Death... and me

Chapter 4194: Just in Time

The plan to kill the Universe Owner of F974 was to use a natural formation and its energy to finish him off. That same formation would be used to open the channel to Lisan once they got an Universe Owner on their side. After Tharos was added to the plan, everything sped up, as he could stabilize all the incredibly volatile energy that was being absorbed and stored.

Tharos then received the help of the other Primordial Demon Beasts that Roan said to go to F974. After putting the plan to work, they eventually killed the Universe Owner.

Who became the new Universe Owner, then? His name was Coddin, a Divine Silver Phoenix who ended up being selected by the Demon Beasts’ Races. Thanks to the Universe Root Egg, Coddin had his breakthrough into the Celestial Realm and was now with F974 in his hands.

Yet, Coddin never expected he would already be put in such a dangerous situation just a few years after becoming a Universe Owner. In his eyes, he would be able to use the Universe’s Support to increase his cultivation and eventually reach the Peak Stage. Perhaps he could even select a new Universe Owner in the future and then leave for the Celestial Plane.

*Rumble!*

Suddenly, above the mountain range where the secret natural formation could be found, several powerful Divine Senses and Divine Energy pressures appeared. Spatial Gate after Spatial Gate opened one after another, and Coddin could feel the power of the experts crossing it.

Soza, Latifi, and Rafina were among the many Celestial Realm Experts. They looked below, noticing Coddin and his many experts of the Demon Beasts’ Races, all Peak Stage Divinities. Coddin was the only Celestial in their midst.

Yes, even Soza’s group had to have their cultivation suppressed to the Peak Stage of the Divinity Realm. However, they could still use Celestial Energy and Celestial Laws, though only a fraction of their usual amounts. That said, those Divinities from Coddin’s side wouldn’t stand a chance. There were almost two hundred Celestials on Soza’s side.

"You are a Universe Owner of my Werdlem Empire, and a pretty new one. If you stand aside and give us the Primordial Demon Beasts hidden down there, we won’t punish you. I can even promise to allow you to go to the Celestial Plane straight away as long as you reach the Peak Stage of the Celestial Realm in the future," Soza said.

At the end of the day, Coddin didn’t need to suppress his cultivation in this Universe. Not to mention, he had the Universe’s support. The Universe would defend him, making his enemies’ power weaker the moment they launch any attacks against Coddin. At the same time, Coddin’s own attacks would get stronger. The twins’ group experienced this same thing when they fought a Universe Owner before.

That said, Soza would rather not make Coddin fight desperately. He was certain they could take Coddin down pretty fast, but he wasn’t sure of the consequences. Also, he had another plan in mind and was already working on it.

Coddin would be lying if he said he wasn’t tempted by the offer. He wasn’t an idiot. He didn’t think he could win this battle at all. However, he was selected as a Universe Owner for a reason above all: The fact that he would never side with the Werdlem Empire when the time came. That was the main requirement when the next Universe Owner was decided.

Still, that didn’t mean he would attack straight away. "You say that, but what stops you from killing me straight away the moment I step out of F974 in the future? Do you expect me to simply believe your words?"

He had no intention of siding with the Werdlem Empire. The only reason he was talking at all was that he wanted to buy time. According to Ploto-Ume and Ratria-Ket, help was on the way and should arrive shortly.

Soza narrowed his eyes. "I’m the Werdlem Emperor. My words alone should be more than proof enough. But if you need some kind of proof..."

Soza then took a weird item from his Pocket Dimensional Realm. It looked like an egg, though one could see tiny clock gears inside as it gave off a faint yellow light. There were many tiny runes running through its shell, too. Surprisingly, it wasn’t really an egg, but a pill!

*Zush!*

Soza threw it to Coddin, and the Silver Phoenix caught it. When he felt the power inside, his eyes opened wide. "This..."

Soza immediately spoke. "This is a Breakthrough Pill. As long as you swallow it, you will have a guaranteed stage breakthrough. You should be able to tell by simply feeling the power inside. This is an item of the Celestial Plane, not something you can concoct in our world."

"It’s best for you to save it for when you reach the Late Stage. Then you take it, and you will instantly reach the Peak Stage. Think about all the years this pill could save you. Does it convey my intentions strongly enough? If you aren’t a complete moron, you should know just how difficult it is to procure anything from the Celestial Plane."

The other beasts around Coddin looked at the egg-shaped pill with envy. If it could guarantee a Celestial Realm Stage Breakthrough, perhaps it could make them reach the Celestial Realm? Well, it wasn’t so easy. They just weren’t certain.

’Focus!’ Suddenly, Coddin’s Divine Sense message reached all the Demon Beasts’ minds. ’You already know that you need first to find and absorb your own Celestial Laws, so this pill would be meaningless for any of you. Yes, he probably isn’t lying about this pill’s effect on me, but that’s because I’m already a Celestial. If you guys are truly that interested in this pill, I can simply give it to you all later if we survive this. I don’t mind cultivating normally until I reach the Peak Stage.’

The Demon Beasts calmed down, turning their attention back to Soza and the others.

Coddin then put the pill away. Since he wasn’t going to side with the Werdlem Empire, he saw no need to give the pill back either. "It is an interesting offer, not gonna lie."

However, Coddin didn’t know, but as he spoke, Soza actually had his mind on his CD. ’Not yet?’

Soza was also trying to buy time!