Uesugi Tetsu had not expected there to be an item that could directly increase skill proficiency.
That was wonderful.
Although a single Performance Scroll could only increase proficiency by a measly 100 points, it happened to match the Ki-ai Technique that was just about to level up.
There was no need to hesitate. Uesugi Tetsu immediately used the scroll and selected the skill "Incomplete Ki-ai Technique."
He was about to attempt to subdue the legendary Yao-Shaku-Sama, so naturally, every bit of extra combat power counted.
After all, subduing it was far more difficult than killing it.
[You used Performance Scroll (Remnant).] [Your skill, Incomplete Ki-ai Technique, proficiency +100!] [Your skill, Incomplete Ki-ai Technique, has reached Mastery Level!]
Because this time the proficiency had been increased by using an item rather than breaking through on his own, Uesugi Tetsu experienced something even more novel.
It was as if a pair of enormous hands had suddenly appeared inside his body, guiding all his Internal Energy with perfect accuracy before practicing it countless times in an incredibly short span.
Thus, the breakthrough was completed in an instant.
[Incomplete Ki-ai Technique (Mastery 1/600)] [Effect: Energy flows through the meridians, steps move like a swimming dragon, voice roars like a lion.] [The quantity of energy within your body has decreased, while its quality has greatly increased!] [Due to your mastery of the Incomplete Ki-ai Technique, your physique +2!]
After the Ki-ai Technique reached Mastery Level, aside from the basic physique increase and the changes in its effect description, Uesugi Tetsu also sensed a strange change in his Internal Energy.
He raised his hand and tried guiding some of the energy toward his fingertip.
The next moment, a section of luminous white energy about half an inch long suddenly emerged from his fingertip.
The unexpected change made Uesugi Tetsu's pupils contract. Maintaining the current circulation of his Ki-ai Technique, he brought his fingertip closer to his eyes.
This is... can Internal Energy now be released from the body?
Uesugi Tetsu blinked and suddenly recalled a term from the novels of his previous life: "Qi Gang."
Qi Gang, as its name implied, meant forming a layer of iron-hard Qi Aura both inside and on the surface of the body, granting tremendous advantages in both attack and defense.
Although Uesugi Tetsu was still far from completely covering his body's surface with released energy, and his current energy could not yet become as hard as iron,
he could more or less release his Internal Energy half an inch outside his body. It could be considered a trial version of Qi Gang.
Uesugi Tetsu tried again and discovered that he could indeed wrap the blade of Kaga Kiyomitsu in Qi Aura.
However, doing so consumed a tremendous amount of energy, while the Qi Aura was also far less sharp than the blade itself. It was actually making things worse.
After some experimentation, Uesugi Tetsu discovered that although the Mastery Level Ki-ai Technique had many uses, its new functions did not seem particularly practical.
He sighed. "I still have to keep raising the Ki-ai Technique's level."
Still, for the time being, the Mastery Level Ki-ai Technique had already pushed his explosively growing strength up another notch.
It was time to find Yao-Shaku-Sama.
Although he had not found any trace of Yao-Shaku-Sama during his previous reconnaissance, Uesugi Tetsu already knew its exact location.
--Inside a ruined temple south of the village. The Ksitigarbha statue enshrined in the center of the temple had long since fallen over and shattered.
As for why Yao-Shaku-Sama had not appeared, he guessed that it was because he had gone there last time while transformed into Laughing Brahma, and his charm had not been high enough.
This time, Uesugi Tetsu decided to fish with the law.
He would not transform into Laughing Brahma at first. Instead, he would enter the temple in his true form, pretending to be an ignorant intruder. Once Yao-Shaku-Sama had been lured out by his charm of 9, he would subdue it in one move.
The plan was simple, but it should work very well on a Supernatural Phenomenon like Yao-Shaku-Sama that judged people by appearance.
On the way, Uesugi Tetsu discovered that, unusually, he did not even see a single farmer or laborer. The abnormal situation also put him on guard.
There might be other dangers besides Yao-Shaku-Sama. He absolutely could not become careless just because his strength had increased.
After warning himself several times, Uesugi Tetsu arrived before the ruined temple. He looked left and right, then muttered to himself in a deliberately loud voice:
"There's actually a temple here. The heavens must have seen how difficult my cultivation has been! At least I'll have somewhere to stay tonight."
As he spoke, Uesugi Tetsu swaggered into the temple, picked up a battered meditation cushion, placed it beneath himself, and began cultivating with his eyes closed.
He looked exactly like an outsider swordsman traveling through the region.
And not just any swordsman—a young swordsman with a charm of 9!
Thus, while Uesugi Tetsu had been sitting with his eyes closed for little more than ten minutes, a snow-white hat brim quietly appeared along the edge of the ruined temple's wall.
--Uesugi Tetsu raised an eyebrow. The last time he had come here as Laughing Brahma, he had waited for half an hour without the slightest response.
The countryside of the Meiji era was truly declining morally!
A pair of pitch-black eyes peered through a gap in the wall and began sizing up this careless, handsome swordsman.
This remote Arakawa Village... how long had it been since such a handsome young man had appeared?
Yao-Shaku-Sama's eyes burned with desire. She paced anxiously outside the wall, wishing she could charge in right then, pin the swordsman to the ground, and have a thorough, intimate exchange with him.
However, she still managed to suppress this immature idea.
Her extensive experience told her that those capable of traveling alone were generally quite strong.
Although this young swordsman looked delicate and fair, with a fresh and tender appearance, she should still wait until he fell asleep before sneaking over.
After all--
Yao-Shaku-Sama lowered her head and looked at her own semi-transparent hands.
Over the years, very few people in Arakawa Village still remembered her. Ever since the factory had been established, hardly any living people remained in the village, let alone vigorous young men.
As Arakawa Village's bound spirit, Yao-Shaku-Sama could only remain trapped here, growing weaker with each passing day.
So she should wait until the young man fell asleep. That would be better for everyone.
Yao-Shaku-Sama waited patiently.
--Uesugi Tetsu was beginning to lose patience.
What is this Yao-Shaku-Sama waiting for? She's already secretly watched me dozens, even hundreds of times, yet she's still squatting outside the wall. Is she refusing to eat the meat delivered straight to her door?
Strange, strange... Could this Yao-Shaku-Sama be a Supernatural Phenomenon with its own intelligence, like the foreman from before?
He would test it.
Uesugi Tetsu immediately stood up, drew Kaga Kiyomitsu, and shouted toward the direction opposite Yao-Shaku-Sama: "You wicked demon! Let's see where you can run!"
Swish, swish, swish--
He swung the sword through the air dozens of times in succession, then sheathed it with a satisfied expression and loudly muttered to himself, "I'll do this whenever I encounter demons on the road from now on."
Afterward, Uesugi Tetsu sat back down on the meditation cushion. This time, however, he did not cultivate the Ki-ai Technique. Instead, he lay directly on the ground and pretended to sleep.
That was because Uesugi Tetsu had clearly sensed the changes in Yao-Shaku-Sama's gaze just now--first disappearing, then secretly reappearing, and finally continuing to sweep over him recklessly after confirming that he had not noticed her.
A few minutes later, Uesugi Tetsu began breathing steadily and waited leisurely.
--The nest was ready. All that remained was for the big fish to bite.
Sure enough.
A little over ten minutes after Uesugi Tetsu "fell asleep," the hat brim appeared over the wall again. After confirming several times that Uesugi Tetsu was truly asleep, Yao-Shaku-Sama tiptoed to his side.
Yao-Shaku-Sama gazed at the handsome young man shrouded in her tall shadow and finally could not restrain herself from making her signature "popopo" sound.
She slowly bent down and was just about to do something when she suddenly saw the young man roll over, turning his face toward her.
Uesugi Tetsu met her gaze, and Yao-Shaku-Sama could not help becoming captivated by his handsome features for a moment.
The next instant, Laughing Brahma curled up its lips and, with the Ki-ai Technique driven to its absolute limit, let out a thunderous roar:
"You wicked demon! Let's see where you can run!"
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