The Twelve Trials Starting from Zero

"Oh, thank you so much for reminding me."

Standing before the lumps of flesh, Su Qi sheathed his sword, gripped the hilt, stood with his feet apart, and leaned slightly forward, assuming a posture similar to iaido.

The next moment, a flash of cold light appeared, like a flower bursting open. Amidst the continuous explosions of air, dozens or even hundreds of sword waves erupted simultaneously, shooting forward with unrestrained force.

In an instant, a fan-shaped area in front of him surged with turbulent currents, like a storm passing through. Lumps of flesh and blood splattered, repeatedly sliced ​​into countless pieces smaller than a thumb, which fell to the ground with a thud. Immediately afterward, the wall behind him shattered with a deafening roar, and the frost-like moonlight shone through the newly opened hole, reflecting an eerie hue onto the dark red pool of blood on the ground.

"call……"

Su Qi let out a long breath, looked at the "Naraku-chan" scattered on the ground, and frowned slightly. "No, the spiritual energy fluctuations on the flesh and blood haven't dissipated yet. He's still alive."

Before the words were finished, a whooshing sound arose as more than a dozen wind blades swirled and slashed down.

ding ding ding ding...

His arm left afterimages, the blade flashed and sparks flew, and every wind blade was knocked away without missing a single one.

Su Qi turned to look at the dilapidated doorway, where Kagura and Kanna appeared. "It's you again. How about we make a deal? Let me finish off Naraku first, then we can have another big fight, okay?"

"Hmph, so you're the enemy? Not bad." Kagura surveyed the ravaged battlefield, her eyes gleaming. "But Naraku isn't an easy guy to kill. I don't think you can take him down."

"Ah, Kagura is right."

Naraku's voice rang out once more, and the pile of minced meat on the ground immediately began to clump together, swell, and grow larger, transforming into several bloated lumps of flesh, their surfaces riddled with countless holes. Then, a large amount of purple poisonous mist spewed out, rapidly spreading in all directions.

Wherever the poisonous fog passed, the corpse of Wuxin Ghost quickly rotted and festered, its flesh and bones dissolving in the blink of an eye, turning into a pool of poisonous water as if it had been doused with concentrated sulfuric acid; at the same time, the floor and the furnishings in the room also quickly turned black, rotted, and bubbled, eventually collapsing like foam.

"miasma!"

Kagura's expression changed slightly, and she quickly pulled Kaminari backward.

Instead of retreating, Su Qi advanced, cleaving through the miasma with a single strike, and charged toward the location from which the sound had come.

Soon, after passing several piles of rotting flesh, a human-headed spider hiding in a corner came into view. It was the size of a basketball, and its other parts were no different from those of an ordinary spider, except that it was larger, black and white, and very hairy and eerily beautiful; but its head was not that of a spider, but a human head, the head of Naraku, which looked extremely strange and creepy, reminiscent of Junji Itō's manga.

"How foolish of you to dare to rush into my Naraku's miasma."

Upon seeing Su Qi arrive, the human head on the spider immediately curled its lips into a sinister smile. At the same time, the miasma that had just been temporarily dispersed by a wave of blades closed up again, gradually surging in from all directions.

Su Qi didn't care. His sharp gaze swept over the remaining traces of the blade waves around him, and he suddenly said, "This head is your real weak point now, right? Otherwise, when I strike, you wouldn't have bothered to hide it in a corner behind the other fleshy masses to avoid being hit by my blade waves, would you?"

Naraku's expression changed slightly, but he quickly concealed it, his eyes flashing as he said, "Ridiculous! I've already said, unless you can completely destroy my body in one go, no matter how many times you cut it, it will be in vain."

"Really? Then let's give it a try."

Before he could finish speaking, Su Qi flashed forward, plunged his sword down, piercing through the top of the head and pinning the spider-headed creature with Naraku's head to the ground.

Almost simultaneously, the clumps of flesh that were still slowly spewing miasma around them suddenly stopped, becoming completely still as if they were dead.

For a moment, the entire battlefield was deathly silent, with only the purple miasma slowly spreading and enveloping everything from all directions.

Is he dead?

Su Qi glanced around, his expression suddenly changing. Something's not right! The spiritual energy fluctuations are still there; Naraku isn't dead yet. This is a trap!

A sudden sense of alarm arose in his mind. Just as he was about to retreat, he suddenly felt something tightly binding his right foot. Looking down, he saw that the spider's body beneath Naraku's head had somehow transformed into tentacles, which were now tightly wrapped around his right leg.

"Hehe, you've noticed? But it's too late." Naraku, who had been pierced through the top of his head by the blade, seemed to feel no pain at all. He just smiled sinisterly and said, "That's right, this head was just bait, meant to lure you into the miasma and then have you eaten by my flesh and blood."

Before he could finish speaking, the surrounding clumps of flesh suddenly exploded. Amidst the splattering of blood and foam, countless pieces of flesh rained down on Su Qi like a blood-red storm.

retreat!!

He immediately pulled away and rushed outside, but because so much blood and flesh had splattered out, he was covered in blood and covered in bits of flesh in the blink of an eye.

"It's no use, there's no escaping it now. Your fate is to be eaten by me, Naraku."

Amidst Naraku's cold laughter, Su Qi once again cleaved through the miasma and rushed out, but the flesh and blood clinging to his body began to writhe like living things.

Well, if nothing unexpected happens, it should be available for purchase tomorrow... I'll post a launch announcement and a bonus update notice later, so please support me! (Heart emoji)

Testimonials

You saw a passionate and eloquent launch speech... well, there isn't one.

In short, after consistently updating twice a day without fail, this book, "Twelve Trials Starting from Zero," is finally going to be available for purchase. It will likely be available around 10 or 11 a.m. tomorrow. Congratulations! (referring to myself).

As a tough, straightforward man who spends a lot of money on in-game purchases, it's really hard for me to write anything sentimental. So please forgive me, dear readers, I'll just be direct—I'm going to be a seller, and if you don't want to be a couch potato, please subscribe!

Not to brag, but I'm quite confident in my ability to identify what I consider "useless." Um, I'm not targeting anyone in particular, I'm just saying that everyone in the Happy Pigeon Loft, except for me, is a highly hardworking and incredibly successful individual!

As a severe procrastinator, my favorite thing to do is lurk in author groups and watch the big names flaunt their achievements, both openly and subtly. Only then can I feel a mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment, yet also the motivation to get back to writing. Their impressive displays are my guiding light! (Sounds a hint to subscribe)

Alright, to save time and type more, I'll stop rambling here. Next, I'll talk about the big update on the day of release.

First, let me set a small goal (nervous): 5,000 subscriptions for the first time, I'll update three times; 6,000, four times; 7,000, five times; 8,000, six times... cough, six is ​​the maximum. After all, the human limit is 4,000 subscriptions a day, JOJO, I've already surpassed humanity!!

Finally, thank you to the editors and readers for your support. I will continue to work hard and not delay after the book is published.

Chapter 88 Mismatch Between Major and Job

Burning, painful, as if his whole body was being bitten by insects—that's how he felt right now.

Naraku's flesh and blood are devouring my body...

Su Qi glanced at his clothes and skin, which were gradually being corroded, ripped off his outer garment, and then turned and rushed back towards the direction from which Naraku's voice came.

It failed. Naraku's vitality is stronger than in the original story and even stronger than he expected. Now that Kagura Kanna is by his side, the possibility of successfully assassinating him is extremely slim. But even so, he must obtain as much information as possible before he dies.

So he forcibly ignored the pain in his body and rushed into the miasma once again, where he saw another human-headed spider.

"Heh, you want to risk your life to kill me before you die?" Naraku's face still held that smug sneer. "It's useless. If Kikyo came with you, her Demon-Slaying Arrow might be able to hurt me, but a regular knife like yours won't even scratch me."

Su Qi remained silent until he stepped within ten feet of his opponent, at which point his eyes narrowed and he unleashed a powerful slash from afar.

Within one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters), this is currently the most powerful attack range of the Dream Bubble.

Although Dream Bubble is a sword of will, and on the surface it appears to be a ranged attack that doesn't require direct contact, it actually still relies on spiritual energy as a medium. However, pure spiritual energy will continuously weaken as it moves too far from the user, so Dream Bubble is essentially still a melee attack, only with a larger range and much more flexibility than a regular slash.

boom!!

As Su Qi unleashed his Dream Bubble Slash, Naraku's consciousness jolted. In a daze, he felt as if he had fallen into hell, his body engulfed in karmic flames. Before him stood an Immovable King, as tall as the heavens, seemingly cast in gold, his divine might like a prison. With a single sword strike, he cleaved the heavens and the earth, slashing down with unparalleled momentum.

The next moment, in Su Qi's eyes from the outside, the spiritual energy fluctuations on the flesh and blood of the Naraku suddenly became chaotic and disordered, even affecting the fragments of flesh and blood on his own body, as if they suddenly lost most of their vitality, and the Naraku's head in front of him suddenly froze, its eyes losing focus.

The illusion bubble works!

Su Qi's heart stirred, and he once again gathered his spiritual power, concentrated his mind, and transformed his thoughts into a sword, unleashing three consecutive Dream Bubble attacks.

Instantly, Naraku's flesh and blood almost completely fell silent, his spiritual energy fluctuations dissipated and weakened, and he was on the verge of death, but... he was only on the verge of death.

At the same time, Su Qi also felt dizzy and unsteady due to the shock to his consciousness and the rapid depletion of his spiritual energy. He could barely stand. Although the Dream Bubble was powerful and convenient, attacking others would also cause his own mind to be shaken and consume a lot of spiritual energy. That's why he only used it when he had to, treating it as a last resort.

The fact that Su Qi wasn't completely drained after being hit with four consecutive attacks of the "Strong Spirit" technique is a testament to his considerable strength.

If only a few more times, just a few more times of the Illusionary Illusion, perhaps we could completely obliterate Naraku's consciousness. However, his consciousness is currently scattered and at its limit; let alone the Illusionary Illusion, even thinking is extremely difficult.

But at that moment, miasma surged around them, the wind howled, and three slender tornadoes stirred the air, piercing through the sky like spears.

That was Kagura's "Dance of the Dragon and the Serpent," each tornado composed of small, rapidly spinning wind blades that could shred flesh upon contact. Clearly, while she wished Naraku dead, she wouldn't stand idly by while Su Qi attacked, knowing she herself might also perish.

Almost there... I'm at my limit...

Thinking this, Su Qi still managed to lunge to the side, dodging the first wave of the wind blade tornado. Then, he tried his best to calm himself down, gripped the long sword with trembling hands, and with all his remaining strength, plunged the sword down, piercing Naraku's still dazed head with a soft thud.

Is he dead?

Looking around, the spiritual energy fluctuations lingering on the piles of meat sauce not only did not dissipate, but were rapidly condensing and reviving.

Is it fake too...? Naraku, you bastard, you really know how to hide!

Su Qi sighed helplessly, watching as more and more tornadoes surrounded him. Finally, he closed his eyes and died on the spot.

……

"It's still a mismatch between my major and my job."

In the pure white space, Su Qi recalled his previous battle with Naraku and deeply regretted that his attacks were not powerful enough.

"If it had a wide-range attack like Wind Scar, or a special effect against demons like Demon-Slaying Arrow, Naraku would probably be dead by now." He sat on the black stone base and sighed softly. "It's a pity that I'm neither the protagonist nor a priestess, so I have nothing."

However, lamenting after a failure is not Su Qi's style. After a moment of envy, he began to think about how to solve the problem.

To borrow the Tessaiga from Inuyasha?

Denied. The Tessaiga is exclusive to half-demon like Inuyasha. Demons are repelled by the barrier above it. Humans can wield it, but they lack demonic power and therefore cannot activate the Tessaiga's transformation. Even if they hold it, it's just a rusty sword.

Seek guidance from Kikyo, become a shrine maiden, and save the world?

Denied. Kikyo and Kagome are special; their spiritual power differs from that of ordinary shrine maidens, possessing anti-demon properties. Therefore, even if they don shrine maiden attire and become cross-dressers, they cannot obtain that special power attribute.

Therefore, in a short period of time, it is impossible to upgrade its destructive power again, and naturally it is impossible to pose a fatal threat to Naraku, unless... a group is formed to clear the dungeon.

"There's no other way." After much deliberation, Su Qi finally made up his mind. "Although it's very troublesome to get rid of Naraku's surveillance with so many people, this is the only problem we can solve now."

……

Four days later, in Maple Village, Su Qi waited for Inuyasha and his group to return from outside.

At his speed, it wouldn't take him four days to travel from outside Hitomi Castle back to Hakurei Shrine and then to Kaede Village. It was only because Inuyasha and the others were out when he first arrived, and there was no way for them to contact each other, that he asked Granny Kaede about their possible return date and waited for them four days later.

Upon meeting Inuyasha and his group in Grandma Kaede's house, Su Qi felt a chill run down his spine upon seeing their dejected expressions. He had a premonition of something ominous.

As it turned out, his premonition came true.

"What? Naraku stole your Shikon Jewel?"

"I...I'm sorry..." Kagome's eyes darted away, and she said weakly, "Not long ago, Naraku set a trap, causing us and the wolf demons to fight each other. The Shikon Jewel was taken away by a little girl who called herself Kanna during the battle."

"Kagome, why are you afraid of that guy?" Inuyasha sat next to her, his hands in his sleeves, looking displeased. "The Shikon Jewel isn't his, so there's no need to apologize."

Su Qi's eyes flickered slightly. Ignoring Er Gouzi, he asked Ge Wei directly, "The Demon Wolf Clan? I heard they're monsters who live with wolves. What happened to them?"

"They... lost many people." The latter paused slightly, his expression showing reluctance, and said, "There was also Koga, the young master of the wolf demon clan, who was killed by another demon named Goshinki, who stole the Shikon Jewel shards. Later, if Inuyasha hadn't happened to master the Wind Scar, Goshinki and another woman named Kagura would have been caught off guard and severely injured, and perhaps we would have died there as well."

Huh? Another one died? It seems Naraku didn't bother me and Kikyo before, but went to cause trouble for Inuyasha.

Su Qi was slightly startled and began to worry about his task evaluation.

Chapter 89 Steel Fang, you died a terrible death!

Although he didn't know the detailed criteria for the level completion evaluation, the survival rate of the main and supporting characters on the righteous side was very likely to be taken into account. However, even if he knew this, he was powerless to guarantee the survival of everyone.