After using cheats, I became the strongest Beast Tamer

At the instant the Four Phases Divine coalesced, the sprawling gray-white world as vast as the Exotic Region suddenly pulsed with a heartbeat-like rhythm.

The Dark Realm, decaying for millennia, seemed to be injected with a potent stimulant; beneath pale rock layers, a viscous black tide akin to tar surged forth—an entire plane convulsing in resurrection amidst the shockwaves of divine birth.

"Hmm?"

Four Phases opened his dark golden eyes, suffused with Divinity, and a fleeting anomaly surfaced within the otherwise placid gaze.

In that brief moment, he sensed something amiss.

Power within his Divine Country was inexplicably draining away.

The pristine foundation of his Divine Country had somehow developed fissures, as though some entity was siphoning strength through a tether linked to his Divine Position—like termites hollowing out a dam.

All his achievements in ascending to godhood stemmed solely from his diligent efforts; his foundation was unparalleled, deemed perfect—how could such an occurrence transpire?

Slender, sharp fingertips pointed at the void.

From his fingertips, golden threads of Divinity wove and interlaced, spreading outward into the void, each thread corresponding to something connected to him.

This was also why gods' names could not be casually invoked, as calling their true names risked attracting divine attention.

Four Phases' gaze pierced through layers of void, landing on the source of his diminishing Divine Power.

The source of the drain was none other than one of his Divine Positions—the Lord of the Dark Realm.

The Dark Realm, capable of birthing multiple gods, was indisputably profound in its origins. Yet, prosperity gives way to decline; amidst adversity comes transformation. Millennia of drought had left the Dark Realm barren, its interior nearly incapable of nurturing new life, with only sparse regions remaining inhabited by stray remnants of Dark Realm creatures.

When a new Lord of the Dark Realm ascended, the Dark Realm instinctively drained the fresh god's power to replenish its Origin.

Be it the Dark Realm, Elemental Realm, Shadow World, or even the Star Realm—each was a fragment separated from the Exotic Region's prime plane.

Their inherent rules connected to the prime plane, yet they existed semi-independently.

Regarding leading the Dark Realm's revival, Four Phases harbored little objection.

Given the unique nature of his Divine Position, once ascended, his mere presence within the Dark Realm exerted formidable suppression over any foe.

This was his domain!

The suppression strength the Dark Realm exerted depended on its intrinsic potency.

But regardless of feedback or not, he alone should dictate the terms, not be passively drained.

Simply put—it's what I grant you that you may take; what I don't grant, you cannot have!

"Master, I'll return shortly." Stretching forth his arms, Four Phases tore open the space before him, abruptly descending upon the Dark Realm!

In the chaotic sky of the Dark Realm, endless black mist churned relentlessly, while towering snow-capped mountains in the distance loomed, desolate as a wasteland.

With a single step, Four Phases arrived with his fully-formed Divine Country in tow, descending upon the core of the Dark Realm.

Layer upon layer of black mist parted along his path, as countless pale arms shimmered fleetingly in the light, bowing to him in reverence.

As Four Phases shattered the final spatial barrier, the deepest Temple of the Dark Realm appeared before him.

Above the firmament, a colossal, space-spanning spine pierced through the heavens and earth. From above, torrents of Divine Power continuously poured forth, while inside decayed mountain cores, tens of thousands of Bone Priests conducted blood sacrifices. Their spines connected to boiling magma pools, transporting a viscous black substance to the sky—it was none other than the Dark Realm's Origin, ravenously siphoning Divine Power.

The magma pool suddenly erupted in a towering wave of filth, as a bronze coffin wrapped in the God-locking Chain floated skyward.

The bronze coffin's lid slightly lifted, unveiling thick black mist.

"Ah, so you're the one causing trouble… quite well hidden," Four Phases murmured, extending a single finger. The surrounding dark Divinity collapsed abruptly, and light across a thousand-kilometer radius was violently stripped away.

In absolute pitch darkness, only a sliver of the devouring, eternal night radiance shot toward the coffin.

The coffin's surface shimmered with faint luminescence, entirely blocking and nullifying the eternal night radiance.

From the coffin's crevices, viscous black mist seeped outward, twisting and entwining in mid-air as though alive. When the mist gathered to a critical mass, a mask woven from Shadows slowly materialized.

The mask's surface bore intricate, scale-like textures, with six gray-brown pupils spiraling in pattern, each radiating a profound gray light.

In the instant he locked eyes with this gaze, Four Phases felt his thoughts and soul gripped by an unseen force attempting to engulf him.

But with merely a flicker of his will, the surrounding space generated layers upon layers of invisible barriers, cutting off the interaction between them.

Under the relentless suppression, the pulling force dissipated entirely.

While the other entity possessed significant influence over the Dark Realm, its true master remained him.

Having suffered a small setback initially unnoticed, how could he now allow the opponent another opportunity?

"You're quite the formidable successor…"

The coffin lid slid open, revealing a towering, headless figure floating upright.

"Should I call you the Shadow God or… the Dark Overlord?" Four Phases scrutinized him up and down.

The figure before him was massive and burly, nearly nine meters tall, with gray, snake-scaled skin. From the tailbone extended a forked tail lined with barbs.

The neck bore evidence of a decapitation by some sharp blade, with purple-gold blood pouring endlessly from the severed stump—only to vanish in the void before touching anything.

From appearance, this figure bore little resemblance to the eagle-headed humanoid Dark Overlord.

Yet, at the first moment of glimpsing it, Four Phases' subconscious told him the two were intrinsically the same.

The headless figure showed no surprise.

The shell was but an external manifestation. It might deceive outsiders, but it was futile against another Lord of the Dark Realm.

"To ascend as a god in this era, your aptitude is worthy of pride. Even the previous two vessels cannot compare. Merge with me, become the new Shadow God, and restore the world to the era's shadowed glory," the headless Shadow God proclaimed, spreading his arms wide as thunderous words echoed across the heavens and earth.

"Seems losing your brain has affected you more than I expected." Four Phases casually scanned the Shadow God, unwilling to waste words on him. "Old relic… have you ever witnessed true speed?"

With that, he raised his arm.

The Speed Authority enveloped him.

BANG!!!

The Shadow God's chest was struck, collapsing inward, his massive form hurtling backward.

Barely airborne, a torrent of follow-up strikes rained down continuously upon him as the Shadow God was propelled backward with blinding speed. Along the way, countless blows fell mercilessly across his body, leaving him utterly defenseless.

What is speed, if not the essence that all attacks need time to land? As speed approaches infinity, the time taken reduces infinitely to zero.

If speed could truly reach infinite magnitude, the time required for attacks to land would reduce completely to zero—this is the Supreme Limit of Speed Authority: Infinite Speed.

Never touching solid ground, the Shadow God remained suspended in the sky, utterly dazed from the relentless barrage, unable to recognize his opponent's strikes—only feeling countless blows like torrential rain pounding his form.

Each strike shattered a faint layer of gray mist upon him, while the hue of his skin dimmed progressively.

I'm telling you...

"Enough!!"

The Shadow God roared furiously.

"SLAP!!!"

A resounding slap landed across his face.

Directly silencing his voice.