Before the God Tree.
A Kaguya Clone had brought Isseki here.
She halted and unceremoniously tossed him onto the ground.
The God Tree appeared noticeably thicker than before. With her back to Isseki, the Kaguya Clone silently stared at it.
Isseki followed her gaze for a moment, unease stirring within him. The God Tree seemed to be digesting rapidly. He estimated it would bear fruit in just a few months.
He remained silent too, pondering what Kaguya intended to do with him.
There was no way she would let him go.
He understood that perfectly.
Both stayed quiet, as if locked in an invisible battle of wills.
After a while, the Kaguya Clone turned around and gazed at him with an ambiguous smile. "Why didn't you try to escape? Even if you can't fight now, you still have your [Daikokuten: Shokatsu]—couldn't you have done something?"
Isseki hated her condescending attitude.
Back then, he was always the one looking down on others like this.
"Kaguya," he mocked, "do you really think defeating me makes you my better? How ridiculous."
"..." The Kaguya Clone fixed him with a cold stare.
To her, he was just a dying man.
Still, within the Otsutsuki Clan, his status was slightly higher. He'd interacted more widely with other members and possessed more knowledge.
She knew she couldn't yet challenge the entire Otsutsuki Clan alone. What she most wanted was to learn which universes the other clan members inhabited.
That way, she could avoid areas under their control.
Isseki might know this information. If not directly, then his created Alternate Dimension likely contained many valuable things.
Noticing her unchanged expression and sensing no immediate intent to kill him, Isseki found it strange.
After a brief pause, he figured out Kaguya's general plan. "Oh? You really want me to use my [Daikokuten: Shokatsu]? Tell me where exactly you're planning to go..."
He let out a cold snort.
His [Daikokuten: Shokatsu] could store shrunken objects within a dimension where time stood still, allowing easy retrieval whenever needed.
Of course, he'd preserved many precious items there.
Including even another young God Tree sapling (Ten-Tails), meant for planting on another planet.
But so what? He'd rather those things never see the light of day than allow Kaguya to get her hands on them so easily.
"Isseki," Kaguya said calmly, "just tell me the coordinates of that place, and I'll spare your life..."
Hearing this, Isseki scoffed inwardly and laughed mockingly. "Kaguya, do you actually believe your own words when you say that?"
Silence stretched briefly before the Kaguya Clone flung him up into the branches of the God Tree.
"You're absolutely right. So die!"
Helplessly watching as Isseki was completely consumed by the God Tree until no trace of him remained, she murmured, "No matter. There's still another one..."
Then she turned and left.
Meanwhile, after searching in several directions, soldiers from the Land of the Forefathers finally encountered Kaguya's clone deep within a forest.
At first glance, the soldiers were startled by how different she looked from normal people.
Her pale skin, completely devoid of color, clearly marked her as something unnatural.
The soldiers surrounded her, weapons drawn and aimed.
"Who are you? This is the territory of the Land of the Forefathers. Please come with us to see Lord Daimyo."
They meant to "invite" her to come before the Emperor—peacefully, at least.
The Kaguya Clone remained expressionless, showing no intention to fight.
She was also curious how far these people had advanced. After a moment's thought, she calmly followed them away.
The soldiers brought the Kaguya Clone to the most luxurious wooden courtyard in the Land of the Forefathers.
This was also the palace of the young emperor.
"Did you really fall from the sky?" The young Son of Heaven stood on the steps, quietly observing this woman whose hair was so long it nearly dragged on the ground.
"Yes, she appeared near where the light crashed down..." A soldier holding a spear described the search process.
"Hmm." The emperor slightly nodded, deep in thought, then continued, "What is your name?"
The Kaguya Clone remained silent, having already scanned the strength of everyone inside the palace.
All were utterly powerless.
No one deserved her attention.
Seeing that she did not respond, the soldiers of the Land of the Forefathers became displeased, believing her disrespectful toward their emperor. One shouted loudly, "Haven't you heard? This is our great Daimyo, Emperor of the Land of the Forefathers!"
Looking at her, the emperor's gaze carried curiosity.
This unknown woman not only looked unlike any woman he had ever seen, possessing an exotic beauty, but she also behaved differently—showing none of the nervous submissiveness typical of other women before him. It intrigued him.
Still, the Kaguya Clone stood there like a mute statue, emotionless, as if everything around her meant nothing.
Her indifference infuriated the soldiers even more. They raised their weapons and stepped closer.
"In my opinion, this woman must be a spy sent by the Land Beyond!"
"Tie her up and force a confession out of her."
"Wait," the emperor spoke again just as spears were about to point directly at the Kaguya Clone.
Before his voice faded completely, an immense power burst forth from the Kaguya Clone's eyes.
The soldiers surrounding her flew backward instantly, collapsing to the ground unconscious.
Now only the emperor and the Kaguya Clone remained conscious. He felt tense, astonished, "What the hell was that!?"
The Kaguya Clone stepped forward, her white eyes fixed on him. "I am Kaguya, The Guardian of the God Tree."
Staring into those eyes, the emperor—who had previously frowned tightly—felt his mind go dull, as if caught under a Genjutsu. His wariness melted away. His face slackened, lips murmuring unconsciously, "Kaguya..."
He then led the Kaguya Clone deeper into the palace, ordering someone to prepare a room for her.
...
Meanwhile,
Yangxi had already done a lot of thinking about this.
He and Kaguya had not yet built trust between them.
Even in the original world, it had taken a long time before they could coexist harmoniously.
And now, during this period, Kaguya had just betrayed Isseki, her mind unsettled and anxious, jumpy like someone seeing enemies behind every tree.
She clearly wasn't the kind to trust others easily, nor was she willing to leave behind anything that could pose a potential threat.
He realized he had been too presumptuous. Now, Kaguya was watching him like any other enemy she'd guard against.
No matter how much he tried to reason with her, it was unlikely she'd listen—he might even end up locked in battle with her, just like she did with Isseki.
Glancing at Kaguya's icy demeanor, he sighed inwardly. Would this body truly end up destroyed by her hands?
Death wouldn't come easily.
As long as he remained conscious, he could do what he'd done to Toneri before—perform a spiritual invasion, enter someone else's body, consume their spiritual strength, and completely take over.
To him, becoming someone else wasn't difficult—as long as their spiritual strength wasn't stronger than his.
The only downside was the limited options; people in this era were generally weak.
If things really came to that point, he might have to start cultivating again from scratch.
Or maybe resort to some unconventional methods?
Preparing for the worst, Hiroki wore a faint, carefree smile as he grabbed Kaguya's wrist to stop her from poking out his eyes. He said, "Whatever the case may be, Isseki has already been captured, right?"
Kaguya didn't understand why he suddenly looked confident again. Coldly, she replied, "If I hadn't shown up, the one being captured right now would probably be me."
"Nope." Hiroki shook his head slightly. "Because I came here for you."
"…" Kaguya had no response, almost as if wanting to laugh.
"And as for who I really am… Your body is immortal, and my spirit is eternal. We were… meant for each other."
With that said, he slid his other hand through her long hair, leaned down, and gently brushed his lips against hers.
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