Chapter 330

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Chapter 330: The Blood Moon River

In front of Kamitsumi Shrine, the sword energy tears through the ground and the air.

The shrine, already in a state of ruin, now lay in complete disarray.

The sword energy sliced through the pathway of worship, forming dozens of irregular shapes. The wooden frames that held the Ema were also damaged by the powerful surge of sword energy.

The offering box was kicked open by the shrine maiden, and several dozens of ancient coins spilled out. Even the dilapidated shrine itself trembled as if it could collapse at any moment.

Hokusinn Kichyō and Miko Kuya engaged in a fierce battle, their swords colliding with a resounding clash.

Just like competing with the reflection in a mirror.

They were truly too similar.

Hokusinn Kichyō raised her Nine-Syllable Blade high, assuming a striking stance. However, in the next moment, her precise attack route was intercepted, rendering her power unable to fully unleash. It dispersed entirely, and she received a painful knee strike to her abdomen. But in the next moment, she grabbed hold of that knee and swiftly countered with a sweeping leg movement, causing the blue and white Miko to lose balance. Subsequently, the battle shifted to the realm of ground combat.

Kuya’s back was pressed against the ground, making it difficult for her to execute sword techniques. She slapped the ground, causing water to surge from beneath and strike towards Hokusinn Kichyō’s face. However, she swiftly cut the water in half with a single sword strike. This hasty attack missed Kuya, as she managed to dodge it.

Their duel began with simple sword techniques, accompanied by magnificent sword energy. However, they didn’t overuse their power, resembling more of a duel between two skilled swordsmen. Their moves were fierce and relentless.

She had no qualms about using anything as a weapon. It could be a sword, or even her fists and knees. If there was a spear, she would not hesitate to use that either.

This is the Hokusinn Ichida-ryu style, rooted in pragmatism.

"Just now, that move didn’t seem like Hokusinn Itto-ryu."

Of course, that move is derived from Sword Taken, a technique that belongs to both jujutsu and grappling. In the Ming Country, it is called the ‘Bear Child’s Descending Leg Whip.’ Hokusinn Kichyō patiently provided this explanation.

"So, it definitely isn’t Hokusinn Itto-ryu," Kuya repeated once again.

"This move originated from Mugen Shinmyō-ryū and was improved by Yagyū Simozi. It possesses five different variations and many of the grappling techniques were learned from Bai Wei. If she couldn’t master these techniques, she wouldn’t even dare spar with her brother. I have fought against Yagyū Simozi many times, so it’s difficult to not learn," Hokusinn Kichyō chattered on and on.

"Yagyū Simozi," Kuya said, "is his younger sister, but also your friend?"

Hokusinn Kichyō asked, "Do you find it quite surprising?"

"No surprises here, you will meet his sister. It’s a normal thing, both being swordsmen, practicing together is also quite natural."

"But you are still very surprised, aren’t you?" Hokusinn Kichyō gazed into Kuya’s eyes. "That Hokusinn Kichyō, she managed to change so much. She made new friends, learned different sword techniques, found someone she likes, and even accomplished the feat her mother once did, going through countless battles… That’s the Hokusinn Kichyō, a terribly bored and timid woman, completely transformed as if reborn."

Miko Kuya said indifferently, "I have no intention of caring about your past and your upbringing."

"You don’t care, but you will mind."

"What?"

"Just like how I care about you, you will care about me," Hokusinn Kichyō continued.

Kuya firmly planted her feet on the ground, swinging her sword with grace. In an instant, the gleaming blade dispersed the sword light, and translucent blue vapors accompanied her sword technique, resembling cascading layers of ocean waves.

Hokusinn Kichyō gathered her qi, wielding her sword to defend, counterattack, and intercept, like a sturdy rock in the midst of the surging waves, steadfastly facing the shimmering azure splashes.

Kuya’s breath became erratic as she attempted to overpower her opponent with force. She poured in 150% of her strength, her aura surging like rolling tides, possessing immense power. However, she was no longer within control of her sword techniques. Her previously swift flurry of strikes suddenly stalled. In her pursuit of even more ferocious power, her fluid movements came to a noticeable pause.

Of course, this brief pause, fleeting as it was, didn’t appear so fatal.

However, Hokusinn Kichyō seized the opportunity. Patiently defending herself, she then took aim with precision at the 0.5-second pause and gently shook her Nine-Syllable Blade.

It was not a flashy technique, but rather a simple and refined forward step, honed through countless trials.

CRUNCH!

The Nine-Syllable Blade, like a pitch-black arrow, pierced through the ocean waves, tearing open a gap at its weakest point in an instant.

The blade’s light shot straight towards Miko Kuya’s forehead. With a determined twist of her wrist, she swiftly redirected the attack, skillfully deflecting the sudden strike.

The fierce energy resonating within the tooth surge still crossed the distance, shattering Miko Kuya’s mask. The fragments of the mask cut her cheek, making blood trickle down her forehead.

Kuya had been stepping back, pressing her right hand against the wound on her cheek, as countless streams of crimson seeped through the gaps between her fingertips.

Hokusinn Kichyō said, "Hokusinn Itto-ryu is a style that adapts to the situation. Unlike other styles, there are no absolute secret techniques. The more desperate you become, the more distorted your swordplay becomes. Once your swordplay falters, I will find an opening, even if it’s just for a brief moment… You might be able to take that risk against someone else, but it won’t work when facing me."

If you don’t have a deep understanding, it’s simply impossible to grasp these subtle gaps.

If she were not facing Hokusinn Kichyō, this move would never have been deciphered, because…

"How could I possibly be unfamiliar with my own swordsmanship?" she whispered.

Kuya lowered her palm.

Underneath the mask, the facial features are not the same as Hokusinn Kichyō, but they are exactly identical to the facial features of Kamitsumiwoikirihime.

Hokusinn Kichyō questioned herself, "What really happened twenty years ago?"

Kuya looked at another version of herself, with a complex expression on her face, shifting between pain, helplessness, and bitterness.

After a while, she answered slowly.

"In all my experiences, Bai Wei never existed."

The place you are in, is the path to life.

The place I am in, is a dead end.

From the very beginning, destiny has already been decided.

…

[Feast of a Hundred Ghosts]

[Event in Progress]

Bai Wei entered the inner sanctum of the feast, expecting to encounter the Lord of Yellow Spring.

However, the other party was a pitch-black serpent, which left him quite disappointed.

But this feeling vanished in an instant.

The pitch-black serpent’s formidable power, reaching a level of 55, still pleased him. The long, thick health bar above its head indicated that it would take quite some time to defeat.

He swung his blade to test its quality, and it proved to be quite good. The serpent lost a layer of its health, which indicated that it was durable enough to withstand more.

For regular Devil May Cry players, maintaining a high score while fighting monsters is very important in order to pass the level successfully.

For even the top-tier Devil May Cry players, even when playing on the highest difficulty, they still need to worry about whether the monster’s health bar is enough for them to defeat in one combo.

Damage too low? That’s great! I just hope your health bar is long enough.

Bai Wei’s goal is the Big Snake, but he can’t let the other monsters go either. Looking around, there weren’t many of those at the level of thirty or forty yesterday. Most of them were in their teens or twenties. With so many demons, it’s enough to devour the hearts and livers of thousands of people.

This gave Bai Wei a signal, just like before the big battle begins, when you need to throw money to hire mercenaries, this action is like expanding the army.

An army?

I have some too, although not a lot, but it is enough.

Bai Wei’s eyes suddenly ignited with golden flames, and he could extract an immense amount of ether energy from the spiritual world’s ocean without needing to borrow the power of imprints. In an instant, it was like a floodgate bursting open. The golden light transformed into a rushing torrent, as if thousands of tons of seawater were pouring in reverse. It crashed against the mountain walls, intangible yet substantial. Almost all the evil demons and demons felt overwhelmed, as if they were being submerged by water, leaving them bewildered.

The flowing and rushing golden torrent engulfed several peaks, crashing and colliding, causing mountains to crumble and the ground to split apart.

One in a million of power was enough to pry open such a terrifying tide of energy.

Water has weight, and the flowing energy of gold, although almost weightless, once it starts to move, creates a terrifying pressure.

Bai Wei snapped his fingers, and the rushing energy suddenly came to a halt for a second. This brief pause didn’t mean safety, on the contrary, the stress building up inside increased. After the abrupt moment of stillness, the accumulated energy of the golden torrent surged into the sky, with wave after wave of pressure building up, releasing multiplied force, and transforming into massive towering fountains that sprang up from the ground.

Bai Wei stepped onto the surface of the golden torrent, as if walking on level ground. Around him, golden water jets gushed out continuously, soaring up into the sky, majestic and towering.

The mountains quake, golden rivers rush, red moon shines high, Emperor stands tall.

Opposite this incredibly tense scene, however, was… But in just a moment, the gathered crowd of disorganized people had suffered heavy casualties, with eighty to ninety percent of them perishing.

Few higher-level demons and monsters were already terrified, though not yet dead. But they knew that staying here any longer meant they were not far from death. The chances of survival were almost immeasurably low. They immediately wanted to escape from the golden torrent. However, the moment they chose to flee upwards, they became precise targets in Bai Wei’s sight. He focused, his fingertips gripping an invisible bow, pulling back the string, as the arrow, crafted from refined gold, distorted the space before it.

The maid’s spiral arrow, a quintuple shot!

A golden thunderbolt exploded in mid-air, and five distorted spatial fields appeared. The demons and spirits perished instantly, achieving a quintuple kill.

The bloody corpse fell into the golden tide, causing a few ripples, making sure not to let its scent of blood become even a tad stronger.

Under the blood moon, in the tranquil courtyard, strolling by the golden river, the hundred demons feasted and shot spiraling arrows.

Bai Wei happily exclaimed, "This is what we call clean!"