For hundreds of years, ever since Asase Hibiki released the resentment of the Thunderbird and forcibly connected it to the ley lines, countless things buried deep underground had erupted to the surface.
Combined with the constant bombardment and refinement by lightning, the large amounts of ore brought up from underground had become extremely dense and hard.
Most of them were excellent-quality minerals. If the lightning-infused ores were forged into weapons, they might even carry special properties.
Because of this, the Watatsumi Resistance Army had taken a huge risk.
They had apparently found a temporary method to deal with the lightning. Avoiding the eyes of the Shogunate army, they had secretly traveled here by detouring through Yashiori Island.
After understanding the situation, Luo Li did not interfere or capture them despite their opposition to the Shogunate.
Five hundred years ago, it had been partly because of him that Watatsumi Island and Narukami Island were beginning to reconcile and put aside their hostility.
But now, because of the Vision Hunt Decree, the two sides were showing signs of division again.
"Compared to Makoto… Ei is still rather childish," Luo Li sighed.
He felt a slight headache thinking about the stubborn and willful Raiden Shogun.
"If I remember correctly, the current Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island is Sangonomiya Kokomi. I wonder how many generations have passed."
Luo Li had quite a good impression of the Sangonomiya priestess from that time. She had been sensible and willing to coexist peacefully with the people of Narukami instead of holding onto old hatred.
If it had not been for her efforts, the reconciliation between the two islands might not have happened so smoothly.
As for the current Kokomi, Luo Li had only heard of her but had never met her personally, so he could not judge.
Speaking of which, he suddenly remembered something.
He wondered what had happened to the child inside the pearl.
Long ago, under the guidance of the Sangonomiya priestess, he had witnessed the legendary pearl said to give birth to life. By accident, he had infused Honkai energy into it, forming a natural stigmata on the back of the infant's neck.
After so much time, that child should have already emerged from the pearl.
If he ever had the chance, Luo Li would like to find that child.
Strictly speaking, the two of them shared a certain connection.
Without the Honkai energy he had provided, that infant might have taken nearly a thousand years to mature.
After observing the resistance soldiers for a moment, Luo Li ignored them and continued toward the source of the ley line flow.
Their actions had nothing to do with him.
Crossing past Koseki Village, Luo Li discovered that the road leading toward Seiraimaru had been broken.
With a wave of power, he restored the path and continued forward until he reached the final destination.
It was a small isolated island separated from the main body of Seirai Island.
Surprisingly, it was not covered in lightning.
The island was lush with greenery and even had Sacred Sakura trees planted there.
The shallow path leading to the island was partly submerged. The wooden signposts had long since rotted and were covered in moss.
Some of them still had golden bells shaped like cat paws hanging from them, with red tags marked with cat symbols fluttering in the wind.
Passing through a large torii gate with a giant golden bell hanging above it, Luo Li noticed that the red paint on the wood had almost completely faded.
What was even more surprising was that in this abandoned and desolate place, a black-and-white cat sat quietly in front of the gate.
When it saw him, it didn't show any fear—only watched him calmly.
And it wasn't the only one.
After Luo Li passed through the torii gate, he saw more than a dozen cats roaming freely around the shrine. They ran about curiously and looked at him with interest.
At the same time, something else changed.
After entering the gate, the thunder that filled the sky outside gradually disappeared until it became almost completely silent.
It felt as if he had stepped into another world.
"Asase Shrine…"
Looking at this place that had been forgotten for hundreds of years, Luo Li fell silent.
He remembered the hardworking young shrine maiden from long ago.
She loved cats and Sacred Sakura trees the most.
Once, she had secretly adopted a kitten from Grand Narukami Shrine. When it went missing later, she had been heartbroken for a long time.
After a moment, Luo Li returned from his memories and followed the flow of the ley lines to the front of the shrine.
The shrine itself was already decayed and damaged.
Yet sitting there calmly was a black cat.
When it noticed him, it suddenly spoke.
"Huh? The smell of a human? Oh… it's not Hibiki after all."
The cat had sounded excited at first, but after seeing him clearly, its tone became disappointed.
"Human, I am the acting head priest of Asase Shrine, my name is Neko. If you wish to make an offering, go to the left. If you want to hang an ema plaque, go to the right."
An ordinary person would probably be shocked to see a talking cat.
But Luo Li knew its origin, so he remained calm, though a hint of emotion appeared in his eyes.
Looking at the cat who had waited here for centuries, he saw reflections of Mitsuyo and Ganyu in it.
Ignoring its instructions, Luo Li asked gently:
"The Hibiki you mentioned… hasn't returned for a long time, has she?"
Having someone to talk to, Neko seemed slightly interested.
"Mmm… ever since a long, long time ago, after that huge thunderstorm battle, Hibiki never came back. No one has brushed my fur since then."
"A huge thunderstorm…"
Luo Li understood immediately.
That must refer to the day Hibiki broke the seal that suppressed the Thunderbird's resentment.
Neko stared at Luo Li for a long time.
Suddenly, it looked puzzled.
"Wait… have I seen you somewhere before?"
The more it looked, the more familiar he seemed.
After thinking for a long time, it suddenly had a realization.
"I remember! Hibiki once brought back a painting a very long time ago. The person in the painting looks exactly like you!"
"I asked her about it, but she never explained anything. She just treasured the painting very much and took great care of it."
Neko spoke excitedly.
"Wait here! I can still find that painting!"
The black cat jumped into the shrine building and rummaged around for a while before returning with a box containing a sealed scroll.
It bit open the rope, flipped open the box, and spread the scroll.
Luo Li looked at it.
The painting indeed showed his portrait.
If he remembered correctly, it had been secretly painted by Mitsuyo long ago.
Even after five hundred years, it had been preserved extremely well.
It was clear how much the owner had cherished it.
"So it really is you! You know Hibiki, don't you?!" Neko asked excitedly.
Luo Li nodded slightly.
"You could say I was her teacher. I came here today to bring Hibiki back."
"You can bring Hibiki back?!" Neko asked urgently.
Its tail swung rapidly behind it, showing both anxiety and hope.
"Before coming here, I wasn't completely sure," Luo Li said calmly.
"But now…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
His deep, penetrating eyes seemed to look through the shrine—toward the unknown depths beneath the earth.