In the Bright Realm, the City of Clouds. The first thing Lin Luo did upon his return was construct a body for Shuka-Shukishou. Although the original materials were gone, the Bright Realm was vast and abundant, far surpassing the world of the Rozen Maiden. Lacking the identical components, he could instead find superior ones; furthermore, given his current level of power and cultivation, creating an even more perfect body was within his means... However, for the sake of fairness, the body Lin Luo ultimately fashioned was kept on the same tier as the other Maidens.

With Shuka-Shukishou's issue resolved, Lin Luo felt he had settled one personal desire. As for the past grievances among the seven Rozen Maidens, Lin Luo chose not to interfere, leaving them to sort it out amongst themselves. While there would undoubtedly be plenty of bickering and squabbling, it would stop there.

The Hosts had all departed for the Ancient Illusory Realm, leaving the City of Clouds noticeably quieter... Though perhaps that wasn't entirely accurate. There were still many people around; it was lively every day. Besides the original residents, the girls from the Gensokyo and several girls who had merged over from the A Certain Magical Index and Type-Moon worlds frequently dropped by for visits—sometimes to sponge a meal, other times to find something new to play with. If nothing else, the Fantasy Paradise level of the City of Clouds alone offered countless ways to pass the time.

Moreover, due to the heaven-defying method used to open the Ancient Illusory Realm, Hong Ling and the other three had suffered severe depletion of their vital essence, their power suddenly weakened to its lowest ebb. Yao Yao was fine; being the original entity, she only needed time to recuperate. But Hong Ling, Xue Yi, and Yi Ren had lost their ability to materialize and were currently dormant within their respective Hosts, awaiting recovery.

Not having had a chance to properly chat—or perhaps, properly tease—these three old acquaintances, Lin Luo felt a touch of disappointment.

On the flip side, however, Sisi, Lin Xiaoke, and Zhai Xin were temporarily residing in the City of Clouds. Since the threat from the Proxy Gods had been lifted, their worlds were no longer in danger, so their presence caused no harm.

"Hey! What about the World Heart you promised me?" Just as Lin Luo and Yao Yao were discussing Luo Tianyi, Nero, with her famously fiery temper, burst in, immediately confronting Lin Luo to demand answers.

Lin Luo had previously promised to procure a World Heart for her, a promise he had yet to fulfill. Originally, a World Heart wasn't something one could simply conjure up, and Lin Luo had been busy... Was that excuse even thin? Fine, even if Lin Luo was busy, she could have been patient.

But now, while Lily was practically rushing out of her world toward infinity, Nero hadn't even seen a shadow of her own World Heart. Seeing no hope of catching up, she found this truly intolerable and was determined to get an explanation today.

"This..." Lin Luo immediately looked troubled, scratching his head before explaining, "While I did promise you before, a World Heart isn't a cabbage you can pick up anywhere. Strictly speaking, it's an ancient relic. All World Hearts are currently claimed by Hosts. I can't very well murder a Host and tear the World Heart out for you, can I?"

The logic was sound. Nero wouldn't ask Lin Luo to commit murder for the Heart, but she countered, "There are forty-nine World Hearts in total. I know thirty-nine of the Hosts. Seven were seized by the Proxy Gods to restore their self-awareness. Then there’s the one held by Luo Tianyi, who replaced the Proxy Gods to cause trouble for us. Doesn't that leave two remaining? Where are those two World Hearts? Are those two Hosts still alive?"

What kind of talk was that? Did she wish them dead?

Lin Luo was instantly speechless. Demanding a World Heart was turning into a curse. Was it really worth this fuss?

"To be honest, there aren't any left," it was Yao Yao who spoke, not Lin Luo.

"Why?" Nero asked, confused.

"Because that Luo Tianyi, besides holding the True Heart herself, also claimed the Sacrifice Heart and the Loyalty Heart... Or perhaps 'claimed' is the wrong word. More accurately, she catalyzed them into being with her."

"Huh?" Nero froze, looking at Yao Yao. Seeing that she didn't appear to be lying, Nero grew even more bewildered and asked Lin Luo, "Is she telling the truth? I thought a World Heart could only attach to one person."

"Theoretically, that's correct, but Luo Tianyi is different." Lin Luo nodded, his expression turning somewhat serious. "As you likely know, the incarnation of the True Heart—she was once my sister. I am the first man in all of history, my reputation resounding through ages past and present. My sister naturally wouldn't be inferior to me, right?"

Shameless!

Hearing this, both Nero and Yao Yao silently scorned him in their hearts. Although the facts matched what Lin Luo said, wasn't it unbecoming for him to boast like this about himself?

"Even if she is incredible, why does she get to monopolize three Hearts? Does that Luo Tianyi have no shame?!" Nero’s eyes widened. She cursed Lin Luo internally for being shameless, but verbally attacked Luo Tianyi for hers... Wait, strictly speaking, it should be the True Heart; Luo Tianyi was taking the flak unintentionally.

If Luo Tianyi ever had the fortune to hear these words, she would probably cough up blood in anger.

Lin Luo wasn't sure whether to be angry or amused, but he understood that if he didn't give Nero a reasonable explanation today, this fiery girl would certainly continue to kick up a fuss. He resigned himself to explaining, "This has nothing to do with Luo Tianyi. In fact, Luo Tianyi never opposed us; the one who truly gave us trouble was the True Heart. My sister did certain things in the past and became a sacrificed person, thus gaining the attribute of Sacrifice. But the reason she was sacrificed was for someone else... Alright, I won't string you along. That person was me, so she also possesses the attribute of Loyalty. Afterward, she reappeared using her status as the True Heart. With these two attributes, and considering the True Heart belongs to the most special set, it's not surprising that anything could happen. Perhaps the other Hearts were drawn to her after their Hosts died, or perhaps she killed the Hosts—regardless of the cause, the Sacrifice Heart and the Loyalty Heart are effectively hers now."

Lin Luo’s explanation was clear, and Nero understood. Since those things already belonged to someone else, she naturally couldn't obtain them, yet she still felt a pang of reluctance. "Is there truly no other way?"

"There is." Lin Luo nodded. Nero’s heart lifted with hope, but the next sentence was like an icy bucket over her head. "Unless you kill both Luo Tianyi and the True Heart, or unless they willingly give them up."

Nero was silenced.

Killing Luo Tianyi and the True Heart? Well, that sounded like the simplest, most direct method. But currently, those two were the primary antagonists they faced; escaping confrontation was difficult enough, let alone killing them. As for making them willingly yield... in Nero's view, that was not even worth considering.

As a Queen, her principle was acquisition, not surrender.

"Sigh, I don't think I can love anymore," knowing the World Heart was basically out of reach, Nero immediately deflated like a leaky balloon, losing all her previous aggressive momentum.

Lin Luo found her state amusing, but he tried to comfort her verbally. "You don't need to say that. The reason you want the World Heart is simply because you don't want to lose to Lily. But to surpass her, you don't necessarily need a World Heart. Take me... alright, perhaps I'm not a good reference point. Then look at Yao Yao."

Lin Luo gestured toward the cold, elegant, and noble woman beside him, speaking earnestly to Nero. "Yao Yao doesn't have a World Heart. She just relies on being a bit more talented, having a slightly better background, being a tad smarter, and her initial starting point wasn't much better than yours. But is her current standing worse than a Host's? She reached the Heaven Tier at twenty-five. What did she rely on? Effort! As the saying goes, the slow bird catches up by starting early; this slow bird achieved her current success solely through effort. So, if you work hard, you can eventually catch up to Lily."

Before Nero could react to Lin Luo’s speech, Yao Yao’s face darkened first.

Yes, she was a slow bird, a slow bird!

Lin Luo pretended not to notice Yao Yao's expression and continued encouraging the naive girl. "Besides, you need to know that the main reason Lily achieved her current strength is thanks to the World Heart—put plainly, it's external assistance. But you are different; you rely on your own effort. If one day you manage to surpass Lily, you can proudly tell her: 'I achieved this entirely on my own merit, unlike you who relies on externals...' Hey, where are you going?"

Lin Luo hadn't finished speaking when he noticed Nero turning and striding away.

"Nonsense! Of course, I'm going to train!" Nero called back without turning around, leaving with an expression of proud defiance that seemed to say, 'Lily, what are you? I alone am stronger than you combined with a World Heart!'

Lin Luo watched her receding back and calmly took a sip of tea.

"Your talent for deceiving people is as seasoned as ever," Yao Yao stated expressionlessly.

"Not at all, not at all," Lin Luo replied humbly. "Everything I said was the plain truth; not a single word was false."

"It's precisely because you use facts to mislead people that I admire you. You say you're not a good reference, but I find myself reluctant to use you as one either."

"The attributes of Loyalty and Sacrifice don't fit her. Compared to a hopeless expectation, having a goal is always better."

"I can't argue with you." Yao Yao conceded, glancing up at the clock on the wall. Realizing it was time for her rest period, she rose to leave. However, after only a few steps, she turned back. "Oh right, I have a question for you."

"Ask away."

"Does someone who was stuck at the Quasi-Heaven Tier for eight thousand years really have the standing to call someone who reached Heaven Tier at twenty-five a slow bird?"

"...Well, when Heaven intends to confer a great office upon a man, it first exercises his mind with dire pain, and strains his sinews and his bones... Heaven is being kind by letting the slow bird fly first, and we geniuses... Hey, don't leave so quickly!"

Yao Yao ignored him completely.

Lin Luo shook his head helplessly, but after Yao Yao had completely departed, his expression gradually sobered.

"Sacrifice and Loyalty, huh... Sigh... Indeed..."