Divine Emperor of Death

Davis and the others stepped on the edge of the other side, landing on the icy terrain safely after they passed through the treacherous shattered rock pathway. One bout of discomfort or unsurety while traversing through this path would've endangered their lives, but all of them made it to safe to the other side.

They raised their heads and saw Tanya and the silver-robed woman still making their way above. However, they saw that those two were not only pacing slower while sending strikes at each other, but they were also finding it difficult to move.

"It's the ice crystal statue's inherent pressure..."

Natalya lightly moved around her hand and saw there was a force that was acting against her movements, especially when she moved her hand above. Consequently, she couldn't help but wonder what this crystal was made up of or called since it seemed valuable but obviously, she pouted as she couldn't desecrate a statue, especially desecrate a statue of someone they were going to inherit something from.

Similarly, Davis was also thinking the same thing, and it could be said that Natalya subconsciously emulated his thoughts a lot just by always looking at him.

Nonetheless, they both didn't say anything about it and pounced upwards with a stomp of their foot, following in Tanya's footsteps.

They landed on the statue's foot and made their way up. The inherent property of the crystal statue disallowed them to fly before it, and since it pushed them away, it took energy from them to keep their legs attached to it.

They understood now why Tanya and that silver-robed were finding it difficult to advance.

However, what Davis found astonishing was that Tia and the others were able to run up this statue as well. This meant that this didn't actually test their cultivation level to be on a larger scale but imposed an equal level of force that made it difficult for them to reach a higher altitude.

The fact this was becoming more and more like a trial became entrenched in their thoughts.

"Then… this tests on speed…?"

Natalya's eyes flashed before she used her movement technique to rush past Davis, rushing toward Tanya. In a minute, she caught up to her and rushed past her, causing the latter to gawk.

"Natalya, you…"

Tanya clenched her teeth as she turned to look at the silver-robed woman, who also frowned at Natalya's action, seemingly taking it as a personal insult. She launched herself upwards, forgetting their battle. However, she found it difficult to even take a step forward.

Tanya also forgot about their battle and tried to move up, but like the silver-robed woman, she found herself stuck in an invisible quagmire. She felt like if she were to let go instead of resisting this force, then she would be pushed off the statue, making her fall all the way down.

Natalya managed to rush past the both of them. However, she knew that it was because they had lost momentum.

Stopping to battle became their adversity. However, her pupils dilated as she saw the silver-robed woman finally take a step forward and continue upwards. Moreover, it seems like she was regaining her momentum?

"Yin energy…"

Tanya's heart shook as she saw the silver-robed woman no longer going against the crystal statue's force but becoming one with it as she used yin energy to become harmonious with it.

However, she wasn't Natalya. She didn't know how to use yin energy in battles or movement techniques, which made her disadvantaged.

"Tanya, come here..."

Davis reached out his hand to his side as he called her out, causing Tanya to turn to look back at him before her eyes gleamed. She abruptly lost her foothold and began free-falling all the way down. The force of the fall that suppressed her only made it worse for her as she felt like she was going to be heavily injured once she touched the ground.

However, that thought only existed until she suddenly felt something hold the sole of her feet. She felt the intense grip before it suddenly launched her above like a catapult.

Simultaneously, she shot up using all her energy, bursting like an icy comet shooting above into the skies.

In a few seconds, she surpassed the silver-robed woman and, in a minute, rushed past Natalya, causing the latter to gawk.

"You… you cheated…!"

"Hehehe~ Seems like receiving help in this trial doesn't count as cheating~"

Tanya giggled.

She realized that Davis realized that if battling was allowed, then making use of opponents would be allowed too, and naturally, being helped by others would be allowed in that case. She couldn't help but feel affection blooming within her heart for him, her steps becoming more like a dance for him subconsciously as she twisted her waist and turned to look at his face in joy every once in a while.

Their eyes connected, causing him to laugh and shake his head, but she was in her own world to care if he thought herself to be a child.

Going above was no longer difficult for her, and she finally arrived at the sword hilt, where she looked at the giant entrance that emanated a shining light. It was unknown what was inside, but she waited for Natalya to arrive.

In half a minute, Natalya arrived and harrumphed at her, "This time, you won, but it won't go that way next time."

"I didn't hear you were participating as well?" Tanya raised her brows.

Wasn't this inheritance suited for her? If it was suited for Natalya or Davis, would she dare want a share? The answer was no out of respect, so she was confused at Natalya's actions.

However, she wasn't scared of a challenge. It was just she wanted to know beforehand, especially from someone she looked up to as her friend- no, sister.

"Naturally, as long as she is participating, how can I not?"

Natalya looked below the cliff and scoffed at the silver-robed woman who was still making her way up.

The latter's face was chiller than winter, and her eyes were wide as though she was provoked. However, those indifferent pupils of hers made it difficult to perceive what she was thinking.

"I see."

Tanya grinned. Ultimately, that silver-robed woman inherently offended Natalya's way of life, so naturally, Natalya wasn't going to be good to her and was going to try to defeat her every chance she got.

She shook her head at their strange triangular rivalry between them before looking further below.

"Husband, are you coming?"

"You two go first."

Davis lightly smiled as he cast a look below.

Tia was clenching her teeth, her body trembling as she found it difficult to advance forwards after making it halfway up. Threelotus, Lightsky, and Starlily also didn't fare any better, appearing like they got something in their throats that they wanted to spit out while Davis was at utter ease, purely just standing in his place and able to move whenever he liked.

Clearly, getting to the inheritance point was difficult, and only true disciples could even remotely have a chance at it, and even then, it gave them a challenge.

This difference in strength had Tanya blink, causing her to heave a sigh inwardly as she felt going by the trial's standards so far, Davis was more suited to receiving the inheritance. However, she only felt prideful over this matter. But still, a worried light emanated in her eyes.

"Thank you. But may I be rude enough to suggest that you should go after the main mission right about now, or else, I'm afraid..."

Davis received a worried soul transmission from Tanya, causing him to chuckle.

He knew she was worried about him losing on benefits while looking after them, but on the other hand, Natalya knew he was going to obtain it regardless because she had near blind faith in him.

"I know, but trust me and Tia's divination. That Gargantuan Unfettered Ice Fiend isn't letting anyone end that source too soon that I, infact, suspect it is having a hard time faring against Myria in defending the source as much as she is having a hard time. Otherwise, with how powerful Myria is, the source would've been sealed or collapsed already, or… we would be seeing those little versions of the Gargantuan Unfettered Ice Fiends running amok, causing more slaughter..."

The reason he had so much trust in Tia's divination was because it was divined after Myria went there. It was not divined after he went there, so as long as he didn't make a move on the source, he imagined that there should not be much of a change unless Myria's Anarchic Divergent influence was too strong enough to change fate in a short time.

However, since he knew he could be wrong, he didn't intend to stay longer here.

It was just… he wasn't sure what this silver-robed woman really had in store for Natalya, and he was interested in her too, interested in plundering more Forsaken Yin Lotus Techniques from her as the one he got from Fallen Heaven had the circulation method but not the powerful techniques.

'If I'm not wrong, for the Forsaken Yin Lotus Manual to have been so mythical and unique, it must have a Divine Technique...'

Davis's eyes squinted as he saw the silver-robed figure reach the sword hilt and disappear. He imagined that learning that Divine Technique must have another crap requirement of forsaking something. However, he wanted Natalya to have it so that she could be inspired by it and create an equal or better technique for her path in the future.

It didn't even need to be a Divine Technique for all he cared. Just a uniquely powerful technique would give his Natalya the edge she needed to be called a supreme expert.

Near the entrance to the sword hilt, Tanya nodded at Davis and no longer said anything to change his mind as she was convinced that he knew what he was doing.

The next moment, she, Natalya, and the silver-robed woman looked at each other, their eyes burning with the intent to prove themselves better than the other.

Instantly, they rushed towards the shining gate at the same time, and the faster Tanya naturally reached first, her lips curving as she jumped into the gate and stepped on an obsidian, azure footpath that led to another statue of the Frostcloud Sword Empress, but this one was smaller yet way magnificent than what she saw outside.