Divine Emperor of Death

Evelynn remained huddled down in the crystal mountain.

She crouched and held her legs, her expression appearing forlorn as she waited for the Peak-Level Immortal Emperor Crystal Beast Phoenix to leave. It was unknown what she was thinking, but it was obvious she didn't want to contend with the crystal phoenix as she knew her end would be death.

However, hours passed.

She peeked out every few minutes in varying intervals and saw that the crystal phoenix was still present. It even took off into the skies, flying around as though it was a long time since it had flown while keeping a watchful gaze on its territory.

In actuality, some Candidates did approach this crystal mountain.

They all used the Escape Talisman to leave once the Peak-Level Immortal Emperor Crystal Beast Phoenix found them.

Evelynn didn't know if she should just use the Escape Talisman already.

After all, she didn't know where it would be taking her. She had only one Escape Talisman, after all. The other two talismans were a defensive talisman and a summon talisman.

For all she knew, the Escape Talisman would take her to that Crystal Gate and cause her to automatically drop out from the Candidacy. She didn't want to drop out, but she also didn't want to leave using the Escape Talisman as it was the only life-saving talisman of the utmost importance.

Even if she went out and was found out by the crystal phoenix, she was of the idea that she could use the defensive talisman to navigate herself out, using the momentum to leave the area if she could time it right.

Then again, she didn't know if the defensive talisman would be a barrier or a layer of energy that covered her body.

Everything in her sight was fairly hidden, and no rules had been explained. Having been stuck in the crystal mountain for hours, she had no way to learn anything new.

Feeling mortified, she went to take a look again.

'It's still there…'

Evelynn's gaze was indifferent as she saw the crystal phoenix perched on top of a nearby tree that towered over the crystal mountains because it grew from the peak of a crystal mountain. She wouldn't have worried if it was at the center as she could've used the other crystal mountains as camouflage to make her way out, but with the way it positioned itself, it simply didn't give the time or the advantage needed to make her way out.

She at least needed a ten second interval to be able to escape from the crystal phoenix. Of course, she could make her way out in two seconds if she used her energy but then she would still be caught and forced to use the Escape Talisman, so the best course of action was to rely on her physical body to leave.

*Tack~*

Abruptly, she felt something breaking inside her, making her eyes wide.

It was the ninth seal that sealed her prowess.

With that seal gone, her prowess rose like a flood that had been released from the dam gates.

It disturbed her concealment and spread undulations, causing the crystal phoenix to turn and look in her direction.

"…!"

Evelynn's reaction was almost instant.

She turned around and dashed in the opposite direction, heading further east. Her four spider bones extended and pierced through one of the holes she made in order to escape and dashed into the forest with incredible speed.

*Giraraa~*

The crystal phoenix screeched into the air, looking offended that there was prey that eluded its perception. It jumped into the air and took off into the skies, following the small prey running away from it.

However, Evelynn was already in the dense forest.

She intended to weave her way through the trees and conceal herself. However, fate was cruel. A wave of phoenix flames descended, engulfing the forest.

"…!"

Evelynn was shocked.

She dodged the scarlet phoenix flames barely and continued to head east. However, she didn't think it was possible that these crystal beasts were able to perform what phoenixes were capable of, unleashing fire that was.

After all, the crystal turtles and other crystal beasts she had fought didn't particularly show anything.

'Could it be at the peak, when they're near to entering the Empyrean Stage, they began showing the true capabilities of their manifestation…?'

Evelynn still couldn't tell what kind of beasts these were but she knew this one was able to produce fire at will. She definitely couldn't take it down but unfortunately, these were flatlands. Although the forest was dense, it wouldn't do her much if she couldn't hide from it.

*Whoosh!~*

Evelynn's body abruptly split into two versions of herself. Novel Fire - novelfire.net

One was her soul body and went northeast while she headed straight.

The crystal phoenix noticed this and cocked its crystalline head back, its fiery eyes glowing with confusion. It seemed to hold a faint semblance of intelligence with the way it looked at one prey suddenly turning into two.

*Giraaa~*

It looked up and let out a roaring screech and continued to chase after the one that went straight ahead.

"…"

Evelynn narrowed her brows.

If she had gone southeast, she might've not been followed, but her plan wasn't to escape but to lead it away.

*Whoosh!~*

Abruptly, the soul body that had run northeast abruptly turned west and headed towards the west. It was the place where the crystal mountain was located. While her soul body ran, it radiated undulations without holding back anything, causing the crystal phoenix to stop its flight mid-air and flap its wings to look back.

*Giraaa!~*

It let out a screech again and began following the soul body back to the west as though it was bent on guarding its territory.

Sensing that she was gaining distance from the crystal phoenix, Evelynn came to a stop as she slid on the grass.

Looking back, she smiled as she got away. The path was ablaze with fire from the attacks that the crystal phoenix unleashed. She didn't know why it would be in a hurry to kill her using fire instead of using its physical attacks like it did for everyone else.

Why was she given special treatment?

Was it because she had Emperor-Tier Blood of the Earth Dragon and the Three-Eyed Hex Chromatic Arachnid?

Evelynn couldn't tell. Nonetheless, she realized that she had come a long distance away, at least crossed twenty kilometers in a few minutes, having expended quite a bit of her energy. She couldn't believe how hard it was to travel in this space.

In the First Haven World, she could cross hundreds of kilometers in this time period, and if she used her full speed, she could even make it as far as thousands of kilometers. But here, she was like a mortal cultivator who spent a massive amount of energy to make it from one point to another.

She could only shake her head and heave a sigh of relief that she got away.

Before the crystal phoenix could obliterate her soul body, she dispersed it.

'Good thing I didn't release my avatar…'

Evelynn inwardly nodded. Using the avatar would've given her a greater chance to escape, but then again, she didn't want to lose it.

However, Evelynn couldn't help but find something strange.

It was the fact that her prowess returned.

Considering the information that everyone who stepped onto the eighth step had their cultivation sealed to Level One Immortal King Stage and climbing up to the ninth step meant the sealing of one's prowess, she would only have her prowess released after two seals were released.

After all, she had been a Level Eight Immortal King, unlike the Candidates, who were all Level Nine Immortal Kings. Only Yi Feng was an exception because he was the last to appear, and she had been pregnant with Azariel and Viridia, which cost her a bit of time.

Still, it was clear that she still had eight seals left.

She didn't even know seals were released as she wasn't aware of the function of Hidden Pagodas.

She only knew Marpitas and some other men talking about a Hidden Pagoda, so she was able to make a guess it had something to do with the trials but couldn't connect it with the dissolution of seals, so she was in the unknown of what's going on.

'Then what is the last seal for…?'

Regardless, she had no idea what the dissolution of the last seal would mean for her.

She hid under a giant tree and contemplated for a moment as she began to plan out her next step. After all, she couldn't go back to the place where that crystal phoenix stayed. There were still an enormous number of Vein Fragments and Vein Sources left, but she couldn't obtain them unless she had led the phoenix out like how she did it a while ago.

However, she also confirmed that it was fiercely protecting its territory, so there was no need to risk her life.

'There should be another crystal mountain, but I must first find this structure called the Hidden Pagoda…'