As the savior, I only want to play single-player games.

Maybe it was on the way.

Baihe Chuanhua didn't pay attention, because she rarely came to the suburbs and didn't know that this road was actually extremely remote and rarely had any visitors.

"After all these years, are the gods still in the depths of the spirit world?"

Grandma Saegusa didn't seem too sure either, saying, "I suppose it probably exists."

Because that's their destination.

It is the dwelling place of a god.

But Takeda Saegusa had many doubts about this.

After leaving the city, we drove for about ten minutes in the suburbs and arrived at the mountains.

There is a train station here because there is a village at the foot of the nearby mountain, which is also the village where Takeda Mie lived.

However, Grandma Saegusa didn't say much. Instead, after getting out of the car, she stood in the desolate wilderness with Miko and Hana.

Looking at the lush, rolling mountains ahead, she said, "Jianzi, you should remember the words I said that revealed the essence of the gods."

Jianzi nodded slightly: "Yes, Mother-in-law, you said that so-called gods are also a kind of evil spirits."

"It is undeniable that there are benevolent spirits that have transformed into deities, but in this world, there are definitely more evil spirits than benevolent spirits," Granny Sanzhi said solemnly.

Even after arriving at her destination, she remained filled with anxiety, unsure whether what she had done was right or wrong.

If we make a mistake, it could very well lead to the deaths of both Yurikawa Hana and Miko in this place.

She's old, so whether she lives or dies doesn't matter, but she must save these two girls' lives.

Their lives have just begun.

Grandma Sanzhi's eyes were firm.

"The deity we are about to meet may not be a true deity. Although ancient, it has existed for at most a few hundred years. This is the most specific clue I can get."

Grandma Saegusa sighed as she recalled the rumors about the mountain and her own experiences there, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes.

"Is it dangerous?" Jianzi asked, standing beside her.

Grandma Sanzhi nodded heavily.

"There is a high probability that our lives will be in danger. Jianzi, Xiaohua, you must remember my words."

Seeing her extremely serious expression, and seeing Zi and Hua looking at each other in bewilderment, they both nodded.

"When I tell you to run, don't hesitate at all!"

"Do you understand?" Granny Sanzhi said sternly.

"I understand..." Xiao Hua's voice was weak, as if she lacked confidence about what was about to happen.

Jian Zi nodded and calmly said, "I will act according to the circumstances."

Grandma Saegusa continued, still worried, "If anything happens, you must leave immediately and never come back here again. If you still want to find a deity, you might as well try your luck at some large shrines. If you're lucky, you might find a real deity."

But she herself had no hope, after all, the gods had not manifested themselves for hundreds of years.

"Let's go!" Grandma Sanzhi said, and took the lead.

Shortly after they left, a black sedan pulled up and stopped by the roadside. A young man dressed as a magician got out, looked at the mountain in front of him, and couldn't help but sigh slightly.

'More than a decade has passed, and I've returned.'

In the back seat sat Yuria, gazing in the direction where Miko had left.

'Seeing this, they must be on a secret mission. Master didn't even tell me! Damn it, this time I'll make them look at me differently.'

……

……

I'll add one more chapter; I still owe four chapters.

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Chapter Seventeen: The Old Seal, the Crowbar, and Friends [First Update]

After entering the forest, Jianzi discovered a passageway in the once densely wooded area.

It was a long staircase, stretching straight up to a height of about a hundred meters, with lush trees on both sides, and the end could not be seen at a glance.

Grandma Sanzhi looked solemn, because in her eyes, the steps were so abrupt, overlapping with reality.

Moreover, the many evil spirits that originally hid in the deep mountains and gathered in this place have all disappeared.

Jianzi was somewhat surprised, because such a remote place actually had such a long staircase, with no trace of it visible from the outside.

"Everything here does not exist in the real world; we have arrived in another world."

Grandma Sanzhi stepped onto the long staircase and climbed the steps, leading Miko and Xiaohua.

"Is this the spirit world?" Jianzi asked in astonishment. Since the spirit world didn't exist in reality, she could only think of it.

But hasn't the spirit world already gone?

“It’s not the spirit world, it’s a barrier. The barrier set up by our ancestors allows spirits to reside peacefully here,” Granny Sanzhi explained.

It is precisely because the spirit world is far away that it is necessary to set up a field barrier.

The divine is above all spirits, because a spirit that reaches a certain level of strength can be called a divine being.

Spirits are not necessarily strong, but gods are definitely strong. Even if they are not observed, as long as they take action, they can directly affect reality.

However, even powerful gods have limitations; for example, evil spirits can only survive on the surface of the spirit world.

But not the gods; the surface spirit world cannot provide them with the space to operate.

Like a dragon swimming in shallow waters, although gods can also move around in the real world, it is a huge drain on them, so all gods in the real world have disappeared.

A field barrier is like digging a deep pit in a shallow area. This fixed location can be considered the depths of the spirit world, allowing deities to exist there forever.

"Won't ordinary people accidentally wander into this place?" Xiao Hua asked curiously.

Jianzi thought about it for a moment. There didn't seem to be any related ghost stories near the city, which meant that no one was disturbing this place. Another possibility was that someone had come in but hadn't left.

Grandma Sanzhi glanced at Xiaohua, her expression somewhat strange, and explained:

"Either you are a psychic yourself, or you bring Xiao Hua with you, and you can get inside the barrier."

"Me?" Yurikawa looked bewildered, unable to understand what this had to do with her.

Grandma Sanzhi is a psychic, but Xiaohua is not. Even Jianzi herself is unsure whether she is a psychic or not.

She hesitated for a moment before asking, "What situation do we fall into?"

Grandma Sanzhi looked at Xiaohua with a strange expression and said, "The second one."

Only by bringing Xiaohua could we get here; only by bringing Xiaohua could we see the gods…

Seeing that Zi was pondering these words carefully, and then her expression changed, she glanced at Granny Sanzhi in shock. The latter shook her head slightly, indicating that Zi should not say it aloud, and that it was enough for her to know.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about? I don't understand." Hearing this inexplicable conversation, Yurikawa Hana stood there, instinctively sensing something was wrong.

She couldn't quite understand what was wrong, but instinctively felt a surge of malice welling up inside her.

Seeing Ziwei shake her head slightly, she knew she would never abandon Xiaohua.

"It's nothing, Hua, let's keep going."

"But you're clearly hiding something from me."

Seeing that Zi's expression was calm, he said without changing his tone, "It's about evil spirits."

Yuri Kawana said seriously, "It can't be that, can it?"

Seeing that Zigu remained calm, he said naturally, "That's the matter! Hua, let's hurry up and go up, it's getting late."

"Jianzi, can you please stop making me so anxious? I always feel like you know things I don't." Baihechuan Hua's eyes were pure, her face flushed with a natural blush, looking extremely healthy. She interlaced her fingers, appearing somewhat uneasy.

"Okay, Hua, let's go together. I'll treat you to cake when we get back."

"...Really?" Yurikawa asked hesitantly.

Seeing that Zi nodded in affirmation.

"Ok."

Yurikawa didn't linger; instead, she grabbed Miko's sleeve and continued up the steps.

She was simple-minded. Although she was obsessed with food, she was very perceptive. Her parents had raised her for many years without being impoverished by her eating, which showed that they were well-off. In fact, she didn't really care about cakes. She just trusted Jianzi and didn't want Jianzi to go back because of her.

The three arrived at the top, first of which was the torii gate. White shimenawa ropes were tied to the two pillars of the torii gate, and a sign hung in the center of the crossbeam. The handwriting was illegible and extremely blurry, and it was difficult to make out. Only the words "shrine" could be seen at the bottom of the sign.

Further inside are stone sculptures of fox-shaped divine messengers.

Here stands a flat area, where a shrine stands quietly.

Solemn and ancient, with a great atmosphere.

In front of the shrine, two shrine attendants dressed in kimonos stood silently, with seven or eight bells hanging from their waists. Although they were human, they looked more like foxes, with eerie features, black hair reaching their ears, and two fox ears standing upright. The faces of the shrine attendants were slightly damaged, with cracks appearing like masks. They stood silently, like dolls, which added to the eerie feeling.

They stood on both sides, like messengers guarding the gods.

In the center is a beast sitting cross-legged on the ground, with a lithe and streamlined body... no, it's more accurate to call it a divine beast than a ferocious beast, because its body is long and strong, with horns on the left and right sides of its head and a horn-shaped crown at the back of its head, making it extremely majestic and sacred, standing about six or seven meters tall.

Seeing Zi's breath catch in her throat, she swallowed hard. Even though she had prepared herself mentally, she still felt her legs trembling when the moment came.

Is this... a god?

Her legs went weak, and her gaze drifted. Her fear of this divine creature made her subconsciously ignore its existence.

Just pretend you don't see it, just like before...

No, I'm negotiating with the gods on behalf of Tendou Kagura!

Don't show weakness, don't be afraid, don't back down, you can see me...

Thinking this way, she felt as if she had gained a stabilizing force, and her heart was extremely at peace, like Mount Tai, as firm as a rock. Standing in the sky, she felt that all things in the world were ultimately fleeting clouds, passing by in an instant.

In a spiritual realm unknown to her, a wondrous crystal shone brightly, rising and falling like the sun.

Seeing that Zi looked relaxed and stood quietly, with Xiao Hua on his left and Granny Sanzhi on his right, forming an equal number with the gods and messengers in front of him.

Her delicate face was serene and otherworldly as she looked over indifferently.

"I, Yotsuya, have come to pay my respects to the gods," she said softly, demonstrating her sincerity, and bowed slightly as a sign of courtesy.