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Matsuo, his father, Hinata, and the Great Ancestor defeated the Nightmares in record ti, collected the Key Fragnts, and advanced to the next stage. The following area lay much deeper within the mountain caves, opening into a vast, wide chamber where they landed.
"Great Ancestor, are we going to continue this trial? Do we really need to beco their mbers?" Matsuo's father asked respectfully, raising a barrier to shield their conversation.
"No, of course not," the Great Ancestor replied, shaking her head with a gentle smile, her sharp eyes gleaming brightly. "We are here to launch a counterattack on Amaterasu-sama's orders. It has long been known that this was an operational area for the Chaos Gate. We once hoped to reclaim this place for ourselves—the Spirit Veins are incredibly valuable and essential for cultivation—but that is no longer possible."
"Then what is the plan, if I may ask respectfully?" Matsuo inquired, his eyes burning with determination to prove himself worthy to the clan once more.
"The plan is simple," the Great Ancestor answered. "Place the Stones you were given on the ground. This area is suitable enough."
"...I see," Hinata nodded. The young-looking girl was in truth an elder of the clan, a respected rchant of manuals and artifacts, and a formidable magician. "A Summoning Formation, isn't it?"
"Indeed," the Great Ancestor confird with a nod. "Both of you, begin. Matsuo, this is an important mission. You will prove yourself worthy again, so the clan may forgive your past sins."
"Very well," Matsuo replied firmly.
Drawing on the power Frank had helped him awaken, Matsuo infused the Stones with Yin and Yang Spirit Energy. The Great Ancestor then imbued them with her Divine Soul Essence.
anwhile, Hinata and Matsuo's father extended their Magic Dominions across the mountain. The open space was ideal, rich with Spiritual Veins.
Once prepared, they placed the stones on the floor and connected them into a small, glowing golden circle filled with intricate Kanji characters.
Nearby supervisors noticed the unusual activity and quickly called for reinforcents.
"Oi, what do you think you're doing?"
"Stop them!"
"Destroy that formation!"
The supervisors charged forward. Hinata kept them occupied, summoning hundreds of Light Clones that fired beams of radiant light.
Even the strongest among them were distracted, buying precious ti for the ritual to complete.
Starlight bathed the Great Ancestor's body as she raised her arms high toward the sky.
"By the Heavenly Eastern Dragon's Blessing, by the Might of the White Tiger, by the Wrath of the Vermillion Bird, and by the Protection of the Black Turtle, I call upon thee, oh great Mountain God! Awaken from your slumber and forge open the Path to the Heavenly Domain!"
FLAAASH!
Before anyone could intervene, the formation activated, rging seamlessly with the mountain itself. The internal space within began to distort violently.
A brilliant light pierced the ceiling and spread like roots of blinding energy, reaching deeper and deeper.
In that instant, a slumbering Mountain God who was once sealed by the Chaos Gate awoke.
RUMBLE!
The mountain shook as a titanic roar echoed through the caverns. The supervisors panicked, but the ground beneath them cracked open, swallowing them as they fell.
"If we cannot have Mount Takao, then it will be destroyed alongside every mber of the Chaos Gate here! Long live the great Empress of the Sun, the one and only true empress of our country!"
The Great Ancestor roared as a colossal titan erged within the mountain's inner space, rising and surging upward. One of Amaterasu's eldest and most ancient brothers—a titan of stone the size of the mountain itself, extended a palm vast enough to shelter them and shield them from harm.
"It's him!" Matsuo gasped.
"The Great God of the Mountain!" his father exclaid. "The Chief God of Mountains, War, and Oceans! The elder brother of Amaterasu-sama, the great figure who shaped all the mountains of Japan! Ohoyama-tsumi-no-mikoto-sama!!!"
As Matsuo's father cried out in awe and disbelief at the awakening of the great chief of the mountains from Lord Chaos's seal, the stone body rapidly transford. It reshaped into a beautifully sculpted statue of white stone—an old, wise man of enormous size with profound, knowing eyes.
"Hmm, you've done well, descendants of Amaterasu, my dear young sister!" the great chief god thundered. "Now, there are many pests here, so let us quickly crush them before they ever dare attempt such a thing again!"
"Yes, my great lord!" the Great Ancestor—whose true na was Kaguya Amaterasu—nodded with reverence and fierce determination. "Let's open the gate to heaven!"
FLAAASH!
The two Corrupted Domains inside the mountain and the Spiritual Divine Realm where the Chief Mountain God had slumbered began to rge rapidly, absorbing everything within the mountain and its surroundings.
Dozens of Chaos Gate workers were drawn in as the Dream Dungeon trembled and warped violently. Everything was unfolding too quickly!
As the Realms fused to trap everyone inside, a ritual of awakening took place within the second Corrupted Realm.
While Izanami had entered the World of the Living and the Chief Mountain God had risen, the surge of energies transford the Spirit Veins and Leylines.
These energies reached far, extending into the second Corrupted Domain where a race of Serpent Yokai—the Naga—guarded a fragnt of their own Mountain God's tail: an evil god of destruction with eight heads and seventeen eyes.
A statue depicting the eight-headed serpent god trembled and cracked. Cracks spread rapidly until it shattered completely. An explosion of ancient divine power erupted as a giant manifested amid the chaos.
"Oh Great Evil God of the Mountain!"
"Please save us from humanity, from their endless sches!"
"Bring punishnt upon the evil humans!"
"Please do—huh?"
The priests gasped in disbelief. What erged from the statue was not the giant serpent god they had expected. Instead, it was sothing born from only a small piece of him—an offspring, his daughter.
A beautiful lamia appeared: long white tail, six slender arms, pale white skin, flowing white hair, four dark blue horns, and a ghostly crown above her head. Four sharp red eyes glowed majestically, blending the power of White Void and Ghostly Energy within her.
Wearing nothing but her own long hair wrapped around her naked form, the monstrously gigantic snake goddess awakened. She summoned dozens of ghosts and opened a gate to Yomi, calling forth an army of servants.
"T-That's...!"
"Is this Orochi-sama's daughter?!"
"The Great God of Mount Ibuki has sent his daughter!"
"Amiphossia-sama!"
"Amiphossia-sama!!!"
"Amiphossia-sama!"
"Amiphossia-sama!!!"
The Naga continued to kneel and bow before the giantess. Her sharp red eyes stared at the scene in confusion. She felt drowsy and dizzy, her mories jumbled and fragnted.
"Where is this place?" she murmured. "Ah... Uh, Evan? Evan?! Are you there? Um, excuse , I don't think I am the god you think I am..."
"...?"
The Naga exchanged bewildered glances, but they had little ti to process her words.
RUMBLE!
Before their Domain could shatter completely, blinding light poured from the Heavenly Domain above, burning through the corrupted landscape.
"W-What's happening?!"
Amiphossia swiftly conjured a powerful barrier of ghosts and white void energies, shielding the Naga as countless beams of sunlight descended.
From the shattered skies, a great empress of the sun gazed down upon the Realm, her head larger than mountains themselves.
"To think you lowly demons are summoning evil gods left and right while I am not looking...! I will not tolerate this!"
While all of this unfolded, deep within the mountain in an old, abandoned shrine, a golden sword glead brightly. The heroic soul sealed inside it suddenly awakened amid the commotion.
"Huh? Why am I a sword now?! Amiphossia! Where are you?!"
The Heroic Soul within the Ancient Sword felt an irresistible pull toward his beloved. It began to float in midair and flew swiftly toward its destination.
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