Make me leave the team? My beast girl and I can win easily.

Three days after Lin Shan ascended to the God of Chaos, Wujiang City enjoyed a rare good day.

Sunlight streamed through the villa's floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm, golden glow on the floor.

In the courtyard, five children were chasing and playing, their laughter as clear and melodious as silver bells.

Lin Li rode on the back of a small mechanical hunting dog, directing it to run around the yard, his short, silvery-white hair flying in the wind.

Lin Qi followed behind him, her steps neither hurried nor slow, her deep vertical pupils fixed on her brother's back, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Lin Lan sat on the steps, holding a book bigger than her head, pretending to "read" it, occasionally glancing up at her older brother and sister who were running around like crazy.

Lin Zhen was squatting by the flower bed, watering a rose with gentle movements, as if afraid that the flower would be shattered by the rain.

Lin Bei hid behind the door, peeking out half her head. Her heterochromatic eyes, one red and one blue, were full of envy. She wanted to join but didn't dare.

Lin Yu sat on the sofa in the living room, looking at the children outside the window, holding a cup of tea that had gone cold.

Taotie nestled in his arms, unusually not dozing off.

It tilted its head back, looking at Lin Yu with its big, bright eyes, and whispered, "Master, what are you thinking about?"

Lin Yu looked down at it and stroked its fur. "Thinking about what to do next."

Taotie blinked: "To the realm of gods?"

Lin Yu shook his head. "It's not the right time yet. I'm only a demigod now; going to the God Realm would be suicide. I need to find a way to break through first."

Taotie was silent for a while, then jumped down from his arms and landed on the ground.

It used its short claws to scratch on the ground, its movements clumsy but earnest. First, it drew a rough circle, then it added four dots in the four directions of the circle, and finally connected the four dots with crooked lines.

"Master, I have thought about it for a long time and finally remembered where the Four Divine Beasts are."

Lin Yu stared at the crooked "map" on the ground and remained silent for a second.

"This is... a map?"

Taotie nodded, looking serious: "That's right! They are at the four ends of the world. The eastern end is the Azure Dragon, the western end is the White Tiger, the southern end is the Vermilion Bird, and the northern end is the Black Tortoise."

"They each guard a direction, and have been doing so for millions of years."

Lin Yu looked at the "map" again.

The circle is drawn like a potato, the four points are obviously asymmetrical, and the connecting lines are crooked.

If Taotie hadn't explained, he wouldn't have been able to tell what it was at all.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Taotie puffed out its little chest: "I'm certain! Back when I was fighting them, I went to the east to find the Azure Dragon. Halfway through the fight, the White Tiger came from the west, the Vermilion Bird flew in from the south, and the Black Tortoise crawled over from the north."

"I remember clearly that four of them ganged up on me!"

It paused, then added, "That old guy Azure Dragon is the most cunning. He first wrapped his tail around my leg, then White Tiger pounced from behind, Vermilion Bird set fire in the sky, and Black Tortoise set ice below."

"I fought against four opponents single-handedly for three days and three nights, and in the end, we were evenly matched."

Lin Yu couldn't help but laugh when she saw its smug look.

"He fought four opponents alone, managed a draw, and was even imprisoned in the Sky Tower?"

Taotie's face—if Maoqiu had a face—instantly turned red. "That, that's because the Dragon God intervened! If it weren't for the Dragon God, I wouldn't have lost! The Dragon God knocked me unconscious with a single slap; I didn't even have time to react..."

Lin Yu ruffled its fur. "Okay, whatever, as long as you know where they are, that's fine. Let's go to the east first."

The gluttonous beast's eyes lit up, and it nuzzled against his chest. "Master, I'll lead the way!"

That evening, Lin Yu convened a meeting with all the beast girls.

The living room was packed with people.

Lin Xue sat to Lin Yu's left, as aloof as ever.

Lin Ya was holding a bag of potato chips, still chewing on them.

Lin Shan held the book, not even looking up.

Lin Duo huddled in the corner, looking at everyone timidly.

Lin Qing held Lin Yu's arm, her eyes filled with a melancholy.

Lin Hui lay on Lin Yu's lap, the dragon's tail swaying back and forth.

Lin Huan sat gently to the side, pouring tea for everyone.

Lin Yue and Lin Su sat together, discussing something in hushed tones.

Lin You's illusory figure floated in mid-air, her transparent fingertips drawing streams of data in the air.

Vera stood in the doorway, as quiet as a statue.

Dashan sat in a specially made chair, his more than three-meter-tall figure standing out conspicuously in the living room.

The five children were already asleep, and the sound of even breathing could be heard from upstairs.

Lin Yu looked around and said, "I plan to go find the Four Divine Beasts."

The beast girls showed no surprise, as if they had expected Lin Yu to say that.

Lin Xue was the first to stand up: "Master, I'll go with you."

Lin Ya raised her hand and said, "I'll go too!"

Lin Duo whispered, "Duo'er, you should go too..."

Lin Qing held Lin Yu's arm without saying a word, but her eyes said it all.

Lin Yu shook her head. "This time won't work. I have to go alone to face the trials of the Four Divine Beasts."

Lin Xue frowned: "Why?"

Lin Yu looked at her and said earnestly, "Because this is my path. The path to godhood can only be walked by myself. You can't help me."

Lin Xue fell silent.

She knew Lin Yu was right.

That was his path, and no one could walk it for him.

Knowing is one thing, accepting is another.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she just nodded.

Lin Ya put down the bag of potato chips and said seriously, "Master, then be careful."

Lin Duo peeked out from the corner and whispered, "Master, Duo'er is waiting for you to come back."

Lin Qing didn't say anything, but simply hugged Lin Yu's arm even tighter.

Lin Hui climbed off Lin Yu's lap and hugged his neck.

"Master, Hui'er won't go, but Hui'er will give you all the children. Let them keep you company, okay?"

She jumped off Lin Yu's lap and clasped her small hands together. A light blue light flashed, and a palm-sized mechanical hunting dog leaped out of the void and landed on Lin Yu's shoulder.

Then came the second, the third, the fourth...

Ten small mechanical hunting dogs lined up and perched on Lin Yu's shoulders, like a string of fluffy ornaments.

"These are the best children Hui'er has ever made! They will protect their owner!" Lin Hui said, hands on her hips, looking very proud.

Lin Yu rubbed her dragon horns.

"Alright, then let Hui'er's children come with me."

Lin Huan said gently, "Master, Huan'er will continue to collect the power of wishes and wait for Master to return. No matter how long it takes, Huan'er will wait."

Lin Yue and Lin Su said in unison, "We will also prepare the best equipment and medicines for our master to use when he returns."

Lin You's illusory figure floated in front of Lin Yu, her transparent fingertips drawing streaks of light in the air.

"Master, I will monitor the movements of the divine realm 24 hours a day."

"If the five high-ranking gods make any unusual moves, I will notify you immediately."

Vera bowed slightly: "Vera is ready at any time. The warship is ready and can depart at any moment."

Dashan stood up and said in a deep voice, "Master, Dashan can't be of much help, but Dashan will protect the home."

Lin Yu stood up and looked around.

Lin Xue, Lin Ya, Lin Shan, Lin Duo, Lin Qing, Lin Hui, Lin Huan, Lin Yue, Lin Su, Lin You, Vera, Da Shan.

There was also a Taotie, and five children.

His family, his support.

"Wait for me to come back."

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Vera's transformed warship hovered above the villa.

The thousand-meter-long hull gleamed with a pale golden light in the morning glow, and the main gun at the bow was slightly lowered, like a sleeping behemoth.

The surrounding residents had long been accustomed to the presence of this giant ship, and now they couldn't even be bothered to look up at it.

They've seen it far too many times in the past few months.

Lin Yu stood in the courtyard, holding Taotie in her arms, with ten small mechanical hunting dogs perched on her shoulders.

Lin Xue stood in front of him and straightened his collar.

The movement was so natural, as if it had been done countless times.

"Come back soon," she said.

Lin Yu nodded. "Mm."

Lin Hui ran over and hugged his leg. "Master, Hui'er will miss you!"

Lin Yu crouched down and gently stroked her dragon horns. "I'll miss you too."

Lin Qing walked over, buried her face in his shoulder, and said in a muffled voice, "Master, come back soon."

Lin Yu patted her on the back.

"it is good."

"Don't worry, everyone, I'll be back soon."

He stood up, turned and walked toward the warship.

Behind him, the beast girls lined up, watching him leave.

Lin Huan held the five children. The youngest, Lin Bei, was still asleep. Lin Li rubbed his eyes and asked in a childish voice, "Where did Daddy go?"

Lin Huan said softly, "Father has gone to take care of something very important. He'll be back soon."

Lin Li nodded and fell asleep again on her shoulder.

Lin Yu stepped into the warship, the hatch closing behind him.

He stood by the porthole, watching the figures below grow smaller and smaller, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

The Taotie nestled in his arms, looking up at him.

"Master, are you reluctant to part with it?"

Lin Yu nodded.

"A little."

Taotie nuzzled against his chest.

"Then let's pass the test quickly and come back soon."

Lin Yu smiled.

"it is good."

The warship took off and flew eastward.

Wujiang City grew smaller and smaller until it became a single point of light and disappeared below the horizon.

The coastline came into view, followed by the vast ocean.

The color of the seawater changed from light blue to dark blue, from dark blue to inky blue, and finally to a deep blue that was almost black.

The Taotie perched on the porthole, pointing downwards with its short claws.

"Master, we've arrived. The Azure Dragon resides in the deepest part of this sea."

Lin Yu looked at the unfathomable ocean.

How deep is it?

Taotie thought for a moment.

"About...ten thousand feet?"

"When I came here last time, I stayed hidden for a very, very long time."

"Back then, I was young and in good physical condition."

"I'm too old to dive now."

Lin Yu glanced at it.

A mythical beast that has lived for tens of thousands of years said it was old.

He stood up and took the mechanical hounds off his shoulder one by one, placing them on his seat.

"You wait here."

The mechanical hounds nodded in unison, their tails wagging happily.

Lin Yu picked up the Taotie, stepped out of the warship, and leaped into the sea.

The seawater was icy cold.

The moment Lin Yu entered the water, she felt immense pressure.

This is not ordinary seawater pressure, but a kind of pressure at the level of law—the Azure Dragon's "Beginning" law, which covers the entire sea area.

The deeper you dive, the greater the pressure becomes.

At a depth of ten thousand fathoms, not even light can penetrate; the surroundings are pitch black.

The Taotie nestled in his arms, its body radiating a faint light that illuminated the path ahead.

Although the light was faint, it felt especially warm in the darkness.

After diving for an unknown amount of time, Lin Yu's feet finally touched the ground.

The seabed is a flat sandy area, scattered with huge shells and corals.

The seashells were as big as cartwheels, and the corals were as tall as houses, refracting a dazzling array of colors in the gluttonous light.

In the distance, there was a huge palace, its entire body emerald green, emitting a faint glow, like a giant piece of jade inlaid on the seabed.

At the palace entrance, two dragons coiled on stone pillars.

They were not large, only a dozen meters long, but they exuded a chilling aura—an aura close to that of demigods.

Upon seeing Lin Yu, they all opened their eyes simultaneously, their vertical pupils filled with vigilance.

"Who goes there?"

Lin Yu stood at the palace gate and calmly said, "I am Lin Yu, and I request an audience with the Azure Dragon God."

The two dragons exchanged a glance, and one of them spoke: "The Divine Lord does not receive outsiders. Please return."

Lin Yu did not move. He stood there, slowly releasing his aura—the aura of a demigod, the aura of the laws of creation.

The aura surged forth like a tide, enveloping the entire palace.

The pupils of the two dragons suddenly contracted.

They sensed the power contained within that aura—a power powerful enough to make them crawl.

One of the dragons' tails curled up involuntarily, while the other's body trembled slightly.

But they didn't move aside; instead, they gritted their teeth and stubbornly blocked the doorway.

"The divine ruler has decreed that no outsiders shall be seen." Their voices trembled, but they did not retreat.

Lin Yu looked at them but did not force her way in.

He was just waiting.

From deep within the palace came an aged yet authoritative voice. "Let him in."

The two dragons, as if granted a pardon, quickly made way.

Lin Yu stepped into the palace.

The palace is even more magnificent inside than it appears from the outside.

The towering stone pillars were covered with ancient runes, and the ground was paved with unknown jade, which emitted a faint green light with every step.

Deep within the palace, a colossal azure dragon coiled upon the throne.

Its size is even larger than the true form of the Taotie. Its thousand-meter-long body is coiled into a small mountain, and its entire body is covered with emerald green scales, each scale emitting a faint glow.

Its eyes are golden, with a gleam of wisdom flowing in its vertical pupils, and its whiskers hang down to the ground like two green ribbons.

It held two dragon balls in its claws, one emerald green and the other golden yellow, which slowly spun around.

It looked down at Lin Yu, its golden eyes showing no hostility, only scrutiny.

"I never expected that humanity would produce a demigod, one who even controls the laws of creation. Interesting."

Lin Yu looked up at the mythical beast that had lived for millions of years and calmly said, "I'm here to accept the test."

Qinglong remained silent for a long time.

Its golden eyes stared intently at Lin Yu, as if trying to see right through him.

"Do you know why I'm guarding this place?"

Lin Yu shook her head.

The Azure Dragon slowly opened its mouth, its voice echoing like an ancient bell in the palace.

"The world has four ends. The eastern end is the beginning of all things."

"I am here to wait for someone who can bear the power of 'Beginning'."

"For thousands of years, countless people have come here, but no one has ever passed through."

It paused, a hint of melancholy in its voice. "True gods have come, attempting to forcibly seize my laws. Demigods have come, trying to prove themselves with power. Mortals have come, trying to move me with their piety."

"They all failed."

"I drove away the true gods, I killed the demigods, and the mortals... I didn't make things difficult for them, but they gave up on their own."

Lin Yu asked, "What kind of test?"

The Azure Dragon did not answer directly, but instead raised its claw, and the emerald green dragon pearl floated up from its palm, hovering in front of Lin Yu.

In Dragon Ball, one can vaguely see a miniature world at work—mountains and rivers, flowers, birds, fish and insects, all things growing and all things dying.

That world is so small, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

But it was too big, so big that it contained the entire world.

"This is the Law of 'Beginning,' which I have accumulated over millions of years. What can you see in it?"

Lin Yu looked at the dragon ball.

At first, what he saw was just a miniature world.

Mountains and rivers are not much different from the real world.

Flowers, birds, fish, and insects are not much different from the real world.

But this is not what Qinglong wants him to see—if he only sees the surface, what is the difference between him and those "mortals who give up"?

He closed his eyes and used the laws of creation to sense the essence of the Dragon Ball.

The laws of creation flowed within him like a golden river.

He diverted the river towards the Dragon Ball, allowing them to converge and merge. Then he felt it.

The world inside that Dragon Ball is not static, but constantly changing.

The mountains and rivers are growing, rising slowly at a rate imperceptible to the naked eye;

The river is flowing, and every drop of water is rushing forward;

Flowers bloom and wither, fish and insects live and die; life is born and life dies in every moment.

Change, change everywhere.

The source of change is creation.

The old perishes, the new is born, life goes on and on, in an endless cycle.

He opened his eyes.

"The beginning of all things is not creation, but change."

The Azure Dragon's eyes lit up.

Something was gleaming in those golden, vertical pupils—

It wasn't shock, nor relief, but a sense of relief that "I've finally waited for this moment."

Lin Yu continued, "Creation is just the starting point; change is eternal. A world without change is dead. Just like the world in this Dragon Ball—if it stops changing, it's just a painting, a specimen, an inanimate object."

"But it is changing. The mountains are growing taller, the rivers are flowing, the flowers are blooming, and the birds are flying. So it is alive."

He paused, looking into the Azure Dragon's eyes. "The true 'beginning' is the start of change. It's the moment a seed sprouts from the soil, the moment a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, the moment a life is born into the world."

"At that moment, the world truly began."

Qinglong remained silent for a long time.

The entire palace fell silent, so quiet that the buzzing sound of the Dragon Ball spinning could be heard.

The two dragons at the door held their breath, not daring to utter a sound.

Then Qinglong laughed.

The mythical beast, which had lived for millions of years, revealed a relieved smile.

That smile softened its dignified face, making it look like a kind elder.

"For millennia, you are the first to say that 'beginning' is change." Its voice was no longer majestic, but carried a gentle sigh. "Countless people have come before me, some saying it is power, some saying it is life, some saying it is time."

"They are all looking for 'something,' something they can hold in their hands."

"Only you have seen the essence."

It pushed the dragon ball toward Lin Yu.

"This is my gift. The Law of 'Beginning', take it."

The Dragon Ball sank into Lin Yu's chest.

In that instant, he felt a warm energy surge into his limbs and bones, like a warm river flowing through his veins.

His laws of creation were cheering, rejoicing, and greedily absorbing this new power.

The laws of creation have gained a new dimension—change.

Creation is just the beginning; change is eternal.

He closed his eyes and felt the changes within his body.

The laws of creation are no longer a still river, but a surging mighty river, where every drop of water is flowing and every wave is churning.

His demigod body was also changing, becoming more solid and powerful.

When he opened his eyes again, Qinglong had already stood up.

The thousand-meter-long body slowly stretched out, its scales shimmering with an emerald luster in the palace's light.

"You've passed my test." The Azure Dragon looked down at him, its golden eyes filled with expectation. "Go, your next target should be the White Tiger in the west, right?"

"That guy has a bad temper, but he's not a bad person at heart. Don't let it scare you."

Lin Yu bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Divine Lord."

He turned and walked out of the palace.

Behind them, Qinglong's voice rang out again.

"Humans".

Lin Yu stopped and turned around.

The Azure Dragon looked at him, and in its golden eyes was a light that Lin Yu had never seen in the eyes of a divine beast before—it was trust.

"I have lived for millions of years and have seen countless geniuses. True gods, demigods, mortals... these geniuses are as numerous as carp crossing a river. They all made me think, 'Perhaps this is the one,' but in the end, they all disappointed me."

"You are the only one who makes me feel that perhaps it can really happen."

It paused, its voice low and solemn.

"Don't let me down."

Lin Yu looked at the mythical beast that had lived for millions of years and said seriously, "No, it won't happen."

He turned and walked out of the palace.

Behind him, the Azure Dragon once again coiled on the throne and closed its eyes.

The golden dragon ball slowly rotated in the palm of his hand, radiating a warm light.

Two dragons stood at the door watching him leave, their eyes filled with awe.

Lin Yu walked outside the palace, and Taotie poked its head out from his arms, whispering, "Master, how is it?"

Lin Yu looked down at it and smiled.

"It's approved."

The Taotie's eyes lit up.

"I knew Master could do it! That old Azure Dragon's test was the hardest. It didn't test strength, it tested intelligence. I failed his test back then, which is why I ended up fighting him."

As Lin Yu swam upstream, she asked, "What did it test you on?"

Taotie pursed its lips.

"It showed me that bead. I looked at it for a long time and said there was something delicious inside. Then it got angry."

Lin Yu smiled.

So you really didn't pass.

Taotie retorted, "I'm telling the truth! There really is delicious food in the world inside that bead. I can smell it—grilled fish."

Lin Yu ruffled its fur and said nothing more.

The man and the beast swam upstream.

Behind them, the emerald green palace gradually disappeared into the darkness.