Divine Emperor of Death

A white-crimson-robed woman entered the room with confident strides. She gazed at the two treasures at the end of the room, inwardly declaring that she would obtain them no matter what.

Simultaneously, a direct imitation of her formed in front of her. It didn't look evil nor wicked but entirely similar to her, quickly opening its mouth.

"Don't you feel ashamed to take this challenge knowing that you can easily defeat yourself on the second floor, Niera?"

"..."

Niera's brows narrowed.

"It doesn't matter. What's important is that I obtain the treasures behind you that are important to me, second sister Natalya, fifth sister Shirley, teacher Lea, Zestria, and Tanya."

"You say that, but you're practically not satisfied with the second floor, at least wanting to challenge the fourth floor, don't you? Besides, aren't you dissatisfied with Davis constantly making you wait?"

The fake Niera grinned, causing Niera's pupils to dilate. However, her gaze returned to normal.

"Now I kind of understand why Mingzhi instantly slapped her imitation to death. It's not nice to know someone who knows me so well but is practically against me in every sentence."

However, her voice was cold as her body leaped like a flaming crow, quickly igniting with crimson flames as they formed two dazzling wings beside her. It unleashed a destructive might, tinged with the minuscule essence of the Golden Crow Flames while the imitation tried to take a back-step, her long and slim leg flaring on the ground upon impact as she flew back.

However, Niera was much faster. Her figure that practically became a Golden Crow, blazing with intense crimson flames, rushed past her imitation before she stopped before the treasures, not even deigning to look back.

And as she expected, the imitation that wasn't as strong as her turned into ashes, unable to even defend against her, much less counterattack.

She reached out her hands to the Fire Essence Orb and the Ice Essence Orb, collecting these immortal treasures with her energy as she brought them out, displaying them to others who remained.

"Don't bother about it, Niera."

Sophie approached Niera and patted her shoulder, seemingly uninterested in the treasures at the moment.

However, Niera dryly smiled, "It's the truth. However, I still love him no matter what and am willing to wait for him. Besides, aren't we getting treasures like this? In the path of cultivation, who would share these valuable treasures with so many partners like it's nothing? It isn't like he's established but still loves and coaxes us as much as he could, and the fact that he does that without even taking our innocence is beyond my comprehension but fills me with deep affection for him."

By the end, Niera's smile appeared fully assured, having Sophie gawk, but she understood. After all, she was currently even stronger than her entire lineage.

However, she still couldn't help but grin.

"I'm gonna tell Davis about your undying love for him..."

"Stop, it's embarrassing..."

"Haha, you still want to look cool and poised in front of him. Alright, alright~"

Sophie giggled, causing Niera to pout as she blushed.

"That's right. This isn't a competition to be hasty or slow, but life that should make you want to ride along the waves, whether it may be stormy or calm. I was the most against sharing him as I didn't grow up in that kind of environment but didn't I accept it and become unexpectedly happy? In the same way, I'm sure your time will come, allowing you to experience 'true' happiness."

Mingzhi couldn't help but grin as she added a hidden meaning and moved towards the stairs, "Come on, let's go witness my 'little' sister's glory."

"That's fourth sister for you," Niera interjected.

"Tsk, tsk. Still 'little' sister for me."

Not only Mingzhi and Niera, but they all smirked in the joy of obtaining the treasures as they arrived at the third floor and saw Fiora unleash an extremely fast wind blade, slicing off her imitation's neck, but before blood could splash, it dispersed into a strange form of energy and disappeared.

The only thing now in front of Fiora was the Wind Essence Orb and the Lightning Essence Orb.

Fiora collected them with utter gentleness as though she was lifting a baby before turning around and looking at the audience that had assembled before she knew it. She smirked and exited the challenge room, appearing before them as she displayed the treasures.

"Only I use Wind Laws among us while Davis uses Lightning Laws. This floor was practically made for us~"

"Sigh, don't lie." Mingzhi looked sad as she placed a hand on her cheek, "I was a bit late to record your true thoughts, Fiora."

"Hehe~ Even if you were here, you wouldn't have heard anything because a battle using Wind Laws is mostly decided in an instant. The fastest and most destructive one wins."

"Hehehe~"

As Mingzhi and Fiora giggled at each other, Zestria couldn't help but look at the Wind Essence Orb. She felt that she had some affinity with it as she had previously incorporated Wind Laws into her Fire Laws as the Wind Dragon Queen advised her but stayed silent as she wasn't sure.

"But still, isn't this too easy?" Dalila looked worried, "What if it's a trap?"

The others went silent before Mingzhi shook her head.

"I don't think so. The treasures on the first few floors are designed in a way to be freely awarded to the discoverer of this Nine-Treasured Palace. The truly valuable ones are in the upper floors and require surmounting prowess with each subsequent floor."

"I faced an opponent whose complete prowess didn't even exceed my cultivation level. As for Niera, her imitation was more powerful than her base cultivation by one level, and Fiora faced an imitation that was two levels higher than her base cultivation on this third floor which means that the floor above us would have an opponent whose prowess is three levels higher above one's base cultivation and so on."

Hearing Mingzhi's explanation, everyone nodded as it was in line with what Myria vaguely told them.

"Come, let's go see who's battling on the fourth floor."

Mingzhi smiled and led them up above as she pulled on Fiora, walking together with her hand in hand.

Among them, the strongest of them all was Lea, but she didn't mind at all over who took the lead. She was surrounded by Sophie and Niera while watching them amicably or cheekily behave and interact with each other, wondering how Davis could manage to bring them together as she had rarely seen such an inclusive and accommodating harem.

After all, a harem usually meant a clash of opinions and a battle for authority, favor, and power. To her surprise, she couldn't see such shenanigans, for the most part, making her feel like she was at home.

Besides, Sophie and Niera really looked up to her as their teacher as she had taught them a lot. She almost thought of them as her own children, but with the precedence of her personal disciple also sharing the same husband, she didn't know what to say to her relationship with the four of them other than confusing yet strangely heartening.

As a Sect Master, she could never relax, but here, it was as though a mountain had been taken off her shoulders, allowing her to freely walk amidst them as though she was one of them.

'No, I am indeed one of them...'

Lea smiled sincerely as she and the others arrived at the fourth floor, looking at Evelynn facing off with her imitation. However, to their shock, Evelynn was having a conversation with her imitation!