The person was chanting a curse, but their hands were wielding the black magic.

For Fushiguro Megumi, perhaps the house really could be the last straw that broke the camel's back.

He and his ridiculous techniques were crushed into the dust of Tokyo's ruins, becoming yet another forgotten footnote.

But at this moment, the second-level sorcerer Fukuro Megumi has already grasped the core of the power of magic!

block!

The silent roar in his heart transformed into the most instinctive control of his magical power.

boom!!!

The two-story Japanese-style house crashed solidly into the boiling, expanding shadow beneath his feet.

The horrific scene of bones shattering and flesh collapsing that was expected did not occur.

Fu Hei's body shuddered violently, and the ground beneath his feet sank and cracked, with spiderweb-like fissures spreading for several meters.

His whole body sank heavily downwards, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

but--

That's all.

Fu Hei raised his arms.

It did not fall, it did not collapse.

Amidst the tooth-grinding friction of bones and the tearing sensation of muscle fibers stretched to their limits.

Fukuro, relying on his more refined use of cursed power after the "upgrade," strengthened his cursed power.

He forcefully shouldered this weight within his own domain, distributing it among the surging torrent of magical power around him!

A hoarse laugh, mixed with blood and foam, was squeezed out of Fushiguro Megumi's throat.

He raised his head, and his blood-stained face, bathed in the interplay of shadow and stark sunlight, revealed an almost inhuman calm and madness.

His gaze pierced through the dust, locking onto Reggie, who was equally disheveled but frozen in shock.

"Come on, keep lifting!"

The ingenuity of the techniques, the circuitousness of the tactics, the unpredictability of the shikigami... were all completely forgotten by both sides at this moment.

A battle of pure weight!

A battle of pure magical power!

A contest of pure will!

Both sides have staked everything and have nothing left to hold back.

The turbulent currents of magical energy rose and fell, as if playing the final note for this grand duel.

The boundaries of territory and contract creaked under the immense pressure, teetering on the brink of collapse.

"Ughhhhh!!!"

Both of them let out a roar in unison, the most instinctive release of life under extreme strain.

"Impossible... a mere level two..."

Reggie squeezed out broken syllables through his teeth, feeling his magical output to maintain the "house" contract begin to become difficult.

He tried to reactivate the other contracts on the feather robe to find additional sources of "weight," but as soon as his mind wandered, his control over the "house" wavered slightly.

It was this slightest wavering!

Fu Hei formed a palm seal again and used the Ten Shadows Technique once more.

"Full of elephants!"

Compared to when he was first summoned, Fukuro subsequently gained more cursed power by absorbing the rewards from killing Swimmers.

Therefore, he can use even more powerful spells to further strengthen Manxiang!

Swoosh—

The elephant's size instantly increased another notch!

Reggie's eyes bulged out, and he spat out a mouthful of scalding blood, which was even mixed with fragments of internal organs!

The impact of the weight caused damage to his internal organs, and his magical power instantly dissipated by more than half.

The light on the tattered feathered robe began to dim, and the notes scattered like ashes.

Reggie's contractual connection with the "house" has been severed.

Without the continuous infusion of power and the maintenance of the contract, the "house" that was suspended in mid-air immediately dissipated into the air like a burst bubble.

"Cough...cough cough..."

Reggie staggered backward, leaving a bloody footprint with each step, until he collapsed to one knee, barely able to support his shaky body with his trembling arm.

The madness, horror, and resentment in his eyes eventually turned into a deathly silence.

The clash of strength has ended.

This time, Fushiguro Megumi was the last one to be mentioned.

There is no skill involved, only pure and primal power.

"It's really damp, Fushiguro Megumi."

I'll probably never forget you for the rest of my life.

Reggie lay on the shattered stadium grounds, blood flowing with every breath he took.

"Swimmer Fushiguro Megumi has confirmed the killing of Swimmer Reggie. In accordance with the 'Return of Death' rules, a portion of his maximum spell power and residual spell energy is being extracted and transferred..."

The cold yet grand declaration, seemingly emanating from the barrier itself, resonated deep within Fushiguro Megumi's senses.

Immediately afterwards—

boom!

It was far more powerful, purer, and filled with a torrent of cursed power than the previous two combined, and it poured into Fukuro Megumi's parched and shattered body and cursed power pathways!

This force is so immense!

The depleted power recovered at an astonishing speed, and then... it surged!

Fu Hei slowly stood up, a thought stirring in his mind.

"Rage—!"

The pheasant emerged from the shadows, its wingspan noticeably wider, and the lightning that crisscrossed its wings solidified, exuding an imposing aura.

The elephant's low growl seemed to echo, its body solidified, its curse power as solid as lead and mercury, and its mere presence exuded a heart-palpitating sense of oppression.

The shikigami grows stronger with its master.

At this moment, Fushiguro Megumi could clearly feel that the bandwidth and quality of the magical power connection between herself and the shikigami had undergone a qualitative leap.

The leap in his spell power directly impacted every fundamental aspect of his survival and combat.

The body's basic strength, resilience, and recovery ability are all increased after the upper limit of the curse power is increased.

The speed, subtlety, and power of the techniques increased accordingly.

The magical power flowing within his body was vastly different from what it had been moments before.

This is no longer a temporary boost achieved through shortcuts, but a genuine leap forward bestowed by the "Death and Extinction Migration" rules!

By successively killing and absorbing the curse power essence of three powerful "Swimmers," he successfully broke through the shackles of curse power being determined by innate factors, forcibly pushing his own curse power level to a whole new height—

He is now strong enough to completely wash away the shameful notion and assessment of his strength that he was "single-killed by a level-two cursed spirit".

Judging from the vast magical power flowing through his body at this moment, his newfound control over power, and the resulting surge in his overall debating strength.

He can, and must, be reassessed as—

Level 1 Spellcaster!

What could be more exhilarating than tearing apart your own frail body and breaking free from the predetermined trajectory of fate?

No.

A cold wind blows through the desolate valley, and cicadas sing as the young man returns.

The butterfly that continues to flap its wings has caused a storm that has completely altered its own trajectory and will bring more, more intense, and more unpredictable variables to this cursed land.

"The entanglement over there... should be almost over by now."

Fu Hei muttered to himself, and the shadow beneath his feet began to wriggle. A burly but battered figure slowly rose from the darkness.

Fu Heishen'er.

At this moment, the "Heaven and Tyrant" are in a truly miserable state.

The torso was covered with charred lightning strike wounds, and the numerous deep lacerations that exposed bone and the dents caused by blunt force trauma were shocking.

Clearly, they had engaged in an extremely fierce battle. The power of Shi Liulong and Lu Ziyun was evident.

The mere absorption of Reggie's level of magical power brought about such a tremendous change.

If only we could absorb those two monsters who stood at the pinnacle four hundred years ago…