They were long since ready. The peace treaty's end date was a moment the Jade Dynasty had long been prepared for. Of course, most passed their final idle days in remarkably different ways. Konrad for one let two of his Devil Bodies enjoy the perks of tyranny while the main one spent day and night in the company of his consorts.
But now, the time to draw blades had finally come. That Konrad wouldn't be part of the main army was a fact the Chthonian Devil forces were already aware of. Therefore, they showed no surprise. As for where he planned to go? That was none of their concern.
Konrad's eyes lowered on the chessboard, eying it intently for a second before shifting his gaze toward Iliana's.
"I'm afraid this game will not see an end."
Konrad stated with a gentle smile. Iliana, however, shook her head.
"Just a minor delay. Let the chessboard remain in this exact position, no matter how long it takes, we shall finish it."
Iliana replied and, alongside her harem sisters, stood up, turning into bright rays as they shot toward the Valkyries' gathering place. Konrad again glanced at the chessboard, shook his head, and stood up.
With a step, he vanished and, unbeknown to his forces, crossed all verses to land before the Firmament. The most sovereign of worlds indeed stood true to its reputation. The tiniest of breath was a marvel able to soothe the mind of a cultivator while refining their body and senses — a true cultivation paradise.
Concealed by his Firmament Bridge, Konrad walked in. In terms of size, the Firmament was by no means a world of exaggerated proportions, roughly the size of three Jupiters. It didn't have a sun, didn't have a moon — only the eternal jade sky and kaleidoscope lights dazzling the eye reminded the onlooker that this was no ordinary world.
In the Firmament, Konrad saw colors he didn't even know existed, shapes he couldn't name, beauty beyond all man could fathom. Alas, there was no time for him to enjoy the scenery. Konrad closed his eyes, spreading his Quasi-Almighty Devil Sense throughout the Firmament, seeking a very precise location, a gathering of unique forces that mirrored the rhythm of his bloodline and physiques.
He found it at the base of the Firmament Tree and, with another step, vanished to land upon it. A kaleidoscope vortex opened beneath his feet, dragging him into another scenery.
Meanwhile, armies left their homeworlds.
…
From the Neo Empyrean, led by Dragon Dark and Asmodeus, the Void Dragon Army took to the sky, crossing all verses as they descended upon the Firmament. From the Ancient Crystal World, the Chthonian Forces did the same.
The best of the 12 Orders led by Krann, the 16,000 Valkyries led by Yvonne, bloated space as they descended upon the Firmament like interstellar meteors. Little did the masses know that a fight about to decide the very meaning of existence throughout the rest of eternity, was about to begin.
All Valkyries donned crimson battle-armors each with varying pairs of wings, and horned helmets of the same hue. But even beside the 360,000 orderlies and 7.2 million Devil Puppets, the Valkyries' presence stifled the air. For this fight, the Chthonian Forces only brought 10% of their armies, the strongest 10%, of course. Among the present orderlies, none was weaker than the mid-stage Anti-God Realm.
At the head of their forces, Krann and the 12 Dukes stood in their dark battle armors. The design slightly differed depending on the secret forces they headed. But the color typically shifted between a jet-black, a dark-blue, and a dark-purple.
To prevent an attack on their headquarters, right before they left, they activated their defenses formations, leaving behind barriers none below Almighty level could hope to dent. Therefore, it was without worries that the Devil's troops marched into foreign lands.
Multicolor light rays tore through space, descending upon the Firmament to face the Chthonian Forces. At their helm, a silver-haired pair stood, the man with back-length hair, while the woman's locks trailed beneath her rear. The woman's face displayed an enrapturing beauty merged with a stately austerity that didn't allow a violation of her imperial dignity:
Asmodeus, or rather, Radiant Dragon's empress, Dragon Dark, and Dragon Warden's mother, Bright Dragon Star. In that form, though her beauty remained unchanged, instead of that gripping, enticing air, Asmodeus' entire body seemed distant and unapproachable.
In that past, Bright Dragon Star was not merely the number one beauty of the Empyrean, but an incomparably loving mother. However, Radiant Dragon twisted her mind to force her into tormenting Regretless, her sworn sister's son, for centuries. When Truth Transcendence allowed her to recover her memories, Radiant Dragon simply murdered her, sending the root of her existence into the Nirvana Dust Crown. She never again smiled.
But though he inherited her looks, Dragon Dark remained high-spirited, with his lips curved into a radiant smile. In tandem, the two groups dropped in the Firmament's atmosphere, but as they did, a third force rose to welcome them.
In terms of numbers, this force was undoubtedly the weakest, boasting only 30,000 experts, but all clearly were battle-hardened veterans that drank the blood of millions. Dao Spirits, Immortal Blood Spirits and Tribulation Spirits made up this brigade. And if their cultivation bases already was astonishing, they paled when compared to the man standing at their helm.
With sky-blue hair and crimson eyes, the young man's entire body brimmed with a nefarious air and killing intent. On the scene none could match the intensity of that killing intent, it stretched across kilometers, calling for bloodshed and slaughter!
Regretless' Evil Body!
And as his gaze swept the vast armies, even his sclera showed that crimson hue. Although vast armies clouded his gaze, only few managed to grasp his attention. Still, he failed to find who he truly sought.
Dragon Dark too was perplexed, for he couldn't see Konrad standing in the lot.
"Little sister-in-law, where is my brother hiding? In such a grand occasion, this unprecedented family reunion, he dares not show his face?"
Dragon asked while his slit, silver gaze, nailed Yvonne from afar. As the "little sister-in-law" echoed, Yvonne's eyes shifted toward Dragon Dark, with her arms crossed below her chest, she eyed him from head to toe, gracing him with a condescendence even he found uncomfortable.
"My husband has no time to waste on measly ants. If you want him to appear, bring your father instead. But I suppose that isn't happening, is it?"
Yvonne replied before disregarding Dragon Dark to revert her eyes on Regretless' Evil Body.
"Since the main players all have other battlefields to consider, the least we can do is to clean up the stage for them."
Yvonne declared, stretched out her hands, clenched her fists, and as her slender muscles hardened, her cultivation base erupted, releasing such a dreadful might that even the Evil Body's face contorted into a frown.
And although he'd now become a High Supreme, Dragon Dark felt dwarfed by this awe-inspiring strength.
"Well-said, your majesty!"
Krann approved and stepped forward. As his arms remained crossed behind his back, his lips curled into a fiendish grin, and his cultivation base exploded. Before, Dragon Dark believed that although Yvonne's strength surpassed all expectations, with the Evil Body and their preparations, handling her wouldn't be too difficult. At least, they should be able to restrain her.
But now, he was forced to reevaluate his plans. With every step Krann took forward, the Tribulation Demon Guard and Void Dragon Armies took seven backward! The pressure of Krann's diabolic energies was like an insurmountable mountain crushing spirit and soul!
