However, the Heroic Spirits and Dragon Souls summoned by Hanzou this time were far fewer.
With the combined efforts of the two brothers, only seven Heroic Spirits and two Dragon Souls – one blue and one green – were summoned.
Through the detection of the Eternal Kaleidoscope, Lin Ran could be certain that this armored form of Yuan was much stronger than its previous physical form.
Compared to Yuan, who summoned twelve Heroic Spirits by himself last time without armor, this seemed rather weak…
Had the quality improved?
Lin Ran curiously glanced at these Heroic Spirits and Dragon Souls, trying to detect their specific strengths.
But to Lin Ran’s utter surprise, his Eternal Kaleidoscope and Rinnegan had failed!
The Heroic Spirits and Dragon Souls were shrouded in an indescribable mystery, completely impenetrable.
This was truly outrageous…
Even though he couldn't discern their specific strengths, Lin Ran, with his various means, was completely unfazed.
Furthermore, Hanzou seemed to have dropped all pretense, directly summoning his brother's soul to fight.
Wasn't this a rather blatant form of tag-teaming?
However, considering they were soul bodies and there was an obvious manipulator, it seemed no one jumped out to complain – unless Lin Ran, the direct beneficiary, said something.
Lin Ran was precisely hoping they would all come at him. After all, he needed to extract more information about the so-called Heroic Spirit Shrine from them, so he wouldn't interrupt.
Come on, let me see just how strong you two brothers are with all your cheat codes enabled!
…
Watching Hanzou's flashy display, the contestants on the scene began to murmur:
"Good heavens! It seems like the Sakura Country is also bringing out their ultimate moves!"
"Indeed, sending one of their dual cores to risk their life to scout for information, that's quite daring…"
"The most unbelievable thing is that Hanzou in the back can inherit the legacy of the previously defeated Yuan… that's truly unexpected."
"Certainly… and the wave of beings he summoned this time looks exceptionally fierce, not to be trifled with…"
"I am considered a being with very strong perception, yet I can't even glimpse the slightest trace of their aura."
"Facing an opponent whose background is unknown is truly difficult; there's no angle to attack from."
"If we don't pay some tuition first, it's really hard to deal with…"
"But Lin Ran is Lin Ran after all… if it were another opponent, I'd probably be rooting for Sakura Country right now."
"…"
Meanwhile, in the spectator stands, Tanaka Ken'ichi clenched his fists tightly.
This was a major step in their plan, extremely crucial.
To win Lin Ran over to their side, the most essential prerequisite was to establish authority.
Otherwise, if Lin Ran started demanding exorbitant prices without holding back, wouldn't they be put in an awkward position?
Giving in would be a sign of national humiliation, causing internal losses to the point of internal bleeding, and making them appear incompetent, leaving a bad impression on Kannai Guji. This would lead Kannai Guji to lose tolerance and patience for subsequent plans.
If it affected his most crucial grand strategy, it would be like losing the watermelon for a sesame seed!
But if they refused, and Lin Ran adopted a more aggressive stance, wouldn't negotiations break down immediately?
By then, trying to salvage the situation might not be achievable with the initial bargaining chips…
Forget internal bleeding, their lungs would probably bleed too!
"Does Shimada Hanzou… truly have a hundred percent certainty?"
Tanaka Ken'ichi cast a sinister gaze towards Chizuru Ginshiro, who had appeared beside him at some unknown time, and asked coldly.
Chizuru Ginshiro seemed completely unaffected by Tanaka Ken'ichi's displeasure, instead replying with a grinning smile:
"Rest assured, Patriarch Tanaka…"
"Let alone Shimada Hanzou's solemn vow with his family's honor as collateral and the amplification of the Dragon Seal…"
"Even just those Heroic Spirits and Dragon Souls from the Heroic Spirit Shrine, any one of them picked at random would be enough for Lin Ran to have a tough time!"
"Special protection that prevents true names from being discerned, inexhaustible energy that cannot be siphoned, an indestructible physical body that cannot be broken or severed, an uncorrupted spirit that cannot be mentally eroded…"
"This setting imprinted on the shrine is the most perverse energy in this world!"
"Settings! That's the power of settings!"
"Dear Patriarch Tanaka, do you understand the power of settings?!"
"Cannot be countered, cannot be eliminated, eternally existing…"
"They are the rule-makers, the masters of the universe! The most mysterious and great beings in the entire world!"
"For example, the divine spear Lin Ran just thrust at Shimada Yuan, I felt that power of setting!"
"Others may not see it, but before me, Lin Ran cannot deceive…"
"If my guess is correct, that spear of Lin Ran's must have been engraved with a related setting like 'it will never miss once thrown'…"
"Otherwise, with such a slow speed, Shimada Yuan would absolutely have no reason to be unable to dodge it."
"Moreover, I can already smell the wonderful aroma on the divine spear…"
"Ah! How fragrant and sweet it is!"
"If not for our subsequent grand plan, I would have long been unable to resist and would have taken the lovely little Lin Ran and his divine artifact, swallowing them bite by bite!"
As she spoke with enthusiasm, Chizuru Ginshiro completely lost her usual pure and cute demeanor, instead adopting a lustful expression with glazed-over eyes.
If one didn't know better, they'd think she was having a delusion here.
Tanaka Ken'ichi involuntarily shivered and, suppressing the urge to vomit, averted his gaze from Chizuru Ginshiro.
This woman was truly disgusting…
If it weren't for the fact that her help was absolutely necessary for the opening of the Heroic Spirit Shrine, Tanaka Ken'ichi wouldn't have wanted to deal with her for a single second.
Dealing with such a divine official organization that had been hidden in the shadows of Sakura Country for who knows how many years was more than just seeking a tiger for its skin.
But for such a major undertaking, it was impossible to completely keep the all-seeing divine official organization in the dark.
If their people discovered it, they would be even more passive, and it might even trigger a secondary split between the two factions, underground and above ground, in Sakura Country.
The mad and perverse divine official organization was truly capable of anything.
Sakura Country could no longer afford any major upheaval…
It was better to confess beforehand and share the spoils together.
But their absurd and perverse methods made Tanaka Ken'ichi feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Damn it! It was like holding one's nose and eating durian…
What a frustration!