Vanguards of the War of Resistance! Let's travel back in time together, classmates!

313 Journey to the East, Part 14: Ise Grand Shrine

Looking into Xiao Xuanxuan's expectant eyes, Shangguan Yun smiled and resolutely set off into the sunset.

Xuanxuan was very sensible. She knew that her father was going to seek revenge this time, and that taking her along would be a burden. She heard that those villains were very fierce and liked to eat children's flesh.

She had almost been captured and eaten that day. Her father had told her all of this, and she chose to trust him completely, staying there to wait for him to come back and get her, not going anywhere else.

As night fell, the autumn wind howled, and a somber atmosphere filled Ise Bay. The biting northwest wind whistled through the pine forest, and a silver light came from the northwest, streaking across the night sky and finally landing at the entrance of Ise Grand Shrine.

Shangguan Yun jumped off the flying sword and walked forward slowly.

It is said that during the period of the Sixty-Four Provinces of Japan, the Iga and Ise factions were originally two small neighboring countries that fought each other frequently. However, the Iga faction was more ferocious and skilled in battle, while the Ise faction was more mature and self-reliant.

Later, the warlord Oda Nobunaga unified the Japanese archipelago. In order to facilitate management and weaken the strength of the ninjas on both sides, he swapped the two factions' bases. To this day, the Ise Grand Shrine here is still occupied by the Iga faction.

"Swish... Crack crack..."

The sound of wooden clogs stepping on the pebbly path was simple and clear. In the daytime, it would surely be a beautiful and harmonious sound, but now it was night.

During the day, the sacred shrine is bustling with activity, attracting a constant stream of worshippers and exuding a solemn and sacred atmosphere.

As night falls, this place becomes a quiet haven, bathed in the milky light of the white lanterns, where everything appears so peaceful and serene.

It was late autumn and the weather was cold, so ordinary people wouldn't come here to visit at this time. Moreover, the shrine had regulations prohibiting worship at night, so the streets were quite deserted.

Japan is known for its good public safety; it's no exaggeration to say that people don't pick up lost items on the road and don't lock their doors at night. Ise Grand Shrine is no exception; it doesn't even have a main gate, but rather a few tall door frames at the entrances, commonly known as torii gates, which are said to be the style of the gates to the abodes of the gods.

It was really just a formality. Shangguan Yun held his breath and focused his mind, spreading his divine sense to precisely lock onto the space within a radius of several hundred meters. Every blade of grass and every tree was under his attention. He was still wearing that black and white samurai uniform, with a short and a long sword hanging at his waist.

"Stop... What are you doing here...?"

Two dark figures suddenly emerged from behind two large trees, their eyes fixed on Shangguan Yun's unhurried steps.

"Don't go any further. This is Ise Grand Shrine. Worship is not permitted at night. Please come back tomorrow..."

Looking at Shangguan Yun's attire, the two men were clearly unsure of his identity and had no choice but to speak up and stop him.

Shangguan Yun's lips curled up, revealing a hint of coldness. He didn't stop walking; they were just two ordinary low-level ninjas, mere lackeys.

Seeing this, the two sensed something was wrong, let out a cold snort, quickly stepped forward, drew their ninja swords, and pounced on Shangguan Yun.

With a flash of light, the three were already engaged in close combat in less than ten meters. However, the battle they had imagined did not take place; there were only a few figures moving about.

After two soft thuds, the two men in black stood stiffly behind Shangguan Yun, clutching their necks in disbelief. A few breaths later, they both collapsed to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.

Shangguan Yun ignored all of this and continued forward along the path. It should be noted that for a Foundation Establishment stage expert to deal with two ordinary martial artists is not difficult at all; killing them is as easy as crushing two ants.

Although the path to the temple was long, it only took Shangguan Yun a few dozen breaths to reach the next torii gate.

Shangguan Yun glanced at the side hall next to him, where there was supposedly a Kusanagi sword on display. He scoffed. Did the Japanese really not understand or was it just a way to console themselves? It was clearly fake, yet so many people went to see and worship it every day.

Turning around and looking inside, you can see the inner gate of the Divine Palace, which is the core of the Divine Palace. Shangguan Yun stopped and looked at the trees on both sides.

"Brush brush..."

A series of whooshing sounds rang out, as if he were surrounded by many people.

"What's the point of sneaking around? Show yourself and let me see the true skills of the Iga School..." Shangguan Yun said coldly.

"Ok?"

An incredible sound came from the tree, followed by commotion in at least seven or eight directions. It wasn't someone rushing down, but rather a barrage of hidden weapons.

"Whoosh whoosh..."

In an instant, all sorts of darts, shurikens, and even poison needles and gas bombs rained down like they were free.

Perhaps the other party thought he was very powerful, or perhaps they were just using these darts at home anyway, and could pick them up and reuse them after killing someone, so they didn't feel any pain.

Shangguan Yun's face darkened. He thought to himself, "Do these guys have any shame?" Then, with a clang, he drew the ninja sword from his right hand. It was just a common sword, but when he infused it with a trace of spiritual power, it instantly became an incomparably sharp treasure.

Clusters and patches of silver light flashed by, and the glint of the blades surrounded Shangguan Yun, leaving him completely exposed.

"Whoosh... Crack... Clang clang..."

All the hidden weapons were knocked into the dust, without even touching Shangguan Yun's clothes.

As for those poisonous smoke bombs, they had all been washed away by the circulation of spiritual energy within Shangguan Yun's body. These ordinary worldly poisons had no effect whatsoever on cultivators.