Divine Emperor of Death

"What!?"

Davis's expression changed as he saw the minute changes in the sky. It was as if the clouds were converging, becoming darker by the second as they clouded the region from the sun.

He didn't stay here any longer as he left the sleeping grandmother in one peace as he quickly headed out of the room and made his way into the hall.

'How could it be!??? This is not possible...! Unless...'

Davis thought as he neared the hall, looking at the two figures in the middle of the hall where one of them seemed o have fainted.

It was none other than Tia Alstreim, who was lying on the lap of her father as he tried to wake her up with an anxious expression on his face.

"Tia...! Wake up...! Tia, please... Don't play pranks on me at a time like this... Be a good child..."

While Edgar Alstreim did not even notice Davis's arrival, Davis's expression was ugly as he muttered.

"It's her fifth Whisper of Fate Phenomenon..."

He experienced an extreme chill in his entire body before he subconsciously moved!

Edgar Alstreim had just heard Davis's voice when he suddenly appeared beside him, forcefully taking Tia out of his grasp. However, he did not resist as he heard Davis's words. Instead, he was struck with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Wait! What? It's her fifth whisper!?"

Edgar Alstreim reacted as his body shivered, but his reaction was so late that Davis wasn't even present in the Purple Guest Palace anymore.

======

*Whoosh!~*

In the Grand Alstreim City's skies, Davis flew concealed amidst the darkening skies with Tia in his grasp. He raced towards the south-western direction, where it was relatively sparse in population. His expression was one of solemnness while panic could be seen in his eyes.

'Oh... no, no, no, no...!'

He raised his head, looking at the converging clouds that seemed to center around him, or to be precise, it centered around Tia Alstreim, the girl in his arms who still remained asleep.

"Tia, wake up..." Davis gulped as he looked back at her.

He was princess carrying her, staring at her with a bit of anxiousness.

If Tia did not wake up, he would have no choice but to take on the heavenly tribulation in her stead as he had already resolved himself to protect Tia if she failed to cross the heavenly tribulation.

However, he was perfectly clear that it might spell the end for him!

"Fallen Heaven, do you have any ideas to overcome the tribulation!?"

His mind raced, but he could not come up with anything as he instantly relied on Fallen Heaven.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Three freaking seconds passed, which seemed like a long time as he instantly traveled thousands of kilometers in terms of distance. He had long left the Grand Alstreim City, shot past the outskirts, and made it to the desolate areas of the Alstreim Family's territory.

However, even after waiting for those three seconds in which he could start to feel the aura of the terrifying heavens, Tia didn't wake up, and neither did Fallen Heaven, who seemed to not respond to his calls!

"What the hell!? Fallen Heaven, where are you?"

Davis gulped as he asked again, but he was met with nothing but silence before realizing that it was still alive as he could find only a semblance of intent from it due to their souls being interconnected.

Realization quickly dawned on his mind as he understood why he could not use Fallen Heaven's energy to conceal himself.

'It's hiding from the heavenly tribulation...'

Davis raised his head as he felt a chill surge through his spine!

The converging dark clouds did not even seem to reach twenty meters in radius. It was tiny when seen from the elevation he was flying over, easily misunderstood for a passing storm cloud by the common populace. There were no flashes of lightning from the tribulation clouds, but there was a terrifying aura brewing in the skies.

That terrifying aura descended on him, or Tia, to be precise, making him perspire from his forehead.

As he flew, ten seconds later, he quickly arrived at an optimal location which he deemed was safe from onlooker's eyes. Still, his King Soul Stage soul sense that stretched throughout the land and the skies managed to find less than fifty people camping, hunting magical beasts.

His eyes widened as he quickly suppressed them with his soul, causing them to faint.

Landing on the empty plains that were surrounded by huge mountains, his powerful soul simply scared away all the wild magical beasts present in this place. However, he didn't let them escape either and made them all faint as he cast the Soul Suppression Art on a wide radius.

He didn't even use a bit of his soul force due to his King Soul Stage Cultivation.

Davis took a deep breath to calm himself down. The heavenly tribulation that was brewing still did not fall on Tia, but even before it descended, the overbearing aura it unleashed on Tia, whom he was carrying, made it harder for him to breathe, although he understood that it might just be his imagination as he was subject to its pressure for the first time.

At this moment, Davis understood what life and death battle meant.

The unprecedented pressure that was all over him made him feel deep fear, but his expression was that one of a crazy smile.

"I thank you for appearing, oh kind heavens... I have the feeling that if I don't get used to you, it might be very hard in the future for me..."

His words sounded like self-encouragement, but Davis felt that he might be encountering more of these in the future like he read in the stories because Fallen Heaven hiding from this heavenly tribulation was not a good sign at all!

Why was it hiding?

He could form numerous hypotheses in an instant. However, the heavenly tribulation's aura that he faced for the first time left him feeling little, of how tiny of existence he was in this universe, not letting him think properly.

The heavenly tribulation was making him humble, and he did feel humbled, but the soaring battle intent in his heart made his entire body palpitate in resonance with the formation of the tribulation clouds above.

'Would I survive a tribulation with my current prowess...?'

Davis gulped as he thought to himself.

He did not know the answer, but he could only think about how to defend against the heavenly tribulation as numerous scenarios ran on his mind that purely used his imagination as his tool. However...

"No... father... mother... Why are you all leaving me behind...? Please... I won't make trouble anymore... please come back..."

His thought process was interrupted by Tia Alstreim's sudden mumbling. He turned to look at her before realization instantly dawned on him.

"Heart Demon Tribulation..."

These words subconsciously came out of Davis's mouth as he stared at Tia's painful expression. Tears fell down her cheeks as they flowed from her eyes like a river. She seemed to be groaning like she was stuck in a nightmare, making him instantly understand that she was already undergoing the heavenly tribulation.

Davis gulped, 'How scary... The moment the tribulation clouds started gathering, it had already caused Tia to be put under its spell. By the time I came out after healing grandmother, Tia was already undergoing the heavenly tribulation. Does this mean that the clouds forming above are dud, just for displaying an overbearing aura, a sign that the heavenly tribulation is ongoing? Or are there more than one tribulation...?'

His expression was ugly as he looked above.

The tribulation clouds were converging no longer as they strictly kept to a thirty-meter radius, but they also did not seem to have any lightning flashes within them. However, they seemed to keep track of her no matter where he went, regardless if he was concealed or not. His death-like energy that was still concealing them was useless, so he promptly decided to stop using it.

He lowered his head and saw Tia Alstreim's suffering expression. It was unimaginable to him what she was going through, but he could understand that it had something to do with her family from her constant, incoherent mumbling.

She was struggling in his arms as tears kept rolling out, making him feel worried for her, but he could only wait for her to wake up.

However, Davis understood that human minds are sometimes fragile, just like a glass of water.

Just a bit of negativity and criticism can cause it to dilute or weaken, and a bit of pressure can cause it to crack or get back up with motivation. Sometimes... the water in the glass turns muddy, and worse, it becomes poison, corrupting their character, but people would like it to mistaken them for their true nature as it might fit their perspective or agenda.

Nevertheless, he also understood that even though the water may spill from the cracks of the glass, the glass itself should remain intact.

Until the glass could completely break, a person's heart, mind, and soul could not be broken, and Tia Alstreim should precisely not have hers broken to survive this Heart Demon Tribulation, or so he mused with all seriousness.

*Bzzz!~*

At this moment, lightning began to flash within the tribulation clouds. At the same time, a terrifying pressure that caused heaven and earth to quiver descended on the area he was standing, making his legs tremble a bit.

Davis's eyes were wide while he possessed a sickening look on his face. He looked above, thinking that the heavens had no chill or tolerance. They were practically bullying a little girl.

Tia had not woken up yet, but there were already signs of a second tribulation, the sign of a Lightning Tribulation brewing in the skies!

Davis inwardly sighed, taking a deep breath before he placed the little Tia on the grassy plains. The breeze was high, making the grasses flutter in tune while the edges of robes kept dancing along with the wind. Casting a gentle gaze at her, he couldn't help but smile wryly as he patted her cheek.

"You're not even my woman, nor my blood sister but just a little aunt that I find cute. Why do I have to go through a heavenly tribulation to protect you while jeopardizing my life in the process...?"

*Crackle!~*

The sound of thunder echoed, causing Davis to sigh again.

"It's just not worth it, little aunt..."

He stood up and raised his head, staring at the heavenly tribulation with battle intent blazing even though his heart pounded like crazy under the overwhelming pressure.

However, unbeknownst to him, the dark light hanging in the skies, the Calamity Light, in other words, manifested the faint sigil of an eye.

"Another rare heavenly tribulation in this damned place... Mhm...? This intensity and aura... It's a destructive heavenly tribulation? But... it's so pitifully low in might... Ah, it should be one of those people with unique physiques that goes against the ways of the heavens."

An archaic voice echoed, but it seemed like no one in this world was capable of hearing it. It was soon followed by a worn-out sigh.

"How lucky yet how pitiful..."

The sigil of an eye from the dark light then faded as if it had never existed in the first place!