Divine Emperor of Death

"What a hindrance you are..."

Davis's eyes flashed with coldness as he indifferently spoke. The next second, his seamless soul force surged out, turning into a greyish-black hue as it radiated an ominous aura. When he raised his hand and pointed towards the Mandate Emperor, it severed into hundreds of tendrils and rushed, appearing as if it was going to engulf the Mandate Emperor.

The Karmic Guardian Emperor's face changed, but he didn't react.

"Stop!~"

With a single word, the greyish-black tendrils all stopped, appearing as if they were tangled in spider webs, becoming unable to move.

Davis raised his brows as he was purely astonished by the powerful hold of the Mandate Laws that was capable of stopping his attack, subsequently making him wish that his little sister Clara would also become powerful one day like this, perhaps even more. Still, he knew that he was weaker than the Mandate Emperor and the Vast Sky Emperor at the moment when considering base prowess, although he perceived that he surpassed the Starnova Emperor already..

As for the Karmic Guardian Emperor, Davis didn't know what kind of tricky prowess he had up his sleeve since the Karmic Guardian Emperor practiced Space Laws, Time Laws, and Karma Laws. A combination of these Greater Laws should be more or less equal to the destructive prowess of his Death Laws.

Although Death Laws were also designated as Greater Laws, he believed that it was in the higher stratum of Greater Laws, just like he believed how Ice, Yin, Yang Laws were in the lower stratum of Greater Laws.

'Mandate Laws is somewhere around the middle and higher stratum of Greater Laws?'

Davis mused before he harrumphed and lowered his hand. His greyish-black soul force disappeared as a result.

"I'll teach you to keep your ingrained arrogance suppressed in front of me later. Now, I have some chasing to do. Otherwise, will you take responsibility for letting those Grand Elders escape?"

"It's futile." The Mandate Emperor shook his head, "Didn't I say that the Zlatan Family is already done for?"

"What do you mean?" Davis narrowed his brows.

"The hegemons of the Magical Beast Sanctuary Territory and Scarlet Tyrant Hawk Abode Territory both captured those two Grand Elders."

"..."

Davis's narrowed brows raised before he asked.

"What's their intent?"

"They want to give you a gift, it seems..."

"Why?"

"Perhaps they want to see the wicked wolf and make friendly ties with you? I'm not sure."

The Mandate Emperor shook his head, "All I want to know is that if you have met with the wicked path hegemons and formed any dealings with them."

Davis was a bit taken aback by the actions of those magical beasts actions and felt curious, making him wonder if his influence had reached the entirety of the world already.

In truth, the wicked path hegemons were laughing their ass off to see Zlatan Family's fate become miserable. They already knew about the Soul Palace's ties with the Emperor of Death, so for the Zlatan Family to seek help from the Soul Palace when the Emperor of Death had already conquered was extremely laughable to them.

If it isn't courting death, then what is?

Fortunately, this made them think, feeling that their decision to keep their mouths shut and wait it out was the right decision to make. Otherwise, they might've needlessly acquired the ire of the Emperor of Death.

Davis lowered his head and contemplated the thoughts of those magical beasts he had never met. He had gone into the Scarlet Tyrant Hawk Abode Territory when he traveled through the vile vortices, but he hadn't seen those avian magical beasts yet.

'Looks like I can see them now, perhaps invited as important guests instead of being attacked on sight...'

He wondered before his lips moved.

"What does it matter to you?"

The Mandate Emperor paused for a moment before he took a deep breath and spoke.

"If you're with the wicked path, then we must fight to the death, regardless of our inclinations and differences because I, as one of the four leaders of the righteous path, cannot allow you to grow any powerful than you are."

"Hahaha." Davis suddenly couldn't help but laugh in amusement before he rubbed his chin, casting a contemptuous look, "Instead of answering your question, I'll ask you a question instead. Why haven't you ascended when you have the prowess to cross your heavenly tribulation?"

Unlike the righteous path, where ascension stories have come to a near stop, it seems like the wicked path powerhouses, magical beasts, and spirits were still ascending as they broke through to the Immortal Stage.

Only the righteous path peak powerhouses seemed to be reluctant to restart again. Did they lose their ambition along with their righteous heart, finally becoming tainted by power one day?

This made him recall the saying that you die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain.

The Mandate Emperor raised his brows in response for a while before he sighed.

"I see. So the wicked path hegemons tried to beguile you into joining their path."

"Yes, and although I politely declined them, I don't see much reason to join you righteous path people either. Just leave me somewhere in the neutral zone, and we'll all live happily ever after."

Davis mockingly answered while the Mandate Emperor's lips twitched.

"Such absurdity... You can't be this irresponsible when you look after your power."

Davis almost rolled his eyes hearing that sentence.

He was prideful that he was being seen as such an entity, but he himself believed that he had no time for such a large and ambitious endeavor. In his list of priorities, his family and cultivation came first, while everything else came later that he couldn't be bothered to even look at them.

Instead, he believed that the others would help him look after such notions.

"Still, I'm glad that you rejected them." The Mandate Emperor nodded, "That's all I needed to know. As for leaders of the righteous path not willing to call their heavenly tribulation, they may have their own thoughts, and I cannot speak for them, but I can speak for myself. I lack a suitable successor as the current Young Temple Master, and the other youths aren't as strong as me. They're somewhat lacking, unfit to hold the reigns as I do, and unless they can convince me by proving themselves, I'll likely waste my time, my future, looking after this barren land instead of reaching the immortal land."

A longing look shone in the Mandate Emperor's eyes before he sighed.

"It's been a long time since I reached this level and stayed stagnant. The longer I stayed here, the lesser I felt like challenging the heavenly tribulation and ascending because I was long past my prime, unable to compete. As a matter of fact, you people, you and your wives, young ones who reached this stage within a hundred years, you all still have that fire burning within you while mine is almost extinguished."

"Still, if someone talented and powerful could just replace me, I was more than willing to ascend, but with this Calamity Light above us, it seems like I must face my life's biggest crisis before thinking about such lofty matters."

Looking at the Mandate Emperor speak as if he was pouring out his emotions to an equal, Davis narrowed his eyes.

"I see. I'll visit your power soon enough for some talk."

"..."

The Mandate Emperor looked taken aback, "You're welcome. I'll gladly host you, but why?"

Wasn't the Emperor of Death always looking at him with an annoyed gaze?

"I want your power's Mandate Laws resources and techniques."

Davis simply smirked, causing Mandate Emperor's brows to raise but deeply smile.

"If you think just because you can comprehend Death Laws makes you qualified to comprehend the faint whispers of heaven's will, you're dead wrong."

Davis just shook his head with a mysterious smile before he grabbed Isabella's hand and left. Isabella smirked at him as she knew that he was talking about his little sister Clara, that she felt that she must do her part as her sister-in-law.

The little sister crossed traversed unknown lands with facing the risk of life and death situations to bring Shirley back home and didn't even hesitate to sacrifice what she valued the most to heal Davis. For these two matters alone, she felt that she must do all in her power to reciprocate.

"Don't worry, Davis. I'm willing to plunder the Heaven Mandate Temple if that's what it takes to make little Clara powerful."

"Such a thing won't likely come to pass by unless the Mandate Emperor is an idiot, so rest assured. I won't let you stain your hands unless you absolutely need to."

Davis grinned at Isabella, strengthening his hold over her soft fingers that appeared sincere and warm. The latter did the same, feeling his genuine intent warm her heart. She felt like she had to thank him for stopping her from slaughtering those 'ignorable' people, as it would've been a needless burden in her heart if she did indeed commit a slaughter.

"Thank you~"

Isabella felt so comfortable that she stayed her hand and enslaved them instead, sparing their lives in the process.