Chapter 102: Yin-Yang Great Art · Four Paths Five Elements (5.6k, please subscribe!)

"You're lying to me, right, Uesugi Toru! Quick, say you're lying to me!"

Their noses were almost touching, and Uesugi Toru could even feel the body of Tokugawa Ririko beneath him radiating astonishing heat like a furnace.

She was flustered, she was flustered.

Uesugi Toru gazed at her slightly trembling pupils, thinking that cultivation was truly the number one top priority for Tokugawa Ririko.

Since she practiced that mental method she figured out herself, how long had it been since she had shown such an unseemly appearance?

Uesugi Toru smiled: "Of course I didn't lie to you. The First Wave passed uneventfully, and I personally slew Ai Parting Li before she had a chance to escape."

Hearing these words, Tokugawa Ririko finally realized that this guy had indeed lied to her.

"Tch."

Tokugawa Ririko snorted coldly, released Uesugi Toru, and closed her eyes to rub her temples, looking quite troubled: "Uesugi-kun, sometimes I really want to give you a good lesson... You saying this kind of thing in front of me is no different from a brat telling a zako under a big tree, understand?"

"I welcome you to teach me a lesson anytime, Teacher Ririko."

Uesugi Toru deliberately showed her surging spiritual power fluctuations in front of her eyes, spreading his hands: "But outside of teaching time, I won't deliberately control my strength."

Tokugawa Ririko's face darkened.

"Alright." Uesugi Toru took out his mobile phone and showed her the time: "Actually, it's because you slept too long, and ordinary means seemed unable to wake you, so I resorted to this last resort."

Tokugawa Ririko stared at the time, roughly calculated, and discovered that more than twelve hours had passed.

The girl was startled, because she had originally planned to sleep only five hours and get up to continue cultivating—usually speaking, after a great battle, if not seriously injured, the benefits of cultivating immediately afterward are great.

But her subjective time had only passed one or two hours, and her biological clock, which had never been wrong, actually failed?

In that case, if it weren't for Uesugi Toru waking her with those demon-like words, she might really have slept on the ground for many days and missed a big event like the First Wave.

Tokugawa Ririko was speechless for a moment.

That feeling, I actually wronged Uesugi Toru?

Instead, I should thank this guy?

mad, so angry.

After figuring out the ins and outs, Tokugawa Ririko was angry but still felt she should thank him.

One thing is one thing.

She patted her chest twice with a thumping sound, clicked her tongue displeasedly: "This matter counts as mine. To compensate, let you touch the breasts that can only exist in Shizuka Mami's fantasies!"

Uesugi Toru looked left and right, pondered for a long time, and finally asked in confusion: "Where? Where is it?"

Seeing this, Adult Nanjou came over with small quick steps, thump thump thump, and shook proudly with his hands behind his back.

Tokugawa Ririko flew into a rage, picked up the bamboo sword leaning to the side, and beat the master and servant out.

After being driven outside the door, Uesugi Toru touched his aching forehead, looked up, and saw Shizuka Mami leaning against the wall with a still deathly pale complexion, seemingly waiting for someone.

Shizuka Mami, dressed in campus-style clothing, looked at the two, disheveled after being driven out of Tokugawa Ririko's room, and gave a dry haha laugh: "Good morning, Uesugi-kun. Isn't Miss Tokugawa coming out yet?"

"It's already afternoon."

Uesugi Toru understood her gaze, so he pressed down on Adult Nanjou's proud little head with a slap and said: "I think Tokugawa Ririko is wound too tight, so I'll tell her some hell jokes to relax her."

Although Shizuka Mami didn't believe it, she still nodded as if she believed: "Oh oh!"

"By the way, Ms. Shizuka, don't you go to work?"

"Uesugi-kun, you're even more like a 'silent, just keeps throwing work' devil than Nanjou-sama..."

Shizuka Mami sighed weakly: "My injury hasn't healed, so I'm resting for a day, so I want to continue following Miss Tokugawa to learn the breathing technique of health-preserving breathing and exhalation."

Oh, is that so.

Leaving the disobedient Adult Nanjou aside, Uesugi Toru chatted with Shizuka Mami off and on, until after tidying up, Tokugawa Ririko, smelling of a clean fragrance, walked out of the room.

"Ara, is it Mami Knot?"

Tokugawa Ririko smiled, just as Uesugi Toru left Adult Nanjou aside, and affectionately took Shizuka Mami's hand to walk forward.

Then, she looked back at him, stuck out her tongue, and made a funny face.

Shizuka Mami went "ei ei" twice, feeling this wasn't right, when did her relationship with Tokugawa Ririko become so good?

Uesugi Toru wasn't in a hurry.

Because Tokugawa Ririko would sooner or later be unable to hold back her curiosity, run to his side, and ask him questions.

Sure enough, when they reached the doorway of Sakura Capital High School's Kendo Hall, Tokugawa Ririko finally couldn't suppress the hundred doubts in her heart, slowed her steps, and came to Uesugi Toru's side.

She coughed once and asked: "Hey, you... how did your spiritual power suddenly increase so much?"

You...

Uesugi Toru raised his eyebrows, but being magnanimous, he didn't quibble with an ordinary child like her, and casually answered: "Last night, I felt something, ran outside to inhale two breaths of spiritual power, and became like this."

Tokugawa Ririko narrowed her eyes—could it be that Uesugi Toru, besides the contract shikigami technique, also practiced other yin-yang techniques and broke through while she was asleep?

Otherwise, there was no reason for the spiritual power quantity in his body to increase by dozens or even hundreds of times... probably.

She said flatly: "So, Uesugi-kun, which branch of the Four Paths Five Elements do you cultivate?"

Four Paths Five Elements?

What is that? Sounds pretty good.

Uesugi Toru took out his mobile phone to search, and found that all the pop-ups were related terms and searches that looked like complete nonsense, mixed with a bunch of small advertisements.

Completely untraceable.

Uesugi Toru reluctantly put the mobile phone back in his pocket, slightly lowered his head, and asked without shame: "Teacher Ririko, what do you mean by Four Paths Five Elements?"

For a long time, no sound came from Tokugawa Ririko's mouth.

Uesugi Toru probed by raising his eyes, and found Tokugawa Ririko staring at him, looking at him fixedly.

Feeling Uesugi Toru's gaze, Tokugawa Ririko immediately converged the micro-expressions flowing out cracklingly: "Don't know?"

Uesugi Toru shook his head: "I don't know."

"Don't know! That's perfectly normal."

Shizuku's tone rose and fell with rhythm.

She took a forceful, deep breath, intending to speak just like that, but upon seeing Shizuka Mami beside her, she asked one more question: "Mami Knot, do you know?"

Shizuka Mami nodded repeatedly: "Isn't this basic knowledge? It's taught in our onboarding training."

Yeah, basic knowledge.

Shizuku chewed on the air in her mouth — yet Uesugi Toru didn't even know this, so how did the Spirit Power on him increase?

Created from nothing?

It couldn't possibly be that he cultivates those incomplete, fragmented 【Left Path Heresy】 arts, or the 【Great Yin-Yang Art】 that only exists within ancient Onmyoji Families, right?

"But that's wrong, if Uesugi-kun were a descendant of an Onmyoji Family, would he have almost been bitten to death by a Fox Dog Raccoon?"

Shizuku pushed up non-existent glasses on her nose bridge like a famous detective, pointing at Uesugi Toru,

"—Therefore! Uesugi-kun, you cultivate Left Path Heresy Yin-Yang Technique! Come clean, don't cultivate yourself to death!"

Hearing this, Shizuka Mami also came over, saying seriously: "Left Path Heresy... cultivating it to the later stages either turns you into something neither human nor ghost, or requires blood sacrifice of many people, or turns you into cultivation resources for a powerful Onmyoji who cultivates this Yin-Yang Technique."

She advised: "Uesugi-kun, you can still stop cultivating now."

Holy crap, is this the triad cultivation world?

Uesugi Toru was stunned, but he shook his head: "I've never learned those bizarre Yin-Yang Techniques you speak of; rather, I've never come into contact with Yin-Yang Technique at all."

This was a lie.

—The Great Yin-Yang Art Fragment: Spirit Control is of course a Yin-Yang Technique, but it was taught to him by a netizen on the Forum, so it's best not to speak carelessly.

From Shizuku's tone, the so-called Great Yin-Yang Art is a Yin-Yang Technique that only descendants of ancient Onmyoji Families might possibly learn.

If he said he cultivated Great Yin-Yang Art here, wouldn't that be equivalent to backstabbing the other party?

Although he didn't know the consequences of the Company Slave netizen's family finding out after he said it — but they were so generous, Uesugi Toru couldn't do that kind of thing.

Moreover, it's also true that his Spirit Power Quantity didn't surge because he cultivated Yin-Yang Technique.

Shizuku and Shizuka Mami looked at each other, the latter's eyes full of doubt, completely unable to understand Uesugi Toru's logic, feeling he was totally treating them like fools.

—Since he didn't cultivate Yin-Yang Technique, how could the Spirit Power on him grow?

But Shizuku was already used to it.

—Uesugi Toru has already "sensed something", so why would he need to cultivate any Yin-Yang Technique?

If this Spirit Power didn't surge, spike, explode because of that, that would be the strange thing!

This is the degree of abnormality and outrageousness of the genius she has her eye on, needing no other superfluous explanation!

Just didn't expect that Uesugi Toru not only has outstanding talent in Sword Art and Breathing Technique, but Yin-Yang Technique is also completely no problem for him.

Shizuku glanced at the bewildered Shizuka Mami, fell silent... and as for Mami Knot, she has no talent in any aspect whatsoever.

No matter how she cultivates, she can never reach the level of an ordinary Swordsman or Onmyoji in her lifetime.

Pushing Uesugi Toru into the dojo, Shizuku closed the door, clapped her hands, and sat down cross-legged: "In that case, let's temporarily add one more lesson."

The girl who had long memorized all this knowledge without missing a word said to Uesugi Toru: "Regarding Yin-Yang Technique — Left Path Heresy, Four Paths Five Elements, Great Yin-Yang Art, and... hmm, that's it."

Uesugi Toru also sat down, assuming an attentive listening posture: "Please instruct me, Teacher Shizuku."

Shizuku: "I won't say much about Left Path Heresy and Great Yin-Yang Art, Uesugi-kun you're not an idiot, you should be able to understand the gist from what was just said."

"—Us, best not to come into contact with those two things if we can avoid it."

"The former is full of pitfalls, one wrong step and you might never recover; the latter, even if you luckily pick up the best, you still shouldn't cultivate it, because who knows when the Family that masters this Great Yin-Yang Art might come knocking."

Uesugi Toru nodded.

"The main thing is 【Four Paths Five Elements】, this is also the best and most numerous choice for Onmyoji aside from Contract Shikigami techniques — at least from what I've seen."

Shizuku raised four fingers: "The so-called 【Four Paths】 refers to Yin-Yang Path, Astronomy Dao, Calendar Path, Water Clock Path."

"【Five Elements】 refers to the five attributes of Metal Wood Water Fire Earth. Ordinary Onmyoji mostly pick one from the Four Paths, then pick one from the Five Elements, thereby setting their future cultivation direction —

Among the 【Four Paths】, Yin-Yang Path covers the widest range, with the most techniques and arts.

Astronomy Path observes constellations, can set up formations and barriers in the formless.

Calendar Path determines fortune and misfortune, excels at divination.

The last Water Clock Path supposedly controls time, mysterious and unfathomable."

"The meaning of Five Elements you can just look up online." Shizuku paused, "Sounds pretty simple, right."

Uesugi Toru understood — this is equivalent to picking a race and class at the character creation screen in a game, then just grinding levels.

Sounds simple indeed.

Shizuku coldly smiled: "But in reality, no rule says Onmyoji can only cultivate those two, so I've heard most of today's Great Onmyoji know three, four, five, six kinds, some know all, and mastering all isn't even a legend."

All, know all? Everyone a grind emperor?

No, no matter how you put it, that's not too possible.

Uesugi Toru was startled; others aren't like him where they can crazily grind Proficiency, isn't this the legendary "jack of all trades, master of none"?

Then, Shizuku answered his doubt,

"—Because the Tide hasn't arrived, Spirit Qi between Heaven and Earth is too thin, no matter how deeply you cultivate you can't break the Upper Limit, so you can only abandon specialization and turn to cultivating many."

She spread her hands: "But I don't feel much about it — Breathing Technique digs inward into oneself, Yin-Yang Technique borrows Heaven and Earth's power outward, so whether it's End of Dharma or not has nothing to do with us muscle sticks who only know how to swing swords!"

Uesugi Toru fell into thought.

From what Shizuku said, many Great Onmyoji now have cultivated to the Genjitsu's Upper Limit, unable to improve even a bit, to the point of competing over "who knows more".

This is also one reason why the Modern Era is relatively calmer compared to Ancient times — everyone's peak Combat Power is about equal, fighting benefits no one, so balance is maintained.

But if the Tide arrives... afraid it won't be long before a massive upheaval and great reshuffle occurs.

As for why Breathing Technique temporarily has no Upper Limit yet hasn't replaced Onmyoji as the mainstream of this era, the reason is probably also very simple.

First, it not only demands talent, but the cultivation speed is simply slow to the point of leaving one speechless; often one settles down and practices for several months without much progress, and in all likelihood remains just a strong ordinary person.

As the saying goes, the teacher leads you through the door, but cultivation depends on the individual — nothing exemplifies this more.

On this point, Onmyoji who can easily contract all manner of strange Shikigami under others' guidance in a short time, with immediate results, completely blow it out of the water.

Moreover, walking the path of a Breathing Technique requires more than just cultivating the Breathing Technique itself.

The matching saber, spear, sword, halberd, or fist and foot techniques — one must spend an equal or greater amount of time mastering one of those as well; otherwise, having a body full of power is of no use if it cannot be brought to bear.

Just these two points alone are enough to dissuade the vast majority of people from becoming Onmyoji.

Needless to say...

Uesugi Toru asked: "Ririko, is the Corona Breathing Technique a common commodity?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" the girl countered.

— Even a common commodity cannot be spread casually; this point is worlds apart from the 【Four Paths Five Elements】 that anyone can study.

The cultivation of this Breathing Technique is strictly gatekept by clans and difficult as ascending to heaven; it's like cosplaying the Journey to the West's eighty-one tribulations — only gods among men can persevere in learning it.

Tokugawa Ririko, one of those gods among men, shook her head: "Uesugi-kun, if you want to learn Yin-Yang Technique later, go find someone else; let's get back to the main topic."

She raised a finger, using same-frequency resonance sound waves to interrupt the train of thought of the two people present: "Unshinjutsu and Jade Heart Technique."

The girl looked at Shizuka Mami, whose Jing Shen were all extremely weak: "Mami Knot, you can also try learning this; it's good for your late nights and physical recovery."

Shizuka Mami hugged her knees and nodded seriously.

Uesugi Toru, who had long since placed the two Yokai Avatars, White Prajna and Three-Tailed Fox, in the upgrade-to-two-star queue, glanced at his remaining Soul Ash and Soul-Calming Incense Ash quantities —

【Soul Ash: 681】

【Soul Incense Ash (Small) ×3, Soul-Calming Incense Ash (Minor) ×6】

After returning to bed last night, Uesugi Toru consumed another 400 Soul Ash in the initial Half-Star Gacha and pulled hard 40 times.

He pulled a full 28 portions of Soul-Calming Incense Ash (Minor), 6 portions of Soul Incense Ash (Small), and 5 pieces of gray-quality trash Equipment.

And finally, one last item, which might be of some slight use — a small Prop.

And at this moment, as Ririko spoke words signaling "teaching is about to begin," the two differently-spec'd Soul-Calming Incense Ashes in the Storage Backpack actually both lit up at the same time.

Previously, Soul Incense Ash (Small) was unusable.

"Is it because of the attribute enhancement from gaining a new Avatar?"

Uesugi Toru thought this idea not without reason, because originally even Soul-Calming Incense Ash (Minor) had already made his five senses feel completely renewed.

If he had used Soul Incense Ash (Small) with his previously frail body, who knows — he might have directly passed on to the heavens.

Uesugi Toru stared at the lit-up Soul Incense Ash (Small), his hand itching uncontrollably: "Why not give this a try?"

The button's lit up, how could he not click it?

A thought reached here, Uesugi Toru immediately used his mind to click hard.

— Soul Incense Ash (Small), use!

Huala— Huala—

The sound of something neither solid nor liquid flowing brushed past Uesugi Toru's ear, like a hundred rivers entering the sea, surging ceaselessly.

He subconsciously reached out and gripped a strand, carefully pinched it up, and placed it before his eyes to examine closely.

A strand of half-transparent "Material" finer than a hair strand floated at his fingertip, drifting with the ever-present Tide.

It is Spirit Power.

Although Spirit Power in the world is originally formless and without substance, and even if sensed cannot be touched, for some reason Uesugi Toru suddenly felt he could do it.

As a result, he really caught a strand of Spirit Power.

Hu— Hu—

Inside his body, beneath the sound of blood circulating and surging through his four limbs and hundred bones, another substance continuously fused and rubbed against them, emitting a faint heat and sound.

Uesugi Toru knew that was the "Qi" of the Solar Corona within his body, or rather "Qi" (炁).

Just as he wanted to imitate the way he caught Spirit Power to closely examine what this Qi actually looked like, bursts of pain came from inside his skull.

"Hiss—"

Uesugi Toru's forehead twitched slightly; he understood just how heavy the burden on his body and brain was after using Soul Incense Ash (Small).

Just him subconsciously doing something novel gave him a headache; if this were before, wouldn't this terrifying amount of data have directly paralyzed him?

If Soul-Calming Incense Ash (Minor) upgrades the picture quality from 1080p to 4K, then Soul Incense Ash (Small) upgrades it a full notch to 8K!

Everything, down to the finest detail, is laid bare!

Uesugi Toru merely swept a glance, and his mind subconsciously registered Ririko and Shizuka Mami's heights, weights, three measurements...

"Ugh—"

Ririko immediately detected this abrupt gaze that seemed to have unceremoniously stripped her into a little white lamb; she instantly covered her chest with her hands and glared back viciously.

But Uesugi Toru not only didn't look away, he stared even deeper.

The old him never discovered that Ririko was actually this... beautiful.

Machine-like precise breathing resonated with blood flow speed; all the Qi in her body performed their duties, not a single bit wasted; every heartbeat made Qi and blood rivet together more tightly, indistinguishable from each other...

All of Ririko's everything was constantly exerting full-efficiency effort at every moment to push her deeper into the "Cultivation Path."

By comparison, aside from possessing the Skill Grinding Proficiency cheat, he simply could not measure up to her at all.

Ririko clenched her fist: "Hey! Keep looking and I'll poke your eyes out!"

Uesugi Toru subconsciously murmured: "So beautiful..."

Even getting angry and speaking doesn't cost a single bit of cultivation efficiency; if it were the old Uesugi Toru, he'd just curse a scroll dog!

But now that he can observe and learn from it, this beauty of efficiency nearly makes Uesugi Toru drool.

The Cultivation God's human masterpiece sits right before him, and he actually never discovered it before!

— Want to observe her, want to touch her, want to claim her everything as his own, want to keep her right before his eyes until he squeezes dry every last bit of value...

"Eh?"

Hearing the unexpected answer, Shizuku froze for an instant, her breathing thrown into disarray, as if a vicious heavy punch had knocked Uesugi Toru out of this bizarre, uncanny state.

Damn it!

A chill ran through Uesugi Toru's heart, and dense goosebumps rose all over his body.

(End of Chapter)