It was rare for a female Dragon to feel such emotions. This was why everyone found it so odd that a mighty one on Giralda's level would fall for such a weak man in Marco.
'It was fine for you to come back after so long Sect Master, but was it necessary for you to be shirtless?' Damaris rolled her eyes.
It was a fleeting feeling, but that was all. Even if Damaris bowed her head to Dyon's strength, something like sharing her man with other women wasn't something her Dragon's pride would allow. That thought allowed her to stamp out whatever was budding without remorse. Plus, she only bowed her head so that one day she could beat him with her own hands.
Dyon smiled. "Thank you for your help twelfth elder, I gained a lot."
Twelfth Elder Agios raised an eyebrow before smiling. "It seems so. You've help us quite a bit as well."
Dyon nodded. As much as he wanted to stay for pleasantries, he didn't have the time. Every day that passed was another Eli spent creeping closer to a future where Dyon would never see him again.
"Give the rest of the elders my regards."
The twelfth elder wanted to say something more, but Dyon had suddenly disappeared before him.
The feeling was too shocking. A mere middle celestial…
"Wait, wasn't he a lower celestial a year ago?" Twelfth Elder Agios' pupils constricted as Damaris laughed bitterly. It seemed the bar was raised once more.
If he was so powerful as a 1st stage celestial, how powerful was he now?
**
Dyon patted the bundle of pink that flew into his arm. He really did neglect this little sister of his too much.
The atmosphere within Soul Palace had become lively once more. Though they had been distracting themselves for the past year, there was no doubt that they were all worried for Dyon. No one was meant to take that sort of assault on their minds for so long.
Ri, Amphorae and Clara maintained their queenly auras and controlled their impulse to act as spoiled as Lyla, but the glistening in their eyes was all Dyon needed too see.
"What a terrible father." A snort rang out.
Junior's antics gained the intended laughter. Watching the younger version of Dyon berate him for escaping responsibility was the sort of heartwarming moment they needed.
After allowing the atmosphere to remain light for most of the remaining day and into the next, Dyon finally had to put a stop to it.
"Delia."
His change in tone alone was enough to pour cold water over the festivities. But, no one had the heart to blame him for it because they knew exactly why he would do this. The kids had long since gone to bed, so this time couldn't have been any better.
"It's time."
Delia trembled, her eyes watering.
Ever since Eli disappeared, this little sister of his hadn't said a word about it. She didn't press Dyon, nor did she complain, she even became a surrogate mother of Junior, Mia and Bella. Dyon owed her more than he could say aloud. The least he owed her was finding her husband.
The ring on Dyon's finger flashed, causing a massive vat to appear, it was to the point where massive might have been an understatement. If it wasn't for the large size of the soul palace's great chamber, there was no way it would fit here.
It stood at over 25 meters tall, but its width was even more exaggerated at over 50 meters. It was impossible to see what was inside of it as it was covered with a metallic lid.
"This… Represents how badly Eli wants to see you again." Dyon said softly.
As Delia's heart seized, Dyon's aura erupted.
The metallic vessel shattered, and what it revealed caused those here to cover their mouths from the sheer horror.
Hearts. Millions of human hearts.
"Every day, Eli would rip his own heart out, and fill this vat." Dyon's voice almost sounded cold. It was completely devoid of emotions, but anyone who saw the fire of controlled rage in his eyes knew better than to make such a mistake.
How many times did Eli had to suffer death to build up this many hearts? How many hours did he suffer in silence? How many tears did he shed? How many mental hurdles did he need to leap? This was the representation of his determination. A man with little to no strength of his own was willing to go through anything if it meant seeing his family once more. This was the kind of man Eli was, it was the man he had always been.
"There is a planet grade formation that allows you to find anyone, no matter where they are. The problem is that this formation requires blood essence. The weaker the person is in their cultivation, the more blood essence is required."
Delia and the others didn't need Dyon to explain anymore as they closed their eyes. With Eli unable to leave the Foundation Realm, he was as weak as they came. He had no choice but to overcompensate wildly, even if it meant ripping his own heart out thousands of times a day.
This vat was filled with the blood essence of a Heaven's Child. Even a single drop was enough to give a mortal hundreds of years of life. But, Dyon never touched it. Even when he lost his arm, he never thought for a single moment of using Eli's conviction in that way.
A roar escaped Dyon's lips. His soul pressure blanketed the whole of Planet Soul. It was as though a moment of silence pierced through the light and dark sides of the planet.
Amphorae's brows raised. There was a change in Dyon's Presence, a massive change.
Soul qi surged. Eli's hearts began to burst one after another, living a thick crimson liquid that bent under Dyon's will.
A large bloody formation formed, condensing and as it swirled viciously.
"Once I leave." Dyon said in a voice that left no room for debate. "Contact Lilith. I will only use the Relay Station as a last resort. If possible, I don't want to leave any traces of myself in that place."
Dyon wanted to use the Devil Quadrants as a proxy. He couldn't guarantee what would happen if he left a Relay Station in the place he was going… If he was correct about where Eli was taken, he could not, under any circumstances, underestimate them.
Dyon smiled toward Delia. He could see the guilt she was holding in, thinking it was her fault that Dyon was putting himself at risk once more.
"Don't forget Delia… In this world, Eli was the first friend I ever had."
In his youth, Dyon had no one else but Clara. But they became estranged after Dyon's parents died. He threw himself into his work, wanting to ignore the world.
Back then, when Dyon first met Eli, he irrationally charged out as a mere mortal. That day, he ended up humiliated. But the one bright spot from that day that never faded was Eli.
One of the few things Dyon truly enjoyed was Array Alchemy. Everything else in this martial world seemed to want to do nothing more than tear him apart, but that was the one thing he loved. It was Eli he spent countless nights talking about that love with.
Dyon stepped into the blood red portal that formed. He would bring him back.
