I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 339 A Sword Saint's Words, A Dream of a Vast World—Sword Skill and Sword Theory Both Reached 49%! Okabe Motonobu Comes Knocking!
what happened?
Uesugi Tetsu stood still, his pupils unfocused and dilated.

It feels like, with just the blink of an eye, I've returned to this place from behind the veil, right in front of the Sword Saint...

Is that right?

Miyamoto Musashi, who had moved closer, carefully examined the dazed young man.

The gaze of this former swordsman from the late Warring States period gradually shifted from greed at the sight of delicacies to curiosity and excitement at witnessing the birth of the Manchu Han Imperial Feast.

Seeing that Uesugi Tetsuya's eyes were still vacant and his thoughts were scattered, Miyamoto Musashi withdrew his protruding head and began to walk around Uesugi Tetsuya in circles.

It's like they're marking out territory and protecting their food.

Uesugi Tetsuya was still in a daze.

He was still wondering what had just happened.

It seems that they have been through a lot.

This feeling is somewhat similar to the time I experienced the branch of Wanxiang...

wrong.

There is a fundamental difference between the two.

The time I was at the Wanxiang branch, after regaining my senses, I forgot everything in just a few seconds, only remembering the fact that I had "experienced a lot".

But this time, those memories, which were like bubbles, became clearer and more real as time went by.

Uesugi Tetsu blinked, and the memories of "witnessing" surged past "before his eyes" like a vast ocean current.

He practiced asceticism in the mountains.

They went down the mountain to fight again.

He wandered the earth, traversed mountains and rivers, tested his sword across the land, and walked alone on the path of seeking truth...

wrong.

Such a simple, superficial memory was instantly rejected by Uesugi Tetsuya.

Everything is becoming clearer and clearer.

—He spent a hundred years cultivating in seclusion in a remote mountain village during the Heian period. Seeing the world in chaos and demons running rampant, he descended the mountain to slaughter all the night demons and used their blood to consecrate his sword.

—He wandered alone across the wild lands of the Warring States period, testing his swordsmanship with sword masters and dojo masters from various schools, exchanging his life's learning.

—During the Edo period, he boasted that he could challenge the best fighters in the world on his own, and he never lost.

—He was born again in the Meiji era, and once again retreated to a remote mountain village, where he has been practicing asceticism ever since.

This long journey of a thousand years, this vast memory of a thousand years, even under Uesugi Tetsu's extremely careful "observation," was practically identical to the real thing.

Rather, it's true.

On the contrary, his conversation with the sword saint who had been hiding behind the curtain and had never shown himself seemed unreal, like a mirage.

This huge and contrasting sense of separation and dislocation was exactly the same as when he could see the Sword Saint's presence but could not sense him.

"Fortunately, it doesn't make people feel the actual weight and significance of time..."

Uesugi Tetsu breathed a sigh of relief.

If this thousand-year-old memory hadn't fallen so abruptly as an outsider, he might have actually transformed into someone who "can't tell, really can't tell."

Despite the nauseating and disconcerting feeling in his heart, and with his mind still not back to normal and not yet fully absorbing all the memories, Uesugi Tetsuya began to scan away the prompts that were obscuring his vision, layer by layer.

This first set of clues was a prefix he had never seen before.

[You've traveled the world in your dreams, testing your sword skills across the land, learning from the strengths of countless masters! You've gained a completely new understanding of "swordsmanship"!]

I... have traveled through the vast world in my dreams?
Before Uesugi Tetsuya could even process what was happening, his gaze was completely drawn to the gleaming silver "49%" 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 has reached 49%, your understanding of "Sword Skill" has been greatly enhanced!]

[Due to your unique skill trait, Sword Skill has reached 49%, your understanding of everything related to swords has been greatly enhanced!]

[Due to your trait, Sword Skill has reached 49%, the damage of all your sword skills has been greatly increased!]

Since he unlocked the new characteristic of "sword skills and sword principles" in the Warring States period, he has only managed to get his sword skills to "9%" through sheer luck.

But how did it suddenly become 49%?

It increased by more than five times!
"I dreamt of traversing the vast universe, within the realm of illusion..."

Uesugi Tetsu pondered the prefix for a moment, then looked to the other side.

[You traversed the vast universe in a dreamlike state, meditating in the mountains amidst illusions, and comprehending the profound mysteries of the sword! You gained a completely new understanding of the "principles of the sword"!]

Your trait, Sword Principle (19%), has now been changed to Sword Principle (49%)!!!

Again?!
Another dream journey through the vast world!?
[Due to your unique ability, Sword Principle, reaching 49%, your understanding of "Sword Principle" has been greatly deepened!]

[Due to your unique ability, Sword Principle, reaching 49%, your understanding of everything related to swords has been greatly enhanced!]

[Due to your Sword Theory trait reaching 49%, the damage of all your sword skills has been greatly increased!]

[Due to your Sword Principles trait reaching 49%, you have mastered the knowledge related to "Sword Domain"!]

Staring blankly as his swordsmanship and swordsmanship principles surged to two dazzling silver "49%" in the blink of an eye, Uesugi Tetsuya felt a little lightheaded and unreal for a moment.

Right, this feeling...

Uesugi Tetsu realized it.

Just like—that moment when I witnessed the long river of memories.

Yes.

That's it!

Uesugi Tetsuya wasn't stupid. The moment he realized what was happening, he understood that the prompts that popped up in front of him were the result of his actions over the past thousand years.

Moreover, it goes far beyond that.

[Because your traits - Sword Skill and Sword Theory both reach 49%, you have gained a new understanding of the profound meaning of the Natural Reason School - Sword of Nobunaga!]

[You have grasped the new profound meaning of the Natural Reasoning School: Sword of Nobunaga - Emptiness!]

[You have grasped the new essence of Natural Mindfulness Flow: May Rain!]

The Sword of No Knowledge: Emptiness is a further advancement of the Sword of No Knowledge: Concealment that he originally mastered. It is said to be able to turn a slash into nothingness and pass through all obstacles.

However, we'll have to wait for Uesugi Tetsu to try it out himself to find out the specifics.

May Rain is the best alternative to "Gate" in the Natural Rishin-ryu style.

If we say that the three-stage thrust can be used to thrust at three different enemies at once.

The "May rain" is like a sudden downpour in May, capable of striking in all directions and at all angles in an instant, penetrating every nook and cranny.

Is it considered an area-of-effect (AoE) skill?
Uesugi Tetsu wasn't quite sure; the memories were too long, and this amount of time was simply not enough to integrate them.

Speaking of "Natural Mind Flow"...

[You have traversed countless worlds in your dreams, wielding your sword for a thousand years within illusions, and attained enlightenment in a single moment! Your skill, Natural Mind-Body Flow proficiency +5000!!!]

[Natural Mind-Body Flow (Expert 3000/10000) → Natural Mind-Body Flow (Expert 8000/10000)!]

Because your proficiency in the skill "Natural Mind Style" has increased dramatically, your understanding of all Natural Mind Style techniques has deepened dramatically!
At the same time, the damage of all Natural Mind Control techniques is greatly increased!

Five thousand points.

In the blink of an eye, in just a moment of distraction, he had actually surpassed the long period of arduous training he had previously undergone.

A profound understanding of swordsmanship was flowing into Uesugi Tetsuya's heart like a gentle stream, enabling him to take a giant leap forward in swordsmanship every second.

Before long, he will be close to mastering the "Master-level" Natural Flow of Mind.

Moreover, although most of the above are related to the progress of Kendo, they are not limited to the improvement of Kendo.

[You've traversed countless worlds in your dreams, honing your skills through the coldest winters and hottest summers! Utilizing your skill, Yaegaki, you've shattered millions of fallen leaves; your proficiency level has now reached "Expert"!]

【Yaegaki (expert)】

[Effect: Achieve results instantly upon request.]

[Like a dream, like lightning.]

The techniques that were once taught to him by the master of Saienji Temple at the Yagyu Dojo have now been formally mastered.

Even with the strictest requirements, one can still reach a level of "transmission without permission" within this footwork.

Uesugi Tetsuya vaguely "remembered" that he seemed to have used the Yaegaki technique most of the time while traveling through this dream world.

In addition, experiences related to mental dreams can also significantly improve one's state of mind and willpower.

[You have dreamt of a vast world, witnessing emperors and generals, life and death, and unparalleled achievements within your dreams… Your state of mind has been greatly elevated!]

[Your Willpower +20!]

[Your state of mind has reached the peak of the advanced stage of Mindfulness: Unity, but because you do not possess the "Embryo of the Heart," your state of mind level cannot be further improved.]

Your state of mind level remains unchanged for now.

[Middle Section: The Unity of Man and Sword (Like a mirror, refined a hundred times, returning to oneness).]

[Current Mental State Level: Intermediate - Mirror-like - Unity] [Note: Before finding the "Embryo of the Heart," the mental state level cannot be formally raised to "Unity."]

His state of mind has now reached its peak, achieving the pinnacle of unity between man and sword.

He was almost at the threshold of sword heart enlightenment.

Unfortunately, the embryo of the heart is still not formed—Uesugi Tetsu "remembers" that he had too many opportunities in the vast world of dreams to forge a qualified, or even exceptionally high-quality, embryo of the heart.

But he chose to give up these opportunities time and time again.

For him, this "testimony" must have enough weight to form the embryo of his mind that will shape his future state of mind.

If it can't be perfect, then I'd rather it not be.

Intuition told Uesugi Tetsuya.

The answer he sought was still from the Warring States period, five hundred years ago.

You dream of traversing the vast universe, rising and falling within illusions amidst the grand sweep of history!

[Your Demon Incarnation - Hundred-Eyed Demon's Heavenly Path Trial progress has been greatly increased!]

[Hyakume (Current Trial Progress: 5.41%) → Hyakume (Current Trial Progress: 18.88%)!]

When Uesugi Tetsu saw that the progress of the Heavenly Path Trial had only increased by a little over thirteen percent, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Compared to the other aspects that are strongly related to swordsmanship, this improvement is quite normal.

—It should be because this “dream of the vast world” cannot be considered true reality, otherwise, he would have completed the heavenly trial of ascending to godhood long ago, after walking through history and experiencing thousands of years of ups and downs.

Finally, there's the "Lin" (临) technique.

[You've traveled through countless dreams, gaining profound insights into the character "临" (Lin) within its illusory realm! This has significantly deepened your understanding of it, increasing your mastery of the "临" technique by 6.895%!]

[Linzi Jue (13.104%) → Linzi Jue (19.999%)]

[Note: Your mastery of the "Lin" technique cannot be improved at this time...]

The Linzi Jue method doesn't offer any new features, and it's stuck at "19.999%", which seems like a major hurdle.

[Note] There seems to be something else after it, but Uesugi Tetsuya doesn't have time to read it now.

Because Musashi's large face had come close to him again, and he noticed that his pupils had refocused.

Uesugi Tetsu took a deep breath, ignoring Musashi who was circling around him and scrutinizing him. Instead, he took out his phone from his pocket, prepared for several days or even weeks to have passed, and glanced at the time on it.

But the answer was far beyond what Uesugi Tetsuya had expected.

Because of the time displayed on the phone...

Only five minutes had passed.

That's right, five minutes—including the two or three minutes he spent talking with the Sword Saint.

This unusual sense of disorientation made Uesugi Tetsuya pull up the Avatar Advancement Panel and take a look, only to find that only a negligible amount of time had indeed passed.

The Rotten Chessman.

These three words inexplicably surfaced in Uesugi Tetsu's mind.

A game of chess on the mountain, a hundred years have passed down the mountain.

However, his experience was exactly the opposite.

A thousand years have passed inside the Cloud Pavilion, but outside... only five minutes have gone by.

This sword saint's words were enough to make people dream for a thousand years, like golden rules and the laws of heaven and earth.

That's truly terrifying.

A great terror spread through Uesugi Tetsuya's heart, which he memorized and then swept away completely.

This is indeed a power that I cannot comprehend in my current state.

With this in mind, Uesugi Tetsu stopped thinking about it and calmly returned to his normal routine.

Seeing this, Miyamoto laughed even more heartily.

He asked,
"What is your name?"

Uesugi Tetsu met the gaze of the burly man with the leopard's head and piercing eyes again, but his body was no longer intimidated as it had been the first time.

Because he had just witnessed something even more terrifying, even though there was still a veil between him and that true terror.

"Uesugi Tetsu."

Miyamoto nodded and stood up straight.

He gazed at Uesugi Tetsuya with a look of regret yet boundless anticipation, and said to him, "Next time we meet, I will definitely taste your flavor."

Before Uesugi Tetsuya could answer this bizarre question, something flashed before his eyes again.

They had already left the Sword Saint's residence and arrived outside the Nine Heavens Guard and Cloud Pavilion.

Looking up, I saw the MPV that had just left was now parked steadily in front of me.

Just then, Yuan Shizumi, who was looking out the car window, paused, rolled down the window, and asked in confusion, "Uesugi-kun, why are you back so soon?"

Behind the mpv, Erchi, who had felt a great terror pierce his heartstrings just minutes before, breathed a heavy sigh of relief, tears almost welling up in his eyes.

Thankfully... Lord Che has returned safely.

Otherwise, even if it meant certain death, she would still climb this damned Heavenly Guard and spit in that impolite sword saint's face.

"We'll discuss the details later."

Uesugi Tetsu got into the car and sat on the soft seat as if in another world, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples.

After a moment, he spoke.
"If it's convenient, let's go to Fushimi Inari Shrine."

……

Meanwhile, in the villa of Uesugi Tetsu in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo.

"drink!"

"what!"

"drink!"

A youthful, immature voice, barely able to control its own breathing rhythm, echoed through the first-floor dojo.

Wearing a taekwondo uniform and with her hair tied in a high ponytail, Chisa was waving the bamboo sword that Uesugi Tetsu had once used in her hand in a slightly awkward posture.

Although her movements were full of mistakes, and she couldn't even control her basic steps and posture, the determination in the girl's eyes was enough to make up for these shortcomings.

As for why she was able to easily pick out the one used by Uesugi Tetsuya from a basket of bamboo swords...

[Bamboo sword][Bamboo sword][Bamboo sword used by Uesugi Tetsu][Bamboo sword][Bamboo sword].

Without needing to say more, Chisa could see it at a glance.

[The bamboo sword used by Uesugi Tetsu]

—A durable, sturdy, and reliable bamboo sword. Your master, Uesugi Tetsu, once wielded it in this dojo for practice.

Ririko sat cross-legged to the side, silently observing every detail and subtle change in Chisa's movements.

Only through careful observation can corrective measures be taken.

In fact, she had already taught Su-jin, who was extremely diligent, how to swing the weapon from scratch at least three times.

However, the girl's talent and comprehension were really lacking; she was far from even being passable.

However, Ririko didn't say anything more.

Because at the beginning, her swings were even worse than Qian Sha's.

At that time, her third sister didn't blame her at all.

"what!"

dong dong dong.

The sudden knocking interrupted Chisa's shouts, startling both of them in the dojo.

Sweating profusely, Chisa temporarily stopped her utterly inadequate performance of Suzhen, biting her dry lips and looking towards the door with a hint of anticipation.

Ririko frowned slightly.

"Chisa, let's rest here for a bit."

"Yes!"

Ririko stood up and opened the door expressionlessly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Chisa saw a notification pop up from [Okabe Motonobu].

What followed was a cold, indifferent voice, barely concealing a hint of anger.

"I've come to see Uesugi Tetsu."

"I have something very important to tell him."

"And you can only say it to him."

　Double monthly votes at the beginning of the month, brothers, give me some!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)