Chapter 1658 - Intentions Bared
The Four Emperors didn't seem amused, nor did their expressions change much as if they expected this answer from her.
The Mandate Emperor inwardly sighed as he closed his eyes and opened.
"My wording was poor, Earth Dragon Queen Isabella. I'm stating that those two Dragon Families alone are willing to pay reparations while they are not afraid to fight to the death as their Patriarchs are still alive."
"And I'm supposed to be afraid of them?"
Isabella giggled lightly, causing the Mandate Emperor to shake his head.
"Let's face reality here. Before, they were not aware of your full prowess and fought while underestimating you and your late husband. But now, they know your true strength and won't hold back, coming with schemes and brute force from all sides. If you make a move on them, you will have little chances to succeed in your endeavor but wouldn't be able to protect your late husband's family here, and we, as the arbitrators, would not be able to interfere anymore."
Isabella coldly gazed at them, staying silent while not giving a reply.
"Earth Dragon Queen Isabella, we need your latent strength for the greater good of the Fifty-Two Territories." The Karmic Guardian Emperor spoke up, "Just say the word, and we will not stop at any cost to provide you with resources in order for you to quickly climb the levels in cultivation even though we assume that you may have such resources; from your inheritance."
Isabella glanced away into the distance, appearing to be contemplative.
The four leaders waited for her to speak for a while before she finally looked at them and moved her lips.
"I still stand my ground. Although I can let the Orcha Family and Ike Family harmonize with reparations, the Domitian Family and the Zlatan Family deserve much worse and need to pay a heavy price if they want to reconcile with me for the greater good, as you say. You might want to convince them or risk something considerably worse instead."
"We'll do our best as the arbitrators, so please state what you seek of them to do."
Mandate Emperor nodded with an indifferent expression.
"I will tell that shortly, but before that, I want to know all your intentions towards me."
"What does Earth Dragon Queen Isabella mean?"
Mandate Emperor's expression appeared to be confused, his sharp brows becoming furrowed. However, he suddenly turned his head and looked towards a direction where there was an uninhabited island nearby.
"The person hidden in the brilliance of light, come out."
Davis's expression was indifferent when he saw Mandate Emperor looking in his direction. In front of him, quite a distance away above the sea, a person stepped out from the as if walking out from the reflection of light. It was as though he was a chameleon, managing to stay invisible in front of everyone through the power of Light Laws but not from his senses and Nadia's and neither to...
"As expected of the Mandate Emperor, the strongest human cultivator. I can't escape your senses, can I?"
That person spoke with a wide smile on his face.
He had two horns above his head and the white wings of an eagle. There was also a white-tail with golden patterns coming out from his white-black robe while flailing behind him. However, he only had a single eye on his head while maintaining his features of a human.
'A fey?'
Davis, Evelynn, Isabella, and Nadia all thought at the same time as they saw this person's appearance.
"All-Seeing Emperor." The Mandate Emperor looked away, "If you have time to spy at our conversation, go collect some strategic information on the wicked path."
"Aiya, I don't care about the righteous path and wicked path since I follow the wealth path."
The All-Seeing Emperor grinned while his one single blinked as he looked around.
"Moreover, this place seems to be a perfect place to gather more wealth. After all, the proceedings and the results between your talks is one of the most sought-out information by the world, and even the magical beast empires are interested in it."
"Look, coming here and knowing that the Vast Sky Emperor has recovered already been a fruitful endeavor for me. Ahahaha!~"
While the All-Seeing Emperor laughed while holding his stomach while his white-tail flailed, the four Emperors' expressions were rather unamused.
They all disdained, insisting in their minds as there's no such thing as the wealth path as the heavens didn't differentiate. Even if there was, it was not worthy of being followed as it would be a lesser path that doesn't matter in the eyes of the heavens.
It was merely materialistic endeavors that weren't good for one's soul, in their opinion. Nevertheless, they didn't do anything to the All-Seeing Emperor as they left him to his devices as they turned to look at the Earth Dragon Queen.
"No need to hide your intentions. I finished grieving for my 'late' husband, so you have it there. Is the Vast Sky Emperor only one to pursue me, or..."
Isabella indifferently panned her gaze at them as she continued, her eyes falling on the Karmic Guardian Emperor.
The Karmic Guardian Emperor's brows furrowed.
Was this woman forcing them to make their stance clear that she could act accordingly?
'So be it...'
He already felt quite old to be dragged into this muddy waters, and he could vaguely feel that messing with this Earth Dragon Queen didn't bore well for him through his karmic prowess.
Clasping his hands, Karmic Guardian Emperor spoke.
"Let the truth be spoken. I indeed had such intentions as Earth Dragon Queen's beauty and magnificence is blinding, but I will respectfully step back since the Vast Sky Emperor already seems to have some success. I am the oldest among these fellows, and naturally, I deserve such a young lady like you the least."
The other Emperors of the righteous world seemed taken aback by his statement before Starnova Emperor felt Earth Dragon Queen's gaze fall on him.
He merely shrugged as he shook his head, his long purple hair gently swaying in the wind.
"These elders have already warned me to step back, so I don't dare. Of course, I tried my chances with Glorious Pill Palace's Farah Lanate, who's a Peak-Level Law Rune Stage Powerhouse, and her majestic self accepted my proposal, so I think I will invite Earth Dragon Queen Isabella to my marriage ceremony one day. Haha!"
Starnova Emperor jovially laughed while rubbing his head. His actions portrayed that he was the youngest of them all.
Isabella knew that the Starnova Emperor lacked a wife, the main wife that is as he already possessed concubines in the tens, ranging from five Law Rune Stage Powerhouses to many Law Law Sea Stage Experts who were on the peak of their stages and could also enter the Ninth Stage in the future.
The top peak powerhouses who ruled Large-Sized Territories never lacked high caliber women, who are all in the Ninth Stage more or less. Therefore, she lightly believed his words.
Nevertheless, she also knew that this person took a hit to his reputation from being rejected by the Burning Phoenix Ridge's Sect Master Lea Weiss, giving birth to rumors that Sect Master Lea Weiss liked or loved someone else. However, it didn't seem to have affected his confidence as he, in reality, managed to court Glorious Pill Palace's Farah Lanate, whose alchemy prowess was said to be superior, only second to the two Grand Pill Emperors of the Glorious Pill Palace.
She vaguely mused that this was a political marriage in order to consolidate power, but it wasn't her place to bother as she moved on to the last person whose eyes were quite clear as if untainted by worldly affairs.
The Mandate Emperor also possessed another title, the Heaven's Messenger, whose words when uttered were similar to a mandate from the heavens. Furthermore, he remained the strongest cultivator, making it so that he possessed the most prominent influence amongst the people and the Four Great Righteous Sects.
"Mandate Emperor?"
Isabella voiced out as a form of respect towards his status as the strongest, although it didn't amount to much as she already perceived him; no, all four of them as threats in her mind.
They did indeed make their intentions clear, that if the coast was clear, they would make a move on her. However, every man would do the same, but the difference was that these four men possessed the strength to restrain her, and therefore, she could not allow them to exist if they still looked at her that way.
Fortunately, it seemed like they were backing out. After all, making their intentions clear meant that they had little to no chance to be with her now, especially when the All-Seeing Emperor was recording their answers in the distance.
Now, there was only this Mandate Emperor left, who stared at her with a clear gaze, unlike the Vast Sky Emperor, whose desiring gaze made her want to puke.
The Mandate Emperor stared at her for a while before he collected his thoughts and clasped his hand.
"Honestly, there's no woman like Earth Dragon Queen Isabella who could reach the Immortal Stage and advance further without encountering many bottlenecks in the Fifty-Two Territories at this day and age. Therefore, I'm deeply tempted and willing to challenge Vast Sky Emperor for your hand in marriage as long as you see me as a target of courtship. Otherwise, I'll respectfully stay clear of your way as I have my beliefs and values despite the temptation of a glorious future with your majestic self."
Isabella's brows raised. On the other hand, the Vast Sky Emperor maintained a confident smile on his face while hearing the Mandate Emperor's challenge to him.
'Clearly, she's making it known to them that she was pursued by me and wants to choose the best out of the four of us. I wonder what she would say to the Mandate Emperor? Chose him to spite me? Or have me chase her relentlessly a bit more before she accepts me?'
He still remembered the humiliation he received from her, so he couldn't tell which of the two she would choose.
"I see..."
Isabella lowered her head and lightly giggled.
"With your answers, I made up my mind."
"Good! Let us all hear your grace's words then...!"
The All-Seeing Emperor screamed from a distance, causing Isabella to nod her head. She lightly waved her hand as a golden sword appeared in her grasp and pointed it towards a person as her lips moved.
"The one who brazenly attempted to make a move on me during my distress is my only foe: the Vast Sky Emperor."
"...!?"
All five of their expressions changed as they were taken aback by her response.