At night, everyone returned to the hotel. Feeling somewhat exhausted, they all retired early to their rooms to rest, especially since they needed to rush back to Tokyo the next day.


    Although today''s trip to Inari Taisha wasn''t particrly tiring, that so-called dream had undeniably affected everyone. After all, no one liked the feeling of waking up from a dream they couldn''t remember, yet being inexplicably influenced by it.


    This sensation lingered in their minds, uneasy though it was. While the dream had left everyone feeling pleasant, the hollow and disorienting void of not recalling what they''d actually dreamt about still made them ufortable. Thus, after soaking in the hot springs and rxing, they all went to bed early.


    Meanwhile, after lulling Jounouchi Hiromi to sleep, Chen Yu once again arrived at Inari Taisha.


    "Lord Chen Yu, His Highness Miketsu has been waiting for you for quite some time." As soon as Suzuhime saw Chen Yu arrive, she quickly greeted him and weed him warmly.


    Chen Yu didn''t exchange pleasantries with Suzuhime. He simply nodded and said, "Lead the way."


    Suzuhime said no more and guided Chen Yu to a quiet chamber within Inari Taisha, where the Inari God was waiting for him.


    "Your Highness Miketsu." Chen Yu saluted the Inari God before taking a seat in front of her.


    As Chen Yu seated himself, Suzuhime promptly picked up the teapot on the table and poured tea for him.


    "Lord Chen Yu." The Inari God greeted Chen Yu as well but didn''t dwell on formalities, quickly getting to the point. "How are they holding up now that they''ve returned?"


    "Naoki is still tossing and turning, trying to recall exactly what he experienced in the dream. Minami, on the other hand, has surprised me slightly—her emotions are rather calm. She shows no particr sentiment toward Inomata Naoki anymore, as if everything is already water under the bridge." After sipping the tea Suzuhime had poured, Chen Yu continued, "But don''t worry. She''s just in a temporary state of calm after burning through her emotions. It won''t take much to reignite the embers."


    "Is that so? As long as Lord Chen Yu has the situation under control, that''s all that matters." The Inari God didn''t offer any particrment on Chen Yu''s response, merely nodding lightly.


    With that said, the two of them fell silent, quietly sipping tea together.


    Yet Suzuhime, sitting to the side, knew full well that it was impossible for these two to simply sit and drink tea as if they had nothing else on their minds.


    However, as the Inari God''s Divine Servant, though trusted and entrusted with many responsibilities like the deity''s steward, Suzuhime understood that this was not her ce to speak.


    Moreover, as a Divine Servant, Suzuhime was fully aware of when to speak and when to stay silent.


    Thankfully, the silence between Chen Yu and the Inari God didn''tst long. Before long, the Inari God took out a sealed box imbued with divine power and ced it on the low table in front of her.


    "This is what you asked me to prepare, Lord Chen Yu. Are you nning to begin now?" Pushing the box toward Chen Yu, the Inari God looked at him with a questioning gaze.


    ording to the n Chen Yu and the Inari God had previously drafted, it was far from the time to close the. However, the item Chen Yu had asked the Inari God to prepare was meant for containing a Divine Rank. Thus, the Inari God couldn''t help but worry that Chen Yu might be acting prematurely and settling for minor gains now.


    If that were the case, Chen Yu might achieve his goal, but the intricate calctions made by the Inari God and the other deities in league with her could all end up as futile efforts.


    Though she didn''t believe Chen Yu to be such a short-sighted person, even the Inari God couldn''t help but harbor concerns when faced with such matters.


    However, Chen Yu shook his head, showing no intention of pulling the early. Instead, he exined, "Although the emotional sh between the two today has already resulted in further tremors of the world''s rules, extracting the rules now would yield only ordinary ones at most. Using those to forge an Ancient Godhood would result merely in intermediate divine power, which falls far short of my ambitions."


    "Then why did you ask me to prepare a container for the Divine Rank?" After hearing Chen Yu''s exnation, the Inari God nodded in understanding yet still sought rification on his intentions.


    "The box is, of course, for holding the Divine Rank. While the tremors in the world''s rules haven''t reached the level we anticipated, it''s enough for rule extraction to ur." cing his hand on the box, Chen Yu gently traced its exterior as he exined to the Inari God, "Extracting world rules to craft an Ancient Godhood—though the technology is mature and the theory feasible, I''ve never actually done it before. To avoid failure due to inexperience when the moment of truthes, I n to first extract a rtively minor rule to forge an Ancient Godhood with intermediate divine power as a test of the technique."


    "Test the technique?" The Inari God, though unfamiliar with the concept, grasped Chen Yu''s intention. She nodded and said, "That indeed seems necessary. Getting familiar with the process will simplify our uing ns. Moreover, extracting a more superficial rule now will also help us gauge the world''s awareness of its rules being taken."


    Chen Yu gave a slight nod of agreement and affirmed, "Even though the technique is part of the legacy I received, practical validation is the only way to confirm its reliability and the consequences of such actions on the world. This will also allow us to better prepare for the next stages of our operation."


    "Lord Chen Yu, you''re truly far-sighted. Let''s proceed as you''ve nned. If there''s anything you need assistance with, feel free to ask." After some consideration, the Inari God approved of Chen Yu''s idea and expressed her support.


    Having earned the Inari God''s support, Chen Yu didn''t hesitate. As he stored the box into the Necromantic Space, he said, "The next critical factor is constructing the ritual site. While my Necromantic Space can be used for this purpose, it''s merely a semi-ne andcks in both defense and secrecy.


    Additionally, it only drifts along the surface of the world,cking any deep connection to it. It''s far from ideal as a ritual site. Therefore, I''d like to ask His Highness Miketsu to help me find a ce that is sufficiently hidden, deeply tied to this world, and suitable for constructing the ritual site without being discovered."


    "There are many ces that are sufficiently hidden, but closely connected to the world…" Hearing Chen Yu''s request, the Inari God furrowed her brows in thought. After pondering for a moment, she spoke up. "Lord Chen Yu, constructing your ritual site would also require Negative Energy, wouldn''t it? If that''s the case, there''s one ce that should be highly suitable, and it would serve well for our uing ns too."