Upon returning to the Earth Realm from the Spirit World, Lin Luo had initially intended to drop by the Moriya Shrine to check in on the married Sanae—and see if she had mastered the use of the New Age Gundam—but to his surprise, the shrine was completely deserted. Not only were the two great deities absent, but even Sanae’s whereabouts were unknown, and what’s more, the 'Kaze-shukumi Miko' (Wind Priestess) was also missing. This gave him a creeping sense of unease.()

Suspicion stirring, he didn’t linger long on Youkai Mountain. He descended at top speed. Although he encountered no immediate obstacles along the way, his mind grew increasingly bewildered, for apart from the occasional patrolling Tengu responsible for surveillance, he couldn't find a single other yokai!

This was entirely abnormal!

The situation deepened the doubt in Lin Luo’s heart, bringing with it a faint layer of worry. Youkai Mountain hosted the largest concentration of yokai. When he had visited just over half a month ago, his perception domain alone had picked up many—Kappa, Tengu, and all manner of monstrous beasts and spirits. But now… there were only a countable few Tengu and some ordinary (demonic beasts) incapable of assuming human form. This was too strange!

Could the Youkai Mountain have been conquered by someone? The thought crossed Lin Luo’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it. He saw no signs of battle on the mountain, and while the Youkai Mountain wasn't a top-tier power, it was teeming with strong practitioners, even housing a deity. It was impossible for it to be taken over so silently!

Even if such a powerful figure existed who could manage the feat, Reimu would surely have intervened and resolved the issue. If the problem were solved, the Youkai Mountain would return to normal; if it weren't, Reimu would be acting abnormally. However, according to the Book of Covenant, Yukari and Kaguya’s statuses were completely normal, and he sensed no danger befalling them.

"What on earth has happened to leave the Youkai Mountain completely empty?"

Lin Luo was utterly baffled, but he didn't plan to return to investigate. Instead, he flew along the direction of the Misty Lake toward the nearest Scarlet Devil Mansion, reasoning that if something had occurred, the mansion would likely have news.

Moments later, Lin Luo found no idiot fairies on the Misty Lake, nor did he see Hong Meiling guarding the entrance to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Rushing inside, he discovered that not only were the Elder and Younger Mistress absent, but even the usually useless yet ceaselessly chattering fairy maids had vanished!

"Hey, hey, don't tell me you’re all playing some kamikakushi game…" Although the hosts’ statuses were normal and there were no signs of intense fighting anywhere, this situation made Lin Luo unable to suppress his concern. After searching everywhere within the Scarlet Devil Mansion and confirming absolutely no one was present, Lin Luo didn't hesitate. He immediately flew toward the Hakurei Shrine, banking on the idea that Reimu, with her intuition, would certainly know something.

Flying over the Human Village, Lin Luo paused briefly. He noted that the humans continued to live their lives normally, as before, but the teacher at the Terakoya was missing—for someone as dedicated as her to abandon her post, especially when it wasn't a full moon night, was suspicious!

"Reimu!" Using the beast path, he encountered only a few ordinary minor yokai along the way. Before he even reached the Hakurei Shrine, Lin Luo called out loudly, but received no reply. He activated his perception domain, scanning the area, only to confirm the shrine was also empty.

Next, Lin Luo paid a visit to the Forest of Magic. Just as he predicted, Marisa and Alice were not at their respective homes either... In short, apart from some insignificant, low-level yokai, he could find none of the people or yokai he was familiar with at this moment.

"Damn it! This is truly damned!"

Lin Luo cursed, a flicker of anxiety now etched onto his face. He then traversed the Forest of Magic and flew toward the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. At this point, everything except the areas partitioned by boundaries was accounted for; only Eientei remained unchecked. If Eientei was also empty, his only remaining recourse would be to seek out Yakumo Yukari at the Yakumo Residence.

Moments later, Lin Luo arrived above the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. Whether it was his imagination or not, he sensed a faint atmosphere of festivity, and the density of yokai auras increased noticeably. However, the Bamboo Forest was vast, and what seemed like some kind of active power was at play, preventing his perception domain from penetrating deeply.

Lin Luo paused slightly, an inexplicable sense of relaxation washing over him. He accelerated his flight forward. Since he had already pinpointed Eientei's location, there was no need to confront the troublesome terrain; he could simply fly straight over it.

But only a few seconds after breaking free, a deafening sound exploded in his head, a thunderous impact that struck directly at his soul, nearly blasting him unconscious. Caught completely off guard, he began plummeting downward.

"Damn it! What was that?"

Lin Luo was greatly alarmed. This was not a mere sonic attack; it was an intangible force manifesting itself tangibly within his mind. Unquestionably, this was a targeted assault, yet why couldn't he sense any enemy nearby, nor detect anyone launching an attack against him!

Fortunately, his strength had evolved vastly since the last time, and his mental fortitude and cultivation realm had undergone a qualitative change. This soul attack was insufficient to pose a real threat. His Shizui no Jyou (State of Still Water) innate ability activated, and Lin Luo immediately suppressed the sound, calming himself.

However, before he could relax and begin searching for the enemy's location, he suddenly discovered that the ground beneath his feet had transformed... into the ocean!

"What... How is this possible?!" Lin Luo could scarcely believe it. Common sense dictated that Gensokyo had no sea, let alone an ocean appearing here in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost—that was pure fantasy.

Lin Luo suspected an illusion, but when he activated his Shinjitsu no Me (Eyes of Truth), the Bamboo Forest vanished. All he could see was an endless expanse of ocean, its surface roaring, the water churning violently. A colossal wave, nearly a hundred meters high, rose up, bearing down on him with overwhelming, world-crushing might.

"Damn it! What in the world is going on?" Lin Luo’s expression changed. Instinctively, he tried to fly upward, but before he could rise, an invisible force bound him... Flight was impossible!

Helpless, Lin Luo could only retreat. Thankfully, while his flight ability was restrained, his other skills remained unaffected. Activating consecutive Shun-dō (Instant Movement), he escaped the crushing path of the wave at maximum speed. Then, with a tremendous boom, the giant wave slammed into the sea, unleashing an earth-shattering sound.

"This isn't an ordinary wave; it faintly carries the aura of the Earth Rank! What kind of mechanism created this... Ah, forget it, it must be Hachii Eirin. Nobody else operating within the Bamboo Forest of the Lost could set something like this up, and she is a master of formations."

During the Second Lunar War, Hachii Eirin had used formations planted millennia ago to severely impede Yakumo Yukari, forcing even the holder of Boundary Power to follow the array’s evolutionary pattern to break through, instead of forcing a direct breach. One could imagine the power of those formations back then.

Now, over a thousand years later, Hachii Eirin had neither advanced nor regressed. It was plausible for her to transform the Bamboo Forest into an ocean via a formation. What Lin Luo couldn't fathom was... why would Hachii Eirin set up such a formation at this particular time?

Lin Luo's mind felt somewhat chaotic, but Hachii Eirin's formations were never simple. Before he could ponder further, the sky suddenly darkened oppressively. He instinctively looked up, and his eyes instantly twitched.

The reason was simple: he saw a mountain, a mountain so massive it made his scalp tingle, descending directly from the sky. The pressure of this impending descent carried the might of world annihilation!

"Holy crap!" Lin Luo couldn't help but utter an obscenity. He retreated rapidly. Even with his current power, he dared not confront this formation head-on, as he could tell it possessed the terrifying power to obliterate an early-stage Earth Rank expert. Forcibly breaking it with sheer power would only lead to worsening results; the only solution was to find the formation's logic, and if that failed, retreat was the only option.

With Lin Luo's speed, dodging the mountain’s crushing descent was not difficult. In an instant, he was outside the aura’s coverage. He then watched the giant mountain fall into the sea, but instead of the expected massive tidal waves, the mountain vanished abruptly the instant it touched the water's surface.

Lin Luo couldn't help but be astonished by this sight. A thought sparked in his mind, and he immediately felt a coercive aura descend again—it was the second mountain.

"As expected of the Mind of the Moon; this formation is practically unbreakable," Lin Luo admitted, feeling a headache coming on, yet also experiencing admiration. To devise such a terrifying formation required genius beyond the ordinary. Hachii Eirin’s tyrannical talent was evident here; no wonder she had completely overwhelmed Yakumo Yukari during the First Lunar War a millennium ago.

Finding it impossible to break, Lin Luo finally retreated backward at his fastest pace. A moment later, he realized the sea had reverted to the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, and he was standing outside its borders.

"It seems as long as I don't enter the Bamboo Forest, I won't be affected. Is this meant to stop intruders?" Lin Luo frowned, somewhat understanding Hachii Eirin’s intent, yet this formation presented a headache regarding how he was supposed to enter.

"Making the sky rule the earth, using the earth to eliminate the critical pivot, reflecting the inner heart of the scarlet-hued!"

Just then, Lin Luo heard a commanding girl's voice echo from the sky.

Lin Luo instinctively looked up and saw a girl with long, deep-blue hair, clad in a beautiful dress, wearing a tomato hat, descending from the heavens while standing atop a floating stone.

l;!--END--g;RH