The Blade-Wielding Legend

Finally, they stopped in front of a gigantic tower, far taller than the surrounding stone towers, with a base carved with fierce Demon God reliefs.

The entire tower was jet black, like ink, and the tower’s body wasn’t of ordinary rock texture, but was covered with a layer of dense metallic scales, reflecting a cold ghostly light in the dim light.

The tower shook violently, emitting a low hum, as if some terrifying presence inside was frantically colliding against its cage.

On the front of the tower’s base, several ancient Japanese calligraphy characters, with strokes sharp like chisels and full of malicious energy, were prominently visible:

Oda Nobunaga!

Ah Shi’s dazed eyes "stared" vacantly at those characters, her pale face devoid of any expression, only showing a sacrificial-like devotion and... a dead still longing.

Then, she slowly raised her slim hand...

......

Near Monk Soldier Hall, on the outskirts of the dense forest.

Tanui Nagashige sat cross-legged on the thick fallen leaves, Ah Shi’s body with closed eyes, rested quietly against the trunk of a giant cedar tree beside him, her breathing faint yet steady.

In his hand, he fiddled with a string of dark prayer beads, chanting in a low voice the True Words Scripture of the Pure Land of Rebirth.

The voice was deep and urgent, each syllable filled with rhythm.

His gaze drifted occasionally across Ah Shi’s pale little face, then warily turned towards the direction of the Monk Soldier Hall ruins.

The sounds of the battle booming from there, the explosive collisions of Astral Banes, and the various shrieks of Shikigami and ghosts, kept roaring like giant waves, shaking the surrounding trees and rustling the leaves as they fell...

Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei, risking their lives, successfully diverted all the remaining defensive forces within the ruins.

This shadowed spot on the outskirts of the ruins instead became a relatively safe corner, under the cover of darkness.

Time slowly ebbed away amid the chanting and the distant sounds of battle. Beads of sweat dotted Tanui Nagashige’s forehead.

...

Opposite the hill, in the magic platform, the mist stirred for a moment.

Li Yan abruptly opened his eyes and sat up.

His complexion was much paler than when he’d entered, lips tightly pressed, his brow full of fatigue, but his gaze remained sharp.

Without minding anything else, he performed a mantra with his hands, and the Five Directions Luo Feng Flag immediately flew out from his bosom, the banner fluttered slightly, indicating that something inside was restless.

"Brother Yan!"

Sha Lifei breathed a sigh of relief, and the crowd quickly gathered around.

Li Yan nodded succinctly: "Got it!"

Without a pause, he immediately moved to the Night Crying Man’s coffin.

Li Yan took a deep breath, once again urging the Luo Feng Flag.

This time, the banner pointed towards the thin-skinned coffin.

As the Five Directions Luo Feng Flag approached, a thick, lethargic black qi with a bizarre devouring force was slowly drawn out.

Rustle, rustle!

As soon as this demonic qi appeared, the coffin began to shake violently!

"Disperse!"

Li Yan shouted lowly, inserting the Five Directions Luo Feng Flag onto the coffin.

Like magnets attracting each other, the scattered demonic qi originally parasitizing the acupoints of the Night Crying Man’s corpse, like maggots on a bone, was instantly drawn by this powerful original source, transforming into strands of black smoke, desperately emerging and swiftly merging into that mass of original demon qi.

The original demon qi visibly swelled a bit, and the bizarre aura that made people sleepy and scatter-minded became even more prominent.

"It’s the Ancient Mountain Spirit Huo Gongsun..."

Li Yan had now eased considerably, explaining to the crowd: "It is said to resemble a double-headed monster bird, with floral feathers and a red beak, about the size of a chicken, adept at absorbing the essence and primordial energy of spirits, most compatible with the Night Crying Man’s technique, capturing souls and spirits most effectively."

Watching all the scattered demonic qi being absorbed and integrated into the source, Li Yan furrowed his brow.

Although the Five Directions Luo Feng Flag could suppress, it was not a long-term solution.

This place is the core area of Japan’s Shintoism, and the connection to the Yin Bureau is severely disrupted or even isolated, making it impossible to summon the Yin Bureau’s Ghost Messengers as in Central Earth to handle the situation.

Carrying this mass of demonic qi around is undoubtedly a joke.

"Can’t leave it!" Li Yan decided immediately.

He scanned the surroundings, suddenly flinging the Luo Feng Flag into the air, simultaneously releasing the suppression!

"Go!"

The Demon Qi of Huo Gongsun, which had fused the original and fragmented demonic Qi, was like a wild horse unleashed, or a weary bird returning to the forest, emitting a silent yet soul-piercing joyful screech. It instantly transformed into a blurred black shadow, shooting deep into the forest at astonishing speed and disappearing without a trace.

The emergence of demonic Qi is bound to cause considerable chaos.

But this is Japan, and they don’t care.

However, just in the next moment after the demonic Qi fled, a sudden change occurred!

Boom—!!!

A thunderous explosion, extreme in its depth, seemingly coming from the depths of the Nine Netherworld, or like the roar of an ancient beast, erupted abruptly from the core of the deep pit of the Monk Soldier Hall ruins!

Immediately afterward, a massive and incredibly condensed pitch-black pillar of Qi, carrying overwhelming resentment, rage, and purest killing intent, burst forth like a volcanic eruption straight into the sky.

Where the pillar of Qi passed, the lead-gray sky was forcibly torn open a gigantic hole, rolling clouds instantly tinted a heart-palpitating jet black, rapidly spreading in all directions.

Li Yan and others’ faces changed drastically, retreating several steps involuntarily.

This aura... was no less than what had pursued him before from Xuanyinzi!

The soaring black pillar of Qi came quickly and left quickly.

After dyeing the sky a ghostly ink black and releasing the all-encompassing killing intent, it quickly dissipated and faded, ultimately completely submerged within the regrouping lead clouds.

The world seemed to return to its previous gloom, but the heavy sense of oppression and lingering terrifying pressure persisted.

When the shock subsided, the group suddenly felt a movement in their hearts, looking toward the opposite woodland.

In the shadows enveloping the sparse trees on the opposite side, two figures were walking out, one following the other, neither hurriedly nor slowly.

Leading was Ah Shi.

But at this moment, she was a completely different person from before.

Her face no longer bore innocence and confusion, nor the previous panic and fear, replaced by an inhumanly cold demeanor.

Her once-clear eyes were now as deep as ancient wells, devoid of any ripple, only indifference.

Her small figure stood straight and firm, each step on the dry leaves carrying a majesty entirely mismatched with her age.

Close behind her was Tanui Nagashige, maintaining a half-step’s distance. His head was lowered, his posture held extremely low, like the most loyal yet humble household servant.

When their figures fully emerged from the shadows and clearly appeared in Li Yan and others’ sight, Tanui Nagashige slightly lifted his eyelids, quickly scanning Li Yan and others with a glance.

The look in his eyes was exceedingly complex, containing apology but more of fervor.

Their gazes interchanged, Ah Shi only glanced sideways dismissively, then ignored Li Yan and others, turned her head forward, and walked slowly.

That direction was exactly where the Capital City was located!

Just like that, under the bemused eyes of Li Yan and others, the two figures silently crossed the woodland clearing, heading toward the road leading down the mountain.

Sha Lifei instinctively stepped forward, seemingly intending to inquire. Li Yan abruptly raised a hand, stopping him.

Li Yan’s eyes were fixed on Ah Shi’s small figure, which emanated an inexplicable majesty, then swept over Tanui Nagashige’s humble yet resolute following posture, faintly guessing something.

He slowly shook his head, signaling his companions not to act rashly.

"They..."

After the two figures disappeared, Sha Lifei couldn’t help but speak.

"It’s alright."

Li Yan shook his head and said: "That Tanui Nagashige has been thinking about reviving Oda Nobunaga, lying saying it’s for Ah Shi, it seems he’s succeeded now."

Wang Daoxuan was somewhat puzzled, stroking his beard and said: "But Oda died not long ago, why then is the aura so bizarre, like a Ghost God, there must be some hidden agenda."

"Who cares!"

Sha Lifei sneered: "Anyway, in Kyoto City, that’s his enemy, dog eat dog, fur flies, none of our business."

Crunch—

At this moment, the sound of a coffin lid being moved was heard.

Everyone turned their heads quickly, and saw Night Crying Man had already pushed open the coffin lid, struggling to sit up, looking at everyone, puzzled: "To see a ghost...how did this happen..."

His voice was weak, his face pale, but his eyes had regained clarity.

"Hahaha..."

Everyone laughed heartily, hurriedly helping him up.

Li Yan turned his head toward the direction of Kyoto, silent in his heart.

He knew, the Hai Cang team was facing peril...

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