Chapter 5145: Provoking Someone’s Feelings
The Ethereal Lumina Tree’s size was ginormous.
Davis couldn’t put a number on it because it literally covered the entire sky here, casting luminescent light that reflected off the moon at the moment.
However, he knew the size of a normal Empyrean Stage Heavenly Tribulation was nine hundred thousand kilometers in radius. Following that, the size of a normal Exalt Stage Heavenly Tribulation was nine million kilometers. With this logic, he felt the World Hegemon Stage Heavenly Tribulation should be ninety million kilometers in radius.
He guessed Fairy Divinacia’s tree form to be a million kilometers tall, but it certainly couldn’t compare to the Ethereal Lumina Tree. If he had to guess, the Ethereal Lumina Tree was probably more than thirty million kilometers tall, with its trunk alone measuring around three million kilometers wide in diameter.
However, its canopy stretched beyond ninety million kilometers in width for sure.
From the City Lord’s memories, he learned the Bastion Cities were each twenty-six million kilometers in diameter, populated around the Ethereal Lumina Tree.
This distance was honestly not much, as any Empyrean cultivator could cover it within a few seconds as long as they spent one percent of their energy each second. However, the space around the Ethereal Lumina Tree was already incredibly dense, so traversing it was like swimming in a swamp rather than a clear lake. Discounting the original difficulty, the creation of Bastion Cities also made the space more firm and dense, so traversing at the original speeds became nearly impossible for Empyreans and Exalts.
Hence, teleportation formations that used the city-wide formation were used mostly to traverse between the areas of the cities.
Nonetheless, with the distance to the Second Bastion City from here roughly calculated at eighty-seven to ninety million kilometers, Davis imagined the dark clouds of the tribulation would soon reach the Eighth Bastion City.
And as he expected...
"Incredible, the dark clouds and the heavenly pressure are almost here...!"
Jillian Hayden exclaimed, but she then panicked as she shot a look at Davis, "Quick, hide. If the heavenly tribulation finds you..."
Davis smiled lightly, "Don’t worry. We’re not within the tiny inner circle of the tribulation. Moreover, as long as we don’t interfere, we won’t be exposed to the Heaven’s Warriors within the tribulation’s radius. The heavens are somewhat fair when it comes to tribulation rules."
"Oh..." Jillian Hayden uttered in confusion.
She had heard Divergents became more visible to Heaven’s Warriors underneath heavenly tribulations no matter who they belonged to, but it seems like they were confident in their concealment.
But it suddenly made sense. They even hid from the Supreme One, who could also sense Divergent aura. Naturally, they were not within the reach of the World Hegemon Heavenly Tribulation, as it seemed to have stopped before entering the core city, so it shouldn’t affect them.
"Still, this pressure is incredible..."
Jillian Hayden said as her excitement returned, "If I can withstand this pressure while looking up, I have a chance to temper my Will a bit..."
"Go then."
Davis gestured with his head, "The tribulation won’t last long. You can make it if you leave through the secret passageway."
"..."
Jillian Hayden was momentarily stunned.
He was letting her go just like that without any guard? And then she recalled she was Sealed Collapse Hexed.
She supposed she was a prisoner now until she completed the deal.
Pursing her lips, she said, "Forget it. It’s too much of a hassle to leave now and then get caught by someone, which might expose you in the end."
"Go. No one is restraining your freedom as long as you keep the vials here. I won’t do anything if you decide to leave just like that." Evelynn giggled softly.
"..."
Jillian Hayden just remained silent, a bit embarrassed, but she shook her head, "The tribulation won’t last for more than a few minutes, depending on the person and race. I’d definitely miss it while trying to avoid prying eyes. I’ll just stay here and look. The view is amazing."
"It’s your call. Also, you seem to know about World Hegemon Tribulation? Mind telling us what happens in it?"
"..." Jillian Hayden shuddered, "I don’t know."
"Afraid of karmic burden?"
"Yes."
"You offended the heavens by helping me. What more is there to be afraid of?"
"..." Jillian Hayden inwardly grumbled before saying, "You have a point."
She heaved a breath, "I’ll tell you- later, if I’m still alive."
"Acting mysterious." Davis clicked his tongue, causing Jillian Hayden to secretly giggle, her expression as though she had taken revenge successfully.
She was definitely not going to explain while the heavenly tribulation was still active. With a terrifying Divergent by her side, who could say that a punishment lightning wouldn’t land on this balcony?
Revealing heavenly and universal secrets always had its consequential outcome.
She stared at the heavenly tribulation clouds rumbling, feeling a bit inconsequential yet full of awe.
This was the stage she dreamed of reaching. How could she stay calm while looking at someone having a chance to ascend to the Greater Realm as a World Hegemon?
Such a person would be welcomed by many powers compared to those who chose to head to the Greater Realm through the Greater Realm Nodes or other ways.
She viewed the heavenly tribulation with excitement visible in her face when she suddenly felt her pinky finger touch his hand.
Instantly, she held her breath as she froze, her heart skipping a beat.
She moved her hand away from him, but suddenly, it was grabbed, causing her to turn to look at him as her cheeks instantly took on a red hue.
He was still looking at the tribulation. He was still holding his first wife.
But he was grabbing her hand.
Jillian Hayden’s mind went blank.
The warmth of his hand spread through her fingers and traveled all the way to her chest, causing her heartbeat to become erratic.
She continued staring at him, but he acted like he didn’t seem to realize what he was doing.
His gaze remained fixed on the distant tribulation clouds that churned across the heavens like a sea of darkness. One arm was wrapped around Evelynn’s waist while his other hand casually held hers as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
Her heart raced as she gazed at his side profile, almost getting mesmerized before she could only look away and lower her head, a thousand thoughts galloping in her mind.
’What is he doing!?’
’Why is he holding my hand?"
’His hold isn’t that strong...’
’I could break away...’
’Why aren’t you breaking away...?’
’You should curse him like you did before...’
’He won’t take revenge... he has been easy to talk to. A true gentleman...’
’Why aren’t you doing anything...!?’
’Jillian Hayden, are you crazy!?’
Her voice screamed at her, wanting to move, but her hand didn’t seem to listen.
Her fingers unconsciously curled around his.
The realization caused her eyes to widen in shock as a wave of panic surged through her. She immediately loosened her grip, yet she still couldn’t resolve to get her hand out of the grasp.
For the first time, she felt forced to confront something that she had ignored- no, simply hadn’t realized because her thoughts were fully focused on betrayal and survival.
On that day when she arrived at the City Lord’s bedchambers with immense resolve, he didn’t simply allow her to kill herself even though she tried to kill him with a terrifying poison and failed. Instead, he went as far as to save her a few more times. He had no need to do so when he was here on some kind of mission himself, even at the risk of battling with the Celestial Transcendent.
In all that chaos, he still thought of her well-being and encouraged her to live and abandon thoughts of revenge against her own parents.
What was the reason to do all of that?
What was the need for a terrifying evil to do all of that?
The more she thought about it, the more she began reminiscing about all he did for her that she missed.
She had immense confidence in her beauty. Any man would go crazy if they had her on their bed, but he spoke patiently and looked without lust in his eyes.
Jillian Hayden bit her lips, ’I...’
Everything became blurry in her vision as her eyes turned misty.
Her lips quivered as she found herself suddenly full of warmth when it had been all too cold for the past month. The fear and rage that filled her soul felt as though they were slowly being cleansed away by that hand as it provided her immense security even under the oppressive atmosphere of the heavenly tribulation.
She felt absurd.
Why did she have to feel this way?
The other party was a married man. It wasn’t just one wife but above thirty.
Does finding a man who is her type have to be so difficult? Why would he be reserved by so many women like this?
She felt indignant.
"..."
Davis felt her grabbing his hand tightly as though she was trying to crush it. He turned to look at her face as she also turned to look at her, her gaze full of reproach.
It wasn’t a gaze of rejection but a gaze filled with a tinge of obsession and pure jealousy.
At this moment, the heavenly tribulation began to recede, and Jillian Hayden hurriedly pulled her hand back, glaring at him as she returned to her desk.
"..." Evelynn watched the two of them with a side eye. Before anyone noticed, her serpent mask was already on her face.
Then, she smiled at them before turning to look down at the streets, on top of a three-story building.
Sure enough, Venerable Knight Lussandra was standing on the rooftop, seething with hatred in her eyes.
