What was happening here?
Did the Divine Emperor of Death already collude with these elders from the start, so that they suddenly changed sides?
None of this made sense.
"Is this the power of Heart Intent?" Zevonn Malark shuddered as he recalled.
"Heart Intent?" Jillian Hayden’s pupils dilated, "What- what do you mean Heart Intent?"
"You don’t know?" Zevonn Malark still looked spooked, "It’s rumored that the Divine Emperor of Death’s comprehension in Enigmatic Heart Laws could’ve risen above Level Two Obscure Intent, into the fabled realm of the deities."
"!!!" Jillian Hayden nearly jumped, but she restrained her body, her figure quivering like a leaf, "You mean- the realm that the Sky Word Emperor reached?"
"I... think so..."
Zevonn Malark said with a heavy sigh.
The two looked at each other with a spooked gaze.
Considering what they saw here, they didn’t know if they were already in the grasp of the Divine Emperor of Death, just dancing on his palm without even being aware of it.
"Even if you realize, you will still smile at him and call him master with utter loyalty and devotion. Mhm, the fact that you’re not calling him that means he still hasn’t used it on you."
Evelynn’s voice echoed from behind, nearly causing them to freeze as their heart leaped forward and their souls threatened to escape.
"Haha... of course..." Jillian Hayden found herself turning around and dryly laughing.
Those purple eyes in the darkness, lingering like a devil, nearly gave her a heart attack.
Evelynn’s lips moved, "Jillian, the fact that he showed this to you should mean something."
"..." Jillian Hayden could only say nothing, her emotions in a mess.
Zevonn Malark pointed at himself, "Then why would he- his eminence show it to me?"
"How would I know?"
"..."
Zevonn Malark went speechless at Evelynn’s blunt answer.
She walked past them and arrived before Davis as she asked, "What is their prowess?"
Davis just finished asking the details about Laughing Hexamaniacs from the Morvane Family’s Patriarch.
He shot a look at Evelynn before pointing at Morvane Family’s Patriarch, "This person’s cultivation base is at Level Eight Primarch Stage, and his prowess is two levels higher."
"Grayscale Poison Hound Clan’s Patriarch is a Level Seven Primarch possessing a higher battle prowess of two levels higher."
"Blackcurse Voidfang Eel Clan’s Patriarch - Level Seven Primarch with also two levels of battle prowess."
"Abyssal Radiance Empire’s Grand Elder - Level Seven Primarch with yet again two levels of battle prowess."
Evelynn blinked, "They’re... subpar..."
She expected at least one of them to have three levels of prowess and cross into Level Eleven Primarch Stage.
Davis chuckled at hearing his wife’s appraisal, "Don’t judge them by our standards. They’re good for where they are- their backgrounds, and two levels of prowess in the Primarch Stage is indeed a fantastic feat."
"I suppose so."
Evelynn pouted. Having entered the Level Seven Empyrean Stage and her base prowess of thirteen levels higher already put her at Level Two Exalt Stage when it came to overall combat prowess. If she had unleashed her hex now, the entire Miredon Family and Hayden Family would’ve been gone, as it would’ve spread much faster and been more potent.
Davis raised his hand and beckoned someone.
"Zevonn, come here..."
"...?"
Zevonn moved upon being called, quickly arriving before Davis but still guarded as the scene from before was still fresh in his mind.
His gaze panned.
The way these elders all changed their tune while still bowing since their master hadn’t said to rise was frightening.
Davis’s lips curled lightly as he gestured at the Malarks.
"Didn’t you say you wanted revenge? Slap him, kick him. He’s all yours. I also want to see where his limit lies, whether he can break the corruption."
"...!"
Zevonn Malark shuddered. He managed to glimpse at the Blackcurse Voidfang Eel Clan’s Patriarch give a cold look at him, but quickly averted his gaze.
"Can I really do it...?"
Zevonn Malark asked Davis with some disbelief.
"Go ahead. Malark Clan’s Patriarch, do you mind getting beaten for me to prove your utmost loyalty?"
"Your eminence. If you need me to bury myself into the ground and seal myself for hundreds and thousands of years, I will do it without asking any questions, much less this."
"..."
Davis turned to look at Zevonn Malark and shrugged.
Zevonn Malark couldn’t help but find himself shuddering nonstop. It wasn’t from fear anymore, but excitement.
"Die!"
He rushed towards his Patriarch and swung his arm.
*Paaah!~*
A resounding sound echoed as Zevonn Malark’s palm was fractured, as he felt like he had slapped a rock. But despite the pain, his face gleamed with a maddened expression.
"Old bastard! How can you show your face to our branch after suppressing us to death!? You saved us!? You’re keeping us alive!? What a load of bullshit! Die, fucking loser!"
A rain of punches and brutalizing kicks landed on the Blackcurse Voidfang Eel Clan’s Patriarch.
At first, Zevonn Malark’s fists popped, and his feet exploded, blood spewing out as even his bones were revealed, but Davis commanded halfway that Patriarch should lower and seal his cultivation to show his loyalty.
The unmoving mountain was then thrashed by Zevonn Malark.
It was only after a few minutes that Zevonn Malark calmed down.
However, the aftermath of his body seemed like his limbs had been cut off.
He had used his bones to strike his opponent, not his fist or feet, as they had popped from beating a higher-level cultivator. It was incredibly brutal.
"..."
Evelynn was honestly surprised. This young lad can take pain at this level. She finally understood why Davis saw something in him and even allowed him to do this.
Meanwhile, the Blackcurse Voidfang Eel Clan’s Patriarch rose up from lying on the ground. He resumed his posture of kneeling and greeting Davis. However, his face swelled while blood soaked his figure, and there was even blood profusely dripping from a few holes made by arm bones used as a sword.
Miserable as he looked, he still tried to prove his loyalty to Davis.
Davis appeared in front of the Patriarch and patted his shoulder, "You did well proving your loyalty."
"My life is always yours, Divine Emperor of Death!" He responded, his eyes clouding.
"..."
Zevonn Malark breathed heavily, but he held his breath, simply unable to believe this.
And then, he saw life energy descending and healing the Blackcurse Voidfang Eel Clan’s Patriarch, further eliciting more words of loyalty from the Patriarch.
Zevonn Malark supposed this was a slave force that was going to be used for whatever the Divine Emperor of Death planned here.
The question was- were they also part of the plan? What could two mere Empyreans do? They didn’t have anything special here.
"It seems like my presence here was not required."
At this moment, a figure descended from the darkness again.
"...!?" Jillian Hayden and Zevonn Malark were stunned.
However, when they saw a beauty gliding through the air, their gazes flickered. They then saw her cup her hands towards Davis.
"I’m full. We’re all set to leave." Fairy Divinacia said with a light smile.
"Good!"
Davis said with an approving expression. Fairy Divinacia had already been here for some time, appearing somewhere during the part where he had tortured Girias and Harmon for hours. She didn’t bother to disturb him.
He raised his hand, revealing a single finger, "But there’s still one move left for me to make in this city- the Saint."