CHAPTER 916: IT’S HIM, THAT INVINCIBLE NOBLE BEING!

Sure enough, the moment she posed that question, the atmosphere froze. Everyone was dumbfounded.

"Well, that’s that," she said with a casual shrug. "Maybe if I become a God someday, I’ll come back and have a friendly spar with the Four Divine Beasts. But right now? It’s not that I’m not interested in this sacred land, it’s just that the situation is helpless. What can I do? I don’t want to get beaten up for nothing."

She lifted both hands and showed her palms with a look of exaggerated innocence, the picture of powerlessness.

A joke, of course. Only a fool would dare underestimate the ancient power wielded by the Four Deities.

Everyone: "..."

Their lips twitched. Such blatant nonsense, who would actually believe that? Wait until she became a God? By then, they would have grown even stronger. Even if she reached that realm, the outcome would likely remain the same. It wasn’t a matter of ability. These beings had cultivated for countless ages; their strength was not born from titles alone.

In short, this girl had no real desire to claim the land. She wasn’t interested in fighting over it, and she wasn’t even pretending otherwise.

"Divine Ones," she said politely, clasping her hands, "if there’s nothing else, may I take my leave?"

"You can’t leave!" Qing Long, Bai Hu, Xuan Wu, Zhu Que, and Qing Luan shouted in unison, their voices ringing through the sacred air.

Shenlian Yingyue: "..."

"You must take this land," Qing Luan insisted, stepping forward quickly.

"If you don’t complete the contract, the land will collapse," Qing Long explained, his tone urgent but restrained.

"What exactly does that mean?" Shenlian Yingyue asked, frowning.

"There’s never been a half-contract in all of history," Bai Hu sighed. "The only reason we divided this land and entered a shared agreement was because none of us could fully subdue it alone. But the time limit is nearing. We were granted dominion over this sacred land for three thousand years. Once that ends, if no one successfully tames it, the land will become masterless and fall into chaos."

"Then why don’t you fully subdue it yourselves?" she asked.

"If we could, would we be asking you?" Xuan Wu replied coldly, flicking his sleeves.

"We’re injured," Zhu Que added, brows furrowed. "In our current state, we simply can’t do it."

"Then wait a thousand years, recover, and subdue it later," Shenlian Yingyue said, spreading her palms as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world.

Everyone: "..."

"We can’t wait," Qing Luan said firmly. "If we fail again, who will help us after you’re gone? We can’t trust anyone else."

"That’s not my problem. See? They don’t even trust me," Shenlian Yingyue replied, sounding truly helpless.

Everyone: "..."

She’s holding a grudge, they realized. There could be no other explanation for why she kept refusing them so casually.

Finally, Qing Long let out a deep breath. His voice was stiff, but he lowered it slightly.

"Very well. We admit we were arrogant and wrong to threaten you before. Now, will you help us subdue this land?"

The silence that followed was heavy. For ancient beings as revered as the Four Deities, an apology was more precious than divine treasure.

"What can I possibly do? If even Senior Qing Luan can’t manage it, and none of you can either, how could I?" Shenlian Yingyue pointed at herself, her brows furrowing in genuine confusion. The idea that she, someone who had only recently stumbled into this sacred place, could accomplish what these ancient beings could not seemed absurd.

The four sacred beasts exchanged glances before Zhu Que, her crimson eyes gleaming with persuasion, stepped forward. "Of course you can. All we need is your cooperation. In return, we’ll share the resources of this Sacred Land with you." Her voice was smooth, but the faint twitch at the corner of her lips betrayed her expression.

Before anyone could respond, a ripple in the air drew their attention. A small, fluffy white figure materialized in their midst, Xiao Yun, his rainbow-hued eyes glinting with mischief.

The four beasts immediately tensed, their auras flaring in alarm.

"How did you get in here?!" Bai Hu growled, his claws unsheathing. This Sacred Land was their domain; no one entered or left without their permission.

Yet, this creature had waltzed in as if the barriers didn’t exist.

"Yunyun?" Shenlian Yingyue blinked in surprise, relief washing over her at the sight of her companion.

"Master, leave this to me." Xiao Yun darted forward, nuzzling against her leg affectionately before turning to face the four ancient beasts. His playful demeanor shifted, his gaze hardening with an authority that didn’t match his small, fluffy form.

"Alright." Shenlian Yingyue nodded, her trust in him unwavering.

The moment Xiao Yun had appeared, something had stirred in the depths of the sacred beasts’ memories. His presence was... familiar. Too familiar.

"You..." Qing Long’s bright jade eyes narrowed.

"Here’s the deal. You four will form a contract with her. No arguments. If you refuse, I’ll just take this Sacred Land from you by force." Xiao Yun ignored their hesitation, floating just above the ground as he addressed them bluntly.

Silence.

Then, outrage.

"How dare you?!" Zhu Que’s feathers ignited, flames licking up her wings as her temper flared. No one spoke to the Vermilion Bird of the South like that.

Qing Long’s scales gleamed ominously, Bai Hu’s muscles coiled, and Xuan Wu’s dark aura thickened. Each of them radiated fury. The very air trembled under their combined wrath, the skies darkening as the Sacred Land itself reacted to their anger.

Qing Luan, sensing the impending disaster, quickly retreated to Shenlian Yingyue’s side, her usually composed face pale.

Xiao Yun, however, remained utterly unbothered. He stretched lazily, examining his claws as if this were nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

"Oh, I dare. And since you’re being difficult, I’ll just beat you into submission."

"Arrogant whelp!" Bai Hu snarled. "We’ll teach you respect!"

In an instant, the four sacred beasts moved, surrounding Xiao Yun from all directions. Their elemental powers surged: azure dragonflame, blazing vermilion fire, crushing blackwater, and razor-sharp whitewind—each attack capable of leveling mountains, if not entire realms.

Shenlian Yingyue’s breath hitched. Even a fraction of that power would obliterate her. But before she could react, Xiao Yun’s rainbow eyes gleamed.

A single paw lifted.

A casual flick.

The world stilled.

The devastating attacks meant to reduce him to ashes simply vanished. Dissolved into nothingness, as if they had never existed.

The four beasts froze.

Silence.

Then, "Impossible!" Qing Long, Bai Hu, Xuan Wu, and Zhu Que hissed.

They struck again, this time with even greater force.

Xiao Yun sighed, as if disappointed by their stubbornness. Another wave of his paw, and suddenly, the four sacred beasts were forced to their knees, an invisible weight pressing down on them like the heavens themselves had descended upon their backs. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, their limbs trembling under the pressure.

This time, realization struck.

That rainbow light. That overwhelming presence. That effortless dominance over space itself.

There was only one being in all existence who could do this.

"W-we pay homage to..." the four of them choked out, their voices filled with awe and terror.

"No need for titles," Xiao Yun interrupted, waving a dismissive paw. "Just agree to the contract."

Shenlian Yingyue’s jaw dropped. Beside her, Qing Luan looked as if she might faint.

What just happened?