Chapter 508

"Hm?"

Xia Zhi raised an eyebrow slightly, expressing a faint trace of doubt just right.

He looked the golden-haired youkai girl holding a parasol up and down, "Aren't you the one who came volunteering yourself?"

"That's right, but..."

Yukari Yakumo didn't know whether to laugh or cry; she suddenly wasn't sure whether the person before her was feigning ignorance while understanding perfectly, or had truly misunderstood her purpose in coming.

"But I didn't say I came to help you handle the Dragon God Lord..."

"Then who can you help me handle?"

"I can help you handle... ah, no no no, th-that's not what I meant!"

The seventeen-year-old girl who was nearly led astray reacted, hurriedly shaking her head repeatedly. She knew well she couldn't be led by the nose by the other party; she took a deep breath forcefully—

"My original intention was like Merry..."

"Then nobody can be handled; you're too weak." The youth before her, however, didn't wait for her to finish, just sighed.

Immediately after—

He sized up the youkai sage before him up and down again, then withdrew his gaze, pinching his chin thoughtfully as he spoke:

"Speaking of which, your youkai power seems to have strengthened slightly compared to before..."

"Is, is that so?" The golden-haired great youkai pulled at the corner of her mouth.

She completely couldn't get a read on this "person's" intention now, feeling somewhat helpless.

At the same time, she also felt an extremely strong sense of disparity from the tone revealed in the other party's words.

Because Yukari Yakumo's youkai power had indeed been strengthened.

She was a very sharp person; from the moment she perceived spiritual energy emerge, filling the entire heaven and earth, she had already made up her mind.

This was an unstoppable general trend—

The Moon Capital had already become the spokesperson and vanguard of that power.

And although the Dragon God Lord wanted to stop it, facing the divine decree from beyond the heavens that transcended all reason of this world, he was also willing but unable.

Appeasement?

Perhaps.

The youkai sage actually also didn't wish to see all this.

But she was a very rational person; when things couldn't be done, she wouldn't consider too many meaningless things.

Instead, she rationally thought about how to welcome the future, adapt to the future, better grasp the future.

Therefore she didn't choose to try to stop a chariot with a mantis's arms, but with the fastest speed, went to attempt to embrace that power, and furthermore on this basis, went to persuade those old friends.

This was necessary.

Because if they didn't act, those ordinary youkai and Youkai would act.

That spiritual energy was energy flowing out from higher-dimensional space, so super-standard that it was like the legendary "Diliang"—

Grasses and trees of the mortal world receiving its essence could become Youkai; foxes and ghosts eating it could manifest divine abilities.

Even ordinary youkai and Youkai all had the opportunity to thereby glimpse the once great youkai threshold...

This was very terrifying.

Although it's said there are also differences in level among great youkai; abilities, experience, physical quality, etc., could all be decisive factors.

Those ordinary youkai and Youkai even if they had the opportunity to obtain power approaching—or equal to—great youkai, would inevitably be empty numbers.

As for numbers...

This instead wasn't too big a problem.

After all, an anomaly like Yuuka Kazami, being able to produce even one is already nature's marvel; Yukari Yakumo also didn't believe many number-monsters would appear.

What she truly worried about wasn't numbers, but quantity.

That's right, what's truly fearsome isn't individual strength and weakness, but that quantity growing wildly like weeds.

After all, great youkai are countable, but ordinary youkai and Youkai—aren't there as many as you want?

Even though the modern era seems more civilized and enlightened, in reality, the concept of youkai has never disappeared, and has still been generating continuously.

The difference only lies in...

—Ancient youkai were mainly born from human imagination and faith, especially fear.

—Modern youkai's birth differs from this; the purpose may be to calm the psychological imbalance caused by classical youkai disappearing.

In short, classical youkai are born from human fear; modern youkai originate from cognitive imbalance.

From this point of view, existences born from human imagination have never disappeared.

Those fearsome things, incomprehensible things, unnameable things, and—

Produced from measures taken in order to settle those things that cannot be straightened out...

So...

Ancient times have ancient youkai; modern times have modern youkai.

Even reaching a more distant future, humans entering the interstellar era, at that time there would probably also appear youkai about the interstellar era.

Gods represent faith.

Youkai represent the unknown.

This is like two sides of a scale, but ultimately still different.

Because with the progress of eras, people may gradually lose faith, but will forever have things they don't understand.

—Unless the entire universe's task is thoroughly completed.

But that's even more distant...

In short, what Yukari Yakumo worries about is precisely this point.

If they did not make a change, while those ordinary youkai and monsters were the first to embrace the Evolution Era, what they would become is self-evident.

One or two, three or four, even ten or twenty — that is nothing to worry about.

But the fear is that the quantity might be even greater……

To ensure that what follows can remain stable, to ensure Gensokyo will not be destroyed in an instant by a Mors Sudden calamity from the sky——

They, these original Top Combat Power, must likewise make a change, Breakthrough the Level Cap.

In order to guarantee the continued formation of sufficient Suppression.

This is Yukari Yakumo's reason.

And embracing Spiritual Energy indeed brought her an extremely great gift.

However, in her view this is simply incomparable progress, a qualitative leap of Improvement, but in the eyes of that "person" Opposite Side——

She could only get an evaluation of "seems slightly stronger than before"……

This made Miss Yukari feel quite frustrated.

Annoyingly, the other party was not talking nonsense.

Rather, for him, it truly was just a slight, weak Improvement, perhaps not even amounting to a sliver.

………………

"Of course. Is it convenient to show a trick or two?" the Qi Refining practitioner asked with a smile.

"……"

"……"

"……That's how it is." Yukari Yakumo Gently clenched her fist, and the purple Youkai Power swirling around her flowed like liquid, even Faintly Distorting the surrounding space.

Accompanying the fluctuation of Youkai Power, countless tiny gaps opened and closed at her side, as natural as Breath.

Simultaneously, this Great Youkai's Golden Hair moved without wind, and the ends of her hair Faintly shimmered with a dark purple halo.

Even her pair of pupils became deeper, Fangfu able to directly Peek at the World's "Realm" itself.

"Pop!"

With a light sound, she lightly snapped her fingers.

The space before her Fingertip Sudden shattered like glass, revealing pitch-black nothingness.

However, This Time, she did not merely open a gap like in the past, but directly "erased" the existence of that small patch of space.

The shattered edges did not Diffuse, nor did they Repair Integration, but rather seemed to be eternally missing a piece, as if the World itself acknowledged the Disappearance of this area.

As long as her Youkai Power continued to supply, this unusual Phenomenon would persist.

Xia Zhi slightly narrowed his eyes, this time truly revealing a trace of surprise: "Ho…… interesting, Not Disappoint of Realm Power."

"Where, still have to Mors Thanks to Lord Xia Zhi's gift……"

The Youkai Sage withdrew the fluctuation of Youkai Power, the corner of her lips pulling into a Subtle arc.

"If not for borrowing the power of Spiritual Energy, I would have no Method to this quickly Peek this layer of Realm……"

Xia Zhi watched her with interest: "Oh? Looks like you're quite Realization, huh."

"The general trend, had to change."

The Seventeen-year-old Girl put away her Parasol, her Gaze calm and deep, yet her Tone was very composed: "Rather than being crushed by the era, better to actively Jia Jia it."

"……"

"……"

The atmosphere Quiet down for a moment.

The youth did not Disguise his gaze, calmly sizing up the Great Youkai before him, seemingly thinking about something.

And Yukari Yakumo was calm on the Surface, but her heartstrings were still tightened somewhat.

Having said it to this step, my meaning is very clear, right……

This perhaps still cannot count as a formal pledge of allegiance, but at least it can Indicate my determination……

——Then, next depends on what this "person" says.

She thought so.

Next Moment——

"You've gotten this much stronger now, don't plan to go bump against the Dragon God, make her distinguish who's the big king and who's the small king?"

Xia Zhi Spoke, his words carrying a thread of incitement.

"Uh……"

Miss Yukari was nearly choked.

——What on earth is with this "person", I've indicated so clearly both explicitly and implicitly, in words and beyond words, how can he not get the point……

——Or is it that he's really that persistent, hoping to make me go Suo Ding the Dragon God Lord……

Her Gortash's Eye Twitch, she took a deep breath, then gritted her teeth and forcefully Shook Head: "I…… I have no such intention."

"Tch, given the chance you're useless……"

Xia Zhi instantly felt great Disappointment, a look of hating iron for not becoming steel.

"The Dragon God Lord helped me too much back then, and how could she be that easy to deal with……" Miss Yukari Weakly retorted.

"What's there to fear, right now just your Physical Fitness, learn a bit of martial arts, and you could pin the old Flower Youkai to the ground and beat her……"

The youth encouraged her: "This is still your weakest field, think about your current strongest strength, how hard would it be to clash with the Dragon God?"

"Yes, what you say is all right……"

The Youkai Sage sighed: "Right now I can indeed pin the old Yuuka Kazami to the ground and beat her, but what about the current Yuuka Kazami?"

"The Dragon God Lord is the same, what if she's forced into a corner and also starts to Utilize your Spiritual Energy……"

"How would that happen, she's that proud……" Xia Zhi Coughed: "Moreover, stepping back, even if it really reached that extent, with your current ability, you can fully retreat unscathed."

"So you actually had this in mind all along, wanting me to go force Dragon God Lord into that situation……"

Miss Yakumo spoke faintly: "As long as one has inhaled and exhaled Spiritual Energy, utilized one's magical power, they will be marked with your Ke Yin, right?"

"You really only think of yourself……"

(Chapter End)