The Wish of the Dragon

Chapter 118:

(AN: Thank you for the donation, Alexander Low. I wish all of you enjoy the chapter ).

Issei sighed silently to himself before he asks the girl: "Do you remember your name?" Although he asked her this, he's almost certain that she won't remember anything about her past just like Bai'er did.

And as expected...

"Name? Ughhh" The girl was deep in thought for quite a while before replying with a grin: "Don't know! Does big brother know?"

In normal circumstances, when a person didn't even remember their name, their natural reaction would be to feel lost or confused, but the red-haired girl smiled cheerfully instead. The smile was undoubtedly innocent without any pretense as if not remembering her own name was just a very small and trivial matter.

Issei is the one who felt pity in her stead... To think that her soul has deteriorated this much that she couldn't even realize just how saddening her act just now.

But perhaps it's for the best... Some things are better left forgotten.

"Just as you expected, Ise... she really doesn't remember anything..." Xun'er said feeling pity for the girl.

As a mother, she can understand just how saddening it is for such a small girl to bear such a burden... Children at her age should've played around with kids around her age, and yet... sigh...

Just as Xun'er had finished speaking, the young girl's eyes looked towards her and Jasmine.

The girl's eyes started sparkling brightly like stars: "Wahhhhhh! Big sis and Little big sis, both of your clothes are so pretty! But I like Little big sis clothes the most since it's red! Red I love red!"

Jasmine and Xun'er are wearing the outfit Issei provided and they're currently wearing the same kimono they first get from Issei. There are a lot of outfits variety he provided for them but both of them like the kimono the most.

This mysterious girl had red hair, red eyes and even wore red clothes. Obviously, she likes red just like Jasmine. Therefore, when she saw the elegant red kimono Jasmine's currently wearing, her love for it instantly overflowed

"She can see us?" Jasmine asked feeling astounded.

Jasmine and Xun'er didn't have a body, only a spiritual body. Unless they showed their soul figure on their own, or if the opponent was sufficiently powerful, no one could see them except for Issei. It's got nothing to do with Issei being powerful or not, it's because he's the master of the <Sky Poison Pearl>.

[Of course she can see both of you... After all, she's the daughter of the Heretic God himself. It would be weird if she couldn't see you both, especially Xun'er since you inherited her father's legacy]. Issei sends a voice transmission to both Jasmine and Xun'er.

Both of their eyes went wide and they become completely flabbergasted when they heard his words.

WHAT!!?

[No need to be so surprised... I just realized it as well] Issei stopped them from screaming out loud since he doesn't want to alarm the girl and Bai'er.

Even though both of them are still taken aback, they still nod understandingly at his words. Never in their wildest dream that they're able to meet the Heretic God's daughter here.

Wait... Since this girl is Bai'er other half then that means that Bai'er is also...

"Of course I can see you, my eyes aren't spoilt." Jasmine's reaction caused the girl to turn her head to one side. She found that she was in the Coffin of Eternity and softly said: "Waaah! What a beautiful crystal bed! Was this where I was sleeping in? It's so pretty But it's so hard, it's not really comfortable. Pretty big brother, can you carry me out, please? Pleaseee? The crystal bed is so tall, if I climb out, it will affect my image as a beautiful young lady."

"Sure... But don't call me pretty big brother..." Issei smiled wryly hearing her words. Beautiful young lady? She sure knows how to praise herself...

"Why not?" The girl asked cluelessly.

"'Pretty' is used for girls and big brother is obviously not a girl." Issei patiently explained. This won't do... He can't let everyone calling him pretty like this. He can handle being called anything as long as it's not the word "pretty".

It's so humiliating being called pretty when you're a man alright...

"Oh... Then how about... beautiful big brother! Is that better?" The girl asked cheerfully.

"...No. Just big brother will do..." Issei's face started to spasm uncontrollably.

"Oh... Okay then... being called pretty or beautiful is obviously much better than simple 'big brother'... what a weird big brother even though he's so pretty..." The girl nodded half understandingly and half confusedly while mumbling in a low voice.

"..." Issei decided to pretend that he never heard anything in the first place but he does help her get down from the coffin.

He effortlessly lifted the little girl out of the crystal coffin and set her down gently on the ground.

"Wahh so comfortable!" After leaving the crystal coffin, the girl stretched again strongly before lifting up her face and looking at Issei with her ruby-like eyes: "Big brother, where are we gonna play? This place looks so fun... And- ah...?"

The girl had her words cut off the moment she saw Bai'er who's standing behind Issei.

The girl discovered the existence of the girl with rainbow eyes and she started to size her up with a look of curiosity on her face.

Issei who sees this step aside from his original position so he doesn't get in the way of the two girl reunions.

"Ah" The girl with ruby eyes looked at Bai'er while Bai'er also looked at her. The girl's mouth was half open and her ruby eyes were stunned, it was as if she had suddenly frozen in place.

One girl had long and gorgeous vermillion hair, the other had long hair that sparkled with the light of stars. One pair of eyes were vermillion red, the other pair of eyes were a fantastical four colors. The two girls stared intently at one another, not moving an inch. It was as if the other person's eyes had suddenly stolen away from their souls.

Besides the color of their hair and their eyes, they looked exactly the same.

Even Jasmine and Xun'er held their breath watching the "two" supposedly Creation God descendant reunion.

Before this, both of them are very curious just what is the identity of Bai'er but now they finally discovered the answer to their curiosity... and the truth made them flabbergasted...

No wonder she had the <Darkness Seed> in her possession before...

As for the reason why the Heretic God left her daughter behind at that dark Abyss, it must be something related to the war between the Gods and Devils in the past.

Sadly... The original Xiaotao and Lieyan already died a long time ago... so they can't ask them about it in detail.

As the two girls looked at each other in dazed silence, they extended their hands at nearly exactly the same time and touched each other. The girl's hand lightly caressed Bai'er's face while Bai'ers hand touched the girl's face at the same time...

"Ngh sniff sniff" The girl's lips suddenly started to pout and her shoulder started to heave as she let out a sob. Her vermillion eyes were shining with tears. After that, those tears started to drip down with pattering sound.

"Uuu uuuuuu UUUUUWAAAAAAHHHH!" The girl suddenly bawled out loud as her tears flowed out like a burst dam.

The girl was weeping up a storm. And both Jasmine and Xun'er discovered that Bai'er also had two long trails of tears slowly flowing down her face.

Xun'er who saw this had her maternal instinct invoked and when she's about to step forward, Issei gave her a signal to stop with his hand.

Seeing a small girl that looks no older than ten years old crying their lungs out is too much for a mother like Xun'er to handle. Her beautiful face immediately looks very upset and she wanted nothing more to comfort these two children before her, but she obeyed Issei's signal and doesn't take another step forward...

She doesn't realize that slowly but surely, she's becoming very dependant on Issei...

She treated him like someone very special in her life and second only to her daughter... she even put herself in a lower position than him. If by chance Issei is about to die then she would undoubtedly trade their position in a single heartbeat. But she doesn't realize this just yet...

Xun'er herself realizes that she has feelings for Issei but she doesn't know that her true feelings already run deeper than she thought...

The look on Bai'er face was filled with confusion because she doesn't understand just why she suddenly feels sad... and why she suddenly cries...

Ever since her first meeting with Issei, she never feels sad any longer since every day is filled with joy and happiness. This is the first time she feels sad again ever since that day... and to make matter worse, she doesn't understand just why she feels this way.

She set her gaze towards Issei wanting to convey her confusion towards him. She's hoping that he can help her with this current "problem" she has just like how he always does before...

Issei who sensed her restless emotion smiled gently.

"Bai'er... You out of all people should know why you feel sad when you see this girl..." Issei said softly.

But Bai'er shook her head almost immediately.

"Yes, you do... remember what I said before? She's your other half... and just like you... she also suffers. And perhaps, her suffering is much worse than yours..." What Issei wanted to say is that, if Bai'er is "locked" inside that dark abyss, then this girl is locked in the crystal coffin while her soul is being corroded slowly by the poison.

Bai'er body froze a little and the girl is still bawling her eyes out.

She can understand what Issei wanted to convey here since they have their souls linked.

Although she's "sealed" in that abyss, she can still see, move, and feel... Granted, that place is filled with endless darkness and a cold silence. But she also has those flowers accompanying her whilst this girl in front of her on the other hand...

She's in a deep sleep for almost her entire life while her soul is being tortured by the poison...

Sure when she's inside that crystal coffin her body is preserved and able to stay alive until now but... what if even if she's still asleep back then, she could still feel the pain? There's nothing more terrifying than feeling pain assaulting your whole body and soul but you can't utter a single sound or move a single muscle.

You can only silently endure the pain... This is just a guess but what if it's true? If that really happens then no wonder her memories are erased completely like this...

If Bai'er entire life filled with loneliness then this girl is filled with pain... Perhaps that's why her soul threw those painful memories away, because if not... she might've gone insane by now...

What did they do to deserve this... What did both of them do in the past to experience all these nightmares? Is it wrong for them to be born in this world?

Bai'er tears started to flood out even more... Now she understands why she feels sad when she sees this girl before her... It's because they're one and the same...

Not just because their soul is the same but even their whole life experience is...

Issei took a step forward before she lifted both sobbing children's tiny figure into his embrace: "You both have done nothing wrong, Bai'er... The one who wronged you is those who tried to harm you in the past. Don't worry, if big brother finds out that the one who's still responsible is still alive, I will help you beat them up, okay?" He cooed the word gently after sensing Bai'er indignance.

Both Bai'er and her other half who felt his warm embrace immediately turn their body around and hugged him tightly while their tears are starting to make his shirt wet... But Issei completely ignores this.

He patiently and gently comforts the two unfortunate children in his embrace...

Xun'er and Jasmine who saw this had their eyes mellowed on their own... They really like seeing this side of him, always so gentle towards children... It's so heartwarming...

Although both Bai'er and that girl age should be in the millions already but considering their tragic past, they can still be considered a child. Whether it's their figure or mentality...

"Bai'er... do you want me to 'fuse' you together?" Issei asked Bai'er softly after he sensed that both of the children in his embrace already stopped crying.

Bai'er who heard Issei's question look at him and then at her other half for a bit before she shook her head.

She extended her hand to grasp her other half left hand wanting to convey that she want to be together with her as sisters rather than having both of them fuse together.

Her other half tiny hand vigorously rubbing away the tears in her eyes. Even though she was no longer sobbing, she had wept until her eyes and her nose had turned red and Bai'er wasn't any better either.

The girl's lips suddenly curved into a bow as a sweet and happy smile appeared on her face: "Hehehe, so your name is Bai'er? It's a pretty name! Let's be friends, okay? And then we can play together along with big brother!"

Bai'er who heard her words also smiled back at her other half and nodded slowly.

"Yayy! Now I have a new friend!" The girl shouted in glee seeing that Bai'er just nodded in agreement.

"Then big brother you will play with both of us a lot, right?" She then asked Issei with the same happy smile.

"Sure." Issei gave her a nod but then he thought of something before he added in a firm tone: "But you mustn't call big brother with the word 'pretty' anymore, okay?"

"En en!" She readily nodded at his words... But whether she really means it or not... only she knows...

"..." Bai'er lips softly parted before she took pulled her other half arm gently and then she put both of their hand on top of Issei's chest.

Issei smiled softly and tilted his head feeling a little intrigued just what she wanted to do. The same goes for her other half but she doesn't resist Bai'er pull.

"Wahhh! Big brother, your chest is so firm and tough but also a little soft to the touch at the same time! Unlike my chest which only feels soft! And you also smell very good! Are you hiding something beneath your clothes, big brother? Is it something delicious?!" The girl cheerily said.

Issei's mouth twitches a little hearing her words...

Jasmine and Xun'er who heard the girl's words had their bodies jerked a little before they subconsciously perked their ears trying to eavesdrop more of the girl's words. Firm and tough yet also a little soft to the touch? Although it sounded nonsensical at first, when they imagine the time they caught a glimpse of his chest in the past... they have to agree with her words.

They never directly touch his chest directly but just by looking at it they know it must feel great to the touch... They inadvertently blush at the thoughts they have...

Even though the male cultivators in this world also have a fit body and the like, compared to Issei's perfect body, they are too far apart... After all, those male cultivators rarely train their bodies since they mainly rely on their profound energy so they often look a little too thin at times.

Bai'er gazes upon Issei's face and flashed a grin that was very similar to her other self grin just now.

After a few seconds, both of their hand that was as sparkling and translucent as a diamond came into contact with his chest, a cluster of gloomy black light suddenly flashed on the tip of their finger.

"Ah?" The girl let out a confused sound when she felt a soothing warmth starting to enveloping her entire hand and body: "So comfy..."

Issei was a little surprised by this and soon he realized that, under the black light that radiated from the tip of their fingers, a sword mark was slowly surfacing in the center of his chest.

What had appeared on his chest was a black and vermillion sword mark. The other half is colored black while the other half is colored red.

Issei's gaze remained fixed on the pitch-black sword mark that had appeared on his chest for a moment before he set his gaze back to Bai'er.

He frowned a little while looking at her: "Bai'er... You should know that I will never use you or your other half as a tool right?"

Bai'er who heard his words still retain her previous smile but she gave Issei a knowing nod. She knows that Issei would never use her or her other half as a weapon no matter what happens...

"...Then why do you..." Issei asked her while sighing wryly but the next moment he had his eyes wide open...

"ge... ge... stay... together... forever..." Bai'er spoke for the first time... Even though her voice is as small as a mosquito buzzing and also incomplete sentence, Issei could hear her words clearly.

(AN: "Gege" is short for big brother in Chinese, the same meaning as onii-chan, etc).

Even Xun'er and Jasmine who's watching at the side is feeling amazed by this.

The reason why Issei said he would never use Bai'er as a weapon was because Issei knew that she can turn herself into a sword and the same goes for her other half.

That's why her other half doesn't have a life signal like an ordinary human being. It's because she's a sword spirit and also since her soul is incomplete...

Issei is not foreign of this type of race since there's a lot of example of their kind even in his original world. For example, Regulus who was the pawn of Sairaorg or Ddraig and Albion themselves.

Even though originally they weren't exactly a weapon spirit, they're basically the same right now. And the same goes for Bai'er and her other half. Their current state could be considered the same as Regulus or Albion albeit a little different.

Issei snapped out of his stupor before he smiled gently at Bai'er.

"Um... But know that even without having you do this, we will still be together as long as Bai'er wants." Issei said softly.

Bai'er shook her head and once again said: "together... forever..."

What she's trying to say is that she wanted to stay forever with Issei never to separate along with her other half.

"If that's what Bai'er wants then..." Issei nodded gently at her wish.

"Aahhhh, stop speaking only between the two of you! Or better yet, stop talking and let's go play!" The girl shouted excitedly: "Playing is still more important than talking after all! Big brother, Bai'er, big sis, and little big sis, quick, bring me to a fun place! I want to see the blue sky, the green grass, and all the colorful flowers! And after I finished crying, I feel really good. It's true. Big brother, why don't you cry once for me to see?"

"Err..." Issei could only look speechlessly at this overly excited little girl. To think that she cried out loud just now only to regain her cheerfulness in the next moment... He started to imagine how bubbly the original Bai'er is.

This girl had been in a deep slumber and lost nearly all her memories. Yet she did not seem to care for all this not even caring about who she was... she doesn't even bother asking him why she cried just now...

A strange sound rang from the girl and she started touching her stomach with her small hand. Her originally excited face fell: "Ummm I'm suddenly very hungry" As she finished she turned and stared at Issei pleadingly: "Big brother, I'm suddenly very hungry. Do you have anything nice to eat?"

After sleeping for so many years, suddenly feeling hungry was a very normal thing... Issei then put both Bai'er and the girl down to the ground before he took out some cookies he prepared as snacks beforehand from the <GoB>: "Here." He gives the cookies to the girl and also Bai'er.

The girl took the cookie, smelled it with her tiny nose and blinked her watery eyes before replying softly: "What a weird smell, it doesn't look nice at all Is this really edible?"

"Hmph, little girl. His food is the tastiest food out there, you should feel happy being able to taste his food." Jasmine said with a snort.

"Ah, really?" The girl asks doubtfully. But then she saw Bai'er happily munching away on her cookie.

The girl smelled the cookie once again and after hesitating for some time, she finally opened her mouth and bit into the cookie. It was obvious that she took a lot of strength in order to bite off a small piece...

"So tough, my teeth nearly spoiled." The girl complained softly before carefully starting to chew. Just as she began to chew, the girl's face fell...

"Pupupu Peipei" The girl instantly spat out the cookie that she had not completely chewed and even spat out the residue in her mouth strongly. Judging from her looks, she couldn't wait to get rid of the taste of the biscuit from her mouth: "Disgusting, too disgusting I don't want that So bad! So bad! So bad!!!"

All of them become stupefied by her act. This is the first time anyone ever spews out Issei's food... Even Bai'er felt a little surprised by her counterpart act.

"How about meat? Can you eat meat?" Issei took out a bowl of meat steak and asked her.

"Meat What's that, is it edible? Delicious? Is meat this... browny thing?" The girl tilted her head in confusion while looking at the plate of steak Issei just took out.

"Hmm, you don't find this smell fragrant or anything?"

"No... It smells... Wuaaaaahhhhh! So smelly! Disgustingly smelly! I don't want to eat that thing!" This time, without even biting, she only sniffed it lightly and that is more than enough to make the girl feeling repugnant of the steak.

"...Then what do you want to eat?"

"I want to eat something delicious!!!"

"Something delicious And what is something delicious for you?"

"Something delicious I just want to eat something delicious!" The girl plopped to the ground while throwing a tantrum.

"..." While Issei is at a loss, something clicked inside Bai'er mind and she tugged Issei's shirt.

"Hm? What's wrong, Bai'er?" Issei confusingly looks at Bai'er. He's feeling confused that if cookies and meats are not edible for this girl then what is? Vegetables? Is she a vegetarian?

Bai'er doesn't say anything before she re-entered the <GoB> and before long, she came out once again but this time she brought a sword out from the <GoB>.

Issei tilted his head in confusion just what Bai'er wanted to do with that sword. It's not a special sword or anything like that... It's just a sword he randomly collected from the treasury of Odin and the like.

This "random" sword can be considered a priceless treasure even in the upper realm... Only weaker than the <Seven Heavenly Profound Treasures>. The Realm-Kings from the upper realm would've do anything just to get their hands on this piece of "random" sword...

Jasmine and Xun'er who saw this sword don't have any big reaction since they know that there are stronger treasures in his possession. Just like Issei, they're feeling curious about what Bai'er wants to do with that sword.

"Sniff sniff sniff!"

From Issei's side, there suddenly came the heavy sound of sniffing. The originally hungry and despondent little girl stood up with a whoosh, and was sniffing the air with her little nose as if her life depended on it, "It smells so good smells so good! I can smell something nice to eat? Where is it, where is it, where is it"

As the girl sniffed the air, the saliva from her mouth overflowed. She sucked it back in heavily, but as soon as she did so, her saliva continued to drop to the floor and she could not stop it. The little girl searched for quite a while, but once her eyes landed on the sword in Bai'er hand, they emitted an extremely bright light.

"Something delicious something delicious!!!"

The little girl screeched with joy and practically bulldozed her way forward, grabbing the sword from Bai'er hand. But when she's about to snatch it away, the girl stopped for a bit before she asks Bai'er while her mouth is still drooling: "Bai'er, let me have it okay? I will give you something better in return later!"

Bai'er shook her head lightly before she points at Issei.

Miraculously, the girl knows what Bai'er wanted to convey and then she proceeded to turn her attention to Issei: "Big brother, please let me have this delicious thing, okay?" She asked pleadingly.

"Uhhh... Sure?" Issei said with a sweat.

The girl face beamed up in happiness when she heard Issei's permission. Only then Bai'er let go of the sword...

Drip, drip...

Saliva uncontrollably poured from her mouth, causing the body of the sword to become drenched in a blink of an eye. The girl sucked in her saliva, and with eyes flashing with excitement, opened her mouth and bit down on the sword.

*CRUNCH!*

The place where the girl had bitten down on was missing a large piece. The little girl drummed her cheeks, making loud chewing sounds as if she was a squirrel chewing on sweets, and with a gulp, she swallowed what she was chewing.

"!!!" Jasmine and Xun'er felt amazed by this sight... This little red-haired girl in front of them did not eat wheaten food, and did not eat meat products Instead, she was actually eating A bonafide sword! And it's not just any sword but rather a divine sword!

"Interesting..." Issei felt intrigued by the sight. Does that mean that this girl is just like the <Chaosbane> he created for Millet? Where they could basically "devour" other weapons to increase their power?

"Delicious So delicious!!!"

The starving little girl had finally managed to eat a delicacy. Her cheeks flushed from happiness, and even her pair of eyes were emitting out ripples of crimson red glow. She impatiently took another bite, and with a "Clanking" sound, an even larger chunk of the sword was bitten off by her.

And then, chewing another two to three times, she swallowed it down. Then, she directly carried the sword next to her mouth, opened her mouth wide, and bit it. Like eating corn, she bit it in a horizontal manner, and in a blink of an eye, the part where the blade was, was bit with numerous holes.

As they simply heard the "crunch crunch crunch" sounds, another small part of it had once again entered the little girl's mouth. Following after, the "crunch crunch crunch" munching sounds came again, and even the remaining hilt of the sword was cleanly eaten by her...

After finishing her "meal", the little girl let out a cute burping sound and happily patted her flat small belly: "Wu I finished eating it. It's so delicious Jeez, big brother. You clearly have a delicious thing from the start yet you give this beautiful young lady that weird smelly thing! Bai'er also must be in cahoots with you, that's why she's able to endure eating those smelly things! It must be!"

Issei chuckled slightly at her statement: "You little rascal... Of course big brother wouldn't know what you considered delicious is a sword and not normal food just like Bai'er ate just now." He ruffled the girl's hair which only earned a small giggle from her since it feels ticklish.

"Ah? Sword?" The girl thought for a second before her expression brightened.

She takes a deep breath before a crimson red light suddenly radiated from her body. Within the light, she slowly floated up in the air, and her entire figure was completely enveloped by red light Following after, the red light exploded apart in the sky, and then, completely dispersed.

Following the dispersal of the red light, the little girl's figure had completely disappeared. Floating in the sky, what appeared before their eyes was shockingly a crimson red odd-shaped gigantic sword!

The entire sword was completely crimson red in color. The blade was filled with rows of messy deep-red inscriptions, and an extremely light layer of obscure red glow was enveloping it as well. The length of the blade was more than nine feet, which was larger than any greatsword they've ever seen.

And with this length, it had even surpassed an absolutely large number of spear-related weapons! The sword of the hilt was straight and bulky, and above the hilt, the base of the blade was shockingly more than two feet in width. Moving up the blade, the width of the blade irregularly shrank, and at the end of the blade, it had already shrunk into an incomparably sharp tip, radiating with a cold, crimson red light!

If one looks closely, they can see the sword is radiating the same aura as the sword she just ate. There's a yellowish glow mixed with its crimson red aura.

However, putting aside its outer appearance, this sword actually completely lacked an imposing atmosphere It was lifeless without a single hint of aura emitting from it, as though it was crafted from nothing more than the most normal profound metal which is normal since the sword is basically incomplete.

Perhaps if Issei combines both Bai'er sword form together with this gigantic sword then it will be whole again.

The gigantic crimson red sword swirled around in the air, and then, with the sword tip pointing downwards, it descended in front of Issei.

With a light sound, the blade tip deeply stabbed into the ground at the bottom, which was extremely hard itself. And even though the part where the blade tip was had stabbed into the ground, the straightened gigantic crimson red sword was still much taller than Issei.

At the bottom of the gigantic crimson red sword's hilt, at the center of the widest part of the sword, a marble of about seventeen to eighteen centimeters in diameter was embedded in it Within the marble, astonishingly, he saw the little girl who had disappeared!

The height of her body had already turned into about seventeen centimeters tall, and although she had turned especially pocket-sized, her clothes, the color of her hair, her face, and even her eyes could still be seen clearly. She, who was within the marble, placed her hands on both sides of her waist and laughed out loud triumphantly. "Hehehehe! I succeeded! I succeeded! Big brother, my current form is similar as that 'Sword' thingy you just gave me right? But mine should be better, right?"

While Jasmine and Xun'er become stupefied for who knows how many times already...

Issei only smiled wryly at the little girl's triumphant sound: "Uh, sure... But you don't really have to change your form you know..."

While he's speaking he looked carefully at her sword form. He suddenly saw that on the two sides of the core pearl, each side was imprinted with a word The two words were both deep red and completely the same as the patterns that were imprinted on the blade. If one did not look carefully, they would very easily miss it.

The two words were, on the left "Devil" and on the right "Slayer".

"Slayer Devil No, it should be Devil Slayer." Issei muttered: "Is that her name?"

"What? Devil Slayer?!?!"

Issei's muttering caused a huge reaction from the pondering Jasmine as she instantly came beside him and asked: "Where did you see those two words?"

Issei pointed towards the left and right of the core pearl. Jasmine's gaze swept passed the words "Devil Slayer", as deep shock appeared on her face.

"You know anything about it?" Issei asked with raised eyebrows.

Jasmine didn't answer him but instead still stared at the deep scarlet greatsword, as though she was trying very hard to try to remember something. After some time, she finally said softly: "Could it be"

She circled the sword and look at the other side of the pearl.

In the same position, she found another two similarly colored words However, the two words were not "Devil" and "Slayer".

The left side was "Heaven" and the Right was "Smiting"... Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer?

"Heaven Smiting? How could it be those two words?" Seeing the words "Heaven Smiting", Jasmine's expression changed drastically as shock and confusion appeared together on her face: "Could I be wrong No! This feeling, it obviously is since she's the daughter of the Heretic God then perhaps..."

Wait, isn't this girl is Bai'er other half? Then that means Bai'er could also transform into a sword!

"Bai'er, can you-"

"Jasmine."

Jasmine was about to ask Bai'er to transform into her sword form but Issei cut her off since he can somehow tell what Jasmine wanted to say. From the way how she keeps inspecting the girl sword form, and the way she keeps muttering of how uncertain she is of what's possible and not possible...

But Issei doesn't want to let Bai'er transform into her sword form... If possible, he doesn't want her ever use her sword form. The girl just did it on her own accord without letting Issei had any chance to stop her so it can't be helped...

Jasmine froze a little before she remembered what Issei said a moment ago... he said he will never use Bai'er as a weapon so having her change into a sword form is basically going back against his words.

"...I just want her to change into her sword form for a moment... Just to confirm my suspicion, Ise." Jasmine said slowly feeling a little nervous that she might somehow make Issei upset.

"There's no need for that... From your reaction alone I could tell that if your guess is somehow correct then Bai'er must've been a divine artifact or a spirit race that could transform themselves into a weapon from the upper realm of some sort. But even if your suspicion is correct, it won't change anything. It doesn't matter to me just what her real identity is... she's my little sister, no more no less. Or did you just think of using her if your suspicion is proven to be correct?" Issei asked Jasmine calmly.

Jasmine becomes at a loss for words... To be honest, she was feeling hopeful that what she had in mind about Bai'er and the girl's second identity is proven to be correct...

Was she thinking about using them? Perhaps yes... she was indeed thinking that she could make use of them to help her get her revenge since with them in her hand, she could easily have her revenge...

But then what? Can she really 'use' them when the time comes? The answer is a big fat no! Issei would never let her use Bai'er for her own selfish agenda...

She wanted to slap her own face when she thought about it... She basically just earn his ire even if it's only by a tiny bit...

"No, I... I'm sorry..." Jasmine hung her head down and apologizes in a small voice feeling despondent. She doesn't try making any excuses since she knows it will only make Issei feel even more disappointed at her...

Issei sighed softly before he put his hand on top of her head: "It's fine... I can understand why you being so desperate but remember... if you need my help then all you need to do is ask. After all, I also considered you as my little sister." He said comfortingly.

Jasmine's body twitch a little when she heard his words: '...Only a 'little sister'...?' She thought disappointingly inside her mind.

Xun'er smiles warmly at their interaction but she felt a little bitter for her daughter's sake... To think that he only sees her as his little sister... Aiii, this is why mother told you to go on full advance, dear... now see what happens...

After a brief moment, Issei took his hand back and proceeded to lightly lift the giant sword of the ground: "Little rascal, go change back to your original form..."

Issei easily lifted the giant sword with just two of his fingers as if he's lifting a piece of paper...

With a light "En!", the girl changes back to her previous form. She's currently being lifted by the scruff by Issei just like a little kitten...

"Ahhh! I forbid you from calling me little rascal, big brother. It's not nice sounding at all!" The girl suddenly shouted with a pout.

"What should I call you then?" Issei asked feeling amused.

"Call Call Call me little beauty!" The girl thought for a moment before she gave her answer.

"Hmm, this nickname doesn't sound so bad but how about big brother give you a name instead?"

"Name me?" The girl's eyes sparkled as she grew excited: "Okay, okay! But it must be a nice and cute name that I like! I want a pretty name just like Bai'er!"

Issei looked at the girl's red clothes, red hair, red eyes and even her favorite color was red. He thought for a while and said: "Then, I will call you Hong'er... How about it? It's quite similar to Bai'er name right?"

(AN: As in they both have "Er" at the end of their name).

"Hong'er Hong'er Hong'er Hong'er" The girl repeated the name several times. Her eyes sparkled even more as she replied in high spirits: "Then, call me Hong'er next time Hehe! I have a name! Hong'er, Hong'er Next time don't call me little rascal, or little girl, not even little beauty. You can only call me Hong'er, big brother!"

Seeing how unusually excited she became, it was obvious to see that she was very satisfied with the name.

"That's right, big brother, what's your name? And that big sis and little big sis also?" She asked curiously.

"You can just call big brother 'Ise', that big sis name is Xun'er and the little big sis is Jasmine." Issei said while introducing Jasmine and Xun'er at the same time.

"Ise... Xun'er... Jas... mine...? I've got it! All of you have to play with me frequently from now on, I really like to play!" Hong'er yelled adorably, being familiar on her own accord at the new group of people she just met, who also emanated an indifferent aura from her entire being. She stretched lazily, her eyelids suddenly drooping: "I suddenly feel so tired after eating I really want to take a nap."

Hong'er lightly rubbed her eyes, then yawned: "Ahh, mmm I'm really really tired, big brother, I'll go take a nap first, good night."

With that, Hong'er directly curled into a ball like a cat on the ground, closed her eyes, and in the next moment, she fell asleep with shocking speed.

Issei sweated seeing how carefree Hong'er is...

He picked her up and put her inside the <GoB> but not forgetting to inform Lieyan to be careful of Hong'er just in case she decided to go on an eating spree...

It's not that Issei being petty or anything like that but there are some cursed weapons and divine weapons in his possession that might endanger Hong'er safety. The first type needless to say while the second type is because the weapon might be too powerful for her body to handle... She might just implode inside out if she were to consume the wrong type.

Even the weapon she just ate is very powerful for her body to handle... Hence why she felt sleepy the moment she finishes eating it. It's her soul forcing her to sleep so it could absorb and process the huge amount of energy she just obtained.

...

"So what now, Ise? I assume there's nothing else to do here... the biggest treasure should be Hong'er herself." Jasmine inquired when Issei returned from the <GoB>.

"Well, I guess so... I do gain control over this Ark though." Issei responded.

"Huh? How?" Jasmine asked in surprise. But then he remembered that sword mark on his chest: "Ah... it's that sword mark of yours."

"Um... It's that time when Bai'er put that 'mark' on my chest along with Hong'er... This Ark belongs to Hong'er but since she basically had her soul linked with mine then I basically became the second owner of this Ark." Issei confirmed her guess.

"Hmm, I see..." Jasmine nodded understandingly: "You're going to do anything with the wasteland part? You should be able to do something about it with your power over the <Nature> energy, right?"

She was feeling curious if Issei were going to do something about the decaying part of the Ark. With his power then it should be quite a breeze...

"Mm." Issei nodded slightly before he started channeling the <Nature> energy inside his body... It indeed doesn't take any toll at all for him to do this. It took a bit of his time though...

The whole Ark also being powered up returning it to its original state.

A few hours passed and before long, the wasteland that was inside the Ark disappeared and it's being filled with a green lush of grassland once more...

"Now that's been dealt with..." Issei looks down towards the arena where the tournament is currently being held.

He took out his mask and wear it and in the next moment, the colossal <Primordial Profound Ark> disappeared from its previous spot.

...

Ye Xinghan was stretching his body lazily while the two women he brought with him is by his side attending to his every need.

He's feeling bored with this whole tournament since to him, all of them are weaklings... He's hoping that the tournament would finish sooner so he can obtain what he came here for...

He eyed Feng Xue'er who's seated in the distant with lecherous gaze and licked his lips lightly feeling a bit impatient to taste this delicacy before him...

But then someone from the seating area notices something and when he looks at the sky, the colossal <Primordial Profound Ark> is nowhere to be seen: "Aaahhhh! Th-Th-The <Primordial Profound Ark> has disappeared!"

Along with his shout, everyone had their gaze towards the sky and even the tournament participants are also looked up.

And just like the first person, they all become completely taken aback by surprise. After a while, there's a discussion starting from the audience seat and the arena...

"H-How come it disappeared!?"

"It shouldn't be the time for its disappearance yet! Unless..."

"Unless the <Divine Phoenix Empire> is lying to us..."

One by one they started doubting if the <Divine Phoenix Empire> is indeed lying to them and when they're busy with this tournament, they might've already sent their own people to reap the benefits for their own.

Feng Hengkong is the first to snap out of his stupor as he hastily rose from his seat to clear out the doubts they have: "Don't be ridiculous! Why would we lie to you all and offending the <Great Four Sacred Ground> in the process?! Even if we manage to gain some benefit that way, we will only sleep in pins and needles when the time comes!"

"My royal father is right! There's no way we would offend the <Four Great Sacred Ground> just for some measly benefits!" Feng Ximing followed right after him.

The doubts they had started to tone down a little when they heard Feng Hengkong and Feng Ximing's words... Indeed... Even though the <Divine Phoenix Empire> is a strong powerhouse, but if it's compared to the <Great Four Sacred Grounds> then they still fall short.

It would be very stupid of them if they offend all of the sacred grounds at once... If it's only one of them then it's still believable but if it's all of the sacred grounds at once then...

"Oh, then why did the Ark disappeared? Surely sect leader Feng could give us a satisfactory answer. I mean, who knows if you're just putting an act here while your men have already stored the treasures they just discovered somewhere out of our reach... By then, it will be all too late for all of us here to do anything." Ye Xinghan said with a calculating smirk.

At first, he was also taken aback since his source doesn't mention anything about this but after thinking about it a little bit... he can still make use of this outcome for his personal gains.

"Ye Xinghan, you..." Feng Ximing gritted his teeth hearing the blatant accusation Ye Xinghan just said.

Now they're back to square one... Even the Spiritual Master Ancient Blue couldn't say anything here since he's also clueless just like everybody else here. If he knows the real reason behind the disappearance of the Ark then he would undoubtedly help the Phoenix empire clear their name but he didn't know anything...

There's one person here who has a clue about the whole incident and that is Feng Xue'er... her mouth is slightly agape since she has a feeling that this whole thing is related to her Grandmaster.

She often saw her Grandmaster went back and forth towards the Primordial Ark direction, and to top it off, she also asked him once about it and her Grandmaster said that he has some interest in the Primordial Profound Ark...

When they're about to argue once again. Ye Xinghan suddenly felt an abnormal icy cold feeling coming from above. He immediately turned his attention above to see just who dares to emit such killing intent towards him.

When he looks up, he saw a man clad in black wearing a mask standing in the entrance of the Primordial Profound Ark while looking at his direction. This man is without a doubt the source of the killing intent he just felt...

What made Ye Xinghan feeling alarmed the most is not this man, but rather the sight of the very same Primordial Profound Ark that just disappeared a moment ago... Everyone notices this as well since the gigantic Ark cast a shadow over the whole arena because of how huge it is.

"Wh-What...? How come the Primordial Profound Ark suddenly become this close to our location? Si-Since when did it appear there?" One of the participants shouted in confusion.

"...And who is that man standing at the entrance of the Ark?"

While they started their new round of guessing game, Ling Kun who has seen Issei before immediately recognize him since his getup is quite unique to say nonetheless... And also since he's the supposed elder of the <Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace> where Xia Qingyue is from. Well, how could he forgot about Xuanyuan Yufeng's case to boot...

He suddenly feels a bad omen out of nowhere... Like something just crawled from the depths of the ground below him and starting to encroach upon his whole body. It's very nervewracking and also terrifying at the same time...

He doesn't realize that the reason for this discomfort is because Naru is already using her profound art to prevent him and Ye Xinghan from escaping...

"Is that him, Naru?" Issei's cold voice resounded clearly on the whole area.

"Yes, Master. He is the one." While they're feeling confused just who is this "Naru" Issei just spoke of, they heard a voice belonging to a woman right next to Ye Xinghan's location.

And it's not the voice of his two concubines...

Ye Xinghan immediately turned his gaze towards the source of the voice and he instantly becomes captivated by the sight of Naru. And just like the perverted man he is, he started having lecherous thoughts about her... not realizing that his doom is at hand.

He is the perfect example of what Jasmine meant by a man who thinks with his lower half most of the time...

Ling Kun who happens to be nearby Ye Xinghan reacts differently than the latter. His intuition is telling him that this woman that appeared out of nowhere is extremely dangerous and he must escape from this place right at this moment!

But will he has that chance? The answer is obviously no.

"I see. Then that makes things simple." Issei extended both of his arms and in the next second, there's a powerful suction force coming from his palm that immediately pulled both Ling Kun and Ye Xinghan towards his direction.

Both of them only able to let out a light scream before they feel that their neck went tight.

Issei is holding them by the neck not letting them say anything other than a light grunt while they're having trouble breathing properly...

"We meet again, elder Ling Kun... And you... I have heard a lot about you and I also heard that you're aiming for one of my sect disciples... I believe we need to have a little talk, don't you think so?" Issei said coldly.

Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun who heard his cold voice felt their entire body went cold... Before long their body started shivering while their whole body is drenched in cold sweat.

Because they just realized that they couldn't utilize a single ounce of profound energy at all... It's like they have no control over their own body! And it feels like they're being gazed by an Ancient Primordial Beast rather than a person! What is this? Who is he!?

Yue Ji and Mei Ji who were the concubines of Ye Xinghan was about to rescue their young master but before they had the chance to do so, their whole vision turns dark...

They fainted dead away right in their spot without knowing what just happen to them... but one can find a single black scale lodged on their back although that too also disappears in the next second...

Naru then appeared right next to Issei standing respectfully with her arms behind her back. The reason why Naru doesn't outright kill Yue Ji and Mei Ji was because she can tell that both of them are not in their right mind, or in other words, being mind-controlled or brainwashed...

She won't go out of her way to make them sober either though...

Everyone there becomes further alarmed since they don't see just when did Naru appear behind Issei. Not even the Spiritual Master Ancient Blue could tell...

"...I believe this is our first meeting here, esteemed guest. But can you please let go of young master Ye and Elder Ling for my sake?" Feng Hengkong said while sweating a bit.

He doesn't know who and how this man and that woman suddenly appears here but one thing he understands is that he couldn't let Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun be killed right before his eyes... Not when they're in the <Divine Phoenix Empire> territory.

It would make their backer go wild with rage and his Phoenix Empire will take the brunt of it as well!

He couldn't be happier if Ye Xinghan were to die anywhere else but just not here!

"This old man also wants to say the same thing as sect master Feng... Perhaps there's a bit of misunderstanding between your excellency and young master Ye. If possible, we can just talk it out first... There's no need to resort to violence from the start." Spiritual Master Ancient Blue said calmly but deep inside he's feeling very alarmed.

Because he can't sense this newcomer cultivation realm at all! And he's at the 9th level of Sovereign Profound Realm at that!

There are not many people that could rival his cultivation realm... to think that this newcomer might be at the peak of the Sovereign realm is really too shocking to him.

Feng Xue'er who's by Feng Hengkong's side becomes frozen like a statue because she never expects that her Grandmaster would suddenly appear here...

When she's snapped out of her dazed state, she wanted to warn her royal father to not do anything reckless only to be stopped by Feng Ximing who stands in front of her.

"Royal brother!"

"Don't worry, Xue'er. I will surely protect you..." Feng Ximing said trying to sound calm. The others also started to crowd around her trying to "protect" her...

"No, royal brother, everyone! Don't do-"

"Misunderstanding?" Before Feng Xue'er able to finish her words, Issei's cold voice boomed loudly.

This cold voice of his made even Xue'er flinch slightly... She has never seen this side of her Grandmaster... Granted the time they spent together is not that long but she always saw her Grandmaster with a warm smile on his face and his voice was never this cold before...

"This trash sent his 'dogs' to my sect wanting to kidnap one of my sect disciples and this old fart is also involved in it... Now you tell me... Is it still a 'misunderstanding'? And for 'your sake', was it? Just who do you think you are that I need to do something just for your sake?" Issei coldly asked the Spiritual Master Ancient Blue and Feng Hengkong.

Don't think that just because Feng Henkong is Feng Xue'er father Issei would let him do as he pleases. If he were to keep speak nonsense and started to get on his nerves then Issei wouldn't mind killing him here, even if that will make Feng Xue'er hates him in the process...

"I... am-" Ye Xinghan finally able to let out a light whimper but Issei will not have any of that.

"I know full well just who you are Ye Xinghan, the son of sect master Ye Meixie and the young master of Sun Moon Divine Hall one of the <Four Great Sacred Grounds>. But so what?" Issei cut off Ye Xinghan's words offhandedly before he tightened his grasp on his neck not letting Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun release another sound. Not even a tiny grunt...

He just made both of them fainted, that's all... well, maybe a few cracks here and there but it won't kill them... so, no worries... maybe? Bah, who cares...

Issei started to feel annoyed with the inhabitants of this world... Why did they keep introducing their background? As if it's worth something at all in front of him? They keep speaking with the same pattern as if they're an NPC from a game...

Every single one of them always does the same... If it's not their sect then it's their clan. If it's not their father, then it's their grandfather. Seriously... What's wrong with this world inhabitants? Each and every one of them keep relying on their backer. Don't they have any backbone of their own at all?

"You..."

"Royal father! Stop!" Feng Hengkong gritted his teeth and was about to do something but thankfully Feng Xue'er let out a burst of her profound energy to push aside Feng Ximing and the others and hastily stands in front of Feng Hengkong.

All of them were taken aback once again knowing that Feng Xue'er is apparently already stepped into the Sovereign profound realm!

"Xue'er, you... you had a breakthrough?!" Feng Hengkong said feeling pleasantly surprised.

"Gra- Esteemed guest! Please don't be angry at Xue'er father! He doesn't know anything!" But Feng Xue'er ignored Feng Hengkong's words and pleaded towards Issei. She almost slips up but thankfully she manage to save it in time...

Issei who heard Feng Xue'er shout heaved a sigh before he speaks once again: "Tell Ye Meixie and Xuanyuan Wentian that their son and sect elder are in my hands. If they wanted to get them back then go to the <Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace> location, I will be waiting there."

And with that, Issei and Naru entered the Primordial Profound Ark with two unconscious deadweights...

Before long, the Ark disappeared once again leaving a large number of flabbergasted people...

"Mmm~ so domineering, this one like domineering men the most~... Under that mask, there must be a very handsome face! This one wanted to see his face soooo badly~ and then perhaps, this one and him could share a cup of wine under the moonlight~... Ohh, how romantic would it be~" Ji Qianrou who was being silent the whole time licked his lips seductively which made nearby men shiver uncontrollably... They hastily distance themselves and stay far away from this freak!

"Xue'er..." Feng Hengkong called out lightly.

Feng Xue'er who heard her royal father's voice sigh bitterly... It looks like she couldn't keep her cultivation a secret just like her Master told her to. But at least she doesn't slip up on her Grandmaster's identity...

Now she needs to prevent her royal father from having any ideas towards her Grandmaster because it won't end well for them...

Soon the <Four Great Sacred Grounds> get the news of what just happened here... the whole continent does...

Someone dares to kidnap the young master of the <Sun Moon Divine Hall> and also an elder of the <Mighty Heavenly Sword Region> at the same time...

And it seems that he's also managed to gain control over the Primordial Profound Ark as well!

The one who went wild with rage is obviously the <Mighty Heavenly Sword Region> and the <Sun Moon Divine Hall>... Xuanyuan Yufeng who catches a whiff of this piece of news becomes anxious...

She doesn't care about the fate of the <Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace> but she can't let the man she took fancy of just be killed like that. But there's nothing much that she could do when the other sacred ground is involved along with the dignity of her own father's sect...

If they were to spare a man that basically just humiliated them in public just like that, then where should they put their face as one of the sacred grounds?

She started to get very anxious... She couldn't erase that face which captivated not only her heart but also her soul in but a single glimpse...

She couldn't let it go just like that!

Xuanyuan Yufeng had an abnormal obsession without the person herself realizing it... Then again... one can't really blame her since the man she once loved with all her heart and she's even willing to abandon everything just to be together with him never loves her back in the same way...

Years after years of patience never bore any fruit and finally, something inside her snapped when she saw how obsessed her husband towards that woman on that day...

Surprisingly, there's another group of "guest" that will be paying the <Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace> a visit. They are the <Divine Phoenix Empire>, <Absolute Monarch Sanctuary>, and the <Supreme Ocean Palace> themselves...

The <Divine Phoenix Empire> doesn't have any choices either since the incident happened within their territory and if they don't send any help it will only anger the sacred grounds. But they also had something else in mind...

Feng Xue'er already tried speaking to her father of not sending anyone to help them but alas... Her father thought that she's still too young and all that nonsense...

But she also couldn't tell her father the secret she's been keeping and it's not like they will believe her either. Finally, when she's getting desperate, she remembered about her Master that's currently waiting inside the valley...

She hastily went towards the valley hoping that her Master can do something about this whole situation.

As for the <Absolute Monarch Sanctuary> and the <Supreme Ocean Palace>... well... it will all become clear soon enough...

...

Issei arrived in front of the <Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace> along with the Primordial Profound Ark.

He doesn't enter the barrier right away since he needs to do something about the two deadweights he just brought back.

He frowned a little when he smells something unpleasant only to see Ye Xinghan just pissed himself in his 'sleep'...

"Disgusting." Issei throws him down to the ground like a sack of potato along with Ling Kun. And if that's not enough, Naru also kicked him lightly to distance this trash from her King's presence less his disgusting smell might make him feel upset.

"Master." Esdeath's group arrived shortly after.

They also frowned after seeing Ye Xinghan...

What kind of pathetic... worm is this? Did he just piss himself?

"He's Ye Xinghan and this man is Ling Kun..." Issei explained to Esdeath's group briefly...

They narrowed their eyes when they finish hearing about the whole situation...

"You can leave them to me, Master. I will surely 'accommodate' the stay of our 'esteemed guests' with the best treatment there is." Esdeath said while grinning evilly.

"Um... I leave them to you. You can do anything you want as long as you don't kill them outright since they still have their uses."

"Understood, Master."

Issei nodded slightly before he created a spatial opening heading towards the <Illusory Demon Realm> to tell the Little Demon Empress that her chance for revenge is close at hand...

When Issei disappeared, Esdeath stood up from the ground while her fists made a crackling sound.

"Hehehe... How great. Now I have two more 'rats' that I could experiment with~" She let out a light chuckle before proceeding to lift the two 'rats'... Naru, Altair, and Sirius also followed her from behind.

...

"Hmm, now then... Let's cut off this 'worm' first, shall we?" When Esdeath arrived at her hidden spot, she created a small knife made out of ice and proceeded to cut something very important from Ye Xinghan's body...

*Slash!*

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" Ye Xinghan's eyes immediately snapped wide open the moment he felt the unbearable pain coming from his lower body... He wanted to do something about the pain but he notices that he's being tied onto a wall made out of ice.

When he looks to the side, he can see Ling Kun tied up just like him. And not far from their location, he can see the remnants of his subordinate's clothes... He recognizes those clothes since it belongs to his sect.

And if he's not mistaken, there's also another sacred ground sect members as well...

"Oh? You're finally awake? Just in time..." He heard a clear voice belonging to a woman coming from his front. He sees a group of four beautiful goddess-like women standing nearby... One of them is the woman he just saw not long ago.

If it was Ye Xinghan from before then he would've drooled at the sight of the four Goddesses in front of him. But now... All he can feel is fear...

"WH-WHO ARE YOU! D-DO YOU KNO- MMHGG!!!" Ye Xinghan was screaming his lungs out demanding an explanation but Esdeath sealed his mouth with ice.

"Sorry about that... I had to cut off your 'worm' since it just did something unforgivable in front of our Master. But don't worry, I already froze the wound so you won't bleed from it... Now let's move on to the next part of our treatment, shall we? As our 'esteemed guest', I must 'accommodate' your stay here with my best capability... Ahahahaha!" Esdeath let out a burst of sarcastic laughter that's filled with malice.

Esdeath snapped her finger to release the ice that was on his mouth...

And along with her laughter, soon there's another scream coming from Ye Xinghan but this time, his scream is accompanied by Ling Kun... Their screams are arranged so perfectly as if they're performing a duet that would make a professional opera singer feel ashamed of their singing skill...

But after a few moments, there's something that made Esdeath whole body drenched in cold sweat...

...

"...Eh?" Esdeath let out a dumbfounded voice looking at the spectacle before her...

"...He died?" Ye Xinghan just passed away right before their very eyes.

"Uhhh, it seems that way..." Altair said with a cold sweat.

"But... But we barely do anything to him?! We just cut off his 'worm', broke one of his arms, and broke eight of his fingers!? I mean look at this one... He's in a worser state but he's still alive and well, isn't he? How come did this one suddenly die?!" Esdeath let out an utterly bewildered voice while pointing at Ling Kun who's in a much worser state than Ye Xinghan.

Although Ling Kun is not dead... he's not that far off either... but it's his mental health that's about to die soon though...

He keeps muttering "sorry... sorry... please forgive me..." he's barely recognizable with how mangled his arms and legs are... thankfully Esdeath doesn't aim for his face because if not... Not even his mother would be able to recognize him...

"...It seems that he died out of fear..." Sirius pointed out.

Ye Xinghan's stared fixedly with bloodshot eyes. Streaks of blood covered every corner of his eyeballs. The color of his face had turned into an extremely abnormal dark gray. The white foam mixed with blood gushed out of his mouth insanely... He actually got scared to death by fractures in his liver and gall bladder.

"..." All of them had their face twitches a lot when they realize this... Isn't this Ye Xinghan supposed to be more than a hundred years old? How can he be this pathetic? Died because of fear? God damn is there a more pathetic way to die than this...

Somewhere in Japan, Kazuma just sneezed out loud for no apparent reason...

"...Wh-What should we do now?" Esdeath said in trepidation: "D-Didn't Master said that we shouldn't let him die? Master will surely blame us for this!"

Altair, Sirius, and Naru who heard her words immediately averted their face acting like they have nothing to do with this. They decided to abandon Esdeath without a second thought...

"Don't you girls dare act like you have nothing to do with this!" Esdeath growled at Altair first: "Altair! Aren't you the one who broke four of his fingers?!"

"Sirius! You're the one who broke his arm!" She pointed at Sirius next.

"And Naru! Don't think that I didn't notice that you just injected a little bit of your poison into him with one of your scales before!" Then, last but not least, Naru.

Naru only injected a pain-inducing poison and it's not really life-threatening, to be honest...

Esdeath is feeling indignant thinking that she's being left alone with this whole mess... She means, sure she's the one who did most of the deeds but still...

There's no way in hell that she will be the one held responsible for this alone... There's no way!

"...What the hell are you doing?" A ticked-off voice can be heard coming from the entrance of their secret hideout...

All of their body shuddered on the spot when they heard this voice since it clearly belongs to their Master...

It was at this moment that they knew... They messed up...

...

Soon, the <Four Great Sacred Grounds> will arrive at the <Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace>... And it's also the day where the <Four Great Sacred Grounds> will have their biggest change yet... Mainly because most of them won't exist anymore...