I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 337 Guarding the Nine Heavens, Alone on the Cloud Pavilion! The enraged factory owner Z, go find Spider Cutter!

The lifelike and incredibly clear mask, yet with an exceptionally soft texture, resembling natural latex, fell into Uesugi Tetsuya's hands.

He squeezed it and found that it could actually be moved; it didn't look like a mask at all.

A cold white notification popped up—

【The Mask of Jealousy - Prototype】

[Quality: Epic to Legendary]

[—The prototype mask, formed from a vast amount of "jealousy" power, will vary in quality depending on the skill of the blacksmith who forges it into the finished mask.]

Oh, I almost forgot.

After accumulating a great deal of jealousy and resentment, he still needs to find a blacksmith of at least "master" level to forge him.

The quality ranges from epic to legendary, and the difference between them is truly vast.

Even in Sheng Hai, the difference between the two can be easily distinguished by the amount of soul ash used.

The blacksmith must be the best.

However, the old blacksmith I once met is definitely nowhere to be found.

Zashiki, who was just one step away from becoming a Celestial Craftsman, is now wandering in some obscure corner of the mortal world, perhaps having completed her final Celestial Craftsmanship trial.

She said that if fate allows, they can meet again, but heaven knows how long it will take until that fate arrives.

Then ask the black book if it knows where the zashiki is.

If the coordinates can be determined, once the progress value of [Mask of Resentment] is full, tear the other half of [Round-trip Ticket for the Train] and go directly to the Zashiki's house.

The one-month validity period for the round-trip ticket is almost up...

Thinking of this, Uesugi Tetsu blinked, seemingly lost in thought.

As Minamoto Shizumi approached, her gaze shifted slightly, landing on the Jealousy Mask that Uesugi Tetsu had suddenly pulled out.

In an instant, a subtle, inexplicable, and rootless feeling of jealousy rose in Yuan Jingshui's heart.

Karuta and Nisha-sama, who were behind them, happened not to see Jealous Mask because of the angle, which saved Uesugi Tetsuya some trouble.

Yuan Jingshui stopped in her tracks, noticing the change in her state of mind, and spent a moment erasing this strange emotional fluctuation from her heart.

Fortunately, she didn't have anything to be jealous of at the moment; otherwise, it would have been troublesome to eradicate this subtle emotion once it seeped into the incident.

She frowned and asked Uesugi Tetsu seriously, "Uesugi-kun, what are you holding in your hand... This thing can easily arouse the jealousy of outsiders."

It's very dangerous.

"Oh, this is the [emotional material] I gathered using special Yin-Yang techniques. I'll use it to work on the branches of Yin-Yang techniques I have in the future."

Uesugi Tetsu casually brushed it off, saying that Minamoto Shizumi knew nothing about Yin-Yang techniques anyway.

However, since it was a bit dangerous, he simply flipped his hand and put it away.

"By the way, Miss Yuan."

Uesugi Tetsu stepped out of the door, looked up at Minamoto Shizumi, and asked,
"Does your Yuan family have any skilled blacksmiths? They can help me turn a rough prototype of a prop into a finished product. The payment is negotiable."

After thinking for a while, Yuan Jingshui replied, "As for blacksmiths, Uesugi-kun, with your position in the Special Affairs Department, you should be able to find someone similar, or even better."

She hesitated for a moment, then continued.

"Of course, there was a rumor in the family that three hundred years ago, a grandmaster who was famous at the time has survived to this day."

However, I don't know if this rumor is true or false—even if it is, this grandmaster would only awaken and see the light once every ten years or so.

Yuan Jingshui closed her eyes briefly and shrugged slightly.

"I have never seen a Grandmaster since I was born."

That's a pity.

Uesugi Tetsu sighed softly, then smiled at her: "Please go."

Karuto, standing a few meters behind him, wrote down all the key points of their conversation in his notebook.

The two-foot-tall man beside her crossed his arms indignantly, thinking to himself that Lord Che was incredibly learned, resourceful, and wise; he would never forget anything, would he?

This vixen is putting on airs... she's so annoying!

Even though the two-foot-tall man had a thousand grievances against Ge Liu in his heart, he didn't say a word at this moment.

Lord Che is about to meet the Sword Saint, so I can't cause him any trouble at this time!
As a qualified empress (self-proclaimed), of course I have to manage the home front well for my husband (thinking to myself).

Uesugi Tetsu and Minamoto Shizumi walked to the front of the Minamoto family's house and got into a private, extended black MPV. Karuta and Nisha-sama followed closely behind and sat in the back row.

This MPV has undergone professional soundproofing and leak prevention treatment. Not only can you not hear any outside noise as soon as you enter the passenger seat, but it is also completely isolated from the driver's seat.

They can observe the driver through the one-way black glass, but the driver cannot observe in the opposite direction.

The interior of the car was even engraved with many spells targeting spiritual power and qi, which together formed an extremely complex miniature barrier, making even Uesugi Tetsuya feel somewhat constrained.

After the electric door closed automatically, the car started smoothly, as if gliding out on the ground.

Minamoto Shizumi sat in the seat directly opposite Uesugi Tetsuya, glanced at his two shikigami in the back seat, and spoke calmly.
"When you go to see the Sword Saint later, it's best to go alone and not bring your family. Just leave them in my car."

"Understood." Uesugi Tetsu nodded without asking any questions.

But after waiting a while, there was no further news, so he couldn't help but ask Yuan Jingshui out of curiosity, "What's the reason?"

Uesugi Tetsu then added, "If it's inconvenient, it's okay not to say."

Yuan Jingshui was silent for a while, then said in the silence, "When I was little, my older sister and I went to see the contemporary Sword Saint."

"And I was the one who was taken up there..."

Yuan Jingshui stopped talking after saying this, and gave Uesugi Tetsuya a look, letting him figure it out for himself.

Although Uesugi Tetsuya might not be able to say much after he understood, he had already asked.

So he pressed on, "And then what?"

Yuan Jingshui shook her head, put her index finger to her lips, and gently shushed him.
"To avoid offending those in positions of authority."

Her gaze was deep and unfathomable.

"If you say any more, that person will notice, and that will only do you harm, not benefit you, Uesugi-kun."

Uesugi Tetsu noticed that Minamoto Shizumizu's title had changed from "Sword Saint" to "that person".

He had clearly said that he was no less than a sword saint. Both the elders of the Minamoto clan and Nanjo Manami had casually mentioned the word "sword saint" to him.

So, this sword saint is that amazing?

In this car with excellent privacy, even if he and Yuan Jingshui exchanged a few words, the Sword Saint could sense it.
Even the strongest sword saint is still just a human, not one of those gods in mythology with titles who can only stay in the depths of the mortal world... It's not like he hasn't seen Shangquan before.

Uesugi Tetsuya couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Does the Sword Saint consider this world to be some kind of drama that unfolds at will?
After a long silence in the car, Uesugi Tetsu asked again, "If we talk about your older sister, Minamoto Shinsui, and say bad things about her, will she notice?"

"will not."

Without even thinking, Yuan Jingshui answered.

"Ok."

Uesugi Tetsu replied helplessly. It seems that even if Zeng Yijian came from the west, the source water of the Heavenly Immortal was still far inferior to that of this Sword Saint.

Information about the Sword Saint is completely shrouded in mystery.

So, how exactly did Gen Shinsui defeat the contemporary sword saint when he was a child...? Surely it wasn't because dozens of qualifiers were added before "defeated"? Unable to figure it out, Uesugi Tetsu decided to stop thinking about it.

He stopped talking, leaned back, and cast his wandering gaze at the streets that retained much of their old-world charm compared to Tokyo.

But in reality, he was organizing the tips and insights he had gained from the past two days of practice.

First is the Wanling furnace core with automatic hanging function.

The number of Zhou Tianyan seeds has increased from twelve to eighteen, and they have all been interconnected, seemingly at an accelerated pace.

The Five Thunder Laws increased my proficiency by a little over 300 points, likely because the Yuan family's spiritual energy concentration was higher than the outside world, resulting in a very good benefit.

[Five Thunder Techniques - Qi Harmony (Expert 2654/5600)] → [Five Thunder Techniques - Qi Harmony (Expert 2991/5600)]

Of course, he also gained a lot from his research on spiritual energy at the Yuan family these past two days, and realized that the strange changes in the concentration of spiritual energy were not caused by the barrier or the Yin-Yang technique.

Rather, it is related to the "rhythm" of space.

It's like... an extension and practical application of the Return to the Abyss Breathing Technique.

Although the research was abruptly cut off by "Guiyuan," the proficiency of the Spirit Control Technique increased by more than 500 points.

[Spirit Control Technique - Qi (Master 5621/8000)] → [Spirit Control Technique - Qi (Master 6151/8000)]

This is master-level proficiency, which is far more valuable than expert-level proficiency.

[Through the life-giving guidance of the Eight Hundred Bhikkhunis, the progress of your inner spiritual potential has advanced!]

[Current progress: 36/108]

The value of Yaobikuni's half heart continues to be realized, and it will play an indispensable role in his spiritual practice for the foreseeable future.

Sure enough, by eating, drinking, and breathing, he has already opened up the thirty-six major acupoints of the Life River Breathing Technique, and even mastered the first layer of [steel reinforcement] in the casting stage.

[Your Corona Respiratory Technique - Reinforcement Casting Stage - Reinforcement Complete!]

Your meridian strength has increased moderately!

[Your physique +2! ]

[Your physical strength has slightly increased because you completed the steel reinforcement stage!]

Now, if you look through Uesugi Tetsuya's fair skin, you can clearly see the bluish-green veins, and it seems that there is no difference from before.

In reality, once the steel bars are formed, every meridian in Uesugi Tetsuya's body becomes "soft as dough and hard as steel".

It can better supply energy to all parts of the body, better withstand heavy blood, strong flesh and the tidal wave of spiritual energy, and relieve pressure on all parts of the body.

The next step is [Python Tendon].

This makes the body's meridians resemble a giant python in a rainforest, surpassing even steel, an inflexible and lifeless substance, and also paving the way for the final "dragon tendon" of the cast tendons.

As for which is more powerful, the carbon-based biological "python" or the industrial crystallization "steel," there's no need to elaborate.

—If a giant python cultivates itself to become an ordinary ghost or god, it can shatter any steel in this world with a single whip!

Once the tendons are cast, the second major stage of this breathing technique, the Palace of Flesh, is truly complete.

From skin, bone, flesh... to tendons, the final closed loop is completed!

As for the four ultimate forms, they are simply further enhancements on this basis and will not affect the foundation.

Uesugi Tetsu had a premonition that if he completed the entire tendon-casting process, his physical body would undergo a fundamental change.

Even if it doesn't elevate the essence of life as much as becoming a ghost or deity, it's probably not that far off.

Aside from that, Uesugi Tetsu mainly practiced swordsmanship with Minamoto Shizumizu.

Having not practiced swordsmanship for a long time, he gained a lot from it. Moreover, with the help of Yuan Jingshui, a junior in swordsmanship, he also made a small breakthrough in his Natural Rishin-ryu style.

[Natural Mind-Body Flow (Expert 2633/10000)] → [Natural Mind-Body Flow (Expert 3000/10000)]

【Linzi Jue (11.004%)】→【Linzi Jue (13.104%)】

The "Lin" technique involves observing and learning in one's spare time; the improvement is negligible...

As the MPV gradually slowed down, Uesugi Tetsu could see the crowd around him increase in number, then decrease again, until now he could barely see anyone.

Even now, buildings have been replaced by vast areas of vegetation.

"Is it almost time?"

he asks.

……

"It can't reach it! It can't reach it! This power just can't reach it!"

Inside the core factory deep within the Eternal World, Z, the factory owner who was once dressed in a suit, wearing a monocle, and was known for his refined manners, was now furiously smashing the desk in front of him.

— He was terrified by the group of eccentric doctors he had invited.

No matter what methods he tried, what remedies he used, or how many Onmyoji and demons he consulted, he could not get his lost right eyeball back!

The loss of eyesight and appearance is minor, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter.

But the loss of strength is great!

Ever since the ruins of the former Karuta factory were slashed by that damned sword, the power of his right eyeball seemed to have been fundamentally devoured and erased by something, leaving him forever!
He was already not high up in the ranks of factory owners, and now he'll be ranked even lower!

Who knows what those vampires will do to him once they find out...

It took factory owner Z a while to calm down again.

He waved his hand and drove away all the doctors who had come up with such blunders, paying double the amount originally agreed upon.

Factory owner Z let out a long sigh, lay back in his office chair, and closed his eyes.

After a long while, Z opened his indifferent left eye and gazed at the dark sky.
"The one who tied the knot must untie it..."

"I'll send someone to investigate the six-tailed fox in my room, but it's most likely dead and mutilated."

"The key is that katana, with a deep blue blade and a blood-red spider-like sword inlaid on the hilt."

"Tell me immediately if you have any news or discoveries."

A few seconds later, after confirming that factory owner Z had no further requests, a mechanical voice came from the void.

"I will obey the Lord's commands in everything."

……

"To be precise, we've arrived."

As Yuan Jingshui finished speaking, the MPV they were in came to a smooth stop without the slightest braking sensation.

The door opens automatically.

Uesugi Tetsu stepped out of the car and looked around at the misty surroundings, but found nothing.

Yuan Jingshui's extremely calm voice, tinged with a subtle sense of awe, flowed from behind him.

"The absolute center of Kyoto, the residence of the sword saints of all ages, and the nine-layered heavenly gate built to the highest standards."

Uesugi Tetsu looked up in the direction of the sound and saw that faint, yet undeniably present, golden light that peeked out from the clouds high in the sky.

"—【Cloud Pavilion】."

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(End of this chapter)