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A chilling silence met Rati's inquiry. But as Konrad peered into her eyes with his lips set in that pleasantly roguish smile, as she withstood the intensity of his gaze, she couldn't help but tremble - if only for a second.

Now she could clearly see that beneath that peak High God Mara facade, a dreadful force able to control her very fate with a hand flicker hid, gauging her worth with his every glance. Even the Cardinal Lords didn't give her such pressure. Recalling her previous words, self-derision spread within her mind. How could that level of existence need to assail her from the shadows?

Still in silence, Konrad stretched out his right hand, tapping Rati's forehead with his index. In that instant, all poisonous forces tearing her insides out dissipated, leaving behind a soothing force that returned her to peak condition in the fraction of a second.

"You."

Konrad replied in a refreshing tone that echoed like a relaxing, subduing sonata. The disarming force of that single word made Rati reestimate the man. But as consternation settled within her narrowing eyes, Konrad pursued.

"I want the beauty, the mind, the breath, the heartbeat, the soul, all to belong to me and only me."

As he spoke, Konrad's lips bridged the distance between them two, stopping only an inch away from Rati's. With a tilt on the left, Konrad brought his face next to hers and whispered right into her ear.

"That my name keeps you awake at night, that my touch sets your heart ablaze, that your yearning clouds your vision and you wholly succumb to me. That...is what I want."

The words snuck into Rati's ear, seeped into her marrow, and for an instant, her heartbeat quickened, drumming against her chest at a rate her husband of eons could never produce.

As one of the most ancient deities of the Celestial Realm, in the era before the proxy battlefields, Rati had participated in Realm Wars against the Infernal Realm and fought her share of Royal Blooded Incubi, or Lust Embodiments as they referred to themselves within their courts. However, none could ever make her heart ripple.

After all, though not promiscuous in nature, Maras were one of the most sensual races, masters of mind manipulation and passion inducement. The Mermaids and Dream Spirits they created were strong examples of those skills.

Yet, as the number two of her race, the Great Elder of the Sea Dream Temple, Rati couldn't even remain stoic before that man's few words. Dreadful implications lay therein.

Still, she didn't flounder, and with a slow spin, shifted to face Konrad, asserting her clear-headedness with a limpid glance. Their cheeks brushed, their lips almost met, but the two maintained eye-contact. One, full of undisguised desire, the other, meeting him with a calm challenge.

"Apologies, but I'm spoken for."

Rati replied with an irresistible smile. But how could such a statement deter Konrad? On the contrary, it only kindled greater interest.

"That...never stopped me."

Konrad countered and in a brisk move, yanked Rati back onto her feet before wrapping her waist from behind. But as the alarmed devi thrashed, the briskness made way for tenderness, and Konrad lowered his chin onto her shoulder.

"Dissolute rogue!"

Rati rebuked while a strange mixture of indignation and relaxation settled within her chest.

"I am indeed. And what I want, who I want, no one can keep."

The unabashed Konrad retorted while taking Rati's hand within his.

"I can feel your pulse quicken. Perhaps your heart already acknowledges what it knows inevitable."

Konrad whispered, and let go of the Goddess. With a 180 degrees spin, she turned to face him, indignation flaring in her eyes. But now he'd already turned his back, striding off toward proper business.

Aware that in the confines of the Essence Nurturing Forest, Konrad was both her safest and most dangerous bet, Rati released a sigh and followed his trails. If she wanted to find a way back to her disciples, there was no other path.

But little did she know that as she walked in the Profane Prince's shadow, in the other areas, Devas were being slaughtered left and right.

...

A mighty squad of ten Rakshasa Cosmic Gods and forty High Gods from the Eternal Void Sect crossed the Essence Nurturing Forest's timberland with vigilance. Following the sudden zone division and the sneak attacks of the Nature Spirits, all realized the situation stood beyond their estimations and chose to band in groups to ensure salvation.

And so far, this group had been successful, having managed to repel many Nature Spirit ambushes and even locate more than one Greater Blood Tree. Of course, for the Cosmic Gods among them, Greater Blood Trees held no appeal. But for those High Gods shackled by weaker blood, it was another story.

But as they reached another grove, their steps halted, stopping before a towering monster of a tree whose trunk bathed in dazzling light and rippled with formidable energies:

A Royal Blood Tree!

Joy teemed within their chests, expanding their eyes as greed settled within, and announced their need to snatch the gleaming red fruits sprouting from the branches.

"Five mature fruits! Brothers, may skills determine loot!"

One of the Cosmic Gods exclaimed, pulling an approving nod from his peers. As for the High Gods, though they salivated at the thought of a Royal Blood Tree, they understood their worth. Vying with their leaders for such resources was nothing short of courting destruction. The could only refrain!

But at that time, one of the Cosmic God's eyes swept the base of the gargantuan tree and fell onto the back of a slender girl with lustrous, jet-black hair hanging beneath her back. Dressed in a dark blue dress that didn't match that of the usual deva, she stood with one Royal Blood Fruit in her right hand while her eyes trailed the tree.

"Bold! Who are you? With what qualifications do you dare harvest a Royal Blood Fruit? Return it at once!"

The Cosmic God snarled, speaking as if he'd been robbed of his cherished possession and pulling the attention of his peers onto the lass. Naturally, that lass was Heide.

"Ah. dull crickets. You are not qualified to hear the name or see the face of my esteemed self."

Heide snided and brought the fruit to her lips for a casual bite. Seeing this, the Rakshasas all broke into a frenzy and hurtled at that daring lass that dared disparage them so!

Of course, more importantly, they couldn't afford to let her consume the fruit. And seeing that the intensity of Heide's aura only matched that of a mid-stage Void Goddess'. The High Gods led the charge, ready to harvest merits.

*Slash* *Slash* *Slash*

But before they could take three steps forward, the 40 High Gods were all hacked into hundreds of perfect pieces that dropped onto the ground to form a puddle of blood and minced flesh.

*Crunch*

Heide took her casual bite and felt vast energies leave the fruit to fuel her Myriad World Immortal Blood. Alarmed, the Cosmic Gods browsed the perimeter to locate the assassins with their wide-open eyes. Alas, the whistle of the wind was their sole discovery!

Heide waved her hand, causing a ten meters long dark-purple cauldron to appear within the air.

"Such wastes are not qualified to be refined by my beloved father. Execute them all, and toss them into the cauldron. Today, I must refine Devil Pills."

Heide ordered, and instantly, the thirty Silent Blades hiding in the shadows turned into black rays of staggering explosive powers and hacked at the ten Cosmic Gods from all sides, chopping them body and soul in a single blow!

Even at the point of death, those deities still couldn't understand why their heads soared into the sky.

Such was the might of the Silent Blades!