But then, she recalled her rage, helplessness, and sorrow before the uncertainty of his fate, and resumed her false indifference.

Seeing this, Konrad rolled his eyes and pulled her back into his arms.

"Alright, enough pleasantries. The Ant Goddess will soon undergo her Cosmic Tribulation at that time, she will be at her weakest. But afterward, her strength will skyrocket. Due to her obsession with reaching Life Embodiment, she may not personally come out anytime soon. However, dispatching avatars is pretty reasonable.

We need to control her next moves. Fortunately, I've placed an irresistible bait under her nose. After verifying the information, she will dispatch her armies, elders, and queens against the Infernal Cult. Use that opportunity to conduct a raid, and on the very instant, the Cosmic Tribulation hits her, stab the World Tree with this."

Konrad explained while stretching out his hand to condense an orb of pure chthonian energies that morphed into an icy-blue dagger. Around that dagger, black mist coiled. In silence, Yvonne took it from Konrad's hands and used her Origin Sight to analyze it. And from the little she could find out, she realized that a single blow from that dagger was enough to slay Minor Gods.

Though astounded, she suppressed her inquiries, keeping them for better times.

After pocketing the dagger, Yvonne nodded in approval.

"Although with her breakthrough and the World Tree's protection, it won't be enough to kill her, she will suffer severe injuries while the life essence and laws within the World Tree will become corroded by chthonian energies.

It will take decades before she can recover and dispel the chthonian corruption. Using that time, you can solidify your control over the Hidden Forest while the outside war rages. By invalidating her, I can take full control of the war's process and ensure it goes the way I want it to.

Once she emerges, we will deal with her."

Knowing that Konrad must have concocted some dastardly to turn the World into a battlefield for the sake of his growth, Yvonne didn't dwell much on the matter. But as Konrad's words ended, Yvonne was startled to see his face contorting into a frown.

Although it lasted but a fraction of a second, it couldn't escape her eyes. And before she could inquire, Konrad pursued.

"In the coming years, there will be a time when you find yourself backed into a corner, forced into a suicidal road by an extreme situation. At that time, regardless of what you face, remember that I have your back.

So long as I stand, nothing can harm you, and all disasters shall turn into blessings."

Konrad declared with his lips flashing a bright smile. His words only served to further confuse Yvonne, who couldn't comprehend their origin. But he gave her no time to investigate and disappeared in whirling black fog.

Seeing this, Yvonne's eyes narrowed into a frown.

"What did he mean by that? And why won't he be straightforward?"

She wondered, but then, assured in the belief Konrad would never do anything not in her interest, she shrugged off all concerns to return to the tasks at hand.

…

Meanwhile, back within the World Tree's roots, instead of their usual seated positions, the nineteen remaining ant queens kowtowed in fright.

"Wastes! Complete and utter wastes! I have entrusted you with overseeing our forces' moves and ensure no threat could rise to interfere with our plans. But not content of failing to obtain a solid understanding of the enemy and wasting FOUR LEAVES, you allowed the deaths of eight queens and dozens of elders!

What? Before the real battle begins, are you trying to lead our forces into destruction?"

The Ant Goddess snarled with blazing fury, causing the kowtowing queens to shiver while pressing their heads harder against the "floor."

Even the top three queens whose cultivation had reached Demigod level were no exception.

"Eminent Goddess, the enemy is perplexing with a plethora of tools and abilities we cannot comprehend. Although we dare not shirk responsibility, the fact of the matter is…that even now, all our probes fail to assess the full depth of their strength, and there is no way to discover it without more sacrifices.

Sacrifices we may not be able to afford. That being the case, I recommend adopting a defensive stance and avoid open conflict until you've broken through and completed the assimilation of the World Tree."

The first queen replied without raising her head, and hearing this, the Goddess' fury lessened, if only a little. Indeed, the events had gone far beyond all they could anticipate. The queens hadn't made any genuine oversight and handled all situations with appropriate resources. A pity that the force they now faced surpassed the first generation of the Infernal Cult and Celestial Church combined.

"Good. What is the result of your investigation?"

She asked, following a brief moment of silence.

"The information is correct. According to the Celestial Church's archives, the Infernal Cult does possess such an artifact. But because none of them could make use of it since the fall of the last demons, they kept it locked as a relic."

Due to the Blood Barrier, the Ant Queens couldn't make a silent investigation within the Infernal Cult. Therefore, they switched their attention to the Celestial Church, which currently was a mess and robbed the archives.

Through them, verifying Konrad's words wasn't difficult.

"That being the case, lead our forces against the Infernal Cult, obliterate the barrier, slaughter them all with absolute might, and seize the artifact! No mistake is allowed; depart at once!"

The Ant Goddess ordered, and all queens bowed, in compliance.

"As you command, Eminent Goddess!"

And this time, ten queens, including the top three, personally led the charge against the Infernal Cult.

Behind them stood one-hundred elders and an army of one million zenith ants that emerged from the underground to flood the Barbarian Continent!

And as the Zenith Ant Army bloated the sky to descend upon the Barbarian Continent and Infernal Cult, all realized that chaos, fire, and blood gathered to engulf the land!

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