The Veteran Immortal

South of Heian-kyo, the battle across the plains continued. Within the barrier, flames roared and surged, trapping all things in a cycle of incineration and rebirth.

Fujiwara no Mokou and Hagoromo Gitsune were locked in a long, grueling struggle with no end in sight. Maintained by three Secret Lore senior secretaries, the barrier used Mokou's blood as a medium and was essentially an extension of her own being. Mokou bore all the damage for the barrier; as long as she did not die, the barrier would not break. Under these conditions, Hagoromo Gitsune could only be ground down, entangled with an enemy who simply would not perish.

Despite relying on the power of the Vermilion Bird Divine General, Hagoromo Gitsune had killed Mokou hundreds of times to no avail. Mokou simply revived again and again to launch her counterattacks. Every life she spent allowed her to leave a wound on Hagoromo Gitsune's massive frame, though the wounds would heal rapidly amidst the pain. Having been modified by the power of Orochi, she also possessed the removal of vital points and high-speed regeneration. While this could not compare to the "indestructibility" Mokou inherited from Chang'e, Mokou lacked the strength to eliminate a great yokai wielding Vermilion Bird spiritual power in a single blow.

Both sides possessed high-speed recovery, rendering every attack seemingly meaningless. Yet, the battle had to continue, leaving them in a loop of endless slaughter.

As time passed, the triangular barrier began to change. The crimson walls were shrinking, rapidly reducing the area of the battlefield between Mokou and Hagoromo Gitsune. Gradually, the space became so narrow that their own techniques were guaranteed to catch them in the crossfire.

"Roar!!"

Within the cramped barrier, Hagoromo Gitsune unleashed a blast of flame, pulverizing Mokou while she herself was scorched by the aftershock.

"What's wrong? Before, you just couldn't aim. Now, even your power has dropped. Your Vermilion Bird spiritual power should be far from exhausted. Pull yourself together!" Within the flames, Mokou manifested once more, having died for the hundredth time. She spoke with a calm whisper as she looked at the panting, mentally frayed Hagoromo Gitsune.

In an endless battle, the recovery of wounds cannot erase all consequences. The agony of being injured tortures the mind. Repeatedly being wounded and regenerated means enduring increasingly heavy pain. Wounds heal, but the memory of pain accumulates, gradually eroding one's sanity.

In this slaughter with no end in sight, their bodies might be able to fight eternally, but their spirits had limits. Every time a body recovered, every time an attack failed, mental pressure built up. Beyond that, even greater pressure came from the environment itself.

Due to the barrier, the battlefield was sealed. Since both combatants were fire-wielders, the heat from their flames had nowhere to escape in such a confined space. It was stored in the air, causing the temperature to rise indefinitely. By now, it had reached a point where hair would ignite even without an open flame—a level of heat unbearable even for those who controlled fire.

Furthermore, after prolonged burning, the oxygen in the air had been depleted. Both sides had long since begun to face the struggle of suffocation.

Finally, by relying on the power of ancient gods to repeatedly violate the conservation of matter through rebirth and regeneration, they were constantly adding energy and matter into the space. This created an environment of extreme high pressure.

High heat, suffocation, high pressure... a battlefield environment comparable to the surface of Venus. Even a Yokai Lord would not last long inside, yet Hagoromo Gitsune and Mokou were enduring it. However, it couldn't last much longer.

"Roar..."

With a mournful, hissing cry, the nine-tailed Hagoromo Gitsune stumbled and fell to the ground. At this moment, the agony of battle and the torment of the extreme environment overlapped, pushing her spirit to its breaking point. Though her body could still fight, her mind could no longer endure.

While Orochi could grant His apostles the ultimate physical form, their wills remained merely mortal. After cruel tempering, even steel will snap.

Now, the mentally shattered Hagoromo Gitsune desired only release. This longing surpassed even Orochi's erosion of her will.

"Enough... I'm sorry... Seimei..."

With weak words, Hagoromo Gitsune chose to end this hellish battle herself. Lying on the ground, she mobilized all the energy in her body and let it explode from within. Suddenly, the weakened nine-tailed great yokai erupted with a violent radiance.

Self-detonation... Hagoromo Gitsune didn't know if such a move could kill Mokou, but it would certainly kill herself. The explosion of Vermilion Bird spiritual power was enough to destroy this physical vessel.

Crimson light filled the entire barrier. Seeing this, Ao Andon, floating in the sky, controlled the Onmyoji to deactivate the top of the barrier. Instantly, the uncontainable energy surged toward the heavens, forming a pillar of crimson light that pierced the sky.

When the light faded and the barrier vanished, the barren earth was empty. Mokou's body slowly reformed amidst the sparks. Looking at the opponent who had vaporized and disappeared, she let out a long sigh of relief.

"If you can't master your senses... you can't master immortality..."

Mokou spoke with a sigh. The reason she was able to outlast her opponent was purely because her experience as an immortal was far more extensive. She knew how to face various horrific and grotesque situations with a relaxed mindset.

Mokou possessed the basic ability of self-immolation and had reached the pinnacle of mastery in that regard. She could precisely burn away the sensory regions of her brain responsible for pain, ensuring that physical torture could never affect her spirit. This allowed her to seek death with a cheerful mood anytime, anywhere. Conversely, Hagoromo Gitsune could not control the regeneration power Orochi had given her; the more she regenerated, the more sensory torment she suffered.

Thus, this battle could be called a victory for the veteran immortal.

North of Heian-kyo, among the rugged mountains, a hazy glow covered a vast area. This was the mark of a divine realm eroding reality—the Wind God Domain deployed by Kanako.

Suddenly, the hazy glow flickered and then rapidly dissipated as if blown away by a hurricane. Once the divine realm was lifted, a massive surge of crimson blood gushed out, flowing into the mountain valleys.

As the blood finished draining, what remained was a vast deposit of finely shredded mincemeat. These bits of flesh, which still carried a strong aura of spiritual power, gradually lost their vitality as they twitched slightly, eventually becoming still, dead meat.

"Hmph... quite strong, but this is as far as you go..."

In the sky, Takeminakata-no-Kami sat cross-legged, looking down at the pile of meat. This... was the opponent he had faced, a chimera yokai possessing Black Tortoise demonic power. Under the relentless gale of the Wind God, it had been reduced to this state.