My Celestial Ascension

“I see… so that’s Conrad, huh? He looks quite strong—from a normal perspective. And that lizard… it’s an SS-rank monster with the potential to become an SSS-rank monster,” Grace mumbled in a low voice, her eyes locked on the distant figures with a cold, murderous glint.

“Indeed. If we kill it and sell its scales, we’ll earn a hefty sum. After all, this creature carries the bloodline of a dragon,” Aisha said with a nod and a smile. She wasn’t worried in the slightest, fully confident that Yuan could easily handle such a threat.

Besides, Yuan had already defeated the heroes back in the Lionheart Empire. Defeating them again would simply serve as a reminder of who they were truly up against.

At the same time, this would send a clear message to the Holy Church: never mess with Yuan and his wives—or else, the consequences would be far worse than death itself.

Anna looked at Yuan with a serious expression. The situation was indeed grave, and she asked, “Darling, what are you going to do if they attack us?”

“What else? We kill them without mercy. They chose to come after us—there’s no way I’ll sit here and do nothing,” Yuan replied with a small grin as he looked at her lovely face. For a moment, he felt the urge to kiss her soft lips.

But this wasn’t the time for affection or flirting. He sighed and turned his attention to the incoming Wyvern that was rapidly closing in on them.

“That ugly thing is a disgrace. I’ll deal with that blasphemy myself,” Xi Meili muttered furiously, her gaze sharp and deadly as she stared at the Wyvern.

“Well, it does look like someone from your family… What a coincidence,” Fang Xiaoyan remarked with a teasing, provocative smile, her eyes fixed on Xi Meili.

“You shut up! A dumb chicken like you should know when to stay quiet!” Xi Meili snapped, clearly enraged by Fang Xiaoyan’s mockery.

“What did you just say, you damn lizard? Say it again!” Fang Xiaoyan’s charming smile twisted into anger as she glared at Xi Meili with fury.

“Please… both of you, stop fighting and focus on the situation. You’re sisters now,” Yuan said as he stepped between them and pulled them both into his arms.

The sudden embrace calmed them, their anger fading as a faint blush colored their cheeks. Both felt a wave of happiness in his warmth.

Moments later, the Wyvern arrived, hovering mid-air as it circled overhead. Yuan’s expression turned unpleasant as he watched it, irritated that Conrad and the two summoned Heroes had chosen to disturb his moment of peace.

Conrad looked at Yuan and his wives, then shifted his gaze to Princess Livia. Through the slits of his helmet, his bright blue eyes burned with a fury that seemed capable of scorching everything in its path.

Both Kael and Zane stared at Yuan with vengeful expressions, their hearts ablaze with hatred. They wanted nothing more than to launch themselves at him and end his life swiftly—but they couldn’t forget their last encounter, a memory that had left a deep scar on their pride.

“That’s him, Sir Conrad! He’s the one responsible for the Holy Son’s death!” Kael shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Yuan, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

“That’s right! And that woman is the one who killed Archbishop Gregor!” Zane added, shouting as he pointed at Valeria.

“I see… well, it seems we’ve found exactly what we’re looking for. Fortune smiles on us today,” Conrad raised his brows slightly and chuckled, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Yuan and the women beside him.

His attention then locked onto Valeria. “It’s been a while, Valeria. I never thought we’d meet like this… and I certainly never imagined you’d become an enemy of the Holy Church.”

“Me neither,” Valeria replied, chuckling softly as she stared at Conrad, who stood atop the Wyvern’s back. “I had no intention of killing that fool. But he gave me no other choice… so I granted him a painful death.”

“I see… but what happened to you? You seem weaker than before. Did your Mana Heart break?” Conrad asked, a puzzled expression forming behind his helmet as he observed her carefully.

Despite the time that had passed, Valeria looked untouched by age—youthful and radiant. This only deepened his confusion.

“Weak? Me?” Valeria’s voice turned icy. “How amusing… If I wanted to, I could kill you in an instant—and you wouldn’t even be able to react, Conrad.”

Her tone was so cold, so detached, that a chill ran down the spines of Conrad and the two heroes.

‘What the hell is this feeling? Even the Angels back at the Church don’t possess such an overwhelming presence!’ Conrad was visibly shaken. Facing Valeria felt like standing before death itself.

‘Strange… I can’t sense any mana from any of them. And yet, their presence is so overwhelming…’ He grew more confused as he sensed Yuan and his wives.

“Shut your damn mouth, you bitch! Do you even know who you’re talking to?!” Kael shouted, glaring at Valeria with seething hatred.

“That’s right! Show some respect! You’re speaking to Sir Conrad—the First Commander of the Holy Knights and humanity’s strongest warrior!” Zane added furiously, disgusted by Yuan and his wives’ calm demeanor in front of someone so powerful.

“Enough! Both of you! You have no idea who you’re standing before!” Conrad shouted, forcing both Kael and Zane to shut their mouths immediately.

“Valeria, though it’s good to see you again, you and your people have committed a grave sin by murdering Archbishop Gregor and the Holy Son. I am here to punish you all—by taking your lives,” Conrad declared coldly, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

“Is that so? And now even a dog dares to threaten us? How amusing… this isn’t the first time a street mutt tried to bark at us,”

Yuan, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. His voice was colder than the ice atop the tallest peaks, sending a chill down everyone’s spine.

“You dare, bastard?!” Kael roared, his furious gaze locked onto Yuan, as if staring at the most abominable creature alive.

Suddenly, the air around Yuan shifted ominously. A powerful wave of killing intent exploded from him, engulfing everyone nearby—including his wives and allies.

The Wyvern that Conrad and the Heroes rode collapsed instantly, blood gushing from its eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. It hit the ground lifelessly—the sheer pressure of Yuan’s bloodlust having killed it in an instant. A bloody mist formed around him, as though he were a malevolent god who had slaughtered countless souls.

Even his wives were shocked. The moment they felt his killing intent, they instinctively dropped to their knees, overwhelmed and powerless beneath his terrifying might.

Yuan no longer resembled the gentle man they knew. He seemed like a completely different person—someone who would slaughter anything that stood in his way.

Anna and Grace looked at him in disbelief, eyes wide open, stunned by the sudden transformation.

‘W-What’s happening to our darling?? Why does he feel like someone else entirely??’

Both women remained kneeling, helpless and confused, unable to grasp what was happening or why Yuan was acting this way.

This had never happened before. Yuan had never shown such terrifying behavior. They weren’t afraid of him, but the abrupt change in his presence left them shaken and bewildered.

“How dare a mere mortal act so arrogantly before me?! Even the Celestial Emperor would kneel and beg for mercy in my presence!” Yuan’s voice rang out—cold, distant, and soaked in killing intent—as he glared at Conrad, Kael, and Zane as if they were nothing more than ants before his feet.

“You bunch of fools are nothing but ants before me. I could crush you all at once if I wished. I’ve slain countless vermin like you, and it wouldn’t pain me to kill a few more—or even millions—if given the chance.” Yuan’s grin stretched wide as he stared them down.

Conrad felt his entire body cry out to flee the moment he sensed that killing intent. It was an alien force, inexplicable and overwhelming.

He tried to move, but his limbs felt like stone—no matter how hard he willed it, he couldn’t budge a muscle.

At that moment, every nerve in Conrad’s body sharpened, and all he could see was his own doom hurtling toward him.

“Cough! Cough!” He began to hack violently, blood spurting from his mouth as he bled from his eyes, nose, and ears. He stared at his trembling hands in disbelief.

‘W-What is happening?! He’s not casting any spells…so why am I in so much pain? Why am I bleeding like this?!’ he screamed inwardly.

Kael and Zane suffered similarly—each retching blood, their eyes bloodshot and wild.

‘W-What kind of monster is this?! How powerful must he be?!’ they both thought, regret flooding their hearts for coming here.

Yuan ignored Conrad and turned his attention to the two trembling heroes, letting an even more wicked grin spread across his face.

“You two fools—didn’t I tell you I’d kill you the next time we met?” His voice was colder than a grave, and the chill in his tone ran down Kael and Zane’s spines.

“How about a little game? It’s quite simple—and I think you’ll enjoy it,” he continued, savoring the moment.

“Draw your swords and duel each other. Whoever wins walks free,” Yuan said, his grin turning vicious. “Sounds fun, doesn’t it?”

“Y-You bastard! We’ll never obey your orders! Don’t look down on us—we’re the summoned heroes!” Kael roared, pride flaring in his voice.

“Hahaha! Heroes? Seriously?” Yuan laughed like a madman, amusement and anger mingling in his tone.

His expression then snapped back to deadly seriousness. “Listen well, you ingrates—I have no time for your insolence. Play by my rules, or I’ll make your deaths a hundred times more terrifying than you can imagine.”

“I have countless ways to make you suffer, to savor your agonized screams until I’m satisfied. The choice is yours: what kind of death do you prefer?”