He changed Tiwat

Lei Yingdian twisted his waist, increased the force in his hand, and struck the hilt of the knife with unparalleled strength, intending to pierce through Han Fulai's hand holding the knife along with his body.

At the same time, a bolt of lightning even more ferocious than the thunderstorm off the coast of Inazuma struck Han Fulai along the blade of the naginata—this was the divine lightning of the Thunder God, the "Naginata's Light," the might of heaven and earth held by the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World."

General Thunder's power is not limited to "a single, thoughtless strike".

However, this attack was still ineffective.

Han Fulai is like a bamboo rooted in layered rocks, standing firm and unmoved no matter how many trials and tribulations he faces.

Neither divine power nor lightning could harm him in the slightest.

Lei's gaze lingered on Han Fulai's right palm.

That hand was clean and white, lacking any sense of strength, suggesting that it had been holding a pen longer than a knife.

Yet this seemingly frail hand caught her knife, her lightning, and all her attacks.

The sharp blade of the naginata could not cause any damage to the hand, and the spatial rift symbolizing destruction silently disappeared in front of the hand. Even the purple lightning covering the blade, the power of thunder god's lightning, was completely gone.

It was as if all extraordinary power would vanish before his palm.

If it were a light novel author from "Yaedo," they might name Han Fulai's hand "Imagine Killer."

"As you can see, all your attacks are ineffective against me," Han Fulai said softly.

Slowly, as if afraid of hurting the flower in his palm, he loosened his grip on the blade.

"You can continue to try if you wish, but the result will be the same."

Lei Movie did not continue the attempt.

She silently withdrew her naginata and stood beside her.

Because she had already seen through Han Fulai's methods—on the back of his right hand, there was a "three-leaf knot" mark that was emitting a faint golden light.

"The power of will".

Lei uttered this word.

The reason he was able to catch "Wu Xiang's" knife was not because of his original strength, but because of his "willpower".

“Three days ago, you took my sword in the God's Tomb, all for this moment... Your ‘Spear of the God of War’ was already drawn back then.”

She recalled what Han Fulai had said before entering the "Pure Land of One Heart"—

“I am here today to prove one thing to the people of Inazuma—the ‘unthinking slash’ is not necessarily unattainable. Because… there will always be creatures on earth who dare to face the might of thunder.”

That was not just ordinary boasting, nor was it simply a pre-battle provocation.

...That is, "making a vow".

Those who become demon gods can collect the power of their people's wishes to strengthen themselves, bearing great vows and wielding great power.

As one of the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World," Ray Movie is very clear that "willpower" is a powerful energy.

According to popular belief, when a person's desire becomes strong enough, the gaze of the gods will be cast upon him, hence the term "the eye of God."

Of course, in reality, those who can obtain the Eye of God are all "destined," as the "False Heaven" has already planned everything.

Some people don't need to do anything; the eye of God will automatically fall into their hands from heaven. Others, however, even if they search desperately and even give their lives, cannot gain the attention of heaven.

Even so, people still believe that wishes have power, and that as long as a wish is strong enough, it will surely gain the approval of the gods.

In a sense, this understanding is not wrong. After all, no matter what a person wants to do, the first step is to have the desire to do it—that desire, that will to accomplish something, is the beginning of everything.

Without this initial aspiration, there would be no subsequent actions, and therefore no history created by humankind.

It could even be said that human society as a whole is composed of individual desires.

For a demon god, in accordance with the sacred covenant established by the laws of heaven and the responsibility of "loving people," he will also receive faith from humans and collect "wish power" in return.

Under normal circumstances, human "willpower" is merely something akin to elemental force to demons—a form of energy. Having a lot of it is certainly good, but not having it won't cause too much of a problem; it simply means that demons with more followers will be slightly stronger. Without the "Demon Wars" enforced by divine law, most demons would probably never need "willpower."

However, if a demon god actively "makes a vow" and asks humans for "wish power," the situation is different.

The demon god's "vow" truly has the effect of a "contract".

After initiating the oath and collecting the "power of will," the demon god must fulfill the responsibility of bearing the "power of will" and meet the requirements of the contract. If the wishes of the people are not fulfilled, the "power of will" will be transformed into "karma," causing the demon god to suffer the torment of karmic fire forever, and may even fall from godhood or perish.

Because of this contract, the "power of will" collected to fulfill the contract will be far more powerful than ordinary elemental power and divine power, and may even elevate the status of a demon god.

The sea god Orobas is a prime example. Despite knowing he was no match for the Thunder General, he launched an eastern invasion to fulfill the tragic wishes of the sea people.

Orobas was originally a demon god of the Liyue region. After being defeated by Morax in the Demon God War, he went into hiding in the "Dark Sea". His strength was not particularly outstanding among the demon gods, and he was even less comparable to the victors of the Demon God War, such as the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World".

However, in the battle on Bayun Island, Orobas did indeed display strength close to that of the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World," causing the film to suffer heavy losses and fall into a bitter battle.

Although there may be other hidden reasons for Orobas's invasion of the east, as far as Ray Movies knows, before the invasion, Orobas made a great vow, pledging to reclaim the land of Inazuma for his people. It was also because of the "power of the vow" of the people of Umijima that Orobas was able to stand against the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World".

Han Fulai did the same thing as Orobas.

"What you did was not just to shake my resolve, but also to lay the groundwork for this battle."

"You publicly challenged me three days ago in Kannazuka to provoke me into unleashing a 'thoughtless strike' against you, in order to plant the idea that 'that strike might not be unattainable' in the hearts of the Inazuma people."

"You said you would come up to the castle tower another day to 'learn from me,' but it wasn't really about 'learning from me,' but rather about creating anticipation in people's hearts, hoping that someone could 'face the might of thunder.'"

"Your entry into the city today to attack the 'Symbol of Eternity' is in response to people's expectations, creating an image for yourself that you are 'capable of defeating General Thunder'."

"That's why you were able to withstand 'Wu Xiang's Blade,' because you are now the embodiment of those people's wishes—those wishes all point to 'being able to match Wu Xiang's Blade,' 'defeating General Thunder'... So in people's imaginations, you have become my equal opponent, and your existence symbolizes 'someone who can defeat General Thunder.'"

Now, only Han Fulai is standing in front of Lei Yingdian, but he is not the only one.

He has become the "representative" of the millions of people in Inazuma.

He represents “the creatures of the earth” and faces “the might of thunder”.

These "willpowers" may be useless elsewhere, but only when facing her, when facing "the sword of no thought," can they exert their power and become "concepts" that can rival "the sword of no thought."

Han Fulai nodded slightly: "As you said, I now represent the millions of Inazuma people—your subjects—and hope that you will be defeated."

“You lost to me not three days ago, but two years ago, the moment you issued the ‘Eye Hunting Order’ and the ‘Isolation Order’.”

"Although the reputation of 'The Blade of No Thought' is great, it is not as good as 'The Spear of the God of War'. 'The Blade of No Thought' can split a strait and shatter space, but it cannot destroy the human heart."

"In the end, your martial arts are nothing but the courage of a common man, not the martial arts of stopping war. You hold the position of general, yet you only show off your courage as a common man, act against the tide of history, and do no good to the country... The people of the world have long disapproved of the general."

Logically, Lei Yingdian should have been furious after hearing these disrespectful and arrogant remarks, but surprisingly, she showed no anger at all.

Because curiosity takes precedence over anger.

A strange light was gleaming in her eyes, as if... she had met someone new.

"What you have done has caused the 'power of will' that originally belonged to 'eternity' to flow to you. You have been strengthened by the 'power of will,' while I have been weakened because of the betrayal of my people... Ha, indeed in accordance with the art of war. I must admit, your 'martial prowess' has not disappointed me."

"But do you know the risks of doing this? By assimilating with the 'power of will,' your life now exists solely to fulfill this 'wish.' And wishes are not always fulfilled. Moreover, even if you are blessed by the 'power of will'... I have not yet lost."

"For whom are you risking your life?"

If Han Fulai fails to fulfill this contract and fails to realize the "wish" of the Inazuma people, even if he escapes into the "Dark Sea" like Orobas, he will be tormented by "karma" for eternity.

Moreover, he has not yet become a demon god. For a demigod without divine status to forcibly bear the "willpower" of a demon god is an act of overdrawing his life. Once he is defeated, he will be annihilated on the spot due to the backlash of "karma" without even having to kill him himself.

It can be said that from the very beginning, from the moment he challenged himself, he had already risked his life.

Just for such a vague possibility of defeating her.

But why would an "invader" from another world go to such lengths?

She became increasingly curious about this person's motives.

Was he trying to "ascend to godhood"? Challenging a "seventh ruler of the mortal world" with the "power of the people's wishes" could indeed create his godhood... but more likely, he would die by her sword.

Moreover, he himself has the legacy of Morax and the special characteristics of a "Descendant". By slowly accumulating strength and faith, he can also achieve the status of a demon god, so why rush it now?

Was he telling the truth before? Did he really come to Inazuma to "relieve the people and punish the guilty"? Was he even willing to give his life for foreign people who were not related to him?

"I already told the general this reason three days ago—" Han Fulai recited once again the "poem of homage" he had given to Lei Yingdong when he declared war on Shenwuzhong: "'When you were in a high position, your robes hung low as you adjusted the cauldron, but alas, the world had many complaints. The water that capsized the boat was the tears of the common people, but you wouldn't know until you saw the turmoil.'"

"Whether you believe it or not, I want to save the people of Inazuma."

"There is an old saying in Liyue: 'When you see a child about to fall into a well, you will feel a sense of fear and compassion.' And a brother of mine who likes to help others has also told me: 'A true hero will never abandon the old, weak, women and children.' The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people. I will practice the 'way of chivalry' with my own body, so that I can live up to the title of 'big brother' she calls me."

"If you insist on asking if I have any other reasons..."

He slowly reached into his robes and pulled out the amulet bearing the inscription "Shadow Towards the Cherry Blossom Mountain".

"I promised someone that I would save her god."

"so……"

"I've come to save you, Lei Movie."

Chapter 200: The flowers will eventually disperse, and the sacred cherry blossoms of all generations will remain as strong as before

Under the cherry blossom tree, the pink-haired priest put on the white fox mask.

The moment the mask covered her face, the divine child seemed to see the white fairy fox, who was both her teacher and friend, walking leisurely towards her as before.

The fox spirit spoke, reciting a waka poem in its silvery voice: "Parting and reunion are too fleeting..."

This is a line from the Kokin Wakashū (Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poems), and it was also a line that Prince Kitsai-no-miya (Kokusai-no-miya) liked very much during his lifetime.

When the princess was young, the fox spirit often played the game of "karuta" with her. The fox spirit would recite the first line, and the princess would recite the second line. They enjoyed it very much.

The prince had already memorized those 1,111 waka poems.

The divine child murmured the next line: "...The night spent together and the morning parting felt like a dream; I could hardly believe we had met."

The white fox seemed to have a smile on its face. With a light leap, it crashed into the prince's chest and disappeared.

As the white fox vanished, another voice entered the divine child's ears: "I consider myself to have lived a fulfilling and ordinary life..."

The voice was so close to her, just like many years ago when she was leaning on Fox Palace's shoulder, whispering to Lord Fox Palace.

The goddess did not respond; she knew that these voices were merely memories of the Fox Palace.

After Fox Palace's passing, only a protective barrier around Inazuma's ley lines and a wisp of longing remained, sealed within the Divine Cherry Tree. Only the Divine Child, the inheritor of the White Star bloodline, could access Fox Palace's remnants.

"I once roamed the mountains and valleys of Narukami in the form of a white fox spirit, with my clever and adorable companions. I hope that after everything is over, they can run joyfully again..."

They exhausted their power in the great war five hundred years ago, turning into statues to guard the ley lines in the mountains and fields of Narukami Island, awaiting Lord Sakamiya's return. Of the White Fox Clan, only I remain.

The divine child silently spoke their fate in his heart.

"I once performed Keiki and Kagura with a beautiful oni girl with a face like the moon before the emperor, and I cheered for her sword dance. I hope that her beauty, bravery and grace will be praised by people a thousand years from now."

Mikoto Chiyo was corrupted by the calamity of the abyss. She swung her sword at the lord, who cut off a corner of her arm and a corner of her horn. She fled into the wilderness and disappeared without a trace. People only remember this tragic end.

"I once raced against the Tengu clan chief of Yingxiang, running through the inner and outer paths of Xiuyan Spirit Mountain, comparing our speed and strength. In the end, it was I, of the Baichen clan, who emerged victorious. Now that I think about it, she probably went easy on me. Thinking about it makes me feel a little resentful..."

Chieftain Kagemyou Reisenbo, burdened by guilt after the war for failing to protect His Highness's family and friends, perished at the bottom of the sea along with the "Thousand Gates Void Boat." The Tengu clan has remained secluded for five hundred years, and now, the skies above Inazuma are devoid of the soaring wings of the Tengu.

"I once schemed against the demon fox who was obsessed with fighting me, making him surrender to the general willingly. At the same time, I shamelessly schemed against that general, making her bring the usurping great demon fox king under her command. The moonlight in the imperial garden that night shone through the branches and petals, falling on the courtyard, as beautiful as countless pearls, and it still shines in my shallow heart... I hope that the mischievous but pure and kind fox will not hold a grudge against my final deception."

The demon tanuki king, Ichizoku, who sneaked into the General's Garden to steal the Singing Grass, is still playing hide-and-seek with you in the "Guardian Forest" to this day... If you return and see a large, fat tanuki statue, don't forget to tap its head. It has been sleeping for hundreds of years and it's time to get up and stretch.

"And Your Highness... I hope she remembers the long-winded maxim I dared to offer before our parting—'Use the blade of authority to eradicate rampant delusions, to extinguish the possibility of dreams arising and ceasing peacefully... Such a silent world, free from strife and devoid of gain or loss, will be a path of amnesia.'"

"This proverb may help her resist some lies and evil thoughts. May she not be deceived or swayed, and continue to walk on the path she firmly believes in."

Unfortunately, she didn't remember your last words of advice...

"Therefore, it is up to me, her family member, to guide her back to the right path."

The goddess silently raised her hand and stroked the fox mask on her face. As her fingers gently touched it, the mask gradually merged with her body.

When she lowered her hand, the mask had disappeared, and a silvery light appeared in the goddess's purple vertical pupils, like white stars shining in her eyes.

"Fox's Token".

She sacrificed the last half of her soul to the Divine Cherry Tree in exchange for the power of Lord Saigu.

The four fluffy pink tails behind the goddess were slowly turning transparent.

From the four-tailed "Heavenly Fox" to the tailless "Empty Fox," the divine child traversed three thousand years of cultivation in an instant.

Having become the "Sky Fox" and wielding the "Heart of God," the current Eightfold Divine Child has finally reached a rank equivalent to the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World."

If even the "scattered soldiers" and Ying cannot break through the "wall of the heart" of "pure land of one mind," then she should break through it by force.

It was at this moment that she heard Han Fulai's voice—"I promised someone that I would save her god."

A tear silently slid down the goddess's face.

"Thank you," the goddess whispered to him.

Han Fulai, who was in the "Pure Land of One Heart" at that moment, could not hear her voice, but she still said thank you.