The Demon King, reborn in Japan as a monk

Unfortunately, although Ishihara Kaname has affected many things, some things are bound to happen—

For example, when Hong Yi met Yan Zhen, he was tricked by Master Duan, who was being watched by Ishihara Akira. If he hadn't recently gained a lot of experience fighting on the battlefield, and had the Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva Temple that Ishihara Akira got from Jin Zhu'er as a foundation, he might have really had his soul captured by Master Duan and been figured out by others.

Therefore, one can imagine Hong Yi's current mood; he is increasingly eager for power.

However, there was nothing Shi Yuanzhang could do to help him with this. Apart from providing him with another batch of medicine for training, he could only cheer him on with his spirit. So after saying goodbye to Hong Yi, Shi Yuanzhang did not hesitate and decisively left the Green Standard Army led by Hong Yi. He went undercover again to the side of Commander Yan Zhen to find his target for this trip - Master Duan, the sect leader of the Qi Soul Sect.

And it's easy to find.

Because today was a performance review day, Yan Zhen needed Mr. Duan's help to devise strategies. Therefore, Shi Yuanzhang easily located Mr. Duan's whereabouts. He was just waiting for him to be alone so he could immediately kill him and force him to reveal his martial arts techniques.

And this wait lasted from the afternoon until after dinner...

After finishing their drinks, Mr. Duan and Yan Zhen staggered back to their lodgings.

Seeing this, Ishihara Akira no longer stood on ceremony and appeared directly in front of Mr. Duan in a flash. In the blink of an eye, their eyes met, and Mr. Duan's heart began to stir uncontrollably. All sorts of memories that he thought he had forgotten surfaced in his mind. All sorts of unforgettable hatred, love, and memories filled his heart in an instant, leaving Mr. Duan stunned.

Then, Mr. Duan lost consciousness and was picked up by Ishihara Sho like a lifelike doll. In a few flashes, he disappeared from the Jinghai Army camp.

……

"This Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying and Soul-Seizing Technique is quite suitable for me; it's entirely the path of the demonic path." Shi Yuanzhang, who had extracted the Qi Soul Sect's inheritance from Master Duan and obtained the Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying and Soul-Seizing Technique from the ancient Profound Yin, couldn't help but sigh as he comprehended the scriptures and profound meanings of the Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying and Soul-Seizing Technique.

The concepts of "five demons" and "five skandhas" almost instantly reminded Ishihara Akira of the fifty skandhas in the Surangama Sutra. Although they seemed somewhat mismatched and their numbers appeared to be ten times greater than the so-called "five demons" and "five skandhas," the fifty skandhas were ultimately just different stages of five types of demons, so in a serious discussion, there wasn't much of a problem.

Furthermore, the activation of this spell depends on the demonic thoughts nurtured within one's heart, and the strength of the demon. For Ishihara Sho, who is already a celestial demon and possesses boundless power of the seven emotions and six desires, which he can use to nurture his inner demons at any time, it was like a pillow for someone who was sleepy. There was no more suitable cultivation method for him...

Even the Great Demon Seed Technique of the Dao Heart cannot compare!

"What's even more interesting is that the effect of this Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying and Soul-Seizing Technique is almost an upgraded version of the Spirit-Binding and General-Commanding Technique among the Eight Extraordinary Techniques of the Under One Person world. If the two could be combined, along with the Vacuum Great Handprint and the Yin-Yang Chaos Technique of the Peach God Path... then its power would be so great that even someone with a stronger soul realm than me would probably not be able to withstand my grasp," Ishihara Akira imagined.

“That’s right. I happen to have a half-finished future primordial spirit, and I’m best at divination. I’ll take this opportunity to deduce it, which will make it easier for me to sweep through the world after I deal with Butler Wu,” Ishihara Akira decided.

Without further ado, he immediately activated the Future Unborn Sutra to awaken the wisdom of all beings, and used supercomputing to deduce a method that combined several Dharma gates into one...

This deduction continued from after dinner until sunrise the next morning. Although a complete and consistent method was still not achieved, the general outline was established. With further refinement and modifications, a new spell would emerge. Therefore, there was no need to rush. The deduction was temporarily halted, and the Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying and Soul-Capturing Technique was resumed…

Instantly, all sorts of demonic thoughts and delusions in his heart were drawn out by the power of the Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying and Soul-Seizing Technique, and they merged and transformed into five ferocious demons that seemed to have no concrete form. Like gluttonous beasts, they frantically devoured the large amount of evil thoughts supplied by Ishihara Sho to grow.

Soon, it grew to an almost real size, and the demonic eye, deep and sinister, locked its target on Ishihara Sho—

After all, it is a demon, and its first instinct upon birth is to kill its host and take its place, so it is only natural that it would target Ishihara Sho.

Ishihara Sho, however, calmly opened his eyes, mentally immersing himself in the state of the Demon King Mara. Supreme demonic energy and might instantly erupted from his eyes, like a superior being, instantly suppressing the five types of Yin Demons that had been stirring restlessly. Then, without hesitation, he activated the ultimate technique of the Profound Yin Demon-Slaying and Soul-Seizing Technique—the Soul Vortex—devouring the five types of Yin Demons and annihilating them from all sides…

It's unclear whether it was due to overfeeding or over-feeding, but the soul vortex that was supposed to crush the Yin Demons failed to kill the five Yin Demons. However, it did not shake Ishihara Akira's mind. With a calm smile, he transformed into the Destruction King once again. Powerful destructive force erupted in his soul, instantly shattering the five Yin Demons and merging them into the vortex, maximizing Ishihara Akira's soul perception.

First and foremost, Mr. Duan's figure came into his view, followed by the surrounding flowers, trees, and the various animals, snakes, insects, rats, and ants in the mountains and forests.

Instead of wantonly harming the innocent, Shi Yuanzhang grabbed at the still unconscious Mr. Duan and forcibly pulled his soul out of Mr. Duan's body, into the soul vortex, where it shattered as the Yin Demon fragments stirred within.

His will was extinguished, his divine characteristics were erased, leaving only the purest spiritual power, which Ishihara Akira took back into his body and digested using the power of the Amitabha Sutra from the past...

"Indeed, a person who gets rich easily won't become wealthy, and a horse that doesn't graze at night won't get fat." Feeling the sensations coming from his soul, Ishihara Akira muttered with deep emotion.

"Alright, let's leave it at that for today. After we've digested Master Duan's divine soul power, we'll go and devour the spirit within the Peach God Sword."

After saying that, Shi Yuanzhang waved his hand and controlled the surrounding land to bury Mr. Duan's body. With a step, he returned to the Green Standard Army under Hong Yi's rule.

Chapter 476 Offering Itself

However, things progressed in a way that Ishihara Sho had not expected. The first person that Steward Wu came to visit after arriving at Jinghai Army was not Hong Yi, but Ishihara Sho himself!

But upon further reflection, it seems that his choice is not entirely incomprehensible.

After all, Zhao Feirong was also Hong Xuanji's child, and the more favored one at that. Now that he knew she was in the hands of a guy named Shi Yi, and happened to be in the Green Standard Army under Hong Yi's command, Steward Wu would naturally prioritize helping to rescue Zhao Feirong before going after Hong Yi.

After all, in his eyes, and even in the eyes of Hong Xuanji behind him, Hong Yi was just a disobedient brat who had no chance of escaping their grasp, so it didn't make much difference whether they went to find him sooner or later.

Especially given that Shi Yi might still be Hong Yi's strongest trump card and ally, it's even more important to deal with him first. That way, it won't be too late to capture Hong Yi once Zhao Feirong is free.

Therefore, the current situation has arisen, with Butler Wu appearing before Ishihara Akira without any attempt at concealment.

"Miss Fei Rong, the master has asked me to take you back." Butler Wu seemed not to have seen Ishihara Sho, and smiled at Zhao Fei Rong who was standing to the side.

"Butler Wu," Zhao Feirong called softly.

"He really is a lowly official, even before the prime minister's gate. He's come to my territory, but he doesn't even bother to greet me. He just says he wants to take my prisoners away. He really doesn't take me seriously, this so-called Steward Wu." Shi Yuanzhang looked at Steward Wu in front of him and sneered with an unfriendly look in his eyes.

“Young Master Shi, wouldn’t it be better to play dumb? Why do you have to speak up? Now this old servant can no longer ignore you.” Steward Wu turned his head and sighed as he looked at Shi Yuanzhang with a troubled expression.

"Ha, what are you saying? Even if I don't say anything, do you think you can take the person away?" Ishihara Sho sneered.

"Young Master Shi is referring to those soldiers outside, and this Miss Qin, right? Not to boast, but their words alone cannot stop my actions," Steward Wu said with a light laugh, glancing at Qin Mengyao, who was poised to act beside him.

“I know, after all, you, Steward Wu, are at least a Martial Saint. A mere group of soldiers who train their muscles and skin, and martial artists whose innate cultivation is not yet complete, can't stop you. But did I say that I was counting on them?” Shi Yuanzhang asked with a smile.

"Then what Young Master Shi is talking about, could it be Young Master Hong Yi?" Butler Wu couldn't help but smile sarcastically.

"Why does it have to be someone else? Can't it be myself?" Ishihara Akira smiled.

"Oh?" Butler Wu paused for a moment, then focused his attention to carefully examine the seemingly ordinary Ishihara Camphor tree before him—

Unfortunately, he couldn't see anything that made him worth paying attention to.

At least, Shi Yuanzhang did not have the blood and qi reaction unique to martial artists. Although he could not see anything about his soul, judging from the fact that he was able to suppress Zhao Feirong, his achievement should not be lower than the Ghost Immortal realm, but it was still within the range that he, a Blood Exchange Martial Saint, could handle.

As for the lightning tribulation...

He didn't believe that a dignified expert in the Thunder Tribulation realm would stay by the side of an unimportant illegitimate son like Hong Yi to help him.

As for whether Shi Yi might be one of Prince Yu's men, the Marquis of Wuwen's mansion is not just for show; it has its own intelligence system that can investigate Hong Yi's activities in Yujing City. Therefore, it has already been found out that Shi Yi and Hong Yi met before Hong Yi made contact with Prince Yu.

Given this, coupled with the existence of the I Ching, it is more reliable and credible for Shi Yi to be a follower of the Supreme Dao than for him to be a follower of Prince Yu.

"Forgive my poor eyesight, but if Young Master Shi insists on making things difficult for me, then I have no choice but to offend him to fulfill the Marquis's instructions," Steward Wu chuckled, responding without any hint of backing down.

"They really won't shed tears until they see the coffin..." Ishihara Sho sighed.

"Fei Rong, please entertain Steward Wu properly for me."

"Huh?" Butler Wu was taken aback and turned to look at Zhao Feirong.

Zhao Feirong looked extremely uncomfortable. She took a step forward and used the Da Luo Sect's Horizontal and Vertical Movement Technique to rush in front of Steward Wu. She unleashed the Wheel of Life and Death, and used the Move of Impermanence of the Heavens to attack Steward Wu.

"Miss Fei Rong, what is this...?" Butler Wu calmly dodged, just like an elder accompanying a trainee in a practice match, avoiding Zhao Fei Rong's attacks while asking with a face full of doubt.

“He left a mental imprint on my soul, and I cannot resist it,” Zhao Feirong answered frankly.

"Hmm!?" Wu Dajuan's expression changed upon hearing this, and he turned to look at Ishihara Akira with a cold expression.

Ishihara Yu met his gaze calmly, as if it were a perfectly normal procedure.

Without further ado, Wu Dajian flashed behind Zhao Feirong and knocked her unconscious with a casual move. He then tossed her aside with a deft flick of his wrist. Without stopping, he flashed back to Shi Yuanzhang and unleashed the Wheel of Life and Death, a Vajra Wheel that hurtled towards Shi Yuanzhang like a meteor.

He knew about the concept of mind imprinting. It was a supreme method used by experts in soul cultivation to control others. Basically, unless the imprinter actively removed it, no outsider could help remove the influence of the imprint on the controlled person.

Unless the person who makes the move has a high enough cultivation level to erase the mark left by the brander without harming the branded soul, there is no other solution except to kill the brander to eliminate future troubles.

What he needs to do now is to kill Shi Yi in front of him and restore Zhao Feirong's freedom completely. Otherwise, he can only hope that his master can find a way to resolve everything.

As for Ishihara Sho, he remained completely unmoved by Wu Da's Martial Saint-level attack. Before he could even make a move, a spherical barrier formed by two intertwined auras, one black and one white, suddenly appeared outside his body, immediately colliding with Wu Da's attack and diverting his power to the side.

Then, Ishihara Akira stretched out his palm and released the new Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying Soul-Seizing Vacuum Great Handprint, which had been perfected over the past two days. The powerful suction force caused Butler Wu to feel his soul tremble for a moment...

It should be understood that any master who can achieve the Innate Realm in martial arts cultivation is already a being whose spirit and body are one. Not to mention the Martial Saint who has completed the Marrow Refining and Blood Exchange on this basis, whose soul has already merged with his flesh and blood and is no longer separate from him. Therefore, although the Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying Soul-Seizing Vacuum Handprint is useful, it still takes some effort to directly pull out the soul of a simple soul cultivator, just like it does with a simple soul cultivator.

Of course, this is on the premise that Steward Wu does not resist.

Would he not resist? Obviously not. He immediately leaped away from Ishihara Sho again. But this time, Ishihara Sho followed like a shadow. The power of the Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying and Soul-Seizing Technique was increased again, generating the power of the Vacuum Great Handprint. While seizing Wu Da Guanjia's soul and forcibly separating his spirit from his body, he also distorted space to prevent Wu Da Guanjia from moving.

Chapter 477 Killing Butler Wu

At this moment, Steward Wu finally realized just how powerful and terrifying this young master Shi Yi was!

Especially when he sensed that if he didn't work harder, his soul would be torn apart by the other party, he dared not hesitate for a moment. He immediately roused his blood and qi, unleashed his fist intent, and used his intent to create a fist intent illusion that was strong enough to counter Taoist techniques. With a determination to fight to the death, he blasted towards Ishihara Sho again.

Ishihara Sho remained motionless, but in his mind, he transformed himself into the image of a three-headed, six-armed Vidyaraja, which was then manifested outwardly. He transformed into a Vidyaraja with wrathful, joyful, and equal expressions and six arms. With one hand, he continued to use a spell that could be tentatively called the Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying Soul-Seizing Vacuum Great Hand Seal to capture Wu the Butler's soul. With both hands, he formed the Dragon Elephant Seal, and with the ultimate power of the Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva, he directly collided with Wu the Butler's attack using the Tai Chi Hunyuan Hammer technique.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion rang out, and the tent where the two were located was blown away and torn apart by the aftershocks of their fight, shooting out in all directions.

In doing so, the soldiers and generals in the Green Standard Army were awakened, drawing everyone's attention to the battle and prompting them to rush over.

This includes Hong Yi himself.

"Butler Wu, what's he doing here?" Hong Yi murmured in shock upon seeing the face of the person fighting with Ishihara Akira.

However, he quickly realized why Butler Wu had come here—

It was largely related to his actions in the campaign against Giant Whale Island and the merits he had gained, which gave Hong Xuanji some ideas. She no longer wanted to let him go, so she sent Steward Wu to arrest him.

I just don't understand why Butler Wu didn't come to see me, but instead went to see Ishihara Akira...

"Could it be because of Zhao Feirong?"

After thinking it over, Hong Yi felt that this was the only possibility.

Butler Wu never expected that Ishihara Akira, a master of Taoist arts, could unleash such powerful martial arts abilities and strength. He suffered a hidden loss and his body flew backward rapidly.

But before he could seize the opportunity to escape and regroup, his body was once again caught in mid-air by the Xuan Yin Ghost-Slaying and Soul-Seizing Vacuum Handprint, and his soul began to separate from his flesh, making him increasingly tired and in pain.

"Shi Yi, do you really intend to become an enemy of my Marquis's mansion?!" Knowing he might not be able to escape, Steward Wu raised his voice and asked while pulling on the tiger skin.

"You don't represent Hong Xuanji. And so what if we really become enemies? Don't forget he's not a Human Immortal yet. Even if he were to become a Human Immortal, I still wouldn't be afraid of him!" Ishihara Sho sneered.

"you!"

"Alright, enough with the 'you' and 'me' stuff. Now, come here." With that, Ishihara Akane unleashed the full power of the Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying Soul-Seizing Vacuum Great Handprint, forcibly pulling out Wu Da Guanjia's soul, which had reached its critical point, and sending it into the soul vortex. It was torn apart and absorbed into the body as the purest spiritual nourishment.

Then Ishihara Chang stopped his cultivation, ended his divine transformation, and returned to his original appearance as a young master.

"puff"

The body of Steward Wu, now devoid of his soul and consisting only of his flesh, crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and bringing the surrounding soldiers and Hong Yi back to their senses.

"Alright, everyone go back. But no one is allowed to talk about what happened today, or they will be punished according to military law." Hong Yi immediately adopted the authority of a general and gave orders to the Green Standard Army soldiers around him.

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers accepted the order and dispersed to return to their camp to rest.