You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

This time it's not just a simple physical enhancement; in addition to the strength of bones and muscles, resistance to "mystery" has also been greatly improved.

After becoming a god-slayer, any magic or curse is ineffective against him unless it is a "curse effective against gods"!

The downside is that even normal-level buffs will be nullified... which means his body surface becomes an insulating layer, or in a sense, magic immunity.

It's a bit of a shame, but with his current strength, low-level blessing magic is indeed useless, so it's not unacceptable.

With his Godslayer physique combined with his spiritual pressure defense and the protective coat he was wearing, it could be said that his resistance in all aspects was maxed out!

Finally, the Godslayer physique also comes with another ability: [The Language of a Thousand]

This has a real "time traveler" feel to it; it's a special blessing that allows people to quickly learn various language systems.

Although Iori doesn't have this ability, she can still quickly master unfamiliar languages ​​using her extraordinary brainpower, but having the skill undoubtedly makes things much easier.

Overall, Iori was quite satisfied.

"boom!!!"

A dull thud echoed from the ravaged summit of Mount Fuji. Iori flew out of the rift valley and landed on the mountaintop. After waving away the dust, she looked down at the turbulent lava lake below.

A moment later, subtle fluctuations of magical energy gathered in the distance, and a beautiful girl with gorgeous clothes, a slender figure, and a face as beautiful as a celestial maiden emerged from the hazy phantom. It was Princess Ruri-tō, who had previously stood on the same side as Susanō.

She walked to a spot twenty meters away from Iori and bowed gracefully: "Your Highness."

Ok?

Iori glanced at her sideways: "It's you... Don't you fear my wrath for just showing up in front of me like this?"

"If that's your idea, then even if I hide in the deepest part of the Netherworld, it won't help."

Princess Liuli Tong shook her head and said, "Everything depends on the outcome of this battle. Since you are the ultimate victor, you can rightfully have your wish fulfilled. No one in Japan will dare to defy your authority again."

"I just killed Susanoo, wasn't he your leader?"

“That being said, human power cannot defy the will of the gods… Moreover, you are also Susanoo.”

Princess Liuli Tong gave Iori a deep look: "Your identity is still a mystery. Even if I use all my strength, I cannot see your true outline... But if we tell the outside world this, they will definitely accept it."

"You want me to replace that old man?"

Iori laughed. "In exchange for protection?"

"No, it's about exchanging mercy."

Princess Liulitong said sincerely, "You have descended upon this country as Susanoo, one of the Three Noble Sons. You are unstoppable in terms of both reputation and strength. Human magicians and priestesses will not have any improper thoughts... You can obtain everything you want without shedding blood."

"So that's how it is. They were afraid I would 'cleanse' the local forces if I didn't say something, so they offered up this label on their own initiative," Iori smiled knowingly.

"You're not human, are you? How can you be so concerned about the lives of mortals?"

"Your Highness, please understand that I am not human, but a [Divine Ancestor]."

Princess Liulitong respectfully said, "I have wandered the world for a long time before finally settling here. Hundreds and thousands of years have passed since then... This land and its people have a deep connection with me. I beg Your Highness to be lenient with me."

"So it was the Divine Ancestor..."

Iori spoke with an air of certainty.

The so-called "God Ancestor" is a being who was born through reincarnation after the death of the former Earth Goddess under certain special circumstances.

They possess extraordinary magical power and ancient wisdom, surpassing even the most elite human paladins, yet weaker than true disobedient gods and god-slayers. They are a rare and unique existence.

It's worth mentioning that witches like Princess Alice, as well as priestesses from the East, were ancestors who served the Earth Goddess. The God Ancestor was the reincarnation of the Earth Goddess, and priestesses and witches can be considered descendants of the God Ancestor—though not necessarily in the blood sense.

From another perspective, the God Ancestor can also be considered the strongest witch, possessing the most advanced "spiritual vision" ability.

“I am not a bloodthirsty person. As long as you cooperate, I am too lazy to establish my authority through bloodshed and killing.”

Iori said calmly.

"Your Highness is merciful!"

Princess Liuli Tong took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Yizhi.

"You go first... um? This..."

At this moment, as if sensing something, he first raised his eyebrows in surprise, then looked at Princess Liuli Tong with an expression that seemed to find it somewhat unbelievable.

"Your Highness?"

"Nothing, I just suddenly felt something... By the way, I heard that the God Ancestor was the reincarnation of the Earth Mother Goddess?"

Speaking of which, I possess the divine essence of [Steel], and the most efficient way to further enhance it is to draw power from the Earth Mother Goddess…”

"—!"

Princess Liuli Tong pursed her lips, her already fair skin losing even more color, but she remained calm and composed, without panicking.

"That would be my honor; serving heroes is what I always do..."

"Don't be so nervous."

Iori chuckled, "I've said it before, I'm not a bloodthirsty person, and I don't need to wash my sword with the blood of the Earth Mother. As for the other way..."

Iori glanced up and down, then shook her head: "Choosing a partner isn't just about being good-looking."

"call……"

Princess Liuli Tong breathed a sigh of relief: "Then, Your Highness, would you like me to prepare a ritual for you to absorb the essence of the earth?"

"If it's not a large scale, it won't be of much use to me."

As Iori spoke, she parted the void and took out a long, thin object wrapped in white cloth from her storage space.

The moment this object appeared, Princess Liuli Tong's gaze was drawn to it, and she held her breath, clearly extremely shocked.

Seeing her reaction, Iori nodded slightly: "As expected, you should have sensed something... What I possess is not only the divine essence of 'Susanoo,' but also this!"

"That, that is, um!"

Princess Liuli Tong was so shocked that she couldn't speak for a moment. She took a few deep breaths before she could barely control her chaotic emotions.

At that moment, she had a sudden realization.

Why did a Steel Hero suddenly appear with power surpassing Susanoo? Why is this person so determined to defeat the sealed Monkey King? Why do I sense an incredibly familiar aura emanating from him…?

I understand! I understand everything!

Because defeating the Demon King is his sacred duty!

"...So, Your Highness, you are indeed Prince Rama reincarnated as a human?!"

Princess Liuli Tong—the reincarnation of the Earth Mother Goddess Sita—said with a complex expression, "No wonder she possesses a divine essence of steel, yet could rise from human to god-slayer... Fate can indeed take such a turn, truly..."

"This has nothing to do with fate."

Iori smiled and shook her head. "It was just a whim of mine."

"On a whim?"

Although Princess Liuli Tong was Sita in her previous life, to be honest, the reincarnation of the God Ancestor could not retain too many memories. She has also lived in the present world for so many years, and has long been an independent personality.

She didn't know how this "Rama" would view her now... and dared not delve too deeply into it.

Iori smiled slightly and reached out to lift a corner of the white cloth—

hum!

A faint platinum glow flowed across the blade, revealing a tall and heroic young figure standing beside Iori.

Princess Liulitong was even more shocked: "Your Highness... how can there be two Your Highnesses... this..."

"……It is you."

Rama composed himself, looked intently at Princess Liuli Tong, and seemed to recognize her identity as well, shaking his head with a wry smile.

"Although we are determined to abandon the past, the karmic consequences will still come knocking on our door one after another... In truth, we brothers have wronged you. We are truly sorry for what happened in the past, Princess."

"..."

Princess Liuli Tong felt a tremor in her heart. She knew that this was the remaining wisdom of the Earth Mother Goddess from her previous life responding to Rama's apology, so she also lowered her head earnestly.

“I know Your Highness is powerless to do this... it's just fate playing tricks on you.”

Upon hearing this, Rama sighed deeply, his expression softening considerably. He turned back to look at Iori with a hint of gratitude in his eyes.

"You've put an end to one of my regrets; I really don't know how to thank you enough."

"This knife is now in my hands, and this is the consequence I have to bear. You don't need to worry about it."

Iori smiled nonchalantly: "Now that you've finished catching up, let's talk about what's next."

After a pause, as if suddenly remembering something, Iori looked back at the cleaved summit of Mount Fuji: "It looks much worse now... If this continues, it might erupt completely. Let's repair it a bit."

After that, the already gloomy sky turned completely dark. But this time it was different from before. There was no violent thunder leaping in the clouds. Instead, a torrential downpour suddenly fell, and a huge amount of water vapor entered the crater. The heat steamed up and thick fog rose up.

Immediately afterwards, large patches of frost rose from beneath Iori's feet, stretching all the way around the mountain pass...

……

A natural disaster vanished without a trace, but it's impossible for Mount Fuji to return to its original state. Even though Princess Ruri-tō, as a divine ancestor, can manipulate the power of the earth, the scale of destruction caused by the battle between Iori and Susanō is too great. To restore it to its former state, unless the true Earth Mother Goddess arrives and connects with the dragon veins and terrain, it's not enough for the divine ancestor alone.

However, judging from Princess Liuli Tong's attitude, perhaps she really does have a way to invite the Earth Mother Goddess... or perhaps she has mastered some kind of ritual that allows her to accomplish this feat.

Of course, that had nothing to do with Iori anymore. He only cared about one thing now: how to defeat the monkey god who was sealed away in Japan, also known as the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" in Eastern mythology!

This is a bit embarrassing to talk about:

As a renowned hero and god, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, is naturally incredibly powerful. In legends, he is also a clever and resourceful strategist, making him extremely difficult to outwit.

But the monkey has always been a troublemaker. After a fierce battle with a powerful enemy, he traveled to Japan, where Susanoo saw an opportunity and gathered the power of the mystical side of Japan to help the monkey's enemy. They set up a powerful "net" and tricked him into falling into it!

As a result, the monkey was bound to Japan by a spell called "Bi Ma Wen" created using the most prized spell of the Tiantai sect's sorcerers, which combined the power of spells from various sacred realms.

In her previous life, Iori only had a vague understanding of this matter, but after encountering Rama in "Godkiller" and now slaying Susanoo, becoming the de facto ruler of the Japanese mystical side, the amount of information she could obtain was naturally incomparable, and she quickly figured out the ins and outs.

It turns out that the "Last King Rama" is sleeping in Japan (specifically on a floating island). Once he awakens, he will launch a war to annihilate all god-killers, which could potentially destroy the world.

Susanoo and his companions were aware of this and worried about it, so they used various means to prevent others from finding Rama. Meanwhile, to prevent the appearance of "dragons and serpents" within Japan and thus anger Rama, the Steel Hero, they seized the opportunity to imprison a henchman who was specifically capable of subduing dragons and serpents—

That's the Monkey King!

In other words, Sun Wukong in this world was treated as a tool. Although he was well-fed and cared for, he had no freedom whatsoever, and he must have been extremely resentful.

Why did Susanoo stop Iori from freeing Sun Wukong?

On the one hand, we need him to fight the dragon and snake; on the other hand, once this monkey escapes, his primary goal will definitely be revenge!

Susanoo doesn't need to worry about that now...

“Bi Ma Wen… I see. The physical form of this curse when it was activated was Erlang Shen. If it was to help this person trap the monkey, it would make sense… But you really aren’t afraid of death.”

After carefully studying the "弼马温" (Bima Wen) technique, Iori was speechless. It felt like these Japanese people were repeatedly dancing in a monkey's minefield... If they didn't cause a huge uproar after escaping, they wouldn't be Sun Wukong.

However, the reason they were so confident was, of course, because the binding effect was extremely powerful. After all, they had the help of "Erlang Manifests the True Lord" and had created this cage using the sacred domains of all of Japan (the places where the power of the curse converges). Just like the three mountains of Emei, Sumeru, and Tai that Silver Horn pressed down on Sun Wukong, it was a way of pressing people down with the power of heaven and earth.

“We wouldn’t dare to do it with just monks or dharma masters, but the ritual that forms the core of the curse was provided by the royal husband… so we have no other choice.”

In the tranquil and elegant Japanese-style garden, Iori sat on the veranda, next to Alice, a blonde girl who was organizing documents. Below, in the courtyard, kneeling and answering questions were the representatives of the Japanese mystical side, among whom the one who dared to answer was Kaoru Sayamiya, a girl dressed as a boy.

"Oh? That's true, after all, humans cannot defy the gods."

Iori didn't think they were lying.

After all, in this worldview, mortals don't dare to scheme against god-killers and gods, let alone someone as notorious as Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. Just thinking about the retaliation he would bring if angered makes one's liver tremble.

If it weren't for the Emperor's orders, the Japanese secret society would never have dared to take this risk.

In fact, even with Susanoo's support, the Japanese mystical world still faced a calamity many years ago:

When the martial arts kings of the East and West heard of this, they felt it was a great disgrace that Sun Wukong, a hero of China, was imprisoned and worshipped by the Japanese. So they came to clean house and punish the disobedient Sun Wukong.

However, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven is a very strong God of Steel, and that binding spell has a time limit. If Sun Wukong is not active outside for too long, he will be summoned back.

It was difficult to subdue them within that limited time, so the Martial Arts King failed that time. He only gave the various families of the Japanese mystical side a good lesson before returning home disappointed.

Iori also took a look at the information about this martial arts king, since his goal was to eliminate all god-slayers and disobedients (excluding himself, of course), and this martial arts king was also within the hunting range.

“Good... If she were some kind of benevolent person, I might not be able to bring myself to do it. Fortunately, most of the god-killers in this world have some serious illnesses.”

Iori curled her lip and tossed aside the information on the martial arts king "Luo Hao".

No rush, take it one step at a time.

The top priority now is to deal with the disobedient Sun Wukong!

After all, this monkey has been trapped for so long. Putting aside how embarrassing it must be, he must be extremely frustrated. Iori is always kind-hearted, so how could she not send him to the Western Paradise to fetch the scriptures?