Divine Emperor of Death

"Schleya!"

Mingzhi felt her heart skip a beat before she screamed. However, the light sword cleanly stabbed through Schleya's chest and pierced out of her back, her black robe becoming drenched with her blood.

Adlet Rayburn appeared dumbfounded before he turned to look towards them, spotting his two his wives shiver.

The two women felt despair. However, they didn't blame their husband, closing their eyes as they shed tears because they were determined to follow him everywhere, even in the afterlife.

Due to having his parents killed by the wicked path, Adlet Rayburn would never let go of a wicked path person alive if he met one. They felt that they should've informed this matter to the Emperor of Death beforehand, but if used now, it would merely be an excuse. They could only accept whatever punishments that came their way or face death together.

*Boom!~*

Abruptly, Schleya exploded into a blood mist, causing Adlet Rayburn to become horrified as he swiveled his head at her.

Bloody mist covered the area, its aura full of her blood.

The Young Blood Demoness committed suicide by detonating her middle dantian!?

Not only him but the people became stupefied as they witnessed this scene. She hated losing so much that she killed herself? Or was this her valiance? Since she lost, she chose to kill herself due to the muttering how she wanted to battle to the death every time she became relevant.

Suddenly, they couldn't help but feel that this wicked path woman was honorable.

Abruptly, Davis raised his hand, pointing at Adlet Rayburn.

That movement didn't escape the gazes of the Mandate Emperor or Adlet Rayburn, causing their scalps to turn numb.

Adlet Rayburn's hair raised as he particularly felt immense pressure, feeling that he was going to be locked down in place and killed. However…

"Your eminence, please have mercy!"

Abruptly, the two women, one red-haired and the other blue-haired screamed as they cupped their hands towards Davis, but he didn't look at them. They moved their bodies, looking like they were about to kneel when a thunderous voice echoed.

"Risa! Mariel! Don't kneel! I, Adlet Rayburn, will face whoever wants to kill me with dignity!"

Adlet Rayburn flew into the skies, thousands of skylarks appearing as they transformed into bright silvery swords, each one of them having two hundred percent of the power he used against Schleya. People instantly determined his prowess to be at Peak-Level Law Rune Stage, almost equivalent to the Yin Lotus Fairy.

That terrifying prowess instantly left people sucking in a cold breath of air.

Clearly, Adlet Rayburn held back a lot!

"I have not killed your Young Blood Demoness, and I cannot be responsible if she killed herself for her own selfish reasons. However, I know you won't let me go because wasn't that what you're planning?"

Adlet Rayburn's gaze was icy and enraged while his words shocked the people.

The Emperor of Death was after Adlet Rayburn's treasures? Did he use the Young Blood Demoness as a sacrifice for it?

Davis's lips almost cracked a smile as he saw this scene. He merely pointed his finger in a different direction, pointing at a particular place in the battle stage.

Everyone's gaze fell on the direction that the Emperor of Death pointed, and to their shock, they found Schleya silently meditating as she sat in a lotus position, an illusive crimson mist surrounding her.

Adlet Rayburn blinked thrice, unable to believe this scene before his pupils dilated.

"Escape Arts!"

Instantly, it dawned on them all.

Schleya used an escape technique to put the sand into their eyes, essentially fooling them. Adlet Rayburn was particularly shaken.

He had seen wicked path people using escape arts before, but this was his first time witnessing an escape art that completely fooled his senses. Moreover, since he stabbed her dantian and she exploded into a blood mist, it was common for him to think that she detonated herself.

He likely would've allowed her to get away if this was a battlefield as he couldn't sense her escaping.

Not only him, almost everyone believed that Schleya was dead. Even Davis did for a moment before he recalled that Schleya made a sneaky maneuver using one of her blades to stab the surface when the battle began.

Likely, she had planted her blood essence there, which would allow her to escape when she uses her Escape Art, meaning that she knew the outcome and planned a way out. He found this to be mysterious but then understood that it was some kind of substitution art used through the Blood Pledge's strange techniques.

He could also tell that Schleya didn't reform her body but had transported herself to the blood essence's location but to think that this manual would also contain the profundities of space to be able to allow her to teleport to her blood essence.

No wonder the Blood Dust Emperor of yonder had the skies of the Blood Pledge Villa Territory painted in his blood dust energy even after he had gone.

Davis longed for this kind of law comprehension, but he suddenly shook his head.

'No… not teleportation. Schleya's speed while escaping was so fast that she traveled while attaching herself to the faint layer of empty space and visible space…'

At that moment of understanding, Davis felt his Space Law comprehension increase, allowing him to comprehend a minor resonance.

The Mandate Emperor had also noticed Schleya's sneaky maneuver long back as he possessed a vast experience battling the wicked path. Otherwise, he would've long made a move. It was just the Emperor of Death pointing at Adlet Rayburn that startled him, thinking that Davis didn't sense Schleya using her escape arts, but it seemed like he was just teasing Adlet Rayburn.

'Youths…' The Mandate Emperor could only shake his head.

While the New Era Battle Arena was completely silent, Schleya stood up after a few seconds, cupped her hands towards Adlet Rayburn, and slightly bowed her head.

"I admit defeat."

After that, she stored her crimson blades that had returned and flew towards the Alstreim Family's seating area before stopping as her lips moved.

"Remove the barrier."

"Ah, yes!"

Honorable Elder Julian Kruse instantly deactivated the barrier, allowing her to leave. Meanwhile, Adlet Rayburn stood there in mid-air, appearing to be dumbstruck with his mouth agape, his eyes vacant.

"The winner of this battle, Adlet Rayburn."

The former's voice woke him out of his reverie before his face quickly became crimson.

He had uttered such hot and courageous words, even vaguely mentioning that the Emperor of Death was after his treasures, but the situation turned out to be like this!?

Why did he feel like he was conned by both Schleya and the Emperor of Death?

Although he won, he hung his head and returned. However, he didn't move towards his women but appeared before Davis.

"Sigh, I apologize. I didn't mean to doubt-"

"We are not friends to be so trusting." Davis cut him off, "I saw how you held back, so it's natural that I won't say anything. Even if you crippled her, I wouldn't do anything. After all, I only asked you to keep her life afloat."

Adlet Rayburn looked dumbfounded, and suddenly, he felt that he was petty and too distrusting, not to mention overcautious. Simultaneously, he couldn't help but feel respect for the Emperor of Death as earlier; he was looking down on him for being overbearing.

Davis didn't blame Adlet Rayburn. He was already battling with a huge handicap. The problem was Schleya being rampant and obstinate enough to be needlessly courting death. This same situation was when Niera fought Kara Moonridge, but fortunately, they only injured each other.

Davis looked towards Mingzhi, who then nodded and headed towards the black-robed woman who tried to get into a lonely corner again. She appeared in front of her, stopping her.

"Schleya, do you have any shame? You tried to challenge an opponent whose prowess is one level higher than you to a battle of life and death? You would be truly courting death if this weren't a competition."

"I know." Schleya nodded with a straight face, "If I only challenged those who are weaker or equal to me, I would be a coward. Besides, if I fought an opponent who's slightly powerful than me, I know I'm going to win."

A vein almost popped on Mo Mingzhi's forehead as she looked at Schleya's extreme confidence.

"Hmph! You're grounded for the trouble you caused for Davis. You won't be able to escape from punishment this time. Otherwise-"

"Fine." Schleya lowered her head.

Mo Mingzhi blinked while Davis reacted the same.

Did Schleya hit her head somewhere?

Suddenly, Mo Mingzhi's face became pale as she vaguely understood at this moment. She glared at Davis before clasping Schleya's wrist, taking her away.

Meanwhile, Davis could only act innocent like he didn't know what was happening, continuing to talk with Adlet Rayburn.

Mo Mingzhi took Schleya to a resting room. They had just entered the hall when Schleya severely shuddered and collapsed.

"Schleya!"

Mingzhi hurriedly caught Schleya and saw that her face was pale, her breathing rapid while her body became colder.

"You idiot! I knew you used a lost a lot of blood essence to use that escape technique!"

Mingzhi cursed as she took her to the resting room, placing her on a wide and comfortable bed. On the way, she condemned Schleya again for acting tough before she then took out a messaging talisman when Schleya grabbed her wrist.

"Don't… this is the consequences of my… own actions…"

Mingzhi's face was fuming, but she slightly calmed, "How much blood essence did you lose?"

"…"

"How much?"

"Twenty percent…"

"You absolute idiot! That's enough to send a person to the shadow realm for a while…! It might even affect your cultivation!"

Mingzhi's anger flared again. In her eyes, even after she went to such lengths, this fool still held onto some of her old beliefs, which were redundant. As if continually facing opponents of a higher level would help anyone. After all, when faced with absolute power or enough power, the end result of death won't change.

A life and death battle could only be won if one's opponent was slightly higher or within one's limits. If they could win easily, then that would mean it's not a life and death battle for the winning party.

Moreover, blood essence couldn't be spent like that. It was more appropriate to burn five to ten percent of blood essence when siphoning them from the heart. To be using twenty percent of blood essence in a single move would be more than exhausting, but even then, Schleya kept her awake through her tenacious will and fought against someone of a higher level.

That alone told Mingzhi how Schleya was prepared to be killed in this battle, and to prepare for that, she had made an escape plan at the very beginning.

Further sacrifice after thirty percent would require burning the blood essence situated in the bone marrow, and that's going to severely impact one's vitality enough to cause death. After all, burning of blood essence means burning of lifespan and potential.

At fifty percent, the chances of death increase drastically, and at seventy percent, it is almost a given. However, people would instantly faint after using fifty percent of their blood essence and wander the realm of near death, so the chances that they could spend seventy percent was a feat in itself, and if they lived to tell the tale, their will could be said to be monstrous.

Fortunately, Schleya didn't go to such lengths.

Twenty percent was still fine, but it should not have been burned in a single move.

"I'm thankful…"

Abruptly, a slightly warm hand touched Mingzhi's cheek, causing her anger to suddenly die as she looked at Schleya.

"… that I'm here. When the time comes, I'm willing to be used by you two… and for that, I need to be your strongest merciless blade…"

Schleya smiled, taking one last yet faint breath before she fell into slumber. She ended up fainting from exhaustion.

Mingzhi possessed an icy expression on her face, having an urge to slap the woman in her care, but tears were already welling up within her limpid eyes.

"Does your head only has those kinds of thoughts; to use and to be used…?"

She bit her lips as she questioned, but Schleya was already deeply asleep.