Divine Emperor of Death

"Don't worry." Crystia inclined her head and smiled lightly, "As long as we clear the trial of a Hidden Pagoda, your prowess will be back. I'm sure many other Candidates have also found other Hidden Pagodas in this Crystal World and are working on clearing them, so if they managed to do it before us, you'd still get your prowess back."

"So these Hidden Pagodas release the cultivation seals?" Isabella raised her brows.

Seeing Crystia nod and gesture to the side, she walked over to the edge and saw a monument that indicated that it was the case.

"Before long, our seals should disperse one by one."

Crystia walked to her side and overlooked the crystal mountain range.

Some of the mountains were hers and Noctis, while some others belonged to other factions. As long as no one interfered with each other's work, there shouldn't be any confrontation for the most part.

"Would it be that easy…?"

Isabella asked. She also noticed that there were a few carcasses of some type of crystal creatures lying around. Their heads seemed gorged out as though something had been taken out, and Isabella presumed that it should be their cores.

"Come with me."

Crystia uttered and gestured at Noctis to keep an eye on their crystal mountain, to which he nodded.

Then she took Isabella and walked with her to the peak of the mountain nearby.

There was a Hidden Pagoda and a monument on the peak of a natural rock formation, standing tall like palaces, bigger than what she had seen.

[Fourth Hidden Pagoda]

[A certain amount of energy from various energy sources readily available across the Crystal World is required to access the Pagoda. However, the amount of energy required to access the Pagoda also depends on the individual.]

"…"

Isabella saw that the etchings on the monument were similar to what she saw on the Seventh Hidden Pagoda.

"Go place your hand over there."

Crystia pointed at the Hidden Pagoda, causing Isabella to move forward without hesitation. She went and touched the Hidden Pagoda and was able to garner its requirements.

[Cleared the ninth step— free entry]

[Requires thirty-two people with enough energy sources to be present in order to activate]

"Thirty-two people…? How many more do we need?"

"We need three more participants, but since you came, we only need two more."

Crystia pursed her lips before shaking her head, "Then again, we also require a certain amount of crystal units. For people like me who only cleared the first step, we required sixteen thousand crystal units. The second step— eight thousand crystal units. Third step— five thousand and three hundred and thirty-three crystal units, and that is how much Noctis requires. The fourth step only requires a thousand crystal units. As for the fifth step and above, it is presumed they all gain free entry. What is it for like you?"

"Free entry…" Isabella responded in a monotonous voice.

"Thought so…"

Crystia giggled. If she didn't need to follow the plan, then she imagined that she would at least be able to make it to the seventh step, which would've also given her free entry.

Isabella placed a hand on her chin and appeared contemplative.

The Fourth Hidden Pagoda required thirty two people in order to activate and the Seventh Hidden Pagoda required only four people. As the number of the pagoda increased, the number of people required decreased.

"I know where we can find the Seventh Hidden Pagoda, albeit vaguely."

Isabella returned her gaze to Crystia, making her widen her eyes.

The former then told the latter about everything that happened.

It wasn't like she didn't doubt if these two would take advantage of her. After all, this is the best time to seal her movements and gain her Emperor-Tier Blood simply by absorbing allofher blood essence from refinement.

Only,they didn't have a cauldron to use, so she wasratherconfident that they would go too far unless they were willing to eat her, literally.Even then, the chances they would become savage beasts were too high from being unable to control the Emperor-Tier Blood Essence, so Isabella was of the mind that they wouldn't harm her.

More than anything, she knew Crystia was a woman who was honorable and hellbent on being honorable.

"What!? Let'sgokill that bastard right now! Lead me to him!"

Crystia screamed out loud, her expressionlookingincensed when she heard Altross calling Celestia a demon spawn.

"…" Isabella felt moved but shook her head, "The Seventh Hidden Pagoda probably requires way more energy to activate despite the low number of people required. We should have ample time to track them down, and even if they do clear it, I'm not worried as their end is through these fists of mine."

Isabella's words were piercing as she raised her hand and clenched her fist, causing Crystia to shudder.

Crystia felt exhilarated.

Perhaps it was a form of admirationthat camefrom agreeing with an Empress of her race, but she felt honored to accompany a soul who was confident in their fists and looking to restore their honor.

"Where is Founder Rocksunder?"

"No idea." Crystia shrugged, "Probably somewhere being heroic or dying a heroic death."

"Aha~"

Isabella laughed.

It seems like they weren't worried about Ancestor Rocksunder despite him having cleared the sixth step, which meant his cultivation base was sealed up to the Level Three Immortal King Stage, leaving him in the Early Stage where people where more vulnerable but still not as vulnerable as her.

After clearing some air while venting, they went down and began mining.

However, Isabella didn't do anything.

She hovered above their crystal mountain like an Empress, towering over it.

Thiswas done to maintain aninvincibleair and not indicate weakness. Instead,sheoverlooked everyone as thoughshewas a supervisor commanding slave miners to work.

While doing so, she garnered everyone's cultivation base.

Out ofthethe twenty-nine people, threeinheritorswere at Level Eight Immortal King Stage, seveninheritorsat Level Seven Immortal King Stageandfourteeninheritorsat Level Six Immortal King Stageandfourinheritorsat Level Five Immortal King Stage.

There was one inheritor whowas at Level Four Immortal King Stage, which meant this person had crossed into the fifth step and had free entry, not needing to mine for crystals.However, they still had a crystal mountain and kept on mining without sparing a look at others.

Isabella felt some danger from this person, but it didn't help her when she felt danger from all of them since her cultivation was sealed to the limit in the Immortal King Stage.

She sighed and kept watch. She knew this cooperation wasnothing butan illusion until all hell broke out.

Eventually, three more people found their way here, and tension brewed as oneof themneeded to be stopped from entering the Hidden Pagoda.

For some reason, the majority cast a glance at her.

"..."

Isabella narrowed her eyes.

She knew she would be targeted because, as someone who crossed the ninth step, she would most likely be the one to clear the trial of the Fourth Hidden Pagoda, and the other inheritors would naturally want to stop that from happening even before she entered it.