Within Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
Inside this solemn ancient temple, there was a pagoda starkly different from the surrounding sacred light.
The pagoda was nine stories high, with six faces and six corners, adorned with glazed eaves, massive wooden beams, and white stone paving. Its spire was crowned with several pearls. Despite being a Buddhist pagoda, it emanated a chilling aura that made one's heart tremble.
Inside the pagoda.
The inner walls of the pagoda were intricately carved with Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, and Arhats. They sat with closed eyes and downcast brows, or glared with wide, angry eyes, or smiled enigmatically, all of them gazing uniformly at the center of the pagoda's first floor.
Nine old monks sat cross-legged on the ground, each holding ritual implements such as Vajra scepters, scriptures, prayer beads, staffs, pagodas, and wooden fish. They chanted and knocked around a shattered wine gourd, plastered with talismans, on the ground.
Several Sanskrit incantations shimmered with golden light on the ground around the wine gourd, while in the air, the six-syllable Buddhist mantra, "Om," "Mani," "Padme," "Hum," flowed gently.
Yet, even under this powerful seal, the wine gourd continued to exude purple ghostly energy from its cracks, and faintly, one could almost hear faint wails.
Outside the pagoda, an old monk with white hair and beard clasped his hands together and asked, "Sponsor Yamamoto, do you truly have a way to transfer this disaster?"
"Abbot Shinnō, please have the monks slowly loosen the seal before sunset, let the Ghost King break free, and then you may protect yourselves. We will handle the rest."
Shinnō's cloudy eyes gazed for a long time before he finally sighed and nodded.
Dusk arrived in an instant.
"Loosen the seal! Let him out! Be careful!"
As the old monks finished their chanting, the ghostly energy from the wine gourd began to overflow more rapidly and violently. The purple gas, as if alive, surged towards the gaps in the seal.
Under the pressure of the purple ghostly energy, the seal finally gave way. With a deafening crack, the golden mantras and Sanskrit shattered layer by layer, gradually turning into specks of golden light, ultimately swallowed by darkness.
"Hahaha!!" A triumphant roar erupted from the gourd, stirring waves of ghostly energy that crashed against the pagoda's surroundings.
Crack... crack...
As cracks appeared on the stone statues lining the pagoda's inner walls, layers of paint and carvings rained down, the fissures climbing like vines, eventually reaching the locations of the many Buddhist statues.
Crack—
The cracking of the Sakyamuni statue at the center of the pagoda acted as a signal. The purple ghostly energy completely broke through the restraints, surging outwards like a tide.
Outside the pagoda.
Watching the pagoda sway precariously under the expansion of the purple energy, Yamamoto's face grew increasingly tense. He quickly asked, "How much longer until the formation is activated?"
"We have completed the activation. We are now waiting for the counter-teleportation coordinate response formation to be initiated," said Tsuchimikado Fujitora.
"Hurry up..." Yamamoto Sixteenth held a cigarette with trembling hands. No one noticed that cold sweat had already soaked through his back.
...
Qingzhou Jibei, Azure Dragon Legion Barracks.
The rooftop of the Examination Department building.
Su Li gazed at the blood-red setting sun, a hint of struggle in her eyes.
Yu Yuju lit a cigarette from behind and chuckled, "What? Having regrets now?"
Su Li remained silent, clearly hesitating about something.
"The ruins of Qinggao Palace, the heritage of the Qingqiu Fox Tribe... tsk tsk... lost in a single thought..." Yu Yuju was not angry, merely threatening Su Li in a teasing tone.
Su Li was silent for a moment, then slowly stepped onto the elevated platform in the center of the formation.
Su Li's flowing hair, which had turned from black to purple, began to stir in the wind. She held a fragment of the Yasakani Jewel in her left hand, and with a pinch of her slender fingers, the black folding fan appeared in her right hand.
A pair of long, slender white ears with light purple tips sprouted from the sides of Su Li's face; her delicate pupils gradually turned purple, emanating a soul-stirring, ethereal glow; her exquisite skin seemed to become paler; her jade-like hands' fingernails began to lengthen, even extending beyond human limits.
Nine snow-white tails with light purple tips emerged from behind Su Li. More prominent were countless phantom fox tails wreathed in purple flames, swirling and waving like tentacles.
This image of a Nine-Tailed Fox was recorded in both Longguo and Nihon, one calling her the Empress of Qingqiu, Daji, and the other the King of Fox Spirits, Tamamo-no-Mae.
Su Li, or rather, Daji, tossed the fragment of the Yasakani Jewel upwards. The cyan jade erupted with dazzling light in the air. Under the surge of spiritual energy, the formation on the rooftop began to activate, and streams of purple ghostly energy started to seep out.
The sports field below.
The female officer handed over some students who had withdrawn from the exam to the responsible personnel and was about to take a rest when she suddenly felt a chilling, sinister aura spreading from above.
She looked up, and her pupils instantly constricted.
...
As Su Li chanted the incantation, the spread of purple energy intensified, and finally, a pillar of purple light shot towards the sky.
Dark clouds pressed down, threatening the city.
...
The military instantly surrounded the building. General Zhao, his face grim, listened to the dead air on the phone, then said angrily, "Yu Yuju might be an enemy! Third platoon, first and second squads, break through to the rooftop immediately! Armored helicopters prepare for takeoff! Snipers, take your positions! You must stop their conspiracy!"
Seeing the soldiers rushing towards the staircase, Zhao Qingfeng's expression turned serious. He then dialed another number and said, "This is Zhao Qingfeng, I need to speak with General Xin Lei, yes, immediately!"
Yu Yuju leaned against the railing of the rooftop, flicking the cigarette butt onto the ground.
"Open up! You are surrounded! Surrender immediately! After three warnings, you will bear the consequences! Repeat, you have..."
The non-commissioned officer shouting saw no response from inside and immediately ordered, "Break down the door!"
Two soldiers, armed with a battering ram, smashed the lock in a few blows, then kicked the door open.
Before the soldier who kicked the door could retract his foot, he was pounced on by a black demon, which opened its massive maw and began ravenously gnawing at the soldier's arms and chest.
"Ah—" accompanied by screams, flesh and blood flew everywhere.
The NCO who was shouting quickly summoned his sword imbued with his ability and slashed at the demon, severing its head.
"It's useless, he's not going to make it."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked up towards the rooftop entrance above. Yu Yuju, with a mocking expression, watched the soldiers' actions as if observing a performance.
"Open fire!" the NCO ordered, and several soldiers immediately raised their specialized rifles and fired at Yu Yuju as flames spewed forth.
Yu Yuju seemed to find something amusing, a slight smile gracing her lips as she said, "You are not qualified to fight me."
With that, Yu Yuju waved her right hand, summoning several more demons. Their malevolent ghostly energy and immense resentment caused the surrounding temperature to drop.
"Play with them, hahaha..." Yu Yuju turned and left.
The purple pillar of light gradually grew larger, and the rippling ghostly energy began to affect the surrounding environment, even reaching the city.
...
Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
The purple light converged and gradually enveloped the wine gourd.
Then, a massive fluctuation of spiritual energy occurred. The formation flashed with a brilliant light, transforming into a sky-piercing beam that pierced the clouds.
Shortly after, the beam of light disappeared, and the wine gourd was also gone.
Yamamoto Sixteenth looked at the spot where the wine gourd had vanished with trembling eyes, letting out bursts of crazed laughter.
A wine gourd, a broken sword, a staff, a folding fan, a slender naginata, a round fan, and a broken horn. As the purple beam of light transformed into seven streaks of flowing light, they ascended from Kyoto, Miyagi, Kumamoto, Sapporo, Tokushima, Tokyo, and Nagano in Nihon, flying towards Qingzhou in Longguo across the sea.
...
Longguo, Longjing City, Forbidden City.
Within the Taiheng Hall, an aged voice sounded:
"More petty troublemakers are stirring up trouble."
"Who shall we send?" said an equally aged female voice.
"Young Zhao has already contacted Xin Lei." said another male voice.
"Issue an order: Xin Lei, Bing Huo, and Yi Mu, the three of them are to proceed to Qingzhou for disaster relief."
After speaking, the hall returned to silence, as if the voices had never been heard.