As Ziyuan watched the terrifying Demon King roar and charge toward her, she remained perfectly calm. With a slight movement of her foot, she darted away, her figure graceful as a startled swan. She began to circle the specter of the Sixth Heaven Demon King swiftly, her purple silk ribbon, fine as spun silk, weaving relentlessly into the gaps of the demon’s armor.

As Ziyuan’s magical ribbon pierced the demon’s armor, torrents of yin energy immediately surged along it toward her, resembling black venomous snakes climbing a vine—a sight enough to curdle the blood.

Ziyuan noted the black miasma spreading at a speed nearly twice that of Shenxiu, causing a jolt of alarm within her. She let out a sharp cry, channeling her entire True Essence. In an instant, the purple ribbon in her hand became like a furious, surging river, slamming violently against the demon, binding the King entirely within moments.

Ziyuan then gave a sharp flick of her wrist and shouted, "Break!"

With a deafening boom, the Demon King’s armor was torn apart, piece by piece, by Ziyuan’s purple ribbon.

Once the armor was dismantled, the onlookers saw that it was empty inside—only a churning mass of black mist remained, within which countless hideous vengeful spirits wailed and shrieked incessantly.

This mass of black vapor twisted and howled, seemingly directing infernal curses at Ziyuan in its fury.

Though Zhou Qin feared nothing, this scene chilled her to the bone, raising the hairs on her arms. She felt that if she were facing this spectacle, she wouldn’t just hesitate to fight; even a prolonged glance would leave her trembling, robbing her of half her strength!

Zhou Qin murmured in disbelief, "How can this Oda Nobunaga be so terrifying?"

Li Yundong replied, "Oda Nobunaga was a famous Daimyo in Japan, a lifetime of conquest behind him. He once besieged and massacred Japan’s sacred Mount Hiei, earning an infamous reputation that echoed throughout the entire Japanese cultivation world. After his death, his tombstone was erected at Koyasan. The Buddhist practitioners, deeming his soul too malevolent, affixed countless sealing talismans to suppress and curse him. Thus, over the centuries, Oda Nobunaga’s spirit has become this—filled with resentment and every form of virulent curse. Anyone battling him must first endure his curses, which drastically reduce their combat strength."

Zhou Qin showed fear, her voice trembling slightly. "It’s a good thing Ziyuan has already dealt with him."

Li Yundong frowned slightly and shook his head. "No. These spirits have accumulated power here at Koyasan for hundreds of years. A mere magic treasure or spell cannot destroy them; in fact, they are functionally immortal!"

As he spoke, Tachibana Chiko waved her banner, and the pieces of armor, scattered by Ziyuan’s artifact, suddenly knitted themselves back together, reforming the terrifying armored warrior, whose menacing gaze was fixed solely on Ziyuan.

Zhou Qin gasped, exclaiming, "The demon has revived! What are we going to do?"

Ziyuan also knitted her brow slightly. The purple ribbon in her hand instantly retracted back into her sleeve. She watched the vengeful spirit of Oda Nobunaga intently, her brow furrowed as she sought a countermeasure.

While she was pondering, Tachibana Chiko waved her banner again, chanting an incantation. Soon, black mist billowed from the banner in her hand, and another armored warrior materialized beside her. This warrior wore heavy armor, a pointed helmet, and carried a Kiku-ichimonji katana. A long standard was thrust into his back, emblazoned with four imposing Chinese characters: Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain!

The moment this armored warrior appeared, a terrifying pressure washed over the observers, standing in stark contrast to the heavily steeped yin energy of Oda Nobunaga.

Two blazing orbs of fire flickered within the warrior’s dark helmet, like the burning desire of a slain general eager to return to the battlefield. As soon as he appeared, he let out a fearsome roar, his boiling battle intent causing the hairs on every cultivator present to stand on end!

Although Zhou Qin was not deeply versed in Japanese history, seeing the standard behind the warrior made her start, and she whispered, "Is that Takeda Shingen?"

Li Yundong nodded. "Indeed, the Tiger of Kai, Takeda Shingen!"

Zhou Qin worried, "We couldn't handle one, and now there are two—what can be done?"

Li Yundong said gravely, "If we must fight head-on, there are two methods: one is to use a greater divine power to crush the opponent's vengeful spirit energy; the other is to exhaust them using your own True Essence! Summoning vengeful spirits requires the caster to expend magical power. As long as we drain their power, we win!"

As the two spoke in low tones, Oda Nobunaga and Takeda Shingen—two legendary generals from Japan’s Warring States period—roared simultaneously and lunged toward Ziyuan.

Oda Nobunaga charged straight ahead. Where his form passed, black mist permeated, seemingly swallowing the space behind him. It felt as if approaching or touching him meant being dragged into an abyssal hell.

Takeda Shingen, meanwhile, was enveloped in fierce flames. Though he stood alone, the observers felt that as he charged, the standard behind him snapped fiercely, the words 'Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain' appearing like four leaping pillars of fire. It seemed as if thousands of cavalry followed him, rushing forward with a horrifying killing intent and overwhelming pressure!

Ziyuan gave a slight start. The purple ribbon in her hand shot out in a blink, instantly weaving a vast purple net before her. The two vengeful spirits crashed into the net, and she immediately began to manipulate her artifact with swift wrist movements, coiling the spirits tightly together.

As they were bound, Oda Nobunaga and Takeda Shingen struggled and roared in madness. The ribbon in Ziyuan’s hand hissed continuously, and the golden threads upon it flared with dazzling light.

Ziyuan felt as though she had netted two wild beasts; their struggles were so powerful that a moment’s inattention could see the net break and both escape!

Daring not to hold them any longer, she issued a rare, sharp cry. With a shake of both hands, the purple silk ribbon transformed into edges as sharp as blades, instantly slicing the two spirits into countless fragments again.

Seeing Ziyuan repel Tachibana Chiko’s combined attack twice, the crowd cheered loudly. The younger male cultivators, in particular, watched Ziyuan with fervent admiration.

Zou Ping, who always clashed with Ziyuan, couldn't help but frown. She whispered, "Master, what artifact is that Ziyuan is using? I’ve never seen her use it before; how is it so potent?"

Zhang Ling chuckled. "Wang Yuanshan once gathered two pieces of the Nine Heavens Immortal Haze at Tianchi in Xinjiang. He fashioned the smaller piece into a square cloth—the personal artifact used by Ruan Hongling, called the Immortal Haze Red Silk Scarf. The longer piece, which Ziyuan is using now, is called the Nine Heavens Ziyuan Silk. These artifacts originated from the Immortal Haze clouds, and clouds, being things both tangible and intangible, can transform into any shape according to the caster's will, much like a Nascent Soul. Thus, this type of artifact is versatile for both offense and defense. When attacking, it’s like a raging, irresistible tide; when defending, it’s like an iron chain blocking a river—impregnable!"

Zou Ping frowned. "But we never saw Ziyuan use it before?"

Zhang Ling snorted. "Ziyuan was precocious from childhood, brilliant and exceptionally strategic—a rare all-around prodigy in cultivation. Wang Yuanshan himself is a genius of singular arrogance, a once-in-a-century talent. He chose Ziyuan as the successor of the Linggong School for a reason. The reason she never used it was to keep it hidden from us, saving it for a surprise during the successor inauguration ceremony. Alas, this Shinto priestess, Tachibana Chiko, has forced her ultimate move out now!"

Zou Ping muttered darkly, "It would be best if Ziyuan lost. Hmph, then we’ll see how arrogant this treacherous woman dares to be!"

Zhang Ling exploded with anger at the words, her eyebrows shooting up. She hissed at Zou Ping, "Nonsense! Do you think this is just a squabble between cultivation sects? This has escalated into a contest of supremacy between the Chinese cultivation world and the Japanese cultivation world—this is a national battle! If she loses, it’s a small matter for her, but it disgraces our entire Chinese cultivation world! Furthermore, Ziyuan may have countless flaws, but theoretically, she is still one of us in the Zhengyi Sect. With the nation at stake, national interest must come first, followed by sectarian interest, and only then personal grudges! I can’t believe you would say such a thing! Have you been reading your books with your stomach?"

Zou Ping instantly flushed crimson from the reprimand. She dared not argue back, sending a resentful glance toward Ziyuan before lowering her head and falling silent.

At this moment, everyone’s attention was fixed on the battle; no one noticed the quiet exchange between Zou Ping and Zhang Ling nearby.

Seeing Ziyuan shatter her two formidable vengeful souls again, Tachibana Chiko showed a trace of surprise on her face. "Not bad. I see why you are considered the foremost figure in the Chinese cultivation world. You have some skill!"

Saying this, she began chanting again. The two armored warriors Ziyuan had just shredded reformed together, and then a third vengeful spirit materialized beside them.

The observers noticed this new spirit was different from the previous two. He wore no armor, only ragged white rōnin clothes, stained with blood and riddled with spears and swords, making him resemble a porcupine. Seven blades of varying lengths were stuck into the ground before him, each notched and bearing signs of countless duels, exuding an aura of fierce, tragic grandeur!

The moment this spirit appeared, Zhou Qin felt her heart seize as if grasped by invisible hands, nearly stopping its beat. A sharp, almost tangible killing intent forced her to instinctively want to flee!

Zhou Qin choked out, "What kind of monster is this?"

Li Yundong's brow furrowed deeply. "This is Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the most supremely skilled swordsman among all the generals who fought in Japan. Legend says that before his death, he fought against rebel forces alone, holding off waves of attackers for three hours, shattering seven swords before finally succumbing to exhaustion and death!"

As he spoke, the swords planted before the spirit began to hum, lifting themselves into the air, their sharp points aimed directly at Ziyuan, poised and brimming with murderous intent!

Zhou Qin sucked in a sharp breath. "Another one! What can Ziyuan do now? Can she outlast her opponent?"

Li Yundong’s expression was solemn. He shook his head slightly. "Tachibana Chiko’s magical power stems from the inherent strength of this banner itself, usable by anyone with the Tachibana bloodline. The power of this artifact, however, derives from the accumulated obsession of the generals and high monks buried at Koyasan over hundreds of years. This power is immense; to exhaust it is as difficult as ascending to heaven!"

Zhou Qin asked anxiously, "Master, if we can’t win a direct fight, then what?"

Li Yundong stated without hesitation, "Simple: advance directly and strike the leader! No matter how many host spirits he commands, I will ignore them all and charge straight to the caster to take their life!"

As Li Yundong spoke these words, Ziyuan on the field seemed to sense his thoughts. She moved suddenly, and without waiting for Tachibana Chiko to attack, she flashed forward like lightning toward the priestess.

As she moved, the three warrior spirits roared and lunged at Ziyuan.

The crowd watched as Ziyuan’s movements resembled a swimming dragon and a soaring phoenix. Though the three spirits advanced with ferocious killing intent, their passage seeming to carve out a path through a hellish battlefield, the air thick with the pungent smell of blood—Ziyuan moved like an ethereal fairy stepping onto a bloody arena, her feet elegantly avoiding all taint, her flowing ribbons untouched by a speck of killing aura.

Entangled by the coordinated attack of the three spirits, Ziyuan’s steps were ethereal, her figure a fleeting shadow. Whenever the spirits’ long blades neared her, Ziyuan evaded with an unbelievable turn or a sudden bend, dodging in ways both perilous and exquisitely beautiful, causing the onlookers’ hearts to pound and blood to surge!

After a brief entanglement with the three spirits, Ziyuan’s Nine Heavens Ziyuan Silk had, without conscious awareness, completed its layout, wrapping all three spirits together.

Ziyuan let out a great shout: "Break again!"

With several sounds like sharp blades scraping steel, the three spirits were instantly shredded by Ziyuan once more.

But Ziyuan did not pause. Her feet propelled her like an arrow, and she shot straight toward Tachibana Chiko, raising a hand to strike at the priestess’s face.

Seeing Ziyuan’s move to capture the leader succeed, the crowd held their breath, ready to erupt in triumphant cheers. Yet, just as the shouts reached their throats, they saw Ziyuan’s hand freeze two inches from Tachibana Chiko’s face.

Behind Tachibana Chiko, her smooth black hair suddenly shot upward like an inverted waterfall. Before her form, a shrine maiden, dressed in white robes and a red skirt, materialized out of thin air. This maiden was about two meters tall, exquisitely beautiful, with eyes that glowed with a concentrated, blade-like white light. Her expression was cold, and her entire being radiated an imposing, untouchable divine presence.

The shrine maiden looked down at Ziyuan from her height and roared, her voice shaking the surroundings, "Insignificant mortal dares to offend the deity of my Tachibana clan? You seek death!!"

With that, she flipped her wrist and brought her hand down toward Ziyuan’s crown.

Ziyuan was enveloped by the power emanating from this potent (Shinto priestess) spirit. She felt the opposing force like a vast, surging tide, crashing down upon her with overwhelming, irresistible might, blackening the world as it rushed forward!