Nimrod merely displayed his complete mythical creature form and instantly defeated two demigods! This was the fundamental gap between angels and saints! This was the absolute crushing of higher-sequence beings over lower-sequence ones!
In the advancement of extraordinary pathways, some pathways could achieve qualitative change at mid-sequences, while others could gain qualitative change at low sequences. But to truly obtain divinity and complete the transformation, one must advance to Sequence 4 and become a saint!
However, to completely transcend the human category, one must become an angel! Infinite lifespan, the ability to respond to prayers worldwide, and being revered as a subordinate god - these positions all marked the power of angels! This was not something saints could contend with.
Seeing the two demigods collapse unconscious on the ground, having lost their fighting ability, the massive starlight worm began to contract inward, condensing into a handsome human figure.
Stretching his neck and arms, Nimrod muttered, "This Third Family's mythical creature form is simply too ugly. A giant worm - disgusting no matter how you look at it. I wonder what the Celestial Worthy's aesthetic sense was like. Sigh, thinking about this makes me envious of the Hunter pathway's mythical creature form. A flame giant - just thinking about it sounds cool."
Looking at the two unconscious figures on the ground, he reached out and gently grasped them, collecting them into an independent space he had separated.
Having achieved his goal for this trip, Nimrod adjusted his monocle and lifted the isolation of this independent world, allowing it to reconnect with the real world.
In mid-air, looking at the fire raging throughout the city lord's mansion below, a complex symbol suddenly lit up in Nimrod's eyes. The flames that were still raging seemed to gain life, breaking away from the burning objects and gathering in the air to form a massive burning fireball.
Then, the giant fireball, like a miniature sun, suddenly flew toward a lake outside the city as if guided by something, exploding violently upon impact.
Looking at the people below who were praying out of fear, Nimrod sighed and gradually faded away, disappearing above the city lord's mansion.
In the Southern Continent's Pas Valley, at the headquarters of the "Spiritual Order" Royal faction, in a hall where a ceremony was being held, Frederick Azik, with dark green curly hair, suddenly opened his eyes and tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something.
Three seconds later, his expression gradually changed from calm to astonishment, as if he hadn't yet recovered from his shock.
Above the hall, on a throne made of white bones, sat a stunningly beautiful woman in white robes wearing a pale crown. She seemed to notice Frederick Azik's anomaly and cast her gaze upon him.
"Frederick, being distracted during a ceremony is disrespectful to the divine. You'd better give me a satisfactory reason, or you will receive appropriate punishment!"
The beautiful woman's voice was cold enough to freeze souls, making listeners feel as if they had entered the ferry of the underworld, with their entire being - body and soul - struggling within it.
She was the current leader of the Spiritual Order's Royal faction, a direct descendant of Death God Salinger - Sia Palenque Eggers! A Death Consul who controlled the "Pale Emperor" characteristic!
Hearing Sia Palenque Eggers' bone-chilling voice, Frederick Azik immediately awakened from his dazed state. He left his seat, prostrated himself on the ground, and responded:
"Great Pale Empress, just now I received shocking news."
"Oh? What news could shock an Undead like you?"
Hearing Frederick's response, Sia Palenque Eggers chuckled softly, becoming somewhat curious about the news he had received.
"Uh..." Looking at the "Pale Empress" on the main seat, Frederick Azik hesitated briefly before continuing:
"Someone attacked the Kadra city lord's mansion, burning most of the buildings. The news tells me that the two demigods Intis had previously sent seem to have disappeared... As for the attackers, it appears to have been done by the Rose School of Thought, because at that time we were preparing for the final siege of the southern highland rebels, who are a force supported by the Rose School."
"Oh? Two demigods disappeared? If I remember correctly, that Iron-blooded Knight seems to be from the Soren family... Hehe, if it really was the Rose School's doing, there's definitely going to be some fun."
Hearing Frederick's news, a smile appeared on Sia Palenque Eggers' beautiful face. She looked at the Royal faction's high-ranking members gathered in the hall and spoke with a voice that reached directly to the soul:
"Temporarily abandon all activities on the Southern Continent. Have the organization members scattered outside go into hiding. As for you, stay within the territories of the forces you control as much as possible, and decline cooperation requests from Intis and Feysac. I have a feeling that the Southern Continent won't be peaceful for some time to come."
"We obey your command, Great Pale Empress!"
Hearing Sia Palenque Eggers' orders, Frederick and everyone in the hall prostrated themselves respectfully in response.
At the Kadra city lord's mansion, in a building that hadn't been burned, Frederick, who had returned overnight from the Royal faction headquarters, smoked one self-made cigarette after another. He looked at the middle-aged gentleman pacing back and forth with an anxious expression and laughed:
"Alel, don't be so anxious. Since they weren't killed on the spot, it means whoever captured them has other purposes. Perhaps before long, we'll receive the conditions they propose."
Hearing his words, the pacing middle-aged gentleman suddenly stopped and stared at Frederick with undisguised murderous eyes. A voice suppressed with extreme anger rang out:
"How can I not be anxious! The disappearance of two demigods is an unprecedented massive loss for the colony in all these years! Moreover, one of them is a member of the Soren family. How can I bear such responsibility? Frederick, if you had been here yesterday, perhaps they wouldn't have been captured and could have held out until rescue arrived."
As the Governor-General of Intis colonies in the Southern Continent, Alel's heart was collapsing. The two demigods who had been dining and chatting pleasantly with him at the colonial governor's mansion just days ago had been attacked and disappeared directly in Kadra city!
When he first heard this news, he thought his intelligence deputy was joking with him. It wasn't until he confirmed the truth of the matter with Frederick that his strong heart as an Iron-blooded Knight nearly stopped beating.
The Eternal Blazing Sun Church's Archbishop was one thing - even if he disappeared, the church couldn't blame him, a military insider. But that Vahar was different. He was a member of the Soren family, and the Soren family, as former royalty, though declined, still controlled most of the military's power and Intis's intelligence departments.
Even his own advancement to demigod - the potion and formula - had been provided by the Soren family. Now, a Soren family demigod had disappeared during his term as Governor-General. No matter how you looked at it, he bore inescapable responsibility.