Chapter Fifteen: The Ise Grand Shrine

The cherry blossom spirit shrieked in alarm as Zhang Xiao broke off a branch from her tree. The blossoms atop the crown stirred despite the still air, forming a torrent of pink that surged toward Zhang Xiao. “Paltry tricks! Begone!” Zhang Xiao thundered, unleashing a wave of sound that shattered the oncoming blossoms, sending them whirling through the air. At the same time, he swiftly cast the Seven Arts of Maoshan, which fused into a black python that lunged at the cherry blossom spirit.

Dozens of thick roots burst from the earth to shield the cherry tree, striving to fend off the black python. But Zhang Xiao’s creation, born from the fusion of the Seven Arts, was not something a mere forest spirit could withstand. The python struck the roots, then oddly burrowed inside them. Instantly, the once vibrant cherry tree began to wilt, its leaves withering, and anguished screams echoed from within.

A woman appeared, her face ashen, kneeling before Zhang Xiao. “Immortal, spare me!” she pleaded, her complexion darkening as she struggled against the curse within her body. Zhang Xiao was not truly intent on slaying demons; seeing the cherry blossom spirit gravely injured, he pinched his fingers and dispelled the curse within her. The spirit immediately felt her body relax as the rampaging force inside vanished. No longer daring to underestimate the young man before her, she kowtowed repeatedly. “Thank you, Immortal, for sparing me. I will never dare again.” Seeing her submission, Zhang Xiao decided not to dwell on her earlier attempt to trick him.

He asked coolly, “Tell me, what place is this? Are there any towns nearby?” The cherry blossom spirit replied hastily, “Immortal, this is the Mountain of a Hundred Gods. The surroundings are full of stone and mountain spirits; I’ve never heard of any towns. However, I recall there is a small village three hundred li east of here, just beyond the mountain.” Mountain of a Hundred Gods! Zhang Xiao was surprised, but quickly understood. In the Land of Wa, mountain and stone spirits are worshipped as deities, so it was no wonder this place teemed with spirits and was named the Mountain of a Hundred Gods. Having received his answer, Zhang Xiao saw little reason to linger.

Just as he was about to leave, the cherry blossom spirit called out, “Immortal, wait!” Zhang Xiao turned, regarding her coldly. “What, is there something else?” She opened her mouth and produced a red stone, offering it to him. “Immortal, I possess a strange stone. May I present it to you?” With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xiao enveloped the stone in spiritual energy and drew it to his hand.

Great Demon Stone: Formed from the blood of an ancient demon, it can be used for forging, cultivation, or alchemy. Zhang Xiao smiled as he examined the stone’s properties. So this was the essence of an ancient demon—a fine thing indeed. Though he had advanced his cultivation of the Borochan Sutra to the fifth layer, reaching the mid-stage of the Golden Core, his mastery of Daoist arts remained at the early stage. With this Great Demon Stone, he could refine a batch of top-tier pills and soon break through to the mid-stage.

Having stored the stone, Zhang Xiao caught the cherry blossom spirit gazing at him with longing, her intentions clear as day. Understanding her aspirations, he retrieved a bottle of pills from his bone ring. “Take these. They will heal your wounds and even advance your cultivation.” The cherry blossom spirit accepted the medicine without hesitation and thanked him profusely. Not wishing to entangle himself further, Zhang Xiao summoned the Celestial Sound Bell and soared east in a streak of rainbow light. The Mountain of a Hundred Gods truly lived up to its name.

Before long, Zhang Xiao was beset by myriad spirits. Their misfortune was that, thanks to the Concealing Heaven Ring, Zhang Xiao appeared as an ordinary person, just as before the upheaval. To these mountain and stone spirits, his flesh must have seemed a delicious prize, so they could not resist attacking him. But when they charged with knives and forks ready, they were met with Zhang Xiao’s wrath. The stronger spirits he defeated and collected as materials; the weaker ones he obliterated entirely. At first, Zhang Xiao enjoyed playing the unsuspecting victim, but after some time, their incessant harassment wore on his patience. He removed the Concealing Heaven Ring, and those who had designs on him quickly retreated.

Osaka! Before the upheaval, it was a prominent city in the Land of Wa, but now it could only be called a village. Zhang Xiao looked at the earth-built walls with mute disdain. What could these walls possibly defend against? He could topple them with a single slap. At the gate, the guards standing watch were mere ordinary people, around level 20. Zhang Xiao began to understand why the people of Wa worshipped the mountain and stone spirits as gods.

He strode into the town, attracting stares—his attire was far too grand: a silver-threaded Daoist robe and a white jade belt, all marking him as a person of high status. The guards hurried to clear a path for him, leaving Zhang Xiao puzzled. Since when was he so famous in Wa? As he wondered, a man in a kimono rushed forward and knelt before him. “I am Tan Gojirou, lord of Osaka. Greetings to the envoy of Ise Shrine. What brings you here?” Envoy of Ise Shrine? Zhang Xiao was taken aback, then realized he had been mistaken for someone else.

He was no envoy, nor had he ever heard of Ise Shrine. But it was not surprising the lord made such an error; after the upheaval, only two powerful sects emerged in Wa: Ise Shrine and Kese Shrine. These two dominated the land, while all other factions were mere minor clans, incomparable to them. Zhang Xiao’s silver-threaded robe resembled the attire of Ise’s envoys, so the mistake was inevitable. As for impersonation, Tan Gojirou would never even entertain the idea—no one in Wa would dare pose as an envoy of Ise Shrine. But Tan Gojirou never realized Zhang Xiao was not from Wa and had no concern for such matters.

Since he was mistaken for an envoy, Zhang Xiao saw no reason to correct him. “Enough. I am merely traveling, not on official business. Rise.” “Yes, sir!” Tan Gojirou stood and obediently followed Zhang Xiao, his own strength respectable but far inferior to Zhang Xiao. After Zhang Xiao casually showed off a bit of his power, Tan Gojirou was utterly convinced and enthusiastically led him around Osaka. From their conversation, Zhang Xiao learned this village lacked teleportation arrays. With no other option, he asked for a map of the post-upheaval world. Not in a hurry to leave, he decided to stay a while and digest his gains.

Upon hearing Zhang Xiao intended to stay, Tan Gojirou immediately offered his own mansion, but Zhang Xiao declined. Instead, he carved out a cave abode on a small hill, instructing Tan Gojirou to protect the area, and then secluded himself. This retreat was not for cultivation, but to study the Seven Transformations of Xuantian, which he had obtained from the Xuantian Cave.

Ten days passed before Zhang Xiao emerged, having grasped the basics of the technique. The Seven Transformations of Xuantian, created by Master Xuancang, was indeed extraordinary, its power beyond imagination. Yet its flaws were clear: to cultivate it, Zhang Xiao would have to convert the pure yin energy within his body into pure yang—a dangerous process. One misstep could result in death by backlash, and even revival would come at a great cost. Even if successful, his strength would drop a level; from the early Golden Core stage, he would fall to the Foundation Establishment stage—a watershed boundary with a huge gap in power. Naturally, Zhang Xiao would not risk such a fall. He decided to first raise his strength to the mid-stage Golden Core, so even if he dropped a level, he would remain within the Golden Core realm. Weighing the pros and cons, he chose not to cultivate the Seven Transformations for now.

When he emerged from seclusion, Zhang Xiao had no desire to meet Tan Gojirou. Since there were no teleportation arrays here, he decided to seek the next major city. Mounting the Celestial Sound Bell, he transformed into rainbow light and sped away.

“Young master, the buildings here are so strange!” Zhang Xiao forced a smile, patiently explaining to Ziyan the concepts of glass and electric lights. Ziyan, meanwhile, grew more excited, dragging Zhang Xiao through the city’s streets. To avoid trouble, Zhang Xiao changed into casual clothes, and Ziyan, under his insistence, donned modern attire. Together, they wandered through the bustling metropolis—none other than the famous Osaka Castle. Ise Shrine was nearby, and the city was lively, with modern amenities unchanged since before the upheaval.

As they strolled toward the city center, a convoy suddenly charged out from the crowd. The leader, gripping a katana, cursed and threatened those around him. If anyone failed to move aside quickly enough, he would strike them down without hesitation. Zhang Xiao had already pulled Ziyan aside, but witnessing the man’s brazen conduct startled him. The man was strong, with a heavy aura of yin energy lurking within him. Yet even so, his actions were shockingly arrogant. Morality had declined since the upheaval, but a trace of conscience remained. The more advanced cultivators usually disdained harming ordinary folk, yet this man killed indiscriminately just to clear his path, his ruthlessness leaving Zhang Xiao dumbfounded.

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