Chapter 213: Ghost God Level Eyeball, Great Terror! Hundred-eyed Demon Begins Promotion! Tens Of Thousands Of Combat Sequences
Shangshan Che raised his fingertip.
Blazing pure white Qi Barrier instantly enveloped Kaga Kiyomitsu’s tail, sending it toward the Five-Eyed Ghost in an instant!
In the deep tunnel, the sounds of Qi Burst and sonic waves suddenly erupted.
The Five-Eyed Ghost, already startled, saw this scene and immediately wanted to turn its eyeballs back, scrambling hand and foot toward the darkness.
But its speed was nowhere near as fast as Kaga Kiyomitsu.
If it were just Kaga Kiyomitsu alone, the Five-Eyed Ghost might have been able to escape unharmed into the depths of the tunnel by relying on its distance advantage.
But under Shangshan Che’s relentless compression of the Qi Barrier for propulsion, Kaga Kiyomitsu’s speed was more than doubled!
A hundred meters distance passed in the blink of an eye.
And conveniently, the direction the Five-Eyed Ghost was standing faced Shangshan Che directly, so Kaga Kiyomitsu didn’t even need to turn.
The pale blade arrived first despite starting later, precisely embedding into the edge of the scarlet eyeball.
Then, at such extreme speed, it calmly and precisely drew a circle like a scalpel.
Completely extracting the eyeball embedded in the Five-Eyed Ghost’s back.
“Hiss—!”
A shrill, angry roar oscillated from within the Five-Eyed Ghost’s body.
But instead of turning back to fight Kaga Kiyomitsu, it seemed to activate some secret technique, its entire body turning blood red, its escape speed increasing by more than a notch.
Kaga Kiyomitsu only managed to gouge out one more eyeball before the Five-Eyed Ghost completely vanished from Shangshan Che’s line of sight.
Buzz buzz!
Little Jia buzzed eagerly, wanting to sever the head of this ugly eyeball demon.
Shangshan Che plucked his heartstrings, forbidding Kaga Kiyomitsu from pursuing further.
“Little Jia, come back.”
On his second emphasis, Kaga Kiyomitsu finally drifted back slowly, reluctantly.
Even without Little Jia speaking, Shangshan Che knew it wasn’t happy.
After all, no one would be happy being forced to sleep right in the middle of a game.
But when it shouldn’t pursue, it absolutely couldn’t.
This deep, eerie tunnel held too many unknowns; just moments ago, so many demons had surged out, and it was both dark and long, hindering his vision to some extent.
Moreover, Tamamo and Yagyu Oshi, who were like half his employer bosses, stood behind him.
So Shangshan Che couldn’t just dash in after Kaga Kiyomitsu.
And letting Little Jia, a single blade, chase alone…
Shangshan Che would never do something so foolish.
—The eyeballs would eventually be obtained; there was no rush for this moment, no need to take risks.
He reached out, catching the two scarlet eyeballs that Kaga Kiyomitsu had served on its blade—indistinguishable from the previous ones—and patted its hilt to comfort it.
Thus, Kaga Kiyomitsu calmed down.
The little fellow’s joys and sorrows always came and went quickly.
Behind him, Tamamo, whose gaze had been pulled away and then back, continued from the previous sentence, stammering a bit: “Eldest Brother, this blade of yours… it’s both beautiful and smart.”
She rubbed her hands, eyes expectant: “Can you get one for me?”
Beyond her expectations, Shangshan Che actually nodded and stated a concrete method: “Simple, as long as—”
Under Tamamo’s expectant gaze, Shangshan Che smiled and raised a finger,
“As long as you win the Seed Battle, you can get a beautiful and smart blade—Spider Cutter.”
Shangshan Che shrugged, skillfully staying neutral: “Though it’s still not as good as Little Jia, it’s pretty excellent too.”
Tamamo’s face went blank upon hearing this, and she speechlessly dropped her hands: “Seed Battle champion? No hope in sight at all…”
She glanced at Yagyu Oshi, who was vigilantly watching the surroundings, sighed, and set a modest goal,
“I… uh, if Yagyu can make it to the central top thirty-two, that’ll be a success!”
But Yagyu Oshi calmly refuted, as if stating a fact: “That Spider Cutter, I will obtain it.”
Tamamo rolled her eyes and immediately waved her hands,
“How could you possibly get it?!”
She complained: “Yagyu, you know full well how many countless powerhouses there are in the central bracket, right? Forget others, you can’t even beat Eldest Brother Shangshan!”
Tamamo stuck out her tongue and made a face at him: “Instead of fantasizing, better learn Eldest Brother Shangshan’s flying sword technique first!”
“I’ll learn the flying sword, and take the championship.”
Yagyu Oshi glanced at Shangshan Che, his eyes burning with the desire to learn.
Then he spoke clearly and calmly: “If you don’t aim for first place, you’ll never achieve it.”
“—If you don’t believe in yourself, knowing all your efforts, sweat, and tempering, who else can you expect to believe in you?”
Shangshan Che smiled at him: “I like that… Besides, there’s still plenty of time before the Seed Battle; it’s not entirely impossible.”
“Until the moment the battle ends, anything is possible.”
This was impossible.
Tamamo sighed softly in her heart, helpless.
—Due to her job position, no one knew better than her the gap between the central bracket—Tokyo—and the local young geniuses and powerhouses.
This gap could be described as an unbridgeable chasm…
The brief conversation ended here.
Next, as previously discussed, Shangshan Che would lead the way, charging deeper into the tunnel.
That’s right, not sneaking in.
But killing… or “clearing” would be more vivid.
Under Yagyu Oshi’s gaze, Shangshan Che’s Qi Barrier and Spiritual Power seemed inexhaustible, casually unleashing vast swathes that melted those weak demons.
Completely like using a cannon on mosquitoes.
Yet this cannon’s ammunition seemed endless.
Baffling.
—Whether it was the blood handprints emerging on the tunnel walls or the lost souls popping out unexpectedly from various places.
Or the extremely dangerous “weeping woman,” whose crying could kill hundreds or thousands of ordinary people in a city in an instant, heard before seen.
All turned to ashes under the blazing Qi Barrier like the great sun and the lightning that made Yagyu Oshi’s hairs stand on end just by looking.
Clearly, Shangshan Che’s level far exceeded the upper limit of this Jundong County tunnel; he was high-segment blasting fish.
“But these low-star demons drop so few Soul Spirit Points…”
After letting Kaga Kiyomitsu finish off many with extra slashes, Shangshan Che pondered the mere dozen or so points gained.
Low-star demons like handprints and lost souls, which came in massive numbers, didn’t even yield half a Soul Spirit Point per kill; it took a group to gain one or two points.
And they’d been walking for nearly half an hour, yet Shangshan Che hadn’t spotted a second demon carrying eyeballs.
That previous Five-Eyed… now Three-Eyed Ghost hadn’t reappeared, not even leaving a trace.
No idea where it fled to.
The only good news was that the headlamp dropped not long ago was quite useful.
Standing at the front side, Shangshan Che stared at the blood handprints exposed under the headlamp’s light, raising his fingertip to destroy them with fine lightning.
—This headlamp, besides being bright enough, could reveal all demons and monsters within its coverage!
At least, that was the experience so far.
Tamamo, rotating her head at fixed intervals to ensure no spot in the forward tunnel was missed, smacked her lips and poked Yagyu Oshi beside her.
“Yagyu… do we really have to fight a monster like that?”
She preemptively armored up: “Not looking down on you, but you’re really not in the same league at all.”
“Just what I wanted.”
Yagyu Oshi silently drew his blade, slaying a confused lost soul emerging from the ground: “With a towering mountain standing before you, giving pause to climb it, isn’t that a good thing?”
Tamamo opened her mouth, then tsked,
“I don’t get what you martial artists are thinking.”
Another ten or twenty minutes passed, and Tamamo suddenly felt her waist pouch vibrate.
She immediately shouted:
“Elder Brother Shangshan, it’s here!”
Shangshan Che looked around and found this tunnel section had no supernatural features.
Also, this Jundong County tunnel was unreasonably long… clearly, after being abandoned, the space inside had undergone subtle changes.
Tamamo quickly took a brand-new formation plate from her waist pouch, dripping blood already drawn from a syringe onto its center.
—Biting a fingertip to drip blood was painful and stupid; probably only prehistoric humans did that.
In an instant, a faint glow bloomed from the palm-sized formation plate’s seams.
Shangshan Che’s pupils shifted slightly; on the ground of the right tunnel, he spotted an extremely faint Onmyōdō Spell emerging.
This spell layered intricately, impossibly complex—even ten Shangshan Ches couldn’t figure it out.
So, could Tamamo, an ordinary person, figure it out?
Not doubting her, but Onmyōdō Spells required real practice beyond theory—sensing Spiritual Power flow was a major hurdle.
Coughing twice with the formation plate in hand, Tamamo stepped forward: “Elder Brother Shangshan, I can handle it.”
Shangshan Che asked: “No need for me?”
The girl shook the formation plate: “This thing is bound to me, so only I can activate it… it’ll handle the rest.”
“Got it.”
Shangshan Che withdrew his gaze, shrinking his perception to a thirty-meter radius.
He gripped Kaga Kiyomitsu, ready to unleash Three-stage Thrust and Darkness Sword: “Safety’s covered.”
Tamamo squatted before the Onmyōdō Spell, relaxing,
“With your word, Eldest Brother, I’m at ease.”
Yagyu Oshi stuck close behind her as the final defense line.
With the crisp sound of the formation plate hitting the ground, Tamamo silently chanted some incantation.
Eerie Spiritual Power Fluctuation surged, making the tunnel’s deep darkness churn violently.
Shangshan Che indifferently raised his eyes; dozens of thick, pale lightning bolts shot from around him into the stirring darkness.
A chorus of wails.
In that instant, the surroundings quieted considerably.
Having consumed nearly half his Spiritual Power, Shangshan Che silently circulated Spirit Control Technique, thinking the effect was good.
If the tunnel’s demons truly swarmed, he wasn’t sure he could block them all.
Time ticked by.
Shangshan Che clearly felt the eerie Spiritual Power Fluctuation behind him subside.
Looks like this tunnel trip would end smoothly…
“Elder Brother Shangshan!”
Click click!
Tamamo’s cry and the stiff jamming sound came almost simultaneously.
The girl, knocked butt-first to the ground, ignored everything, first pressing her hand back on the formation plate, then rapidly saying: “Elder Brother Shangshan, come here!”
“Little Jia, deploy the domain.”
Shangshan Che released his grip, letting Kaga Kiyomitsu hover in place; he rushed to Tamamo and the spell emitting pure white light in two strides instead of three.
Tamamo continued: “Eldest Brother, connect your Spiritual Power to the formation plate and clear the demon on the other side of the spell for me… if I go, I’d just be delivering myself.”
Demon on the other side of the spell?
Shangshan Che instantly realized—this spell was a passage entrance between the Eternal World and the Mortal Realm?
“Got it.”
He immediately placed his finger on the formation plate, his Spiritual Power surging out and smoothly entering via Tamamo’s guidance.
Whoosh!
In a flash, Shangshan Che’s vision brightened.
Opening his eyes, he found the dark tunnel, formation plate spell, and calm-faced Tamamo all gone.
Only pure white remained.
In his sight, an endless, indestructible pure white passage stretched infinitely.
Beyond the passage, a roaring tide louder and clearer than ever echoed.
Shangshan Che looked down, finding himself in a special state here.
—No equipment brought, but his four attributes, Sea of Qi, Qi Barrier, Spiritual Power, etc., were all inherited.
No time to ponder the reason or how “indestructible” entered his mind.
Under his eyelids appeared a bio-mech about one-and-a-half persons tall, its brass shell stuffed with scarlet flesh and blood, spewing hot steam outward.
It crouched on the half-open spell, forcibly obstructing Tamamo.
Unexpectedly, a prompt popped up above the bio-mech’s head.
—【Combat Sequence Prototype·072（One-Star）】.
Combat Sequence?
Factory Owner?
Shangshan Che recalled Katsumi’s words.
But without overthinking, he activated Rin Character Technique, raising his hand to drop a Darkness Sword into the bio-mech.
—With this passage’s stability and width, it could send thousands of demons to the Mortal Realm in a day.
—In this crisis, solve the mech as fast as possible; who knows if the Factory Owner planted any backups.
Boom!
The bio-mech didn’t even react before exploding into bloody fireworks and juice, plummeting below.
Immediately, Shangshan Che felt the remaining half-spell vanishing at visible speed.
He exhaled lightly: “Now…”
The thought hadn’t landed.
A chilling intent crawled from Shangshan Che’s spine base to his crown.
Terrifying!
Great terror!
Something was coming here!
He whipped his head, peering into the distant white passage, spotting an almost identical bio-mech.
But not just one.
One, ten… hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands.
Endless bio-mechs sensed the closing passage and madly rushed here.
How many was that?
Ten thousand?
Or more?
Even if these were just bottom-tier Half-Star and One-Star, if they unleashed some group remote attack, what would the scene be?
Staring at the prompts filling his entire view—enough to induce trypophobia—Shangshan Che swallowed hard.
“Tamamo, hurry.”
From the other end via formation plate came a faint voice: “Elder Brother Shangshan, what did you say…”
—The vast sea of prompts slowly faded.
And behind it emerged an eyeball.
A sky-obscuring, crystal-clear eyeball emanating terrifying Ghost God level pressure.
It indifferently cast its gaze downward.
Like an overseer.
“—I said, close it at full speed!”
Shangshan Che’s scalp numbed; he raised his voice three octaves, startling Tamamo into a yelp.
But instantly, the spell passage’s closing speed jumped one, no, two levels!
Tamamo hoarsely shouted: “Elder Brother Shangshan, get back; the passage is closing soon!”
Shangshan Che prepared to dive back but instinctively glanced back as his fingertip touched the entrance.
That eyeball hadn’t noticed him.
—A golden opportunity.
Shangshan Che held his breath, subconsciously thinking.
At this distance, basing on his formless blade and unleashing flying sword technique without regard for cost, he could reach it.
Worst case, just lose the Life-Replacing Doll with nothing gained.
But if successful, Hundred-Eyed Demon could partake of part of a Ghost God level eyeball.
So, do it?
The spell behind him had closed to one-tenth size; no time left for thought or choice.
The decision had to be instant.
Shangshan Che’s thoughts nearly froze.
He dove into the final spell passage.
Then, as consciousness submerged to just head and hands.
Shangshan Che gripped his five fingers with all his might.
No need for Qi Barrier or flying sword techniques.
With his gaze’s focus and his heart’s Clear Mirror illumination, the formless blade in his grasp defied logic, appearing directly at the eyeball’s near side.
Then, under the eyeball’s utter lack of guard, the Darkness Sword’s Secret Technique bloomed here.
Crack.
An illusory cracking sound rang out.
Like pricked by a negligible needle, the eyeball hovering in the pure white passage sky, watching below, paused.
Next instant, it locked straight onto Shangshan Che’s position.
No anger, no Killing Intent, no warning.
Red light of destruction and Death emerged from void, annihilating all matter there to nothing.
But by then, the spell had fully closed.
…
White vanished; deep darkness and a piercing light beam re-enveloped Shangshan Che’s consciousness.
“Elder Brother Shangshan…”
Tamamo’s little face was pale.
So close.
Just a bit more, and something terrifying would have surged out.
Clutching Shangshan Che’s shoulders tightly with both hands, she tremblingly asked: “What was on the other side of the spell just now?”
“Huff—huff—”
Shangshan Che panted heavily.
He stared at the demonically thick yet oddly reassuring tunnel.
Success.
Though Qi Barrier and mind exhausted, in that minuscule near-unmeasurable time, he brushed past Death.
And successfully sheared a piece from that Ghost God level eyeball with Darkness Sword!
Utterly fatigued, Shangshan Che glanced at his Storage Bag with peripheral vision, saying lowly: “Let’s get out first; not convenient to talk here.”
Seeing his state, Tamamo and Yagyu Oshi suspected nothing; after Shangshan Che struggled up, they quickly headed to the tunnel exit.
The return path was smooth, hardly any demons blocking.
Stray lost souls appeared, swiftly handled by Kaga Kiyomitsu and Yagyu Oshi.
In under half an hour, the trio returned to the exit, seeing the sun high in the sky.
Faint warmth poured down, dispelling some of Tamamo’s unease.
She reconfirmed the Special Affairs Office recovery vehicle was en route, then tore open a barrier scroll from her bag.
Warning and defense integrated barrier deployed.
Only then did Tamamo ask the visibly drained Shangshan Che again: “Elder Brother Shangshan, what exactly was inside just now?”
Sitting on a rock, pinching his nose bridge, Shangshan Che thought this a prime chance to spill all Factory intel.
So he opened with the shortest, heaviest intel,
“At least tens of thousands, no upper limit: Half-Star to One-Star bio-mechs from the Eternal World Factory, plus an eyeball not weak even among Ghost God level.”
Tamamo, about to take notes, froze; her fingers hovered over the keyboard, unmoving for a long time.
Gulp.
Tamamo’s lips paled too.
She looked to Shangshan Che, hearing him repeat word for word.
Instantly, Tamamo wanted to black out and wake to someone saying it was all a dream.
But her ironclad professionalism sharpened her mind, faithfully typing every word on her mobile phone.
Hoarsely, she asked: “Anything else…”
Shangshan Che continued, spilling everything.
Nearby, Yagyu Oshi tightened his grip on his hilt hearing this.
“Now, who knows how many colleagues will die…”
Five minutes later.
“Report it first!”
After double-checking, Tamamo stamped the files with blood-red 【Top Secret】 seals.
She split the files into three, sending to Shizuoka Prefecture Special Affairs Office, Arakawa Ward Special Affairs Office, and Five Person Council mailboxes.
Finishing her work impeccably, the petite girl collapsed to the ground.
In her Kansai accent, she cursed fiercely: “That was too damn scary; I nearly died without a whole corpse…”
“Damn, too many bullshit things lately.”
Tamamo hugged her knees, chin on them, muttering like listing treasures: “Sengoku Secret Realm phenomena, Eternal World trains, urban legends reviving one after another, now this Eternal World Factory Owner…”
She grabbed her hair, howling skyward,
“Ughhh! So annoying!”
Hearing the keyword, Shangshan Che didn’t ask directly but opened the Edo Castle Gacha Pool page.
—Hundred-Eyed Demon had already consumed the two eyeballs he tossed in earlier; her progress bar was now at 【86%】.
Shangshan Che shifted his gaze to the palm-sized eyeball fragment he desperately scraped off…
Or rather, outer skin was more accurate.
As it was just a Ghost God level being’s outer skin, not qualifying as Item or material, no panel popped up.
No telling what surprise it would bring.
With a thought, Shangshan Che tossed the fragment before Hundred-Eyed Demon.
Then, he saw the loli Hundred-Eyed Demon freeze, seriously inspecting it for a long time before showing shock for the first time.
Next blink, the 【86%】 progress bar filled.
Hundred-Eyed Demon’s Promotion began.
