In an icy palace sat an icy-blue-robed woman. Her white hair remained motionless but at this moment, her body couldn't help but shudder while her hair lifted. Instantly, her eyes shot wide open, seething with disbelief.
"Something's wrong."
Myria's voice echoed out as she instantly stood up and left the palace.
"Divine Emperor of Death!"
"How cool! Divine Emperor of Death! Even though he's the same age as us, he's so attractive and powerful!"
"Cheeky lasses. I understand your emotions but how are you going to cultivate if you get mesmerized by this scene. You need to have a calm heart to cultivate the Mystic Ice Sect's…"
Myria's brows frowned as she caught sight of a scene where an elder advised two core disciples who screamed out loud at an intersection. They were leaving the plaza where even more disciples had gathered.
"Divine…?"
She voiced out with unease before she flew a bit ahead and saw a projection towards the right in the plaza. Instantly, her pupils dilated as she saw the projections of cities, hearing them all chanting his title. Her hand quickly moved, taking out a message talisman as she sent a soul transmission.
"You fool! Stop it!"
She said, only to hear his teasing voice, which made her snap.
"You… freaking… br- ahh!!!"
Myria almost lost it, wondering why she instantly moved to warn him. Clenching her teeth, she took a deep breath and explained.
"Listen closely…"
"… Stop them before it's too late!!!""
After explaining things, she quickly left the Mystic Ice Sect.
Meanwhile, Davis lowered his head, his expression appearing rather unsightly.
'Fuck! Is this the uneasy feeling I felt!? Why is this appearing five seconds after I signed!?'
Davis had the urge to open his mouth and curse at the heavens.
Since the uneasy feeling he felt didn't seem like it came from Fraser Herrion, he mistook that uneasy feeling for embarrassment, thinking that his long-lost humbleness resurfaced out of nowhere, which made him not bother about it and accept the title as remaining humble was no longer his style while also wanting to change his title because his powers weren't the same.
However, little did he expect that he was going to be caught in a quagmire of karmic burden.
*Bang!~*
Davis's figure flashed and when he appeared before the Blood Soul Contract Monument, it exploded into many pieces, shattering into rubble.
"…!"
The powerhouses and experts were stunned beyond compare.
Suddenly, the entire world became silent as the chanting slowly stopped, the impassioned ones slowly recognizing that the Divine Emperor of Death had destroyed the Blood Soul Contract Monument which was supposed to carve the fresh start of the Alstreim Era of the Grand Beginnings Continent.
For a moment, they didn't dare to believe their eyes, reeling in shock and disbelief refusing to leave them.
Davis still had his head lowered but the next moment, he raised his head. Everybody viewing the projection could see Davis looking at them, his sapphire eyes striking a bit of fear into their hearts as they suddenly felt that their secrets were laid bare before him.
"Never call me 'Divine' Emperor of Death. Forget ever giving me such a title."
His voice was not low nor high as he had only emphasized the word 'Divine' but the broadcast suddenly cut off, leaving behind trillions of dumbfounded people.
*Bang!~*
The large piece of equipment the All-Seeing Emperor coordinated with the others to broadcast throughout the Grand Beginnings Continent shattered into pieces as heavenly lightning struck it, this time, causing everybody to flinch as they hurriedly retreated away from Davis, their brows flinching in worry as they wondered if he had gone crazy.
Davis didn't stop but turned to look at the Mandate Emperor, killing intent seeping out of his eyes.
The sheer terror of his gaze froze the Mandate Emperor out of his wits, causing him to take a step back but stumble and almost fall to the ground if it weren't for Davis taking his gaze off. But unluckily, Davis's gaze fell on the Karmic Guardian Emperor, causing him to freeze.
"Gaius… Oh, Gaius. Why would you court death at this point?"
"Wha- Why w-would I c-court death?"
The Karmic Guardian Emperor also took two steps back, his voice quivering as the killing intent almost threatened to overwhelm him.
Davis almost scoffed, "That's what I want to know. As a powerhouse who studied and comprehended Karma Laws and the dangers it held, are you not aware of the strings attached to the title 'Divine'?"
The Karmic Guardian Emperor gulped, "I- I am aware."
"Aha…" Davis went speechless, smiling lightly but he kept his anger in check, "Go on, tell me what you know."
"It's-" The Karmic Guardian Emperor sucked in a breath of cold air, "Due to the karmic burden the title 'Divine' poses, it can only be received by beings acknowledged by trillions of lifeforms. If a being tries to frame themselves as 'Divine', then they would receive an ungodly amount of karmic burden but as for the Divi- your eminence, I figured that there would be none."
'What?' Davis's expression became unamused, 'That information seems skewed. Moreover, it seems that he's not aware of the fact that for trillions of lifeforms to acknowledge a mortal as 'Divine' is practically killing that mortal…'
He derived in his mind as Myria had said that not even Immortal Emperors could necessarily withstand that karmic burden. With his Enigmatic Heart Intent palpitating around him, he also confirmed that the other party wasn't lying and remained truthful, also scared for his life.
He understood a bit and understood again as he blandly smiled but his fists kept trembling, causing the space around him to rumble in waves.
"You did this as you 'figured that there would be none'?"
"Your eminence! I was wrong! Please forgive my carelessness!"
At this point, the Karmic Guardian Emperor figured out that he had been totally wrong about the karmic burden from receiving the title of 'Divine', his scalp turning numb in terror. He jumped and went on all fours, bowing his head as he trembled.
"You piece of shhh-"
Davis took a step forward but held himself back somehow, his expression twitching as he saw the Karmic Guardian Emperor crawl back and hide behind Mandate Emperor. Their pride was nowhere to be seen, perhaps squashed after having lost their immortals and seen how life was of little worth in front of those Vacuous Beasts, who were annihilated by him.
"Good for you that you held back. What's going to happen will happen regardless. There's no use blaming them."
At this moment, an icy-blue-robed figure descended as a soul transmission fell on his ears. Her clear and indifferent voice somehow soothed his soul, as though since Myria was here, he could perhaps start to find a way out.
After a short pause, he panned his gaze at the powerhouses, a forced smile appearing on his face.
"The Grand Beginnings Continent and its peaceful resolutions could form as it pleases. But remember, don't ever call me by that cultivator title again…"
Turning around, he flew away with Myria while Lea and Mystic Ice Sect's Bing Luli also followed them.
The people who remained watched him silently until he left the horizon, disappearing from their vision.
However, his back seemed rather… burdened.
"What's going on, brother Gaius?"
The Mandate Emperor's expression was unsightly as he turned to look at the Karmic Guardian Emperor as they communicated through soul transmission.
As their plan came to fruition, how did it turn from a joyous celebration into an unfortunate mishap?
"Karmic burden could only be felt by the individual themselves and how they feel it varies depending on many factors… If the Emperor of Death acted this way, then it must mean he felt it… heavily. I have sinned…"
"Wha- What have we done?"
"I…"
"Gaius!" Mandate Emperor demanded.
"We inadvertently made his future prospects incredibly difficult to achieve…! I deserve to die!"
"…!"
The Karmic Guardian Emperor punched the surface, breaking the white tile while the Mandate Emperor's body shook.
The latter couldn't help but recall posing around like a retard while harming the benefactor who saved the entire world, causing him to slap his forehead.
Just what had they done…? Harming their personal disciples' brother and nephew like that?
Their reactions caused a commotion amidst the halted proceedings of the Fifty-Two Territories Summit. The spirits and the magical beasts appeared rather enraged.
"Was that new title really necessary!?"
"The human race is really conniving to backstab their benefactor!"
"You-!"
The Karmic Guardian Emperor became speechless at their accusations, becoming angered as he stood up and waved his hand.
"You all don't understand! His eminence's original title has negative connotations to it when it was coined… I thought such a title would badly affect him in the future as many people might target him, thinking that he was evil like we did once or using it to their advantage. After all, there is never a shortage of those hypocrites but if we let the people know that his eminence had received the acknowledgment of trillions of lifeforms, how can his eminence be framed!? I wanted to correct our past mistakes…"
"But now…"
Hearing the Karmic Guardian Emperor explain himself and look remorseful as he trembled, the others didn't know what to say if he was acting or not.
Nonetheless, they more or less knew about karmic burden but hadn't thought much of it as they rarely came into contact with something so vague. In their minds, it was even vaguer than karmic luck, so although they didn't understand much, they understood that the Emperor of Death had been disadvantaged in some way, perhaps by the way he left, it could very well be life-threatening.
In an icy palace sat an icy-blue-robed woman. Her white hair remained motionless but at this moment, her body couldn't help but shudder while her hair lifted. Instantly, her eyes shot wide open, seething with disbelief.
"Something's wrong."
Myria's voice echoed out as she instantly stood up and left the palace.
"Divine Emperor of Death!"
"How cool! Divine Emperor of Death! Even though he's the same age as us, he's so attractive and powerful!"
"Cheeky lasses. I understand your emotions but how are you going to cultivate if you get mesmerized by this scene. You need to have a calm heart to cultivate the Mystic Ice Sect's…"
Myria's brows frowned as she caught sight of a scene where an elder advised two core disciples who screamed out loud at an intersection. They were leaving the plaza where even more disciples had gathered.
"Divine…?"
She voiced out with unease before she flew a bit ahead and saw a projection towards the right in the plaza. Instantly, her pupils dilated as she saw the projections of cities, hearing them all chanting his title. Her hand quickly moved, taking out a message talisman as she sent a soul transmission.
"You fool! Stop it!"
She said, only to hear his teasing voice, which made her snap.
"You… freaking… br- ahh!!!"
Myria almost lost it, wondering why she instantly moved to warn him. Clenching her teeth, she took a deep breath and explained.
"Listen closely…"
"… Stop them before it's too late!!!""
After explaining things, she quickly left the Mystic Ice Sect.
Meanwhile, Davis lowered his head, his expression appearing rather unsightly.
'Fuck! Is this the uneasy feeling I felt!? Why is this appearing five seconds after I signed!?'
Davis had the urge to open his mouth and curse at the heavens.
Since the uneasy feeling he felt didn't seem like it came from Fraser Herrion, he mistook that uneasy feeling for embarrassment, thinking that his long-lost humbleness resurfaced out of nowhere, which made him not bother about it and accept the title as remaining humble was no longer his style while also wanting to change his title because his powers weren't the same.
However, little did he expect that he was going to be caught in a quagmire of karmic burden.
*Bang!~*
Davis's figure flashed and when he appeared before the Blood Soul Contract Monument, it exploded into many pieces, shattering into rubble.
"…!"
The powerhouses and experts were stunned beyond compare.
Suddenly, the entire world became silent as the chanting slowly stopped, the impassioned ones slowly recognizing that the Divine Emperor of Death had destroyed the Blood Soul Contract Monument which was supposed to carve the fresh start of the Alstreim Era of the Grand Beginnings Continent.
For a moment, they didn't dare to believe their eyes, reeling in shock and disbelief refusing to leave them.
Davis still had his head lowered but the next moment, he raised his head. Everybody viewing the projection could see Davis looking at them, his sapphire eyes striking a bit of fear into their hearts as they suddenly felt that their secrets were laid bare before him.
"Never call me 'Divine' Emperor of Death. Forget ever giving me such a title."
His voice was not low nor high as he had only emphasized the word 'Divine' but the broadcast suddenly cut off, leaving behind trillions of dumbfounded people.
*Bang!~*
The large piece of equipment the All-Seeing Emperor coordinated with the others to broadcast throughout the Grand Beginnings Continent shattered into pieces as heavenly lightning struck it, this time, causing everybody to flinch as they hurriedly retreated away from Davis, their brows flinching in worry as they wondered if he had gone crazy.
Davis didn't stop but turned to look at the Mandate Emperor, killing intent seeping out of his eyes.
The sheer terror of his gaze froze the Mandate Emperor out of his wits, causing him to take a step back but stumble and almost fall to the ground if it weren't for Davis taking his gaze off. But unluckily, Davis's gaze fell on the Karmic Guardian Emperor, causing him to freeze.
"Gaius… Oh, Gaius. Why would you court death at this point?"
"Wha- Why w-would I c-court death?"
The Karmic Guardian Emperor also took two steps back, his voice quivering as the killing intent almost threatened to overwhelm him.
Davis almost scoffed, "That's what I want to know. As a powerhouse who studied and comprehended Karma Laws and the dangers it held, are you not aware of the strings attached to the title 'Divine'?"
The Karmic Guardian Emperor gulped, "I- I am aware."
"Aha…" Davis went speechless, smiling lightly but he kept his anger in check, "Go on, tell me what you know."
"It's-" The Karmic Guardian Emperor sucked in a breath of cold air, "Due to the karmic burden the title 'Divine' poses, it can only be received by beings acknowledged by trillions of lifeforms. If a being tries to frame themselves as 'Divine', then they would receive an ungodly amount of karmic burden but as for the Divi- your eminence, I figured that there would be none."
'What?' Davis's expression became unamused, 'That information seems skewed. Moreover, it seems that he's not aware of the fact that for trillions of lifeforms to acknowledge a mortal as 'Divine' is practically killing that mortal…'
He derived in his mind as Myria had said that not even Immortal Emperors could necessarily withstand that karmic burden. With his Enigmatic Heart Intent palpitating around him, he also confirmed that the other party wasn't lying and remained truthful, also scared for his life.
He understood a bit and understood again as he blandly smiled but his fists kept trembling, causing the space around him to rumble in waves.
"You did this as you 'figured that there would be none'?"
"Your eminence! I was wrong! Please forgive my carelessness!"
At this point, the Karmic Guardian Emperor figured out that he had been totally wrong about the karmic burden from receiving the title of 'Divine', his scalp turning numb in terror. He jumped and went on all fours, bowing his head as he trembled.
"You piece of shhh-"
Davis took a step forward but held himself back somehow, his expression twitching as he saw the Karmic Guardian Emperor crawl back and hide behind Mandate Emperor. Their pride was nowhere to be seen, perhaps squashed after having lost their immortals and seen how life was of little worth in front of those Vacuous Beasts, who were annihilated by him.
"Good for you that you held back. What's going to happen will happen regardless. There's no use blaming them."
At this moment, an icy-blue-robed figure descended as a soul transmission fell on his ears. Her clear and indifferent voice somehow soothed his soul, as though since Myria was here, he could perhaps start to find a way out.
After a short pause, he panned his gaze at the powerhouses, a forced smile appearing on his face.
"The Grand Beginnings Continent and its peaceful resolutions could form as it pleases. But remember, don't ever call me by that cultivator title again…"
Turning around, he flew away with Myria while Lea and Mystic Ice Sect's Bing Luli also followed them.
The people who remained watched him silently until he left the horizon, disappearing from their vision.
However, his back seemed rather… burdened.
"What's going on, brother Gaius?"
The Mandate Emperor's expression was unsightly as he turned to look at the Karmic Guardian Emperor as they communicated through soul transmission.
As their plan came to fruition, how did it turn from a joyous celebration into an unfortunate mishap?
"Karmic burden could only be felt by the individual themselves and how they feel it varies depending on many factors… If the Emperor of Death acted this way, then it must mean he felt it… heavily. I have sinned…"
"Wha- What have we done?"
"I…"
"Gaius!" Mandate Emperor demanded.
"We inadvertently made his future prospects incredibly difficult to achieve…! I deserve to die!"
"…!"
The Karmic Guardian Emperor punched the surface, breaking the white tile while the Mandate Emperor's body shook.
The latter couldn't help but recall posing around like a retard while harming the benefactor who saved the entire world, causing him to slap his forehead.
Just what had they done…? Harming their personal disciples' brother and nephew like that?
Their reactions caused a commotion amidst the halted proceedings of the Fifty-Two Territories Summit. The spirits and the magical beasts appeared rather enraged.
"Was that new title really necessary!?"
"The human race is really conniving to backstab their benefactor!"
"You-!"
The Karmic Guardian Emperor became speechless at their accusations, becoming angered as he stood up and waved his hand.
"You all don't understand! His eminence's original title has negative connotations to it when it was coined… I thought such a title would badly affect him in the future as many people might target him, thinking that he was evil like we did once or using it to their advantage. After all, there is never a shortage of those hypocrites but if we let the people know that his eminence had received the acknowledgment of trillions of lifeforms, how can his eminence be framed!? I wanted to correct our past mistakes…"
"But now…"
Hearing the Karmic Guardian Emperor explain himself and look remorseful as he trembled, the others didn't know what to say if he was acting or not.
Nonetheless, they more or less knew about karmic burden but hadn't thought much of it as they rarely came into contact with something so vague. In their minds, it was even vaguer than karmic luck, so although they didn't understand much, they understood that the Emperor of Death had been disadvantaged in some way, perhaps by the way he left, it could very well be life-threatening.
