Inner Destroyer

　Elaine didn't say she wanted to follow this time, she just nodded.

　Of course she knew that if Qi Xing really wanted to start a god-level battle, she would only be a burden by his side. It would be better for her to stay behind, maintain communications, and be responsible for coordinating support.

　Radios are essentially useless in the "Inner World," and even magical communications are sometimes disrupted or blocked.

　Only between Qi Xing and Yi Lian, there is a way of communication that will never fail.

　"If something happens,"

　Qi Xing looked at Elaine with an extremely serious tone.

　"Just call me."

　Elaine replied with a faint smile: "Okay."

　Her eyes were gentle, yet filled with the same trust that was as firm as ever.

　Just like that, everything was decided quickly.

　Everyone started to move. Qi Xing took the map given by the Yin Yang Bureau and was about to step out of the room.

　"Wait a moment."

　A cold voice suddenly came from the door.

　At some point, Shingorin had been standing quietly at the doorway. His expression was as calm as a still lake, but his eyes held a look of determination.

　"I want to go too."

　She spoke slowly, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

　"Oh?" Qi Xing frowned. "I think we should leave a top fighter here to prevent them from being lured away. My communication with Elaine won't be blocked, so it would definitely be better if I go."

　This may indeed be a rational tactic.

　Lin shook his head: "Even you, Qi Xing—are not invincible."

　"I am the Guardian of the North, so I will not let you face unknown dangers alone."

　In her cold temperament, her words revealed a little bit of childish stubbornness.

　This made Qi wake up

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　I couldn't help but laugh.

　"So you're going to protect me?"

　After laughing, Qi Xing looked down at her, his tone already half serious.

　"Okay."

　"Today, let me experience what it feels like to be protected by the Guardian of the North."

　"let's go."

　As soon as he finished speaking, thunder sounded and he stepped out of the door, like a flash of lightning, heading straight for the center of the storm.

　095: Who told you to speak?

　Hakkoda Mountain is not far from Xinxiang Village.

　The two flew straight ahead and arrived at their destination before noon. Incidentally, Qi Xing was wearing the tweed coat Elaine had picked out for him, while Lin was wearing a full set of miko costumes, looking very much in work mode.

　Looking down at the entire mountain from the air, although the legendary "Sugazawa Village" could not be seen, a place shrouded in mist could be found, so misty that even the mind could not penetrate it.

　Qi Xing was, after all, a semi-immortal cultivator, and he had some knowledge of feng shui. Looking at the direction of the mountain range, he couldn't help but frown: "This place has very good feng shui."

　The word Feng Shui first came from the Book of Burial in the Jin Dynasty, which said: "Qi disperses with the wind and stops at the water. The ancients gathered it so that it would not disperse, and practiced it so that it would stop, so it was called Feng Shui."

　Originally, feng shui was used exclusively for burials, a technique used by those cultivating the path to immortality. At least until the Tang Dynasty, feng shui masters primarily built tombs for emperors and nobles.

　The evil immortal family that Qi Xing traveled to in this life, which cultivated zombies, also played a similar game. Qi Xing had memorized some of the knowledge before running away from home.

　Later generations expanded Feng Shui beyond just the location of burial veins and acupuncture points, gradually extending it to the art of geomancy. It not only considered the influence of mountains and rivers, but also the analysis of the sun, moon, and stars.

　Qi Xing's knowledge was limited, so he could only look at the mountain and river veins, but he knew at a glance: "This Hakkoda Mountain is actually a main vein."

　This place is roughly located in the center of Aomori Prefecture, the backbone of the Tohoku region, and the northernmost end of the Ou Mountains... In short, this is actually the end of the Tohoku region of Japan's long mountain range.

　The movement and undulation of the earth's veins are what form the dragon. In Chinese parlance, the Hakkoda Mountains are considered the end of a tributary of the Japanese dragon vein, and a hidden dragon lurking beneath the ground.

　The ancients believed that a good feng shui site for burying the dead not only allowed the deceased to rest in peace but also brought blessings to future generations, ensuring family prosperity, flourishing businesses, and a peaceful home. But has anyone ever considered why the ancients believed that simply burying the dead could have such benefits? Could it be that burials directly influence "luck"?

　Actually, it's not. The ancients' worldview was often more logical than modern thinking. As early as the Han Dynasty, the ancients believed that good burial feng shui would benefit future generations, not out of luck—but because a good burial would strengthen the deceased.

　You read that right, this is a serious statement, though the words may be a bit crude. But this is what people in ancient times really thought at first.

　When ancestors become stronger in the spirit world after death, they naturally provide blessings for their descendants. This is simple and reasonable logic. Powerful ancestors themselves bring benefits to their descendants.

　Mount Hakkoda is a key dragon vein in Japan's northeastern region. Living beings cultivating here can achieve twice the result with half the effort; even the dead, buried here with the right methods, should become stronger, perhaps even achieving immortality through corpse transformation. Even Qi Xing thought this was a good spot.

　It’s a pity that it was occupied by evil heretics.

　"Qi flows through the earth, gathering within it due to the terrain. No wonder Amaterasu was able to use cordyceps to draw spiritual energy from the entire northeastern earth veins here; it's a combination of time and place."

　Qi Xing pondered and said,

　"That's why she dared to take the initiative to lure me here."

　Although Rin didn't understand feng shui, upon hearing this, he added, "I've heard that the 'ba' in Hakkodayama refers to a lot, and the 'jia' symbolizes shield."

　That would be really easy to defend but difficult to attack.

　This is not a siege battle on the physical level, but a positional spell confrontation on the metaphysical level.

　Lin tilted his head, and although he didn't speak directly, he asked Qi Xing - How do you plan to attack?

　There are actually many ways. For example, Qi Xing could descend and slowly explore the flaws of this "inner world" on the mountain, but...

　"As soon as I saw the flow of this leyline, I felt that if this matter dragged on for too long, it would definitely not be good."

　Qi Xing answered decisively,

　"We already know the location. Let's just rush in!"

　Of course Rin likes this method!

　There was no need to say more. The white and red shrine maiden's garments were already rising in the hot wind. Her eyes focused, and flames rose from her back, spreading six crimson wings!

　boom! !

　Almost at the same time, Qi Xing took a deep breath, and thunder exploded from his dantian!

　In an instant, he transformed into a pale blue bolt of lightning, swooping down from the sky. The naked eye couldn't see its trajectory, only the sound of a series of shattering explosions rolling through the clouds!

　Fire and thunder, light and heat.

　The six wings of Shenhu Lin cut through the mountain wind, carrying a blazing divine fire, forming a downward-rushing red-gold meteorite; while Qi Xing was like a thunderbolt that struck from the sky, falling straight to the earth with an unstoppable force!

　No need to hide.

　Don't bother to hide!

　"True Buddhism", your grandfather "Lei Pu Zhenren" is here!

　In a flash, the misty valley of Mount Hakkoda finally reacted the moment the two men swooped down on it!

　The already thick fog began to boil, condense, and roll, twisting into whirlpools layer by layer, blocking the two people!

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　This was no ordinary mist, but rather a "will" mingled with a vast amount of earthly spiritual energy and foul desires. It wasn't an attack in itself, but rather a "door." Those without the key couldn't pass through.

　However, Qi Xing and Lin are not the type to obediently use the key to open the door!

　"If you don't let me in, I'll smash it!"

　Qi Xing laughed loudly, and his whole body turned into lightning, slamming into the fog!

　boom! !

　The sea of ​​fog immediately shook violently, and electric arcs exploded, like a powerful thunder god splitting the mountain in anger!

　The next second, Lin followed closely behind, with his six wings spread out. The blazing fire waves were like divine fire burning the world, burning a path through the fog!

　The fog dissipated violently in the heat and thunder, and the originally indestructible "inner world" barrier was smashed into pieces by two forces that were strong enough to split the sky and break mountains!

　The entire mountain shook! Birds and animals fled, trees swayed, and winds poured into the cracks from all directions!

　The next moment, the two of them flew into the foggy world almost side by side and landed on the ground.

　The moment their toes touched the ground, the temperature plummeted, the lightning died, and their wings of fire retracted. Looking around, the scenery they saw was no different from the ancient villages depicted on television or in comics.

　Under their feet was a broken stone road.

　Surrounded by mountains, scattered around were a few old wooden houses with low eaves and sloping tiled roofs. Some doors were half-closed, while others were wide open, casting a dark shadow like gaping mouths.

　Occasionally, you can see a rusty old water pump, a fallen mailbox, and a crooked electric pole standing on the roadside, with the cable broken long ago. The thin remaining wires hang down like silk threads, swinging in the air.

　On the exterior walls of some houses, there are still faded notices with slogans such as "Epidemic Attention".

　They finally entered the legendary "Sugizawa Village" - and it seems that as early as the 1930s, before the village was destroyed, this village actually had quite a lot of interactions with the outside world, and even had electrical appliances, proving that it had access to electricity from the outside world and was not some unknown secret village.

　The surroundings were dead silent, and of course, no one else was in sight. Qi Xing peered through the shattered windows into several houses. They were completely empty, save for some furniture. It was as if someone had once lived there, then been uprooted and completely vanished.

　To ordinary people, at first glance, this is just a deserted village.

　However, Qi Xing and Lin, who are superhumans, can both feel that the thick fog covering the mountains outside the village has not been penetrated or dissipated.

　It still remains in the air, water and soil, but has changed its form, becoming invisible and intangible, but it has penetrated into every inch of space.

　There's no wind. Not a breath of wind.

　The fog seemed to cling to my skin, and every breath felt like breathing in silk threads soaked in rotten water. Walking through the village felt like swimming in a sticky liquid. It felt like being enveloped in warm, wet mud, making me feel sick.

　Therefore, Rin still did not extinguish her flame, but continued to purify the air around her. Otherwise, the mist would probably flow into her lungs with every breath.

　Does the fog in this village repel outsiders? Perhaps the opposite is true.

　Lin looked back and saw that the thick fog she and Qi Xing had blasted through earlier—the gaping hole they had left behind—had already been filled with fresh fog. The fog was even thicker than before, as if it had subconsciously tightened its grip on its pockets after sensing an intruder.

　This is not just a cover-up.

　This is a deserted village that has long been uninhabited, a hollow shell of an abandoned village, and the debris is trying to trap outsiders who come here.

　“It’s easy to get in, but hard to get out.”

　Qi Xing shook his head,

　"Ms. Lin, I told you not to come with me."

　"Quite the opposite."

　Lin retorted calmly, his tone as calm as ever.

　"If you are lured by the enemy and fall into a trap alone, you will be truly isolated and helpless."

　Qi Xing was speechless for a moment.

　A trap?

　Be it a trap or a ghost village, they have already walked in, so let's see which one is scarier.

　If this were a horror movie or game, the evil spirits and monsters that inhabited the abandoned village would have jumped out and attacked them by now. Qi Xing and Lin naturally hoped that the enemy would jump out as soon as possible. Because if they did nothing, the purpose of "True Buddhism" would be unclear.

　Staying alert, Qi Xing and Lin walked side by side deeper into the village, passing through the faded wooden archway and stepping onto the damp and cold stone road. The entire village was like a hollowed-out shell, so quiet that even breathing echoed. Until -

　"The guest said he wanted to do it tonight by the well behind the house."

　Until a sudden female voice floated through the fog.

　"No way? Outdoors again? In the middle of winter, is there something wrong with his brain?"

　Another girl, who was obviously younger, complained reluctantly in response.

　"How can you say that about our guests? Thanks to them, we can have something to eat. Remember to apply more medicine at night. It's very cold and it won't get wet easily."

　The two voices drifted around my ears like fog, and I couldn't tell from which direction they came.

　But Qi Xing and Lin couldn't help but look at each other... It seemed that "Sugizawa Village" had not yet become what it is now, and it was the sound of conversation in the past.

　This is an echo, perhaps the reverberation of "Sugizawa Village" itself - the life that once existed, the nights, breaths, and obscenities that once took place here, along with this land, are all trapped in the fog.