With the matter concerning Shenqi finally settled, a weight lifted from Lin Luo’s heart. He had initially planned to return immediately, but seeing how late it was, he conferred with Shenqi and they decided to stay put for the night, intending to head back first thing in the morning.

After all, although they weren't heavily injured in the previous battle, the expenditure of their power had been immense. It wasn't just Shenqi; even Lin Luo couldn't sustain the speed he displayed earlier.

Regardless, losing one night wouldn't make a difference to either of them.

However, just as Lin Luo settled down temporarily in the west, back in his small cabin near the eastern border, Yōka and Murasaki made a difficult and daring decision.

“What did you say?! We’re going after a Great Yokai?!” Upon hearing Yōka’s words, Murasaki couldn't help but exclaim.

“Shh! Keep your voice down,” Yōka quickly made a silencing gesture, then darted to the window to check if anyone had been awakened before rushing back to continue, “That Yokai lives on the mountain to the north. I hear he’s a truly vicious fellow. I think this is the perfect chance to test our strength against him. What do you say?”

As everyone knows, this was a chaotic era, and it was commonplace for Yokai to set themselves up as regional lords. Take the place where they were currently staying; if Lin Luo hadn't arrived first, it would most likely have been seized by the Thirteen Protectors, leading to an inevitable scene where Lin Luo would beat them up and reclaim the territory.

The Thirteen Protectors, not knowing Lin Luo’s true capabilities initially, hadn't they harbored similar thoughts?

Generally, Yokai would not easily provoke those at the Lord-level. Other Yokai, upon claiming a good location, would certainly face challenges from restless rivals vying for territory. Of course, if the Lord-level Yokai governing the area happened to be weak, they might not be able to hold onto their domain either.

The Thirteen Protectors had been residing here for some time. While they had ample food, drink, shelter, and entertainment—lacking nothing—their nature as solitary wanderers meant they couldn't stay idle for long. They would occasionally venture out.

And just today, they had managed to overhear a piece of news, which one of them let slip during dinner, catching Yōka’s attention.

The news was this: to the north of their location, past several mountains, lay a gorge. It was originally a barren and harsh place, but recently, a Yokai had accidentally occupied it. Then, somehow triggered by some unknown factor, the desolate region instantly transformed into a blessed land—a Dōten Fukuchi—and the moderately skilled Yokai who claimed it suddenly ascended to the rank of a Great Yokai.

This information was initially kept tightly sealed, as the occupying Yokai certainly didn’t wish for such a secret to leak. As the saying goes: an innocent man is doomed by the treasure he possesses. Even if Lord-level Yokai weren't interested in the Dōten Fukuchi, ordinary Yokai would surely flock to it upon hearing the news.

And indeed, that is precisely what happened.

As the saying goes, there is no wall in the world that cannot be breached. After a period of concealment, the news eventually spread, sparking a frenzy among the lower and middle-tier Yokai. Within days, countless spirits surged toward the blessed land.

The Yokai occupying the Dōten Fukuchi, realizing the situation had become precarious, wasted no time in sealing off the area. It was unclear what power he utilized, whether it was his own ability or the essence of the blessed land itself, but suddenly, the invading Yokai could no longer locate the place.

Yet, despite this, those Yokai were unwilling to retreat. They all camped outside, searching relentlessly for a way to break through.

One side operating openly, the other in shadow, the situation remained a tense stalemate.

What Yōka intended to do was to find that Dōten Fukuchi herself and challenge the Great Yokai. “No, this is far too dangerous!” After listening to Yōka’s detailed explanation, Murasaki understood her goal but still shook her head vehemently. “If so many Yokai can’t find the blessed land, how could the two of us, mere small fry, possibly succeed? Besides, before we even start searching, the Yokai camped outside might just slaughter us first.”

Murasaki’s point held weight. Those Yokai had wasted so much time simply to find the Dōten Fukuchi and seize its resources. They might tolerate rivals of their own standing competing for the spoils, but they would never allow underage spirits like Murasaki and Yōka to intrude. It was like two privileged heirs vying for a beautiful woman; they might accept other heirs competing because their status and power were comparable, making it a stalemate. But if some nobody dared to contend for the woman... well, even if the nobody managed to win her, he’d likely be a corpse before that happened.

And Murasaki and Yōka were undoubtedly those nobodies in this scenario.

However, Yōka held a different perspective. She said, “While what you say is true, don't forget one advantage we possess that those other Yokai lack.”

“What advantage?” Murasaki paused, confused.

Yōka gave a mysterious smile and pointed at her. “It’s you. Have you forgotten? You are the only Gap Yokai in this world. Even if your raw power doesn't match the others, when it comes to locating the Dōten Fukuchi, they couldn't catch up to you if they tried a hundred times over. And your abilities have greatly improved; the gap you create can now carry two people. As long as we prepare thoroughly, if we hide within the gap, no matter how powerful those Yokai are, they won't find us.”

Murasaki was rendered speechless. She hadn't expected Yōka’s trump card to be herself. But upon reflection, it was undeniable. Her ability to conceal herself was so profound that even Yokai ten times stronger couldn't penetrate it. Opening a spatial gap would make them even more invisible.

Murasaki thought it over, then shook her head again. “Even if we can evade those Yokai with ease and miraculously find the blessed land, what then? Are we supposed to challenge that Great Yokai with just the two of us?”

In Murasaki’s view, this was an utterly reckless endeavor. Even though their strength had advanced considerably—they could probably hold out for a while against the Thirteen Protectors—they were clearly unqualified to confront the Great Yokai who controlled a Dōten Fukuchi.

Yōka knew what she was worried about and tried her best to persuade her. “Murasaki, you are picturing that Yokai as terrifyingly formidable. I heard from the Uncles that he was just a very low-level spirit to begin with, at best third-rate. It was only because of that blessed land that he suddenly reached the level of a top-tier entity. But you must understand, with such a short time frame, his foundation must be unstable. Even if we can’t defeat him, we have a decent chance of retreating safely with our current abilities.”

“That’s just your speculation,” Murasaki gave her a sidelong glance, then stated seriously, “Yōka, I’ve always wanted to tell you: you are too impulsive. You always focus only on the immediate goal and never consider an escape route for yourself. Take this situation, for instance. What if that Yokai has a stable, top-tier foundation? If we go, we’re definitely walking into our deaths.”

Yōka frowned, pouting slightly. “I also think you are too rational, always hesitating and worrying about every contingency. You lack the spirit of youth; that’s not good.”

“...” Murasaki was speechless once more.

Seeing that Murasaki still looked unwilling, Yōka reluctantly pulled out her ultimate weapon. “Are you absolutely sure you won't come? If you refuse, then I’ll go by myself.”

With that, she turned and made to leave.

“Wait!” Murasaki’s expression shifted drastically, and she quickly called out. When Yōka turned around, Murasaki asked, “Do you really desire that Dōten Fukuchi that much? Could that place possibly be better than the home we have now?”

“How could it be!” Yōka denied instantly. “I already said, I’m not going for the blessed land, but to challenge a Great Yokai. Look, our power has improved a lot recently, but we’ve been lacking one crucial thing: the opportunity of life and death.”

“The opportunity of life and death?” Murasaki blinked.

Yōka nodded, speaking earnestly, “Think about it. With Master protecting us, we face no real danger. And during sparring with the Uncles, they never use killing blows. Frankly, we are saplings growing under a large tree. If we continue like this, we will never become towering trees.”

Murasaki finally understood. “Your goal is to experience the razor’s edge of life and death during this challenge against the Great Yokai?”

“Exactly. No true powerhouse has ever reached that level without enduring countless battles where their life hung in the balance. Even Master must have gone through the same thing.” Yōka nodded firmly. Though impulsive, her actions were not without underlying purpose.

Murasaki hesitated, then frowned. “But what if we actually die? This is completely unnecessary. Even as you say, the strong must have faced many deadly wars, but they weren't seeking them out; they were forced into battle.”

Yōka shook her head. “A lion will push its cub off a cliff for the sake of its growth, but Master would never toss us off a cliff. Therefore, we must throw ourselves off the cliff. If we truly die at the bottom, I will have no regrets.”

“You!” Murasaki was left speechless. After a moment, she asked, “Why do you so desperately want to become stronger?”

Yōka answered without hesitation, “Because only by growing stronger can we protect what is important, and only then can we maintain our dignity!”

In that instant, Murasaki finally grasped the subtle divergence in their philosophies.

Yōka continued, “Setting other things aside, look at Master’s trip west this time. While he made it sound casual, his departure was so sudden; it must be something very important. If we weren't so weak, couldn't we have helped Master?”

“This...” Hearing these words, Murasaki fell into conflict.

After a silent struggle lasting nearly ten minutes, Murasaki finally conceded. “Fine. This time, I’ll listen to you. We’ll take this risk and gamble once, but only once!”

“Once is all we need!” Yōka rejoiced.