Divine Emperor of Death

"The Grand Burning Phoenix Top Disciple Battles, I see..."

Davis repeated those words as he smiled excitedly, but inwardly, he was not amused as he was in no mood to wait.

He instantly planned on sneaking out when no one was near him.

Nevertheless, he continued chatting with these disciples to gain more information.

Apparently, they were all newly-joined inner disciples, fairly powerful for their ages, but not older than twenty-five. When seen from his perspective, they were indeed teenagers who had just begun their cultivation journey, so he couldn't help but not hold any wariness towards them as he freely spoke.

He came to know many things, like the number of disciples the Burning Phoenix Ridge had that was in the hundred thousands. Their Eighth Stage Experts actually seemed to number about ten thousand, or perhaps more, while their Ninth Stage Powerhouses were already known to be forty-eight.

He became astonished at the number of Eighth Stage Experts and even more so when they said that most of the Eighth Stage Experts were still disciples and deacons. However, he instantly understood. After all, it seemed that to become an Elder, one must at least be at the Peak-Level of Eighth Stage or have a prowess similar to it.

They also told him that a disciple must be at the Low-Level Eighth Stage to graduate within the set time limit for their growth as a disciple and become a deacon. However, if the disciple could not reach the Eighth Stage within their designated growth period, it is said that they have the option to become workers or to leave the sect.

Even though they became workers, they would still be part of the sect and have certain privileges that are enough for them to lead a better life than the outside, so most disciples who were unfortunate enough to not reach the Eighth Stage chose the path of workers to serve or protect disciples during missions, or do menial tasks such as cleaning, looking after the businesses in cities, taking care of the disciples whom they were assigned to like nannies for some time. It was all part of their missions, whereupon completion they would receive rewards, but it was way less than what an outer disciple would receive.

However, it was still enough for them to lead good lives with the wealth of the sect while also being able to borrow its name outside the sect. It was a win-win situation for them even if they were unable to grow in cultivation anymore or only made progress slowly.

Davis knew that the other powers also had similar workings.

For example, the Falling Snow Sect and the Towering Cloud Hall. They were similar to the Burning Phoenix Ridge in treating their disciples, even after they graduate, while the Alstreim Family was different.

In the Alstreim Family, the talented ones are heavily nurtured while the others are left out. However, they are still taken care of in the name of their family and the branches they belong to.

Each power had its own functioning and regulations. He understood that very well, so he diverted the topic to core disciples and top disciples to know more about Shirley's days in the Burning Phoenix Ridge.

Apparently, she had a single core disciple as her follower, named Esvele. Esvele was apparently the envy of the Burning Phoenix Ridge because even top disciple Verona seemed to have ten core disciples as her followers while top disciple Shirley had only one core disciple.

Esvele was rather overly envied by most of the inner disciples and core disciples because it was said that she received many resources from top disciple Shirley that she was almost on the verge of becoming a top disciple herself after exiting the mini-realm.

Davis was glad to hear that Shirley found a friend in this place. After all, he believed that if Shirley gave Esvele this many resources, it meant she had at least trusted Esvele to a degree.

Moreover, it seems like Shirley was treated rather well by the Sect Master, with them sometimes being said to be even closer than other disciples considering the importance placed on her.

Davis frowned when he heard that, but when he recalled that the Sect Master was actually a woman named Lea Weiss, he nodded in ease. However, he thought back to Schneider, who was said to have pursued Shirley and annoyed her to no end along with his two brothers.

His expression quickly became unamused as he began to gather information about them from these green disciples. They blabbered everything to him while also gossiping about the events of the sect.

Time passed like this when...

"Feng, I didn't think that you would be receptive to these noisy brats..."

"Elder!"

The inner disciples all became stiff before they ran away and stood in attention as they saw Elder Karlheinz Strom approaching them from the entrance.

Davis smiled, "Why not? I don't mind who I am talking to as long as they don't disrespect me. I treat magical beasts the same as long as they don't attack me either."

"Haha... Feng is quite the unusual cultivator to treat all magical beasts the same. We only give respect to the Burning Phoenixes and its ancestors as their blood runs in our veins." Karlheinz Strom replied in a proud tone.

"Suit yourselves..." Davis shrugged, "How we live is something we choose to our liking until someone dislikes it and chooses to kill us just because they don't like it..."

"Ha! You got that right, Feng! Ahahaha!"

Karlheinz Strom looked amused as he burst into a fit of laughter before stopping after a while.

"Fine, fine... I still have to teach these brats a bit, so if you would like to rest after being pestered by them, this is your chance. Or else, I can disperse the knowledge session and show you around. You can choose. I'll wait."

Karlheinz Strom appeared carefree as he looked at the disciples, a teasing smile appearing on his face while the disciples froze, looking at Davis for help.

Davis couldn't help but inwardly laugh at their plight. He grinned widely, "I'll rest..."

Those inner disciples' faces went ashen!

"... afterward. Now, I'd like to see more of the Burning Phoenix Ridge..." Davis smirked.

*Gasp*

They looked at Davis with immense gratitude appearing on their faces.

"I see..." Karlheinz Strom shook his head, "It's a pity for my adorable inner disciples, but we'll have the knowledge session tonight. Are we clear?"

"Yes...!"

"Alright, you kids can go back to your designated abodes. As the host, I'm rather busy right now."

"Oh no, take your time, Elder. We'll wait until the calamity light shines its disastrous light upon us..." One of the women, who was rather blunt with her words, commented.

"Impudent brat! Begone!"

"Ahhh!"

Karlheinz Strom pointed at them as his expression became wrathful while the disciples flew away with their tails between their legs.

Davis looked at their backs, feeling somewhat complex. He didn't experience student life, nor a sect disciple life like this, so it could be said that he envied them a bit.

"Those brats... One moment you behave with them friendly, and they'll try to sit on your head the next moment just like the saying goes that when you give an inch, they'll take a yard..." Karlheinz Strom looked aggrieved before he looked at Davis.

"That's true..." Davis recalled many instances in his past as he smiled, "However, I only give a yard to the people I care about because I can also afford to give them that yard. Only they deserve it in my perspective..."

Karlheinz Strom looked at Davis, finding his words unique yet naive.

How could a cultivator let themselves be taken advantage of by someone else? That was basically cutting their own limbs to become immobile, sealing their mouths to remain mute unless they were forced to do so.

Karlheinz Strom shook his head, "Alright, let's go for a short walk in the dusky skies of my Burning Phoenix Ridge."

"Sure..."

======

Davis went around with Karlheinz Strom, witnessing the spectacular and grand sceneries that the Burning Phoenix Ridge had to offer.

Green lands could not be seen, since the fire-attributed cultivators here preferred the hot, blazing environment, which seemed like nothing to them even though it could badly affect lower stage cultivators if they were not indoors.

But that intensity of the fire-attributed energy worked as a great boost for the cultivation of the disciples and elders. It was apparent to Davis that they also had Fire-Attributed Peak-Level Spirit Stones within their reserves to form a dignified and luxurious environment like this.

Davis looked as if he was basically like a child touring around the garden, but inwardly, he was trying to locate Shirley's accommodation as well as a few others which he would have to be wary about, like the Grand Elders and the Sect Master. They weren't the only threat, as there were probably true ancestors who gave the reigns to Sect Master Lea Weiss and secluded themselves deep into the Burning Phoenix Ridge to prolong their lives and act when they were needed.

He knew that Sect Master Lea Weiss was a relatively young woman who took charge of the Burning Phoenix Ridge when she was four thousand years old, and that was about one thousand two hundred years ago as far as he knew, so it could be said that she was young; far younger than the Falling Snow Sect's Ancestor, yet extremely powerful!

There were many things Davis needed to be careful about as he toured the magnificent Burning Phoenix Ridge. Nevertheless, he didn't meet any threats to his current quest as he only had encounters with other elders and came to know more about the sect and some of its intricacies, when he noticed a problem that was plaguing the sect.

The bloodline thinning-out problem.

Apparently, the Burning Phoenixes that they all respect and nurture while also using them as mounts were starting to have their bloodlines thin out from Emperor Grade to King Grade in a slow, passive manner. It seemed that they periodically put a bit of a stop to it with the resources obtained from the mini-realm they have but it could only be entered by Law Dominion Stage Cultivators and below to gather resources.

Even then, there were low-key talks by the elders about how the resources inside the mini-realm were dwindling at a rapid pace as they don't seem to be growing anymore.

Davis had to extend his soul sense to hear them talking about this while touring around. However, he wasn't bothered much.

At least, it wasn't of much importance to him until he suddenly realized that the reason Sect Master Lea Weiss treated Shirley well could be because of this reason because if it was the Sect Master, she could've certainly realized Shirley's uniqueness even if she was careful in hiding her Fire Phoenix Blood!

After all, it was not something completely concealable like Fallen Heaven!

Davis narrowed his eyes with a few conspiracy theories running through his mind, making him angered!