"So…"
"There's only one possible explanation."
"This 'Yamu'… is a Sovereign's divine clone."
Locke repeated the name silently.
"Yamu… Yamu…"
"Muya."
Realization struck.
Yamu was simply Muya with the syllables reversed.
Muya Sovereign.
This was Muya's divine clone.
The tension in Locke's chest eased.
A Sovereign's divine clone possessed Will, yes—but that did not make it equivalent to a Paragon.
Even over a thousand epochs later, no Sovereign ever cultivated a Paragon-level divine clone.
Which meant—
At most, Muya's clone had fused five Profound Mysteries.
Base combat power: ten thousand.
Will amplification: eightyfold.
Total: eight hundred thousand.
Locke calculated swiftly.
Without Sovereign's Power—
His fusion divine power output reached eight hundred and ten thousand.
He would even hold a slight edge.
"Yamu," Locke said calmly, glancing upward as if acknowledging the unseen Sovereigns.
"That's not your true name, is it?"
He understood now.
The Sovereigns' earlier shock hadn't been about the emissaries.
It had been about Muya stepping in personally.
"And since this is a battle between gods," Locke continued, "let us forbid Sovereign Artifacts and Sovereign's Power."
"Do you object?"
Muya nodded easily.
"No objection."
In his mind, whether both used Sovereign's Power or neither did made little difference.
Their boosts would scale proportionally.
The outcome would remain unchanged.
"Then—"
"Let's begin."
Locke moved instantly.
He merged his Fate divine power with his Water divine power.
Eighty-onefold intensity erupted.
Boom!
His palm descended without restraint.
Holding back against a Sovereign clone?
That would be the real insult.
Muya responded with focus.
Lightning gathered in his hand and surged forward.
But—
To Locke's surprise—
His palm shattered Muya's lightning with minimal resistance and continued forward.
"…What?"
Locke's eyes narrowed.
Too weak.
Muya's lightning clone's attack—
Was far weaker than expected.
In that instant, Locke realized—
He had overestimated the current generation of Sovereign clones.
Muya had fused only four Profound Mysteries.
Base power: one thousand.
Fivefold divine power strength: five thousand.
Eightyfold Will amplification—
Fifty thousand? No—
Fifty thousand times ten? No—
Fifty thousand times ten? No—
Five thousand × 80 = 400,000? Wait—
No—
Base one thousand × fivefold = five thousand.
Five thousand × eighty = four hundred thousand.
Yet from performance—
It felt closer to five hundred thousand.
Regardless—
Against Locke's eight hundred and ten thousand—
Muya was nearly half as strong.
The gap was visible.
Muya was not instantly defeated—
But he was clearly on the defensive.
Far Away — The Four Divine Beasts
In the palace of the Four Divine Beasts within the Sky Sacrifice Mountains—
The Azure Dragon Sovereign, Redding, suddenly rose from his throne.
His eyes blazed with fury.
"Muya, you dare deceive me!"
The eruption startled the other three.
"What happened, Brother Redding?"
"Muya? The Destruction Sovereign of Hell?"
"How did he offend you?"
White Tiger Sovereign Ours laughed harshly.
"Whatever he did—if he offended you, we'll go to Muya Continent and beat him for you."
Redding felt warmth at his brothers' loyalty.
But he could not tell them the truth.
"No need."
"Muya alone is no match for any of us."
He paused.
Then suddenly said—
"Brothers… we four have stood alone too long."
"And alliances with outsiders are unreliable."
"I propose this."
"Let us take wives. Leave descendants."
"When our bloodlines mature…"
"We ambush a few Sovereigns. Seize their Sovereign sparks."
"Let our descendants become Sovereigns."
"When that day comes—this world will belong to the Four Divine Beasts."
Silence.
Then—
White Tiger grinned.
"I like it."
Vermilion Bird nodded.
"If one day all seventy-seven Sovereigns are our bloodline… what could we not claim?"
Black Tortoise yawned lazily.
"If the three of you are doing it, I'll follow."
Redding smiled faintly.
"Then begin."
White Tiger left first.
Vermilion Bird followed in a streak of light.
Black Tortoise departed last.
When they were gone—
Redding's smile vanished.
Fear replaced it.
Moments earlier—
When Yamu began fighting Locke—
The Overgod Oath in Redding's soul had trembled.
He had sworn—
In the name of the Overgods—
That no Sovereign would attack Locke for one hundred million years.
If broken—
His Sovereign spark would fall.
He would die.
And because the Four Divine Beasts had sworn brotherhood under the Supreme Deity—
"Not born the same day, but die the same day"—
If Redding died—
They would die with him.
Redding had monitored Locke constantly.
If any Sovereign attacked—
He would intervene instantly.
But he had not anticipated—
A Sovereign using a divine clone.
And worse—
The Supreme Deity recognized that as a Sovereign acting against Locke.
Redding had failed to stop it.
The oath had cracked.
Not shattered—
But cracked.
A fatal flaw.
At any moment—
If judged broken—
He would lose his Sovereign spark.
And they would all die.
That was why—
He had suddenly proposed leaving descendants.
It wasn't for conquest.
It was for inheritance.
If they died—
Their Sovereign sparks could pass to their children.
Even if those children could not combine innate abilities—
They could at least survive under another Sovereign's protection.
He could never tell his brothers this.
If they learned they had been dragged into danger by his oath—
The unity of the Four Divine Beasts would collapse before death ever arrived.
"I'm sorry… Ors. Nimo. Bowen…"
Redding closed his eyes.
"Muya…"
"That Destruction lower Sovereign spark…"
"Keep it for now."
"When one of our descendants walks the path of Destruction…"
"I will kill you and take it back."
Meanwhile—
In Tianshan Prefecture—
Locke had no idea that the oath he once demanded from Redding had just placed the Four Divine Beasts on the path to ruin.
He simply fought.
Palm after palm.
Pressing Muya's lightning divine clone into complete suppression.
The sky trembled.
And the true battle—
Had only just begun.
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