If Yagyu Munenori had not chosen to spare lives in that battle, Fujimaru Kyoya would never have won so easily.
"You've mastered it?"
"What I mastered is my own swordsmanship. Master, please judge the results of my years of training abroad."
The moment Musashi finished speaking, the space around them began to change. Everything nearby vanished, and a massive Niō Guardian appeared behind her. Fujimaru Kyoya was once more pulled into a realm of mental confrontation.
"This is your swordsmanship?"
"Yes. Following in Master's footsteps, I sought to reach the realm of emptiness and nothingness. That is my swordsmanship. Here, Master will not be burdened by your physical body. This is the best place for us to fight."
Musashi slowly drew the long blade in her hand, while a grim, ghostly Wrathful Acala emerged behind Fujimaru Kyoya.
Coach Anzai, I Want to Play Basketball 24/28
The wounds inflicted by Karmic Fire were difficult to heal. Fortunately, Fujimaru Kyoya possessed immense mental strength and a firm will, so he had recovered seven or eight tenths over the years. Yet the damage caused by Karmic Fire was irreversible.
The once radiant Buddha's Phantom had become mottled and scarred. Like his own cultivation, it had plummeted beyond recovery, unable to return to its former state.
"I didn't know that Master had actually..."
Musashi had proposed a battle of consciousness because she had noticed that Fujimaru Kyoya's physical injuries had not healed and did not wish to take advantage of him. Yet she had not expected his mind to be so severely injured as well.
"There's no need for that. It only looks bad. My strength, however, is not lacking."
Fujimaru Kyoya was not merely putting on a brave face. Cultivation realms and raw power were not necessarily deeply connected. Monk Kong Xuan, for