Late at night in the former Master's villa, Dyon sat meditating on a few things.
The once grandiose, palace-like mansion had become nothing more than a pile of rubble. But, Dyon managed to find a relatively intact few rooms where he and the twins were staying.
He was slightly disappointed that Little Rose and Evangeline were nowhere to be found, but he mostly expected as much. He had no idea when he'd see them again, but the tower spirit essentially implied that it would have to show Dyon what happened that day if he conquered more floors than Evangeline.
Logically speaking, that meant Dyon would be strong enough to know the secret as long as he conquered the third floor, or else Evangeline would have conquered more floors as a form of protection.
Considering Evangeline was a half-step transcendent, even if suppressed to only use her body, perhaps conquering seven or eight floors would have been possible for her. Yet, she didn't. The reason was obvious.
Just as Dyon was lost in thought, his divine sense caught wind of some movement.
"Come in." His voice travelled to the culprit.
There was a long pause, but eventually, the door creaked open to reveal a breathtaking white-haired beauty. Her cold expression didn't seem to dampen her beauty at all.
"Why did you have me come here?" She asked coldly.
"Didn't I say that you could question my methods?" Dyon responded indifferently.
"Are you not the peak comet level expert you claimed to be?" Lilith's frown deepened.
The only reason she asked this of Dyon was because he admitted that he was the masked man that had practically taken of the SNN in recent weeks. According to the released video, Dyon claimed to be a 6th stage comet level expert.
Dyon's lips curled into a disdainful smile. "Did I ever specify what secondary profession I had reached that level in? How are you so sure it's alchemy?"
Of course, Dyon understood Lilith's thought process. If she thought he could heal her because he was a 6th comet stage expert, then it must be because she assumed he could concoct a pill that could heal her.
"Don't insult my intelligence." Lilith's cold eyes flickered with a slight killing intent. She was a lady who was forced to come to the room of a man that wasn't her own fianc in the dead of night. To say she was in a bad mood was an understatement. Even Sokzac didn't have this privilege, who did this Dyon think he was? In Lilith's opinion, if her soul was injured, she could defeat Dyon as easily as flipped over a hand.
After seeing his battle prowess, she was slightly impressed, but not so much so that she feared his abilities. She had already decided that the moment she was healed, she would enter a sect, challenge their key wielder, and become a True God. She really couldn't stand that arrogant smirk on Dyon's face.
It was as though as her affections for Sokzac grew, her hate for Dyon grew right along side it.
Unfortunately for Lilith who was used to men constantly seeking her affections, Dyon didn't care.
"For someone with such a powerful soul," Dyon started, "Your knowledge of secondary professions is poor. In order to heal a soul at the Lower Saint stage like yours, barely passable in talent, I might add, I can poof the ingredients into existence out of thin air. They cost several million saint stones at a minimum, to the point where some might only be capable of being purchased with celestial stones.
"So, even if you knew I was alchemist, it's quite silly of you to come here so blindly. Do you really believe that your cooperation is worth so much? Do you really believe that I'd rather pay that price than just acting to forcibly take it from you?"
Lilith's eyes grew colder. "I know that you're an alchemist because no disciple of the 25th White Mother would separate alchemy and formation theory. The reason you didn't bother to specify your secondary occupation is because you meant array alchemy as a whole. The reason you keep all of this a secret is because you understand that there's a taboo on array alchemy within your 100 quadrants.
"As for the matter of ingredients, I'm aware. However, as a person who isn't an alchemist myself, how can I know of what ingredients I need unless I meet with you? You should stop trying to prove that you're superior to me in intelligence and just state what it is you need me to collect so that I can be on my way."
Dyon didn't have much of a reaction to Lilith's words, but he did confirm something very important. Being affiliated with his master was a very clear line to others. Being her disciple meant that you didn't conform to the current social norms which would also make him a target.
This made Dyon feel even better about the fact he signed all of those contracts. The fact he was his master's disciple couldn't be leaked, not now. He was still too weak and his home quadrant was still too vulnerable.
This told him something else as well. It seemed that quadrants outside of their 100 quadrant structure didn't care much for this taboo. In fact, from Lilith's expression when speaking of array alchemy, it was clear that she thought highly of it. If she didn't, why would she ask for a follower of its doctrines to help heal such an important part of her?
Maybe there were other array alchemists in existence Maybe it was just that they were here.
"Interesting." Dyon chuckled. "Well, I won't be needing those ingredients. You can start by taking off your clothes."
"What did you say?" Lilith's whole being froze over.
"Did I stutter? Were my words unclear? Take your clothes off." Dyon's indifferent expression became cold. He had already lost count of how many times this girl had aimed her killing intent at him. If it wasn't for Evangeline, he would have directly killed her.
Lilith's expression became colder. "There'll come a day where I'll kill you."
Her body turned swiftly to leave. She wouldn't be disrespected like this.
Dyon's eyes flashed with a golden light, causing a brilliant defensive array to appear, blocking the entrance. Of course, the full power of a peak saint could destroy it after a bit of effort, but what else could be expected from an array he created on a whim?
Lilith's small frame trembled with rage.
In an instant, a sword of pure white appeared in her delicate hand. It was a forged katana of more than seven feet long.
It looked as though it was carved from the purest ice, yet it didn't radiate a cold aura. Instead, it was nothing short of holy, as though a goddess had descended from the skies.
Not only was it longer than the Dragon King's original form, it was its direct opposite in color.
Dyon immediately sensed danger.
He leaped backward, slamming through an already cracked wall to appear outside.
Dyon's eyes contracted as a blinding ray of sword qi decimated everything in its path. '7th stage intent!'
It was already impressive enough that Sokzac had mastered a 4th stage intent while being weighed down by devil qi. If that was impressive, then what the hell was this? Even with her comprehension hampered, she was already a match for the best geniuses their hundred quadrants had to offer?!
However, Dyon wasn't impressed. Instead, he was pissed off. This little girl had to be taught a lesson.
'Trying to use wills while your soul is injured, you clearly have a death wish.'
Dyon was free falling down the side of the mountain, completely unworried about the commotion this battle would cause. After all, the Master's Peak was completely isolated from the outside world. With a thought, its built-in concealment array was activated through the Master Symbol.
The sword qi followed Dyon's falling body in hot pursuit, unrelenting and unyielding.
Dyon could feel the path Lilith had chosen and his eyes couldn't help but contract further. If there was a path that could match the sovereign path, it was definitely this one. 'The immortal path.'
Relentless, unending, without fatigue. To disdain the world, but to also grasp it in your hands.
Dyon's finger drew a small circle in the air, forming an array that he then crushed. In an instant, he disappeared.
At the top of the peak, Lilith stood in the air, seething with rage. However, in the next moment, she began to violently cough up blood.