With his body brimming with the influx of death essence, Konrad stepped forward. Catastrophe again morphed, returning to the greatsword shape.
"What's wrong? After all those bold declarations, is this all you got? Come on, show me your depth."
The derisive tone and smile with which Konrad said those words rekindled the remaining experts' fury. Without hesitation, they burned their life force to the limit they could endure, their hairs graying in the process, then shot toward Konrad.
*Bang*
A startling clash ensued. The more than sixteen-hundred experts acted as one man, and with their battle-power reaching the Divine Blood and Spirit Ranks, their abilities far transcended anything displayed beforehand.
Alas, no matter how hard they fought, they couldn't take the advantage, and the battle gradually settled into a stalemate.
Konrad assumed his Ascended Titan Form, and each hand now wield a jade scimitar, giving him the appearance of an invincible War God. However, that wasn't enough. His opponents literally fought with their lives, betting their existence in every move.
The stalemate carried on across thousands of moves, without any side willing to concede. But as the Celestial and Infernal experts seemed to have reached the limits of their abilities, they resorted to a new desperate measure.
The legions of Holy Artifacts in their possession were summoned one after the other. Each Pure Self and True Self wielding as many as they could endure. In tandem, they hurled them all at Konrad, but before the artifacts could reach him their hands flashed in incantation gestures, and inflated by both their manipulations and full-might, the thousands of Holy Artifacts detonated!
The explosion releasing an unprecedented conflagration able to take the life of anyone beneath the Divine Blood or Spirit Ranks!
In fact, even early-stage Divine Blood and Spirit experts could not survive.
This time, all believed Konrad doomed. And when the conflagration swallowed him, a bright smile was plastered on all their lips.
…
"At last, the disaster is removed."
The Celestial and Infernal Leaders both thought upon witnessing this scene. No matter how abnormal he was, even Konrad should have a limit. This strike wasn't something he could survive.
After all, throughout this clash, the troops clearly managed to bring out the full might of his abilities. With what else was he going to resist?
Now, they should clean all his supporters, recover their people, and devise a plan to take control of the Tower…
…and then it clicked.
"Wait…why is the Tower's Screen not vanishing?"
They wondered. According to logic, when Konrad perished, the Tower's screen should die with him. Why was it then that it remained standing?
"Could it be…"
The thought swirled within their minds, but even they couldn't believe it.
Impossible. It simply wasn't possible.
Meanwhile, Gulistan who observed this scene with her father couldn't help but smile.
And seeing her lips curl into such a bright smile, Berken arched his eyebrows.
"Are you not afraid for your life? If at his current level, he can overcome this hurdle, in the near future, who can save you?"
He asked in a cold tone that betrayed no emotion.
"If he weren't this good, it would be no fun. Having spent a lifetime without worthy peers, how can I not anticipate our future confrontations?"
She replied while keeping her eyes locked on the holy conflagration.
…
And as all wondered what remained of Konrad, the blue sky experienced startling changes, its color turning into pure jade while myriads of stars appeared within.
But it was daytime.
Why were stars appearing? And in such shocking number at that!
But as all wondered what the source of this phenomenon was, from within the conflagration, a creature emerged. Or rather, gargantuan heads emerged. The gargantuan heads of a one-thousand meters tall jade serpent whose body now bloated the sky!
One, two, three…
One after the other, the heads emerged from the cloud left by the explosion, and when the last one rose, all could see that this gargantuan serpent possessed one-thousand heads!
Right, one-thousand!
The serpent's golden eyes shone with dazzling light, while on his one-thousand foreheads, three pairs of horns stood. And above each head, a jade sun and moon hovered, surrounded by seven astral bodies.
"Boo."
The appearance of that nightmarish creature startled the world! And when its maws opened, releasing a voice akin to Konrad's, all failed to believe it…
…because this creature…simply defied all cognition!
"What…is that?"
The Celestial and Infernal experts wondered in a stupor while recoiling at the mere presence of this being.
"That, my friends, is God. Or you may call me, the first World Devourer."
Konrad's voice thundered and spread across the Ancient Crystal World.
"Having pushed me to reveal this form, you can be proud of yourselves. However, the fight is over, and it is time for you to feed my voracious hunger!
Hahahaha!"
Konrad's malefic laugh and frightening words reverberated within his foes' minds.
And this time, they finally accepted that they kicked an iron sheet, leaped into a volcano, and thrown themselves into a hopeless situation.
Seeking salvation, they turned heels and tried running toward the sealing dome, hoping to force their way out.
However…
"Innate Skill: Devouring!"
…Konrad opened his maw, releasing an irresistible suction force that broke all his opponents' energies and barriers to trap them under its yoke. At his mercy, the more than sixteen-hundred surviving experts flew toward his one-thousand maws and dived down his throat!
By the time they entered his body, all were shredded by a dreadful force and flawlessly refined. At the same time, their deaths released massive death essence and souls Konrad didn't let off!
All was devoured!
He then turned his eyes toward the sixty-million barbarian troops below.
"Sorrowful ants, living an existence controlled by your masters, and perishing for nothing."
Those words awoke those dazed soldiers to the reality of their situation, and knowing they couldn't escape, all dropped on their knees!
"Your profane highness, mercy!
We beseech you to spare our lives! From now on, we shall faithfully serve you!"
"Mercy!"
"Mercy!!"
"MERCY!!!"
Sixty-million voices exploded in grief and anguish! However, their words failed to move Konrad.
"I have no use for you. When your deaths serve me more than your lives, why should you live?"
Konrad replied, and again, opened his maw. The sixty-million troops were immediately trapped by the Devouring Skill, and all flew toward Konrad's maws!
"Nooo! NOOOO! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! Please have mercy!"
"Mercy! Mercy! MEEEERCY!"
They roared, but to avail. All vanished within! Sixty-million lives thus turned into death essence and souls for the voracious Konrad to feast on! His second death flower bloomed. And was it not for him being stranded at the first layer, he could have condensed several more!
Meanwhile, his resilience and regeneration abilities had reached an unprecedented level. Even if he wished to perish, it would be a daunting task!
…
Anatol, Draven and all the leading members of the Infernal Cult and Celestial Church trembled, shaken by violent tremors!
"More than ninety percent of our forces beneath the Divine Rank. Legions of outstanding relatives…all fallen. Artifacts and puppets…lost.
Our foundation is…broken."
A dazed Anatol whispered, in slow motion while struggling to remain standing.
Meanwhile, when he realized how the Serkars washed their hands of this fight, and only dispatched worthless troops, Draven felt himself duped and his eyes went bloodshot.