How did I, an Onmyoji, become the Lord of Yokai?

—Even though they hadn't reached the altar of the evil god yet, a sense of pressure was already welling up deep inside them.

In this darkness, time lost its meaning. Qingshui Chaoyang walked through the passage for an unknown amount of time, simply walking and walking quietly, and then... light appeared!

A faint light came from ahead, and both Qing Shui Chao Yang and Qing Nu Fang knew that the front was their final destination!

Taking a deep breath, Qingshui Chaoyang quickened his pace.

Soon, he stepped through the light and arrived at the altar of the evil god!

A magnificent scene unfolds in the field of vision—torii gates, wooden bridges, cobblestone paths, and a huge altar standing like an isolated island in the center of the space.

Qingshui Chaoyang's gaze fell on the huge altar almost instantly.

Above the altar stood a statue, a young, eerie man surrounded by eight floating snake heads.

Statue of an evil god!

However... his dark gaze swept across the vast underground space. For some reason, Shimizu Asahi felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen this scene somewhere before.

"Qing Nufang, don't you feel like this scene looks familiar?"

"...Ghostland."

"The place where we fought Kidomaru."

Qingnufang almost instantly recalled seeing such a scene there.

A year ago, she first merged with Shimizu Asahi in this environment.

The only difference is that this place is more luxurious and extravagant, and the terrifying atmosphere that permeates the air is also much stronger!

Reminded by Qingnvfang, Shimizu Asahi also recalled that scene from seven years ago.

"I never imagined that the altar of the Asura Demon King was modeled after this place."

"Forget it, now is not the time to worry about these things."

With a soft murmur, the black-haired boy suppressed his emotions and then stared intently at the statue of the evil god.

"It's been a long time, Lord Evil God."

"call!"

The crisp sound echoed around the altar, and as he spoke, a sudden gust of wind swept in...

The evil wind blowing from the statue caused the lamps on the wall to flicker, and the shadows cast above them to sway. Qing Shui Chaoyang squinted in the gale, his spiritual and demonic power stirring within him. No matter what unexpected event occurred, he could react immediately.

The gale didn't last long; it stopped silently after only ten seconds or so.

But the moment the gale subsided, a gaze fell upon Shimizu Asahi, and a somber voice rang out...

"It really has been a long time, little one..." Chapter 444, Section 441: The Bet is the Fate of Everyone in Heian-kyo

Above the altar, beneath the enormous statue, the figure of the evil god appeared suddenly without warning, like a ghost. He stood silently, his purple serpentine eyes reflecting his image with chilling malice.

At this moment, He no longer had the interest and joy of playing among humans as He did three hundred years ago, nor did He feel the delight and interest He had when He saw interesting humans.

All He possessed at that moment was resentment and regret.

—I regret not tearing him to pieces three hundred years ago!

Even though He invited him over, He couldn't quite contain his emotions.

"The Evil God's gaze is completely different from that of three hundred years ago. It seems that the Evil God harbors a great grudge against me."

Shimizu Asahi stared at the evil god without fear, and even though the evil god's gaze was cold, he did not back down in the slightest.

Even her delicate face had a faint smile on it.

"Hate you? Hehehe... It's not as simple as just hating you, little guy. I regret now why I didn't kill you three hundred years ago. If I had done it three hundred years ago... you would be dead by now."

If He hadn't been so eager to give the Yasakani no Magatama to Shimizu Asahi three hundred years ago, Shimizu Asahi and Suzuka Gozen would never have been His match. Even if He had shown mercy, in the end, they would have been the ones to die!

At that time, he had no protection from the Great God, no daughter to care about him, and if He killed him, no one would know.

That was the perfect opportunity for Him to kill Qingshui Chaoyang!

But... He missed it; he himself missed this best opportunity.

Heaven gave him a chance, but he failed to seize it!

“Indeed, if Lord Evil God had made his move three hundred years ago, Reiko and I might not have survived.”

"However, once it's missed, it's missed. Even if Lord Evil God regrets it now, it's too late."

"Or does the evil god intend to kill me here?"

A simple sentence instantly transformed the surrounding space. The black-haired boy stood below the altar with a smile on his face, but that smile contained undisguised provocation!

"boom!!!"

As expected, a roaring sound rang out.

There was no expansion of breath, no howling wind, but a thunderous roar could be heard in one's ears!

My heart was pounding, beating wildly like a frightened animal.

The aura of death descended, and Shimizu Asahi, standing still, clearly felt death, as if the red spider lilies and the Sanzu River were behind him. The dense and lifeless death... swallowed his body!

"..."

The evil god narrowed his eyes slightly, and his face, which was already filled with regret and resentment, smiled. But that smile was filled with coldness and killing intent. His purple snake eyes were raised, and he looked at the dead man without any emotion.

Kamo Tadashi once said that Shimizu Asahi was the only human who could possibly leave the altar of the evil god unharmed, but the premise for his safety lay in his past grievances and conflicts with the evil god.

As long as he doesn't anger the evil god, he'll be fine, but if he does anger the evil god... he'll die.

Without a doubt, he will die!

No one can save him!

Qingshui Chaoyang understood this principle very well.

Yet, despite knowing this perfectly well, he still provoked the evil god in front of him!

"Wait, Chaoyang! What are you doing?!"

The voice of Qing Nufang rang in the boy's mind. Her usually calm and composed demeanor was now replaced by a voice filled with worry and anxiety as she shouted.

Why...why did you suddenly provoke the evil god?

When Shimizu Asahi met the evil god, although the atmosphere between them was tense and they were at odds, the evil god had no intention of making a move.

Just as Kamo no Tadashi had guessed, the evil god who had rediscovered Shimizu Asahi's true identity had no intention of making a move, and this negotiation could proceed peacefully.

However, Shimizu Asahi actually provoked the evil god! It was as if she was fearless, dancing on the edge of a knife!

Aono was one of the earliest partners to fight alongside Shimizu Asahi. They went through the Demon Realm War, the Anbara Turmoil, and the Izumo Incident together, and had come into contact with the power of the evil god many times. Therefore, she had become somewhat accustomed to the power of the evil god, but... it was different.

The aura emanating from the evil god now is completely different from before!

Powerful and terrifying, like an endless abyss, unfathomable.

Even when she was completely immersed in the clear water and the rising sun, Qingnvfang still felt a tremor.

It's not cowardice or fear of death, it's just a bodily instinct!

—Her instinct was to fear the evil god!

Qing Nufang understood. She finally understood what an evil god was, and what the strongest demon was...

They are not even from the same dimension!

How can they survive after provoking such a monster?

Shimizu Asahi did not respond to Aonobu's words. He simply stared quietly at the evil god before him, his black pupils and purple snake eyes locked in a fierce confrontation.

The atmosphere around them grew increasingly silent, the pervasive sense of death became more and more terrifying, and the pressure on Shimizu Asahi grew ever greater.

His internal organs throbbed with pain, and his bones groaned in agony. Even with the mobilization of immense spiritual and demonic power, Shimizu Asahi's body gradually succumbed to grief.

He couldn't withstand the aura emanating from the evil god even without the god lifting a finger.

Even so, he remained unmoved.

His body, eyes, and expression remained unchanged.

"..."

"..."

The eye contact lasted for about a minute. After receiving no response, Qingnvfang finally clenched her fists in frustration and chose to face the situation together with Shimizu Asahi.

She is his shikigami, a shikigami that exists to protect him. Even if the enemy before her is an evil god, she cannot back down in the slightest.

Even if it means death, she wants to die before him!

However, just when she thought she was doomed, the evil god on the altar made a move.

The profound aura, as deep as the vast ocean, vanished silently, and a trace of human emotion crept into the cold gaze.

"Hehehehe... It's been a long time since anyone has provoked me like this, little guy!"

"You're really interesting, more interesting than anyone I've ever met. If I could, I really wouldn't want to kill you..."

"Little one, let's play another game."

"Just like that game three hundred years ago, a game where lives were at stake!"

"If you win, your life will be saved, and I will stop targeting you."

"But if you lose."

“Not only your life, but the lives of tens of thousands of people in Heian-kyo will also be taken away by me.”

"Yes, the stakes in this game are your life, and the lives of everyone in Heian-kyo!" Chapter 445 (Part 442): Next time we meet, we'll be enemies.

"The lives of all the people of Heian-kyo?"

His heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, Shimizu Asahi was startled by those words.

Heian-kyo was the most prosperous and bustling city of this era. It was a place where tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of people gathered. If all of them were to die, it would undoubtedly be a horrifying scene of rivers of blood and corpses strewn across the land!

The evil god's casual remark is a chilling fear that sends shivers down the spines of countless people!