It was only after receiving consent that he skipped over the proper, complicated procedures and, unable to wait any longer, wanted to go admire the Li Jian family's greatest treasure.

This was already exceedingly discourteous.

Even if Li Jian Jiu Jing flew into a rage, it would not be strange.

But in reality, that young man only looked stunned for an instant, then nodded. "Then, please come with me."

"Excellent, excellent."

Ashikaga clapped his hands and laughed, following behind Li Jian Jiu Jing. He only asked, as if casually, "It seems there's a faint scent of blood… Mr. Jiujing, are you hurt?"

"Earlier last night, I took part in the operation to apprehend the Agleam Murder Demon and suffered a minor injury. Thank you for your concern."

"It's truly wonderful to be young—bold in fight and struggle. Someone old like this old man simply cannot compare." He approvingly patted Jiu Jing on the shoulder. "You must keep up the good work, Jiu Jiujing."

"Yes."

Jiu Jing bowed respectfully.

In an atmosphere of harmony, the two chatted and laughed as they stepped, one pace at a time, into the heavily guarded treasure vault.

After passing layer upon layer of precious artifacts, they finally saw a dazzling radiance in the innermost secret chamber.

Like something forged from crystal glass, a resplendent suit of Armor stood before them, shining with a solemn glow, countless keen facets reflecting the illusory bubbles of dreams in the Red Dust.

Then, all returned to nothingness.

This was the Dog God, said in legend to have been forged from eight virtues, and at the same time an exalted Stigmata Relic within the Yingzhou Phylogeny—Vajra Crystal Armor - Eight Chambers!

It appeared fragile as an illusory dream bubble, but in truth possessed a terrifying defensive power equal to the embryonic membrane of the Vajra Realm.

A relic formed from the foremost of the Yaksha, a supreme treasure that only the family head could inherit, able in every generation to engender eight Sublimators' Miracle Imprints.

"How beautiful."

At the instant he beheld that dazzling radiance, the last trace of doubt in the old Court Officials' chest vanished like smoke.

What stood before him was a genuine, priceless treasure.

An heirloom sufficient to safeguard the Li Jian family's legacy for ten thousand generations.

It was practically within arm's reach…

In the silence, he could not help but take a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and waved a hand behind him.

The subordinates in the darkness lowered their weapons, but still remained on full alert.

"Jiu Jiujing, you can be honest with me now." He turned back, his expression stern and cold as he asked, "What exactly happened to that fellow Inu River? No matter how smug or proud this old man may be, I still don't believe that man would allow me to draw this close to the family's greatest treasure.

If you have gone too far, then not even this old man will be able to shield you."

"Lord Inugami's old wounds relapsed, and just now he has unfortunately passed away."

Ashikaga Nakayuki froze for an instant; before he could praise Jiu Jing, he heard that calm voice: "Next, it's your turn, Lord Ashikaga."

In that instant, just behind him—

Eight Chambers trembled.

The quiescent Vajra Crystal Armor lifted its head; behind the Mask Armor's twin eyeholes, from within that solemn, sacred glassy radiance, a savage, ferocious blood-light abruptly surged forth. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

In a single moment, the noble divine general fell from grace into a Demon Raksha.

It raised its hand.

It effortlessly pierced through layer upon layer of defenses, clamped onto Ashikaga Nakayuki's neck, and lifted him from the ground, as if casually yanking up some toy.

Five blade-sharp fingers slowly tightened.

The clearly masterless Miracle Imprint was, at this moment, moving of its own accord.

It had deemed him an enemy!

But beneath Ashikaga Nakayuki's feet, his shadow suddenly shrank to the size of a pinhole; immediately after, it rapidly expanded like a vortex, and the Legion dwelling within the darkness of that shadow answered the summons.

Yet the Vajra merely raised its other hand, slowly, drew the Treasure Sword from its waist, and thrust it into his shadow.

Boundless blood-light burst forth, instantly covering and filling all darkness, and then a horrifying toxic ichor dissolved everything in an instant.

All that remained was the faint sizzling sound as the husks turned to Ashes.

Breath choked off, sudden and brutal.

Ashikaga Nakayuki stared in stunned disbelief, his face livid as he struggled desperately, rasping, "You're insane, you Murderer…"

"As expected of Lord Ashikaga. It's no surprise that you know this."

Jiu Jing gazed at that furious face and suddenly let out a soft, mocking laugh. "If I'm not mistaken… it's precisely because you hold this leverage that you placed such trust in me, isn't it? Otherwise, you wouldn't have taken such pains to conceal the Murderer's traces. With someone like me becoming family head, wouldn't I be forced to follow the Ashikaga clan's lead in all things?"

"But it doesn't matter," he said. "I don't care."

"You, you…" Ashikaga Nakayuki's eyes bulged, bloodshot veins gradually spreading through his pupils. "What are you…"

"My apologies, Lord Nakayuki. I no longer have time to play games with you all… We could have coexisted harmoniously, but unfortunately, Amber is simply a bit too formidable, forcing me to act in haste."

He said, "Your daughter is quite the formidable character."

The latter sentence was, naturally, not addressed to Ashikaga Nakayuki.

Yet there was no one else here.

Only a hoarse voice sounding from within the hollow Armor.

"■■■——"

With that piercing cry, the dazzling radiance upon Eight Chambers gradually faded, until what remained were mottled traces left by layer upon layer of bloodshed.

The Miracle was reversing into Disaster.

The original Stigmata Relic Eight Chambers was based upon the Dog God, fused with the elements of the eight virtues, and thus became the earthly incarnation of the legendary God Buddha·Acala.