There is a beast in the bright morning.

After packing enough golden balls from the Sibuxiang's house, the two Pixiu brothers, Bixie and Tianlu, took Sibuxiang and Haochen back to the place where Dijiang had fallen.

On the way, Tianlu excitedly asked Bixie, "Bixie, do you think Jiangjiang has woken up yet?"

After Tianlu finished speaking, he seemed to have thought of something, and patted the large bag of golden balls on his back, saying, "It doesn't matter if Jiangjiang hasn't woken up yet. We brought so many golden balls back this time, so we don't have to worry about going hungry. We can wait for Jiangjiang to wake up."

Bixie smiled slightly, but didn't say anything. Instead, he listened quietly as Tianlu kept rambling on in his ear.

Tianlu didn't care and kept saying that after Jiangjiang woke up, they would go find Da Ge'er together and then they could live happily together again.

Hao Chen hugged Si Bu Xiang's neck, rested his head on Si Bu Xiang's head, and quietly listened to the two brothers' discussion behind him.

Meanwhile, Hao Chen would occasionally turn around to observe Bi Xie and Tian Lu, and found that Tian Lu's eyes were still clear with a hint of foolishness.

However, a hint of sadness lingered in the depths of Bixie's eyes when he mentioned Dijiang. Haochen thought that although Bixie didn't know that Dijiang was no longer awake, he probably realized that Dijiang wasn't simply asleep.

Hao Chen sighed inwardly: Alas, I am powerless to help in this situation. If I had come to this time and space before Di Jiang died, perhaps I could have helped Di Jiang safely overcome this life-or-death crisis.

Then, Hao Chen thought of Chaos. He figured that Chaos was probably teaming up with Qiongqi, Taotie, and Taowu, heading back this way.

"We'll see how things go. If there's an opportunity, we'll try to save Chaos."

Just as Hao Chen had this thought, he immediately mocked himself, "What nonsense am I talking about? It seems that Chaos is unwilling to accept the passing of Di Jiang, unwilling to let Di Jiang be all alone, and has voluntarily chosen to follow Di Jiang in death."

"So in the end, will Bixie and Tianlu still have to watch their two former family members leave them, just like in the original story?!" Haochen thought to himself as he looked at Bixie and Tianlu.

After sensing Hao Chen's gaze, Bi Xie noticed that Hao Chen was looking at him and Tian Lu with a regretful expression, which left Bi Xie somewhat puzzled.

"Haochen, why are you staring at me and Tianlu? Is there something dirty on our faces?"

Bixie's words interrupted Haochen's thoughts. Haochen shook his head: "It's nothing, I was just thinking about some things."

Suddenly, Tianlu leaned closer and said, "By the way, Haochen, you said before that you came from the future. Did you know me and Bixie in the future?"

After thinking for a moment, Hao Chen nodded and said, "Yes, we know each other, and in the future, Tianlu and I will be friends... and good sleeping buddies."

However, Hao Chen only said the last sentence in his heart. He dared not say it out loud in front of Bi Xie, because he was afraid of being beaten by Bi Xie.

While Little Plum Blossom and the others were chatting so enthusiastically on his back, he couldn't resist turning his head and asking, "What about me? Little Coal Ball, will I still be by Little Plum Blossom's side in the future?"

"This..." Hao Chen didn't know how to answer the question about the four-no-like creatures for a moment, and he even felt a sudden pang of heartache.

After all, in the future, there are no Qilin or Qilin, only Pixiu and Qilin.

Si Bu Xiang Jian didn't answer his question. His eyes darkened as he thought of the 500-year promise he and Xiao Meihua had made. And after 500 years, Xiao Meihua might leave him.

Si Bu Xiang said sadly, "Little Coal Ball, will I be separated from Little Plum Blossom and the others in the future?"

Hao Chen looked at the dimming pupils of the Four-Faced Beast and felt a tremor in his heart. He then said to himself in his mind, "Hao Chen, why are you thinking so much? It's fine if you don't have the power, but now you clearly have the power to make a change, so why are you still hesitating?"

No matter who the enemy is—be it the Heavenly Court or extraterrestrial beings—anyone who attempts to harm the Four-Faced Beast, the Evil-Repelling Beast, or the Heavenly Beast will be absolutely unforgivable.

At this moment, Hao Chen perhaps strengthened his resolve and faced his true self. He no longer felt lost or unreal; instead, his heart was full.

Amidst the astonished look in Si Bu Xiang's eyes, Hao Chen pressed his paws against Si Bu Xiang's face and kissed it on the forehead: "Si Bu Xiang, don't think too much. In the future, you, Bi Xie, and Tian Lu will still be together."

"Really? Little Plum Blossom is still with him? Little Coal Ball, you're not lying to me, are you?"

Si Bu Xiang was somewhat incredulous at Hao Chen's words, but upon seeing the certainty in Hao Chen's eyes, Si Bu Xiang felt a surge of joy: Little Plum Blossom and I will still be friends 500 years from now! What a blissful feeling!

Suddenly, Bixie shouted at the Four-Faced Beast, "Four-Faced Beast, wake up! Stop spacing out, you're going to fall!"

"Ah~"

Because the Four-Faced Beast was too excited, it momentarily forgot that they were still flying and forgot to control the auspicious cloud beneath their feet, almost causing Hao Chen and the others to fall from the sky. Fortunately, the Four-Faced Beast came to its senses in time, and they did not fall.

"I'm sorry, Plum Blossom, are you alright? I promise I won't get distracted next time."

After regaining his balance, Sibuxiang immediately turned to look at Bixie. Only after seeing that Bixie was alright did he breathe a sigh of relief.

However, Hao Chen was amazed by this scene and couldn't help but tease the Four-Unlikes: "Four-Unlikes, why are you only concerned about Bixie and not asking if Tianlu and I are alright?"

Si Buxiang blushed upon hearing this, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He realized he had indeed shown a bit too much concern for Xiao Meihua.

"Little Coal Ball and Little Blue Circle, are you alright?"

"Hmph, with your reaction speed, you'll turn something bad into something bad."

Si Bu Xiang lowered his head in shame after being told off by Hao Chen. Seeing this, Hao Chen stopped teasing him.

"Okay, I was just kidding. You're such a joker, you can't even take a joke." Hao Chen gently rubbed the four-legged creature's head to comfort it, and took the opportunity to rub its ears as well.

When Hao Chen touched the ears of the Four-Unlikes, he kept shouting in his heart: So soft, the feel is even better than that of Tianlu and the Four-Unlikes.

After feeling Hao Chen touch his ear, Si Bu Xiang nervously turned to look at Hao Chen. Seeing that Hao Chen was smiling and seemed genuinely not angry with him, Si Bu Xiang breathed a sigh of relief.

After flying for a while longer, Bixie suddenly called for a halt to the Four-Unlikes: "Wait, Four-Unlikes, please land over there."

Under Bixie's command, the Four-Unlikes landed next to a sapling of a periwinkle tree with four leaves of different colors. Then, Bixie, Tianlu, and Haochen jumped off the Four-Unlikes' back one after another.

Bixie came to the periwinkle tree, smelled it, and said, "This is the place. It's the scent of me and Tianlu. We left a big seed as a mark before we left, and now the seed has sprouted."

Then, with a sad expression, Bixie said to Sibuxiang and Haochen, "Jiangjiang is sleeping down here."

Tianlu said with anticipation, "Jiangjiang has been sleeping for a long time, I don't know when she will wake up."

"..." After hearing Bixie and Tianlu's words, Sibuxiang already knew in his heart that their friend Dijiang was not asleep, but dead.

"Little Plum Blossom... ugh!?"

Just as Si Bu Xiang opened his mouth, Hao Chen suddenly covered it, preventing him from continuing.

"The four inequalities... Never mind, just tell them, they'll have to go through this sooner or later."

Hao Chen didn't want Si Bu Xiang to reveal the truth about Di Jiang's death, as it would be too cruel for the two brothers.

But upon closer reflection, Bixie and Tianlu would find out the truth sooner or later, so a short, sharp pain is better than a long, drawn-out one.

The Four-Faced Beast was completely bewildered by Hao Chen's actions, but after Hao Chen released his hand from its mouth, it continued, "Little Plum Blossom, your friend is actually dead, isn't he?"

When Bixie and Tianlu heard Sibuxiang say that Dijiang was dead, they were not sad or upset. Instead, they looked puzzled.

"Dead? What does 'dead' mean?" Bixie and Tianlu looked at Sibuxiang curiously, waiting for its explanation.

The four who do not see each other do not understand, so they explain: "When she dies, she will no longer move, her body will no longer be warm, and finally she will become one with the earth and leave forever."

For Bixie and Tianlu, the words of the Four-Unlikes were like a bolt from the blue. Bixie stared blankly at Changchun Tree without saying a word.

Tianlu reacted agitatedly, yelling at Si Buxiang, "It's not like what you're saying, Si Buxiang! Jiangjiang is just asleep, she's not dead! Si Buxiang, stop lying to me! We're not going anywhere, we're staying here with Jiangjiang!"

Sibuxiangjian Tianlu didn't believe his own words, so he hurriedly explained, "Little Blue Circle, I didn't lie to you. Father and Mother said that divine beasts have different lifespans, and death is inevitable."

At this point, the Four-Faced Beast confidently declared, "However, I am a Qilin, the son of auspiciousness, with an extremely long lifespan, and I can accompany you for a very long time."

However, Tianlu was too agitated to accept that Sibuxiang had revealed Dijiang's death, so he bluntly told Sibuxiang, "Who cares if you accompany me! We've only known each other for five hundred years at most, stop trying to get close!"

"what!"

The Four-Faced Beast was frightened by Tianlu's words. The thought of them leaving him made him anxious. He quickly looked at Haochen, who was watching the show from the side, and said, "Little Coal Ball, come and explain for me. I didn't lie. Their friend is dead."

When Tianlu heard Sibuxiang repeatedly say that Dijiang was dead, he couldn't sit still any longer and burst into tears.

"Waaaah~ Four-Faced Beast, I hate you! You're not allowed to say anything bad about Jiang Jiang anymore. She's just asleep."

Tianlu's cries stirred up the sadness in Bixie's heart. No matter how strong Bixie appeared on the surface, he was still just an immature divine beast. Moreover, Dijiang and Chaos had accompanied him and Tianlu through their childhood.

Faced with Dijiang's death, Bixie could not remain indifferent, and tears uncontrollably streamed down his face.

"Ugh!"

Hao Chen didn't say anything, but simply pulled the Four-Faced Beast to the side of Bixie and Tianlu, and silently hugged Bixie, Tianlu and the Four-Faced Beast together with his paws.

"Bixie, Tianlu, it's alright, everything will be alright. Sibuxiang and I will always be with you, forever..."

"Yes, Little Plum Blossom, Little Blue Circle, and Little Coal Ball are right, we will always be together! Forever!"

In another timeline, Hao Chen, covered in wounds, fell from a spatial rift and was caught by Tian Lu, who had grown larger.