Divine Emperor of Death

"…"

Davis blinked as he looked at the familiar scenery where he once summoned along with Myria and Saintess Lunaria. He continued blinking until he spotted the person he was looking for, and he did, finding her glancing at a few projections that displayed the Sixth Hidden Pagoda and the upper floors of the Mystical Herb Mansion.

He sighed lightly, still astonished over the fact that she could summon him here out of nowhere. He still couldn't get used to it yet, as this meant his life was still in her hands. However, he could quickly adapt, so now that he was here, he wondered why he was summoned here again along with Myria, but more importantly-

'Why my avatar…?'

He was about to ask but forcefully shut his mouth as he quickly knew the answer to his question. After all, when he was 'misbehaving' with Schleya in a flying boat while naked right now, it would be rather rude for the World Master to summon his main body here.

"…"

This meant the World Master also knew about his actions.

He wasn't embarrassed over that, but he was certainly a bit embarrassed as his whereabouts and actions would be exposed to his wives. After all, he said he wouldn't have dual cultivation for at least two weeks, but it just so happened that he wanted to reward Schleya for helping him achieve what he set out to do in a short amount of time.

Nonetheless, he knew the World Master wouldn't summon him without anything important to talk about, as an interaction between them also carried heavy karmic burden.

His face was solemn, but he remained still, waiting for her to speak first. However, turning to look by his side, he saw Myria and grabbed her hand while displaying a comforting smile.

After all, if the World Master didn't summon them here to talk, then it must mean the World Master changed her mind about leaving him alive.

"What do you two think of the trials I've placed for the Candidacy?"

Just as Davis wanted to reassure Myria, the World Master finally opened her mouth. Her melodious voice carried an indifferent tone, as though she really wasn't interested in knowing their thoughts and just asked to begin the conversation.

"…"

Davis considered her intentions for a moment before he opened his mouth.

"I don't know what your true intentions are as I haven't seen the entirety of the Candidacy, but having seen most of the Hidden Pagodas, you're displaying the history of the human race and the path the inheritor of your legacy has to take to the entire First Haven World, aren't you?"

"I think so too."

Myria answered. She was the most learned when it came to the history of the true immortal world among the group, so she was surprised at Davis being able to arrive at the same answer as her.

"…"

The World Master remained silent, not saying anything. She didn't acknowledge them nor say they were wrong, merely continuing to gaze at the Candidacy.

From what Davis and Myria could sense, the World Master didn't seem to have slowed down time. She let her universe run its natural course, which was all the more suspicious and alarming for them. After all, something could've happened, but then again, the Candidacy couldn't be interfered with by manipulation of time.

In these cases, Davis and Myria inwardly agreed that it was better to let nature take its course.

"Who do you two think will win the Candidacy?"

"…"

The World Master asked them another question, which made them blink before Davis folded his hands and smiled arrogantly.

"Zenova Artoria or Rokushi Mirai." Myria plainly said.

Davis didn't look surprised and spoke, "Of course, I may be a bit biased here, but it would be my Evelynn. If it isn't her, then it would be my Isabella or Shirley. If it isn't the three of them, then just bend some rules and declare one of them the winner."

He waved his hand as though he was talking with an old friend. His words were as corrupt as they could be, causing the World Master's shoulders to tremble ever so lightly.

"…"

Davis blinked. Did she just laugh silently, or was she seething at him since he even dared to ask her to do corrupt things? After all, what was the point of Candidacy if the World Master was going to just select someone on a whim?

Then again, it was her inheritance, so she could get to bend the rules or stick to it.

He didn't know what her response would be like but waited for her words again.

As for Myria mentioning Zenova Artoria or Rokushi Mirai, he wasn't surprised or offended at all that she didn't choose a candidate from her own family. He felt the same way since he had seen Zenova Artoria survive battles that were against her odds with sheer prowess in addition to ingenuity.

She defeated Zoltross and Altross when it should have been near impossible, revealing that her prowess was twelve levels higher. Evelynn and the others could barely reach that level, so in terms of prowess, Zenova Artoria won hands down.

And then… there was Rokushi Mirai, the dark horse who stepped on the ninth step in the Stairway of Regression along with Evelynn, Isabella, Shirley, and a man from the Dark Blood-Eyed Tiger Clan.

He seemed to have died since he didn't appear anywhere. However, the fifth person to reach the ninth step, Rokushi Mirai, was unknown, but there was unverified information on her that she was a fey carrying serpent blood from one of the Serpent Clans.

It was not the Dark Moon Lightning Serpent Clan, so she could be from the Twin Emerald-Eye Serpent Clan, Thorn-Vine Serpent Clan, or the Blazeflame Astral Serpent Clan. Either way, it seemed that she had hunted down a variant Great Saint Magical Beast of the serpent type back then and absorbed its blood, allowing her to make great strides in her cultivation base and achieve eight levels of battle prowess in the Immortal Emperor Stage.

Now, combined with the boon from the Heavenly Stasis Ice Valley, she should at least be nine levels higher in the Immortal Emperor Stage, which translates to even ten levels in the Immortal King Stage.

Even then, Davis doubted she could win against his wives. Even Isabella had improved her prowess through Rumbling Laws. However, it seemed that those who kept an eye on Rokushi Mirai since she reached the ninth step knew that she always stayed in the far west, even more to the west than where the Ninth Hidden Pagoda was located.

She never moved from that point and remained at that point even after the Empyrean Stage Crystal Beasts were released, as though it was a safe zone. As for why? It was because she obtained a ridiculous treasure that would allow her to win the trials.

A fucking treasure developed from using Fallen Heaven as a base!

Of course, only because Fallen Heaven recognized it was he able to tell that treasure shared an origin with it. He shared this information with Myria, which allowed her to assess Rokushi Mirai's winning rate.

However, Fallen Heaven also told him that this treasure should mostly be incapable of its karmic powers, or otherwise, it would've already known of its existence until it laid its eyes on it.

Therefore, rather than a base, Davis guessed it was an extremely inferior imitation of the Grimoire of Fate or even its previous version known as the Tablet of Life and Death, which meant that there should be many limitations on it.

However, its powers couldn't be underestimated because he guessed it was also an Empyrean Grade Treasure.

Davis wanted to ask the World Master's opinion on placing such a ridiculous treasure in a remote region in the Crystal World, not understanding what her intentions were.

However, the answer he expected never came.

"What do you two think the next few trials are? Particularly, the last trial…"

What came was another question.

By this time, Davis knew something wasn't right with the World Master.

It was like she was trying to know their thoughts before delivering a verdict of unknown nature, making him rather uncomfortable. After all, the World Master in his mind never tried to beat around the bush.

Nonetheless, considering the power dynamic and his previous words of cooperating, he heaved a sigh and opened his mouth.

"The Stairway of Regression is the first trial, and the second trial is about the Mystical Herb Garden and the Empyrean Beast Crystal Beasts, while the Hidden Pagodas are sheer compensation in addition to teaching history. I do not see the need to speculate about the upcoming trials since the third trial would be focused on eliminating a select few, and the fourth trial, perhaps the final trial, would be focused on selecting your heir."

"It would be personal to you." Davis pursed his lips, "But if I were to boldly state what the fourth trial would be like, then it should be comprised of the cruelest battle that involves four Candidates where only one survives, and the rest are doomed for an eternity…"

Davis lowered his head, "If my wives ever reached such a junction, then you might try to evict them to keep my head straight."

He felt a bit guilty about having some hand that might influence their destinies from inheriting the World Master's Legacy if they came across true death. Even before the Candidacy began, the World Master didn't give him any assurance over the Candidacy's danger, but viewing the trials and knowing their dangers in real time, he finally realized he had misunderstood the World Master's intentions.

Evelynn and the others could really die in the Candidacy. The dangers that lurked around them never went easy on them and to attest to that fact, there were as many as four hundred deaths. it was obvious just from looking at the numbers.

However, somewhere in his mind, he still thought that they were treated special because of him, and that was true even now. He felt that if Evelynn, Isabella, and Shirley faced the threat of true death, the World Master might just take all the treasures from them and evict them.

After all, she would still need his reincarnation cycle someday, some year.

But if this was true, then he also feared that she might not let them attend the final trial and force them to leave even if they reached the top of the list through their own skill.

Nonetheless, even with him confessing his indirect influence over this Candidacy, there was still no response.

"World Master…" Davis took a deep breath, "Enough of these questions. It's my turn to ask one or two questions. Answer me— why have you called us here?

"Right~"

The World Master finally responded, turning to look at him with calm, serene eyes.

"The reason I called the two of you here is because— I managed to find your origin. Davis Loret."

"…"

Davis nodded as though he expected it but then frowned before his eyes went wide and his pupils dilated to the size of a pin. His heartbeat sped up crazily, finally understanding why she was asking these questions as though to garner once again what kind of man he was, whether he was truly Davis Loret or a foreign entity with a vile plan.