Post-Battle Review and Reverse Cursed Technique

Only after confirming that Akaza's presence had completely vanished from his range of perception did Moyu's taut nerves ease a little. He stood where he was and took several deep breaths, his lungs pumping like efficient bellows. The powerful recovery granted by his Sage Body and Total Concentration: Constant was quickly restoring his spent stamina and healing his minor injuries. But the faint prickling pain and fatigue coming from deep within his brain were not so easily dispelled.

"Tch, I still pushed myself too hard." Moyu rubbed his temples, frowning slightly. With the Six Eyes fully active, especially against Akaza's storm of attacks, each strike carrying a different force and angle, there was simply too much information to process. Like an overclocked computer, it was powerful enough to capture and analyze information with precision, but running under excessive load for a long time placed a tremendous burden on the "power supply"—his Mental Energy. During that final barrage of Azure-Silver Chaotic Afterglow, thousands upon thousands of fist pressures had surged in like a flood of data. The Six Eyes had immense processing power, but with his current Mental Energy, an "overload" was only natural. It was like having a high-end CPU and graphics card: an inadequate power supply could still make them burn up. Mental fatigue had caused Limitless: Inviolability to fail to completely neutralize several attacks, leaving him to tank them with Armament Haki's defense. That was how he had suffered a few internal injuries.

"I'm weak, but I still can't get enough. I need more practice." Moyu twisted his lips in self-mockery. Ultimately, the problem wasn't the Six Eyes or Limitless; it was that his "hardware" as the "user" hadn't caught up yet. To sustain such intense, high-precision combat for long periods, he needed to further increase both his maximum Mental Energy and its recovery speed.

With a thought, he brought up the system interface. His Coins balance showed 42,900, a considerable haul from killing four Lower Ranks and three Demon underlings.

"I need to exchange for something that can increase my Mental Energy or speed up its recovery." Moyu browsed the exchange list. Items that directly increased Mental Energy were expensive and could have side effects. His gaze finally settled on two options:

[Advanced Mental Energy Meditation Method (advanced version)]: An optimized fusion of meditation techniques from multiple high-magic worlds. Greatly increases maximum Mental Energy, strengthens mental resilience, and accelerates natural Mental Energy recovery. Includes techniques such as deep meditation and mental purification. Exchange price: 20,000 Coins.

[Reverse Cursed Technique (basic analysis and introductory guidance)]: From the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, a Jujutsu operation that converts negative-energy Cursed Energy into positive energy, primarily used for healing and enhancing Cursed Techniques. Note: This is only an introductory analysis and guide, containing basic principles and an energy circulation model. Extremely difficult to master; requires exceptional talent in Cursed Energy manipulation. Deeper applications must be explored independently or obtained through future exchanges. Exchange price: 18,000 Coins.

"The meditation method will steadily strengthen my foundation. Reverse Cursed Technique... is a technique with enormous potential. If I can develop it to a deeper level like Satoru Gojo someday and even replenish my spent Mental Energy, I'd basically be invincible in this world." Moyu thought for a moment. "Only children have to choose. I want them both! I have enough Coins anyway."

[Exchange successful: Advanced Mental Strength Meditation Method (advanced version). Beginning knowledge transfer and deep-consciousness imprint...]

[Exchange successful: Reverse Cursed Technique (basic analysis and introductory guidance). Beginning knowledge transfer and energy model construction...]

A vast stream of information and complex energy circulation models flooded his mind, far more profound and obscure than when he had exchanged for Energy Manipulation Mastery. Reverse Cursed Technique was especially difficult. Fortunately, the Six Eyes' extraordinary analytical power was there to fall back on. After spending some time, Moyu finally gained a basic understanding of the knowledge and imprinted it deep in his consciousness.

Moyu sat down cross-legged and first tried practicing the Advanced Mental Strength Meditation Method. He sank his consciousness into his sea of consciousness and cultivated according to the method's instructions. It was obscure at first, but with the Six Eyes' precise regulation, he soon settled into it. A cool, refreshing sensation spread from between his brows, easing his mental fatigue. His thoughts seemed clearer and sharper as well. After sitting and cultivating for roughly half an hour, he felt that more than half his mental strength had recovered.

"The effect is good. It's much better than the meditation method I had before."

"Now to try Reverse Cursed Technique." Moyu closed his eyes and tried to mobilize the Breathing Cursed Energy in his body according to the instructions. The process was extremely difficult, requiring almost inconceivable microscopic control over energy. On his first attempt, Cursed Energy ran wild through his meridians, nearly disrupting his breathing. On the second, he got a slight feel for it, but the amount of so-called "positive energy" he produced was minuscule, let alone enough for healing.

"It really is difficult..." Moyu didn't lose heart. He concentrated, turning the full power of the Six Eyes inward to precisely control the flow and collision of every trace of Cursed Energy, as well as that incredibly subtle instant of "reversal."

Hum—

On his third attempt, an extremely faint but unmistakable current of warmth came from his palm! Though the amount was small, its nature was gentle and full of vitality, completely different from offensive Cursed Energy!

"I did it!" Moyu felt a surge of joy. Though this was only the most basic first step, and he couldn't even heal a slightly more serious wound, much less instantly heal fatal injuries or keep Limitless active for long periods like Satoru Gojo, he had at least taken the crucial step from zero to one. He knew that what came next would be painstaking work: constant practice to improve his proficiency and output efficiency. As for using Reverse Cursed Technique to heal mental fatigue? That was probably a long, long way off. There was no point even thinking about it at this stage.

"Looks like I'll still have to rely on the meditation method to recover my Mental Energy in the short term." Moyu set those thoughts aside and turned his attention elsewhere. Akaza's monstrous regenerative ability had left a deep impression on him. Ordinary attacks, including Blue, had struggled to inflict fatal injuries. Perhaps because his Cursed Energy and control over the Six Eyes still fell short of Satoru Gojo's, Blue's destructive power was a little lower than he remembered. But the Six Eyes were slowly growing all the time, so there was no rush. After all, another evolution of the Six Eyes would mean they needed even more Mental Energy.

He decided to try learning the basics of Red. Rather than rushing to actually form it, he repeatedly worked through the principles in his mind, using the Six Eyes to simulate the process of reversing Cursed Energy.

"Reverse the attraction of negative energy into the repulsion of positive energy... The key lies in controlling that critical point of 'reversal'..."

He held out his right hand, palm up, and with a slight movement of his will, a grain-of-rice-sized Blue quietly appeared, emitting a faint attraction. Then, following the principles of Red, he tried to reverse the nature of the Breathing Cursed Energy in his body.

On his first attempt, the Cursed Energy went out of control the instant it reversed. Blue fluctuated violently and vanished with a puff, the backlash making Moyu's wrist tingle slightly.

"As expected, it's not that simple." Moyu wasn't discouraged. The Six Eyes carefully analyzed every detail of the energy conflict during his failure. "The force and timing of the reversal were wrong, and my Cursed Energy output wasn't stable enough either."

He took a deep breath and tried again. This time, he was even more careful. With the Six Eyes fully active, he controlled the flow of Cursed Energy to the utmost, like a highly precise instrument adjusting its parameters. Blue formed and stabilized. Then the Cursed Energy began to vibrate at a peculiar frequency, reversing!

This time, the process went much more smoothly! The pitch-black Blue was rapidly covered by a dense, stable layer of energy that gave off an ominous red glow! Though it was only the size of a fingernail, the terrifying repulsive force and destructive energy within it made the surrounding air twist and crackle faintly!

Cursed Technique Reversal: Red (prototype)!

He had succeeded!

Moyu could feel that this miniature Red was extremely unstable, as though it might explode at any moment. He carefully directed it toward a waist-high rock nearby.

"Go."

The crimson point of light silently sank into the rock.

There was no tremendous boom, no explosion. A fist-sized hole appeared in the rock's surface, its edges smooth as a mirror, as though they had been instantly vaporized and annihilated by some extreme heat or force! The rock around the hole had taken on a strange crystalline appearance!

"The power is good, but the consumption is enormous, and it's even harder to control." Moyu dispersed the energy remaining in his hand, breathing slightly hard. That single use had consumed a considerable amount of both Mental Energy and Cursed Energy. It had also been extremely difficult to control, nowhere near as manageable as Blue.

"Looks like Red can only be used as a trump card. I can't use it lightly. I'll need a lot more practice to control it proficiently and reduce the consumption." Moyu had a clear idea now. As for the next step, Hollow Purple, the fusion of Blue and Red, he didn't dare even think about it yet. That thing's demands on control were monstrous.

Just then, footsteps and faint shouts came from the distance. Members of the Demon Slayer Corps' Kakushi had arrived.

Moyu walked over and gave a few instructions to the Kakushi member in charge, telling them to check on the train passengers, reassure the civilians, and report the mission's completion to headquarters. He intended to return to headquarters first and report the details of the mission. He had also gained quite a lot from this battle and needed time to digest it, especially the newly exchanged meditation method and the use of Red.

"Lord Eye Hashira, you're injured? Do you need treatment?" a Kakushi member asked with concern, noticing the damage to Moyu's haori and the faint bloodstains on it.

"Minor injuries. Nothing to worry about. I'll leave this to you and head back first." Moyu waved a hand. Between his Sage Body Constitution and the breathing exercises he had just done, his internal injuries were already mostly healed.

After leaving the Mugen Train area, Moyu continued pondering ways to increase his strength as he traveled.

He had made a start with Red, but it was still a long way from being usable in combat. A more practical concern for now was... his Nichirin Blade.

He thought of the Red Nichirin Blade. In the original story, heating a Nichirin Blade until it glowed red could greatly suppress a Demon's regenerative ability, making it an important weapon against Upper Rank Demons. "A Red Nichirin Blade... Using grip strength, body temperature, willpower, and other factors to heat a Nichirin Blade until it turns red can greatly suppress a Demon's regenerative ability." Moyu stroked Azure Star at his waist. "This blade resonates strongly with me. Perhaps I can try it after I get back."

As for the Transparent World... he had no plans to deliberately pursue it for now. That thing required extreme concentration and a certain state of "self-forgetfulness." It was a little mysterious and couldn't be forced. Besides, he had the Six Eyes, which were actually somewhat similar in function, so he could do with or without it.

And the Demon Slayer Mark... Moyu passed on it outright. Awakening the mark was equivalent to burning one's life potential for a burst of power. The side effects were too severe, and most who awakened it didn't live past twenty-five, possibly because most of their life energy had been converted into combat power. He had the system as a cheat and a promising future ahead of him; there was no need to take a shortcut that drained his future. Nor did he intend to let the other Hashira awaken it. He could find other ways to increase combat power. Steadily building up his basic strength was the right path.

If he became strong enough, what would happen if he hit Muzan with a few Hollow Purples?