Chapter 2129: Lofty Presence
The fact that he could use heavenly lightning itself was something that made them giddy with excitement over his potential, making them thrilled and proud. However, he had Eldia as a source to comprehend heavenly lightning, so they could at least understand why he was able to comprehend heavenly lightning in the first place. But, to control the heavenly flames that were sent to punish cultivators with karmic sin, they couldn't digest this information in their minds.
Moreover, to make a physique out of heavenly lightning and heavenly flames. What under the mythical nine heavens was that supposed to mean?
Even if their minds adamantly denied the possibility, the scenery in front of them said otherwise. The truth was laid in front of them, but they had a hard time grasping the situation, slowly reacting to his powers of heavenly lightning and heavenly flames.
"Delectable reaction, indeed..."
Davis smirked as he thoroughly savored their dumbstruck faces and withdrew his heavenly lightning and heavenly flames.
Back then, he had to be careful of getting hurt when using heavenly lightning because his meridians weren't compatible, but now, both destructive types of energy smoothly flowed like it was water flowing through a river stream. Furthermore, because of the change in his physique, his aura also underwent a drastic change, becoming almost as tyrannical and lofty as the heavens.
That's why Mingzhi suspected that he wasn't Davis because he wasn't condescending to them but possessed an amused yet sharp edge and hid his majestic aura within him most of the time, only unleashing it in the presence of others. Naturally, she mistook this sanctimonious aura as someone else's mixed with him until she found out that it was still him, except he was a renewed version of himself who took control of the heaven's tribulation prowess.
At this moment, the attraction in their hearts towards him spread like wildfire, setting their hearts ablaze with passion. They liked his humble self, but the tyrannical presence he exuded at the moment was unique in its own way.
"What? You all do not believe me?"
Davis couldn't help but prompt them, causing them to blink before they smiled at him.
"We believe you."
"Not only did you become more powerful as you said you would, you even had the gall to plunder from an entity that you shouldn't."
"A man of his words, indeed."
Evelynn, Mingzhi, and Fiora commented with satisfied smiles on their faces, causing Davis to grin fiendishly.
"I'm sure you all know what this means, right?"
"We all share some karmic burden that seeps from you..."
"We're screwed."
"No, we will all overcome it!"
Evelynn, Mingzhi, and Fiora spoke with sighs and highs, causing Davis to chuckle. He had vaguely told them about this matter of karmic burden, so they possessed a dabbler's knowledge in it, knowing what it would do but not the intricacies, not that he knew much about the intricacies surrounding karmic burden anyways.
Nonetheless, looking at his lovely Evelynn, Mingzhi, and Fiora while being able to touch them in the flesh had him satisfied a bit, allowing him to walk into the palace wanting to meet more of his people. He was sure that many of them had gathered already, judging by their auras visible here and there in the palace.
He felt like he was entering his imperial harem palace, not that he found it new since it was Evelynn's, his Empress's palace in the first place. But still, it was his imperial harem palace at the moment. After all, the other wives also lived with the Empress, heeding her words and being respectful to her.
But looking back, Evelynn, Mingzhi, and Fiora walked together side by side, seemingly with no distinction to status or power. He inwardly nodded at this scene as he chatted with them until he finally arrived at the main hall.
In the main hall stood many individuals, particularly he looked at the big-bellied golden-robed woman chattering with a bright smile on her face.
"How arrogant. Eterna is waiting, but you still refuse to come out. Isn't it time already?"
Shirley had uttered to Isabella's unborn child, making Isabella and the others laugh, but at this moment, they noticed a few individuals walk into the main hall, their expressions becoming dumbfounded.
"Da-Davis?"
Tina gawked while the others also possessed similar reactions.
For the same reason as Mingzhi, they didn't recognize Davis at all. Even his aura that slightly leaked out all this time only made them aware that he could be some kind of guest brought in by Evelynn, not causing them to be bothered as there were many hegemonic guests trying to curry 'his' favor as almost nothing of external affairs in the Territories he owns passes through without his approval.
Davis appeared before them and stood, taking a good look at their expressions. At first, he liked that they didn't recognize him, but now, he was worried that if this tyrannical aura he was radiating wouldn't drive a wedge between him and them.
'I hope this doesn't become a problem...'
Due to just creating his physique, he still could not control its undulations properly. Otherwise, he knew he wouldn't have this kind of trouble in the long term. Nonetheless, he approached Shirley, kissing her on the lips before grabbing Eterna from her, cuddling her with love amidst the confounding look of Shirley and the others.
Isabella even frowned slightly and looked towards Evelynn for help, causing Davis to chuckle.
"You all… you dare to forget your man in a few months?"
"You walk in radiating another kind of aura that's tyrannical and still expect us to recognize you?"
Mingzhi spoke for them as she rolled her eyes, perhaps still embarrassed about stabbing Davis on being unable to recognize him. Still, her words caused the others to know something had happened to him, causing his aura to change.
"What happened?"
Natalya asked curiously, starting to frown heavily because Davis's aura was even harsher towards her body, tempered by ice and yin.
"The thing is..."
Evelynn dryly smiled and explained, causing everyone to become shocked as they stared daggers at Davis, unable to believe what he had done.
"The heaven's son..."
"…"
Claire dreamily uttered, causing Davis to almost spurt blood. If he was the son, then he stole from his grandpa, but he had been calling the heavens his son all this time, causing him to feel amused. He shrugged lightly, kissing Eterna's cute cheeks one last time before he gave her back to Shirley.
Then, he grabbed Isabella and kissed her hands, glancing at her belly before raising his head and smiling at her face.
"I made it back in time..."
"Mhm~ I was… slightly worried."
Isabella shyly smiled, feeling strange yet secure. She knew this feeling. He was undoubtedly Davis, alright.
"Although our baby is kicking fine, I don't think it will come out anytime soon. However, you must be tired. So, you go do what you do..."
Isabella winked at him while Davis couldn't help but gawk. He leaned and kissed her lips.
"You're the best, Isabella."
"I know what you think, pervert. I'll accompany you later."
Despite their words exchanged through soul transmission, they passionately kissed, causing some of them their brows to become bold and a few others to shy away.
On the other hand, Claire couldn't believe how frivolous his son was in kissing them. Doesn't he understand that he's making the others jealous?
"It's fine, mother."
At this moment, Mingzhi appeared beside Claire.
"It's not like a master of Enigmatic Heart Laws doesn't know what he's doing. This just fuels their hearts to grab his attention, including mine, frustratingly enough..." She pouted, causing Claire to blink before she grabbed Mingzhi and patted her head consolingly.
"There, there… cut him some slack as he's working hard for every one of us..."
Clearly, Claire had been good with her daughter-in-law for Mingzhi to complain to her. In fact, Mingzhi was the closest to Claire after Evelynn. The next few would be Shirley and Isabella, as they had carried her grandchildren and consequently spent more time with them.
"Where's Clara?"
After Davis greeted Zestria, Bylai, Lea, Tanya, Sophie, Niera, Tina, and Dalila with words and some hugs, he looked around and noticed his little sister still didn't show up. However, Tia was there, so he couldn't help but ask her.
"Uhm… elder sis is still in seclusion."
"I see."
Davis nodded, recalling that Shirley and Evelynn used their avatars to search for resources that would help Clara in her cultivation and comprehension of Mandate Laws. Most of them were bought from the Heaven Mandate Temple, so he was not surprised to know that Clara was still in seclusion.
On the other hand, Tia was also here and was sent resources from the Heaven Gazing Sect to further her cultivation and comprehension of Karma Laws.
He didn't send them both away to their sects as it was still chaotic in the Mid-Sized Territories and the Large-Sized Territories, with more people vying for resources.
If his hidden enemies couldn't get him, they would always target his loved ones without any kind of remorse, and he couldn't allow such a thing to happen. Of course, if Clara and Tia were at the Ninth Stage, then they could travel anywhere they wanted, but for now, he made them stay here and forced the two Righteous Sects to provide cultivation materials and resources, not that they resisted in the first place in order to curry his favor.
As a sign of good faith, he had also given the Heaven Mandate Emperor and the Karmic Guardian Emperor some Essence Gathering Pills, allowing them to re-mold their Runes as Ancestor Dian Alstreim did. It allowed their prowess to reach the sixth level of the Ninth Stage, even reaching the seventh level with their Legacy Artifacts.
Together, they became powerful enough to escape from the Jade Pearl Ravenous Lotus if they wanted to.
For these matters alone, they were extremely thankful and didn't say a word about the rules of the Heaven Mandate Temple and Heaven Gazing Sect, citing that resources and secrets couldn't be sent outside. After all, with the way they thought, not only had they revitalized themselves as the hegemons of their Territories, their paths to immortality were basically a given with this kind of improvement.
With their current prowess, they would also be given special treatment in their respective sects on ascending, causing them to be grateful to Davis.
Out of the three Great Righteous Sects, all three possessed good relations with Davis. After all, he had also sent his Reaper Soul Legion's Second Division to aid the Astral Light Sect with repelling the magical beast tides in the ruined Vast Sky Emperor Palace Territory.