Chapter 122: The Great God Orochi

Power that transcends the pinnacle of martial arts!

As Xiao Yu’s words faded, not only Tojo and his men, but even Feng Qingge could not help but wear a look of disbelief. Sakai Muramasa, upon hearing this, was also stunned.

Just then, a terrifying aura erupted from Xiao Yu’s body, soaring straight into the sky. The moment this power emerged, even Feng Qingge, a peak martial arts master, felt a sudden sense of oppression.

Watching Xiao Yu stand in the void with his wide robes dancing in the wind, Feng Qingge murmured, "Is this your true strength? So you were holding back! But what of it? You and I will eventually have our showdown. If you haven't unleashed your full power, have I not also been concealing mine?"

Feng Qingge did not recoil from the power Xiao Yu now displayed; instead, it only fueled his fighting spirit. Ever since his duel with Abe Seizuka years ago, he had not encountered an opponent worthy of him. Xiao Yu’s appearance had rekindled his desire for battle.

Xiao Yu’s aura continued to surge, and the power of the sun, moon, and stars overflowed from his body. It made him look as if he had returned to the state he was in back at the Cloud Peak Villa.

Sakai Muramasa, feeling the oppressive weight of Xiao Yu's power, let out a roar. His massive figure flickered as he charged toward Xiao Yu. As he lunged, his form transformed into a mass of black flames, and a scorching heat flooded the heavens and earth.

Seeing Sakai Muramasa charging at him, Xiao Yu’s eyes narrowed. He abandoned his longsword, slowly extended his right hand, and pressed his fingers together. A sharp, piercing energy erupted from between them, forming a beam of white light that manifested into a giant blade of light, which he brought down heavily upon Sakai Muramasa.

The giant light blade tore through Sakai Muramasa’s form, instantly scattering the black flames into the void. Yet, in the blink of an eye, the scattered flames merged back together with incredible speed, and Sakai Muramasa’s figure slowly materialized once more.

Seemingly affected by the light blade, the black mist surrounding the recovered Sakai Muramasa had become significantly thinner, and his aura was noticeably weaker than before. The power contained in Xiao Yu’s light blade was composed entirely of pure solar and lunar energy, which acted as the perfect counter to the evil power permeating Sakai Muramasa.

"Is that all you've got?" Xiao Yu asked with a playful sneer. "You’re quite a disappointment."

Upon hearing this, Sakai Muramasa’s monstrous face twisted in agony. Thick black gas poured from his body, and his aura began to swell with renewed, intense malice.

"Xiao Yu! You forced my hand!"

Sakai Muramasa let out a long, heaven-shaking howl. At that moment, a surge of dense black mist erupted from the ground and enveloped him. His aura skyrocketed to a terrifying degree.

"Great Yamata no Orochi, I am your most loyal servant! I offer my soul and my life in exchange for invincible power! Descend!"

As Sakai Muramasa finished his incantation, he underwent a monstrous transformation. A flaming beast with eight dragon heads, a massive tail, standing on two legs, and bearing giant wings appeared before Xiao Yu and the others.

"This... this is the great Yamata no Orochi!" Feng Qingge exclaimed from afar upon seeing the creature.

Xiao Yu was no stranger to the legends of Yamata no Orochi, having read about it in ancient texts, but the entity before him looked different from the descriptions. When the smoke cleared, the beast stood revealed: eight heads of various forms—some horned, some hornless, some with single horns, others with many—each covered in a multitude of eyes, creating a bizarre and unsettling sight.

The manifested Yamata no Orochi did not strike immediately. It twisted its massive heads, fixing its icy gaze upon Xiao Yu in the void. After a long silence, it spoke—not in the voice of Sakai Muramasa, nor in any human tongue.

"Such a familiar scent," the beast said, its voice echoing. "I can actually sense the scent of an old acquaintance on you."

To Xiao Yu’s surprise, he understood the words perfectly. He was taken aback. How could he possibly share a connection with a monster that had lived since ancient times?

"I don't know what you're babbling about," Xiao Yu said, bringing the longsword he had previously sheathed back into his hand. He looked calm and collected. "If you want to fight, hurry up. I’m busy with another duel."

Seeing Xiao Yu’s confused expression, Yamata no Orochi hesitated, wondering if it had misidentified him. But when it turned its heads and saw the sword in Xiao Yu’s hand, all its eyes widened in shock.

Upon recognizing the blade, the beast realized it had not been mistaken. This human was the very person it had known long ago—the one who had sealed it away. What it could not comprehend was why this legendary figure, who once held the Imperial Sword and swept across the eight wildernesses, had been reduced to his current state.

"I never imagined you would one day be reduced to this. Ha! If my servant hadn't awakened me today, I would have had no chance to exact my revenge!"

Suddenly, the beast’s demeanor shifted, and it let out a roar of boundless rage directed at Xiao Yu.

"Hey, wait, hold on!"

Xiao Yu had barely reacted to the sudden change when a massive tail lashed out toward him.

"Damn it!"

Xiao Yu was speechless at the sheer ferocity of the strike. With no time to overthink, he leaped upward, soaring into the higher reaches of the void. The tail swept past, immense and powerful; though it missed him, the hurricane-force winds it generated were so strong that Xiao Yu nearly lost his footing, stumbling in the air.

Watching the massive tail flash by, Xiao Yu felt a chill. Had that blow landed, he would have been crushed into a pulp in an instant.