novelraw Chapter 250: The Big Boss, Chief Priest of the No-Illusions Shrine
Chapter 250: The Big Boss, Chief Priest of the No-Illusions Shrine
When Lin Xun returned to the No-Illusions Shrine, the Kagura dance ceremony was already nearing its end.
At this point, not only were his pockets filled with barrier-breaking materials worth 220,000 Spirit Essence, he also carried a heap of talisman crafting materials.
The two combined had cost nearly 400,000 Spirit Essence.
The talisman materials were enough to create ten United Resolve Talismans, three Filth Purification Rebirth Talismans, and two Absolute Barrier Seal of the Ten Directions Talismans.
As for Karmic Inferno Descent Talismans, Lin Xun was not lacking in offensive skills for the time being, so there was no need to waste Spirit Essence buying those materials.
After spending such a vast amount, he was pleased to discover that talismans crafted by onmyoji could be sold!
Talisman items were essentially the same as magic scrolls.
First, if used by an Apostle not of the onmyoji class, the talisman’s power would be reduced by 30%.
Second, there was also an unspoken rule within the hellish game: when items produced at high difficulty were used by Apostles from low-difficulty tiers, their power would often be drastically diminished.
For example, if a talisman was used by an Apostle from the sixth or seventh difficulty tier, it would only lose about 30% of its effectiveness.But if a second or third-difficulty Apostle used it, the talisman’s power would be severely weakened.
While it would still be somewhat stronger than items produced at low difficulty, it wouldn’t be absurdly overpowered.
This wasn’t really a big problem, however, since the Book of Trade already limited the circulation of equipment and items between different difficulty tiers. Even with offline transactions, low-difficulty Apostles generally didn’t have enough Spirit Essence in their pockets to afford such luxury talismans.
Given how practical these talismans were, he wouldn’t have to worry about sales.
“With this trade skill in hand, making money is practically guaranteed. The only limitation is that crafting talismans takes too much time.”
Lin Xun decided he would wait until he was sleeping to have the onmyoji shell idle-craft talismans, so it wouldn’t interfere with the normal game progress.
“The Palace Master is one of my own, so surely he won’t mind a bit of overtime…”
[You took advantage of the Kagura dance ceremony still not having concluded to quietly slip into the depths of the shrine…]
[Outside the Main Hall, it was still empty. No one was around, and the invisible, colorless barrier continued to protect the grand hall.]
[You possessed the shell of the Fire-Worshipping Palace Master of Iya Palace!]
[You knew that to break this barrier, you would have to go all out and complete the process as fast as possible.]
[Because once the Kagura ceremony ended, the palanquin carrying the shrine maiden would be brought to the Worship Hall, which was a little too close for comfort.]
[At that point, all the gathered pilgrims might spot you skulking about.]
[To reduce the chance of discovery, you quietly circled to a secluded corner behind the Main Hall, took out the prepared materials, and began breaking the barrier…]
[Barrier breaking in progress…]
[Estimated completion time: 10 minutes 29 seconds]
Lin Xun waited anxiously, watching the text numbers slowly tick down, feeling that time was crawling unbearably slowly.
The Kagura ceremony was about to end. If he was discovered, losing the shell and wasting some soul strength was a minor problem, but losing over 200,000 worth of materials would be an unbearable pain.
[…]
[Estimated completion time: 8 minutes 56 seconds]
[Suddenly you heard a noise behind you and whipped around to look…]
[But it was just a few little squirrels darting out of the grass and vanishing in a flash.]
[You sighed at the false alarm and kept working on the barrier.]
[…]
It was hard to tell if the hellish game was deliberately messing with him, but during the barrier breaking, small animals like cats and birds kept popping up to give him a scare.
At first, Lin Xun would tense up each time, but as the text prompts appeared more and more frequently, he stopped caring, and his anxiety actually eased.
[…]
[Estimated completion time: 2 minutes 18 seconds]
[You heard another sound behind you and assumed it was yet another stray animal, so you didn’t even turn around, continuing to work on the barrier.]
[…]
[Suddenly, a hand gently clapped your shoulder, and an elderly man’s voice sounded behind you…]
[I had no idea the Palace Master of Iya Palace had come to the shrine. I must apologize for failing to welcome you properly.]
[You were startled, though your face betrayed nothing as you slowly turned around.]
[Standing quietly behind you was an elder in ritual robes, his eyes watching you with an amused glint.]
[His ceremonial attire consisted of a white robe with a purple hakama. On his head he wore a magnificent, oversized crown hat, and in his hand he held a long, rectangular scepter.]
[You noticed that the elder’s robes were adorned with pale purple patterns, an auspicious noble crest known as the Hachitomaru.]
[In a grand shrine like the No-Illusions Shrine, only the highest-ranking figure who presided over everything, the Chief Priest, could wear such garments.]
“…Damn it, I ran into the big boss?!”
Lin Xun clenched his teeth. He had been less than two minutes away from successfully breaching the barrier and embarking on his shortcut plan, but at the final moment, he’d run straight into the shrine’s Chief Priest.
It was like sneaking into a dragon’s lair to steal treasure, only to turn around and find the dragon propping its chin on its claws, watching you perform with great interest.
[The Chief Priest’s aged face was full of kindly smiles as he inquired why, when the Palace Master of Iya Palace had graced them with his presence, he did not watch the Kagura dance but instead came here to the forbidden Main Hall.]
[Master, as a grand master who commanded so many onmyoji, your esteemed identity makes such secrecy entirely unnecessary.]
[If you wished to behold the divine forms of the two Pillar Gods, you had only to give the word, I would personally unseal the barrier for you…]
[Your expression remained unchanged as you slowly replied that you had indeed been watching the Kagura dance, but you noticed too many flaws and weaknesses in the Void Domain formed by the Mizugaki around the Main Hall. On a whim, you decided to repair them.]
[For the No-Illusions Shrine, as the grand shrine of this city, to rely on such a crude and inferior barrier, was that not a grave disrespect to the two Pillar Gods enshrined within?]
[The Chief Priest froze for a moment at these words, then his expression grew solemn. “Truly? Is that so?”]
[You gestured for him to stay calm and continued working on the barrier…]
[Before long, you completed the final step of breaking the barrier. You could clearly sense that the immense, invisible barrier had been torn open into a gaping doorway.]
[You strolled calmly into the barrier and replied to the Chief Priest, absolutely true, at the mere flick of your fingers you could break this barrier. To protect the divine forms of the Pillar Gods with such a crude barrier, if word reached Kyoto, it would surely become a laughingstock.]
[Given the scale of the No-Illusions Shrine and the exalted divine ranks of the two Pillar Gods, of course the Main Hall should be defended by the highest-grade barrier, the Absolute Barrier Seal of the Ten Directions.]
[The Chief Priest nodded repeatedly, wearing an expression of sudden enlightenment.]
[Just as you were about to continue lecturing, the Chief Priest interrupted, saying there was still one matter he did not understand and wished the Palace Master would clarify.]
[You knew perfectly well that within the shrine, under the suppression of the divine domain, this already formidable Chief Priest could wield strength far beyond normal. You could only force yourself to keep listening.]
[The Chief Priest gave a slight smile, the wrinkles on his old face deepening, and sincerely inquired, He had heard that last night the Iya Palace suffered a great upheaval, its grand palace reduced to ruins overnight, with over a hundred onmyoji tragically perishing…]
[“May I ask, Palace Master, why you are not at Iya Palace dealing with the aftermath and hunting down the culprit, but have instead come to the shrine to pray for children and watch the Kagura dance, even taking the leisure to break this barrier?”]
[You were momentarily at a loss for words, not knowing how to reply.]
[The Chief Priest still wore a smiling expression, swaying the oversized crown hat on his head, and continued to ask, “Could it be that the Palace Master suspects I am harboring the culprit here in the Main Hall, and that is why you are behaving this way?”]
[Your face remained impassive, as though tacitly agreeing with his words.]
[The Chief Priest’s smile did not change. Suddenly, he called out in a loud voice, “If that is the case, to prove my innocence, I must invite the Palace Master to enter the hall and see for yourself!”]
[With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the immense, invisible Void Domain barrier, then turned and walked back around to the Main Hall’s front entrance.]
[The Chief Priest pushed the great door open a crack, not wide, just enough for one person to pass through.]
[He extended a hand, gesturing for you to enter the Main Hall, while he himself showed no intention of going inside.]
[Do you wish to enter the Main Hall under the Chief Priest’s watchful gaze?]
“Damn, is this going to be shut-the-door-and-kill-the-dog, no, it’s ‘lure the enemy into the trap!’”
Right now, entering the Main Hall was obviously a trap, but if he refused, it would mean falling out with the Chief Priest, the big boss.
Fighting a big boss within the divine domain, any idiot could guess that would earn you a free teleport back to town.
“I was planning to sneak in before, but now that I’m invited, how do I get out of this?”
Lin Xun really wanted to press ‘No,’ but given the circumstances, he could only press ‘Yes.’
[Under the Chief Priest’s gaze, you stepped slowly into the Main Hall.]
[Behind you, the great door shut tight with a heavy thud. From outside came a faint single word, as though instructing something within the hall…]
[“Kill!”]
[Then the Chief Priest’s footsteps gradually receded into the distance.]
[A colossal shadow fell over the hall’s bright lanterns. From within the darkness, two huge lantern-sized monstrous eyes stared fixedly at you.]
[You have discovered the Extreme Evil Chief Priest of the No-Illusions Shrine!]
Lin Xun’s eyes widened.
Extreme Evil? The Chief Priest of the No-Illusions Shrine?
The monster in the Main Hall was the Chief Priest, then who had he just been speaking to outside?!