Following the Saint bodyguards' consumption of the Phantasm Orchids, Konrad concealed them within his space pouch, alongside the real Anselm Kracht. He then turned toward Yvonne whose eyes showcased doubt.
"Another one of your mother's tricks?"
The timing was too convenient. Was it not for Gulistan's intel, how could those guards so promptly discover Eysan's death and know who to chase?
"Most likely an attempt to show goodwill by sending free Saint labor force my way. In any case, it matters not. Let's go. My familiar is currently stalling the delegation."
With an approving nod, Yvonne turned into a two meters long hessonite eyed cobra, whose pitch-black scales glittered in flaming orange at various intervals. In that form, she wrapped herself around Konrad's torso, with her head standing beside his.
"Hissss…"
Seeing Yvonne adopt the miniature version of her true form, Konrad rolled his eyes.
"Afraid?"
"Yvonne Voight, you may be centuries older than me, but in the business of demonism, I'm your senior."
Konrad declared, before stepping into the air and flying toward Krann's location.
…
Meanwhile, a key member of Krann's delegation was currently suffering cruel abuse.
*Bam* *Bam* *Bam*
The tenth elder was being held by two of the twenty-one team members while the rest formed an ordered line at Krann's sides.
Still disguised as "Imperial Duke Konrad," Krann punched the tenth elder with one hand while healing him with the other.
And though he wished to struggle, with his cultivation sealed by Krann, the tenth elder didn't have the ability to resist and could only withstand the abuse.
"Having the audacity to disrespect my master, the nerves!
Who the hell do you think you are?
Are there still laws in the land?!
I must beat you black and blue!"
Krann roared while his fist flew at the tenth elder's face.
*Bam* *Bam* *Bam*
The Semi-Saints and Transcendent Knight delegation members who witnessed this scene inwardly shivered. Even in their wildest dreams, they'd never expected that they would one day behold the scene of a von Jurgen Profound Saint receiving such a thrashing in broad daylight!
Naturally, following Krann's display of might, they didn't dare misbehave.
The tenth elder's cheeks didn't even have the time to get properly swollen before Krann's demonic healing powers soothed his wounds and restarted the whole process.
Tears and desperation filled his face as he failed to comprehend what he did to deserve this. Who was the master he offended? And why was the eunuch boy suddenly displaying such tyrannical strength?
When did the script go so wrong?!
Had he known things would take such a deplorable turn, he would have risked his life to refuse the assignment! Alas, the subjunctive proved his misery irreversible.
"W-wait…w-wait…"
The tenth elder struggled to say between smacks.
"What? Any complaints?"
"You…can't…beat me black and blue…if you keep healing me."
The tenth elder's stammering words brought Krann sudden enlightenment, and his eyes shone with the new realization.
"That is correct! Why did I not think of this before?"
Assailed by this new dilemma, Krann fell into deep thoughts, giving the tenth elder some time to catch a moment of respite.
"I know! I will first beat you black and blue! Then heal you, then start it all over again!"
With this new resolution, Krann now used his two fists to knock out all the tenth elder's teeth.
*Bam* *Bam* *Bam*
"H…help! Help!
Mercy…mercy!
You…are inhuman!"
Hearing those words, Krann wondered if his punches shocked that man's brain.
As a demon familiar, he was, of course, inhuman? What point was he trying to make?
But when Krann discarded those distracting thoughts to carry on with the punching session, Konrad descended from the sky, landing right by his side.
His sudden appearance took the gathered individuals by surprise.
Krann stopped his "righteous deed" and turned toward Konrad while the tenth elder saw his heart filled with hope.
"I'm house von Jurgen's tenth elder! Sir, if you rescue me from this demonic creature, glory, splendor, wealth and rank will surely be yours!"
The tenth elder exclaimed with his wide, expectant eyes.
But before Konrad could reply, Krann's next words dashed all his expectations and nailed his hopeful heart onto the ground.
"Greetings, master!"
Krann hailed and dropped onto his knees. The combination of his words and deeds were too much for the tenth elder to bear, his body shook, and his tears flowed, unrestrained.
"Injustice…this…is an injustice!"
*Puh*
The tenth elder spat blood and in indignation, passed out.
Both Konrad and serpent form Yvonne blinked at this odd scene. Yvonne, in particular, failed to grasp how things reached this point.
"Useless waste! How dare you faint before master? Are you telling him that his sight is too hard to bear? Wake up!"
*Pah*
Backhanded by Krann's right, the tenth elder was forced back into awareness. Meanwhile, black lines marked Konrad's forehead.
"Your familiar possesses a…unique disposition."
Yvonne appraised following her round of stupor.
"Hum, hum."
Konrad cleared his throat, then activated the Phantasm Orchids Krann had forced down those men's throats.
"Heal the tenth elder before we resume the trip."
Konrad ordered Krann after rewiring the convoy's members. The delegation led six large carriages each with enough space to comfortably house a dozen men. With the serpent form Yvonne still coiling around him, Konrad settled within one and sat crossed legged in cultivation.
Although he'd reached a breakthrough threshold in his martial and spiritual paths, due to insufficient time, he'd yet to complete his Transformations.
Two sets of diamond and rainbow-colored light swirled around his form as he officially broke through the seventh step of the Transcendent Knight Rank, and the ninth step of the Transcendent Priest Rank.
With his spiritual cultivation having reached the limit of the Transcendent Rank, Konrad probed deeper into the Infernal Soul Devouring Art's second layer, dark fog swirled around him as he comprehended more of its mysteries and approached mastery.
Along the road, Konrad didn't forget to spend time on rune carving, studying the Formation Code while using large quantities of low-level crystals to test formations.
In that manner, three days passed, and as the convoy reached the Water Kingdom Alliance's capital, Konrad's eyes shone with enlightenment.
The dark fog dived into his eyes, and for an instant, they turned pitch-black, leaving no place for white. And as the darkness vanished, Konrad mastered the second layer of the Infernal Soul Devouring Art.
Alongside it, his soul power skyrocketed.
