Divine Emperor of Death

Yi Feng trembled as he stood on the platform, overlooking the inheritors with teary eyes. He looked as though he was wronged.

Many inheritors shared the same feeling.

What the heck was this?

They were already suppressed from Peak-Level Immortal Emperors to Level Four Immortal King Stage when they awakened from the Heavenly Ice Stasis Valley. To be accurate, that cultivation was turned into some sort of invisible power that helped their prowess rise by two levels.

Prowess was valued more than cultivation base as it marked their status as heavenly geniuses, so they were more than happy to accommodate such a change.

They quickly spent an exorbitant amount of immortal crystals to rise back to the peak of the Immortal King Stage, only to find out that they couldn't enter the Immortal Emperor Stage.

All of this was fine. After all, they gained something from it, and the Candidacy was supposed to be fair.

However, are they now being forced to have their cultivations regressed again?

What the hell was this supposed to mean? Were they being played with?

Many felt anger rise from within but they didn't voice out their opinion or make complaints like Yi Feng did. The other party was a child who looked no more than fifteen years old and they were adults, so they couldn't be making a fuss about it.

In fact, it could be said Yi Feng vented for them as well.

Still, they were at a loss as to how to proceed.

If they rose up the stairs, then their cultivations would be regressed. If they didn't walk up and enter the left or right wing to leave, then the appropriate amount of cultivation levels would be taken away or sealed from them depending on the number of steps they have risen to.

They couldn't go down or suffer from critical injuries.

So those who were hasty and already went up were full of regret but at the same time, they didn't know what kind of treasures awaited them at the peak. Perhaps, the last three steps, seventh, eighth and ninth step gave enormous benefits that they couldn't think of as much as it sealed their cultivations.

It could be like what Fairy Thunderblaze said: The higher you climb, the better the treasures you could find. She was right so far and even took the eighth step, setting an example for all of them, so they also wanted to show they weren't any lesser but the difference in one's cultivation could mean life and death since most of them had similar prowess.

It made them remain in their step and contemplate a lot. The fact that there was no time limit for this trial so far also helped them remain calm, even making the ones who used brawns instead of brains finally think.

Davis gazed at Fairy Thunderblaze, who shuddered ever so lightly as she stood on the eighth step.

'Is the sense of danger still affecting her?'

He narrowed his eyes, wondering how worse it could be that he also wanted to stop there. After all, sensing dangers was his forte, so it made him wonder how fearful it would make him feel.

Nonetheless, by this time, everyone discovered the reason for the sense of danger is that with each step, their cultivation would regress. The formation embedded on the staircase invoked their sense of danger and thereby, caused them to hallucinate all kinds of fear they could envision.

Isabella and Shirley received certain reports that stated this were the case, so they looked at each other, finally making the decision to climb the staircase.

"See you later, darling~"

Shirley waved her hand, causing Davis to come out of his reverie and look at the three of them.

It seemed like they were finally going to leave, causing him to take a deep breath and send them off with a heavy nod.

"Allies can turn into enemies. Watch out for each other, and don't ever betray one another. If there ever came a time where you had to sacrifice yourself or the other, remember to look in the face and stab. Don't do it from behind. If Everlight fails, I'll perish all my methods in order to revive you no matter what."

"With such a backing, we don't need to worry." Shirley giggled as she heard his soul transmission.

Isabella also laughed lightly, but Evelynn remained solemn.

"Be careful. Death isn't the only worse end us women can meet."

"Such a thing won't happen." Davis reassured them, "This is broadcasted worldwide and one of the sins, greed is being punished in this trial, so it might be the case for other sins in different trials. I don't think any man would dare to do such a thing but still, follow your big sister's words for the most part. No one can truly predict what can happen."

"Yes~" Isabella and Shirley nodded.

They caught Evelynn's hands side by side and hovered towards the staircase as though going on a picnic, making Davis smile.

Zahara and Yeyin also gave a heavy nod to Davis before they followed them.

The way toward the staircase was already sparsely populated because the inheritors gathered at the staircase since other inheritors on the ground could attack them. This allowed the five of them to traverse freely without encountering a problem and make it to the Stairway of Regression.

The moment they took the first step, they experienced it firsthand.

A faint, very vague sense of unease brushed against their skin like a whisper of caution. It would be very similar to feeling something amiss but not that dangerous.

The sensation was quite negligible, but they basked in it for three whole seconds before the three of them took a leap again together and made it to the second step.

Davis was watching over their movements keenly, no longer interested in anyone else.

Considering that Evelynn, Isabella, and Shirley held hands, Davis knew they had exchanged numerous soul transmissions and discussed what they were going to do.

He was curious as to what kind of decision they had made.

To him, it was clear what a power should do if they had three inheritors. He would argue for them to occupy the first, third, and sixth staircases, respectively, in order to accommodate all three realms of difficulty: Early, Mid, and Late Stage and at the same time, allow them to be able to protect each other so even if they were besieged by a higher level cultivator, they should be able to fight back instead of getting slaughtered helplessly.

It was unknown what kind of decision his wives would take, so he was excited to know. Somehow, he was starting to feel a sense of pride with each step they took, as though their courage and valor directly translated into his.

The moment they took the second step, he knew they were going to stop anywhere near the Early Stage difficulty.

Indeed, Evelynn, Isabella and Shirley had moved onto the second step while Zahara and Yeyin remained on the first step. While the latter two experienced the vague sense of danger that couldn't be noticed unless focused, Evelynn, Isabella and Shirley felt a tingling sensation creep up their spines.

It was a subtle warning of impending danger.

However, this danger didn't seem to be much of a threat as they didn't feel any kind of stress or anxiety. Utmost, it was similar to how a weak attack was going to fall on them. Even if it fell on their defenseless body, it wouldn't make a scratch.

That was the height of this sense of danger.

Like on the first step, they remained on the second step for three seconds, experiencing the fear it has to provide for them before they leaped to the third step.

Quickly, a flutter of anxiety dances in their hearts, a gentle reminder of sizeable danger.

However, it didn't stop them, and under everyone's shocked gazes, their figures flowed as they made their way to the fourth step!

Evelynn, Isabella, and Shirley finally looked at each other, amusement visible on their faces as they now felt like a knot had formed in their stomachs, a sense of foreboding that tried to make them sick. Perhaps it was also an indicator of the perilous journey ahead that would cause their cultivation to regress more, but this type of danger finally caught their attention, allowing them to know why the majority stopped at the fourth step, not daring to venture further.

Still, they didn't stop. They spent three seconds on the fourth step, making their way to the fifth step at the next second.

"…"

Evelynn, Isabella, and Shirley's amused expressions finally made a frown. The grip on each other's hands subconsciously tightened as though seeking each other's support. Right now, they felt a shiver run down their spines, inducing a guttural sensation of danger that made them feel like a heavy attack was going to fall on them.

If they didn't dodge this attack, it was likely they would be heavily injured.

But still, they collectively moved at the same time three seconds later, leaping towards the sixth step.

"…!"

Numerous jaws dropped.

Didn't these beauties know what was happening?

No one dared to move forward to the sixth step after knowing their cultivation would regress to the Early Stage! If they were at the Level Nine Immortal King Stage, that would lower their cultivation to the Level Three Immortal King Stage, essentially pushing them down to the Early Stage. It was ridiculous one would take a step to the sixth step knowing that the chances they could be instakilled were plenty! It was the case especially when no one knew what kind of treacherous environment lay beyond the spatial vortex waiting to take them in.

Evelynn, Isabella, and Shirley landed on the sixth step.

Atsuo's expression dimmed. The mixed toad-rhinoceros fey inheritor raised his brows in amusement. Tahundra, who was also on the sixth step, looked as though he couldn't believe his eyes, wondering why beauties of this caliber, no different than Celestial Fairies, would come all this way to the sixth step considering the lower the cultivation base, the higher the chances they would be damned.

At that moment, the crowd unisonly watched the three beauties ascend in awe. One was adorned with luxurious purple, the other regal gold and the third draped in fiery crimson. Each step they took was unwavering and the way they held each other's hands made it clear the amount of trust they possessed for each other.

These women were three inheritors of different factions. How come they were united when they were at opposing sides?

Some couldn't help back and look at the Divine Emperor of Death, wondering how this evil bastard managed to gain- no, unite such valiant beauties.