Contrary to Davis''s assumptions, Schleya nodded her head.


    "Except the immortal version of my Blood Pledge Worldheart Manual, I know everything, every technique the Blood Pledge Vi has to offer, even the one I used is something the Blood Pledge Vi''s people rarely ever used."


    "Howe?" Davis blinked, "Disciples, even sessors wouldn''t usually receive such benefits unless they reach the Ninth Stage."


    He understood that wicked path people wouldn''t usually heal other people, but how did she have all the techniques?


    "I don''t know. Maybe the Vi Master wanted to conquer me at my strongest as he knows I''m going to kill him for what he had done. Other than that, I couldn''t think of any reason."


    Davis''s lips twitched.


    "I see. It''s like a game to you wicked path people. Twisted enough, but you don''t need to worry about getting sullied by that Vi Master. Even if you fail once or twice, I''ll be there to aid you."


    "…"


    Schleya bit her lips, her necking to possess a deep shade of red before she shook her head.


    "Don''t. You''re taking away my life and death instincts, allowing me to rx, which will dampen my will and rust my ws."


    "What the…?" Davis became bbergasted before he felt like he had had enough, "I''ve been meaning to ask, but why are you so fixated on life and death battles?"


    Schleya lowered her head clenched and unclenched her fists, repeating those movements as though she was hesitating before her lips moved.


    "Because… because that''s what forces everyone''s hands to kill..."


    Davis''s lips parted before he smiled.


    "You''re so kind."


    "I''m not!"


    Schleya''s crimson eyes wavered as she heard his gentle words before she took a step aside and left, appearing to go to a lonely corner again.


    Davis watched her leaving back before a soft feeling encroached his arm.


    "I told you. My eyes know what they''re looking at." Mingzhi had her arms wrapped around him as she smiled, causing Davis to pat her head.


    "Mingzhi''s eyes for measuring people is unparalleled."


    Mingzhi proudly grinned as she ced her two fingers before her right eye.


    "If only I had an evil eye to apany my adventures like Evelynn has, how cool would it be… sigh..."


    "Haha."


    Mingzhi deted like a balloon after realizing reality, causing Davis to chuckle while the others had a hard time understanding why she would desire an evil eye. On the other hand, Evelynn pouted, inwardlyining that her third eye wasn''t evil.


    Davis had whispered to her many times that it was cute, even mystically beautiful.


    =============


    Time passed.


    It was already night and going to be midnight soon enough.


    There were a total of two hundred and fortypetitors, and two hundred had already fallen, experiencing defeat and sometimes, humiliation. They thought they were elite geniuses, basking in glory but never saw that there were geniuses above them until they entered thepetition and saw the situation for themselves.


    The women of Drake ckburn all won their matches, bringing immense glory to the Dual Lotus Manor. People were astonished to see Vast Seas appear on Lora Ren, yne Bluestone, Amber Will, and Jade Sua. However, the quality of their Vast Seas certainly didn''t reach the likes of Zestria and Schleya as far as people could tell.


    From the Soul Pce, Threelotus also won her battle. People were shocked to see her Peak-Level King Soul Stage Cultivation practicallypared with a Low-Level Emperor Soul Stage Cultivation. Despite her opponents being powerful in terms of prowess, she suppressed all of them, disallowing them to use their prowess as much as they could.


    The people all mused that this kind of genius could only appear because the Emperor of Death took over the Soul Pce.


    Moreover, a dark horse appeared, appearing to belong to no one as a vagrant cultivator yet representing the Alstreim Family as chosen by the Emperor of Death during the time of having to select the participants. Back then, the people thought that the Emperor of Death was amusing to recruit him even before he stepped onto the Sea Measuring Formation. They thought that he was having fun, but now, they understood why because the Emperor of Death''s powerful senses had picked up on his specialty way before anyone could sense it.


    Other than them, victors from the Dragon Families, Heaven Mandate Temple, Astral Light Sect, Vast Sky Pce, Emperor Sword Sect, Jade Lotus Valley, and other prominent powers emerged. Clearly, the ability to nurture geniuses became clear that the hegemons possessed a huge advantage over it.


    Unfortunately, the tan Family wasn''t able to win a single battle because the Emperor of Death killed their geniuses, and the Law Sea Stage Experts had been crippled. They only had their Martial Sage Stage Cultivations to use, but it wasn''t enough against geniuses who possessed Abundant Seas.


    For the first time in their lives, they were experiencing such humiliation in apetition, but de tan and Leze tan, the current Patriarch of the tan Family, and his wife didn''t seem abashed or humiliated, maintaining an indifferent decorum.


    From their point of view, just being allowed to attend thepetition was alone a blessing as each day, the scene of Grand Elder Ragnar tan being hung atop of the city to dry out like an abandoned corpse remained visible to their eyes whenever they looked up, reminding them that they have been spared by the Earth Dragon Queen and the Emperor of Death.


    What else could they ask for as they have been subordinated, or to speak inly, enved?


    There were eight more battles left in the first round of the Eighth Stage Segment.


    Two more battles took ce, and the winners walked out with cheers weing them while the losers dejectedly lowered their heads.


    On the forty-third battle, Bi tan''s name appeared on the ranking projection, causing her to finally step up.


    "This will be thest battle for today. The remaining battles will take ce tomorrow."


    Honorable Elder Julian Kruse announced as he saw thepetitors fly towards the battle stage.


    Davis saw Bi tan leave without saying anything, and then he noticed something different about her golden robe but couldn''t particrly tell what it was. Nevertheless, he cast a nce at her four opponents and saw that none of them were worth anything just from sensing their undtions.


    His Alstreim Family didn''t have the luck of meeting someone from the Emperor Sword Sect or the Vast Sky Emperor Pce from Zestria''s battle. Otherwise, he would''ve asked Bi tan to take special care of the opponent.


    He hadn''t seen Ellia battle today but knew that she would battle tomorrow from the arbitrator''s words.


    From the ce he stood, just looking at her face filled withplex expression was alone aching. They had exchanged numerous nces already, but whenever he tried to establish contact for more than two seconds, that white witch would always appear on her facial expression that Davis became able to tell when they switched out because Ellia''s gaze towards him was obvious as it could be while Myria''s gaze towards him was as annoyed as it could be.


    Clearly, Myria didn''t want him speaking with Ellia, but…


    <i>''Well, tomorrow… tomorrow would be thest day you''ll be having control over Ellia like that...''</i>


    Davis let out a confident smirk before he lowered his head, looking at the battle stage where Bi tan flew into position. Her opponents also took battle poses, their bodies turned towards her as they seemed to be wary of her from the get-go, appearing to not look down on her even though she was still a ve, but by this time, if they weren''t wary of her, people would call them stupid as most of the participants from the Alstreim Family were anything but ordinary.


    The crowd momentarily became silent before amanding voice echoed out.


    "Let the battle begin!"