"Your innate divine ability can't hurt me!" Ren's cold voice echoed through Gus's mind. At the same time, he moved and kicked Gus, sending him plunging straight toward the ground.
The White Tiger's innate divine ability, Tiger Roar, was said to be the strongest soul attack. Leisjing had even told Linley that Tiger Roar was more powerful than the God-Eater Rat's God-Eater. Ren had heard about it more than once, too: Tiger Roar's energy acted directly on the depths of the soul and could strike at its very core.
But in Ren's view, although Tiger Roar was powerful, it might not match God-Eater in sheer might. The most terrifying thing about God-Eater was that it could slip through every defense. Without a Soul Defense Sovereign Artifact or willpower, there was no way to stop it.
Tiger Roar fell far short in that regard. If it had the power of God-Eater, the clan leaders among the Eight Great Clans who lacked a Soul Defense Sovereign Artifact would all be dead. The Four Divine Beasts Clan wouldn't have been trapped in the Heavenly Sacrifice Mountain Range. Tiger Roar's soul attack was indeed powerful, but there were plenty of ways to defend against it.
Even without being a Paragon, Ren might have been able to withstand it with nothing but Sovereign's Might and his soul's innate defenses. And now, a Paragon's willpower was not something Tiger Roar could shake.
"Now the slaughter begins!"
Ren swept his gaze over those around him and drew on a drop of Wind Sovereign's Might. A cyan glow suddenly burst from his body, then was drawn entirely back inside him, without a trace escaping.
"What's this? A Paragon High-God?"
The Vermilion Bird Patriarch, Tia, saw what had happened, and her expression changed dramatically. Her red hair seemed to turn into a disheveled mess.
"Holy shit! He's actually a Paragon High-God! The Four Divine Beasts Clan must be out of their minds!"
The black-haired young man Felix cursed inwardly first. Then he shifted slightly, instantly becoming a phantom that melted into the void.
Among the Four Edicts and Seven Laws, the Darkness Law was best suited to concealment and escape. Felix wasn't a Paragon, but he was a Peak Asura of the Darkness Law. Merging himself with the void wasn't difficult. If he tried to flee while everyone else was fighting, perhaps he still had a chance to get away.
But Felix was caught between a rock and a hard place. Facing a Paragon High-God head-on meant certain death, but if he abandoned the Four Divine Beasts Clan and fled on his own, they would hunt him down afterward. He wouldn't fare any better then.
Felix thought it over for a moment and decided to wait. Since they'd agreed that their opponent was a Paragon, perhaps Gaiseresen, Tia, and the others would soon order everyone to retreat.
But Tia's next words nearly made Felix spit blood.
"Everyone, use Sovereign's Might! Kill him!"
A crimson glow appeared around Tia as her furious voice rang across the land. She didn't believe that so many Seven-Star Demons and Asuras, all using Sovereign's Might to attack together, couldn't wear Ren down.
"Has she lost her mind?"
Hearing Gaia's words, Felix wasn't the only one cursing inwardly. The red-haired Hansen and the silver-haired woman Caroline were doing the same.
Tia was the child of a Four Divine Beasts Sovereign and had heard the tales of the Paragon High-Gods' invincibility. But she'd never actually seen one, so she couldn't understand just how powerful a Paragon High-God really was.
In Tia's eyes, although a Paragon was far stronger than an Asura, there was only one of him. After using Sovereign's Might, the Four Divine Beasts Clan's Seven-Star Demons could hold their own against ordinary Asuras for a short time. Add in Tia and the others, along with several Sovereign Envoys, and they could surely kill Ren—even if it meant sacrificing more people. It was all for the clan's honor.
"What a wise decision, Vermilion Bird Patriarch." Hearing Tia's voice, Ren was rather surprised, despite all he'd seen over the years.
In the realm of the divine, a Paragon High-God had no need to fear being surrounded. Even several Paragons attacking together could fail to kill one. Back in the Ocalan Plane, eight Paragons had surrounded Clementine and still hadn't managed to kill him. If Linley hadn't suddenly unleashed his power, Clementine would have simply walked away right in front of them.
It was true that during the tenth battle on the Planar Battlefield, people had claimed that even a Paragon could be killed, and so they were reluctant to go. But there was a crucial factor: the Star River Passage had very limited space, leaving little room to dodge.
Faced with the combined attacks of hundreds or thousands of fearless Seven-Star Demons and Twelve-Winged Angels, a Paragon who tried to withstand them head-on would indeed be in danger. After all, the Star River Passage on the Planar Battlefield determined victory or defeat, and not a single inch could be conceded. To win, a Paragon had no choice but to meet force with force.
But outside the Planar Battlefield, it was impossible to kill a Paragon by overwhelming him with numbers. Given a Paragon's speed and ability to restrain his opponents, there was no way for a thousand Seven-Star Demons to hit him all at once.
In the Coiling Dragon Universe, aside from Linley, a Four-Element Soul Mutant, a Paragon was invincible among the gods. Unless a Sovereign intervened, no one could kill one.
"Kill him! Kill him!"
Tia's command instantly roused the Four Divine Beasts Clan members' fighting spirit. As their roars rang out, all the clan elders drew on Sovereign's Might at once. The powerful energies of earth, wind, water, and fire erupted, and a barrage of attacks burst from every direction. Dazzling, multicolored glows filled the sky, lighting up the world for a thousand miles around.
"Run!"
In an instant, the onlookers nearby let out ear-splitting screams. More than a few brave souls had been standing close to the battle. Now they were caught in the surge of seven-colored energy and instantly reduced to Godheads.
"Isn't this a little too crazy? The people of the Four Divine Beasts Clan—just how powerful is that Ren?" Inside the Metal Lifeform, Belfield watched the scene, his expression stiffening as he muttered under his breath.
"Shut your mouth! Who are you to judge Sir Ren?" Montero turned and scolded him loudly, his cold gaze sweeping over Belfield.
"Yes, forgive me, sir!"
Belfield was stunned for a moment, but quickly lowered his head and apologized, adopting the most deferential posture he could.
"A Paragon? He's actually a Paragon? Besides Sir Bayer, another Paragon of the Wind Law has appeared. Should I go pay Sir Ren a visit later?"
Montero merely glanced at Belfield, his heart filled with shock. Belfield lacked the experience to recognize it, but Montero couldn't have been mistaken: anyone who could control Sovereign's Might perfectly had to be a Paragon High-God.
The Augusta Clan wasn't as short-sighted as the Four Divine Beasts Clan. Montero knew exactly what a Paragon High-God meant.
As a member of the Augusta Clan, he'd met more than one Paragon. The clan leader Hankin Augusta's close friend, Magnus, a Fate Grand Perfection; and the Augusta Clan's founder, Augusta's envoy, Clementine, a Radiant Paragon.
But neither had anything to do with him. At most, they knew there was someone like him in the Augusta Clan. A Paragon High-God's friendship wasn't something just anyone could earn. Montero began to think about how he might cultivate a connection with Ren, his mind racing.
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