"Look here—Yantai, Qingdao, Rizhao, Lianyungang, Shanghai, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen…" Lin Xuan's fingers hovered above the holographic map. "If you ignore the actual geographic distances and connect them purely along the ley-line trajectories of spiritual energy…"
Thin, blue threads of light spread outward, linking the coastal cities one by one. In moments, a vast and intricate formation took shape—its outline eerily similar to the shape of Japan's Kyushu Island.
"They're not just replicating Kyushu," Lin Xuan said coldly. "They're constructing a Mirror Kyushu—using China's own spiritual meridian nodes as the foundation. This mirror acts as the channel through which they steal our national fortune!"
"And the other end of that channel…" Lin Xuan continued, his expression darkening, "must be connected to a vessel—something capable of storing and transforming enormous amounts of national energy. Shixiong mentioned before: it requires an extraordinarily powerful spiritual medium."
He stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening as if struck by a horrifying realization. Forming a quick Daoist hand seal, he pointed toward the east, his gaze burning like twin torches.
"Mount Fuji… the Yamata no Orochi…" he whispered. "Now I understand! Shixiong's fears were right all along. Their 'vessel' isn't a relic or an onmyoji—it's that creature! They want to use stolen Chinese qi to shatter Grandmaster Xu Fu's ancient seal and unleash the primordial serpent itself!"
Silence fell over the vehicle.
The idea was too terrifying to process. If the Orochi truly broke free, the resulting catastrophe would make any epidemic or war seem trivial—earthquakes, storms, mass extinction. And if Japan's onmyoji managed to control the creature's godlike destructive power, the scale of their ambition would be beyond imagination.
"They're insane… absolutely insane!" Er-Ge stammered.
"Not insane," Liu Siyu said coldly. "Just ambitious. When people believe in their so-called 'imperial restoration,' they'll sacrifice anything—and anyone."
Fang Zhiguo's voice was calm but tight with urgency. "This situation has escalated beyond conventional operations. We're returning to headquarters immediately. Master Zhang has secured additional intel and reinforcements from Bureau 749. We'll reassess and formulate a joint action plan—one that fuses modern intelligence analysis with classical metaphysics."
He paused, his tone grave. "Remember—this is no longer a counterespionage or anti-terror mission. This is a battle for the nation's fate."
The command vehicle roared to life, leaving behind the neon-lit city still oblivious to the coming storm. Outside, the skyline of Shanghai gleamed like a thousand stars—but within the car, everyone could feel the looming shadow of Mount Fuji… and beneath it, the restless stirrings of something monstrous.
Far beneath the National Security Headquarters—Level B7, in a chamber sealed from ordinary personnel—the air was dense with tension. The walls weren't made of concrete but a silvery alloy etched with swirling talismans. The scent of sandalwood and faint ozone filled the air. This was Bureau 749's Eastern Command Node.
When we entered, Master Zhang and Lin Xuan were already present—along with three unfamiliar figures.
The first was a sharp-featured man in a tailored Zhongshan suit, hair neatly slicked back, gold-rimmed glasses glinting beneath the lights. He meticulously polished a compass that seemed neither metal nor wood; starlight flickered faintly within its core. Beside him rested a silver case marked with a hybrid emblem of a Taiji symbol interwoven with an atomic model—the insignia of Bureau 749.
The second figure was a young woman with cropped hair and a confident stance. She wore tactical combat gear layered beneath a silk Daoist robe embroidered with swirling clouds. Two short batons crossed behind her back, faintly glowing with circuitry patterns. Her fingers flew across a transparent digital tablet displaying streams of symbols alternating between data code and arcane script.
The last was an elderly man in worn work overalls, sipping tea from a clay pot. His appearance was almost rustic, yet the energy radiating from him was profound and immeasurable—even Master Zhang showed him clear respect.
"You're here," Zhang Daoren greeted briefly before turning serious. "Let's get straight to business. These three are from Central Bureau."
He gestured first to the man with the compass. "This is Mo Heng, our foremost expert in the fusion of mechanized formations and precision instruments."
Mo Heng gave a curt nod, his eagle-sharp gaze sweeping across us without a word.
"This is Su Rui, field operations specialist. She combines rune-tech and martial combat."
Su Rui looked up, flashing a bright, easy smile. The warmth of it felt almost out of place amid the grim surroundings.
"And this," Zhang said with a trace of reverence, "is Elder Shi, the bureau's chief in geomantic energy regulation—the very anchor of our ground network."
Fang Zhiguo stepped forward and saluted slightly. "We're briefed. Abe Seimei's goal is to channel stolen Chinese qi to breach the Fuji seal and release the Orochi."
Mo Heng adjusted his glasses. "Not a possibility. A certainty. Our energy readings from nine coastal nodes and the Oriental Pearl Tower confirm it—the Mirror Kyushu is fully established. Energy convergence toward the East China Sea has begun. Seimei's recent activity in Shanghai is final calibration before activation."
Elder Shi snorted, setting down his teacup. "Those bastards. Xu Fu sealed that beast using China's ley lines and his own cultivation. Now they're trying to use our own power to undo our ancestor's work. They read a few pages of the Five Elements Canon and think they've mastered the Dao of Heaven? Hah!"
Zhang sighed. "We mustn't underestimate them. The Abe brothers are the most gifted onmyoji of their bloodline. Abe Seimei, in particular, is a prodigy—but one who's strayed far into darkness. This 'Stars Reversal Scale Array' is viciously intricate."
Lin Xuan, unusually serious, added, "The core node's definitely at the Oriental Pearl Tower. But we can't brute-force it—the energy vortex there is too unstable. If we attack directly, it'll explode or trigger a premature release."
"Exactly why we won't destroy it," Su Rui interjected, tapping her transparent pad. "We'll deceive it—and divert it."
She projected the schematic of the tower onto the main display. Golden currents and red nodes shimmered across the image.
"We need one team to infiltrate the tower's inner energy hub—the sealed 'foundation chamber' that's never open to the public," Mo Heng said, pointing to key areas. "That's where the control artifacts will be."
"The second team will work outside," Elder Shi continued, tracing ley-line patterns onto the table. "While they siphon power from the top, we'll open vents at the base and surrounding nodes—let their stolen qi flow right back into the earth. If it works, they'll be left grasping at nothing."
"But it'll require perfect synchronization and incredible energy control," Zhang warned. "Elder Shi will direct the ley-line diversion. Gu Xiudao, you and Siyu—your Pixiu amulets are pure yang, extremely sensitive to energy flow. You'll serve as his anchors and stabilizers. Stay sharp—Abe may send familiars to disrupt us."
I nodded firmly. "Understood."
Liu Siyu answered just as resolutely.
"As for the infiltration team…" Fang's gaze swept the room. "Qin Xiao handles tech and routing. Su Rui and Lin Xuan will breach the core and disable the control device. Er-Ge, you're on overwatch and support."
"Roger that!" Er-Ge puffed up his chest, then muttered, "Still, this combo—high-tech wizard girl, rune monk, and me—feels like the start of a very weird joke…"
Su Rui chuckled, patting one of her batons. "Relax, little brother. These are Thunder Rods Mk.II. I promise, they'll light up your night."
Lin Xuan bristled. "Who are you calling little brother? Show some respect!"
Zhang silenced the banter with a raised hand. "Abe will likely monitor the battle through spirit projection. Mo Heng and I will disrupt his control from here. Once his mental link falters and Elder Shi diverts the ley lines, the Mirror Kyushu will briefly lose stability. That three-minute window is your chance to destroy the core."
Mo Heng added coolly, "I'll feed you real-time energy readouts and route optimization. But remember—the situation inside is unknown. Proceed with caution."
As the mission briefing ended, the hum of equipment was the only sound left.
A battle unlike any before—where modern technology and ancient mysticism would intertwine—was about to erupt within Shanghai's most iconic tower.
The storm was coming.
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