Chapter 1996 - The Source

"W-What?"

Davis's lips twitched.

The people were also in a state of complete disbelief.

What were their leaders saying? How could Fairy Myria be the source of the Calamity Light? Some people believed them and possessed horrified expressions on their faces and stood up, starting to leave while some others narrowed their brows, wondering if this was the plot of the hegemons to uncover Myria's secrets.

After all, how could a young woman who was not even a hundred years old be the source of the Calamity Light?

He was aware of the Four Great Righteous Sects' strange actions. To ordinary people, they appeared like guardians who protected the New Era Battle Arena from skirmishes of the people, but to him, they appeared like they were searching for something.

He also wondered about the importance of this competition. Why did the Four Great Righteous Sects go to great lengths to have this competition despite the closing danger of the Calamity Light? After coming here, he saw the unearthed geniuses and thought it was for this reason, but their strange actions in this competition kept his suspicions up.

Nonetheless, whatever they might be searching for, it wasn't his problem.

He was only there to get Ellia back and enjoy this competition like a vacation with his family and wives. But now, it seemed that the Four Great Righteous Sects finally found out what they were looking for, and it turned out to be Myria.

Davis clenched his fist as he turned to look at Myria. 

Apparently, the key to solving the mystery of the Calamity Light was her. However…

On the long shot that it wasn't Myria, it should be Ellia. 

"Has there been a mistake?"

Davis's mind trembled before he turned to look at the Mandate Emperor.

The Mandate Emperor shook his head, and only then did Davis see that the Karmic Guardian Emperor possessed a broken ruler in his hand, his expression bitter and sorrowful because it was his own divination artifact that he had specifically made to accompany him in his life.

It had been with him for thousands of years since he was an upstart. Its destruction meant that it had seen something it shouldn't have, but before it died, it informed him that Fairy Myria was the source they had been searching for.

If Myria wasn't so strange, being able to use so many laws, he wouldn't have tried divining her peculiarity either because when he did, he initially suspected that she might be a reincarnated person, but it turned out that she was the source, causing his artifact to break!

Looking at the broken ruler, Myria's eyes flashed with understanding.

"I see. So you used the karmic luck of the entire New Era Battle Arena and performed divination using the slightest trace of my soul's undulations to finally get a hold of my position."

"Hehe~ I must say that I underestimated the will of the heavens."

A melodious trickle of laughter escaped her mouth, sounding bewitching at the same time the spatial vortex began closing because the spatial undulations were sealed in place.

It was a trapping-type grand formation.

"…"

At this moment, Myria's words basically came off as acceptance of the information that she was the source of the Calamity Light.

The Mandate Emperor's heart slightly clenched.

Her laughter didn't sound like despair, nor did it sound like one of a cornered beast. It was something more like…

'Utter disdain…?'

The Mandate Emperor didn't believe himself. He instantly sent soul transmissions in many directions.

*Whoosh!~* *Whoosh!~* *Whoosh!~* 

At this moment, the skies above the battle stage quickly became filled with Ninth Stage Powerhouses who stepped out in an instant. It only took a step for them to arrive in their positions, and they ranged in the thousands, causing the people to gasp heavily.

When it was previously said that the total number of Ninth Stage Powerhouses was around ten thousand, people scoffed. But now, it seemed that there were more Ninth Stage Powerhouses than the previous number, but considering that most broke through in order to combat the threat of the Calamity Light, it wasn't surprising that the number of Ninth Stage Powerhouses increased.

Most of them were at Low-Level Ninth Stage, while the rest were subsequently distributed in lower numbers. There were actually about a hundred Peak-Level Law Rune Stage Powerhouses, their undulations completely surpassing the other powerhouses. 

Pill Refining Sect, Dual Lotus Manor, Jade Lotus Valley, Burning Phoenix Ridge, Soul Palace, Golden Dragon Valley, Glorious Pill Palace, Heaven Gazing Sect, Heaven Mandate Temple, Vast Sky Emperor Palace, Astral Light Sect, and a lot of other powers who possessed power but prowess that could be said to be average.

Most of them were the Sect Leaders and the Ancestors of mid-sized Territories' hegemons and large-sized Territories' powers.

It seemed that a large amount of them did not spare resources for future generations and chose to break through to the Peak-Level. Evidently, the ban that was lifted on consuming Peak-Level Spirit Stone Vein Cores displayed its effects in a short few years.

However, the geniuses who displayed Ninth Stage prowess didn't join their group. It seemed that the Mandate Emperor specifically told them to stay out of this and protect themselves, for they were the future of the human race.

"…"

The people were truly dumbfounded as never had they seen their righteous path top powerhouses gathered together. It was a sight that would stay etched in their minds for centuries to come.

In the meantime, Honorable Elder Julian Kruse, who was the closest, naturally distanced himself.

However, his body was trembling as he recalled the burnt lot that pointed to Fairy Myria.

When karmic luck is inbound to a particular matter, all things liked by the heavens were blessed with fortune, but when disliked by the heavens, that thing would be ignited by a spark of heavenly flame.

This wasn't public knowledge, but this wasn't confirmed either. He had only read it in an old, ancient record himself while wanting to know more about karmic nature that numerous people had given their lives to uncover. 

His lips quivered as he stared at Myria with a frightful gaze.

To be having such bad luck that her lot was actually burned inside the box, could it be that she's the source of the Calamity Light?

After all, anything having the probability of inviting calamity over to the world must be a congregation of bad luck!

Thinking like this, Honorable Elder Julian Kruse no longer hesitated and informed the three Emperors, further cementing their doubts. 

Their expressions were solemn. They even called the Vast Sky Emperor before making a move, but the other party didn't reply, so they could only face this mini-calamity by themselves.

"Fairy-" The Mandate Emperor's tongue got stuck in his mouth before he continued, "Calamity Light's Source, obediently let yourself be captured."

"What if I resisted?" Myria asked with a faint smile hidden behind her veil.

The Mandate Emperor stared at Myria before he sent a soul transmission.

"Starnova, capture the Mystic Ice Sect's maidens for conspiring against the human race."

The Starnova Emperor complied. His people moved as his power was seated the closest to the Mystic Ice Sect out of the other Four Great Righteous Sects. Grand Elders and Elders of the Astral Light Sect vanished from their locations and reappeared in front of Mystic Ice Sect, causing their people to turn pale.

However, Sect Master Bing Luli stepped forward along with the three Ancestors, Bing Hua, Wan Lanying, and Xia Yun, as their undulations surged like an icy tide, protecting their disciples from possible harm without a single sign of panic on their faces.

Surprisingly, almost all of their levels have reached High-Level Law Rune Stage, causing countless people to be shocked, even the Mandate Emperor. However, he wasn't alarmed as their High-Level Law Rune Stage Powerhouses was nowhere near to defend against the onslaught of the Grand Elders of the Astral Light Sect who were at Peak-Level Law Rune Stage!

Five such Grand Elders were displaying the immense prowess of the Astral Light Sect. Similar entities from the four powers had unveiled themselves, covering the battle stage along with the other peak powerhouses. Even the Vast Sky Emperor Palace possessed six of them. They didn't show themselves even after the Vast Sky Emperor had been slapped twice to scramming.

Perhaps, it was because they knew they couldn't go against the Emperor of Death or had other plans at that moment, simply restraining themselves. At this moment, it didn't matter to the Mandate Emperor what their thoughts were as they were willing to help according to the laws of the righteous path as it was their unity that kept them alive against all odds.

Subsequently, a deep sigh echoed.

"Such a cowardly action. According to the so-called rules of the righteous path, shouldn't you only target me as they're all innocent?"

Myria's voice resounded out with disappointment, her deep black eyes flickering with a strange glint lurking in her calm gaze.