Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After casually creating a dantian-like container to house the energy Fenrir was infusing into his body, Vahn separated from the lovable wolf girl to ask, "How do you feel?"

Though her mood had diminished somewhat the moment her Master pulled away, Fenrir managed an uncharacteristic smile as she answered, "I feel great. It's difficult to put into words, but I suddenly feel more 'complete' than before."

Recalling his moment of ascension in the Record of Danmachi, Vahn offered an understanding nod as he hooked a hand around Fenrir's head before resting his forehead against hers. She wasn't the only one feeling more complete at the present moment. He could feel their connection more clearly than ever before, so, even without her explaining things directly, he knew exactly how she felt.

"Master..."

As if they were the only two people in the entire world, Fenrir stood on the tips of her toes in an effort to seize her Master's lips. Vahn offered no resistance in this regard. Rather, the moment he sensed her intentions, he forcibly separated them from the Jade Palace's Principle Axis of Time. In other words, they now had all the time in the world and no one, except perhaps the Administrator of the Central Network, had the ability to spy on them.

From the perspective of everyone else, Vahn and Fenrir had just been staring into each others' eyes after the former rested his head against the latter. The only person to sense anything was amiss was Mikoto, as, the moment Vahn and Fenrir returned to the Principle Axis of Time, she could sense the changes in their bodies and auras. This caused her to feel envious, so, before anyone else could say anything, she jumped onto Vahn's shoulder and gave both him and Fenrir a light shock.

Chuckling in spite of the bands of electricity flowing between his molars, Vahn reached his hand up to caress Mikoto's head as he teased, "You're cute when you're jealous..."

Though she was fully capable of speech, Mikoto replied with a threatening, "Pika..." before puffing out her cheeks and producing even more electricity. This time, however, she didn't shock either of them as the serene yet piercing gaze of Fenrir's face made it readily apparent she didn't appreciate being electrocuted.

Ignoring the energetic bands of electricity, Vahn used his index and middle fingers to persistently scratch under and around her chin until she inevitably released a sigh and rubbed her cheek against the back of his hand...

Seeing the intimacy between Vahn and his two animal companions, Erlang Shen briefly exchanged glances with the Howling Celestial Dog. In response, the ivory-white canine adopted a moderately offended expression before stating, "Even if you look at me like that, I have no intention of letting you anywhere near my butt..."

Understanding the implication contained in the Howling Celestial Dog's words, a violent aura began to exude from Erlang Shen's body as he stared down at his longtime companion and threatened, "It would appear I've been too lenient on you these past three-hundred years..."

Without waiting for his Master to continue, the Howling Celestial Dog promptly transformed into a puppy before speeding off through one of the Jade Palace's walls. He possessed the ability to cross boundaries, so, with walls serving as a boundary between the interior and exterior of a building, he was able to pass through them as if they didn't exist.

"You mangy lout! If you run off, you better not come looking for me later on...!"

Ignoring his Master's threats, the Howling Celestial Dog proceeded to the medium-sized pavilion that served as Erlang Shen's home and the kennel of his moderately sized harem. It had been a few years since he last saw his pups so he was eager to see how they had grown. He was also feeling a little frustrated after seeing Fenrir's human form, so, with the intention of healing his broken heart, he sped off towards his home...

Sensing the Howling Celestial Dog's aura disappearing, Erlang Shen clicked his tongue in frustration before shifting his attention back to Vahn, Fenrir, and Mikoto. When he discovered the affectionate trio staring back at him, a bit of heat and a ruddy coloration spread through his cheeks. His fair and unblemished skin made this even more obvious, yet, in spite of this, he managed to appear stoic as he said, "I'll show you to the audience chamber. After that, I expect our next meeting will be at Zao Shin's Immortal Banquet. Truth be told, I'm quite looking forward to the evening's festivities..."

Though his impression of Vahn had improved tremendously over the last couple of hours, there was also a bit of resentment in Erlang Shen's heart. Exchanging blows in the arena was the most reliable method of settling grievances, so, the moment the ranking matches commenced, he intended to be among the first to challenge Vahn. Then, regardless of how things concluded, they would forever be brothers-in-arms.

Recognizing the competitive glimmer in Erlang Shen's eyes, an expectant smile gradually presented itself across Vahn's face. He was also looking forward to the evening's festivities, so, after a moment of allowing the tensions to increase, he assuredly replied, "As am I." before proceeding to follow his newly found friend through the beautiful and scenic estate constructed from crimson wood, pristine white marble, and vibrant jade...

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Shortly after Vahn passed Baihu in the West, an inordinately beautiful woman with ashen hair and a phenomenal figure, eyed by everyone she passed, attempted to bypass the Vermillion Bird, Zhuque, in the South.

Noticing the woman's approach, Zhuque, one of the most elegant and attractive women in the entire Heavenly Domain, couldn't help frowning. She didn't consider herself a vain person but the aura exuded by the ashen-haired woman caused her to feel uncharacteristically insecure. It was like the woman held absolutely nothing...almost like she was above even the Gods...

With a fiery aura exuding from her body, Zhuque's feet parted with the ground as she elevated herself gracefully into the sky. Her somewhat revealing gown, consisting of red, orange, and gold cloth seemed to come to life as her silky black hair, fastened into a traditional phoenix hairstyle that perfectly framed her face, gained a vermillion hue.

"Who are you? What business have you with the Jade Palace...?"

Catching Zhuque by surprise, the woman promptly took a knee before respectfully lowering her head and answering, "My name is Baegis Assipattle of Orcadia. I have come to the Jade Palace in pursuit of the Sage Dragon, Vahn Aldrnari Mason."

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(A/N: Just kidding. Assipattle is a real person in Orcadian Folklore though.)

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"My name is Vor Valkyria, First Generation Valkyrie and Vice-Leader of the White Raven Community. I have entered the Heavenly Domain in pursuit of the Sage Dragon, Vahn Aldrnari Mason. I believe the Allfather has already explained the situation to the Greatest and Most Venerable Jade Emperor. Please allow me passage."

Recognizing the name almost instantaneously, Zhuque's eyes widened as she lowered herself to the ground and asked, "You're the Goddess of Spears? The Undefeated Dragon Slayer of Odin's Hall...?"

Holding out her left hand, Vor manifested an inordinately large lance with the exact same white coloration as her bodysuit. Both were formed from materials that had been harvested from Pure-Blooded Dragons, so, the moment people set eyes on them, an instinctual feeling of dread would settle upon them. After all, while there were quite a number of Dragon Slayers spread throughout history and myth, few had the legacy of hunting one of the 'Strongest Species' for sport.

Swallowing hard, most of the ill-will Zhuque had been directing toward Vor immediately settled. The kneeling Valkyrie was purported to be one of the three most powerful female warriors in the South Side, and, according to rumors, she had nearly slain Kouryuu, the Great Sage Who Devastates Seas, during their past encounter. Were it not for the timely intervention of Sun Wu Kong, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the legendary Seven Sages would have been reduced to three members.

Understanding she was absolutely not Vor's match, Zhuque cupped her hands in a respectful and courteous manner as she said, "You honor us with your presence, oh great one. Please, raise your head and stand. If you continue to kneel, everyone here will be forced to prostrate..."

Rising the moment she heard Zhuque's words, a practiced smile developed across Vor's face as she said, "Thank you." before dismissing her spear and asking, "May I pass...?"

Though she might get in trouble for letting someone pass without an invitation, Zhuque lacked the ability to bar Vor's passage. The rules of the Jade Palace allowed people to challenge each other for virtually any reason, even minor slights. This rule extended to people visiting the Heavenly Domain, so, if Vor really wanted to, she could challenge her to a deathmatch in order to 'earn' passage to the Jade Palace.

Refusing to spend the next century resurrecting, Zhuque forced a smile before offering yet another courteous bow and saying, "Please pass..." in an awkward, notably strained voice. She felt like she had swallowed a bug, but, knowing how violent the warriors from the South could be, she wasn't going to risk her neck barring the passage of someone exponentially stronger than an opponent she had no hope of beating...

Emulating Zhuque's actions, Vor cupped her hands together and repeated, "Thank you." before raising her head and passing the resentful-looking guardian. Then, the moment no one could see her face, her expression became devoid of emotion as her long and remarkably toned legs carried her forward at a surprisingly swift yet elegant pace...

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Though the Heavenly City had once been situated at the exact center of the Heavenly Domain, it had been forced to relocate after the Legendary Poet, Wu Cheng'en, published the classical story 'Journey to the West'. The tale had effectively split the Heavens in two, one side representing the East while the other side represented the Western Regions visited by Xuanzang during his journey to recover Buddhist scriptures.

Located near the southern point of the Heavenly Domain's Western Region was the large, floating mountain range that Vahn had noticed shortly after his arrival. He hadn't thought much about it at the time but this was actually the birthplace and home of the second most powerful figure in the East Side, Sun Wu Kong. To the residents of the Little Garden, it was the Legendary Mount Huaguo. To the peoples of the Heavenly Domain, it was known simply as 'Monkey Mountain'.

Resting at a pool in the center of a relatively small island whose only prominent features included a bodhi tree and numerous, pumpkin-sized peaches was a golden-haired lass who appeared no older than 13-14 years old. Her hair, reminiscent of golden rice ready to be harvested, was fastened into two small tufts while rounded, monkey-like ears protruded from the sides of her head.

Contrary to what most people would expect, this youthful-looking girl with shimmering, emerald-green eyes was none other than the legendary Sun Wu Kong. When people first learned this, their first thought would be that she had used the 72 Transformations in order to prank them. In reality, the monkey demon associated with her myth was actually an entirely separate entity known as the Demon Lord of Confusion. He was deadset on seeking revenge by stealing her Fragment of Origin for himself, but, due to the monstrous difference in their power, Sun Wu Kong was able to enjoy a relatively peaceful life among her people.

Grabbing one of the oversized peaches, Wu, as her friends called her, was preparing to take a bite when she sensed a subtle fluctuation in the flow of fate to the East. She still took a massive bite out of the peach, but, rather than continuing to soak in the pull, she raised her nearly naked body from the water and mused, "Oh~? It seems like something interesting is happening over at the old man's place."

Using her extendable, monkey-like tail as an extra hand, Wu picked up several more peaches before leaping thousands of meters into the air without any discernible effort. The transparent white fabric covering her body immediately crumbled due to the air pressure, so, for a brief moment, her naked figure was visible for all the inhabitants of Mount Huaguo to see. Fortunately for them, every single one of them immediately averted their eyes, as, despite telling everyone how little she cared about being seen, Wu had severely beaten every single person, plant, or animal who dared ogle her naked form.

She might not be shy, but she still had her dignity as a woman.

Sensing a complete lack of gazes, Wu issued a contemptuous snort, muttering, "Cowards..." under her breath before promptly donning a brown and white robe, predominately white leggings, and a pair of leathery panties that left very little to the imagination. At the same time, she reached behind her rounded, monkey-like ear to grab a toothpick-sized staff, shouting, "Nimbusssss~!" as her body began to accelerate towards the ground. In response, a golden cloud came out of nowhere to catch her. Then, like a meteor speeding across the sky, she hurried towards the Heavenly City...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mikotochu wants some loving~','Zhuque got wrecked...','This is not a joke. If you read Last Embryo, the sequel series to Mondaiji, you will learn that this is a faithful rendition of the character xD...')