Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

For someone at the Celestial Rank like Lady Sophie, having one-fifth of their total energy as spiritual power is already quite good. Generally speaking, even those at the Celestial Rank only perceive that a portion of their power is purer and don't truly understand the difference. However, if half of their energy is spiritual power, they've already touched the threshold of the Saint Rank.

For humans, the Saint rank can also be referred to as a 'demigod'...

"Of course~ Humans at the Saint rank only have a large energy reserve; in terms of spiritual power, they're just 'demigods' at the level of minor local deities~ They're different from holy swords like Chloe and me~ Of course, little master Ryuka, you're different; your power of order is extraordinary~"

After saying that, Ruklati asked Ryusha with a mischievous grin:

"So, do you understand what I'm about to say?"

Ryūsha understood, of course, but his face darkened halfway through Ruklati's explanation...

"You mean, to some extent, I can be considered a 'Heavenly Rank Magical Beast'?"

If ordinary people need to refine a certain amount of spiritual power to break through to the Heavenly Rank, which is why they need the organ materials of high-level magical beasts, then I, who can convert the power of following faith into spiritual power, can also be used as material... right?

Ryuka's face darkened. Cutting herself open and taking something out of her stomach to share with others was absolutely out of the question. But since Ruklati was smiling so maliciously, Ryuka could more or less guess what she was trying to say…

"You mean, my thing can function the same way as the Earth Dragon Beast's magic core?"

"Huh~~~? What is that~~~?"

Amidst the clamor of the wind, Ryusha slowly raised her head and spoke to Ruklati in her mind with a compassionate tone:

“Jukrati, once I’ve pieced your body back together, I’m going to pull your consciousness out of the Leader’s Proof and stuff it back into the sword, and then soak you completely inside my thing.”

"Cough cough cough! I was wrong! Please forgive me!"

Ruklati immediately backed down and dared not tease Ryuka any further. She had thought she was being threatened by Ryuka because of her teasing, but Ryuka's next words showed her what shamelessness was; her vulgar jokes had no effect on this guy at all!

"Why didn't you say so sooner? If you had, I could have turned Hetia and Melanie into Heavenly Rank beings long ago! You deserve to be punished! I'll soak you in a jar filled with my essence and seal you underground for a thousand years."

Hearing Ryukura utter such shameless words with such a straight face, Ruklati completely lost her temper and immediately shouted:

"Hey! Wait, wait, wait! This has nothing to do with me! Your little lovers weren't ready to break through on their own yet! Olivia is just the first one! Besides, you were already considering using the Earth Dragon Beast's magic core to help her break through, so naturally I didn't think of that!"

"Besides! The spiritual power I'm talking about is different from the spiritual power you usually use! That requires you to specially condense it using a certain natural attribute! Like the earth attribute magic core you have! At the very least, it has to be some kind of rare magic crystal, or you have to condense it in a place where the elements are abundant! Special ability attributes, this is a very important factor in determining the strength of your aptitude after becoming a Heavenly Rank!"

Ruklati is right. Sophie's Flame Demon Crimson Flame and Traur's Ice Dragon Battle Aura are different from ordinary ice and fire magic and battle aura. This largely determines the strength of one's Heavenly Rank and future cultivation...

If we were to use only Liuxia's essence, not to mention how much it would take to gather enough spiritual power, what kind of attribute abilities would we gain if we used that thing to advance to the Heavenly Rank?

The Celestial Rank of Essence? The Sage of Fluids?

Thinking of this, Liu Xia couldn't help but feel a chill. If her lovers and harem members became Heavenly Rank members in this way, it would be too terrifying...

What if the magic and battle aura used are infused with the fragrance of photinia flowers...

Seeing Ryukura's disgusted expression, Ruklati breathed a sigh of relief, and then quickly threw out the useful parts:

"But now that you have the Earth Dragon Beast's magic core, you can use yourself as a vessel to refine the attributes and spiritual power before 'infusing' it into Olivia. Of course, whether she is willing to use this method to break through is up to her... Or, you can try to find that little princess, but I think even for her, removing the erosion of the Cruel Witch is not an easy task."

After listening to Ruklati's words, Ryuga stared at the Earth Dragon Beast's magic core in her hand, lost in deep thought. Olivia didn't dare disturb her; she knew Ryuga was probably contemplating something important, and stood quietly to the side. Although the Earth Dragon Beast subjugation battle hadn't gone exactly as Ryuga had planned for her, she had indeed defeated the Sky Beast, and the magic power within her body had truly been restored.

It was just an accident involving the cruel witch... That kind of thing is not something you can complain about... So, even if she can't advance to the Heavenly Rank for the time being, Olivia has no complaints.

But Bell's appearance truly made Olivia realize that there were things in this world far beyond her Heavenly Rank parents. It also made her vaguely aware that the reason her parents, as Heavenly Rank generals wielding immense power, were willing to be subjects of Otus was probably because there was something even higher than what she knew…

The boy in front of her, whom she called her master, was undoubtedly one of them.

Seeing that Ryūka had fallen silent, Ruklati assumed he was dissatisfied with the method she had provided, and timidly asked:

"Hey, isn't this enough? Please, little master~ don't soak me, don't soak me in that thing, okay..."

"Shh-"

Liuxia suddenly silenced her, then asked with a puzzled look:

"If both my power of order and Tipalotura's witch power have the ability to purify the corruption of witches, then why does the Chosen One insist on using the power of cruel witches to corrupt the Earth Dragon Beast? Just to make it more aggressive after it goes berserk? Isn't this just going around in circles?"

Ryūka looked up at Olivia beside her. Seeing that Ryūka had finally reacted, Olivia asked nervously:

"Master, can we still use this magic core and the earth dragon beast's body?"

Liu Xia remained silent. He could say that, but something felt off. Was this all really over? A celestial-rank magical beast, unseen for decades, had only delayed the delegation's journey for a few days?

And what about Gavin and Monica from Linze Fortress? Are they hesitant to act because they only mobilized half their forces? Has this campaign been completely unsuccessful?

No! This is absolutely wrong!

Just then, Liu Xia looked towards the guards surrounding the Earth Dragon Beast. Thunder Fortress's elite confidants stood in a row with their backs to the Earth Dragon Beast, enclosing the area. The battlefield outside had been cleared; the corpses of both the demon army and fallen soldiers had been cleaned up. Some surviving Thunder Fortress soldiers gathered around, looking up at the enormous demon beast's carcass, uttering various expressions of admiration and discussion!

"Wow, it's huge! Is this a Celestial-Rank magical beast?!"

"It's called a punitive expedition, but we only saw a little bit of it from the outside! We don't even know how it was defeated."

"Idiot! Of course, it was the General who defeated him!"

"Did the Governor-General of Ryukyu and Her Highness the Princess's guards in Sochi also contribute?"

"Didn't you see that final flaming spear that fell from the sky? It was definitely the General!"

"But the color of the flames is a bit off, it looks more like... Miss Olivia?"

"Putting that aside, such a huge magical beast must be very valuable, right? I heard that there haven't been any Heaven-rank magical beasts for decades. Even a single fingernail would probably be worth a fortune!"

"Not really! The most valuable part should be the magic core, but that definitely belongs to Miss Olivia. After all, it's time for her to try to break through to the Heavenly Rank. Other parts may also help people break through to the Heavenly Rank, such as internal organs, spine, and heart. But they are still a bit lacking. Fingernails and flesh can only be considered ordinary materials."

"Hey! So, do you think we'll get a share this time? This thing is so big! Even just a piece of meat would be great! Maybe eating it will give us a tiny chance of breaking through to a higher level?"

"Give me a break! You haven't even broken through to the Grand Master rank yet, and you're already thinking about the Heavenly Rank? If you ask me, Lieutenant Tallin should be able to get a share, the heart might be out of the question, but the rest is possible. After all, think about it, the gentlemen of the capital, and the other Heavenly Rank generals, they probably wouldn't be unmoved, would they?"

Seeing her subordinates crowding around to watch the commotion, Olivia immediately rushed forward and shouted:

"Quiet down!"

But Ryukatsu, standing to the side, seemed to suddenly realize something, and his pupils instantly contracted.

Tallinn...the Imperial Capital...the other Heavenly Rank Generals...

Ryuka looked up at the enormous corpse of the Earth Dragon Beast and instantly understood what was happening.

"Good! Good! These bastards! They really are..."

Ryusha's sudden gritted teeth startled Olivia, and even Lady Sophie couldn't help but look over.

"Liu Xiaqing, what's wrong?"

Unexpectedly, even Lady Sophie was completely ignored by Ryusha. He leaped onto the top of the earth dragon beast in a few steps, looked down, and quickly connected with Melanie's mind:

"Melanie! I ordered you to keep an eye on Earl Gavin and his men! How's the situation?"

Melanie quickly sent a message: "Gavin has been pacing nervously. He was filled with regret when he heard that the Earth Dragon Beast had been defeated, but ultimately refrained from taking any action..."

"But a few of his men took advantage of the chaos to go over to your side. I can see a bit of them; they seem to be... just watching the show? Not doing anything... Hmm?! No! There's a magical fluctuation there; it looks like they're transmitting a message! They're about 500 meters in front of you!"

Upon hearing Melanie's words, Ryuga instantly scanned the crowd! In the dense military formation, he spotted Monica and Greg at a glance!

Monica seemed to be holding something in her hand, which was pointed directly at them!

Chapter 38 Monica the Prisoner

Monica, who was disguised, seemed to be hiding something in her hand. Although Ryuga couldn't spot her at first glance in the crowd, the thing in her hand reflected a glimmer of light in the sunlight, which Ryuga happened to catch.

It's a crystal ball! She transmitted the images from here! Ryusha's pupils contracted, and before he could react, Monica seemed to whisper a few words into the crystal ball, then pulled up her hood and prepared to leave.

"Is that so... I see..."

After careful consideration, Ryūka made a decision immediately and gave the order to Melanie:

"Melanie, in conjunction with Tallinn, quietly take Gavin and his soldiers into custody. No one must escape!"

"I see."

After speaking, Liu Xia's face darkened. He had kept Monica and the others around all along to avoid arousing excessive vigilance from the Bauhinia Kingdom. But now things were different. If things went as he thought, the corpse of this earth dragon beast would not only fail to be considered a spoil of war, but would also cause a huge uproar both within and outside the empire! And judging from the way Monica was preparing to leave after filming, her mission in the earth dragon beast extermination battle was already complete.

Therefore, Liu Xia estimated that she wouldn't receive any contact from her homeland for some time. It was likely that the Bauhinia Kingdom and their chosen ones were waiting to see what would happen after Thunder Fortress, perhaps even viewing it from the enemy's perspective. They figured that after defeating the Earth Dragon Beast, the delegation would be delayed by various matters, even the victory celebration would take a long time, thus achieving their goal of stalling for time. By the time they realized what was happening, they would probably be facing harassment from both within and outside the empire from those who coveted the Earth Dragon Beast.

If it is only then that the Earth Dragon Beast's corpse is discovered to be contaminated, there will be no time for explanation or reaction, and the situation will be caught in a dilemma.

On the other hand, now is precisely the time when the enemy is off guard! If Monica and the others are brought under control immediately, the Bauhinia and the Chosen Ones probably won't be able to react in the short term!

Ryuka decided to play along, thinking that since she had been tricked, she had to retaliate in kind.

After thinking it over, Ryuka immediately used her consciousness to contact Kania:

"Kanya, are you free right now?"

Before long, Kania's plaintive voice echoed in his mind:

"Ryuka! You've been gone for almost half a month, why are you only remembering me now!"

The little witch's tone was incredibly resentful, as if she wished she could have a 'voice lovemaking' with him, which startled Ryuka so much that she quickly interrupted:

“I need you to do two things. First, secretly send Princess Linor to me. Second, help me persuade Esther to impersonate Linor during this period and appear in public from time to time.”

Esther and Linor look remarkably alike, differing only slightly in build. However, with Kania's abilities, this can be easily concealed. By creating the illusion that 'Linor' is still in Sochi, the real Linor can be hidden…

Originally, Ryusha didn't want Linor to go to the Bauhinia Kingdom. As a princess, she was one of Carmela's targets. However, knowing the inside story of the Bauhinia Kingdom, Linor would definitely come in handy. As long as her methods were appropriate, it might even have a surprising effect. Moreover, Linor had already been almost completely swayed by her and Kania, and was practically 'ready to be devoured' at any time. Having a witch by her side would be a significant asset.

Ryuga looked at the corpse of the Earth Dragon Beast. Since the other party had used despicable means, he had to respond with his own tricks!

But before that... we need to collect a deposit first...

"Then, let's use you few as payment for the debt..."

Liu Xia snorted coldly, narrowed her eyes and locked onto Monica, who was trying to leave by blending into the crowd. She leaped up from the head of the earth dragon beast and rushed to her side in an instant!

"Your Excellency..."

Monica, disguised as an ordinary magician, was startled when Ryūka suddenly leaped to her side! Previously, she had some doubts about Ryūka's strength and age, but after witnessing Ryūka's battle with the Earth Dragon Beast, she completely realized the gap between them. If before, Monica had considered herself a leading figure among the younger generation of the Purple Gold Flower Kingdom and even the southern kingdoms, now that title felt like a humiliation.

Her eyes darted around, and beads of nervous sweat seeped from her palms and neck. Monica thought her disguise was perfect, but if it were truly perfect, Ryūka shouldn't have noticed it...

Yes! That's right! Maybe she was noticed because she was recording with the crystal ball! It's normal for Heavenly Realm experts to be very sensitive to fluctuations in magic power... Monica pretended to be calm, but she was convinced that was the case.

If Liu Xia were to question her, she only needed to say that she was so shocked to see a Heavenly-Rank magical beast that she couldn't help but record it with her crystal ball, wanting to brag and share it with others! As for why she had a crystal ball? Merchant guilds all over the country were selling them, so it wouldn't be surprising if even an ordinary soldier bought one…

That way, at most she'd get a scolding. That's right! Monica thought to herself, forcing herself not to back down. If Ryūka really found out… those stinky men like Greg would be fine, but the consequences for her would be unimaginable!

"Governor-General, is there anything I can help you with?"

Seeing Monica's attempt to get away with it, Ryuka couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips into a smile. Despite the disguise, Monica was still quite a beauty after putting on makeup. She really was an inexperienced noblewoman; even when disguising herself, she wouldn't use an unattractive fake face.

Ryuu chuckled at this, looking at Monica's evasive eyes and saying with a smile:

"Miss~ Have you forgotten me so quickly?"

The familiar voice reached her ears, and the image of Ryuka in Monica's eyes slowly overlapped with that of the boy on the smuggling ship, causing her pupils to contract instantly:

"It's you! Uh—"

The boy's hand locked around her neck, the movement of his fingertips incredibly suggestive, yet Monica felt all her magic power instantly suppressed by Ryūka! Ryūka then silenced her with a finger, speaking in an ambiguous tone:

"It's me, that's right~ Although I didn't use this identity last time, we got along quite well, didn't we~ But that time was too rushed. So, beautiful magician, could you spend some more time with me today?"

The Thunder Fortress soldiers around them watched in bewilderment, to them it seemed as if Ryuka was casually attacking a female mage. But their conversation led to a misunderstanding…

It sounds like the Governor of Liuxia was hiding his identity and had a brief affair with this female magician from Linze Fortress! And this is their second meeting!

As expected of the Governor-General of Ryukyu! I didn't even know when he made his move!

This couldn't help but elicit envious expressions from them. Although there were quite a few women among the knights and mages in the army, most of the men were indeed single. However, at this moment, they weren't envious of Ryuka's romantic encounter, but rather more envious of the female mage!

This is after we just defeated a Heavenly-Rank magical beast! If this female mage just acts a little coquettish, Governor Liuxia might just give her some Heavenly-Rank materials! Even if it's just a fleeting romance, her future advancement will be smooth sailing!

As for why they assumed it was just a fleeting romance, one only needed to look at the female mage's appearance. While beautiful enough to be the dream girl of many young soldiers, she paled in comparison to the girls who had previously surrounded Governor Ryūka. At this moment, no one would criticize Ryūka's rumored womanizing ways; in fact, they wished he were even more 'philandering'. Ideally, the kind of philandering where gender didn't matter…

Ignoring the ambiguous glances around her, Ryuga deliberately offered no explanation. Who knew if among these thousands of soldiers were any Chosen Ones or spies from various countries? She could interrogate and investigate Monica and Greg's men, but if there were long-term undercover agents who saw her forcibly taking a woman away, they would surely sense something was amiss and report it to their superiors. That might expose her.

By doing this now, she could greatly reduce any suspicion. Ryuka was already used to these small misunderstandings about her character.

Okay, it wasn't a misunderstanding, because he really was planning to act like a beast tonight.

With her fingers pressed against Monica's carotid artery, Ryuka subtly used her magic to render her completely immobile! Not only were her vocal cords suppressed, but she also felt a faint stinging pain in her blood vessels, causing Monica to lose her mind in fear.

With just a flick of his finger, he could have his head ripped off.

The fear of death sometimes far outweighs the humiliation of being captured, and Monica clearly understood her situation. Regarding the scene Ryuga had just acted out, she could only hold back her tears of fear and nod slightly…

"Very good~ Then, you can come back with me and the General and the others later~ I can also introduce you all~"

As she spoke, under the envious gazes of everyone, Ryuka put her arm around Monica's shoulder and led her to Olivia.

Damn it! Not only can they get benefits from the Governor of Ryukyu, but they can even get on the good side of the General! Everyone gritted their teeth with envy; the men regretted being born the wrong gender, and the women lamented their bad luck...

Perhaps in the next few days, I can change into a few nicer outfits and visit Liuxia's accommodation more often?

People's hearts were in turmoil, and Monica was on the verge of tears. She saw Ryūsha give Olivia and Mrs. Sophie a few meaningful glances, and coupled with the fact that the earth dragon's corpse had been contaminated, the mother and daughter immediately sensed something was amiss.