He truly regarded Chen Fan as an enemy now.
Mistaken identity was possible for anyone, but Mitsui Kenji would never misidentify his enemy!
"This sword is… it’s… it’s him! It’s actually him!"
Mitsui Kenji began to mutter to himself, his hands trembling uncontrollably from the extreme emotions.
At this moment, Mitsui Kenji, the de facto ruler of Sakura Country, was already filled with shock and terror at the terrifying power Chen Fan had displayed!
Of course, it wasn't just Mitsui Kenji alone in Sakura Country who was trembling at Chen Fan's strength!
Sakura Country, the Shrine of the Sky.
A servant's figure rushed through the torii gate in haste.
The servant jogged across the approach and arrived at the main sanctuary behind the oratory.
His footsteps were hurried, and as he rushed into the main sanctuary, he stumbled due to his excessive speed, falling directly at the feet of the shrine priest.
This shrine priest was Kamijyo Jingūji, the head of the three chief priests.
"Why such a hurried demeanor? Has something of great importance occurred in the mortal world?" he asked, looking down at his flustered servant.
Facing Kamijyo Jingūji's question, the servant replied in fear,
"Lord Kamijyo! The whereabouts of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi have been revealed! They have appeared! And Lord Miyamoto also…"
Meanwhile, in the Nakayama Shrine, a similar scene was unfolding.
"Lord Kujo! The Kusanagi has appeared! Lord Shimokai, Miyamoto, has passed away! The whereabouts of the Kusanagi have been revealed!" the hurried servant reported urgently to Nakayama Jingūji, Lord Kujo…
Kamijyo, Nakayama, Shimokai.
One of Sakura Country's most supreme three chief priests had now fallen.
And the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi had reappeared in the human world!
These two pieces of news were too significant to be concealed.
Just as the chief priests of Kamijyo and Nakayama learned of this, other cultivating forces in Sakura Country had also become aware of these two events.
These cultivating forces, normally deemed insignificant by the three chief priests, now saw a prime opportunity for a comeback!
"The three chief priests of Kamijyo, Nakayama, and Shimokai are now missing one. Everyone, our chance to strike back has arrived…"
"Haha! It’s time for us to fight back…"
"…"
The entire cultivating world of Sakura Country was thrown into chaos by these two pieces of news!
And the instigator of all this – Chen Fan!
At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged on the deck of Miyamoto Shingō's ship.
"Hiss—that light that emerged from the black shikigami and entered my body, what was it? Why does it feel… like the pain from the demonic core has weakened considerably?"
Chen Fan had no interest in the outside world at this moment; he had more important, pressing questions.
In the Atsuta Shrine, a ninja clad in a dark blue ninja suit had quickly gathered information and rushed to report to the current Bushin of Atsuta Shrine.
"...Bushin-sama, that is the situation. The Kusanagi, which originally belonged to our Atsuta clan, is now in the possession of that guardian from Xia Guo!"
As the ninja stated, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi had originally belonged to the Atsuta Shrine!
It had merely been lost inadvertently!
"We must retrieve the Kusanagi at all costs. It will always be the property of our Atsuta Shrine!" Upon hearing the ninja's report, Atsuta Musashi, the current Bushin of Atsuta Shrine, his eyes hardened.
The Kusanagi was his family's possession, and it had to be retrieved, no matter the cost!
"Go, whatever you need, I will do my best to provide. " Atsuta Musashi waved to the ninja, saying, "My only demand is that you bring back the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi."
"Go! The sooner the better, I can't wait any longer!"
However, upon hearing Atsuta Musashi's words, the ninja did not move.
"Why are you not acting?"
Atsuta Musashi frowned and asked him.
Facing Atsuta Musashi's persistent questioning, the ninja gave a wry smile and explained the difficulties currently facing the Atsuta Shrine.
"Reporting to Bushin-sama, the current Bushin of the Katori, Takefumi, Kashima, and Futsū clans have all personally rushed to the port of Tōō City, I fear…"
The ninja stopped speaking here.
Because, reaching this point was sufficient, Atsuta Musashi would understand.
After all, the other four major shrines had their Bushin personally dispatched!
Against those four Bushin, the ninja did not believe he had any chance of victory.
"To retrieve the Kusanagi, I have to go myself, don't I?"
Atsuta Musashi understood the ninja's words, his expression one of considerable helplessness, and he asked the question again, unwilling to give up.
As the current Bushin of the Atsuta clan, Atsuta Musashi had only been in office for less than three months.
He hadn't even settled internal shrine matters, and he was reluctant to divert his attention to conflict with the four great families of other shrines.
After all, if Bushin were to personally act in this matter of seizing the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, it would mean forging enmity with the other families.
Atsuta Musashi's foundation was unstable, and he lacked the strength and capital to make enemies.
Upon hearing his words, the ninja replied righteously, "Hai! Bushin-sama, this time, I fear you must go yourself!"
Hearing this, Atsuta Musashi sighed inwardly.
He had to gamble!
Now, he had no choice but to gamble!
If he lost, it would be eternal damnation!
But if he won, the benefits would last for generations!
"What does it matter if I go?"
Clenching his jaw, Atsuta Musashi nodded, as if to encourage himself.
"It's just a small guardian of Great Xia Country. It's truly elevating him that our five Bushin have gathered at the port of Tōō City!"
It was precisely when Atsuta Musashi looked down on Chen Fan that Chen Fan had almost finished researching the black power he had absorbed.
Now, he had a bold hypothesis, and he was eager to verify it.
However, obtaining the answer would be extremely dangerous!
Thus, Chen Fan first called the Oracle.
"Oracle, the situation is very chaotic right now. You should immediately reroute to the port of Qiyu County next to Tōō City. I have a ship, and you can leave directly after we meet."
On the other end of the phone, upon hearing Chen Fan's words, the Oracle became extremely anxious.
Because Chen Fan's wording was "you," not "we."