A black-and-red portal appeared behind Xuan'an. A faint smile played on his lips, as though everything was under his control.
He calmly turned and stepped into the black portal, soon emerging in a mountainous region.
On the ground where Xuan'an stood lay a strange-looking figure.
Like a thumb come to life, she had six clear, blank pupils. She was none other than that all-knowing, all-powerful sorcerer-
Tengen.
Behind her, a Kogane bearing the same stitches as Kenjaku followed closely.
This Kogane was precisely the contingency Kenjaku had prepared to control Tengen.
Once the Culling Game was finally completed, Xuan'an could use it to make Tengen assimilate the entire world.
Unlike Kenjaku, Xuan'an did not need Tengen to control the Culling Game. He had easily read her memories and obtained authority over the Four Great Pure Lands.
The Four Great Pure Lands were four massive barriers Tengen had established long ago to help jujutsu sorcerers fight cursed spirits.
Of these, the Hida Mountain Pure Land was the largest, a vast Pure Land that already divided Japan's east from its west.
"I never imagined I'd be allowed to get this far..."
Xuan'an leisurely dragged the unconscious Tengen into the Hida Mountain Pure Land, unable to conceal the smile on his face.
He had begun plotting many years ago, with plans that included, but were hardly limited to, the destruction of the Zenin Clan...
He had deliberately allowed Kenjaku to be killed by Ze Zenin after starting the Culling Game.
Every last part of it had served one purpose: restoring his power.
As long as he kept bringing about the major events that were supposed to happen, he could recover his power step by step-
The Shibuya Incident, the Culling Game...
"Things went a little off course, but it's time for that fellow's