Divine Emperor of Death

Reflected in the sapphire eyes of Davis was the figure of the mysterious black-robed woman. She was still there.

However, she knelt on the ground, her head down and her body unmoving as though she was already dead. Despite the so-called divine punishment strike, there wasn't a single injury to her. However, he could see that her silhouette was losing its opaqueness with each passing second, causing his eyes to tremble.

Did she… die…?

'Wait…'

Davis felt like he had so many things to ask her. However, he was afraid that he would be stupid again, accidentally causing harm to her again, as he knew that his words triggered the Heavenly Will.

Suddenly, the mysterious black-robed woman moved ever so lightly, startling him as he instantly stood up in an attempt to defend himself. However, for some reason, he saw her eyes smiling and teary as though some burden had been alleviated from her very being.

Her moist pupils appeared freer than ever.

"The path ahead is vicious, one that makes you a full-fledged evil being. However, no matter what you do or become, don't forget we will always be there for you, so this time… will you leave some space for us…? For me…?"

"…"

Davis's gaze shook.

This time, the mysterious black-robed woman's voice was no longer as distorted as before. It sounded full of longing, holding intense affection for him, his mind was utterly confused as he recognized this voice but didn't dare to believe it, feeling like his mind was playing games on him as this wasn't possible at all.

The entity before him was at least at the Early Empyrean Stage.

There's no way it could be her, and even if it was her, he didn't dare blurt out her name.

As his mind spun, his thought process in shatters, the mysterious black-robed woman became increasingly transparent as she stood up.

"Remember, no matter what happens, Evelynn succeeded…"

"Wha-! Why is that name coming from your mouth!? Why are you here when you're supposed to be-"

He roared, stepping forward but was held back by Myria.

But at the same time, he saw the mysterious black-robed woman's eyes in front of him flash, feeling like his entire mind flipped at that moment. His subconscious mind took over his consciousness, suddenly making him enter a new world where he saw himself walking past this bridge with a gait.

There was no mysterious black-robed woman to stop him.

With his group, he moved past the inner region, momentarily encountering the immortals who chose to be sheltered. He only cast them a glance and continued to move on, moving past the veil in the central region, appearing at the realm concoction as he saw the massive mechanisms placed there. There was a monstrously huge cauldron at the center, a mechanism on each side to control the apocalyptic flames underneath and the other to control the other tasks involved in cooking with the cauldron.

There were nine levels where they had to clear, and the final level was to stop the other groups from entering the ninth level where the mechanisms were placed.

Even with the heavenly geniuses already fighting to control these mechanisms, his group was easily victorious, gaining the privilege to concoct the realm pill and eventually succeeding in it with Dalila, Tina, Sophie, and Bylai working so hard that they were drenched in sweat but as the concoction was over, descended the elders of the Lower Realms and Upper Realms, trying to eradicate the invaders, which were immortals.

But they were held back by someone, a true expert, whom he somehow felt to be the World Master.

However, little did he see the danger hiding amidst their ranks, causing Myria to be kidnapped as the main body of Vile Enchanter Kieran Hartley appeared out of nowhere and tried to leave the realm while dodging the World Master's grasp.

Rage clouded his vision, and he took out Fallen Heaven, killing Vile Enchanter Kieran Hartley with a single scroll, severing his very existence from the world while managing to save Myria. However, when he turned to look around, the vast realm where he had spent a few months, the Astral Forgeheart Peak Minor Realm, soared into flames, turning into an apocalyptic burning star that was on the verge of explosion.

By the time he even managed to recognize what had happened because of using Fallen Heaven, Sophie and everyone else who remained in the realm were no longer present. The change was so fast that it appeared like he skipped time to appear hundreds of years later to look at the realm of that time.

Tears of blood flowed out of his eyes, wanting to use Fallen Heaven again to revive his family. He asked Myria for forgiveness as he didn't think he could fulfill his promise to her, but even Myria didn't say anything, appearing like she intended to follow him to death, but the moment he used Fallen Heaven again, his vision blacked out.

*Gasp!~*

Davis came out of his reverie as he was still on the bridge with Myria holding him back. A terrifying notion flashed past his mind like clouds. He blinked, the visage of his loved ones appearing in his eyes for some reason, causing him to turn to look back as he saw his bevy of beauties scared stiff as they remained kneeling.

"Wha- What happened just now…?

He was unable to remember what he had seen but felt it was there. It was imprinted in his emotions, the consequences of walking past the mysterious black-robed woman.

Just as he wanted to ask that woman herself, he realized that she was gone, motes of starlight glimmering in the space she stood. However, emerging within those starlight dust were four peculiar bright stars as deep as pearls shining in the darkest part of the ocean.

He felt like he heard all sorts of affectionate intonations from them, causing spine-chilling coldness to seep into his body, making him greatly shudder.

"Wait…"

He extended his hand out, his expression forlorn as his brows creased in confusion, a sense of extreme loss swelling within his soul. His heart felt too heavy, as though it was sinking into the abyss. His lips parted, wanting to call out again. However, he couldn't remember that woman anymore.

Who was that? That question still remained in his heart, but watching the four motes of starlight shimmer as they dispersed, his expression flickered, using Fallen Heaven to pull it closer to him as he recognized they might be souls.

'What the- '

However, no matter how he tugged on them, he couldn't pull those motes of starlight. Clenching his teeth, he webbed them with Fallen Heaven's karmic tendrils. The karmic tendrils flashed over like whips as it stuck to them.

"We had no choice… so please don't… hate us~"

"Live well… big brother~ Don't worry about me..."

"Even after this, if you don't come find me… I- but take care first..."

"I wish I could hold your hand in this time…"

Four different voices resounded in his mind like vague and ephemeral breaths of the wind as the four motes of starlight finally dispersed. There was nothing there anymore, not even the remnant aura of the mysterious black-robed woman anymore. It was as though she never existed.

However, Davis still kept his eyes affixed on that space.

Even though the four peculiar motes of starlight disappeared, Davis could see four silhouettes who were all too familiar to him floating around that area, making him imagine if his eyes were playing games on him now. Still, their faces weren't that visible, but he could somehow sense they were looking at him with affectionate gazes.

Myria also watched that location with keen eyes, but she couldn't sense anything anymore after the motes of starlight disappeared, although she managed to obtain some information from observing, which she began speculating with a complicated expression on her face.

"I don't know what or who that woman is. However, her death was unnatural, almost like she committed sui- no, sacrificed her life by using a forbidden technique instead of dying to heaven's punishment, and... I'm not sure, but I think I saw four souls, which means she could be from the Qualia Soul Race, a Variant Three-Headed Hydra, or even a- "

"Human… they're all human…"

"…?"

Myria turned to look at Davis and saw his fists clench. When she raised her head, her eyes went wide as she saw him shedding tears with a blank expression on his face. She blinked, reaching out her hand to touch his hand and grab hold of his sleeve.

Only after Myria grabbed him did Davis even realize he was shedding tears, causing him to blink before he rubbed his eyes with his other sleeve. When he turned to look back at Myria, he smiled brightly, although the corners of his eyes were still wet with emotion.

"Let's go."

"To the realm concoction?"

Myria asked. They encountered a very powerful entity, but ultimately, it seemed like it was at the end of its life, making her unable to tell whether they encountered a powerful illusion or someone smart like an Early Empyrean or Autarch wanting to fool them from getting into the realm concoction for the Transcendents to succeed.

Although she also forgot what she thought of the mysterious black-robed woman, only remembering the content she spoke about, she still couldn't tell why Evelynn's name popped out, so she intended to move past this location anyway.

"No…" Davis turned to look back in the direction of the spatial vortex leading back to the First Haven World, "… we're going back home."

Myria's heart shook as she was shocked.

He, who didn't bend his Will in order to forge forward even with a menacing entity in front of him, changed his mind after witnessing the death of those four souls…?