*Whizz!~*

Soul essences swirled around Fallen Heaven while Davis kept refining one of the thirteen. The dazzling motes of refined essence kept nourishing his soul essence while also leaving comprehension clouds near the side, untouched.

There were two comprehension clouds from refining the High-Level King Beast Stage Three-Eyed White Serpent Soul Essence.

One of them was achromatic, and the other was pale green, catering to their laws of illusion and poison. He didn't opt to scoop them with his soul sense so that he could comprehend from them but just kept on refining.

Half a day later, he had completely refined the High-Level King Beast Stage Soul Essence, making him feel exhilarated.

'Half a day... Really?'

Back then, when he was at Supreme Soul Stage, it took him at least half a week or even two weeks to refine soul essences depending on their level, but now, he refined a soul essence that was two levels above his within half a day.

Davis felt ridiculous by this kind of refinement speed.

Was it due to his soul quality matching the soul essence or because of the perk of reaching King Soul Stage? Surely, it would've taken at least a day or two if it was the former, so he felt it was the latter because the refinement speed was almost cut in half.

He didn't know which of the two for sure. However, he realized that the High-Level King Beast Stage Soul Essence only increased his Soul Forging Cultivation by a little.

Percentage-wise, it should be in the single digits, less than five percent, but it was still significant nonetheless.

He didn't agonize about the little increase anymore and began to refine the other six High-Level King Beast Stage Soul Essences. Three days later, he finished refining them while the tiny comprehension clouds had become more prominent, filled with insights of Illusion Laws and Poison Laws.

Still, he didn't bother with them and went on to refine the five Peak-Level King Beast Stage Soul Essences. It took him around a day to refine one and took four more days for him to refine all of them. The comprehension clouds grew bigger and bigger.

However, even after refining all of them, he didn't break through but was only able to reach the point of the threshold, making him incredibly angered.

Nevertheless, he kept his rage in check and began to refine the Low-Level Emperor Beast Stage Three-Eyed White Serpent Soul Essence. Its powerful, refined essence began to quickly boost his soul essence, and before he could even refine ten percent of it, his soul began resonating with the surroundings.

*Bzzz!~*

Mysteries of heaven and earth descended on him as they resonated with his soul along with the spontaneous increase of the quality of his soul, making him comprehend the relevant King Soul Stage comprehension. It didn't reach the Mid-Level but did indeed take him to the Low-Level King Soul Stage's peak.

Within a few minutes, his soul wildly throbbed before he made a breakthrough.

He had successfully stepped into the Mid-Level King Soul Stage!

Nevertheless, he didn't stop his refinement and kept going until he completely refined the Low-Level Emperor Beast Stage Soul Essence.

He took fifteen days to refine all of the soul essences from the start to finish of his Soul Forging Cultivation seclusion. He entered the Mid-Level King Soul Stage on the ninth day before almost reaching its peak on the fifteenth day.

Davis opened his eyes as a strange glint flashed past his sapphire eyes. He couldn't believe that it took him only half a month to reach this new level.

However...

'I see... so this is the payment for increasing the quality of my soul. It certainly needs more soul essences to improve compared to the past.'

He felt exasperated but also understood that it was not without reason.

Previously, it took him three soul essences of the next level to increase his cultivation by a level, but now, it had probably increased to four or perhaps even five times.

He mused this was a direct translation in regards to the increase in his soul quality that let him battle above levels. Thinking back, the Soul Emergence Pill increased his prowess which might have also been a reason for him to require more soul essences in the first place, so this change should've been within his expectations, but he failed to consider it.

Nevertheless, he felt quite pleased with the result.

Davis felt that Peak-Level King Soul Stage Experts weren't his enemy anymore. As for battling against a Low-Level Soul Emperor, he felt like he could struggle against them without receiving many injuries as long as he remained careful.

He didn't need to sacrifice his soul essence anymore when facing a Low-Level Soul Emperor nor use as much soul essence as before to kill higher-level Soul Emperors and Ninth Stage Powerhouses, which just made this cultivation adventure more worthwhile for him!

Davis reached out his hand towards the exit of the cultivation cave as he saw the foggy space.

"I'm so close to the visible peak, yet it feels so far..."

Despite what he uttered, a wide smile of confidence appeared on his lips before he stood up, dismantled the concealment formation, and made his way back home, moving in the direction of the Blood Pledge Villa Territory.

However, he stopped and quickly hid using his Dark Concealing Shroud Art.

The area he was in was utterly silent and desolate. It remained the same for a while before Davis noticed that there was an army of snakes posted around this mountain. They looked like they were searching inside every crook and cranny they came across.

'Damn, there are so many slithery pricks looking for me...'

Davis inwardly chuckled as he knew that hundreds of Three-Eyed White Serpents were here to find the person who killed Ryzenir. They were all at Lord Beast Stage and King Beast Stage. However, not all of them were Three-Eyed White Serpents. There were a lot of different snakes, making it rather colorful to look at among the bland fog.

There was also a similar Three-Eyed White Serpent like Ryzenir in the distance, its aura undulating at Low-Level Emperor Beast Stage.

'How did they know I was here...? Could it be that Nyoran betrayed me?'

Davis narrowed his eyes in skepticism. He thought for a while before he silently slipped away and continued his journey to the Blood Pledge Villa Territory.

On the way, he saw thousands of Three-Eyed White Serpents and their lower rank variants searching aimlessly, making him understand it wasn't just the mountain he stayed at but the entire radius from where Ryzenir was killed. It was unlikely that they would be able to find the culprit by blindly searching like this.

Therefore, he became sure that Nyoran didn't betray him.

However...

'Holy... So many humans have died...'

Davis saw the countless bodies of the wicked path powers lying on the ground as if they were weeds. On the way, he even saw a fortified town currently under attack while the wicked path powers did their best to defend the town.

It was like a complete warzone, a ruthless battlefield.

From the rage and the aggressiveness of the Three-Eyed White Serpents, he could tell that they were extremely pissed off by the death of Ryzenir. The magical beasts were screaming and yelling for the humans to die and pay for Ryzenir's death, while the wicked path powers seemed to have been caught off-guard by their sudden assault.

'I... Am I the one who caused this?'

Davis blinked before his eyes appeared dodgy.

'Let's pretend I didn't see that...'

He had little to no sympathy for wicked path powers after looking at their vile conduct in the Blood Pledge Villa Territory. He didn't bother with the battle and reached the southern Territory Gate.

However, numerous humans from many wicked path powers that he had no idea of were pouring out of the Territory Gate like ants, looking like they were going to join the battlefield.

'Would I not look suspicious being the only one going back to the Blood Pledge Villa Territory?'

Davis contemplated as he saw the sea of cultivators and experts overflowing into this Territory like crazy. No one seemed to be going back at this moment that if he did that, he would find himself in a precarious situation where the two powerhouses stationed here would quickly become suspicious of his identity.

It was quiet when he came here, but with his action of taking down a Palace Chief of the Three-Eyed White Serpent Palace, he had aggravated the battlefield.

'Should I go eastward or westward and break through the Territory Fog to enter the Blood Pledge Villa?'

He asked himself and imagined that powerhouses would be defending the other side so as to stop the Emperor Beast Stage Magical Beasts from secretly entering their Blood Pledge Villa Territory to cause massive damage.

Otherwise, it would be a fatal hole in their defenses at the moment.

Battles were taking place all over the southern Twilight Shade Valley, so he felt like he couldn't afford to be careless and attract a new bunch of trouble.

'Damn... If I knew this would've happened, I would've gone back home and entered seclusion right after killing Ryzenir.'

He had plans to hunt again if the soul essences weren't enough to get him to High-Level King Soul Stage but noticing that he probably wouldn't be able to breakthrough without hunting five or more Peak-Level King Beast Stage Magical Beasts or even a Low-Level Emperor Beast Stage Magical Beast, which should be difficult to achieve after people would've noticed Ryzenir's death, he canceled his hunting plan and wanted to return home because there was only half a month left for his Ancestors marriage, which could also bring many troubles, but it looks like the initial thought of staying to hunt turned against him at this moment.

He clenched his teeth and looked for a way out or something he could take advantage of when his eyes suddenly went wide as he spotted two youths, each surrounded by powerful cultivators of the eighth stage. They were standing at the back, looking like they were about to head for an expedition with well-preparedness.

'Ah... they seem like people of status, and they're wearing the robes of Blood Pledge Villa. Are they the Young Villa Master and Young Villa Mistress? Out for a tempering session?'

Davis's lips curved into a wide smile as an evil plan appeared in his mind.

'Don't blame me if your people needlessly block my way...'

He inwardly chuckled, unconcealed himself, and slipped into their ranks.

There was no way around it. He would not be able to conceal himself when he entered the Territory Gate because the omnipresent pressure cast on him would have given him away.

He went against the tide of wicked path cultivators and tried to enter the Territory Gate, but many eyes fell on him along with killing intent as expected.

"Halt!"

"Coward! You dare run away before you even enter the battlefield that tempers us!?"

A Peak-Level Law Sea Stage Expert who appeared to be one of the many overseers of this place raised his voice against him.

Davis stopped going against the tide of cultivators while the others around him stopped to look at him. He inwardly sighed before he spoke.

"I'm a Ninth Stage Powerhouse, and I'm just a traveler from the east who needs to pass through..."

Everyone became silent while even the offended ones gawked. Even the cultivators running towards the battlefield slowed down to look at the interesting commotion behind them for a moment.

"Pftt! Ahahahah!~"

The crowd burst out in laughter the next second while that overseer pointed at him with tears almost welling up in his eyes as if he found him extremely hilarious.

"Ahahaha! Idiot! A Ninth Stage Powerhouse would never say that they are a Ninth Stage Powerhouse! Are you retarded!?"

"I guess so..."

Davis's hoarse yet nonchalant voice echoed, causing the others to burst out laughing again when his silhouette abruptly disappeared.

"You!?"

The overseer had just reacted as his heart leaped.

He felt the wind brush past him before his vision faded, and the next moment, everyone saw his body exploding into a mangled mess of flesh! His soul was extinguished before his body could even blow up!

"Stay your hand!"

A domineering voice echoed while Davis didn't stop rushing but launched a heavy attack against the Young Villa Master surrounded by a group of Peak-Level Law Sea Stage Experts. They had just revolved their energy and brought out when all of their bodies exploded into a blood shower!

*Boom!~*

As for the Young Villa Master, his pinky finger ring abruptly shone with a dark light before it erected a darkness barrier, protecting him against Davis's massive blow whose prowess reached the Low-Level Martial Overlord Stage.

'So it's at Mid-Level...'

Davis abruptly took a side step and went for the first intended target! His fist stretched towards the back before he adjusted his physical might to Mid-Level Martial Overlord Stage and unleashed his attack!

His punch's force ran straight for the running Young Villa Mistress and blew up all the Peak-Level Law Sea Stage Experts even though they hurled their massive darkness attacks at him.

The Ninth Stage Powerhouse, who shouted for Davis to stay his hand, went to protect the Young Villa Master and quickly stood in front of him before he became horrified as he saw their Young Villa Mistress be subjected to that kind of physical might while the other powerhouse who had just entered the scene from a distance felt his heart skip a beat.

*Bang!~*

The Young Villa Mistress's protective artifact that just lit up like her counterpart's cracked as it failed to withstand the might and broke. The impact from that caused her to spit a mouthful of blood while her eyes trembled in fear.

Was she going to be killed?

She feared as she had her head lowered when she saw a man's feet land in front of her before he slid beside her smoothly and brought his hand towards her ear.

*Snap!~*

The middle finger and thumb snapped, causing an intense resonance as it affected her mind and even her soul, piercing through her soul sea. Her eyes went dull as she became unconscious, but before she could collapse, that man lifted up her body and placed her on his shoulder.

"Does anyone want to bar my path?"

Davis's hoarse voice echoed before the atmosphere became abnormally silent.

Everyone who rushed came to a stop, their feet planted on the ground or mid-air as they looked at this random powerhouse who came out of nowhere threatening them with one of their most important jewels!

Especially the two Ninth Stage Powerhouses. Their expressions were hideous while killing intent blazed from their eyes!