Phantylia had not only obtained a true body forged from the plane's core—that massive Golden Tree—but had also fully integrated into this world's rule system, seizing a corresponding divine position, or rather, a status belonging to this world.
This completeness made her current power undoubtedly superior to Celenova's at present.
However, Celenova felt no ripples in her heart.
As fellow Lord Ravagers under the Destruction Aeon Nanook, each had their own path and opportunities to enact destruction.
Phantylia had found her shortcut; Celenova naturally had her own method of advancement—it was just that the timing wasn't right yet, so she yielded for now.
"Thanks to you, the process was unexpectedly smooth."
Phantylia lightly shook her fan, covering her lips with a soft laugh, her tone leisurely and complacent.
"After obtaining this body perfectly attuned to this realm's laws, my perception has changed entirely. Now... I can clearly sense the hiding place of the plane's will source."
She shifted her tone slightly, carrying a cat-and-mouse playfulness.
"How about it? Shall we proceed as previously discussed? I'll guide you into that sea of plane origin, and you use your harmonic power to merge with and replace that ignorant plane will."
This was the initial plan they had formulated after being summoned to this world and quickly analyzing its cosmic laws.
The Servant form had too many restrictions—the Master, the Holy Grail War rules, the hidden hand that summoned them... too many constraints hindering their spread of pure destruction.
Escaping all this was the first step.
Now, Phantylia had transcended the cage using the Golden Tree's power.
The next step should have been to help Celenova similarly acquire this world's supreme authority, using the Douluo plane as a springboard and barracks. Then, the Antimatter Legion would descend en masse, swords pointed at the divine realm hanging beyond, ultimately bringing finality and annihilation to the entire universe.
"No need."
Celenova slowly shook her head, her gaze returning to the chaotic battle in Mingdu below, and to Feixiao, whose sharp eyes were firmly locked on the location of her different space.
"The plan needs a slight adjustment. Variables have appeared. Besides the Xianzhou general, there's another troublesome figure on the scene—Genius Society's 83rd seat, The Herta."
She paused briefly, as if choosing her words.
"Moreover, she is... fundamentally different from us."
The moment she detected traces of The Herta's presence, Celenova had almost concluded that Phantylia's seizure operation would fail.
The reputation of that Intellect Emanator was known throughout the universe.
However, unexpectedly, The Herta had taken no action from beginning to end, almost standing by idly, allowing Phantylia to easily seize this world's core of life.
What concerned Celenova more was The Herta's state.
She differed essentially from the Servants summoned to this world, and even from them as Lord Ravagers.
The Herta was not a Servant, nor an ordinary memory projection or clone.
If it were her true body descending, the energy level displayed seemed too weak. But if it were a clone or memory body, her existence itself emitted an abnormally real sense.
After descending to this world, they had heard of The Herta's name, but at the time, they suspected it was just a coincidence.
After all, the stir The Herta caused in this world was too minor—though there was a Simulated Universe, for the genius The Herta, it was merely child's play.
But they had still factored The Herta's existence into their plans.
However, Celenova had previously assumed The Herta was summoned as a memory body like them, but now it seemed otherwise.
Under Celenova's observation, there was an indescribable yet crucially important difference between this world's native life and the summoned Servants—namely, the degree of existential reality.
Including herself and Phantylia, they all faintly felt a ethereal sense of being caught between reality and illusion, like rootless duckweed.
However, The Herta was different.
Though she hadn't acted, when she used the Key of Infinity to open a spatial gate and transfer survivors, the trace of power fluctuation that leaked out was keenly captured by Celenova.
It was that trace that confirmed The Herta's existential reality, starkly different from any Servant or projection she knew.
Because of this wariness, Celenova had chosen to tacitly allow it at the time, not destroying the spatial gate and letting a large number of survivors escape.
"Now, you've obtained a body shaped by this realm's Golden Tree and integrated into the native rule system, only then gaining a reality similar to the natives."
Celenova said flatly.
"This confirms my observation. That The Herta is different from us—she's not a Servant, likely her true body. Of course, for some unknown reason, she's too weak."
The "too weak" in Celenova's mouth was, of course, relative to their true forms. Compared to Emanator-level power capable of destroying stars with a wave or igniting galaxies, the current The Herta was indeed very weak.
"Oh? Is that so..."
Phantylia's light fanning motion paused slightly, a flash of surprise and amusement in her enchanting eyes.
"She didn't act to stop me from seizing the plane core? Heh... such inscrutable confidence from that Intellect Emanator."
Prompted by Celenova, Phantylia belatedly realized that her plan had gone smoothly to an almost abnormal degree.
She had originally prepared for various interferences, even failure, after all, the initiator of the Holy Grail War—the mysterious force that summoned them—could never sit idly by as they easily transcended control and overturned the board.
This was essentially their provocative test of the hidden mastermind.
However, the anticipated storm never came; no obstacles arose, making her meticulous preparations feel like fighting air—quite absurd.
"No matter what grand scheme that genius is plotting, she would never hand over this planet's sovereignty on a silver platter, allowing you to succeed in seizing the Golden Tree. That was probably already the limit of her tolerance."
Celenova's thoughts were as clear and transparent as an icy surface, without a single ripple.
Since The Herta was in this realm, the one orchestrating this Holy Grail War behind the scenes must know the roots and natures of them Lord Ravagers inside out.
And the goal of Lord Ravagers was always simple and direct, without concealment—to sow destruction to every corner of the universe, thoroughly eradicating civilizations that bred and swelled like cosmic diseases.
Wherever intelligent life existed, civilization would inevitably arise, and they were civilization's natural enemy, the final trial of all intelligent creations.
From any angle, tacitly allowing Phantylia to seize the Golden Tree, this core of life, was already the maximum indulgence possible in the opponent's strategy.
To push further and attempt to merge with the plane will, incorporating Douluo Star's sovereignty under destruction... that would be nothing but a pipe dream.
Thus, Celenova unhesitatingly abandoned the core part of the original plan.
She never pinned hopes on an enemy's oversight.
An alternative plan had already formed in her mind.
Paths to growing stronger were by no means limited to the narrow, perilous route of replacing the plane will; she had other methods to seize power sufficient for enacting destruction.
"Hehe... I will make that arrogant genius understand that allowing me to seize this Golden Tree will be the greatest blunder and mistake in her calculations."
The habitual, cynical smile at Phantylia's lips slowly faded, a trace of cold anger flashing in the depths of her eyes.
In her view, The Herta's inaction was nothing less than outright disdain and insult.
Did she really think Phantylia was some harmless creature to be toyed with at will?
There had been countless opportunities to intervene when she and Celenova were still weak and not fully adapted to this realm's rules, even to nip the threat in the bud. Yet the opponent had chosen the most intolerable approach—indifference.
This condescending indifference—wasn't it the height of arrogance and contempt?
It was as if they were mere microbes in an experimental dish, worth observing, but no matter how they struggled, they couldn't escape the predetermined framework.
A long-forgotten, blazing anger rose in Phantylia's heart.
How many ages had it been since she last felt this?
Since being glimpsed by that great Negative Creation God and elevated to Lord Ravager, who in the vast star seas dared to underestimate her so?
Apart from the Aeons perched at the pinnacle of paths, Lord Ravagers themselves were walking cosmic disasters, the end of civilizational eras.
Even cosmic overlords like the Family, Interastral Peace Corporation, or Xianzhou Alliance had to face an Lord Ravager's edge with full vigilance—who dared show the slightest negligence?
"Hmph..."
Phantylia let out a cold scoff, her body's vast life energy and hidden destructive aura surging violently, causing this different space to tremble slightly.
In the next instant, her figure blurred and dissipated without warning, already departing from the observation domain Celenova had created.
Celenova remained standing in place, her face like ten-thousand-year ice, unchanged.
She naturally knew what Phantylia intended, but it had nothing to do with her.
Though they were colleagues under Nanook, what was this so-called camaraderie? On the path of destruction, there was only each one's will and power to enact their path.
Phantylia was clearly inflated after her sudden power surge.
Having seized a perfect body shaped by the Golden Tree, restoring part of an Lord Ravager's true might, plus the near-bug-like immortality from the Heliobus, and the massive life energy support from the Golden Tree.
Her current immortality probably rivaled that of Emanators blessed by the Abundance Aeon Yaoshi.
After all, the Heliobus itself was classified as a type of Abundance abomination.
This reliance evidently gave her the confidence to face that Intellect Emanator head-on.
Celenova wasn't worried that Phantylia would fall as a result—the possibility was minuscule.
But suffering a setback... was probably inevitable.
Since The Herta had chosen to allow Phantylia to seize the Golden Tree, that universe-renowned genius must hold corresponding, even countering, trump cards against an Lord Ravager.