From within the World Tree, the Ant Goddess observed this sudden turn of events with narrowed eyes.
"Ashara's seals. They really went all out…"
The Ant Goddess stated before closing her eyes. Of the Four Demon Kings, Ashara was by far the weakest. The reason was simple. While in terms of bloodline, physiques, and cultivation the gap between him and the remaining three wasn't sizeable, one thing set them apart:
Laws.
Of the four Demon Kings, Ashara was the only one that became a Base Law Embodiment, achieving Blood Embodiment since the dawn of times. Meanwhile, Urzul achieved Nether Embodiment while Talroth reached Light Embodiment. As for Dolgron, the Northern and strongest King, he reached War Embodiment.
All three were Higher Laws, thereby making Ashara unable to compete with his peers.
However, none dared underestimate him! In fact, if the Celestial Realm's mightiest gods were asked what Demon Primogen they absolutely didn't want to face, the answer wouldn't be Dolgron, but Ashara himself.
The reason? As a Blood Embodiment, Ashara possessed the unique ability to burn his blood infinitely! While Gods could always survive lifeforce burning, even for Primogens, Blood Burning still was a taboo. Once triggered, Blood Burning ignited the lineage and consumed it at breakneck speed.
It wouldn't stop until the last bit of Blood Origin was drained. Therefore, even for Primogens, the final result would be…the eternal loss of their bloodline! Unless faced with absolute destruction, who dared take such a road?
But Ashara faced no such difficulties and could ignite his Primogen Blood as he pleased to reach a battle-power that would fill even Dolgron with apprehension! Worse, across his billions of years of cultivation, he managed to create a Blood Seal enabling him to grant that ability to others.
Of course, the seal possessed many limitations. First, surviving it was a hurdle that relied on willpower, bloodline talent, and luck, in that order. Second, the activation was an excruciatingly painful process lasting one hour and would leave the seal users weakened for twenty-four more.
Although the Serkar elders let nothing transpire on their face, all silently agonized, and felt as if thousands of daggers hacked at their insides!
But this pain was nothing when compared to the pride and delight they felt upon witnessing the true might of their lineages! This was the strength that should by right be theirs!
"Hahahaha!"
Hejin burst in thundering laughter while slamming two lesser queens and ten elders back and forth!
"What nonsense is demon blood? Laughable, with such bloodline strength, who needs to forsake their lineage for demonism?!"
He roared while sending his foes flying in disarray. Meanwhile, Gulistan too had ignited her blood. With an elbow strike, she slammed the second queen's neck before vanishing and reappearing before the third queen!
"AAAAAAARGH! MY EYES!"
Before the third queen could react, Gulistan's fingers sank into her eyes and gouged them both out!
But even as her howl of pain reverberated, Gulistan didn't let her off, first sending her reeling with a spinning back fist before crashing her sternum with two descending kicks!
"In your next lives, remember that house Serkar is not what any mongrel can offend:
Dao Law: World Sundering Chaos Star!"
While golden light still blazed around Gulistan, a gargantuan black and white sun appeared within the sky and expanded till all across the Ancient Crystal World could bear witness to its bewildering might!
Within the Celestial Church, Nehal and the recovering Aakash's eyes widened in disbelief!
"Light and Darkness Law Wielding?"
The Serkar's chaos element was, in fact, nothing more than the unification of Light and Darkness Laws. Their distant ancestor created their current cultivation methods after achieving Wielding in those two paths.
Therefore, although their current strength was far from the past peak, the Serkars' Foundation and potential remained astonishing.
And in the last decade, Gulistan achieved Dual Wielding in the Light and Darkness Laws! Of course, while the Ancient Crystal World only saw ten years, within house Serkar, time treasures ensured that centuries passed.
Gulistan folded her arms beneath her chest, with her stunning gaze looking down on all the Zenith Ants below!
"Strike."
She uttered, causing her World Sundering Chaos Star to release a dazzling black and white beam that crashed into all her foes!
"FORMATION!"
The first queen snarled while rushing back to the front. In the blink of an eye, all ant queens gathered and channeled their overflowing life essence in a binding formation that linked and empowered them all at a rapid pace.
The Ant elders and thousands of Sages stood behind them, all strengthened by the life essence's blessings. Without hesitation, all assumed their True Demonic Forms, and went from pear-shaped petite beauties to demonic mantises!
*BOOOOOM*
The coalescing life essence morphed into an impregnable barrier that met Gulistan's strike in a resounding explosion.
But even with the Life Shield repelling the strike, the ant elders felt their internal organs pummeled while the weaker Sages at their back recoiled with large eruptions of blood. Only the Ant Queens stood without a hitch and used their life essence to mend all their wounds.
With the shield standing tall and the united queens returning to their peak, a deadlock settled in. Still, the world was in awe before the startling might of house Serkar!
Led by Hejin, the Serkar elders returned to Gulistan's side while Berken still stood with his arms crossed beneath his back.
"Father, we can't afford to fall into a deadlock and exhaust the seal's limit in one battle. If you still don't make your move, I can only lead our people back."
Gulistan stated with a bright smiling face. Hearing this, Hejin shook his head and sighed in dismay. Besides Gulistan, who dared address their father with such candor? Were the roles reversed, his teeth would already be flying in disarray.
There really was no justice in this world.
"I merely wished to let your lot experience firsthand the limits of your abilities. Never forget that the human lineage is inferior to none. In times, we shall regain all we've robbed of."
Berken declared and took a step forward. As he did, he too ignited his bloodline to the limit, and while his strength skyrocketed, the illusory form of ten-thousand meters tall titan with nine heads and eighteen arms appeared at Berken's back.
With a step, Berken appeared above the Zenith Ant formation and aimed his right index at them. In response, the illusory titan stretched out its eighteen hands, and punched!
*BAAAAAAANG!*
Irresistible vibrations erupted from the eighteen, simultaneous punches, and even before they reached the Life Shield, it shuddered!
Alarmed, the ant queens strained their Life Essence to the limit while their elders and subordinate Sages empowered them with their cultivation! But it mattered not! When the titan's eighteen punches slammed into the shield, it collapsed, thereby causing all the Zenith Ants to spiral backward!
"RETREAT, RETREAT!"
The Ant Queens roared, and without hesitation, led their people into withdrawal!
"When you want to come, you come, and when you want to leave, you leave?
Apologies, but my house is not a mill."
Berken stated, and in response, the illusory titan trapped all Zenith Ants in a force field before again unleashing its fists!
But before it could deliver irreversible damage to the demonic horde, two massive emerald fists came from afar and met it in a deafening energy clash!
Emerald haze followed, and a new avatar of the Ant Goddess appeared to suppress all dissidence.
"Never did I expect that the blood of the last God of War still flowed beyond the Titan Domain. But regardless of your tricks, with me here, defeat is your only road."
She stated in a calm, chilling tone.
"Let's see about that."
Berken replied, and a startling battle between the two forces ensued!
