Chapter 2026: Dreadful Day
The moment Davis's gazes locked with the descendants of the Vast Sky Emperor, they all went stiff without a change.
Davis's figure disappeared and reappeared in front of them, causing them all to cry out in fear and retreat. However, one of them walked out with an expression full of courage.
It was none other than Wayn Skycloud. He directly knelt on the ground and banged his face on the grassy ground.
"Emperor of Death. Please spare us. We won't say anything about what had happened today. We swear and are even willing to- "
"Hmm… if you people were truly innocent, you would've sent someone to inform me that you're escaping with that trash, no?"
Davis couldn't help but chuckle before his expression became cold, "However, I seem to recall that I heard no word from you people about this matter?"
"This…"
Wayn Skycloud raised his head, appearing to be at a loss. However, his expression became determined as he opened his mouth.
"We were all- "
"Don't worry. At least, you were not betrayers in this life. Be proud of that fact and start anew in the next. Hopefully, you can all have a father or husband who's not trash like Arcadius Skycloud is."
Davis waved his hand as his death energy surged, invading into the pores of the people. Their expressions fell, and the light in their eyes flickered ever so lightly with sorrow and despair.
Arcadius Skycloud's wives, sons, and daughters all ended up collapsing to the ground without experiencing even a bit of pain. The trembling Wayn Skycloud was no different, limping to the ground as he became lifeless.
But at this moment, Davis's expression twitched as he found something peculiar in their shattered soul seas.
To think that Blood Soul Contracts bound them. However, they possessed weak binding even before he made a move, meaning that Arcadius Skycloud had enslaved the thoughts of his own family. It was no wonder that none of them thought of informing him. It wasn't that they didn't but that they couldn't.
However, who could say that they wouldn't blindly follow their father or husband who would become immortal?
It was like he didn't know their history as he had done a background check on these people since he could kill them in the future. Each of them has their own share of crimes except a select few who hadn't stained their hands.
But at the end of the day, it was better to clear the world of vile vermin no matter how he thought.
However, Davis looked at the skies, staring at the remnant energy of heavenly tribulation swirling around with a vacant look.
'Have I killed too many people today…?'
He did a fair count and recalled that he killed about a million and two hundred thousand cultivators. These casualties were all from the Shard Family, four wicked path hegemon remnants, and the Vast Sky Emperor Palace's descendants.
However, there wasn't the slightest hint of regret in his heart. Only a sense of emptiness over feeling why he had to kill so many of them to prove his point because otherwise, people wouldn't just understand, trying to topple him and his family with all they got.
Clearly, if he had allowed Arcadius Skycloud to escape, his life after ascendance would have become very tricky and even full of tragedy. If he allowed his descendants to live, the lives of the Alstreim Family would be jeopardized in the future.
This wasn't the peaceful modern world that has so-called humanitarian rights.
There were no rights here. Rights here were granted by strength, and the one who had the most say made the rules.
If he ascended and left this place one day, the Alstreim Family would undoubtedly be barraged from all sides and probably exterminated. To not have that happen, he killed so many people today. It would send a powerful message to the other people that it wasn't in their best interests to touch him and his people, even if he left.
Thinking of all this, Davis could find numerous ways to justify his actions, but his heart knew that they were all delusions.
The fact was that he preemptively committed a massacre to ensure the absolute safety of his hegemonic power, and he accepted what he had done.
He left the mini-realm with a silent chuckle, exited the luxurious palace, and rose above the floating palaces, overlooking the wonderful city of a sect that should've been buzzing instead.
Hundreds and thousands of cultivators came into his view, their hearts stricken with panic and dread. He could feel their emotions, stricken with dejection and hopelessness. They were all wondering what happened inside the mini-realm, wanting to know the result.
Davis opened his mouth. However, it opened and closed two times before he finally opened his mouth and voiced out.
"The Vast Sky Emperor has broken through the Immortal Stage and ascended. That's it. It's over for me..."
Davis's voice was frigid as though he was trying to hide the fact that he was deeply afraid, his body trembling ever so lightly.
"…"
Hearing his words, the crowd remained silent for a few seconds before clamor erupted. Instantly, their expressions all became joyous as they jumped around and celebrated, looking at each other with bright smiles as they danced and raised their fists to the skies in celebration.
"Ahaha! Serves you right! For acting so pompous and arrogant in front of our Vast Sky Palace, you deserve to die!"
Roaring laughter resounded from all sides before one of them bellowed with a loud voice as though he was unafraid of anything more to come.
"The Vast Sky Emperor was so magnanimous, but you? You forced him to dire straits and look at you now. Who's going to reap the seeds of destruction now? Do you regret it!?"
An elder berated, looking wrathful over the damage the Emperor of Death caused to their Vast Sky Emperor Palace.
"Hmph! So what if he regrets it! Unless he kowtows nine times, there's no way we can forgive him. Even then, it is up to our revered Vast Sky Emperor, no, Vast Sky Immortal, to deal with this arrogant brat who thinks he's high and all."
"You made all this fuss for a supposed widow whom our Vast Sky Immortal actually tried to grace his presence with!? How unrefined and contemptible can you get!? You vile womanizer!"
"What are you looking at!? Quickly kowtow! If you do so, we might say a word or two to our Vast Sky Immortal for you to survive. After all, you're a genius who should be nurtured for the good of our human race. Only your character is problematic, but it can be shaped up with beatings to your impudent face!"
"Ahahaha!"
Numerous cusses and derisive voices could be heard. Regardless of gender and age, men and women cursed the character of the Emperor of Death, their expressions full of rancor and righteousness.
Some even took joy while looking at his somber face, etching that into their eyes and imagery stones. However, the curses and mocking words from their mouth never stopped. It was as though the entire city took part in festivities to mock and condemn a single man who was on top of the execution platform, ready to be beheaded.
"…"
At this moment, Davis felt a faint sense of relief. He felt like he had entered a state of epiphany while hearing, no, sensing the magnitude of the hatred, dislike, and murderous intent they possessed towards him.
Heaven and earth energy churned around him, glowing in an otherworldly light. One couldn't even imagine the color, but everyone could see that the Emperor of Death had comprehended a law at this moment, causing them to become silent once more.
"This is… Heart Intent?"
Someone in the crowd echoed in a bewildered manner. They turned to look towards the source of the voice and saw that the man possessed an expression full of contemplation. They demanded an explanation. However, they saw the man's expression suddenly change, quickly turning to look at what he had been so afraid of.
And what they saw made them feel a bone-chilling cold that swept through their spine, causing them to shudder heavily as they saw a man hovering in their skies with a devilish smile on his face, his figure shrouded by grayish-black energy.
=========
"What!? The entire Vast Sky Emperor Palace has been completely massacred!?"
The Mandate Emperor abruptly stood up with such force that the table in front of him was sent flying, crashing towards the messenger.
Just now, he heard that millions of cultivators in the Vast Sky Emperor Palace had died at the hands of the Emperor of Death. Moreover, it seemed that there was a dark cloud of death hovering above the city, causing anyone below the Seventh Stage to faint while they looked at it.
The Mandate Emperor looked towards the Karmic Guardian Emperor, feeling a deep chill striking his heart while he felt his brain tremor at the significance of this happening.
"How… How can it be possible?" The Mandate Emperor shook his head, losing his cool as he bellowed, "Check! Check properly! There must be a mistake!"
"No… how? I sensed no change in the trajectory of fate of the Vast Sky Emperor Palace. If there was a massacre, I should've sensed at least an iota of change and be able to prevent it like..."
The Karmic Guardian Emperor suddenly froze as he recalled a few matters that he found bewildering.
Last time, he had divined that there was going to be a massacre in the Zlatan Family. However, it didn't happen, causing him to feel confused but accepted that the heavens allowed the Zlatan Family to survive.
This time, he had sensed a massacre in the Emperor Shard Family and the wicked path when divining after he heard that the Jade Lotus Valley had been ambushed, and the massacre happened without a change. However, there was nothing of concern when he used his karmic arts to probe the situation of the Vast Sky Emperor Palace, but the massacre transpired, right in the heart of Vast Sky Emperor Palace, taking millions of lives.
How could one explain this phenomenon where fate keeps changing to a large degree!? Even if there was a change, there would be a few or an entire group of survivors in a massacre, but allowing many to live? That was unheard of! The same way, when there was nothing of concern, how could an entire hegemon be massacred!?
Thinking of the strange occurrences in this way, the Karmic Guardian Emperor heavily trembled as he plopped back to his seat, his expression full of horror.
Could it be that the Emperor of Death was a Divergent who causes chaos in the workings of fate?