RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The mountain trembled, stones fell, and the trees quaked. That roar from within the cave had become the most realistic manifestation of heaven and earth’s might.

「Inside Orochi Cave」

As Orochi’s rhythmic breathing abruptly turned into a long, drawn-out howl, the fifty-odd Onmyoji chanting spells in a circle were all flung back against the stone walls! Yet, this violent collision did not incite fear. Instead, it brought an indescribable, ecstatic jubilation!

"It worked! It worked! The Great God Orochi has revived! It has truly revived!"

"May the True God Tian Zhao protect us! May Tian Zhao bless our Japan for a thousand generations!"

"The grudges of the past can finally be avenged! They can be avenged!"

"After waiting for more than seventy years, we’ve finally reached this moment!"

Even as the great roar continued to echo throughout the cave, the Divine Level Onmyoji, gathered from all corners of Japan, were shouting and crying tears of joy.

In their minds, a Japan without Orochi was incomplete. A Japan with Orochi could plant the Rising Sun Flag across the entire world! They had never for a moment forgotten the grand, aggressive plan of the Co-Prosperity Sphere. They only dared to dream, but never act, because Orochi had fallen into a deep slumber after its grievous injuries in World War II.

Now, Orochi had revived. The beast that had once made the entire world grovel and tremble in fear was reborn! This also meant that Japan’s campaign to conquer the world would begin anew! In a situation like this, how could they not be excited? How could they not be overcome with delirious joy?

Most importantly, although it had slumbered for over seventy years, the Great God Orochi’s power had not waned. On the contrary, it was now far stronger than it had been before its grievous injury and slumber during World War II! That single, earth-shaking roar was proof enough of its increased might.

Amid the euphoric frenzy, one Onmyoji took the lead, kneeling toward Orochi and shouting, "We pay our respects to the Great God Orochi!"

Following his lead, the other Onmyoji belatedly did the same, echoing the solemn cry, "We pay our respects to the Great God Orochi!"

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Facing Orochi, every single one of them knelt forcefully, their faces filled with nothing but pious reverence.

「Outside the cave」

Stones scattered and fell. Despite the suddenness of the event, Matsubara Santai and his men reacted as if they were witnessing the descent of a True God. Their faces flushed crimson with unparalleled excitement. Without a second thought, they knelt toward the entrance of Orochi Cave. With their arms outstretched and held high, they resembled brainwashed fanatics, roaring in unison, "We welcome the Great God Orochi!"

"We welcome the Great God Orochi!"

"We welcome the Great God Orochi!"

Their nearly hysterical roars received no reply, yet the excitement on Matsubara Santai’s face did not diminish in the slightest. Instead, it grew even more intense.

Those Huaxians? That Butcher? So what if thirty-two Divine Ninjas died at your hands? Now that the Great God Orochi has revived, you will die no matter how heaven-defying you are! You will all die!

「Outside Mount Fuji」

Startled by the earth-shaking tremor and the stones falling from the mountainside, Hua Xiaotian’s face filled with uncontrollable panic. "Damn it, Orochi has revived!" he blurted out.

One early morning, atop Kunlun Mountain, he had learned from his master, the Demi Immortal Qilian, just what the name "Orochi" signified in terms of power. Now that Orochi had revived, claiming to be calm and without pressure would be utter nonsense. It would defy all human logic and emotion!

"Mm. It has revived. I was waiting specifically for it to do so. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time playing games with those worthless Divine Ninjas," Qin Fan said with a dismissive smile, shaking his head.

"Master Qin! You were waiting for it to revive? What... what in the world is going on?" Hua Xiaotian asked, his voice trembling in confusion.

"A revived Demon Beast is far more valuable than one that has not revived. Alright, no more questions. I don’t know how to explain it to you. Follow me," Qin Fan ordered, his hands clasped behind his back and his tone exceptionally mature. He then strode toward the base of Mount Fuji.

Behind him, Hua Xiaotian was utterly bewildered, his face a mask of panic and apprehension. Indeed, Qin Fan’s existence was a testament to his inhuman, heaven-defying Divine Skills and Immortal Abilities. However, the apprehension and dread he felt toward Orochi had been deeply implanted in his heart that day atop Kunlun Mountain. How could he possibly erase those feelings in an instant? But no matter how difficult it was, at Qin Fan’s command, Hua Xiaotian followed closely.

"Use your Gang Realm senses and feel carefully. Do you notice anything unusual?" Qin Fan asked, stopping abruptly at the edge of Mount Fuji’s base.

Hua Xiaotian did not answer immediately. He calmed his mind, closed his eyes, and let his brow furrow in concentration. A moment later, he exclaimed, "Master Qin, are you referring to what’s beneath the mountain? There’s such a powerful aura down there!"

Even from this distance, he could feel the inhuman aura below, intertwined with the powerful energy fields of dozens of others. Hua Xiaotian trembled. He knew that inhuman aura had to be from the legendary Orochi!

"That’s right. In this mortal world, it is indeed quite powerful. A pity it ran into me, hehe," Qin Fan nodded, his tone incomparably arrogant and wild.

Before Hua Xiaotian could even reply, the vast and majestic True Qi from Qin Fan’s Golden Core erupted from his body! The sheer force of the aura sent even Hua Xiaotian stumbling back several steps.

"Earth Evil Second Form, Thunder Sound Fist!"

As his aura surged, Qin Fan seemed to transform. He roared the words in a chilling voice, his right hand, brimming with formidable, stately might, clenching into a fist as he spoke. The instant the words left his mouth, the fist was formed. Without the slightest pause or hesitation, he slammed it fiercely into the ground beside him!

BOOM!

A tremendous sound erupted at the impact. The ground where the fist landed trembled once, then the tremors began to visibly spread outward. Once the quaking area reached a diameter of three meters, the ground stilled.

The next moment, something Hua Xiaotian would never forget for the rest of his life happened.

CRACKLE! With a series of sharp sounds, the three-meter-wide circle of earth suddenly collapsed downward with a great WHOOSH! In the blink of an eye, a tunnel, like one dug by tomb raiders, had formed.

「Meanwhile, beneath the mountain」

Suddenly facing a cascade of collapsing earth and stone, Matsubara Santai and the others, who were still lost in their ecstatic celebration of Orochi’s revival, were caught completely off guard and struck dead center. The falling debris wasn’t enough to cause serious injury, but it left them scraped, disheveled, and covered in dirt.

"Baka! Baka! Those two bastards are coming down! They’re coming down!" Takada Naoto screamed in panic, ignoring his filthy appearance as his eyes darted toward the giant crystal.

Yes, that was right. Orochi’s revival should have put their minds at ease, but the problem was that neither Orochi nor the host of Divine Level Onmyoji had yet appeared! And in that brief interval, the two Huaxian bastards, who had seemed invincible on their murderous path, had already broken through the earth. With their lives on the line, who wouldn’t panic? Who wouldn’t be terrified?