Many guards of the Heaven Mandate Temple wore golden armor and held a brilliant silver spear in their hands.
*Clang!~~~*
However, they dared not point it towards the two figures in front of them but rather dropped it on the ground, appearing to have no combat intent. A cold current was coursing through their veins as they shuddered, frightened from the sudden presence of the Emperor of Death, whose face came to be well known after his revival.
*Bzzz!~*
Mighty undulations began to spread at the Heaven Mandate Templeâs Summit Gate as a powerhouse in a white robe, and golden fur coat suddenly appeared above the gate, clasping his hands towards them.
âI, Mihangel Evans, welcome the Emperor of Death to our grand Heaven Mandate Temple.â
âSo itâs Honorable Elder Mihangel Evans.â
Davis nodded at this person who helped them fend off the Dragon Families and the Poison Lord Villa.
âI feel honored to be remembered.â Mihangel Evans trembled as he looked pleasantly surprised and addressed with an honorific, âHowever, can I know the reason for your eminenceâs visit?â
Davisâs lips moved.
âBack then, when I enslaved the Zlatan Family, I did say to your- Ah, heâs here.â
A figure silently appeared above Honorable Elder Mihangel Evans. The latter turned around and looked up to find the Mandate Emperor overlooking him! Instantly, he went on his knees as he clasped his hands.
âTemple Master!â
âYou did well. Let me take on from here.â
A soul transmission fell on Honorable Elder Mihangel Evanâs mind, causing him to relax.
The Mandate Emperor wore a similar yet more magnificent robe of what Honorable Elder Mihangel Evans wore. He glanced around, making sure that no one else came before clasping his hands towards Davis.
âEmperor of Death, please let me host you.â
He gestured inside, causing Davis to nod his head. With his hand locked with Nadia, he stepped forward and entered the summitâs gate along with Nadia, entering the Heaven Mandate Temple.
The Mandate Emperor was in front of them, personally leading the way as they walked uphill, each of their steps taking them many kilometers forward.
The Heaven Mandate Temple was situated on top of a mountain, its structure gracefully running all the way up to the next mountainâs summit and the mountain after that, which was almost three hundred kilometers in altitude from the surface.
As they scaled the thousands of steps built on the ascending mountain, Davis looked around and saw many abodes aligning with the stairs as if they represented the status of the person living in the abode, and some people did peek out or stand in front of their dwelling, glancing at him with wide eyes. He could see that they were all outer disciples and looked at him with strange eyes, the fear in their minds being replaced with awe.
âI must say, the heaven and earth energy here is too pure, making this place a marvelous cultivation spot for Essence Gathering Cultivators. However, donât tell me they all train in Mandate LawsâŠâ
Hearing Davisâs comment, the Mandate Emperor cracked a smile.
âCertainly not. Our disciples here shape themselves up in a challenging environment and spend their lifetime trying to comprehend Mandate Laws if they were found to even have the slightest potential, but only a few succeed. As for the people who fail to comprehend Mandate Laws and want to give up, they simply become deacons who teach the inner disciples who all have a greater chance of comprehending Mandate Laws.â
âSo these deacons teach other laws to the inner disciples?â
âIndeed,â The Mandate Emperor nodded, âHaving to comprehend Mandate Laws isnât the only requirement to become a core disciple. Cultivation isnât a problem as most of our elders spread throughout the lands are powerhouses. Since we share millenniums of destiny with the Heaven Gazing Sect that doesnât take any disciples other than those who have an affinity with Karmic Laws, those elders join the punitive forces of the alliances and protect the Heaven Gazing Sect and the righteous path lands from the wicked path.â
âI donât see them much.â
âThatâs because they battle with the wicked path in their own vile territories, and sometimes, retreat to the Heaven Gazing Sect Territory, the Burning Phoenix Ridge Territory, or other nearby righteous path territories to resupply or resume practicing their cultivations.â
âMhm, makes sense.â
Hearing this explanation, Davis nodded before the Mandate Emperor continued.
âAs for the disciples who comprehends Mandate Laws and make progress in it throughout their lives, theyâre the ones who are considered true disciples and have a chance to become an Honorable Elder of our Heaven Mandate Temple. To be an Honorable Elder, not only must they be a Law Rune Stage Powerhouse, but they must also comprehend Abstruse Intents in at least two Primary Laws, and reach Level One Intent in one specific Greater Law, which is the Mandate Laws.â
âLevel One?â
Davisâs brows couldnât help but twitch.
His Claraâs Mandate Laws were already at Level Seven Intent if one considered it at the level of a Primary Law. But since Mandate Laws were considered Greater Laws, it was still considered Elementary Intent, except since Clara had seven resonances, she was already just two steps away from reaching Level One Intent.
If this was the case, wouldnât his Clara easily fulfill the main requirement?
Davis had the confidence that Clara would be taken as a top disciple without a doubt. After all, he felt that just her unique physique should be enough, not to mention that he didnât know about Claraâs current comprehension level as he hadnât asked her about it.
For all he knew, she couldâve drastically improved, for it was already a year since she experienced seven minor resonances, entering the Law Dominion Stage while creating a Perfect Domain of Mandate Laws, including a Perfect Domain of Ice Laws.
âLevel One?â
The Mandate Emperor mumbled as he could feel the mocking tone in the Emperor of Deathâs words before he shook his head.
âTo align and replicate the voice of the heavens, is it any difficult than comprehending death?â
Davis narrowed his eyes, âDeath Laws have been known to be the most difficult law to comprehend in Greater Laws. You canât say otherwise, Mandate Emperor. As a matter of fact, you have so many people who comprehended Mandate Laws while only I exist with Death Laws.â
âSo many people?â The Mandate Emperor shook his head, agreeing in his mind that the Emperor of Death was still a child, âEven if we take the past hundred thousand years into account, there are only four hundred or so people our of the trillions who could comprehend Mandate Laws, each of them capable of becoming a grand character or an Honorable Elder in their own right. Back then, there were so several people with Death Laws existing at the same time. However, since the righteous path chose to eradicate them because of their vile actions, unlike you, how could they survive?â
âBesides, unlike us who have the necessary foundation and growth to aid these people into better comprehending Mandate Laws, do you people have the necessary foundation to better comprehend Death Laws? For all I know, you must have found the tomb of Emperor Deathfiend of yonder to become this powerful, but even that infamous yet forgotten character didnât have an ability like you, mysteriously capable of killing from anywhere as though you had previously hexed them before the battle even began.â
âEmperor Deathfiend?â
Davis narrowed his eyes while ignoring Mandate Emperorâs hypothesis.
The Mandate Emperor stopped and looked at Davis with his dazzling golden eyes, staring at him to garner if there was any kind of falsehood in his expression.
âI myself wasnât aware of such a character until you made a show of force that I had to go to the deepest level of my Heaven Mandate Temple to learn.â
âThe Heaven Mandate Temple sure is knowledgeable~~~â
Davis echoed out loud as he dragged his words. The Mandate Emperor merely pursed his lips and turned around, continuing to ascend the steps again, but no longer spoke.
Nevertheless, Davis looked as if he wasnât in any hurry. He admired the scenic landscape and the entirety of the Heaven Mandate Temple and even possessed the desire to possess a similar residence that reached the apex.
Looking at the disciples kneel and even the elders who occasionally appeared kneel without a hint of shame, it very well told him the hierarchy of the Heaven Mandate Temple, and certainly, he could see the people here look at the Mandate Emperor with immense respect as though he was a deity.
Davis didnât have any doubt if the Mandate Emperor commanded them to do something with his power, then they wouldnât be able to move against his words even if they wanted to, for he understood that his prowess was that terrifying, inadvertently making them willing to do almost anything he asked.
However, although stoic and a bit cold, it was said that the Mandate Emperor was a magnanimous individual, a person who carried the burden of the righteous path with his own weight instead of relying on others like the Vast Sky Emperor who in Davisâs gaze, lusted after power.
For this alone, Davis felt like he could treat this person with a bit of respect.
Soon, they reached the summit of the mountain, which was called the Third Heaven Sundering Mountain, and reached the luxurious palace. As Davis and Nadia followed the Mandate Emperor to a well-lit, dazzlingly decorated hall, they found another person seated by a round table, sipping a cup of tea before he stood up and clasped his hands.
âGreetings, Emperor of Death.â
âWhat a coincidenceâŠâ Davis raised his brows in surprise as he saw another white-robed man with a strange pattern adorning his robe, appearing majestic and mysterious while his silky white hair reached freely till the back of his waist.
â⊠I didnât think the Karmic Guardian Emperor was here as well.â
While Davis glanced at the Karmic Guardian Emperor and the Mandate Emperor, wondering if the former hurried like the wind to this place to counter Nadia, the other two were looking at Nadia with caution as they recognized her to be the wicked wolf.
After all, last time, they had sealed her and couldâve inevitably earned her ire.
Nevertheless, Davis nodded as if he was peaceful before the four of them sat by the round table and shared a few cups of tea as the Karmic Guardian Emperor brewed while Nadia simply raised her hand and refused.
âSo exquisiteâŠâ
Davis could feel his Law Sea Stage Cultivation rapidly increasing with each sip.
âIâm glad you liked it, Emperor of Death.â
The Karmic Guardian Emperor lightly smiled, appearing refined before the Mandate Emperor turned to look at Davis, his golden eyes flashing with a strange light.
âFor what reason has the Emperor of Death approached us? Although youâre still a youth, it canât just be for sightseeing, right? Although I would undoubtedly feel glad if it was the case.â
âHaha!â Davis couldnât help but laugh before he placed the teacup on the table, âAlright, seems like there is no need to stand on ceremony. Hand over your techniques and manuals. Otherwise, weâre going to have some trouble.â
ââŠâ
Looking at Davisâs expression that appeared to be full of smiles, the Mandate Emperor and the Karmic Guardian Emperor couldnât tell if he was kidding or not, becoming stiff as a puppet.