Divine Emperor of Death

"Top Disciples..." Grand Elder Newgate Stein spoke with his eyes wide open as if he wanted to scare them when he intended to bring attention, "Some of you might be already aware of the Low-Level Emperor Grade Suppressing Formation that suppresses your Essence Gathering Cultivation base to the Peak-Level of Law Dominion Stage."

"However, the Sect Master felt that this was unfair to the top disciples who have worked hard, crossing countless tribulations to make it to this day with their high cultivation bases. Hence, in this Top Disciple Battles, we will not have every top disciple fight as it is completely voluntary to challenge your opponents and rightfully claim their ranks for yourself."

"You can even head back to your crimson palaces, as long as no one challenges you."

"Still, you can only challenge the person ranked above you and not further above until you can get to them by beating opponents in between. In the same way, you cannot challenge someone lower ranked than you as they are ranked lower based on their cultivation base and prowess seen so far."

Esvele smiled a bit as she heard Grand Elder Newgate Stein. The rules meant that only she could head home without a problem as she was in the last place. No one is eligible to challenge her, and it also served to protect her from other top disciples bullying her.

However, she couldn't help but feel that the Sect Master created these rules specifically to protect Shirley from Law Sea Stage Top Disciples even though their cultivation bases would be suppressed to Peak-Level Law Dominion Stage when they would battle.

Honestly, she felt that it was a pity because she wholeheartedly believed that no top disciple was a match for her senior sister Shirley. But of course, she wasn't blind and knew that her senior sister Shirley could not use the Fire Phoenix Flames to reveal her true prowess.

Therefore, she felt what Sect Master Lea Weiss had done was suitable and excellent. This way, senior sister Shirley wouldn't be forced into a situation where she would have to reveal her Fire Phoenix Flames.

Davis was also taken aback by these rules as they seemed advantageous to Shirley.

Was the Sect Master really protecting Shirley and not secretly plotting against her?

He felt like he would never truly know until he got to know more about Sect Master Lea Weiss.

"I don't get it..."

A melodious voice suddenly echoed, causing numerous people's eyes to lit up.

"Then how would the prizes be rewarded? Previously, only the top disciples who became first, second and third in the Law Dominion Stage category and the Law Sea Stage category would receive rewards, right?"

Top Disciple Verona Stein asked while still being seated.

"Yes, that hasn't changed, so you Law Dominion Stage Cultivators are not required to challenge Law Sea Stage Experts. You will still receive the rewards designated to you as long as you can get to the first, second, and third place relative to your category, although the ranking is still unified. The collective ranking also helps you know where you are amongst your peers."

"I see..."

Top Disciple Verona Stein relaxed on hearing Grand Elder Newgate Stein's words. However, she shot a look to the side and saw Davis before her crimson brows frowned.

Davis also saw her and then realized that she wanted to see Shirley, but he did not move as he maintained eye contact.

Top Disciple Verona Stein frowned even more. However, she did not bother with him and slightly bent her body to look at Shirley.

"You are still not a match for me, so don't get cocky just because you broke into the Peak-Level Law Dominion Stage. You have not even stabilized your cultivation that I feel that it is unfair to battle you, but of course, that is if you have the courage to challenge me, the person who holds the first place in our Law Dominion Stage category."

"Why not?" Shirley smiled and raised her brows, "I'll challenge you right now if you want to experience my burning flames, but it is a pity that I can only challenge you after four battles."

"Hmph!"

Top Disciple Verona Stein leaned back, her gaze no longer on them.

Davis watched her before he turned to look back to see Shirley, who was silently giggling.

"What's up with her?" He asked with a soul transmission.

"She's just probably mad that I quickly caught up to her when she is from the previous generation of top disciples, but I think she means no harm as we worked together for a short time in the mini-realm."

"Oh?" Davis became interested, "When were the previous top disciple trials?"

"The disciple trial happens every decade, and as long your cultivation and prowess reached a certain threshold, you'll be designated as one of the four, outer, inner, core, and top disciples. I managed to become a top disciple in a single try like her and quickly caught up to her, so she sees me as a rival, I guess..." Shirley patiently explained through soul transmission, finding it likable to be normally talking with her man.

"I see..." Davis nodded his head.

They might only have a generation of difference, but their true ages might be far apart.

After all, Shirley was only eight years older than him, around thirty-two years old, while Top Disciple Verona Stein was likely more than fifty years old, at the least. She could very well be around Esvele's age. They couldn't be spoken in the same length, but of course, Top Disciple Verona Stein wouldn't know that.

"As for the prizes..."

Grand Elder Newgate Stein spoke again after seeing that the top disciples have calmed down. He began announcing the prizes for the third and second places of the two categories before coming to the first places.

The top disciples looked eager as nothing was told to them, even the rules, so their excitement was valid. However, the other disciples who weren't even in this competition went crazy from hearing the prizes awarded to each category's second and third place.

Their eyes looked envious, while their faces looked forlorn.

"The top disciple who becomes first in the Law Dominion Stage category, or the top disciple who can defeat Top Disciple Verona Stein and hold her seventh place or higher will be able to obtain the reward, Infernal Core Flame Leaf, which is graded at Low-Level Emperor Grade, a heavenly resource that is capa-"

Davis's expression froze at this moment.

"Ohhhhhh!!!"

Clamor broke out this moment amongst the disciples as they heard the prize, but it was more boisterous than the previous times as they knew its value.

However, Davis was still in his own little world.

Infernal... Core... Flame... Leaf...?

Wasn't that the heavenly resource the Blazing Thunderlight Kirin told him that he could obtain to temper his lightning-attributed revolving core to adjust to fire-attribute, making his revolving core possibly mutate again?

He came out of his reverie and had his doubt if he heard it right as he looked at Shirley to confirm but saw that she had her brows narrowed, likely having an annoyed expression on her face.

"What's wrong...?" He couldn't help but ask instead of asking about the Infernal Core Flame Leaf.

"I'm extremely angered right now... How dare they take the Infernal Core Flame Leaf from me and shamelessly give it back to me in this competition!"

"Are you saying that this is one of the resources that had been confiscated from you in exchange for points?"

Davis blinked as he recalled Shirley said something like the Emperor Grade Resources she had collected were taken from her upon exiting the mini-realm.

"Yes..." Shirley sounded with a bit of sorrow, "But I have been awarded more points in exchange, and I have more than enough points to claim it back myself, but I don't see the need to temper my revolving core more than it is required. I don't want to needlessly burst apart when my future is already grand enough. That's why I'm also angered that they've chosen to give this as the reward."

Shirley became annoyed again before she sighed, "Oh well... Guess this will become useful to Esvele, but I'm not sure if she could endure the berserk energy of the Infernal Core Flame Leaf. If she fails, that's practically suicide, and even if she survives, she would probably be crippled."

She trembled, "Heavenly resources are powerful but extremely scary..."

Davis nodded his head.

The nectar was a heavenly resource, but it was gentle. However, it could still cause people to explode when taken in many amounts as they would be unable to withstand the steep rise in their Body Tempering Cultivation.

So what needs to be said about this berserk type of heavenly resource?

Davis gulped, but his eyes were wide with resolution as he needed it!

"Shirley, I want it..."

Shirley's eyes went wide as her head swiveled towards him.

"What the...!? You mean you're going to use it on yourself?..."

She looked a bit skeptical as she saw him nod his head.

"Davis, you train in Lightning Laws and have absorbed a Lightning Elemental from a young age. I presume that your revolving core is already lightning-attributed. It is almost impossible to change unless you start from the beginning, and the least you can do is temper some of your meridians pathways to fire attribute so that it won't affect your lightning attribute much."

"I don't know what you're trying to do here by wanting to absorb the Infernal Core Flame Leaf, but what I do know is that you're practically committing suicide! I know that you won't completely die with your powerful soul, but that's not the point!!!"

Davis became taken aback by her outburst before he sent her a soul transmission, "Alright, alright... calm down, Shirley. I understand what you're trying to say..."

He soothed her as he saw her lightly shivering, obviously in worry for him. Shirley realized that she overreacted and leaned back on her seat, her eyes looking no longer bothered as she became calm.

"But the thing is, I have a cultivation manual that allows me to increase my success rate in tempering my revolving core..."

Davis spoke while Grand Elder Newgate Stein announced the prize for the Law Sea Stage category, which didn't garner his interest.

Shirley lightly shook her head, "Even if you have something like that, the success rate isn't something that could be increasingly increased. It is probably difficult to even raise it by one or two percent with normal resources, and even you have something like an Emperor Grade Manual, I doubt that you could increase the success rate by more than twenty percent max..."

A curve appeared on Davis's lips on hearing her thoughts.

"What if the cultivation manual is an Immortal Grade Manual?"

Shirley's eyes became wide incredulously before she recalled that an Earth Dragon didn't have lightning nor fire attribute. Only the Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix were left, but it didn't make sense either for him to have obtained a manual that could support two attributes!

"I found a vestige of an Immortal Inheritance of fire and lightning attributed magical beast, managing to obtain the Blazing Thunderlight Kirin's Firestorm World Ode."

Hearing Davis's shocking soul transmission, Shirley held her breath as her heart skipped a beat!