nycdaug Chapter 350 The One Cut That Severes All Ties
Chapter 350 The One Cut That Severes All Ties
Mitsuyo applied some medicine to Miyuki's wrist.
It wasn't a life-or-death struggle, and Xu Ning's kick wasn't particularly hard, but it still injured some bones and muscles.
Yu Yu Daoqi silently looked at his wrist and said, "Xu Ning is right. My mother and I are connected by blood, and even our swordsmanship is inherited from the same lineage. I cannot make any changes at all."
Mitsuyo, however, disagreed.
"What can't be changed? So what if Xu Ning mocks you? If he mocks you, just use your knife to fight back fiercely and shut him up."
"You don't need your surname, you don't need your given name, you don't need your swordsmanship. Just treat today as your rebirth, a chance to grow anew. I'm willing to give you a new name and help you hone your swordsmanship. When your swordsmanship is perfected, with your new name and unparalleled skills, you can go wherever you want, and everyone will respect you."
After a long silence, Yu Yu Dao Qi finally spoke.
"Thank you, Mitsuyo."
Xu Ning has been searching for Mikoto Chiyo for several days now, since he came down the mountain the day before yesterday.
He searched and lingered at every location Yae mentioned, but did not gather any useful information.
Xu Ning tried to communicate with the winds of this place, but the information they sent back was very complicated. After all, it was a place that had just been cleansed. Although there were basically no demons or evil spirits left, Xu Ning could still tell from the wind that the filth in many corners of the land had not been completely cleansed.
This undoubtedly greatly affected Xu Ning's methods of searching for people.
In the end, having failed to find anything, they still had to search place by place.
Upon discovering the Guardian Forest today, Xu Ning took his first step into the dense forest and, as usual, summoned the wind to investigate. However, he unexpectedly heard strange words.
"They're here! Hide quickly and make sure you don't show yourselves."
"Apart from that idiot Master Ji revealing himself and getting caught, no one else will be exposed. Hurry up and let me squeeze in."
Upon hearing these words, Xu Ning immediately thought of those raccoon dogs that loved to play hide-and-seek.
"It turns out they didn't all die in the Black Tide; they're all still alive and well, hiding in this deep forest."
Xu Ning was overjoyed and called out into the deep forest, "Wu Baizang, are you alright? If you're still alive, come out and let's meet. Master Ji misses you very much."
There was silence for a while.
Xu Ning was stunned. Could it be that five hundred were hidden there...?
The rustling sound in the wind rose again.
"Ichizoku, he's calling you. Go out and meet him."
"In hide-and-seek, you absolutely cannot go out before the other person gives up."
"How could Wu Baizang possibly die? Even if you die, I might not. I won't believe you trying to trick me out with Master Ji. But I do miss Master Ji; I wonder where he is now."
Xu Ning chuckled, "So in the end, Fox Palace still managed to deceive Wu Baizang? It's great that he didn't die."
"Hey, Fox Palace has already admitted defeat, you can come out now."
Xu Ning called out again, and the tanuki became more and more certain that Xu Ning was using various methods to trick them into leaving. In the end, they even stopped discussing and waited attentively for Xu Ning to leave.
Xu Ning sighed helplessly. Let him hide if he wants; it's still good news after all.
After wandering around the Forest of Guardians for two days, Xu Ning still found nothing about Mikoto Chiyo's whereabouts.
Inazuma is not a large place. If we really put our minds to it and called on more people, we could still sort through Narukami Island.
However, relying solely on oneself is somewhat beyond one's capabilities.
Xu Ning felt that he still needed to figure out a problem.
Why is Mikoto Chiyo lingering around this area and not leaving?
Last time on the mountain, I intended to use wine to cleanse her of the filth, but unexpectedly, Huzhaigong merged with the tree and sacrificed herself through magic.
In her fury, Mikoto Chiyo broke through the wall, shattering the sake barrel in the process, causing all her efforts to be in vain.
Afterwards, she returned to the present world, but missed the best time, which led to her finally being bewitched by the miasma.
However, she drew her sword against the general, failed, and fled without pursuing him relentlessly. This suggests that the resentment she harbored had been released.
So what else is on her mind that keeps her lingering in this area?
Xu Ning naturally thought of the small house in Konta Village.
Her own son, with whom she shares blood, is still there; she will definitely go find him.
"Dao Qi, you're distracted!"
Xu Ning, who was drinking by the tree roots, heard Guangdai's shout and knew that Yuyu Daoqi had lost again.
Of course, it's also possible that Yuyu Doki didn't lose, and that the one who lost was Iwaki Doki.
In the end, this guy abandoned the surname he considered tainted and adopted "Iwazo" as the name suggested by that Tengu Mitsuyo.
"Iwazo, humph, you don't deserve it!" Xu Ning disliked this name very much.
“Our Liyue rock is rock. You are not even as good as salt, you are at best a castrated person. You have abandoned your roots and past, and become a tree without roots and a duckweed without leaves. No matter how strong you become, you will eventually be washed away by the river of time and into a gutter that no one will remember.”
Xu Ning's voice wasn't loud, but the two people on the other end had excellent hearing, so they heard everything he said.
"Didn't you leave? Why did you come back to annoy people? This is private property, drunks stay away, get out of here!"
Mitsuyo pointed her long sword at Xu Ning and said angrily.
Xu Ning ignored the girl's words, turned over and turned his back to her, preparing to catch up on his sleep from last night.
Xu Ning has been staking out this place for almost a week.
According to his thinking, although Mikoto Chiyo was corrupted by the power of the abyss, she probably wouldn't dare to walk under the scorching sun during the day.
If she wanted to visit her rebellious son, she would probably have to wait until late at night to show herself.
So Xu Ning simply reversed his schedule, sleeping during the day and keeping watch at night.
"I feel like I've become this rebellious son's watchdog."
Xu Ning took a sip of wine, then immediately realized that thinking like that was really bad luck.
"Pah! I'm not a dog, I'm your dad, waiting eagerly at the door for your mom to come home..."
With this comfort, Xu Ning finally fell asleep peacefully.
After these exorcism rituals, Xu Ning had a general idea of what his special exorcism method was all about.
The time required for each exorcism is basically determined by the amount of miasma present in the local area.
These miasmas and lost memories are deeply intertwined, and while exorcising the miasmas, one also happens to relive those memories.
The memories that Shenying retains must contain very strong emotions.
At least during this exorcism, Xu Ning hasn't seen any scenes that have left a deep impression on him yet, so he guesses he'll have to keep waiting.
Furthermore, Xu Ning, half asleep and half awake, suddenly realized that perhaps from the very beginning, the exorcism method of Narukami Taisha was wrong.
By using divine incantations to directly clear away the miasma, it is essentially equivalent to erasing a certain memory that is worth preserving by the ley lines or the divine cherry blossoms.
But my own method is the correct one.
By experiencing and encountering things, and regaining their memories, those memories that were originally tainted or erased will re-enter the cycle of the earth's veins within their own memories.
Those people or things that should be remembered will never be forgotten.
Each time Narukami Shrine performs this ritual, the memories remaining in the sacred cherry blossoms diminish. Until one day, when the miasma is cleared away, all memories will inevitably be wiped out. At that point, besides this empty shell of a world, perhaps nothing will remain.
As the days went by, Iwakura Doki's swordsmanship steadily improved.
Often, even when Hikaru uses the Tengu clan's unique secret techniques, he can barely defeat Iwazo by a single move.
Xu Ning, however, had absolutely no interest in the two men's swordsmanship.
Having witnessed the swordsmanship of characters like Lei Yingdong and Lei Dian, I couldn't help but find the swordsmanship of these two juniors rather unappealing.
Most of the time, Xu Ning was thinking about the scroll he had taken out from the underground lightning barrier in the desolate sea.
Only the handwritten copy of the Liyue Sage Techniques left by Kami Seinosuke.
Although I cannot bring that handwritten scroll of immortal techniques here.
However, Xu Ning still took a few careful glances at the first volume.
This volume focuses on how Harunosuke Yuugami uses divine sense to imbue paper shikigami with intelligence.
The term "divine thought" sounds mysterious, but it is actually nothing more than a memory.
Not only in Liyue, but also in Inazuma, there are methods to control talismans and shikigami using divine sense.
For example, Harunosuke Yuugami's lightning spells can release different forms of lightning with varying ranges and effects depending on his intention.
Of course, Liyue's fairy magic is even more wondrous.
Like Shen He's spirit, Shen He infused it with her battle memories as divine thoughts, and the spirit then possessed the concept of fighting alongside her, as well as that ruthless and decisive fighting style, almost like another simplified version of Shen He.
However, not too much of this divine sense is injected; for ease of control and use, the simpler the better.
An order to "fight," a promise to "protect," and a request to "wait."
The more straightforward something is, the easier it is to implement; the simpler something is, the easier it is to stick to.
However, Xu Ning clearly saw Yuijin Harunosuke's greed in the scroll.
He wanted to create a shikigami that could grow, a shikigami that could constantly correct itself, gain experience, and eventually possess its own memories and rationality.
"Although I don't know how gold was used to create Abedo and Abedo, it must have taken a lot of time and materials. You think you can achieve this effect by cutting out paper figures? It seems a bit simplistic and naive."
It seems that even when Harunosuke Yuugami wrote this scroll, it was not yet fully successful.
Now, upon careful consideration, Xu Ning realized that Shinobu's idea seemed to be an attempt to imitate his own elemental form.
"If that's the case, then I've set a bad example for him. Although the elemental body I created looks like a shikigami, its core is still driven by Xu Ning 0.333, so of course it looks as flexible and intelligent as a real person!"
"But I wonder if the method he mentioned for cultivating divine sense can be used on my elemental body? If it can, perhaps my elemental body won't have to be limited to my only three divine souls, but can summon four intelligent elemental bodies: wine, wind, rock, and lightning. With myself added, it would be five against one for anyone who comes. It would be incredibly awesome!"
After thinking for a moment, Xu Ning put the gourd away and then flashed into the cave.
With her dirty little face, Qingyi poked her head out of a pit and glanced at Xu Ning. Seeing that he wasn't looking for her but was heading straight for the wind elemental body, she lowered her head again and began digging her third wine pool.
"Hold fast to your heart, calm your mind and concentrate your spirit."
Xu Ning silently recited the mantra, trying to condense a divine thought, but after a long while, not only was there no light representing a divine thought in his sea of consciousness, but even his own brain was empty, without the slightest thought.
Having a thought in your mind sounds simple, but often thoughts are fleeting and disappear before you even realize it.
Thoughts can be like lightning, like fog, or even empty space, but they can never be nothingness.
Xu Ning frowned; this was the first time he had realized his situation.
It felt like he was living in his own dream, able to run and jump, and doing many unbelievable things.
In reality, the self in the dream doesn't have its own thoughts or memories; its brain actually exists in another space-time.
It's not that I'm incapable of generating divine thoughts; rather, I am a divine thought myself.
"That doesn't make sense."
Xu Ning frowned and muttered to himself as he released a wisp of his divine soul onto his wind elemental body, and then separated another wisp of his divine soul to condense into a lightning elemental body.
If what I came here was merely a divine thought, there's no reason why I could separate my soul from it.
And was he really exorcising evil spirits?
Is returning to those hundreds of years ago merely to observe a memory, or can one make some small, manageable changes to certain aspects of history?
Xu Ning couldn't understand it.
After all, he had naively thought he could save Inazuma, but later realized that he could at least save Kosai-no-miya.
But in reality, even in this dreamlike history, it seems that he still couldn't save anyone; those who disappeared still disappeared, and those who died still died.
It seems I can only be an observer.
Will he still be powerless against Mikoto Chiyo this time?
Qingyi climbed out of the pit, patted her little apron, washed her hands by the wine pool, and scooped up two handfuls of wine dripping from the dragon's head to quench her thirst.
Just as they were enjoying their drink, the little girl suddenly frowned and shouted to Xu Ning, "It looks like a fight has broken out over at the low waterfall..."
The location that Yanzang Daoqi chose to live in seclusion is undoubtedly a place with stunning scenery, nestled against the mountains and beside the water.
A low waterfall formed by a mountain spring not far away contributes a whole stream of clear water to the front of the gate. The clear water gurgles and leaps over the stones, and the tinkling sound is like heavenly music.
This is also why Xu Ning dislikes Dao Qi so much.
Humiliation, suffering, escapism?
Why do I feel like you're here to enjoy yourself?
Upon hearing Qingyi say "fight," Xu Ning initially thought that Dao Qi was practicing his swordsmanship with the black-feathered tengu again.
However, they seem to have no recollection of ever practicing swordsmanship late at night; they simply disappear somewhere at night.
Xu Ning suddenly thought of a possibility, his heart tightened for no reason, and he quickly flashed out of the cave.
It had started raining outside without anyone noticing, and streaks of purple lightning, accompanied by rumbling thunder, drew branch-shaped lightning spears across the sky.
In the flash of lightning, Xu Ning could clearly see Iwazo Doki's right hand resting on the hilt of his sword, facing off against a hunched-over shadowy figure.
The shadowy figure, with wings outstretched and a long sword in hand, hovered above the Tengu Hikaru, also facing the shadowy figure.
The dark figure suddenly let out a low howl that didn't sound human.
Xu Ning didn't hear the madness of a hunting hound from it; instead, it sounded like the mournful cry of a wounded beast, filled with sorrow.
However, this sound seemed to touch a sore spot for Iwaki.
The figures that had been facing each other suddenly lowered, gripped the hilt of the sword tightly with their right hands, and with a single slash, they created a cold, clear light like a full moon.
Severing ties with family and friends, abandoning kindness and forgetting affection.
The dark figure opposite seemed not to have expected Dao Qi to draw his sword, and in his haste, he could only raise the broken half of his blade to block it.
The blade shattered upon contact with the blade, and at the same time, a stream of dark blood splattered into the air.
The dark figure clutched its injured shoulder, took a step back, let out a frantic howl at Iwazo Doki, and then crawled away.
Xu Ning had just rushed to Dao Qi's side when he realized he couldn't catch up, so he reached out and touched his brow with his finger.
"Wind! Go!"
A streak of azure wind element shot straight up into the sky beside him, chasing after the dark figure.
With a wind elemental watching from the sky, that dark figure shouldn't be able to escape.
Xu Ning walked to the spot where the shadowy figure had just stood, picked up an object from the ground, turned to Iwazo Doki, and asked coldly, "Who was that shadowy figure just now?"
Iwakura Doki sheathed his long sword, lowered his head, and slowly replied, "Just a filthy vengeful spirit."