Divine Emperor of DeathDivine Emperor of Death
Davis wondered.
He researched them a bit and mused if there was anything that could be salvaged. These spectral lifeforms didn't seem to be living lifeforms or undead-like ghosts. They were mostly created from energy and lacked consciousness.
It could be said that they were just maddening ravings having a physical form, leaping at anything that came their way.
'It's no wonder even Mid Stage Empyreans don't come here… these things respawn… and possibly have no use for one's cultivation…'
Davis couldn't see how he could profit from these manifestations of darkness.
Naturally, no one would want to bother with it. He looked back at the purple fern and saw that it was immature. Evidently, the powerful cultivators had taken what they could take and left other treasures to mature. Eventually, they might come by and take it.
He went and carefully collected it, leaving it to Lea to plant in his life ring in a dark corner before he brought Vereina out.
"Ah~"
The moment Vereina appeared, she froze. The darkness around her felt like a hand clutching her entire body and trying to crush her within its grasp. The pressure was enormous, making her feel like she could die anytime. However, a burst of light energy fell on her and expanded, which changed everything.
It allowed her to breathe as she took a deep breath, absorbing his light energy to maintain consciousness and reclaim her footing.
"I see. So I can make the darkness recede and allow you to stand, but it might also attract some attention if I'm not careful. This information will be helpful in our mission."
Davis nodded.
Vereina clenched her fist. She shot a glare at him, "Can you stop bullying me every chance you get?"
"No, I like bullying you." Davis said with a straight face, "If you don't like it, you can leave."
"You-"
Vereina fumed. He once again brought her into a position she couldn't leave and dared her.
Davis chuckled. He truly did have fun teasing Vereina, but before she could get angry, he pointed at the ground below.
Davis chuckled. He truly did have fun teasing Vereina, but before she could get angry, he pointed at the ground below.
"See this strange dark smoke? Try if you could absorb it…"
"…?"
Vereina narrowed her brows. She didn't instantly turn her head, wondering if he would prank her again. But looking at his serious expression, she cast a glance and blinked as she looked at the dark smoke.
She felt strange. Moreover, this strange dark smoke remained even as they basked in Davis's light energy, which was even more strange.
"You want me to absorb it…?"
"Yes, try and see for yourself if it can be utilized. If not, that's also fine. I just figured if it can increase your cultivation or give you insights-"
"Alright, I'll do it. You better heal me if anything happens~"
Vereina heaved a breath. She didn't wait for his answer and summoned the manifestation of her Violent Punitive Soul Physique, causing an elliptical dark purple sphere to appear above her as it contorted and sank, abruptly elongating into three heads.
Davis smiled lightly. For how much she complained, it seemed she had a huge amount of trust in him.
He saw her technique and nodded in appreciation.
Three heads appeared, each with the shape of Vereina's face. Moreover, her three heads possessed over three spike-like horns jutting out, her foreheads bejeweled with a strange purple crystal. Those three pairs of eyes glowed crimson-gold like that of a murderous serpent, gleaming with a cold intent.
Once they appeared, they exuded an incredible amount of pressure in the surroundings, so much so that the darkness around them actually began to shudder.
Consecutively, they suddenly opened their mouth and revealed a tongue similar to that of Vereina's tattooed tongue, absorbing the dark smoke.
"This is…"
Vereina's gaze flickered.
She instantly closed her eyes and concentrated on her refining the dark smoke. Her brows kept quivering for a while before her eyes abruptly shot wide open. Her pupils shrunk, full of disbelief before, as she seemed to recognize that her physique was improving!
"Help me out!~ Guard me. I'll make it up to you."
Once she said those words, she sat down and meditated.
"Don't break through to the next stage. Can't be bringing down one of our tribulations here…" Davis said but doubted she heard him.
He frowned a bit before shaking his head.
The dark smoke she absorbed was at Level Four Empyrean Stage, although very minute in the quantity of energy, possessed too much quality in the form of strange floating darkness runes. These runes were practically unintelligible to him since they were full of mad ravings, but to Vereina's Violent Punitive Soul Physique, they may prove to be something else.
He waited over twenty minutes guarding her before she finally shuddered.
*Bzzzz!~*
Her darkness energy undulations abruptly fumed and filled the cave. At the same time, her Darkness Laws also grew as the resonation phenomenon occurred. Davis guessed it was at least at Level Five Quiddity or even Level Six Quiddity. The next second, her undulations hit a ceiling before it suddenly broke, condensing into much more powerful undulations.
At that point, Davis knew Vereina successfully entered the Level Nine Immortal Emperor Stage.
He couldn't tell if she was about to ascend to the Empyrean Stage as her aura was as still as water despite her undulations throbbing upon breakthrough. He doubted she could as she lacked a suitable cultivation manual, or did she?'
'In any case, I'll have to forcefully disturb her cultivation if she begins to enter the next stage…'
Davis thought, but Vereina's aura and undulations receded to absolute calm after a few minutes.
She then stood up, turning to look at him with teary eyes.
"I didn't say anything about making it up to you, did I?"
"You did." Davis cast her a pitiful glance, "Now you have to warm my bed."
"Fine…" Vereina bit her lips as she wiped a tear, "If you can't help but want your bed to go up in flames, I'll sacrifice my dignity to cremate you alive."
Once she said it, she cast a playful glance at him before giggling.
Davis also chuckled, "I presume you got a good haul?"
"Yes~" Vereina's black eyes glowed purple, "My soul physique finally entered the Peak-Level Immortal Emperor Grade, just one step away from reaching Empyrean Grade!"
"Great!"
Davis looked happy for her as he gave her a thumbs up. Vereina was practically the fastest cultivator he had ever seen. After all, she practically ascended at the same time as him.
He also cast a glance at the two remaining dark smoke, but his soul did not have any response whatsoever. It may not improve his physique. As for Darkness Laws, he was already at Level Five Quiddity.
He liked keeping his Darkness Laws more about concealment and assassination variety rather than berserk.
"Tch, if only I am powerful enough to see through this darkness. Otherwise, this danger zone's ravings don't scare me..." Vereina pouted.
She eyed the next two remnant dark clouds of smoke she could vaguely see but didn't dare take them. Instead, she looked at Davis with puppy eyes, hoping he would allow her to refine them.
Davis still stared at those remnant dark smokes.
"I guess trying wouldn't hurt... then you can take them if I fail."
"Many thanks! Benevolent deity~ May the Emperor live long and have many children!~"
Vereina raised her hands and cheered, making Davis almost lose his footing.
He shot an amused glance at her before stepping in front of the dark smokes and absorbed them the same way she did.
"Die... die... what are you here for...!? Kill yourself...! Kill the others...! Violate that woman! Devour her...! Kill...! Sacrifice...! Offer...!"
"What the fuck!?"
Davis directly expelled the remnant smoke before its maddening ravings could envelop him completely.
His expression was unsightly. All he did was refine a minute strand of the dark smoke, and it injected him with nefarious ravings. It was in his own voice but he was positive that he sensed another aura. Of course, he wasn't affected, but hearing those words sickened him to the core, making him wonder who the hell was that.
"A-Are you alright...?"
He turned to look at Vereina, who looked at him worriedly.
He could only blink as he assumed that her Violent Punitive Soul Physique wasn't affected at all by the ravings from the start to the end. It was quite possible she never came across it as it molded with the devouring prowess of her physique.