Rebirth : The Alchemist's Path

"It was just one of his avatars. If his true form had arrived, we wouldn't have been able to escape," Deced said.

Sylvus nodded. Even just the avatar carried the aura of a Deity Emperor-level powerhouse. If the true form had shown up, it would likely have surpassed the Deity Emperor level.

"Now that we're safe, hand over the World Fragment," Sylvus said, wanting to secure the fragment before anything else.

"No problem."

As soon as Deced finished speaking, a radiant light appeared in his hand. Sylvus looked closely and saw that it was indeed the World Fragment.

"My Demon Clan always keeps its promises," Deced said, handing the World Fragment to Sylvus.

This surprised Sylvus. Was Deced really giving it to him so easily? Shouldn't he be using the fragment to leverage Sylvus's help for the Demon Clan? Although puzzled, Sylvus wasn't about to turn down the fragment that was now within his reach. He quickly accepted it, feeling quite satisfied with his haul from this trip.

"Now that you've emerged into the world, the future of the Demon Clan is in your hands. Take me to a safe place so I can leave," Sylvus said, glancing at Deced.

"Elder Sylvus, if I seek your help in the future, would you assist me?" Deced asked sincerely.

Sylvus thought for a moment before nodding.

"Since you handed over the World Fragment so readily, I'll agree to help you with one thing. But don't expect me to go kill the Divine Lord for you or anything like that."

"It's just a small favor, Elder. I hope you can agree," Deced shook his head.

Sylvus paused, confused. "What do you mean? You want me to help you now?"

"That's right. I want to follow you, Elder Sylvus. Please allow me to accompany you," Deced said seriously.

Follow him? Sylvus frowned.

"Your task now should be to improve your strength and find the rest of your clan. Why would you want to follow me?"

"The Demon Clan leader left a message long ago: if we wish to strengthen the Demon Clan, we must follow the one who will save us," Deced explained.

Sylvus didn't respond immediately. Was this kid just looking for a bodyguard? Following him was indeed the safest option. It seemed Deced, despite just emerging into the world, was already thinking strategically.

"Elder Sylvus, you did say you'd grant me one request, and this one doesn't seem too difficult. I promise I won't be a burden to you," Deced insisted.

After a brief hesitation, Sylvus finally nodded.

"Alright, you can come along then."

Since he was planning to return to the Aslar Continent, having Deced with him could be useful. The Angel Clan and the Titan Clan were both located on the Aslar Continent, and having these three races meet could be interesting.

"Thank you, Lord Sylvus." Deced smiled, pleased that Sylvus had agreed.

"However, if you're going to follow me, you won't be able to bring your Demon Fortress with you," Sylvus pointed out.

"That's not an issue. This fortress is a divine artifact, and now that I'm its master, I can store it within my body," Deced replied.

Sylvus nodded, then gave Deced an address. Deced used the Demon Fortress to quickly travel there. After being out for more than ten days, Sylvus thought it was about time to return, especially since the system update wouldn't take much longer.

On the way back, Macon and his group left to report their findings to their respective clans. Sylvus didn't stop them, but they exchanged contact information before parting ways.

"You wait here. I'll call someone over," Sylvus said with a smile. They were currently at the location of the Heaven and Earth Portal, but before returning to the Aslar Continent, Sylvus needed to get some materials from Horace.

"Great Space Summoning!"

With a thought, a space rift appeared in front of him.

Meanwhile, within the Radiant Temple, Horace was momentarily stunned. He could feel a powerful spatial force binding him, and despite his Deity Emperor strength, he couldn't resist.

"What's going on? This power… Could it be him?" Horace frowned but stopped struggling, knowing resistance was futile.

In the next moment, the scene before Horace changed, and he found Sylvus smiling at him.

"Greetings, my lord," Horace quickly bowed.

"The items?" Sylvus asked directly.

"My lord, everything on your list is here, along with a few items from the first list you gave me," Horace said, handing Sylvus a spatial storage ring.

Sylvus accepted the ring and inspected it. Seeing that it was indeed filled with materials, he smiled in satisfaction.

"What's the situation with the Divine Lord?" Sylvus asked while checking the materials.

Hearing this, Horace's body trembled slightly.

"My lord, the Divine Lord doesn't know it was you. By the time he arrived, you had already left. However, the Divine Lord has ordered the remaining eleven temples to hunt you down with all their power."

Sylvus nodded. Let them search all they wanted. He was returning to the Aslar Continent anyway. They could scour the entire Divine Realm, but they wouldn't find him.

"Alright, nothing else for now. You can go." Sylvus waved his hand dismissively.

Horace hesitated for a moment, as if wanting to say something. Sylvus noticed and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it? Something else on your mind?"

Horace clenched his teeth before speaking.

"My lord, if you ever need information on the Divine Lord, I can help you."

Sylvus was surprised. "What do you mean? You don't like the Divine Lord either?"

He had assumed only the oppressed races hated the Divine Lord, but now it seemed even someone like Horace, who served under the Divine Lord, wanted to turn against him.

"My lord, I am of the Divine Clan. Over the years, the Divine Lord seems to have been plotting something, causing many from various races, including the Divine Clan, to mysteriously disappear," Horace explained.

Sylvus studied Horace without speaking, then finally said, "We'll talk about it later. You can go for now." He wasn't interested in dealing with the Divine Lord's affairs at the moment, and he couldn't yet tell if Horace's words were true. In any case, only those with absolute power could do as they pleased in the Divine Realm.

Horace understood that he wouldn't be able to earn Sylvus's trust in a few words. Without saying more, he left quickly. Before departing, however, he cast a glance at Deced, his eyes filled with curiosity.

It seemed the reason Sylvus had appeared at the Demon Fortress earlier was for this young boy.

"Alright, let's go," Sylvus said to Deced after Horace had left.

"Where are we going?" Deced asked curiously.

"To a place you've never been before. And there, you'll meet people who can truly help the Demon Clan," Sylvus said with a slight smile.

With a wave of his hand, the Heaven and Earth Portal appeared in front of them. Deced looked surprised—he hadn't sensed the portal at all.

Sylvus opened the portal, and together they stepped through, leaving the Divine Realm and returning to the Aslar Continent.