"This…" The four Divine Beasts exchanged glances when Xiao Yan unexpectedly requested that they seal him. Initially, they had believed he was a Heavenly Demon Emperor of the Extraterritorial Evil Race, which explained his frenzied slaughter. But now, it seemed the truth was not so simple. His behavior resembled someone whose mind had been corroded by demonic energy.
"What should we do?" the Vermilion Bird among the four couldn't help but ask. If Xiao Yan truly was from the Extraterritorial Evil Race, they would strike him down without hesitation. But if he was actually from the Great Thousand World and merely corrupted by demonic energy, things became far more complicated.
"Do as he says—seal him!" the Azure Dragon said without the slightest hesitation. It wasn't that he didn't want to purge the demonic energy from Xiao Yan, but the dark energy had burrowed too deep. They no longer had the means to cleanse it. Even sealing him would only work if Xiao Yan actively cooperated. Moreover, it was obvious—he was now suppressing the demonic blade himself. If they didn't take this chance, and he lost control again, the entire continent could be reduced to ashes.
"A regular seal won't be enough. We have no choice but to use that method," the White Tiger said gravely. Even their Four Divine Beast Seal, which could imprison ordinary Saint-grade Heavenly Sovereigns, had failed to contain that demonic sword. Only a more powerful method would do.
But that method came at a cost—it would require their lives.
They had accepted this possibility the moment they were chosen to seal Xiao Yan. In the Great Thousand World, many mighty beings had laid down their lives to seal unbeatable foes. The four of them would be no exception.
"In that case, let's begin!" the Black Tortoise nodded.
With a thunderous roar, the Azure Dragon bellowed into the sky, and the other three Divine Beasts followed suit. Their bodies ignited into roaring flames as they began burning their own lifeforce. In that moment of sacrifice, their auras surged upward, each one reaching the Saint-grade Heavenly Sovereign realm!
This kind of temporary boost came at an enormous cost and couldn't last long. But while their strength peaked, the four beasts gathered all their power. Four chains of transparent divine light shot out from their mouths, radiating pure might as they wrapped tightly around Xiao Yan.
These chains were forged from the very essence of their burning bodies. Each chain alone was enough to seal a Heavenly Demon Emperor. With all four combined in perfect harmony, the sealing power was amplified exponentially.
Bound by the divine chains, the demonic energy swirling around Xiao Yan's body began to be suppressed. Even the demonic blade lodged in his chest dulled noticeably. However, the corrosive power of the dark energy was so terrifying that the chains visibly blackened under its influence, and even the Divine Beasts' bodies began to show signs of erosion.
Seeing this, the four Divine Beasts hardened their gazes. Without delay, they descended into the earth, dragging Xiao Yan with them. They activated their dominion over the natural world, reshaping the terrain and burying themselves deep underground. As they did, countless radiant barriers emerged from their bodies and fused together.
These barriers were formed from the last vestiges of their power—immensely strong. They would suppress the demonic energy sealed below for tens of thousands of years. What would happen beyond that time, no one could predict. But this was the final offering the Divine Beasts could make to their world.
Once the barriers were complete, the flames consuming their bodies extinguished. Their flesh and blood had burned away completely, leaving only four skeletal remains. The chains binding Xiao Yan absorbed the taint of demonic energy and began to turn black, and the corruption slowly crept toward the Divine Beasts' bones as well.
Spring passed, autumn came, and tens of thousands of years flashed by like a dream.
In that time, the land transformed. The place that once sealed Xiao Yan became a lake. Whether due to the passage of time or the seepage of demonic energy, even Xiao Yan's body had become skeletal, bound within the darkened chains forged from the Divine Beasts' sacrifice.
Until one day, the seal was broken.
A black-haired youth stepped into the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range and claimed the demonic sword buried within. This youth, of course, was none other than Xiao Yan himself—albeit from a different timeline. After acquiring the Ten Thousand Beast Flame and obtaining the Dragon Slayer Sword, he could not have imagined that the skeletal figure sealed beneath this land was his own future self.
After he left, the sealed space once again sank into silence.
That silence endured for an unknown span, until a spark suddenly flared into existence within the void. It was a brilliant flame, glowing with divine radiance. As the fire grew, the scattered bones around it disintegrated into dust and began flowing into the flame.
The flame swelled rapidly. Countless threads of energy weaved through it, and soon, a slender figure began to form from within. The shape that emerged bore an uncanny resemblance to Xiao Yan's original appearance. However, an inexplicable sense of oppression emanated from his body, overwhelming and absolute.
Slowly, his eyes opened.
In his left eye swirled a divine, seven-colored radiance.
In his right eye surged a wicked, pitch-black demonic flame.
The two opposing forces flickered and flowed over his body, switching places again and again, until they finally subsided into his pupils. His eyes returned to their original obsidian black—but now bore faint crimson lines that shimmered with eerie allure.
"Huu… I've finally returned," Xiao Yan exhaled long and deep.
He clenched his fists lightly, feeling the terrifying strength surging through his body. A faint smile curved his lips. He could clearly sense it—the power now hidden within his body was far beyond what he possessed even when using the Sky Ascension.
This meant only one thing: he had officially stepped into the Saint-grade realm!
And it wasn't just his spiritual energy cultivation that had entered the Saint-grade—his physical body had advanced as well. Right now, if he were to face the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor and his entourage again, he wouldn't need to consume demonic emperor corpses or use the Sky Ascension. His own strength alone would be enough to annihilate them all.
(End of Chapter)
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