I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 197 Four Extremes Breathing Technique - [Return to the Abyss], Iron Bones Achieved! A Buddhist Disciple's Blessing in Isshiki-cho
The girl's fair hands held a large lump of flesh.

The surface of the lump of flesh was scarlet and pitted, as if many pieces of meat had been forcibly mixed together in an uneven manner.

It was wriggling in front of Uesugi Tetsuya's eyes, spurting out a strangely appetizing reddish liquid.

Contrary to its somewhat bizarre appearance was its panel, which made Uesugi Tetsuya swallow hard.

【Polymerized Flesh and Blood Essence (Extremely Active)】

[Quality: Epic]

[Effect: After consumption, it greatly enhances the effects of "Palace of Flesh" training.]

[—As its name suggests, it is the essence of demonic flesh and blood forcibly aggregated through special means.]

[Note 1: Please consume as soon as possible, as this flesh and blood essence will be completely deactivated after ten minutes.]

[Note 2: After consuming this flesh and blood essence, all other similar flesh and blood essences will be ineffective for you from now on.]

From the description, the origin of this fleshy mass is quite obvious.

Just now, Yuan Jingshui used those piles of demon corpses to make the "Perfect Tonic Pill".

But how did she do it?
Uesugi Tetsu recalled that Minamoto Shizumi had accomplished this remarkable feat with just a simple gesture.

Moreover, there was absolutely no fluctuation of spiritual energy.

In other words, this was achieved by the other party using breathing techniques or some other unknown means...

Yuan Jingshui raised her eyes, and after seeing the question flash in Uesugi Tetsu's eyes, she tilted her head in surprise.

"You don't know?"

—Uesugi Tetsuya, so you didn't know this was the power of the Four Extremes Breathing Technique she practiced?

—But even if we don't know now, we'll find out sooner or later.

Since that's the case, it's better to say it now.

She thought for a moment, then pointed to the lump of flesh and explained, "I sculpted it using one of the four extreme breathing techniques I practice, namely, [Return to the Abyss]."

"The specific steps are very simple..."

Yuan Jingshui gestured a couple of times.

According to her instructions, it's about doing this first, and then doing that, so that you can use the power of the Abyss to mold so many corpses into this ball of essence.

Uesugi Tetsuya was completely baffled but impressed.

But now, Uesugi Tetsu finally learned what one-quarter of the Four Extremes Breathing Technique was called, though it was his future rival who told him.

Although I don't yet understand the characteristics of the [Return to the Abyss Breathing Method], one of the Four Extremes, or its fundamental difference from ordinary breathing methods like the Corona Breathing Method.

But one thing is certain.

—That sword light just now should also have been unleashed by Yuan Jingshui using the [Return to the Abyss Breathing Technique], one of the Four Extremes.

With a single sword strike, he completely obliterated a powerful demon comparable to a Grand Master.

The consumption doesn't seem to be that high yet.

Uesugi Tetsu clicked his tongue inwardly: "Terrifying..."

This guy will actually be my opponent standing right in the ring in the future.

Fortunately, the seeding battle will not officially begin for another month, or even several weeks.

Otherwise, if the fight started now, he wouldn't have a chance to defeat her at all.

Even if he transformed into a four-tailed fox and activated "Rage" immediately, he wouldn't necessarily be confident of victory against Yuan Jingshui.

Not to mention that the seeding battle should have been watched by a group of big names, including Nanjo, so it was impossible for him to transform into a demon.

This was not an emotional reaction to seeing the sword, but a very rational and precise analysis.

Yuan Jingshui is very strong.

This is a fact that must be acknowledged.

The power of the Four Extremes Breathing Method can be seen from these two "small things".

Sure enough.

Uesugi Tetsu blinked, interrupting his thoughts, and tightened his grip on the scalding hot essence of flesh and blood.
"I'll accept this lump of flesh."

Yuan Jingshui nodded slightly: "This is a gift to you, Uesugi-kun, as an apology. It would be a real headache if you didn't accept it."

The moment he grasped the essence of flesh and blood, Uesugi Tetsu was able to clearly sense the incredibly powerful life force that had been forcibly compressed into this small space through his Spirit Control Technique.

Seeing him grasp the essence of flesh and blood, Yuan Jingshui couldn't help but smile.

She exhaled a sigh of relief, feeling another deep, polished mark added to the surface of her heart's embryo.

The eighty-first refinement... is complete.

Having clear thoughts is really important.

“Then, Uesugi-kun, consume this essence of flesh and blood, sit down here and begin your training.” Minamoto no Shizumi used his thumb to flick out a section of a deep blue blade. “I will protect you here.”

She stated, "It won't affect you in the slightest."

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Tetsu looked down at the lump of meat in his hand.

Take within ten minutes.

As its creator, Yuan Jingshui naturally knew that the sooner it was taken, the better the effect.

But Uesugi Tetsu always felt that Minamoto Shizumizu's purpose was not so simple.

—In fact, Minamoto Shizumi had long heard that after cultivating the breathing technique to the Flesh Palace stage, one's blood and qi would become incredibly powerful.

If one begins to cultivate, the vital energy that is usually hidden will surge forth and become difficult to conceal.

Her idea was actually very simple.

She simply wanted to use "Uesugi Tetsu, who is currently in training," as bait to lure out the demons in the surrounding mountains and forests so that she could sharpen her knife.

That's it.

After a moment's hesitation, Uesugi Tetsuya sat down.

Since they've already said that, I can't very well refuse.

Anyway, there's about an hour left before we're back to the safe zone of the Warring States period, so a little bit of cultivation won't hurt.

However, it's still necessary to take extra precautions.

After setting a forty-minute alarm in his body using a spirit control technique, Uesugi Tetsu threw the incredibly hot essence of flesh and blood into his mouth and swallowed it directly.

Of course, they didn't forget to use a small amount of calming incense ash.

The next instant, the fragile membrane enveloping the immense life force was instantly disintegrated by the silently operating Corona Breathing Technique and Spirit Control Technique.

boom!
Uesugi Tetsu felt as if a bomb, brimming with vital energy, had exploded inside his body.

His thoughts, which had been forced to calm down by the soothing incense ash, gradually heated up and became scalding hot.

If this torrent of blood and qi is allowed to run rampant in the body, the consequences will probably not be good.

Uesugi Tetsuya took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and pushed the Corona Breathing Technique to its limit.

Bone forging, begin!
Suddenly, a deafening crackling sound emanated from Uesugi Tetsuya's body.

Equivalent pain and change come together!
Along with it, the dissipated blood and energy shot straight up into the sky like a dragon.

"Not bad..."

Yuan Jingshui withdrew her gaze with satisfaction, turning her deep gaze to the greedy eyes that emerged from the thick darkness.

She tapped Hotaru, who also radiated a thirst for blood, at her waist, and grinned with a chilling, demonic smile.
……

Thirty-eighth minute.

The rumbling sounds of bone forging within Uesugi Tetsuya's body gradually subsided, returning to silence once more.

The straight pillar of qi and blood was also perfectly drawn back into the body from the sky by the spirit control technique.

He slowly opened his eyes, a look of unexpected astonishment flashing across them: "The entire Iron Bone stage was actually completed in a single training session."

Is it because the essence of flesh and blood is so effective, or is it because...?

[Because you ingested "Collective Flesh and Blood Essence (Extremely Active)" and perfectly absorbed its effects using the Spirit Control Technique: Qi, and then underwent arduous bone forging...]

Sure enough, it was the effect of the spirit control technique.

Uesugi Tetsu thought to himself.

Before the Spirit Control Technique had the suffix "Qi," even if this essence were ingested, its effects would never be as powerful as they are now.

This spirit control technique... while it doesn't offer much direct help in combat, its support capabilities are terrifyingly powerful.

Whether it's spiritual cultivation or his current significant improvement in his control over all "qi".

[Finally, your skill, Corona Breathing Technique proficiency, +497!]

[You have completed the Iron Bones stage of the Flesh Palace training in one go!]

Your bone strength has increased slightly!

Your Qi and blood strength has increased!

[Your physique +2! ]

【Corona Breathing Technique (Jade Bone 0/400)】

[Effect: Upon reaching perfection, bones become as smooth as jade.]

—Wood, iron, jade. So…what comes after that?

"The strength of the Iron Bones is far greater than that of the Hard Bones."

Uesugi Tetsuya gently tapped his knuckles, feeling the solid, unshakeable bones that supported his muscles.

The benefits of increased bone strength to the overall physical body are not something that can be seen from mere physical attributes.

He twisted his joints slightly, and produced a crackling sound that was far louder than ever before.

Just as Yuan Jingshui swung his final strike, he turned around, his eyes widening slightly.

Uesugi Tetsuya actually managed to break through a minor bottleneck in one fell swoop.

Covered in blood and flesh of various colors, and no longer dressed in white, she praised, "Your talent is quite good."

Uesugi Tetsu's eye twitched as he looked at it.

How many demons did he just attract?
"generally."

Uesugi Tetsu shook his head, but the other party, unusually, did not think he was being modest, and instead nodded in agreement.

Because, as the fourth daughter of the Yuan family, Yuan Jingshui, who had been living in the Yuan family since childhood, had seen far too many geniuses.

Among his peers alone, there are many who can rival Uesugi Tetsuya, and many who surpass him and leave him far behind.

After surveying the area and finding no one who had escaped, Yuan Jingshui, her face covered in blood, nodded to him.

"Then, let's say goodbye."

She sheathed the demon sword, which eased the inexplicable pressure on Uesugi Tetsuya's shoulders.

“Next time we meet, we might be enemies.” Minamoto Shizumi’s gaze was deep, with a hint of anticipation. “Uesugi-kun, I look forward to seeing you on the other side of me.”

Uesugi Tetsu nodded to her: "Goodbye, Ms. Gen."

Yuan Jingshui neither turned his head, nor gathered his strength, nor took a step.

And just like that, without any warning, he vanished from Uesugi Tetsuya's sight as cleanly and decisively as a dream bubble.

If I had to use a metaphor, it would be like the characters on the layer being suddenly erased by the artist with a giant eraser.

Uesugi Tetsuya was slightly taken aback, and immediately searched his senses for the aura of the source of the still water.

However, no.

In that brief moment, Yuan Jingshui had actually left his perception circle, which covered a radius of several hundred meters.
However, looking around at the sky, there was no trace of airflow left after supersonic travel.

This is truly something that comes without a trace and goes without a trace.

"The Return to the Abyss Breathing Technique, is it...?"

Uesugi Tetsu, who had no idea what was going on, narrowed his eyes and murmured something softly.

The appearance of Yuan Jingshui once again proves that the "three and a half stars" rank is an incomparably broad river.

In the great river, there are landlubbers who have just ventured into the water from the land; and there are also river-crossing dragons that have ventured hundreds of miles into the river and traversed thousands of meters in a single breath.

Moreover, if he wasn't mistaken, Yuan Jingshui's Guiyuan Breathing Technique seemed to be still at the "Sea of ​​Qi" stage.

Because there were no signs of tempering on her skin.

"The heroes of this world are truly a delight to behold."

Uesugi Tetsu couldn't help but sigh.

Next, he took out the Key of History, held it in his hand, and infused it with spiritual power.

Everything is ready. It's time to return to the Warring States period.

……

Above the West Three Rivers, in a one-way perspective floating cube.

noon.

Due to the existence of the flying half-dead bird, Erchi Daren consumed a large amount of his life points to transform the originally single-sided floating platform into a floating hexahedral cube.

In this way, even if a half-dead bird appears outside their field of vision, they usually cannot detect the existence of the floating cube.

At this moment, the two-foot-tall man stopped the floating cube that had reached a thousand meters in the air and asked Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was standing beside him and whose legs were trembling slightly for some reason.

"Lord Imagawa, where should we go first to investigate the specific situation?"

—That's a bit too high.

As soon as Imagawa Yoshimoto looked down, he felt a sudden, inexplicable dizziness, and his legs suddenly went weak.

She didn't know why she felt this way.

It was clearly his own doing to raise Erchi to this height so that he could better observe the terrain.

And she can still see it clearly herself.

This should have been a good thing.

Imagawa Yoshimoto secretly took several deep breaths, trying to get his uncooperative body to adapt quickly.

It wasn't until the two-foot-tall man repeated himself for the third time that she could hear his words clearly.

Imagawa Yoshimoto clenched his fists, closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and then gave his answer.
"Isshiki Town."

After closing her eyes, her thoughts suddenly became clear.

"—That place is a key waterway, so there are many different kinds of people coming and going. It will be more convenient to do whatever you want there."

Moreover, this should be the most difficult town in Nishi-Mikawa to be invaded by demons; if this place also falls, then there's no need to worry about the rest.

Imagawa Yoshimoto said in a steady tone: "Hanzo's information also mentioned that Isshiki Town has the fewest demons, but whether that has changed now needs to be confirmed with our own eyes."

"The more critical the moment, the less room there is for negligence." She stared intently at the man, "At crucial junctures, even the slightest mistake could lead to irreparable failure."

"Been taught a lesson."

The two-foot-tall man, who had been focused on Xinxian, straightened his expression and nodded emphatically.

"Therefore, two feet."

Suddenly, the man in two feet heard Imagawa Yoshimoto adopt an indifferent tone, and without giving a reason, he said...

"Could we lower the altitude a bit first?"

Before the puzzled man could answer, he suddenly felt that the previously ethereal and illusory connection between his heartstrings had become incredibly clear!

Standing inside the floating cube, Uesugi Tetsu looked around with a sense of novelty.

Then, he looked at Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was sitting upright with his back straight even in the empty sky.

Sitting like this while fully clothed must be very uncomfortable.

Uesugi Tetsu reached out and patted Imagawa Yoshimoto's shoulder, who was looking down at something. "Lord Yoshimoto, I..."

"Uh-huh!"

From the intense trembling sensation emanating from his fingertips, Uesugi Tetsu could clearly sense that Imagawa Yoshimoto was greatly startled by his move.

Ok?
Strange, wasn't my appearance obvious enough?
He clearly didn't conceal his breath; given Imagawa Yoshimoto's mastery of breathing techniques, he should have been able to detect it immediately.

Several seconds later, after calming his breathing, Imagawa Yoshimoto casually turned around and asked a question.
"Che-jun, how did you get here?"

"Through the connection with the shikigami, namely, the two-footed one..."

Uesugi Tetsu raised his hand and smiled sheepishly, "I apologize for startling Lord Yoshimoto with my sudden physical contact."

"It's nothing, just a small matter."

Just as Imagawa Yoshimoto finished shaking his head and was about to point to the ground, he saw Uesugi Tetsu take out her Japanese bow, which was bigger than a person, and hand it to him.

Then he took the quiver and a handful of arrows that Uesugi Tetsu had "enchanted".

This interruption completely deprived Imagawa Yoshimoto of any opportunity to suggest lowering the altitude.

She silently took the bow and began to explain the current situation to Uesugi Tetsu.

five minutes later.

Uesugi Tetsu nodded in agreement, "Then let's go to Isshiki-cho to observe the current situation first."

The two-foot-tall man immediately activated the floating cube, and half an hour later the cube arrived in the air about three kilometers away from Isshiki Town.

Only Imagawa Yoshimoto's eyes could clearly see this distance, and it was also a range that those half-dead birds wouldn't pay much attention to.

Imagawa Yoshimoto narrowed his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling slightly.

Several minutes passed before she finally spoke.

"Isshiki-cho...at least on the surface, is no different from what Hanzo said."

"There are no corpses lying outside, normal business continues, and the streets are quite lively. It's much better than the situation in Yoshida Castle."

Uesugi Tetsu listened silently, then looked at Isshiki Town, which also had many red dots on the panel map.

There are quite a few Vision Bugs in Isshiki Town.

In other words, there are quite a few sick and suffering families in the city.

More importantly, this place is less than ten kilometers away from Nishio Castle, where the patient is suffering.

At this distance, illness can easily turn into a living hell with just a wave of its hand.

How could the situation inside the city be so good?
Weird, so weird.

Uesugi Tetsuya not only did not lower his guard, but he was determined to figure out this strange phenomenon today before he could go to Nishio Castle with peace of mind.

So he immediately said, "I will go down to Isshiki-cho first to conduct an on-site investigation, while Yoshimoto and Nishaku will stay in the square for now."

"Because I need someone with a God's-eye view... well, someone who can see the big picture and remind me of things."

Uesugi Tetsu looked at Imagawa Yoshimoto, whose expression had subtly changed several times in response to his words.

He then took out a yellow talisman that was shimmering with spiritual light from his storage backpack and handed it to her.

"Lord Yiyuan, this is a [transmission talisman]. You can talk to me from a distance by sticking it on your hand."

The Transmission Talisman is a minor Onmyodo technique that even a half-star Onmyoji apprentice can easily learn, though it's not very practical.

Because the communication technique is easily interfered with by the fluctuations of spiritual energy in the world, it often causes the connection to be interrupted at critical moments, leading to major accidents.

So much so that this thing is less reliable than a regular police radio.

However, the spiritual energy in the world was extremely scarce during the Warring States period, which is why those communication talismans are now very useful.

Yin-Yang techniques should also be used in accordance with local conditions.

Although maintaining the effect of the transmission talisman requires a continuous drain on Uesugi Tetsu's spiritual power, this is nothing more than a drop in the ocean for him now.

Imagawa Yoshimoto mastered it after just a short try.

She raised her hand, put the yellow talisman to her lips, and whispered...

"Can you hear me, Che-kun?"

"very clear."

Uesugi Tetsu's words were barely audible, yet Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was also wearing a communication talisman, heard them clearly.

The head of the Imagawa family immediately opened his eyes wide and stared at the small yellow talisman in his palm.

Her beautiful eyes sparkled with wonder, already imagining how much this little gadget could improve the efficiency of military information transmission.

Imagawa Yoshimoto held his breath: "Tetsu-kun..."

Just as Uesugi Tetsuya was about to leap down into the crowd of refugees, he turned around and, upon seeing the girl's expression, understood what she was thinking.

He shook his head with regret: "After the world is revived, it will hardly have any effect."

After saying that, without looking at Imagawa Yoshimoto's stunned expression, Uesugi Tetsu jumped down from the thousand-meter-high sky.

He fell very fast, but without making a sound that an ordinary person could detect.

Because air is naturally considered a type of gas.

A few seconds later, at the end of the long line of refugees, which numbered over a hundred, appeared a thin young man of average height, appearance, and clothing, who was completely unremarkable among the hundred people and attracted no attention at all.

Almost half an hour later, Uesugi Tetsu finally arrived at the gate of Isshiki-cho with the group.

He glanced at the silent monks on either side and couldn't help but feel a little strange.

The Pure Land True Sect has great influence in the western three rivers, so it's one thing to seize power by taking the opportunity... but why are these two monk soldiers indifferent to this hundred-man team?
Aren't they afraid that these hundred people might be carrying some deadly disease, or that there might be some dangerous individuals among them?

—The Jodo Shinshu sect is colluding with demons.

The words Hanzo had written in the intelligence report came to Uesugi Tetsuya's mind.

It seems that this statement is quite credible.

Just then, he heard someone in the refugee group exclaim with delight,
"Nobody cares about us? They don't care about us? Hahaha! I thought I was going to be turned away at the city gates and starve to death!"

Another refugee said hoarsely, "I told you long ago, Jodo Shinshu treats everyone equally."

Another person added dryly, "Moreover, there are masters here who can cure diseases... This is my last hope."

A Buddhist master, perhaps.

In Uesugi Tetsu's eyes, the person who said those words was covered in red, festering sores. If left untreated, he would likely be left to rot in the wilderness within two or three days.

As soon as the topic of the master came up, a few scattered, listless murmurs of excitement immediately arose from the group.
"Where is the master? I want to go there!"

"I also need to go!"

Now, Uesugi Tetsuya finally understood.

This group of refugees, whose origins are unknown, arrived in Isshiki-cho solely for the sake of the so-called Buddhist master who could supposedly dispel and cure diseases.

Because almost everyone of them suffers from some kind of illness, big or small, only a few maintain relatively healthy bodies.

Uesugi Tetsu looked around at the somewhat bustling city and found that the people around him were not surprised at all by the arrival of them, the refugees.

What's puzzling is that almost no one seems to distance themselves from this long queue of people, all of whom are sick, as if it's become a common occurrence.

Those who wanted to do business did so, those who wanted to eat ate, and even passersby ignored them.

Even though it was a barely positive sign, Uesugi Tetsu felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

He walked around for a while and found that most people had Buddhist beads or small Buddha statues on them, or were praying before eating.

These people all believe in the Pure Land True Sect.

And importantly, none of the believers contracted any diseases.

Not a single one!
Could it be that the masters of the Pure Land True Sect are truly so accomplished in Buddhism that they can easily cure all sorts of diseases, leaving their suffering relatives empty-handed?

Uesugi Tetsu felt the strangely peaceful atmosphere in Isshiki-cho and couldn't figure it out.

Suddenly, Imagawa Yoshimoto's voice rang out through the communication talisman: "Tetsu-kun, hurry to the north, there are a lot of people rushing there!"

Uesugi Tetsu's expression hardened. He stopped following at the back of the group and instead slipped through the crowd unnoticed, quickly heading north.

Along the way, the sound of two women talking could be heard.
"Has your son caught a cold?"

"Yes...but it's alright. The temple holds a daily afternoon prayer ceremony to express gratitude. As long as you, Buddha, bestow your grace, this little illness will be cured in no time."

There were many more conversations like this.

They were all infected with diseases, including herpes, which is a deadly disease like smallpox.

But people didn't take it seriously at all.

It's as if, as long as you go to a Jodo Shinshu temple and receive the Buddha's grace from the disciples, all your illnesses will be cured.

This is not normal, so abnormal.

Where in the world can you find such a good thing, that you can be free from all diseases and calamities simply by believing in a religion?

Uesugi Tetsu narrowed his eyes and scoffed inwardly.

He wanted to see what kind of demon or monster this so-called Buddhist disciple was.

"Master Che!"

The two-foot-tall man's urgent words interrupted his thoughts: "Could you go and touch that Buddha statue over there?"

Uesugi Tetsu turned his head and discovered a lifelike wooden Buddha statue with lotus flowers growing at its base.

The Buddha statue's eyes were lively, brimming with a compassionate smile, almost like...

She was staring straight at him.

(End of this chapter)