's happened. Elder Emmanuel of our Azure Dragon Clan was killed on Bifu Continent." As soon as Gaia arrived, she spoke in a grim tone. Within the Four Divine Beasts Clan, their eldest brother, Gaiseresen, usually made the decisions as patriarch of the Azure Dragon Clan. But he had gone to the Wind Divine Plane over the Venna Clan matter, so Gaia had naturally come to her eldest sister.
"What did you say?"
Tia sprang to her feet. Flames instantly engulfed her body, and a crimson glow appeared in her eyes as a cold killing intent burst from her.
"Here's what happened..."
Gaia quickly recounted the "truth" she had learned from Emmanuel and Fuerhan, and briefly introduced Ren.
"Damn it! He's only the newly appointed Prefect of Liang'an, yet he dares to bully our clan members. That Ren must die!" Tia clenched her fist, her flowing red hair radiating a searing light.
"Exactly. And, big sister, first the Venna Clan in the Wind Divine Plane a century ago, and now the Prefect of Liang'an on Bifu Continent. I think we have to deal with this seriously, or the outside world will only mock us!" Gaia nodded, her eyes behind the mask gleaming coldly.
"You're right. This time, we have to make sure everyone knows that our Four Divine Beasts Clan is not to be trifled with! We won't just kill Ren—we'll show everyone what happens when they offend our clan. Summon the clan elders at once. Prepare for battle!"
Tia nodded, then immediately sent a telepathic message to the warriors patrolling outside, ordering the Four Divine Beasts Clan's elders and several honorary elders to gather at the Vermilion Bird Palace.
Three days later, inside the Vermilion Bird Palace.
One figure after another landed on the floor. Before long, there were well over a hundred of them, and their numbers were still growing. From afar, the elders could be clearly seen gathering in four groups, with more than thirty elders from each clan. Every one of them was a clan elder with the terrifying power of a Seven-Star Demon.
If outsiders had seen this, they would have been dumbstruck. In Hell, Seven-Star Demons were renowned as powerful figures, yet there were well over a hundred of them in the ancestral land of the Four Divine Beasts Clan alone. Blood Peak Continent probably had more Seven-Star Demons than any of Hell's five continents and two oceans, simply because the ancestral land of the Four Divine Beasts Clan was here.
And these were far from the full strength of the Four Divine Beasts Clan. After all, the clan had strongholds across the Four Higher Planes and Seven Divine Planes, and many Seven-Star Demon elders had been sent out. In particular, Azure Dragon Continent in the Water Divine Plane, White Tiger Continent in the Wind Divine Plane, Black Tortoise Continent in the Earth Divine Plane, and Vermilion Bird Continent in the Fire Divine Plane each had more than five Seven-Star Demons stationed there.
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