"At this point, the only way for me to survive... is to become a Sovereign."
Beirut's tiny eyes darted frantically around before locking firmly onto the scene within the spatial turbulence.
Or rather...
The one he was staring at was White Tiger Sovereign Lauis.
The two corpses Beirut had just dragged into the Yulan Continent belonged to Vermilion Bird Sovereign Nimo and Black Tortoise Sovereign Bowen.
One was a Fire Sovereign.
The other was an Earth Sovereign.
Neither of their Sovereign sparks was compatible with Beirut.
If Beirut wished to become a Sovereign, he had only one option:
Obtain White Tiger Sovereign Lauis's corpse, remove the Wind Sovereign spark within it, and refine it.
Only then could he ascend to Sovereignhood.
And...
This was also the only way Beirut could think of to survive after stealing something from that Light Sovereign.
...
"Thief!"
The disappearance of Vermilion Bird Sovereign Nimo and Black Tortoise Sovereign Bowen's corpses naturally couldn't escape the notice of the Sovereigns fighting within the spatial turbulence.
For Azure Dragon Sovereign Redding and White Tiger Sovereign Lauis, they had already accepted that they were going to die today.
As for what happened to their corpses afterward...
They simply didn't care.
But for the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta...
The loss of those two corpses was a matter of enormous importance.
Recruiting the Wind Chief Sovereign Bayer under his command had only been a secondary objective.
His true goal...
Was to obtain the divine beast blood essence of the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns for Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff's research.
Now, two of the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns whom he had personally killed had actually had their spoils stolen.
How could Augusta possibly accept that?
Immediately, he abandoned his pursuit of White Tiger Sovereign Lauis and Azure Dragon Sovereign Redding.
His divine sense spread out, instantly penetrating the Yulan Plane and locking onto Beirut.
"So it really is just a little rat."
Augusta's divine sense instantly reached Beirut's side, transmitting his voice directly.
"Little rat, if you know what's good for you, immediately hand over the corpses of Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise that you stole."
"Otherwise, I shall immediately descend divine punishment upon you and leave you without even a place to die!"
The pressure of a Sovereign caused Beirut's complexion to change drastically.
Although the two of them were separated by a planar barrier...
Merely this tiny strand of divine sense projected into the material plane made Beirut feel as insignificant as an ant.
"Hahaha! Augusta, you call yourself the Light Chief Sovereign, yet you stoop to threatening a mere Deity. Truly disgraceful."
Since the Light Chief Sovereign had discovered Beirut...
The still-living White Tiger Sovereign Lauis and Azure Dragon Sovereign Redding naturally discovered him as well.
No Sovereign was an idiot.
Seeing how much Augusta cared about the corpses of the Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise Sovereigns...
Redding and Lauis immediately realized that Augusta's ambush contained an even deeper secret.
Whatever the enemy wanted...
They absolutely couldn't allow him to obtain it.
Immediately, White Tiger Sovereign Lauis's divine sense also descended before Beirut.
"Young friend, there is no need to be so frightened."
"Unless they are the native Sovereign of a material plane, no Sovereign can enter a material plane."
"You managed to seize the corpses of my two brothers amidst our battle. Your courage and insight are both extraordinary."
"This soul-defense Sovereign artifact shall be regarded as the Sovereign artifact I bestow upon you after accepting you as my Sovereign Emissary."
"As long as you refine it and remain within the material plane, even a Sovereign will be unable to threaten you."
As he spoke, Lauis tore open a spatial rift and directly sent a necklace into Beirut's hands.
"Lauis, you're courting death!"
Light Chief Sovereign Augusta roared in fury.
If it had been an ordinary Deity...
Even if they possessed a soul-defense Sovereign artifact, Augusta wouldn't have been so anxious.
The Will contained within a Sovereign projection still couldn't break through the defense of a soul-defense Sovereign artifact.
Moreover...
Although none of Augusta's Sovereign Emissaries possessed strength comparable to a "suspected Paragon," they were all fairly formidable among those who wielded Sovereign artifacts.
They were more than enough to deal with ordinary opponents.
But if the enemy was Beirut...
Augusta was certain that none of his Sovereign Emissaries would dare enter this plane to retrieve the corpses of the Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise Sovereigns for him.
Without a soul-defense Sovereign artifact...
Facing Beirut was nothing but courting death.
Although Beirut hadn't walked the Seven Divine Planes or the Four Higher Planes for several hundred Ordinal eras...
The Sovereigns had never forgotten him.
Just like true Paragons...
The number of "suspected Paragons" was incredibly small—perhaps even fewer than the number of actual Paragons.
Naturally...
The Sovereigns all paid some attention to such unique existences.
If Beirut truly refined the soul-defense Sovereign artifact bestowed by White Tiger Sovereign Lauis...
Then Augusta would have no effective way of dealing with Beirut while he remained inside the material plane.
Immediately, the material plane began to stir.
Vast amounts of Light Sovereign power rapidly gathered together.
At the same time, Augusta's voice rang out beside Beirut's ear.
"Beirut, you'd better think this through."
"Lauis no longer has any Sovereign Emissary slots available."
"The Sovereign artifact he gave you has already violated the Sovereign Pact."
"If you're sensible, don't refine that soul-defense Sovereign artifact."
"Otherwise, you'll be despised by every Sovereign and eventually be forced to surrender the Sovereign artifact in order to uphold the Sovereign Pact!"
"Beirut! Hurry and refine the soul-defense Sovereign artifact! Augusta is trying to kill you using a Sovereign Projection within the material plane!"
Even without Lauis's reminder...
The moment Beirut saw the gigantic Sovereign face about to take shape in the sky...
He immediately understood what Augusta intended to do.
Without another moment's hesitation...
Beirut forced out a drop of blood and instantly completed the soul-binding process for the soul-defense Sovereign artifact.
Rumble—
As Beirut refined the soul-defense Sovereign artifact...
An enormous amount of Light Sovereign power condensed into a gigantic face over a hundred meters across in the skies above the Dark Forest.
It launched an attack toward Beirut, who was hidden inside his miniature plane.
Buzz!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The terrifying pressure almost forced Beirut to his knees.
Fortunately...
Beirut had already completed the binding process.
A transparent cyan barrier firmly protected his soul.
Augusta's soul attack surged toward Beirut like endless waves.
Fortunately, the soul-defense Sovereign artifact had already acknowledged Beirut as its master.
The immense soul barrier completely blocked Augusta's soul attack, despite the tremendous Will contained within it.
"Hahaha! Well done, Beirut!"
Seeing Augusta fail, White Tiger Sovereign Lauis burst into hearty laughter.
"Lauis! You're courting death!"
Having failed to kill Beirut within the Yulan Plane, Augusta's fury reached its peak.
The Fate Overgod sword in his hand slashed out another sword ray toward White Tiger Sovereign Lauis.
Slash!
"Second Brother!"
There was no surprise whatsoever.
White Tiger Sovereign Lauis was directly cut down by Augusta's sword.
Although Redding had known from the moment the oath shattered that the four brothers were doomed today...
Watching his three younger brothers die before his eyes still filled him with grief.
Rip!
With a casual wave, Azure Dragon Sovereign Redding tore open a spatial rift leading into the Yulan Plane and threw White Tiger Sovereign Lauis's corpse beside the corpses of the third and fourth brothers.
Now that he knew Augusta coveted their corpses...
There was no way Redding would allow him to succeed.
At this moment, Redding even felt fortunate.
Fortunately...
After fleeing for so long, they had eventually reached the material plane where Beirut resided.
Only because of that had Augusta's scheme to seize their corpses failed.
"Young friend Beirut."
"Today, we Four Divine Beast Sovereigns are destined to perish."
"If you have the ability, then take all four of our corpses."
"If, by good fortune, you become a Sovereign by refining our Sovereign sparks..."
"Then I ask only one thing."
"Please bury the four of us together."
"In addition..."
"With our deaths, the Four Divine Beast Clan will inevitably decline... perhaps even perish."
"If you are willing..."
"Please protect at least some members of the Four Divine Beast Clan."
"Do not let our descendants be exterminated simply because we have fallen..."
Seeing White Tiger Sovereign Lauis's corpse also sent into the material plane...
Augusta became even more furious.
It seemed...
Everything he did today had gone terribly wrong.
"Redding..."
"You've truly angered me!"
Augusta ground his teeth.
This time...
Instead of attacking Redding with the Fate Overgod sword again...
He charged directly toward Redding at top speed.
He intended to personally seize and kill Azure Dragon Sovereign Redding at close range.
That way...
There would be no repeat of Beirut stealing another corpse.
"Heh!"
Seeing Augusta's actions, how could Redding fail to understand his intentions?
He snorted coldly.
His face turned pale.
The phantom of an Azure Dragon appeared behind him.
"ROAR—"
After a dragon's roar echoed out...
Augusta's movements once again slowed to a crawl.
Then...
Azure Dragon Sovereign Redding transformed into his true divine beast form and coiled as he charged toward Augusta.
After so many years of brotherhood...
With his three brothers already dead...
Even without the oath, Redding had no desire to continue living.
Of course...
He also knew that, without his three brothers, his own strength posed no threat whatsoever to Augusta.
Although Redding hated Augusta with all his heart...
He also had to admit that Augusta was the strongest Sovereign beneath the Four Chief Sovereigns of the Edicts.
However...
Even if he couldn't inflict physical damage...
Emotional damage, on the other hand...
Redding felt he could still manage.
Thus...
Just as the time-slowing effect on Augusta came to an end...
A yellow stream suddenly came rushing straight toward his face.
"Redding! You're courting death!"
As the pungent smell of urine spread over him...
Augusta's rage reached the heavens.
Clutching the Overgod artifact, he charged at Redding once more.
"Hahahahaha!"
Seeing the overwhelming psychological damage he had inflicted upon Augusta...
Redding laughed with complete satisfaction.
"I may not be able to kill you..."
"But I can certainly disgust you to death!"
"Augusta..."
"For countless years to come..."
"You will forever live beneath the shadow of us Four Divine Beast Sovereigns."
"Even if you forget..."
"The more than sixty Sovereigns watching this battle will remind you."
"You..."
"Light Chief Sovereign Augusta..."
"Have drunk the urine of us Four Divine Beast Sovereigns!"
Redding's voice spread throughout the spatial turbulence via his divine sense.
This time...
Every Sovereign paying attention to the battle between Augusta and the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns could no longer pretend they hadn't seen anything.
Yet despite Redding exposing everything...
None of the Sovereigns truly feared Augusta.
On one hand...
Too many Sovereigns had witnessed Augusta being humiliated by Redding.
There was no way Augusta could vent his anger on every Sovereign who had seen it.
On the other hand...
Everyone had absolute confidence in the authority of Locke and the Death Chief Sovereign.
Granted...
Augusta's strength had long surpassed that of ordinary Law Chief Sovereigns.
But compared to the Death Chief Sovereign and Lord Locke...
He was still far behind.
After all these years...
Everyone knew exactly what kind of person Augusta was.
As long as he lacked the ability to contend against those two...
He would strictly abide by the Sovereign Pact they had established.
Otherwise...
Those two could hunt him down in exactly the same manner.
"Tsk... Redding really went all out."
"Indeed. I don't think I'll ever forget this scene for the rest of my life."
"Haha, neither will I."
"I've learned something today."
"If someone ever tries to hunt me down, I can use this trick too."
"Mm. And when hunting others, we'd better guard against them using this move."
After Redding shouted those words...
The observing Sovereigns no longer bothered pretending.
Their divine senses openly chatted throughout the spatial turbulence, causing Augusta's face to alternate between red and white.
Had Redding not shouted it aloud...
Then even though everyone had seen what happened, no one would have dared mention it in front of Augusta.
At that point...
A very subtle relationship would have formed between Augusta and the other Sovereigns.
Augusta would know they had all seen Azure Dragon Sovereign Redding spray him in the face.
The other Sovereigns would know that Augusta knew they had seen it.
Yet...
Everyone would still have been forced to pretend, in Augusta's presence, that they knew nothing.
And Augusta would likewise know that they were merely pretending not to know he had been sprayed by Redding...
Now that Redding had shouted it for all to hear...
There was no longer any point pretending.
(End of Chapter)
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