“Bring them inside.” The ancient voice rang in Hiroichi’s mind again. The murderous intent on Hiroichi’s body vanished instantly as he glared at Jared. He then brought them further into the shrine.
Soon, they arrived at a grandiose hall with at faint chill hidden underneath its majestic exterior. When the group was led into the hall by Hiroichi, they saw the expansive space within had a gem-paved floor, multiple censers, and paintings..
In the center of the hall was a withered old man sitting on his knees before a painting. Without delay, Hiroichi kneeled before the old man devoutly and forcefully pressed his forehead on the floor.
“Sit.” When the old man spoke, his voice sounded as though it came from afar. Jared sauntered toward the old man and sat before him, but the others didn’t have the guts to do the same.
The reason was that even though the old man appeared withered, he possessed an overwhelming aura, which made Ryosuke and the others feel uncontrollably antsy. Even Flaxseed’s contemptuous expression from earlier turned grim when he met the old man.
“It’s my first time in a hundred years seeing a Chanaean. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Toyotomi Hideyoshi. I believe all of you have heard my name before.” The old man regarded Jared with a seemingly omniscient look.
The others didn’t have the nerve to make eye contact with the old man because they felt he could read their thoughts just by looking at them.
Meanwhile, Jared didn’t seem to mind as he stared at Toyotomi with amusement. “You’re but a divine soul, so don’t try to scare us with your name. I bet you don’t even possess a tenth of your original body’s strength right now. As for why you haven’t seen any Chanaeans, it’s because you can’t leave this shrine. If you do, your divine soul will dissipate immediately.”
“You insolent wretch! How dare you curse the deity!” growled Hiroichi. “Deity?” Jared snickered. “He’s just a dead man in the world of the living. There’s no need to put him on a pedestal.”
Instead of getting angry, Toyotomi cackled. “You can call me whatever you want. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you who possess Golden Dragon’s True Form have come to me on your own accord. This must be fate. My years of devotion must’ve touched the heavens.”
Flaxseed scowled upon hearing that. He knows about Jared’s Golden Dragon’s True Form, which means he has an ulterior motive for it! After all, Jared’s body is a rare opportunity for a spirit like him, who’s aiming for resurrection! However, Jared wasn’t shocked. In fact, he seemed exceptionally collected. “You like my body?”
“Of course. In the past, I had no idea how long I’d need to wait before I could see the light of day again. But now that fate has brought you to me, I know now that that day is today!” Toyotomi answered excitedly. As Jared observed Toyotomi’s delight, he asked amusingly, “You’re confident you can obtain my body?”
“Hmph! Even if I’m but a divine soul right now, I’m still a deity of this shrine. You can’t escape my grasp. If you hand your body to me, I can. ensure your divine soul will remain intact. After that, I’ll find you a new body, and I’ll allow your friends to leave here safely.”
