Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

Chapter 93 The Gap of Despair

Several elders gathered at the highest point of the stands, talking in hushed tones, their voices low but their pace rapid.

Zen Temple Fan leaned against a pillar at the edge of the field, arms crossed, eyes half-closed as if dozing, but his fingers tapped lightly on his arms, one tap after another, the rhythm getting faster and faster.

He is the father of the Maki sisters.

Zen-in Shinichi and Zen-in Shin'er's brother were also among the guards not far away.

Naoya stood at the front of the crowd, with a bandage on his nose, as if he had received treatment.

My face was clean, but there was still a bruise under my eyes.

The door opened.

The Jibi people walked in.

He was still wearing the same kimono, loosely draped over his shoulders, with a sake bottle hanging from his waist, but his steps had become firm and powerful, making him look more like the head of a household.

Two people followed behind him, Maki and the black-haired boy, which attracted everyone's attention.

Maki's sword hung at her waist, and as she walked, her hand rested on the hilt of the sword. Her gaze swept across the faces of the crowd, as if she were counting heads.

Fukuro Megumi walked beside her, his expression unreadable, but if you looked closely, you could see that he was subtly observing his surroundings.

Senior Yue Ren was right. The Zen Temple family had so many people, including dozens of sorcerers. This was the largest gathering of sorcerers he had ever seen.

The crowd fell silent, not out of respect, but out of scrutiny.

Dozens of eyes were fixed on one person at the same time, but the latter kept his eyes straight ahead.

The Zhikun people walked to the center of the training field and stopped.

He glanced back at Fu Hei, who stopped a dozen meters away from him.

The Zhikun people turned around to face everyone.

"I called you here today," he said, his voice not loud, but everyone present heard him clearly, "to show you a good show."

He turned to the side and pointed at Fushiguro Megumi.

"Fukuguro Megumi, son of Zen-in Jinji, is of the Zen-in family bloodline and has also inherited the 'Ten Shadow Techniques'."

A low murmur arose from the crowd. The words "Ten Shadow Spells" spread like a stone thrown into water, creating ripples that spread outwards in circles.

Some people stared wide-eyed, some whispered to each other, and some subconsciously leaned forward, wanting to see more clearly.

They surely understand what those five words represent.

The Zhikun people did not give them time to digest it.

"According to the rules of the Zen temple..." His voice was as usual.

"Anyone who possesses a family-inherited technique is a member of the family, and those who are more outstanding are qualified to become the head of the family."

The commotion subsided.

Everyone was waiting for the next development. The patriarch was right. As long as one was of the Zenin family bloodline, the more outstanding one would become the patriarch. Naoki was the strongest sorcerer among all the Zenin family members of that era, which is why he was able to sit firmly in the position of patriarch for many years.

"And today, Fushiguro Megumi wants to challenge me. I've accepted, so the next match will be a fight to the death, and the winner will continue as the head of the Zen-in family!"

Silence... a very long silence.

The scene was completely silent.

Then Naoya laughed, a laugh that was abrupt but heard by everyone in the quiet space.

"Father...are you joking? What right does that brat have..."

'

"Why do you think I would joke about the position of family head? And do you mean to imply that I'm bound to lose?"

The Zhikun people interrupted him directly, without even looking at him.

Naoya's smile froze on his face.

"This is a good opportunity for anyone here who also wants to become the head of the family. Feel free to step forward. Whoever stands until the end and becomes the final victor will be the head of the family."

The Zhikun man scanned the entire area, but everyone in the area his gaze fell upon unconsciously lowered their heads, not daring to look him in the eye. This was inevitable, as the Zhikun man's authority as the head of the family for decades was built upon his authority and absolute power.

Although many things can be discussed normally, once the head of the family issues an order, the Zen family must obey it.

Seeing that no one objected, the Zhikun man turned around and walked to the other end of the training field.

Finally, under the watchful eyes of all the Zen family members, Zenji Naoki and Fushiguro Megumi stood facing each other.

"Kid," he said, looking at Fu Hei, "come on."

Fu Hei took a deep breath, staring directly at Zhi Kunren. He could clearly feel the almost tangible gazes of those around him, a multitude of emotions converging upon him: disdain, doubt, contempt, interest...

The two men were about twenty paces apart. The Zhikun man stood there casually, as if he were standing in a tavern waiting for his next drink.

Some people held their breath, but most were filled with contempt and disdain. They thought it was just a farce, how could a brat possibly defeat the patriarch?

Zen-in Sen, Naoya, and Jinichi, these core members, are all waiting to see Fushiguro Megumi make a fool of himself.

However, the boy's next move on the field stunned everyone.

Fu Hei raised his hands, clenched his fists, and brought them together in front of him.

The senior Yue Ren told him that the most important thing about coming here this time was two words: "deterrence." He needed to use absolute force to deter these villains and prevent them from unleashing their ugly ambitions. To accomplish this, he needed to use a different logic than in previous battles.

Now, he's going to flip the table.

In that instant, the shadow behind him moved.

It wasn't the kind of movement caused by the wind; something rose from the shadows, like a fish rising from the bottom of the water, with black ink gathering behind it, eventually forming a monstrous humanoid shape.

On the opposite side of the field, the Naobi people, who had initially shown great interest, gradually froze, and then their expressions turned to shock.

That shikigami, that posture... as the head of the Zen family, he couldn't possibly not know it.

Its muscles were bulging, and its body was as large as a mountain. It had no eyes on its head, but four wing-like structures on the sides of its head, which were slightly open and closed, like a symbol of divine majesty. A thick tail hung down from the back of its head and hovered quietly behind it.

An eight-spoked Dharma wheel floats above his head, and a weapon resembling a hand knife is wrapped around his right arm.

"Demon Void!"

The three words left the boy's mouth, and the training ground fell completely silent, but the essence of the cause had already quietly changed.

That kind of silence isn't about holding your breath, it's about forgetting to breathe.

Some people stared with their mouths agape, some with their eyes wide open, and some subconsciously took a half step back. The Zen monk stopped banging his fan and opened his eyes, staring intently at the figure.

Several elders stood up from their seats, as if they had been bounced off their chairs.

Naoya's lips were no longer curved in a smile. His face was pale, filled with disbelief. He tried to make a sound, but failed.

"This...this is..." someone murmured, the voice sounding like it was being squeezed out of their throat.

No one answered him, because everyone in the Zen family knew what those three words from the boy meant.

It has been written in documents, passed down orally, and recorded in family genealogies—the strongest shikigami that brought the Zenin family to the position of the top three families three hundred years ago, the final product of the "Ten Shadow Arts", and the strongest shikigami that no one has been able to subdue for a thousand years.

Does this guy want to take the patriarch down with him?

Most people's initial reaction was anger, because they didn't believe that a mere brat could subdue Mo Xuluo, and they thought he was trying to drag the patriarch down with him.

However, those with stronger abilities, such as several core members and members of "Bing", understood that it was probably indeed subdued, because the shikigami did not make any attacking movements, nor did it attack Fushiguro Megumi in front of it; it was simply waiting for orders.

Furthermore, Fushiguro Megumi summoned this guy simply by making a summoning gesture and calling out his name. If it were a subjugation ritual, the complete incantation would need to be recited.

At this moment, it stood there, behind a fifteen-year-old boy, with its arms hanging at its sides. The Dharma wheel behind it made it appear like an angel. It had no eyes, but one could feel it watching the Jivi people opposite it.

The Naoki looked at the demon, and after a long while, he smiled.

"I see, that makes sense, then it's not surprising."

There was no fear, no jealousy, no resentment in that smile, only something very clean, like an old blacksmith seeing a good piece of material, the excitement of being able to challenge his own limits.

The doubts in his heart were finally resolved. If the other party was asking him directly for the position of family head because of this, then there was nothing more to say.

What I just said seems a bit redundant. Oh well, let's just consider it a consequence of witnessing a pleasant surprise.

By now, the Naokon's purpose has changed. He has decided that Fukuro Megumi is the next head of the family. However, before that, he still wants to give it a try, because the flame in his heart has now been ignited by the big guy on the other side.

"Okay, let's go."

Just one word, and then he moved.

The projection spell was running at full speed. In that instant, the figure of the Zhikun disappeared—not truly disappeared, but so fast that the eye couldn't keep up.

Compared to Naoya, the Naokun people are more skilled in "projection spells".

His speed was so fast that even his shadow couldn't keep up with his body. Everyone on the sidelines only saw a blur of afterimages and a bolt of lightning as he headed straight for Mo Xu Luo.

"superior."

With a command from Fu Hei, the burly man behind him strode forward, bypassing Fu Hei and heading straight for the Zhibi people.

The first blow came from the Zhibi man's fist, which slammed into Moxu Luo's chest.

That punch carried the full power of the projection spell, compressing the speed of twenty-four frames per second into a small space. Upon receiving the powerful impact, Mo Xuluo took a step back.

Its feet carved two shallow grooves in the ground, and a crack appeared on its chest bone, like a crack line on porcelain.

The Zhikun people didn't stop; the second attack had already arrived.

Moxu Luo suddenly turned into a flat slice of glass. Zhibiren stepped forward and delivered a punch with maximum force. The twenty-fourth frame of the projected spell was compressed into this attack, and the speed was so fast that the air was torn apart.

The mirror shattered, and Mo Xuluo's body tilted slightly, a piece of his rib bone breaking off, like a stone being chipped off by a chisel.

Two successful shots were made, and someone on the sidelines shouted "Good!"

But the "good" was only half-said before it got stuck in their throats, because they saw... the cracks on Mo Xuluo's body were healing, and the broken bones were growing back.

Moxu Luo stood still, watching the Zhibi people reappear in the distance, the Dharma Wheel above his head spinning once.

The Jibi people saw this and frowned.

This guy truly lives up to his title as the strongest shikigami. His physical toughness and recovery ability are top-notch. Those few attacks just now would have instantly killed even a level one cursed spirit.

It's normal that the Gibi man wasn't attacked; otherwise, he wouldn't deserve to be called the fastest sorcerer.

He unconsciously began to analyze the situation. He believed that this shikigami was a powerful tank, so for a mage like him, the target should be the summoner behind him. As long as Fushiguro Megumi was dealt with, the shikigami would disappear automatically.

It's not surprising that the Naobi people didn't know about Makura's abilities, because Makura appears much less often than Wuxiaxian, and it has always been used only as a move to kill each other, so the user doesn't leave any related information.

"interesting."

He muttered something to himself, and then charged forward once again.

This time it was even faster. He compressed the twenty-four frames of the projection spell to the extreme, wanting to bypass Moxu Luo and attack Fuhei Hui in an instant. However, a pale and huge fist appeared in his path.

Naoki, sweating profusely, made a desperate evasive maneuver, narrowly avoiding the shikigami's fatal punch.

However, the earth was not so lucky. The specially made ground, which could withstand most spell impacts, instantly shattered under the force of the blow. The power range of about twenty meters made the Naoki people, who had already retreated to the edge of the arena, realize that if that punch had hit them, they would definitely not have been able to get up.

Fortunately, the other party did not catch up. The one-second freeze ended quickly. What exactly did that boy want...?

At the same time, other doubts arose in his mind: Did this thing just predict his location?

How exactly is it able to keep up with its own speed?

Filled with doubt, the Zhibi person cast the spell again, and when he entered the fifty-meter radius of the Demon Void, the huge figure moved at a speed that did not match its enormous size.

Sure enough, this guy was already able to sense his own speed.

He instantly arrived beside Moxu Luo and reached out to touch Moxu Luo's body once again. However, the next moment, something happened that made Naobi's expression turn troubled again.

Unlike last time, this time the Demon Void, which still did not perform the prescribed actions, did not turn into a slice. In other words, it is no longer subject to the hard control of its own spell.

One of the uses of "projection spells" is that anyone touched by the user's palm must perform a prescribed action in 1/24th of a second. If the user fails, the action will become disordered, and the action within 1 second will be frozen.

This is why the first wave of attacks turned Moxu into glass slices in a second. But this time, Moxu also didn't act according to the Nagato's pre-set plan, yet it wasn't frozen by the spell... Is this thing getting used to, trying to break his ability?

"The spell effect of Demon Void can constantly adapt to attacks that damage itself and find a solution, making it the strongest card to play as a second card."

"6

""

Fushiguro Megumi's sudden sharing of information surprised everyone, followed by silence, because they all understood.

With its powerful basic attributes and resilience, it continuously learns and adapts to attacks... I see. That's why the patriarch's second wave of attacks was thwarted. The speed and rules of the "projection spell" have been analyzed and adapted to. Is that why it's called the strongest shikigami? Indeed, it's not surprising that such abilities can challenge the limitless.

Indeed, it's a disheartening answer.

The thought of facing such an opponent, of helplessly watching one's ability to resist slowly erode... how desperate that would be. Is such an opponent truly something that humanity can defeat?

The Zen family members, who were watching from the sidelines, were in a difficult position. On one hand, they were excited by Mo Xuluo's power, but on the other hand, they were worried about the outcome of the battle.