Divine Emperor of Death

Evelynn, Shirley, Rea Tyriel, and Dewzai headed east.

They had no way to search for Isabella until she gets closer to them in range, so they chose to head east and try their chances since the west was apparently a desert according to Evelynn.

They weren't sure if they would miss something in that desert, but their priority right now was regrouping with Isabella. They felt meeting up with other inheritors could possibly let them know what was going on in this Crystal World. Then again, they were the weakest since many would've reached the Immortal Emperor Stage, so they trod carefully.

Two hours later, they heard a sound in their dantian. Of the nine seals they incurred, four of them shattered, so the fifth seal now shattered, allowing their cultivation base to enter Level Five Immortal King Stage.

As for Rea Tyriel and Dewzai, they had climbed eight steps, so they were now at Level Six Immortal King Stage.

Still, they weren't as strong as Evelynn and Shirley.

Time passed again.

While they were headed east, they eventually chanced upon some inheritors, making their way north. There were also Immortal Emperors. However, one of them turned out to be Ancestor Rocksunder, and another one turned out to be Sierra, so Evelynn and Shirley decided to meet them.

"Oh, good day to you four wonderful ladies."

Founder Rocksunder turned to look around as his eyes lit up. His brows narrowed a bit as he saw two of them were injured, but he still smiled.

"Shirley~"

Sierra appeared pleasantly surprised. She appeared to be at the Immortal Emperor Stage, unlike Ancestor Rocksunder, who was still a Level Eight Immortal King.

Shirley also greeted Sierra with delight before she asked.

"May I know where you are all going?"

"We're headed north. Hirona sent a message saying that she spotted the Fifth Hidden Pagoda there and needs ten more participants, so we five are making our way there. We have five more spots left, so you four can also come with us."

"Ridiculous. We have already called our people, so three spots are already booked."

"So have I. Four spots are already taken."

"Huh??"

Two Immortal Emperors, one man, and another woman, answered with a sneer and also indifference before they looked at each other. The number didn't add up as there was one extra.

Evelynn and Shirley looked towards them. They recognized them as a King-Tier Fey from the Dark Phoenix Clan and another King-Tier Fey from the Viridian Lightning Fox Clan.

The latter's presence made Evelynn and Shirley remember Mival Silverwind, making them wonder if he was fine.

"I don't think I approved of that, as my fellow inheritor discovered the Fifth Hidden Pagoda."

Sierra coldly spoke, but the other two sneered.

"Do what you will."

"Only the strongest of us can gain entry."

"Fine by me~" Shirley's lips curled.

They sneered back, wondering what a Level Five Immortal King could do against them Immortal Emperors. They were all geniuses with high battle prowess, so even if Shirley could cross nine levels, she wasn't a threat to them. Sierra narrowed her eyes at Shirley's utterance, but she felt it also made sense. Only the strongest of them can enter the Hidden Pagodas as they need to collect the crystals first. It would take some time to mine anyway, and it was more evident for the people who became Immortal Emperors early because they didn't climb more steps in the Stairway of Regression.

"Shirley, is there something towards the east?"

Sierra asked through physical soul transmission as she grabbed her hand, causing Shirley to shake her head lightly.

"No. We're trying to find Isabella."

"I see. Good luck with that, but we just came from the south after finishing the First Hidden Pagoda, so be careful. We all know Rea Tyriel is in possession of the rewards of the First Hidden Pagoda. They wouldn't make a move right now because I got Lavria from the Imperial Frozen Ice Spirit Tribe backing me up here, but once their two groups catch up, it's possible that they might formulate an attack."

"…"

Shirley nodded at the imperial ice spirit from the Imperial Frozen Ice Spirit Tribe, receiving a nod back. She was even more beautiful than Iesha or Pia, especially because her icy crown was more refined.

'As expected of the first-ranked ice spirit in the Emperor Grade Charts. Above them would be the Heaven-Tier Spirits, but a first-ranked Earth-Tier Spirit like Lavria, who was also an inheritor, could do more than a normal Heaven-Tier Spirit could...'

Moreover, ice spirits were mostly silent, so she could definitely see the semblance with Iesha as Lavria didn't try to make a conversation.

Nonetheless, Shirley remained silent about the rewards. Forgot Rea Tyriel. If she revealed that they got six Gilded Realm Ascendant Pills with them, five of the highest grades from completing the top two Hidden Pagodas as far as she knew, would Sierra backstab her?

After all, these realm pills alone were worth attending this Candidacy!

She badly wanted to know but didn't go as far as to test it.

Shirley nodded, "We understand."

Sierra pursed her lips. It seems Shirley knew that Rea Tyriel carried a treasure by the looks of it, which also meant that she could be aware of what the rewards were exactly.

"Do you know what the rewards are like?" Sierra couldn't help but ask.

Shirley hesitated a bit before her lips curled, "I could say what it is, but it is enough to blind one's eyes with greed, even enough to forget one's mission here."

"…"

Sierra looked as though she couldn't understand, causing Shirley to smile.

"Don't worry. You'll eventually come to know."

"If you say so…" Sierra didn't dwell further.

She guessed that Shirley and the others may have come up with a deal to protect Rea Tyriel and share the rewards. Otherwise, if it was enough to invoke one's greed to the extent of forgetting one's mission of inheriting the Candidacy's inheritance, then wouldn't Rea Tyriel have died by now?

Founder Rocksunder also seemed to reach a similar conclusion.

If Rea Tyriel wasn't with Evelynn and Shirley, they truly might've attacked her.

'Seems like I'm being targeted…'

Rea Tyriel felt the atmosphere become vaguely electrifying.

There were two hundred and fifty-five opponents for her in the First Hidden Pagoda. She couldn't remember every single one of them at the top of her head when Evelynn and Shirley chose to make contact with them.

After all, she didn't get the chance to meet these five inheritors in the trial space.

Still, she wasn't afraid as she still had an Escape Talisman left.

However, she wondered if Evelynn would be fine as she used her Defensive Talisman and Escape Talisman on Ilyas and Raon, leaving her with that Summon Talisman she had mentioned to her.

*Tack!~*

Suddenly, their expressions changed. The sixth seal on Evelynn and the others who had climbed until the sixth step felt their dantians rumble and increase in cultivation base. Evelynn and Shirley had entered the Level Six Immortal King Stage, while Dewzai and Rea Tyriel entered the Level Seven Immortal King Stage. As for the others, only Founder Rocksunder stepped into the Level Nine Immortal King Stage.

"Hahaha! I can finally step into the Immortal Emperor Stage!"

Founder Rocksunder laughed out loud. He didn't wait and unleashed his energy at the bottleneck, easily breaking through to the Immortal Emperor Stage.

Evelynn, Shirley, and Rea Tyriel, who hadn't stepped into the Immortal Emperor Stage, were intrigued.

If only entering the Immortal Emperor Stage was this easy. Unfortunately, they had to undergo a tribulation first.

"Alright, let's move."

Sierra eased the tension and pointed toward the north, causing everyone to nod.

They had just moved ten kilometers north when Shirley abruptly shook, feeling both her bloodlines resonate. It was as though a beacon had been lit up in her mind, allowing her to know that Flamerose and Frostrose were finally contacting her.

The direction she was sensing was towards the southeast.

"What's up?"

Sierra saw that Shirley had come to a stop. The entire group stopped, wondering if she sensed something.

"…"

Shirley narrowed her eyes. If Sierra didn't sense it, then it would mean this was a karmic resonation unique to them alone, which meant there was little chance other Candidates near Flamerose and Frostrose would discover it.

"Nothing, let's move."

Shirley shook her head.

If she didn't go to them, Flamerose and Frostrose would come to her anyway. The journey would also be less perilous because they were Immortal Emperors while she was still an Immortal King.

Sometime later, another person trembled ever so lightly.

He was none other than Founder Rocksunder.

He sensed the blood essences of Crystia and Noctis reverberating, their bloodline resonating to him. However, this was no different than courting death, causing him to turn around and cup his hands.

"Respected inheritors, I got something to do in the southern direction. You can all go without me."

"…"