Back when he first became a Campione, Kaiser had already been thinking about the god sealed within Western Heaven Palace. As for the reasons—first, to slay the god and obtain an Authority; second, to meet a childhood idol. And if there were a third reason, it would be, as Luo Hao said, his displeasure that a mythological hero of his own country was imprisoned by this tiny island nation. So, even without Luo Hao bringing it up, Kaiser was definitely going to visit Western Heaven Palace eventually. He just hadn’t had the opportunity lately, and he wasn’t in any rush. Now that Luo Hao had mentioned it, Kaiser naturally didn’t mind revealing his thoughts. "I’ve always had the intention to go to Western Heaven Palace. I just wasn’t in a hurry," Kaiser said leisurely. "Lately, I’ve either been harassed by that old man hiding in the Netherworld, or by that other old man who used to live in the Balkans. Where would I find the time to do this?" "If we really count from the time I left Sardinia and returned here, it’s only been a few days." "I didn’t expect that even the great Luo Hao would come to me over this matter." Kaiser’s words gradually relaxed the frown on Luo Hao’s brow. "It’s not that I came to trouble you over this," she said, "but that if you were the one to act, there might be a breakthrough." If it were anyone else, Luo Hao certainly wouldn’t have offered so much explanation. But facing this fellow countryman and junior, her patience and domineering tone seemed to be restrained quite a bit. "Roughly a hundred years ago, the god of Western Heaven Palace was once released. I had a dispute with Him but failed to settle the matter," Luo Hao said as she shook her head. "I wanted to lift the restriction on Him and slay the monkey raised by the Wa nation to restore the honor of our Chinese land, so I followed Him to Western Heaven Palace." "I thought that by doing this, I could reach His dwelling place." "Who would have thought that Western Heaven Palace was merely a prison meant to confine Him? His true location lies in an otherworldly corridor within the Netherworld. Even when I exhausted every technique I had learned, I could not enter." "In the end, I could only blow up Western Heaven Palace along with those connected to it, but I still couldn’t enter the corridor. Afterward, Western Heaven Palace was even rebuilt." This was why Luo Hao had been keeping an eye on this island nation in the Far East. She believed it was an unforgivable sin for the heroes of her own country to be raised and played with by the Wa people. Knowing of such a being and doing nothing would tarnish her title as a king of the Chinese land. Thus, she had been waiting for an opportunity for a long time, hoping to liberate the god of Western Heaven Palace and deliver judgment. When Lu Yinghua mentioned that Kaiser, during his battle with Susanoo-no-Mikoto, had used the Golden Sword to sever a portion of the god’s Divinity that resided in the Netherworld, it drew Luo Hao’s attention. As a result, Luo Hao instructed Lu Yinghua to find a chance to guide Kaiser toward learning about Western Heaven Palace. But due to Kaiser’s excellent performance in repelling Voban, she ultimately decided to come herself. First, she wanted to meet this fellow countryman who had become a king and already repelled her old enemy. Second, she wanted to personally tell him about the matter and see his attitude. Fortunately, he didn’t disappoint her. In the face of the issue of their national hero being kept by the Wa, he was likewise unwilling to stand idly by. Though he wasn’t as outraged as she was, as long as his stance aligned with hers, he was a commendable and outstanding junior. "If you were to act, could you use the Golden Sword to slay the god?" This was the main point Luo Hao came for. "It’s hard to say." Latest content publıshed on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩 Kaiser gave an ambiguous answer. There was no helping it. "Although the Golden Sword is the strongest spear and shield against gods, sharp enough to sever divine bodies and Divinity, that’s only if the enemy god’s essence is revealed before me." "Like last time, during the battle with Susanoo-no-Mikoto—even though he was in the Netherworld, part of his Divinity appeared in the present world and summoned a storm, so I could strike Him." "If the essence of the enemy god doesn’t manifest, if the Divinity doesn’t reveal itself, then it would be difficult for me too." In other words, if the god of Western Heaven Palace manifests Divinity, things will be manageable; if not, then it becomes a problem. At least, if relying solely on the Golden Sword, that is. "That won’t be hard," Luo Hao declared resolutely. "Using the blood of Dragon-Serpent to provoke the god’s essence should be enough to draw out His Divinity." Dragon-Serpent referred to the Earth Mother Goddess. In mythology, serpents with the ability to shed their skin and cyclically hibernate and awaken were symbols of death and life, as well as seasonal change. Thus, the serpent was a symbol of the Earth Mother Goddess, and also the protector of witches, a holy beast representing life and death. In myths, dragons were often referred to as winged serpents, and many Earth Mother Goddesses appeared in this form. Even if not stated outright, there were many implications. In other words, Dragon-Serpent equals Earth Mother Goddess, and vice versa. In countless hero myths, evil dragons or wicked dragons typically meet the same fate: they are defeated by heroes or gods. So, the Dragon-Serpent is the degraded form of the defeated Earth Mother Goddess, while the hero or god who opposes the Earth Mother Goddess is the Steel Sword God or Steel Hero. Steel Sword Gods and Steel Heroes are the nemeses of Earth Mother Goddesses, but they are also entities that stimulate or are nourished by Her presence. Coincidentally, the god sealed in Western Heaven Palace was a Steel Hero of complex attributes. He was sealed in Western Heaven Palace because the one who sealed Him wanted to use His power to subdue the Dragon-Serpent that had appeared on this land. As a member of the Steel Faction, born under the star of Dragon-Serpent Subjugation, once Dragon-Serpent blood and divine power appeared on this land, this god would undoubtedly be provoked. At that time, even if He didn’t manifest physically, He would reveal His essence and Divinity. Luo Hao immediately thought of this and told Kaiser: "If you need Dragon-Serpent blood, I can try to find it for you." With that sentence, Luo Hao was essentially telling Kaiser—she would help him capture an Earth Mother Goddess. To capture a Heretic God alive! Such a ridiculous idea could only be uttered by a monstrous figure like Luo Hao. "No need," Kaiser shook his head and said. "Even without Dragon-Serpent blood, even if I can’t use the Golden Sword, I still have a way to break the seal of Western Heaven Palace." "Oh?" Luo Hao was slightly startled. She looked at Kaiser in surprise and asked, "Is that true?" "Of course," Kaiser said flatly. "Otherwise, knowing that there’s a seal, why would I dare say I’d definitely go to Western Heaven Palace?" It was precisely because he had a way to break the seal that Kaiser could say that. "Should be quite soon, right?" Kaiser looked at Luo Hao and said, "As long as no more trouble comes knocking, sometime in the near future, I’ll pick a day to head for Western Heaven Palace." "When the time comes, I’ll meet that god personally." "I want to test for myself just how different that famed being is from the other gods." This was already a prey Kaiser had set his sights on. Even if Luo Hao hadn’t said anything, he wouldn’t let it go. Seeing this, Luo Hao broke into a smile again. If any other Campione had said such things, Luo Hao definitely wouldn’t have backed down. In her view, only by slaying the monkey god with her own hands could she erase the shame of her nation’s hero being raised by the Wa. So, if someone else had targeted Him, Luo Hao would have insisted on a fight to claim hunting rights. But since the one preparing to act was, like her, a king from the Chinese land, it made no difference whether she or Kaiser did it. "In that case, I shall await your good news, my fellow countryman and junior." Luo Hao demonstrated the generosity of a senior. Kaiser made the effort to emphasize that. "Then I’ll call you ’Wise Little Brother Kaiser,’" Luo Hao surprisingly said in an easy tone. "I’m a few years your senior, your predecessor, so I’ll allow you to call me elder sister." ...A few years older? More like a hundred years older! Even counting the several decades Kaiser spent in the Soul Society, he still hadn’t lived a full century—he wasn’t even eighty yet, younger than Hitsugaya Tōshirō. She became a Campione over two hundred years ago! She could easily be his grandmother, let alone his elder sister. But if he actually said that aloud, Luo Hao would likely flip on the spot and challenge him to a fight, admiration be damned. Although Kaiser wasn’t afraid, there was no need to poke the tiger—especially when the tiger was a tigress. "I’ll just call you Sister Cuilian." After much deliberation, Kaiser settled on a name with a distinctly Chinese flavor. "Very well," Luo Hao nodded and smiled. "Now that I think about it, it’s been a long time since anyone called me by name." Luo was her surname, Hao her courtesy name, and Cuilian her given name. Using the courtesy name was formal and respectful; using the given name was a privilege granted only to those close to her. "The matter of Western Heaven Palace is in your hands, Wise Little Brother." Luo Hao’s voice grew distant. "If you need someone to do any miscellaneous tasks, just shout Lu Yinghua’s name loudly." Leaving those words behind, Luo Hao’s figure wavered like the moon in water, like a flower in a mirror, and vanished like a mirage. In the quiet forest, only Kaiser remained standing, as if he had been monologuing to the moon the whole time. The celestial maiden who had descended just moments ago now seemed like an illusion, a dream, long gone without a trace. Kaiser looked in the direction she had left, softly repeating the name, then smiled. "What a fascinating person." That said, he felt rather pleased at seeing someone from his homeland after so long. "If I get the chance to return to the world of the Asterisk War, I should drop by Jie Long." With that thought, Kaiser turned and left, letting the forest return to its tranquil silence...