Divine Emperor of Death

Sophie Alstreim ultimately felt pressured from the clash of the eighth stage undulations, almost making her knees bend. She stabbed the Glaive on the sand, trying not to collapse as she gritted her teeth in difficulty. There was no way she could resist these two Peak-Level King Beast Stage Magical Beasts' pressure. Her bones cracked as her frame bent, making her feel like she was going to die for real this time if she didn't give up resisting.

Suddenly, the pressure disappeared, causing her to be taken aback, but she became aware that a dark barrier appeared around her.

Was it the work of the protector magical beast? She turned to look at Nadia beside her.

The monstrous tortoise became a bit apprehensive. Her bloodline memories naturally held information about King-Tier Magical Beasts, especially of its kind, but it also knew that other magical beast species also had similar existences.

She knew it could not underestimate this unknown magical beast and so didn't say anything anymore but turned to look at the young human and her twelfth son, simultaneously retracting her undulations while a mocking glint appeared in her blue eyes.

How could a mere human at the Seventh Stage compare to her descendant that was at the Eighth Stage?

Nadia also retracted her undulations as she turned to look at her master. In fact, she was curious about how her master could fare against a Low-Level King Beast Stage Magical Beast.

"Alchemist Davis, come back! It's suicide!" Sophie Alstreim screamed as she stood up. She ran forwards to stop him but was instantly held back by a heavy grasp that hooked her shoulder.

She flinched and looked behind.

"Master said that he wants to test his might. Don't be a hindrance..." Nadia coldly spoke as she let her go.

"You! Your Master is going to die! Don't play with his life just because he wants to test his might!" Sophie Alstreim panicked, not knowing what to do, so she could only plead.

The way she felt, Alchemist Davis, as a kind person, said that to make his protector Nadia protect her.

As she looked back, her expression changed. There was no stopping the battle now.

Davis arrived and looked at the colossal tortoise just ten meters towards his front. 

"Die!" A male voice echoed from the thirty-meter tall tortoise.

It stomped its feet, and the sand below turned into a field full of spikes, ready to skewer him into full of holes.

Davis shot above as if he anticipated this move, his legs encased with black lightning. 

'Thunder Cloud Movement Technique!'

Davis chanted in his mind as he shot to the side when the sand spikes missed him but then suddenly changed directions as they continued to follow him. The surrounding sand also compressed into spikes shooting at him. 

Davis shot around the sandy field, flying like an energetic mosquito, dodging with accuracy. 

The movement technique didn't increase his speed since his Essence Gathering Cultivation was lower than the speed his Body Tempering Cultivation granted him, but it was extremely useful for a quick burst that was needed to escape.

Davis kept continuously dodging when a big solid spike suddenly emerged from his back, but he crouched and shot towards another direction, moving away from the tortoise. The sand's hardness alone couldn't harm him, but the earth-attribute energy mixed in it made it extremely dangerous for him.

However, the tortoise didn't look amused. Looking at the human who looked as if he was having fun with a smile on his face, he snorted, "Imbecile! Keep smiling until I skewer you apart!"

"Hahaha! Sure, I am waiting for that to happen." Davis taunted.

Without a surprise, the thirty-meter tall tortoise fell prey to his taunt and jumped, its twenty-five-meter wide-body flying in the air towards him.

Davis wasn't startled. Just because it was a tortoise didn't mean it was slow. It just had a slow speed compared to other magical beasts, and that made it too suitable for him to battle as it just had a little advantage over him in terms of speed.

Davis directly shot above and dived in an arc at this moment. Since this big tortoise entered his range, how could he not take the chance to land a blow?

His elbows drew back while he dodged the sand spikes that tried to skewer him. He was just before its head, but like a snapping turtle, his huge mouth snapped at him, but he dodged as trails of lightning steps lingered in the air.

When he reappeared, he was directly above it, his body twisting to unleash a deadly blow as martial energy filled his fist!

"Earth Dragon's Overbearing Fist!"

*Clang!!!~*

The sound of metal clashing echoed!

Davis's devastating fist sent him plunging down while he shot upwards again from the impact. However, his eyes went wide when he saw that its dark black shell had just cracked like collapsing tiles, revealing a blue inner shell that seemed to have much more thickness and endurance.

He smiled as he confirmed, "As expected of the Twin-Shelled Earthen Tortoise."

It was a pleasant surprise, indeed. 

What could be harder than a tortoise's shell in a magical beast species? Only a few other species could compare, but nevertheless, he had gotten a fitting one to test his current Body Tempering Cultivation's might.

The Twin-Shelled Earthen Tortoise is a King Rank Species Magical Beast Species with a high defensive capability!

*Roarr!~*

The tortoise suddenly released a painful scream, making Davis's earbuds tremble while he narrowed his eyes in annoyance, "Don't scream, dammit."

"Human! How dare you crack my noble shell!? I'll kill you!"

The tortoise opened its mouth, and the sand around the area congregated towards it, turning into an enormous five-kilometer-long siege that covered the entirety of the beach's wideness.

Davis smiled. They both had the advantage in terms of the environment since they were both using earth-attribute as their element to battle. Davis didn't bring an ounce of soul force into this fight as he wanted to see what kind of limits he would touch with his Body Tempering Cultivation alone. After all, he was unaware as to the exact gap between the Seventh Stage and the Eighth Stage.

Suppose if he could fight opponents four levels above him at his current level, was it enough to battle against a Low-Level Eighth Stage existence?

He didn't know, but he stood his ground in the air and waited for the attack to test exactly that! 

Even though the pressure was high enough to make him anxious, he just stood like a crazy person, watching the opponent's attack form with deadly power. However, martial energy gathered in his hands as it ran through six different meridian points this time, creating a different technique.

He looked at the dark-brown earthen sphere that was now condensed to no more than three hundred meters before him with colossal might swirling inside it. It was freaking huge, ten times the size of the Twin-Shelled Earthen Tortoise! Its silhouette was nowhere to be seen as its own attack shadowed it. Nevertheless, the moment the earthen sphere moved, Davis knew that it was his cue.

He raised his hand, his hands filled with a tremendous might that shook the air before him. His palm glowed with a yellowish-golden glint before it separated and began to enlarge, growing and enlarging until the earthen sphere was so close that it was practically inches apart!

A hundred-meter tall glowing brownish-gold suddenly manifested between the earthen sphere and Davis. 

*BRrrr!~*

The air between vibrated as both the techniques collided!

Just when it was going to seem as if the earthen sphere was going to be stopped, it trembled and exploded!

*Booooooooom!!!~~~*

A huge explosion echoed, waves of the blast picking up the sand before turning into a colossal sandstorm that blew to the sea and the mountain region. Underneath, many Twin-Shelled Earthen Tortoise silhouettes appeared, making it finally known that this sandy beach and the black mountain nearby were none other than their territory. 

Sophie Alstreim appeared fine under Nadia's protection, but that couldn't be said the same about those Twin-Shelled Earthen tortoises that failed to escape the impact. Sand thousands of meters underneath were scraped off from the surface, revealing the carcasses of the Twin-Shelled Earthen Tortoises that seemed to be buried alive by its own brethren. However, the monstrous Twin-Shelled Earthen Tortoise seemed to remain indifferent to all of this as it just watched.

"No..." Sophie Alstreim uttered and knelt as if her legs went limp.

The whole place was filled with dust that she could see and sense nothing, but she at least knew that this attack would be able to injure a Mid-Level King Beast Stage Magical Beast!

How could Alchemist Davis survive such an attack!?

Tears fell from her eyes as she silently lowered her head, her face filled with utter despair.

'Why...? Why was Alchemist Davis so foolish...?'

She abruptly turned to look at the magical beast beside her and saw that she was calm-faced while still protecting her.

"!!!"

Rage dwelling within her suddenly flared up, "You! You have no reason to be protecting me! Why didn't you protect your master instead!? You should've just let me die instead, you stupid wolf!"

Nadia turned to look at her, the coldness within her eyes fading, "Master wouldn't die so easily... and I know it because our souls bind us."

Sophie Alstreim's mouth went agape as her mind became blank.

'What was this stupid magical beast saying?' was the first thought that came to her mind.

However, as the dust slowly cleared, she caught the sight of a purple robe flailing in the wind at the site of the destructive explosion.

When her gaze fell, she instantly knew, a smile widely blossoming on her lips, "Davis!"

However, her smile faded, replaced with a look of shock to intense regret.

Davis possessed a forced smile on his face amidst the dusty ruins. His lips twitched, and his body quivered as if trying to suppress something. He couldn't help but let out a sigh, one filled with a sense of delight and pain.

"Damn... where is my left arm?"

Davis looked towards his left and saw that his left arm was missing. Only his left shoulder remained with a bit of arm hanging out, blood splashing outwards like a fountain!