The words rang in Rati"s mind like a thunderclap, leaving her dazed and unable to speak further. The Lord of the Underworld already stood among them, beside her, and only now did she realize it. How could she not be startled? Before that dreadful news, all else paled. Even the Essence Nurturing Forest became wholly irrelevant. But as the G.o.ddess"s thoughts reached this stage, Konrad"s steps halted and his eyes rose to trail a towering tree whose tip lost itself within the clouds.
Vast Life Essence swirled around that tree"s trunk, branches, and leaves, bathing it in an emerald glow that clearly revealed its status:
A Royal Blood Tree! Moreover, one with thirteen mature fruits! Most Royal Blood Trees didn"t possess more than five mature fruit. At best, some would boast six or seven. Trees with more than seven fruits were already unprecedented and would have undoubtedly driven deities mad with greed.
Even Rati"s attention reverted to the tree, and as her magenta eyes swept its products, they stopped right there, expanding at the sight of the thirteen fruits it showcased. In the devas" expectations, finding a Royal Blood Tree with three or four mature fruits was the optimal case. How could so many possibly appear?
"Could it be that this land has truly reached Life Embodiment level? What the h.e.l.l is Heaven"s Will thinking?"
Rati wondered in a stupor. Besides a Life Embodiment level Inheritance Ground, what could possibly produce such a setting? But little did she expect that as those thoughts swirled within her mind…
"Heaven"s Will doesn"t think. It merely follows the preset rules and guidelines established by its master. As for you devas, you"re but servants and tools meant to do its bidding. It doesn"t care for your rise or safety...unless, of course, it benefits its Master"s plans. The same thing goes for h.e.l.l"s Will."
...Konrad"s voice echoed, once more reminding her that as long as he stood there, her thoughts held no privacy. Instantly, Rati"s face contorted into a frown. But prioritizing the weight of Konrad"s words, she suppressed her displeasure.
"What do you mean by that? Who would that master be? Does an existence standing above Realm Wills truly exist?"
Rati asked in succession. Alas, Konrad ignored those words to stretch his hand toward the Royal Blood Tree. Sensing the threat, the tree unleashed its vines and raised an emerald energy s.h.i.+eld to repel Konrad"s offense.
*Crack* *Crack* *Crack*
The earth grumbled as the ground crackled to make way for a surge of myriad vines that speared Konrad"s form...almost. By the time the spear-vines reached his immediate vicinity, they halted, b.u.t.ting against an invisible wall before bursting into debris of timber.
Formless energies erupted from Konrad"s right index, collapsing the energy field and suppressing all resistance the tree had to offer. In tandem, the thirteen fruits left the branches, flying toward Konrad in an orderly fas.h.i.+on, and forming a circle around his neck.
Konrad beckoned, and one after the other, the fruits flew toward his mouth which opened wide to welcome them all.
*Gulp* *Gulp* *Gulp*
In a grisly show of gluttony, Konrad gobbled the thirteen fruits, not even bothering with chewing them, and let their vast bloodline force fuel his lineage, driving his Myriad World Immortal Blood to break through new levels. Speechless, Rati gawked at the scene!
"Since when did Royal Blood Fruits become cabbage that you can just gobble them in such an uncouth manner? And why the h.e.l.l did you bother eating more than one? It"s not like it will make a…"
Rati began, but as her words reached this point, she felt the dreadful surge of bloodline strength erupting from Konrad"s form, and her words fell back into her throat! It didn"t take a genius to realize Konrad had flawlessly refined the energies in all the thirteen fruits!
Now, as Rati"s eyes swept Konrad"s form, they held the fear of a mortal staring at a prehistoric beast.
"Next."
Konrad stated, undisturbed by the G.o.ddess" fright, and led the way toward the next Royal Tree. In a flash, three days pa.s.sed. And with each, Konrad found and refined ten Royal Trees" fruits. At the dusk of the third, thirty trees and 267 fruits had fallen victim to his profane grasp.
Past the 61st, Konrad stopped consuming the fruits, keeping them in his Infinite Void s.p.a.ce instead. It"s not that he didn"t want to, but with each fruit, the efficacy diminished, and past the 61st, no more boons lay in consuming the fruits. The rest he would store and refine into pills and elixirs for his forces.
Still, Konrad made ma.s.sive gains. Before his current Auspicious Clouds, Base and Higher Law Wielders were completely invalid. Primal Law Wielders lost ninety percent might, while Base Law Embodiments lost one-hundred percent, and Higher Law Embodiments lost fifty-five percent.
Alas, this wasn"t enough. Celestial Slaughter"s Auspicious Cloud still stood a step above. Before him, Primal Law Embodiment aside, all were invalid!
"It seems that if I want to surpa.s.s him, I really need to slaughter the Primogens and s.n.a.t.c.h their lineages as soon as possible."
Konrad reasoned. But little did he know that while he pondered ways to lure the Deva Primogens in one spot for slaughter, Rati quivered beside him. With each breakthrough in bloodline strength, Konrad"s suppressed floral scent erupted, each time made mightier by the bloodline growth.
For the past three days, Rati struggled to suppress the desires that scent kindled within her chest. Only her failed attempts to escape reminded Konrad of the seductive might of his pheromones, and he"d put them back under seal.
But now, as he tested the intensity of his bloodline might, poor Rati bore the brunt of the floral scent"s a.s.sault. Her mind reeled, and her legs trembled while she panted with weakening knees.
"S-stop...stop that...thing...d.a.m.n it!"
The floundering Rati stammered, reminding Konrad of her predicament.
"Oh, apologies. I forgot how easily aroused you were."
Konrad replied in an apologetic tone that set Rati"s heart ablaze with fury. Never in her eons of existence did she ever deal with such an infuriating fellow! How dare he play her so?!
"You d.a.m.n..."
Rati formed the start of a curse. But before she could finish her words, Konrad moved past her guard and silenced her lips with an impromptu kiss. Again, Rati"s words died in her throat. Only when Konrad"s tongue invaded her did she snap out of her torpor. But though at first, she wished to shovel him into the ground...or at least push him back, as his tongue tasted hers, she quickly lost the strength and need to revolt. Her mind blanked, and she stood there dazed, falling limply into his grasp.
Holding her by the waist, Konrad spun, and Rati was shocked to see nine emerald rays fly right by, piercing the spot she previously stood in before landing on the ground, leaving behind nine divine arrows.