I'm having fun in Tokyo

If Sakurada Ichiro, the demon Kashima, and the great yokai Kamiochi were merely friends, then they wouldn't be so concerned about Sakurada Ichiro's descendant, Hanami Yuki.

What must have happened next?

Hai Ruo, the Divine Lord: "Then, more than ten years passed. Mr. Kashima found that his swordsmanship had reached a bottleneck. He was unable to integrate his swordsmanship and reach the level of the Sword Saint of Kashima Shrine. Mr. Sakurada Ichiro's swordsmanship was also stuck at the level of a great swordsman and had not made any progress."

“At that time, Mr. Sakurada Ichiro was already over sixty years old. Although his strength was still great, his body was much weaker and he could no longer engage in such a fierce battle with Mr. Kashima as before.”

"Mr. Sakurada Ichiro then made a request to Mr. Kashima to use a life-or-death battle where he held nothing back to comprehend the ultimate realm of swordsmanship."

Morikawa Yu frowned: "A battle to the death?"

Just hearing these four people gives you a strong sense of determination. At that time, did Ichiro Sakurada have a premonition that he was about to die, and was thinking of making one last desperate attempt, burning his last bit of life to rush to the pinnacle of kendo?

Lord Hai Ruo: "Yes, a life-or-death battle, and a life-or-death battle where we hold nothing back and risk everything."

Chapter 610 Human power is sometimes limited

"No one knows what Mr. Sakurada Ichiro was thinking. I only heard about what happened back then from Mr. Kashima and the priestess Reiko at the time. I don't know what Mr. Sakurada Ichiro was thinking at the time."

“But I can probably understand Mr. Sakurada Ichiro’s thoughts.”

"Because I have also experienced many bottlenecks. When I encountered those bottlenecks, I also had feelings of giving up on myself, or of risking everything and giving up everything."

The God Lord Hai Ruo suddenly looked around, searching for the mental avatar of Sen Chuan Yu: "Can you understand, Your Highness Sen Chuan, that feeling of being so close to the peak, yet being blocked by something unseen, unable to reach it?"

"It's as if you only need to take one more step forward to reach the summit and see the view from a higher vantage point, but you have no idea how to take that step. Even if you know the trick, something is still missing, and you feel like you can't do it?"

"That kind of frustration can really drive a person crazy."

"Even with Mr. Kashima's patience and Mr. Sakurada Ichiro's perseverance, it would be difficult to bear such a setback and resentment. So I think it's not surprising that Mr. Sakurada Ichiro wanted to risk everything, challenge himself, and have a life-or-death battle with Mr. Kashima."

Morikawa Yu remained silent for a moment.

He could certainly understand Ichiro Sakurada's thoughts.

Although he broke through to the Sword Saint realm very smoothly and did not encounter any bottlenecks, he was just an ordinary person in his previous life, so of course he had experienced this feeling.

He has experienced both the frustration of racking his brains over a difficult problem and not being able to find a solution, and the helplessness and regret of missing a good opportunity. He just doesn't encounter them as often now.

Morikawa Yu thought for a moment and then asked, "So Mr. Kashima agreed to it?"

Morikawa Yu had some doubts.

Sakurada Ichiro is, after all, a human. Although his swordsmanship level is similar to Kashima's, both being at the peak of great swordsmen, he is already very old and only possesses swordsmanship skills.

Kashima, however, is a true demon god. In addition to his swordsmanship, he also possesses the strength of a demon god. If he were to go all out, Sakurada Ichiro would be no match for Kashima.

Hai Ruo, the God of War, shook his head: "How could that be? How could a human be a match for a ghost or god? Mr. Kashima and Mr. Sakurada Ichiro have known each other for so long that Mr. Kashima has long regarded Mr. Sakurada Ichiro as a close friend. Of course, Mr. Kashima refused him."

"The problem is that Mr. Sakurada Ichiro is determined to challenge himself and have a life-or-death battle with Mr. Kashima."

"He was very clear about his own strength and knew that even if he risked everything, he would not put Mr. Kashima in danger. The only one facing danger was himself, so he hoped that Mr. Kashima could grant his request."

"Mr. Kashima had no choice but to agree, and secretly asked Lady Kamori to be his witness to save Mr. Sakurada Ichiro when the battle was truly in dire straits."

"Because it can't hold back, otherwise Ichiro Sakurada will realize that swordsmen of their caliber can easily tell whether their opponent is serious or fighting with all their might."

"Lady Kamori is a great yokai from the Age of Gods, one of the strongest in Izumo, and capable of saving Mr. Sakurada Ichiro in times of crisis."

"In the end, Mr. Sakurada Ichiro and Mr. Kashima made a promise to each other at the place where they first met, to fight to the death, risking everything, to fight with all their might and challenge the pinnacle of kendo."

Lord Hai Ruo: "You can probably guess the final result."

"Humans are no match for ghosts and gods, unless they are the most holy in swordsmanship."

“But Mr. Sakurada Ichiro is too old to become a sword saint.”

"He can cleave rivers in two with a single strike, and even use his unintentional sword energy to make the sea part to create a path for him. The sea surface cannot return to its original state for a day and a night. However, after making that strike, it will take him a long time to recover his strength, and it will be difficult for him to make a second strike."

"Lady Kamori knows this too; she doesn't believe at all that Mr. Sakurada Ichiro can defeat Mr. Kashima."

"She is ready to step in and end the fight when Mr. Sakurada Ichiro and Mr. Kashima are in danger, and then help Mr. Sakurada Ichiro find a way to prolong his life."

"As a result, on the day that Mr. Sakurada and Mr. Kashima had agreed upon, Mr. Sakurada Ichiro did not show up."

"Mr. Sakurada didn't come?" Morikawa Yu frowned. "Is Mr. Sakurada Ichiro afraid?"

After all, it was a life-or-death battle. Sakurada Ichiro was already very old at that time. The older people get, the more afraid they are of death. Perhaps he was afraid that he would fail and die by Kashima's sword, so he did not come.

"No, that's not it." Lord Hai Ruo shook his head: "Mr. Sakurada Ichiro dared to ask Mr. Kashima for a life-or-death battle, so he was already prepared to die if he failed."

"Mr. Sakurada Ichiro did not come that day not because he was afraid, but because he was so old that he was about to die and could no longer walk."

"He wanted his family to carry him to the Chuyun Mountains, but they disagreed. They didn't want him to be tossed around so much as he was about to die, and they hoped he could spend his final days peacefully."

"Mr. Sakurada Ichiro himself is almost unconscious and has no way to go to Mount Izumo on his own, nor can he force his family to bring him to Mount Izumo."

"He loved his wife and children very much, which is why he made this request at the very end of his life."

“He’s getting old and about to die…” Morikawa Yu remained silent.

The simple words, however, left him speechless with their underlying meaning.

Lord Hai Ruo: "In the end, Mr. Kashima noticed something was wrong and guessed Mr. Sakurada Ichiro's situation, because even Mr. Sakurada Ichiro's challenge to a life-or-death battle was sent by someone else, otherwise Mr. Sakurada Ichiro would have come by himself."

"Mr. Kashima told Lady Kamori his guess, and Lady Kamori then asked Mr. Kashima to go and find Mr. Sakurada Ichiro."

"When Mr. Sakurada Ichiro was young, he married into the Hanami family and became the acting head of the Hanami family. He lived in the Hanami family for a long time. Mr. Kashima also asked someone to take him to the Hanami family."

"When Mr. Kashima arrived at the Hanami family, he finally met Mr. Sakurada Ichiro, who was on his deathbed. Mr. Sakurada Ichiro was on his last breath and was regretting that he could not keep his promise to go to Mount Izumo. He instructed his children to go to Mount Izumo to explain to Mr. Kashima and Lady Kamori why he could not keep his promise and apologize to Mr. Kashima."

"Upon seeing Mr. Kashima, he was overjoyed and, with his last breath, managed to get up and talk to Mr. Kashima, wanting to tell him about the swordsmanship he had learned during this time. In the end, he even took out his hidden sword and challenged Mr. Kashima to a duel."

"The problem is that Mr. Sakurada Ichiro is on his last breath, and Mr. Kashima simply cannot bear to fight him, so he asks Mr. Sakurada Ichiro to demonstrate his swordsmanship to him."

"Mr. Sakurada Ichiro was well aware of Mr. Kashima's intentions. He felt regretful. He had persevered for so long, but his last breath was gone. He fell down with his knife in his arms and died in front of Mr. Kashima."

"Mr. Kashima was very sad. He felt that he had caused the death of his best friend. If he had agreed to Mr. Sakurada Ichiro's request, and Mr. Sakurada Ichiro had fought him with his last breath, perhaps he could have reached the realm he had always wanted to pursue with his last breath."

"Although this kind of guilt is very inappropriate."

"Even if Mr. Sakurada Ichiro manages to fight Mr. Kashima with his last breath, he has no chance of winning."

“Mr. Sakurada Ichiro is too old and too weak. He can only make one more slash before he loses all his strength, his life force dissipates, and his body collapses.”

"But who knows if Mr. Sakurada Ichiro will ultimately succeed?"

"The swordsman Urabe of Kashima Shrine also achieved a perfect unity of mind, skill, and body in a battle where he risked everything, thus comprehending the ultimate swordsmanship and becoming a swordsman."

"Perhaps Mr. Sakurada Ichiro might also be able to forge his own path. Although the possibility is extremely slim, as long as it exists, it is worth trying."

"Mr. Kashima kindly declined Mr. Sakurada Ichiro's request, but Mr. Sakurada Ichiro died with regret, and he felt very guilty."

"Lady Kamori was also very sorry. She originally thought that Mr. Sakurada Ichiro would become the second Sword Saint, but she didn't expect that Mr. Sakurada Ichiro would not have this opportunity until his death. This made her even less willing to pay attention to others."

"Alright, I've finished. This is the whole story of how Mr. Sakurada Ichiro met Mr. Kashima and Lady Kamori during his lifetime. Mr. Kashima always felt guilty and rarely mentioned Mr. Sakurada Ichiro's name."

"But it has always paid attention to the affairs of the Hanami family and has been taking care of them for hundreds of years."

"If it weren't for the fact that it had already followed Lady Shinori, I would even think that it might have become the ancestral god of the Hanami family and protected the Hanami family. Lady Shinori sometimes pays attention to the Hanami family and has solved a lot of problems for the Hanami family."

"The current Princess Hanami Yuki is the twenty-third generation descendant of Mr. Sakurada Ichiro, and is also the current eldest daughter of the Hanami family."

“She was chosen by Princess Mizuki to become the next priestess. She was taken in by his side from a young age and taught with great care. Lady Shinori also often visited her when she went to Izumo Taisha and gave her some of the divine power and authority she had previously obtained.”

"As an elder, Mr. Kashima also cares about Princess Hanami Yuki. When he goes to Izumo Taisha with Lady Kamori, he also gives her some gifts."

Morikawa Yu nodded: "Yes, I understand."

His mental manifestation looked at Xinjue and Daiyuwan beside him.

The maid nodded, indicating that Lord Hai Ruo was telling the truth and had not hidden anything from him or lied to him.

After a moment's thought, Morikawa Yu left the Goshuin Account space.

After hearing what the Sea God had to say, he finally understood why the demon god Kashima and the great yokai of the Izumo era, Shinori, had helped the priestess and Hanami Yuki.

To be precise, the person they want to help is not the shrine maiden, but Hanamiyuki, because Hanamiyuki's ancestor, Sakurada Ichiro, and the demon Kashima were close friends who were both teacher and friend, and Kashima felt guilty towards Sakurada Ichiro.

Chapter 611 He promised to let you go, what does that have to do with me? (Bonus chapter by the Hall Master)

The shrine maiden helped Hanami Yuki probably because of Kashima's request and her protection of the Hanami family.

If it weren't for Hanamiyuki, Shinori might not have helped the Shrine Maiden, because the Shrine Maiden chose Hanamiyuki as the next Izumo Shrine Maiden, and Shinori would have interfered in their affairs.

Outside, Tenshi Inaba and Asaka also heard what the Sea God said.

Just now, Morikawa Yu held their hands and connected with them in spirit, so that they could also hear the words of the Sea God and make it easier for them to understand the past events of Izumo.

"Mr. Morikawa," the rabbit girl called softly, her beautiful, jewel-like red eyes sparkling as she looked at him. Although she didn't speak, the meaning in her eyes was self-evident.

Morikawa Yu is also human, and although he is currently in his youth, he doesn't seem to have to worry about his health or lifespan.

However, human youth is fleeting, and beauty fades quickly. Compared to these immortal beings, they age and die almost in the blink of an eye.

She didn't want to see Morikawa Yu grow old and unable to walk, so weak that she wouldn't even have the strength to touch her ears.

Morikawa Yu remained silent for a moment.

He patted the rabbit girl's head: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will definitely become an immortal being and will not leave you."

Asaka saw Morikawa Yu touching the rabbit girl's ears, snorted, turned her head, and the cat ears on her head swayed: "Hmph, stupid human, if you're about to die of old age, I won't care about you. You can just hug your knife and die alone in some deserted corner."

Morikawa Yu couldn't help but shake her head, and also touched Asaka's hair and her cat ears: "Please don't do this, Asaka, otherwise I'll be very lonely by myself."

That's what he said, but he didn't believe at all that Asaka would really abandon him.

Just as she schemed against the Inari God for the sake of the Great Fox, plotting everywhere to help the Great Fox break the seal, she would definitely try all sorts of methods to help him become an immortal being.

The scent of Asaka has noticeably diminished.

Just now she wouldn't let Morikawa Yu touch her head and ears, but now she's not so resistant.

She tugged at Morikawa Yu's clothes with one hand, her tail swaying gently behind her, wrapping around Morikawa Yu's calf: "Hmph, since you put it that way, I'll reluctantly keep you company for a bit."

"But you're not allowed to make us angry again, or we really won't take care of you anymore."

"Yeah." Morikawa Yu nodded.

He sensed the heavy atmosphere and quickly changed the subject: "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore, Your Majesty. Now that we know why Shenzhi and Kashima helped the Shrine Maiden, let's continue looking for Hanamiyuki."

"Find her first, then return to reality. Feiyue and the others should be waiting for us. We can't let her not be able to find us."

Inaba Tenshi: "Then how do we capture her? Do I need to use the power of divination or prophecy?"

Morikawa Yu shook her head: "Not for now. We can use a simpler method: use Mr. Sakurada, who is with us, to find them."

Morikawa Yu glanced at Sakurada Ichiro, who was still clearing the way ahead, and continued to transmit his voice to Inaba Tenshi and Asaka: "Look, we have now entered the historical realm, and we are all in the historical realm."

"Hana Yuki and Kashima must also know what time it is, and then they came to look for Mr. Sakurada Ichiro at this time."

“Mr. Sakurada Ichiro is the ancestor of Hanami Yuki, and she certainly won’t be happy that her ancestor has fallen into our hands. Moreover, Mr. Sakurada Ichiro is a close friend of Kashima, and Kashima will definitely come looking for him.”

Asaka looked at him suspiciously: "According to what you're saying, it's true that there's a possibility of success, but won't they find out if we do this?"

Morikawa Yu shook her head: "So what if we're found out? Are we afraid of being found out by them?"

Do you think we're avoiding them, or they're avoiding us?

"We were able to catch them just now, and as long as we are careful, we will definitely be able to catch them again."

In truth, Morikawa Yu wanted to find Kashima and fight this sword demon who had learned all the sword techniques of the previous sword saint, Urabe Asataka.

Four hundred years ago, it failed to master all sword techniques. Now, it must have raised its swordsmanship to the level of a sword saint. Even if it hasn't reached the level of a sword saint, it must be very close. It is the opponent it has been longing for.

If he could fight him, not only would it improve his swordsmanship, but he would also gain a lot of experience, allowing him to reach level eighteen faster and challenge the Ascension Trial to become a powerful being of the Longevity Species and the Hidden Pinnacle.

Morikawa Yu's mind sank into the Goshuin Zhang space, where he found Shinkaku and Daitamaru.

Otamamaru is also looking for Morikawa Haha.

After the Sea God Lord finished recounting the story of Sakurada Ichiro, Kashima, and the great demon Kamori from Izumo Kamishiro, he kept staring at her, his aura constantly rising, clearly preparing to settle scores with her once he was released.

Although she wasn't afraid, she didn't want to fight with God Hai Ruo in the rest area of ​​the Imperial Seal.

Firstly, it's troublesome; secondly, it might hurt their feelings.

"Morikawa, do we really have to let her go?"

Ootamaru was somewhat worried.

Although she captured Lord Hai Ruo just now, she actually used a trick.

She didn't directly confront Lord Hai Ruo, but first captured the priestess Sanae and used her to threaten Lord Hai Ruo, which led to his surrender.