Artemis felt a headache blooming at the mere thought of Poseidon and his son; this matter, it seemed, was far more complicated than she had initially imagined.

Ye Wen, puzzled, pressed for more details and finally understood why Artemis had reacted so strongly upon hearing Poseidon’s name.

As a brother to Zeus, Poseidon’s greatest similarity to the king of the gods was an equal proclivity for lust, and an equal willingness to stop at nothing to possess a woman he desired.

The only area where Poseidon surpassed Zeus was in the focus of his targets, which remained strictly limited to female deities or mortals. Unlike his brother Zeus, whose appetite extended to anything beautiful regardless of gender or species, Poseidon considered himself not to possess such an indiscriminate palate.

However, precisely because of this focus, Poseidon frequently cast his predatory gaze upon the numerous goddesses of Olympus. Demeter, for instance, had once suffered his unwanted attentions, resulting in a rift with the Sea King that persisted to this day; the two now rarely crossed paths. Demeter knew she couldn't defeat Poseidon in a fight, so she avoided him religiously. Wherever Poseidon appeared, Demeter was nowhere to be seen.

In recent years, this pattern had intensified. It wasn't that Demeter had changed anything, but rather that all the goddesses on Mount Olympus had started evading Poseidon. The notorious Sea King hadn't made a move on any goddess for a while, but that didn't mean he had reformed; it simply meant the goddesses were extremely cautious. Still, no one knew when the Sea King might erupt and seize whomever he pleased without restraint.

Consequently, the goddesses had no choice but to keep their distance to avoid becoming the next unfortunate target.

Artemis was, naturally, one of these goddesses. Although she possessed supreme confidence in her martial prowess—even boasting the title of the sharpest archer on Mount Olympus—these accolades were utterly useless against the Sea King. The Sea King, who employed any means necessary to capture a woman, would hardly be intimidated by her archery skills.

Therefore, Artemis, who would normally prefer to flee the Sea King, frowned deeply upon hearing that this mission's target was located within Poseidon’s domain. She couldn't shake the feeling that this endeavor was akin to walking straight into a trap.

"Besides him, Triton is no saint either!"

Triton was the Sea King's eldest son, a merman who inherited his father's intensely lascivious nature and often preyed upon beautiful women. Only because he lacked his father’s staggering power was he unable to wreak havoc among the goddesses of Mount Olympus.

But since this mission required entering the Sea King's territory, there was no telling what the Crown Prince of the Sea might attempt. In terms of sheer force, Artemis didn't fear this prince of the sea, but she couldn't be certain if Triton also inherited his father's utterly unscrupulous and despicable character. If he resorted to underhanded tactics, she genuinely wasn't sure she could handle it.

If she let her guard down for a moment and fell prey to that scoundrel, even getting retribution afterward would be useless!

Seeing Artemis looking troubled, Ye Wen chuckled and suggested, "If that's the case, why don't I go alone?"

Ye Wen hadn't been relying on an Olympian deity to help him anyway. Moreover, he carried a secret objective for this search for Stardust. Having an Olympian principal god by his side would actually complicate matters—he intended to collect as much Stardust as he possibly could, give a little to Hephaestus upon his return, and take the rest back to Shu Mountain. If Artemis were accompanying him, achieving that goal would be far more difficult.

Unfortunately, Ye Wen couldn't control others' thoughts. After hesitating for a moment, Artemis revealed the pride of a Moon Goddess, lifting her chin as she declared, "Hmph, it's merely Poseidon's territory; what do I have to fear?" Yet, as soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to deflate slightly, turning back to look at Ye Wen: "Besides, 'His Majesty the King of the Gods has explicitly stated that you will be my husband. Even the Sea King, no matter how bold, would not dare defy His Majesty’s decree!'"

This was an agreement among the Olympian gods; violating it would result in divine censure.

Though Zeus’s decree was notoriously unreliable, at this moment it served as Artemis’s shield. As long as Artemis insisted Ye Wen was her man, Poseidon could not forcibly abduct her, as that would mean opposing Zeus, the King of the Gods.

Of course, this was only on the surface. If the Sea King were truly determined to have Artemis and set his sights on capturing his niece, there were certainly means to achieve it—namely, by eliminating Ye Wen. Zeus's decree would then naturally become void. Don't think the Sea King wouldn't stoop to such a level; at least, every goddess on Mount Olympus believed that if Poseidon deemed it necessary, he would absolutely kill Ye Wen, and no one would doubt it.

Ye Wen was unaware of this dynamic, but sensing a dubious quality in Artemis’s gaze, he grew cautious: "It seems this trip will be arduous!"

Hephaestus paid no mind to their discussion. With a sweep of his hand, he began ushering them out: "If you've settled your talk, hurry and fetch the Stardust. Delaying too long will affect the potency of these weapons and armors. You had best return here before this time next month—'bringing with you the Stardust you find!'" With that, he turned back to his own work, not even bothering to see them off, as both of them were uninvited visitors in the first place.

Artemis didn't seem bothered, either accustomed to Hephaestus’s demeanor or simply understanding his temperament.

Following the seemingly endless corridor back to the massive iron gate forged from some unknown metal, she stepped onto the chariot pulled by her stags. Artemis turned and inquired, "Are you returning to Mount Olympus?"

Ye Wen blinked, realizing that Artemis was indeed action-oriented; having made a decision, she wasted no time preparing to depart for the Aegean Sea immediately. After considering that he had nothing pressing back on Olympus, and needing no consultation with Shen Gongbao since their tasks were essentially complete and they were free to pursue their own affairs, he simply shook his head: "No, I can head straight to the Aegean Sea!"

"In that case, we'll head directly south!"

When the gate opened, Artemis unleashed her divine power and urged her chariot to its maximum speed, shooting out like a stream of moon-white light. Ye Wen mounted his sword-light and followed closely behind. The two streaks of light pierced out from the volcano spewing thick, black smoke at almost the same instant. After a slight turn in the air to confirm their bearing, they flew straight south.

The Aegean Sea, part of the Mediterranean, lay south of Mount Olympus. It was famed as the most beautiful expanse of water in the Mediterranean, a jewel among seas. Furthermore, the winds and waves there were exceptionally gentle, making it an ideal resort destination. Alas, on Olympus, the Aegean was Poseidon's realm. Though many goddesses yearned to play in that beautiful ocean, none dared venture there for fear of being snatched by the unscrupulous Sea King.

At the speed Ye Wen and Artemis maintained, they soon sighted the beautiful sea. Bathed in the sunset's reflection, the shimmering Mediterranean gave Ye Wen an illusion of gazing upon the night sky, a perception that brought him a sudden clarity: "No wonder Stardust exists in such abundance here—looking at this sea feels like witnessing the starry heavens!"

Artemis found nothing novel about the view. While she didn't visit the Aegean frequently, she had been there several times. Although the breathtaking scenery was stunning, she was in no mood to appreciate coastal beauty at the moment.

Guiding her chariot across the sky, Artemis slowed her pace and scanned the sea surface incessantly. According to Hephaestus, the Stardust was located on an island called Star Island, which lay somewhere in the Aegean. But the Aegean was dotted with countless islands; she had no idea which small landmass was that accursed Star Island. "I should have asked Hephaestus for a map!"

Regretting her oversight, Artemis glanced at Ye Wen, who was flying nearby on his sword-light, and nearly caused him to tumble out of the sky with her sudden question: "Do you know what Star Island looks like?"

Ye Wen's body jolted; his sword-light shuddered, and the purple aura flickered erratically, like a faulty light bulb. Nearly plunging into the sea, Ye Wen could only sigh helplessly: "How could I possibly know? How long have I been here? I’ve been stuck on Mount Olympus!"

Artemis realized she had asked the wrong person, but she was not one to readily admit error: "Didn't you properly question Hephaestus?"

"I assumed that as one of the principal gods of Olympus, you would be intimately familiar with everything under Olympus's jurisdiction!" Ye Wen truly believed that. He had not expected that Artemis, the Moon Goddess, wouldn't even know the appearance of Star Island.

"Then what do we do?"

Stopping her chariot, Artemis allowed it to hover in the sky, staring blankly at the boundless Aegean Sea. The Aegean was neither excessively large nor small, yet it contained countless islands scattered across its expanse. Trying to find the required Star Island among so many dots across such a vast area was nearly as troublesome as trying to find Hephaestus to ask for its location.

Seeing Artemis's distress, Ye Wen knew she was completely clueless. He looked around, finally spotting a small island not far below them. Pointing toward it, he suggested to Artemis, "Don't just hover here aimlessly. Let's go rest there for a moment and think about where to start searching. We'll surely find some clue eventually!"

Artemis initially disdained taking advice from Ye Wen, but then considered that remaining suspended in the air might attract the attention of those beings from the Sea Realm. If they reported her presence to Poseidon or Triton, it would only lead to more trouble. Landing somewhere first seemed like a prudent choice.

She nodded, turned her chariot, and descended toward the island. To avoid notice from the Sea Realm's inhabitants, Artemis not only minimized any commotion but also retracted the moon-white radiance she usually displayed to signify her status while flying.

Ye Wen retracted his sword-light as well, silently following Artemis as they landed on the islet.

It was a very small island, featuring only a small grove of trees and surrounded by a ring of fine, sandy beach. As he landed, Ye Wen noticed what appeared to be an unassuming small pond at the island's center, likely a source of fresh water. Though he didn't require sustenance, habit made him observe such things first.

Upon landing, Artemis remained standing in her chariot, apparently lost in thought about where to begin the search. Ye Wen, however, quickly entered the grove to drink a lungful of cool water. He was quite surprised to find such a clear and sweet spring on this insignificant island.

Emerging after quenching his thirst, Ye Wen was surprised to find Artemis still standing in her chariot, completely motionless.

"Are you planning to become a statue on your carriage?"

Startled from her contemplation, Artemis shot Ye Wen a glare, but then conceded that standing foolishly on the carriage wasn't wise, and stepped down. However, the moment her foot touched the soft sand, she nearly stumbled—the slender heel of her high-heeled shoe sank deep into the beach. Losing her balance, Artemis almost disgraced herself, saved only by the proximity of her chariot, which she managed to grab to stabilize her posture.

"Hahahaha!"

Ye Wen laughed heartily. He had known perfectly well what would happen when high heels met sand, but he figured Artemis wouldn't.

"Were you doing that on purpose?" Nearly humiliated, and in front of a man she barely respected, Artemis's anger began to rapidly brew. "You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

"Yes, I knew," Ye Wen replied with a look that clearly implied he had known and merely wanted to see her make a fool of herself. This confirmation raised Artemis's temper by a few more percentage points, her fair, beautiful face nearly covered in a thick layer of frost.

However, Ye Wen steered the conversation elsewhere with a simple question: "You really like these kinds of shoes?"

"..."

This was a difficult question to answer. If she admitted liking them, Artemis feared the man might jump to other conclusions. But to deny it... then why did she wear them all the time? Honestly, while these shoes made her legs look better and her posture more statuesque, they were quite tiring.

"I meant, if you like them, I happen to have quite a few more," Ye Wen said, actually possessing numerous pairs of various styles and colors, all purchased by Hua Yi and left with him, unused. "Not just shoes, but other things too, like clothes and socks; I imagine you would like those as well."

Contrary to Ye Wen's expectation, Artemis did not show delight or ask for these items. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and questioned him with deep suspicion: "Why would you carry so many women's items with you?"

Her expression mirrored the disgust she had shown earlier when discussing Poseidon and his son, as if she were recoiling from something unclean.

"Am I being mistaken for a great lecher like Poseidon just for carrying these things?" But upon reflection, Ye Wen admitted that a man carrying such items openly was indeed prone to misunderstanding. He could only offer a wry, silent smile before offering a seemingly casual explanation: "These were bought by my wife, left here, and she forgot to take them back."

"Your wife..." Artemis paused, then recalled the man was married: "I heard you have two wives?"

"Mm, two." Ye Wen glanced at Artemis, who was still holding onto her carriage for support and unable to move. "You can take your shoes off. The sand on this beach is very soft and quite warm."

It was near sunset, and the sand, having absorbed the day's heat, was quite warm. Ye Wen touched it a few times; it felt neither scalding nor cold. If not for the fact that men running barefoot on a beach was generally unbecoming, he would have been tempted to leave a trail of footprints himself. But for Artemis... there was no need for such restraint.

Hesitantly, the noble and beautiful Moon Goddess slipped off her high-heeled sandals. She then cautiously stepped onto the slightly warm sand, discovering Ye Wen hadn't lied; the soft, gentle sensation was quite pleasant. Taking a few steps, leaving behind several small, charming footprints, Artemis surprisingly glanced back with a bright, almost girlish smile—but she seemed to realize her impropriety almost immediately, her face snapping back to haughtiness. She turned, tossing her head high, and walked toward Ye Wen with steps that looked decidedly arrogant.

"Sit."

"Sit?"

Seeing Ye Wen casually gesture toward the sand and then sit down himself without a care, Artemis blinked, displaying an expression of disbelief: "You want me to sit on the ground?"

"Are you suggesting I sit on you?"

Artemis looked at the ground. Although the sand was soft and looked golden, she was unwilling to sit directly on it. Finally, she declared loftily, "We'll talk standing up, then."

Ye Wen propped his chin in his hand, amused by the proud goddess before him, and delivered a statement that shocked her into stillness: "Very well. I actually just wanted to tell you that someone has been hiding in the water watching you for quite a while—"

"Wh—" Turning instantly, Artemis saw, almost at the same moment, the object floating on the sea surface, resembling a piece of floating seaweed. But with her keen eyesight, she immediately recognized it wasn't seaweed at all, but a person—and someone with hair like seaweed was one of the two figures she had been wary of earlier: Poseidon's eldest son, Triton!