Divine Emperor of Death

As one steps into the inner hall of this grand palace, a sense of awe and grandeur overwhelms the senses. The hall appeared to be vast and expansive, easily accommodating thousands of people at once. The ceiling soars high above, intricately decorated with colorful frescoes depicting epic battles and historical scenes of the Zyrus Family.

Each of the depictions seemed to indicate the prowess they held as they squashed and devoured their opponents in numerous ways. The walls are adorned with magnificent tapestries, intricately woven with gold and silver threads, depicting mythical creatures and ancient deities. The floor was made of polished marble or intricately patterned tiles.

This was the inner hall of an eastern-style palace that could accommodate thousands or more people and was a grand and impressive space, designed to convey power and luxury.

At the center, where Davis had his gaze on, there was a raised platform where the leaders from all the powers gathered here were congregating. This platform was accessed by a series of stairs on all sides and constantly had certain individuals climbing it up, many of them appearing to possess status, power, and influence.

This platform was decorated with lavish furnishings, such as silk cushions and gold-leafed chairs, and was sheltered by an arch above them supported by four pillars on all four sides, appearing lavish yet ancient.

Around the perimeter of the hall, there were smaller seating areas where guests could relax and converse, and Davis was sitting on one of them at the far southeast corner, carefully screening the people with his hawk-like gaze.

A few individuals did pique his interest in the perimeter of the hall, but the ones at the center, climbing up the stairs, were far more noticeable, especially two people from Starlight Jade Wolf Clan, one man, and another woman.

The man's attire was a stunning display of elegance and power. His white robe, crafted from the finest silk, shimmered in the light, adorned with intricate golden embroidery that hinted at his lofty status. The sleeves of his white garment were wide and flowing, giving him an air of regal grace as he moved. A jade pendant hung from his belt, a symbol of his wealth and taste, but it also seemed like a protective talisman that was anything but ordinary.

The woman's white dress was a work of art, draped in flowing layers of silk that swirled around her like a waterfall. The fabric was lightly dyed a rich shade of crimson, a color that spoke of passion and vitality. Her hair was arranged in an elaborate style, with delicate pins and combs holding it in place. A single blossom was tucked behind her ear, a simple but stunning adornment. Her eyes sparkled with intelligence and wit, revealing a woman who was both beautiful and formidable.

Davis saw that these two were none other than the two surviving inheritors of the Starlight Jade Wolf Clan. After all, he heard that one of them was assassinated during exit from the Heavenly Ice Stasis Valley.

However, he was also astonished to see that their cultivations had increased to Level Nine Immortal King Stage.

Abruptly, Davis looked to his side, finding a white-robed, ordinary-looking average man seated beside him.

"..."

He blinked, not understanding how this man appeared before him before a vague aura made him realize

"I didn't expect to see you here, master Deathseeker."

The white-robed, ordinary man raised his dull brows as he appeared to be astonished by Davis's words that fell on his head before looking at himself, wondering what gave him out.

Was his disguise useless?

"Don't worry. As I've stated before, I'm extremely sensitive... to death."

"You haven't said that."

"Perhaps." Davis lightly shrugged, continuing to look at the center, "Still, for you to have come here, I assume there are many other assassins here as well. No wonder I sensed a lot of oddities in the perimeter of the hall. An event like this does seem to pull entities from the shadows."

Deathseeker nodded, "Hmm. Two elders, one from the Soulsteal Pearl Temple and one from the Oracular Reaver Abode, are here. Be careful."

"I will." Davis answered seriously to Deathseeker, "And so, who are you assassinating?"

"I won't say."

"I see. But if you target the wrong character, then we might be at odds."

"Ah, disciple. Why do you have to make it more difficult for me than it already is?"

Deathseeker frowned, "We are assassins. We should do the job we are hired for regardless of our personal emotions."

"I can't be like that. I do what I want, whether it be being an assassin, bandit, or any other moralistic or immoralistic profession for that matter."

Davis lightly chuckled, his expression laden with stubbornness as he continued, "Let me guess. You're here to assassinate the Starlight Jade Wolf King or his clan's immortal inheritors, are you not?"

"..." Deathseeker became silent, not answering Davis even after a few seconds.

"No wonder. Their arrival in this place is odd, considering they're not in the surrounding region, while the others are more or less nearby the Zyrus Family Prefecture. Most likely, someone in this place hired the assassin powers to assassinate the Starlight Jade Wolf Clan's members, but the most likely culprit I could think of are the Zyrus Family or the Cyan Soul Rat Clan, perhaps both."

Davis spoke with some interest, causing Deathseeker to stare at him with his average face while possessing a frown.

"Don't go investigating into the identities of the clients. That goes against our principles."

"I won't, but if they happened to be my assassination targets from other clients or enemies for personal reasons, then that's not really going against the principles, right?"

"No. In that case, you're free to kill them as you please."

Deathseeker nodded in satisfaction, returning his gaze back to the stage.

At this moment, everyone sat on the silk cushions while the leaders of the respective powers sat on the gold-leafed chairs. The might that they possessed was not anything ordinary, causing the thousands of people who were present here in the hall to be full of awe and admiration.

With everyone settled, one of them stood up.

Davis saw that it was none other than his ultimate target presented to him, Zyrus Family's Patriarch.

The man was dressed in black from head to toe, his attire as dark and foreboding as a moonless night. The fabric of his robe was soft to the touch yet dense enough to provide coldness in the warm atmosphere. On his wrists and around his neck, he wore bone ornaments that clacked softly with each movement, a macabre reminder of the fragility of life.

His hair was tied back in a tight knot, revealing a strong jawline and sharp features. His eyes, purple as the void, seemed to hold secrets and wisdom beyond measure.

This was a man to be respected and feared, a master of his cultivation, and a force to be reckoned with, as everyone around him seemed overly respectful.

"Everyone, I thank you all for respecting my words and giving face to the Zyrus Family by carrying your heavy shoes to this humble palace. I gathered you all but for none other than one reason, which you may guess, but I'm excited to announce and discuss."

He paused a bit, slightly panning his gaze around as he viewed his counterparts of the other powers at a round table before smiling.

"My Zyrus Family wants to forge an alliance with you all who have gathered here."

"As expected."

"Figures."

"Well, we also cannot remain alone with countless powers seeking to make allies to sustain themselves in the upcoming bloodshed of the Candidacy, after all."

The Lumin Family's Patriarch, Dark Void Flame Spirit Tribe's Patriarch, and the Golden Crow Clan's Patriarch all stated their responses, seemingly sighing but also snickering as they found this amusing.

"An alliance?" The Starlight Jade Wolf King opened his mouth as his brows raised, "Most of the powers here are known to be willful and wicked. My Starlight Jade Wolf Clan doesn't want to be associated with your powers."

"I agree with the Starlight Jade Wolf Clan." The Lumin Family's Patriarch nodded.

"My Lumin Family also sees this to be something as not compatible. An alliance can only be afloat on the grounds that we're able to look at each other's eyes and accept our differences, which is very difficult between us as the Zyrus Family, and we have always been two sides of a coin, fighting every generation as though we're fated to be enemies."

He laughed with a bit of amusement as though it was ironic, causing the others to laugh as well. Even the stoic Obsidian Crystal Turtle Clan's Patriarch smiled a bit.

However, the next words of the Zyrus Family Patriarch all caused them to be taken aback.

"And I propose we drop that line of thinking at the advent of this idiotic Candidacy that has nothing to do with us yet has a chance to decimate our powers as we don't know what's going to happen. What do you say?"