In the human realm, at the Biti Hall, Shimazu Tadatsune's skin turned like white stone, encircled by a golden halo, the divine pillar connecting to the heavens, "Ameteru-dama-no-mikoto."
Meanwhile, the generals who were once loyal to Date Masamune, but had now turned traitor, such as Hayashi Michitoshi, also bore different divine forms.
Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami.
Toshitoku Kin-ka-shin.
Kose-hime-myojin.
Ichikishima-hime-no-kami.
Date Masamune himself seemed to have transformed into a black dragon, enveloped by surging flames and a black aura, his exact form obscured. The flames took the shape of a dragon, and Date Masamune's eyes had become draconic.
He was now surrounded by several divine generals positioned at five points, locked within a Five Elements formation!
Trapped by the Five Elements formation and unable to move, Date Masamune watched in terror as Himei appeared, wielding numerous swords. The subsequent two strikes of "Mie Man Jun" caused him to grimace in pain, closing his eyes.
However, Uesugi Kagekatsu was then killed, the gates of the underworld opened, and two False Immortals dragged the Ming Dynasty immortal into the underworld. This could be considered a good thing; the Ming Dynasty immortal was finally killed, albeit at a great cost. Clearly, the five traitors were also mentally shaken by this scene, creating a gap in the Five Elements formation. Date Masamune seized this opportunity, and the treasure sword of Otakemaru unleashed astonishing demonic energy, tearing the entire Five Elements formation apart!
"Are you afraid! Traitors, your future ends here! Every one of you will die! Let me cut open your bellies and atone to the Grand Minister!"
Date Masamune charged at the five traitors with a mad laugh. His swords were drawn, and in an instant, four treasure swords struck a traitorous general. The Black Dragon's fire, entwined with the sword, instantly consumed the man!
"Ah!"
Date Masamune ignited one traitor, while the others, witnessing the destruction of the Five Elements formation, were greatly alarmed and fell into disarray!
"You all must die!"
"Demon God Dharma Body!"
Date Masamune began to reveal his demon god powers, simultaneously wielding three demonic swords!
Dōtsuren, Kotsuren, Kenmyōren, these were the three demonic swords of the legendary great demon "Otakemaru," collectively known as the Three Bright Swords.
In an instant, wind, rain, and lightning swirled around each of these three swords!
The earth was churned up, and thunder accompanied by fierce winds and rain attacked the front. Date Masamune swung his swords a second time; the sky turned red, and this human realm was shrouded in dark clouds, starting to rain fire!
Fortunately, Shimazu Tadatsune remained somewhat clear-headed and also swung a sword. The halo of this strike transformed into an impenetrable barrier supporting heaven and earth, and the unyielding golden element surged forth, blocking Date Masamune's offensive!
Shimazu family's little Keiko, what little strength do you possess? Don't think that just because you've taken the position of the Heavenly Pillar God, you can stop me!
"The power of a divine position is great, but it also depends on who wields it! Just you?! Seize the opening, do you still want to counterattack?"
Beneath the sword, the Wisdom Fire Divine Sword of the Great Dragon King Kurikara reappeared, using his own treasure sword, Kageshide, as a vessel, unleashing his divine power!
"Wind, rain, thunder, and lightning erupt in a great roar! The three swords display the might of celestial phenomena, their momentum fully prepared!"
After planting the swords, he first summoned various celestial phenomena.
When the celestial phenomena condensed to a certain extent, the primordial energy between heaven and earth surged and boiled completely. At this point, the Wisdom Fire Divine Sword could be wielded again, and the Great Dragon King Kurikara would then display his true, vast power!
One strike could annihilate countless demons and heretics!
"The Wisdom Fire Sword of the heretics, its aura erupts like two trillion thunders sounding at once!"
With a swing of the Wisdom Fire Divine Sword, it was as if two trillion rays of lightning descended from the heavens!
The sword energy swept through, scattering all the rebel forces!
A great storm whipped up the sky's primordial energy like waves, the sword energy coiled within like thunder. The Five Elements formation was broken, and the other traitorous generals were swept aside. Date Masamune had finally shattered the defenses of Biti Hall!
Dust fell from the sky, lightning flashed, heavy rain poured, and heat rose to form mist.
It was a scene of heaven and earth collapsing! The city was destroyed, the army defeated. Date Masamune stood amidst it all, clad in black armor, holding four swords and manifesting the form of a Buddhist Dragon King.
For a moment, the rebel soldiers who had narrowly survived were filled with extreme fear, their rapid breaths carrying the scent of blood, the thick dust, the decaying soil, and the dampness of the rain.
And the Wisdom Fire Divine Sword, radiating bright light, unaffected by the wind and rain!
The divine forms of several rebel leaders began to falter. Date Masamune stood not far in front of them, looking at these traitors, some sprawled on the ground, others kneeling on one knee, and said with relief:
"Making you副将 (fùjiàng - deputy generals) was the Grand Minister's most wise decision. Otherwise, if you had been the main generals this time, you might have surrendered to the Ming Dynasty with courtesy, and even turned around to open the city gates we were defending, leading the Ming army in!
"Although your divine positions are powerful, you yourselves do not possess the ability to control them. This is also the Grand Minister's method of checks and balances. It's just a pity you used the Five Elements formation in the wrong place!"
"Regardless of your reasons or intentions, you will all descend to the underworld today."
*Dong!*
Suddenly, the earth trembled.
Date Masamune turned his head to look. He no longer feared any sneak attacks from these traitorous generals. The Five Elements formation had been broken, and the remaining four divine generals could not form a formation to trap him.
Anyone who dared to sneak attack would be killed instantly with all four swords!
He gazed into the distance.
At the entrance to the underworld, two humanoid figures rose from the mud.
The two False Immortals had come back to life, returning from the land of the underworld with difficulty.
They held the Golden Seal, which protected them from being swallowed by the underworld's power. The power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation from the "Hungry Ghost Scroll" guided them on a path back to the human realm, the same path taken by Izanagi in mythology, leading to this exit of the underworld guarded by the God of Obstruction.
The Six Paths of Reincarnation, the transmigration of heavenly beings; as possessors of the "Hungry Ghost Scroll," it was not surprising that they could open a path back to the human realm.
Moreover, they themselves were possessors of幽冥 (yōmèi - underworld) divine positions, so it was normal for them to be able to enter and exit the human realm and the underworld.
However, the immortal power they used to drag Himei into the underworld was immense, causing severe depletion. If they did not have the Golden Seal in hand at this moment, they would have perished once more due to the decay of their bodies and spirits.
The two immortals walked stiffly to the corpse of Uesugi Kagekatsu. His eyes were open, his head separated from his body, and he died with eyes wide open, leaving behind a heavy residue of resentment.
"Come, revive him."
One immortal called out to the surroundings, and the dozens of vengeful spirit warriors appeared, beginning to merge into Uesugi Kagekatsu's body.
After a while, Uesugi Kagekatsu's eyes blinked, and his head rolled back to reconnect to his neck.
His blood had already drained, and his pale, emaciated body suddenly became full. The vengeful spirits supported his revival, and Uesugi Kagekatsu's consciousness gradually returned.
"Hoo, the two of you are not dead. It seems that Ming Dynasty immortal is indeed dead."
"What a terrifying experience, but now everything is fine."
Uesugi Kagekatsu picked up the Heavenly Deer Bow and Heavenly Feather Arrows again, revealing a chilling smile:
"Fortunately, I originally had no three souls and seven spirits, but was gathered by vengeful spirits. Otherwise, being shot by that arrow would have been truly disastrous."
The two False Immortals accompanied him to the ruins of Biti Hall.
"Alas, attacking one's own city to display might is one thing, but attacking a city occupied by the Ming army is not so smooth."
"Next, let's recapture the capital. The Ming Dynasty immortal is dead, and the Ming army's defeat is only a matter of time."
Date Masamune saw Uesugi Kagekatsu approaching and was somewhat surprised: "Mr. Uesugi, I just saw your body and your head..."
"I was merely beheaded. Even common practitioners of esoteric arts know the technique of reattaching a severed head. What trouble could it be for me, the divine path-blocking god of the underworld, to have my head cut off?"
Date Masamune frowned slightly. He wanted to say that he had just seen the other party being shot by the Heavenly Feather Arrows. If he remembered correctly, being shot by an arrow from the Heavenly Deer Bow would have severe consequences. However, as long as the other party was fine, it was a good thing. As for how he survived, Date Masamune could guess one or two things.
It was probably related to those vengeful spirits.
The techniques of transforming resentful thoughts into demonic arts and attaching vengeful spirits all originated from the path of gods and demons. The techniques used in this path were indeed both effective and convenient.
After speaking, Uesugi Kagekatsu looked at the few traitorous generals in front of him, especially the young samurai who had returned from Tachibana Muneshige's command and had followed him until now. He showed an expression of extreme disappointment:
"Tadaharu, I never expected it would be you who betrayed me."
"You disappoint me. For what reason did you pledge allegiance to the Ming Dynasty?"
Shimazu Tadaharu, facing a desperate situation, merely smiled: "Sometimes, what you see with your eyes is not necessarily the truth."
The young samurai thought, the past Shimazu Tadaharu was already dead. He was now a demon, and with the demon within him, reality was illuminated.
The traitorous generals, Hayashi Michitoshi and the others, who were infected by the demon within, remained silent.
"No, won't you say a few last words?"
"Last words?"
Hayashi Michitoshi glanced at Date Masamune. Facing his former superior, he spat out malicious words with genuine feeling: "I die in a foreign land, my soul unable to return to my homeland."
"And your fate will inevitably be the same as mine."
Date Masamune's face contorted, and he sneered, "Then I'll take your good omen!"
He then raised his long sword and severed his head with one strike!
Shimazu Tadaharu watched as the few traitorous generals beside him were executed, believing his own end had arrived. However, Uesugi Kagekatsu stopped Date Masamune from swinging his sword and said to Shimazu Tadaharu:
"You are still useful. Now is not the time for you to die."
"Your father was killed by the Ming Dynasty immortal, yet you pledged allegiance to that immortal and were willing to be his dog. Now that he is dead and in the underworld, yet you are still alive, you should inherit your father's daimyo status, but at the same time, you have committed a grave crime."
You will return to your homeland alive, and in your name, you will transfer all the lands you rule, one by one. Because of your betrayal and the presence of witnesses and evidence, your uncles will have no choice but to acknowledge this, either by allowing it or by accepting your apology. However, both paths lead to the same outcome.
"In gratitude for handing over the sovereignty of Kyushu Island."
"We will leave you a small piece of land, so that your descendants may live in humiliation."
Now, follow us. The Ming Dynasty you pledged allegiance to only achieved a temporary victory. Their demise is only a matter of tonight." "The situation will be decided!"