“Hissssss….”

“This view is something.”

From their perch atop a resplendent balcony adorned with cascading vines and beautiful flowers, Lu Jade and Raphael gazed upon a sight that captured the grandeur and power of Lu Ignis, the Bronze Serpent Emperor.

Before them, nestled amidst emerald hills and a labyrinth of golden pathways, stood the Heavenly Imperial Palace—a colossal spherical structure, spanning miles in diameter.

Its design was a mesmerizing display of intricate carvings and scales, depicting intertwining green and gold dragons that danced across its surface. Golden steps, hundreds upon hundreds, ascended from the earth and converged upon the palace's grand entrance. Truly an imposing stature.

Numerous snake guards patrolled the palace grounds with a silent, serpentine vigilance, Most were stationed at the platforms that led into the Heavenly Imperial Palace. They were guarding every access point.

They were donned in resplendent silver-gold armor, each scale polished to a mirror sheen. Behind them rested a fascinating contraption—large, cylindrical mechanisms that were thin at the sides and bore carvings: a stylized sun design along with an ouroboros insignia. A miniature sun was in their center. These devices called ‘Sun Cycles’ added a menacing aura to their already imposing forms.

Lu Jade pointed toward them with his tail. "Those are the Sun Imperial Guardss, Big Brother Raphael. Elite warriors handpicked by Father himself. Impenetrable!"

Raphael squinted in order to focus his monstrous gaze. He asked, “If these guards are so ‘Impenetrable’ how do you suggest we enter the palace, Little Lu?”

“Well… It’s tricky, Big Brother," Lu Jade admitted. He slithered back and forth nervously, for his recent display of power hadn't quelled the fear bubbling deep within. That fear of his own lineage and what would happen if they failed to retrieve the Void Eye, it gnawed at him.

“There isss only one way in… the main entrance, but every ssingle guard iss at least at the Sssaint Ruler Sssstage.” He paused, those words not needing any additional explanation, but for his ignorant companion, he had to say it. “Saint Rulers are one stage below a Calamity. However, given their numbers. That means… well…” He then coughed nervously, unable to finish his sentence.

Raphael could sense Lu Jade’s apprehension and continued those explanations. “You mean, if we are spotted. We’ll get squashed?" He trembled slightly. It was daunting, this task.

They were up against insurmountable odds, however, there was a time limit and his freedom depended on the success of this mission. He’d endure any pain, any challenge to live another day, but getting eaten or crushed because of these idiots… well that wouldn’t be a fate he could recover from.

Lu Jade nodded. “Precisely, Big Brother. Father’s defenses are meant to weed out intruders. To challenge them head-on would be foolish. A suicide mission, I dare say.”

Suddenly, a loud horn blast reverberated through the tranquil air that interrupted their planning. The resounding sounds seemed to jolt the ground beneath, even those swaying trees came to an abrupt stop as those leaves rustled nervously. This was a sound every beast and human within Hebikuni understood. The signal was evident. An important person was arriving.

“What’s that?”

“Hmm? An arrival, it seems. Let's have a look,” Lu Jade suggested while shifting to a better vantage.

They both looked towards a landing platform close by below the Heavenly Imperial Palace. A grand procession of serpent warriors, all decked out in shining armor approached. Leading the contingent was a magnificent red chariot with an imposing, horned serpent carved into its front. It was being pulled through the air by a team of eight orange eels.

From that opulent chariot’s opened interior a figure emerged as those serpentine warriors chanted in a hypnotic chorus:

"All hail the princess!"

It slithered gracefully onto the jade platform, surrounded by an entourage of guards in shining silver-gold armor. They bore those Sun Cycle devices strapped to their backs.

“That’sss… My older sssister. The Red Chariot Princess - Lu Ruby!” Lu Jade’s eyes widened as he recognized this familiar yet terrifying form, for power was everything to their father, Lu Ignis, and she possessed the means and intelligence to command even those elders that thought themselves superior in their long life span and ancient techniques.

"Red Chariot…? And who is this Lu Ruby? I suppose you have a story that’ll make this entire encounter even more complicated. No? Okay, nevermind." Raphael glanced downwards and thought to himself. ‘That scent, so potent.’

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This feminine serpentine creature, she was definitely powerful. The red and golden scales upon her body radiated pure essence. And those chilling blood eyes peered ominously as if capable of turning one to stone with a single glare.

She wore a magnificent pink robe adorned with pretty dragon design and gold trims.

Her arrival had a hushed silence amongst those guards on those other platforms. Even the very air above seem to clear up instantly for better viewing, and those fragrant lotus blossom bent in her direction, as if in adoration of her arrival.

This was a show of dominance that had Raphael wanting to pee himself, however, he controlled those natural tendencies. After all, he had a Calamity level beast’s powers to uphold, didn’t he?

Her head snapped upward and she hissed, “It’s been a while since I’ve been back. I hope father’s health is still ripe.” Her thoughts turned sinister before focusing on the guards below.

Sensing something sinister from the tone of her voice, Lu Jade couldn't help himself. He quickly offered those details his brother would want to hear.

"She’s our father'sss 100th daughter. Powerful! More favored than even Lu Lingxue. And those elite guards. Big Brother, we better watch out. I haven’t sseen her for over 3,000 years. Last I heard, she wasss sssent away by Father to cultivate a powerful technique at some far away land. Never thought I would see her back here.”

"So why the fuss? Why are you sweating?” Raphael asked.

“They’re on their way to the Heavenly Imperial Palace.” Hearing that response, and recognizing those fears that only those at the bottom felt, had Raphael thinking hard, really, really hard for the first time in days.

It was then he saw those black scaled serpents behind Lu Ruby, as they protected her with an efficiency he hadn't encountered before. “They look strong.” He concluded after seeing how fast those bodies weaved.

“Hmm… This could work." He smirked, then he hatched a plan. "Lu Jade. Perhaps we could… you know… impersonate those guard.”

The air between them sizzled with opportunity and the excitement of a potential plan. “Sure. We need those sun armor though. They’ll make us blend in, right?”

“I have a plan. But we need to move fast.” And with that, they began executing their slithering scheme.

…

"Hmm, they are going to take the lift instead. But it can’t hold all of them at once, not with those cargo. This is a golden opportunity.”

From his concealed position behind a towering wall adorned with fragrant jade blossoms, Raphael peeked out cautiously.

Ahead, he watched as the Red Chariot Princess - Lu Ruby, flanked by two wizened elders with scales as white as snow, entered a bronze lift. The lift was circular, it promised a swift ascent, bypassing those countless golden steps that spiraled towards the heavens.

As the platform started ascending, Lu Jade hissed in awe. “That lift, It’sss connected to a bridge that leads directly to the Heavenly Imperial Palace’sss main entrance. The elders must be in a hurry to meet with Father. But they left the guardsss behind. Thiss… thiss isss our chance, Big Brother!”

Their opportunity had arrived.

While Lu Ruby and those elders in their flowing white robes ascend towards that extended pathway, Raphael’s gaze fixated on the guards milling about below.

“Two near the lift. Hmm… One of them is ordering those other three…” Raphael counted. “Those three snakes carrying heavy cargo. They’ll be our targets.”

Lu Jade tilted his head. "Those crates, they indeed look heavy. But why target them specifically? Why not take those near the lift"

“You haven't been paying attention, little buddy. Those two are too close to each other and aren’t doing much. Besides, my shadow teleportation has a limited range.” He paused briefly as they watched one of those guards wiping sweat from his brow. “However those other three are spread out and much closer in range. Easier targets.”

"What do you have in mind, Big Brother?"

"This.” He grinned, then quickly shared his strategy in a low hiss.

A short time later, when the opportunity arose, Raphael coiled his new form. His chance came when one of the guards, burdened by countless trips, leaned against a stack of those crates. He wiped sweat from his brow.

This brief lapse in vigilance was all it took. With a swiftness that defied his bulk, Raphael snagged the unsuspecting serpent with his tail and vanished into the shadow of a nearby fragrant blossom tree.

Behind that wall, in a secluded nook obscured by leaves, he subdued the guard with a sharp strike to the back of his head. It wasn’t meant to kill, just knock out.

He then quickly stripped off those resplendent silver-gold armor, slipping into the disguise. His fit wasn't perfect but with a slight adjustments it would do.

"Hold on, Little Lu."

Raphael’s voice came out low, then with another whisper of shadows. He vanished again. Lu Jade waited nervously. This plan was risky, insane even, he thought.

A short while later, Raphael reappeared. This time he dragged a second unconscious guard.

“Get dressed, Little Lu. Now!" he urged as he casually glanced upward. “That lift iss coming down. We need to be on it.”

Lu Jade hissed and quickly donned the armor with remarkable efficiency. “It fitssss.”

"Let's go."

Raphael and a slightly-larger Lu Jade moved out of their concealed spot towards that lift as if they'd always been there.

“Hmm, where the hell are those two lazy snakes? I sent them ages ago for the cargo." The lead Sun Imperial Guard hissed impatiently, but before his complaints could attract undue attention to their scheme.

"We are here. Sir. Sorry for the delay." Raphael’s answered. He and Lu Ignis were carrying crates.

“Hurry it up! Move those crate onto the lift! An be careful not to break them. We’ve come a long way to present these to the Emperor.” He then glanced upward at that magnificent bridge that seemingly stretched toward the Heavens.

“Move it. Move it! Time is of the essence!”

As the guards hurriedly shuffled those large heavy crates onto that lift, their anxieties amplified their nervousness, for there is no worse sin than offending their Emperor, and keeping him waiting.

Inside that lift, Raphael took a moment to bask in the success of their gamble. He whispered, “So this is how infiltrations work. We actually did it.”

“Right now, we celebrate nothing. Our troubles have only begun, Big Brother.” Lu Jade said plainly while scanning those others. It was terrifying, this tension, but he had to stay calm in order to complete this mission.

When the platform started to ascend and that view of that dazzling bridge grew larger, Raphael thought, ‘Little Lu is right. What if Qi Hawk's plan fails, I'll be stuck here with a Bronze Serpent Emperor whose rage could split this realm. How pleasantly horrifying!’