Chapter 265: Wild God-level Onmyōdō Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor! Sister Nanjo, Do You Know A Netizen Called Work To Die?
Through these dozen or so encounters, Shangshan Che felt that the Nameless Onmyoji before him didn’t seem like someone who would lie.
If that were the case, future generations would surely have records of his name.
—Having experienced reaching the Ghost God realm once, it wouldn’t be difficult for the Nameless Onmyoji to return to it. In fact, in an era like Edo, where spiritual energy is abundant, advancing further is not impossible.
A Great Onmyoji beyond the Ghost God realm is a rare sight.
With this thought, Shangshan Che asked, “May I know your esteemed name…”
“My name is not worth mentioning.”
The Nameless Onmyoji casually waved his hand: “So-called names, given names, surnames, are merely titles representing one’s bloodline.
I come from humble origins, and my bloodline is not one that would bring pride, so there’s no need to concern myself with such trivial matters.”
He let out a laugh: “I have no attachments and have been traveling the world. If fate allows, I will meet with you, Lady Six-Tails, again in the future.”
“Farewell, Lady Six-Tails… Remember, next time you try to beat me, it won’t be so easy!”
With that, the Nameless Onmyoji stood up and slowly ambled out of the Hanafuda Market.
He didn’t look back again until his figure gradually disappeared into the bustling crowd.
His departure was incredibly carefree, without any lingering hesitation.
“Such demeanor is truly magnificent.”
Shangshan Che murmured inwardly, feeling that this Nameless Onmyoji was not at all inferior to Tokugawa Yugoro.
This Edo period is truly a golden age for emerging talents.
“Alright.”
After a moment of reflection, Shangshan Che turned to the fox-masked woman and said, “Take me to the next round.”
“Please follow me, esteemed guest.”
The fox-masked woman, who had also recently retracted her gaze, smiled and gracefully led Shangshan Che deeper into the Hanafuda Market.
In the second round, Shangshan Che’s opponent was an Onmyoji from a minor family that had likely perished in history.
The opponent wasn’t particularly strong compared to the Nameless Onmyoji from the first round; Shangshan Che was defeated by a mere sliver.
The score was 24-26.
Shangshan Che, having lost, was not discouraged. He had the fox-masked woman bring out the scale and then skillfully placed his hand upon it.
Everything dissolved into destruction.
In the moment before his consciousness was swallowed, Shangshan Che calmly thought.
The next time he visited the Hanafuda Market, this second round would be considered cleared.
Passing through the deep sea, he returned to the mortal realm.
Shangshan Che opened his eyes to see a ceiling he couldn’t be more familiar with, and then felt a slight tightness in his chest.
Looking up, he discovered that Kaga Kiyomitsu had leaned on him as soon as he returned.
This little brat…
He tossed Kaga Kiyomitsu aside by the bed and sat up, taking out his mobile phone and gazing at the time on the lock screen.
2024.
“With the blink of an eye, centuries have passed.”
Shangshan Che sighed softly, recalling the Nameless Onmyoji’s casual words from earlier—”Then consider it as pointing out one more obscure path for the people of this world.”
This simple statement might represent an unimaginably long and painstaking effort.
In the timeline of reality, this Nameless Onmyoji certainly wouldn’t have encountered him, this “Great Demon Six-Tails.”
Because he was certain that the experiences in the Hanafuda Market were most likely fake; only the Memory Orbs were real.
However, “Flame Armor,” a fire-attribute Astronomy Path Onmyōdō originating from the Heian Period, was originally seen as incomplete by the Nameless Onmyoji, who had already researched and was working on its completion.
Now, has it been completed?
And, as he said, has this excellent Onmyōdō truly been gifted to the people of the world?
Shangshan Che wanted to know.
He could no longer wait to know the answer.
It was the early morning, but Shangshan Che was certain Nanjo Emi wasn’t asleep—because as soon as he clicked on her profile picture, he could see that she had posted an update ten minutes prior.
Arakawa Ward Special Affairs Office is hiring clerks! High benefits, good pay, eight insurances and three gold funds! The Special Affairs Office will never force any staff to work overtime!
After reading the title, Shangshan Che looked at the posting time.
2:24
Hilarious.
Sister Nanjo’s conscience is truly vast… Posting such an update at this hour, anyone who sees it and isn’t an M wouldn’t dare apply.
Without thinking too much, Shangshan Che directly called her.
Answered in a second.
During working hours, and when there were no meetings or battles, calls to Nanjo Emi were always answered instantly.
This is the work ethic of an old-school corporate slave.
The next moment, a seemingly standardized, indifferent but clearly energetic tone came from the other end of the line: “It’s Xiao Che… Just say what you need, I’m listening.”
She even called him Xiao Che, so she must be serious.
Shangshan Che chuckled and asked,
“Sister Nanjo, how many people have you said that to in the last two days?”
“Two hundred? Or three hundred?”
After realizing it was Shangshan Che on the line, the formality in Nanjo Emi’s tone gradually faded: “Too many small fry have been reporting their progress to me recently; my phone is about to explode.”
“Then how are you still so energetic?”
“I just drank a pink energy drink twenty minutes ago, and now it’s kicking in,” Nanjo Emi clicked her tongue. “Honestly, this flavor is too awful, it’s truly the favorite of niche, ‘landmine’ girls.”
Shangshan Che: …
“Alright, no more joking around.” Shangshan Che coughed and asked, “Sister Nanjo, could you check the Special Affairs Office’s Archive Room for an Onmyōdō called ‘Flame Armor’?”
“Just this small matter? Coming right up.”
After saying this, Nanjo Emi seemed to have put the call on speakerphone, so Shangshan Che could clearly hear the clacking of a membrane keyboard and the sounds of people coming and going in the Special Affairs Office building in the middle of the night.
This Special Affairs Office is truly stingy to the extreme… making a Great Officer of a district use a cheap membrane keyboard worth a few hundred yen.
Besides that, he could also hear the conversation between Shizuma Manatsu and Akatsuki Ran from a distance.
But at least he didn’t hear Chisa speaking, which meant that the “child labor” hadn’t been corrupted by this terrible overtime culture yet.
Within tens of seconds, Shangshan Che heard Nanjo Emi’s voice again: “There isn’t an Onmyōdō called ‘Flame Armor’…”
Shangshan Che sighed softly.
But a moment later, Nanjo Emi continued, “However, there is an Onmyōdō called ‘Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor,’ but it only has the name, nothing else.”
Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor?
Shangshan Che’s eyes flickered: “Why?”
“Because it’s a profound technique intended as a primary Onmyōdō, which, upon reaching perfection in cultivation, can break through the Ghost God realm and touch the edge of Five-Star Wild Gods. It’s considered a Wild God-level Onmyōdō.”
Speaking of which, Nanjo Emi exclaimed with surprise, “Moreover, the origin of this Onmyōdō is very peculiar.”
Wild God!
That Nameless Onmyoji was indeed not content with the Ghost God realm and had, in fact, broken through that barrier.
From then on, he transformed from a flood dragon into a true dragon, soaring across the vast world!
Shangshan Che’s spirits lifted as he heard her say,
“It was unconditionally donated to the then Onmyo-ryo by a Great Onmyoji from over three hundred years ago, during the Edo Period. He said that the Onmyo-ryo should spread it freely, allowing anyone to cultivate this Onmyōdō.
After the Special Affairs Office and the Onmyo-ryo separated, this Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor became one of the few Onmyōdō techniques above the Ghost God level that accompanied them to the Archive Room.”
Scrolling the mouse wheel a couple of times, Nanjo Emi continued, “Twenty to thirty years ago, everyone in the Special Affairs Office could freely cultivate this Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor.”
“—However, because the spiritual energy required for this Onmyōdō is too great, and its cultivation speed is as slow as many Breathing Techniques.
But because it was often placed alongside a bunch of Basic Onmyōdō, its cost-effectiveness was so high that people could directly abandon thinking and choose it mindlessly.
Consequently, this Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor directly led to a slow emergence of senior Onmyoji at the start of the Special Affairs Office, and their homogeneity was very high, making them easy targets.
Therefore, the Special Affairs Office later specifically set some thresholds for learning it, but these thresholds have been lowered significantly, and the cost to acquire it is now similar to that of ordinary Ghost God-level techniques.”
After finishing the “Notes” that were specifically marked after Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor, Nanjo Emi also clicked her tongue in amazement,
“If you hadn’t mentioned it, Shangshan Jun, I wouldn’t have known that such a wondrous technique was in the Archive Room.”
Nanjo Emi asked somewhat strangely, “However, after setting the thresholds, this technique has been gathering dust for over a decade due to the drastic drop in its accessibility. How did you know about it?”
Shangshan Che did not answer.
He gazed at the night sky, illuminated by countless stars, and couldn’t help but space out.
The Nameless Onmyoji, true to his word, always followed through…
In the real timeline, he didn’t encounter him, so it’s highly probable the Nameless Onmyoji won first place in the Hanafuda Karuta competition.
But even without his presence, the Nameless Onmyoji still followed his heart and gifted the completed Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor to the world.
“What is the name of this Great Onmyoji?” Shangshan Che asked.
“Hmm, let me see…”
After two crisp mouse clicks, Nanjo Emi exclaimed with some astonishment, “He didn’t leave his name when donating such a technique?!”
Shangshan Che then smiled gleefully.
This Nameless Onmyoji is truly an interesting person.
Being able to travel to the Hanafuda Market in the Edo Period and converse with such an opponent was a significant gain.
After a moment of reflection, Shangshan Che finally answered Nanjo Emi’s previous question: “A couple of days ago, I acquired an Onmyōdō called Flame Armor, but I discovered it was incomplete.
So I wanted to ask if there was a complete version, since the Seed Battle rewards include methods for completion.”
He smiled: “Now it seems there is.”
“So that’s how it is… Well, as long as you don’t cause trouble by staying in the top ten, this Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor can be yours easily.”
After Nanjo Emi finished speaking, she clicked her tongue a few more times, clearly quite curious about the Nameless Onmyoji.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”
Nanjo Emi paused, then said helplessly,
“It’s Seed Battle season, you know. A lot of big shots from out of town specifically requested me to host them, so I’ve been working around the clock without rest, and I’m going crazy from overtime.”
Shangshan Che couldn’t help but laugh: “Who told you to cut off two heads in front of so many people back then, Sister Nanjo? Now you’re famous and don’t like it.”
“Alright, alright, I won’t do it next time.”
Hearing this and knowing Nanjo Emi’s finger was already moving towards the hang-up button, Shangshan Che immediately said, “Hey, don’t hang up!”
“Speak.”
Shangshan Che then said,
“Sister Nanjo, do you know a netizen named ‘Work to Die’?”
The other end of the phone suddenly fell silent.
Nanjo Emi immediately turned off speakerphone and tapped her fingers on the desk, a storm of thoughts brewing in her mind.
She was a little confused.
No, she was very confused.
She hadn’t chatted with Shangshan Che using her alt account in a long time due to being too busy with work, so how did he discover it at this inexplicable time?
How did this alias get revealed?
Nanjo Emi pondered and pondered but couldn’t find the reason or any possible clue.
This kind of thing could totally be listed among the world’s eleven greatest unsolved mysteries.
Seeing that Nanjo Emi didn’t speak, Shangshan Che assumed she had tacitly acknowledged it.
He laughed heartily,
“I knew it, so you and that guy are both from the Nanjō Family… Alright, I won’t say anything about the Five Thunder Technique or Spirit Control Technique to make things difficult for you, don’t worry.”
After a long silence, Nanjo Emi suddenly asked, “Shangshan Jun, how did you know about the Nanjō Family?”
Shangshan Che answered without hesitation: “From the place where I obtained the Flame Armor Onmyōdō. That Onmyoji told me that Spirit Control Technique is a Great Onmyōdō of the Nanjō Family.”
“I see.”
Nanjo Emi replied plainly, then added, “Someone’s here. I’ll hang up now.”
“Oh, okay. Please go ahead, Sister Nanjo.”
After the call ended, Shangshan Che thought that his assumption was indeed correct.
Sister Nanjo and Work to Die both came from the Nanjō Family.
He opened the Line chat interface for Work to Die, which he hadn’t logged into for a long time.
First, he sent a “thank you” to the other party, then mentioned that he knew about Nanjo Emi’s relationship with him, and finally thanked him again for teaching him such an important Onmyōdō.
The other party hadn’t logged in much after the surge of events… he must also be a busy Great Onmyoji engrossed in cultivation.
Perhaps when his avatar went dark, it would be forever.
He still hoped that Sister Nanjo could arrange for him to meet the person offline, so he could express his gratitude in person to this enthusiastic and selfless netizen.
Shangshan Che waited for a while but received no reply or read receipt, so he set his phone aside, preparing to cultivate Flame Armor first.
—Although Nanjo Emi said that Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor would take a lot of time to reach Minor Accomplishment, what does that have to do with him, who had already consumed the Flame Armor Memory Orb?
After consuming the orb, Shangshan Che believed he had grasped the core techniques of Flame Armor.
Flame Armor, not as a foundation but as a pure combat technique, is quite powerful.
Even if there were minor issues, they could be easily corrected after obtaining Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor.
Taking a deep breath, Shangshan Che jumped off the bed and used his spiritual energy to carpet the floor, a rather wasteful act.
Otherwise, if he accidentally burned down the entire house while “Condensing Flame Seeds,” it would be a huge disaster.
Taking out the stars, lighting the Soul Incense Candle, consuming the Soul Incense Ash, and then placing Kaga Kiyomitsu on his lap, Shangshan Che, with his senses sharpened to the extreme, fell into thought.
Where should the first Flame Seed be placed?
The Flame Armor technique states “Five Viscera, Five Seeds,” but Shangshan Che felt this was not the optimal choice for him.
The fundamental reason for “Five Viscera, Five Seeds” is to use the Flame Seeds to strengthen the vitality of the ordinary body, absorb spiritual energy from Heaven and Earth, and allow cultivators without a foundation to continue their practice.
However, Shangshan Che did not need this kind of help; his own vitality and spiritual energy reserves were already terrifying. He should choose a more practical location.
After a brief period of contemplation, Shangshan Che decided to place the first Flame Seed in his glabella.
The reason he didn’t choose to apply it to his most-used hands was that Kaga Kiyomitsu was almost always in Shangshan Che’s grip during combat.
Moreover, his consideration for the Flame Armor’s positioning leaned more towards defense.
Under these circumstances, choosing the head, which had the most vital weak points, was only natural.
After making a simple Decision, Shangshan Che cleared his mind and began slowly sketching one by one the complex Runes belonging to the Astronomy Path, following his memory.
The essence of the Flame Armor is the Flame Seed, and the Flame Seed is a semi-automatic Spiritual Power structure formed with Fire as its foundation and numerous Astronomy Path Runes as its core.
Shangshan Che had not studied the Astronomy Path, so he could only draw it slowly, copying it like a gourd painting a gourd.
Fortunately, Shangshan Che’s Spirit Control Technique was already profound, making his Spiritual Power manipulation so precise that it was almost beyond the reach of ordinary people.
After a full night of arduous practice, Shangshan Che, with hundreds of Runes drawn without a single error, suddenly opened his eyes in the warm sunlight that had already spread throughout the Room.
The next moment, a vibrant crimson Flame Seed, glaringly appeared from the center of his brow!
Shangshan Che exhaled a pure white, slender Qi Sword, a hint of fatigue flashing in his eyes.
“Let me see what effects this Flame Armor has!”
