He Ping An Shrine was not too far from Honnoji Temple.
Therefore, the great changes that occurred within Honnoji Temple had already been known to the Shinto Ping An Shrine. Moreover, compared to Honnoji Temple, which was kept in the dark, Ping An Shrine had some understanding of the entity nurtured beneath Honnoji.
This was one of the privileges granted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Not only was Ping An Shrine an important Shinto site, but the Ghost-God Path itself was a variant derived from the fusion of ancient Shintoism and Buddhism.
Shrines and Palaces were different. Palaces existed as the "gardens" of the Emperor, and only the ancestors of the imperial line were enshrined there, worshipped in various forms in different locations.
The road before the Shrine was lit by fires on both sides. A large number of Shinto believers spotted the two approaching figures. The one leading was the abbot of Honnoji, causing them to look stern and shout out a stern warning!
"Halt! Abbot of Honnoji, who is the person beside you!"
They were on high alert, but not because they had recognized Ji Xiang's identity.
Seeing the expressions on their faces, the old abbot seemed to understand the current situation and couldn't help but feel annoyed:
"It seems these people know a lot."
"They must have mistaken the Great Demon for the resurrected Lord Nobunaga."
The feeling of being deceived was unpleasant. The old abbot finally realized an important point: the Shrine knew the inside story, but Honnoji itself did not. It seemed that the monks of his temple had long been treated as food for the demon god by Hideyoshi.
Ji Xiang's eyes began to glow as he saw the Shinto cultivators emerging to meet them.
The strong scent of incense, though insufficient from each individual, became substantial when gathered. This was a Shrine dedicated to ancient emperors, unlike the shrines where anyone could worship. It was a place of secluded cultivation for Shinto cultivators, and only imperial family members and various officials would come here for sacrifices.
Emperor Kanmu was the main deity enshrined in this Palace. His lineage was Shintoism and Onmyodo. He suppressed Buddhism in the past, and although he had greatly supported the Lotus Sutra sect, it was merely a concession made to suppress the power of the old Buddhist sects.
"Although the incense has been continuously prosperous, its strength lies in its enduring nature."
"If I consume it, I can recover two or three tenths of my magic power. I wonder if the statue of the Emperor inside the Palace has more incense?"
Ji Xiang commented on the incense qi floating between heaven and earth, completely disregarding the Shinto cultivators before him. His words were like blaspheming Jehovah in front of Christians, a grave disrespect. Instantly, many of them wore ferocious and fierce expressions and gradually approached Ji Xiang, yet they still dared not act rashly.
At this moment, they whispered to each other, exchanging glances:
"Is this person really the Great Demon from beneath Honnoji?"
"Earlier, when Honnoji experienced a shock and demonic energy surged, it was likely him..."
Some of the Palace cultivators only knew that a Great Demon was imprisoned beneath Honnoji, while some elders of the Palace were more aware of the situation.
"All things in existence, all gods in the world. This is the Palace of the origin of Heian-kyo, the resting place of Emperor Kanmu. How can it be disturbed by a Great Demon? Quickly summon the gods to subdue this demon!"
An elder Shinto cultivator shouted sternly. Appearing with him were more than a dozen Shinto cultivators with profound cultivation. Ji Xiang roughly observed that they were all at the Xiantian realm and Refining Spirit realm.
However, at the end of the Shinto path, deep within the Palace, where the incense was most abundant, a major figure had not yet appeared. It was unknown if it was the peak of the human realm at the Pure Yang level or a False Immortal who had damaged his form and spirit.
But no matter what...
"In the beginning, strong individuals do not directly engage the enemy in battle but attempt to send their disciples to their deaths. This is a major taboo. As a strong person, one should have a method to judge the opponent's strength, otherwise, wouldn't their disciples die in vain?"
Ji Xiang's voice spread throughout the Shinto path. The dozen or so cultivators with profound Taoism stared intently at Ji Xiang. Upon hearing his words, some couldn't help but sneer.
"The reason why strong individuals are strong is to guard the rear and stabilize the morale of the army. Since ancient times, to test the opponent's strength, one must dispatch those with high magical power, but not the strongest. It is impossible for a great general to act as a vanguard from the outset. If there is any mishap and one inadvertently meets their end here, wouldn't they be laughed at by the world?"
"You don't even understand this principle, you Great Demon, truly foolish."
Those cultivators laughed, and the Shinto path was filled with cheerful air.
But Ji Xiang also chuckled:
"You didn't understand... I mean, you shouldn't let your disciples go forward before you."
The dozen or so great cultivators of Shintoism exchanged glances, but none of them took Ji Xiang's words to heart and instead mocked him:
"These arrogant words can only be spoken at this moment. Otherwise, when you, this demon, are annihilated, nothing will remain, let alone the ability to speak."
At the same time, the old Shinto man who spoke earlier said with certainty to the other great Shinto cultivators around him: "This person's body is not Lord Nobunaga's corpse. Although it has been nurtured for more than ten years and that corpse has not been seen again, I can still recognize whether it is Lord Nobunaga."
"Whether it is the appearance, the state of the corpse, or the aura on his body, they are all vastly different. There is not a single point that can correspond to the past Lord Nobunaga."
A great cultivator beside him's gaze shifted, and he whispered, "Wasn't it said that the corpses of Akechi Mitsuhide and others were used for stitching... Rejuvenation is merely reshaping the face. For a demon god possessed by a corpse and resurrected, it should not be difficult."
"It's better to be cautious! If he is truly a demon monster born from Lord Nobunaga's corpse, we have countermeasures. If he is not, let the surrounding disciples test his methods first, so we can prescribe the right medicine."
After the great cultivator finished speaking, he once again berated the surrounding disciples. Those disciples no longer dared to wait. They formed seals with their hands, chanted incantations, their eyes glowed, and smoke rose from their ears and noses.
"Taiyuan Honored God, pure within and without, Kuninotokotachi-no-Mikoto... Gods are the inner proof of the ruler, descending with compassion and mingling with the dust; the ruler is the outer manifestation of the god, governing the country with frugality..."
As they chanted, strange forms and spirits appeared on the pillars on both sides of the Shinto path, including in the firelight, shadows, sky, clouds, and clothing... wherever there was a flow of energy.
"Eight million gods, in heaven and on earth!"
The elder Shinto cultivator stared at Ji Xiang: "With the power of all gods, descend and kill the Great Demon."
The paving stones of the Shinto path were also lifted, and the earth surged as if it had a life of its own. The Shinto cultivators took out two treasures from their bodies: one was a mirror, and the other was a puppet.
Then, those strange forms and spirits whose energy had changed attached themselves to the puppets. Subsequently, a halo appeared on the mirror, and these halos shone upon the puppets.
A fine mist suddenly drifted down from the sky.
However, the incense flickered in the fine mist, and the lamplight also flickered but did not extinguish; instead, it became brighter.
The old abbot watched this scene and explained to Ji Xiang:
"This is Misogi. Shintoism has no scriptures or canonical texts; all their magical power comes from 'divine offerings'."
"The so-called Misogi originates from the Han and Tang dynasties of China. It essentially refers to the ritual of washing away dirt by the river in March. In the magical arts of divine offerings, when the gods begin to be summoned, a fine mist will fall from the heavens."
"Then... look, they are starting to dance."
At this moment, the Shinto cultivators were dancing, and at the same time, divine sounds echoed through the heavens and earth, appearing out of nowhere, making it difficult to concentrate, even disturbing one's aura. If a cultivator with low cultivation were to be dazed by the divine music and dance that appeared at this moment, they would lose their will to fight.
"Bang!"
A gunshot rang out. The power of gunpowder vanished the moment it approached the Shinto cultivators. Simultaneously, in front of those Shinto cultivators, small wooden talismans appeared, bearing traces of gunpowder smoke.
This surprised Ji Xiang, and the old abbot was even more surprised.
When the enemy is in the process of casting a big move, why are you, an old man, so dishonorable, suddenly attacking someone who is unprepared?
"The shot was useless. Did the firearm fail because of the rain? No, my firearms can be used even in the rain."
Ji Xiang patted the Thunder God Machine, thinking his small pistol was broken. The old abbot coughed lightly and explained:
"Although firearms are powerful, they are useless in some situations... Although the firearm in your hand seems to be an advanced product, but... in short, this is a powerful technique called 'Omamori'."
Ji Xiang immediately understood.
"So that's how it is, a protective technique performed by channeling divine energy."
Omamori are essentially amulets, essentially protective spells cast by channeling divine power. The protective spell of one person is insignificant, but the combined protection of a group of people and gods is very powerful.
The power of a single handgun was still too small.
Ji Xiang pondered whether he could blow these people to the sky with a single shot from a Hongyi cannon if he brought one.
The long wind-up for the ultimate move indeed had some defensive methods. Firearms were a bit lacking when used against gods.
The old abbot said again:
"This is Kagura. It is the song and dance used to worship the gods. Shintoism places great importance on praying for victory in war. Therefore, whenever there is a war, a large number of Shinto followers perform this dance and music prayer for victory."
A heavy stomp, and the music and dance stopped!
The old abbot's spirit was stirred, and he clasped his hands together, immediately retreating behind Ji Xiang.
"The gods... are coming."
In an instant, hundreds of "gods" appeared before Ji Xiang's eyes!
In just a moment, the place with abundant incense became a place of a hundred demons on a night's march!
Countless shadows, amidst the fine mist and firelight, pressed down on Ji Xiang, accompanied by the hundred gods manifested through the puppets and divine mirrors, their aura momentarily sealing this space.
"Starting with the gods seen in ancient texts, birds, beasts, plants, mountains, seas, and so on, anything extraordinary is called a god. Not only the excellent, the kind, and the meritorious are called gods. The fierce, the strange, and the terrifying are also called gods."
Seeing this formation, the elder Shinto cultivator felt that victory was assured and they no longer needed to act.
The manifestation of a hundred gods, the night march of a hundred demons, gods, demons, and monsters – what essential difference was there? Those who can be controlled and driven by humans are gods.
Snake god, one-eyed god, long-sleeved god, flying-head god, mask god, earth god, forest god, dark god, firewood god, palace god, brick and tile god, monkey god... and the most famous fox god, Inari Okami.
However, Ji Xiang did not take these gods seriously. Facing the hundreds of gods pressing forward, he drew his hand from his waist.
The cold light of many swords flashed!
"They are gods, with incense offerings, right?"
"Yes..."
The old abbot answered with certainty when Ji Xiang asked, and Ji Xiang had already sensed the incense within the bodies of these gods before him!
The puppets and mirrors were mediums, and gods relied on incense to descend to the human world. Even the thirty-six heavenly gods needed incense to survive, let alone the minor gods in the folk. Regardless of whether they were ghosts, monsters, spirits, or demons before becoming gods, as long as they were gods, they must have incense on them!
"Arrogant, you want to kill gods with ordinary weapons?"
The Shinto cultivators all showed anger. Someone spoke, their expression twisted: "The gods are here, why don't you kowtow? Daring to draw your sword against the gods, you are truly audacious and deserve extreme punishment!"
"Truly a demon, disrespectful of the gods!"
Someone beside him said, "This demon is arrogant; perhaps he is truly transformed from the demonic energy on Lord Nobunaga's body."
The great cultivators conversed amongst themselves.
The many Shinto disciples urged the gods forward!
The gods advanced.
And were cut down by a single sword!
A sword light cut through the sky. With just a swing, it blinded all the gods. The next moment, a dog-headed god was struck by a sword, its divine head split in two on the spot!
Even if the many swords could not be activated, they were divine weapons themselves. Even a hammer would not be an ordinary object. With a single blow, it smashed the head of an advancing god. With a flick of Raikiri, two or three gods were immediately killed.
And when a few gods died.
A smile appeared on Ji Xiang's lips.
Boom!
A sudden gust of wind pushed back the other gods. The slain gods began to exude incense from their severed bodies!
Ji Xiang opened his mouth and inhaled!
The incense turned into a strong wind and entered his mouth!
"Hoo! Refreshing!"
Feeling his magic power gradually recovering, Ji Xiang showed a ferocious smile. This sudden change caused a commotion among the Shinto disciples in front, and even the dozen or so great cultivators exchanged glances, their expressions all shocked, not knowing what had happened.
"He killed gods and swallowed their incense?"
The elder Shinto cultivator stared at the battlefield and suddenly shivered, shouting loudly, "Quickly recall all the gods!"
"Too late!"
Although he didn't know what had happened, the elder cultivator's judgment was correct. But Ji Xiang naturally wouldn't let him have his way. The moment his magic power recovered...!
This straight Shinto path, from beginning to end, suddenly split into a long line.
The earth was split vertically, like the dividing line between dawn and dusk.
The elder cultivator dodged this blow.
But a Xiantian realm great cultivator did not pay attention, and he was also split into two sections by a silent strike.
No, it was not silent. When the sword swung down, the person and all things had already been cut open. The speed of the sword's swing was faster than sound.
Thus...
The sonic boom swept across heaven and earth!
With raging winds and surging waves, a single sword split mountains. The elder cultivator's face turned pale with fright. In this moment of great change in heaven and earth, when the roof tiles turned into ruins, he shouted!
"Many swords!"
How could this ancient divine weapon, which had gone to the front lines, appear in this place...
No, this person was not a demon transformed from Lord Nobunaga's demonic energy. A demon possessing many swords... The person before him was...!
The Sea-Crossing Heavenly Demon from the Ming Dynasty!
Ji Xiang laughed heartily. With the first sword, he slashed vertically, and with the second sword, he slashed horizontally! With two swings, he cut through heaven and earth!
The hundred gods were annihilated, and the incense flowed into Ji Xiang's body, and his magic power began to recover!
And the slash of the many swords stopped in a grand hall deep within the Shrine. A vast阳气 (yang energy) rushed out from within, possessing the power of immortal cultivation!
The true important figure was forced out by these two swords. Ji Xiang saw the flowing yang energy rushing towards him and reached for his waist again with his left hand.
A golden light suddenly swung down.
"Pudu Tianren!"
That stream of yang energy was smashed and sent flying into the distance with a single blow!
The golden light flowed, and Ji Xiang showed a sinister smile:
"The Golden Striker is most cost-effective when used at its weakest!"
"Let's see where you can dodge your next attack!"
Ji Xiang threw the Golden Striker. The golden light flashed. The figure within the stream of yang energy was clearly astonished. The next moment, it was struck on the head by the Golden Striker!