I simultaneously traverse countless worlds

As for other countries and major powers, they don't have much to discuss about this, since the [Itogami Island] doesn't just target humans; other demons and even vampires who commit serious crimes are also subject to this regulation.

For Itogami Island, the biggest impact was that many large companies and multinational corporations chose to invest there. In addition, Li Mo used extraordinary means to cheat, which led to the rapid creation of several artificial islands on Itogami Island. For a time, Itogami Island's economy was booming, and many ordinary people benefited.

In comparison, Li Mo has almost completely controlled Itogami Island. Of course, he knows that his control is still somewhat incomplete. For example, he has planted the means of resurrection at Cain's altar on Itogami Island, and there are also the forces of the remnants of the former Heavenly Department. Even the Prison Barrier could be used by someone with ulterior motives. However, compared to the situation of the Itogami Island management organization in the past, he can now be considered the true master of Itogami Island.

In particular, after Li Mo cleaned up the [Erase Block] and many forbidden laboratories, not only were those illegal immigrants properly dealt with, but after other large companies and multinational corporations invested in research institutions, they found two unlucky individuals to make an example of and deter others. They had no resistance whatsoever and obediently accepted the punishment and closed their forbidden laboratories.

It should be said that no one who can run a large company or even engage in international trade is a fool. They would not be foolish enough to take a fight with a vampire progenitor seriously, as that would be courting death. Moreover, many multinational companies have increased their investment in Itogami Island in order to make a good impression on the Fourth Progenitor. However, there are very few people who can actually meet the Fourth Progenitor, yet they all make their initial investments without any concern.

Li Mo didn't care. Instead, he focused on cleaning up the internal situation of Itogami Island. He found places that needed the remains of a saint and the white-haired beauty, Natsune Yase, who would appear in the future story and was as pure and beautiful as an angel. He cleared away the hidden problems that existed in the original plot.

Li Mo studied the [Saint's Remains] with great interest and determined that it was a relic of the [Celestial Division] from the Strike the Blood world. It was a survivor of the [Celestial Division] who had resisted the [Saint Annihilation Ritual]. Faced with the changed environment, the [Celestial Division] had undergone subtle changes, and its remains still possessed powerful magic. This was why the old man of the String God Netherworld used it as an anchor point for the island. In Li Mo's eyes, it actually had considerable research value.

Similarly, Ye Se Xia Yin, whom Li Mo rescued, was only a little over ten years old at the time. Her rescue, along with that woman with extremely high alchemy skills, eliminated two more hidden dangers for Itogami Island. Otherwise, one of them would have died because of the alchemical creation of the Philosopher's Stone, causing some casualties, and the other would have lost her friends and church residence, and then been used as a prototype for an artificial angel by her uncle.

After handling all the integration matters on Itogami Island and confirming that there were no further hidden dangers, Li Mo shifted his attention to other areas, such as accepting the invitation from the Lion King Organization to travel to Japan!

Chapter 44 Heading to Japan!

It should be said that Li Mo had Lan Yu Xianzhai take over the management of Itogami Island, and had Nangong Nayue, Sasaki Misaki, and others take charge of Itogami Island's supernatural power and weaponry. He also resolved several hidden dangers on Itogami Island and stabilized the situation before preparing to go to Japan.

At this time, the situation on Itogami Island is actually quite good. When faced with a newly resurrected "Fourth Progenitor," various countries and forces are wary but dare not take direct military action. For example, Japan, which was asked by the Third Progenitor, and China, among others, have not taken any hostile actions. Even Itogami Island's external exchanges of materials and personnel have not been affected in any way.

After all, in a world dominated by Strike the Blood, China is the leading power in East Asia, while Japan is at best second or even third (it's hard to say whether Japan can completely surpass India). While China is a country with considerable strength globally, attempting to directly confront a Vampire Progenitor or even the Night Empire is tantamount to courting death. Even China wouldn't risk fighting a Vampire Progenitor for the sake of an artificial island belonging to a somewhat disobedient ally, especially since those Vampire Progenitors seem to be on the same side.

Even at the beginning of the Strike the Blood anime storyline, none of the villainous forces and terrorist organizations that appeared took action. They might be fanatical and fearless, but they wouldn't knowingly walk into death. Moreover, the Feast of Flames on Itogami Island ended too quickly, and the Fourth Progenitor suddenly announced the establishment of a new Night Empire. Everyone was confused about the situation, so naturally no one was foolish enough to take the initiative to test the waters.

Li Mo also knew that the opportunity was rare. He reached a tacit understanding with the three major Night Empires and also communicated privately with the Celestial Dynasty. While showing goodwill, he also cleaned up the internal hidden dangers of Itogami Island. With absolute strength and intelligence advantages, naturally no problems arose, and he easily took control of the entire Itogami Island.

Having established his stronghold, Li Mo accepted the invitation from Xian Gu Yong and the Lion King Organization behind him a few days later to travel to Japan to discuss some issues, such as the so-called monitor (or spies) he wanted!

………………

The private jet that took off from Itogami Island landed smoothly at Kyoto Airport in Japan. After the plane came to a stop and the cabin door opened, Li Mo, dressed in a well-tailored suit, stepped out first, followed by Lan Yuxianzhai and other attendants. Several beautiful female flight attendants greeted them respectfully.

Upon seeing the passenger plane's gangway below, Li Mo noticed the elderly woman, who had unusually removed her round-framed glasses, untied her rustic braids, and donned an elegant kimono, standing with several other elderly people. Li Mo raised an eyebrow and gestured to Lan Yuxianzhai. His future father-in-law nodded in tacit agreement and stepped forward to chat with the distinguished Japanese elders. The atmosphere between the two sides was very harmonious, with no unpleasantness whatsoever.

Li Mo naturally knew that if he came to Japan, he wouldn't necessarily meet the people from the Lion King Organization. Those who had agreed to hold the Flamelight Banquet on Itogami Island with the former high-ranking officials of Itogami Island for the benefits promised by the three Night Empires, as well as many forces that wanted to contact Itogami Island, would definitely take the opportunity to come over. He brought his future father-in-law, Lan Yuxianzhai, along to resolve these trivial matters and, incidentally, to temporarily discuss the relevant cooperation matters between Itogami Island and Japan.

After all, Itogami Island is currently just a few large artificial islands with a population of only a few hundred thousand, and it cannot even be self-sufficient. The nearest countries, Japan and China, are bound to be partners. Moreover, even if Li Mo has designs on Japan, he will not take action immediately. At most, he will make arrangements in secret. Many of those who have been expelled from Itogami Island have already entered Japan.

Seeing that Li Mo had no intention of paying attention to them, the Japanese elders remained calm and did not rush up to talk to the "Fourth True Ancestor". Instead, they discussed with Lan Yu Xian Zhai and his group. Then, Li Mo and Xian Guyong got into a private car and left the airport first.

"Hmm, don't let any irrelevant people come before me. What's the itinerary for the next leg of the trip?"

Seeing that Xian Guyong wisely refrained from saying anything unnecessary, Li Mo nodded slightly and spoke in a cold voice. His attitude was clearly not good, and he was also giving Xian Guyong, who was sitting next to him, a warning.

"I'm very sorry, the Lion King Organization also has its difficulties, but all subsequent arrangements should exclude irrelevant individuals!"

Upon hearing Li Mo's seemingly calm yet in fact alarming warning, Xian Gu Yong, dressed in a style reminiscent of a classical beauty, readily apologized and immediately brought up the topic that Li Mo was interested in: "Please proceed to the [High God's Shrine] to observe the daily studies of the prospective students and select any attendants who catch your eye..."

Well, Xian Gu Yong felt that doing this was a bit inappropriate, but compared to angering a powerful "Vampire Ancestor", it was easier to make the reputation of the Lion King Organization strange. Besides, she knew Li Mo's general personality. If choosing the so-called monitor was actually a blood companion, it would be a good thing, right?

At least, Shizuka Yoshimune herself was persuaded by the other two saints of the Lion King Organization. Even if Li Mo's conditions for choosing a monitor were really unreliable, a careful analysis would show that they were entirely prepared for the True Ancestor's Blood Companion. The Lion King Organization would not refuse Li Mo's seemingly extended olive branch in this regard, especially since they had already placed their bets on the Feast of Flames. The Lion King Organization was the one that most wanted to strengthen its ties with Li Mo.

In any case, Li Mo's style of doing things is indeed very firm and decisive, and his strength is even more mysterious and unpredictable. However, the Lion King Organization is also very wise. Unlike how they subtly guided Akatsuki Kojo, the three saints ultimately decided to continue betting. At least they felt that the Fourth Progenitor now had the strength to occupy Itogami Island and establish himself as the Night Empire, so it was natural to befriend him rather than offend him.

Now, Xian Guyong was cursing those old guys who had insisted on coming over before, while trying her best to explain to Li Mo. Fortunately, when she saw Li Mo's expression improve, she felt that what she did was not bad, at least it did not make the relationship between the two of them really turn into indifference.

"Oh, that's perfect! I'll pick a few people and we'll also take a trip to Shensheng Lake. I've heard the scenery there is quite beautiful, so I'll take them there for a look!"

Li Mo glanced at Xian Gu Yong, who was secretly relieved, and chuckled inwardly. Then, he spoke in a calm tone. His words made Xian Gu Yong's expression stiffen. You should know that even in the Lion King Organization, very few people knew the name "Divine Rope Lake". The reason was that there was a suspected legacy left by the Celestial Department in "Divine Rope Lake", which had attracted the attention of the Lion King Organization and they wanted to retrieve it.

However, the Lion King Organization doesn't have a good solution for Lake Sacred Rope. How did Li Mo know about this place? Moreover, just by looking at Li Mo's amused expression, Xian Gu Yong knew that the other party was definitely not bluffing but was certain of its existence!

……

[What should we do? The Fourth Progenitor said he went to the Shrine of the High Gods to select a few candidates and also to Lake Kami-no-Kami?]

[What? Xian Guyong, are you sure? How did he know about Shensheng Lake?]

[I'm certain the Fourth Ancestor knows about Lake Divine Rope. I don't know if it's in his memories or if we leaked the information...]

Before Li Mo could even give the order, without immediately urging Xian Guyong to act, Xian Guyong used a special secret technique to directly contact the remaining two saints of the Lion King Organization. The three of them quickly began to discuss the issue.

There was no way around it; the three saints of the Lion King Organization had no intention of wasting time. They were not on the side that Yu Yu desired; on the contrary, they were on the weaker side. Perhaps they would appear unfathomable when facing that disgraceful True Ancestor Akatsuki, but to play such a game in front of the decisive and ruthless Li Mo was, in the eyes of the three saints, including Shinobu Koyo, a suicidal act.

Even Xian Gu Yong and the other two saints were puzzled as to why Li Mo knew about the existence of [Divine Rope Lake]. But as Xian Gu Yong said, the Fourth True Ancestor was an existence whose lifespan was unknown, so it was not surprising that he knew about the existence of [Divine Rope Lake]. On the contrary, the [Lion King Organization] needed to take immediate action. In less than a breath, the three saints of the [Lion King Organization] quickly reached a consensus and decided to agree to Li Mo's request.

Even though the three saints of the Lion King Organization knew that the Celestial Legacy that might exist in Shen Rope Lake was of great value, it paled in comparison to the "Fourth True Ancestor." Moreover, they had not yet broken through the defensive measures of the Celestial Legacy in Shen Rope Lake. Rather than just watching that unknown entity, it would be better to use it as an important bargaining chip to make good on Li Mo.

In a mere few seconds, after confirming with the other two saints of the Lion King Organization, Xian Gu Yong looked at Li Mo with a smile and respectfully inquired of this "Fourth True Ancestor":

"...I understand! My lord, then could we arrange the itinerary for Lake Kamishiro after visiting the Takagami Shrine?"

Chapter 45 The Curious Girl

At the same time, at the Takagami Shrine, a subsidiary of the Lion King Organization, was the trainees' affiliated restaurant.

At this time, the [Takagami Shrine] was in its lunch break. The trainees of the [Lion King Organization] reserve training camp had stopped their morning training, and a large number of girls flooded into the restaurant to choose their favorite dishes.

As the most famous official supernatural organization in Japan, the Lion King Organization's reserve training camp has more than 150 trainees, more than 90% of whom are girls, ranging from ten to fifteen years old. Their rest time is particularly lively. Most of them are orphans adopted by the Lion King Organization or even purchased from abroad. They possess supernatural talents and have been collected by the Lion King Organization to be trained as new forces such as sword witches or dance queens.

Of course, they haven't reached the level of formal sword witches or dance queens yet. Dressed in something like school uniforms, they finished their morning training session and were now in high spirits preparing to enjoy a delicious lunch with their close friends!

"Setsuna! Over here! Over here!"

At a table in the attached dining room, a slender, tall girl with fair skin and beautiful features, Kirasaka Sayaka, waved and called to her roommate to come over quickly.

With her shoulder-length short hair, slender figure, and delicate features, Himeragi Yukina turned her gaze and saw that it was her roommate, Kirasaka Sayaka. She then took her tray and walked over. The other trainees didn't pay any attention; everyone enjoyed lunch with their close friends and chatted quietly.

As soon as Sayaka Kirasaka sat down and saw the lunch tray that Setsuna Himeragi had brought, she couldn't help but sigh to her friend, "Is it grilled fish, vegetables, and miso soup again? Setsuna, you should at least eat something more nutritious!"

As a slightly older girl, Kirasaka Sayaka looked at Himeragi Yukina as if she were a younger sister, even with feelings that were almost equivalent to those between a man and a woman. The reason was that she had been roommates with Himeragi Yukina since she was seven years old.

It's no exaggeration to say that Sayaka Kirasaka initially viewed Yukina Himeragi as a younger sister. Over the years, their feelings for each other deepened, and in some ways, they almost crossed the line of friendship. Moreover, for Sayaka Kirasaka, who developed androphobia due to domestic violence from her father in her childhood, Yukina Himeragi was someone she loved and completely trusted. She was a friend, a sister, and even occasionally gave her other thoughts.

In contrast, the innocent-hearted Himeragi Yukina didn't notice that her roommate sometimes looked at her strangely. She was just going through her usual training sessions on spiritual power and other subjects when she had lunch with her during a break.

"No, I feel that these things are enough to ensure the nutrition needed for lunch!"

Faced with the kindness of her roommate, Yukina Himeragi put her hands together, said softly "I'll start eating," and began to enjoy her lunch.

Seeing this, Kirasaka Sayaka couldn't help but push the extra milk she had taken in front of Himeragi Yukina, but the next second the girl pushed it back, and Kirasaka Sayaka even received a stern, critical look from Himeragi Yukina.

Seeing that Himeragi Yukina's attitude was firm, Kirasaka Sayaka could only give up and take the milk she had gotten for Himeragi Yukina!

"Seriously, drinking two glasses of milk every day will lead to nutritional excess..."

Sayaka Kirasaka's words made Yukina Himeragi pause unconsciously. She glanced at her friend's breasts, which were not at all like those of someone her age, and then looked at her own flat chest. Suddenly, she realized something and unconsciously made a decision: tomorrow she would add another serving of milk and drink it herself.

"By the way! Setsuna, do you know?"

Unaware that her complaint would lead Himeragi Yukina to decide to drink double the milk starting tomorrow, Kirasaka Sayaka spoke mysteriously.

"Is it just some useless gossip again?"

As she slowly ate her food, Himeragi Yukina muttered to herself, "Which upperclassman made a fool of himself during her internship this time?"

As the training institution for the Lion King Organization, the students of the High God Society will first participate in the Lion King Organization's internship work after graduation. These internships are mostly strange and unusual assessment projects. Because every time, some newbies are unfamiliar with the situation and make jokes, which become the topic of conversation among other students.

Of course, the trainees would only talk about it in private at most. No one could guarantee that they wouldn't make a mistake during their internship and become a laughing stock. At most, trainees who didn't get along would occasionally tease each other in front of their friends.

"No, that's not it..." Sayaka Kirasaka picked up the sandwich in front of her and said while eating, "I heard from the upperclassmen that a big shot came to our area today, maybe to select a few future bodyguards~!"

"Guards? They're selected from trainees? That's the first time I've ever heard of that..."

Himeragi Yukina widened her eyes slightly and said with a hint of surprise.

As an official supernatural organization of Japan, the Lion King Organization naturally accepts protection missions from the higher-ups in Japan. In the past, protection work was carried out by selecting from full-time members who had graduated and passed their internships. This is the first time that they have directly selected from trainees who are currently in training!

"Yeah! I heard that both Sword Witch and Dancer Weiyuan can participate, which feels a bit strange~!"

Not only Himeragi Yukina, but even Kirasaka Sayaka couldn't help but make a comment.

"Huh? Sword Wizard is okay too?"

This time, Himeragi Yukina was even more surprised.

Within the Lion King Organization, trainees are generally divided into two categories based on their individual talents and abilities: Sword Witches who excel in direct combat and Curse/Rapid Fire Witches who specialize in ranged attacks. In addition to these two major categories, the High God Society occasionally has trainees specializing in other subjects, but their numbers are far fewer than those of the two major categories.

Generally speaking, the job of protecting high-ranking officials is handled by formal Maidens. They are skilled in curses and are more effective at dealing with assassinations, poisonings, and other methods. Their efficiency in protecting political figures far exceeds that of those skilled in sword witches. That is why Himeragi Yukina was surprised. After all, from any perspective, if this so-called escort mission is real, it must be a very special case.

"Hmm, I heard this mission is a long-term one, it might last for several years!"

Hearing her friend's surprised words, Kirasaka Sayaka nodded, quickly finished a sandwich in a few bites, and said in a slightly muffled voice with her mouth full.

"That's a long time..."

When asked about this topic, Himeragi Yukina thought for a moment, then muttered something with a surprised expression. Kirasaka Sayaka, on the other hand, didn't completely believe it either. While chatting quietly with her friend, she didn't consider the mission as a real fact.

After all, Sayaka Kirasaka and Yukina Himeragi have only just entered junior high school. Their training at the [Takagami Shrine] is still in the beginner stage. Let alone this kind of so-called guard mission that is more like an urban legend, even if such a mission existed, it would obviously be aimed at junior high school students, and it would be for those aspiring sword sorceresses and aspiring dance prodigies in the third year of junior high school. It seems that it is not their place, which is at most an extraordinary rookie, to take on the mission.

To put it simply, protecting those high-ranking figures requires experienced or exceptionally strong superhumans. The sword dancers or dance prodigies nearing graduation from the [High God Society] are fine, but even if a trainee who is a newbie in the superhuman category wants to volunteer, the Japanese high-ranking officials who care about their own safety have to think twice. If something goes wrong, will it lead to their own demise? And in this regard, there are plenty of unfortunate individuals who have set a tragic example with their own experiences.

Sayaka Kirasaka and Yukina Himeragi didn't think too much about it. They were both skeptical of the rumors. Even Sayaka Kirasaka herself didn't pay much attention to it, at most treating it as a topic of conversation. Most of the other trainees who heard about it discussed it as gossip, and very few actually believed it was true.

However, just as most of the trainees in the attached restaurant were about to finish their meal, they heard a few soft sounds coming from the restaurant's loudspeaker, causing all the trainees and teachers to involuntarily look up in the direction of the loudspeaker.

"Huh? Is that a broadcast? Or has something happened...?"

As Sayaka Kirasaka and Yukina Himeragi finished their lunch and were chatting before getting up to leave, they heard the soft sound coming from the loudspeaker. Yukina Himeragi immediately looked over with some curiosity and waited with her friend.

Even at the Lion King Organization, the training camp wouldn't be equipped with overly advanced technology, especially for trainees on the extraordinary path. Sometimes, broadcasting announcements would suffice; there's no need to provide them with personal communication terminals. Once the trainees pass the qualification exams for Sword Witch and Dance Queen, they'll receive some simple training and adaptation, and they'll be able to adapt to modern life just the same.

At the radio station of the [High God Shrine], stood a beautiful elf with light green hair and pointed ears. She was one of the three saints of the [Lion King Organization], the martial arts master Endou Endou. She directly addressed the affiliated restaurant, informing them:

"Listen up, everyone! After lunch, don't rest. Instead, tidy yourself up and assemble. We have distinguished guests coming to visit, so don't be impolite!"

Chapter 46 Selection and Worry

Later, at the entrance of the [High God Shrine], Li Mo and Shizuka Yoru got out of the car. Endou En, whose appearance was very similar to the spirit in the Japanese setting, came out to greet them personally to show how much the [Lion King Organization] valued Li Mo.

Li Mo did not refuse the welcoming ceremony but nodded, showing a neutral attitude towards Yuan Tang Yuan. Yuan Tang Yuan, Xian Gu Yong, and An Bai Nai, the other saint of the Lion King Organization who was hiding her identity and staying in the welcoming line, had no objections. In fact, for them, Li Mo's attitude was the most normal situation for a true ancestor of the vampires.

Strictly speaking, among the three vampire progenitors, the [Forgotten War King] and the [Eye of Extinction] belong to the reclusive faction. Apart from their direct blood relatives and two important figures from the Night Empire, the outside world knows no more than three digits of their names. The [Princess of Chaos] is more active, and there are probably not many people or vampires who know her true name. Getting to know a vampire progenitor is an extremely difficult task.

To put it more vividly, the image of the vampire progenitors in front of the world has always been that of aloofness and unapproachability. Before they had seen the most disgraceful progenitor, the three saints of the Lion King Organization naturally regarded Li Mo as the fourth progenitor, whose status was equal to or even higher than the other three vampire progenitors. Naturally, they did not think that Li Mo's cold attitude towards them was anything special.

After all, it wasn't Li Mo, the "Fourth True Ancestor," who needed something from the Lion King Organization; on the contrary, the Lion King Organization was eager to maintain a good relationship with Li Mo. The two sides were not equal in strength and status, and it would be easy to court disaster if one didn't know this!

"Hmm, are you all ready? Then let's go check out my future bodyguards!"