The Four Guardians

For a soul core a cultivator will slaughter a spirit beast, for a soul core they would sometimes forget about their own humanity, all so they could bend a spirit beast to their will or perhaps sell it for an exorbitant amount of spirit stones.

Near Wodan forest's outskirt, a human settlement has been formed, filled with all manners of mighty cultivators all in it for the soul core business. Pagodas and other buildings erected, invasive to the to the natural fauna and lush greenery all around.

A ripped, shirtless man slung a moving sack over his shoulder. The man moved through the bustling crows, passing by stalls that sold alchemical ingredients from the spirit beasts corpses stripped of their soul cores. Fire tiger claws, Seven poison viper fangs, and whole lot of other spirit beast parts.

The man entered a pagoda, its palatial insides filled with all manners of caged spirit beasts. For others, their future, to be smuggled as pets or as entertainment in an arena.

His men in black cultivator robes all bowed, its insignia of the calligraphy character meaning 'Hunt' almost likened them to a sect. Almost, as they are nothing but ruthless poachers. One of the largest group of hunters in Wodan, "Giang's Militia."

"Boss Giang, welcome back." One of bowing lackeys said.

"You're all not going to believe what I just caught! If we sell this, we will be drowning in spirit stones!"

Giang's stern expression broke into a smile, erring on the wicked. He let down the sack and opened its contents, revealing a young girl, no older than 8 in appearance.

Her eyes blindfolded with a magical cloth to seal the terrible power within her eyes. Atop her black hair were two antler horns, merely bulging. In her back was the tail of a dragon. Obviously a spirit beast, her blue robe was still that resembling a human's design.

These combination of features, it's none other than the fabled Qilin!

"Boss, that's a... that's a Qilin! How are we even going to find a buyer for that!?"

One of his lackeys trembled. Rightfully so. Once fully matured, this little girl shall manifest as a Divine Beast, wielding full control of her qi element and proving to be more than a match against human transcendants! No one on else would dare buy this off of them!

Giang's smile was self assures, he answered, "Aren't you forgetting the faction that can go toe-to-toe against these four guardians? The heavenly court, of course!"

"Boss, that girl's mouth is moving, it looks like she want so say something, shall I remove her gag?"

The moment they did so, the little girl went into a tirade of threats unbefitting her innocent demeanor.

"You're all dead men! Big sister will find me and kill all of you hunters! Big sister will kill all you faster than you can blink! Big sister will..."

Her voice grating Giang's ears, he grumbled. The threats of the little girl went on and on about how her big sister will massacre them all. From his arm down, Giang's arm transformed into steel. The mark of a physical cultivator.

"Hiyaaaaah!" Giang's fist slammed into the floor, mere inches from flattening the girl's head. The show of force shook the entire pagoda, silencing the little girl in terror. "If I hear another word about your Big sister, I'm going to harvest your soul core right here and now!"

Louder than Giang's fist, explosions quaked the pagoda.

A man wearing their robe burst in, "Boss Giang, we are under attack!"

Drat! The Guardians found him this fast!? Just when he was about to command his group and leave Wodan forever! Living in luxury from their haul that is this Qilin!

"I told you! I told you big sister will come to get me! Hah, you are so dead! If I were you I would grovel and...gaaaah!"

The little girl shrieked, sliding on the floor as Giant kicked her in the stomach.

"You fucking brat! Fuck, billions of spirit stones slip from my grasp!"

++++

The woman hovering into the air sprouted wings of red sparkling feather. Her robe, orange and majestic. Her hair, red and its tips flickered as if they were on fire. The woman of fiery beauty hovered and sat relaxed on the air as if on the finest of thrones, even crossing her legs.

With just a snap of her fingers, a meteor of pure fire reigned from the heavens, decimating a building in an instant. Such was the power of a fire Divine Beast, the elegant flame, Zhuque.

The man with whiskers in his cheeks had long white hair, on top were tiger ears. His white coat striped with color of dirt. The roaring Earth, Baihu.

"Return to us the Qilin you abducted and you humans might earn a sliver of our mercy. If you don't, them every single human in here shall perish by Zhuque's flame!"

Baihu shouted, his timbre enough to make the ground quake with his anger.

There are cultivators that tried to fight back, flinging their qi elements above to shoot down Zhuque, but her fiery aura incinerated whatever they threw at her before it even touched her robe.

With Baihu's retaliation, the very ground they were standing on became their enemy as gargantuan earth spikes emerged from the ground to impale them up high.

"These humans are so stubborn, all this bloodshed could be avoided if they simply hand Jiafeng back to us." The man's shoulders were to broad and muscular to be considered a human. His green shirt, tailored for the gargantuan turtle shell he carried behind him. The Divine Beast with unparalleled defense, Unyielding Shell, Xuanwu.

"I'll do you one better, there would be no need for this if these humans did not dare to lay their hand on Jiafeng, none of these would have happened. They fancy themselves full of wisdom but they are more stupid than monkeys."

Her tone calm but overflowing with hatred, the eye-patch that the woman wore failed to suppress her mature allure. Red lips, perfect oval jaw. Her long hair that almost reached her waist tied into ponytail with a lightning shaped ornament. Deer horns on top her hair, her blue tail wagged from behind her trousers and blue coat. The Qilin of Calamity, Divine Sword, Jiawei.

"Wait, stop!" Giang shouted, surrounded by his lackeys. "I have the Qilin right here!"

Jiafeng's mouth gagged, Giang slowly raised the girl to let the four guardians of Wodan know that their ilk is safe.

"We'll return them to you on one condition, if you leave is..."

There was a blitzing sound, the discharge of qi were to fast for them to notice, all the human cultivators detected was the afterburst of tremendous qi being expended.

Giang's now empty hands quivered at the speed Jiawei exhibited. Faster than they could blink, electrici current flowed in Jiawei's clothes as she cradled her sister.

Jiawei undid the little girl's gag, Jiawei's smile benevolent as she questioned.

"Did they hurt you, little feng?"

Jiafeng nodded, nuzzling in her sister's arms.

"Yes, that bad man that hunted my friends, he kicked me."

"N-now h-hold on, that child is lying! I mean we tied her but we didn't hurt her!" Giang stammered.

Jiawei handed little feng to Xuanwu. Giang's excuse didn't even register, even if it did she would still prefer her little sister's words over theirs.

Holding her wodao sword by its sheathe, a curved blade that differed in design with the usual jian straight sword, her right hand drew her sword in lightning speed. A drawn blade that found its way back to its sheathe faster than anyone on the battlefield could fathom. With a click of Jiawei's sword handle, lightning severed Giang's body in multiple pieces along with his henchmen.

"Zhuque, burn this settlement to ground. These humans will pay for their sins against our kind. And soon, every human in every realm shall be eradicated."