Chapter 952: Fragment of a Divine Kingdom
The reason Zhang Yuelu mentioned there were many sources of yin energy was that something like Shuten-Doji’s head could also be considered one of them. However, such sources varied in scale. Small ones had a limited range of influence, while big ones spread far and wide. Without doubt, Shuten-Doji’s head was only a small source, whereas this pocket realm was a major one.
This indirectly confirmed Zhang Yuelu’s suspicion and conjecture—that this place was very likely one of Izanagi-no-Mikoto’s five sealed sites.
However, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were not afraid. Izanagi’s name was indeed formidable, but Tamamo-no-Mae and Suzuka Gozen had made it clear that Izanagi’s golden body and divine kingdom had already been shattered by the combined efforts of the Three Great Kami and the Buddhist Sect. That meant half his strength was gone. His body was split into five parts, with the most powerful—his head and torso—sealed in Mount Fuyo. That was another half gone, leaving only a quarter. This one would be a limb at most, which was merely one-sixteenth. Surely, a single arm or leg could not still wield the full might of an Immortal, as that would be absurd.
Of course, even weakened, a single arm or leg of Izanagi could still influence Ise Province. All beings had a natural ranking, and without doubt, Immortals stood above mortals.
Even dismembered, Izanagi’s essence remained divine, so they were tied to certain laws of the universe.
More crucially, according to the legends of Fenglin, Izanagi had created Fenglin, or at least perfected it upon an existing foundation. Thus, within Fenglin’s bounds, he was nearly impossible to kill and could only be sealed. Even a small portion of his strength could leverage immense authority over the rules of his domain, causing dramatic and violent changes.
For this reason, Izanagi’s ability to affect Ise Province did not conflict with his extreme weakness.
This was the main reason Qi Xuansu and the others dared to come here.
The Daoist Order rarely mentioned this notion of natural status. Instead, they distinguished people by cultivation. In their view, Immortals and mortals were both people, differing only in attainment. This was meant to embody the principle of equality. Whether such equality could be realized in practice was another matter, but at least on paper, it had to be upheld.
“Where should we go now?” Qi Xuansu asked.
Zhang Yuelu said, “This pocket realm is on the verge of collapse. It’s like a leaking water jar. Inside, the aura will flow like water, surging toward the cracks. By following the flow of aura, we can locate the exact leak.”
Little Yin was an expert in this matter, as she could sense intense yin energy from 400 kilometers away. At the mention of this, Little Yin nodded. “You’re right! I can feel the aura flowing the way you described.”