Chapter 157

【Because your Corona Breathing Technique reached Mastery Level, your Physique +5!】

【Because your Corona Breathing Technique reached Mastery Level, your Internal Qi quantity greatly increased! Your Internal Qi quality greatly increased!】

【Because you completed Gang Qi Circulation · Basic, your Physique +5, your Internal Qi quality increased! Your Internal Qi recovery speed greatly increased!】

「After 'Qi Circulation Through the Four Extremities' comes 'Ceaseless Circulation of the Heavenly Circuit,' right? 」

Ceaseless Circulation of the Heavenly Circuit, as the name suggests, means all Internal Qi continuously circulates within the body to ensure "Internal Qi never ceases."

This way, the practitioner's combat endurance and recovery rate can be greatly increased.

Uesugi Toru merely clenched his fist slightly, and could clearly feel the Corona Qi surging endlessly from every meridian within his body, far more blazing and pure than before.

These Corona Qi seemed to possess Spiritual Wisdom, circulating within his body ceaselessly on their own, far faster and more stable than before.

And with every circulation, more Corona Qi would be generated to ensure Internal Qi was full, then nourish the flesh.

In just a moment, the Internal Qi within him that had originally been dried up to not a single drop had already recovered to one-fifth.

The recovery speed of his Internal Qi was nearly five to ten times or more than before his breakthrough!

Uesugi Toru felt a warm sensation from the wounds all over his body, and saw them actually healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

First blood clotted and scabbed, then flesh surged and intertwined.

In less than ten seconds, a small wound could be seen completely restored.

Just Ceaseless Circulation of the Heavenly Circuit alone had such an effect.

So what about "Gang Qi Circulation" obtained only after completing all three of "Internal Organs Fortification, Qi Circulation Through the Four Extremities, Ceaseless Circulation of the Heavenly Circuit"?

Uesugi Toru raised his fingertip at will, and then saw a wisp of white Gang Qi, containing not a shred of impurity and like a solid, quietly snap out.

This was nothing special—after the quality of Internal Qi had been increased multiple times, it was normal to possess Gang Qi that had previously required active condensation to become "solid state."

From now on, the Corona Qi within his body could be renamed from Internal Qi to Gang Qi.

The key was, while maintaining this wisp of "Jing Qi Zhi Jian," the Corona Qi within his body only decreased by this portion, and actually showed no signs of being continuously consumed!

That meant, as long as Uesugi Toru wanted, he could always maintain the existence of Qi Coating on his body surface.

He gazed at this wisp of Qi Sword at his fingertip, thinking that the idea from when Kiai Technique reached Mastery Level was finally completed.

——The Gang Qi of today perfectly matched his original Fantasy.

Extremely high efficiency, solid quality, it could both circulate within the body to enhance Physique, and be released outside the body to increase means of resisting enemies.

Uesugi Toru was retracting the Qi Sword, wanting to look at Kuzuha Chihaya walking out from the passage, when suddenly a Prompt popped up before his eyes.

【Your Skill · Corona Breathing Technique has reached Mastery Level. Would you like to subdivide it finely according to "Breathing Technique Stage · Flesh Palace"?】

Flesh Palace?

This Word seemed to have also appeared in the effect column just now.

So completing "Flesh Palace" is what needs to be done in the "Mastery" stage of Corona Breathing Technique?

Uesugi Toru glanced at the Corona Breathing Technique requiring ten thousand Proficiency points to continue advancing.

Even he couldn't help but feel this number was somewhat exaggerated.

From three thousand five hundred points spanning to ten thousand points……this ten thousand points was still the result after reduction.

At the same time, after Corona Breathing Technique reached Mastery Level, Proficiency improvement could no longer be obtained through the simple method of Gang Qi circulation.

But rather, on the premise of bearing inhuman pain, actively use Gang Qi day and night to stimulate and temper different parts of the body.

If there was the slightest mistake in Cultivation during this process, it would directly lead to necrosis of the tempered part.

One could imagine how great the difficulty of ordinary people undergoing Flesh Palace Cultivation would be.

「Yes. 」

Uesugi Toru silently said in his heart, and then saw several Prompts pop up together.

【Your Skill, Corona Breathing Technique has completed a more detailed and accurate level division! Please check.】

【Corona Breathing Technique (Skin Tempering 272/1500)】

【Corona Breathing Technique (Bone Forging 0/1500)】

【Corona Breathing Technique (Muscle Forging 0/5000)】

「Skin Tempering, Bone Forging, Muscle Forging……just these three items only include eight thousand Proficiency points. 」Uesugi Toru pondered, 「The ability represented by the last two thousand Proficiency points should only appear after all three major items are fully maxed out. 」

But the first two actually had such a huge gap in Proficiency requirement compared to "Muscle Forging"……

Before Uesugi Toru could think further, Kuzuha Chihaya's teasing voice came from far away and interrupted his train of thought,

「Do you need more time? 」

Kuzuha Chihaya, wearing only a thin short sports bra and panties covering the key parts, sat on the edge fence of the Arena.

Blond hair hanging down, she snapped her fingernails and smiled,

「Sister I am very generous, I will definitely not be like those two immature children, starting to fight without saying a word, okay. 」

「No need, Big Sister. 」

Uesugi Toru twisted his neck, exhaled ordinary air, and walked out from Adult's embrace.

After completing Gang Qi Circulation, all Internal Qi within his body could maximize its effect, and would no longer randomly dissipate and leak out.

He smiled at Kuzuha Chihaya: 「Because, I have already completed Gang Qi Circulation. 」

Uesugi Toru's calm voice spread bit by bit throughout the entire Arena; wherever it reached, the discussion there suddenly disappeared.

Even Kuzuha Chihaya licked her lips with interest, no longer pursuing the matter of Uesugi Toru calling her Big Sister: 「Interesting, you kid, really interesting. 」

「Not dragging you to the Hotel before, that was a huge loss……」

In less than five minutes, after the battle dragging a heavily wounded body to first complete "Ceaseless Circulation of the Heavenly Circuit," immediately comprehending what "Gang Qi Circulation" meant?

Everyone was speechless.

They only knew, a shining new star that could illuminate all of Tokyo, and even Eastern Japan, had already risen today, in Oboro Moon Hall's Underground Arena.

Someone immediately shouted at Rituna Minami: 「Nanjo Daimyo! Please quickly have Uesugi contestant admit defeat and withdraw from the Shinken Shiai! 」

"Right! A genius like him shouldn't risk his life in the third match anymore... if something unexpected happens, that's not just a loss for the Special Affairs Division, it's a loss for the entire Genjitsu!"

Listening to these sudden remarks of concern for Uesugi Toru, Rituna Minami narrowed her eyes and yawned wearily.

She thought for a moment, but still adhered to the idea of respecting the party's opinion and transmitted her voice into the arena: "Uesugi-kun, do you want to continue?"

Uesugi Toru did not look back, merely nodding.

So Rituna Minami didn't think twice before snapping her fingers, directly using the omnipotent Yin-Yang Path Yin-Yang Technique to seal the mouths of all these people.

At the same time, she also stuffed similar words back into the stomachs of those audience members who hadn't yet had a chance to open their mouths.

She gave an indifferent hum: "Then let's continue."

Kuzuha Chihaya smiled and clapped upon hearing this: "That's the way, Uesugi-kun! A hero can't flee before the battle!"

She laughed while sizing up Uesugi Toru, who continued to take out the Bloodstained Chick Crown and wear it on his head.

"A Spiritual Power fluctuation, a Shinrei Kobutsu that can summon Shikigami?" Kuzuha Chihaya thought in her heart, "Adding the lightning attached to the blade just now, he's still an Onmyoji skilled in Yin-Yang Path."

Dual cultivation of Breathing Technique and Yin-Yang Technique, and his attainments in both paths aren't low; no wonder he could defeat Little Crow and the others.

Moreover, Uesugi Toru is a rising seed of the Special Affairs Division after the First Wave arrived.

——Kuzuha Chihaya had read his previous records in detail; nothing more than an ordinary high school boy whose parents died young and who merely liked spiritual things.

Then, why does he have time to cultivate both paths simultaneously and still reach his current level of attainment?

Genius.

Kuzuha Chihaya thought pleasurably.

Roads that take ordinary people ten years or even longer to traverse, they might only need one month, or even ten days to achieve in a single leap, with even more stable foundations.

——Geniuses have never been creatures that need to reason.

——The same thought rose in the hearts of most of the audience.

Because there's always a period when most people, whether by coincidence or confidence, mistake themselves for that legendary genius.

Until their fantasy is shattered by a true genius.

All gazes fell together upon Uesugi Toru.

Seeing Uesugi Toru had already drawn Kaga Kiyomitsu and pointed it at herself, Kuzuha Chihaya jumped down from the fence: "In other words, Uesugi-kun, you're finally prepared?"

She flipped her wrist, making a gripping gesture.

Then the white snake that had been coiled at her chest stuck out its tongue and slowly poked its head out, winding around Kuzuha Chihaya's arm until it slid into her palm.

Then, amidst a Spiritual Power fluctuation and a flash of white light, a snake-patterned Naginata far longer than herself fell into her hand.

The Naginata was 2.1 meters in total length, snow-white all over, the blade clear and cold, with winding snake patterns climbing upon it.

Kuzuha Chihaya raised her head, smiling: "Lazy Teacher, not calling start yet?"

Kujou Rōya only then spoke slowly, as if waking from a dream,

"The third match of the Shinken Shiai, which is also the final match, begins now."

As the words fell, the two's gazes collided.

Uesugi Toru gripped the hilt of Kaga Kiyomitsu with both hands, assuming the impartial Tang Bamboo Momentum: "Big Sister, not attacking yet?"

"Oh, alright."

Kuzuha Chihaya blinked, nodding.

She pointed a finger at her chin, concerned: "Don't cry, okay?"

The next instant, one, ten, a hundred... countless Kuzuha Chihayas appeared in Uesugi Toru's vision.

Accurately speaking, they appeared in Uesugi Toru's "Mirror of the Mind," letting him pre-read hundreds of thousands of possibilities of Kuzuha Chihaya attacking in one go.

How to defend against this?!

Uesugi Toru immediately shut off the pre-reading ability that had already been played in the palm of Kuzuha Chihaya's hand.

Then, a cold, sharp light reflected into his pupils.

Instinctively, before he realized what had happened, Uesugi Toru crossed his blade horizontally.

Screech——!

A dense series of sparks shot out, then were all devoured by the Separation Sorrow Domain surging on Kaga Kiyomitsu.

Surging giant force silently stabbed into Uesugi Toru's body through the contact point of the blades in one go, making his hands numb and forcing him to open his mouth and cough out a mouthful of blood foam mixed with Gang Qi.

The corner of Uesugi Toru's eye twitched——with just this one strike, his Gang Qi circulation was actually shattered by Kuzuha Chihaya finding its weakest point!

Moreover, Kuzuha Chihaya's Naginata showed no signs of damage when colliding with Kaga Kiyomitsu, and even the snake patterns on it could devour the effects of the Separation Sorrow Domain invading her surroundings.

This showed her Naginata was at least Epic Level, or even a Super Epic Weapon!

At this time, Haku's voice finally transmitted through the heartstring,

"Toru-sama, little——"

She didn't get to finish before seeing Uesugi Toru struck flying like a cannonball by Kuzuha Chihaya, embedding deeply into the arena's wall.

Boom!

Dust and smoke rose, then were split apart by a slash from Uesugi Toru.

He slightly turned his head to the side and spat out a mouthful of black blood, his expression flat: "Big Sister, your blade doesn't seem to have much gusto."

Hearing this, Kuzuha Chihaya raised her eyebrows, covered her mouth with a finger, and laughed lightly,

"At this point Uesugi-kun you're still talking tough, it's actually a bit cute."

Her toes lightly touched the ground, and then the Naginata's blade was already slashing horizontally toward Uesugi Toru's pupils in silence.

Clang!

The ringing of iron against iron rippled outward.

Kaga Kiyomitsu actively moved forward, striking the midpoint of the Naginata just right, causing the transmission of Kuzuha Chihaya's force to stagnate for a moment.

Uesugi Toru raised his eyes and said calmly,

"Big Sister, I won't be hit by the same trick twice."

"I thought so."

Kuzuha Chihaya retreated half a step, then unexpectedly spun her halted naginata around in such a short distance—

striking upward with two simultaneous phantoms!

Uesugi Toru's expression remained unchanged, the Gang Qi within him roaring as if he had anticipated it, bringing down his blade in the same manner and forcibly using his ultimate technique without assuming a stance.

Tennen Rishin-ryu · Three-Stage Thrust!

The blades clashed head-on once more.

Immense force surged into Uesugi Toru's two arms at the moment of contact, then was swiftly dispersed throughout his body by the ever-flowing Gang Qi, quickly dissipating.

Had it been before his Breathing Breakthrough just now, Uesugi Toru would not only have seen his combat power plummet after clashing those two blades, but his sword speed would have slowed significantly for at least the next few seconds.

But now, the aftereffects of the sword clash almost vanished within moments.

But before Uesugi Toru could raise his blade, Kuzuha Chihaya raised her long, powerful thigh toward him with a bright smile.

Then she kicked Uesugi Toru back into the wall!

This time the naginata immediately probed like a spirit snake, drilling into the dust and smoke to try and lift Uesugi Toru up.

"Let me protect you, Toru-sama!"

Behind Kuzuha Chihaya, the two-shaku Adult awkwardly leaped down from midair to slash at her, holding aloft grayish-white double-handed swords, his form inexplicably faded by several degrees.

Though her movements were so childish and ridiculous, Kuzuha Chihaya immediately spun her naginata as if she had sensed some great threat.

The blade struck the two-shaku Adult's abdomen in an instant.

The snake pattern lit up, so the blade did not merely graze in an instant, but deeply embedded into the two-shaku Adult's abdomen, sending her flying heavily to the opposite wall of the arena.

While the two-shaku Adult was still airborne, the Jing Ruliang of Muku Mikohina lit up, protecting her from any further harm.

Kuzuha Chihaya tilted her head in surprise: "This Pure White Wedding Kimono is actually armor that can block Little White."

But that was all.

Being able to cause me one disturbance is already beyond expectation.

"Alright, Uesugi-kun, your little shikigami is about to exit the stage too."

Kuzuha Chihaya gazed at Uesugi Toru, whose Jing Shen suddenly changed from ordinary to soaring like a dragon, and said languidly: "Let us continue our pleasant slaughter..."

Uesugi Toru wiped the bloodstain from the corner of his mouth, silent, simply savoring the new sensation brought by the release of Unshinjutsu accumulated over nearly a month.

The world became slow and clear, everything about himself seemed to fall into his palm to be manipulated at will, and he could even see the phantom of others' Jing Shen from afar.

But it was not enough!

After the two intense clashes just now, Uesugi Toru had clearly understood the gap between him and Kuzuha Chihaya.

Kuzuha Chihaya, very strong!

Very strong!

Even though her paper strength was only three stars, everything she displayed was undoubtedly enough to match a three-and-a-half-star wax figure who also used a naginata!

Before his thoughts ended, a sudden storm of wind and rain swept over!

Even though Uesugi Toru immediately retreated from the wall, Kuzuha Chihaya likewise clung to his side like a ghost, slashing her naginata at him from any angle in all directions.

Then she left wound after wound, shallow and deep, on his body.

—Kuzuha Chihaya was compressing Uesugi Toru's survival and counterattack space, enjoying the fight with cat-and-mouse tactics, interpreting Uesugi Toru's every behavior pattern bit by bit.

Thus giving Uesugi Toru no chance to turn defeat into victory.

Just like a predator bit by bit luring prey into a carefully designed trap.

—Many of the spectating audience had decent strength and could see this, so they were all the more disappointed.

Because you see, a genius whose talent far exceeds them can still be beaten down by someone stronger; this world is just that cruel.

Being merely a genius is far from enough!

"If he's only at this level, he'll lose."

Tokugawa Hoshizuki rested her cheek on her fist and said lightly: "Bald donkey, why am I completely unable to be happy even though I clearly saw him get beaten up?"

Huijue blinked after hearing, seriously flipped through the notebook in her mobile phone, then raised a finger and smiled: "Tokugawa benefactor, I know this; it should be an emotion called 'tsundere'..."

"Shut up, I'm not that sentimental." Tokugawa Hoshizuki sighed helplessly: "I really do want to beat him, but I also really want him to win."

Because if Uesugi Toru were only at this level, how could she entrust Shizuku to him with peace of mind?

Subconsciously, Tokugawa Hoshizuki had unknowingly gripped the armrest of the chair tightly.

—Can you bring me more surprises, Uesugi Toru?

Ding ling ling~

The pale gold shaking bell rang, and the broken Hina Crown lit up with blood light.

Pulling back the arm that had once again surfaced a bloodstain, Uesugi Toru retreated two steps: "Big Sister, how about looking behind you?"

Kuzuha Chihaya turned around and saw three komainu and several dolls wearing bamboo armor and straw hats walking unsteadily over.

But without exception, they were all mere one-star little yokai.

After a moment of shock, she couldn't help but laugh: "Don't tell me this is your trump card, Uesugi-kun."

Uesugi Toru took this opportunity to once again pull back several meters.

—He naturally knew these one-star little yokai summoned with sparse spirit power were not enough for Kuzuha Chihaya to cut down with one hand.

But the question was, even if he expended a large amount of spirit power and luckily summoned three two-and-a-half-star komainu hatamoto and a group of one-and-a-half-star dolls, could they harm Kuzuha Chihaya?

The answer was no.

She only needed a few more minutes to use her super high mobility to clear this group of "little monsters" without damage.

Kuzuha Chihaya had long done such things countless times.

Since that was the case, it would be better to summon weak yokai to make her lower her vigilance regarding her own spirit power.

Not even a little.

Then, Uesugi Toru once again utilized the characteristic of the unseen Blessed Folding Fan to instantly unleash thunder, infusing his full body's Spirit Power into it and amplifying it with the Five Thunder Orb to complete a one-hit kill!

Uesugi Toru likewise knew that the success rate of this plan of his was not high.

Even though he had previously revealed the information that "Uesugi Toru's Thunder Technique can only be used at close range."

But when facing a stronger opponent, one must take desperate measures, win by surprise!

Only thus can one find a glimmer of victory's dawn in a dead end where one is comprehensively and utterly suppressed.

Gazing at the summoned beings that had already been mostly slaughtered, Uesugi Toru slowly lowered his eyes, raising his Jing Shen to its peak.

He would not blame Kujou Rōya's presence for preventing him from transforming into a Yokai.

Because throwing responsibility onto the external environment when nearing failure is something only weaklings would do.

Uesugi Toru has not become fragile to that extent — his trump card has not yet fallen.

"Whatever other means you have, please use them all."

Kuzuha Chihaya swung her naginata, scattering wood chips and bloodstains together into the sand dust.

She, unscathed in the battle thus far, stared straight into Uesugi Toru's pupils and said seriously: "Otherwise, there will be no chance left."

"Then please be careful, lest I take your head with one slash."

Uesugi Toru made a gesture, likewise saying seriously: "Because Big Sister you indeed have two brushes, forcing me to hold nothing back."

Upon hearing this, Kuzuha Chihaya closed her eyes and murmured softly: "What a tasty tone."

The next moment, an offensive fiercer than ever before fell like raindrops.

Uesugi Toru could only resist with difficulty, retreating step by step until once again driven before a wall.

Kuzuha Chihaya stopped before Uesugi Toru, the snake pattern on her naginata's blade tip greedily devouring his blood,

"Uesugi-kun, do you know the Ignorance Three-Stage Thrust? Or perhaps an even stronger mystery?"

"Although I'd love to give you a surprise gift with a super mystery, unfortunately —"

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

He assumed a flawless Three-Stage Thrust Stance, fine rays of lightning beginning to surge from his arm onto the blade, then turning dazzling.

Uesugi Toru lowered his eyes: "Staking my everything on this one slash."

Kuzuha Chihaya sighed: "Why not have Uesugi-kun run out of the arena range right now? It would be a slight pity for such a tasty boy to die like this."

She did not wait for an answer, so she smacked her lips boredly, her gaze turning indifferent: "Then let this all end."

"Inhale— Exhale—"

The newborn Gang Qi circulation was squeezed to the limit like draining a marsh to catch fish, Uesugi Toru's muscles bulged block by block like refined steel, capillaries rupturing one after another, dyeing his skin a blood color.

A Jing Shen seemingly about to pierce the heavens surged skyward.

"Come."

He said.

The next moment, Kuzuha Chihaya could see Kaga Kiyomitsu arrive before her eyes at a speed far exceeding any previous slash.

She raised her naginata, slightly deflecting the blade.

Thus Kaga Kiyomitsu's blade grazed past Kuzuha Chihaya by a hair's breadth, only stray sparks of lightning bringing a slight tingling itch to her skin.

Kuzuha Chihaya effortlessly rotated her blade, and the instant before the naginata would sever Uesugi Toru's waist and abdomen, she gazed at that handsome face and sighed lightly: "What a pity."

Wait, why is he still smiling?

Kuzuha Chihaya froze slightly.

She had not yet felt any danger, but her extremely rich experience already made her subconsciously want to distance herself from Uesugi Toru.

But it was already too late.

The Folding Fan and the brilliantly glowing Five Thunder Orb appeared in Uesugi Toru's hands without warning, whereupon the Spirit Power he had kept hidden and unreleased inside his body was instantly consumed to exhaustion.

Rumble!

Thunder roared from the void.

The next moment, a crimson-purple lightning pillar thick as a water bucket descended from the sky like an ocean current.

(End of Chapter)