Divine Emperor of Death

"Patriarch…"

The artifact spirit spoke, "You have disobeyed the founders' teaching and twisted the phoenixes' values and moral commitment. With that, I can no longer recognize you as the Patriarch. I hereby rescind my approval."

"…!"

Patriarch Killian Zenflame's expression churned.

When becoming the Patriarch, one must be approved by any one of the legacy treasures of the Fire Phoenix Clan. Fortunately, he had managed to gain approval from all of them during the ceremony, so why was his approval being rescinded now?

Wasn't his actions and thinking previously aligned with the approval of the Elders, Grand Elders, and even the legacy artifacts?

"Are you betraying the Fire Phoenix Clan as well?"

His voice was low, but there was unbound fury within it, waiting to explode.

However, the artifact spirit remained unperturbed.

"The artifact spirits of the Legacy Treasures of the Fire Phoenix Clan, including me, have always been loyal to the clan. However, in ancient times, we had exchanged a pact with Ancestor Reselius. With the immortal inheritors gone, he wanted to destroy their Fire Phoenix Clan and create it anew. But we could not allow him to do that, so we exchanged a peace pact. We will listen to his words as long as he allows the Fire Phoenix Clan to remain safe and flourish. However, since he could no longer do so and even brought danger to the clan, it is time we act on our own."

"You-!"

She ignored Patriarch Killian Zenflame and turned to look at Davis, "Emperor of Death. Release me. I want to leave."

"…"

Davis didn't know what to say about this sudden change in the situation. It seemed as though the Legacy Treasures of the Fire Phoenix Clan were just looking out for the survival of the clan and did what Ancestor Reselius said, perhaps occasionally. But now, they wanted out of it? At least, this artifact spirit in front of him seemed to say so.

"Not so fast."

However, he shook his head, "I told you. You belong to Shirley from now on. If you can't accept, very well. I'll replace you with another spirit. Do you want to see how it's done?"

Abruptly, iridescent energy flooded out from his hands as he stretched out, causing the Nine-Phoenix Locking Relic's core to shake. She could intrinsically feel the danger to her spirit, somehow knowing that this nirvanic power could erase her.

Her expression turned solemn, "So what if you can erase me? As long as you are a person who is going to harm the Fire Phoenix Clan, I will not submit!"

"Harm?" Davis's smile turned wry, "I'm merely going to retaliate against the wrongs done to your own immortal inheritor. Otherwise, do you think your immortal inheritors would leave the clan and act against it?

Davis quickly saw her expression change, but he didn't care, snickering, "I have also warned the people residing in Fire Phoenix Clan's Prefectures to leave. My targets are the higher-ups, as Shirley said, but if the young ones want to battle me to the death, then I welcome them as well."

He smiled coldly, causing the spirit's expression to churn.

"No! Don't listen to him! Even if the Fire Phoenix Clan did nothing wrong, he would definitely bring calamity to our Fire Phoenix Clan, not even leaving one of us alive! He's an Anarchic Divergent destined to be the harbinger of disaster! Nine-Phoenix Locking Relic! Seal him inside the chamber of cessation. There wouldn't be another prime opportunity, so don't become the sinner of the Fire Phoenix Clan by not taking action!"

Patriarch Killian Zenflame yelled out with sympathy and passion, but the creepy smile on his face betrayed his intentions as clear as day.

However, the artifact spirit didn't see him and may not have grasped his intentions.

"Nine-Phoenix Locking Relic. If you dare make a move against my husband, I swear I'll end the Fire Phoenix Clan myself."

Shirley's voice resounded. It sounded with utter calm rather than rage, causing the spirit artifact to shiver as she was stuck between two choices. She was well aware that the decision she may take might bring about the future of the Fire Phoenix Clan, whether it may lie in destruction, prosperity, or even slavery.

"Traitorous slut! It's you!"

Quickly realizing that messaging talismans were working as he heard Shirley's voice from the floating messaging talisman in front of Davis, Patriarch Killian Zenflame hurriedly took out a talisman and shouted into it.

"Ancestor! Save me!"

Davis narrowed his brows, taking a step forward when Patriarch Killian Zenflame suddenly took out a talisman.

*Crack!~*

The stone inscribed with various profundities activated with a scarlet light, covering him.

Davis saw that it was a defensive barrier at the High-Level Immortal Emperor Grade.

'Sure enough. He still has tons of life-saving measures with him as the Patriarch...'

Looking at Patriarch Killian Zenflame burst out laughing, Davis didn't know when he would expend all these talismans he had with him. Perhaps, he even had one for trapping him and self-destructing. After all, the other party was a phoenix capable of revival.

"Ahaha! Did you think you could easily kill me?"

Patriarch Killian Zenflame sneered, "Grandfather, I'm waiting for you with this bastard Divergent trapped in the Nine-Phoenix Locking Relic. Quickly come and sever his life. As for the ascension, we can do it a thousand years later if we want to. It will not be too late until then. After all, haven't we already considered abandoning the Candidacy because of those traitors who left us with no choice?"

He chuckled, appearing like he had everything in his grasp, but moments later, he noticed something strange as Davis never once displayed an ounce of fear. Combined with the fact that there was nothing but silence from his own messaging talisman, a sudden spark of dread stabbed his heart.

"You… how shameless! You sent the Void Dust Empress again, didn't you?"

"…"

Davis's eyes further squinted into tiny slits. Void Dust Empress? Again?

He lightly lowered his head.

'So it was her...'

Davis couldn't believe Stella's mother had helped him.

He finally understood the third layer that disallowed the Fire Phoenix Clan's truly powerful Ancestors, Late Stage Immortal Emperors, from attacking him. One was they were worried about their foundation and clan's safety against surprise attacks or ambushes by other powers, as the Starlight Jade Wolf King said.

As for the other reason, Great Ancestor Zenflame stated it was because of the World Ascension Ceremony, which disallowed those who wanted to ascend from leaving their powers.

Even though he heard these two reasons, he still wasn't convinced. After all, if an enemy with the potential to destroy his family was boldly threatening them, flying around taking and out his forces like the Reaper Soul Legion, then he would undoubtedly leave his high horse and descend to slap the growing bud to its grave in one move even if there were these two restrictions.

Therefore, he couldn't understand, but with Patriarch Killian Zenflame's words, it all connected, allowing him to understand that they all feared the Void Dust Empress's presence around him.

But why? For what reason would the Void Dust Empress help him?

'Then that means the silhouette I saw near Myria when she confronted the Blazing Thunderlight Sect's Founder… I guess that was also the Void Dust Empress...'

Davis imagined with a complex look on his face, becoming unable to understand again.

The Void Dust Empress had told him to take care of Stella.

If she was helping him, why was she making herself scarce? Wouldn't it be better to let him know that she was helping him and making him owe more? Was it because of karmic burden or something similar?

Davis couldn't understand the thoughts of an ancient tree, but he raised his head, his lips curling in derision as he looked at Patriarch Killian Zenflame.

"Dumbass. The Nine-Phoenix Locking Relic is in my palace. My palace is also a sealed space, and unlike this treasure, I can control what comes in and goes out freely thanks to the complex yet coherent nature of its formations."

Davis had a mocking smile on his face. He allowed his messaging talisman's signal to enter but not the others. Therefore, Shirley could still speak, but not Ancestor Reselius.

Moreover, he deployed double-layered security because he used a karmic technique outside.

This new karmic technique he comprehended, Karmic Void Zone, was basically his iteration of temporarily nullifying karma around him by projecting Fallen Heaven's karmic power that he could directly unleash right now.

He got to know about this kind of usage of karmic energy after he entered the Immortal King Stage, so he took the time to ponder and comprehend it, now using his own karmic energy to form Karmic Void Zone.

He knew it worked on hiding karmic threads, karmic virtue, and karmic sin but didn't know how it affected karmic burden. Still, as long as it hid karmic threads, then Davis was easily convinced that no one could find them using karmic-divination techniques, especially when they wouldn't dare try using divination on him unless they got a death squad Mystic Diviners that were ready to divine him and die.

With his current power, he knew even Late Stage Immortal Emperors would be hard-pressed to find him. However, his concern wasn't himself but that they would divine and try to find Patriarch Killian Zenflame. Even if it might kill them, they might take the chance in order to save him, so he decisively activated the Karmic Void Zone.

Nonetheless, it was not only karmic energy that he felt like he could unleash and manipulate like life and death energy, not to mention even reincarnation energy, but also something else, something that made his very being freeze with incredulity, so he dared not even think about it as the very thought about it made him feel… empty.

"Nine-Phoenix Locking Relic! What are you waiting for? Seal him!"

Patriarch Killian Zenflame bellowed out, his expression finally starting to crumble as fear could be seen clouding his eyes.