Hogwarts Summoning Guide

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The jungle grew increasingly dense, and the path to the canyon was only about ten miles long. Yet, they had to cut through thorns and brambles, and be wary of poisonous insects, strange plants, and swampy miasma, making it difficult for the soldiers and mages to move forward. Their marching speed was extremely slow. Seimei and Minamoto no Hiromasa were extremely anxious and could only order their men to stay put and wait for orders. They, along with experts such as Hakurin and Ashiya Doman, either flew high on leaves or used magic to fly through the air.

Bai Lin had assumed that Seimei and the others would prioritize the situation in Kyoto, but their fear of the Yamata no Orochi surpassed everything else. However, Bai Lin had seen the ancient demigod Serenas, who was as large as a mountain range, and the sea monster Zemuels, who was as large as a small island. In his mind, there was no monster that could frighten him anymore.

Looking up, the sky was completely covered by dark clouds. Although it wasn't as dark as midnight, there was hardly any light. The jungle was pitch black, and the wind was howling wildly, making people feel very depressed.

Yuan Bojia charged ahead, with Song Quan close behind. Both were skilled with knives, and there seemed to be a subtle rivalry between them. Song Quan was seething with anger, eager to find some monster to vent his frustration on. It was unclear whether he was angry because he was suppressed by Bai Lin or because he was angry at himself after learning the truth.

He once believed that the Demon Slayer Corps was there to avenge his family and save ordinary people from disaster. Although he sometimes did not receive understanding from ordinary people, he had a clear conscience.

But when Bai Lin mentioned it, he couldn't help but recall his relationship with the Fujiwara clan of the harem: he had unexpectedly rescued the beautiful empress from a monster in a temple, and from then on he received the support of the harem. Whether it was financial assistance or smoothing over relations with the Imperial Guard, the castle garrison, and the daimyo of various prefectures, the empress had given them tremendous help. He thought he was a talented horse meeting a discerning eye, but now he realized that he had been completely led by the nose by Fujiwara no Ieko and had become part of her plan.

Minamoto no Hiromasa desperately needed a major victory to prove himself. Now that the Minamoto clan had been expelled, they were likely to launch a coup, putting him in a very awkward position. Whether the Minamoto clan succeeded or failed, it seemed that he would not fare well. He obviously did not want to become a homeless ronin, and killing the Yasha and reclaiming the Kusanagi sword was clearly an important step for him to prove himself.

Bai Lin slowed down, achieving a delicate balance between Seimei and Ashiya Dōman, and became the leader. Seimei, who was originally somewhat arrogant, could only become his deputy. There was no other way; at this time, there was no such thing as status or position. Might makes right.

When the dark, deep canyon was only a mile or two away, almost within reach, Bai Lin suddenly felt a gust of cold wind blowing in his face, making him shiver for no reason and feel very uncomfortable. He looked at the encyclopedia interface:

Entering the vicinity of the Ancient God's Ruins will reduce all attributes by 20, and hostile demons will gain an enhanced "Breath of Annihilation." This area is extremely dangerous; the closer one gets to the Ancient God's Ruins, the stronger the debuffs become.

The ancient god's severed limbs, slain by the gods, longed for freedom and continued to serve their master in the distant starry sea.

Special mission obtained: Completely eliminate Yamata no Orochi.

Reward: Chaotic Forge.

Upon seeing the system notification, Bai Lin was very surprised, but upon further reflection, he felt it was to be expected. Ancient civilizations formed due to different regions all had records of gods or demons, but they should all have lived in the same time and space. Different gods or demons in different regions may have different names and deeds, but they are very likely the same entity.

Returning to the story of Yamata no Orochi, modern historians have researched and concluded that it is very likely the nine-headed serpent Xiangliu from the time of Yu the Great in ancient times. After Yu the Great cut off one of its heads, it fled to Japan and caused havoc. As for Xiangliu and Yamata no Orochi, they are just names given to it by people from different regions. Now that there is system certification, this guy is on par with Zemers and Gracchia, and is a minion of the Old Ones.

By extension, many ancient legends of civilizations, about gods slaying monsters, may actually be records of gods eliminating ancient gods. However, humans have a narrow perspective and do not know what terrifying beings the gods defeated. Instead, these "little monsters" that plagued the countryside are more famous.

Turning his thoughts back, Bai Lin looked at Qingming and the other two. Their expressions were quite grim. It seemed the 20% reduction in all attributes wasn't just targeting Bai Lin, but affecting everyone equally. However, none of them backed down. Having come this far, even knowing the road ahead was perilous, how could they possibly turn back?

Just as Bai Lin was sighing, the vanguard Minamoto no Hiromasa encountered enemies again. For no apparent reason, several black shadows suddenly flew out of the forest, like four large birds swooping down on the two of them. They were probably the tengu under Yasha's command.

Normally, a few level 56 tengu would be no threat to Minamoto no Hiromasa, who was enhanced by the Yata no Kagami. His sword aura could extend ten meters, and the tengu would be cut to pieces before they even got close. But when Minamoto no Hiromasa angrily attacked, he suddenly felt his aura become weak, as if he couldn't catch his breath. The sword aura that should have been released vanished after the long sword was unsheathed, having only traveled less than two meters.

Song Quan wasn't much better off. He leaped high from the treetop, ready to deliver a head-on blow to the Tengu, but the sudden drop in his attributes caused him to lose his footing and fall from the treetop, making a huge embarrassment.

The tengu opposite were clearly different from usual; their wings had a metallic silver-black sheen, and their cries were piercing and mournful. When they opened their mouths, they spat out streaks of black lightning that struck Minamoto no Hiromasa in mid-air with lightning speed. Song Quan, who had lost his footing and landed, barely managed to dodge the attack.

The black lightning was extremely powerful, its force comparable to the Thunderbird's breath. A loud bang was heard from Minamoto no Hiromasa's location, as if he had been hit by a tactical missile, resulting in a violent explosion.

"WTF! Did he just get taken down in one shot?" Bai Lin was shocked. He flashed to the front line and pushed out with both hands, creating a spatial barrier. Although his attributes had decreased, he still had at least ninety points of magic power, so a spatial barrier was no problem for him. It wasn't that Yuan Boya and Song Quan were weak, but they didn't have a system notification to warn them and couldn't accurately understand the debuffs they had received.

The black lightning struck, sending Bai Lin staggering back several meters. His arm went numb. Turning around, he saw that Yuan Boyue's face was charred black, his hair disheveled, and his shirt torn to shreds. But the Yata no Kagami on his chest had finally come into play, a crescent-shaped beam of light enveloping him and shielding him from the force of the explosion.

"Be careful, Orochi's domain suppresses our strength by 20%!" Bai Lin shouted to Minamoto no Hiromasa, naturally also to his companions behind him.

Just then, a furious roar came from the jungle beneath their feet: "Just because I'm not showing my power doesn't mean you think I'm a pushover!"

Before he could finish speaking, a dark figure leaped from the bushes. It was Song Quan, who was now furious. However, he was quite different now. His arms were swollen like inflated balloons, as thick as his waist. He had clearly activated "explosive mode".