The pure Yang energy immediately dissipated. The Jin Jizi struck a vital point, and the opponent, enveloped in pure Yang true energy, coughed blood and retreated. In this fleeting moment of opportunity, Ji Xiang's sleeve unleashed dozens of talismans. Golden light, evil-banishing, lightning arts... various talismans flew into the pure Yang energy and then exploded!
"My talismans are also dwindling. Ksitigarbha was right. Fighting constantly in Joseon, I consume a great deal of magical power and talismans daily. My reserves are insufficient. Surely the Shinto shrines here have sufficient yellow talismans?"
Ji Xiang muttered to himself, intending to gather some talismans locally.
"What a formidable figure, to slay a hundred gods in an instant and repel me with a single blow! However, the incense offering of the Heian Shrine is not so easily taken!"
A voice emerged from the pure Yang true energy. A crimson triple-comma pattern began to spin – this was a Shinto talisman.
As the pure Yang energy gradually dispersed, the expert injured by the Jin Jizi revealed their true form.
Clad in purple robes and white skirts, they appeared to be a shrine maiden.
"The Grand Shrine Maiden of the Heian Shrine, that's not a shrine maiden,"
The old abbot, appropriately hiding at a distance behind Ji Xiang, explained loudly. However, Ji Xiang waved his hand, indicating that who it was didn't matter.
Whether a shrine maiden or a shrine maiden, they were all people on the verge of death.
The Jin Jizi had returned and was held in Ji Xiang's hand, its golden light flowing, causing the purple-robed shrine maiden opposite him to look tense.
"A national 'Zhenqi' (earth-shaking artifact). While not as potent as divine weapons, a good smash wouldn't be pleasant, would it?"
Ji Xiang taunted, "If you don't want to die, then get lost. This is my final warning. I only seek the incense, not your life."
The purple-robed shrine maiden did not retreat, nor did she show fear, though her heart was indeed pounding.
"Your words are preposterous. I have never met you, yet you barge into the shrine with the abbot of Honno-ji, slay over a hundred of my shrine gods upon arrival, and seize the incense. Who exactly is the robber, and who should retreat?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Xiang burst into laughter:
"What relationship do you think I have with you? A robber who inexplicably comes to seize incense and attack the shrine? And you are a hero protecting the shrine and defending the land?"
"We are enemies! Enemies who must decide life and death on the battlefield! I am only sparing your life by not killing you and only taking your incense. Do not mistake my mercy for something you are entitled to!"
"By all rights, I should kill you all, leaving not a single one alive!"
"The person enshrined in your shrine is an ancient Emperor, isn't he? Then to whom do you pledge your allegiance now?"
Ji Xiang suddenly posed this question. The purple-robed shrine maiden realized Ji Xiang's identity was not simple. She also asked, "Then, are you... are you truly an entity formed from the demonic energy of Oda Nobunaga, come to seek revenge on Toyotomi Hideyoshi?"
"Whether it is or isn't doesn't matter. Whether I am the demon formed by Oda Nobunaga depends on your answer."
Ji Xiang said this, then added, "You, do you not pledge allegiance to Emperor Jinmu?"
The purple-robed shrine maiden: "Emperor...! That is natural. Which shrine in the entire country does not pledge allegiance to him?"
Ji Xiang: "Very well. If Emperor Jinmu were to send you to the battlefield, could you swing your weapon without fear or pressure?"
The purple-robed shrine maiden's brows furrowed, and she quickly replied:
"That is natural."
"The person Emperor Jinmu intends to conquer must be a danger to the nation, or the target of this conquest must be beneficial to the nation. Therefore, one should conquer them. There is no reason not to obey..."
She stopped abruptly at this point, and her expression immediately turned grim as she understood the meaning behind Ji Xiang's questions.
She could not help but say:
"Do robbers also need a suitable excuse? Do you mean that you and I are no different? Very well, then who do you serve, and for whom do you fight? Whose orders do you obey? You demon!"
Ji Xiang stared at her with an extremely indifferent gaze. After a brief silence from the surroundings, he spoke:
"I am a demon, and you are all pigs and dogs."
"Who grants you the right to conquer others? Is it Emperor Jinmu? Then you are his lackey, without a doubt."
"Since you can do such things with a clear conscience, why should others be bound by corrupt rules? The only righteousness left is 'reciprocity is the way of propriety'!"
"In that case, if I want to kill Emperor Jinmu, I should also kill you. What is wrong with that?"
The purple-robed shrine maiden's expression faltered, while Ji Xiang pressed on aggressively:
"Don't you dare desert the battlefield. After all, Emperor Jinmu should have ordered your capture, right?"
Upon hearing this.
The purple-robed shrine maiden's mind immediately recalled the order from not long ago.
She had not even fully processed this order when the person before her had already attacked this shrine with such overwhelming force...
"My Lord Shrine Maiden! He, he is that Heavenly Demon from the Ming Dynasty!"
Finally, someone spoke, their voice carrying from afar. It was the old cultivator who had been struck by numerous swords and nearly died. He shouted in terror at the purple-robed shrine maiden, who felt a surge of alarm!
The Heavenly Demon who crossed the sea from the Ming Dynasty!
No wonder... no wonder!
This person was not a mere robber, but a "national enemy"!
A great enemy in wartime, who had fought against Emperor Jinmu, and his words just now sent chills down her spine.
Betraying Emperor Jinmu was impossible, and defying him was even more so. Therefore, this battle was unavoidable. It was not a matter of righteousness, but the fierce retaliation of the invaded against the invaders who had initially failed!
And if this person was indeed the Heavenly Demon who crossed the sea from the Ming Dynasty, it would mean...
He had already stepped into the realm of immortal cultivation!
Cold sweat streamed down the purple-robed shrine maiden's face, her complexion turning pale. At this moment, she saw Ji Xiang twirling the small golden hammer in his hand.
Then, he suddenly threw it towards her!
In an instant, a thousand thoughts flooded her mind!
The person before her... no, the Heavenly Demon. He grew stronger by devouring incense, or rather, by restoring his magical power. She had seen through this, so as long as she prevented him from obtaining even a shred of incense, his magical power would quickly be depleted.
The paleness on the purple-robed shrine maiden's face gradually receded, her expression becoming serious. After careful analysis, her heart gradually became firm, and she made a judgment.
She could win!
Her own strength was also top-tier in the mortal realm. With the blessing of the shrine's incense, and the assistance of the Zhenqi and divine weapons, she had a chance to win!
The opponent was in a weakened state! The announcement from Lord Kanpaku had detailed his condition. Although he was a powerful Heavenly Demon who could contend with Emperor Jinmu, both sides had suffered significant losses!
That's right, that's why he needed to kill gods and devour incense to replenish and recover!
Furthermore, the location where this shrine was situated was special. By utilizing the celestial and terrestrial layout here, she could perform two "Heaven and Earth Immortal Arts"! These were ultimate techniques that borrowed the energy of all mountains, rivers, trees, and grasses in this world, allowing one to briefly step into the realm of immortal cultivation!
"A national Zhenqi, you say... I have one too. Nothing to be surprised about!"
The purple-robed shrine maiden prepared to face him with all her might. She reached towards the unruined palace deep within the shrine. With a flash of light, a large and ornate crimson palanquin appeared out of thin air.
The divine palanquin, the 'Mikoshi'!
The so-called Zhenqi were artifacts related to the nation, possessing immense power, often used by monarchs or blessed by the will of the people. During the Nara period, Shintoism and Buddhism had briefly merged into a single religion. It was during that time that Shintoism and Buddhism integrated and learned from each other. Buddhism was the state religion at that time, its influence unparalleled.
At that time, Buddhism claimed to protect the nation and was blessed by the wishes of the world. Therefore, many artifacts left from that era, after nearly a thousand years, also became national Zhenqi.
When Shintoism and Buddhism separated, many Zhenqi were naturally divided as well.
The purple-robed shrine maiden's attack method was extremely simple and unpretentious!
She simply made the divine palanquin move and charged towards Ji Xiang!
Trying to crush him to death?
"Truly a common attack. My Zhenqi can kill you, but your Zhenqi may not necessarily kill me."
"If you want to use a palanquin to hit people, save your effort. Reveal your divine weapon early, and you might still have a chance to fight."
Although Ji Xiang only had thirty percent of his magical power left, having entered the stage of Sun Refining, he was already halfway through the gate of immortal cultivation. The quality of his magical power was vastly different from that of mortal cultivators!
Seeing Ji Xiang remain motionless, the purple-robed shrine maiden's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Divine weapon, you will see it... but perhaps after you, the great demon, have been subdued!"
"This divine palanquin is not empty!"
God!
The shrine enshrined ancient Emperors, but it also had gods guarding it.
"Kunitokotachi-no-Mikoto!"
As the divine palanquin advanced, it conjured a vast sea of clouds. Simultaneously, these clouds churned and boiled. At this moment, all the energy in heaven and earth seemed to gain weight!
An immense pressure and oppressive feeling, as if mountains and seas were being overturned. This palanquin contained the power of a deity, and this power was enough to transform all the vital energy of the surrounding world into magical power!
Seeing the sea of clouds form on the ground, drawing Ji Xiang into another realm, the purple-robed shrine maiden revealed a triumphant and unrestrained smile!
"You are finished. Once you enter the earthly sea of clouds of Kunitokotachi-no-Mikoto, your vital energy and magical power will become its sustenance. It is immortal and indestructible, and will only disappear when you are completely drained and die."
"Do not underestimate the Zhenqi left from a thousand years ago. Although they are not divine weapons, they have been worshipped and blessed by countless people, and the power of previous deities is enshrined within them. Little has been lost over the millennia. In your current state, your magical power has likely not recovered much."
The purple-robed shrine maiden felt that victory was within her grasp. Cold sweat was also on her forehead, but finally, she was able to put her anxious heart at ease.
"However, I never expected to subdue you so easily... This is truly... the final fate of the arrogant."
You look down on me?
The purple-robed shrine maiden thought to herself that arrogant people always stumble on small matters. Even famous generals in the world suffer losses in trivial matters, and even beings at the immortal level can be ambushed by mortals. To be so arrogant without any magical power left, you must pay a terrible price for your arrogance!
Slaying a Heavenly Demon, this is my great achievement! It has been so easily achieved!
However, she dared not be too negligent. After all, the opponent was a being in the realm of immortal cultivation. To completely destroy him, she needed to be thorough. After speaking a few more words of triumph, she fell silent, knowing that the opponent seemed unable to hear her. She immediately placed her hands on the ground and began another spell.
From the four directions of the Heian Shrine, the phantoms of four divine beasts appeared: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.
"Four Symbols of Mountains and Rivers Art!"
The layout of Heian-kyō was established by Emperor Kanmu, adopting the Tang Dynasty's structure, mobilizing the vital energy of the mountains, rivers, trees, and grasses from the four directions, manifesting them in the form of divine beast phantoms. This was a powerful art imported from the Tang Dynasty. The vital energy of mountains, rivers, trees, and grasses in the world condensed into the lowest grade of the five types of celestial essence. However, in the Tang Dynasty, the vital energy of mountains, rivers, trees, and grasses was not considered celestial essence but was instead driven as a powerful "spiritual energy"!
"This was originally used to seal that great demon, but it is also perfect for another Heavenly Demon..."
"The key to activating the Four Symbols Art lies here!"
Buddha's light began to condense in his hand, and a vajra-like Buddhist artifact appeared!
"Five Peaks Brightness!"
This was a treasure brought back from the Tiantai Sect of the Great Tang by the founder of the Lotus Sutra Sect in the past. It was given to Emperor Kanmu and later remained in the Heian Shrine. Every shrine had a divine artifact to hold the line.
The purple-robed shrine maiden thought that over the past thousands of years, Emperor Jinmu's sealing of the country had not been without its benefits.
Although no true experts in the realm of immortal cultivation had appeared, there were quite a few divine weapons at the immortal cultivation level that had been passed down to the present day and could be used now!
The purple-robed shrine maiden sensed that the world had been sealed by the Four Symbols. If Ji Xiang possessed any formidable abilities and could escape from that earthly sea of clouds realm, the Four Symbols art here could instantly suppress him and refine all his power within this world.
Formations can be broken, but the world cannot be destroyed. The Four Symbols are eternal, because the four directions, whether east, south, west, or north, exist everywhere. There is no world without up and down, or without four directions.
"Divine formations, divine weapons, divine beings! Even Emperor Jinmu himself would have to retreat a few steps, let alone a weakened Heavenly Demon like you!"
"Perish into nothingness within the world of Heian-kyō."
The purple-robed shrine maiden's laughter grew more unrestrained. Before her, the sea of clouds in another realm was faintly swirling.
The old abbot in the distance, seeing Ji Xiang drawn into the Shinto world of Kunitokotachi-no-Mikoto, turned pale. However, compared to the purple-robed shrine maiden, he understood Ji Xiang's strength to some extent.
"The Heavenly Demon also possesses Buddhist artifacts, the Hand of Avici Hell, and profound Buddhist teachings. Even when his magical power had not recovered, he could injure my Vajra body with a single blow and sweep away the demonic miasma of the Sixth Heaven. Now that he has thirty percent of his magical power, the immortals and demons in the heavens are likely very different from us mortal cultivators..."
"Can a Zhenqi, driven by the power of a deity, truly destroy him? Emperor Jinmu could not achieve it, so can the Heian Shrine?"
The old abbot harbored deep doubts.
The purple-robed shrine maiden was preparing to settle accounts with him for this incident. Her expression turned sinister, her eyes filled with a predatory gaze, and she was about to take the next step.
"So that's how it is."
Ji Xiang's sudden voice caused the purple-robed shrine maiden's heart to tremble violently. A chill emanated from her body and shot straight to the crown of her head!