Chapter 113

May 8, 2024, Sakura Capital High School, sunny.

A week has passed since the full onset of the First Wave — unimaginably brief for some, yet unimaginably long for others.

The Spirit Qi concentration between heaven and earth kept climbing, and reached its peak three days after the Wave's arrival.

According to the average of multi-site measurements by the Special Affairs Division, the current Spirit Qi concentration has climbed and stabilized at 11.8 times the pre-Wave level.

The 11.8-fold Spirit Qi concentration brings far more than an 11.8-fold increase in cultivation speed... orally transmitted Mononoke awaken one by one, and Yokai can hide themselves even more like fish in water.

Naturally, more importantly, under the current greater environment, cultivation — that is, the threshold for contacting and stepping into the supernatural — has been greatly lowered; numerous ancient scriptures and methods have been released by the Special Affairs Division, and a golden age of universal cultivation is about to arrive.

This morning, in the gymnasium of Sakura Capital High School in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo.

The originally standing basketball hoops have been dismantled, and the entire second-year student body of Sakura Capital High School sits row upon row on the nearly thousand-square-meter smooth wooden floorboards.

This is their first time attending the "Yokai Class" previously mentioned by Nanjo Rituna, but more accurately speaking, it should be a major branch of the Yokai Class — the Yin-Yang Technique Class.

The Onmyoji dispatched by the Special Affairs Division to teach Yin-Yang Technique stands at the very center of the gymnasium, his hair slicked back.

At the Onmyoji's feet, Uesugi Toru, Shizuku, and Kitano Runa sit side by side, listening to the Onmyoji expound on the so-called "Basic Spirit Absorption Method".

Basic knowledge about some fundamental Yokai and cultivation has long been popularized; this whole-grade lecture is to test the cultivation aptitude and potential of everyone in the grade.

Reality is not a game; naturally it is impossible to just take out some black-tech instrument, run a scan, and discern the aptitude and potential of a student who has never cultivated at all.

So the method adopted by the Special Affairs Division is to teach the most basic, most gentle Basic Spirit Absorption Method to the students.

— Aside from the two drawbacks of slow cultivation and a low ceiling, it has no other bizarre side effects.

Moreover, those who cultivate the Basic Spirit Absorption Method can still freely choose a path suited to themselves among the Four Paths Five Elements, without adding any difficulty.

You should know, if an Onmyoji apprentice first picks the Water Path, then later wants to also cultivate the Fire Path, the difficulty is far more than doubled.

How long it takes to learn the Basic Spirit Absorption Method, the time to sense heaven-and-earth Spirit Qi after learning it, the speed of successfully inhaling and exhaling Spirit Power for the first time, the number of days needed to complete the first full Qi Circulation...

These data points all become standards for the Special Affairs Division to judge a student's aptitude; future resource allocation will also use these as important criteria.

This point might have been hard to achieve before.

But now is the information-age big-data era; as long as data can be correctly collected, this kind of simple matter can be solved by just finding any Special Affairs Division Record Clerk to pull an Excel spreadsheet.

And completing the above judgment indicators is merely stepping over the lowest threshold of the ordinary; most likely one still couldn't beat even a common wandering spirit.

The vast majority of an Onmyoji's time is not spent fighting and killing, but in solitary precipitation.

— The Onmyoji seen at the Special Affairs Division have already walked a considerable distance on one of the Four Paths Five Elements, contracted Shikigami, and possess the ability to hold their own.

"So, Uesugi-kun, Shizuku... did you two understand what heavenly script he's lecturing on?"

Kitano Runa, listening in a daze, rubbed her sun temple, revealing the bewildered expression of someone listening to a Calculus class and a clear, foolish look in her eyes.

"Basic Spirit Absorption Method — the name really is apt." Uesugi Toru stroked the Jade Tablet in his hand, flipping through the brand-new heavy textbook, "Easy entry, hard to improve; the cultivation efficiency is indeed quite low, but it should win on stability."

Shizuku also blinked, nodding in agreement: "It sounds concise and basic."

The two looked together at Kitano Runa sitting between them, both showing puzzled expressions: "Where in this method from beginning to end is there any difficult point that's hard to understand?"

Kitano Runa hugged her knees, rolled her eyes: "Alright, you two stop talking to me. My tiny fragile self-esteem can't take any more blows!"

Uesugi Toru went along readily, but Shizuku hadn't forgotten to look after her good best friend.

She pulled Kitano Runa closer, and from beginning to end of this Basic Spirit Absorption Method, from every knowledge point to each Guankai, broke it down thoroughly and explained it vividly for her to hear.

Although Shizuku herself couldn't sense even a shred of heaven-and-earth Spirit Qi, this did not hinder her from completely understanding this extremely basic Yin-Yang Technique, and drawing analogies from her Breathing Technique experience.

"You two sitting in front of me dare to whisper?! Why don't you come up and lecture!"

That Onmyoji, who originally resented having his personal cultivation time affected and was forcibly dispatched to teach this group of high school little muggles, looked down toward the floor.

Kitano Runa started, hurriedly looked at the ground, then hurriedly poked Shizuku with her toe.

He frowned, pointing at Shizuku who remained oblivious and was still patiently explaining: "Yes, you! The girl in the first row, eighth seat! Still talking! Treating my words as wind in your ears!"

— It seems this unfamiliar Onmyoji perhaps just rushed back from outside, and isn't too familiar with a newcomer like Shizuku yet.

Uesugi Toru showed a strange expression, nudging Shizuku's waist with his elbow.

The latter bared her teeth, turning back viciously: "What are you doing, I'm lecturing Runa right now!"

Uesugi Toru lifted his chin: "He's telling you to go up and lecture; who knows, maybe he thinks you explain well and wants to exchange experience."

"Oh! That's great, he seems not to recognize me." Shizuku gave a thumbs-up to the Onmyoji on the platform, then turned her head back to say, "Able to ask without shame from an ordinary student like me, this person is really pretty good."

Having said that, Shizuku stood up under everyone's gaze.

She smiled, using both hands to shake the Onmyoji's stiff hand, and under his dumbfounded gaze walked generously onto the high platform, cleared her throat,

"Hello everyone! Since Nakajima-sensei invited me up to share experience, I'll talk a bit of my shallow personal insights; if there are errors, everyone is welcome to point them out."

The entire gymnasium instantly boiled — among the second-year students, you couldn't find one in ten who didn't know Tokugawa Shizuku, and that remaining one who didn't know her, knows her now.

The baffled Nakajima Onmyoji, inexplicably chased off the platform, stunned for a moment: "Ah?"

He was just about to go up and properly teach a lesson to this presumptuous student, when he discovered his hem being grabbed.

A Spirit Power fluctuation that startled him rose from behind.

Nakajima Onmyoji instantly turned his head, saw Uesugi Toru smiling at him, and his tone involuntarily softened,

"This student, you are..."

Uesugi Toru: "Nakajima-san, the Shizuku on the platform is also Special Affairs Division personnel, so why not first listen to what she can lecture?"

This high school girl is my colleague?

Nakajima raised an eyebrow, but still chose not to offend this youth with surging Spirit Power on him; he nodded: "An additional angle of understanding isn't bad either."

He then added: "However, I must guarantee the rigor of the teaching content."

The implication being, if Shizuku lectures poorly, she'll have to get down and suffer a scolding from him.

But can this kind of thing possibly happen?

Uesugi Toru sized up this Nakajima Onmyoji — the Spirit Power fluctuation emanating from him was not weak; before the Wave's arrival, he could even touch the "Minor Officer" baseline.

But now, this level of Spirit Power fluctuation is extremely common.

— Because of the massive Spirit Power brought by the Wave, almost all Onmyoji below Three Stars have very easily advanced one step upward.

"Moreover, they're probably an Onmyoji who studied the Astronomy Dao and the Earth Path; visually estimated strength around two stars."

Uesugi Toru thought silently in his heart — in these seven days, he had already found entry-level texts for the Four Paths Five Elements and learned them all thoroughly with full preparation.

Although the proficiency levels were mostly only Entry Level or not even entered, this laid a solid foundation for him to understand others.

For instance, right now, aside from the Shikigami that hasn't shown its face yet, the Onmyoji Nakajima's bottom drawer has already been seen through by him, while the other party even thinks he is similarly a not-weak Onmyoji.

The gap in intelligence-gathering ability was reflected almost in an instant.

Moving his gaze away from Nakajima who was completely unaware, Uesugi Toru only then discovered the gymnasium had actually quieted down all at once, with only Ririko's gentle and clear lecturing voice echoing.

Looking again at Nakajima's face, Uesugi Toru discovered he also revealed a shocked, incredulous expression.

Nakajima tilted his head up, murmuring: "This understanding... is far more profound than mine."

And closely following, a thick curiosity appeared on Nakajima's face.

Several minutes later.

"—The above are some of my personal shallow understandings; it would be even better if they can help everyone."

After Ririko finished speaking, she bowed to everyone, then walked down with quick steps amid extremely enthusiastic applause.

Noisy discussion voices immediately rang out all around —

Someone suddenly laughed loudly: "I've comprehended, I've comprehended hahaha!"

There were also those who only watched and didn't listen to anything: "I'll just directly hug the Goddess Tokugawa's black stocking long legs and slurp and gnaw wildly!"

More people were discussing that it seems, appears, probably Ririko's lecture was a bit... better than that previous Onmyoji Nakajima?

This is an indisputable fact.

Because even Nakajima himself was shocked by this extremely profound understanding.

And what puzzled him even more was that on this girl called "Tokugawa Ririko" there wasn't even a single thread of spiritual power fluctuation.

You should know, unless one has stepped into the Ghost God Level realm or above, or cultivated some extremely special method, it is very difficult for an Onmyoji to control the leakage of their own spiritual power.

Then doesn't this explain a fact — his young colleague here isn't an Onmyoji?

Nakajima curiously raised this question to her.

Ririko responded as a matter of course: "I have delved quite deeply into the Breathing Path, so naturally I can draw inferences and understand this kind of basic method; it's not anything difficult."

This, is this right?

Aren't those who practice breathing methods all big brutes who train in the dog days of summer and the coldest days of winter, with muscles grown into their brains, how can they still understand Yin-Yang Technique?

Nakajima, full of doubts, walked onto the stage again, pressed down his palm virtually, and a trace of leaked spiritual power instantly quieted the entire gymnasium.

He said: "Alright, presumably after Tokugawa classmate's explanation just now, everyone also understands how to enter the Basic Spirit Absorption Method."

"So next, please everyone enter a meditative state on the spot, strive to sense the Heaven Earth Spirit Qi, and absorb the first thread of spiritual power."

Students yearning for the supernatural closed their eyes one after another, striving to calm their minds and enter a meditative state.

And those restless troublemakers were also stimulated by the spiritual power Nakajima released just now, so they fell silent and no longer whispered to each other.

Seeing everyone quiet, Nakajima also went off stage and pulled Ririko to the side, completely changing his previous impatient appearance, and humbly consulted Ririko.

"The spiritual power inside the gymnasium seems to be quite a bit higher than outside." Seeing Ririko pulled to the side, Uesugi Toru also made a decision, "Take this opportunity to brush the Spirit Control Technique Entry Level proficiency to full."

Different from the usual situation where cultivating Spirit Control Technique is very difficult.

After the Three-Tailed Fox Incarnation... ah no, now it should be said the Four-Tailed Fox Incarnation's quality upgraded to "Epic", Uesugi Toru's cultivation in the aspect of Yin-Yang Technique has also become easy mode.

Not only did cultivating many texts among the Four Paths Five Elements raise his Spirit Technique Attribute considerably, but more because the Epic Quality Four-Tailed Fox Incarnation brought him a surprise.

Uesugi Toru rubbed the cool jade tablet in his hand exquisitely carved with the likeness of a four-tailed fox, recalling its attributes —

【Four-Tailed Fox Jade Pendant】

【Quality: Epic】

【Effect One: Increases the wearer's spiritual power affinity.】

【Effect Two: Grants the wearer a Spirit Technique Attribute increase equivalent to one-third of "Yokai Avatar · Four-Tailed Fox". Current Spirit Technique Attribute +11.】

【— A warm jade tablet engraved with a lifelike four-tailed fox, holding it in hand gives an icy cool feeling.】

Uesugi Toru only just learned that originally each incarnation, upon advancing to Epic, transforms into a tool with different attributes.

But this way, counting the attributes increased by the jade tablet, Uesugi Toru's own attribute panel became —

【Physique: 30】

【Will: 14】

【Charm: 9】

【Spirit Arts: 23→34】

The Spirit Technique Attribute had strikingly reached a terrifying 34 points, leaping to become Uesugi Toru's currently highest attribute — of course, it could already be mentioned in the same breath as the spiritual power value inside that Onmyoji called Nakajima.

But although this 11-point Spirit Technique Attribute increase is not small, compared to the jade tablet's effect one — "increases spiritual power affinity" — it falls short.

Uesugi Toru also didn't put this effect one in his eyes at first.

But when he learned the Four Paths Five Elements texts and truly started cultivating, he discovered that whether or not he had this jade tablet hanging on him, the cultivation speed could differ by almost a full fold!

It is precisely because Uesugi Toru has always had this seemingly ordinary jade tablet hanging at his waist,

That he was able in seven days, without delaying other matters, to consecutively brush all the entry-level texts of "Metal Wood Water Fire Earth Five Elements" among the Four Paths Five Elements to Entry Level, bringing himself a full 5 points of Spirit Technique Attribute bonus.

These entry-level texts require high proficiency to upgrade, and the attributes and new skills gained after upgrading are few and far between, so Uesugi Toru only brushed them to Entry Level and stopped.

"The proficiency needed to upgrade to Proficient Level is about the same as Spirit Control Technique upgrading to Mastery Level, but they only give a few Yin-Yang Techniques similar to fireballs and waterballs, only a ghost would go cultivate them..."

【Basic Yin-Yang Technique: Metal (Entry Level 0/600)】

【Basic Yin-Yang Technique: Wood (Entry Level 0/600)】

【Basic Yin-Yang Technique: Water (Entry Level 0/600)】

【Basic Yin-Yang Technique: Fire (Entry Level 0/600)】

【Basic Yin-Yang Technique: Earth (Entry Level 0/600)】

Spirit Control Technique is a fragment of the Great Yin-Yang Art; leveling it further might bring unexpected surprises.

But what future could these few Basic Onmyo Techniques that the Special Affairs Division posts on its official website for everyone to view possibly have?

Who knows, they might cap out at Proficient Level.

Glancing at the string of zeros behind Five Elements Onmyodo on the panel, Uesugi Toru shook his head.

Moreover, even now, Spirit Control Technique already seems to demonstrate some utility different from these commonplace Onmyo Techniques.

— Cultivation is fast.

That's right; the cultivation speed while circulating Spirit Control Technique is truly fast.

Uesugi Toru has tested it: even without the Four-Tailed Fox Jade Pendant, the time needed to absorb an equal amount of Spirit Power by circulating Proficient Level Spirit Control Technique is one to two times faster than the likes of "Basic Yin-Yang Technique: Metal."

Compared to the "Basic Spirit Absorption Technique" taught to the vast student body, it is faster by three to four times at least!

Fast cultivation means fast proficiency grinding speed, and also allows Uesugi Toru's Spirit Technique Attribute to grow faster.

— Even if he doesn't know exquisite Onmyo Techniques for the time being, doesn't he still have the folding fan's Heavenly Thunder and the Four-Tailed Fox's innate skills to unleash!

Thinking up to here, Uesugi Toru couldn't help but calm his mind and circulate Spirit Control Technique with all his strength, whale-swallowing and fiercely inhaling the Spirit Qi within the entire gymnasium, letting proficiency rise rapidly.

Kitano Runa, sitting beside him, opened her mouth, but seeing Uesugi Toru had already completely entered a cultivation state, she also found it awkward to disturb him.

Consequently, those students with better aptitude who were originally about to sense the first wisp of Heaven Earth Spirit Qi all revealed puzzled expressions.

How could even such basic sensing be interrupted?

Could it be that what I learned has a problem?

But as time passed, beads of sweat couldn't help but seep onto their foreheads — How, how come they couldn't sense it at all?

On the other side, the mobile phone in Nakajima Onmyoji's pocket vibrated while he was wholeheartedly discussing improvements to the Basic Spirit Absorption Method with Shizuku.

He showed an embarrassed expression and answered the phone rather impatiently: "If there's something, say it fast!"

Randomly, a voice came from the phone: "That... Mr. Nakajima, please check if the Spirit Gathering Barrier has activated normally."

Nakajima raised an eyebrow: "A barrier I personally laid could still have a mistake?"

"Ah, sorry... perhaps it's not the barrier's problem, but our data detection shows the Spirit Qi concentration inside the gymnasium doesn't seem to have changed; rather, it has dropped quite a bit. Could you please take a look at what the reason is?"

Spirit Qi concentration unchanged — isn't this still beating around the bush saying his Spirit Gathering Barrier has a problem.

Nakajima was thinking just like this when his eyes suddenly widened.

In his Spirit Vision, above the entire gymnasium there were actually two exaggerated Spirit Qi funnels, one large and one small, surging toward the exact center; even the Spirit Qi outside the gymnasium was not spared.

Looking closely, two people were actually sitting beneath those funnels.

At this moment, a "whoosh" sound of Spirit Qi flowing finally rang beside Nakajima's ears.

He had just been discussing too intently with that Lord Tokugawa, and actually failed to discover such a bizarre phenomenon!

Nakajima glanced at the time and discovered that over twenty minutes had actually passed — no wonder not a single student said he had sensed Spirit Qi in these twenty-plus minutes.

Students able to sense Heaven Earth Spirit Qi in this kind of terrible, outrageous environment would be true Kami.

Nakajima put the phone back to his ear, fell silent for a moment: "No doubt, my Spirit Gathering Barrier is operating normally."

He added: "If there were a problem, the Spirit Qi inside the gymnasium should have been sucked dry long ago."

"Ah?" The staff member on the other end of the phone uttered a questioning sound.

After Nakajima explained a bit, he further said: "To avoid affecting other students, I'll still take those few away separately for testing first."

"Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Nakajima."

……

Uesugi Toru felt someone pat his shoulder, interrupting his cultivation process.

【Your Skill, Spirit Control Technique Proficiency +30!】

【Spirit Control Technique (Proficient 392/600)】

The giant Spirit Power funnel above the gymnasium trembled along with it, then dispersed.

Nakajima's mouth twitched as he watched; he patted Kitano Runa's shoulder again, and then saw the small Spirit Power funnel also disperse.

"To think there's actually this kind of outrageous thing; this trip was worth it..."

He sighed with emotion, then explained a bit to Uesugi Toru and the other, whose complexions were displeased.

"I was wondering why, even though Spirit Power concentration increased this much, cultivation speed didn't get much faster."

Uesugi Toru poked Kitano Runa's shoulder: "So Kitano Classmate, you were also absorbing fiercely."

Then he looked at the many classmates already sweating profusely with pained complexions, and coughed rather embarrassedly: "Put that way, it really was my problem."

Walking out of the gymnasium together with Kitano Runa following Nakajima, Uesugi Toru watched him go back, clap his hands, and explain the sudden situation just now to the students.

For a moment, Uesugi Toru could feel several hundred gazes land on his body at the same time.

Some envious, some doubtful, some scrutinizing...

But Uesugi Toru neither dodged nor avoided; after yawning, he revealed a smile that begged for a beating: "That's right! It was me just now, one person absorbing too much Spirit Qi causing everyone to be completely unable to sense it. Sorry sorry, very sorry!"

The gymnasium fell instantly silent then became clamorously noisy; Uesugi Toru, standing at the doorway, thought for a moment, imitating Nakajima Onmyoji's technique just now to release his own Spirit Power.

The noisy shouting and cursing instantly stopped; the gymnasium interior became deathly silent in an instant again.

Uesugi Toru nodded in satisfaction, then left.

Shizuku followed behind him, bumping him with her shoulder: "How come you're so high-profile today?"

"Does this count as high-profile?" Uesugi Toru countered, "Just taking this opportunity to let everyone clearly see the stark gap between them and me."

"Shizuku, didn't you notice many people's gazes toward you have changed today?"

Uesugi Toru curled his lip: "If I keep acting low-key, making a fortune in silence, who knows how many troubles will come knocking; then beating the small fry only for the big boss to show up — that's what's truly troublesome."

"— The best way to deal with troublesome matters is to make sure they don't happen."

He doesn't want to be forced into playing the cliché game of pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger, thereby wasting precious cultivation and exploration of Chang Shi time.

Shizuku nodded in deep agreement: "Seems that's the logic."

She blinked, pulling the now-silent-when-crowds-gathered Kitano Runa into her arms with a hehe laugh: "Then why don't we just shout our way to a fortune?"

Shizuku raised a finger: "I read a report earlier — the Special Affairs Division allocates resources based on our students' talent."

"I figure they'll probably run a special talent test on us any minute now."

Shizuku proposed: "Since we've already made a spectacle of ourselves, we might as well seize the chance to stand at the top of Arakawa Ward, no, all of Tokyo. Completely root out any potential melodramatic plotlines while we're at it, and meet the other geniuses."

Uesugi Toru nodded: "Not a bad idea. Since we're doing it, let's do it thoroughly."

"Uh……"

Caught between them again, Kitano Runa recalled her special constitution and weakly raised her hand: "Can I… not participate……"

"No way!" Shizuku cut her off in one breath, "I heard you're prone to running into ghosts, Runa, so that's exactly why you need to get stronger — after all, you won't always have the kind of dumb luck that lets ordinary people escape."

The logic was sound.

But……

Kitano Runa kept worrying that once she succeeded in cultivation, she'd run into even more terrifying ghosts, stumble into even more bizarre spiritual events.

"——Please, the three of you, come with me."

Ahead, Nakajima's assistant spoke, leading the three to a room in the corner of a teaching building.

Uesugi Toru peered in, spotting inside the still-recognizable classroom a sphere its surface carved full of incantations, its interior holding mostly a translucent blue liquid.

Behind the sphere a whole pile of instruments that looked outrageously expensive was hooked up.

"Given your performance just now, we've temporarily remodeled this place to test the limits of your spirit qi absorption speed."

The assistant explained patiently: "The sphere contains liquid spirit power. In a moment you two just need to enter the room, touch the sphere, and absorb its spirit power with all your might within one minute."

There's even a deal this good?

Uesugi Toru listened in a daze, a friendly smile surfacing: "Then much obliged."

"Me first! Me first!"

Shizuku tore her gaze from the hesitant Kitano Runa, eagerly raising her hand toward the assistant.

The assistant made a call, Nakajima's nodding voice coming through.

So he nodded.

Shizuku walked in, head high, chest out.

One minute later.

Shizuku pulled open the tightly shut door, still carrying herself with swagger.

She announced loudly without a care: "My spirit qi absorption speed is — zero times that of an ordinary person!"

The assistant staring at the copied data on his phone fell silent, even suspecting the instrument might be broken.

Zero times?

That's equivalent to a natural Absolute Spirit Null Body, completely cut off from spirit power and Yin-Yang Technique?

The assistant had reviewed thousands of spirit qi absorption speed data files, yet this big fat "0" was still a first.

The assistant suddenly felt his scalp itch: "Uh…… next."

Hearing this, Shizuku shoved Kitano Runa from behind, grinning at her: "Runa, give it your all!"

With the "zero times" precedent set, Kitano Runa's heart wasn't so nervous anymore — she knew, in this already-changed era, cultivation was a hurdle she had to face.

Kitano Runa walked into the room.

Another minute.

Kitano Runa exited with head lowered, walking out tensely.

Gazing at the absurd data on his phone, the assistant fell silent once more: "Just now it was zero, this time it's two hundred eighty-seven times the standard value? The instrument really is broken?"

A few seconds later, a flashing gold "S" popped up on the phone screen, making the assistant start slightly.

Immediately his expression turned grave, and he gave Kitano Runa a slight bow: "Kitano-classmate, in light of your outstanding performance, the Special Affairs Division has internally discussed and rated your potential grade as 'S'."

"——Afterward, a specialist will contact you."

Kitano Runa: "Ah? Eh? Me?"

Shizuku immediately wrapped the stunned girl in her arms, unleashing a barrage of praise.

"So the 'bizarre phenomenon' Nakajima-sensei mentioned just now was this Kitano-classmate." The assistant thought.

He steadied his mood, said: "Next."

Uesugi Toru tore his gaze from the lovely scene before him, nodded, and walked into the room.

The moment he placed his hand on the sphere, Uesugi Toru felt a twinge of regret — the spirit power in this ball really wasn't a small amount; if only he could transform into a four-tailed fox.

"Uesugi-classmate, start absorbing when ready."

Uesugi Toru sighed, closed his eyes, and began circulating Spirit Control Technique at full force.

【Because you touched liquid spirit power for the first time, your skill, Spirit Control Technique proficiency +50!】

【Because Spirit Control Technique absorbed a large amount of spirit power, your Spirit Technique Attribute +1!】

One minute passed in a flash; Uesugi Toru reluctantly moved his hand off the sphere.

However, his body now faintly felt like it might burst from spirit power — even if he kept absorbing freely he'd only gain a few dozen more seconds.

Uesugi Toru pushed open the door with a touch of regret, and saw the assistant wearing a ghost-seen expression, and beside him Nakajima Onmyoji who had arrived at some unknown time.

Huh? Looking at my data?

Uesugi Toru curiously leaned in behind the two, clearly seeing the text displayed on the phone screen.

【——Tester's spirit qi absorption speed is 499 times the standard value! Potential grade directly rated S!】

【——Error! Potential grade rating conflict!】

【——Correction! This tester's potential grade has been personally rated "Seed" by "Onmyo Daizoku·Nanase Manami"!】

He asked: "What grade is Seed? Higher than the S that emits golden legendary light?"

Nakajima and his assistant were startled, looking at Uesugi Toru as if they had seen a ghost.

499 times... Is this still human?

When Nakajima saw those two Spirit Qi vortices in the gymnasium earlier, he felt things were about to get interesting—maybe he could run into a great genius whose Spirit Absorption Speed was a hundred times the Standard Value!

But 500 times?

Forget Arakawa Ward and Tokyo; there might not be anyone in the entire Eastern Region, or even Honshu Island, who could compare with him.

Spirit Absorption ten times the Standard Value represents the talent to become an Onmyoji; over fifty times can be called a genius.

Nakajima's Spirit Absorption Speed was exactly 46 times the Standard Value, barely on the dividing line between Ordinary Person and genius, so after only a few years of exposure to Yin-Yang Technique, he had already reached his current position.

And 500 times... even if this Uesugi Toru was utterly worthless in every other respect, his future achievement Upper Limit would definitely far exceed his.

Not to mention that the other party was a "Seed" personally evaluated by Nanjo Daimyo.

Nakajima took a deep breath and began explaining to the three of them.

In a short while, Uesugi Toru understood.

The so-called "Seed" refers to the genius with the highest potential in each administrative district who can also enjoy the most Cultivation Resources; there are two slots in total.

One is nominated by the Major Officer of the district, and the other is selected from among the many S-rank Potentials.

The relevant regulations were only preliminarily issued by the Five Person Council five days ago, so they are far from rigorous and perfect, and are currently being piloted on a large scale only within Tokyo to see how things go.

"Not bad, not bad."

Uesugi Toru nodded happily, then eagerly exchanged with Nakajima about matters regarding "Resources."

—Although everything above that happened was a good thing, quite a lot of bad things also happened during these seven days.

In a full week, Uesugi Toru, who had not died once, made no new discoveries at Kisaragi Station.

Soul Ash did not increase, but dropped slightly due to Cultivation consumption; the Driver and Mountain Inn in the Mononoke of this Main Story still had not appeared.

The only thing was that the most useless Map Exploration Degree rose to 82%.

The reason he did not go to Edo Castle to kill Yokai during his free time was first because Uesugi Toru was waiting for the new Gacha Pool to appear, and he currently had quite a lot of Soul Ash, and second because Shizuku had been staying by his side these days.

With a perfect Sword Art teacher whose strength had undergone a qualitative change and skyrocketed, and who was on standby 24 hours a day, Uesugi Toru was exhausted from training every day until his eyes rolled back; where would he have the energy to fight and slaughter Yokai?

However, Uesugi Toru had already drawn lots from the Divine Oracle Tube before, so he had a bottom line in his heart and would not get stuck.

What he had in mind was—whether he could find the Mountain Inn within five days.

The answer given by the Divination Sticks was 【Great Fortune】.

And today was exactly the fifth day after the Divination Request.

Second Volume, start!

February extra updates, start!

Request Monthly Tickets, start!

————

Postscript: From now on, change the title names to numerical form; feels like it looks cleaner this way.

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End of Chapter