Death Overlord: You think you're worthy?

"Death Sovereign's Might?"

Feeling the aura coming from the void, Reding and Lierus both changed expressions slightly. The gigantic face then dispersed, condensing into two figures, one blue and one white.

There were many ways for a Sovereign to manifest. An elemental giant face, an Energy Avatar, or a projected avatar were all Sovereigns. If they wished, Sovereigns could take any form and hide among the gods. But no matter what form they took, their Sovereign's Might never changed.

Reding and Lierus were naturally familiar with the Death Sovereigns. The strongest among them was one of the Four Rule Overlords: the first life born in the Netherworld, the ancient ruler of the Netherworld, the Sovereign of Death.

The Four Divine Beasts were comparable to an Overlord when they joined forces. They dared to take on ordinary Law Overlords, even Augusta, the Radiant Overlord, who was known as the strongest Law Overlord. But the Four Rule Overlords were different.

The Four Rule Overlords were the true rulers of countless planes, the absolute strongest. The Fate Overlord possessed a soul-protecting Supreme Artifact and naturally had nothing to fear from them. The Destruction Overlord and the Life Overlord were both Paragon Overlords, with souls far stronger than those of ordinary Overlords.

Although the Sovereign of Death was not a Paragon, she was a Super Divine Beast and the first life born in the Netherworld. Her soul's defenses were unfathomable. Even the Four Divine Beasts, confident as they were in their Innate Divine Ability, wouldn't dare claim they could definitely win.

As the red light faded, the figure of a pretty, red-haired girl slowly appeared. She looked coldly at Reding and Lierus.

"Death Overlord!"

This time, Reding and Lierus grew much more solemn. They exchanged a glance, then bowed slightly in unison.

"Reding pays his respects to the Overlord!"

"Lierus pays his respects to the Overlord!"

The Sovereign of Death glanced at Reding and Lierus, then gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

"Greetings, Overlord!" Ren immediately bowed to the Sovereign of Death as well.

The Sovereign of Death said nothing. She surveyed the surroundings, then looked at Ren, a smile appearing on her face.

As for Gaia and the others on the ground, they were completely stunned. They could only stand there, at a loss, not daring to speak.

"It's actually the Sovereign of Death. Could it be that there really is no way..." Gaia lowered her head. A tear slid from the corner of her eye, but she was powerless to do anything.

"Ren is my envoy!"

The Sovereign of Death stepped forward and spoke to Reding, the Azure Dragon Sovereign, and Lierus, the White Tiger Sovereign. Her tone was calm, giving no hint of her emotions, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.

"We were out of line, Overlord. But Ren did kill so many members of our clan. Surely it wouldn't be right to simply let him go?"

After offering a perfunctory "apology," Reding looked coldly at Ren. This time, murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

Since Ren couldn't be made to serve their clan and was destined to become their enemy, killing him might be the best choice. Reding had previously considered tying Ren to the clan, thinking they might have a use for him someday. Now, however, Ren was an Overlord's envoy. There was no way he would serve them.

As for what the Sovereign of Death thought, they were still "in the right" in this matter. Surely even the Sovereign of Death wouldn't throw her weight around without regard for right and wrong?

"So what if he killed them? What's wrong with that?" Hearing the Azure Dragon Sovereign's insolence, the Sovereign of Death furrowed her brow. Her once-pretty face now radiated a powerful pressure.

"Overlord, Ren did kill so many members of our Four Divine Beasts Clan. Are you saying we should just let it go? If word gets out, where does that leave our dignity? You may be an Overlord, but you're being far too domineering."

A hint of anger flashed in Lierus's pale eyes as he spoke, his tone carrying some displeasure.

In Lierus's view, Ren was clearly at fault, and the Four Divine Beasts were "in the right." They could understand the Sovereign of Death not apologizing, given her status, but Ren should at least be punished by them. For her to insist on protecting him was simply too domineering.

"So what? An ordinary god who provokes a Paragon High-God deserves to be wiped out. And he didn't kill any of your children, did he? Besides, your dignity? Why should I care about it? Do you think you're worthy?"

The Sovereign of Death looked at Reding with disdain. Her voice was utterly calm, and she paid no heed to the displeasure in his tone.

The Four Divine Beasts were said to be comparable in strength to an Overlord, but they were only on par with an ordinary Overlord. As one of the Four Rule Overlords, the Sovereign of Death was a Super Divine Beast, and she also possessed an offensive Supreme Artifact suited to her nature. Apart from the other three Rule Overlords, she feared no one.

She wasn't particularly bloodthirsty, but that didn't mean she had a good temper. If the Four Divine Beasts angered her, she wouldn't mind letting them see for themselves why the Rule Overlords were the strongest among the Sovereigns.

Reding and Lierus looked deeply displeased at the Sovereign of Death's "arrogant" words. Lierus looked to Reding, his eyes filled with a question.

Reding's anger roiled within him, but as the eldest, he couldn't act on impulse. He had to take responsibility for the group. So, after taking a deep breath, he slowly spoke:

"Fine. Since that's the case, we'll let it go for your sake. But if your envoy Ren dares to kill any more of our clan members, don't expect us to show mercy. We're leaving!"

After saying this, Reding waved his hand. He and Lierus took Gaiseresen and the others with them, and they vanished on the spot.

Hearing Reding's final threat, the Sovereign of Death paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Kid, you certainly caused quite a stir this time. I imagine Reding and the others are furious!"

The Sovereign of Death turned her gaze back to Ren, her tone tinged with teasing. An odd light flickered in her eyes.

"Overlord, I don't usually provoke anyone. The Four Divine Beasts Clan brought this on themselves." Ren gave a soft laugh, his tone full of contempt for the Four Divine Beasts Clan.

"You brat, after this battle, your name will surely spread across the Divine Plane. Another invincible Paragon High-God has risen. I imagine plenty of people will come calling to pay you a visit!"

The Sovereign of Death didn't continue discussing the Four Divine Beasts. Instead, she changed the subject. After all, the Four Divine Beasts were a minor matter to her.

"I don't really care about anyone else. If a Paragon comes, though, I wouldn't mind sparring with them." Ren's expression was calm. He could roughly guess what might happen next.

"All right, I'll be off. Come visit the Nether Hotel sometime." With that, the Sovereign of Death's avatar vanished, and the world returned to calm.

At that moment, the sealed space reopened. The people watching nearby could finally see what was happening inside again.

When they saw Ren emerge alone, their eyes widened. They hadn't known about the confrontation between the Sovereign of Death and the Four Divine Beasts Sovereigns, but they had all seen Gaia, the Azure Dragon Clan's Grand Elder, summon a Sovereign.

The Sovereign had arrived, then left, while Ren remained unharmed. That outcome alone said plenty.

The news that Ren, a newly risen Wind-Edict Paragon High-God in Hell, had single-handedly killed thirty Seven-Star Demons and four Asuras from the Four Divine Beasts Clan, grievously wounded the five children of the Four Divine Beasts Sovereigns, and trampled the clan to forge his invincible reputation spread explosively across the Divine Plane.