To Ye Wen, this concept—this idea concerning Guan Lanyong Shi—was a secret he kept from Zeus, and he hadn't even mentioned it to Athena. He intended to tell no one. Instead, he would wait until the Holy War began, then slowly guide events from the sidelines.

Indeed, Ye Wen would participate in this Holy War, and he had already fabricated his role: the teacher of all the Saints.

There was no other way; currently, not a single Saint had been assembled. As the Goddess, Athena certainly couldn't handle the administrative work herself, meaning she desperately needed an assistant. Scanning all of Mount Olympus, it seemed Ye Wen was the only one capable of lending a hand.

Among the major gods, Ares and Athena were certainly incompatible, and Aphrodite wouldn't offer Athena any aid either.

Coupled with the recent issue involving Artemis, Apollo would likely side with the opposition as well. As for the Moon Goddess... after this recent incident, trying to bring her into their camp was a pipe dream. The only faint hope was that if the Moon Goddess and Apollo were on bad terms, she wouldn't actively join the opposing side.

Leaving the Pantheon, Ye Wen considered the possibilities. The only deity who might genuinely help was Hephaestus, the god of fire and craftsmanship, a being whose allegiance mattered little compared to his dedication to forging superior armor.

"Perhaps... I could try speaking with Poseidon?"

Ye Wen entertained this thought, and naturally, Athena had considered it too. However, Poseidon, the Sea God, held little interest in such affairs. Unless a significant enough lure was presented, the Sea God would likely remain uninvolved, perhaps merely watching from a lofty perch as if observing a gripping drama, occasionally offering a cynical remark.

So, after a brief probe revealed Poseidon's distinct lack of enthusiasm, Athena abandoned the idea and focused solely on her own pressing matters.

Consequently, Ye Wen hadn't seen Athena much recently, nor any other deity, save for the occasional summons from Zeus to inquire about the progress of things. Ye Wen existed on Mount Olympus almost like an ordinary mortal, enduring days that were tedious, and then... even more tedious.

"When will this stretch of time ever end?"

Sitting in the hall alongside Shen Gongbao, Ye Wen felt his patience couldn't compare to the composure of the Heavenly Court's Water Division General. Shen Gongbao sat with perfect calm, methodically plucking grapes still dripping with water, chewing each one slowly before swallowing.

"Aren't you bored?"

"If you had once failed to satisfy His Majesty the Jade Emperor with the outcome of a battle, leading to you being ignored and sidelined for a century, then you too would possess my level of tranquility!" Shen Gongbao's words left Ye Wen speechless. Only then did he realize that Shen Gongbao's composure wasn't cultivated by choice, but forced upon him by circumstances.

"Has Black Tiger not returned yet?"

He had resided on Mount Olympus for quite some time now. Even if that white-browed black tiger flew slowly, he should have reached Mount Shu by now. Why was there still no news? Had the great beast truly wandered off to amuse itself? If so, Ye Wen resolved to give it a good dressing-down next time, though he’d have to go easy on it out of respect for Shen Gongbao.

Shen Gongbao felt a rare moment of awkwardness; his mount was being stubbornly disobedient, which was quite embarrassing. A flicker of unease crossed his normally placid face. "Counting the days... he should be back soon."

"Let's hope so..."

Fortunately, Black Tiger didn't disappoint Shen Gongbao this time. It soon appeared before both of them. Since the Olympian gods had seen the tiger upon their arrival and recognized it as Shen Gongbao’s mount, they allowed it entry to Mount Olympus without hindrance and used their unique connection to the beast to guide it toward its master.

When they saw the Black Tiger again, the great striped creature stared at them, its eyes brimming with tears, looking utterly pitiful.

"What is this?"

The Black Tiger was burdened by an enormous pack, a bundle nearly twice its own size. The package seemed to have 'Mount Shu' written on it in large characters, as if to ensure no one mistook its origin. It turned out the tiger had returned laden with these items.

Ye Wen casually lifted the massive package off the tiger’s back and immediately felt its weight, instantly understanding why the tiger looked so miserable. Even with his current cultivation, the bundle felt heavy. For the Black Tiger, carrying such a load must have been more agonizing than bearing the weight of two men. No wonder it looked so overjoyed upon seeing him and Shen Gongbao—it knew its ordeal was over. That excitement must have caused its current distraught expression.

Watching Shen Gongbao stroke the tiger’s head as if offering praise, Ye Wen dragged the cumbersome package directly into the palace. In the hall, he untied the knot, reasoning that anything packed this way couldn't be shameful... But Ye Wen was mistaken; the people of Mount Shu were far bolder than he had imagined.

The moment he opened the wrapping, a colossal iron chest appeared before him. Just by examining the carvings and patterns, Ye Wen felt a headache coming on. "How could they transport something like this so openly? Aren't they afraid it will be stolen?"

Ye Wen was intimately familiar with the iron chest before him. He had recently drawn detailed schematics for Hephaestus, specifically detailing these exact boxes. Their purpose was obvious: to house the artifacts known as Cloths, items that could truly be called works of art.

This meant the largest item brought by the Mount Shu sect via Black Tiger was a complete Cloth!

While inwardly chastising his fellow disciples for their audacity, Ye Wen quickly noticed a communication device lying beside the Cloth case.

He picked it up and affixed it to his face, covering one ear and one eye, just as Zheng Ying had instructed. Though the small screen held a pale yellow lens, it didn't impede his vision, nor did it feel uncomfortable when worn. "At least the comfort level is top-notch!" Pressing the activation button, a line of characters flashed across the small screen, reminding Ye Wen of a computer booting up. However, these weren't strange alphanumeric symbols, but streams of arcane runes and talismans. This indicated that the core of the detector utilized immortal magic rather than mere technology.

The images vanished in a flash. Before Ye Wen could process it, a familiar voice echoed in his ear: "Hello? Hello? Master? Is that you?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Ye Wen nodded instinctively, then immediately realized the person on the other end couldn't see him, and spoke: "It's me. Zheng Ying?"

"Oh, it's Master!" He could hear other noisy voices as Zheng Ying seemed to speak to someone nearby, but Zheng Ying’s next words silenced them: "Wait, let me disable the self-destruct sequence first!"

"Self... self-destruct sequence?" Ye Wen’s mouth twitched. He highly doubted this so-called self-destruct sequence was aimed at Zheng Ying and his colleagues. "So, that means..."

"Yes, Master. To prevent these items from falling into the wrong hands, we installed self-destruct protocols on everything we sent you this time..." He clarified, "They are essentially formations. But once we destroy them from this side, the self-destruct formation will completely collapse and merge with the other arrays, making it impossible for the protocol to be reactivated!" As he spoke, Ye Wen heard Zheng Ying conferring with someone, his hands moving busily. Then Zheng Ying announced, "Alright, Master. It's all deactivated!" Despite Zheng Ying's assurance, Ye Wen felt a strong urge to rip the device from his face and hurl it far away. Fortunately, his disciple Zheng Ying was usually reliable, so Ye Wen suppressed the impulse and continued their conversation through the communicator: "By the way, since this communicator works, did you manage to launch satellites?"

If they had created such things, could the Celestial Realm's version of a mobile phone truly be launched?

"No, we used some immortal formations to essentially 'bind' two communication facilities together. So, right now, it only allows calls to a designated recipient."

Ye Wen understood. It was similar to the toy telephone made from cups and a string—only the holders of those two cups could communicate; they couldn't dial anyone else. This meant that rolling out a 'Celestial Realm telephone' still had a long way to go! But these weren't the immediate concerns. Ye Wen needed to know how the tasks he assigned in the letter sent via Black Tiger had been progressing.

"The things Master requested have mostly been completed. That Pegasus Cloth, in particular, was manufactured according to the simplified schematics you provided in your drawings. Even though it's a simplified version, it should possess considerable power when combined with a burst of Cosmo!"

"Oh? Have you tested it?"

Zheng Ying affirmed, "Garfield has already begun cultivating his Cosmo, so he tested it out!"

...

Ye Wen tried to picture the palm-sized Garfield wearing a Cloth, but the image strained the limits of his imagination to the breaking point, so he gave up.

"According to your design, Master, the Cloths can automatically adjust their size to fit the wearer. So Garfield can use it too! Oh, and Elder Gourd Immortal highly praised your design, saying that while the function itself isn't revolutionary, you applied it in the most appropriate place—he called you a genius..." Then, Zheng Ying added, "Elder, perhaps you'd like to speak with Master?"

That last sentence seemed to be Zheng Ying’s subtle way of voicing his frustration at Elder Gourd Immortal's incessant nagging beside him.

Ye Wen knew the Cloths had this feature, but he hadn't realized it was effective enough for even a tiny kitten to wear one. It seemed body size wouldn't be an issue for the Saints!

"But Master, what are you going to do with this Cloth? Are the Olympian gods about to fight a Holy War? Has Goddess Athena chosen you as the new Pegasus Saint?"

Zheng Ying only joked, but Ye Wen managed a wry smile. He wasn't to be the Pegasus Saint. However, Athena had made it clear the other day that Ye Wen must join this Holy War, and not just as a teacher cultivating future Saints, but as a frontline participant.

Ye Wen had been quite displeased, only muttering, "If I join, there won't be anyone left to fight in the Hades Army, will there? I could wipe out all those grunts effortlessly!"

Even though they now possessed the wondrous power of Cosmo, the gap between them and Ye Wen remained like heaven and earth. Ye Wen wouldn't even need to employ his Myriad Sword Art to eliminate the entire forces of the Underworld. If that happened, what would be the point of a Holy War?

"So... you have to suppress your power!" Filled with irritation, Ye Wen frantically flipped through scripts in his mind, searching for a suitable plotline where he could achieve a glorious, staged death, thereby silencing Athena’s incessant nagging.

Remembering he was still speaking with Zheng Ying, Ye Wen pushed these thoughts aside. "It's not for me; someone here needs it. If nothing goes awry, the inevitable user of this Pegasus Cloth will be the protagonist of this Holy War—the great power who arranged this entire game for his own amusement and thrill: the God-King Zeus!"

As for why Hephaestus hadn't forged the Cloth, it was to highlight the protagonist's extraordinary nature. Furthermore, Ye Wen had prepared the Cloth as a means to attract Zeus's attention, thus requiring a sample! He just hadn't expected Zeus to be even more bored than anticipated; the God-King had already set a date for his planned incarnation before the Pegasus Cloth even arrived.

"Also, the short blades and chains Master requested have been forged! But Master, what do you need these things for?" Zheng Ying was familiar with those two items too, but he couldn't fathom why Ye Wen wanted them. Had his master become addicted to bootlegging, planning a new wave of plagiarism even on Mount Olympus?

Ye Wen turned toward another rather unassuming box. He casually opened it, revealing a pair of rather heavy-looking, broad-bladed weapons lying quietly inside. Connected to the base of each handle were two unassuming, pitch-black chains.

"Because there's a particularly irritating individual here who is getting in the way!"

"Huh?"

Zheng Ying paused, but recalling the weapon Ye Wen had asked him to fabricate, he instantly understood which irritating individual his Master referred to. He also grasped what Ye Wen intended to do.

"Oh, Master, how could you have such fun without calling me?"

Zheng Ying’s exclamation instantly transformed the other end of the communicator into a chaotic marketplace clamor, giving Ye Wen a headache. Thankfully, he soon heard Xu Xian’s voice: "What's all the racket? Have you no decorum?"

But the next line nearly made Ye Wen drop the device: "Stop arguing! Is this something you lot get to decide? If anyone goes, it’s me!"

The ensuing chaos needs no further detailing to outsiders. While he could, Ye Wen briefly asked if the detector was considered a finished product, and if its functions beyond communication had been perfected.

"Master, as long as you don't use it to scan living things, there's no danger!" Zheng Ying’s words were a cautious acknowledgment that most beings active on Mount Olympus were powerful deities whose energies might exceed the detector’s operational limits.

"So, it can only find treasures, but not gauge someone's strength?"

"More or less."

"That’s enough..." What Ye Wen most desired was Star Sand. That material was rare in the East, but it seemed abundant around Mount Olympus, and the Olympian gods themselves didn't value it highly—perhaps only Hephaestus understood its true worth. The difficulty lay in the fact that even if the gods didn't value it, they wouldn't stand by and watch a Westerner like Ye Wen casually dig up treasures on their domain, nor would they volunteer information about where to find such things. Thus, Ye Wen had to rely on his own search, which was one reason he urgently needed Zheng Ying to finish and send the detector quickly. He needed the detector to locate the Star Sand so he could take it.

Following Zheng Ying’s instructions, Ye Wen deactivated some of the detector's functions and began cautiously surveying the surroundings, looking for any noteworthy treasures on Mount Olympus.

The moment he activated the detector, he sensed an object brimming with spiritual energy moving toward him at a considerable speed.

"Is it a deity carrying a treasure? Is it Athena?" Ye Wen wasn't sure, but he swiftly tucked away most of his items, leaving only the Pegasus Cloth and the detector on his face, waiting quietly for the arrival.

However, when he heard the distinct tap-tap sound—a noise he hadn't heard in years—he froze in astonishment. That was the sound of high heels striking hard ground, a sound he hadn't encountered in a very long time.

And on all of Mount Olympus, there seemed to be only one person who wore such footwear.

"Why is she here?"

As he puzzled over it, Artemis stood before the stunned Ye Wen, wearing those high heels, an expression of smug satisfaction on her face. Her already tall figure was made even more striking by the shoes, and the tight-fitting gown could not conceal the taut lines of her legs, making her look all the more captivating.

Artemis tilted her head, looking at the dumbfounded Ye Wen, then turned her gaze to the Cloth chest beside him. "Is this the weapon you plan to give me as compensation?" She frowned slightly. "You even put it in an iron box!" Ye Wen finally realized Artemis had come to 'collect a debt.' He immediately shook his head. "No, this isn't what you were meant to be compensated with. Your weapon hasn't been forged yet!"

"Hm? Not finished yet?" She had heard that Hephaestus was crafting something for Ye Wen and had assumed it was the weapon intended as her compensation. Her curiosity had drawn her here to take a look, but Ye Wen’s words suggested her item wasn't ready. This, however, only piqued her curiosity further.

"Really? I wonder what kind of weapon keeps Hephaestus so busy for so long?"