Female Swordsman Training Dojo

"You should be very familiar with this, right, Tenden no Meru?"

The author says:

Author's Note: Having reached 10,000 words in a day, I'm completely exhausted. (And, incidentally, the 12 chapters I'd saved up for a promotion...)

Chapter 369

This also counts as part of the daily update, so the current update progress is 0~ Please vote! Please vote!

Chapter 344: Killing Fox Form (3K)

Having transformed into a black fox, Yakumo Kurenai spread her arms triumphantly, looking at the shimmering shrine maiden in the darkened hall: "After all, your so-called divine kingdom is no different from this place, is it?"

The priestess's expression remained calm, but inwardly she grew tense. She was very familiar with Yakumo Kurenai's current actions; she was attempting to permanently retain and replace the mortal realm with the Yomi temporarily summoned by the Wheel of Fortune. This was a massive undertaking, requiring astronomical amounts of magical power. Normally, it would require tens of thousands of spellcasters and even more ordinary believers, under the supervision of a deity, to complete such a large-scale ritual over months.

However, Yakumo Kurenai did not use the orthodox ritual. She did not need to spend time summoning Yomi, as the Wheel of Fortune had already begun; nor did she need to purify Yomi, because her purpose was to let Yomi erode the present world, rather than actually creating a "shrine" of her own.

The ritual, which required extremely high precision and coordination, was replaced by a massive barrier that even she couldn't fully comprehend at the moment, thanks to this exceptional barrier genius. In the end, all that could restrain her was her astronomical amount of magical power, but given the vast amount of filthy power around her, it wasn't something that couldn't be hindered, which was also the problem that the priestess couldn't understand the most.

While the power of corruption is formidable, it is not common, let alone possessing the ability to erode the mind and drive people mad. Even corrupted calamity gods could not possess such a vast amount of corrupt power, let alone maintain their sanity under such a burden.

Given Yakumo Kurenai's intelligence and strength, it's even more impossible!

But the facts are undeniable, and the shrine maiden has no choice but to find a way to solve this problem. Otherwise, if Yakumo Kurenai succeeds, not only those present, but perhaps the entire Tokyo will be in danger.

Fortunately, even with Yakumo Kurenai's significant advantage, it would take time for her to interfere and reach that point...

"Not going to speak? Are you still expecting reinforcements?" Yakumo Kurenai sneered. "Let's not even talk about whether anyone can come. Even if reinforcements do come, do you think their target will be me or you?"

The priestess's expression flickered, and she spoke for the first time: "Where does your power come from?"

Yakumo Kurenai grinned in surprise: "Ha, you're asking this? Are you trying to surrender?"

The priestess shook her head: "Although the power of filth is strong, it is quite rare. Even in the underworld, it is not something that can be found everywhere. Moreover, a monster like you could not possibly bear such a large amount of filth, let alone maintain such a level of rationality and wisdom."

“You’re right, so you should also know that I won’t tell you.” Yakumo Kurenai licked her hairy lips, and the black tongue she stuck out made the shrine maiden’s expression even more solemn.

Even her body was infected; in the past, this would have been considered among the most insane of the Calamity Gods. Indiscriminate killing, friend or foe, was standard for such Calamity Gods; those attempting to destroy heaven and earth were merely average. But Yakumo Kurenai could still speak normally and continue her plans?

The priestess wavered for the first time.

She glanced at the light sword hanging from her waist, gritted her teeth, and then focused more of her attention on Taira no Harunobu. In this situation, there was really only so much she could do; she could only try to see if she could take Taira no Harunobu with her.

She can't stay here.

But before she could make up her mind, a mournful roar suddenly came from the newly solidified Yellow Springs land, completely shattering her calm expression and turning her face pale.

"Are you all crazy?! That's Izanami!"

"Ah, our Mother Goddess—didn't you say so yourselves?" Yakumo Kurenai's eyes grew increasingly manic, her originally alluring smile turning into a wildly triumphant one. "God-lord?"

Hahaha--

The black fox laughed wildly, and thick black mist spread out, completely filling the already dimly lit venue. The shrine maiden paid no attention to Yakumo Kurenai's mockery. The moment she heard the roar, she punched herself in the chest, and countless cracks spread all over her body.

At the same time, a sound like shattering glass rang out, which seemed very faint amidst the shrill roar and the churning of the mist, but the numerous golden specks that followed were as dazzling as the sun.

"Wow~ As expected of the famous Tengen-no-Mikoto, she still manages to collect so much donation money in this era." Yakumo Kurenai whistled, grinning wickedly. "I just wonder how long you can hold out—seriously? You're going to save Taira no Harunobu at a time like this?"

Yakumo Kurenai's stern expression was replaced by astonishment for a moment, and then she asked very seriously, "He's not really your father, is he?"

But after asking that question, a nasty expression returned to her face: "However, considering you won't even save your own stepmothers, you probably won't be very filial either. How long can you hold out?"

The corrosive power of impurity is indiscriminate; any living thing, even inanimate matter, that comes into contact with it will be affected, only the degree and speed of the impact will differ. This was also Yakumo Kurenai's final contingency plan for this assassination: to use the power of impurity to corrupt the Emperor! To turn him, even if he doesn't die, into a complete and utter madman!

—She wouldn't really place all her hopes on Lun Liudao; he's just a tool to summon the Yellow Springs.

The priestess is preparing to run away.

The golden light grew brighter and brighter, illuminating the entire venue. The disciples of Aozorakan, who had heard the whole thing, looked expectantly at the shrine maiden, hoping she could successfully take Harunobu away. As for themselves… well, Harunobu had already saved their lives twice, so as long as Harunobu lived, that was enough.

However, focused on this, they didn't notice that the dark mist was still flowing continuously through them towards Harunobu. The priestess, busy preparing her escape spell, also failed to notice immediately. Only when she was about to activate the spell did she realize that the "divine power" she had used to protect and anchor Harunobu had completely dissipated.

As for Yakumo Kurenai, she was completely unaware of it. The pervasive filth was not under her control; it was something thrown out by the Lord of the Underworld—but there was no need to control it. She only needed to wait for all the survivors here to be corrupted into ferocious walking corpses.

Now, she has all the time and resources to outlast the witch!

Inside the cave, the unconscious Harunobu slightly raised his head. Sparse golden light flew from his right arm, illuminating the surrounding scenery. The numb Emperor Taisho and Princess Mitsuki were immediately roused, encouraging Taira no Harunobu with their eyes. He was now their only hope.

Harunobu did not disappoint them. He quickly opened his eyes completely, revealing that even the whites of his eyes had turned black.

"It's so noisy..." Harunoto scratched his head, but quickly forgot about the sharp roars and cries inside, and crawled towards Shiranui Ran who was right next to him.

Sesshomaru's muscles were taut, his golden fur still glossy and untouched by black. His equally brilliant golden pupils reflected Harunobu's face, now completely blackened, and a burning sadness and rage burned within them.

Eight! Cloud! Red!

Never before had the killing intent towards her former best friend surged within Shiranui Ran, fueling the ever-expanding power of the killing fox spirit, Sesshomaru. However, this barrier was clearly designed to target her specifically; no matter how much she urged her power, even burning her soul for the insatiable Sesshomaru, she couldn't break free from its confinement.

Yakumo Kurenai knew far too much about the power of the Fire Demon and the Killing Fox; she simply didn't have a chance.

Well, at least in the end he died at the hands of Taira no Harunobu.

Shiranui Ran watched sadly as Taira no Harunobu walked towards her, and in her eyes...

Chapter 370

Come, Qingxin has been completely controlled by the corrupting power, turning into a mindless zombie who can't distinguish friend from foe.

It wasn't until Qingxin tapped her on the head: "Lan, you should still be able to hear me, right? Where did you put the Killing Fox?"

ha?

Hearing the familiar, slightly off-key voice, Shiranui Ran felt a surge of joy mixed with a sense of unreality. That was the power of impurity—a massive amount of impurity that had completely devoured even Ame-no-Mikoto's power! How could Taira no Shin be unharmed?

But he seemed to be really alright... Shiranui Ran tried harder than ever before to ask Harunobu, but her body remained motionless.

"Oh, I forgot you can't move right now... Uh, don't blame me then."

Harunobu began to grope the giant golden fox, eventually finding what he wanted in one of Shiranui Ran's tails.

Demon Blade: Killing Fox.

The moment the beautiful demon sword was in his hand, the screams and noisy conversations that had been echoing in Harunobu's mind since he woke up vanished. In their place came a soft, energetic, and lively female voice: "Yo~ Hello, Master~ Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Oh, as expected of a demon sword that even shrine maidens find troublesome," Harunobu said with delight, and without further delay, "Please tell me how to transform into the Fox of Slaughter."

"Simple," the woman said with a smile. "Just insert me into your body, then think of the person you most want to kill, and leave the rest to me!"

If Harunobu were acting normally, he certainly wouldn't have done that; he's not a Spartan demon, and he doesn't have any family traditions. But clearly, the power of corruption hadn't been entirely unaffected by him.

So he skillfully and even happily pulled out the Killing Fox and, amidst the sweet laughter of the female voice, stabbed it into his lower abdomen.

The next second, a fox, slightly smaller than Shiranui Ran at this moment and about four meters long, appeared in the deep pit; its fur was divided into two distinct colors, black and red, centered on its spine, and the two tails behind its rear end were in the opposite direction of the fur color.

Under the incredulous gazes of Shiranui Ran and the Emperor and his daughter, the two-tailed Sesshomaru charged straight upwards, its thunderous roar echoing throughout the surroundings.

Yakumo Kurenai finally realized something was wrong.

Chapter 345: What kind of spiritual pressure do you have?

Black and red lightning shot out from the deep pit, its loud roar shaking the gray mist and vibrating Yakumo Kurenai's eardrums. Intense killing intent condensed into a single point, piercing into Yakumo Kurenai's already unsettled mind, causing her instinctive movements to slow down for a moment.

The black and red fox spirit, Harunobu, pinned down Yakumo Kurenai, who had transformed into a black fox, and bit down on her beautifully curved neck. Its sharp, white teeth sank into the long fur, touched the soft skin, and were then stopped.

A hint of surprise flashed in Harunobu's red eyes, and in that brief moment, the astonished Yakumo Kurenai regained her composure: "Hehehe... I didn't expect that old bastard to have such a trick up his sleeve; to be able to do this with those trash I threw away, no wonder he's a guy who can rival Tenmoku Ren in sword forging techniques!"

As she spoke, Yakumo Kurenai forcefully raised her head, trying to break free from Harunobu's hold; however, Harunobu made a gurgling sound in his throat, and a surge of immense force pressed down on Yakumo Kurenai's limbs, firmly pinning her back down.

Feeling the gazes cast upon her by the shrine maiden and the disciples of the Azure Sky Pavilion, Yakumo Kurenai continued, feigning indifference, "Heh, you've already been corrupted to this extent, and you still want revenge? What benefits did that Ran guy give you? Or were you simply tamed by her face?"

As a seasoned user of the power of corruption, Yakumo Kurenai was certain that Taira no Shinichi had been largely corrupted by it, as evidenced by his half-blackened appearance. If he hadn't been corrupted, he would have long since been completely controlled by the fire demon power she had left behind, turning into a red-haired fox.

Moreover, the fact that this power could suppress her is also proof. Although transforming into the Sesshomaru would combine the power of the human and the Sesshomaru, the physical strength of a human is not even a fraction of that of a demon, so how could it possibly help that young Shiranui Kurenai suppress Yakumo Kurenai?

Therefore, there is only one truth: Ping Qingxin has been corrupted by the power of corruption, but his greatest obsession is to take revenge on her.

However, if he waits a little longer, he will stop having such foolish thoughts.

Yakumo Kurenai stuck out her jet-black tongue and licked Harunobu's fluffy head, laughing, "That guy Ran didn't use a charm spell on you, did he? Did he make you even forget all your wives?"

Although she kept asking questions, Yakumo Kurenai didn't expect any answers. Apart from beings like her who had undergone special training and empowerment, humans who had absorbed such a massive amount of corrupting power simply wouldn't have the intelligence to answer questions anymore.

Heh, thinking about it this way, taking Taira no Harunobu under my command doesn't seem so bad...

Despite being pinned to the ground and having her neck bitten, Yakumo Kurenai still smiled confidently, even taking the time to cast a smug smile at the shrine maiden.

Then, Harunobu gave up his futile biting.

The sudden relaxation made Yakumo Kurenai feel a little uncomfortable, but she didn't think anything was wrong. She just assumed that the erosion process had accelerated and that Harunobu had forgotten his obsession.

Ultimately, it's just a human being.

As she was thinking this, a strange voice suddenly came to her ears: "Yakumo Kurenai, right? There's only one reason I'm going to kill you—that you dared to lay a hand on my woman!"

Thick black mist began to surge with Harunobu's roar. Under the sad gaze of the priestess and the surprised look in Yakumo Kurenai's eyes, Harunobu's entire body was quickly stained pure black, with only the tip of his tail still bearing a trace of fiery red.

His once pristine white teeth had turned pitch black, and his already sharp canines even gleamed with a metallic sheen, radiating a dangerous aura completely different from before.

Yakumo Kurenai swallowed hard.

Even with the enhancement of the corrupting power, her outer skin probably wouldn't be able to withstand those steel teeth, after all, that's also the result of the corrupting power's enhancement.

However, there was no need for her to block anymore.

So samurai were truly a bunch of idiots!

Although she didn't know why Hiraharunobu was able to maintain his sanity under such a level of corruption, or why he was able to learn to manipulate the power of corruption so quickly, none of that mattered anymore! From the moment this fool actively absorbed so much corrupt power to strengthen himself, he was already destined to be unable to threaten her, Yakumo Kurenai!

After all, she was the appointed deity by Izanami, the Mother of the Underworld, the Creator Goddess, and the source of all corruption! Apart from the Yamata no Orochi, a divine child of even higher status, and other deities, all beings thoroughly corrupted by the power of corruption had to obey her commands! Even those more powerful than her!

Her equally black teeth were exposed to the air with her uncontrollable maniacal laughter. Ignoring Harunobu's bowed head, Yakumo Kurenai instead admired the shrine maiden's utterly sorrowful expression. Then, she uttered the order, word by word: "Kill them!"

Click.

Blood splattered.

The jet-black canine teeth snapped shut, tearing apart the tough fur and chewing through the steel-like bones. Scalding blood seeped into the black fur, staining Qingxin's ferocious jaws crimson.

"impossible--"

Although her neck was bitten off, Yakumo Kurenai was not dead yet. The powerful filth kept her alive, allowing her to turn her gaze back to Harunobu.

"Stop right there, you stupid dog!!"

bang.

Harunoku chewed off her shoulder blade, and a long, black tongue with barbs scraped across her flesh, leaving deep wounds.

"Stop! Obey me!"

Gulu.

Harunobu tore open her carotid artery, and blood gushed out, gradually pooling into a bloody mess.

Commands echoed, bites were torn apart, one after another. Yakumo Kurenai

Chapter 371

He gradually weakened, while Harunobu continued his monotonous yet deadly attacks.

Finally, Yakumo Kurenai, battered and torn to pieces, no longer had the strength to give orders and could only weakly gaze at Harunobu.

"You...how could you..."

Harunobu grinned, a hint of mockery flashing in his dark pupils: "Fool, what kind of spiritual pressure do you have? What kind of spiritual pressure do I have? You think you can order me around?"

Completely unable to understand what spiritual pressure was, Yakumo Kurenai could still sense Harunobu's confidence and mockery from his expression and tone. Her drowsy mind was stubbornly awakened; her fox head, torn and scarred, rose, and she scoffed, "Is that so? Even if you win, so what? Can you go back now? Will those women you fought so hard to protect still accept you? Would His Majesty the Emperor and Princess accept a monster that's neither human nor demon, its body stained with filthy power?"

"You should understand, right? Now you only have one choice left, and that is—" A fierce will to survive flashed in Yakumo Kurenai's eyes, "Join us! With your talent and strength, you can definitely become a leader! Join us! You can have any kind of woman you want—"

puff.

The pain of having her heart pierced interrupted Yakumo Kurenai. Harunobu looked down at Yakumo Kurenai and shook his head: "Perhaps you are right, but I will not reconcile with the person who tried to kill my wife. Besides, your being alive is a problem for Ran, especially since you were originally innocent."

Qingxin felt he was speaking very softly, but the giant fox's volume was clearly not on the same level as a human's, especially since he was currently under the influence of the corrupting power, which had caused him to lose control of his body.

So his conversation with Yakumo Kurenai was actually being broadcast live the whole time.

Both the disciples of Qingkong Pavilion above the pit and Shiranui Ran inside the pit felt a shiver run down their spines.

"Idiot, who asked you to help me?"