Chapter 1698 - The Next Tribute
After the Orcha Family cleaned the bloody mess in Welcoming Hall, they left with their heads lowered.
The broadcast was turned off at this moment by the All-Seeing Emperor a floor below since there was nothing to see anymore. The three remaining Dragon Families were yet to arrive. After all, there was still time till midnight.
The whole world became abuzz after seeing the projection fade, talking about the unexpected influence that the Emperor of Death commanded and the miserable situation of the Dragon Families. If the Orcha Family was treated like this, wouldn't it be the same, perhaps worse for the other families, especially the Domitian Family and the Zlatan Family?
Many people ended up having the doubt why the Four Dragon Families didn't arrive at the same time in order to have an advantage, but only a few learned that it was because the Orcha Family's diplomatic situation with the Domitian Family had worsened and that they don't see eye to eye anymore.
Since they were not cooperative at the moment, the Orcha Family decided to make a move first, lest they later be targeted by the Domitian Family or killed by the Emperor of Death if the Domitian Family decided to do something foolish in order to entrap them along with their deaths.
Meanwhile, Davis was looking at the seven Water-Attributed Peak-Level Spirit Stone Vein Sources in his spatial ring, three Ice-Attributed Peak-Level Spirit Stone Vein Sources, and two Yin-Attributed Peak-Level Spirit Stone Vein Sources, along with a bunch of other Emperor Grade Resources that could make one reach the High-Level Ninth Stage within a century or even a decade.
It made him agree with the part where it was said that the Dragon Families were extremely rich and capable of lasting through generations with the help of their formations alone.. Surely, if he had conquered and plundered them, he could've obtained more, but that was not the point.
He wanted to make them understand that targeting Isabella was the worst possible thing they could've ever done in their life.
For that, Isabella had decided to leave them the hard way out, yet they couldn't seem to reciprocate it, making him urge to kill the Zlatan Family even if he decided to spare the others.
Nevertheless, this made him feel happy for Natalya as these resources allowed her to make many leaps with less than half of the effort.
He called Natalya to his side and suddenly pulled her over to his lap, making her blush as there was an entire array of people seated here, watching them with teasing smiles.
Davis didn't do anything to Natalya other than tell her to see the spatial ring, which she did, making her eyes go wide in shock.
"It's all for you..."
Natalya bit her lips, appearing to be touched. She knew that he had no need for these resources to train, but still, to instantly give it to her made her feel validated and loved. Nevertheless, she shook her head.
"Are you sure that you don't want to use that on Iesha?"
"What are you saying?" Davis appeared amused, "She's not even my woman yet. Besides, how can she compare to you? I don't love her to that kind of level..."
"..."
Natalya looked greatly taken aback before a joyful curve appeared on her lips.
"Is that so?" She lightly giggled, "I'm pretty sure that this Ice and Yin Attributed Peak-Level Spirit Stone Vein Sources would be useful to bewitch her heart than it already is..."
"...?"
Davis blinked, to which Natalya whispered in his ear.
"I figured it out for you while you were with Isabella. Iesha does love you, for she appeared dreamy when she told me how you saved her and allowed her to save her empire though it all began from a misunderstanding."
Her sweet voice and information tickled his soul, making him feel joy. He had an idea that was the case but just didn't have the time to look after her right now. He just had time to give what he promised her, a safe space.
"So she now understands that there's a spatial tunnel in the Frigid Yin Spirit Pool?" He asked.
"Yes, considering that she came to us from traveling in similar locations, she is smart enough to understand that and realized that you later improvised to act like you came to plunder the Yin Frigid Spirit Pool, which she always felt didn't make sense more or less."
Davis nodded, wondering why Natalya was doing the work for him.
"So, what did you think of her?"
Natalya pursed her lips, appearing to be thinking.
"She's good, although I don't know because she's a spirit. I know little to nothing about them."
"Same here. We'll talk-"
"The Ike Family from the Four Dragon Families have arrived with their tributes and regrets."
Suddenly, the resounding voice of the announcer echoed again, causing them to look towards the entrance.
A group of three walked into the Purple Guest Palace, wearing azure green robes.
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim practically threw the middle finger to them, but looking at them ignore him, not even turning his way as they made their way forward, he inwardly sighed and took his hands back, understanding that they had come prepared after watching the miserable appearance of the Orcha Family.
Nevertheless, he looked at the man in the forefront and couldn't help but feel serious trouble.
Indeed, Davis narrowed his eyes as he leisurely sat on his throne with Natalya still on his lap. The man in the forefront was actually as strong as the Starnova Emperor as far as he could sense at the moment.
"I see you have become stronger than the last time you faced me, Ike Family's Patriarch."
Abruptly, Isabella's voice echoed out with an ounce of unfriendly intent.
"Indeed, I, Lucius Ike, had to consume many Peak-Level Wind Attributed Spirit Stone Vein Sources that I even had to empty the reserves in order to reach this level."
The young-looking man appeared confident and serene as he clasped his hands towards the Earth Dragon Queen, "I predict the same for the Orcha Family's Patriarch, Allecti Orcha, except I imagine he's waiting for his enemies to appear so that he could sweep them off the face of this world and show that the Orcha Family is still standing strong."
"And then, if you consumed so many Wind-Attribute Spirit Stone Vein Sources, what am I going to get?"
Davis appeared amused as his cold voice echoed.
Hearing him, Ike Family's Patriarch, Lucius Ike, turned to look at him as he clasped his hands.
"Fortunately, our Ike Family had a vast stockpile of those Vein Sources, so I am able to afford this kind of excessive spending on myself, especially as the Calamity Light's disaster is inbound."
As he spoke, he sent a spatial ring towards Davis.
Natalya no longer sat by Davis and returned to her seat a few meters besides him. On the other hand, Davis reached out his hand and took the spatial ring, sensing the contents as his brow frowned.
"Just seven Peak-Level Wind Attribute Spirit Stone Vein Sources?"
"Excuse me, your eminence. This one is special as I would like to handle them with care."
Patriarch Lucius Ike sent another spatial ring towards Davis, making him frown more. However, when he bound and sensed its contents.
'Oh? This is... a Peak-Level Spatial-Attribute Spirit Stone Vein Source!?'
Davis became inwardly shocked as he sensed a space twist inside the spatial ring, although it still looked stable.
Furthermore, there were two of them!
Davis knew that Spatial-Attributed Peak-Level Spirit Stone Vein Sources were almost non-existent in the world, only known to be in the hands of the Vast Sky Emperor Palace and the Heaven Gazing Sect. He was more or less planning to obtain them after killing the Vast Sky Emperor, but he never expected to obtain two in this place that it came off to him as a pleasant surprise.
Patriarch Lucius Ike imperceptibly smiled as he saw the Emperor of Death's frown disappear.
"As your eminence can see, our Ike Family's apologies are more sincere. Although it pains my heart to give away these treasures that we almost consider our heirloom, we made a fatal blunder and are willing to admit it and amend for it."
After he spoke, he knelt on his two knees and bowed his head.
"Please forgive our family and give us a path to reconciliation."
Davis's eyes were narrowed as he looked at the three people of the Ike Family kneel and apologize to him and Isabella.
He heard that the Ike Family was a family that hugely invested in trading, auctions, and the likes, but he finally understood how they acted. They were strong, overbearing, and swift as the wind, but they were also flexible, able to adjust or adapt to the heavy winds that blow their way to survive no matter what it takes.
Isabella also told him that they were the first ones to escape when shit hit the fans while dealing with her and didn't attack her as the others did.
He didn't know if he should respect or spite them for sensibly fulfilling Isabella's demands, but he mused that this was more than a heavy enough price to pay in order to receive his mercy.
Although he was hoping that this Patriarch would make a mistake or showcase his arrogance so that he could kill one personally with his own hands, it seemed like that wasn't going to happen.
"Alright, leave."
Davis simply waved his hand, telling the Ike Family to leave without much respect.
Patriarch Lucius Ike merely smiled as he stood up, turned around, and left. However, it was not long before the All-Seeing Emperor told him that an entire wicked path legion near the wicked path border was decimated by space-rending winds that also eradicated an entire mountain that stretched ten thousand kilometers off the surface.
"..."
Davis and the others were silent for a second before they all began to laugh out loud.