As told by Minos, right after overcoming the third catastrophe, the supreme elder Edwardstone failed when facing the fourth, suffering a considerable rebound that seriously injured his body.
With this failure, even if he overcame the next catastrophes, he could never advance cultivation again!
Unfortunately, that was not the most worrying thing for the old supreme elder. Since each catastrophe came stronger than the previous one, failing the fourth would mean failing the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth!
That would make five leaves in a row, enough that neither he nor anyone else in that big cultivation room had any hope!
As the dark fog over parts of his body increased in intensity, covering more and more of his skin, some of those closest to that old man in the vicinity bowed their heads and let tears run down.
Isabella rested her totem on Minos' chest and cried like a child, feeling that this old man who had always been a reference of power for her would die in front of her without her being able to do anything.
At the same time, Minos' wives had their fists clenched and eyes closed, not liking to see someone close to their family and organization dying before them.
"Sigh... Let's think on the bright side. The old supreme elder lived a long life." Minos said in a low voice. "He overcame the worst time in the Flaming Empire, saw a glimpse of a promising future, and didn't suffer at the hands of an enemy.
I know this is sad, but at least he did not come to the end of his life in a hopeless way, without leaving a body behind, without people to mourn his loss. He did not fail in his missions. He just failed to achieve a breakthrough at the end of his life.
This is no demerit. Anyone else in his situation would fail at such a crucial moment."
The people in the surrounding area who heard this agreed with Minos, feeling that this man had had a good life, had been victorious in his later years and had only reached that point when his family was no longer so dependent on him.
If this had happened a few years ago, he would have left his family in a very bad situation. But now, everything was different!
Amidst this, the supreme elder could not hear Minos' words, much less the cries and wailing in the surroundings. But he knew there were people there.
Failing in his second consecutive catastrophe, he was already bleeding from several orifices in his body, but he managed to say.
"Is everything... Hmm... Cough... Everything is fine. Don't be sad for me." He said in great difficulty, trying to smile even amid yet another catastrophe. "The family will be fine without me... Don't cry. I will join my relatives and ancestors now."
After these sentiment-laden words, something that had made tears in the surroundings flows even more vigorously, the supreme elder Edwardstone could no longer bear it and failed in yet another catastrophe.
At that moment, he could take no more and lost his consciousness, as his body fell backward without strength, along with the gradual disappearance of his spiritual spark.
Within a few seconds, after he plummeted to his death, the last catastrophes hit him simultaneously, destroying his soul and damaging all his bodily structures.
The supreme elder Edwardstone had finally died!
Upon noticing this, the people in the surrounding area fell silent for a few moments, mourning what had happened, while they felt a weight on their consciences for having accompanied this sad moment.
Isabella was the most affected by all this and couldn't stop crying and sobbing in Minos' arms.
Even Abby and Ruth, who knew this old man the least, felt their eyes filling with water at the thought of the sadness of death.
As far as they knew, everyone would die someday. So when thinking about how one day, they might have to see their family members go, or even how one day they might leave Minos and how it would affect him, they couldn't help but feel sad.
Gloria was also moved, even more so because she was the second oldest of this group, second only to Isabella.
She looked at Minos and sighed, then closed her eyes and tried not to shed any tears because they had a long time left.
Minos was the strongest of all there, so he took the reins of the situation after a few moments of collective sadness.
"Humbert, Eduard, collect the body of the supreme elder Edwardstone." He ordered these two imperial guards on the outskirts.
Then he looked at the level 80 Spiritual Sage of the Gray Clouds Sect and said. "Go notify the powers of the Flaming Empire and the Edwardstone family about this. We will take care of everything here in Dry City."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Those people soon began to move, while the silent observers in the surrounding area continued to watch the situation for the most part.
Some had lost the mood to continue training and were already planning to go out to eat and drink. But others would stick around, just waiting for the body of the old supreme elder to be collected and the curious people there to leave.
Sad as it was, not everyone was so close to the old supreme elder, and many there were close to his advances.
To see someone fail to advance was a troubling thing that would leave some in doubt about their situation. But this was a very private incident, and everyone there knew their circumstances too well to fear the same would happen to them.
Amidst this funeral atmosphere, with some departing slowly and others silently observing the situation, Minos said to his wives. "Let's go back home. We will soon have to go to the Flaming Empire for his final farewell..."
"Hmm, let's get the children ready," Abby said as Gloria nodded.
Isabella was inconsolable, so Minos picked her up on his lap, not lingering any longer in that place where everything had happened.
"You heard his words, Bella. Don't be sad." Minos said in one of his wife's ears. "I'm sure he left in peace. And who knows, maybe he is together with the rest of his family now."
Part of the Spiritual World population believed that there was something after death. Some believed that this something was a new life, a reincarnation. Others felt they could live on a new plane alongside their family members.
Many felt that having such strong souls was not only good for battling and living for a long time. To them, this was something that could perhaps be of more use after death, on a special plane where one had to have a minimally strong soul to reach.
Since 8th stage cultivators could be considered experts in the Spiritual World, everyone judged that someone like the old supreme elder would surely reach that place if such a thing were real.
Isabella believed this, and upon hearing Minos, she felt less sad, although she was still quite touched.
