"You insolent creatures! How dare you lay hands on me, the Tiger King? Lord Holy Emperor will never spare you!" The Heavenly Thunder Roar Tiger, finally freed from time's stillness, immediately tried to intimidate Zhu Ziyang and his companions. It bared its fangs with a ferocious roar, yet in their eyes it was no fiercer than a housecat.
"Hmph!" Zhu Ziyang snorted coldly. "You will answer what we ask. Don't try to frighten us with your 'Holy Emperor.' Remember—your life is your own, and we have more than enough power to end it before your so-called emperor arrives."
Hearing this, the Heavenly Thunder Roar Tiger quickly submitted. It had only just broken through to the hundred-thousand-year realm and had no wish to throw away a future full of pleasures.
Because the beast cooperated so obediently, in less than three minutes the four of them gained a rough understanding of this island.
First, the island—called Four Elephants Island—held no trace of human civilization. At least, in the tiger's memories, it had never once seen human-like beings such as Zhu Ziyang and the others.
Second, the island's power structure. The soul beasts here called it Four Elephants Island because four great Beast Kings ruled over it, each claiming one region, dividing the land into four.
In the eastern holy forest reigned the so-called Holy Emperor—the Great Kindness Tree King, a thunder-element god tree said to have cultivated for over five hundred thousand years.
In the southern mountains ruled the Purple Emperor, a Nine-Tailed Fox of blazing flame, also past five hundred thousand years.
In the western plains dwelt the Golden Emperor, a Dragon Mastiff that devoured gold, again exceeding five hundred thousand years.
And in the northern bay reigned the Sea Emperor, an aquatic Dragon Heron with more than five hundred thousand years of cultivation.
Four kings, each one unimaginably powerful.
And yet there was still another—the overlord of the surrounding seas, known as the Dragon King. The tiger had never seen it, only heard stories. According to rumor, the Dragon King's cultivation surpassed even the Four Emperors. It rarely involved itself in their conflicts, but whenever any creature tried to leave the island and venture into the open ocean, it would strike without mercy. Thus, even the Four Emperors never dared trespass into its domain.
The four of them were shaken. To think that this single island housed four five-hundred-thousand-year Beast Kings, its strength even greater than the Star Dou Forest itself! But what truly unsettled them was the mysterious Dragon King, whose power might surpass them all.
Finally, from the tiger they drew more detailed information about the Holy Emperor.
Once, it had been nothing more than a Green Spirit Cedar growing atop the Holy Mountain, too tall and too exposed. Constantly struck by lightning, it should have perished long ago, for the cedar was a plant famed for vitality but notoriously weak to lightning and flame.
But this one tree endured. For a hundred years it withstood thunderbolts that slew all others of its kind. At last it transcended itself, transforming into a mutated cedar imbued with the power of lightning.
From there it rose swiftly, evolving into the towering Sky Thunder Source Tree, wielding not only the ultimate wood and life attributes but also the ultimate lightning. With this triune might, it surpassed the other three Beast Kings and ascended as the island's foremost sovereign.
Having extracted all they could, the group chose not to kill the tiger. Zhu Ziyang merely knocked it unconscious before leading his companions away.
Gathering in another part of the Holy Mountain, they debated their next step.
"What do you think? Should we leave the island at once, or climb further and see this Great Kindness Tree King for ourselves?" Zhu Ziyang asked the three women.
"I think we should leave," Zhang Lexuan answered calmly. "Our current strength isn't enough to face a beast that has cultivated for over five hundred thousand years. And the Tree King offers us no benefit. There's no sense in courting danger for no gain."
"I agree with Lexuan-jie," Jiang Nannan said at once. "Brother, leaving is the safest choice!"
"I also agree," Qian Lingyi added for once without protest.
"Since everyone thinks leaving is best, then let's withdraw from Four Elephants Island for now," Zhu Ziyang concluded. "But we'll mark this place carefully. We can always return another time."
With that, the four immediately turned back the way they had come. Their return journey proved smooth—no troublesome beasts, no sudden crises. Before long, they were back at the shore where they had first landed.
Only then did a troubling thought strike them: if they tried to leave, would they encounter the Dragon King the tiger had spoken of? A creature feared even by the Four Emperors, with cultivation perhaps exceeding six hundred thousand years…
"Ziyang, what do we do?" Zhang Lexuan asked, worry etched across her face.
"What else? We can't just stay trapped on this island forever." Ziyang spread his hands. "Lexuan-jie, when we board, you'll take the helm. Push the Moon God Shuttle to full speed and charge straight ahead. As for the rest—leave it to me."
"Alright," she agreed solemnly.
"Nannan, Lingyi," Ziyang turned to the other two, "once we're aboard, focus on protecting yourselves."
"I will, Brother," Nannan promised gravely.
"I don't think the Dragon King will show up," Lingyi said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "After all, we didn't encounter it when we arrived."
"Let's hope so," Lexuan sighed.
"Enough—let's move," Ziyang said, summoning Second Frost. With his current power he could fully support both Second Frost and the Ice Emperor in battle. But why choose Second Frost instead of the Ice Emperor, who was stronger? The answer was simple: if the Dragon King truly bore a dragon's bloodline, then only Second Frost—herself once a Dragon King—would have the greatest advantage.
The Moon God Shuttle slipped back into the sea. The four, along with Second Frost, entered quickly, sealing the cabin tight. Lexuan rushed to the cockpit, poured soul power into the controls, and the shuttle leapt forward like lightning, instantly covering a kilometer in a flash of silver.
She pushed it to maximum speed. The Moon God Shuttle streaked across the ocean like a drawn line upon a vast canvas.
Inside, the others watched nervously through the viewing screens, scanning the waters to either side. The sea was calm, deceptively peaceful, lulling them into a false sense of ease.
Five hundred li passed. No sign of pursuit, no hint of the Dragon King. Relief began to bloom in their chests.
But just as smiles began to spread across their faces—calamity struck.
Without warning, a group of colossal shadows rose from the depths, surrounding the Moon God Shuttle without a sound. They kept a perfect formation, no more than ten li out, matching its incredible speed with terrifying ease.
When at last they surfaced, the four were shaken speechless.
More than ten enormous beasts, each over a hundred meters long, heads and tails linked in a seamless circle, tightening their encirclement around the shuttle.
Lexuan tried again and again to break free, but every attempt was blocked.
At last, Ziyang's face darkened, killing intent flashing in his eyes.
"Lexuan-jie, stop wasting soul power. Halt the shuttle. We'll deal with these beasts ourselves!"
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