Chapter 513: Seizing the Cauldron
Although it was noon, the Sea Surface was like dusk before nightfall.
Strange Figures, in groups of two or three, were scattered across the Sea Surface. The largest group of these "people" numbered over a hundred Shadows, surrounding a Bald-headed Elder wearing a brown Great Cloak.
The Bald-headed Elder held a dry cigarette in his hand and was Commanding the numerous Ghoul behind him to unleash their Demonic Power, Manifesting translucent Talisman, seemingly trying to block the spreading Clear Light.
However, he clearly underestimated the Formidable nature of this Clear Light. As soon as the Talisman came into contact with the Clear Light, they instantly dimmed and shattered into streams of Firelight.
Under the continuously spreading Clear Light, the Bald-headed Elder could only lead his Ghoul in a constant retreat. A few Ghoul whose steps were slower were caught by the Clear Light. The Clear Light passed through their Bodies, and the Bodies of these Ghoul directly shattered.
"Nurarihyon! You cunning old Ghost are here too!"
A Figure wearing Tang Dynasty Imperial Attire appeared at the edge of the Clear Light. This Figure held a Paper Folding Fan, covering half of their Face. Although their appearance couldn't be seen, they exuded a sense of peerless grace!
"Tamamo-no-Mae!" The Bald-headed Elder saw this Figure appear and immediately pressed his hand to his Sword Hilt, assuming a Sword Drawing Stance. The Hundred Demons behind him also collectively adopted Attack postures.
"Nurarihyon! Shh! We'll settle our score later, I don't have the Energy to deal with you right now!" Tamamo-no-Mae, a Great Demon whose Life in Japan was second only to Yamata no Orochi, raised her index Finger and gently placed it against her lips, shushing Nurarihyon!
"Burp!" Tamamo-no-Mae covered her mouth, her Eyes twinkling with a cunning Smile. She laughed towards Nurarihyon, "Excuse me, I ate a bit too much just now! After all, thanks to you, I haven't had a good meal in hundreds of years!"
Nurarihyon watched the wisps of Black Energy emerging from between Tamamo-no-Mae's Fingers with a gloomy Expression, knowing that this fellow must have taken advantage of this maritime disaster to massively Devour many Human souls.
"Damn it!" Nurarihyon's Fingers pressed tightly against his Sword Hilt. He wasn't angry about Tamamo-no-Mae Devouring Humanity.
He was angry that Tamamo-no-Mae had gained the Opportunity to recover her Strength. Hundreds of years ago, he had ambushed Tamamo-no-Mae, which allowed him to secure his Position as the Commander of the Hundred Demons.
Once Tamamo-no-Mae recovered her full Strength, he would be in trouble!
"Damn it, didn't those Onmyoji boast about being the strongest in Japan? How could they let this fellow escape? What about the Gods they worship? A bunch of idiots!"
Although Nurarihyon maintained the steady demeanor of a commander in front of his Ghoul Subordinate, in his heart, he had already cursed those unreliable Onmyoji a thousand times.
Baka! Could the Sessho-seki have shattered?!
Are the Gods you worship just freeloaders?!
What Nurarihyon didn't know was that if he had arrived fifteen minutes earlier, he would have seen the God worshipped in the Shrine.
The Strength of these Gods was far greater than that of these Ghoul. Correspondingly, they sensed the Abnormal state of this Sea Area earlier than these Ghoul.
The early bird gets the worm. The Underworld Cauldron on the Seabed was no less tempting to these Japanese Gods than a Manchu Han Imperial Feast laid out before a starving gourmand. If they couldn't Restrain their Desire, they would be Refined into a part of this Underworld Cauldron. The dozen or so Gods who were Devoured by the Underworld Cauldron were a cautionary tale.
Tamamo-no-Mae stood on the Sea Surface, the Sea Breeze blowing past, her hair fluttering. As expected of a Great Demon from Japanese Legend, she wore magnificent clothing, her demeanor was graceful, and every movement exuded an Aura that could make one's Divine Soul reel.
The folding fan in her hand gently unfolded, the fan surface lightly swaying. With a playful Expression, she looked at the worried-looking Nurarihyon.
This peerless grace attracted a Gaze towards her even from Queen Mother of the West and Dragon King, who were hidden in The Void.
"Goddess! This seems to be the White-faced, Golden-furred Nine-tailed Fox from Qing Qiu that fled to Japan during the Tang Dynasty!" Dragon King's pair of Dragon Eye stared intently at Tamamo-no-Mae, sizing her up. His Expression seemed as if he would swallow Tamamo-no-Mae whole the next moment!
"It is indeed of the Qing Qiu Bloodline!" Queen Mother of the West glanced indifferently at Tamamo-no-Mae, not putting this thousand-year-old Great Demon in her Eyes.
Although Tamamo-no-Mae was born with nine tails and possessed extraordinary Ability, she was a Powerful One who could not be ignored, not only among the Great Demon but even among the Gods of Takamagahara.
But who was Queen Mother of the West? The Tong Ming Beast she raised could level the entire Takamagahara by itself. As for Tamamo-no-Mae, in front of her, she was just a little Fox with prettier fur.
It could be said that Queen Mother of the West, who was called an Ancient God in This World, was the true Existence standing at the peak of This World. Only a handful of people could compare with her.
No, the only two people in This World who could be mentioned in the same breath as her were dealt with. One was beaten into the Six Paths of Reincarnation by Tang Song, and Taishan Fujun suffered the fate of Soul and Spirit Annihilated.
At this moment, Queen Mother of the West could truly be called, Below One Person!
Many Great Demon arrived at this Sea Area one after another. Many still had Blood around their mouths, clearly having feasted during this maritime disaster!
Japan, this tiny country, claimed to have eight million Ghost God. To put it bluntly, any Resentful Ghost could potentially be enshrined in a Shrine and become a so-called God.
The legitimacy of these Japanese Gods was so questionable, it was even worse than the humidity during the humid spring in the south.
Many Yokai were both Demon and Gods worshipped in Shrines.
However, the Yokai who could come to this Sea Area had some Ability. Of course, for Dragon King, there were only two that were worth looking at: one was a young Yokai with a bare upper Body, revealing a sturdy physique, a single horn growing in his red hair, and a half-human-sized large-mouthed gourd on his Back.
The other wore an Onmyoji robe that was white with blue patterns, had half a Face Mask on his Face, and Black Wings on his Back.
Dragon King heard those Yokai call these two Shuten-doji and Daitengu. The Aura of both were not weak, comparable to Tamamo-no-Mae.
As for the myriad others, such as "Vampire Princess", "Inugami", "Kuro Mujou", "Shiro Mujou", "Hannya", "Hone-onna", "Kiyohime", "Jorōgumo", "Zhen", "Kubinashi", "Warrior Spirit", "Satori" - these Yokai from Japanese Legend capable of making crying children stop, Dragon King didn't even bother to lift an Eyebrow. His Eyes were fixed solely on Tamamo-no-Mae.
As more and more Yokai gathered in this Sea Area, it vaguely formed a Scene more terrifying than the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, like Netherworld Hell.
"Hehehehehe, is there some Treasure on the Seabed? So many Great Demon are gathered here!"
"I sense the Aura of a Treasure!"
"Look quickly, what is that?"
The Black Cauldron submerged on the Seabed seemed to also sense the Aura of these Yokai. Its originally heavy Body immediately became as if it were Carved from wood, swaying as it floated towards the Sea Surface.
When it floated out of the Water Surface, it was immediately spotted by a sharp-eyed Great Demon.
"Fufufufufu, this Thing is mine!" A late-arriving Yokai who hadn't witnessed the Terror of the Clear Light emitted by the Black Cauldron directly rushed forward. Under the mocking Gaze of the other Yokai, he reached out and grabbed the Black Cauldron.
"Inugami is really bold!" A short-statured monster with a green Turtle Shell on its Back, a Pointed Beak, and a Mediterranean hairstyle sarcastically mocked this fellow who didn't know his Life and Death.
However, when Inugami's Palm held the Black Cauldron and he remained unharmed, the Yokai gradually sensed that something was Abnormal.
In the darkness, pairs of Eyes, some crimson, some demonic green, some pale Gold, lit up one after another, carrying Bloodthirsty Radiance!
"Inugami, hand over the Thing. This Thing belongs to Nurarihyon's Group." An Ox-Head monster, at Nurarihyon's signal, led a group of Ghoul and charged towards Inugami, who was holding the Black Cauldron.
The arrogant Voice of the Ox-Head monster echoed in the darkness, like igniting a pile of gunpowder barrels.
Hundreds of Shadows simultaneously pounced towards Inugami, who was holding the Black Cauldron.
"Inugami, hand over the Thing!"
"That Thing belongs to Yours Truly!"
"Get lost!"
"Ah!" Accompanied by the unique, guttural roars in the Black Mist, those Native Yokai charged towards Inugami while simultaneously engaging in a frenzied slaughter among themselves.
Daitengu, floating in mid-Sky with his arms crossed, looked at the Black Cauldron in Inugami's hand. His Raven-like Wings flapped on his Back, his Body instantly disappeared, and when he reappeared, he was already hundreds of meters away in mid-Sky, reaching out directly to grab the Black Cauldron from Inugami's hand.
The monster with a Shiba Inu Head and a Human Body with a Dog Head faced Daitengu attacking from mid-Sky. Although it knew the opponent was an unmatched Great Demon, it couldn't bear to part with the heavy Black Cauldron in its hand.
"Woof woof—"
Facing Daitengu's outstretched hand, it let out whines of protecting its food from its mouth. It opened its Dog mouth full of Sharp Teeth and bit towards Daitengu.
"Chi chi chi chi—"
Several Cruciform Sword Light filled with chilling sensation flashed across the Pitch black Sea Surface. Daitengu slowly inserted the Katana in his hand back into its Scabbard and caught the Black Cauldron from a severed hand.
A stream of Azure Qi suddenly rose from the mouth of the Black Cauldron—
Daitengu subconsciously flung the Black Cauldron in his hand away. The Black Cauldron circled several times. The stream of Azure Qi extended windingly from the cauldron's mouth, sweeping away the Dog's Divine Soul that had been dismembered by Daitengu.
Then the stream of Azure Qi re-entered the cauldron. Seeing this situation, Daitengu immediately had a bold Guess in his heart.
He spread his Wings on his Back and instantly appeared in front of a Yokai. Blade Light flashed, and the unlucky Yokai's Head directly rolled into the Sea.
Another stream of Azure Qi emerged from the mouth of the Black Cauldron, sweeping up the Soul of the headless Yokai.
After confirming his Guess, Daitengu flapped his Wings and once again reached for the Black Cauldron suspended in mid-Sky.
"Daitengu, you want to take this Thing? Did you ask Yours Truly first?!"
An arrogant Voice sounded beside Daitengu. Shuten-doji, with horns growing on his Head, carried a terrifying Aura and smashed a Fist towards Daitengu.
"Daitengu, let Yours Truly see what qualifications you have to be ranked among us! Let me defeat you! Let you witness my Strength."
At this moment, Shuten-doji's appearance was very ferocious. With a single leap, his Entire Body was filled with dense Demonic Energy.
Seeing Shuten-doji attack, Daitengu did not dare to be careless. He drew the Katana from his Back and slashed towards Shuten-doji's Fist.
Daitengu's Blade and Shuten-doji's Fist collided, emitting sounds like Wind and Thunder striking each other.
The collision of two terrifying powers, the aftershocks of the power continuously affected the surrounding Yokai. Some weaker Yokai either died under Daitengu's Blade or were smashed into meat paste by Shuten-doji's Fist.
Tamamo-no-Mae, who was watching the spectacle from the side, slightly furrowed her Eyebrow. After all, this Picture was truly not very aesthetically pleasing. She watched as the Azure Qi spread from the Black Cauldron, collecting the souls of the dead Yokai.
Tamamo-no-Mae did not step forward. Instead, her Gaze towards the Black Cauldron carried a hint of Fear.
She was not one of these bumpkin Native Yokai from Japan. She was a genuine Qing Qiu Fox. It was just that she had got into some trouble back then and couldn't stay in the Central Lands, so she secretly fled to this barbaric little country where not even birds would shit, following those Japanese envoys to Tang.
As a Qing Qiu Fox, she clearly knew how terrifying the Supernatural Power of the Central Lands was, especially K'un-Lun and Underworld, which were places where Powerful One emerged in large numbers.
This Black Cauldron Devouring souls was very similar to the methods of the Underworld. Back when she was driven out of the Great Tang, the Ghost Messenger from the Underworld were also involved.
Therefore, the moment the Black Cauldron floated out of the Water Surface, she quickly retreated more than ten kilometers away, watching from afar as those Yokai fell into a frenzy, slaughtering each other madly.
The Figures of Queen Mother of the West and Dragon King were hidden in The Void, watching as the Japanese Yokai, with their Eyes crimson, fought each other like madmen.
"These barbarians, they secretly learned many Things in the Central Lands back then, but now it seems they are all shallow Frog in a Well, only fixated on Magic Arts with great power, but they don't know what comes before the Art..."
Dragon King watched as a Two-faced Red-haired Ghost with two faces front and back, four arms, and two heads, and an Ox-Head monster stabbed their Katana into each other's abdomen. After the blood drained away, their souls were swept into the Black Cauldron. He couldn't help but sigh.
"Goddess, is this the power of the Fujun Treasure Cauldron?"
"Back then, Taishan Fujun used this cauldron to open up the most ancient Hell, a Hell prepared for Gods after death. Do you think this cauldron only has this much power...?"
Queen Mother of the West looked at the Black Cauldron constantly changing hands among the Ghoul, her Gaze lowered, forcefully suppressing the Desire in her heart.
Other than Taishan Fujun himself, no one knew the true power of this Treasure Cauldron better than Queen Mother of the West. Precisely because of this, at this moment, this Ancient God looked at the Treasure Cauldron within reach, her emotions surging more intensely than ever before.
"The God Prison was opened up with this cauldron?" Dragon King looked at the Black Cauldron, his pair of Dragon Eye instantly widened.
"This cauldron is the God Prison! The God Prison is within the cauldron!" Queen Mother of the West looked at the Treasure Cauldron and sighed in her heart. She knew that even if she obtained this cauldron, she couldn't defeat that Outer Realm Visitor.
Taishan Fujun had taken that step before her. Even holding such a Treasure in his hand, he was still no match for that Outer Realm Visitor.
Although she was confident that her Strength was no weaker than Taishan Fujun's, and that once she Refined this cauldron, she would definitely surpass him, but compared to that Outer Realm Visitor, the gap was quite large.
She didn't know what the Scene was like Outside the World. After staying in one World for too long, she had truly become a Toad in a Well.
Watching a Treasure she had always dreamed of right before her Eyes, yet not daring to reach out, this feeling left Queen Mother of the West's heart unable to be Calm for a long time.
She suddenly had a Thought: to go and see what was Outside the World.
"May I ask, Fellow Daoist, what is the Scene like Outside the World!"
Queen Mother of the West suddenly asked the Void Space in front of her with a curious Expression.
"Goddess, where is anyone here?" Before Dragon King finished speaking, he saw a Shadow slowly walk out of the Void Space in front of them. His Foot seemed to be stepping on the end of Space-Time,
That Existence walked slowly towards the two with his hands behind his Back. His Calm Gaze penetrated The Void and fixed on Queen Mother of the West. He asked with some curiosity:
"Fellow Daoist can actually see me!"
Queen Mother of the West shook her Head and said, "Fellow Daoist's Magic Power is profound. Naturally, I couldn't detect your whereabouts. However, I see that Fellow Daoist greatly Value this cauldron. How could I watch it drift outside!"
"Fellow Daoist is truly Intelligent and Perceptive!" Tang Song looked at Queen Mother of the West before him and praised sincerely.
Queen Mother of the West looked at Tang Song, her Gaze full of scrutiny: "If I had taken this cauldron just now, Fellow Daoist wouldn't kill me like you killed Taishan Fujun, would you?"
Tang Song rubbed the tip of his nose, revealing an awkward yet polite Smile: "Fellow Daoist is worrying too much. How could that be!?"
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