"Empress, we will take you to the clan's main hideout. Please rest assured. Everyone is awaiting your glorious return."
Evelynn narrowed her brows. It seems like they misunderstood that she was Hexena Xylusc instead of Evelynn Davis.
'Could it be that they did not hear about me, the inheritor of the Three-Eyed Chromatic Hex Arachnid Clan?' She wondered.
After all, she participated in the Candidacy, and her information was out. However, it seemed like they didn't expect her to resemble Hexena Xylusc by a lot, leading them to believe she was, in fact, the person herself.
Nonetheless, she felt it would be easier this way to control them and bring them back.
"Rise."
She elegantly waved her hand, a far cry from the previous cheery attitude she adopted while she was speaking with Myria.
The bandits rose to their feet. They looked all emotional. Although they weren't from the Three-Eyed Chromatic Hex Arachnid Clan, they were half-bloods. They carried the blood of both the Venomfang Arachnid and Three-Eyed Chromatic Hex Arachnid, but the latter was so thin, causing them to be relegated to a status of servitude, which they willingly kept following for a long time.
Now that the true hope of the clan was back, they were rejoicing a lot, their eyes tearing up.
They then took them and left the Azure Tree Lower Realm. However, they didn't exit the realm through the fringes. Instead, they entered a tunnel hidden within the valley and went through numerous twists and turns before finally exiting the realm.
They went further down all the way down and headed southwest, going out of bounds nearly.
There was an entire asteroid cluster here, but finally, they reached a ring of asteroid that was hidden due to a concealment formation.
Kalissa and Fahzi appeared excited.
Evelynn and the others had just landed when numerous Empyrean and Autarch auras flooded them. They amounted to as much as twenty-two. Fourteen were at the Early Stage, and the remaining eight were at the Mid Stage in terms of cultivation bases.
Fahzi learned that his true name was Fahzi Xylusc, a member of the royal family of the Three-Eyed Chromatic Hex Arachnid. Even though he did not get to participate in the competition to become the Patriarch, he didn't care. He didn't have confidence anyway.
The biggest asteroid was abuzz since they heard that their true hope had returned.
Evelynn and the others had just landed when numerous Empyrean and Autarch auras flooded them. They amounted to as much as twenty-two. Fourteen were at the Early Stage, and the remaining eight were at the Mid Stage in terms of cultivation bases.
Myria's brows furrowed since she sensed that these cultivators were all powerful since they had dense auras.
She figured it was because they remained due to the persecution and chose to devote time to increasing their prowess slowly rather than leave for the Upper Realms as the cultivators from the other realms did.
At this moment, two old ladies appeared from the tunnel, flying over the Empyreans and Autarchs before they descended in front of Evelynn.
Their cultivation was even higher than the ones before, both appearing to be at Level Seven Empyrean Stage. Considering they were Empyreans and old, it appeared like they wasted a lot of blood essence.
Evelynn instantly figured that these two old ladies could've participated in the war that destroyed the Three-Eyed Chromatic Hex Arachnid Clan. Moreover, they were stunned, unlike the others, and nearly began to cry as their eyes turned moist.
"Our Empress… is it really you?" One of the two old ladies who stood to the right asked.
Her voice was hoarse and her expression unsightly, but she didn't care as she nearly knelt.
Evelynn shook her head.
"I'm Evelynn Davis, the inheritor of the Three-Eyed Chromatic Hex Clan. I have received the mantle from Chromatic Hex Empress Hexena Xylusc. I presume you two are the leaders of the current remnant forces of the clan?"
After her voice fell, Evelynn took out a token to represent Hexena Xylusc's will. It represented that she was indeed the one who won the inheritance. However, the atmosphere turned silent.
Tia looked around and could feel the disappointment. It seemed like they truly loved their empress and believed that she would return one day. She didn't know why they even held hope, considering the inheritance masters were supposed to give up their lives.
Only Flamerose and Frostrose were exceptions. Most likely, she guessed the World Master didn't want to change the fate Davis changed for them. Instead, she even lowered their karmic burden by giving them a fake life that took on the lives of Zahara and Yeyin. Otherwise, she wouldn't have let them leave.
'Could it be that participating in the Candidacy was the sole decision of Empress Hexena Xylusc on the brink of extinction…?' Tia wondered.
However, she also felt that this matter could be linked to one of the species techniques that only an Emperor-Tier Three-Eyed Chromatic Hex Arachnid can use.
"Ah, so it's the brave person who inherited Empress Hexena Xylusc's Will, the Divine Emperor of Death's first wife."
The other old lady regained herself and cupped her hands, bowing, "It seems like the information that spread in the past two years was true. Forgive me for my ignorance. We were about to search for your majesty, but with the Divine Emperor of Death creating a huge ruckus in the Obsidian Crystal Turtle Minor Realm, we dare not approach you and expose ourselves."
"It's fine."
Evelynn calmly said, "I have received a mission from the late empress to protect the Three-Eyed Chromatic Hex Arachnid Clan. That was the only thing she asked of me, but I can do more if you all follow me without asking a single question. I will give you three days time to think about it."
"…"
The two old ladies and the others were stunned.
Wasn't their inheritor quite the authoritarian?
She had just appeared and already wanted to lead the clan without proving herself one bit?
Besides, they were already vilified by the world. To think their Empress gave the mantle to a Divergent's wife. Was she of sound mind, or was the inheritance stolen?
They didn't even clear any misunderstandings, but the inheritor was already demanding that they comply with her every demand.
They couldn't help but turn to look at Kalissa and Fahzi before the old lady on the right spoke with a hoarse voice.
"It must have been a tiring journey. Please make yourselves at home first. Vaizel, bring them to their accommodation."
"Yes, Ancestor Alissara."
Vaizel stepped forward and bowed. He then gestured towards Evelynn, not daring to meet her gaze.
"Please."
Evelynn nodded and walked out of the group along with Myria and the others.
However, Kalissa and Fahzi stayed.
Evelynn didn't look bothered. She looked at the man in front of her. He was clad in a similar bandit-looking black robe, making her feel that it was quite ridiculous. It was even the same for other Empyreans and Autarchs.
Did the entire Three-Eyed Chromatic Hex Arachnid Clan turn bandits out of desperation and survival? They all looked quite poor.
"Are you the current Patriarch?" Katherine asked, her voice sounding quite innocent.
"No, there's no one in the Patriarch seat ever since our clan was pushed to extinction. The two Ancestors are the ones who make the decisions. As for myself, I'm the Seventh Leg of the branch clan. There are eight of us, representing the eight legs of the Three-Eyed Chromatic Hex Arachnid, and the two eyes are the two Ancestors while the third eye ultimately belongs to the Patriarch or the Matriarch."
Vaizel turned to look at Evelynn at the end and added before quickly turning around.
"I see." Evelynn nodded. There was no Patriarch till now, but they were suddenly holding a competition in order to decide on the Patriarch? She couldn't understand.
It seemed like she needed to learn what happened so far if she wanted to bring them together under her banner.
For starters, she looked at the man before her.
Vaizel appeared to be a Level Four Autarch. One could tell that he was a strong, fey cultivator. He also possessed the scythes Evelynn possessed but it was much more grotesque and darker. He also had more fey features, like spider shells on his elbows and knees.
She guessed the purity of his blood to be maybe around eighty percent.
Soon, they were led into their new accommodation, which appeared to be a cave carved out of the asteroid but was spacious and had all kinds of furniture required to stay for years.