I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 254 So what if the Tokugawa family sees it? Life is short, nothing is more important than death! (Take off clothes, then give close instruction)
what?
Are we going to have to participate in the seeding battle again?

I've mentioned it many times before, and Nanjo Manami must have contacted her privately, but Ririko has remained unmoved.

Why are you bringing this up yourself now?
Looking into the eyes of the bright-eyed girl in front of him, Uesugi Tetsuya couldn't help but feel a lot of questions rising up above his head.

"Ririko... I have a lot of questions I want to ask you."

“Then let’s take it one step at a time,” Ririko said gently. “No rush.”

After organizing his thoughts, Uesugi Tetsu listed his questions one by one.

"One is a seeding battle, why do you suddenly want to participate again, is there any reason?"

Also, what just happened...? You weren't giving off any signs of life, no breathing, no body temperature, like you were about to die.

"It's not like you're about to die."

Ririko interrupted, her words revealing no trace of the near-death experience: "I almost died, truly."

She held up her finger: "I was so close, I was really going to never wake up again."

Uesugi Tetsu could tell that every word he said was true, and the situation just now proved it.

He was supposed to be practicing at home, yet he managed to find himself in such a dangerous situation...

He stared at Ririko, whose face was beaming with joy, and suddenly didn't know what to say.

Ririko paced back and forth and said, "Didn't I tell you before? I got stuck when I was finishing the Corona Breathing Technique."

Because he had been struggling to find the locations of the body's acupoints, he naturally couldn't find the Qihai point either.

“But just now, I happened to look up and see the sun setting and the moon rising, and I felt that the essence of heaven and earth would converge in a single line.” Ririko turned her gaze to the crescent moon hanging in the sky.

"At first, I had a slight feeling, and then I thought of the 'embracing the elixir and sitting on the hips' in the ancient Eastern books I had read to broaden my knowledge."

She skipped over the most important part of the process and went straight to the beginning and the result: "I did what it said, and then it worked."

Listen, can you hear what people are saying?
Ririko sighed, "But it really is dangerous."

After thinking for a moment, Uesugi Tetsuya found the most crucial point in her words and asked,
What is "embracing the elixir"?

"The so-called 'embracing the elixir' means to concentrate all the essence, energy, spirit, blood, strength, and other manipulable forces in the body into one point, and to bring everything that has expanded outwards back to 'one'."

While circling around Uesugi Tetsuya, Ririko cheerfully explained, "Don't those cultivation novels say that once you swallow a golden pill, your fate is in your own hands, not in the heavens?"

"Although the elixir of this 'emerging elixir' is different in essence from the golden elixir, it follows the same principle."

As they were talking, Ririko, who had walked up to Uesugi Tetsuya, took a deep breath and then vanished from sight within the Eye of Decipherment.

Not only his aura, but also his originally soaring blood and qi, and his bright, almost blinding spirit, all vanished in an instant.

If it weren't for the circulation of internal energy and Ririko herself still being there, Uesugi Tetsu would have almost thought that nothing existed in front of him.

"Uesugi-kun, give me your hand."

Without much thought, Uesugi Tetsu reached out and saw Ririko place her index finger, which had somehow become jade-white and delicate, on his palm.

Then, an immense force suddenly erupted from the tip of the index finger without warning!

Ding Ding Deng!
Even though he instinctively tried to resist, Uesugi Tetsuya still had to take three steps back before he could completely dissipate the force.

He gazed at the slightly tired-looking girl, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

It should be noted that although Ririko surpassed him in all aspects, including breathing techniques, swordsmanship, and mental state.

But if it really came down to a life-or-death battle, even ten Ririko tied together wouldn't be enough to defeat Uesugi Tetsuya.

The reason is simple: the value is too high.

But now, the force of just one of Ririko's fingers was enough to force him to take three steps back.

Even if this is just Uesugi Tetsuya's most conventional form.

Before he could speak, Ririko continued to explain, "It is precisely because all the power that can be mobilized is concentrated into one point that it will be unprecedentedly powerful when it erupts."

After a moment's thought, Uesugi Tetsu realized the connection: "Was that near-death state before also because of trying to form the elixir?"

"Yes."

Lili nodded: "After gathering everything into one point, it is still necessary to separate them... With my current level, I can only maintain it for ten or twenty minutes at most before I have to separate them."

Otherwise, these powers would not be able to return to the physical body, the 'foundation of existence'.

At this point, Lili clicked her tongue and sighed, "Just now, I was only a hair's breadth away from leaving behind the relic and sitting at the same table with those deceased Buddhist masters."

This single sentence perfectly illustrates the perilous nature of the Embracing the Elixir.

"He was too hasty and unprepared, which is why he ended up in danger..."

The girl paused for a moment, but her smile remained bright.

"But I don't regret it. It's part of the fun of cultivation."

"Luckily, I acted on the idea as soon as it came to mind. Otherwise, if I had missed this opportunity, I don't know when I would have been able to get through this ordeal, find the acupoints, and locate the Qi Sea."

The concept of "a clear mind and a keen eye for the sword" is not just empty talk.

At that moment, Uesugi Tetsu could feel that when Ririko said those two sentences, her heart shone brightly and dazzlingly once again.

It's as if an object that has been covered in dust for a long time has been polished again, becoming crystal clear.

"Shouldn't we celebrate?" Uesugi Tetsu gestured with his chin towards her, receiving an affirmative smile from her.

But Ririko insisted on answering all his questions before discussing anything else.

"As for the seeding battle... I did decide not to participate, and I've said that to you, Uesugi-kun, several times already."

“But when I looked back after crossing the threshold of life and death, and thought about it again,” Ririko shook her head, “I realized that my thinking at the time was narrow and stubborn.”

"At the time, I thought that since the path ahead was clear, there was no point in fighting with others. It was better to sit down and calmly ponder it."

The images of the seeded players flashed before Ririko's eyes.

Her pronunciation was clear and forceful.
"Imposing 'self-righteousness' onto reality is an arrogant idea, and I was wrong!"

The girl spoke without any hesitation.
"So I now acknowledge this serious mistake and want to rejoin the seeding battle."

"It's both a practice run and an opportunity to see just how many geniuses in this vast eastern region can rival you and me."

Uesugi Tetsu held up a finger: "You should have seen this in the intelligence reports and videos."

“Seeing someone in action is one thing, but actually fighting them is another.” Ririko shrugged. “Some people are very good at hiding their true strength. You can only find out their real power by fighting them.”

"Moreover, after I reached the Core Formation stage, none of the imaginary enemies in my sword heart could beat me. If they were too strong, it would lose its realism... It's time to collect some new materials."

The girl looked up, the silver moon reflected in her eyes: "I really hope someone can defeat me."

Listening to that expectant tone, Uesugi Tetsu realized that she was still the same incredibly arrogant person, without any fundamental change.

He coughed: "Riri..."

Ririko blinked and immediately understood what Uesugi Tetsu was thinking.

She chuckled.

"Uesugi-kun, you don't think I'm just bragging, do you?"

"Isn't it?"

“Of course not… That’s exactly what I hope for,” Ririko said earnestly. “If I lose, it means there’s more to learn.”

"Isn't that the same idea that great swordsman named Sasaki Kojiro, who lived in the Warring States period, thought?"

Uesugi Tetsuya naturally knew Sasaki's name and story.

—The story goes that in the late Warring States period, there was a man named Sasaki Kojiro who loved to spar with famous swordsmen. He fought hundreds of battles throughout his life but never won. It wasn't until his battle against the then-sword saint Miyamoto Musashi on Ganryu Island that he truly became famous.

Although he was defeated, he still left a deep and terrifying scar on Miyamoto Musashi's face.

It is said that after each defeat, Sasaki Kojiro would mentally simulate the battle with that opponent until he completely defeated and killed them before moving on to find the next, stronger opponent.

Of course, this is just one version of the legend; there are many other versions as well.

Whether the story is true or not, he might only know if he himself stayed in that era for several decades.

Seeing Uesugi Tetsu's understanding expression, Ririko clicked her tongue.
“But I’m not quite the same as him. Sasaki was too cowardly. He never won once, so even after his death, he was known as the ‘Invincible Swordsman’.”

"Defeat is inevitable; but there should be more victories—defeat itself is meaningless, but the strength gained from defeat and the victory that follow are meaningful."

Ririko opened her arms, then closed them tightly.

"You should not shy away from sparring with the strong, but you should also not shy away from sparring with the weak. If you keep your eyes open, you will find that even the weakest person has something to offer."

"As for the idea that I'm invincible and no one can beat me, I naturally don't have that kind of thought now."

Ririko stuck her tongue out at him: "Not to mention anyone else, Uesugi-kun, you could beat several of me."

Uesugi Tetsu waved his hand: "It's just because my pure power is greater."

“Strong is strong, there’s no need to distinguish what it’s made of.”

Ririko leaned closer to examine Uesugi Tetsuya, then shook her head and sighed softly, "There's absolutely no hope of winning."

After listening to her entire explanation, Uesugi Tetsu nodded.

"I think I understand what you're thinking now."

That being the case...

After a very brief silence, he brought up the issue that he had been unwilling to discuss with Ririko for a long time.

"What about the Tokugawa clan? If you participate in the seeding battle and make such a public appearance, they're bound to see it and come looking for you..."

"Then come on."

The words fell lightly, yet with the unwavering resolve of ten thousand mountains.

Ririko smiled and said, "Nothing in life is a big deal. If they come after us, we'll just deal with them as they come."

"The most important thing is to have clear thoughts and not let things affect our spiritual practice before they happen."

“And also, Uesugi-kun.” Ririko looked directly into his eyes, her voice clear, “I’m about to cause you trouble.”

Uesugi Tetsuya, who had spent so much time with the other person, understood.

This is an announcement.

The decision was also placed in his hands.

Previously, Ririko had considered that the existence of "trouble" would affect Uesugi Tetsuya, so she thought it would be best not to come into contact with any unnecessary people and to train in secret.

But now she only wants her thoughts to be clear and free, and she can no longer accept that her ideas are relegated to second place because of others.

If they accept, nothing will change between them.

If Uesugi Tetsu doesn't want to accept the inevitable trouble, then Ririko will naturally respect his wishes and stop getting so close to him.

Uesugi Tetsu hummed in agreement and patted his stomach: "After talking so much, what are we having for dinner?"

Ririko's smile became even brighter.

She patted her rumbling stomach and rolled her eyes.

"I'm hungry too, and I don't want to cook."

Uesugi Tetsuya opened his mouth in astonishment.

Didn't Ririko say before that cooking is also a part of spiritual practice?

Seeing his appearance, Ririko snorted and lay down on the wooden floor: "He almost kicked the bucket just now, his limbs are still weak, so the food he made must not have tasted good."

She took out her phone, tapped a few times, and casually said, "But if it were me in the past, I would definitely choose to continue cooking and cultivating myself."

Uesugi Tetsuya also sat down and saw her fingertips moving slightly on a certain hamburger app, quickly ordering a large number of set meals.

“It’s different now.”

After another round of selection, the girl clicked the "Checkout" button: "I'm different now."

After paying, Ririko chuckled and said, "Uesugi-kun, I also ordered for you. Remember to get reimbursed later."

……

Uesugi Tetsu sat in front of a small mountain of beef burgers, peering through the gaps at the terrifying girl inside who was causing the whole burgers to disappear rapidly.

"—You just used up a lot of energy, so it's reasonable to eat a little more!"

One sentence was enough to make him hand over 50,000 yen.

While eating, Lilizi mumbled, "The pathways to the acupoints and the Qi Sea are open, but I still need to walk them slowly for a while."

"The technique of 'embracing the elixir' can be taught."

The words were muffled and unclear; only Uesugi Tetsuya, Shizuma Manatsu, and Kitano Runa could probably understand them.

"Uesugi-kun, you can now control your entire body's strength at will, and you can easily use the Spirit Condensation Technique to gather your essence, energy, and spirit, right?"

Uesugi Tetsu nodded.

"However, only when all the complex forces contained within the human body model are gathered into one point and manipulated at will can it be considered a successful elixir."

"The effect of successfully absorbing the elixir is very powerful."

She then stuffed a chicken leg straight into her mouth, chewed it a few times, and then mumbled something.
"To give an example. For instance, if your total strength is ten points, it is originally distributed in various parts, but you can only use four points in your legs and feet and two points in your hands."

However, the skill of "Baodan" allows one to exert ten parts of force in the toes and fingers at will, and even twelve parts of force in a burst of power.

With that explained, Uesugi Tetsuya understood where this superpower came from.

Absolutely invincible.

"I'll teach you myself later. I've just broken through and my understanding isn't very deep yet, so it would be too superficial to explain it in a few words."

"As ordered!"

While Ririko was eating heartily, Uesugi Tetsu took out his phone and messaged Nanjo Manami on Line, telling her that Ririko wanted to participate in the seeding battle.

The latter was naturally pleasantly surprised to hear this news and immediately took action to put Ririko's name on the Arakawa Ward's contestant list.

They even cut in line during the qualifiers and were scheduled for tomorrow.

Uesugi Tetsu asked about Karuta again, but did not get the answer he wanted—Nanjo Aimi didn't even know what those three characters meant and had never heard of them before.

After a brief thank you, Uesugi Tetsu heard the eating sounds had disappeared.

Turning her head, she found that the hamburger and chicken leg mound had disappeared, but Ririko's stomach was still as flat as ever.

It can be described as the deepest abyss in the stomach.

Ririko licked her fingers, making them shiny, and then raised her chin at Uesugi Tetsuya.

"Take off your clothes, what are you waiting for!"

She raised her hands, flexing her fingers, and leaned forward with a smile, pressing herself tightly against Uesugi Tetsuya's back.

"Uesugi-kun, let me see how much you've improved these past few days..."

(End of this chapter)