"Lord Montero, according to the news from Fiend Castle, the people from the Four Divine Beasts Clan should arrive in a few months," Belfield said respectfully from behind Montero, his tone carrying a hint of flattery.
Belfield's encounter with Montero had been purely accidental. Not long ago, he had suddenly received word that a man named Ren had defeated Electra, then killed Prefect Alfred and become the new Prefect. Since Belfield had served under the former Prefect alongside Electra, the news had left him silent for a while, unsure whether he should pay a visit to the new Prefect.
Before he could make up his mind, however, more news arrived: Prefect Ren had offended the Four Divine Beasts Clan and was being hunted by them. The clan's people would soon reach Liang'an Prefecture.
The news left Belfield feeling as if he were living in a dream. The past few hundred billion years of his life had never been as exciting as this period. After thinking it over for a long time, he decided to visit Liang'an City.
After all, if the Four Divine Beasts Clan and Prefect Ren fought, it would definitely be a spectacular battle between Asuras. The clan might even attack him all at once. A battle like that was rare even on the Planar Battlefield, and Belfield didn't want to miss it.
So Belfield went to Liang'an City, where he happened to meet Montero, who was traveling through Hell. After a moment's thought, he took the initiative to offer himself as a guide. After all, even super experts could sometimes use a local guide while traveling through a plane.
To Belfield, this was an opportunity. Even if he could only make Montero remember him, it couldn't hurt. Besides, Montero had clearly come because of the Four Divine Beasts Clan and Ren. Staying close to someone as powerful as Montero, whose backing was no less formidable than the clan's, also felt safer.
Montero didn't mind Belfield tagging along. He hadn't brought any servants on this trip through Hell. A servant wasn't necessary, but he wouldn't refuse someone who volunteered. As for Belfield trying to build a relationship with him, that didn't matter either. He was only a Seven-Star Demon; letting him become a familiar face would make no difference.
"Oh? Those idiots from the Four Divine Beasts Clan will be here soon?" Montero, a golden-haired young man, glanced at Belfield, downed the wine in his glass, and looked eager.
Belfield could only laugh at Montero openly calling the Four Divine Beasts Clan idiots. He didn't dare respond. Montero would never spread those words, but the clan's reputation over the years still made Belfield instinctively afraid to insult them.
Montero didn't care about Belfield's reaction. He took out another glass of wine and continued drinking. Most people wouldn't dare provoke the Four Divine Beasts Clan, but he wasn't particularly concerned about them.
Montero Augusta was a third-generation member of the Augusta Clan in the Radiant Divine Realm, and one of the Asuras among the clan's direct members. He had participated in several Planar Wars and possessed a material defense Sovereign Artifact.
The Augusta Clan and the Four Divine Beasts Clan were the two most powerful Overgod clans in the Divine Plane. They had a poor relationship because they both vied for the title of the number one clan. They had once clashed on a large scale, nearly triggering an Asura War.
Both sides had restrained themselves afterward, but the grudge remained. The Augusta Clan operated only in the Radiant Divine Realm, so it rarely came into direct conflict with the Four Divine Beasts Clan. The latter, in turn, stopped targeting the Augusta Clan and instead threw its weight around against some Seven-Star Demons and Asura clans.
This time, while traveling between planes, Montero had heard about the Four Divine Beasts Clan on the Bifu Continent and immediately decided to go to Liang'an City to watch the excitement.
"I really wonder what Gaiseresen is thinking. If he wants to kill Ren, why not gather his people and kill him in secret? Instead, he's making a huge spectacle of it, as if he wants everyone to know. Is he afraid Ren might get away?"
Montero curled his lip in disdain. He acknowledged that Gaiseresen had some strength, but he scoffed at the way he handled things.
In Gaiseresen and the others' eyes, Ren was a mere Prefect who had dared to challenge the Four Divine Beasts Clan. The clan had to send a large force to hunt him down—and preferably make sure everyone saw it, so they could display the clan's strength.
Montero couldn't understand their way of thinking. If it were the Augusta Clan, they would quietly gather a few people like Umanchegewen and catch Ren by surprise, leaving him no chance to escape.
The Four Divine Beasts Clan's grandstanding would only give Ren time to flee. Even if he probably wouldn't get away in the end and finding him was only a matter of time, what was the point of wasting so much time and effort? Was this how they meant to display their strength?
"Boom!"
After an unknown length of time, a powerful wave of Divine Power suddenly appeared. A figure concealed within wind blades emerged on the horizon and slowly descended onto Tamojin Lake.
The exquisite figure touched down gently. Short black hair fluttered around him, and a cyan robe covered his body. Its patterns formed strange ripples; some ordinary Highgods felt their vision blur just from looking at them.
Ren landed directly on the water's surface and sat there. Cyan currents streamed out from beneath him, swiftly forming a barrier that isolated the space within a hundred miles.
Ren's return had caused quite a stir. Although no one could enter the area within a hundred miles of Tamojin Lake, plenty of people noticed what had happened. The news that Ren had returned quickly spread.
"The Four Divine Beasts Clan is certainly making a big show of it! I'll be waiting for you!"
Ren sat quietly on the water with his eyes closed. He had heard about the Four Divine Beasts Clan's actions during the journey. Now, he was waiting right there for them to come to him.
"Ren actually came back? What is he thinking? Could he be an idiot?" Inside the Metal Lifeform, Montero rubbed his chin, his eyes full of confusion.
He had stayed in Liang'an City because he'd thought Ren would definitely run away, leaving the Four Divine Beasts Clan to arrive and find nothing. Perhaps the clan would think that scaring off its enemy proved its strength, but Montero would only find it laughable. He had come to watch them make fools of themselves.
But now, Ren had come to Tamojin Lake alone, without making any effort to hide himself, as if he were waiting there for the Four Divine Beasts Clan to show up. Montero was at a loss.
"Since I'm here, I might as well go have a look!"
Montero fell silent for a while. He still couldn't figure out what Ren was planning, but he decided to go and see for himself. Even if the Four Divine Beasts Clan killed Ren, it wouldn't matter to him.
The news that Ren had returned to Tamojin Lake and was waiting there spread throughout Liang'an Prefecture. Before long, people from all around began to gather nearby.
Several months later, a group of enormous Metal Lifeforms barged into the area.
"They're finally here—the Four Divine Beasts Clan!" Ren suddenly opened his eyes and looked up toward the distance.
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