Divine Emperor of Death

The mote of golden light transformed into a tall man as he looked contemptuously at the Grand Elders before him.

"Useless children! Look at what state you brought my Zlatan Family into! Now I can't even die properly, assured that my family would be safe for the eternities to come."

The three excited Grand Elders simultaneously knelt and kowtowed.

"Father, we are useless. Please guide us."

Their voices echoed in unison as if they had practiced it before, or perhaps, said many times in the past when they were still children that the Zlatan Family's Ancestor couldn't help but harrumph.

"Hmph. I thought we would survive the Calamity Light, but it seems like you all can't even survive a mere Emperor of Death. If I were in my prime, both his head and his impertinent women would belong to me already."

The three Grand Elders believed his words because their father was once as strong as the Vast Sky Emperor and the Mandate Emperor, although his soul wasn't as powerful as them as he hadn't reached the Emperor Soul Stage.

"Father, if you're alive, why didn't you respond to our letters?"

"Call me Ancestor." 

The Zlatan Family's Ancestor coldly looked at Hazen Zlatan, who then corrected his words.

"Ancestor, please tell us."

"Only in dire constraints and crisis can you grow, but since you three decided to depend on me, you all failed. I'm extremely disappointed as well as disheartened because I'm only a wandering soul body with a bit of lifespan remaining. What do you expect of me to do?"

"Ancestor, please instruct us." 

Hazen pleaded again, causing his father to lightly sigh.

"Did anything else change? Is the letter you three sent this afternoon the last?"

"Yes, not much has changed, other than the fact that the time limit has been stated to three days. If we don't respond within that time, then-"

"Sigh, sacrifice that child."

"...!"

"Is there no other way...?" Ragnar Zlatan couldn't help but ask.

"I feel like killing myself out of shame, but I'm already dead, almost. It is unfortunate that fate would have it that this is the only way for our survival, so when this is over, I will sever my life and leave the Zlatan Family to you all."

"Father..."

The three Grand Elders echoed with a bit of emotion as they knew that perhaps, it was of own way of apologizing to Bylai Zlatan.

"However, that's not the end." The Zlatan Family's Ancestor suddenly uttered, "Did I hear that brat, the Emperor of Death, is a picky womanizer who only likes powerful women? We can use that."

The three Grand Elders became stunned before Ragnar Zlatan couldn't help but ask.

"How? Little Bylai possibly can't kill him even if she is talente-."

"Who said that she needs to kill him? She only needs to sleep with him and sacrifice herself for the family."

While Ragnar Zlatan and Miron Zlatan became stunned, Hazen Zlatan raised his voice.

"Father, you don't mean...!?" 

"Yes, reach the Soul Palace and secretly ask Elusivemist for a powerful hex inscription of that kind. Bylai's vitality is more than enough to kill the young him, even if he is strengthened by that woman who possessed the inheritance, and we can take advantage of his ignorance and youth to kill him with something as ridiculous as a honey trap. Moreover, didn't you say in a letter that she entered the Martial Overlord Stage this year? With his soul still injured, the chances that he dies from embracing her is still plentiful!"

The three Grand Elders were completely taken aback as their heads reeled in both excitement and reluctance. 

"But what- what if the Soul Palace betrays?"

"Don't worry." The Zlatan Family's Ancestor smirked, "Elusivemist is capable, and since he has taken the reign of the Soul Palace, he would not allow the Emperor of Death to walk freely and would eventually resort to scheming against him. I've seen him scheme against many in his youth and still stand tall despite his lack of talent. Moreover, the entire Soul Palace should be raring to co-operate, considering that their peak powerhouse has been killed without much of a battle."

The three Grand Elders were dumbfounded as they heard their Ancestor, who continued.

"Furthermore, as long as the Emperor of Death dies, the righteous path will do something about his impertinent women. If they don't, and we are still killed in the end, at least, we would've managed to kill the Emperor of Death, ultimately saving our prestigious Zlatan Family's name from disgrace and not ending up humiliating our ancestors with our failures."

"Father..."

Hazen Zlatan shuddered before he kowtowed again.

"Ancestor's words are enlightening. We will see to it that Bylai kills that brat no matter what."

"Bylai is not going to be a slave. Instead, she is going to become the warrior who saved our Zlatan family from disgrace."

"Indeed, brother Tyger would be very proud of his daughter if he was still alive."

Ragnar Zlatan and Hazen Zlatan nodded their heads while their heads were lowered. Tears fell on the surface as their bodies shuddered, appearing as if they were killing their hearts to make this decision. It was unknown if they were faking it, but it was well known that they all cared about their gem one way or another.

"Sigh..."

The Zlatan Family's Ancestor turned into a mote of light and disappeared, although the Grand Elders could still feel his presence.

In some well-designed room in the Zlatan Family, a golden-robed woman looked in the mirror. With her sharp eyes, small nose, and crimson lips adorning her beautiful face, there was not much of an expression, as though it was clouded by something.

*Knock!~*

She heard a knock on the door when her golden eyes reacted as if she had just come out of her reverie. The veil on the table mirror flew to her face and hid her features before she stood up and moved.

When she neared the door and opened it, a wry smile appeared on her veiled face as she looked at three men enter her sight.

"So it has come to this..."

The three Grand Elders couldn't help but lower their heads in shame when hearing her helpless melodious voice.

"I, Bylai Zlatan, am more than happy to do what is expected of me~" Her eyes radiated a determined expression as she deeply smiled, "I am willing to become a slave if the Zlatan Family could be saved."

=======

Similar scenes played out in the other three Dragon Families.

The Domitian Family was relatively worse. 

There was only one Grand Elder remaining alive out of the four as one of them was killed by Davis while Nadia killed two Grand Elders. However, unlike the Zlatan Family's Ancestor, the Domitian Family's Ancestor still had some semblance of life, although he was in a state that demanded that he could only make a single move before dying off like a moth throwing itself at the flames.

Nevertheless, they have also had decided on what to do.

As for the Orcha and Ike Families, they began gathering their reparations to give as promised and were deeply glad that they decided to apologize since it turned out that the calamitous Emperor of Death was still alive. They never underestimated him or his magical beast mount since it killed the Domitian Family's Patriarch with the help of Earth Dragon Queen, and now that more time passed, they were less inclined to offend them more unlike the Domitian Family and the Zlatan Family, who were already deep into the mess to take their feet out of the mud.

After all, it was unknown if they would be tolerated for being tyrannical towards the Emperor of Death while they had already lost their Patriarchs, making it an irreversible cycle of hatred.

=======

It was already evening by this time.

Davis had been going around the Alstreim Family's territory to check for any hidden adversities with his soul force. So far, even after covering hundreds and thousands of kilometers, he couldn't find anyone of interest that he couldn't help but appreciate that Isabella, Ancestor Dian Alstreim, and Mival Silverwind did an excellent job of clearing the remnants.

And considering that this was his unholy ground, the Emperor of Death's and his magical beast mount, the wicked wolf's Territory, he could understand why no one with hostile intentions wanted to remain.

At this moment, he had already reached the Purple Guest Palace, but he suddenly stopped and took out one of his many messaging talismans.

"Master, the Zlatan Family has visited me, asserting that they need the hex inscription I used on Yotan to put an end to your life."

Davis raised his brows as he heard Elusivemist's voice. He contemplated for a moment before he nodded.

"I see. Entertain their wishes."

"I understand."

The messaging talisman's glow receded before Davis stored it back into his spatial ring as he moved his hand to his forehead.

'Sigh, Isabella gave a difficult way out for them to live, but it looks like they want to die no matter what...'

Davis rubbed his forehead as he couldn't believe the audacity of these people, still wanting to kill him, and the fact that they wanted to kill him using the same method Elusivemist used against him using Yotan was extremely laughable to him.

He already managed to snap that scheme on him on the first try. Why would it work a second time?

'Is this how the righteous powers operate when they can't defeat an opponent or an enemy? Use a honey trap that consists of deadly nectar?'

He shook his head and turned to look behind as he saw a few people approaching him before becoming stunned.

"I doubted my ears, but to think that you're still alive..."

Mival Silverwind appeared agitated. His thoughts completely overwhelmed as he trembled before Davis.. Behind him, Alia Silverwind and Zanna Silverwind was just as shook.