Despair filled the faces of the dao experts. Their leader wanted to retreat, but the Faith of the Sapientia was on the line.
The truth of the matter was that Dyon's [Torment] was powerful, but not powerful enough to kill or mortally injure a dao expert. Though it could slaughter a peak celestial with ease and threaten a pseudo-dao expert, the leap to the next realm was too large.
What Dyon was doing here wasn't attempting to kill them... He was humiliating them.
Their attempts to recover were continuously thwarted, they couldn't gather up their power because Dyon's Presence was too fierce, and even when they managed to pull in an inkling on strength, [Devour] or [Cleanse] would instantly disperse it.
Soon, even those watching understood what Dyon's purpose was as they ran from the city. Even if he could kill them, he was choosing not to. He wanted this very day to be etched into the minds of all of those present.
It was at that moment that Dyon did something that crossed a line of no returned.
As the three dao experts were screaming in agony, having their minds and bodies attacked simultaneously, Dyon took out a haggled figure from his inner world, holding the man up by his neck.
No one recognized him immediately, he looked too different from his usual self.
His brunette hair was a mess, his body was covered in soot and grime, and dried blood riddled his skin. But... when his eyes opened, revealing their golden shine, the whole world gasped.
Emperor Primus Sapientia. Aritzia's elder brother. Key wielder of Sapientia Quadrant.
"Don't!" The leader of the dao experts screamed. "Think about what you're doing! You don't want to make an enemy of us!"
Her screams were almost unintelligible, not because her words weren't clear, but because the screams of her fellow Sapientia were too fierce. The combination of Presence and a mental attack was too fierce. It was like experiencing your mind being shredded apart from the inside out.
"No..." Dyon said faintly, his Presence forcing his words into the ears of all those who watched. "You don't want to make an enemy out of me. It's too bad you've already done so."
Dyon crushed Primus' neck, holding him tightly as his life was slowly wrung out.
To no one's surprise, the key wielder of the Sapientia also had a Life Saving Jade attached to his body. But, Dyon hadn't killed Primus simply for the sake of killing him. He had killed him so that he could snatch the Sapientia's key from them.
From today on. Just like Dyon had said. The Sapientia would have no place among the tower quadrants.
The air shimmered, resulting in an illusory elder appearing in the skies. He had a calm face, and his golden eyes were gentle, he was the picture of a docile old man.
"Young one, you should have some moderation."
Dyon saw that the elder attempted to take the key with him, but this time, Dyon hadn't been incapacitated by Faith like he had been against Diasho Ken. In addition, Diasho Ken wasn't a key wielder, that right was left to his elder brother on the dao floors. Since the opportunity was before him, Dyon would obviously do as he said.
"Feel free to take his body, but leave my things here." Dyon's rage had long since calmed. His expression didn't change as his soul qi surged forward.
The beautiful tower key hung in the air. Just like the key of other quadrants, the Sapientia's key was protected. However, in the face of [Devour], what protections could survive?
"[Devour]."
The old man's expression changed. He had been banking on the key's protections this entire time. He knew that he didn't have the right to directly interfere with matters of the Epistemic Tower – those were the rules, after all. But, he could bend them a little to encompass the key with Primus' corpse. Who would have known that Dyon had the ability to shatter the key's protections before he even acted?
The world could only watch as the key fell into Dyon's hands.
"I hope the Sapientia know when to piss off, or else I don't mind exposing other things." Dyon calmly released Primus' neck, taking the key into his spatial ring.
The old man frowned slightly at Dyon's words.
"I do recognize your voice old man. Weren't you the one who tried to stop my Amphorae from saving Clara? You seem to have a propensity for trying to get in my way... I hope that trend won't continue."
Dyon smiled, but it was so cold that it felt as though he was sending shivers down the spines of everyone who watched on. n/-0velBIn
"The matters you pulled with Sapientia Auction are cute. Though... It doesn't matter much to me. If you'd like to bring others to march on toward death with you, I don't mind playing along. I just hope you remember..."
Suddenly, the old man's image waved furiously, as though his connection was about to be cut off.
"Oops. Looks like I didn't time it as well as I would have liked."
"You...!" The old man's gentle expression stiffened. Through his projection, the sound of savage explosions resounded.
Dyon smiled as he thought back to a memory from several decades ago.
[This array was constructed 3 563 782 years ago by the 24th White Mother...]
[The original purpose was to act as a gift to the Sapientia family...]
[The 24th White Mother, due to suspicions for the family, created an extra 30 as a failsafe...]
[The extra 30 are known as Master Key Arrays... Can function to shut down the original 1000 at any time as well as causing them to set off a violent chain reaction capable of destroying a planet to ashes...]
Dyon hadn't set off all 1000 arrays, he wasn't a mass murderer. In addition, he wanted to push the Sapientia to the brink, but not over the edge. He wasn't prepared to deal with their true power just yet. He only wanted to escort them out the door a bit... forcefully.
Dyon had caused only 1 of the 1000 planet grade arrays that were gifted to the Sapientia to explode. His purpose for doing so was multifold.