Chapter 305: Infinite-health Benevolent King Nishaku! About To Lose? Breakthrough To Ghost God In Five Seconds?
Shangshan Che’s shikigami isn’t dead yet?
Then kill it.
Just a small problem.
Minamoto Shizuka’s thought was very simple and direct, and it was very useful in most situations.
This could be seen from the fact that before Benevolent King Nishaku’s first attack even landed, Minamoto Shizuka had already pierced her body into a sieve with over a dozen holes.
But this time, it was different.
Even though Nishaku’s body had become tattered and torn, the movements of her hands did not slow down in the slightest because of it.
Slash!
Minamoto Shizuka twisted her wrist, allowing Hotarumaru, which was originally only proficient in mid-to-long-range combat, to effortlessly dismantle the cross spear that was about to touch the top of her head.
Her sword technique was proficient, as could be seen.
But what responded to Minamoto Shizuka was Two-Foot Adult, who showed no sign of retreating even after being disarmed and was instead abnormally excited.
“Good sword technique!”
The Benevolent King praised, her two hands that had been gripping the spear shaft now clasped together.
Forming a fist, about to fall!
—Clearly not much stronger than before, but why did she seem completely fine despite such heavy injuries?
Moreover, Hotarumaru could hardly absorb anything from this shikigami named Nishaku.
Minamoto Shizuka frowned deeply, wanting to retreat but hesitating because of Shangshan Che who remained still a short distance away.
—The answer was “invincibility time.”
Due to the new talent “Illusory Vajra Body.”
Nishaku not only had no vital points, but for ten seconds after her health reached zero and triggered “Vajra Body,” all external damage received would be reduced by 99%.
Moments ago, when critically injured and near death, Nishaku had actively used the “Benevolent King” talent to zero out her health, thus transforming the next moment into “Hachishaku Nio” with 50% health.
This way, Minamoto Shizuka would need to deal 50 times the damage of full-health Benevolent King state Nishaku to barely kill her.
Before that, Nishaku’s combat power would remain at its peak!
Within ten seconds, Nishaku with such a bug-level ability was practically immortal!
So Minamoto Shizuka’s earlier set of deadly killing moves, all hitting perfectly, only reduced Nishaku’s health by 3%.
In the past, that would have been enough to kill her five or six times over.
Not only that, Nishaku’s health was constantly recovering… the lost health returned in the blink of an eye.
Minamoto Shizuka didn’t know this.
She attributed it to her sword not being fast enough or sharp enough.
One second before the Benevolent King fist fell, Minamoto Shizuka was still calmly thinking.
—Shangshan Che hadn’t moved, meaning he was waiting for her to enter the Spatial Quality Sea.
Shangshan Che in burst state could use a “pre-reading” ability to capture her movements.
If she entered the Spatial Quality Sea here to dodge, it would be equivalent to falling into his trap.
Minamoto Shizuka had already made her decision.
—Then, she would play along and thoroughly eliminate Shangshan Che’s shikigami here.
Hotarumaru lifted up, slashing into the center of Nishaku’s clasped fist hammer in an instant, then splitting Nishaku’s entire body in two at extreme speed!
Such injuries would be incurable even for a ghost god!
But in Minamoto Shizuka’s eyes, the pale golden ten fingers that split apart and healed in that instant showed no reduction in momentum, still smashing straight toward her right shoulder.
The blade definitely felt like it had cut into solid flesh.
She should have definitely split this shikigami in half!
—That slash just now could have killed the previous Nishaku back and forth twice!
Boom!
The fist hammer fell, smashing a small gap in the qi circulation on Minamoto Shizuka’s body surface, forcing her, who was unwilling to enter the Spatial Quality Sea, to kneel on one knee.
Spiderweb-like cracks centered on her knee, bursting out dozens of meters.
Blood trickled from Minamoto Shizuka’s mouth, then quickly absorbed by the incantation.
Seeing her hammer succeed, Nishaku also understood.
Manifesting a weapon required consuming health, and exchanging health for a weapon that Minamoto Shizuka could instantly shatter before the ten seconds of invincibility ended was not worth it!
Now, she herself was the best weapon!
The Benevolent King revealed a blissful smile like discovering a new continent, using it to suppress the waves of pain that nearly tore her body apart.
—Vajra Body could reduce 99% of damage, but pain would not decrease.
—It could possibly be overcome by the Benevolent King’s willpower.
“I will subdue you before Che Adult makes his move.”
Facing the Benevolent King’s declaration, Minamoto Shizuka remained noncommittal.
Hotarumaru trembled.
Azure glow densely covered every inch of Two-Foot Adult’s body in one percent, even one thousandth, of an ordinary person’s breathing time!
A hundred swords in an instant!
The entire body slashed over a hundred times from front to back, inside and out; even ten Ootama Hoshi would die beyond death.
But the response to Minamoto Shizuka was the Benevolent King’s fist!
Boom!
Boom boom!
Boom boom boom!
Health bar gradually decreased under the sword light, then rapidly rose back during the breath Shangshan Che glanced at in the peripheral vision.
The pale golden fist ignored the constantly bursting azure glow, smashing onto Minamoto Shizuka’s body again and again.
Making her face gradually pale, unable to stop coughing up blood.
“Come on, Miss Gen!” The Benevolent King’s fist fell like a machine gun firing 3600 rounds per breath, “Aren’t you good at slashing!”
Minamoto Shizuka, unwilling to retreat a single step, had waning qi, but Hotarumaru in her hand shone even brighter.
Wanting to seize this once-in-a-century, infinitely potential body!
“Get lost!”
Minamoto Shizuka once again slashed Two-Foot Adult into over a dozen pieces, ignoring the dull pain from her internal wounds, and rarely opened her mouth in a furious roar.
Those originally ice crystal-like calm eyes also gained a hint of madness.
Without warning, a soul-stirring black sword light flashed.
“Die!”
The black swept over the Benevolent King’s body, instantly devouring nearly half, over 30% of her current health!
Two-Foot Adult was shocked but still did not stop her hand movements.
Practically like a pile driver working day and night without rest!
Still can’t die from this?
Even ordinary ghost gods probably couldn’t take this sword without injury.
The somewhat dimmed fist heavily smashed Minamoto Shizuka’s stunned gaze back to the ground, embedding the girl’s head into the surface, completely destroying her balance for the first time.
Thus, Shangshan Che stepped forward, entering the battlefield at this perfect timing.
Beginning a righteous two-on-one.
Anyone with eyes could see that Minamoto Shizuka was now at a disadvantage.
But the reason?
The audience didn’t know or care, just issuing cheers louder than the last.
Chisa and Tamamo watched in stunned silence together; they had thought the girl always dainty by Shangshan Che’s side was just hype, but she turned out this fierce!
On the competitors’ seats, Higashiyama Kei, Aosuke, and a crowd of onmyoji who had contracted shikigami couldn’t help looking at their own shikigami, shaking their heads in frustration.
Look at others, then look at you!
Other people’s shikigami took hundreds of slashes and still lively beat down Minamoto Shizuka; forget taking five or ten, can you even survive three without croaking!?
The shikigami were speechless.
Even with ten lives, we couldn’t do that…
In front of the screen, Ye Chun slurping instant noodles froze, not even noticing her glasses dangling in mid-air.
This is… that little Nishaku who carried her in the tunnel?
She blinked, finding it hard to connect this golden-glowing, constantly laughing muscle hunk with the white-dress girl not even reaching her thigh in height.
Long time no see… everyone’s changed.
…
Before being decapitated, Minamoto Shizuka still retreated into the Spatial Quality Sea.
Her single entry could last at most three seconds in the Spatial Quality Sea.
About to lose.
About to be defeated.
About to die.
Minamoto Shizuka with her hollow right eye thought silently.
Just because of that utterly wrong decision a few seconds ago.
But such a thought had just arisen before she extinguished it.
—That’s all in the past; obsessing over it is meaningless.
“Hehehe…”
Hotarumaru’s extremely seductive distorted voice line echoed in Minamoto Shizuka’s mind for the umpteenth time.
It mocked,
“Useless, give me the body… I can win…”
“Shut up.”
Minamoto Shizuka’s other blood-soaked eye was ice-cold,
“If you make any more noise, even if I die, I’ll throw you into a corner of the Spatial Quality Sea, where you won’t encounter a living thing for thousands or tens of thousands of years.”
Hotarumaru’s slender blade immediately trembled, falling silent.
Now obedient.
One second later.
After brief yet prolonged contemplation, Minamoto Shizuka, having resolved herself, held the blade horizontally before her eyes.
“If you want the body, it’s yours.”
Hotarumaru shuddered violently.
“But remember this forever.”
Minamoto Shizuka lowered her gaze, enunciating each word,
“You can only have what I give you.”
On the arena, three seconds passed in a flash.
Shangshan Che, having used future sight one second prior to pinpoint Minamoto Shizuka’s landing spot, had finished charging and swung down Kaga Kiyomitsu.
Clang!
The newly appeared azure blade arrived first despite launching later, striking Shangshan Che with unprecedented bizarre force, forcing him to stagger backward.
Something’s wrong.
Shangshan Che immediately thought.
Even without using any secret technique, Minamoto Shizuka’s power shouldn’t surge after taking damage.
—She’s not Hannya!
Under his intense gaze, the girl suddenly looked up, revealing blank white eyes and a smile that seemed to carry the scent of viscous blood just by seeing it.
Below the arena, Nanjo Emi looked up at the sky, thoughtfully murmuring “oh.”
“Breaking through mid-battle—completely not treating our Shangshan Jun like a person.”
Kujō Rōgetsu couldn’t help laughing.
The ghost gods around him each voiced opinions, but none were optimistic.
In the darkness, the Onmyo Assistant watched the girl in her desperate struggle, sighing helplessly,
“Shizuka…”
“Minamoto Shizuka, switched?”
—Taken over by Hotarumaru?
Seeing that smile, Shangshan Che’s first thought was this.
But he immediately dismissed it.
Because… the fearfully transforming sensation emanating from Minamoto Shizuka, who was now laughing madly and fearlessly injured while facing two opponents.
It was some kind of fundamental change.
Yet different from Lili Zi’s breakthrough.
In overlimit state, Shangshan Che’s mind raced, understanding everything in moments.
Minamoto Shizuka was attempting to break through to ghost god!
Originally, it was absolutely impossible for her to achieve this in battle against him.
Because Shangshan Che wasn’t some magical girl anime villain NPC who would dutifully wait for the transformation to finish before acting.
But with Hotarumaru, it became possible.
Qi instantly dispersed the numbness in his arm, as Kaga Kiyomitsu added another small wound to Minamoto Shizuka’s skin.
Though injuries were accumulating, “Minamoto Shizuka’s” offense grew even fiercer and more proficient.
As if gradually adapting to this new vessel.
Though Shangshan Che didn’t know what thing was housed in Hotarumaru, in just one or two seconds of clash, he felt its sword technique more seasoned than Minamoto Shizuka’s own.
And insanely malevolent.
If not for Shangshan Che’s stat advantage and Minamoto Shizuka’s prior injuries, he’d likely be the one retreating step by step now.
“Separating spirit from body, huh…”
Shangshan Che’s thoughts raced, his hands never stopping.
To break through to ghost god via breathing technique cultivation is to subject self and soul to the “Sea of Tribulation.”
—Like mayflies crossing the sea of tribulation.
—Failure means severe cultivation regression at best, haunted by tribulations and heart demons for life; at worst, direct disintegration of mind and soul, becoming part of the so-called “Sea of Tribulation.”
Typically, samurai reaching this limit spend ample time finding a place perfectly attuned to body and spirit before attempting breakthrough.
Those with means use spirit-calming items or have true ghost gods as backup to survive failure.
But ghost gods successfully breaking through in combat like Minamoto Shizuka are almost unseen.
Because those who try all die.
For victory, Minamoto Shizuka resorted to any means.
Even her own life.
A worthy opponent.
“Nishaku, come.”
Shangshan Che said in his mind: “Be the shield.”
Vajra Body’s end had half a second left.
At the command, Two-Foot Adult, who had been attacking from Minamoto Shizuka’s rear, dashed to Shangshan Che’s front.
Then the Benevolent King spread her arms, aiming to tightly embrace Minamoto Shizuka.
Bang!
“Minamoto Shizuka” grinned ferociously, kicking Two-Foot Adult flying to the arena’s other side, shattering her plan.
But it was enough.
The pale blade overtook the azure, thrusting toward Minamoto Shizuka’s temple.
Sizzle.
Hotarumaru rotated from vertical to horizontal, forcibly deflecting Kaga Kiyomitsu by a fraction.
The blade pierced through Minamoto Shizuka’s left ear.
But such a minor wound had virtually no effect on the current Minamoto Shizuka!
“Hey!”
At face-to-face range, “Minamoto Shizuka’s” hand finally released Hotarumaru directly.
Five fingers clenched into a fist, swinging pure blackness toward Shangshan Che’s chin.
Guī Yuān…
Shangshan Che’s pupils contracted.
Couldn’t dodge.
At least, the chin was done for.
At the same moment, he felt Minamoto Shizuka’s nearby qi surging violently in geometric multiples!
Even before the fist landed, this qi alone threatened to glue Shangshan Che in place.
Breaking through!?
Just a few seconds passed—ghost god breakthrough comes this fast!?
Before Shangshan Che’s shocked thought settled, the surging qi abruptly halted.
Then plummeted like a flood bursting a dam.
Before him, “Minamoto Shizuka’s” fist stopped; her formerly manic face turned regretful and mocking.
Shangshan Che blinked.
Minamoto Shizuka failed?
“What a pity.”
“Minamoto Shizuka” rasped, her remaining eye fixed on Shangshan Che, suddenly feeling there was nothing left to fight for.
Anyway, Minamoto Shizuka was about to die.
“Minamoto Shizuka,” or rather Hotarumaru’s will controlling her body, said flatly,
“I surren…”
The final word unsaid was forcibly swallowed back by Minamoto Shizuka.
“Shut… up…”
The girl’s will wailed in fury.
She hadn’t lost yet.
Hotarumaru said nothing, merely devouring and assimilating Minamoto Shizuka’s shattered parts to make her a small piece of itself.
As with countless past owners.
But at that moment.
A grand, brilliant blaze erupted from the pitch-black depths above the heavens, arcing dozens of miles in a blink to hover over the venue’s open space.
Under the ghost gods’ stunned gazes, it plunged straight down!
A sword from a thousand miles west!
The blaze shrank to finger-size upon landing, lightly nailing the arena edge’s steps.
Half an inch from the match barrier.
That familiar-to-Minamoto-Shizuka haughty sword intent rose majestically, greeting all before simplifying to two plain words.
—Good luck.
Next chapter, cute, soft, and sweet Hundred-Eyed Demon-chan arrives!
