Back in his chambers, Konrad waved his right hand, summoning his two female Paramount Knights who immediately dropped on their knees.

　　"Master, what can we do for you?"

　　They asked with deference. Konrad first said nothing, waving his hands to summon a grand golden gate that hovered before the two. At the same time, his Imperial Jade Seal and a golden bow appeared and floated toward the two.

　　The golden bow was the Heavenly Star Bow Konrad swindled from Anatol's hands, refined and brought to a higher level. Hence, he renamed it as Sun Shooter.

　　"This gate will lead you to the empress and jade consort. Equipped of those two artifacts, a.s.sist them in their tasks."

　　He ordered without looking back.

　　Hearing this, the two knight ladies were startled. And with Konrad's symbol of imperial authority standing before them, how could they not? However…

　　"Master, in your current condition, we can't leave your side!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.

　　…they immediately refused.

　　But hearing this, Konrad flew into a rage.

　　"Since when do my imperial commands require your approval? Act with haste!"

　　He snarled, making the two realize the situation didn't authorize delays. With helpless nods, they stood up and stepped into the gate to reach Yvonne and Verena's side.

　　In the instant they left, Konrad lowered his eyes onto his open, right palm, then clenched it to the limits of his physical strength. And were it not for his boundless death essence making his body nigh-indestructible, his nails would have dug blood.

　　"The plan must move faster."

　　******

　　To understand the root of Konrad's sudden change, we need to go back to the moment the serpent tribe's chieftain led Yvonne and Verena toward the Hidden Forest's secret location: The Ancestral Blood Pool.

　　Standing at the intersection of the five tribes, the Ancestral Blood Pool was a shared treasure among them all, a delicacy they could only wors.h.i.+p and stare at, but never utilize. The reason was simple: incompetence.

　　An ancient treasure predating the founding of the tribes, the Ancestral Blood Pool hailed back to a time when demonic beasts and fiends of various tribes stood in harmony under the banner of one creature: The Tree Sovereign.

　　TThe Tree Sovereign was the Ancient Crystal World's first cultivator, a nature spirit born from the roots of the World Tree. If paragon, dream, moon, and sun spirits belonged to the True Spirits, then nature spirits were a step above them all.