Ziyuan glanced at Juchiko Tachibana with a hint of surprise and asked, "You wish to challenge me? On what grounds?"

"Shenxiu is the protective mountain spirit of our Ryōgōya!" Juchiko Tachibana declared with fury. "You've injured him so badly he may never recover his strength! This is a provocation and an infringement upon Ryōgōya!"

Though Juchiko Tachibana was quite tall, she was only about thirteen or fourteen, her thoughts and actions exceptionally simple. Her outburst immediately drew loud mockery from the cultivators of various sects. "You can beat our people without consequence, but when we strike yours, you take offense? Is there any more thuggish logic under heaven?"

"Exactly. Little sister, take this useless one and hurry back!"

"Get lost, stop embarrassing yourselves!"

Juchiko Tachibana’s face flushed crimson as she was berated. The heavily wounded Shenxiu struggled and whispered softly to her in Japanese, "Juchiko Tachibana, never mind it. These Chinese cultivators only resort to rogue tactics. You are a miko of Ryōgōya, and the most promising heir to the Shinnai lineage. Do not make a mistake here like I have."

Instead of backing down upon hearing this, Juchiko Tachibana grew even angrier. She suddenly produced a gold and silver folding fan from the wide sleeve of her kimono. The fan ribs were dark, covered in exquisite carved patterns. Juchiko Tachibana snapped the fan open with a pa, revealing a surface painted with countless depictions of ghosts and spirits.

Immediately afterward, Juchiko Tachibana drew another item from her sleeve: a white banner, a foot long, from which hung dense clusters of white ofuda talismans, each inscribed with strange patterns and runes.

As soon as she brought out these two items, Juchiko Tachibana’s entire bearing and aura shifted. She transformed instantly from a naive, innocent girl into a pristine, dignified, sacred, and lofty saint. Chanting an incantation, she danced, wielding the fan in one hand and the banner in the other. A silver bell bracelet, which had slipped onto her wrist, chimed sweetly with her movements.

The crowd watched as Juchiko Tachibana chanted and danced. The spirits and specters painted on her gold and silver fan appeared to come alive, faintly dissolving into a series of afterimages that drilled themselves into the white banner in her other hand.

The spiritual energy within the white banner gathered more and more densely, gradually turning black from top to bottom. Every rune on every ofuda began to emit an eerie red glow.

After dancing for a while, Juchiko Tachibana suddenly beckoned the white banner toward Shenxiu. The red runes on the banner flashed blindingly, gathering black mist, and in an instant, merged into Shenxiu’s body.

Shenxiu roared, his frame shaking violently. After a moment, he actually managed to push himself up. However, due to the severity of his previous injuries, his body swayed precariously as he stood.

Shenxiu cast a hateful look at Ziyuan. He retreated to Cinen’s side and whispered to him in Japanese, "Master Cinen, let us leave. Ziyuan’s făbǎo are very strange. Juchiko Tachibana must not be harmed; she only listens to you."

Cinen glanced at him and smiled faintly. "Shenxiu, there is no need to belittle yourself. Ziyuan's făbǎo just happens to counter you; that's just how things are—one thing conquers another. But no matter how powerful she is, she is no match for Juchiko Tachibana. You needn't worry!"

Shenxiu frowned. "But..."

Cinen swept Shenxiu a look of slight displeasure. "What? Are you questioning my judgment?"

Shenxiu’s body trembled. He lowered his head. "Yes! I understand!" He immediately reverted to his meek posture behind Cinen, his bearing returning to its former appearance.

Seeing Shenxiu miraculously stand up again after Juchiko Tachibana’s dance, the onlookers marveled, muttering amongst themselves. Someone whispered, "What kind of technique is that? So strange? That Wōgǒu [Japanese dog] was so badly hurt, yet he can still stand?"

A knowledgeable cultivator whispered back, "That is the Kagura dance of Japanese shamanism. This little girl must be a miko."

Ziyuan looked at Juchiko Tachibana with a grave expression. She suddenly asked, "What is your name?"

Since beginning the Kagura dance, Juchiko Tachibana seemed possessed by a spirit, her temperament and bearing suddenly aging by a decade. She spoke with cold serenity, "I am Juchiko Tachibana, Miko of Ryōgōya!"

Ziyuan was slightly startled. "You are a miko of the Tachibana lineage?"

Juchiko Tachibana looked at Ziyuan with some surprise. "You actually know about our Tachibana lineage?"

Ziyuan’s dark brows furrowed, her eyes filled with vigilance and caution, as if facing a formidable enemy. She said, "Why have the miko of the Tachibana lineage come here?"

Hearing this, Zhou Qin couldn't help but ask Li Yundong, "Master, does this Juchiko Tachibana have some significant background?"

Li Yundong nodded, his expression equally grave. "Japan is a very peculiar country. It is highly stratified, and its surnames carry immense class distinctions. In Japan, there are four great aristocratic surnames: Minamoto, Taira, Tachibana, and Fujiwara! These four represent the great clans. The Fujiwara clan holds the title of court nobility, the most traditional aristocracy. The Minamoto and Taira clans represent the two most powerful families holding practical authority. The founder of the Minamoto clan was Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first Shogun of Japan. The founder of the Taira clan was Taira no Kiyomori, who initiated the era of Samurai rule.

"During the late Warring States period of Japan, nearly every major figure was from either the Minamoto or Taira clans. For instance, Oda Nobunaga belonged to the Taira, while Tokugawa Ieyasu was Minamoto. The entire Sengoku history of Japan is essentially the history of the rivalry between these two great clans. The Tachibana clan, however, represents the divine lineage and the miko system of Japanese religion. No matter whether the Minamoto or Taira held power, this family has threaded through Japanese history from beginning to end. The famous divine spirit Tachibana no Himiko was from the Tachibana clan. This Juchiko Tachibana is likely a direct descendant miko of the Tachibana line. Such people are born with the power of spiritual connection, capable of summoning divine possession."

Zhou Qin inquired, "But can’t ordinary people with the surname Tachibana also serve as miko?"

Li Yundong shook his head. "No! Naming conventions in Japan are significant, especially among the nobility; names are absolutely not arbitrary. Moreover, during the Shogunate period, there was an unwritten rule that only members of the Taira and Minamoto clans could become Shogun; no other surname was permitted. This is why Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who unified Japan and ended the Sengoku period, never received the title of Shogun, only 'Kampaku'!"

Su Chan, listening intently nearby, couldn't help but ask, "What is a Kampaku?"

Li Yundong smiled and patted her hair. "A Kampaku is equivalent to the Chancellor in China. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeated all the daimyō lords and unified Japan, he was essentially the Emperor of that time, yet even he could not become Shogun. You can imagine how strict the hierarchy of aristocratic surnames in Japan is!"

Zhou Qin finally understood and looked toward Ziyuan with concern. "Since Juchiko Tachibana has such a high standing, might Ziyuan be in danger?"

Li Yundong’s face grew solemn. "I don't know, but even if Ziyuan cannot win, she should possess means of self-preservation."

Zhou Qin knew Li Yundong had cultivated for a long time, and his temperament had grown increasingly deep and steady. If even he was not optimistic about Ziyuan's chances, this battle was likely perilous.

In the arena, Juchiko Tachibana stood gracefully, upright as a peony, moving like a Chinese peony. She looked at Ziyuan and announced loudly, "Do you dare to duel me?"

Ziyuan knew this was a situation where she must not lose face, regardless of the outcome. She smiled faintly. "Since you are a descendant of the Tachibana clan of the miko lineage, and an inheritor of Mount Kōya, I shall certainly accompany you. Let us see whether your Ryōgōya is mightier, or our Linggong Sect!"

Juchiko Tachibana let out a cold snort. "It is Ryōgōya, not Mount Kōya!"

This single sentence confused many. Zhou Qin whispered to Li Yundong, "Master, is there a difference between Ryōgōya and Mount Kōya?"

Li Yundong nodded. "Japan has two sacred religious mountains: Mount Hiei and Mount Kōya. In terms of religious influence, Mount Hiei is the largest and strongest; nearly every famous monk in Japan originates from there. However, in terms of magical combat strength, Mount Kōya is supreme. Although all Japanese monks come from Mount Hiei, without exception, they are ultimately interred on Mount Kōya, specifically in the inner sanctuary, Okunoin."

"The area known as Ryōgōya is filled with towering, ancient trees. Not a sliver of sunlight can penetrate even at midday; it is perpetually dark, shrouded in eerie Yin energy. Within this forest of hundred-year-old cedar trees, there are gravestones everywhere. Every ancient pagoda and tomb represents one of Japan’s most famous figures—Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Uesugi Kenshin, Takeda Shingen, Akechi Mitsuhide, and nearly every great monk in Japan!"

Zhou Qin blinked. "That means..."

Li Yundong explained, "That means only the absolute top experts of the Japanese cultivation world are permitted to cultivate in the Okunoin of Mount Kōya. Therefore, all cultivators of Mount Kōya feel immense honor and glory if they can enter the Okunoin."

Su Chan exclaimed beside them, "Then Juchiko Tachibana must be very powerful too?"

Li Yundong nodded. "Naturally! The magical power of the Tachibana miko stems from spirits and vengeful ghosts. Ryōgōya has accumulated dense Yin energy over hundreds of years, filled with the memorial tablets of revered monks and the tombs of generals. The killing aura and spiritual energy there must be terrifyingly potent!"

Seeing Li Yundong speaking so fluently, as if intimately familiar with the history of the Japanese cultivation world, Zhou Qin couldn't help but exclaim, "Master, how do you know so much?"

Li Yundong chuckled. "If you were confined within a Small Thousand World for ten thousand years, you'd probably know a great deal too!"

While they spoke, they watched Juchiko Tachibana chanting, gently swaying the banner, the silver bells on her wrist tinkling. Soon, the runes on the banner brightened once more, and a dense black mist coiled out, gradually forming a human figure before her.

The crowd watched as this figure wore the armor of a Japanese warrior. The armor was entirely crimson, as if coated in a thick layer of blood plasma, upon which were affixed all sorts of bizarre talismans. Even from a distance, a heavy stench of blood washed over them.

This figure wielded a katana. Its face was hidden within the helmet, revealing only a pair of gruesome, crimson eyes. The gaze was cold and terrifying, like a demon king from the depths of hell, chilling anyone who met its eyes!

Zhou Qin gasped in alarm. "What kind of monster is that?"

Li Yundong focused intently. He saw that the various talismans hanging on the warrior’s armor were all Buddhist Demon-Subduing Sealing Talismans. He was visibly moved. "This person carries such a heavy scent of blood, yet is covered in so many Buddhist talismans. Could this be Oda Nobunaga, the Sixth Heaven Demon King who once purged Mount Hiei?"

As his words fell, Juchiko Tachibana coldly addressed Ziyuan, "Venerable Ziyuan, I invite you!" With that, she waved her banner.

This terrifying, ferocious demon king roared and charged toward Ziyuan!