Facing the Fate Overlord, who wasn't afraid of their Innate Divine Ability at all, Reding knew better than to pin his hopes on the Fate Overlord having a good nature and not attacking them. Besides, even if the Fate Overlord didn't make a move, his good friend, the Radiant Overlord, could.
After maliciously speculating about the friendship between the Radiant Overlord and the Fate Overlord, Reding decided the Fate Overlord might be a hypocrite. He cared about his reputation on the surface but still wanted to profit in practice, so he hinted that his friend Augusta should seize the treasure. Then Augusta could give it to him afterward, and he could "reluctantly" accept it.
Two of the Four Rule Overlords were interested in them. How could they not feel threatened? They simply had no choice. Ultimately, the reason the Destruction Overlord hadn't made a move was partly that he hadn't yet figured out anything useful, and partly that he was taking the Sovereign of Death and the Life Overlord into consideration.
The Sovereign of Death and the Life Overlord were very different from those two. They weren't fanatics, and they didn't have the patience to study secret techniques. Instead, they bore no ill will toward the Four Divine Beasts. Reding knew they couldn't afford to offend the Sovereign of Death in this situation.
Meanwhile, the Sovereign of Death had no idea what Reding and the others were thinking. After parting with Ren, she didn't leave right away. With a slight movement, she appeared at Latafia Lake, passed through the white mist, and arrived on the central island.
"Greetings, Overlord! ×2"
Xing Yi, the Star Sovereign in a purple robe, and Lester, the Bifu Sovereign in a green robe, bowed and greeted her at the same time. They had been keeping a close eye on the Four Divine Beasts Clan's movements, so naturally, they had seen Reding, Lierus, and the Sovereign of Death appear.
The Sovereign of Death gave a slight nod without acknowledging the two of them. Instead, she looked behind them at the black-robed figure seated at the stone table. He was completely shrouded in black mist, making his face impossible to discern.
"Thanatos, it's been a long time since you last visited Hell."
The Destruction Overlord's voice came from within the darkness, sounding steady and reassuring.
"After all, my emissary was bullied by the Four Divine Beasts. I had to step in. If Dannington were bullied, I imagine you'd do the same."
The Sovereign of Death sat casually across from the Destruction Overlord, speaking with a hint of teasing.
Beneath his black robe, the Destruction Overlord's face twitched. He felt conflicted.
Not long ago, when Xing Yi and Lester had sent him a message, he'd been somewhat puzzled. But when he heard that the Four Divine Beasts Clan had clashed with a Paragon, he'd immediately become interested and hurried over.
While Ren was fighting the Four Divine Beasts Clan, the Destruction Overlord had already learned the gist of Ren's past from the Bifu Sovereign. He knew Ren had been in Hell ever since arriving in the Divine Planes, which meant he could be considered one of Hell's own. That pleased him.
Over countless years, fewer than thirty High-Gods had been suspected of being Paragons. That number included some special life-forms and Divine Clones of Overgods. There were only a little over ten actual Paragons, which averaged out to about one per Divine Plane. Hell, one of the four Supreme Planes, had originally had only one: his emissary, Dannington.
Uterede was delighted that a new Paragon High-God had appeared in Hell. When he'd seen Reding arrive, he'd even been ready to step in and stop him. He hadn't expected Ren to be Thanatos's emissary, and that left Uterede conflicted.
Hearing Thanatos's words, Uterede knew she was showing off. That was simply how she was. Unlike him and Oufu, who enjoyed research, she preferred to seek amusement.
"You're lucky to have found an emissary like him," Uterede said calmly after a brief silence.
Thanatos smiled faintly and said no more. Seeing that Uterede had been stirred up a little was enough to satisfy her. After chatting briefly, her Divine Clone vanished.
"Thanatos really is something..."
After the Sovereign of Death left, the Destruction Overlord shook his head, feeling helpless. He could understand Thanatos's feelings. Among the Four Rule Overlords, he, Uterede, had Dannington, a Death Paragon; the Life Overlord had Renee, a Life Paragon; and although Oufu had no Paragon emissary, he could find Clementine through Augusta.
The Sovereign of Death was the only one of the four who had no connection to a Paragon High-God. What made it worse was that the only Death Paragon was the Destruction Overlord's emissary. For years, she'd been holding that frustration inside. This time, she'd finally let it out.
The Destruction Overlord didn't linger either. He put the matter out of his mind, then flew toward Wukun City in the Chaos Sea.
The Destruction Overlord had some regrets about what had happened, but that was all. For one thing, even as the Sovereign of Death's emissary, Ren's ties to Hell wouldn't change. For another, the Destruction Overlord's thoughts were mostly occupied with becoming stronger and with Oufu. To him, Thanatos's matter was merely a minor diversion from his research.
The relationships among the Four Rule Overlords were complicated. He considered Oufu his rival, but he didn't have nearly as many thoughts about Thanatos and Vivian.
Ultimately, although there were four Rule Overlords, their power was more like a three-way balance. The Sovereign of Death and the Life Overlord were weaker, so the two of them joined forces to keep each other safe. Of the three key advantages of a Rule Overlord—a Super Divine Beast, a Paragon, and a Supreme Artifact—the Destruction Overlord had all three, while the Sovereign of Death and the Life Overlord had only two each.
The Sovereign of Death wasn't a Paragon, and the Life Overlord wasn't a Super Divine Beast. As for the Fate Overlord, Oufu, although he wasn't a Super Divine Beast, he had already developed the Samsara Golden Body. His Supreme Artifact was for soul defense, but it also came with the Willpower of ten consecutive victories. His overall strength was actually the greatest of them all. More terrifying still were the secret techniques he'd studied for countless years.
At least in Uterede's eyes, neither Thanatos nor Vivian had the patience or determination to grow stronger. They only wanted to maintain the status quo and preserve the balance. They weren't his rivals. He was confident he could surpass them both, so he wouldn't spend too much effort on Thanatos.
The Overgods had fallen silent, but Ren's story had only just begun to spread. Most supposed Paragon High-Gods were just rumors, and there weren't many whose status could be confirmed. Now, at last, another true Paragon had appeared after countless years, naturally drawing attention from all sides.
Aowei Island, in the Radiant Divine Plane, lay at the center of the Divine Domain Sea. It had a population of nearly a million and was where the elite of the Augusta Clan gathered.
The waves crashed against Aowei Island's shore. In the central district stood a ten-thousand-meter-tall palace built of White Flame Stone.
A figure streaking through the air at incredible speed landed before the ancient purple gate.
"Please go announce my arrival. I want to see the clan leader," Montero said in a low voice.
"Yes, Your Highness!" The two purple-robed guards at the entrance exchanged a glance. One of them bowed slightly, then went inside.
"I never imagined the Four Divine Beasts Clan would end up like this," Montero thought, still unable to believe it even now.
A moment later, the purple-robed guard came out and said, "Your Highness, the clan leader will see you."
Montero nodded without saying anything and walked straight into the palace.
This was the clan leader's residence, complete with a living room, dining room, cultivation chamber, and other facilities. As soon as Montero entered, he saw a white-robed figure on the balcony.
The white-robed man had brows as sharp as sword edges and a crimson mole between them. He was none other than the clan leader of the Augusta Clan, Hankin Augusta.
"Clan leader, the Four Divine Beasts Clan sent nine Asuras and thirty Seven-Star Demons to Bifu Continent to surround and attack Ren, the newly appointed Prefect of Liang'an. But the Paragon High-God Ren turned the tables and killed them. Everyone except Gaiseresen and a few others died!"
As soon as Montero saw the clan leader, he lowered his head respectfully and quickly gave him the most concise report he could.
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