Chapter 793 - The Tip Of The Iceberg
The Radiant Heaven Realmship has its own independent world, but it is not cut off from the outside world—just like any other ship in the sea with its interior walled off by the hull and bulkheads, albeit incomparable in size.
Just because Leon couldn't see the boundless sea and vast skies of Gaia, it didn't mean he isn't on Gaia—that is if the realm spirit didn't lie to him about its location.
That being said, Leon was not completely sure that he could reach Gaia's Core like the past two instances.
He might be sitting on earthen soil, but it wasn't the earthen soil of Gaia; it was the earthen soil of the Radiant Heaven Realmship's subspace and the Eternal Night Demon Empress's inner world.
'Well, there's only one way to find out,' Leon thought to himself.
Shortly after closing his eyes, Leon spread out his divine sense and sunk his consciousness into the earth.
The moment his consciousness contacted the earth, his consciousness was quickly swept in the powerful currents of the earth as if he received a power boost as his senses greatly expanded.
His earth sense formed an entire image of the underground cavity known as the Abyssal Wood Demon King Tomb before it continued to spread and reveal the rest of the earth alongside his expanding senses.
Soon, his senses covered the entire Abyssal Wood Forest before it spread further to other regions and deeper into the earth.
And not long after, he discovered the buried remains and ruins of the war between Celestials and Demons, cut off from the surface, but brimming with priceless objects—the likes in which ordinary demon tomb inheritances couldn't even compare.
More Tier-7 Divine Artifact, Celestial bodies, Celestial Sparks, Demon corpses, and their Demon Lord-level and above demon cores lay scattered under deep layers of earth.
The ruins of old cities and mountains of bones were also found.
Whatever treasures people have found on the surface were only the tip of the iceberg; the more valuable treasures were all buried in the ancient battlefield below.
'With this many priceless and divine objects laying around, the Radiant Heaven Realmship's subspace truly deserves to be called a secret realm,' Leon thought to himself with a hint of anticipation.
Opportunities were hidden throughout the place.
Once he binds the Radiant Heaven Realmship's heart, they will belong to him; he will be the sole owner of everything the secret realm had to offer.
Unless he permits it, no one else could take any more treasures.
'Well, I'll put that aside for the time being. I still need to visit the seniors in Gaia's Core,' Leon thought as he suppressed his excitement.
Shortly after, he sunk his consciousness deeper into the earth.
He believed that even if the two seniors knew nothing about Empyrean Infinite Void, he would gain something from the trip.
After all, Senior Voidflame had the word 'void' in his name; his law comprehension is most likely related to space or fire.
Unfortunately, when his consciousness reached the hull of the Radiant Heaven Realmship, he was bounced back and unable to proceed further.
There was no earth between the Radiant Heaven Realmship and Gaia to connect his consciousness, just a thick layer of the metallic hull and a large body of water beyond it.
'No good, huh? I should have expected this, but alas, I was too hopeful… Even so, my attempt was completely fruitless,' Leon smiled wryly after his eyes snapped open.
His Authority of Earth is applicable on the earthen soils of the Radiant Heaven Realmship, allowing him to scan all the hidden treasures buried underneath.
'The core is said to be in the western parts of the secret realm; I could use my earth sense to confirm it, but I shouldn't wilfully expend my mental energy without a care either…'
Leon pondered for a moment before making his decision.
He will make his way over to the western region first before using his earth sense to confirm the layout of the underground world below; that way, he will conserve some mental energy.
That being said, he took out a Tier-3 Spiritual Replenishment Pill and ingested it.
Mental strength was the basis of many of his abilities.
Until he had absolute control of the Radiant Heaven Realmship, he had to keep himself in peak condition to face any arising problems.
…
"Haiz… Let's go and explore other parts of the secret realm," Leon said to Aria with a sigh.
"Eh?" Aria uttered with surprise before asking, "Did you visit the seniors already, Leon? Hm, but you just sighed… Was there a problem?"
"Yeah, I couldn't reach them. The earth is not connected," Leon explained.
It was unfortunate, but his concerns about Darlene's god fragment can only be resolved after he leaves the secret realm.
Sometime later, Leon gathered the dark faes. Then, he went to regroup with Darlene and the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman with Aria.
At the same time, Chief Skyhawk and the other three tribe leaders also gathered for a discussion.
"What do you guys plan to do from here onwards?" Leon sought their opinions.
Chief Skyhawk and the other three tribe leaders, Dustdawn, Riverstar, and Moonshine, glanced at each other for a moment.
"We would like to follow you, Young Master Leonhardt; I believe uniting the human forces will play a pivotal role in resisting the demons, but it seems you have other plans?" Chief Skyhawk spoke.
"That's right," Leon nodded and said, "I plan to explore the sky before making my way to the western region; unless you can fly, you won't be able to keep up with me."
At those words, Dustdawn, Riverstar, and Moonshine expressed disappointment in their eyes while Chief Skyhawk furrowed his brows.
"Young Master Leonhardt doesn't intend to challenge the Bone Sea?" he asked.
"No, at least not for the time being," Leon shook his head and said, "I have something to do in the west. I won't challenge the Bone Sea until I finish with my business there."
"I see… That's unfortunate. We will probably stay in this forest for some time before looking for other tribes to challenge the Bone Sea with us," Chief Skyhawk said.
Dustdawn, Riverstar, and Moonshine expressed similar ideas.
Since they couldn't follow the Divine Doctor, they didn't want to cling to the person and hold the person back.
"I hope we will meet again, Young Master Leonhardt," Dustdawn stated.
Chapter 794 - Second-Level Void Fracture
"Since that is the case, I will leave these items with the four of you; I hope it will be of some assistance."
Leon decided to leave a portion of the demon cores for the four tribes before departing the forest with his group.
However, not long after they left the four tribes behind, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman also expressed his intention to leave the group.
"It's regretful and may even sound selfish to leave after this old man received so much benefit from Young Master Leonhardt, but this old man wishes to find my tribesmen and check up on how they are," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman suddenly mentioned.
"Oh? Is that so?" Leon uttered with surprise.
"Yes, Young Master Leonhardt," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman nodded with a guilt-ridden face before saying, "However, once this old man finds his tribesmen, this old man will immediately head over to the western region to meet up with Young Master Leonhardt."
"I see..." Leon thought for a moment before he nodded and said, "Fair enough, let us meet later in the western region, Senior One-Eye."
"Yes, Young Master Leonhardt," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman replied with his head lowered subserviently before adding, "Thank you for your understanding, Young Master."
"You speak too seriously, Senior One-Eyed. It's not a big deal," Leon waved his hand at the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman with a noncommittal attitude. "Please go on and do what you need to do with peace of mind."
Although he likes to keep the extra protection that a Battle King can provide from Darlene and Aria, it doesn't bother him too much whether the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman keeps following him or leave.
"Thank you, Young Master Leonhardt," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman bowed again.
After Leon successfully sent the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman off to the north, he continued to ascend the sky with Darlene, Aria, and the dark faes.
Despite reaching the Late-stage Preliminary Accession Transcendent, Darlene had yet to gain the flight ability—though she can mimick something close enough to flying with her spatial abilities.
Nevertheless, she preferred the spoil treatment of getting carried on Leon's back.
Sometime later, they landed on the previous floating landmass they discovered in the dark clouds before Aria and Darlene glanced around in wonder and astonishment.
"There was such a big floating island in the sky?" Darlene exclaimed with surprise.
At the same time, Aria suddenly thought of something before turning to ask Leon, "All the Tier-6 defensive artifacts you've given me were found here, wasn't it?"
"Yes, that's right," Leon openly admitted before adding, "Though, there's nothing left now. I already pocketed everything valuable here."
"Hm? Then why did we come here?" Darlene tuned in on their conversation.
"If you see the giant power chains are the corners, you should be able to guess that there are at least another three floating landmasses," Leon explains.
"We don't know how far those other landmasses are, so we are using this floating landmass as a checkpoint to navigate to those other places."
"Ooh, I see," Darlene nodded with understanding before she suddenly chuckled, "Hehe, I guess it's time for me to show my worth."
Although she enjoyed riding on Leon's back, she shouldn't act spoiled all the time; she should at least contribute, especially when she could save them time.
Nevertheless, Leon and Aria immediately expressed their interest in her claim.
"Oh? What do you plan to do, Sister Darlene?" Aria asked.
"I will help us reach the next floating island quickly with a single jump through space," Darlene patted her chest with a confident look before suddenly humbly herself in front of Aria. "Though... we can just fly there normally if it is what Sister Aria wants."
"No, I'm more interested in how you will bring all of us to the next floating island in a single jump through space," Aria asserted with a smile before asking curiously, "However, isn't this kind of spatial ability considered Teleportation? Are you already at that level, Sister Darlene?"
"N-not at all, Sister Aria."
Darlene waved her hands while shaking her head frantically to deny the claim before saying, "Only Paragons can use Third-level Spatial Law, Teleportation; I'm still far from that level."
"Furthermore, the Third-level Spatial Law, Teleportation, allows people to leap through the space of different worlds, and even stars. However, what we'll be doing will is only moving through the space of this secret realm."
That being said, Darlene used her spatial sense to feel the end of the giant power chain before locking onto a location.
Then, she waved her hand and sliced open the space in front of her, opening up a rift to a dark void.
Void Fracture!
She waved her hand again, slicing at the dark void inside of the spatial rift before another tear opened up on the other end.
Through that second spatial tear, some faint light revealed a similar-looking floating landmass like the one everyone was standing on.
"I-it's done! Let's go; I can't keep this space open for long," Darlene urged everyone while they were still amazed.
She had to use her spatial ability to stabilize the spatial passageway from closing; if both ends close while they are inside, they could end up lost in an unknown space.
"Let us enter quickly," Leon also urged, seeing how the ability was quickly draining her.
Such was the price for using an ability above her cultivation level.
Nevertheless, once Leon gave the order, Saresha and the rest of the dark faes had no choice but to follow him through the dark passageway.
Contrary to their misgivings and fear, everyone made it through to the other side without an issue.
"How was it? I'd say we crossed about 200 miles in only a few breaths; it's quite the convenient ability for traveling. I call this skill Dark Passage."
Darlene introduced her new ability with a hint of fatigue before Leon furrowed his brows in response.
"You only just reach the Late-stage of Preliminary Accession, Darlene. How did you learn this ability only Seeking Insight Transcendents could perform?" Leon asked. "Did you..."
He suspected Darlene may have absorbed some of the Empyrean Infinite Void's law comprehension and memories.
However, Darlene froze in response.
She might have gained some insights into Void Fracture, but she hadn't learned any skill yet; why did she already know one?
The discovery puzzled her.
Chapter 795 - Next Destination: Central Island
"How strange…" Darlene uttered.
Thinking back on her skillful execution of Dark Passage, it was as if she had practiced it for years, despite it being a higher-level ability than her current cultivation base could handle.
Evidently, the one who came up with Dark Passage, which mimics Teleportation while using the Second-level Spatial Law, Void Fracture, was someone else.
However, the technique and experience were engraved in her memory, such that she knew she could use it, yet at the same time, not realize why she knew it.
'Was this Empyrean Infinite Void's technique?' she thought to herself.
At the same time, Leon also suspected that the spatial technique Darlene demonstrated came from Empyrean Infinite Void.
"Did you accept the Empyrean Infinite Void Fragment, Darlene?" Leon asked with concern.
"Um, definitely not, Leon," Darlene denied while shaking her head.
"You have to believe to me; I'm very certain that I rejected the Empyrean Infinite Void Fragment, but I don't know why I know this technique like the back of my hand either."
"Calm down, Darlene; of course, I believe you," Leon held the frantic Darlene firmly while she was trying to explain.
Then, he gave her a calm and reassuring look and said, "I know you rejected the fragment; if you had accepted it, you would have memories of Empyrean Infinite Void. However, that isn't the case, is it?"
Darlene shook her head.
"It shouldn't be an issue then, though it seems startling at first. But, even so, if we can figure out the reason why you know the technique, it could become a good opportunity to learn more techniques."
"Why don't you recount your transcendence experience in detail to us? Maybe we can learn something from it."
"Mm, alright. I'll listen to you, Leon."
After Leon made the suggestion, Darlene nodded compliantly; having calmed down after Leon's presence gave her a strong sense of security.
Even so, she did have a slight panic when she thought that the Empyrean Infinite Void Fragment had found a way of fusing with her entirely without her knowledge.
After Leon and Aria listened to Darlene's experience inside her sea of consciousness, they gained a better understanding of Darlene's situation.
"So the Void Soul Constitution is a result of possessing Empyrean Infinite Void's soul fragment. No wonder there's a frightening level of spatial element and attraction force inside…" Leon muttered.
"Hmm…" Aria hummed while gazing deeply in thought.
"This might just be my guess without any basis to back it up, but what if the spatial law shrouding Sister Darlene's sea of consciousness contains Empyrean Infinite Void's law comprehension?"
"I'm not trying to discredit Sister Darlene's talents, but it could explain how Sister Darlene reached the Late-stage of Preliminary Accession so quickly," she added shortly after.
Leon and Darlene both gave Aria's speculation some thought; it did seem like a plausible explanation.
In fact, it might just be the only possible explanation.
"If there's a problem with the Empyrean Infinite Void Fragment that caused the law comprehension it contained to leak into the surrounding space of Darlene's Void Soul Space, then that might truly be the case," Leon said with a thoughtful look.
"It seems like I can go visit the Void Soul Space to cultivate whenever I feel like it, but should I not do it anymore?" Darlene asked for their opinions.
However, Leon immediately shook his head.
"No, there's no reason for us to stop you from becoming strong. Increasing your law comprehension is good; learning new techniques is also good, but remember to proceed with caution."
"We might be overly suspicious of the soul fragment, but it doesn't hurt to suspect hidden dangers and tread carefully," he added.
"Mm," Darlene agreed with Leon's words.
There was a bit of relief when Leon said she could keep cultivating in her Void Soul Space; the feeling of becoming stronger was hard to describe.
It was like increasing the qualification of her freedom.
'I don't need to listen to Chief Valencia anymore with my present level of cultivation, right? No, perhaps, I'm already free. It's been some time; Chief Valencia hasn't contacted me anymore…'
Darlene silently thought to herself.
After Darlene's matter was temporarily resolved, for the time being, everyone focused their attention on the building in the center of the floating landmass.
"This support-circuit building doesn't have a barrier set up?" Leon immediately noticed the detail at the entrance.
That being said, a sturdy door sealed off the building entrance, nonetheless.
'Open up the entrance, Tak-si.'
"Understood, Master."
The realm spirit quickly complied after Leon transmitted his will to it.
After only waiting for half a breath, the building entrance rumbled with slight vibrations as rock-grinding noises before the stone door rose, opening up the path.
However, Leon failed to find anything inside the support-circuit building after entering with everyone.
"There's nothing inside here, my Lord," Saresha reported.
Leon had long swept the entire interior and noticed such detail before she made her report, but even so, he calmly nodded and said, "I got it. Good job."
"Haiz, it looks like this place is a bust," he said with a sigh shortly after.
Of course, he wasn't expecting every supply-circuit building to have Celestial remains and treasures, but it disappointed him, nonetheless.
"Maybe we'll have better luck with the next one?" Aria spoke optimistically.
"Un, we can only hope," Leon nodded.
"Right now, we are at the north support-circuit building; should we head to the west support-circuit building or the central support-circuit building next? What do you two think?"
There was a hint of teasing in his tone, but it wasn't meant for Aria or Darlene's ears.
'Master, I strongly advise you from visiting the central island,' Tak-si asserted.
However, the realm spirit's strong resistance against such courses of action only made Leon more curious.
'What are you hiding on the central island, I wonder? Hm?' Leon asked.
'T-this…' Tak-si hesitated.
At the same time, Aria and Darlene thought about Leon's question before Aria spoke first.
"If we intend to visit all the floating islands before heading to the western region without wasting time on extra trips, the best course of action is to head to the central floating island, then the south floating island, before heading to the west floating island last."
"I agree with Sister Aria," Darlene added.
'Well, you heard them; looks like we'll be going to the central island,' Leon transmitted his thoughts to the realm spirit with a smile.
Chapter 796 - Realm Spirit's Twisted Change
'Master, I beg you; please don't go to the central island! You can't go there!' Tak-si cried.
'Why can't I go? What are you hiding there? Unless you explain it to me without any falsehood, I will go to the central island regardless. How do you expect me to trust you if you hide things from me?' Leon questioned it.
'I cannot say, Master. Please understand that I have my own difficulties...!' Tak-si replied with difficulty as if it was at its wit's end while enduring something.
'Grrr! I can't take it anymore! Human or demon, I don't care what the f*ck you are; you listen here! If you dare to step a single foot on the central island, I will f*ck you up in the ass, you hear me?! Piss off!'
The realm spirit suddenly snapped.
However, its manner of speech completely changed, as if it underwent a personality switch—almost to the point that even its effeminate male voice sounded more womanly.
Regardless of the reason, Leon could not help but feel his hair rising with goosebumps while getting caught off-guard at the same time.
'The f*ck did you say to me? I dare you to say it again!' Leon responded.
'Piss the f*ck off!' the realm spirit cursed.
Leon was surprised by the abrupt change, but he could not but feel even more curious; evidently, the central island hides a great secret pertaining to the realm spirit's change.
"Interesting..." he uttered.
"Darlene, how are you feeling?" he turned to Darlene before asking, "Are you good to use your spatial abilities and open up another spatial passage to the central floating island?"
"It's a bit draining, but I should be able to use it one more time before I need to rest," Darlene answered.
However, if it didn't take so much time to move so many people through the Dark Passage at the same time, she didn't doubt that she could use Dark Passage several more times.
Dark Passage was meant to be an instantaneous movement, but the delayed time resulted in high energy consumption.
After the group moved to the location of the power chain leading to the central floating island, Darlene sliced open the spatial rift before proceeding to slice through it again.
Void Fracture!
However, the second spatial rift at the end of the dark passageway only opened briefly before closing again.
"Hm?"
Darlene knitted her brows at the discovery before deciding to open up the second spatial rift with Void Fracture again.
But like the first time, the second spatial rift quickly closed up.
At the same time, Leon and Aria quickly noticed a problem obstructing Darlene from proceeding further despite the large energy consumption draining colors from her face.
"That's enough, Darlene," Leon stopped her attempting to use Dark Passage any further before asking, "What's the problem?"
"There seems to be some strong interference on the central floating island; it won't let me keep the spatial opening for long," Darlene answered with a frown.
"Oh? It seems there really is something special about the central island," Aria commented.
"Of the two floating landmasses we visited, it is clear that the dark energy is much denser compared to other places; if not for the runes on the building warding off the dark energy, this place would be engulfed in the dark clouds."
"Perhaps, the concentration of dark energy has reached an exceedingly high level that surpassed the central floating island's ability to ward off and immersed it, forming a natural barrier of strong interference?" she speculated.
Although Aria wasn't exactly right, her words allowed Leon to draw his own conclusions.
"You're not far from the truth, Aria; the central island has already lost its core, so it shouldn't have any ability to ward off the dark energy. And if there is such a large quantity of dark energy concentrated on the central floating island, there must be something attracting all of it."
Leon mentioned.
However, he also had another thought.
'If nothing attracted all the dark energy to the central island, then it must... be the epicenter of the Eternal Night Demon Empress's inner world's collapse!'
Once he thought of that possibility, he couldn't get rid of the idea.
'Stay away if you don't want to die!' the realm spirit suddenly roared with a threatening tone.
An enormous spiritual pressure gathered in the sky before bearing down on Leon—only to come in contact with his Nihility Barrier before the realm spirit shrieked.
The spiritual pressure vanished without a trace in the next instance as if it had retreated.
"Let us go and find out what secrets are hidden on the central floating island," Leon urged the group.
After Aria and Darlene voiced their acknowledgment, Leon carried Darlene on his back and took the lead, flying ahead of the others.
Sometime later, they gradually reached the boundary of the central floating island with the power chain as their guide.
Otherwise, they would have been lost in the endless clouds of dark energy.
"T-the dark energy is so much richer here than we thought!" Saresha and the other dark fae exclaimed with pleasant expressions.
They could feel their pores naturally opening and greedily devouring the dark energy in the atmosphere, making them feel invigorated with power.
Some even felt like they had a chance of becoming Greater Demons despite possessing a flawed energy cultivation method.
"This place is practically a holy cultivation spot for demons, yet it's only the outer boundary; I wonder what it's like at the center..." Saresha uttered with anticipation.
"We'll find out soon enough," Leon casually said.
The dark energy ahead of them was so thick that it practically formed a physical barrier, repelling them like elastic rubbers when they tried to force their way through.
However, Leon used the Nihility Law to clear them a path.
Not long after, they finally themselves on the central floating island, but with zero visibility due to the dense clouds of dark energy in the place.
Even so, Leon mapped out the entirety of the central floating island with his divine sense.
The central floating island was only half the size of other floating islands—not in terms of its surface coverage, but its overall mass.
Chapter 798 - The Demon Empress's Daughter
However, in the end, Tak-si was still the more dominant half between the two realm spirits, so the little girl had no way of winning against it.
"Hmph! I won't talk to you anymore!"
The little girl eventually gave up and disappeared, allowing Tak-si to assume his full spiritual form—the form of a handsome male.
"Haiz..." Tak-si sighed.
"Are you willing to explain what's going on now, Tak-si? Who was that little girl? And why is the Eternal Night Demon Empress's body here?" Leon questioned the realm spirit.
He could see the Eternal Night Demon Empress lying inside the black coffin without approaching it by using his divine sense.
Much of her body was seemingly scorched and corrupted by dark energy, making most of her body look black like charcoal.
Despite that, it couldn't hide that she was also a peerless beauty and powerhouse of her time.
More importantly, he noticed that she was also a dark fae.
Leon furrowed his brows thoughtfully.
When Tak-si saw Leon start frowning, it immediately panicked, thinking that Leon was growing impatient for not answering his question right away.
"Y-yes, Master! The little girl you saw was indeed the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter," Tak-si answered.
"So it's true," Leon raised an eyebrow before asking further, "But how did the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter become a realm spirit like you?"
"It's even more surprising that the Eternal Night Demon Empress had a daughter, let alone survive to this age instead of being the first to die to the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor's scheme."
"You've hidden a lot of information from me, Tak-si. I'm disappointed in you," he added.
"I deeply apologize, Master," Tak-si apologized.
"But it as you have seen, the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter and I share one body of existence; I cannot completely disregard her wishes, and I also owe a debt of gratitude to the Eternal Night Demon Empress."
"Oh?" Leon uttered with an intrigued look.
"You, the Radiant Heaven Realmship, owe a debt of gratitude to the Eternal Night Demon Empress? Interest. Why don't you tell me more about it."
"Yes, Master," Tak-si complied.
"I mentioned before that the Eternal Night Demon Empress was trapped in the Radian Heaven Realmship under the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor's scheme. But what you didn't know is that the Eternal Night Demon Empress was extremely strong, much more powerful than the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor himself."
"As a true descendent of a Devil from the primordial era, her strength was not inferior to a Half-step True Divinity—if it wasn't for the fact that she was pregnant, she could have broken free from the confinement of this world."
"And what does that have to do with your debt of gratitude?" Aria joined the conversation.
"I never mentioned where the Eternal Night Demon Empress was confined specifically, did I, Master? It was here, in the main-circuit building."
"...What?" Leon was dumbfounded.
However, the realm spirit expected such a reaction as anyone would have the same thought—that being: did Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor get kicked in the head?
"The main-circuit building might contain the more important components of the Radiant Heaven Realmship, but because of that, the building's defense is also extremely sturdy—even sturdier than my outer shell."
"And yet such a building is in ruins?" Aria questioned with doubt.
"Ah, yes, that's exactly right. Of course, it would take the Eternal Night Demon Empress time to break out under normal circumstances. But if she self-detonated her inner world, it would generate enough power to slay even a True Divinity," Tak-si answered her doubts.
"But how did the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor trick the Eternal Night Demon Empress into the main-circuit building?" Aria asked further.
"As the most vulnerable location of the Radiant Heaven Realmship, it was the best place to set their meeting and gain the Eternal Night Demon Empress's trust in the truce talk, and because of that, the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor was also the first to die."
"Such is the end for a fool who overestimated his own abilities; even I don't know where the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor's remains after the detonation of the Eternal Night Demon Empress's inner world—if there's still anything left, that is."
"For someone who was your previous owner, you sure have a way to talk about him," Leon smiled amusedly.
"The moment he tried to sacrifice me in his attempt to take out the demons in one fell swoop, he was no longer my owner."
"I figured."
The realm spirit's reply came as no surprise to Leon.
Even if it was a spirit born from the accumulation of power and faith on a Divine Artifact, it was still an intelligent being capable of thoughts and emotions.
"I suppose your debt of gratitude is related to the Eternal Night Demon Empress sparing your life?" Leon guessed.
"Yes, Master. In order to protect her daughter, who was just a fetus in her womb, and guarantee her survival, the Eternal Night Demon Empress transported her daughter from her womb into my heart."
"I was wondering how the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter survived this whole time, but to think Eternal Night Demon Empress was capable of performing such a feat..." Leon muttered to himself.
"Given such means, she could have completely replaced you as the realm spirit of the Radiant Heaven Realmship..."
"And I am grateful that she chose not to, Master. Instead, she chose to merge our spirits and allow the both of us to co-exist," Tak-si stated with a sincere look of gratitude as it recalled the event.
"No wonder you seem to treat the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter as a little ancestor," Leon said jokingly.
At the same time, Tak-si's appearance quickly deformed as if the little girl wanted to break out and retort him.
Although the little girl had long disappeared, she was still aware of everything since they shared the same source of existence—that being the realm spirit of the Radiant Heaven Realmship.
"Looks like the little ancestor is throwing a tantrum," Leon chuckled.
After hearing Leon continue to tease her, the little girl became even angrier. Even so, she couldn't come out due to Tak-si's interference.
"Please don't make it any more difficult for me, Master," Tak-si said ruefully.
"Hold on.. Something doesn't add up in the story," Aria suddenly interjected after noticing something.
Chapter 798 - The Demon Empress's Daughter
However, in the end, Tak-si was still the more dominant half between the two realm spirits, so the little girl had no way of winning against it.
"Hmph! I won't talk to you anymore!"
The little girl eventually gave up and disappeared, allowing Tak-si to assume his full spiritual form—the form of a handsome male.
"Haiz…" Tak-si sighed.
"Are you willing to explain what's going on now, Tak-si? Who was that little girl? And why is the Eternal Night Demon Empress's body here?" Leon questioned the realm spirit.
He could see the Eternal Night Demon Empress lying inside the black coffin without approaching it by using his divine sense.
Much of her body was seemingly scorched and corrupted by dark energy, making most of her body look black like charcoal.
Despite that, it couldn't hide that she was also a peerless beauty and powerhouse of her time.
More importantly, he noticed that she was also a dark fae.
Leon furrowed his brows thoughtfully.
When Tak-si saw Leon start frowning, it immediately panicked, thinking that Leon was growing impatient for not answering his question right away.
"Y-yes, Master! The little girl you saw was indeed the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter," Tak-si answered.
"So it's true," Leon raised an eyebrow before asking further, "But how did the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter become a realm spirit like you?"
"It's even more surprising that the Eternal Night Demon Empress had a daughter, let alone survive to this age instead of being the first to die to the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor's scheme."
"You've hidden a lot of information from me, Tak-si. I'm disappointed in you," he added.
"I deeply apologize, Master," Tak-si apologized.
"But it as you have seen, the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter and I share one body of existence; I cannot completely disregard her wishes, and I also owe a debt of gratitude to the Eternal Night Demon Empress."
"Oh?" Leon uttered with an intrigued look.
"You, the Radiant Heaven Realmship, owe a debt of gratitude to the Eternal Night Demon Empress? Interest. Why don't you tell me more about it."
"Yes, Master," Tak-si complied.
"I mentioned before that the Eternal Night Demon Empress was trapped in the Radian Heaven Realmship under the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor's scheme. But what you didn't know is that the Eternal Night Demon Empress was extremely strong, much more powerful than the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor himself."
"As a true descendent of a Devil from the primordial era, her strength was not inferior to a Half-step True Divinity—if it wasn't for the fact that she was pregnant, she could have broken free from the confinement of this world."
"And what does that have to do with your debt of gratitude?" Aria joined the conversation.
"I never mentioned where the Eternal Night Demon Empress was confined specifically, did I, Master? It was here, in the main-circuit building."
"…What?" Leon was dumbfounded.
However, the realm spirit expected such a reaction as anyone would have the same thought—that being: did Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor get kicked in the head?
"The main-circuit building might contain the more important components of the Radiant Heaven Realmship, but because of that, the building's defense is also extremely sturdy—even sturdier than my outer shell."
"And yet such a building is in ruins?" Aria questioned with doubt.
"Ah, yes, that's exactly right. Of course, it would take the Eternal Night Demon Empress time to break out under normal circumstances. But if she self-detonated her inner world, it would generate enough power to slay even a True Divinity," Tak-si answered her doubts.
"But how did the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor trick the Eternal Night Demon Empress into the main-circuit building?" Aria asked further.
"As the most vulnerable location of the Radiant Heaven Realmship, it was the best place to set their meeting and gain the Eternal Night Demon Empress's trust in the truce talk, and because of that, the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor was also the first to die."
"Such is the end for a fool who overestimated his own abilities; even I don't know where the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor's remains after the detonation of the Eternal Night Demon Empress's inner world—if there's still anything left, that is."
"For someone who was your previous owner, you sure have a way to talk about him," Leon smiled amusedly.
"The moment he tried to sacrifice me in his attempt to take out the demons in one fell swoop, he was no longer my owner."
"I figured."
The realm spirit's reply came as no surprise to Leon.
Even if it was a spirit born from the accumulation of power and faith on a Divine Artifact, it was still an intelligent being capable of thoughts and emotions.
"I suppose your debt of gratitude is related to the Eternal Night Demon Empress sparing your life?" Leon guessed.
"Yes, Master. In order to protect her daughter, who was just a fetus in her womb, and guarantee her survival, the Eternal Night Demon Empress transported her daughter from her womb into my heart."
"I was wondering how the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter survived this whole time, but to think Eternal Night Demon Empress was capable of performing such a feat…" Leon muttered to himself.
"Given such means, she could have completely replaced you as the realm spirit of the Radiant Heaven Realmship…"
"And I am grateful that she chose not to, Master. Instead, she chose to merge our spirits and allow the both of us to co-exist," Tak-si stated with a sincere look of gratitude as it recalled the event.
"No wonder you seem to treat the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter as a little ancestor," Leon said jokingly.
At the same time, Tak-si's appearance quickly deformed as if the little girl wanted to break out and retort him.
Although the little girl had long disappeared, she was still aware of everything since they shared the same source of existence—that being the realm spirit of the Radiant Heaven Realmship.
"Looks like the little ancestor is throwing a tantrum," Leon chuckled.
After hearing Leon continue to tease her, the little girl became even angrier. Even so, she couldn't come out due to Tak-si's interference.
"Please don't make it any more difficult for me, Master," Tak-si said ruefully.
"Hold on… Something doesn't add up in the story," Aria suddenly interjected after noticing something.
Chapter 799 - Leon's Choice
"Why does the Eternal Night Demon Empress still need to detonate her inner world after killing the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor?"
Shortly after Aria raised that question, Leon realized he had nearly missed such a critical detail in the story.
"Right…" he uttered.
"If the Eternal Night Demon Empress killed the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor and even dropped the core away from the central island after fusing her daughter in the Radiant Heaven Realmship's heart, why did she still need to detonate her inner world?"
As Leon pondered this point, he remembered that there were other opponents who could rival the Eternal Night Demon Empress—if not surpass her in strength.
"Was it the Black Turtle God Beast?" he wondered.
However, he quickly shook his head in the next moment.
"No, the Black Turtle God Beast was neutral and outraged by the Radiant Sword Celestial Emperor's scheme—so much so that it forced the Great Void Celestial Conqueror to seal it under the Bone Sea…" Leon muttered.
Hearing that, Aria asked, "Then the one who forced the Eternal Night Demon Empress to detonate her inner world was the Great Void Celestial Conqueror?"
"But that almost doesn't make much sense…" Aria quickly furrowed her brows before adding further, "How sturdy is this floating island to be able to withstand the blast?"
"You can't really say the central island withstood the detonation when half its bottom is missing, and even the entire main-circuit building is laid to ruins," Leon said wryly.
In fact, there wasn't really a main-circuit building left.
The only thing proving it once existed was the bottommost frame of the building; the walls and ceilings were all gone.
Supposedly, there is even a big gaping hole right down the center where the black coffin is, but it is clear that someone patched up the hole.
"Master and this young lady are on the right track; it was indeed the Great Void Celestial Conqueror who forced the Eternal Night Demon Empress into a dead end," Tak-si nodded.
"However, the Eternal Night Demon Empress didn't purposely detonate her inner world; it cracked under the Great Void Celestial Conqueror's powerful attack, leading to a mini detonation. A full-powered detonation would have reduced the central island into nothing."
Sometime later, Leon, Aria, and the silent Darlene gradually learned everything about the past event as the realm spirit explained everything truthfully.
In the final battle, the Eternal Night Demon Empress's damaged inner world injured the Great Void Celestial Conqueror, forcing the person to flee with the rest of the Celestials without retrieving the Radiant Heaven Realmship.
They didn't want to be contaminated and corrupted by the Eternal Night Demon Empress's dark power.
And to further guarantee that it would never spread to other worlds, the Great Void Celestial Conqueror sealed the world with a powerful spatial lock.
"So this is the truth of the world…" Leon muttered with his surprised eyes fixed on the black coffin ahead. "To think that the Eternal Night Demon Empress is still alive after all that…"
"Yes, Master," Tak-si nodded and said, "No matter what, a descendant of a True Divinity is still a descendant of a True Divinity; even if they are not everlasting, their lifeforce is especially tenacious."
"But right now, the Eternal Night Demon Empress's life is so feeble that anyone can snuff out her life candle," Leon said before adding, "This is why you want to keep me away, huh? You were afraid I'll kill the Eternal Night Demon Empress."
"Y-yes, Master."
Tak-si's voice trembled with mixed tones as if the little girl had answered at the same time it did.
Leon kept a calm and collected expression without revealing his intention while making his way through the glowing flowers before standing right in front of the black coffin.
Tak-si and the little girl were alarmed, but they didn't stop him.
"Noo, don't hurt my mother!" the little girl cried.
…Or rather, the little girl wanted to stop Leon, but Tak-si did all he could to keep her in place while placing his hopes on the fact that Leon could sympathize with demons.
He had seen it.
However, seeing Leon approach the Eternal Night Demon Empress's black coffin without a word made Tak-si feel restless.
Even Darlene and Aria revealed slight creases in their brows.
If Leon wanted to kill the Eternal Night Demon Empress, they would accept it—even if it made them feel uncomfortable after hearing the person's pitiful story.
"M-Master?" Tak-si uttered with concern.
"Logically speaking, the Eternal Night Demon Empress's existence poses too much of a threat, and I should eliminate her for the prosperity of humans—" Leon spoke while glancing inside the black coffin.
"No!"
With strong resistance, the little girl quickly shouted through Tak-si's mouth, but Leon wasn't finished speaking.
"However, compared to demons, humans are too treacherous," Leon said with a smile, "So I don't know whether this is the right decision to make, but I will not do anything to the Eternal Night Demon Empress; you have my word."
He had already given it some thought.
The Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter has become one with the realm spirit.
Since he will eventually bind the Radiant Heaven Realmship, he will be forming an undeniable relationship with the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter.
Thus, there was a chance he could have the backing of Eternal Night Demon Empress—if she ever recovers.
Nevertheless, everyone was relieved to hear Leon's choice.
"Thank you, Master," the realm spirit said sincerely.
It was unknown whether Tak-si or the little girl spoke, or perhaps they both did; Leon couldn't tell, but the realm spirit's following words became clear to him.
"On behalf of my mother, we will forever remember your grace, Master," the little girl expressed her gratitude in her adorable small form.
Aria could not help but approach her with a smile and pinch the adorable little girl's cute cheeks before turning to Leon.
"Sometimes, I start to wonder if humans are any better than demons, or maybe treacherous humans are the real demons… Is there something wrong with me for thinking like this?" she asked.
Chapter 800 - The Ideal World
Looking back on the history of demons, they had always been the same; fighting, killing, ruling, it was the way of life for most of them.
Despite that, they can be obedient and subservient through fear and oppression—unlike treacherous humans who served others with a smile while plotting their downfalls in the dark.
In times of war, humans seek peace, and in times of peace, they seek war—everything is about their self-interest.
Human greed has no boundary and can never be satisfied.
"There's nothing wrong with what you think, Aria, or rather, there's nothing wrong with you or me; we were simply born into the wrong world," Leon said.
He glanced into the sky with a distant look as he said that.
Being a human was exhausting.
There were morals to uphold, rules to follow, and images to keep, all while trying to live among other humans, guessing their hearts' intentions, whether they are a friend or foe, to trust or to doubt.
In comparison, demons seem to live more freely without the complicated rules and morals created by humans.
They have no concept of good or evil; they simply live the way they want.
"We were simply born into the wrong world, huh?" Darlene softly muttered with a distant look, seemingly affected by Leon's sentiments.
People weren't born fairly into the world.
She was already deprived of her rights from a young age, which all other warriors in her tribe receive, and forced to serve in the chief palace under the pretense of protection.
But in truth, it was just the chief's disguise to train spies and sell people like her off to other outstanding warriors when the time calls for it.
If she had not met Leon, she would not have known her value and realized her potential.
It was definitely a case of being born into the wrong place.
If she had been born into a place knowledgeable about Awakening Cultivation, she would have been treated well instead of being forced to suffer.
Suddenly, Darlene was curious about the kind of world Leon envisioned. What sort of world does he wish to live in?
"What is your ideal world, Leon?" she asked abruptly.
Her questioned briefly surprised Aria and the realm spirits before they, too, became curious about Leon's ideal world.
"My ideal world, huh?" Leon muttered thoughtfully and pondered on the question before giving his answer, "I want to live in a world where being kind isn't a weakness."
He wanted to be kind like his father, the Divine Medicine King. However, the world forces him otherwise.
The day he returns to the Divine Realm, there won't be any kindness; there will only be carnage.
"A world where being kind isn't a weakness… I would like to see a world like that one day, but is it possible to realize such a world?" Aria asked herself.
"So long as selfishness exists, that world will only remain a dream of mine," Leon casually stated.
Selfishness was a fundamental aspect of human beings.
Unless a power that fundamentally changes them exists, getting rid of selfishness can only be done by eliminating all humans.
However, humans aren't the only selfish race.
So does that require removing all life to achieve the envisioned world? The answer is no; there is no meaning if all life is lost in the process.
As such, he could only dream of such a world.
After shaking his head, Leon said, "Anyway, let not talk about this topic anymore. At our level of strength, we can't realize such a dream even if it's possible."
"Is it possible for the Eternal Night Demon Empress to recover on her own?" he asked the realm spirit shortly after.
"It is possible, Master," Tak-si answered before adding, "However, it will take a long time before the Eternal Night Demon Empress can awaken from her slumber, let alone make a full recovery."
"The Eternal Night Demon Empress already harmed her soul to transfer her daughter into my heart. The crack on her inner world only made it worse."
When Tak-si said that, Leon could feel the little girl's guilty and dispirited emotion through him.
"I see," Leon uttered.
"I have some methods to restore injured souls, but with the quality of spirit herbs I have, I doubt it'll have any effect on the Eternal Night Demon Empress. So we'll have to put the Eternal Night Demon Empress's matters aside for now."
"Does her daughter have a name?" he asked.
He couldn't keep calling the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter as such if he wanted to build a closer relationship and bring the Eternal Night Demon Empress to his side.
Tak-si did not answer Leon's question but directly switched out for the little girl to take over.
"I don't!" the little girl answered before saying with a haughty attitude, "You may have the privilege of granting me a name."
She seemed to have regained confidence after Leon expressed his clear intentions to do her mother no harm.
"You want me to name you? Are you sure?" Leon asked with amusement.
"Of course!" the little girl asserted with an as-a-matter attitude before adding, "Why? Is that a problem? Since Grandpa Spirit was given a name, why can't I have one?"
"Since you said so, I'll give you one," Leon said with a sly smile before adding, "But don't you think for a second that I've forgotten the curses you've thrown at me; I'm going to give you a bad name."
Leon grinned with a wolfish look, teasing the little girl.
"T-that… that wasn't me! That was Grandpa Spirit!" the little girl stuttered with a guilty conscience.
"Little girl, it's not good to lie. Didn't your mother tea—Ahem, never mind," Leon coughed and shook his head before saying, "Anyway, since you share the same source as Tak-si, how about I call you Si-kat?"
"Sick cat? What?"
The little girl was dumbfounded for a moment before the person's pettiness made her explode angrily in the next moment.
"You're a sick cat! Your whole family are sick cats!"
Chapter 801 - Dark Secret
After seeing the little girl's angry response, Leon was taken aback by surprise for a moment before he corrected her, "I didn't say sick cat… What I said was Si-kat."
"What's the difference?!"
The little girl glared at him like a cat that just got her tail stepped on.
Nevertheless, Aria couldn't stand to watch the situation further and quickly stepped in to intervene as she threw a blaming look at Leon.
"How can you this adorable little girl such a poor name, Leon?" she said.
"I… It was actually better than the other names I thought of; I couldn't have called her Dark Princess or Little Black, can I? I'm not good names…"
Leons scratched his head with a wry and awkward smile before suggesting, "Why don't you give her a name instead?"
"Hmph, I will!" Aria snorted before turning to the little girl with a warm smile. "How about it; would you like a big sister to give you a name instead? It'll definitely be better than the names given by that villain."
"Mm!" the little girl quickly agreed.
'Big sister…'
At the same time, Leon silently thought with a smile wryly.
The Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter might have the appearance of a little 8-year-old girl, but she was a few thousand years old at the very least.
'Is this the result fusing a living being with a Divine Artifact's heart? It seems that doing this will allow the living being to age at a much slower rate than other living beings…' he mused.
It was an interesting discovery, but at the same time, it posed a serious question that is worth looking into.
Since living beings could become artifact spirits, does that mean there were artificers out there who also sacrificed living beings to create artifact spirits for their artifacts?
The thought of it made Leon frown.
'If a grown person were forcefully sacrificed to the artifact heart to become a spirit, it would undoubtedly become a spirit full of hatred to its creator…'
However, if an infant is used instead, it will develop intimacy with its creator or owner once it becomes capable of its own thoughts…
'Back in the Divine Realm, countless infants go missing after their birth every year; it can't possibly be due to this, right?'
Leon felt unsettled at the thought, causing his expression to turn ugly.
…
"What do you think of the name Luna? Do you like it?" Aria asked while carrying the little girl in her arms.
"Luna…" the little girl didn't immediately agree but sought its meaning first, "Does it have any special meaning?"
"Luna means the white moon," Aria said.
"Since your mother sacrificed a lot to give you a chance at life, it shows how much your mother loves you—just like how these flowers thrive and glow in this dark place, which is also like the white moon shining in the night, Luna."
"So, do you like it?" she asked again.
"Luna, Luna, Luna…" the little girl uttered the name repeatedly, growing increasingly fonder of it before she nodded excitedly, "Mm, I like it!"
"Great! Then I'll call you Luna from now on!" Aria said with a fond smile as she pinched the little girl's nose before shifting her gaze to Leon. "We've decided on—what's wrong, Leon?"
"Hm?" Leon glanced up and before saying, "Seeing how the Eternal Night Demon Empress's daughter—"
"Don't just keep calling me; I know I am! But I have a name now! Call me Luna, Luna, Luna!" the little girl interrupted.
"Alright, Lunalunaluna," Leon raised his hands in resignation. "Though, you've ended up with a strange name anyway…"
"…" Luna pouted, feeling upset before asking, "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
"Hahaha, I jest. Don't take it seriously."
Leon ruffled Luna's head roughly, making her spiritual form shaky and out of shape before replying to Aria's question, "Luna's unique situation makes me think about the missing infants in the Divine Realm."
"The missing infants…?"
Aria took a moment to search through Aria White's memories before widening her eyes with a startled look.
"Are you suspecting the infants are used to create artifact spirits?!" she exclaimed with a near-shrieking voice.
The artifact creators were vile and evil beyond belief if it was true!
Leon nodded heavily.
"If we think about it, an artifact takes a long time to give birth to an artifact spirit—such time could take hundreds to thousands of years. However, there are forces like the Divine Treasure Pavillion that churn out Spirit Artifacts, which only take five to ten years to give birth to artifact spirits."
"This is outrageous! They must be using newborn infants in their artifact production!" Aria accused the Divine Treasure Pavillion with outrage. "Such vileness is unacceptable! They should pay for their crimes!"
"It's ironic how the Divine Treasure Pavillion is also one of the forces that support the prosperity of mortals the most," Leon said contemptuously before shaking his head in resignation.
"Nevertheless, this is just our speculation. And unless we can travel to the Divine Realm, we won't be able to investigate the truth behind the Divine Treasure Pavillion and other related forces' artifacts' quick spirit births."
"Even if it's just a speculation, we can't deny its possibility either," Aria continued to argue.
In her heart, she had already accepted the possibility as the truth.
Even a prosperous kingdom like the Crawford Kingdom declined due to corruption; it was impossible for the Divine Realm not to have corruption of their own.
Given the nature of humans, she believed it definitely exists.
"For now, we should just focus on increasing our cultivation. We still have a long way from being able to travel to the Divine Realm," Leon stated.
"Mm." Aria nodded.
Meanwhile, Darlene and Luna were utterly lost; they failed to follow Leon and Aria's conversation.
"What is the Divine Realm?" Luna asked.
"It's a whole new world that exists far beyond this world," Aria patiently but briefly explained the Divine Realm to the little girl.
Shortly after, she glanced around before she said, "It seems like the central floating island is also a bust; we made an amazing discovery here, but there's nothing we can use."
"Not exactly.. There is something useful here, but Luna will not agree with me taking them," Leon said while glancing down at the black-purplish glowing flowers.
Chapter 802 - Blacksand Desert
After Leon mentioned the black-purplish glowing flowers, Aria and Darlene glanced down at them.
"What kind of flowers are they?" Aria asked.
"These flowers are called Violet Soul Flowers, and they're all at Tier-5 quality to boot; they have the effect of nurturing damaged souls and can be refined into pills for a stronger effect."
Leon explained the Violet Soul Flower's properties according to what he found recorded in the [Archive].
"Oh? Does that mean Big Brother knows how to refine the pills and help my mother recover?" Luna ran in front of Leon and looked at him with her big puppy eyes.
"I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you, Luna." Leon shook his head helplessly and said, "Tier-5 Violet Soul Flowers are good spirit herbs for soul recovery."
"However, your mother's realm is too high. Tier-5 Violet Soul Flowers will have little-to-no effect on her even if they are refined into pills. We are most like going to need Tier-8 Violet Soul Flowers at the very least to cure your mother."
"Oh…" Luna uttered as her bright eyes dulled with disappointment.
Nevertheless, he had expected such a reaction; telling her the hard truth was better than giving false hope—only to crush it more mercilessly.
"We should leave and not disturb the Demon Empress's resting spot," Leon said with a soft sigh before adding, "We'll head to the south floating island next."
"Mm," Aria and Darlene agreed.
Shortly after, Leon gathered the dark faes before leaving the vicinity of the central island despite the dark faes' strong reluctance.
"Don't worry. There will be more opportunities for all of you to cultivate on the central island," Leon promised before giving Darlene a glance.
She immediately understood and used Dark Passage to quickly move everyone to the south floating island.
Upon their arrival, Leon quickly inspected the support-circuit building.
"There's no Celestial Power sealing the entrance; it looks like this might be another bust," Leon commented.
That being said, he intended to thoroughly search the floating island before moving on to their next target.
'Master, you can always ask me anything about the entire Radiant Heaven Realmship; my consciousness covers this entire space and understands everything going on," Tak-si materialized before informing Leon of its assistance.
Leon threw it a casual glance before saying, "And you expect me to trust you after you hid things from me until it was too late?"
"I'm sorry, Master." Tak-si lowered his head guiltily.
However, Luna quickly took over before she spat, "Don't bully Grandpa Spirit! Grandpa Spirit was only following my wishes! If you want to blame someone, blame me!"
"You're speaking too seriously," Leon gave Luna a casual flick on the forehead, which inflicted no damage whatsoever to her spiritual form. "Is there anything on south and east island, Tak-si?"
"None, Master."
Tak-si restored his appearance before obediently answering Leon's question, "Only the north and central islands had something. The south and east islands were practically untouched during the war."
"I see," Leon rubbed his chin in thought.
After glancing at the dark faes for a moment, he asked, "How many members of the Dark Fae Clan are in this southern region?"
"There are currently 76 members of the Dark Fae Clan in this region, Master. Of the 76 members, 62 members are in Bone Sea's outer region, while the remaining 14 members are currently trapped within a Demon Lord-level Tomb."
"A Demon Lord-level Tomb, huh?" Leon muttered thoughtfully before asking, "Where is it?"
"In the Blacksand Desert, roughly 20 miles further southwest on the surface from here, Master. They were swallowed by quicksand and stumbled on the Demon Lord-level Tomb by chance. But with no strength to challenge nor leave, they couldn't go anywhere," Tak-si informed.
"I got it," Leon nodded and waved at the realm spirit, "You can leave for now."
"Understood, Master." Tak-si complied.
Shortly after the realm spirit's spiritual form dispersed back into the background, Saresha quickly made her way over with some dark faes.
"My Lord, there's nothing of value on this floating island," she reported.
"I already know, but good job," Leon praised them nonetheless.
"Shall we proceed to the next floating island?" Saresha asked.
However, Leon shook his head, "No, we will be descending to speedrun a Demon Lord-level Tomb and save some members of your clan in the process."
'People can speedrun Demon Lord-level Tombs? Perhaps, only the noble lord can say something like that,' Saresha silently thought.
At the same time, she was also surprised by Leon's words alongside her clan members.
"Are my clan members in danger, my Lord?" she quickly asked.
"Not for the time being, but there's no telling if they start acting rashly after being trapped in the Demon Lord-level Tomb for so long," Leon stated before giving her an order, "Gather everyone. We will shortly."
"Yes, my Lord!"
…
Sometime later, Leon brought Aria, Darlene, and the dark faes to the desolate region filled with black sand.
The ground was soft and lacked stability, making it difficult for everyone to trek without losing balance.
And with each step they took, mounds of black sand shifted, causing a great disturbance in the area.
"It'll be hard not to notice other people around if the black sand moves like this with every step we take," Leon commented while glancing down at the rolling black sand.
Suddenly, a large pile of black sand erupted a few dozen yards away, blasting in the sky before everyone spotted the giant figure of a black worm—no, a dark wyrm.
"And it appears that humans and demons are not the only beings in this desert," Leon added with a calm look.
However, the dark faes grew nervous and uneasy.
The dark wyrm's large frame made the dark faes feel minuscule in comparison, and it had the strength of a Peak-stage Greater Demon.
"My Lord, the dark wyrm looks hungry, and it's staring at us…!" a dark fae spoke.
Shortly after the dark wyrm locked onto Leon's group, it immediately lunged at them with its gaping jaws wide open, ready to feast on them.
'Master, the dark wyrms are actually quite timid creatures; if you summon your higher-quality dark power, it'll quickly become obedient in front of you!'
Just as Leon was about to retaliate, Tak-si quickly informed him.
Chapter 803 - The Humbled Dark Wyrms
"Oh?" Leon uttered with surprise.
Nevertheless, after hearing Tak-si's information, shrouds of darkness quickly surged out of Leon's body and rose to towering heights, causing the dark wyrm to pause in its tracks with a change of expression abruptly.
If the information were false, he would have attacked immediately.
However, it appears that the Tak-si had indeed spoken truthfully regarding the dark wyrm's timid nature.
"Interesting…" Leon muttered with a thoughtful look.
Seeing how the dark wyrm abruptly stopped its attack, Aria and the others were also surprised by the situation.
"Why did it suddenly stop attacking?" Darlene uttered with doubt.
"According to Tak-si, dark wyrms are 'timid' creatures; but more accurately speaking, it is only timid in front of stronger opponents," Leon explained.
From what he could see, the dark wyrm is not afraid of beings smaller than itself unless they were higher lifeforms—it was a typical case of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
Given how other demons view him as a noble existence, the dark wyrm indeed regarded him as a higher lifeform.
As a creature of darkness, the dark wyrm was sensitive to the power of darkness like other demons, and Leon's quality of dark power was no different from making him look like a behemoth in its eyes.
"Stay back for a moment; I want to check something out."
Leon instructed everyone before approaching the dark wyrm with his body suffused in towering dark power.
A colossal pressure weighed down on the dark wyrm, causing it to be stricken with fear and froze on the spot, unable to flee.
"Can you understand my words?" Leon asked.
The dark wyrm responded by nodding a few times before lowering its head on the ground in front of him, expressing its submission.
"So you can. Hahaha, good boy," Leon chuckled while rubbing the dark wyrm's head like an owner that just got a new pet.
However, from the dark wyrm's perspective, it was prey that had been caught by its predator and entirely at its predator's mercy—like a lion resting its paws on an antelope's neck, not in a hurry to kill it.
After Leon retracted his dark power, the dark wyrm remained subservient without the slightest retaliation; it had already registered him as someone above it.
He studied the dark wyrm's ability to listen to orders before he patted its head with satisfaction.
"Aiyo, we just ourselves a ride," he called the others over.
Aria, Darlene, and the dark faes all expressed their surprises before making their way over nonetheless.
Then, not long after, they all saddled on the dark wyrm's back before Leon called the realm spirit for a quick inquiry.
'How far are we from the Demon Lord-level Tomb, Tak-si?' Leon asked.
'You should be able to see it from here, Master. Roughly 800 yards to the west from here, there's a giant whirlpool of quicksand; that's where the dark faes fell.'
'I see.' Leon acknowledged.
Shortly after, he ordered the dark wyrm to move in the direction pointed out by the realm spirit while everyone else enjoyed the short ride.
Although they could simply fly over the black sand region, riding the dark wyrm gave them a refreshing feeling.
They could relax and enjoy the cool desert breeze.
As the dark wyrm brought the group 600 yards closer to the quicksand whirlpool, two mountains of black sand erupted near it, revealing another two equally giant dark wyrms.
Evidently, the dark wyrms guarded the Demon Lord-level Tomb's entrance.
However, Leon found it surprising that the stranded dark faes made it through the dark wyrms without getting eaten, but then, he quickly found his answers by studying the vicinity of the quicksand whirlpool.
Blood and broken pieces of equipment lay scattered across the area.
'Seems like a big battle occurred in this area… Considering the dark faes are one of the bottom feeders in the demon hierarchy, the stronger demons most likely used them as trailblazers…' Leon mused.
In a sense, the dark faes are quite lucky to have fallen into quicksand while the rest of the demons got caught up in battle.
Roar!
(How dare you let puny creatures ride on your back, and there's even humans among them! Have you lost all your pride?!)
(Pah! You're a complete disgrace to our kind and the dragon blood running in your veins!)
(Hmph! You two know nothing! It's my honor to serve a higher being! You can stay proud for now, but you'll be humbled in a moment if you keep up your hostilities!)
The dark wyrms growled at each other.
Roar!
(What higher being? I think you've lost your mind!)
(Yeah, yeah, whatever you say)
Roar!
Shortly after, the two hostile dark wyrms rushed at Leon's group.
"Although I don't understand what they were saying, negotiations failed, I presumed," Leon commented before stirring the dark power within him.
"Down, boy!"
(A higher being!)
Dark power quickly surged out of Leon's body, causing the two dark wyrms' expression to change drastically.
They abruptly halted their charge but ended up tumbling and kicking up a storm of black sand that flew towards Leon's group.
However, Leon casually waved at it and cleared the flying black sand from the area before seeing the two dark wyrms groveling on the ground.
Even their own dark wyrm had its head lowered while trembling in fear, causing a few dark faes to almost fall off its back.
"Why are you also down? I was talking to the other two dark wyrms!" Leon said as he patted the dark wyrm's head.
Shortly after, the dark wyrm raised its head back up before giving the other two dark wyrms a smug grunt.
(I told you so! Kek, where's your pride now, hm?)
(S-shut up! Quickly plead for us!)
The dark wyrms growled back.
Nevertheless, Leon did not care too much about the dark wyrms for the time being and brought everyone to fly over to the quicksand whirlpool that leads to the Demon Lord-level Tomb.
"Is the Demon Lord-level Tomb down here?" Aria glanced down at the quicksand whirlpool with a bit of reluctance. "Do we have to go through here?"
"Yep," Leon simply answered.
Chapter 804 - Shadow Tempest Demon Lord
While looking at the center of the quicksand whirlpool, it was easy to discover that the entrance leading to the Demon Lord-level Tomb itself was not that big.
If he tried to blast the entrance open, the black sand in the desert would quickly fill up the Demon Lord-level Tomb below and bury it completely.
"Just endure it for a short while; it'll save us inconveniences later," Leon added.
Although Aria felt a little uncomfortable about the suffocating feeling that comes from getting buried in quicksand, she obediently nodded after Leon spoke.
The discomforting feeling did not stem from her memories but Aria White's memories—memories of when she fell for another divine cultivator's trap and ended up buried under quicksand for many weeks during one of her younger days of adventuring.
Meanwhile, Saresha and clan members had no issue with sinking into quicksand to enter the Demon Lord-level Tomb if it meant they could save their other clan members.
"Let's go," Leon urged.
He took the initiative to plunge into the quicksand whirlpool before everyone else followed one by one, disappearing into the sinking black sand—including Aria.
…
Not long after everyone was gone, the dark wyrm expressed their relief.
(Phew! They're finally gone…)
(I didn't expect to encounter another noble existence since the Eternal Night Demon Empress's downfall…)
(Hush, don't talk about the Eternal Night Demon Empress. It brings back bad memories!)
(On a more serious note, I think the purity of that noble being's dark power is on an even higher level than the Eternal Night Demon Empress…)
(How can that be? The Eternal Night Demon Empress was an existence on par with Half-step True Divinities…)
(I'm not talking about their strength; I'm talking about the concept behind their dark powers… But, well, I don't really understand this concept stuff either)
(Aren't we forgetting something even more important? Are we just going to let them raid our ancestor's resting place?)
(Otherwise? What can we do about it? Can you resist the noble being's pressure?)
(I guess not…)
Shortly after, the dark wyrms resigned themselves to the situation of letting their ancestor's tomb get raided.
There was nothing they could do about it.
…
Meanwhile, shortly after Leon first dropped into the large open space underneath the Blacksand Desert, his sudden presence immediately alarmed the stranded members of the Dark Fae Clan.
"A human!" a dark fae cried.
The 14 members of the Dark Fae Clan immediately shot to their feet and directed their weapons at Leon with apprehensive looks.
However, not long after Saresha dropped down and saw the situation, she immediately barked, "Stop!"
"Another member of our clan?" a dark fae uttered with pleasant surprise before she quickly frowned with doubt. "Speak! What is your relationship with this human?!"
However, Aria and Darlene also dropped down after a few short moments before the 14 dark faes became even more apprehensive and cautious.
"Why did you tell us to stop? Did you turn your backs on your kind and start working for the humans?!" a dark fae shrieked while feeling betrayed.
But as more dark faes showed up from the surface, the 14 dark faes in the underground space wavered and became confused.
"Don't tell me you are all working with the humans? What the hell is going on here…"
"We have all submitted to our new lord, and I suggest that you all do too. Only by following our new lord will the Dark Fae Clan have a bright future," Saresha persuaded.
However, a few words were not enough to convince the 14 dark faes.
"Nonsense! You expect me to believe that a single human can change clan's situation?" one of the 14 dark faes questioned her.
Despite that, the dark fae's tone was not as strong and confident as the other dark faes.
Obviously, the human must have something special about him in order to convince fifty of their clan members to follow him.
"Hmph! You don't understand anything until you experience it yourself! Our lord is a noble demon!" Saresha stated.
"A noble demon? Impossible…" the 14 dark faes wavered before one of them stuttered, "P-prove it!"
Saresha snorted before turning to Leon.
"I apologize for incompetence, my Lord. I failed to convince them with a few words; please show them your might," she said with her head lowered.
"I understand your desire to serve me, but you should just let me handle these matters; it will save us time," Leon calmly said before taking a step forward and facing the wary dark faes.
"Although I don't need to prove anything to anyone, I still wish to avoid unnecessary losses where possible. Therefore, I will only say this once; submit to me or die!"
As he said that, dark power surged out of his body, causing tremendous pressure to quickly bear down on the 14 dark faes and suppress them in both body and mind.
'N-noble demon!'
The dark faes all had the same thought as they clutched their throats with a suffocating feeling while groveling on the ground.
"I-it was true…! H-he really is a noble demon…!"
In that instance, the dark faes immediately understood why fifty of their clan members would submit to the person—no, noble demon!
The difference between a human and a noble demon was like day and night.
Even if the noble demon were not capable, just by their backing, even high-rank demon clans would have to respect their Dark Fae Clan.
"W-we submit, my Lord! We apologize for being ignorant of your status!" the dark faes cried.
Only after hearing their submission did Leon retract the pressure from them before saying, "Now that wasn't so hard to do, wasn't it?"
"Saresha, I'll leave it to you to fill them in on the ongoing events and organize them into your ranks."
"Yes, my Lord!" Saresha complied.
Although Leon felt like he had been a bit overbearing, it had to be done.
'Tak-si, tell me about this Demon Lord-level Tomb,' Leon called for the realm spirit while shifting his attention to the giant stone gates behind the dark faes.
'Yes, Master!' Tak-si answered.
'This tomb belongs to the Shadow Tempest Demon Lord, a Demon Lord-level dark wyrm who possesses a small amount of a True Dragon's blood.'
After hearing that, Leon's eyes immediately flickered with strong interest.
'A True Dragon's blood, you say? How sure are you?'
'Very sure, Master!' Tak-si asserted.
Chapter 805 - Entering The Dark Wyrms' Den Alone
'True Dragon's blood…'
Leon rubbed his chin with a thoughtful look.
No matter how thin the dark wyrm's True Dragon Bloodline is, True Dragon's blood is still True Dragon's blood.
If he can obtain it and use it alongside True Grandmist Energy, he could advance his Dragon God Consolidating Viscera Method by leaps and bounds.
'No matter how little it is, I have to obtain this True Dragon's blood!' Leon's eyes flickered with a determined look.
'How is the layout of the Shadow Tempest Demon Lord's tomb? How many trials and traps did it lay out?' he asked.
However, contrary to his expectation, Tak-si gives a surprising answer.
'The Shadow Tempest Demon Lord's tomb doesn't have multiple trials, Master; there's only one trial ground and no traps installed. So if you pass it, you'll reach the Shadow Tempest Demon Lord's resting ground," Tak-si answered.
'There's only one trial ground and no traps behind this stone gate?' Leon repeated for confirmation.
He was taken aback by the revelation.
'Yes, Master.' Tak-si affirmed.
'Although the Shadow Tempest Demon Lord unlocked its spiritual wisdom, it still likes to keep things simple and didn't tamper with complicated things like arrays and formations.'
Hearing that, Leon furrowed his brows with doubt.
Even if there aren't any high-tier arrays and formations installed to increase the difficulty, a Demon Lord-level Tomb shouldn't be easy to conquer nonetheless—at least from others' perspectives.
'So what's behind this stone gate? Surely, it shouldn't be simple enough that anyone can overcome it.'
'Master is right,' Tak-si agreed.
'Fifty Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms are guarding the trial ground. Others might find this difficult, but it's a different story for Master, who possesses a higher-concept dark power.'
'Fifty Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms?' Leon paused before nodding with understanding.
Fifty Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms would be impossible for any average human or demon to overcome.
Nevertheless, defeating the Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms isn't the only way to reach the Shadow Tempest Demon Lord's resting ground.
They can also try sneaking past all the Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms.
As for him, he wouldn't be surprised if the Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms just let him stroll past them and reach the Shadow Tempest Demon Lord's resting ground.
'Right, I should also warn Master that these Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms also possess thin traces of their True Dragon ancestors' bloodline, so Master's dark power suppression may not be as effective on them,' Tak-si added.
Contrary to how he should react to the increased difficulty, Leon's eyes lit up after hearing the information.
To him, an Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm that is alive is much more valuable than a Demon Lord-level Dark Wyrm that is dead.
Nevertheless, it won't change the fact that he will still harvest the Demon Lord-level Dark Wyrm's True Dragon Blood.
"Well then, let's go greet these Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms, shall we?" Leon uttered.
He placed both hands on the giant stone gate and pushed it open with brute strength, causing the ground to vibrate from the rock-grinding noises.
Just as Aria, Darlene, and the dark faes prepared to follow them, Leon shook his head and stopped them.
"All of you will stay back. I will challenge the Demon Lord-level Tomb alone," he stated.
"Alone? This might not be like the Demon King-level Tomb, but it's still a Demon Lord-level Tomb! It's dangerous to challenge it alone," Aria voiced her concern.
However, Leon smiled back at her in response.
"You don't have to worry, Aria. There are only dark wyrms in the trial ground; Tak-si told me about it. Furthermore, you've seen how dark wyrms behave in front of my dark power; I'll be fine," he assured her.
Hearing that, Aria didn't argue further and nodded obediently.
"I'll wait for you."
"Be careful," Darlene added.
"I will."
At the same time, the newer dark fae members were startled by their lord's claim to challenge the Demon Lord-level Tomb alone.
However, they were even more astonished after hearing his following words.
If his dark power could even suppress Arch Demon-level creatures of darkness, then there was no doubt that following him was the right choice.
If their wishes for it, the Dark Fae Clan's rise to prominence will be unstoppable.
Just the thought of it filled them with excitement.
"We wish you the best of luck, my Lord!" the dark faes prayed for his success.
Shortly after hearing the dark faes' prays, Leon took his first step into the enormous trial ground with nothing else holding back.
The place was full of black sand on the bottom and obsidian-like crystallized black sand for walls and ceilings.
After his third step sent ripples of sand movements throughout the trial ground, columns of black sand erupted from the ground as multiple Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms revealed themselves.
Nevertheless, Leon did not falter.
He continued to stroll straight down the middle of the trial ground as more giant dark wyrms revealed themselves one after another; each of their strength varied from Early to Mid Arch Demon level.
When they saw the puny human's calm composure, their first thought was not to attack him but to study him with intense curiosity.
"Sup, fellas. How's it going?" Leon casually greeted.
The Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms all glanced at each other with the same confused look in their eyes.
(Where does this puny human get his confidence?)
(Is he a fool?)
They silently wondered among themselves.
"Do you know where you are, puny human? This is not a place where you can come!" a Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm suddenly spoke in the human tongue with its booming voice.
"You unlocked your spiritual wisdom? Great! That simplifies things," Leon clapped his hands together with a pleasant smile.
Communication makes things easier.
"I've come to negotiate a deal with your Dark Wyrm Clan—a great deal that your Dark Wyrm Clan won't be able to refuse," he said.
"You? Interesting."
The Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm glanced down on him with a condescending gaze.
"However, even if you want to negotiate with us, you must first have qualifications to negotiate with us! And a weak human like you does not have those qualifications!" it roared with a deafening voice.
The entire space shook as a result.
Chapter 806 - Leon's Offer & Condition
Leon bore the brunt of the Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm's deafening voice.
The sound wave blasted at his face and blew his hair back while the black sand on the ground rippled with waves and the stalactite dangling from the cave ceiling trembled.
However, he stood his ground firmly with a calm look.
Swoosh!
Gaseous clouds of dark energy slowly oozed out of his pores before swirling around his body like a small tornado.
In that instance, his insignificant presence completely changed from the perspective of the dark wyrms.
'A noble demon!' they thought.
"Do I have the qualifications to negotiate now?" Leon casually asked.
The Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm stared at Leon with a deep and solemn look in silence.
"You're very confident, but you have the right to be confident. We'll at least listen to what you have to say," it said after a moment.
At the same time, the other forty-nine Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms retracted their hostilities and intimidating gazes, releasing a load of pressure off Leon's shoulders.
He had made the right call not to force his way through.
His proficiency in the Devil Emperor's Tome of Eternal Darkness was not high enough to suppress Arch Demons, contrary to the realm spirit's expectation.
However, he already knew that.
If his dark power didn't work on three Arch Demons he previously fought, there was little chance that it would work on other Arch Demon-level beasts.
"Say it, what kind of deal do you have that makes you think we won't refuse?" the Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm pressed with a glint of curiosity.
"Aren't you tired of being confined in this enclosed space? I will break your shackles and grant you freedom," Leon stated.
"…"
After a brief moment of silence, the Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm burst into anguish laughter before glaring at Leon.
"How ridiculous!" the dark wyrm spat.
"Do you think an enclosed space like this can contain us if we genuinely wish to leave?! We didn't leave for the past few thousand years because we couldn't! We didn't leave because we are bound by our duty to guard our ancestor's tomb!"
"And that is exactly what I meant by your shackles!" Leon argued.
"Do not treat me like you would treat a being of lesser intelligence; I am above you! Who wouldn't know what Arch Demon-level beings like you are capable of?" he added with a condescending tone.
"It appears I have jumped to conclusions, but that makes your claim even more ridiculous!" the Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm said with a gloomy gaze.
"To proclaim you will break our shackles that is our duty to guard our ancestor's tomb, you are justifying your reason to raid our ancestor's tomb. Such audacity!"
"I won't deny that I have my eyes on the Shadow Tempest Demon Lord's inheritance, but what about you? And the rest of you?"
Leon stared back at the Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm before sweeping his gaze across the rest of the dark wyrms.
"Don't tell me you all plan to guard your ancestor's tomb until the end of time and die in a lightless place like this? Have you no ambitions?! Do you not wish to reach the same heights as your ancestor and beyond?! The vast world outside should be your stages!" Leon incited.
The Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms felt a stir in their emotions like a lit flame before it quickly died as soon as it appeared.
"I understand where you are getting at, but it's no use," the Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm said with a calm yet dispiriting tone.
At the same time, the other forty-nine dark wyrms lowered themselves in resting positions like deflated balloons with their guards down, seemingly dispirited as they recalled their shattered dreams.
"There was a time when we all thought we achieve our ancestor's heights, but it is simply impossible."
"And why is it impossible?" Leon argued.
"Because we are not talented like our ancestor; Our strength had long stagnated and failed to progress further," the Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm explained.
However, Leon could only snicker with ridicule in the face of such a lame excuse while earning the dark wyrms' ire in response.
"Do you find this funny, human?" the dark wyrms asked in a deep tone.
"Very," Leon admitted.
"The outside world is filled with endless possibilities; if you don't go out and search for them, how can you prove that you will never reach your ancestor's heights? It's not impossible because you don't have the talent; it's impossible because you have given up!"
After hearing that, the Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm had no words to refute him; he was right.
They chose to continue guarding their ancestor's tomb to the end of their lifespans because they were discouraged by their inability to advance into Divine Beasts.
However, some of the prideful dark wyrms could not stomach Leon's criticism.
"If you only came here to ridicule us, then even if you are a noble demon, we still dare to kill you!" one of the dark wyrms snarled.
However, in response to such a threat, Leon shrugged nonchalantly before saying, "As I have said, I have a deal that you guys cannot refuse. Did you think I was speaking empty words?"
"The same True Dragon's blood in your ancestor's body also flows in all your veins! So if I strengthen your True Dragon's blood, do you all think your strengths will remain as they are?!" he questioned them.
Many dark wyrms' eyes immediately flickered with intense light as if Leon had lighted a fire in their hearts with his words and reignited their ambitions.
"Even if you have such an ability to strengthen our True Dragon Blood and awaken our bloodline, what's in it for you?" the Mid Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrm asked.
"A small portion of True Dragon Blood for each strengthening I perform," Leon stated his intention.
He might not be lucky enough to find a True Dragon from the primordial age, but if he can cultivate his own dragons, he will have access to unlimited dragon blood.
The fifty Arch Demon-level Dark Wyrms' eyes all flickered with thoughtful looks after hearing Leon's condition.