Yotsuya Miko Becomes a Devilish Cultivator

The trees lining the road and complementing each other, the cool breeze gently caressing her body, Yurikawa Hana felt a slight sense of beauty.

"It really feels like a beautiful scene."

"Mhm, let's go this way, we'll be there soon."

Yuria led the way, heading towards the front. Her unease about bringing a normal person was replaced by the excitement of witnessing Miko's exorcism.

Dreaming of becoming a powerful exorcist, she naturally couldn't miss such an opportunity. After personally witnessing the entire Cursed Building's ghosts disappear last time, she no longer doubted Miko's abilities and began to feel respect for her. As for... why?

She clutched the Amanita muscaria doll tightly in her pocket.

At this moment, Hana had no idea what she was about to face. She nonchalantly took out a box of Pocky and started eating, intending to offer some to the two beside her.

She also asked Yuria, "Yuria-chan, are we almost there?"

"Mhm, although this area is just a normal mountain path, there's a tunnel ahead. If we go through the tunnel, we'll arrive."

As she spoke, a deep, dark tunnel appeared before the three of them. This was also the true destination for Miko and Yuria.

A place filled with many ghosts.

Chapter 38: Is it possible this is just for warding off evil?

A large congregation of ghosts is not a good thing for the living, because even if ordinary people cannot see them, the aura they emit—or can be understood as a kind of radiation—will continuously affect humans, weakening their bodies and causing illness.

However, just as there are powerful ghosts, there are also beings with strong life energy among humans. Their life energy is also harmful to ghosts, even causing them to choose to stay away. Even with a large number of ghosts present, such people would not be significantly affected.

But such beings are rare and more easily targeted by powerful ghosts. While many powerful ghosts dare not touch this life energy, they are still drawn to it like moths to a flame, until the opportune moment to devour it arrives.

Yurikawa Hana can be said to be lucky, or perhaps unlucky, as she is precisely such a person.

At this very moment, she gazed at the dark tunnel, as if it harbored countless ghostly figures, and couldn't help but feel fear.

"Do we really have to go through here?"

Yurikawa Hana said with a trembling voice, her good mood for taking scenic photos instantly replaced by fear.

"Mhm, there's a beautiful spot ahead that's perfect for taking pictures."

Yotsuya Miko looked at Hana with a mischievous smile.

Half out of concern for Hana's safety, and half out of her own selfish reasons.

While testing the protective measures on Hana, she also wanted to get back at Hana a little for her previous actions. Such a timid person, yet she walked straight into a Cursed Building. Was she not worried about her own safety at all?

If she hadn't arrived relatively early, it would have been troublesome once that kimono ghost had eaten all the ghosts in the entire building.

"It's so dark inside."

"Tunnels are supposed to be dark."

Yotsuya Miko said matter-of-factly, then walked straight into the tunnel.

She had already seen the weak ghosts, and her divine sense also noticed a powerful ghost lurking in the tunnel, which could serve as nourishment for the Nine Nether Profound Soul Treasure Record. However, before that, she wanted to see the power of the new Talisman doll.

Thinking this, Miko glanced at Hana and Yuria behind her. Unlike the Talisman doll she gave Hana, the one Yuria held was more geared towards combat, as Yuria could indeed see some ghosts. The energy system of this world could perhaps be called Spiritual Qi. She planned to visit that Godmother and figure out the origin of Spiritual Qi, then return and create a Talisman doll for Yuria that operated using Spiritual Qi. However, she currently had no information about the Godmother.

Hana followed Miko nervously, startled even by the water droplets falling from the tunnel ceiling that splashed onto her.

However, at this moment, neither of them was paying attention to her reaction. They both turned their gaze forward. The Talisman doll had begun to exert its power. The moment Hana stepped into the tunnel, ghosts that entered her vicinity began to feel uncomfortable and retreated. Simultaneously, strange black energy appeared on their bodies, slowly eroding their forms and killing them in a very short time.

Learning from her previous mistake, Miko quickly used Spiritual Qi to pull the residual souls and put them into the iron box container she had in her backpack. This iron box was a container she had crafted based on the Soul Merging Artifact Casting Understanding, specifically for holding souls. Its original form was likely a banner with the function of nurturing souls. However, due to the lack of materials for artifact refining, she simply made an iron box with the characteristic of containing souls, and added a few Talismans as barriers to conceal the souls' aura.

To Yuria, however, the scene was completely different. She naturally couldn't see the Spiritual Qi Miko unleashed, only witnessing ghosts that were isolated and solitary completely dissipate before they even reached Miko, as if there was a powerful barrier around Miko.

Miko... is truly so powerful...

Seeing this, a storm of emotions surged within Yuria once again. She thought she had already overestimated the Psychic before her, but her power was far beyond her imagination.

"Hm?"

Sensing her fervent gaze, Miko probably quickly understood her misunderstanding. She walked up to Yuria, lifted the hem of her hair, and whispered in her ear.

"Take out the doll I gave you and aim it at those spirits."

After speaking, she stood up and walked towards Hana, who was trying to retreat, and grabbed her hand.

"Hana, don't worry, there are no spirits here at all. See, I'm fine, aren't I?"

"But..."

"Don't worry, I'm here."

What does this mean?

Miko's gentle breath, like ants crawling into her ear, made her feel uncomfortable. She silently took the doll out of her pocket and, as Miko had instructed, aimed it at a ghost in the distance.

Almost the instant she aimed at the ghost, it vanished before her.

Disbelieving, Yuria shifted her target again, and the result was the same. Those "spirits" that had been causing trouble had disappeared. This time, Yuria finally understood the value of the doll in her hand. This was hardly just for warding off evil as Miko had said; it was clearly a divine artifact for exterminating ghosts!

Yotsuya Miko, watching Yuria eliminate a few ghosts one by one from the side, nodded with satisfaction. As she had envisioned, she had indeed found a Talisman combination that could completely exterminate ghosts. Although it would completely destroy the ghosts' souls, Yuria didn't need those souls, and doing so would actually prevent other ghosts from devouring them. However, she was still unsure if the Talisman doll in her hand could actually kill powerful ghosts.

Then... let's lure out that ghost first.

Thinking this, she pulled Hana, who had tears welling up in her eyes, into the tunnel, temporarily deactivating the Talisman doll on her. She then used Spiritual Qi to pull out the powerful ghost from the tunnel wall. It was a ghost that had fully merged into a tin can, not particularly strong.

The moment the Ghosts were violently pulled out, they quickly realized Miko could see them. With a roar, they charged towards Miko. Miko glanced at Yuria's reaction, confirming she couldn't see this level of Ghost, before activating the Talisman Doll on Hana again.

To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, she had set two different modes for the Talisman Doll on Hana: one for ordinary Ghosts, and another for attacking powerful Ghosts, an enhanced version of the attack from Yuria's Talisman Doll.

A black light with Devilish Dao characteristics suddenly shot out from the Ram Rabbit Doll on Hana, striking the Tin Can Ghost.

Then... came an explosion.

An astonishing number of light beams pierced through the Tin Can Ghost from within, riddling it with holes. Any Ghost struck by the light beams wailed as they died. As the Tin Can Ghost's body expanded, the white light enveloped the entire cave, purifying it completely.

Miko scanned the entire tunnel with her divine sense again, confirming there wasn't a trace of Ghosts left. Satisfied, she nodded, meeting Yuria's ghost-seeing gaze.

Unlike Hana, she couldn't see anything. As she fiddled with the Talisman Doll in her hand, a dazzling white light forced her to close her eyes. When the light finally dissipated, she couldn't see a single Ghost anymore. But, clearly, it wasn't that she "couldn't see."

She silently looked at the doll in her hand again. Perhaps... this was indeed for warding off evil?

Chapter 39: Torii Gate and Shimenawa

After clearing the Ghosts in the tunnel, Yotsuya Miko pulled an extremely reluctant Yurikawa Hana through it.

As light illuminated the three of them once more, Yurikawa Hana recovered from her previous fear and looked at the scenery before them.

"So beautiful..."

Perhaps because no one had passed through the tunnel in a long time, plants grew wildly on the other side, exuding a wild charm.

Walking on the mountain path again, they soon reached the end of the road – a Shrine. Small stone steps led all the way up to a Shrine, its Torii Gate partially visible, obscured by lush green foliage, while the rest was completely hidden.

The vermilion Torii Gate was covered in vines, tinged with green, looking as though no one had visited in a long time.

A Torii Gate is the entrance to the divine realm, representing the separation between the human world and the world of gods—if there truly were gods in this world.

Yotsuya Miko probed with her divine sense. If there were gods, such an act would surely anger them. Yet, she waited for a long time and saw no divine wrath, nor did she sense any Ghostly aura from the Shrine before her. Finally, she could only conclude that there were no gods here.

Indeed, if there were gods, would they tolerate the human world being ravaged by Ghosts?

Thinking she was being a bit presumptuous, Miko shook her head and walked up the steps with Yurikawa Hana.

The situation was different now from when they were in the tunnel. Hana, whom she had been pulling, now excitedly grabbed her hand, urging her to hurry into the Shrine.

The moment she stepped through the Torii Gate, Miko inexplicably felt a strange sensation. It vanished without a trace as soon as it appeared, leaving her slightly stunned.

Was that... a warning?

Cultivators always paid close attention to their instincts, as these reactions were usually accurate and life-saving. Even though the strange feeling came and went suddenly, Yotsuya Miko still realized something: the Shrine before them was probably not as simple as it seemed.

If her divine sense couldn't detect anything, it could only mean one other thing.

She glanced again at the Shimenawa decorating the Torii Gate, noticing the engraved marks on it. Due to its age, the Shimenawa had become dilapidated, with some parts even on the verge of breaking.

After entering the Torii Gate and seeing the Divine Messenger statues on either side with cracked bodies and destroyed facial features, she became increasingly wary of the Shrine.

This place... was a bit eerie.

It wasn't just the Divine Messengers that were eerie. As Miko suspected, this was a small Shrine, with only a Main Hall. But in front of this barely intact Main Hall, a huge Shimenawa hung, and on its left and right were two thick trees. Shimenawa were also hung on their trunks, making it look like... they were sealing something.

"Wow, what a unique Shrine!"

Looking at the Shrine before her, Yurikawa Hana showed a completely different reaction. She looked at the two tall trees beside the Shrine and felt a sense of grandeur. Even Yuria, who had followed them, was the same, gazing at this little-known Shrine hidden in the mountains, her eyes shining.

"I've never seen a Shrine like this before..."

If this kind of Shrine was common, then I probably wouldn't have to worry.

Miko looked at the Main Hall and silently took out a few iron balls from her backpack, placing them in her palm. If the Shrine showed any abnormality, she was prepared to immediately activate the Talisman within the iron balls and attack the Shrine.

"Miko, Yuria-chan, let's take a picture together!"

Yurikawa Hana stood excitedly in front of the Main Hall, pointed her camera at herself and the Shrine behind her, and waved to the two of them who were looking around.

"This picture will definitely turn out beautifully."

"Huh?"

Yuria was slightly taken aback. Before she could react, Yurikawa Hana hugged her and pulled her towards the camera.

As expected, this person was her natural enemy.

While struggling uncomfortably out of Yurikawa Hana's embrace, she put on a reluctant expression, yet her body obediently stood beside Hana and struck a pose.

After spending several days with Yurikawa Hana, she had a rough idea of what kind of person she was. Refusing Yurikawa Hana's request was troublesome, not because she herself wanted to take a photo with someone.

"Okay."

Miko responded and walked towards Yurikawa Hana, standing beside her. Although she still had many concerns about the Shrine, Miko didn't intend to let those worries affect her good friend. After all, Hana had finally come here.

In any case, let's leave quickly after taking the picture.

Standing in front of the camera, Yotsuya Miko smiled. Listening to the "click" of the camera, she thought about how to persuade Hana to leave this place.

However, before she could think further, a large section of the Shimenawa above the Main Hall suddenly fell, making a dull thud. These Shimenawa had perhaps not been replaced in a long time and finally rotted through.

The dull thud startled Yuria and Hana, who were taking the picture. They looked back and realized it was just the Shimenawa breaking.

"You scared me, it was just this..."

"Hana, are you done taking the picture?"

Miko abruptly asked, and the severed Shimenawa gave her a reason to persuade the two to leave.

"It seems like no one has been here for a long time. Other Shimenawa might break like this one soon, so we should leave."

"Huh? Let me see..."

Yurikawa Hana glanced at her camera, then at the Shimenawa that had fallen to the ground, feeling a sense of relief at having narrowly escaped. The Shimenawa had broken just a short distance behind them. In her camera, the Shimenawa still hung normally, and no one had expected it to suddenly fall and hit the ground.

"It really is a bit dangerous... But I've already taken my pictures. It's a shame about this Shrine, though... It hasn't been maintained in so long."

"Perhaps."

Miko didn't deny it. She looked at the Shimenawa on the ground and, still unwilling to give up, scanned it again with her spiritual sense. Unfortunately, she found nothing.

Although her intuition told her that something extraordinary might be here, she hadn't detected anything amiss so far. This place... was clean, with no strange aura, neither from Monsters nor from living people. Her spiritual sense seemed to lose its effectiveness here.

They returned the way they came, and the moment they stepped out from under the Torii Gate, Miko seemed to understand its meaning.

Perhaps this was indeed the boundary between humans and other things, and they had just been lucky enough not to truly step inside.

As they walked out of the tunnel, the three of them grew farther and farther from the Shrine, thus remaining unaware of what was happening within. All the Shimenawa hanging from the trees, on the Main Hall, and atop the Torii Gate, began to fall to the ground, emitting dull thuds.

Shimenawa, representing sacred boundaries.

Chapter 40: The Beginning of the Heart's Knot

After visiting the Shrine, Miko was unusually quiet for a while, diligently practicing her existing techniques and spells, and constantly making adjustments. Although she was still hunting Ghosts, she shifted her focus from desperately seeking them out to more accessible streets. By accumulating small victories, she still harvested quite a lot, and with the help of a few stronger Ghosts, she condensed new Profound Nether Qi.

Due to material limitations, the Talismans and artifacts she crafted were still of very poor quality, but their power was well-assured after the adjustments. If she encountered the same Kimono Ghost as last time, she might not even need to act personally; the defensive Talisman doll on Yurikawa Hana alone could completely annihilate the Kimono Ghost.

Even so, a sense of urgency still pressed upon her.