The Twelve Trials Starting from Zero

Chapter Thirty-Two: I Really Am a Genius

Yamada Yasuhiro's face instantly darkened. "What did you say?"

"Hehe, I'm telling you, you're no match for that human right now." The voice in my mind said seductively, "I'm a demon that dwells in the gaps of a human's mind, so my senses are much sharper than those of ordinary demons. And in that human who just passed by, I sensed abundant spiritual power, which is at least equivalent to the power of a mage who has cultivated for more than ten years, much stronger than you, a half-baked beginner."

"What nonsense are you talking about? He's only been learning swordsmanship for a little over a month, how could he possibly be this strong?"

"Hehe, most of you humans are mediocre like you, but occasionally there are monsters who are more like monsters than yokai, such as Abe no Seimei, or the one who just walked by."

"Don't joke around!" Yamada Yasuhiro's face suddenly turned extremely ferocious, and he shouted in his heart, "The reputation of the strongest Onmyoji in the Heian period is something even I, a warrior, have heard of, and that guy just now... how could he possibly compare to Lord Seimei!?"

"Ahhh... How delicious, how ugly is jealousy... That's why I love humans, these filthy creatures, the most."

"Enough!" He forced himself to calm down. "The reason you've said so much is just to make me lower my guard and become one with you, isn't it?"

"What's wrong with that? As long as you become one with me, you will gain the longevity of an immortal and the power of a demon. Moreover, with my help, your unrealistic ambitions will have a chance of being realized. Otherwise, you will only be like a mouse looking up at a swan, forever living in the shadow of that person."

"Shut up!" His expression changed drastically, and he said in a cold voice, "What I want to do is none of your business, you monster, mocking me."

"Face reality." The voice, however, was full of malice, mocking him without wavering. "You're nothing but a mediocre talent with ambition but no ability, and an exceptionally ugly soul. You abandoned your wife and children to come to the city, vowing to make something of yourself in three years. And what happened? Three years later, then another three years, and now it's been a full ten years, and you're still stuck in the same place, making no progress whatsoever."

"As a martial artist, your body has begun to age, your reactions are gradually becoming sluggish, and the ambition in your heart is still as unattainable as the moon hanging high in the sky. If this continues, your only fate will be to grow old in obscurity or die of illness, eventually being wrapped in a straw mat and buried in poverty. So if you don't want to become like that, the only thing you can rely on is me, who has been attracted to your ugly soul."

"So, will you abandon a part of your humanity, use my power to accomplish great things, and become a world-renowned figure; or will you eke out a living, continue as an insignificant nobody, and prolong your meaningless second half of life... What will you decide?"

Yamada Yasuhiro did not answer, but his eyes flickered and his expression changed from light to dark as he struggled with a difficult decision.

After a long silence, he finally said in a hoarse voice, "If...with your help, can we beat him?"

"Of course, once we become one, I am you and you are me. Why would I deceive myself?"

"Then... let's go!"

Having arrived here, he made up his mind and became decisive, his eyes filled with madness as he said, "Rather than die as a human, an unknown nobody, I'd rather become a monster, a legend known throughout the world! I, Yamada Yasuhiro, will never be just a mortal!"

"Excellent! Let's begin and make your name legendary!"

As the words faded from his mind, endless darkness surged forth from his heart.

Yamada Yasuhiro stood there, stunned. After a moment, his dazed eyes gradually lit up with an eerie red light, and a wicked smile appeared on his lips. "Heh, is this what it feels like to become a monster? So powerful and free. The me who was struggling with my lowly human identity before was truly foolish."

After saying that, she turned her head and glanced in the direction Su Qi had just left, her eyes filled with coldness. "A genius that even monsters admire... Hmph, I'll make you the sacrifice for my rebirth."

……

One month later, at dusk in the temple.

boom! !

Su Qi swung his sword, and Liuli retreated rapidly. The wooden sword flew far away and landed on the floor in front of the dojo entrance with a thud.

"You bastard..." The girl rubbed her right hand and stood up, her face full of amazement. "Is he really a monster? In just two months, he has already been able to suppress me."

"Hmph..." Su Qi sheathed his sword and stood there, looking smug. "From today onwards, please call me Genius Swordsman, Mr. Sword Heart."

"You haven't gone astray, have you?" The girl stared at him, her bright eyes narrowed, her gaze full of suspicion. "Like, making deals with monsters or something."

"How could that be?" Su Qi's expression turned serious, and he pointed to his old face, saying, "Look at my handsome face and clear eyes. Do I look like the kind of person who likes to do crooked things, never taking the right path and always looking for shortcuts?"

The girl couldn't help but exclaim, "Namo San, what a shameless person he is!"

"Indeed, how dare you call yourself a handsome man in front of this old man? What a shameless person you are."

But at that moment, a rough voice suddenly broke in.

The two turned their heads and saw a tall and dashing figure dressed in black appear at the entrance of the dojo.

"Changgu Normal School?"

Su Qi was shocked. This drunkard actually appeared at the dojo during the day. Did the sun rise in the south?

"Father."

Liuli wasn't surprised at all; on the contrary, it seemed like she had expected it.

"Liuli, is this the kid you mentioned who's growing at an abnormally fast pace?"

With a wine jar slung over his shoulder and wearing loose-fitting clothes, Chang Gu Balun stepped into the dojo, reeking of alcohol as he approached Su Qi. His tall figure exuded a subtle sense of oppression.

“Yes.” Liuli nodded slightly and looked at Su Qi. “I hope Father can check Jianxin to see if there is anything wrong with him.”

Su Qi sighed softly, "Liuli, why don't you believe me? I really am a once-in-a-millennium sword genius, so it's only natural that I've achieved such results."

"Alright, kid, I wouldn't bother with your business if my lovely daughter hadn't specifically asked me to. So now, let's not waste any more time and get started right away."

As Chang Gu Balun spoke, he tossed the wine jar to Liuli, then turned and took two steps, stopping six feet in front of Su Qi. He casually waved his hand and said, "Come on, draw your sword and let me see what you're capable of."

Want to have a martial arts contest?

Su Qi instantly realized what was happening, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. Perfect, he also wanted to test just how strong his opponent really was.

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Sword, How Could It Be Such an Inconvenient Thing?

"Understood, then please be careful."

As he said this, Su Qi naturally assumed a fighting stance and raised the wooden sword in his hand.

"Go ahead and attack. If you can hurt me, I'll marry Liuli to you."

Chang Guba Lun, however, still stood in a loose and slouching posture, looking completely nonchalant.

"Father, please be serious, okay?" Liuli, who was watching from the sidelines, narrowed her bright eyes and revealed a sinister smile. "If you lose, you'll have to pour out all the wine hidden in the warehouse."

Instantly, Chang Gu Balun's expression changed. He stood as straight as a mountain, his expression dignified and cold, exuding a powerful aura like a demon. "Boy, I'm sorry. For my wine, you might as well just be defeated by my sword."

"Sure, if you can do it."

As the pressure from his opponent intensified, Su Qi not only didn't back down, but became even more excited, his fighting spirit rising higher and higher. But before that, there was something else that concerned him greatly.

"Master Changgu, where is your sword (knife)?"

Yes, at this moment, Chang Gu Balun had no sword on him at all, only his hands... no, his hands were empty. His left hand had been severed by someone, leaving only his right hand, and that hand held no weapon.

"The sword? Isn't it right in my hand?"

Are you kidding me?

Su Qi glanced at Chang Gu Ba Lun's right hand again, confirming that it was indeed empty, and frowned slightly. "Please put your sword down first, and then we can begin the contest."

"No need, I always carry my sword with me."

"But……"

He was about to speak again when he suddenly realized something, carefully examined Chang Gu Ba Lun, and hesitated before asking, "Could it be that what you are carrying is... the Invisible Sword?"

“Exactly…” A hint of appreciation flashed in the latter’s eyes. Then, he made a grasping motion with his right hand as if holding a long sword, and said with a faint smile, “Without a sword, one cannot fight… How can a sword be such an inconvenient thing?”

As he spoke, a wooden sword about three feet long appeared out of nowhere and was quickly sketched in Su Qi's perception.

Is this... a visualization training method? No, it should be considered a more advanced application!

In that instant, he unconsciously recalled the scene in that pure white space where he practiced with the illusory sword he had visualized. But compared to his own "illusory sword," which could only be perceived and used by himself, Chang Gu Ba Lun's "illusory sword" was clearly more real, even capable of distorting an opponent's senses and making them appear to others. However, there was still one problem…

"Can a knife like that really kill someone?"

"Wouldn't you understand once you tried it yourself?"

"I see."

Su Qi said no more, took a deep breath, instantly adjusted himself to peak condition, and then...

Bang bang bang! !

With three stomps almost overlapping each other, he lunged forward, instantly appearing in front of Chang Gu Ba Lun. The next moment, the air between them was sliced ​​open, and the wooden sword cleaved towards the latter's head in a flash.

"Not bad."

Chang Gu Ba Lun calmly turned to the side, his wooden sword slashing close to the man's face, but it failed to harm a single hair on his head.

Su Qi remained silent, his gaze focused, shining like a bright star.

In the blink of an eye, the wooden sword, inseparable from the limbs, instantly turned back and slashed diagonally at the waist of Chang Guba.

"very good."

The latter had a deep gaze, observing his opponent's every move, yet he still took a leisurely half-step back, dodging the lightning-fast slash with minimal movement.

Su Qi remained silent, only lunging forward and slashing, his wooden sword instantly unleashing over a dozen blade marks. The blade tore through the air, its sharp whistling accompanied by a powerful gust of wind, instantly enveloping Chang Gu Ba Lun's figure completely.

However, it was still no use. The latter seemed to have completely understood Su Qi's sword path and could always move freely and easily through his sword light.

But Su Qi had no intention of giving up; he just kept swinging his sword, swinging his sword, and swinging his sword again! Attacking, attacking, and attacking again!

With a powerful expert like Chang Gu Ba Lun as his sparring partner, he fully utilized the results of his training in the pure white space, even surpassing his limits and performing exceptionally well... His sword speed increased, and the sword shadows became denser. Gradually, the continuous sword cries shook the entire dojo, as if a gale had swept through, even causing the sleeves of Liu Li's clothes to flutter wildly.

As Su Qi continued to improve and press forward, Chang Gu Balun's expression became increasingly serious.

At first, he was able to talk while dodging, which was quite easy for him; but later, the frequency of his speech decreased rapidly, and soon he could no longer concentrate on speaking. Even his movements gradually changed from the effortless manner to a dangerous one, as if he might be grazed by the blade at any moment, making Liuli, who was watching from the side, sweat for him.

Finally, the two men advanced and retreated, fighting as they moved, and soon retreated to the wall.

Having reached this point, Changgu Bayun had no room to retreat and could only fight back.

So he finally launched his attack!

In a flash, the Eight Wheels of the Ancient Era suddenly activated, emerging from the dense shadows of blades like a white horse flashing past.

In an instant, their figures passed each other, then both stopped.

The next moment, a small bloodstain appeared on Su Qi's right waist, slowly spreading across his clothes.

That was the wound he had just sustained from Chang Gu Ba Lun's sword strike. Strangely, his outer clothing hadn't been torn, and the wound was directly on his body. It felt exactly like being wounded by a real sword, and even the cold touch of the blade was exactly the same as he remembered.

As for Chang Gu Ba Lun, he didn't escape unscathed either, but only had a small piece of clothing missing from the cuff of his left sleeve.

Since he had no left arm and his left sleeve was completely useless, although it could be said that Su Qi barely managed to land a blow, overall, he was still completely defeated.

……

"Master Changgu's swordsmanship is indeed superb; I humbly admit defeat."

He was willing to admit defeat. A moment later, in the training ground, Su Qi and Chang Gu Ba Lun sat facing each other, and Su Qi took the initiative to admit defeat.

"Don't move."