Chapter 425: Judgment

Meng Yifan stepped through the void and arrived above the Yasukuni Shrine. Many old ghosts from World War II are enshrined here. Every year, the Dongying authorities organize grand sacrificial ceremonies, serving the dead as if they were alive, providing these old ghosts with incense and willpower. This causes the ghosts' bodies to constantly condense, transforming from Yin to Yang, as if they were living people.

"Land of sin, be destroyed!" Meng Yifan stomped down, the force like Taishan pressing down on the summit. The entire Yasukuni Shrine collapsed instantly, becoming a ruin, and the spirit tablets protected by the Array were also crushed into powder.

Not only that, but the Ghost Realm beneath the Yasukuni Shrine also collapsed from Meng Yifan's stomp. Originally, there was a Gathering Yin Array there that blocked the sunlight, keeping it shrouded in Yin mist year-round—a paradise suitable for Ghost Cultivators to survive.

But now, the Gathering Yin Array was destroyed, and the midday sun shone into this Ghost Realm, exposing those old ghosts to the scorching sun and causing them to emit miserable cries.

The spirit bodies of many old ghosts were like ice cubes under the scorching sun, constantly emitting white smoke and slowly melting into pools of black water.

Many of these old ghosts had participated in the war back then and committed crimes too numerous to record on the land of Shenzhou. Yet, after returning to Dongying, they were treated as national heroes, and after death, their souls were led into the shrine's Ghost Realm to be worshipped for generations.

After transforming into heroic spirits, they could enjoy beautiful female ghosts to their hearts' content without worrying about contracting AIDS, and they could eat, drink, gamble, and smoke without ever having to pay off a mortgage again.

Everything the living can enjoy, the Ghost Realm under the Yasukuni Shrine has; everything the living cannot enjoy, the Ghost Realm under the Yasukuni Shrine also has. These predecessors lived even more comfortably than when they were alive.

It is precisely because of the existence of these old ghosts that Dongying's militarism has never disappeared. Batch after batch of Dongying youth are bewitched by these old ghosts, wishing they could launch another invasion of Shenzhou to realize the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

These old ghosts appear to preach, claiming that Dongying is an island nation with scarce resources, and if they want to rise and conquer the world, they must first conquer Shenzhou.

The youth of Dongying are brainwashed, also wanting to follow in their predecessors' footsteps to complete the great cause they failed to finish. Even if they die, there is nothing to fear; the Onmyoji will lead their heroic souls into the shrine to achieve eternal life amidst the nation's sacrifices.

These young people see with their own eyes that those predecessors live comfortably even after death, which is much more comfortable than going out to work and being exploited by capitalists like beasts of burden. This leaves them with no worries, fanatically believing in militarism and wanting to ignite a Holy War once again, unafraid even if they are smashed to pieces.

Suddenly, six ghost generals wearing World War II military uniforms rushed out from the depths of the Ghost Realm. Their Yin energy was thick and substantial, and the cultivation fluctuations of each ghost general were comparable to a Fifth-grade Lower-tier Immortal Cultivator. They joined forces to cast a spell, summoning a thick, dark cloud to block the sunlight.

Meng Yifan had studied World War II historical materials and watched the Tokyo Trial; these six old ghosts were actually all Class A War Criminals from back then.

"Tojo Hideki, Doihara Kenji, Matsui Iwane, Itagaki Seishiro, Kimura Heitaro, Hirota Koki." Looking at these six old ghosts and thinking of the countless crimes they committed back then, Meng Yifan gritted his teeth in hatred.

"Hmph! Petty tricks, daring to show off before an expert." Meng Yifan sneered, then blew a breath of air. The dark cloud the old ghosts had joined forces to summon was blown away instantly, and the scorching sunlight shone back into the underground Ghost Realm of the Yasukuni Shrine, burning the ghosts of the Ghost Realm until they were in a state of Ghost Crying Wolf Howling.

"The enemy is too strong, we cannot fight him, scatter and flee!" Matsui Iwane shouted, and the many old ghosts in the Ghost Realm scattered in all directions. They were basically all capable of possession, or even soul-snatching; as long as they escaped into the crowd and attached themselves to the Divine Souls of ordinary people, they would be safe.

Unless Meng Yifan spent the energy to search the souls and seize the spirits of hundreds of thousands or millions of commoners, he would be unable to exterminate all these old ghosts.

"Where are you fleeing!" Meng Yifan was well-prepared. He waved his right hand and unleashed a Yang System Divine Ability. In the palm of his hand, the World Power of the Yang system gathered, looking just like a dazzling little sun.

"Heaven and Earth lend me power, Nine Yang Soul Refining Lock!" Meng Yifan shouted. The little sun in his palm established a mysterious connection with the sun in the sky, and endless solar essence descended from the sky, condensing into ten thousand sunlight chains.

These chains whistled out, binding all the old ghosts within the shrine's Ghost Realm.

"Ah! Ah!" These sunlight chains were a hundred times more powerful than the sunlight naturally emitted between Heaven and Earth. With Yin and Yang clashing, the old ghosts felt their Yin Souls being scorched, causing their spirit bodies to tremble in pain. This pain was even more unbearable than physical pain.

Some old ghosts could not endure it and wanted to self-destruct, but these sunlight chains trapped their Spirit Core, making it impossible for them to even end their own lives.

Unable to live and unable to die, they could only endure the agony of their spirit bodies being scorched, emitting shrill screams.

"Sir, Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. Your strength is so great that you have already become a Saint, why must you create boundless slaughter on the land of Dongying?" Matsui Iwane asked.

"You executioner, you have the nerve to talk about Heaven's virtue of cherishing life? When you invaded Shenzhou and carried out the massacre in the Southern Capital, why didn't you talk about Heaven's virtue of cherishing life? I came to Dongying specifically to avenge my compatriots who died miserably back then," Meng Yifan said.

"Sir, we did commit crimes back then, but the Tokyo Trial after World War II already sentenced us to death. With death, the crimes are cleared. Why must you persist in the hatred of the past? You have an old saying in Shenzhou: 'Enemies should be resolved, not knotted.' Please, Sir, let go of the hatred and spare Dongying," Matsui Iwane begged.

"Bullshit! Although your bodies died, you became Ghost Cultivators and lived comfortably in the Ghost Realm. How could that possibly offset the crimes you committed back then?" Meng Yifan scolded.

Meng Yifan waved his large sleeve, and his Supernatural Ability manifested. In the sky, clouds condensed to form a courtroom, and Meng Yifan sat in the center, just like a judge.

Meng Yifan said in a loud voice: "Criminal Matsui Iwane, invaded Shenzhou, Commander of the Central China Expeditionary Army of the Dongying military, while leading the army to attack Nanjing, indulged subordinates in committing atrocities such as massacres, looting, and arson, committing unforgivable crimes. I sentence you to Lingchi!"

As Meng Yifan finished speaking, the chains binding Matsui Iwane transformed into a fishing net, tightly binding Matsui Iwane's body, and then small knives made of sunlight began to slice his body.

Lingchi is an ancient torture used to punish those criminals who have committed heinous crimes. Matsui Iwane was sentenced to hanging back then, at least leaving a whole corpse. He never expected that after becoming a Ghost Cultivator, he would still have to endure the torture of Lingchi.

Moreover, every one of Meng Yifan's blades cut into the origin of Matsui Iwane's Yin Soul, causing him to scream incessantly, wishing he could immediately have his soul scattered.