"Careful, Little Lu."
Raphael hissed as he slithered out of the lift with Lu Jade trailing close behind. Four heavy crates were balanced precariously on his back. It was an uncomfortable feeling, but nothing compared to the crushing fear gripping his core. They were now inside the enemy's fortress, mere feet away from the heart of power itself.
They shadowed the lead guard while keeping their heads low to avoid unwarranted attention.
Ahead of them, the imposing golden gates to the Heavenly Imperial Palace stood slightly ajar, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of what lay within.
Raphael noticed Lu Ruby engaged in conversation with those two wizened elders. She seemed impatient. Those scales were rippling erratically and her red eyes scanned everything with sharpness as she spoke with those impossibly tall figures. The gatekeepers.
Their imposing forms towered above the procession - a colossal male and female with bronze scales that radiated power, each standing over 800 meters tall. These guardians seemed almost bored as their massive eyes, adorned with jade green irises, barely glanced down at the commotion.
"Killaman! Those are for my Father, hurry and bring them over, NOW!" Lu Ruby shouted a command, clearly not accustomed to waiting for insignificant laborers.
Her harsh word caused those guards to hastily straightened their forms.
"Move it, you lot! Double time!"
With a final flick of his tail, Killaman gestured impatiently and Raphael and Lu Jade slithered through those grand golden gates that stood taller than ten bulls stacked one on top of the other, following close behind.
So far, Qi Hawk's Prosopagnosia technique was working. 'No one suspects a thing, so far so good. We actually made it into this fortified cage.' He smiled internally.
However, as Raphael followed Killaman's serpentine form towards the gilded doorway, leading them deeper into those mysteries of the palace, a shuddering rumble echoed across those golden pathways, causing the very air itself to quiver and those jade walls to groan ominously.
Then a single word shattered the tranquil ambiance, and Raphael would recognize this sound, this tone, it carried so much power and judgement. It had sent shivers down to his very soul because he felt like he was back on that mountain as a helpless golden bull facing annihilation.
"USELESS!"
"An…earthquake?!"
He paused and glanced glance nervously at the sky above, wondering if those floating islands above would come crashing upon them, but then, a flicker of something more mundane came creeping in.
Could that be the Emperor's voice? Such terrifying, explosive force emanating from mere syllables. He shook his head in utter disbelief.
Passing through those doors, they found themselves inside a massive reception area with those smooth jade floors that had those familiar human slaves in their skimpy clothes scrubbing with a frightening dedication.
He witnessed a sight that explained those tremors earlier, which wasn't really an earthquake, but an eruption of rage from their would-be target.
It was Lu Pin.
He was slithering dejectedly across the floor with bruises and burns all over him. In his trembling jaws, he held a letter that pulsated faintly with residual energies of fearsome scolding that no serpent dared defy.
And as he passed them by with a furious glare toward his sister Lu Ruby who stared back with amusement, Raphael heard him hiss:
"Tsk! That bull, that damned, arrogant golden bull and his pathetic Jade Serpent. Because of THEM, my father was furious. He demoted me and stripped away all privileges and access to the Vault." He then turned, spat venom upon a nearby shivering servant girl before snarling.
"This isn't over, those pathetic insects. You have my word! Tenfold, it will be. Tenfold I'll repay this disgrace, those beatings, those humiliations."
"Well, it's not like he was good at protecting anything." Lu Jade whispered as he watched his disgraced brother slither away. There was a strange satisfaction seeing that bully brought low, a poetic justice that warmed his cold heart.
"Perhaps, Big Brother, your beating brought some good luck to thissss wretched world!"
Raphael simply nodded in agreement as their serpentine forms continued into those halls of wonders.
A short while later, they entered a vast chamber. They were following Killaman towards a gigantic golden trident that glowed in those faint beams of light coming from those intricate amber windows. Its razor-sharp points seem to reach out towards them with menace as its details painted scenes of unimaginable cruelty against serpents and other beasts from a time long, long ago.
A palpable wave of heat slammed upon them as those aromas of incense and sulfur touched their nostrils, for before their eyes was the lord of Hebikuni, and that trident, it wasn't a mere symbol, nor decoration, but a bed for those who ruled those scaly creatures, it was...
The Bronze Serpent Emperor.
"This… is…" Raphael hissed, awestruck. He couldn't fathom the sheer size and unimaginable power radiating from that colossal entity.
The chamber's grandeur mirrored his might, for it wasn't a mere space for entertainment, it was a treasure in itself, for the walls were crafted from those rarest jades, rubies and diamond infused granite. A lake with thousands of beautiful pink lotuses, large as a cart occupied the chamber's center, and those lotus, they radiated a light that was as gentle as the most fragile candle but carried enough potency to heal the most terrible wounds.
Upon one of these wondrous platforms within those sacred waters, coiled the imposing form of the Bronze Serpent Emperor - Lu Ignis, but even as his gargantuan body stretched, its true massiveness was subdued.
Lu Ignis was curled up to accommodate his vast serpentine form, which spanned kilometers, but even within those limitations, his presence dominated that chamber.
His upper neck region to his head was wrapped gently around the golden trident. And upon that massive skull sat a crown gold adorned with jade, and upon his chin was a long grey beard.
His golden-bronze scales glowed with residual heat as steam emanated and warmed the chamber.
"Hm..."
He released a soft snort as he bask within that lake's healing and rejuvenating essence while calming those embers that sparked when his favorite daughter had been reported eaten.
Beside him, a thousand "Washers" draped in sheer silks waited patiently for his scales to cool. Each carrying their respective tools—brushes, buckets, and oils in preparation for the soothing ritual. They were a thousand ants dedicated to appeasing their emperor's tired scales.
Seeing this sight, both serpent and bull in disguise recoiled instinctively. Raphael was aghast, he'd never imagined encountering an entity this grand. And those unfortunate servants attending to its needs, it shook him to his very core.
"Lu Ignis…"
Raphael wanted to utter those words, but fear had stolen his tongue, leaving behind only one burning question within those terrified thoughts of his.
What had he gotten himself into this time?
…
"Useless brat!" Lu Ignis mumbled as he shifted on his gilded trident. His enormous serpentine form stretched, causing the lotus flowers beneath him to sway in his wake. Those 1000 'Washers' were already attending to his needs; scrubbing and polishing his magnificent bronze scales with the gentleness of lambs.
After shaking away those lingering annoyance caused by Lu Pin's earlier encounter. He turned towards the archway. The sound of slithering and a distinct fragrant aroma permeated those spaces as two wizened figures, flanking a beautiful red serpent, entered his presence.
"The old fogies have returned. Hmm, and my Ruby's with them…"
He could smell those potent herbs and exotic flowers from those faraway realms upon his daughter. Such a magnificent, but deadly fragrance!
"Blessings upon our glorious Emperor!" Elder Lu Mongue whose scales were as white as those winter moon above and with a beard longer than even Lu Ignis's own, bowed respectfully. His voice came out as a gentle purr with a lilt that was meant to appease.
Elder Lu Noid whose scales were almost translucent and emanated a faint blue light as if those veins held a different kind of blood. A very rare but not uncommon feature in their linage.
He also coiled with a bow. "Your strength and radiance fills this palace and beyond! May your wisdom guide us till the heavens turn green and those skies rain fire!"
After those pleasantries were exchanged, they both gestured towards their returning companion with proud smiles.
"Your Majesty, your humble daughter has returned, and her cultivation advancement has been successful!"
"Hm…" Lu Ignis was pleased.
"Speak, my darling child. And there is no need for these formalities."
Seeing those elders coil and retract their head as a show of respect had Lu Ruby slithering forward. She approached her father and bowed while focusing solely on that terrifying head of his as his long beard swayed.
"This humble 100th daughter of your divine linage formally greetsss Father."
"Hahaha! Such an obedient and loving daughter. Such a sight to ease my old bones and reignite these dying flames!" He let out a haughty snort that shook the lotus platform beneath before adding those pronouncements of appreciation that made her scales pulse in delight, "You have grown so much. And your cultivation… those realms above, they bless your every scale, I ssssee, ahaa!"
She chuckled gracefully and then straightened her serpentine form as those elders smiled in approval at her perfect display of respect and humbleness. "Yessss Father! I've come to offer you a report. Due to your generosity and these Elders' careful instructions during my time in 'Fol Ash', I've successfully broken through to a higher tier." She beamed with pride. "Soon, I will surpass even brother Hobiki."
While watching this family reunion unfold, Raphael hissed to Lu Jade. "Fol Ash…? Is that another territory in Yama Yaguai? I haven't heard of this place."
"I have no idea Big Brother, sounds ominous, but surely those Elders knows, after all, they seem close to Father."
Even as Lu Jade replied those words with his tail tucked nervously, Raphael glanced around at the vast expanse of Lu Ignis's Palace.
'I see no guard. Is this the only area that have those lotus ponds. Maybe not, this place is massive. And those hallways… Where could the treasury possibly be within this palace?
Lu Jade notices his expression and told him, "Do not worry about finding the treasury, Big Brother Raphael. We are merely guests here. Protocol dictates that servants lead us there after this."
Raphael was baffled when he heard this, but it seemed Lu Jade knew something that he did not.
Meanwhile…
Lu Ruby reported, "Those elders instructed me well, even those spirits of Fol Ash feared my lineage. My techniques have evolved. I successfully transcended my previous limitations. It was exhilarating. I've broken through to the Nightmare Calamity stage."
"Hmm. It's true." The elders nodded with pride.
"Hmm, hmm." Lu Ignis nodded, seemingly pleased.
Raphael whispered in awe, "A Nightmare Calamity, she's strong!"
Lu Jade, whose knowledge of those tiers was far more nuanced and brutal, simply nodded in confirmation, "Yesss. She was alwaysss strong… much stronger than Lu Lingxue. After all , she is the 100th daughter."
"Huh…" Lu Ruby thought her father would be lot more excited to hear her story. She instantly sensed that something else bothered her Father and was about to ask when a terrifyingly painful truth came crashing. It stole the very joy her words carried.
"Oh, My dearest and most unfortunate 1022nd daughter. If she was alive to witness this moment. But she's dead." Memories of Lu Ignis's 'loving daughter' filled him with pain. He hated those reminders of weakness in his linage. It was his greatest shame and caused much despair. He was still in morning.
"Dead?" Lu Ruby flinched. 'This isn't what those scouts from earlier told me. They said she was humiliated by a bull Calamity and that Father became enraged and wreak havoc across Ho Eastern. Hmm, seems I need to hear more of the truth.'
Those details and embellishment was baffling to her, she hated rumors, so to have confirmation, to understand the truth behind such an unexpected end to her sibling. It was her right.
She cautiously slithered closer, attempting to hide those embers of excitement with a facade of somber sorrow as she inquired, "Father, what happened to sister Lu Lingxue? The whispers from those lesser snake's speak of a beast, but those details were unclear."
Those words, so perfectly woven to disguise her true motives, ignited even more dread within those ancient elders as they shifted uncomfortably beside her and her guards behind.
They had also heard rumors of how a mere golden bull had not only slain those Venom Tail Viper warriors but also faced their lineage's mighty tail whips and crown's lightning without cowering.
After a deep sigh that shook the very foundations of Hebikuni and caused more cracks to appear upon that trident, Lu Ignis replied, "This pain that you sense, this humiliation and regret that you bear witness to, darling Ruby… it is because of my despicable son, Lu Jade."
"Lu Jade? That little green thing?" Even Lu Ruby had to contain her shock, but within that voice of hers, she was intrigued. Her brother was the definition of weakness. He'd never harmed an ant, she thought, always afraid, shy and eager to slither away from her presence when those bullies of hers picked on his unfortunate self, so this news… It was unimaginable.
How could HE?
Even the elder serpents whispered their disbelief and amazement at such revelation.
"You… mean that puny Jade serpent? Are you certain… Emperor? That weakling… to even face a warrior of our lineage? Much less be able to…" Lu Noid trailed off as his tail tapped restlessly against that smooth jade floor.
Lu Mongue who'd been friends with the Jade serpent's mother, a gentle soul in her prime shook his head sadly at what he'd heard from his Emperor. He hated gossip and rumors, especially those from within their inner circles, but to know that it was her son, that green runt. He couldn't comprehend it, not until the Emperor confirmed those suspicions, only then would he mourn.
"I find it difficult to even comprehend such a thing, that a sssnake would dare ssside with a BULL?!" Lu Ruby paused to gaze upon her companions who nodded in agreement.
"Truly a disgrace to our bloodline, Emperor."
This conversation didn't need to be amplified any further because their leader's anger spoke louder than words. This was displeasure and betrayal at its core.
Hearing those condemnations amplified Lu Ruby's desire to understand what truly transpired that night. She was intrigued, fascinated and disgusted.
"My traitorous son sided with that Bull. They slaughtered her and devoured her Solar Consciousness. My BLOOD! They are on the run from those consequences of their wicked deed. I gave chase. I would have ripped their very soul from those bodies, but then…" he coughed, remembering that blue light and butterflies. "That Void Emperor Sindoll intervened."
He hated the Void Emperor but her decrees and orders weren't meant to be questioned.
'So she is truly dead?' Lu Ruby thought. 'What a waste. She had such promise. That Rai Shen Long technique of hers was truly divine. If only her Solar Consciousness had remained, I could have nurture it further.'
A tense silence filled the chamber once again, before it was pierced by Lu Ignis's growling sniffles.
The air itself was changing as something more frightening happened.
"Hmm… Hmm…"
The Bronze Serpent Emperor lifted his massive head from the golden trident. It then began swaying and those terrifying jaws started sniffing with deep, rasping breath. Then a frown appeared on his snout that wrinkled those scales.
Sniff! Sniff!
His gaze swept across his court then fixated upon one of those "guards" who had been following closely behind the lead snake for several minutes now. The stench of familiarity, of blood, of burnt hide, it resonated deep within those potent reptilian nostrils.
He snarled with suspicion laced with those embers of rage that had many cowering,
"WHY… DO I SMELL… STINKING BULL?!"
"WHAT?!"
That accusation had Lu Jade eyes wide opened. And Raphael, he could smell his demise.
Qi Hawk's Prosopagnosia had failed, and now…