It was true that becoming an invincible Paragon was the ultimate goal of cultivation for all beings in the Coiling Dragon Universe.
Even the lofty Sovereigns were no exception.
But how many could truly reach that realm?
There had originally been seventy-seven Sovereigns. After the Sovereign War, thirty-four had fallen. Of those remaining, there were now forty-three—no, including Locke, forty-four.
Among them, only Locke and the three other Paragons of the Edicts had truly reached the level of Paragon.
Even Sovereigns, who possessed vast reserves of faith power, were halted at the complete fusion of the sixth Profound Mystery. For Deities, the difficulty was naturally even greater.
People like Ryan and Rockpeak might seem unremarkable in Locke's eyes, but in the Seven Divine Planes and Four Higher Planes, Seven-Star Fiends still carried significant weight.
Even so, that was the limit of their potential.
The fact that they had made no progress for tens of millions of years was enough to prove that their potential in the comprehension of Laws and Edicts had already been exhausted.
Even without consuming the Netherworld Fruit, they would never glimpse the mysteries of Paragonhood in this lifetime.
But by eating it, their strength could advance even further, allowing them to become true commander-level experts.
Thus, as long as Ryan and Rockpeak weren't fools, they knew exactly what choice to make.
After swallowing the Netherworld Fruit, both of them felt as though the mysteries of the Laws were laid bare within their souls.
It was like being handed a ninety-percent perfect answer sheet during an exam—so long as they followed it, they could naturally achieve the fusion of their Profound Mysteries.
In just a few breaths, Ryan located the point of compatibility for his fifth Profound Mystery and began merging it with the other four earth-element mysteries.
Rockpeak was no slower.
In fact, perhaps because his strength had been slightly inferior to Ryan's, his progress appeared even faster.
Very quickly, under the effects of the Netherworld Fruit, Rockpeak's comprehension of the Edicts of Destruction reached eighty percent, and his true power stabilized at the level of a Seven-Star Fiend.
And it didn't stop there.
His understanding continued to deepen at a rapid pace.
Eighty-one percent… eighty-two percent…
Half an hour later, the effects of the Netherworld Fruit faded.
By then, the auras of both Ryan and Rockpeak had increased by more than tenfold.
"So… this is the power of a commander…"
Feeling the strength surging through their bodies, both of them found it hard to believe.
In the current Seven Divine Planes and Four Higher Planes, with Sovereigns absent, commanders stood at the very pinnacle of Deities.
Ryan and Rockpeak had once imagined what it would be like to reach such a level.
But tens of millions of years of stagnation had long since extinguished their hope.
Fortunately, Lord Locke had not abandoned them. He had given them a new chance—allowing them to truly step into this realm.
"Lord Locke… I, Ryan, am not good with words."
"But if you give the order, even if it costs my life, I'll make sure it's done perfectly."
"Oh?"
Locke raised an eyebrow. "Ryan, from the way you're saying it, are you implying that when you worked for me before, you weren't prepared to risk your life?"
"N-no, Lord Locke…"
Ryan immediately panicked, unable to find the right words.
"Please, let me explain…"
"Alright, Ryan. I understand what you mean."
Seeing how flustered he was, Locke dropped the teasing tone and reassured him.
"You and Rockpeak have followed me since my weakest days. Rather than subordinates, I see you as friends."
"As for the tasks I assign you—just do your best."
"There's no need to go as far as risking your lives."
"Ryan, Rockpeak, you need to understand—now that I am a Sovereign, the success or failure of any given task does not matter much to me."
"So, if you encounter a powerful enemy while carrying out a mission, I would rather you retreat."
"Compared to the mission, the two of you are far more important to me."
"After all, if one task fails, there will be ten more, a hundred more, even a thousand more."
"But if the two of you fall… then I will have lost two friends forever."
"…This…"
Ryan and Rockpeak exchanged a glance, both seeing the same resolve in each other's eyes—the kind of resolve that made one willing to die for someone who truly understood them.
Although they were only Seven-Star Fiends, because of Locke, Reynold—an Emissary of the Blood Peak Sovereign—treated them as equals.
Through casual conversations, they had come to understand how the Blood Peak Sovereign treated Reynold.
Compared to "subordinates," an Emissary was more like a Sovereign's "servant."
Whenever the Sovereign had personal matters, they would assign them to their Emissary.
If the task was completed successfully, the Sovereign, in a good mood, might reward them with a drop of Sovereign's power or other treasures.
But if they failed, punishment would follow.
Even so, becoming a Sovereign's Emissary was the aspiration of countless commander-level experts.
After all, it meant receiving a Sovereign-bestowed Sovereign artifact, greatly enhancing one's strength and elevating them among commanders.
And how did Lord Locke treat them?
Not only did he impose no harsh demands, but when tasks did arise, he prioritized their survival above all else.
The difference between Locke and the Blood Peak Sovereign was like night and day.
From Locke's words, Ryan and Rockpeak could clearly feel how much he valued them.
If Reynold were to learn that Locke treated two non-Emissaries this way, he might even regret choosing the wrong Sovereign to follow.
But such things could not be helped.
Even if Reynold had never become a Sovereign's Emissary, Locke would not have taken a liking to him.
Even Oakes—if not for the long years of working together and his proven competence—Locke would not have wasted a position of Sovereign's Emissary on him.
After all, the kind of Emissaries Locke wanted were those with the potential to advance further—not those whose potential had already been exhausted.
Oakes was a dual-element soul mutant of wind and water. His upper limit was similar to Locke's before becoming a Sovereign.
Unfortunately, his talent in fusing Profound Mysteries was nowhere near Locke's.
Even in his strongest element, wind, he had only managed to fuse eight Profound Mysteries before being stuck at the commander level.
His water clone had fused only three.
As for fusing wind and water Laws—he hadn't even crossed the threshold.
In other words, unless he encountered some extraordinary opportunity, Oakes' potential ended there.
"Lord Locke, after consuming the Netherworld Fruit, our strength has increased tremendously."
Ryan thumped his chest confidently.
"I'm not bragging, but even Reynold, the Blood Peak Sovereign's Emissary, wouldn't be my match without using a Sovereign artifact."
As a rock-type special lifeform, Ryan's physical strength far surpassed that of a Highgod artifact.
Although still inferior to a divine spark, among special lifeforms and divine beasts, his body ranked among the top.
With five Profound Mysteries fully fused, combined with his powerful physical offense and defense, Ryan's strength had leapt into the upper ranks among commanders.
Even Oakes, without using fused divine power or a material defense Sovereign artifact, might not necessarily defeat the current Ryan.
"Yes, I feel the same."
After Ryan spoke, Rockpeak nodded.
Although his physical strength was slightly weaker than Ryan's, the amplification of the Edicts of Destruction allowed his overall power to rival Ryan's.
Of course, this was only in terms of raw strength.
Before becoming a true commander, Ryan had already been able to contend with commanders using his ultimate techniques.
Now that he had fused an additional Profound Mystery, given enough time to develop new techniques, he would inevitably surpass Rockpeak.
Unless Rockpeak was extraordinarily lucky and created an equally powerful ultimate technique, there was no way he could match Ryan.
But from their previous levels of comprehension, it was clear that Ryan's talent far exceeded Rockpeak's—so any techniques they created would naturally favor Ryan.
"So, Lord Locke—if you have any tasks, just assign them to me and Rockpeak."
"We'll definitely handle them perfectly."
Rockpeak nodded in agreement.
A single Netherworld Fruit that could create a commander-level expert was undoubtedly a top-tier treasure.
For Lord Locke to obtain two of them must have cost a great price.
Even the smallest cost among Sovereigns would be like an insurmountable mountain to Deities.
Thus, neither Ryan nor Rockpeak asked what price Locke had paid—they knew it was something they could never repay.
But they could devote the rest of their lives to serving him.
"Tasks, huh?"
Hearing their words, Locke rubbed his chin.
Originally, he had given them the Netherworld Fruits simply because these two early followers were too weak, and he wanted to strengthen them so they could better serve him.
(End of Chapter)
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