While dual cultivating, Davis was able to chance upon Natalya's Will since she was actively performing the Unforsaken Yin Divine Art. The divine art had created sothing akin to a mark or a preliminary state of a Zealot Mark in his soul essence, allowing her to siphon off his faith energy directly and efficiently and even amplify it.
Nonetheless, a Will wasn't sothing tangible at the Empyrean Sage at the very least, but they had been intimate with their Wills at the forefront, exchanging faith energy from worshiping each other.
First and foremost, the Divine Exalt Path is itself one that focuses on gathering external energy, but it doesn't exclude the empowernt of one's Will. In fact, it was better than the Exalt Path in this regard.
After all, if one didn't have an extraordinary Will, they would easily go insane from all the faith energy scrambling their soul. This was where the Godskull helps them shield and store, but the Will is sothing that could be affected when the faith energy is being used, so one's Will needs to be higher than the average Exalt as a Divine Exalt.
Davis could tell Natalya's own Will had undergone a significant change after she succeeded in completing the Heavenly Restriction Pact.
Her own Will beca many tis stronger, nearly comparable to his own before he had entered the Empyrean Stage. The boon she had received was indeed greater than expected, sothing that only through comprehending a vague Law, such as Enigmatic Heart Laws, could be achieved.
In dual cultivation, he had only increased her prowess by an additional level purely based on the power of his yang essence. The remaining four levels of increase that led to her prowess being fifteen levels higher were sothing she achieved by herself because of the Heavenly Restriction Pact.
It allowed her Empyrean Vessel, which the Immortal Soul Vessel had been taken into, to grow powerful.
In other words, he was seeing the first case of the Empyrean Soul Vessel providing four levels of prowess because Natalya's Will had turned into tangible strength.
'So this is the reason why Immortal Soul Vessels or Empyrean Vessels can't be upgraded in terms of soul… it needs the Will to turn into tangible prowess, which is impossible at lower stages, but the heavens had rewarded her…'
Davis felt Natalya had mistaken that her prowess had increased largely because of him.
He guessed that if she actually used the Unforsaken Yin Divine Art to battle, her prowess might not climb high since there was no Godskull to accentuate and output the faith energy, but she would have a little increase in prowess by one or two levels due to the close deity-follower relationship they share. After all, she left a seed of a Zealot Mark inside of him even before becoming a True Deity.
And this was exclusive from the foundation to the ceiling, so they were closer than any other people who followed the deity-follower relationship.
Moreover, she would also have a greater amount of energy to use with her techniques from his faith energy and thereby make it even stronger to defend against.
Nonetheless, he knew the mont Natalya entered the Divine Exalt Stage and produced a Godskull, she would beco more powerful than him with faith energy finally starting to increase her prowess by an abnormal level, and with the Zealot Mark eventually manifesting in his soul, he could borrow power the sa way she does, allowing himself to beco more powerful while still being in the Empyrean Stage.
Davis clenched his fists excitedly since this ant that he need not hurry through cultivation.
'This is a shortcut the heavens have no way of stopping because it has no choice but to approve because of the challenge, and even fate has no way of stopping it…!'
*Paah!~*
Abruptly, a resounding slap echoed throughout the garden, awakening Davis out of his reverie.
He saw Evelynn's hand mid-air with Natalya's face turned away.
Instantly, he felt angered by the lingering emotions of worshiping Natalya since she was an untouchable goddess in his soul just a while ago. Nonetheless, he forcefully suppressed it. For one, he could not cover for Natalya and make things worse because-
"You put the entire family in danger. Do you even feel remorseful?"
Evelynn asked, her purple eyes gleaming coldly while still being moist.
Everyone went silent.
They had just hugged and welcod back Natalya, finally heaving a sigh of relief as they watched her rember them and be able to talk properly. They couldn't describe how it felt to have their sister safe and sound, feeling like they had escaped a turning point in the history of their family.
Even Evelynn cried for a few minutes, unable to stop shedding tears to have her very first sister-in-life back. However, the ti for questions had eventually arrived and could not be fled from.
"Evy…" Shirley raised her voice slightly, only to be glared at by Evelynn, causing her to lower her head.
Natalya slowly raised her hand to her face, stroking her cheek, feeling nothing since Evelynn couldn't harm her with her cultivation base. She turned to look Evelynn in the eye and answered, appearing not guilty at all.
"No."
Evelynn clenched her fist, "… Of course… that's just the way you- no, your cultivation manual is… from here on out, you'll be monitored by soone. I assu you don't have any objections?"
"I don't. I would be grateful if you have husband watch all day~" Natalya's voice echoed sweetly.
"…"
Isabella and the others felt like grabbing Evelynn before she started to beat up Natalya.
Natalya was unhinged.
It was certainly a problem, but unlike Zenova, they didn't have to worry about her since she was a vegetarian who only ate Davis for als, and Davis can take care of himself. Still, Natalya's unconcerned attitude to the danger the family experienced was a bit troubling.
They didn't know how to cover for her if she didn't try to repent. Even Davis appeared like a bystander, his eyes darting over to them and elsewhere helplessly.
Natalya saw that everyone looked at her pitifully and finally had the urge to explain.
"Don't get wrong. I don't feel remorse because I knew for a fact nothing would happen to Davis and us. If I felt otherwise, I wouldn't have even tried sothing so foolish like provoking the heavens…"
"…"
Evelynn took a deep breath. That was the answer of a fanatic, but it seems like Natalya couldn't realize that.
She instead forcefully cald herself and asked, "Are you even aware of the Heavenly Restriction Pact?"
"What is that?" Natalya blinked.
Evelynn turned to look at Mingzhi, who nodded at her.
It seed like Natalya really had no idea. It was indeed a case of suicidal confidence and fanaticism.
"Then why did you use the ink used for divinations? Are you crazy?" Evelynn continued questioning.
"I thought I needed to influence fate for a better outco, like gambling. I read the Heavenly Gambling Records and had a plan of my own, but it seed like I was fried to death instead~"
Natalya pouted, still angry that she personally failed to endure the strike from the heavens. But at that mont, she truly didn't care if she were to die in turn for Davis to survive. She could not literally imagine a life without him at this point.
"…"
This ti, even Davis felt so admiration as well as so pity for Natalya. She did indeed need to be disciplined by the harem.
At least, he had gambled on outsiders, but she had gambled with the lives of the family.
Evelynn was indeed incensed beyond compare, but she knew no amount of reason would work on Natalya, since her cultivation manual and the divine art she had started practicing had made her this way.
Even if she tried to convince Natalya, it may not reach her because her thought process only focused on Davis, nearly turning into a one-way route. Through all ans of diagnosis, they had already co to this conclusion way back, so they could only be thankful that it didn't worsen.
Hence, she simply constructed the most simple way to resolve this matter, sothing that could control Natalya easily, even though she didn't want to do it until now.
"Promise husband not to do this kind of thing next ti. If you do, he will die."
"…" Natalya's expression finally turned into one of horror.
She was about to go promise Davis when suddenly, footsteps echoed.
"Oh my~"
Zenova entered the scene, her face beyond her crimson veil grinning exquisitely.
"I heard that there was a serious offender in the harem who put the family in danger, but no punishnt is being placed on her? Big sister, are you telling all of us that we can get away after committing this kind of cri? Don't you think it places an untoward precedent?"
"…"
Evelynn and the others turned to glare at Zenova, but her words couldn't be anymore true, making them speechless for a few monts.
Thank you ThatDudeSam, Szentin and Novelius123 for gifting a Magic Castle this month! The uneding support you readers show is the reason I still manage to write this novel.
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Azraelon for donating a lot Lichsuz and Darkarcanum, Nyluj, Floof, Alex Domon for donating again and again. Appreciate their contiunued support.
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