Chapter 3866: Day Before The Execution

One day before execution, Whispering Wildlands Lower Realm.

In the vast expanse of the twilight sky, a magnificent flying boat soared above the land below.

As the flying boat breezed through, it left behind the sprawling forests, where the trees stretched tall and proud, their leaves rustling in the evening breeze. Below, the rivers swirl like silver threads, cutting through the earth and shimmering under the last light of day.

With avian and other magical beasts roaming the skies, the boat dipped low, skimming just above the waters, its reflection rippling across the surface as it sped onward.

Ahead, a range of jagged mountains loomed, their peaks shrouded in mist. The air grew colder, and the sky darkened, but the flying boat pressed on, the mysterious crew unfazed by the daunting path before them.

With a sudden burst of speed, the hull ascended even higher, breaching the low-hanging clouds to reveal the stars twinkling in the firmament above. The mountains, once formidable, now seem distant and small as the boat flew overhead, crossing the range in mere moments.

Yet the journey was fraught with peril.

In the shadow of the mountains, bandits laid their traps, seeking to bring down the airborne hull and plunder its treasures. But the navigator inside the flying boat remained swift and cunning. With a deft tilt of its sails and a sharp turn of the rudder, it eluded the bandit blockade, weaving through narrow passes and hidden valleys, always staying just out of reach.

The bandits, left behind in the swirling mists, could only watch in frustration as the boat vanished into the night, its glowing lanterns twinkling like stars as it continued its journey across the skies.

Finally, the flying boat emerged from the mountains, the landscape below transforming into rolling hills and vast plains. The crew, with their eyes keenly looking out for dangers, knew they were a bit safe for now.

However, their expressions weren't good.

No matter how they mapped the path, they weren't going to make it in time.

Inside one of the flying boat's hidden cabins, there was a concealed palace floating.

Inside, it was a vast space consisting of nine floors. There was another sector behind the nine floors, which made up many units of personal living space. However, people were gathered in the hall below, and their expressions were not good.

They knew they had met with so many setbacks in the Whispering Wildlands Lower Realm due to the intensity of the banditry and the hostile environment. Their journey was considerably slowed down.

Even the spatial warp mechanism was useless since warp areas were campsites for bandits.

"Seriously? Who is the ruler of the Whispering Wildlands Lower Realm? Why have they let their own realm be run by bandits and wildlife? In the other realms, there were cities nearby, so the sky routes were relatively safe, but here, it is just the opposite!"

Mingzhi complained, "At this rate, we'll barely arrive at the Azure Tree Lower Realm just as the execution begins. "Definitely not enough to get past the obstacles put up by the realm officials or the millions of people gathered there."

She harrumphed but looked worried, "I hope Clara is safe."

"Xiaolan too..." Ellia added.

"Everyone, I know you're all worried, but our husband has told us to relax."

Isabella spoke up, "Mingzhi, didn't he order you to sit still and not do anything that may bring the consequences back to us? Don't tell me you're still going to-"

"No, I'm not, but at the very least, I want him to save his friends. However, he... he has secluded himself, saying that he's learning a new soul technique. Does that make any sense? Forget his friends. Clara has been taken away by an Autarch Heaven's Warrior. She practically threw herself as a shield to save us. Why are you all silent as though nothing has happened? I find that more strange."

Mingzhi narrowed her eyes.

By now, Davis would've stormed off, but he is still in seclusion? Even if the ladies didn't do anything, as he told them to stay put, they would at least be talking about it.

'Could it be...?'

Mingzhi used her Heart Intent. She had refused to use Enigmatic Heart Laws as she adopted the same attitude as Davis, wanting to have genuine conversations and not pre-emptive readied word salad of what the other person wanted to say.

That's why she always challenged others when it came to discussions.

But now that it had come to this, she threw her restriction off and used Heart Intent.

"...!"

Instantly, an overwhelming sense of guilt flooded her soul.

"Mingzhi..." Ellia touched Mingzhi's hands and held her firmly, "I know you think this is your fault since you have always preemptively protected us by collecting prior information, but this has nothing to do with you. We all let Clara down. We were supposed to protect her. Not the other way around, but the reality remains that she protected us, and there never may be a chance for us to retrieve her."

Ellia touched her bosoms, appearing as though she felt pain, "I have been with her since she was small. Even I can't bear this pain, so I can't imagine what Davis is going through, but for the sake of the family, he remains silent, taking solace in the fact that other Heaven's Warriors wouldn't dare harm Clara."

"Ellia..."

Mingzhi grabbed Ellia's hands, the sorrow influencing her to almost shed tears, her eyes turning moist.

Isabella took a deep breath, "This sin is too grave for any of us to bear alone. We must come together and find a way to make amends for our inability to save Clara in the future, and the best way to do that is to become stronger before Clara needs treatment again."

Once Isabella mentioned treatment, everyone turned to look at Evelynn.

Evelynn's eyes were slightly red.

It could be seen that she had cried a bit, not because of Clara, although that was partly the reason, but because she knew something wasn't right.

She realized Davis was missing out of nowhere a few days ago.

She didn't know it was the exact time when he had dissolved the Karmic Impersonation Technique. At that moment, it clicked, like a bolt of lightning striking her. She figured that his main body was no longer here since she couldn't see through his eyes.

Nadia also trembled, and so did Eldia, realizing that they couldn't find Davis. They couldn't believe they had lost sight of him.

However, Davis's avatar was still here. So they asked him, and he kept insisting that he was in closed-door seclusion, seeking to learn a new technique. They had no choice but to nod to his words.

Hence, they were pretty much unaware that Davis was at the Obsidian Crystal Turtle Minor Realm. Only Myria was aware, and she chose to stay quiet.

However, Evelynn could tell that he had already left and was only lying to make them feel at ease. That Metenoa Family's head guard they killed— Evelynn felt that it was highly likely it was Davis in disguise.

There was no way he didn't chase after his little sister and stayed like nothing had happened.

Regardless, she didn't know what was going to happen to him, and neither did his avatar, as the contact between them would've been long severed due to the distance.

However, it was what he chose. She couldn't block his way once he decided to do something, but she couldn't follow after him either, as there were family members to take care of, not to mention she wouldn't be able to reach to the execution site in time. She found herself at an impasse and utterly powerless to change the situation, even though she had become so powerful.

She could only imagine how he felt about being unable to protect his precious little sister.

"Big sis...?" Isabella prompted.

"Yes." Evelynn came out of her reverie and answered, "The treatment should be barely good until Clara reaches the Empyrean Stage. Even if she does reach the Empyrean Stage, her willpower is extraordinary, so we can hope she overcomes it on her own. Besides, she's with realm officials and might join an Heaven's Warrior organization, giving her more chances to find the blood essence of the Celestial Race that impedes heaven's influence."

"That's good." Shirley nodded, her eyes red.

She had cried a lot when Clara left, since Clara was her best friend. Without her, she hadn't been sure if she would've been able to get together with Davis since it was Clara who motivated her after they became friends during the time they competed at the Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix Inheritance.

Even though Clara was not in danger, the world was unpredictable. There were strange and powerful assassins out to kill her, so she was deeply worried.

Clara finally made it to the Obsidian Crystal Turtle Minor Realm. She directly entered the capital city, practically unimpeded. The journey was so smooth that she couldn't help but wonder if this world was hers to walk through.

Everywhere she went and showed up, people bowed in reverence. It was directly contrasting to the fear that people would display upon seeing her big brother.

However, she disliked such a world since reverent actions don't constitute truth. Hidden behind those gazes of veneration were vested interests that people cared about. She had long seen it when she had been an empress. These people offered words full of obedience, but that didn't necessarily mean they worshiped her. They worshiped the power behind her, the Loret Empire, but in this case, they worshipped the heavens, or the powerful organization that spread the influence of the heavens.

"You did a good job bringing her highness here from danger, Autarch Yulan Nazarin."

"My apologies, Empyrean Miller Skyrend. I have heard about your grand self, but I— coming from the Upper Realms— failed to meet the expectations of the Divine Sentinel Order and let the unjust leave with a ridiculous treasure." Autarch Yulan Nazarin appeared to be in low spirits.

"Ridiculous treasure, you say...?"

Empyrean Miller Skyrend raised his brows. The two of them went back and forth, discussing more specifics. Their expressions looked solemn before Empyrean Miller Skyrend gazed at Clara.

"So your name is Clara." He walked forward, arriving before her.

Clara looked at Empyrean Miller Skyrend.

They had met in the Eternal Twilight Lower Realm, but she had left by discarding her avatar.

"Indeed." She nodded, her brows narrowing as she sensed a bit of scrutiny from his eyes.

Empyrean Miller Skyrend stared at her for a few seconds before he sighed.

"That's good. I was afraid if you kept lying anymore, we wouldn't be able to vouch for you, younger sister of the Divine Emperor of Death, Clara Loret."

"..."

Clara's expression didn't change. She instead glanced around, feeling the hall temperature sink as the tens of Empyreans and Autarchs all looked at her with a bit of animosity and confusion