The Desire to Devour a Sovereign Artifact

This... was the desire to devour? Sean was utterly shocked. The Soul Pearl deep within his soul actually seemed to want to eat the Sovereign Artifact?

Eat a Sovereign Artifact???

Although Sean had lived in the Netherworld for over a hundred million years and had met several Prefect Lords, he truly had never encountered a Sovereign Artifact before.

First, there were very few experts who possessed Sovereign Artifacts, and most Prefect Lords did not have them. Second, experts with Sovereign Artifacts—especially Offensive Lord God Artifacts—were particularly capable of exploiting his weaknesses, so he had deliberately avoided contact with them.

He had never expected that the first time he encountered a Sovereign Artifact, the Soul Pearl would react like this.

The desire grew stronger and stronger, but Sean still suppressed it with all his might. He did not know whether, if he allowed the Soul Pearl's energy to come into contact with the Sovereign Artifact, it would truly "devour" it. Before a Sovereign, he did not dare make such an unusual move.

After suppressing the desire deep within his soul, Sean immediately dripped a drop of blood from his right hand onto the pitch-black armor. The armor instantly gleamed with black light and gradually merged into Sean's body. Once he had successfully bound it, the Soul Seed's desire to devour vanished as well. It seemed it would not devour Sean's own possessions.

The Death Sovereign above did not notice anything unusual and said indifferently, "These are fifty drops of Death Sovereign Power, your reward for becoming a Lord God Emissary. If I arrange for you to do anything in the future, there will also be some Sovereign's Might as payment."

"Thank you, Sovereign." Sean replied once more.

As a Lord God Emissary, obtaining Sovereign's Might was far more convenient than for others. Perhaps if a Sovereign was in a good mood, they might reward him with some.

As for other peak experts, they had to find a way to extract Sovereign's Might, which was extremely difficult and nearly impossible. The other method was to compete for the position of Prefect Lord. After becoming a Prefect Lord, if one managed the territory properly, they would receive a bit of the Sovereign's salary at regular intervals—that was, Sovereign's Might.

The Death Sovereign continued, "That will be all. If you wish to stay on Nether Mountain, you may stay. If not, you may leave. However, tell me before you go. You know where to find me."

"Yes, Sovereign." After Sean spoke, he waited quite a while without receiving a response. When he looked up again, he found that the seat above was already empty.

Torres, standing nearby, smiled. "Sean, congratulations. You've become a Lord God Emissary as well."

"Thank you." Sean smiled. For peak experts of the God Planes, becoming a Lord God Emissary truly was a joyous occasion worth celebrating.

Other than a very few who cherished freedom, no one would refuse a Sovereign Artifact or Sovereign's Might. Especially someone like Sean, who excelled in one form of defense while being weaker in the other—with a Defense Sovereign Artifact, he was practically "unkillable."

Torres continued, "Come on, let's head out first. We can't stay inside the Lord God Palace by ourselves for too long."

"Alright." Sean quickly agreed. He did not wish to remain long in a Sovereign's domain, even though Nether Mountain—and indeed the entire Netherworld—was also the Death Sovereign's territory.

After leaving the hall, Torres brought Sean to a house dozens of miles away. "This is where I live. If you stay on Nether Mountain in the future, you can also find any place you like and build a house."

"This house is nice." Sean then asked, "Torres, you've stayed on Nether Mountain for countless trillions of years. Don't you get bored living here? The Sovereign said we're allowed to leave."

Torres smiled. "Isn't it the same wherever you go? Many years ago, I went down the mountain and founded a huge tribe. I enjoyed immense authority, but after hundreds of millions of years, it was nothing much.

"Later, I came to Nether Mountain. Like the Sovereign, when I get bored, I watch all those experts come to Nether Mountain to seek adventure. It's far more interesting than anywhere else. Tell me, in the entire Netherworld, where else can so many experts gather and slaughter one another?"

"That's true." Sean nodded. Nether Mountain did indeed draw far too many experts here. The Death Sovereign did this purely for amusement.

Torres added, "Once you're settled, I'll take you down below for a look. So many God level experts come in to die—it's quite interesting. Sometimes, I even disguise myself as an ordinary God level expert who has just entered the mountain and explore with them."

"Haha, you really are bored." Sean laughed.

Torres continued, "You'll definitely play like that too someday. Besides, you have a Defense Sovereign Artifact, and your accomplishments in the soul are so high. There's basically no danger at all."

"Then what Sovereign Artifact do you have?" Sean asked curiously.

"Mine is an Offensive Physical Lord God Artifact." As Torres spoke, a crimson saber wreathed in flames appeared before him. The surrounding space warped from the heat of the fire.

The instant the Sovereign Artifact appeared, the Soul Pearl deep within Sean's soul erupted with an intense desire once more, yearning to seize it immediately. Sean suppressed the desire again. He was now certain that the Soul Pearl wanted Sovereign Artifacts.

But what would happen if he got hold of one? He did not know, nor did he dare try. If he truly destroyed a Sovereign Artifact and the Death Sovereign—or any Sovereign—discovered it, then he would be in serious trouble.

"So powerful." Sean said, "The Fire Element already excels in material attacks, and you also have a Fire Element Offensive Physical Lord God Artifact. There are probably few in the Netherworld who can match your material attack."

Torres put away his weapon and shook his head. "Not that powerful. My understanding of profound mysteries isn't particularly strong, far inferior to yours. Even the Sovereign praised you, saying you were only one step away from becoming a Paragon. I'm still far from that."

"One step away is still a difference as vast as heaven and earth." Sean shook his head.

If he could break through in fusing different types of profound mysteries, he would likely gain Willpower. At that point, he would truly be able to roam freely through the God Planes.

Torres smiled. "Don't think too much about it. If one day you do break through, the Sovereign will treat you as a friend too."

"I hope so." Sean smiled.

Torres said, "Then I'll take you around some more and help you get familiar with the summit of Nether Mountain, so you can choose your own home."

"Alright, thank you." Sean nodded.

Over the following months, Sean chose a location and built an ordinary house. It became his residence on Nether Mountain.

Afterward, he began closed-door training, continuing to cultivate different types of profound mysteries. Occasionally, he followed Torres down to the three mist regions to look around, observing the many people who came to Nether Mountain to die. He also became acquainted with the twelve snakes.

One day several hundred years later, Sean was in closed-door training when the Death Sovereign's voice suddenly echoed in his mind. "Sean, come down the mountain and visit the Nether Hotel."

"Yes." Sean's divine sense naturally could not reach a Sovereign, so he replied through the air before immediately rising and flying down the mountain at top speed.

Less than half a day later, he arrived at the Nether Hotel and saw the Death Sovereign fishing.

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