"Admirable, simply admirable. What a performance! Dad is truly my idol. Poor Elia will curse all that is profane for missing this."
A gawking Heide muttered while holding a recording mirror to save this grand performance. Although she'd often heard of her father's theatrical skills, this was her first time witnessing them firsthand.
Selene, Verena and Valkyrie, however, remained undisturbed.
"This is but a fraction of your father's theatrical skills. In the past, he's done much worse."
Verena remarked with a smile, while Konrad's devil shroud kept them all concealed from the deities and mortals alike. In fact, even without Konrad's help, if they didn't want to be seen, no one on the current scene could spot them. Such was the might of the Devil Bridge.
Heide pocketed her recording mirror, and the devil shroud vanished on the Mara posers, letting the three of them appear to plain view. Of course, the chaotic scenery prevented anyone from paying them heed.
In the sky, five Dream Spirits and three Mara experts, and even repartition of four males and four females appeared. The males stood bare-chested with the usual wrapped genie pants held by a belt, while the females donned sleeveless belly shirts.
Maras and Dream Spirits were undoubtedly the most attractive creatures of the Celestial Realm. In fact, in terms of pure beauty, across the Higher Realms, only incubi, succubi and maenads could possibly contend with them. The best of the rest fell a step short. For that reason, Maras and Dream Spirits' beauty standards always appeared absurd to other races. In any other place, those eight would, individually, stand out as beings of flawless – compelling beauty. But when set side by side, they became average.
Seven boasted peak-stage High God cultivation bases while the eighth, the group's leader, stood at the mid-stage Cosmic God Rank. Seven deacons and one protector. Their gazes looked past Konrad to land on Nehal who still quivered within his grasp, and instantaneously, their magenta eyes widened with flaring disbelief!
"Nehal? How could this be?"
The leader, a man that seemed to be in his late-twenties but had in fact lived for hundreds of thousands of years, blurted without target. Awoken by the name call, Nehal raised her trembling eyes toward the Sea Dream Protector.
"Uncle Am-Amrit?"
Nehal stammered, with her eyes "brightened" by a surge of relief. In glee, she left her savior's arms to rush toward the protector. Heaven only possessed less than five hundred Cosmic Gods. Even the Sea Dream Temple only had around thirty, all with nine out of ten possessing royal blood.
This Amrit indeed was one of Nehal's uncles. Or to be more accurate, uncle-in-law. But before Nehal could reach him, it seemed the last bit of energy in her body vanished, and she collapsed mid-air.
Amrit appeared to catch her mid-flight and inject his God-Force into her body. But feeling the Nihility God level cultivation within her frame, his eyes widened in disbelief. Two centuries ago, Nehal was merely at Divine Ascension. How could she grow from Divine Ascension all the way to the Nihility God Rank in two centuries?
Closing his eyes, Amrit used his Intermediate level of Truth Laws to reconstruct the events that had just occurred. They shocked him no end, and while holding the recovering Nehal firm in his hands, he shifted his eyes toward her savior, the man he'd neglected till now.
"Heaven blesses you."
Konrad greeted with a polite bow, before Amrit opened his mouth. At a glance, Amrit could see that Konrad's cultivation stood at the peak-stage of the High God Rank while his bloodline reached the noble level. For each Deva Bloodline, there were millions of half-bloods, hundreds of thousands of purebloods, tens of thousands of noble blood, thousands of greater blood, and hundreds of royal blood bearers.
All that could retrace their lineage to Daksha, the Mara Primogen, resided within the Sea Dream Temple. Those descending from blessed humans, without Ancestral Glories, usually remained outside. Unless, of course, they showed Cosmic God potential, in which case they could join the temple.
Some founded their own sects, other pursued the wandering cultivator path. A few died from the cultivation road's struggles, leaving behind bastards and orphans. Knowing all of those individuals was radically impossible.
But although there was no way to tell if one descended from Daksha without asking to see the Ancestral Glory, Amrit didn't doubt this man wasn't part of their lot. If he were, why would he abandon the superior environment of the Sea Dream Temple to wander the outside world?
"Heaven blesses you. How may I address you?"
Amrit inquired while his seven subordinates return the bow in silence.
"Rudra."
Konrad calmly replied, giving a preselected name.
"Rudra, by protecting the Sea Dream City and rescuing this young lady, you've done the temple two great services. Have no doubt that you shall be rewarded. But first, I hope you can come with me to relate the events to Lord Daksha."
Amrit followed. Though the battle seemed of low scale, this was a matter that affected the very foundation of the Realm.
To give validity to the threat he saw and felt, Amrit knew his words alone were far from enough, Nehal would have to testify, and so would this Rudra. Fortunately, the Primogen Council had yet to end.
Undisturbed, Konrad nodded in approval, and the ten turned into magenta beams to fly toward the Primogen Council's meeting place in the Heaven Warding Temple. At their speed, the journey took less than three minutes.
But once they reached the Heaven Warding Temple, all lowered onto the ground. And as Amrit took a second to warn his lord through mental messages, Konrad took a moment to observe the Heaven Warding Temple.
Like all the top thirteen sects of Heaven, the mountain range the temple stood on pierced the clouds and stretched across a mind-boggling expanse of land. But unlike other top sects, even as the Celestial Realm's number one force, the Heaven Warding Temple breathed simplicity and harmony with nature.
Bald Brahma monks and short-haired nuns filled its streets, and unlike in other places, the disciples didn't live in separate courts.
But before Konrad could probe further, Armrit's voice echoed.
"We've obtained license. Follow me, and do not open your mouth unless asked to."
And without further ado, he led Konrad and Nehal into the Primogens' meeting hall.
There, Konrad was mildly surprised by the unanimous appearance of the Higher Realms' rulers. And when his eyes swept Talroth, he struggled to restrain his smile.
