Chapter 484: I Shall Reward You...With a Glorious Death!
When they left their domains with blazing ire and the gong of vengeance ringing in their minds, never did the Cardinal Lords expect that the gored corpses of their fellow Primogens awaited them. Less than a week after Nehal's return and the Sea Dream City's commotion, Heaven only had four Primogens left. But as his eyes swept Konrad's black locks, Daksha feared the number would soon shrink to zero.
"Forbidden Locks truly exist."
He sighed in dismay, and when their gazes swept the locks, even the bellicose Durga and the demonised Brihaspati floundered. According to common knowledge, Forbidden Physique owners all held a crippling curse and couldn't cultivate. Moreover, their physiques would always be limited to the birth rank.
However, legend was that the three Forbidden Physiques all held thirty locks, and breaking those locks would allow the owner to not only cultivate, but unleash the Forbidden Physique's true powers. By breaking the first ten locks, at the Legendary God Rank, the Forbidden Physique owner would rarely meet rivals.
But in those countless eons, no such existence appeared. Therefore, the ancients soon left the tale in the back of their minds. Little did they know that besides a tremendous quantity of energy, breaking Forbidden Locks required an irreplaceable ingredient:
A Firmament Bridge!
The term "Forbidden" was coined by Regretless following his conquest of the Omniverse, for he knew that those physiques possessed an intricate connection to the Firmament. A connection not even he could make use of. When all locks broke, one Forbidden Physique was comparable to a Supreme. Two, to a High Supreme, and three...to the Almighty Supreme!
Though he believed no Firmament Bridge owner would ever appear, Regretless wasn't willing to take chances, and tempered with the Firmament's energies to curse all Firmament Physique owners throughout the omniverse. Ensuring that none of them could ever cultivate, and would possess such ghastly curses that the world would shun them.
Hence, the Firmament Physiques became the Forbidden Physiques that filled countless worlds with mixtures of awe and disgust. Little did Regretless expect that the man he loathed the most would build a Firmament Bridge and restore them to glory!
Now, as he stared at those locks rippling with a force that heralded damnation, Daksha wondered whether he should advance or retreat! But when he recalled his daughters most likely lay in that man's hands, he no longer had any hesitation.
The demonised Brihaspati craved Konrad's blood. Therefore, regardless of his powers, he would fight! As for Durga, she never cowered before might and wouldn't start today!
"Chthonian Primogen I presume?"
Daksha began with Magenta Clouds swirling around his form.
"Not too harebrained. I like. But you should call me son-in-law. Otherwise, you'd break your daughters' hearts. In consideration for them, if you offer your Blood Origin and bow to me, I can give you a new road."
Konrad replied with a wolfish grin. And when his words reverberated within the sky, veins beat on Daksha's temple. But as he prepared to snap, a voice echoed in his mind.
"Father, he butchered the seven Divine Lords as if they were nothing but rats and chickens. You are not his match! Throughout the Celestial Realm, only the Warden can possibly contend with him! Retreat!"
Rati urged in a hurried tone. Though she'd long-since hypothesized that Konrad's individual strength surpassed all Primogens', never did she expect the gap to be this outrageous. Even if the three Cardinal Lords joined hands, she wouldn't bet on them! And hearing his daughter's pleading, Daksha heaved a sigh of relief. At least Rati was safe. For now, that was the most important.
"Even if you speak the truth, 99% of the high-ranking male devas of our Sea Dream Temple have perished while you aside, the females' whereabouts are unknown. A brief glance shows the same thing appeared in the other Cardinal Sects. Why is that? I believe you can guess.
Even if I want to retreat, he might not allow it. The Chthonian Primogen unleashed the Underworld on an entire Realm and destroyed its original will. Is that level of existence the kind to act without purpose? He wanted us here...to harvest our lives! That being the case, let's fight!
I have not cultivated for billions of years to perish in the hands of a junior!"
Daksha snarled the last parts, for both Rati and Konrad. The former lowered her trembling face and sighed while the latter nodded in approval.
"Acceptable Dao Heart, I like. Good, very good. You were always my favorite."
Konrad appraised with an approving nod. But as his words ended, all trace of jest vanished from his face and when his eyes returned to the three Cardinal Lords, they shone with soul-rending killing intent and irresistible battle-will!
"Very well, come at me with all you got! Show me what you're made of and fight for your one shot at salvation!
I shall reward you...with a glorious death!"
Konrad bellowed and stretched out his hands, causing black devil force to burst from his form alongside the multicolor light of his Law Revolution Creed. At first, although the pressure of his devil energies seemed stuck at the mid-stage Ancestral God level, when he released the full might of his laws and bloodline, space crackled and collapsed, creating vortexes that threw Heaven's sky into chaos!
Within the Celestial Realm, even peak-stage Legendary Gods couldn't create space vortexes!
A boundless veil of darkness rose at Konrad's feet, carrying him upward, high above the Cardinal Lords, and announcing to the entirety of the Celestial World that above the Essence Nurturing Forest, a world-shaking battle was taking place. Meanwhile, the Forest drank the blood of the fallen, devas, spirits and primogens alike, to complete its transformation!
The fruits matured, and at the center of the three pillars, a dwarf tree appeared. But the Cardinal Lords couldn't care for any of this. Their eyes focused on Konrad and only him.
Following an exchange of mental messages to ensure coordination, the three made their moves!
Brihaspati's bloodied eyes blazed with frenzy as he stepped forward. Dark mist swirled around his form, contrasting with the blinding light erupting from his pores.
"TOWERS OF RECKONING!"
Brihaspati raised his arms, causing three hundred towers of pure light, each high of nine kilometers, to appear and fire three hundred light beams into Heaven's sky. The light beams coalesced into a gargantuan light orb ready to rain holy judgment on Konrad for a lifetime of sinful deeds.
The more foul karma the opponent accumulated, the stronger the Towers of Reckoning were. Never in Brihaspati's life did he see them display such dreadful might! When comparing the current Towers to the ones Chandra faced, the difference was akin to the gap between heaven and earth.
Yet, Konrad didn't even spare them a glance.
"Citadels of Dreams!"
Backing Brihaspati, Daksha unleashed his Ancestral Glory fueled by the might of his Dream Laws while Durga armed her four hands with four mighty spears and summoned waves of darkness to contend with Konrad!
"Brihaspati, thank you for offering me your wife. If a next life there is, I hope we can be brothers...so that I may cuck you all over."
Konrad whispered in a mental message that cleared all of Brihaspati's doubts!
"AAAAAAAAAAARGH! DIE! DIE DIE DIE DIE!"
Brihaspati howled in grief, releasing the blinding spear of judgment fueled by the extreme of his Light and Fate Laws.
The spear tore through the sky, crackling space before descending upon Konrad. Not even bothering using the Forbidden Locks of his Might Reversal Physique, he stretched out his right hand, facing Brihaspati's full-force with his leisurely palm.
*BOOOM*
The blinding spear stopped right against Konrad's palm, not going an inch further, then collapsed in light particles.
To say nothing of Brihaspati, Daksha and Durga all couldn't believe their eyes. And as she witnessed this scene from afar, Rati released a helpless sigh. Doomed, they were all doomed.