Chapter 339: Sword Saint’s Word, Dreamly Experiencing Sword Skills And Principles Both At 49! Okabe Motonobu Comes Knocking!
What… happened?
Shangshan Che stood in place, his pupils vacant and unfocused.
It felt like just a blink of the eyes, and he had returned here from in front of that Sword Saint behind the curtain…
Is that how it is?
Miyamoto Musashi leaned in close, carefully examining the dazed young man.
The gaze of this Sword Saint from the end of the Sengoku Period shifted gradually from the greed of seeing a delicacy to the curiosity and excitement of witnessing the creation of a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast.
Seeing that Shangshan Che still had lifeless eyes and scattered thoughts, Miyamoto Musashi withdrew his probing head and began circling around Shangshan Che.
Just like he was staking out territory and guarding his food.
Shangshan Che was still stunned.
He was still wondering what had just happened.
It seemed like he had experienced a lot.
This feeling was somewhat similar to the time he experienced Myriad Branches…
No.
There was a fundamental difference between the two.
The Myriad Branches experience was forgotten entirely just a few seconds after coming back to his senses, leaving only the fact that he had “experienced much.”
But this time, those bubble-like memories became clearer and more real as time passed.
Shangshan Che blinked, “witnessing” the memories surging past like a vast ocean current before his “eyes.”
Austere cultivation in the mountains.
Then descending the mountains for fierce battles.
Wandering the earth, crossing mountains and rivers, testing his sword under heaven, walking alone on the path of seeking the Way…
No.
Shangshan Che instantly rejected these simple, surface-level memories.
Everything became increasingly clear.
—He cultivated in seclusion for a century in a remote mountain village of the Heian Period, saw the world in chaos with demons rampant, descended the mountain to slaughter the hundred night-walking ghosts, and sacrificed his sword with demon blood.
—He wandered alone on the barren lands of the Sengoku Period, testing swords and exchanging lifelong learnings with Sword Masters and Dojo Masters of various schools.
—He proclaimed in the Edo Period to challenge all experts under heaven alone, never tasting defeat.
—Then he emerged in the Meiji Period, retreating again into remote mountain forests and villages for bitter cultivation until now.
This long journey of a thousand years, these vast memories of a thousand years, were almost indistinguishable from reality even under Shangshan Che’s meticulous “viewing.”
Rather, they were real.
In contrast, his exchange with that Sword Saint who had always hidden behind the curtain without revealing himself felt unreal, like a mirage.
This huge sense of dislocation and mismatch was exactly the same as when he could see the Sword Saint’s existence but not perceive him earlier.
“Fortunately, it doesn’t let one feel the actual weight and heft of time…”
Shangshan Che slowly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
If this millennium of memory hadn’t abruptly descended as an outsider’s identity, he might have truly devolved into an outcome of “I can’t tell, I really can’t tell.”
Enduring this nauseating sense of dislocation in his heart, with his spirit not yet returned to normal and not having fully absorbed this vast amount of memory, Shangshan Che began sweeping away the prompts that filled his entire field of vision layer by layer.
The first batch of prompts was a prefix he had never seen before.
【You Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand, testing your sword under heaven in the illusory dream, drawing from the strengths of all schools! Gained a whole new perception of “Sword Skill”!】
I… Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand?
Before Shangshan Che could process it, his gaze was firmly drawn to the “49%” shining with brilliant silver light below.
【Your trait·Sword Skill（9%） has now been changed to Sword Skill（49%）!!!】
How much?
Forty-nine percent?!
【Due to your trait·Sword Skill reaching 49%, your understanding of “Sword Skill” has been greatly deepened!】
【Due to your trait·Sword Skill reaching 49%, your understanding of everything related to the sword has been greatly deepened!】
【Due to your trait·Sword Skill reaching 49%, the damage of all your sword skills has been greatly increased!】
Since unlocking the new trait “Sword Skill Sword Principle” in the Sengoku Period last time, he had struggled until now and only reached “9%” Sword Skill through luck.
But in one go, how did it become 49%?
Fully more than five times over!
“I Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand, in the illusory dream…”
Shangshan Che pondered this prefix line repeatedly, then “looked” to the other side.
【You Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand, sitting in oblivion in the mountains in the illusory dream, meditating on the mysteries of the sword! Gained a whole new perception of “Sword Principle”!】
【Your trait·Sword Principle（19%） has now been changed to Sword Principle（49%）!!!】
Again?!
Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand again!?
【Due to your trait·Sword Principle reaching 49%, your understanding of “Sword Principle” has been greatly deepened!】
【Due to your trait·Sword Principle reaching 49%, your understanding of everything related to the sword has been greatly deepened!】
【Due to your trait·Sword Principle reaching 49%, the damage of all your sword skills has been greatly increased!】
【Due to your trait·Sword Principle reaching 49%, you have grasped knowledge related to “Sword Domain”!】
Staring blankly at his Sword Skill and Sword Principle skyrocketing to two brilliantly silver “49%” in the blink of an eye, Shangshan Che felt a light, unreal sensation for a moment.
Right, this feeling…
Shangshan Che realized.
It was exactly the same as when witnessing that long river of memories.
Yes.
That’s it!
Shangshan Che was not slow; the moment he reacted, he understood that all these prompts popping up before him were results of his actions during that millennium.
And far from limited to that.
【Due to your traits·Sword Skill and ·Sword Principle both reaching 49%, you have gained a new understanding of Natural Reason School Secret Technique·Darkness Sword!】
【You have comprehended the new Natural Reason School Secret Technique·Darkness Sword·Void!】
【You have comprehended the new Natural Reason School Secret Technique·Samidare!】
Darkness Sword·Void was the next step beyond the Darkness Sword·Hidden that he originally mastered, said to turn slashes into nothingness, passing over all obstacles.
But the specifics would have to wait for Shangshan Che to test himself later.
As for Samidare, it was the supreme alternative thrust to “Tusk Thrust” in the Natural Reason School.
If Three-stage Thrust could thrust at three different enemies at once.
Then “Samidare” could perform omnipresent thrusts in all directions and angles in an instant, like the sudden downpour of May rain.
Probably some kind of group attack skill?
Shangshan Che wasn’t sure; the memories were too long, not enough time to fully integrate.
Speaking of “Natural Reason School”…
【You Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand, embracing the sword for a millennium in the illusory dream, enlightenment in an instant! Your skill Natural Reason School proficiency +5000!!!】
【Natural Reason School（Expert 3000/10000）→Natural Reason School（Expert 8000/10000）!】
【Due to your skill “Natural Reason School” proficiency greatly increasing, your understanding of all Natural Reason School techniques has been greatly deepened!
At the same time, the damage of all Natural Reason School techniques has been greatly increased!】
Five thousand points.
In the blink of an eye, in just a daze, he had surpassed his previous long years of bitter cultivation.
Tangible kendo insights were flowing into Shangshan Che’s heart like a gentle stream, making him take great strides in kendo every second.
Soon, Master Level Natural Reason School would not be far off.
Moreover, although most of the above were related to progress in kendo, it wasn’t limited to just kendo improvements.
【You Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand, winter training in the third nine-day period and summer training in the third fu period in the illusory dream! Using Technique·Eightfold Fence to shatter millions of falling leaves, Eightfold Fence proficiency level has risen to “Expert”!】
【Eightfold Fence（Expert）】
【Effect: Intent moves, it arrives.】
【—Like a dream, like lightning.】
The move once taught by Saionji Acting Instructor of Yagyu Dojo could now be considered formally graduated.
Even under the strictest standards, it reached a “Mastery Certificate” level in this footwork.
Shangshan Che vaguely “remembered” that during Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand, he had mostly used Eightfold Fence for traveling.
Besides, this mental dream-related experience naturally brought considerable improvements to his state of mind and willpower.
【You Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand, witnessing emperors and generals, separations and deaths, world-shaking feats in the illusory dream… Your state of mind has been greatly elevated!】
【Your willpower +20!】
【Your state of mind essence has reached Mid-stage·Return to One peak, but since you do not possess “Heart Embryo,” state of mind rank cannot be elevated.】
【Your state of mind rank remains temporarily unchanged.】
【Mid-stage·Unity of Man and Sword（Like a Mirror, Hundred Refinements, Return to One）.】
【Current state of mind rank: Mid-stage·Like a Mirror·Return to One】
【Note: Before finding “Heart Embryo,” state of mind rank cannot formally elevate to “Return to One.”】
His state of mind had now reached the essence peak, arriving at the pinnacle of Unity of Man and Sword.
Almost touching the threshold of Clear Sword Heart.
Unfortunately, Heart Embryo still hadn’t formed—Shangshan Che “remembered” that in Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand, he had countless opportunities to forge a qualified, even exceptionally superior Heart Embryo.
But he chose to abandon those opportunities one after another.
For him, this 【Witness】 had to carry sufficient weight, heavy enough to serve as the Heart Embryo foundation for his future state of mind path.
If not perfect, better not to form it.
Intuition told Shangshan Che.
The answer he sought was still in the Sengoku Period five hundred years ago.
【You Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand, rising and falling in the vast history in the illusory dream!】
【Your Demon Incarnation·Hundred-Eyed Demon Heavenly Path Trial progress has greatly increased!】
【Hundred-Eyed Demon（Current Trial Progress: 5.41%）→Hundred-Eyed Demon（Current Trial Progress: 18.88%）!】
Seeing the Heavenly Path Trial progress had only increased by a little over thirteen percent, Shangshan Che actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to those strongly kendo-related items, this increase felt normal.
—It should be because this “Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand” couldn’t count as true reality; otherwise, walking and immersing in history for a millennium would have completed this Ascend to Ghost God Heavenly Path Trial long ago.
Finally, Rin Character Technique.
【You Dreamly Experiencing the Great Thousand, perceiving the “Rin” character in the illusory dream! Greatly deepened understanding of it, Rin Character Technique mastery +6.895%!】
【Rin Character Technique（13.104%）→Rin Character Technique（19.999%）】
【Note: Your “Rin Character Technique” mastery cannot increase for now…】
Rin Character Technique had no new functions appear, and was stuck at “19.999%”—a place that clearly hit a bottleneck.
There seemed to be more after the 【Note】, but Shangshan Che had no time to look now.
Because in front of him, Musashi’s big face had leaned in again, noticing his pupils had refocused.
Shangshan Che took a deep breath, ignoring Musashi circling and scrutinizing him, took out his mobile phone from his pocket, prepared for days or even weeks to have passed, and checked the time.
But the answer far exceeded Shangshan Che’s expectations.
Because the time on the mobile phone…
Had only passed five minutes.
Right, five minutes—even including the two or three minutes of his exchange with the Sword Saint.
This abnormal sense of dislocation made Shangshan Che involuntarily pull up the Incarnation Promotion Panel, confirming that indeed only this negligible amount of time had passed.
Rotten Ke Person.
These three words inexplicably surfaced in Shangshan Che’s mind.
A game of go on the mountain, a century passed below.
Only, his experience was the exact opposite.
A millennium in Cloud Pavilion, outside Cloud Pavilion… only five minutes had passed.
This Sword Saint’s one word was enough to make one dream a millennium, like a golden rule, heaven and earth rules.
Truly terrifying.
A great terror spread in Shangshan Che’s heart, which he memorized before clearing it away.
This was undoubtedly a power beyond his current comprehension.
Thinking of this, Shangshan Che stopped overthinking, reined in his thoughts, and returned to everyday state with a normal heart.
Miyamoto saw this and grinned even more happily.
He asked,
“You, what is your name.”
Shangshan Che met the eyes of this leopard-headed, ring-eyed burly man again, but his body was no longer intimidated like the first time.
Because he had just seen an even more terrifying existence, even if separated by a layer of curtain from that true terror.
“Shangshan Che.”
Miyamoto nodded, standing straight in place.
He gazed at Shangshan Che with a look of pity yet immense anticipation, saying to him: “Next time we meet, I will definitely taste your flavor.”
Before Shangshan Che could answer this bizarre question, his vision flashed again.
He was already outside the Sword Saint’s abode, at the Nine-Layered Heavenly Keep and outside Cloud Pavilion.
Looking up, the MPV he had descended from not long ago was steadily parked ahead.
Minamoto Shizuka, looking out the car window, was startled, rolled down the window, and asked puzzled: “Shangshan Jun, how are you back after just a short while?”
Behind the MPV, Two-Foot Adult, who had felt a great terror drill into her heartstrings a few minutes ago, heavily sighed in relief, tears nearly bursting from her eyes.
Good… Che Adult has safely returned.
Otherwise, even if it meant mutual destruction, she would have stormed this damn Heavenly Path Trial to spit in the face of that rude Sword Saint.
“Details later.”
Shangshan Che got in the car, sat on the soft seat as if from another world, closed his eyes, and rubbed his temples.
Moments later, he spoke,
“If convenient, let’s go to Fushimi Inari Shrine.”
……
At the same time, in Tokyo’s Arakawa Ward, in Shangshan Che’s villa.
“Hah!”
“Ha!”
“Hah!”
Immature and tender, with even breathing rhythm not quite grasped, the spirited cries echoed in the first-floor dojo.
Wearing dōgi with a high ponytail, Chisa was performing sword swings in a slightly awkward posture, swinging the bamboo sword Shangshan Che had once used.
Though her movements were full of errors, unable to control even basic steps and stance, the determination in the girl’s eyes was enough to compensate.
As for how she easily picked out Shangshan Che’s used bamboo sword from a basketful…
【Bamboo Sword】【Bamboo Sword】【Shangshan Che’s Used Bamboo Sword】【Bamboo Sword】【Bamboo Sword】.
Needless to say, Chisa could naturally spot it at a glance.
【Shangshan Che’s Used Bamboo Sword】
【—A durable, sturdy, reliable bamboo sword. Your Master “Shangshan Che” once wielded it for practice swings in this dojo,】
Lili Zi sat cross-legged nearby, silently observing every detail and subtle change in Chisa’s movements.
Observe carefully, then give correct corrections.
In fact, she had already taught the utterly serious Chisa the basic sword swings from scratch no less than three times.
But the girl’s talent and comprehension were really lacking, far from even barely satisfactory.
However, Lili Zi said nothing more.
Because at the beginning, she swung even worse than Chisa.
Back then, Third Sister hadn’t scolded her either.
“Ha!”
Thud thud thud.
The sudden knocking interrupted Chisa’s spirited cries, startling both in the dojo.
Sweat-soaked Chisa temporarily stopped her utterly unqualified sword swings, bit her dry lips, and looked toward the doorway with some anticipation.
Lili Zi slightly furrowed her brows.
“Chisa, rest in place for now.”
“Yes!”
Lili Zi stood, expressionlessly opened the door.
In Chisa’s peripheral vision, the 【Okabe Motonobu】 prompt popped up.
Following that, a indifferent voice suppressing a thread of unconcealed anger sounded,
“I’m here for Shangshan Che.”
“Have something very important to tell him.”
“And only to him.”
Double monthly votes at month start, brothers, some monthly votes or Z!!!
