Though, more than ten years ago, when Jelos and Stephanie reached the "Golden Kingdom," they did not meet the unforgettable bright young girl.

But they had no doubt regarding Aiven's judgment, as their expressions turned solemn, ready to bow in salute with him.

However, the "Goddess" standing in the giant spirit's palm took a step back like a startled fawn, adorably sticking out her pink tongue, and explained to the three bewildered people:

"Don't misunderstand, at this moment, I am not the Goddess, merely Vinya, a servant of the Great Goddess. The ability to part the sea of clouds is just a borrowed, insignificant fragment of the Goddess's power, not my own strength."

Soon after.

She turned to Aiven, scanning him up and down, and greeted him warmly:

"Mr. Galliot, it's been a long time. I didn't expect that in less than ten years, you would become Tier 4, oh, and a Saint of the True God, truly impressive."

The Jelos couple was puzzled, but Aiven immediately understood, his body relaxed significantly. He offered her an impeccable gentleman's salute, smiling:

"Miss Vinya, how have you been! It's a pleasure to see you again."

Back in Nisk, Water City, Tyrone Kingdom, they had an "unexpected" encounter.

If it weren't for a small incident at the end, their communication in the first half would have been described as quite pleasant, and the painting she gifted back then is still kept by Aiven to this day.

However, it was during that small incident that Aiven, for the first time in his life, used "Spiritual Vision" to recklessly gaze upon the "Mythical Form" of a demigod.

Although he nearly lost control, it allowed him to perceive the essence of life hidden beneath the unique temperament of that beautiful, extraordinary girl.

An exceptionally gifted "Spirit Medium" and the great "inhabitant" within her body.

In the Material World, some people are born with strong spiritual gifts. While they may not have the qualifications of a wizard, they are natural "spirit mediums." Although an untrained "spirit medium" is not considered an Extraordinary Profession, such individuals, due to their unique constitution, easily attract the entanglement of spirit bodies.

Yet, Miss Vinya had incredible "luck," attracting a very significant one and becoming the perfect "vessel" for the Demigod "Sky Goddess" Kurutena traveling the Old Continent Countries.

Back then, Aiven felt pity for this adorable young lady, unaware of what her fate might be once possessed by a god.

After all, whether out of malice or goodwill, the actions of such great beings as gods can inadvertently bring disaster to mortals.

But now it seems this "spirit medium" not only has had no problems, but has quickly grown into a powerful extraordinary individual. Her specific profession is not clear, possibly a spirit medium, holy professional, or wind element-related magical transcendent.

Moreover, from her demeanor, it is evident that while the "Sky Goddess" was residing in Vinya's body, she likely acted as a calm observer most of the time, with the body still being led by the girl's consciousness.

In any case, the two had formed a certain friendship.

Standing gracefully in the spirit's palm, Vinya returned Aiven's elegant curtsy, as if in a court ballroom rather than at the perilous World's End "Storm Belt."

"Perhaps you haven't noticed, but you have actually arrived at the periphery of the 'Golden Kingdom.' Normally, adventurers would be guided by the [Golden Compass] to enter safely from the east, not through the extremely dangerous storm belt."

"The Ocean Goddess Thetis sensed an unplanned [Blue Cave] appearing nearby, not expecting it to be you."

The girl paused, listening to the whispering wind beside her before continuing:

"The Great Goddess said today is a joyous day encountering several old friends right at her doorstep. She requests you to visit the 'Golden Kingdom' as her guests, and she will personally meet you."

By now, the danger at sea had passed, and the [Golden Compass] in their hands had returned to normal, pointed resolutely to the northeast.

It was evident that to enter the "Golden Kingdom," they would have to use the [Golden Compass] presented by the "Ocean Goddess" Thetis; otherwise, even with the allegedly absolute [Ocean Treasure: Ancient Scroll], they couldn't hope to find its traces.

"It is our honor."

Refusing the invitation from the Sky Goddess was, of course, unthinkable; the "Golden Kingdom" was already on their return journey.

"Great, let's be on our way."

Vinya gently waved her hand.

Bang—

The water surged, forming an enormous vortex beneath the Theseus, and before they could react, everyone was swept down, with Vinya guiding the giant spirit following closely behind.

When they resurfaced, they found themselves in a different body of water, led by Vinya through thick fog, circling a desolate islet three times clockwise...

After repeating thrice, they finally arrived in a new expansive world, with the Theseus slowly docking by a river mouth at the edge of a massive island.

This resembled their return to the "beacon anchor ground" in the Spirit Realm.

It seemed this place may not be entirely within the Material World, rather akin to a [Sanctuary] or even a [Divine Kingdom], a semi-independent small world distinct from the Material World.

Swish...

A clear river with considerable flow meanders like a jade belt. At the river mouth, towering cliffs stand on both sides, upon which vast stone edifices are orderly arranged. They are ancient and majestic, as if each brick and stone carries the weight of history.

More amazing is a mountain peak rising behind one of the cliffs, spiraling upwards, with a third of its mass suspended in the air. A dazzling white waterfall cascades down, with unnamed beautiful birds circling and dancing above.

Upon this mountain, palaces founded on white marble and adorned with brilliant gold stand proudly. The highest tier pierces the clouds, resembling the abode of gods.

As introduced by Vinya, this was indeed the reality.

Having experienced this over a decade ago, Jelos and Stephanie were mentally prepared, but for Aiven, visiting for the first time, it was a feast for the eyes.

When he turned around, he suddenly realized he had unwittingly transformed into the Mythical Form of his original species.

"In this place, one can only reveal their truest form. Everyone is the same, just adapt to it."

Beside him, Vinya noticed that Aiven was attempting to revert to human form and promptly explained. At this moment, she seemed to have undergone some transformation herself, her figure noticeably more ethereal than before entering this realm.

The Jelos couple, however, remained unchanged, appearing as normal humans.

Nothing needed to be said about Stephanie, while Jelos was on par with the "Snake Witch" Serra in terms of level. Though both had reached the limits of the senior rank, they were still far from the Peak Grand Witch.

They had not yet attained the level of the Curse School Chief "Death Messenger" or the old witch Baba Yaga, who had achieved a transformation in the essence of life.

Jelos retracted the Theseus, and Vinya also withdrew the female spirit body, as the group stepped onto the beach.

A colossal pure gold jar stood before them, with mist like gauze floating in the air, making the cliff-top city intermittently appear, resembling a mirage-like city.

Clang! Clang! Clang!...

The maiden rhythmically tapped the giant jar, subsequently drawing forth various natural sounds to harmonize, creating the most harmonious symphony of the world.

Following a certain rhythm, the mist between the cliffs rapidly transformed into intersecting bridges, slowly moving to allow them to ascend the cliff-top city level by level.

The higher they went, the thinner the mist became, and the clearer the city was. It seemed as if they had not passed dozens of meters of cliff, but traversed thousands of miles.

For Aiven, it appeared like a serene and peaceful paradise, but with defense measures as meticulous as this, it felt more like a... sanctuary.

Upon truly stepping into this small city-state-like nation, Aiven felt as though he had entered the world of mythology, seeing many beings that seemed to possess bloodlines of other races or were outright monsters.

Cyclops, Sheep People, Centaurs, Fish People, Giants, Bird-headed Demonesses, Snake-men, Lion-headed Sheep-bodied, Lion-bodied Human-faced... Many did not even resemble humans, and there were even non-flesh elemental creatures.

Normal humans without Otherworldly features became the minority, yet Vinya was evidently well-liked, with residents frequently greeting her warmly.

"Good day, Your Highness the Saintess!"

"Your Highness the Saintess..."

Walking beside her, Aiven watched the eyes of these "people" subtly gleam. To the Life Tree School he belonged to, this was... a perfect source of materials.

"Mr. Galliot, I have a feeling you're contemplating something inappropriate."

Walking ahead, Vinya sensed his gaze, turning back to glance at him.

"Cough... Just a misconception. I'm merely eager to make friends in this land of simple customs."

Aiven also noticed that although the Golden Kingdom had closed off for at least a century, oblivious to the changes in the human world, the residents' quality of life was not much inferior to those on the Old Continent.

There is no necessary connection between people's living standards and political systems, culture, or beliefs. The most crucial determinant is technological advancement, or rather productivity.

Aiven recalled research evidence from his past life: before the invention of agriculture, the total population worldwide on Blue Star never exceeded 15 million, and during the hunting and gathering period, it likely did not exceed 1 million.

Seven or eight years ago, when the Sky Goddess went to the Source Continent to learn, many of the residents here were already clothed in machine-woven cotton garments, and some even carried flintlock guns, clearly actively learning and imitating consciously.

And having gods as direct rulers of a nation wasn't entirely disadvantageous; at least when followers rather than leaders, there was a huge advantage in development potential.

The three were taken by Vinya to their temporary abode within the city-state, with everything arranged, and as they parted, Aiven casually inquired:

"Miss Vinya, will we be meeting the two great Goddesses tomorrow?"

But the maiden gave a mysterious smile:

"Now, have a sweet dream first!"