In a secret chamber covered by countless candlelights, Yaga Masamichi changed into a Shinto Priest's Hunting Garb, holding a Gohei – a wooden stick wrapped with zigzagging paper strips – used for prayer and purification before an Exorcism Ritual.
Yaga Masamichi strictly followed the "left-right-left" direction, waving the Gohei over Kenmyo Isayama's back, occasionally sprinkling purified Holy Water on him.
"Empty your mind of distractions..."
To allow the ritual to proceed, Kenmyo Isayama withdrew all his Psychic Energy. He remained silent, sitting cross-legged in the center of the ritual altar. When the Gohei gently brushed his body, the sensation was peculiar; his heart felt very peaceful, almost sleepy.
Yaga Masamichi took a deep breath, swapped the Ritual Implement in his hand for a Vajra Pestle, and slowly chanted,
"Eastern Green Emperor, Southern Red Emperor, Western White Emperor, Northern Black Emperor, Central Yellow Emperor, Northern Dipper Three Terraces, Five Stars of Astronomy, seal all demons and monsters."
As the incantation was released, dozens of rotating golden magic circles immediately appeared beneath Kenmyo Isayama, with mysterious Sanskrit and Buddhist patterns shining brightly on them.
This was the Eight Directions Avalokiteshvara Demon-Subduing Array, a Sealing Magic Circle created by the Jujutsu Master Genshin Monk a thousand years ago, capable of exorcising and purifying all evil. There's also a legend about this master: it's said that the Sarira formed after his nirvana was the legendary Cursed Tool, the Prison Realm.
The surrounding pale candles, shedding their eerie aura, now emitted a sacred glow.
Even more astonishingly, the Rakshasas and Asuras in the murals on the surrounding walls seemed to come alive, almost stepping down from the walls.
"Azure Dragon wards off all soldiers, White Tiger wards off misfortune, Vermilion Bird wards off gossip, Black Tortoise wards off all ghosts, Yellow Dragon subdues demons."
As the incantation progressed, the Vajra Pestle in Yaga Masamichi's hand radiated a brilliant light like the great sun, imbued with the power to dispel all Evil Spirits.
The characters on the magic circles began to leap from the paper, one by one, like small tadpoles, continuously moving towards Kenmyo Isayama from all directions.
When the first Rune Mark appeared on Kenmyo Isayama's body, the Cherry Blossom Magatama Emblem on his arm, which had remained dormant, finally stirred, beginning to emit a reddish, ominous glow.
As more and more runes climbed onto Kenmyo Isayama's body, its glow became increasingly sinister, and the surrounding candles began to flicker uneasily.
Yaga Masamichi noticed this and recited the incantation at an even faster pace.
"Homage! To all Vajras! Evil obstacles! Great Wrathful One! Destroyer! Terror! Holy Wrathful Speaker! Immovable Wisdom King!"
When the golden light on the Vajra Pestle in Yaga Masamichi's hand reached its peak, he fiercely thrust it towards the alluringly glowing cherry blossom engraving on Kenmyo Isayama's arm.
The contact was instantaneous; the quiet secret chamber echoed with what sounded like billions of mouths simultaneously letting out sharp laughter, seemingly mocking Yaga Masamichi's overestimation of himself.
"Damn it."
Yaga Masamichi felt his head was about to explode like a bomb; two lines of fresh red blood flowed from his ears due to the sudden sound.
But he still didn't let go, desperately trying to use the Vajra Pestle in his hand to completely tear apart the power of the engraving, locked in a stalemate.
However, when the flame of the first candle in the secret chamber began to rapidly shrink, then extinguished without warning, Yaga Masamichi's heart suddenly sank. This was just the beginning; more and more candles seemed to be slowly blown out by something unseen.
The light in the secret chamber grew dimmer as the Ghostly Extinguishing of Candles continued. Soon, only thirteen candles remained, flickering weakly like dying embers in the wind.
The previously lifelike murals became very dim in the face of the alluring light. Under the dim candlelight, even the eyes of the Rakshasas and Asuras, who specialized in slaughter, uncontrollably shed bloody tears, having reached their limit.
"Crack..."
As the first cracking sound emanated from the Vajra Pestle in Yaga Masamichi's hand, more and more cracks appeared on its surface.
The next second, amidst the sound of the Ritual Implement shattering, Yaga Masamichi spat out a large mouthful of blood. His body was violently flung several meters away by an inexplicable, terrifying force, knocking over countless Golden Candle Holders along the way. He didn't stop until he was heavily slammed against the wall, finally collapsing into the ruins, his life unknown.
At this moment, the last remaining candle also extinguished.
The secret chamber became completely dark, with only the red glow on Kenmyo Isayama's arm and the sharp, terrifying laughter echoing continuously throughout the chamber.
Initially, the laughter sounded like countless female voices, but later, it became increasingly frantic and terrifying, with the mere aura it contained being enough to make one lose their sanity.
Moreover, at this moment, an even more ominous aura overflowed from the pattern on Kenmyo Isayama's arm, directly enveloping the entire secret chamber.
It was as if some great horror was about to descend upon this place. The runes on the walls writhed, and the exorcism runes in the array beneath Kenmyo Isayama twisted in the red light, the characters beginning to contort into something resembling flesh.
In the end, the entire secret chamber was covered by indescribable fleshy tentacles. Flesh of an almost unimaginable volume was frantically wriggling, mixed with bloody liquid. Terrifying evil Cursed Energy surged on the surface of these monstrous things, and the veins on the flesh glowed crimson.
Meanwhile, Kenmyo Isayama simply sat there quietly, like a cold statue, completely unaware of the surrounding changes.
The flesh in front of Kenmyo Isayama churned, quickly gathering and swelling into a giant flower bud, about two meters long.
When the first heartbeat began to gestate within it, all surrounding reality began to be eroded, rapidly covered by some terrifying power. If one had to describe it, it was like the pinnacle of Jujutsu Sorcerer' innate Cursed Techniques, a "Domain Expansion," carving out a new space in reality.
"Pfft." The sound of flesh tearing came, and a slender, pure white, flawless arm was pulled directly from the flower bud-like thing. Finally, a body so beautiful it would astound even gods broke free from the filthy, defiled flesh.
It was a girl with red pupils and long, snow-white hair like fine silk, possessing an unparalleled, stunning beauty.
The terrifying crimson Cursed Energy Entanglement around her was of an almost unimaginable density. Suguru Geto's most proud Special Grade Cursed Spirit, the Rainbow Dragon, could only be called insignificant in front of her; they were simply on different levels. Just looking at it would burn one's eyes, and its presence distorted space itself.
The girl's forehead bore a symbol identical to that of the Nine-Tails. Under the flickering crimson light of the surrounding flames, her smooth skin seemed to be covered with an ominous glow.
In this horrifying, fleshy hellish atmosphere, there was a breathtaking, soul-freezing (and corrupting) beauty.
The disgusting flesh on the ground receded like a tide as she advanced, finally stopping when she reached Kenmyo Isayama.
"Following our agreement."
Looking at him, so close, the ineffably beautiful girl's cold face showed a hint of tenderness. She slowly squatted down, wanting to reach out and caress Kenmyo Isayama's face.
"I've come for you."
But unexpectedly, at this moment, Kenmyo Isayama's closed eyes opened. With a "slap," he swatted away the girl's outstretched hand.
"Sorry, we're not familiar."
A pair of blue eyes, devoid of emotion, looked at her, and he said coldly,
"And who are you?"
At this moment, a magnificent and terrifying blue figure slowly emerged behind Kenmyo Isayama; it was precisely his strongest trump card—the scarab terminator.
In this dark, decadent, fleshy hell, the blue behemoth's Ceramic-Steel Armor, carved with Hieroglyphs and covered in various Forbidden Runes, exuded a vast spiritual energy that distorted space, making it appear even more solemn, sacred, and inviolable!