"Lady Yae, why have you suddenly come to our village...?"
Seeing Yae Miko's visit, Konda Densuke, the chief of Konda Village, showed an extremely surprised expression.
Yae Miko gave a faint smile and chuckled:
"Densuke, long time no see. The last time we met, you were still a child. I didn't expect you to become the village chief now."
Konda Densuke shook his head and sighed softly:
"Lady Yae is joking. This old man merely inherited this position by chance."
After speaking, Konda Densuke showed a hesitant look again and gazed at Yae Miko:
"However, Lady Yae's visit to our village, could it be because of..."
Yae Miko smiled:
"Indeed, I am here for the thunder sakura tree. There shouldn't be any problems with the thunder sakura tree and its barrier, right?"
Konda Densuke nodded earnestly:
"Protecting the thunder sakura and the barrier is a responsibility entrusted to our Konda clan by Kitsune Saiguu. Our Konda clan would never allow it to suffer even the slightest harm."
After speaking, Konda Densuke suddenly noticed that Yae Miko's expression was somewhat wistful, so he asked curiously:
"Lady Yae, is something wrong?"
Yae Miko sighed slightly and said:
"It's nothing. Purifying the thunder sakura tree is a big project. I want to finish it as soon as possible. Lead the way."
Konda Densuke nodded, not thinking much of it, and then explained how to get to the underground of Konda Village.
It was actually quite simple: one just needed to find the key hidden outside the village.
Then, use this key to unlock the dry well in Konda Village, and through the well opening, one could go underground.
With Konda Densuke's assistance, the process went very smoothly.
It wasn't until they reached the dry well and unlocked its opening that Konda Densuke regretfully said:
"Lady Yae, this old man's bones are no good, so I won't accompany you down. I wish you all the best."
"It's alright, I can handle the rest. Purifying the thunder sakura tree roots is inherently dangerous, and ordinary people shouldn't get involved."
"Then, I'll leave it to you, Lady Yae." Konda Densuke bowed respectfully to Yae Miko.
Yae Miko nodded, said no more, and leaped directly into the well... After entering the well, Yae Miko also spent some time solving a series of extremely boring puzzles.
Finally, she arrived at the barrier underground.
Underground, there was a huge root, and many items typically found in shrines were placed around it.
That massive root was the root of the thunder sakura tree.
A faint, dark, unknown aura floated around the root of the thunder sakura tree, giving off an evil and ominous feeling.
These dark auras were the defiled energies accumulated by the thunder sakura tree over many years.
Now, Yae Miko only needed to unseal the thunder sakura tree.
And purify the defiled energy overflowing from the thunder sakura tree's roots, and it would be resolved.
However, looking at this place, Yae Miko did not act, falling into a brief contemplation.
Her expression seemed a bit melancholic, as if lost in memories.
After a long while, Yae Miko shook her head and began to unseal the area.
As the chief priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine, she naturally knew better than anyone how to unseal this place.
So, in just a short while, the seal here was broken.
Subsequently, the thunder sakura tree root on the ground began to slowly emit black aura.
These auras gradually condensed into a humanoid form.
It was a humanoid figure clad in armor, similar to a samurai.
As for the essence of this samurai, it was actually formed by the defiled energy accumulated by the thunder sakura tree.
After all, the thunder sakura tree is connected to the ley lines, and the ley lines circulate all the memories and wishes across Teyvat.
It is inevitable that some dark and defiled memories would be absorbed by the thunder sakura tree.
And these condensed defiled memories would be released at this moment, forming an evil entity that was neither human nor beast.
Looking at the samurai condensed from defiled memories in front of her, Yae Miko walked towards it slowly with an expressionless face.
She had to exorcise that thing.
Otherwise, if it escaped, it would definitely cause considerable casualties.
And when the defiled samurai saw Yae Miko approaching, it placed its hand on the sword at its waist.
It prepared to draw its sword and attack Yae Miko.
However, just as the defiled samurai managed to draw its sword... an extremely dazzling bolt of lightning flashed above it.
A bolt of lightning several meters thick suddenly struck down from above the defiled samurai, hitting its body and exploding into a huge ball of lightning!
After the lightning slowly dissipated, the samurai, formed from defiled matter, had already been blasted into oblivion!
The exorcism ritual ended in an instant!
Now, the root of the thunder sakura tree here has been purified and will no longer emit dark auras.
Although Yae Miko can be mischievous, in reality, the power she possesses is among the foremost in Inazuma.
Her power when she gets serious is also quite terrifying.
Seeing no more dark aura on the thunder sakura tree root, Yae Miko gently exhaled:
"One down. Next, I need to purify four more places..."
"I should finish this quickly; I still have many books to read..."
She turned around, preparing to leave this place and head to the next to continue the exorcism ritual.
However... just as Yae Miko was about to leave, her brows suddenly furrowed.
She turned her head back to look at the thunder sakura tree root.
Several spatial tears had appeared there for some reason.
From within the torn spaces, several strangely shaped beast-like creatures emerged.
Seeing those creatures, Yae Miko's expression changed dramatically.
"Abyssal Rifthounds!?"
"Why are these monsters appearing in Inazuma again!?"
At this moment, Yae Miko's face was filled with shock and uncertainty.
Because she knew very well what the appearance of these Abyssal Monsters in Inazuma meant.
Five hundred years ago, Inazuma was almost destroyed by these Abyssal Monsters!
That year, under the attack of the Abyssal dark monster army, countless people in Inazuma sacrificed their lives!
Even when Raiden Ei rushed back to Inazuma later, she almost failed to protect it!
If it hadn't been for the protection of the sacred sakura tree's power back then,
The nation of Inazuma would have already fallen!
Now, seeing these monsters reappear on Inazuma's land, how could Yae Miko not be worried!
"Such monsters appearing during the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual, what exactly is this...?"
Yae Miko murmured softly, her face more solemn than ever before.
Although she didn't know the reason yet, Yae Miko absolutely could not allow these Abyssal Monsters to leave this place and go to the land above!
Because if ordinary people are tainted by the dark aura of Abyssal Monsters,
They will be completely corrupted by darkness, becoming beasts that only know how to kill... This is also the most troublesome aspect of the Abyssal Monster army...
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