I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 277 The Strength of Spirit Control Technique! Sword Saint Shangquan's "Forbidden Hand," Huijue Appears, Jizo Statue Returns!

Using the young form of the Sword Saint, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, as a whetstone, tsk tsk, it seems only I could do something so extravagant.

Having a swordsman as a sparring partner will definitely unleash all of my current potential.

However, before that, we need to thoroughly explore the master-level spirit control techniques.

As the thought crossed his mind, the spiritual energy of normal concentration was rapidly compressed and purified within Uesugi Tetsuya, transforming into a pool of semi-transparent, pure liquid spiritual energy in a mere fraction of a second.

Uesugi Tetsu manipulated his spiritual energy, silently thinking, "Now, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is no different from a physical entity to me."

It is no different in essence from water, air, or stone; as long as Uesugi Tetsu can think of it, he can do most things with it.

Or rather, to play with them at will.

This is fundamentally different from the previous "mysterious power that can only absorb and replenish the spiritual energy in the body".

Uesugi Tetsu glanced at Kaga Kiyomitsu, who was dazed by the spiritual energy beside him.

He beckoned with his finger, pulling out some of the spiritual energy that had seeped into the blade, which immediately startled Kaga Kiyomitsu awake, causing him to utter indistinct sounds.

"Ugh! Master, what happened!"

Uesugi Tetsu didn't reply, staring thoughtfully at the wisp of spiritual power on his fingertip that originally belonged to Kaga Kiyomitsu.

—It can even manipulate other people's spiritual power remotely.

Ordinary Onmyoji need to first release spiritual power outside their body to construct Onmyoji incantations, whether they are clumsy or skilled, before releasing the Onmyoji spells.

In this way, an ordinary Onmyoji would be no different from an ordinary person when facing him, and even a master would likely be held back and have their attention diverted.

As for the protective energy...

Although no one tried it, Uesugi Tetsuya did some mental testing and still felt it might not work.

Unlike spiritual energy released outside the body, the circulation of Qi first forms a highly complete Qi cycle.

—The vast majority of the reactions of the Qi are completed within the protection of this cycle.

But this is only for now.

Since Gang Qi is also "Qi", theoretically it can definitely be manipulated using the Spirit Control Technique: Qi.

It's just that I've only just broken through to this level and haven't figured out the method yet.

"Nanjo-nee is a member of the Nanjo family, so she should also practice spirit control techniques, but I don't know what level she is at..."

Uesugi Tetsu stroked his chin, thinking, "Is he a 'master' like me, or even higher?"

He recalled the scene of the red tide sweeping through Arakawa Ward.

At that time, Nanjo Manami had not yet broken free from the shackles of demons and gods, but Uesugi Tetsu believed that he could not cause such a commotion.

The gap still exists, but it has visibly narrowed.

Uesugi Tetsuya activated his Spirit Control Technique again, inspecting his entire body. He discovered that the situation where his body absorbed spiritual energy on its own and accumulated and blocked it was no longer present.

This is as it should be.

Now that Uesugi Tetsuya's body is "following the will of others," the effects related to spiritual energy are naturally inevitable.

Besides, from Uesugi Tetsu's current perspective, Flame Armor is indeed not a very profound Yin-Yang technique.

The so-called Flame Armor is simply a connection of five Flame Seeds using spiritual power and some astronomical runes, and its variations are relatively simple.

However, the "Flame Seed" is an ingeniously designed semi-automatic spiritual energy structure, which explains why it became the foundation for the subsequent "Zhou Tian Flame Armor".

Unfortunately, Uesugi Tetsu didn't have much knowledge of astronomy, so even though he felt that the Flame Armor could be improved, he didn't know where to start.

Uesugi Tetsu clenched his fist and transformed all the remaining spiritual energy in the room into a small, spinning ball.

That's all the master-level spirit control techniques he can think of right now; there are still many more uses to be discovered and developed.

Those in-depth techniques and skills will probably only be discovered under special circumstances.

But no matter what, Uesugi Tetsuya feels very strong right now.

Very cool.

All the strength in his body was used as if it were his own arm, without wasting a single bit of it.

It feels good to have complete control over yourself.

He breathed a sigh of relief: "I'll enhance the Qi circulation again later."

Now, naturally, it's time to see the Sword Saint we haven't seen in so long.

Uesugi Tetsu subconsciously touched his neck and sat down again.

He could sense that spiritual energy was no longer flowing into the secret room—Nanjo Manami naturally knew that she had already broken through, and the magic seals on the ground were also glowing, so she could be teleported back at any time.

Uesugi Tetsu stopped thinking about it, closed his eyes, and pretended to be meditating as he entered the projection secret realm.

……

A pure white world unfolds.

His casual gaze fell on Uesugi Tetsuya after a long absence... or more precisely, on the forty-meter-long cleaver.

The young man chuckled smugly: "If that knife comes down, I'll definitely die."

Uesugi Tetsu shook his head, tossed the cleaver—capable of easily destroying even demons and gods in this space—into a corner, and then said to the boy,
"I will not use this sword, Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami Hidetsuna."

"Oh? You know me?"

The young man, Izumi, widened his eyes slightly as he looked at Uesugi Tetsuya, but couldn't recall when he had seen this face before.

Uesugi Tetsuya didn't say much either.

He simply transformed into a four-tailed fox right before Kamiizumi's eyes, donned the Hannya Mask, activated the Rin-no-Kimi technique, and then took out Kaga Kiyomitsu, summoning the Flame Armor on his body.

Finally, using the Spirit Control Technique, he gathered all the spiritual energy in the white space above his head, transforming it into a bright blue sphere crackling with electric arcs.

After completing everything in an instant, Uesugi Tetsuya, who was breathing and moving freely, even took a moment to check the changes on his attribute panel.

【Uesugi Tetsu】

[Physique: 74→122]

[Willpower: 54 → 80]

[Charm: 13→28]

[Spiritual Arts: 71 → 131]

The dual attributes have already exceeded 100, and even the willpower attribute is approaching the triple digit mark.

When Uesugi Tetsu came to his senses, he found that Izumi, who was standing not far away, had already drawn his somewhat tattered katana.

He gripped the sword hilt with both hands.

Uesugi Tetsu remembered that before this, all the Uesugi Nobutsunas he had met had only held a sword in one hand, with a nonchalant demeanor.

But this time is different.

The four-tailed fox, its face covered by a demon mask, looked up and met the gaze of that solemn and puzzled man.

This time, Nobutsuna Kamiizumi was fully prepared.

In fact, this small change alone is enough to prove that Uesugi Tetsu has grown in strength.

But since he was already here, he had to test his sword against the young swordsman's to see who was sharper.

In the brief silence, Uesugi Tetsu heard Izumi Nobutsuna ask in confusion, "Are you human or a demon?"

"Does it matter? I just want to know through you, Kamiizumi, whether I am stronger than you."

Uesugi Tetsu countered calmly, "Whether I am human or demon, will it change anything?"

"This is the first time I've seen someone like you; it's just out of curiosity."

Uezumi clicked his tongue and nodded: "You're very strong."

"I am Kamiizumi Ise no Kami Hidetsuna, and I will surely become a sword saint in the future, the strongest and unparalleled man in the millennium... And you, state your name."

The future Sword Saint said this.

The unexpected turn of events caught Uesugi Tetsu off guard—when he fought Izumi before, Izumi had always referred to him as a "seeker of the Way." Was it because his strength had reached a certain level that the recognition had been triggered?

“Uesugi Tetsu,” Uesugi Tetsu said.

"A strange name... but I'll remember it."

Kamiizumi muttered to himself.

The young, black-haired boy silently lowered his eyes and then opened them again, and an intense, unparalleled light poured out of his pupils like a torrent.

An intense, almost tangible, energy swept over Uesugi Tetsuya.

Kamiizumi grinned menacingly, revealing a smile more terrifying than any demon's, a smile of insatiable greed.
"Uesugi Tetsu... let me taste what you really taste like!"

As the last syllable fell, the blade, coated with a sticky, pale substance, emerged from the intertwined lightning and fire.

The three sharp blades of light merged into one amidst the blurred trail of fire.

Yaegaki!
Natural rational flow three-stage breakthrough!

With a speed so fast that even the human retina cannot detect it, Kaga Kiyomitsu pierced straight into Kamiizumi's eye in the stillness.

The next moment.

The surging lightning was dispersed by the suddenly expanding qi circulation, and the flame armor that had turned into flowing fire outside the body was compressed to the surface and turned into crystals.

Kaga Kiyomitsu, who was just about to come into contact with the blade, was already fully visible to Kamiizumi.

A hint of surprise flashed across the bottom of Kamiizumi's eyes.

"caught you."

The tattered katana was slightly reversed and raised.

Then, as if traversing space, it directly touched Kaga Kiyomitsu's blade and deflected it upwards!

The last come first!

fast!
Kamiizumi's sword is too fast!

Even the Eye of Deciphering couldn't detect the afterimage!
Feeling his own strength being forcibly guided upwards, Uesugi Tetsu narrowed his eyes and, without any hesitation, detonated the lightning ball above his head that was filled with terrifying spiritual power.

Boom! ! !
The azure quickly turned into deep purple, and then into a purplish-black that carried a strong aura of destruction.

The sudden explosion of magma almost completely covered the ground of the entire space.

So, who was the person who was the second closest to the center of the thunderstorm?

Uesugi Tetsuya, who was unharmed, looked up and saw tattered, charred strips of cloth dangling in mid-air.

“Dual cultivation of spirit and martial arts… Although it is mentioned in ancient books, this is the first time I have ever seen it with my own eyes.”

Holding the broken sword, the equally unharmed youth made no attempt to hide the admiration in his words.

He stared intently at Uesugi Tetsuya: "Lord Uesugi... you are the first among my peers to force me to use a 'forbidden technique' in the very first move."

The so-called forbidden techniques are a series of moves that a master sets for themselves that they cannot normally use, in order to accommodate ordinary people, because the master's strength is so great.

Otherwise, the battle would end too quickly and be too boring.

Take a sumo wrestler as an example—during the Edo period, there was a sumo wrestler named "Raiden Tamemon." Because he was so strong, he was not allowed to use common techniques such as "Arata," "Tekhou," and "Mado-boku." Using them would be considered a foul.

And the forbidden hand of Kamiizumi Nobutsuna during his youth...

"It's the Sword Domain."

It was precisely because of the Sword Domain that Shangquan did not suffer serious injuries during the baptism of lightning.

Uesugi Tetsu subconsciously circulated and contracted his Flame Armor and Qi to the surface of his body to guard against blades that might attack from all directions.

But after waiting for several seconds, the expected attack did not come.

Seeing this, Uesugi tilted his head curiously: "Lord Uesugi, have you seen other sword domains, so you're guarding against the moves of that sword domain?"

"Yes."

“Then you may be disappointed,” Izumi said, “because everyone’s sword domain is completely different.”

Uesugi Tetsu instinctively asked, "Just like Kenshin?"

Kamiizumi's eyes were filled with curiosity: "Yes, just like Kenshin... Can you tell me about the sword domain and swordsmanship of the person you met?"

Uesugi Tetsuya naturally wouldn't spoil the selfless swordsman's sparring pleasure.

He spent about ten seconds briefly summarizing Ririko's situation with Izumi.

"I see. A sword heart that is about my age, a sword domain that is complete and flawless, and a sword heart that shines like the sun... I really want to see it with my own eyes."

Kamiizumi swallowed hard, then sighed softly.

"It's a pity we won't be able to see it."

After a moment, he looked directly at Uesugi Tetsuya and said, "My sword domain is a perception that is sufficient to reach the divine. I can perceive everything within the scope of the sword domain."

The boy gleefully raised the broken sword and brought it down on Uesugi Tetsuya's throat from a great distance.
"Including your thoughts, Lord Uesugi."

"In that case... let's settle this head-on."

Uesugi Tetsu took a deep breath, squeezing out all the available spiritual energy within his body and transforming it into lightning to block any possible retreat by Uesugi Izumi.

Force him to confront himself head-on.

A few seconds later, Uesugi Tetsu silently moved his toes forward an inch.

—The Secret Technique of Natural Mind-Style: The Sword of No-Knowledge!
Without any warning, Uesugi Tetsuya's strongest technique, along with endless lightning, locked onto that lone figure.

“Well done!!!”

Kamiizumi's eyes widened, and he excitedly absorbed the aura of death pouring into every part of his body from all directions.

……

Within the secret room.

Uesugi Tetsu opened his eyes, who was sitting cross-legged.

He first touched his chest, then his neck.

"pity……"

In the final moments, Kazumi's chest had been cleaved open by Kazumi, and his heart was exposed to the air.

It was just a tiny, almost imperceptible difference that would have severed his heart and the lower half of his neck as his head hit the ground.

However, considering the "divine perception" sword domain that Kamiizumi mentioned earlier, this little bit might be an insurmountable abyss.

This was an outcome the other party had anticipated.

So how exactly did Kamiizumi's sword become faster than his own Mumei sword? Was it some kind of secret technique of the Yin-ryu school?
And then there's this sword strike that managed to find the weakest point in the Flame Armor, the Qi Circulation, and the three layers of physical protection... I really thank you for helping me eliminate these hidden dangers.

After silently criticizing it a couple more times in his mind, Uesugi Tetsu thought to himself,
"However, if the 'rage' attribute is doubled, I can definitely win easily, and even defeating two or three younger versions of Izumi would not be a problem."

Once again, he fought against the young Nobutsuna Kamiizumi. Although it was only a two or three-round battle, it greatly benefited Uesugi Tetsuya.

At the same time, they also fully understood the position of their abilities.

Now, I am someone who is well-known even among ghosts and gods. I wouldn't dare to say I'm in the top tier, but I am definitely among the very top.

Even a dozen or so ordinary three-star or three-and-a-half-star enemies would be easily dispatched by him like chopping melons and vegetables.

Uesugi Tetsu breathed a sigh of relief.

—But as he himself is making progress, others are certainly making progress as well.

This point cannot be ignored.

……

Inside the Special Affairs Office building.

Just as Nanjo Manami had chased away the lurking rats, a bald monk dressed in tattered clothes, his body covered in crimson flesh and blood, leaped into the room through the window.
"Huijue? How did you get yourself into this state?"

She frowned slightly, then looked at the Ksitigarbha statue in Huijue's arms, which was completely unharmed and covered with densely packed Sanskrit characters that were emitting a faint light.

(End of this chapter)