Chapter 276: Thousandfold Spiritual Energy, Watched By Ten Thousand, Master Level Spirit Control Technique, Spirits Follow My Will! Rematch With Kamizumi Nobutsuna!
After opening the Moonlight Acupoint, as long as cultivators bathe in moonlight, their spirit will remain in a plentiful state, and even receive a slight boost.
Because for cultivators who have already achieved success in cultivation, the appearance of the Moonlight Acupoint means they almost never need to waste time sleeping from now on.
This way, compared to others, they gain a large portion of extra free time.
Lili Zi no longer needs to worry about the most efficient way to sleep.
Shangshan Che, who felt the same, no longer advised her to sleep, but after thinking, informed Lili Zi of the firsthand information that Nanjo Emi had just brought,
“The date of the Seed Battle Elimination Round is the 30th, with almost a week left.”
“Oh.”
Lili Zi nodded, full of spirit as she rose under the silver veil, this state far better than at noon.
Shangshan Che, who only got a one-word reply, smiled: “You’re completely unworried.”
“Worrying is useless anyway; opponents won’t show mercy because of it, and neither will I.”
Lili Zi spread her hands, gazing at the sky in contemplation: “But if we’re just talking about wanting a high ranking for good rewards, not having a handy weapon is quite troublesome.”
“My hands are still far inferior compared to those Divine Weapons and Sharp Tools.”
She snapped her fingers crisply, pointing at Shangshan Che,
“After all, Shangshan Jun, you’re quite interested in the Seed Battle rewards, right? So getting an extra share won’t be a loss.”
Shangshan Che immediately gave her a thumbs up: “Lili God is great, no need for more words.”
“But for weapons, Lili Zi, you shouldn’t worry too much.”
He patted Kaga Kiyomitsu, who was sleeping soundly at his waist, completely silent,
“Little Jia, you should be able to get used to using it.”
“—Then Shangshan Jun, won’t you have no weapon to use?”
Lili Zi made a perfectly normal statement.
But this statement was completely invalid in this Seed Battle Elimination Round.
If Lili Zi had roughly understood the rules and known the ranking sequence gap between the two, she could have easily understood this.
For her to ask this now could only mean…
Shangshan Che asked somewhat speechlessly: “Lili Zi, do you not even know how the Elimination Round works?”
Facing the question, the girl’s answer was: “How else could the Elimination Round be fought?”
Shangshan Che: …
After spending two minutes explaining the rules to Lili Zi, Shangshan Che finally saw her nod in sudden realization, clapping her fist into her palm.
“So that means as long as I’m your goalkeeper, I can keep using Kaga Kiyomitsu, right?”
Lili Zi let out a long “oh,” her eyes sparkling,
“This format is kinda interesting; I thought it was the original one-on-one, single-elimination per round type.”
After chatting about the Seed Battle, Lili Zi looked at Shangshan Che, who had gone quiet, and noticed he hadn’t mentioned the path choices after the Life River Breathing Technique.
So Lili Zi didn’t say anything either, using this night to carefully consider the pros and cons of these paths big and small, and whether there were better combinations or choices.
After all, reality isn’t like a game, where you can reset skill points and level up again if you choose wrong.
Thereafter, the night passed without words.
…
The next morning, Shangshan Che first used Thousand Faces’ talent to disguise himself for the journey, only restoring his original appearance after entering the Special Affairs Office Building.
Familiarly taking the elevator and walking to Nanjo Emi’s office, Shangshan Che found it completely empty, with no one there.
But this issue was resolved by casually grabbing a passing ordinary staff member and asking.
Nanjo Emi was on the balcony on the third floor at the back of the building.
According to the staff, every morning at this time, if there’s no mission, Nanjo Emi reliably appears there like an NPC.
Shangshan Che went over, and as he approached the half-open Iron Gate, he smelled a familiar tobacco scent.
Peeking in, he saw faint smoke slowly swirling upward in the morning sunlight.
And his nominal OL superior, holding a mobile phone, lightly exhaling smoke from between her lips and teeth.
Nanjo Emi naturally noticed him, but seeming busy, just glanced back in greeting without speaking.
Shangshan Che blinked; as he was about to approach, he heard a “ron” from the speaker in the nearby phone.
Followed by what seemed like thunder striking, with a huge clatter of tiles flying from the table.
“Hoo…”
Nanjo Emi exhaled smoke in delight, curving her lips, pinching Shangshan Che’s face as he walked up behind her: “Shangshan Jun, you really are my lucky star.”
Shangshan Che, about to pop out a question mark, glanced at Nanjo Emi’s phone screen.
Neatly arranged mahjong tiles, with a row of gold lettering above, “Double Yakuman” in big characters at the bottom left.
Shangshan Che’s pupils shrank sharply: “Pure Nine Gates Treasure Lamp, Red Five Wick!”
Nanjo Emi screenshot the phone, eyes crinkled in laughter, adding: “And it’s South 4 dealer reverse position too.”
“Sister Nanjo, you’re burning life force like crazy.”
Nanjo Emi stared at him with a half-smile: “This hand was drawn because Shangshan Jun you came, so if anyone’s burning, it’s you.”
“That’s too ruthless…”
Shangshan Che paused, then said: “Actually, it’s the system’s ELO kicking in, having grandma deal you cards for Sister Nanjo’s welfare round; the other three got set up.”
“Anyway, it was satisfying.”
Nanjo Emi’s smile didn’t fade, the fatigue from overtime seemingly eased a lot by this extreme comeback.
She turned toward the building, beckoning Shangshan Che: “Come with me; the venue is mostly ready.”
Walking unfamiliar paths to an unfamiliar floor, Shangshan Che followed Nanjo Emi onto a small Onmyōdō Spell.
The spell lit up, and Shangshan Che’s vision went dark then bright.
“This is still inside the Special Affairs Office Building, but built with special materials, so you need space spells to enter.”
Shangshan Che focused his sight, discovering over ten Onmyoji standing on complex spells, exchanging words.
And each had quite thick Spiritual Power Fluctuations around them, equal to or surpassing his own.
With this many Onmyoji proficient in the Astronomy Path, they could even set up a huge Barrier covering all of Tokyo’s District 23 with some time.
“This big setup… what’s it for?”
Nanjo Emi glanced strangely at him: “Didn’t I say before? It’s for your breakthrough.”
“Ah?” Shangshan Che was stunned, “Me?”
“Yeah.”
Accompanied by the crisp whir of a grinder, orange-blue Flames lit the tip of her cigarette again.
“Hoo…”
Nanjo Emi lightly closed her eyes: “Didn’t you say you wanted to breakthrough Spirit Control Technique? Naturally, the higher the Spiritual Energy Concentration, the better.”
She said flatly: “Two hundred times is too low.”
200 times, low?
Recalling the discomfort after last time exiting the Spirit Energy Room, Shangshan Che’s brow twitched uncontrollably.
“With their array setup this time, plus my help, we should gather a thousand times the external concentration here—for your Spirit Control Technique, it should be just right.”
Nanjo Emi explained casually.
Now Shangshan Che fully understood what her subtly toned “preparations” yesterday meant.
Just right… heh.
Shangshan Che had no doubts about Nanjo Emi’s prediction.
It was just that this “just right” would probably make him go through hell first.
Raising his hand to summon Kaga Kiyomitsu—if it was a thousand times Spiritual Energy Concentration environment, it should help it a lot too.
Hesitating, Shangshan Che still asked: “Sister Nanjo, no matter what, this is still Tokyo city area; is it really okay?”
This was a reasonable question from a corporate slave with no time for details.
But this time Nanjo Emi clearly had time,
“I have my plans; no need to worry.”
“Okay.”
After waiting a few minutes, the intricate spell underfoot, too complex to make out, was completed.
“Thanks for the hard work, everyone.” Nanjo Emi smiled at the Onmyoji, “Rewards have been sent to your accounts; tell me if anything’s missing.”
“No problem; taking Nanjō Great Officer’s job is our honor.”
The Onmyoji quickly packed up, replying to Nanjo Emi with off-duty smiles.
Once the Onmyoji had all left, Nanjo Emi tossed out a somewhat familiar red button,
“Sit in the center; adjust your state and press this button when ready.”
“OK.”
Without further thought, Shangshan Che sat cross-legged, beginning to adjust the Spirit Control Technique’s operation.
Kaga Kiyomitsu made no sound, just sneakily peeking out a bit of blade to scout around.
Ten minutes later, a wisp of fine Qi Barrier pressed the red button down.
Thus, under the Spirit Control Technique’s overload operation, the huge spell beneath Shangshan Che lit up.
The next moment, the Spiritual Energy Concentration in the space skyrocketed at tenfold, tenfold rates in seconds!
One hundred times, two hundred times… seven hundred times, eight hundred times…
Less than a minute.
What should have been substantial liquid state was, due to the lit spell, still maintained as the most absorbable misty gaseous state at thousandfold concentration, forming a rapidly spinning pale vortex.
Currently being sucked into Shangshan Che at the vortex center at unprecedented speed!
Every pore became a channel for Spiritual Energy entering the body, every vein, every fiber filled with tangible Spiritual Energy.
Many instants, Shangshan Che thought he’d be forcibly burst by the Spiritual Energy.
But each time nearing the limit, the concentration would dip slightly.
Shangshan Che knew this was Nanjo Emi watching him, ensuring the safety baseline at the extreme breakthrough limit.
Repeated thus, Shangshan Che even felt like he was becoming a Spiritual Energy-filled balloon.
Expand, contract, expand, contract…
After hellish hours, under Nanjo Emi’s exquisitely precise Spiritual Power control.
The last strand of Spiritual Power surged into Shangshan Che’s body, filling him completely, no gaps left.
“Not only the pre-prepared Spiritual Energy is used up…”
Nanjo Emi looked up in admiration,
“Even Arakawa Ward’s Spiritual Energy is surging here; this level of Spirit Control Technique, even before, only a handful achieved it.”
“Worthy of Shangshan Che; far stronger than those fossilized old timers.”
Sensing the tens of thousands of gazes from Arakawa Ward and all Tokyo toward the Special Affairs Office Building, Nanjo Emi chuckled lightly.
She leaned in a soft Seat, casually grabbing a canned Cola, flicking the aluminum tab with her finger.
Instantly, muffled grunts echoed from Darkness across Tokyo, faint blood scent dispersing.
“I communed with Heaven and Earth, gaining slight insight; any objections?”
…
It ended.
The hellish back-and-forth torment finally ended.
Shangshan Che easily opened his eyes, sensing the normal Spiritual Energy Concentration around.
Almost enough to torment thousands or tens of thousands of ordinary people to breakdown during breakthrough, but post-breakthrough felt exceptionally relaxed.
Neither relief nor overwhelming self-expansion.
Everything silent, like water finding its course.
Just as Shangshan Che now expanded his perception, freely absorbing Spiritual Energy from half of Arakawa Ward as he wished.
And if not much, ordinary people or regular Onmyoji couldn’t sense the nearby Spiritual Energy being absorbed by a distant third party.
Shangshan Che lowered his head as usual.
But this time, with thick anticipation in his gaze.
—Because this was his first Master Level skill!
【Due to cultivating in extremely high Spiritual Energy Concentration environment, your skill Spirit Control Technique·Qi Proficiency +1000!!!】
【Your skill Spirit Control Technique·Qi has reached Master Level!】
【Spirit Control Technique·Qi（Master 744/8000）】
【Effect: Control Spirits, Control Qi.】
【—Spiritual Energy follows my will, Qi from my thoughts.】
Effect and description more concise, as if proving “the great path is simple.”
These eight words in the description, Shangshan Che truly felt the instant he opened his eyes.
No exaggeration in them.
【Due to your Spirit Control Technique reaching Master Level, your Spiritual Arts +15!】
【Due to your Spirit Control Technique reaching Master Level, your Spiritual Power reserves greatly increased!】
【Due to your Spirit Control Technique reaching Master Level, your perception of “Qi” greatly enhanced!】
【Due to your Spirit Control Technique reaching Master Level, your affinity and adaptability to Spiritual Power greatly increased!】
【Due to your Spirit Control Technique reaching Master Level, you can freely manipulate any ownerless “Qi,” and influence any “Qi.”】
A full 15 points added to Spiritual Arts attribute, plus major boost to Spiritual Energy reserve cap.
Shangshan Che called up his personal Panel, glancing at it.
【Shangshan Che】
【Physique: 74】
【Willpower: 54】
【Charm: 13】
【Spiritual Arts: 56→71】
71 points Spiritual Arts in base state, even more than when he previously Incarnated as Four-tailed Fox.
But logically, the extra capacity should have been filled just now; so where did this Spiritual Energy go…
With a thought, Shangshan Che immediately found the answer.
So-called “Spiritual Energy follows my will,” nothing more.
Through Internal Vision of his Sea of Qi, he saw a faint, oil-film-like translucent substance floating on the Sea of Qi’s surface.
Precisely the excess, already liquefied concentrated Spiritual Power.
This Void Qi Sea truly accommodates all, rejecting none.
Shangshan Che smiled, suddenly having a thought.
—Wonder what result it’d be facing the boy Sengoku Sword Saint·Kamizumi Nobutsuna in the Projection Secret Realm now?
His current self was countless times stronger than before.
“Perfect to use him as a whetstone, test the weight of this Master Level Spirit Control Technique.”
