The Mandate Emperor's golden eyes were wide with incredulity as he looked at the Spatial Blight Emperor's unmoving body that was on the floor while the wine cup, his Legacy Artifact, looked as if it had been abandoned while every wicked path character retreated.
He slowly turned to look at the meditating Davis, his eyes still reeling in disbelief. It was the first time he witnessed such a scene where a peak hegemon helplessly dropped like a fly, and even he couldn't tell what had happened or how he was attacked!
This... this was otherworldly and even ephemeral in his eyes!
The entire group of righteous path people who remained also cast a glance of disbelief at the Emperor of Death, who sat and began to enter cultivation. They had a vague suspicion if this was an illusion or an act secretly agreed between both parties. After all, it was the first time they had seen a powerhouse, much less a cultivator, who, after frightening his enemies to death, sat down on the spot and began to cultivate or comprehend, displaying immense disrespect and deep arrogance.
However, this kind of posturing left them awed at the same time and inevitably made them look at the Emperor of Death with reverence.
Before the Emperor of Death sat, they also saw him stretch out his hand as though he was collecting something. They all thought that was the mysterious life extinguishing technique's gesture, but a few of them also assumed that he wanted to feel Death Laws with his own hands.
Even with a gesture, they should've seen or felt something, but even after some time of looking at the Emperor of Death deeply, they still couldn't find out how he managed to silently kill the Spatial Blight Emperor.
It was just too eerie that silence permeated in the atmosphere while all they could see was his back figure.
*Whoosh!~*
Suddenly, a character moved past Davis and shot towards the distance as if chasing the wicked path but was quickly stopped by another character.
"Move~"
Ancestor Cornelia's voice coldly echoed as she looked at the Mandate Emperor bar her path.
The Mandate Emperor shook his head.
"I won't allow a good character like you to seek death, not on my watch..."
Ancestor Cornelia gritted her teeth, her body beginning to tremble.
"Not only did the wicked path reap the lives of so many of my Burning Phoenix Ridge's disciples and elders, but all our Legacy Artifacts have also been plundered. If I let them go, I won't have any face left to stand in front of my ancestors, who all shed their blood to make our Burning Phoenix Ridge and its three Legacy Artifacts vastly powerful!"
She screamed, looking sorrowful yet brimming with rage with hatred overflowing in her eyes.
"Ancestor Cornelia, I can understand your rage, but you cannot beat them, not like this..."
Ancestor Cornelia's wrinkled face was cold. Her trembling stopped, replaced with a sudden calmness as she stood straight.
"Strange, it doesn't take much time for the powerhouses from the Heaven Mandate Temple and Heaven Gazing Sect to appear and aid my Burning Phoenix Ridge. The Heaven Mandate Temple has arrived before the Heaven Gazing Sect, which should've arrived long ago, but they aren't here even now. Very good..."
The Mandate Emperor's expression became complex as he heard the old lady's words.
The latter naturally assumed that it was because her Burning Phoenix Ridge allied with the Emperor of Death that the Heaven Gazing Sect and Heaven Mandate Temple intentionally delayed their forces from aiding them.
On the other hand, the Mandate Emperor could understand Ancestor Cornelia's anger that was suddenly directed towards him, but what could he say? He had a reason, but it would sound like a pathetic excuse instead, and he further knew that it would create more problems, especially friction between their powers. He didn't want to cause friction, but he was also aware that it would cause enough friction if he didn't state the reason.
The Mandate Emperor felt like he was essentially stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to make a decision.
"Ancestor Cornelia, Davis would like for you to stay as he told you not to die before..."
Nadia's voice suddenly echoed out, causing Ancestor Cornelia to turn to look at her. The latter's expression appeared quite melancholic as a wry smile emerged on her face.
"All of you are quite selfish..."
She slowly flew back towards the Crimson Ridge Gate before raising her hand.
"Rebuild the sect and reactivate the formations! Search and kill any rat that may have remained, trying to still sneak in our ridge. The deaths of our kin and loved ones will be mourned and forever remembered in our hearts, making us not forget today's events while spurring us to take our revenge in due time!"
"Yes!!!~"
The Burning Phoenix Ridge disciples and elders clenched their fists as they spat out through their clenched teeth. They dared not to be loud as they hissed, afraid that they might disturb the Emperor of Death.
In the ruins of what was once a fiery-lit pathway, Davis remained seated and kept comprehending Death Laws that overflowed in the atmosphere. He came to understand that the death he came to learn was fleeting, a short state of absence of life, for life instantly brought the fleeting soul of a living existence back to the reincarnation cycle again.
The number of soul essences here was completely useless to him. However, when he sensed their journey to somewhere, possibly the reincarnation cycle, he was able to see through the intricacies of the ends of their mortality that spontaneously rocked his mind, continuously and ephemerally until...
*Bzzz!~*
Heaven and earth energy began to circulate, but the purity of the heaven and earth energy abruptly left. At the same time, the Mandate Emperor and Ancestor Cornelia were shocked to see a hurricane of pitch-black energy form around the Emperor of Death, its aura appearing to be ominous and unapproachable, making them feel a bit stifled.
"This is..."
"... Death Laws...?"
The Mandate Emperor dumbfoundedly uttered.
Many people who remained and saw this comprehension phenomenon naturally wanted to take advantage of it and hurriedly sat down, wanting to comprehend even a hint of Death Laws from the solidified intent of death.
*Bang!~*
However, a formless intent suddenly struck against the disciples and elders who tried to comprehend Death Laws, making their eyes bleed as it sent them flying.
"This heaven and earth energy are too fierce..."
"It's incomprehensible... I can't understand anything..."
"I comprehended Space Laws myself, but even that vague law lacks this kind of emptiness, a type of disturbing energy that makes me feel as though I'm rotting... fading away...?"
Elder Karlheinz Strom, Grand Elder Claus Strom, and Grand Elder Newgate Stein all spoke their thoughts as they appeared to be awed by the death energy formed from the resonance with the heaven and earth energy in front of them.
Suddenly, the black aura all rushed into Davis as he seemed to be absorbing all of them. They all knew what this phenomenon meant as their eyes went wide in reverence. The character who had invoked the resonance to form had successfully comprehended it.
Davis opened his eyes as a dark light flashed in his eyes, making him aware that he comprehended Level One Intent of Death Laws, a stronger and terrifying Greater Law. He also realized that he had three minor resonances before he reached Level One Intent, meaning that he was at Level Six Intent in Death Laws before when considered in terms of Primary Laws.
Time naturally passed during this comprehension state, and it was only after a purge went through in the Burning Phoenix Ridge as they hunted the hiding wicked path people for half an hour did Davis wake up and saw that he reached Level One Intent in Death Laws as the major resonance confirmed his breakthrough.
He had comprehended four levels of intent at the same time, but considering that his Soul Forging Cultivation had reached Soul Emperor Stage while his comprehension of Death Laws remained at a low level, it made sense that he was able to reach Level One Intent in this scenario.
Davis stood up and raised his hand. A vortex appeared on his palm as it turned black. It seemed like a sizzling black flame of evanescence or a pitch-black gaseous wind swirling around his palm like a little tornado, but its aura was still ominous and made people behind him gasp.
Suddenly, a person appeared close beside him and embraced his arm before the sound of sniffing could be heard.
*Sniff~*
"Mhm~ I love this scent~"
Nadia felt giddy as she trembled while holding Davis's arms that she felt like she could eat him up, literally.