Divine Emperor of Death

Chapter 4672: Usurping An Identity

Soon, I was on my knees in a grand obsidian hall, not daring to look up. The Void Reflection Deity’s presence hung like a curtain of night, stars swirling in its shadow. I pledged myself to his divine grace, my hands stained with familial blood. In return, it branded my soul with the Starry Mark, etching a reflection of the divine inside me.

The Starry Corps cheered. My tears fell silently onto the black marble floor, but inside, it was no longer sadness but true happiness.

Days blurred into years.

Training, killing, rising. I became Awudan, a Zealot of the Starry Corp, a black-robed supreme genius who led hunts and shattered sects. My laughter grew hollow. My devotion grew fervent than ever. Every victory felt like sinking deeper into the deity’s warm reflection.

There was a day- I finally received a suicide mission.

With my zealot brothers, I arrived at the Shard World, a secret realm that is rumored to be a part of the Elemental Dimension. The great treasure, the Void Loom Bangle, helped us Empyreans enter the otherwise unaccessible secret realm that was limited to Immortal Emperors.

There isn’t much time. Our limit was said to be one month and eighteen days, after which the bangle’s grace would disappear, and we would be subjected to the harshest penalty of the Shard World. We are to investigate who stole the Temporal Voidplane Ring and retrieve it.

Fortunately, Young Master Almer Spacewill’s group noticed that the Temporal Voidplane Ring was stolen by the Divine Emperor of Death. There came a problem with it since it’s difficult to kill him. Thanks to them, we also know he tamed an Eternal Eclipse Bird. How he did it isn’t important. Since we can’t kill him and would potentially die at the first encounter without being able to do anything, Starry Captain Yirazul opted to ambush him by getting the help of the space-attributed Empyrean Grade Heaven-Tier Spirit, Mythic Riftveil Serpent Spirit.

We have the necessary resources to court its help.

Thankfully, we gained its help. Although we can’t rely on it, it’s a Level Two Exalt Stage Spirit, so it should be able to seal the Eternal Eclipse Bird in its pocket space for some time.

Now, the only thing left to do is ambush the Divine Emperor of Death, who is said to be incredibly careful and cunning.

We must make him believe that we’re unprepared. As soon as we spot him, we’ll lunge at him and detonate ourselves, warning the others. The Mythic Riftveil Serpent Spirit will quickly appear and seal the bird. Then, we launch ourselves continuously until he’s blown to smithereens. Since he is said to be capable of reviving, we’ll retrieve the Temporal Voidplane Ring and flee.

The rest is something we don’t need to deal with since the Divine Emperor of Death can’t enter the Upper Realms, much less the Greater Realm.

A reasonable plan, yet why has the Eternal Eclipse Bird appeared in front of me? Why is the Divine Emperor of Death using a strange attack instead of killing me? I feel like… losing myself… I’m being… no!

Davis’s gaze returned. He looked at himself and he looked at ‘himself’.

He was in control of both bodies.

He was still himself despite being Awudan. He was Davis.

‘Awudan’ gathered a thick sputum inside his mouth and spat it out in disgust, “Yuck. What a fucking useless cuck… killing his father and sacrificing his mother in exchange for power…”

He raised his hand and wiped his mouth, his gaze full of disdain and disgust.

Davis looked at ‘Awudan’ and chuckled coldly, “What do you expect? He’s a zealot and to become one, they must be insane in the first place…”

“Hmm. The Void Reflection Deity… a true tyrant who has a lot of crimes on his head and also likes to steal wives and mothers as though it’s a past time.” ‘Awudan’ spat out again, unable to get rid of the disgust he felt at possessing this identity.

Awudan had certainly fetched a lot of women for the Void Reflection Deity, many wives of officials, and even their mothers. Heck, he had even gifted his own wife, but that didn’t seem to affect him much because by that time, he was already a zealous devotee who sacrificed the most important people in his life.

“No wonder the Celestial Transcendent banned them completely… they’re a true scourge for the world…”

Davis said, sighing lightly. His impression of the Celestial Transcendent improved yet again.

Considering his own way of life, he would also squash such abhorrent creatures.

Nonetheless, he concealed himself as though returning to the shadows. The Eternal Eclipse Bird also concealed itself.

Only ‘Awudan’ remained.

Awudan himself was no longer present. Technically, Awudan was still alive, but once Davis left this body, Awudan was bound to die.

Davis, in the body of Awudan, sighed.

So far, using the Karmic Impersonation Technique, Davis had only been able to assume himself as another person using their dead soul essence. Now, using the Karmic Identity Usurpation Technique that he had based using the principles he had digested earlier and the Karmic Impersonation Technique, he was trying to rob a person of themselves, of their identity, to usurp their fate.

He had succeeded.

Once Davis settled down, he chuckled, ‘So these bastards already knew of everything yet still decided to lay a well-thought-out trap for me? How are they brainless zealots? At least, their leader, Captain Yirazul, is certainly smart and capable…’

He walked forward, continuing to act like ‘Awudan on a mission’ for a few hours before returning to the campsite.

A soul transmission fell on his ears.

“No sign of the Divine Emperor of Death. Continue to act. He should arrive anytime since our scouts have seen him leaving the Wrathful Aeons Shard Region’s exit and heading towards us.”

“Why isn’t he here yet? Surely, that bird is fast. Could it be that it’s because it’s concealed?”

“If it’s concealed, then all we have to do is provoke him into attacking us. The moment one of us loses our lives, we’ll know.”

“Perhaps he is being harassed by a Calamity.”

“True…”

“What if a calamity swallows the ring?”

“If that happens, it’ll be easier for us to track it since a Divergent’s passive anti-divination existence will no longer hinder us…”

“Indeed.”

Outside, they still talked about finding a way to the Luminous Rage Shard Region and complained about the False Dawn Harbinger that was blocking the way.

Davis acted like nothing had happened and enjoyed the meal with them.

After they were done, they split up again to continue their investigation.

Davis could only laugh since he knew what Awudan’s recent thoughts, ideas, goals, and ambitions were like, as though he had them on the tip of his finger, flicking them for them to be revealed. He thoroughly comprehended what kind of plans they had for him and how they would attack once he was found. Hence, he was going to…

*Boom!~*

A terrifying explosion went up in the distance, engulfing hundreds of kilometers in radius. It was a spatial-attributed explosion, spatial layers cracked but hadn’t collapsed. The Shard Continent’s space was just too strong.

“It’s the Divine Emperor of Death.”

“Quick! Attack!”

The zealous warriors of the Starry Corps quickly spotted a purple-robed man in the distance, searching for him.

He flew high, trying to get away using the Eternal Eclipse Bird.

At that moment, the void split open above, and there slithered out a turquoise serpent-like head with a humanoid spirit body. Its aura immediately caused the space around it to nearly turn dense if people were caught in a quagmire. At the same time, its gaze flashed at the Eternal Eclipse Bird.

Davis jumped from the Eternal Eclipse Bird, using obliteration energy to instantly widen the gap.

When he turned to look up, it was abruptly engulfed in a turquoise layer where it seemed to have been sealed.

Davis’s lips curled in derision. Simultaneously, he looked beside him and saw a black-robed zealot throw himself to him.

“For the Void Reflection Deity!”

The zealot praised with a crazy look on his face, and his undulations went unstable. Within a second, he blew up, creating a tremendous spatial storm.

Before it could explode, Davis created walls of spatial planes before him using the Temporal Voidplane Ring’s ability. The first few planes blocked the explosive spatial storm before he used the last one to ride it like a boat going through a tsunami.

The impact of the self-destruction sent him flying.

Quickly, more zealots gathered. Eight turned to sixteen. Although two were lost, there were still sixteen!

Captain Yirazul arrived, his hair white and his eyes purple. He wore a black robe, but he threw it away, revealing a dazzling dark purple robe with numerous reflective adornments and patterns.

“Divine Emperor of Death, hand over the Temporal Voidplane Ring and we’ll let bygones be bygones.”

As he said, another zealot reached Davis and exploded, sending him flying again. He was like a boat barely surviving the storm, almost about to capsize and drown him to death.

The spatial planes he summoned that were like walls, shattered like glass, amidst the self-destruction of the zealots. They spared no effort, completely uncaring of their own lives.

The zealots gathered towards Captain Yirazul. Two of them flew out again, dashing towards the Divine Emperor of Death, who seemed to be unable to regain balance. They came at him from different directions.

But suddenly, he twisted, and a giant dark bird appeared, its waxing and waning crescent eyes familiar. It flapped its wings, causing a giant dark gust to cleave the two zealots into pieces.

Having summoned the Eternal Eclipse Bird out of the Temporal Voidplane Ring, Davis stood on its head and flashed a middle finger before he abruptly disappeared.

The one sealed was just an illusion created by the Eternal Eclipse Bird, leaving the Mythic Riftveil Serpent Spirit and Captain Yirazul stunned.

*Ripp!~*

At this moment, a dark purple spatial blade pierced Captain Yirazul from the back, coming out of his stomach as it had destroyed his dantian.

“You-!” Captain Yirazul spat blood from his mouth and turned to look behind him, and saw Awudan.

He couldn’t believe.

Before his thoughts could even catch up over this incredulous situation, Awudan’s face twisted into one of Davis as he used Misdirection and Enigmatic Heart Laws, “I’m here. As zealots, don’t you think we should die together?”

*Bzzz~!*

Space constricted when a spatial dome spread out, and unstable undulations began to spread in extreme amounts.

While the zealots were trying to blow up on Davis’s face before they could be sealed in the Temporal Voidplane Ring, ‘Awudan’ was also blowing up to their confusion. Only then did they suddenly realize that Awudan could be possessed somehow, and the spatial dome was fake, nothing but an illusion. However, during that fast-paced exchange, only a moment was needed to fool them.

*BOOOM!~*

One explosion occurred, triggering a chain reaction that engulfed the entire area. Spatial storms ensured, causing forests to be torn apart and mountains to disappear.

Standing above the Eternal Eclipse Bird, Davis wasn’t shaken or blown away by the intensity of the explosion. The darkness layer of the Eternal Eclipse Bird naturally protected him. He stroked his chin, his senses sweeping out for any possible survivors while he gazed at the Mythic Riftveil Serpent Spirit.

“You wanna go at it?”

Before the Mythic Riftveil Serpent Spirit could even consider replying, it had already fled, seeping into a rift like a snake that slithered into a mountain crevice and disappeared.

Thanks Emross for the Magic Castle!

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Oct 5th

[14/14 normal chapters]