Online Game: Evil Dragon Against The Heaven - 251

A thought stirred in his heart as he stepped toward the now-dimmed glowing orb. Standing in front of it, he raised his left hand and tentatively reached out… If what he saw before was correct, it was precisely when his left hand touched it that an anomaly occurred. Moreover, at that moment, he had seen some kind of mark appear on the back of his left hand.

“You have arrived.”

Just as his hand extended, an aged voice suddenly echoed, causing his movement to freeze in place. This voice was not transmitted through sound waves but rather resonated directly within his mind.

“Who are you?” Ye Tian Xie withdrew his hand and turned around, scanning his surroundings in an attempt to locate the source of the voice.

“Hehehe…” The aged voice let out a calm chuckle. “You cannot see me. The current me is nothing more than a wisp of divine consciousness that attached itself to the Sacred Mark Beast ten thousand years ago. I would only awaken upon encountering you… I am the last clan leader of the Illusory Beast Clan, and I have been waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me?”

“Yes… Because you are the last, and also the only, hope of my Illusory Beast Clan.” The aged voice delivered a response that left him stunned.

“Why me?” Ye Tian Xie asked. He never believed in windfalls falling from the sky. The sudden emergence of that mark on his hand had given him some vague suspicions, but it only deepened his confusion.

“Because you possess the Sacred Mark. According to the legends of my Illusory Beast Clan, there can only ever be one person who possesses the Sacred Mark, and one day, he would appear. This person would not only be capable of bearing the power of our four divine spirits, but he could also awaken the Sacred Mark Beast—an entity that has been protected by my clan since our inception, yet has never before awakened.”

Ye Tian Xie: “…..”

“Perhaps my words now only leave you puzzled… But now, you may remove that covering and look at the back of your left hand, and you will understand.”

Without hesitation, Ye Tian Xie retracted the Sacred Dragon Fang from his left hand. The moment the white Sacred Dragon Fang vanished, his gaze froze in place.

On the back of his left hand, a precisely formed four-pointed star array, about the size of a ping-pong ball, was clearly imprinted. Each line on the formation faintly emitted a pure white glow. Ye Tian Xie stood in a daze, staring blankly at the back of his own hand.

This was his own hand.

He was absolutely certain that before this, such a mark had never existed on the back of his hand.

What exactly was going on? When did this mark appear? How did it come to be? If it had been there before, how could he have never noticed it?

“You need not be surprised…This is the Sacred Mark. However, before your Sacred Mark’s power awakened, it would not manifest. Only now has it truly appeared on your body.” The aged voice echoed in his mind, dispelling some of his doubts. He continued to stare at his left hand before suddenly looking up and asking, “What exactly is this Sacred Mark? Why has it appeared on my hand?”

“The Sacred Mark, according to the legends of my Illusory Beast Clan, is an imprint that can only appear on those who possess the purest, most refined, and strongest light power. The ultimate state of light power is divine power…which also signifies the power of protection. The essence of the Sacred Mark’s attributes is protection, and the destiny of my Illusory Beast Clan is to protect. Thus, the Sacred Mark is the most coveted imprint of our clan. Unfortunately, until the extinction of our clan, no one had ever possessed the Sacred Mark. Perhaps… this is the fate of my people. Similarly, it is said that those who possess the purest, most refined, and strongest dark power may bear the 『Demonic Mark』, which is the complete opposite of the Sacred Mark… representing destruction.”

“The imprint on the back of your left hand is undoubtedly the true Sacred Mark. I would never mistake it, and neither would the reaction of the Sacred Mark Beast. The only unexpected part… is that, according to legend, the Sacred Mark should appear on a person’s forehead, yet yours has manifested on the back of your hand. For the Sacred Mark to appear, there must be an incredibly pure and boundless light power hidden within your body… However, perhaps your body cannot withstand it, causing the power to automatically conceal itself for self-preservation, which is why it has not surfaced until now.”

Sacred Mark…Ye Tian Xie clenched his left hand into a fist, then loosened it, then clenched it again, watching the sacred white imprint shift in response. Another inexplicable reality had now been placed before him.

The purest and strongest light power…But in this world, wasn’t the power he possessed a fusion of light and darkness from the Dragon Force? Why was it now described as pure and absolute?

“Ten thousand years ago, the awakening of the Demon God Li Xiao brought a catastrophic disaster upon my Illusory Beast Clan. The entire clan was wiped out… The only thing that remained was the Sacred Mark Beast. The Sacred Mark Beast has existed since the inception of our clan. Our clan’s greatest ability is 『Illusion』. The Sacred Mark Beast possesses the strongest illusion transformation ability of all. Throughout countless years, it has remained dormant in its egg, never showing any signs of awakening. It is called the Sacred Mark Beast because, according to our clan’s legend, only a person who possesses the Sacred Mark and touches its egg with its power can awaken it from its slumber.”

An egg? This glowing orb before him… was actually the Sacred Mark Beast’s egg?

“You all have been waiting so persistently for someone with the Sacred Mark to appear. Surely, it is not just to awaken the Sacred Mark Beast, is it?” Ye Tian Xie pondered for a moment before speaking.

The aged voice responded, “Indeed… I hope that you can take the Sacred Mark Beast with you and seek out the lost Four Divine Spirits. The Sacred Mark Beast is the destiny-bound creature of our Illusory Beast Clan. As long as it follows you, you do not need to actively search—the fate of the world will guide you to the Four Divine Spirits. Although they perished in body and soul while sealing away the Demon God Li Xiao, divine spirits are still divine spirits. Before their demise, they foresaw their end and prepared for it. Thus, before sealing the Demon God Li Xiao, they left behind their most essential legacy of power on the lands of the Lost Continent. If you can find the powers they left behind, with the Sacred Mark you possess, you will be able to borrow their unparalleled strength.”

“The Four Divine Spirits reside in the four cardinal directions of the Lost Continent, each possessing different yet equally unrivaled powers. They inherited the mission of my Illusory Beast Clan to protect. The one who once guarded the western lands was the『Doom Shura』, the strongest in terms of offense, bound by the destiny of destruction. The 『Twilight of the Gods』 spear in his hand could make even the gods tremble. If you obtain his power, you will gain the strength to annihilate any obstacle in your path. To the east lies the 『Abyss Knight』, bound by the destiny of protection. His defensive power drives enemies to despair, and the 『Eternal Cataclysm』shield in his hands is a true sky-blocking shield. He alone could protect an entire city, and anything he chooses to guard has never been broken by any force. In the north resides the 『Azure Abyss Demon Emperor』, destined to pass judgment. His magic is so vast that even the heavens tremble before it. When he unleashes his boundless magic, the sky itself will shrink in fear and turn dark. With his power, you could destroy thousands of miles in an instant. To the south lies the 『Holy Sword War God』, bound by the destiny of battle. You have already personally experienced his power. Especially against enemies with wicked hearts, he is the most terrifying nightmare. Even the Demon God Li Xiao once feared him the most.”

“The power of the Holy Sword War God has remained here in this abandoned and forgotten ruin, and you have already inherited his power. Now, you only need to obtain the legacies of the other three Divine Spirits.”

“And then? Once I acquire these powers, what am I supposed to do for the Illusory Beast Clan”?

To inherit the power of the Four Divine Spirits—how thrilling and exhilarating that would be… Yet, Ye Tian Xie maintained firm control over his emotions. There is no such thing as a free lunch. This is an obvious truth known to all.

“You… do not need to do anything.” The elder’s voice gave him an unexpected answer. “I only wish for the supreme divine power of the Illusory Beast Clan to be passed down, rather than remain forever dormant in an unknown land. If you can awaken the Sacred Mark Beast, that alone would be a tremendous favor to my Illusory Beast Clan… Since the very first day of our existence, our clan has carried an ancient prophecy—one that came from an unknown time and place:『When the Sacred Mark Beast awakens, the Illusory Beast Clan shall never perish』. And today, the one who can awaken the Sacred Mark Beast has finally appeared.”

“However…” The elder’s voice paused briefly before continuing. “Back then, the Illusory Beast Clan was utterly annihilated by the Demon God Li Xiao. But Li Xiao, too, was defeated by our clan—at the cost of our extinction and the ultimate sacrifice of the Four Divine Spirits, who perished in both body and soul to seal him away. If our destruction had ensured the everlasting peace of the Lost Continent, then even in extinction, we would have had no regrets. But now, the Demon God Li Xiao has once again set foot upon the Lost Continent, casting a shadow of darkness over the land we sacrificed everything to protect… How can we possibly accept this? How can we possibly be at peace with this!!”

Ye Tian Xie’s expression wavered. He frowned and asked, “Wasn’t the ancient Demon God Li Xiao permanently sealed by the 『Sealing Heaven Formation』? Does that mean he wasn’t actually destroyed after being sealed… and that he’s about to awaken?”

“No… He is not about to awaken… The Demon God Li Xiao has long since awakened. He is already wandering upon this land. The moment my final trace of consciousness awakened through you, I sensed his presence. The aura of Li Xiao—I could never mistake it. He is very much alive. Perhaps…he had already broken free from the Sealing Heaven Formation ages ago.”

Ye Tian Xie:”…”

The name of the Demon God Li Xiao was not unfamiliar to him. The first time he heard it was from the Dark Nether Ghost King. And now… even with the overwhelming power of the Holy Sword War God, he had to unite with the other three Divine Spirits and sacrifice their very souls just to subdue him. The terrifying extent of this ancient Demon God could only be imagined.

If such a being had truly broken free from the Sealing Heaven Formation and returned to the Lost Continent… then he would undoubtedly become a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.