Konrad waved his hand, pulling Sakra's mortal soul toward him to examine it in its entirety. At first, he believed Sakra to be like him, the reincarnation of a past member of the Empyrean. After all, there was only one person Regretless could possibly pass down the Shifting Void Step to:
Highest Dragon's reincarnation.
However, he soon dismissed that thought. If he were, Regretless wouldn't merely teach him the Shifting Void Step or grant him a Firmament Fruit. He would put him on the highest pedestal and grant him all of the Firmament's resources. With such conditions, Sakra would already be a peak-stage Primordial God. This treatment seemed more like an unofficial disciple's grooming.
And indeed, as he examined Sakra's soul, Konrad couldn't find anything peculiar. But as he lost interest, and readied to stop the browsing, he stumbled on something hidden so deep that only the mortal, collapsing state of Sakra's soul allowed it to shimmer.
Seeing this, Konrad's eyes narrowed into a frown, and he trapped Sakra's soul into an Infinite Void Space.
"Just a sliver. Where is the rest?"
Konrad wondered as he pondered his discovery. Burrowed within Sakra's soul was not a Primordial Seed but the sliver of a foreign existence that stood in harmony with Sakra and just like with a Primordial Seed, would follow him throughout all incarnations. Because of the incomplete nature of that existence, Konrad couldn't determine who it was, but it didn't take a genius to guess.
On a moment of weakness and due to a profound feeling of familiarity, Regretless passed down the Shifting Void Step, unaware that Sakra was indeed his Imperial Uncle, or more accurately, a part of him. The situation was oddly familiar to one Konrad recently experienced.
This discovery opened the road to many possibilities all swirling around one question. What or who beyond Primordial Seeds could ensure the survival of the Firmament's Remnants without alerting Regretless? No matter how Konrad pondered the question, only one answer seemed reasonable:
"A Nothingness Supreme or something with the same abilities."
There was no other way. Only by sealing them in Nothingness could they escape the past tribulation. But then, why keep a part outside? And more importantly, why save them?
"The Omniverse gave birth to three Supreme Artifacts. My God Executing Immortal Sword, Regretless' Heavenly Demon Tablet, and a third. No one knows where or what the third is, but following the pattern, it should be the Nothingness Supreme Artifact. If Celestial Slaughter didn't possess it, who did?
If he did, why not use it in the final battle?"
In the past, with his Supreme Conqueror Sutra, Celestial Slaughter was unstoppable. Before him, fellow Primordial Gods were like ants. Only two people could thwart him, Dragon Warden with his God Executing Immortal Sword, and Regretless with his Omniarch Bloodline and Heavenly Demon Tablet.
But if Celestial Slaughter also possessed a Supreme Artifact, especially one enabling him to suppress Regretless' bloodline, the past result would undoubtedly be reversed. Supreme Artifacts chose their masters, typically individuals whose will perfectly matched the Artifact's Spirit.
If it wasn't Celestial Slaughter then…Konrad could only think of one other person. And if it was…
A ludicrous thought flashed in his mind, and suddenly, Konrad's eyes brightened in enlightenment.
"I finally understand. How deviously cunning. That being the case, from the start, trying to shackle his return was…impossible."
Although lacking information prevented him from understanding some mysteries, Konrad now grasped the gist of the plot. And thinking of how Regretless labored against their past father, Konrad couldn't help but sigh.
How could he thwart the return of someone who was never gone to begin with?
With a smile, Konrad turned toward his forces.
"Since the Titan Domain was so brazen as to invade our territory, we ought to pay them a visit. Don't we?"
Konrad rhetorically asked before raising his hand, causing the 150,000 man strong Chthonian Devil Legions to gather within the sky alongside his consorts, daughter and disciple.
All stood in order of position, with his relatives by his side and the Dukes fronting the legions. Boundless Devil Force stifled the air, while the flabbergasted disciples of the Sea Dream Temple groveled in a crushing mixture of awe and dread.
"Same old rules, kill the men, take the women and plunder as you like!"
Konrad proclaimed while squalls of black devil force condensed behind him to form a massive, jet-black chariot driven by four black dragons. This was his personal vehicle, a new artifact of dreadful power enhanced by the four dragon puppets. Taking his place on the chariot, Konrad brought Selene, Verena, the Valkyrie, Heide and Cacillia alongside him, with Heide cradled on his lap while the others sat on either side of him.
"As you command, your majesty!"
The 150,000 Chthonian Devil Forces took their places at the chariot's front, standing a step below in deference as they formed the vanguard and rear of this world invasion. The shroud surrounding the Sea Dream Temple vanished, and all those eying the Sea Dream Temple's conditions were startled to see the legions of Chthonian Devils soaring from the Sea Dream Temple and rushing toward the Titan Domain!
Unrestrained, their devil force spread far and wide, stifling the already quivering devas and driving many to collapse from the crushing devil scent! Night and Blood Nether saw it all, and with that ostentatious display they understood…that Konrad was welcoming them to attack if they dared!
But they didn't, and thus the Devil's armies soared without disturbance, charging the Titan Domain whose millions of denizens still expected their Lord's grand victory! Meanwhile, realizing the destruction of their fellow elders and lord's life plates, the 400 remaining Titan elders took control of the Titan Domain, attempting to again shift it in another location of the Celestial Realm.
Alas, they couldn't move from an inch! A force, greater than anything they'd ever experienced locked the entire domain, zillions of tons, on the spot!
"How can this be? Why isn't the Domain moving?!"
An elder wondered in a stupor, and at that time, while those millions of unaware Titans still expected the grand return, those 400 elders felt a presence, no, a force of terrible evil reach the Titan Domain's doorsteps.
The Devil's Army!
Instantly, the Titan elders realized the operation had not only failed but triggered the brutal retaliation of the one men should never offend:
The Chthonian Primogen!
150,000 Chthonian Devils flew ahead of a massive, jet-black chariot on top of which a man of empyrean looks sat alongside unparalleled beauties that were undoubtedly his. The devils assumed their true forms, the Dukes became twelve chthonian dragons while the 150,000 lower-ranked soldiers became humanoid, winged, horns and fanged monstrosities tall of more than 1,000 meters.
*ROOOOOAAAR!*
A single, unified, barbaric roar burst from the legions' throats alongside crushing Devil Force as they landed in the Titan Domain—alarming its millions of denizens!
Fright and complete incomprehension filled the Titans while their despondent elders rose to face the enemy.
"Chthonian Primogen, don't go too far! The Titan Domain isn't easily bull-"
The Great Elder began, but before he could finish his words, Konrad's four dragon puppets opened their maws, releasing pitch-black beams of crackling lightning and devil flames!
The beams swallowed the 400 Titan elders, stopping them mid-flight as they thrashed in the black flames and crackling lightning, torn by horrendous torments!
"AAAAAAAAAARGH!!!"
They howled in grief!
By the time the beams dispersed, the burning forms of the howling elders tumbled onto a border town of the Titan Domain, creating and earthquake while the fire consuming them spread to the nearby folks!
"Unsightly. The wisest man that never lived once said that the only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed.
Since you have the nerve to challenge me, face the consequences with some dignity.
Legionaries, extinguish this world."
Konrad ordered, and the four words echoed in the mind of not only the legionaries, but the millions of denizens of Titan Domain!
"AS YOU COMMAND, YOUR MAJESTY!"
