Crossing a particularly arduous cave passage, the sudden sight of this vast cavern brought an immense sense of sudden clarity, a stark contrast to the suffocating feeling moments before when the walls seemed ready to crush him.

Even Ye Wen couldn't help but let out a long breath; this environment was certainly not comfortable, even knowing he would pass through quickly.

The woman standing in the cavern was the Valkyrie he had come to see. Unlike the mirror image, however, she held no child in her arms. She was still clad in blue armor, her right hand resting on her sword hilt, ready to draw at any moment. Her stance clearly indicated that this woman had not lowered her guard.

It was understandable; with the entire Aesir clan nearly extinct, she was the only one left alive in this world. Although the Aesir were fallen, they had left behind many treasures incomprehensible to humans—treasures desired not only by humanity but by other divine races as well.

If the ever-vigilant Valkyrie were not cautious, she might have already been utterly consumed... Seeing her readiness, Ye Wen immediately raised his hand and swept the hood of his cloak back, revealing his face.

His distinctly Oriental features, coupled with Ye Wen’s own striking handsomeness, evoked a sense of familiarity and warmth. The Valkyrie’s hand eased slightly on her sword hilt.

“How should I address you?”

“For now... just call me Ye Wen!” Although this woman might very well be his disciple’s wife, there was no formal title yet, and considering their lifespans, this woman was likely much older than him.

“My name is Hual-kyrie!”

“As far as I know, that isn't your original name, is it?” Ye Wen was genuinely curious why she clung to the name Valkyrie.

Hearing Ye Wen’s inquiry, the Valkyrie finally moved her hand from the hilt. Since the Aesir had been in decline for so long, only the higher echelons of the various divine races... and Thor... knew that fact.

And in either case, she had no need to maintain such vigilance. The high-ranking gods were beyond her ability to contend with, and powerful deities wouldn't bother with schemes; they could simply kill or capture her outright in a direct confrontation.

Therefore, the likelihood was that Thor had told Ye Wen the reason for his knowledge, which proved that Ye Wen’s earlier words were not false.

“Now, Valkyrie is my name, and that will never change!” The Valkyrie’s expression became tinged with melancholy. “I must stand in for all the Valkyries and continue to guard our homeland!”

Ye Wen truly didn't think the Aesir’s lands were that great—endless ice and snow all year round. What was worth protecting? However, the Aesir had always seemed aggressive; perhaps at their peak, they had occupied vast territories, only being reduced to this snowfield after their downfall.

But these matters held little relevance to Ye Wen; he had come here primarily to see Mjolnir.

After conversing with the Valkyrie for a while longer, the goddess of the Aesir finally brought out the child again, cradling and soothing the infant in her arms. The little one was adorable, exuding an ethereal spirit, gazing curiously at Ye Wen with wide, round eyes.

“Boy or girl?”

“It’s a girl...” When facing her child, the Valkyrie became exceptionally gentle. The martial spirit she displayed when confronting Ye Wen alone vanished completely. The woman sitting before him now was indistinguishable from any ordinary mother caring for her child.

“Oh, a girl! She won't turn out like you, will she?” Ye Wen gestured towards the pair of pure white wings behind the Valkyrie. To be honest, they looked magnificent when spread, but rather cumbersome when folded.

The Valkyrie paused, then realized what Ye Wen was referring to. “My apologies!” After a brief polite utterance, the Valkyrie gave a slight shake, and the white wings folded against her back dispersed into a shower of feathers that drifted to the ground... “...”

Ye Wen glanced around the cavern, now arranged into a comfortable room. He now understood what those cushions and bedding were stuffed with—most likely, the Valkyrie’s own feathers.

The Valkyrie also seemed embarrassed, her face flushing slightly. “I usually keep my wings intact, as I need them for battle or travel. I rarely disperse them like this!”

As for why the room contained so many feather products... Ye Wen could easily surmise it was likely related to his young disciple.

Nodding to show he understood, Ye Wen recounted what had happened to Yuwentuo since meeting him. Finally learning the details of Yuwentuo’s departure from this forgotten land and knowing he was not only alive and well but continuously growing stronger brought the Valkyrie great joy.

“That is... truly wonderful!”

After a pause to calm her excitement, the Valkyrie looked back at Ye Wen. “Is Thor still on Olympus?”

“It’s not that far. With your strength, you could reach him quite quickly if you chose to?”

Ye Wen estimated that if this Valkyrie flew at full speed, it wouldn't take much time to reach Sanctuary. The lengthy journey he had taken was because he had been deliberately wandering at a pace slower than human walking, not because the distance was truly terrifying.

The Valkyrie naturally knew this, but she firmly shook her head. “I must guard this place, until the day I too pass on!” Frowning, Ye Wen disliked hearing such inauspicious words. “You are perfectly alive, why dwell on unhappy thoughts?”

But the Valkyrie could only offer a wry smile, again and again. Only when she realized her behavior toward a guest—especially the master Thor had finally found—was unbecoming, did she reluctantly continue. “As you can see the current situation, it makes it hard for me to be happy. Furthermore...” The recent activities of the Olympians seemed frequent. Over the past few years, the Valkyrie had fended off countless groups from the Olympian forces. She had even noticed angels frequently lurking nearby. Had the Olympians begun eyeing the Forgotten Land?

She doubted the Olympians needed this frigid territory, consisting only of snow upon snow. If they coveted this place, the root cause must be the legacy of the Gods—the Aesir had fallen, but what they left behind was enough to make other divine races covetous.

If the angels truly attacked this land, even with the advantage of terrain, what could one Valkyrie possibly do?

Glancing at the infant in her arms, the Valkyrie suddenly felt a wave of deep unwillingness, yet she closed her eyes, hardening her resolve to speak her decision. “I hope you can take this child to her father...” “...”“I refuse!” Ye Wen interrupted her curtly, and the coldness of his reply even made Zhang Ling feel a chill: Master is so ruthless?

The Valkyrie was stunned. Her hard-won decision had been rejected immediately, a situation entirely outside her expectation, leaving her at a loss on how to respond.

“If you wish for her father to see his child, I believe you, as the mother, should go in person!”

“I...”

“Don’t give me that nonsense about not being able to leave. What is there to guard about a group of dead people whose corpses have vanished?”

The Valkyrie sprang to her feet. “This is my duty, and my mission!” Her expression was so firm, as if she had become an entirely different person, surprising even Ye Wen.

“Fine, if you insist on guarding, then don't speak to me with an expression that screams you expect to die! Do you take me for a decoration?” The sudden surge of anger in the Valkyrie immediately dissipated. She stood there dumbfounded, unsure what Ye Wen meant. Could this Eastern cultivator be willing to help her guard the tomb of the Gods? That seemed highly unlikely.

“I will not stay here to help you guard, but I believe someone else will be willing to do this task! That person has been striving diligently to improve his strength to achieve this very thing!” Though Yuwentuo could be slippery and spoke with an irreverent tone, often enjoying witty banter with Ye Wen, he was incredibly dedicated to cultivation. This quality made Ye Wen fond of his youngest disciple. After all, who wouldn’t love a student who studied diligently?

In less than ten years, Yuwentuo had crossed thresholds that many could not. Before Ye Wen arrived here, he had learned through the communicator left in Sanctuary that Yuwentuo had passed the threshold of Earthly Immortal. In Sanctuary now, he was practically invincible (Chrysus had left for Mount Olympus to drink with the demigods and test their strength). The fame of the Libra Gold Saint had even reached the Underworld! The Underworld had tested Sanctuary some time ago, and Yuwentuo had beaten them back.

Simultaneously, Ye Wen had received other news: the Three Judges of the Underworld had all been selected, and Rhadamanthys, whom Ye Wen had defeated in a single move, had been resurrected years ago. He had also been cultivating relentlessly during these years, apparently vowing to challenge Ye Wen again.

Yuwentuo himself had relayed this to Ye Wen when they met, though without engaging in combat. “Master, that Rhadamanthys is quite arrogant, but he seemed to show some respect when the topic turned to Taurus. Did you perhaps go to the Underworld to guest-lecture again?” Ye Wen was surprised. Did Rhadamanthys truly respect the principle of 'might makes right'? How was he supposed to phrase it? Say that he had instantly vaporized Rhadamanthys, which was why the judge was polite? Ye Wen could only offer vague acknowledgments to gloss over the matter and then ask about Yuwentuo's current cultivation progress.

The Minor Formless Technique was already mastered. The boy’s meridians were clear; all he needed was sufficient True Qi to charge toward the Earthly Immortal realm. Furthermore, the Minor Formless Technique, in his hands, had developed an ability that left even Ye Wen speechless: the boy could use it to simulate any technique he could conceive. Although these were mere copies, at Yuwentuo's current strength, these simulated moves possessed formidable power.

Upon learning this, Ye Wen had glanced at Zhang Ling beside him, recalling that Zhang Ling’s power of the Great Cosmos shared some similarities, although Zhang Ling’s ability had a broader scope of application.

Now that Yuwentuo had achieved the strength of an Earthly Immortal, it wouldn't be difficult for him to help the Valkyrie here. While Yuwentuo might not handle the truly supreme powers, dealing with ordinary angels would pose no significant challenge.

Ye Wen had originally planned to bring Yuwentuo back to Mount Shu for further training, but now it seemed better to reunite this family sooner rather than later.

“The Holy War is about to start, isn’t it? Are all the Gold Saints assembled?”

“Pretty much. Only your Taurus disciple is missing. The Pope explained that Taurus went on a mission abroad years ago, and since the Gold Cloth hasn't accepted a new master, Taurus is still in the human world, so the Taurus Temple remains empty!” Ye Wen chuckled. He had been gone for years since first emerging, and he hadn't returned even after Sanctuary had chosen a Pope. The Pope must be furious, believing his Taurus Gold Saint was AWOL and uncooperative. Unfortunately, Taurus also held the title of Athena’s Divine Messenger, so the Pope couldn't act rashly, or he would have already been stripped of his Gold Saint status?

Moreover, Shen Gongbao, who everyone thought would become the Pope, ended up remaining just a butler. The position of Pope ultimately did not fall to him, suggesting Athena could never fully trust him.

Of course, there was another explanation: the Pope also needed to fight on the battlefield. If Shen Gongbao also participated in the Holy War, the Underworld would be impossible to fight!

Besides, the Pope was destined to die in battle; how could Shen Gongbao die? These factors prevented Shen Gongbao from taking that seat, but he himself didn't mind. Reaching this crucial juncture, Shen Gongbao made a subtle show of his dissatisfaction: Didn't you say I couldn't die? I’ll show you how I die!

The esteemed First Steward of Sanctuary left the realm under the pretext of terminal illness, heading straight to Mount Olympus to play with the Jade Qilin!

Hearing about Shen Gongbao’s fate, Ye Wen’s eyes lit up: “Maybe I should feign illness and die too?” But he ultimately took no action, because according to Athena’s requirement, for the first Holy War, all twelve Gold Saints absolutely had to make an appearance at least once, even if it was just to fight one battle and die; their absence was not an option!

Therefore, Ye Wen still had a role to play, but when and how to play that role was entirely up to Ye Wen.

“And the Sagittarius Gold Saint has never been chosen. I don’t know why, the Sagittarius Cloth refuses to select its master. And the current situation is...”

“What is it?”

“That girl, Yekaterina, has a high probability of becoming the Sagittarius Gold Saint!” Yuwentuo’s news gave Ye Wen a bad feeling, especially Athena’s decisive manner before Ye Wen left Sanctuary, which made him suspect the woman was plotting something.

However, Ye Wen ultimately shelved this issue for the moment, feeling it was better to resolve the immediate problem. The Valkyrie’s situation was comparatively easier to handle than matters back at Sanctuary.

“There is a game underway on Mount Olympus between Athena and Hades. After this game concludes, I will bring Tu’er—oh, I mean Thor—to you! But I have one condition now.”

“What condition?”

“Let me see Mjolnir!” Ye Wen’s calm expression created a sharp contrast with the Valkyrie’s look of shock. Zhang Ling looked left then right, finding the scene quite picturesque.

“That’s impossible!” The Valkyrie firmly rejected Ye Wen’s request. “Mjolnir is the legacy of the God of Thunder; outsiders can never be allowed to touch it!” Ye Wen smiled. “Thor is also the name of the God of Thunder, yet you gave that name to my young disciple! Furthermore, I only need to see Mjolnir to confirm one thing—surely you know the real reason, don’t you?” The Valkyrie blinked, suddenly realizing something, and her expression shifted drastically. “You mean... the power of the God of Thunder within Thor’s body has awakened?”

“Precisely!”

Upon hearing the affirmative answer from Ye Wen, the Valkyrie’s emotions became incredibly complex and conflicted. This was the outcome she had desperately hoped for, yet now that it had happened, she felt it would have been better if it hadn't awakened.

“Then... Thor...”

“Rest assured, he is still himself; he hasn't become that past God of Thunder!”

The Valkyrie breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear Ye Wen immediately add, “But if he comes into contact with Mjolnir, or if the divine power within him grows stronger enough to directly attract Mjolnir, I am not entirely clear what the final outcome will be!”

Watching the Valkyrie’s expression fluctuate wildly, Ye Wen concluded, “Therefore, I need to see Mjolnir with my own eyes, and if necessary, I must place several seals on it to prevent such a possibility! After all, Thor is my disciple, and that other God of Thunder... has nothing to do with me!” The Valkyrie sank into agonizing indecision. Faced with this situation, she didn't know how to choose! By duty, she should refuse Ye Wen outright, even drawing her weapon against him. Yet, deep in her heart, a cry was rising, a single phrase echoing clearly in her mind, refusing to fade: Agree to him!