Ye Wen hadn't really considered anything like a Celestial Palace, but he did contemplate erecting a placard here, inscribed with the four characters: "Shu Mountain Branch Residence"—especially once the magnificent scenery unfolded before them after traversing the long cave passage.

"How beautiful!"

Even Zhang Ling, who usually kept her words scarce, couldn't help but exclaim, gazing unblinkingly at the expanse of emerald green from the cliff's edge. The shimmering lake amidst the vast greenery, with faint glimpses of rivers woven through the verdant tapestry, served as exquisite accents.

The elves, who adored nature even more, were ecstatic upon seeing such an environment, particularly with the thought of building their new home right there. Joy bloomed on their faces, and many huddled together, whispering about the blissful life that awaited them.

Valkyrie was naturally pleased by the collective awe. After all, this place had once been the pride of the Odin clan, and she certainly hadn't wished to lead everyone here only to hear comments like, "It’s so ordinary!" or "Nothing special!" or even, "It’s not as good as Chi You’s place!"

Waving for everyone to gather, she pointed toward the wide mountain path beside them. "From here, follow this road down to the forest below. The path isn't steep, but it requires a longer detour!"

Hearing this, everyone retracted their gaze and followed Valkyrie down the mountain.

It struck them then—having been captivated by the stunning vista—that they hadn't fully processed the journey. Earlier, when they entered the cave, they had walked downward, soon reaching the underground level where they saw the vast cavern filled with magma; they were clearly deep beneath the surface then.

Yet, without feeling any significant ascent, they had somehow arrived at the mountainside. Now, emerging from the cave, they had to descend again, which genuinely surprised them.

Perhaps only a few of the stronger individuals noticed that the extremely long tunnel path had been subtly inclined upward.

Ye Wen was certainly among them, but he paid little mind to such trivialities. He walked quietly alongside Artemis, neither speaking a word throughout the journey, and they remained that way even now.

Artemis, unlike before, didn't maintain a stern expression; instead, she looked around, a faint smile gracing her lips—a look of pure delight, as if she had spotted a cherished toy. As the Goddess of the Hunt, she naturally loved hunting, and loving the hunt meant cherishing closeness to nature. Her mood was bound to lift upon arriving in this forest.

"You like this kind of environment?"

Although Ye Wen also enjoyed purely natural forests, he required one prerequisite: a conveniently situated living space. If his surroundings were entirely natural but inconvenient for living, he would much rather stay far away from nature.

Even though he was now an immortal, some habits remained. For instance, he liked having electric lights, running water, and the ability to watch movies or play games when the mood struck—even if they were old, worn-out games or films he’d seen countless times. This revealed that Ye Wen was, at heart, quite nostalgic.

Artemis continued to scan her surroundings, then let out a noncommittal "Mm," answering Ye Wen’s question. This left Ye Wen quite vexed. He had expressed his own stance clearly earlier. Failing to answer then could be excused as feminine reserve, but after all this time, couldn't she give a straight answer?

Just as he pondered whether he should clarify his point further, Artemis spoke. "Is the Shu Mountain area of yours as beautiful a forest as this?"

"Hm?" Ye Wen blinked, momentarily slow to react, and simply nodded slowly. "There is quite a primeval forest at the foot of Mount Shu!" After saying that, he finally understood Artemis’s intent. He blinked again and added, "And there are plenty of animals suitable for hunting!"

He suddenly recalled the little fox that the Black Tiger had tormented before they left. If there were foxes, there must be other creatures too, right? In Ye Wen's view, the value of those animals was purely as quarry for Artemis's amusement; he hadn't considered anything else. Somewhere within a tree hollow at the base of Mount Shu, a certain fox resting with its eyes closed suddenly felt a chill run through its body. It snapped its eyes open, warily surveying its surroundings. Finding nothing amiss, it promptly closed its eyes and returned to its deep sleep.

Artemis nodded and didn't press the matter. However, Ye Wen now had his answer. He glanced at Artemis, who had maintained a distance where she was almost always within easy reach, and suddenly realized that she had already given him the answer long ago.

"Idiot!"

Silently cursing himself, Ye Wen let go of his internal struggle and joined her in appreciating the magnificent view with a lightened mood.

After walking a good while longer, they passed through a narrow, overgrown path in the forest. Ye Wen looked up and spotted the massive temple in the distance, draped in moss and vines. Because of the towering trees surrounding it and the dense moss and creeping vines covering the temple walls, the group hadn't noticed the structure when looking down from the mountain; only upon approaching did they realize such a grand edifice was here.

"This... is the original temple of the Odin clan!"

Valkyrie faintly recalled when she was newly adult, just an ordinary Valkyrie, utterly unremarkable among the ranks. Odin, the Divine King, stood highest above, wielding his scepter and delivering an inspiring speech, flanked by the high-ranking deities of the Odin clan—including the Prince of Thunder whom she had once adored.

Time had passed. The once splendid, shining temple had fallen into its current state, and the entire Odin clan, save for her, had perished. That Prince of Thunder she cared for so much... was long gone too. Yet, the treasures he left behind had brought her the two most important people in her life.

Shaking Artoria, who had just woken up looking slightly unwell, she glanced at Yu Wentuo standing beside her. Though he lacked the imposing physique of the Thunder God, this man was her true destination.

Yu Wentuo, who had been observing the temple, seemed to sense something. He turned and immediately saw Valkyrie gazing at him fixedly. He reached out, encircled her waist, and lightly kissed her forehead. "From now on, our family will live here!"

As the sole survivor of the Odin clan, Valkyrie naturally had the right to manage this temple. The elves, in gratitude for Valkyrie and Yu Wentuo’s generous welcome, offered to lend their strength to thoroughly clean the temple, restoring its former majestic appearance. They would then establish their village nearby, subsisting near the temple, choosing a spot equidistant from both the structure and the huge lake—perhaps for convenience?

However, elves weren't supposed to kill, were they? Ye Wen found this peculiar and only learned upon inquiry that the Moonlight Elves had a mixed heritage; not all elves were vegetarian. For instance, those few elves with dark blue skin and silver hair, born of demonic lineage, were Dark Elves and had no dietary restrictions.

Ye Wen also noticed several elves with light purple skin, tall stature, and a rather robust build. His first impression of them was: Wow, aren't these the legendary Night Elves? He hadn't noticed the variety when they were all mixed together, but upon observing them individually now, he saw they truly possessed distinct characteristics!

Most Moonlight Elves resembled the elves of his imagination: slender, with handsome and beautiful features, generally no different from humans, save for their most prominent feature—those pointed ears. Besides them and the aforementioned Dark Elves, there were elves mixed with Orcs, possessing slightly curved, hoof-like lower legs. Though the curve wasn't pronounced, the backward bend in their joints clearly set them apart from those around them. These half-Orc elves were also more alluring than their slender kin—truly curvaceous—and they inherited the beauty of the elven race. Without looking at their legs, they were peak specimens of this era. Rumor had it these mixed-bloods were popular among the wealthy in that other world, and they possessed greater strength than ordinary elves, making heavy work seem trivial. They had contributed significantly when the Moonlight Elf clan was first established and built their village, and they remained the core workforce for constructing the new settlement this time.

Conversely, the Dark Elves did not participate in the work. Instead, they dispersed from the start and delved deep into the forest.

"Dark Elves are natural scouts and assassins. They are going to observe which creatures inhabit the vicinity and gather intelligence—even identifying anything that might pose a threat to our village. If threats exist, they will return to formulate countermeasures!" Anita explained, standing nearby and maintaining her composure while working.

The composition of fewer than one hundred Moonlight Elves was clearly complex; most of these elves were outcasts who had joined the Moonlight Elf clan.

"Those few purple-skinned elves, it is said, were cursed at birth. While they can conceal themselves in darkness, they grew to despise living under the sun, leading to their expulsion from their original village—a tribe of Grassland Elves who lived almost entirely in sunlight. They considered these few to be ill omens."

Ye Wen turned to Artemis. "Is it truly a curse?"

Artemis observed them for a moment before shaking her head. "No, there is no strange energy interfering with their bodies. This form seems as if it were their natural state all along." Her reincarnated self, the Moon Goddess, had examined them upon awakening and found no issue; even now, with her full power restored, her observation confirmed that these elves were fine.

Hearing her, Ye Wen ventured a guess. "Perhaps their ancestors carried a similar recessive gene that only expressed itself in their generation!" Ye Wen only had a vague understanding of genes; he couldn't explain the deeper science, so he simply conveyed the gist of his idea, ensuring Artemis understood the concept before falling silent.

Although still slightly uncertain, Anita finally understood: these elves had no inherent problem, and their appearance caused them no harm. In fact, their tall stature and developed musculature represented a talent surpassing that of typical elves.

Anita smiled. "I must tell them this so they can put their worries to rest and live happily!"

Then, Anita informed Ye Wen that among the group of elves he found unremarkable, many were actually half-elves, born from unions between elves and humans. While they looked similar to regular elves, there were distinct differences noticeable to other elves. More importantly, for various reasons, elves were not friendly toward half-elves. If a half-elf was born into an elven community, the only outcome was abandonment in the forest to fend for themselves. In the Moonlight Elf clan, more than ten half-elves had been discarded this way and survived through sheer luck. The remaining half-elves had either faced ostracization in human society, leading to solitary lives, or joined this clan through coincidence.

"What a complicated lineage!"

Anita nodded. "Leading such a tribe is very difficult! Even as fellow outcasts, conflicts arise among them. In recent years, quite a few clan members have been expelled from our village." Ye Wen wasn't surprised; in his view, any place where large numbers of beings gathered was bound to experience conflict. It was immutable. However, he hadn't expected Anita’s true intention in saying this was to persuade Artemis to stay permanently. "Only if the Goddess leads us continuously can our clan survive stably!"

Before Artemis could respond, Ye Wen interjected. "Do you only place your hopes on others? I think you have considerable potential. Why don't you take on this challenging burden yourself?"

His statement caught Anita off guard; she froze, unsure how to reply. Ye Wen seized the moment, guiding Artemis away—he intended to put some distance between himself and Anita to avoid further requests. Surprisingly, Artemis obediently left with him. Did she also have no interest in leading her own people?

"I cannot give them anything; they must ultimately rely on themselves!" Unexpectedly, Artemis saw things more clearly than Ye Wen. Seeing her resolve, Ye Wen didn't need to elaborate further. He moved with Artemis among the busy elves, admiring the surroundings and observing their diligent efforts.

"They are happy!" Even though every elf was sweating profusely, joy was visible on every face. Ye Wen could see they were genuinely happy. "Truly enviable!" Artemis remained silent; perhaps she couldn't yet grasp the mood of these elves, even though she was the deity they revered.

After circling around, Ye Wen eventually returned to the magnificent temple. He found Yu Wentuo busy organizing, with Kresnik and Zhang Ling also lending a hand nearby. Even Garfield was standing upright, vigorously swinging his two short forelegs in the spacious hall, unleashing successive Raging Dragon Climaxes that whipped up the dust and debris accumulated over ages in the hall! It seemed the only two people not working among the hundred-plus occupants were Ye Wen and Artemis, but given their status, no one dared rebuke them for slacking.

"I plan to go back to that cave."

Seeing Yu Wentuo happily setting up their "new home," Ye Wen cut to the chase. "Master, why return there?" "Minos will surely look for me there after she returns, so I must wait. Besides, I need to meet a few people here, and this setting isn't appropriate!" Ye Wen also needed to arrange the meeting between Lucifer and Athena; holding it in this paradise would expose its beauty to outsiders, so it absolutely could not happen here. As for Minos, that was just a secondary concern. If he finalized the meetings for those two 'BOSS' level figures and the girl hadn't returned, he wouldn't bother waiting. If she couldn't find him, she could return to Hades' domain; Ye Wen would visit the Lord of the Underworld eventually anyway, so he wasn't worried about her getting lost.

Yu Wentuo understood the crux of the matter upon hearing Ye Wen’s words and said no more, only confirming he understood and would inform the others. Ye Wen glanced around one last time. "Actually, you could bring some orphans or displaced refugees. The outside world isn't peaceful! You can't establish a Celestial Palace alone!"

Yu Wentuo chuckled. "I’ve long had that in mind!" Since he already had a plan, Ye Wen stopped pressing the issue and turned to head back toward the cave. To Ye Wen's delight, Artemis silently followed him.

Back in the wide cave, Ye Wen looked at Artemis. "You won't regret coming with me this time!" Artemis, who had been quiet and gentle since waking, once again displayed the hauteur of the Moon Goddess. Head held high, chest puffed out, she declared with imposing authority, "I, the Moon and Hunt Goddess, never regret a choice I have made!" Ye Wen nodded. "That’s best!" They stood in comfortable silence. When Ye Wen finally stepped back into the expansive cavern, the place that should have been empty instead held a figure: Lucifer, King of the Fallen Angels, who had just arrived.

"I thought you all had already left this place!"