Chapter 170: The Four Divine Beasts

“Roar!”
“Aaaah!”
“Screech!”
With the white tiger’s cry, the black tortoise, the azure dragon, and the vermilion bird also raised their heads to the sky and let out deafening roars.
“The four divine beasts, to your places!”
Within Xiao Xie’s sea of consciousness, a voice suddenly echoed from an unknown origin, carrying a boundless majesty and an ancient, primordial aura.
“What is this?”
As the mysterious voice faded, Xiao Xie sensed a new vitality emanating from the four divine beasts, as if they had truly come to life.
“The four divine beasts, seal!”
With the four divine guardians in their places, Xiao Xie’s soul force began to compress with wild intensity. The once misty soul force was condensed into a single white soul pearl, which floated at the center of his consciousness. The azure dragon, white tiger, vermilion bird, and black tortoise each took up their posts at the east, west, south, and north, encircling and protecting Xiao Xie’s soul pearl.
He also received messages from the four beasts, and realized that by using different mystical fires and inadvertently visualizing the four divine beasts, he had actually summoned a trace of the true power belonging to these ancient guardians. Alone, these four might be little more than mystical beasts, but together, their force was colossal.
Though the formation they created in his consciousness was but a pale shadow of the true formation of the four divine beasts—perhaps less than a ten-thousandth of its true might—even so, under their protection, Xiao Xie no longer needed to fear the attacks of a ninth-rank alchemist. Furthermore, as his own power grew, so too would the strength of the four beasts, and one day they might even evolve into true divine guardians.
Watching the four beasts circling within his mind, Xiao Xie’s expression grew excited. From the information he’d just received, he understood that he could now employ the Four Directions Formation, but only if he combined the Azure Lotus Core Flame, Bone Spirit Cold Flame, Hellfire, and Amaterasu into four unique fires—dragon flame, tiger flame, vermilion bird flame, and tortoise flame. Only then could he unleash the full formation, though its ultimate power remained a mystery.
To use the Four Directions Formation, he would need to summon the spirits of the four beasts within his consciousness. Now imbued with a trace of the true divine beast’s power, they were no longer mere fire spirits, but had become closer to living creatures.
With his current strength, using the Four Directions Formation even once would completely drain his fighting energy and likely inflict severe backlash. Thus, it could only serve as his last resort, never to be used unless absolutely necessary.

After completing the visualization of the white tiger, Xiao Xie turned his focus to the Fallen Heart Flame and the Sea Heart Flame.
Because the Fallen Heart Flame’s spirit was originally a formless python, Xiao Xie shaped it into the legendary beast known as the Teng Snake—a serpent with wings, able to ride the clouds and command the mists.
Legend has it that after Pangu separated heaven and earth, Nuwa, feeling lonely, shaped humans from clay and also fashioned two serpentine divine pets in her own image: Bai Xi, the female, and Teng Snake, the male. When Nuwa repaired the sky with her own body, because the five-colored stones she gathered were insufficient, Bai Xi and Teng Snake followed her, sacrificing themselves as well. Some claim that Bai Suzhen is the daughter of Bai Xi and Teng Snake.
Once the Teng Snake took form, it flew to the eastern region of his consciousness, trailing behind the azure dragon. As serpents are kin to dragons, Teng Snake naturally became the dragon’s subordinate.
With the Fallen Heart Flame visualized, Xiao Xie turned to the Sea Heart Flame. This time, he shaped it into one of the Four Sacred Creatures—the Qilin, specifically a water Qilin. The water Qilin was a gentle and powerful beast, wise in the ways of the world, attuned to the will of heaven, able to hear the decree of fate—a king among mystical beasts.
The deep blue water Qilin, shrouded in a misty haze, formed and immediately trotted after the azure dragon as well. Though a Qilin is one of the four sacred creatures, it could not compare to a true azure dragon, especially since this dragon possessed a sliver of authentic power while the water Qilin was but a shadow of legend. Thus, as soon as it manifested, the Qilin took its place as the dragon’s follower.
Gazing at the six divine beasts within his sea of consciousness, Xiao Xie watched them carrying out their duties before withdrawing his attention.

His gains this time were not limited to the consumption of three mystical fires; there were other spoils as well. Having slain Han Feng and the Gold and Silver Elders, Xiao Xie had claimed their storage rings. Han Feng, as a sixth-rank alchemist, had amassed considerable wealth over the years, and though the Gold and Silver Elders did not match him, their hoard was not insignificant either, granting Xiao Xie a small fortune.
He pulled out all the items from the storage rings and, with Xiao Xiao’s help, sorted them. Items of no use were recycled for points, while anything potentially useful was set aside for future use.
Once everything was organized, Xiao Xie willed himself out of the Worship Space. Pushing open the door, he was bathed in dazzling sunlight, squinting in pleasure as it warmed his face.

“Young master, you’ve finished your retreat!” Qing Lin cried out with delight upon seeing him.
“Where’s Little Doctor Immortal?” Xiao Xie asked, gently ruffling Qing Lin’s hair.
“Sis Xian’er just went to buy some poison. She’ll be back soon,” Qing Lin replied happily, her eyes curved in a smile. Then she looked up at him and asked, “Young master, did you need something from Sister Xian’er?”
Xiao Xie chuckled, “It’s time we gathered our forces.”

—

Black-Corner Region, Maple City.

As the city closest to the Inner Academy, Maple City had been taken over by Fan Lao and his people after Han Feng’s death. They had managed the city well and presented it to Xiao Xie as a temporary residence.
Two months later, within the grand estate at the city center, Fan Lao addressed Xiao Xie respectfully: “Sect Master, I have invited the leaders of the three major factions in Black-Corner Region. They are waiting just outside Maple City.”
“Is that so?” A faint, enigmatic smile played at Xiao Xie’s lips. His goal this time was to unify the Black-Corner Region. After recent developments, Dragon Gate had already become a first-rate force, but a few old powers still remained. By inviting them here, Xiao Xie meant to subdue them and thus sweep up the entire region—once these three fell, Dragon Gate’s rule would be inevitable.
Now, all eyes in Maple City were fixed on the grand estate at its heart. It was here that a momentous event was about to unfold—one that could turn the entire Black-Corner Region upside down.
About half an hour before, three great armies had marched openly into the city, heading straight for Xiao Xie’s estate.
The three fearsome factions were well-known throughout Maple City and the region. As first-tier powers, their names and reputations were legendary.
The Shadow Yin Sect, Rakshasa Gate, and the Mad Lion Gang—three names that struck fear into all in the Black-Corner Region. Their leaders all ranked in the top ten of the “Black List”; any one of them could match Fan Lao in strength, and they had long ruled the region with iron fists.

Within the spacious council hall of the grand estate, four factions were gathered. At the innermost seats sat the people of Dragon Gate, the present rulers of Maple City; the other three groups were plainly the Shadow Yin Sect, Rakshasa Gate, and Mad Lion Gang.
“Fan Lao, why did you summon us here? Don’t waste our time! Or you’ll pay a price your Blood Sect can’t bear.”
The speaker was a middle-aged man stripped to the waist, a giant roaring lion tattooed across his chest, his expression twisted with a bloodthirsty smile.
“Giggle, Chief Yan, you’re as blunt as ever, but I must say I agree.” A voluptuous, scantily clad woman beside him covered her mouth with a laugh. By her ear, a black, poisonous poppy was tattooed—a beauty with a fatal sting.
On the other side, a shadowy old man gave a sinister chuckle, his withered, bony hands tapping the table. “Sect Master Fan, out with it. No need for games.”