Chapter 296: Challenging Rank 4, Tsuchimikado Ran! The Final Slash Completely Shatters Yan Liu’s Dao Heart!
The rules having changed like this means there’s no room for error.
If you want to challenge upwards, you must pick the opponent among the choices that you have the greatest chance of winning against and the most information about.
In other words, the further you go, the greater your advantage becomes.
After the Onmyo Assistant vanished into thin air, the remaining competitors either lowered their heads in thought or exchanged glances.
The central area of the venue fell into a silent stillness for a moment, as no one wanted to be the first big-shot to challenge upwards.
Except for Lili Zi.
“I challenge, the tenth-ranked, Aosuke.”
The calm voice came from Lili Zi, who was still standing, and in an instant, all cameras and gazes converged on her.
……
“Both bearing the Tokugawa name, both cultivating the Four Extremes Breathing Technique, is the gap between the two really this large?”
Kyuuketsuin Kin rubbed his slightly bulging belly after being full and, staring at Tokugawa Haruhiko, who turned his head down deeply in the camera’s shot the next second, grumbled in confusion.
“That’s natural, isn’t it?”
Gen Shinsui let out a rare snort: “I saw Tokugawa Haruhiko a few years ago, and even then he looked like he wouldn’t amount to much.
I just didn’t expect that after so long, he hasn’t changed or grown at all.”
She paused, her gaze drifting to the calm and domineering face that occupied more than half of the screen,
“As for Tokugawa Lili Zi, I’m afraid she’s the one with the highest attainments in sword technique and state of mind in the entire Seed Battle.”
“One more thing, Little Jin—”
Gen Shinsui said, “I’m afraid Tokugawa Lili Zi isn’t cultivating the Tokugawa family’s Four Extremes Breathing Technique, but the Corona Breathing Technique, just like Shangshan Che.”
“Sigh… Isn’t she the fifth child of the Tokugawa family? That doesn’t make sense, does it?”
Kyuuketsuin Kin was full of confusion.
“You haven’t seen that old turtle of the Tokugawa family, so you probably don’t know.”
Gen Shinsui, as if recalling an unpleasant memory, said coldly, “If Lili Zi had also cultivated the Four Extremes Breathing Technique, then what happened on the arena just now would never have occurred.”
“—That old turtle wouldn’t hand over something like the Four Extremes Breathing Technique to someone he couldn’t control.”
Sitting next to Kyuuketsuin Kin, who was constantly looking around, afraid of anyone approaching, Gen Shinsui asserted,
“In other words, the rumor that Tokugawa Lili Zi was kicked out of the Tokugawa family when she was a child is very likely true.”
She paused, unable to suppress a look of admiration in her eyes,
“To be able to reach this point on her own is truly remarkable.”
It was hard to imagine how much she had sacrificed to get to where she was today.
“Hoo… Sister Shinsui.”
Kyuuketsuin Kin quickly checked that the doors and windows were locked, clasped his hands together, and stuck out his tongue at her, “Don’t talk about such big shots at my place in the future, or we’ll be in big trouble if anyone overhears!”
“Big shots…”
Gen Shinsui’s expression remained unchanged, and after watching Kyuuketsuin Kin thoughtfully for a moment, she nodded, “I’ll try.”
Kyuuketsuin Kin breathed a sigh of relief, thanked her, and then curiously asked, “Then Sister Shinsui, who is superior in sword technique and state of mind between Tokugawa Lili Zi and yourself?”
“Perhaps higher than her, or perhaps evenly matched… I’m not really sure.”
Gen Shinsui rubbed her knees with her fingers, her eyes showing a hint of longing, “I haven’t been to the scene to see it with my own eyes, so how could I know what her Sword Heart is like?”
Half, evenly matched?!
Kyuuketsuin Kin was shocked.
Had Tokugawa Lili Zi’s “Sword Heart” already reached such a level!?
—The answer was obvious, otherwise Tokugawa Motoyasu and Tokugawa Ryuji wouldn’t be standing in the Sky Castle venue right now.
“Ryuji, if you were defeated by Riko, what would you think?”
The old man watched the severely injured Tokugawa Haruhiko for a moment, then turned to the young man with a straight back beside him and asked.
“Me?”
Tokugawa Ryuji answered without hesitation,
“I wouldn’t lose to my little sister.”
“It’s just a hypothetical situation,” Tokugawa Motoyasu said with a smile, “What if you became Haruhiko?”
Tokugawa Ryuji glanced at his sixth brother’s state and sighed lightly, despising his lack of ambition, “Great-Grandfather… losing is losing, admitting you’re not as skilled as someone isn’t difficult.”
“—When little sister was still at home, sixth brother used to often mock and tease her. Now that little sister has grown after experiencing many things, sixth brother is still the same.
Now that they’ve met again, it’s fitting that he’s ended up like this.”
Tokugawa Ryuji said, “Sixth brother should have realized this day would come long ago.”
After a brief silence, the old man beside him let out a long sigh,
“So open-minded, Ryuji.”
The wrinkles on Tokugawa Motoyasu’s aged face scrunched up as he chuckled dryly,
“If I were treated like this when I was young, I definitely wouldn’t be able to think as you do.”
“Great-Grandfather, please don’t say that…”
Tokugawa Ryuji quickly tried to mend things, “If Hoshi were in that position, she’d probably think similarly to me. After all, we’re both swordsmen.”
“Yes, you are swordsmen.”
Tokugawa Motoyasu first smiled kindly at him, then leaned his entire frail, aged body onto his dragon-headed wooden cane with a sense of relief,
“But I am not.”
……
In the TOP10 position, Aosuke, who hadn’t even warmed his seat, looked troubled.
He had just been contemplating whether to challenge upwards to the tenth position and knock down Yan Liu, this weakling who had exposed all his weaknesses, to be a gatekeeper.
But before he could ponder for two seconds, Tokugawa Lili Zi was already challenging him.
Tsk, this reckless person…
They clearly said there was only one chance.
Aosuke pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling genuinely weary.
He had watched most of Lili Zi’s previous match, so he knew this girl wielding Shangshan Che’s sword was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
At least…
Aosuke glanced at Yan Liu, who was still sitting above him.
Completely incomparable to this guy up there.
A tough opponent, no need to face him now.
It’s fine to surrender if challenged…
Moreover, a swordsman with Tokugawa Lili Zi’s personality wouldn’t be content to stay as a gatekeeper in the top ten, right?
Of course, the most crucial factor was that person.
Aosuke remained composed, and the image of Saito Ryuichi emerged in his mind.
This Head of the Saito Family had surrendered all his fights so far, allowing his ranking to drop to nearly thirtieth, yet he hadn’t made a single move.
This endurance could truly be called the “Viper of Mino.”
His trump cards wouldn’t be forced out at the very beginning of this stage.
In half a breath, Aosuke had made his decision.
—Surrendering is not a shameful thing, as long as one understands what it can bring.
A beam of light enveloped the two, bringing Lili Zi onto the main arena for the first time.
Before Aosuke could open his eyes, he acutely sensed a faint chill on his neck.
“I forfeit.”
As soon as his mouth opened, the chill dissipated.
Aosuke finally opened his eyes fully and saw Lili Zi opposite him, smacking her lips with a displeased expression.
Suppressing the instinct to unleash Onmyōdō, Aosuke breathed a slight sigh of relief, “That was scary, Miss Lili Zi.”
He had almost been beheaded by the other party at the very beginning.
Lili Zi, who had been about to draw her sword crisply but had to hold back, frowned,
“Such a rare chance for a spar, where it’s okay even if you’re close to death, and you forfeit instead of fighting, what a waste…”
Aosuke smiled without speaking.
“As expected, there’s a big difference between us rough swordsmen and you Onmyoji’s way of thinking.”
Lili Zi shrugged helplessly.
Never mind, never mind.
She’d continue to move upwards.
After the beam of light teleported Aosuke down, it didn’t “act” on Lili Zi.
It seemed as though it knew she would continue to challenge.
Just as the Ghost God Referee and the director thought, Lili Zi looked up, her gaze subtly shifting to Yan Liu, who was currently sitting in the TOP9 position.
The director’s camera followed Lili Zi’s gaze.
Additionally, the director “thoughtfully” replayed the three sentences Lili Zi had previously said to Yan Liu: “Clean your neck, I’m coming to cut you. I don’t like you.”
This directly caused the audience in the venue to exclaim and start cheering wildly.
And Yan Liu, who was about to be challenged?
Sitting in the TOP9 position, he felt a chill all over his body.
After being defeated multiple times, Yan Liu’s state of mind was almost shattered, and he no longer spoke carelessly.
In his heart, he actually had the thought of surrendering.
“—But Yan Liu can’t surrender. His arrogance, pride, concern for his reputation, and the current atmosphere make it impossible for him to do so.”
Shangshan Che said, as he picked up Two-Foot Adult by the back of her neck, grabbed the latter who was yelling, and threw her heavily onto the platform.
“Adult Che, what are you doing—”
*Thwack!*
A flick to the forehead cut off Two-Foot Adult’s remaining words.
Shangshan Che, who had just figured out how to gently use Qi Circulation to flick away Two-Foot Adult, breathed a sigh of relief,
Feeling as though he had gone through a battle more terrifying than fighting a hundred Yan Lius simultaneously.
“Che—”
*Bang!*
As soon as Two-Foot Adult tried to speak, her words were shattered again by a Hell Burial Hand Knife.
Shangshan Che put on a stern face and lectured, “Two-Foot, if you ever come here like this without permission again, I’ll lock you back in the dark room of the Ksitigarbha Statue!”
As he spoke, seeing Two-Foot’s teary expression, Shangshan Che’s tone softened slightly,
“Don’t you see where we are… Be good, and don’t think about these things anymore…”
But as soon as he said this, Two-Foot’s tears instantly disappeared, and she instead adopted a look of eagerness.
She accurately caught the keywords, raised her fair, white finger, and blinked her big eyes, saying with a hint of surprise, “Then Adult Che, doesn’t that mean that as long as there are few people…”
This is completely not a lesson learned!
Shangshan Che’s face instantly turned dark. He immediately sealed Two-Foot’s mouth with Qi and then threw her into the Ksitigarbha Statue to reflect properly.
As expected, give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.
Facing a greedy person like Two-Foot, you can’t retreat even an inch!
Soon, a chirping vibration came from his heartstrings.
Shangshan Che immediately closed the channel, and didn’t forget to close the channel connecting Kaga Kiyomitsu and Two-Foot, to prevent this guy from disturbing Little Jia.
When he looked down again, the battle on the arena had already begun!
—Facing Yan Liu, Lili Zi didn’t say a single extra word.
For such a brainlessly arrogant fool who couldn’t see his own position, direct beating was the solution.
The beam of light dissipated.
A sharp killing intent erupted in an instant, cutting a bloody mark on Yan Liu’s waist.
Zero-frame start!
Yan Liu, who made a defensive move instinctively but was ignored by the Sword Domain, looked down in astonishment.
His defense was ineffective…
Why?
But just as the word “why” flashed through Yan Liu’s mind, the tip of the blade, surrounded by pale white and pitch black, illuminated his pupils.
The fight has already started, and you’re still not focused.
This guy…
Does he look down on me?
Lili Zi’s step landed, and she was already within three feet of Yan Liu!
Kaga Kiyomitsu shot out like lightning, heading straight for Yan Liu’s eyes.
Instinctively, Yan Liu wanted to raise his hand to deflect or block the blade with technique and Qi.
But before his hand was even halfway raised, his entire upper head and both arms felt a severe phantom pain as if it were real.
Yan Liu’s arms froze.
If this continued, he would be beheaded!
With no time to think, Yan Liu immediately gave up the struggle for initiative, barely turning his head, and retreated backward in a disheveled manner.
Lili Zi gazed at Yan Liu’s cheekbone, which had already been cut by Kaga Kiyomitsu, and couldn’t help but raise one eyebrow.
—Even though Yan Liu was arrogant before, he still had basic strength, and was somewhat qualified to make such bold claims.
But now…
Two moves, and he retreated?
After watching several matches, Lili Zi had a clear grasp of Yan Liu’s strength.
If Yan Liu hadn’t fought Shangshan Jun at the beginning, these two moves would have at most only dirtied his clothes. How could he be in such a sorry state?
“This state of mind is just like cheap glass, falling at the slightest gust of wind and shattering at the slightest touch.”
Disappointed, Lili Zi watched Yan Liu, whose attention was even drawn to the passive effect of Kaga Kiyomitsu, and she sighed with emotion,
“Your life is truly smooth sailing.”
Before her words even fell, pale blade light rained down.
Unlike when she dealt with Tokugawa Haruhiko, where the main goal was humiliation, this time facing an opponent who had completely lost value, Lili Zi only wanted to crush him like a sudden storm.
Rotten dishes have completely lost their value and meaning for tasting.
It’s best to take them away quickly.
In just a few dozen seconds, Yan Liu, whose entire body had been intentionally weakened by Kaga Kiyomitsu to keep its effect relatively normal, was entangled by the pale sorrow and screamed, giving up resistance.
Lili Zi emotionlessly decapitated him, piercing his heart, mercilessly shattering his last shred of his state of mind, and securing victory.
——With this, Lili Zi rose to ninth place.
Shangshan Che’s gaze swept over the competitors ranked above her.
Facing Hayashi Jin’ya, his chances of winning should be over fifty to sixty percent.
Facing Kitamura Yūyū, whose Spirit, Energy, and Vitality had declined, he would definitely win.
As for Takizawa Kai… it’s hard to say.
Shangshan Che, having personally experienced the bombardment of his Five Elements Onmyōdō, stroked his chin.
However, all the methods of this target practice dummy have already been used on him, so Lili Zi should have also thought of corresponding countermeasures.
The key lies in—
Shangshan Che looked up, towards the two Onmyoji from the Tsuchimikado Family and the Kamo Family, who had barely spoken and shown no superfluous expressions.
Tsuchimikado Ran, Kamo Kiichi.
The two looked at him simultaneously, their gazes scrutinizing.
Aside from Saito Ryuichi, these two Onmyoji, who had been in the top 3 or 4 since the beginning and hailed from ancient Onmyoji families, had not made a move either.
He had not forgotten his original intention for having Lili Zi participate in the Seed Battle was to have her take second place, and incidentally, help him acquire the “Myriad Manifestations Folding Fan.”
If that’s the case, then these two are mountains that he must inevitably cross.
——Regarding Onmyoji, the main issue is the sheer number of unknown techniques and trump cards they possess, and sometimes, a slight misstep can lead to falling into their trap.
Resulting in a complete loss.
For these two from ancient families, their repertoire of techniques would be even more countless.
His thoughts shifted rapidly, and Shangshan Che already had an idea in mind.
He smiled at Lili Zi on the arena, plucked a string of his heart, causing Kaga Kiyomitsu in her hand to hum twice.
Lili Zi was first surprised, then frowned with resistance, and finally resigned herself to it.
Then Shangshan Che stood up, looked at the young Onmyoji whose surname was “Tsuchimikado,” who had sensed something and whose gaze was profound,
“I challenge, fourth ranked, Tsuchimikado Ran.”
Tsuchimikado Ran stood up without a moment’s hesitation and responded loudly,
“I accept.”
Surrender?
For them, it was an option that could never exist.
