"Come, Daoist Ascension." A sonorous voice echoed within Yan Zaizen's soul. He realized it was the Ruin Emperor's soul transmission. Pausing slightly, he pondered on something.
He looked out towards that black shadow and frowned slightly. A feeling of being looked at was vaguely felt. The shockingness of this was that it didn't originate from his Soul, Heavenly, or Dao sense, but his abnormal prophetic instinct.
However, he inwardly shook his head. It's likely that the All-Immortal Dragon was inspecting everyone on the ship and it exceeded his normal senses. If so, then everyone was being gazed at.
"You coming?" Yan Zaizen asked Yri. The agreement from before was his and his alone. Yri could spend this time cultivating or something less dangerous and more productive.
Yri only looked at Yan Zaizen with a look. This look contained a very clear intent: 'Where you go, I'll go.' Then that gaze shifted towards his groin and he could see the emotion in her eyes.
He sighed. This woman was relentless, unwilling to let her chance to achieve a Dao Soul go. It was both admirable and hilarious, making Yan Zaizen unsure if he should laugh or cry. He suspected that she may even break the rules of time if he did die and go back into the past to change the future.
Of course, doing something like that would receive the rejection of the heavens and universe as it'll be altering the fate of every particle in that universe, as all things were connected. Otherwise, how many people would go back in time?
Not saying more, he arrived at the location of the Nine Monarchs. He inspected them all, and they him. His eyes were calm as he traced their figures, stopping briefly on the Oneuli Empire's Emperor. He was taken aback by the sight of this man. From the soul jades, he knew who this man was and his various feats within the Heavenly Origin Grounds.
He didn't show any emotion as he only allowed his gaze to stop very briefly before looking at everyone else.
The young girl with archaic markings on her face eyes grew colder. It wasn't just her, all these elite figures and the eyes of their subordinates became dark and cold. It was sharp and Yan Zaizen's brow twitched slightly.
'Why are they exhibiting such a harsh attitude?'
The Ruin Emperor also frowned. Yan Zaizen hadn't paid them respects or vocally establishing a respectful attitude upon entering. He had entered and stood upright and calm, as if he was their equals. When the Ruin Emperor met him before, it was fine. After all, the Ruin Emperor had come with a purpose, but etiquette was incredibly prickly of a subject in the Heavenly Origin Grounds.
It's what separated the Yaoguai from the civilized.
Even the subordinates had their heads and eyes lowered, their aura concealed without the slightest leakage and their breathing subdued to a pinnacle. This type of bodily expression was the expression of a lesser.
Yan Zaizen had barely been in the Heavenly Origin Grounds long enough, and even if he did, he didn't feel that he needed to put himself as a lesser before anyone.
Yri's eyes shined. She had half a mind to act as a lesser as the cultivation bases of these people were high, and she was in their territory. However, seeing Yan Zaizen remain calm and expressing an equal attitude before these Heavenly Monarchs; she was internally happy.
Someone she was going to give her body and Celestial Origin to had to have this much attitude at least.
"Ruin Emperor, you called?" Yan Zaizen said. He came here because the Ruin Emperor told him to finish up his cultivation and come, he had even reminded him twice. He felt that it should be important, but he and everyone else was acting mute.
He wanted to say: "You know you have nine months, seventeen days, four hours, twenty minutes, and forty seconds left, no?"
"Impudent!" The crimson-clothed woman darkly declared. A fiery and sharp aura erupted from her body, exhibiting a heaven-shaking force that caused the clothes of all these experts to flutter in the wind. Even the Ruin Emperor was affected, but he only shook his head slightly.
It would be better to teach juniors respect early on. To him, letting the Freya, a Heavenly Creation Realm expert at the First Phase, do so would allow him to intervene at least if the situation got difficult.
Freya was a member of the Berserk Harmony Palace, an upper-echelon member at her current cultivation base, and reached the Heavenly Creation Realm in the Mortal Law of the Sword. Her fire laws supplemented it with various profound arts that would make her an above average Heavenly Creation Realm expert.
Yan Zaizen frowned. This woman had attacked him before, and now she seemed ready to do it again. Even he had a limit to his patience. Before, he was in the wrong, but now that he simply wanted to know why he was here, he was being called impudent and aggressed upon.
So what if he didn't bow? So what if he didn't offer greetings or act like a lesser?
Did you all even have the qualifications for me to do that?
He didn't know who most of these people were, so he had no intention to lower his head like a coward scared of offending every stranger.
He ignored her, turned towards the Ruin Emperor and asked once again, this time more clearly, "Ruin Emperor, what did you call me for?" His tone was no longer polite. Instead, he was already a little frustrated at his own stupidity in agreeing to this, even for a year.
The other Monarchs were taken aback, especially Freya. Her aura stilled as if she never expected Yan Zaizen to treat her like the air in the atmosphere - invisible.
The young, bare-footed man smiled, "Is this your so-called 'key figure to our success,' Ruin Emperor?" His words were laced with mockery and disdain. To invite an expert who did not know the immensity of heaven and earth was entertaining but lacked a little...wisdom?
Earlier, the Ruin Emperor had referred to Yan Zaizen as a key figure in the success of their mission, but he didn't think so. He hadn't spoken up before but now he did.
Yan Zaizen glanced towards this young man. His aura was reserved but brimmed with a type of life force. This life force felt odd, more physical and more false than the true World Law of Life. It was as if his physical energies contained unique life properties.
The squirming veins of his feet seemed to contain an overwhelming internal power.
'Fiendgod?' Yan Zaizen assumed.
Fiendgod cultivation focused on one's internal energy and force. It wasn't like the Herculean Path where it was nearly all physique-oriented. Instead, it was like the Heavenly Path with one's physical body.
"I stand by what I said, Sectmaster Sanji." The Ruin Emperor stayed firm to his words.
"We don't need an imbecile," the winged woman offhandedly commented. It was careless as if she wasn't referring to Yan Zaizen, but all these experts could easily conclude who she meant.
Freya's eyes blazed in a fiery blaze, a sharpness emanated from this blaze. She seemed to transform into a goddess of fire and war as her aura spiked. The words of that winged woman was definitely a tactful agreement to her actions. However, her gaze still turned to the young girl seeking approval.
The young girl didn't say anything, closing her eyes as if the situation before her didn't exist.
The old man softly laughed, "Youngsters...unruly...good." Those words may sound like a compliment, but it was also him giving his approval.
Freya laughed coldly. Ever since Yan Zaizen had peeked at her, she wanted to punish him - severely! Her aura exploded like a volcanic eruption at its climax. The others were all experts and covered themselves with barriers of heavenly might. The Monarchs didn't seem to create any ward as the surging energy seemed to glide around them.
The Ruin Emperor sighed.
Yan Zaizen saw all this and his expression remained calm. Not a hint of anger or fear was revealed. Instead, only a sigh. He turned to the Ruin Emperor.
"You can choose, silence this woman, punish her for her impudent behavior, and I'll increase the time of our agreement by a month." His words caused the others to be startled.
Was he asking the Ruin Emperor to take action? To save him?
Sectmaster Sanji disdainfully laughed.
The old man coughed.
The young girl kept her eyes closed.
The winged woman had a slight smile.
The Oneuli Emperor's eyes narrowed.
The twin knights couldn't show any expression or said anything. They just stood stably where they were.
"Eh?" The Ruin Emperor felt odd inside. Was he bargaining with him?
"If I have to handle this myself, you'll lose nine months." Yan Zaizen declared as if he didn't want to bother with this anymore. He agreed to help the Ruin Emperor, not to be subjected to ridicule and attacked. It was already lucky that he didn't say their agreement ended here.
"Haha, nine months?" Sectmaster Sanji laughed even harder. To threaten him with nine months to save you? Hilarious.
Everyone can clearly see you are still at the Heavenly Genesis Realm, and the difference between the Heavenly Creation Realm was like comparing a small mountain to a planet.
Freya grew tired of this. Her hand waved, revealing a crimson longsword. It had white inscriptions that emanated a sharp aura. Within this sword was a heavenly dimension of fire, constructed from the Heavenly Shrine of eight Heavenly Monarchs.
She took a single step forward. This step was minuscule but a blazing trial formed behind her. The world seemed to be lit ablaze by her heavenly might. The others frowned, and they quietly exerted their own abilities to protect their subordinates.
The Ruin Emperor looked towards Yan Zaizen. He didn't know what to say or how to say it. He, of course, would not agree. However, it felt stifling to be given a choice. For some reason, in his heart, he felt that this choice was profoundly important. This was what his Dao alluded to.
Yan Zaizen didn't even bother looking at Freya. His gaze never left the Ruin Emperor, his gaze calm and relaxed as if an impending crisis wasn't going to happen.
Yri's eyes flickered. She was a Ninth Phase Celestial Monarch, but she had no true confidence in beating a Heavenly Creation Realm expert at the First Phase, especially one who comprehended the sword, an incredibly aggressive law.
Running away?
That was easy, but winning?
None.
Freya gripped her blade and swung. This swing was filled with explosive power and incinerating might. It transformed into a ray of burning light that bore down on Yan Zaizen. He felt his body surrounded by a fiery force, attempting to restrict his movements and weaken his strength.
The ray was sharp, and while it was intended to burn Yan Zaizen to ash, it also darted towards his throat with the intent to behead.
Yan Zaizen quietly looked at the Ruin Emperor. However, the Ruin Emperor was conflicted. That being said, he couldn't allow Yan Zaizen to be killed in such a manner. He was about to reach out when a cold snort echoed in his ear.
His head turned towards the young girl and saw her emanating an icy-cold aura. As if to say: "If you act, I will stop you."
He felt helpless. It seemed that Yan Zaizen's lack of respect meant the young girl saw no reason to let him live.
Yan Zaizen quietly absorbed all this as the searing hot blade edged closer to his throat. He sighed. This sigh was soft but for some reason, everyone present heard it clearly.
Yri had already erected a ward of time to deflect the heat. Just the current distance it reached was enough to burn her into ashes without defenses, so she couldn't stay passive. Yan Zaizen also seemed unwilling to immediately act.
"Fine, you have seventeen days, four hours, twenty minutes, and twenty-one seconds left." With that, he waved his hand as if the fire restriction placed on him served no purpose. An azure light formed at the tip of his index and middle finger. He pressed them forward lightly.
"Mystic Deluge, Drown."
His cultivation base was revealed!
Ninth-Floor Heavenly Genesis Realm!!
In what was a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a millisecond, the world briefly flashed this azure color. When it vanished so did all the searing heat and sharp light.
"What?!" Yri's eyes widened in shock.