While Shirley and the others took their time visiting the Celestial Descent Light Spirit Settlement, browsing through the treasures, and visiting the entrances of other fragmented worlds, Young Master Ragoon headed straight back to the town at full speed.
Once there, he learned about the town's fate. It was clear at a glance since the town was in ruins, slowly being rebuilt.
His expression churned with fear and rage, unable to believe he had been so close to those disasters in female clothing. If they were really the Earth Dragon Clan and Fire Phoenix Clan's inheritors, infamously known as the Earth Dragon Villainous and the Icefire Phoenix Demon in the Upper Realms because of the way they betrayed their calling, then he knew he would've been screwed since their prowess was known to be the second highest after the Divine Emperor of Death.
They didn't know what truly entailed of their prowess- but as the most significant presence in the Divine Emperor of Death's life, far more than the Hex Demoness, they were marked as extreme threats even if they were not Divergents.
Nonetheless, after calming down, he used his resources as an influential merchant to gather information from the outside.
The secret realm's entrance didn't limit the number of times from heading inside and going outside, after all. Anyone could go and come as they please as long as they were in the Immortal Emperor Stage or Sovereign Stage.
His information-gathering ability was faster than what others could gather, and he instantly came to know that the Divine Emperor of Death had defeated all the Venerable Knights, shocking him to his core.
When he made it back with the information, much time hadn't passed.
However, his subordinates made sure to investigate and found two idiots who had given the Icefire Phoenix Demon a map. He already knew them because he had some altercation with them. Regardless, he didn't care for small characters. However, he was highly interested in the treasure map and berated them for revealing the place, but with how happily they revealed it, stating that they would like to be of help to him and the world, he instantly got suspicious, had them captured and tortured, making them reveal that they had planned for him head there originally so that he could get killed by the Nefarious Darkwill Rakshasa.
"A Realm Calamity!?"
He was shocked along with his subordinates, but hearing that the Icefire Phoenix Demon had walked into a trap unknowingly, he couldn't help but start formulating a plan of his own fueled by greed and glory.
'They have so many treasures on them… but that isn't so important than the honor one would receive by capturing them and making the Divine Emperor of Death come out of his hiding… all I have to do is get him out of the Whispering Wildlands Lower Realm, and he'll die from the Covenant, and I'll be…'
"... a hero!!!"
Young Master Ragoon's entire body shook as though he was going to explode, making people shocked by his sudden outburst.
They were dumbfounded, calling him to make sure if he was alright.
However, Young Master Ragoon was in his own world, thinking about the honor and glory he would earn for himself and his emporium.
He instantly imagined himself seated beside the Celestial Transcendent, whose face was blank but still the peak handsomeness of all men, and he shared a drink with him while being introduced to the collective Upper Realm rulers of the Celestial Transcendent Galaxy.
"Everyone- look at this young man. Even the Venerable Knights were unable to do anything, but with careful planning and a simple use of my Covenant, he managed to bring the greatest calamity of our human world to an end. If he isn't the true supreme genius with power and wisdom, then who is?"
"Ah… senior is flattering me too much. I'm not a genius of such caliber…."
The Celestial Transcendent asked while he could only act humbly while grinning ear to ear, basking in the limelight as he secretly looked down on all of them.
"Young MASTER!"
Instantly, a furious shout yelped him out of his reverie, causing him to turn to look at a crimson-robed man with silver hair. This man was a supreme genius but also his bodyguard who had gone to another fragmented shard world.
"Oh, Taus, you made it back at the right time. Gather our people. We're going on a witch hunt."
"Uh?"
Young Master Ragoon smirked. With a powerful Empyreal Sovereign by his side whom his emporium hired as a bodyguard for him, he didn't think he would fail.
Actually, his only worry was that he would fail to obtain at least the bodies of those women after the Nefarious Darkwill Rakshasa defeated them. He felt the urgency to go right now so he could 'save' them at the opportune moment when they were grievously injured, only to capture and restrain them.
However, he also felt that wouldn't happen, making him look at the prisoners.
"You- you said the Nefarious Darkwill Rakshasa's powers are somewhere in the Mid Autarch Stage, right?"
"Yes…! Please forgive us…! We won't do it again…! Buh-!"
Young Master Ragoon kicked their chest and shattered their ribcage, causing them to bleed internally as they spit blood. He didn't like the audacity of these peasant merchants to scheme against him.
However, he didn't have his eyes on them, instead, having his fingers on his chin as he contemplated.
'The two of us wouldn't be enough in that case… we need more Empyreal Sovereigns… more baits for the Nefarious Darkwill Rakshasa to be busy with…'
He narrowed his eyes as he thought. A while later, he smirked.
Hours later, he made his way back to the Starry Empyreal Fury ruins and headed toward the place located on the map.
Their group finally found the entrance to the fragmented shadow world. Although they felt some unease, they entered and made their way. However, after a few hundred thousand kilometers of quick search, they were forced to come to a stop as they witnessed a stupendous yet terrifying scene.
The dark world parted viscerally.
A blur of crimson-white and gold flew around like flies near the thirty-meter-tall Nefarious Darkwill Rakshasa.
*Booom!~* *Booom!~* *Booom!~*
Each punch the golden blur unleashed sent seismic ripples shattering the atmosphere, causing the Nefarious Darkwill Rakshasa to be repeatedly blown back in all directions, its shadowy cloak dispersing and regenerating.
However, that wasn't all. There was a red blur that flew like a comet. The blur was like a spear, repeatedly piercing through the body of the Nefarious Darkwill Rakshasa, each stab carrying a powerful nirvanic force of phoenix flames yet also having bone-chilling coldness to it.
He could recognize these evil fairies, the Icefire Phoenix Demon piercing through it and wasting away at its life while the Earth Dragon Villainous didn't let it flee at all, holding it in place.
*Screeech!!!*
They could all hear the screams of the Nefarious Darkwill Rakshasa screaming in pain, making them wince and hold their heads as they could feel their souls rupture ever so lightly.
How strong was that Nefarious Darkwill Rakshasa!?
From the distance, Shirley noticed Young Master Ragoon and the others. She saw there were actually more supreme geniuses there but once she saw the two fools whom she stole the treasure map from, she instantly understood.
"Trying to be the mantis that stalks the cicada…?"
Young Master Ragoon was wondering what was going on with this ridiculous situation where these two women were suppressing a terrifying and also ridiculously powerful Realm Calamity when, abruptly, a faint sneer echoed from a distance.
"I'll let the orioles behind deal with you all~"
"….!"
Young Master Ragoon instantly felt a cold chill seep through his spine. He turned around only to look at Bylai and the others waiting for them with vague smiles on their faces.