They Said Not to Cross Women. / Different Fish Need Different Bait.

The thought of actually having the chance to fight the legendary Great Sage Equal to Heaven is quite exciting... It's just a pity that "Campione!" is, after all, a story written by a Japan author, and it lacks some of the spirit of the Monkey King, not the true Great Sage in Iori's mind.

"You are not him after all... Let me test your mettle!"

Chapter 366 Everyone says not to offend women.

Although they have mastered the Japanese Mystic Side, they need to plan carefully Unwilling Sun Wukong.

Releasing him was a simple matter in itself. Although the technique was quite ingenious, and its core contained the divine power of "Erlang Shen," which was specifically designed to target the Great Sage Equaling Great Sage Equal to Heaven, even a god-level being would find it quite troublesome.

But Iori is no ordinary person. Even if the proper procedures for breaking the curse are not met, she can still break it by force—anyway, whether or not she can defeat it, the curse will be useless.

The real question is, what kind of battle is Iori planning to wage!

Because Son Goku Bimawen bound to the Western Heavenly Palace Shrine as the "Keeper of the Heavenly Horses," he naturally had no contact with the outside world and could not hone the "steel" within him. Just like an idle sword, its edge would gradually become dull.

Specifically, he was in a weakened state and did not possess the true grandeur of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

He is only released to kill dragons and snakes when they appear on the ground, which is only a drop in the ocean to nourish himself.

This is precisely the original intention of [Bimawen]: to ensure that the bound Steel God has the ability to subdue the dragon and serpent, but does not have the extra power to resist.

If Iori were to simply release Son Goku and force him into a life-or-death battle, his chances of winning would be high, but he would essentially gain no honor whatsoever. Furthermore, according to the Rules of the "Campione!" ritual, it's uncertain whether killing a weakened, Unwilling God would actually grant him any power...

Ideally, a dragon or snake could be summoned to release Son Goku through proper procedures, making him a Steel Hero is bound but possesses considerable combat power.

If we go even further and simply offer him a dragon or snake as a sacrifice, it would be like the Monkey King entering the Dragon Palace Treasure Heist. He would surely reach a peak period and be invincible in the world!

But where can we find dragons and snakes?

Summoning a dragon or snake of Divine Beast level is already difficult, and to help Son Goku get through his weakened period, at least a lesser god level would be needed, right? But these things aren't something you can just find anywhere on the roadside; theoretically, it's all about luck.

In addition, there is a hidden boss—

Erlang Shen!

(According to the Rules of "Campione!", the Unwilling God is the unifier of all related legends, so this True Lord must also have the name "Yang Jian", there is no need to worry about which version it is.)

When Son Goku was appointed as the Keeper of the Bimawen, this was the Clan Head; otherwise, Susanoo to threaten the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

Iori killing Susanoo has nothing to do with Erlang Shen, but if the [Bimawen] is broken, it might attract Erlang Shen's attention... If the Great Sage and the Little Sage get together and have a Three Kingdoms war, that would be interesting!

Thinking about it, it seems quite challenging— Iori is actually looking forward to it!

Do you have any leads regarding the 'Dragon and Snake'?

In the spacious and bright room, Iori sat on the sofa without any airs. Two girls with very different temperaments sat opposite her. Although Iori told them not to be reserved, they still maintained a very proper posture.

Among them, the one with long golden hair and an elegant demeanor is Alice from the Council of Sages, while the one with short black hair and a capable demeanor is Saya no Kashiwagi from the Official Historical Compilation.

The former was the first human Iori encountered after arriving in this world, while the latter displayed courage far surpassing those old-fashioned people during the "Imperial Audience" (and was also a tomboyish beauty), so Iori chose her to serve as a representative of the Magecraft.

Now, he posed a question to his two attendants. The two exchanged a glance. Alice was relatively calm, but Saya no Kashiwagi was quite serious, as if she were facing a matter of life and death.

"If we follow the normal procedure, three conditions are required to unseal the Monkey God Lord: first, a magical sword that serves as the 'key'; second, a pure Miko can use the sword; and third, a dragon or snake that brings calamity to the earth."

The first two can be prepared by the Official Historical Compilation Committee on its own, so please rest assured Lord Aizen.

As for dragons and snakes... we can try to arrange that if you need it."

"You can summon dragons and snakes? They must be at least Divine Beasts."

Iori was somewhat surprised, wondering if she had underestimated these Magecraft.

"Japan has been a place with extremely active earth veins since ancient times, and it has a large number of legends about gods and ghosts, which gives it the innate conditions to summon dragons and snakes... If it weren't for this, there would be no need to specially summon the Monkey God Lord."

Saya no Kashiwagi hesitated for a moment, but gritted her teeth and said, "The Official Historical Compilation Committee can summon two or three hundred Miko from various shrines to perform a ritual to summon the dragon and serpent for you!"

Upon hearing this, Alice couldn't help but glance at Saya in surprise, then quickly turned to Iori, wanting to say something but ultimately remaining silent, gazing intently at Iori as if waiting for something.

Iori was slightly taken aback, then realized what she meant and immediately frowned. "Do you think I'm Marquis Voban?"

"I wouldn't dare!"

Saya no Kashiwagi immediately knelt down and buried her head deeply in the dogeza position.

"But this is indeed a feasible solution. Since we can do it, we cannot hide it from you. The final decision rests with you... We are willing to give anything to achieve your requirements!"

"... Get up."

Iori shook her head, feeling both annoyed and amused, and waved for her to stand up.

"Lord Aizen, I..."

"I don't mean to blame you. I know that in your eyes, whether Unwilling God or Campione!, they are like a raging flood or a ferocious beast. Naturally, you are cautious and always have to be prepared to cut off your own arm."

But there's no need for that before me. I am neither a saint nor a capricious demon—do you understand?

"Yes... yes!"

Saya no Kashiwagi let out a long breath, only then realizing that she was already covered in a cold sweat.

However, this Lord Aizen is indeed not a ruthless person like Marquis Voban... so I can be a little more at ease.

—— [Marquis Voban]

This is one of the six (now seven) Campione!, and the oldest one, said to possess double-digit powers, his strength unfathomable. The demon king image of the Campione! is largely attributed to this old man.

The reason Iori specifically mentioned him was because he had done many things that ordinary people would consider heinous during his long career.

Several years ago, Marquis Voban held a similar ceremony in Europe, recruiting a large number of young Miko and sorceresses from Magecraft societies around the world to summon the Unwilling God. Although it was successful, many Miko were "destroyed" like expendable resources, and only a small number of lucky ones survived.

If Iori had that intention, he could certainly have the Official Historical Compilation Committee do the same thing, but he ultimately has his bottom line—in fact, in some ways he could even be described as morally fastidious.

"Let's not bring this up again. We have plenty of time and resources."

Iori said softly, "Do you have any other ideas? You can share them with us."

Alice looked at Saya no Kashiwagi, and seeing that she didn't intend to offer any further suggestions, she gathered her thoughts and said, "I do have a clue... Although there might be some twists and turns, as long as we can get our hands on it, summoning dragons and snakes, or Unwilling God, will be a very easy thing."

"Oh?"

Now, not only Saya no Kashiwagi, but even Iori looked at Alice in great surprise.

Could it be that the Council of Sages is hiding something, and actually possesses such a treasure?

Unexpectedly, Alice didn't continue speaking, but instead asked Iori, "Do you remember the 'Black Prince'?"

Taken aback by the sudden question, Iori paused for a moment before replying to the blonde girl, "The one from the Royal Order?"

Not only Alice mentioned him, but the information provided by the Council of Sages also devoted a large portion to this Black Prince. Although he was not as senior or dangerous as Marquis Voban, the Council of Sages paid special attention to him, seemingly more so than to other Campione!.

The reason for this is hard to believe:

This Black Prince is their "opponent"!

This is obviously an absurd claim. From a common-sense perspective, human Magecraft are simply no match for Campione!, so how could they possibly fight against the Black Prince?

But that is indeed the case. However, the two sides are not in a life-or-death enemy relationship, but rather in a very subtle competitive relationship.

The Black Prince did not use force to directly destroy the Council of Sages. Instead of giving up his greatest advantage, he launched a counterattack in other areas. He is also the only one among the Campione! who seriously manages his power (The Royal Order). He can be said to be the most unconventional Demon King.

The Black Prince was certainly capable of suppressing the Council of Sages; he simply possessed a peculiar pride and reserve, giving human Magecraft a fair chance to compete.

"This Black Prince has been searching for the Holy Grail all along."

Alice said.

"The Holy Grail?"

Iori an eyebrow. "Why is this always needed everywhere... Go on."

"Yes... this Holy Grail is not the vessel that holds the blood of Christ as recorded in the Bible, but the most precious treasure of the Earth Mother Goddess!"

The Black Prince, like a true explorer, was full of enthusiasm. In his pursuit of this treasure, he caused countless incidents, and our [Council of Sages] was also drawn into them... and naturally learned quite a bit as a result.

During our exploration, we discovered that this treasure is inextricably linked to steel!

"Steel? The Holy Grail, the Hero God who slays dragons and serpents?"

Iori remembered that there was indeed such a treasure, but it wasn't from the anime; it was a setting from the novel.

"What exactly happened?"

"As you should know, the Earth Mother Goddess and the Steel Hero are like natural enemies. This is not unfounded. The Steel God does indeed Plunder power from the earth, so the opposition between the two is common in mythology."

But strangely, the divine artifact called the Holy Grail, clearly a legacy of the Earth Mother Goddess, was wielded by the One who served [Steel]!

"The One?"

Iori was stunned. "Another the One?"

Again?

Alice looked up in confusion, but didn't press the matter. She cleared her throat slightly and continued, "The Holy Grail is a divine artifact. Generally speaking, its user should be Unwilling God. Even Campione! cannot use it."

However, as the reincarnation of the Earth Mother Goddess, the One could drive divine artifacts through certain means... and I suspect that the Holy Grail originally had a very close connection with that the One.

It was precisely because of this divine artifact that she was able to contend with the Black Prince, who was pursuing the Holy Grail, and they clashed several times... I was also caught up in the turmoil, and I can confirm that she successfully escaped from the Black Prince each time!

"Oh?"

Iori's expression turned serious.

If it's truly that miraculous, then this Holy Grail is no ordinary thing!

"Given his persistence, the Black Prince must have a way to use this divine artifact, right?"

"Forehead..."

Alice hesitated. "That's not necessarily true. The Black Prince isn't after the divine artifact itself... he might just be enjoying the process."

Iori paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh, "He seems like a very interesting guy. Maybe I could become friends with him... What a pity."

Unfortunately, World War I is inevitable sooner or later—but there's no need to say that to Alice.

At this moment, Iori was unaware that if he delved deeper into the Black Prince's life and background, he would be able to understand the Black Prince's logic.

The Black Prince "Alexander Gascoigne" is the son of a scholar of the occult who knows a little about Magecraft, but is more skilled in gambling, tricks, etc. In short, he is an explorer and paranormal detective.

When Alec was sixteen, his father, who was searching for the Holy Grail, passed away and left him a coded message. The Black Prince then took this as his goal and embarked on a journey of destiny.

His reason for "searching for the Holy Grail" like the legendary King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table was not because he coveted the treasure, but simply because he wanted to fulfill his family's long-cherished wish and find out the ins and outs of all the mysteries.

—To remain true to one's original aspirations despite great changes—that is what is meant by a childlike heart.

"What do you want to say about this?"

"Your Highness, don't you think that ordinary Divine Beast cannot satisfy the appetite of that Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

To restore the top-tier Steel Hero to their peak, a sufficiently high-quality sacrifice must be offered, such as... the One.

"Really!"

Iori an eyebrow. "You dislike her that much?"

"She was a very troublesome adult. As a witch, she should have revered the One, but she... caused us a lot of trouble and was unreasonable."

Alice smiled slightly, not bothering to hide her desire to settle a personal score.

"Of course, the Holy Grail she possesses is also very important. If you can get your hands on this divine artifact, whether you use it to summon a more powerful dragon-serpent or to trade with the Black Prince... the rewards will definitely satisfy you."

"Indeed, what is the name of this the One?"

"I don't know her real name, but she always uses a character from the Legend of King Arthur as her code name."

Alice said earnestly, "Her name is 'Guinevere'!"

Chapter 367 Different baits are needed to catch different fish.

The idea is certainly a good one, but how to implement it is another matter entirely.

It should be noted that the Black Prince, Guinevere, and Alice have been entangled for many years. The fact that the One has never been captured proves that she is cunning and powerful enough. Even if she cannot confront the Campione! head-on, she still has the ability to escape.

Catching such a person would probably be difficult, and figuring out their whereabouts would also be a problem!

When Iori voiced her concerns, Alice smiled slightly and said confidently, "Lady Guinevere is indeed very powerful, but if we were to meet head-on, I have full confidence in you."

This statement also has another meaning:

Alice and the Council of Sages alone are not capable of capturing the One.

Ultimately, Iori herself will have to Clan Head in this matter.

"As for how to lure her out... I've already thought of a plan, but I haven't had a chance to try it. I never expected it would be used here..."