Divine Emperor of Death

"Are you all blind? She was here way before them."

A white-robed woman waved her hand, her expression cold. It was none other than Crystia.

A group of thirty Candidates gathered around the crystal mountain that the Earth Dragon Clan temporally owned. They surrounded the place, seemingly confrontational, as all of them had their auras blaring out.

"That's right." A white-robed man nodded his head, "I, Girias, as the Dark Lightning Moon Clan's inheritor can vouch for Miss Isabella. Everyone here knows that she had appeared before the three of them. However, only those with power need to stay. The fact that we're already not evicting her is us giving respect to her."

He appeared to be a human and had a significant jawline that added to his charm, while his eyes were sharp like that of one eying a prey.

"Indeed." Another man agreed, "Miss Isabella, we know you don't have the power to defend yourself. All we're saying is that you should leave and join some other group or look for some Hidden Pagoda that no one has yet to find. It's not like we're stopping you from taking your share of crystals, as that crystal mountain belongs to the Earth Dragon Clan."

"…"

Isabella stared at these people who wished for her to leave.

It would be fine if she was just forced to leave as she understood the essence of the competition but the words they said and the way they looked made her infuriated.

Just calling her by her maiden name was a sign of insult, as though they weren't acknowledging she was married to Davis. In their eyes, it was as though she was someone who could still be courted or, even worse, someone to be targeted and violated because she was a witch who married a calamity.

She doubted that they would go far in this realm as they had their reputation to maintain, but she had no doubt if this were an isolated competition devoid of prying eyes, then they would do everything in her power to make her fall while she was still weak.

She couldn't do anything as her cultivation was suspected to be weak right now. Using her energy would expose herself, but not using it would give her the leeway to have more options.

She couldn't help but smile coldly, knowing that she wouldn't have made the choice if she was the old Isabella.

"If you keep insisting on staying, then we'll have no choice but to make our move. You can prove yourself that way."

"You dare!?"

Crystia roared, her Level Eight Immortal King Stage undulations blaring.

It instantly caused many to retreat a few steps as there were only three such cultivators here including her, which meant only two people would theoretically be able to withstand the attack. Still, they didn't retreat too far, knowing they had the numbers advantage.

Besides, in their eyes, Isabella was someone who must die for her sins and even if not for Davis, she must be eliminated due to her prowess.

They knew they wouldn't find a better chance than this scenario.

"Then let's see who's the first one to disappear. I hope they use an Escape Talisman instead of dying to my fists…"

Crystia glared at them as she held her ground.

Mighty earth dragon aura stemmed from her, causing the inheritors around to feel a mountainous pressure. She was like a threatened dragon, looking to leap at the first person who wanted to test her power. They knew they would be hard-pressed to deal with her, making them hesitate slightly.

The four people at the Level Five Immortal King Stage were especially shook as they could be killed in one punch, so they had retreated to the last end already, leaving the other two Level Eight Immortal Kings facing her.

They were the ones who also spoke to her, Girias and another man who went by the name Harmon. Not much was known about his background as he didn't introduce himself, but they guessed he must have been from one of those powers that decided to seclude themselves for the start of the Candidacy.

"Crystia, stop. We're outnumbered."

At this moment, Isabella stepped behind Crystia and touched her shoulder.

"Thanks for standing up for me, but we should not throw ourselves into a losing battle."

"…?"

Crystia still didn't take her gaze off those two who posed the most threat.

"Why do you care for me?" She sent a soul transmission back with a self-mocking laugh, "I'm supposed to help you win the Candidacy even by giving up my life because you have the best chances. Even if the obstacle before is impenetrable, I must try to break through it so you can swipe the prize. Otherwise, there'd be no meaning in me having stood on the first step while my husband and Founder Rocksunder stood on the third and sixth steps, respectively. I should be the one to protect all of us even if it means-"

"That's enough."

Isabella strengthened her grip on Crystia, her brows furrowing.

"Don't be foolish enough to sacrifice your life. Although I promised to repay the Earth Dragon Clan and might even give my life for it, I wouldn't go as far as endangering my husband, so don't you dare abandon your own. I would look down on you."

"…"

Crystia shook ever so lightly. If she started the battle, then her husband Noctis would be killed without a doubt if he didn't bother to use the Escape Talisman. She had been fine with it since they had two unused Escape Talismans but what if he fails to activate it and decides to remain with her to help her out from the impending onslaught?

She could see it happening with how faithful he was to her while missing out on the chance to be womanizing like Founder Rocksunder.

Crystia still clenched her fists, but her meaning for having a threatening gaze was no longer the same.

"You have a good husband who is faithful to you alone. Don't miss out on him or the Hidden Pagoda. Thus, make sure you remain and win the Fourth Hidden Pagoda's prize no matter what it may be. If I can help you gain some rewards, I'll also consider that repayment towards the Earth Dragon Clan."

She heard Isabella's soul transmission one last time before she saw Isabella walk past her and consequently gaze at her back.

At that moment, she felt like she had never seen such an infallible back.

Was this woman not greedy for rewards?

Somewhere in her mind, she always thought that Isabella would betray the Earth Dragon Clan if she ever won the Candidacy and gave the rewards to her husband, but now, she no longer felt that way.

"Fine, I'll adhere to the group's decision and leave."

Isabella opened her mouth.

Her decision raised many eyebrows, some even looking confused, wondering if she was playing with them. But eventually, they realized that she was not kidding. A few people were extra confused as they exchanged soul transmissions with each other, seemingly not knowing what to do as the situation changed from what they had decided to face.

"Alright, you can leave the area in the opposite direction of the Fourth Hidden Pagoda."

Girias eyed the others before he looked at Isabella and smiled brightly, cupping his hands, "Many thanks for your understanding. It is no wonder they say the Divine Emperor of Death is reasonable."

"…"

Isabella's expression didn't change, but she knew they were sarcastically mocking her husband.

Being reasonable also meant being weak enough to swallow defeat and dish out compensation, which was what she was doing right now.

The fact that she brought humiliation to Davis burned her heart with rage, but her lips curled lightly before she walked past Girias and the others.

Crystia clenched her teeth. She would've split into her soul body to accompany Isabella but they were all inheritors, each knowing how to make karmic attacks. If she got hit with one attack, then the chances she would be weakened was extremely high.

Then again, Isabella entrusted her to win the trial of the Fourth Hidden Pagoda, so she felt her hands become tied.

She would only watch Isabella leave, hoping that these hateful fellows wouldn't ambush her.

"Don't blame me for being ruthless if anyone tries to leave the group and tries to follow her."

"Why would we?"

Crystia warned while Girias shrugged.

He looked forlorn as though pitying such a beauty who had to leave.

"Now the numbers are set. As a group, we kill everyone who tries to invade, so form a perimeter. As soon as we finish mining the required crystal units, we'll make our way to the Fourth Hidden Pagoda."

Harmon declared with a cold expression. He was the other Level Eight Immortal King.

The inheritors harrumphed at him, commanding them, but they agreed to get back to mining.

In the distance, Isabella continued to walk away. She walked through the mountain path, shortly entering a sparsely dense forest that led downwards on a slope to the ground. She closely watched her surroundings, careful of the dangers of the Crystal World, as not everything was explored yet.

Those crystal beast carcasses were strange and she didn't know if they appeared anywhere else other than the crystal mountains.

But eventually, she sighed as she looked at the person who appeared before her.

"You dumb woman. Did you really think some of us wouldn't have avatars?"

Laughed a man, his expression fully masked by a contemptuous smile.

Isabella opened her mouth, her lips moving behind her veil, "Girias, are you here to kill me? You do know that I have two Escape Talismans, right?"

"You may or may not have. How many times are you going to bluff, considering how badly you want to hide your prowess back there?"

Girias chuckled, "Too bad for you. In this place, Escape Talismans don't work here. This is the same place I entrapped someone you see, so it would be your deathbed as well."

"…"