Chapter 304: After This Slash, Your Shikigami Is Out—hachishaku Nio, 10-second Invincibility, Descend!
Minamoto Shizuka frowned, suddenly feeling restrained.
She had been predicted?
—Had Shangshan Che silently achieved a breakthrough in Clear Sword Heart, condensing his Sword Heart and gaining the upper hand in state of mind over her?
In her eyes, Shangshan Che’s skin had turned completely red, and a large amount of high-temperature steam billowed from beneath the Red Hannya Mask.
It was like a giant machine running at overload, rumbling loudly.
The sense of threat it gave her in her perception also rapidly increased.
If Shangshan Che’s threat level before was like “someone making threats at the doorway,” then now it was “a cold blade held to the throat.”
The two were in no way comparable.
But Minamoto Shizuka had experienced scenes like this countless times.
The chance of dying was high, which was normal.
But it had been rare recently.
Yet there was still one more strange thing.
—Being predicted meant a gap in one’s state of mind.
After observing for several seconds, Minamoto Shizuka found that Shangshan Che had not condensed his Sword Heart, so she couldn’t understand how he made her feel predicted.
But her opponent was Shangshan Che.
He was the Shangshan Che praised by her Elder Sister as being under Nanjo Emi’s direct command.
It was normal for him to possess some unknown skills.
She only needed to do what she was supposed to do.
Regardless of the enemy’s strength, as long as one consistently did the “right” thing in combat, the scales of victory would gradually tip.
Her cold white fingertips touched the azure blade, and Minamoto Shizuka once again pressed her will onto Hotarumaru, controlling everything like a tyrannical dictator.
Minamoto Shizuka took a deep breath, sensing the ubiquitous “waves” surging around her.
The seven Great Acupoints, imbued with Supernatural Power, swallowed the required “quality,” and then connected the Guiyuan Qi Sea within Minamoto Shizuka to the boundless “Spatial Quality Sea.”
—The Guiyuan Breathing Technique posits that space also possesses “quality.”
—The practice of the Guiyuan Breathing Technique is essentially the practitioner’s control over this “Quality Sea” of space.
And the so-called “Spatial Quality Sea” is an infinite ocean that connects the spaces of the entire world.
The Guiyuan Qi Sea within Minamoto Shizuka is equivalent to an extremely small “Spatial Quality Sea,” insignificant compared to the outside world, like a pond.
However, even so, her Guiyuan Qi Sea is ultimately different from an ordinary Sea of Qi.
Minamoto Shizuka can “teleport” because she can constantly perceive the wave fluctuations of the Spatial Quality Sea and then act accordingly.
To achieve this, one needs to open the first six acupoints among the “Nine Guiyuan Acupoints.”
The first three acupoints, Dark Perception, Eye Gaze, and Perception, are responsible for allowing the practitioner to gradually perceive and come into contact with the existence of the Spatial Quality Sea.
The middle three acupoints, Entering Clarity, Body Assimilation, and Return to Self, allow the practitioner to connect themselves with the Spatial Quality Sea and “build a boat in the sea,” moving with the waves.
Of course, Minamoto Shizuka can also actively create ripples in the ocean, but it is slower than the former.
This requires opening the most important acupoint among the nine, the starting point for the latter three—Illuminating the Sea.
From this beginning, the practitioner can use their physical body as a boat, illuminating and influencing the infinite Spatial Quality Sea with their self-will.
It only requires consuming the “sea quality” within the body.
Previously, she could make Shangshan Che’s Lightning Magic disappear because she directly banished them into the Spatial Quality Sea, causing the magic to fall to an unknown location.
—At least having opened the Illuminating the Sea acupoint, Minamoto Shizuka, who achieved the Guiyuan Qi Sea with these seven acupoints, understood the Guiyuan Breathing Technique and space in this way.
That’s right, Minamoto Shizuka did not cultivate her Qi Sea by opening the complete nine acupoints, but stopped at seven, an achievement already rare and envied by others.
It’s just that Elder Sister said her understanding was terribly wrong, but Minamoto Shizuka couldn’t understand her thoughts.
Because Gen Shinsui had fully opened all nine acupoints, opening the two acupoints, Control and Guiyuan, which she could not reach no matter how hard she tried or thought.
These two acupoints alone not only blocked Minamoto Shizuka but had also blocked countless exceptionally talented geniuses of the Minamoto Family over the millennia.
The seventh acupoint, Illuminating the Sea, is basically opened by one member of the Minamoto Family every one to two generations, which is why Minamoto Shizuka was envied and admired by others.
Because she was considered a genius that the Minamoto Family produced only once every fifty years.
The eighth acupoint, Control, last appeared in the early Meiji Period, two hundred years ago, and only several dozen people in the Minamoto Family’s history had opened it.
As for the ninth acupoint, Guiyuan…
Other than Gen Shinsui, the last time it was opened was at the end of the Heian Period.
Therefore, no one understood Gen Shinsui.
No one understood Elder Sister, no one could share Elder Sister’s worries.
And no one… could gain Elder Sister’s approval.
Minamoto Shizuka gripped Hotarumaru’s hilt, her pupils as indifferent as millennia-old ice.
It’s coming.
Shangshan Che, whose aura rivaled dozens of Great Demons standing together, was about to charge at her like a fully loaded train.
At this moment, the Quality Sea within her body remained motionless, maintaining contact with the outside world like a reef.
No matter how the tide surged, she stood firm.
Just as Minamoto Shizuka had predicted.
In the next instant, Shangshan Che, whose skin color was identical to the Red Hannya Mask, moved.
Fast.
Gazing at the Evil Spirit that had almost reached her nose, Minamoto Shizuka’s first thought was this.
It was a bit faster than she had expected.
Kaga Kiyomitsu’s blade slashed with the intent to tear everything apart, while Minamoto Shizuka had already stepped into the Spatial Quality Sea and emerged from another wave.
Arriving behind Shangshan Che…
Meeting eyes with him, his gaze hotter than a branding iron, Minamoto Shizuka’s pupils contracted.
Precognition?!
The Evil Spirit grinned and drew his sword again, forcing Minamoto Shizuka, who had been ready for a Backstab, back into the Spatial Quality Sea.
—The Overlimit State brought not only a significant increase in Shangshan Che’s physical and spiritual abilities.
But also Future Sight.
This was a formidable ability in combat, like a cheat.
Before Minamoto Shizuka even appeared, Shangshan Che turned sharply again, looking at an empty space where there was nothing.
Kaga Kiyomitsu, charged with power, collided with Hotarumaru, forcing Minamoto Shizuka to disappear again with a frown.
There was just one strange thing—when he used Future Sight to look at Minamoto Shizuka, for some reason, it cut off in the middle, and the time he could glimpse into the future was less than a second.
At most, it was the time for one of Minamoto Shizuka’s “teleports.”
Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!
In just a few seconds, Kaga Kiyomitsu and Hotarumaru clashed hundreds of times, and the latter was at a disadvantage in most confrontations due to being unprepared.
If not for Minamoto Shizuka’s own considerable strength, her sword-wielding arms would likely have been pulverized into a pulp by now.
Shangshan Che, happily slashing, was about to turn again when he noticed that the “Minamoto Shizuka” at the predicted landing spot had disappeared in his Future Sight.
“Huh?”
He looked again and saw Minamoto Shizuka’s figure instantly appear in the four corners of the arena, and then return to one spot moments later.
Appearing in four places at once?
Shangshan Che’s pupils blurred like a tracking system, and seeing that her injuries were not healing rapidly, he temporarily stopped, observing the pattern of her movements.
Minamoto Shizuka, using the brief respite, pondered.
If the landing spots were fixed, the consumption of her Qi Sea would be very low.
It could continue for half an hour like this, entering and exiting the Spatial Quality Sea four times instantly.
If she slowed down, it could even last for several hours.
Minamoto Shizuka knew clearly—this was a battle to win the championship, not a mere spar or practice match.
As long as she could win, victory was all that mattered.
Shangshan Che’s burst state wouldn’t last long; as long as she could drag out the time…
At this moment, Minamoto Shizuka remembered what her Elder Sister had told her—
“Then go and defeat him in the Tokyo Seed Battle, trample him, and refute everything with facts.”
Trample…
Minamoto Shizuka paused, seeming to hear Hotarumaru in her hand let out a mocking laugh.
Everything she was doing now had absolutely nothing to do with “trampling.”
On the contrary, if her Elder Sister saw this scene, she would surely hook her lips into a faint smile and talk with a tone that wasn’t mocking at all.
The moment Minamoto Shizuka’s state of mind wavered, Shangshan Che’s eyes, which had been spinning almost wildly, finally settled.
Natural Reason School Secret Technique: Darkness Sword!
The formless sword cleanly cut through the left side of Minamoto Shizuka’s hair, and before she could disappear, it wounded her shoulder.
Paleness and darkness began to creep and spread.
The burning pain made Minamoto Shizuka hesitate no longer.
She raised her azure blade and gently placed Hotarumaru on the wound.
Rumble!
The Three-stage Thrust, carrying lightning and a pale torrent, immediately covered the spot where Minamoto Shizuka was standing, attempting to stop her.
But it was too late.
By the time Minamoto Shizuka reappeared, her skin was covered in ancient curses as black as ink.
Those were the curses of the Demonic Sword, Hotarumaru, which had existed for a thousand years and slain countless humans and demons.
Minamoto Shizuka’s face was no longer expressionless; it was filled with a bloodthirsty and ferocious smile.
Yet her eyes were calm, indifferent, devoid of any killing intent, sending a chill down one’s spine.
It reminded Shangshan Che of the night he had seen her in the mountains.
At one point then, Minamoto Shizuka had given him a similar feeling.
Was she controlled by the Demonic Sword?
Without engaging in pointless taunts, Shangshan Che knew that if she were to be controlled by the Demonic Sword, this would be the most opportune moment to strike.
The viscous paleness on Kaga Kiyomitsu and the dissipating blackness contracted into a line almost invisible to the naked eye, moving forward with terrifying speed it had never experienced.
Little Jia only felt a blur before she felt herself collide with the Nodachi that had been constantly shouting “Kill! Kill! Kill!” again.
The force, capable of cleanly cutting through a small mountain, made it groan inwardly twice.
But this time…
Kaga Kiyomitsu arduously gazed at the brilliant blade, like a sapphire, seeing its master and the girl who had almost merged with the Demonic Sword retreat from each other.
An equal match?
No, that’s not right, the master was more…
Before its thought, tinged with a hint of joy, could land, it felt a ripple in its heartstrings and only had time to shout,
“Master, above—”
Faster than its cry, faster than Shangshan Che’s upward swing, was the Two-Foot Adult, who had long been prepared for this moment.
After flashing in several directions, Hotarumaru appeared in mid-air and descended directly towards Shangshan Che’s head.
And blocking its path was the Two-Meter-Four Two-Foot Adult, holding dozens of stacked shields… or rather, Hachishaku Bodhisattva.
Without a doubt, the high-strength shields that wouldn’t falter against ordinary Great Demons were easily torn apart like paper.
Then, the slender azure blade tore through the chest plate and embedded itself into the Two-Foot Adult’s body.
A look of pain flashed across the Two-Foot Adult’s face, but it was immediately replaced by a deeper resolve.
Little Jia screamed, “Two-Foot—”
Before Little Jia’s thoughts could be transmitted through her heartstrings, Shangshan Che had already drawn his sword.
Beside Hotarumaru, Kaga Kiyomitsu pierced the Two-Foot Adult’s chest from below, tearing through the Qi Barrier and pierced her abdomen as Minamoto Shizuka couldn’t dodge in time.
The eyes beneath the Red Hannya Mask were devoid of any fluctuation, solemn as iron.
It was only when the compressed lightning on the blade and the Sorrow of Parting erupted that Minamoto Shizuka barely managed to disappear in mid-air.
A magnificent purple-white fireworks display bloomed in the sky, reflecting in the Two-Foot Adult’s eyes.
The Two-Foot Adult, who should have been incorporeal, fell heavily to the ground.
Minamoto Shizuka reappeared.
The girl reached her hand through the wound in her abdomen, stirred it around, and after forcibly tearing out the pale flesh and internal organs, panted slightly.
Just… a little more, and she would have died from that last sword strike.
A large number of curses flowed towards the wound, suppressing the lingering effects of Sorrow of Parting and Plague.
In the distance, the Evil Spirit grinned.
“An exchange of one sword for another, so we’re even now.”
“No, Shangshan Jun.”
Minamoto Shizuka looked him directly in the eye, as if stating a fact.
“After this sword strike, your Shikigami has already retreated.”
—In fact, Minamoto Shizuka’s initial target after reaching the stalemate was the Two-Foot Adult.
Because she could faintly sense that Shangshan Che’s Shikigami was continuously healing and recovering him through some means.
It was also possible that this Shikigami was responsible for her being predicted by Shangshan Che.
And Minamoto Shizuka had witnessed Shangshan Che’s terrifying injury recovery speed more than once.
Therefore, she decided to pick the easier target first.
It was better to break an arm than to injure ten fingers.
But… why was there not even a trace of worry in Shangshan Che’s eyes?
As if to answer her question, Shangshan Che chuckled lightly.
“Is that so?”
He raised Kaga Kiyomitsu, but not towards Minamoto Shizuka,
“And look behind you?”
Minamoto Shizuka suddenly turned her head and saw the Two-Foot Adult who should have been lying on the ground, unable to move.
The skirt armor and complex shields were gone, and a full body radiating brilliant golden light, along with a loud laugh, was revealed to her with great tension.
It blocked out the sky!
At this moment, how could the Two-Foot Adult possibly look injured in any way?!
Minamoto Shizuka instantly suppressed her surprise, and had Hotarumaru in her hand pierce the vital points of the body with divine speed, but she could not stop the Two-Foot Adult from continuing to bring down the raised Cross Spear.
Amidst the intense pain, Benevolent King roared with laughter,
“Don’t underestimate me, Miss Gen!”
Hachishaku Nio has arrived!
