The Kagami Meifu had thought it through perfectly. As Grade 1 Sorcerer, he had a very high chance of winning against Semi-Grade 1 sorcerer.
As long as the opponent doesn't lose too badly, it can both save face for the Meifu Clan and avoid offending the old patriarch of the Zenin Clan.
In this cruel world where only a very few can break the old order and become the "strongest," moderation is the survival philosophy of small families.
"Can."
Seeing that the other party had taken the initiative to show goodwill, Lu Ping readily agreed.
He adheres to the Daoist philosophy of valuing life, and if the dispute can be resolved peacefully, it might not be a bad thing.
The two quickly got into fighting stances.
Be careful.
The Kagami Meifu once again proactively Revealing One's Hand that triggered the Binding Vow, its tone sincere.
"My Cursed Technique, Yellow Springs Mirror, can store the Cursed Technique of deceased blood relatives. Currently, I am invoking the second Cursed Technique stored within—[Soul-Calling Spell]."
He took a deep breath and began to summon his Cursed Energy.
"This technique can directly invade your subconscious mind, exerting a shock on the soul level. The outward manifestation is a momentary stiffness in the body."
Lu Ping nodded, then flipped his hand and took out the Piercing Ox Horn Bow.
Jinichi frowned on the steps, and Chōjurō's smile also became somewhat stiff.
This kid doesn't even summon his Shikigami beforehand; he's a bit too arrogant.
Naoya gritted his teeth in nervousness.
In his view, Lu Ping, who had only subdued two low-level Shikigami, was simply courting death by facing Grade 1 Sorcerer under these circumstances.
"Summon the soul!"
Jing let out a low shout, and a ghostly green Cursed Energy exploded at his fingertips, his eyes becoming empty in that instant.
Boom!
Lu Ping felt a sudden darkness engulf his vision.
The surrounding noise and the light of the setting sun receded instantly like a receding tide.
When his vision returned, he found himself in a pitch-black world.
The scene before me, however, seemed somewhat familiar.
A towering, dark city stands on the desolate land.
Compared to the size when I last entered the subconscious, the city is now almost twice the size!
This is clearly the result of the recent mutation of the [Ten Shadows Technique] and the advancement of the Barrier Technique.
The black city walls were as smooth as a mirror, clearly reflecting Lu Ping face.
Below the city wall not far away, the pale figure of the Kagami Meifu was also pulled in, his eyes filled with horror.
How is that possible?
He never expected that the subconscious spiritual world of this Semi-Grade 1 Sorcerer was actually an ancient city!
[Soul-Calling Spell] is an extremely rare soul attack.
Even for Grade 1 Sorcerer, before unleashing "Black Flash" to approach the Cursed Energy Core and touch the essence of their soul, their spiritual world is nothing but a desolate wasteland.
The opponent has never used the Black Flash, so why is their soul so powerful that it manifests a massive city?
Shocked as she was, Jing didn't forget that she was still fighting.
His Cursed Technique can easily invade the minds of others because they establish strict Binding Vow:
[At the cost of not being able to directly harm the target's soul, and instantly forgetting everything seen in the mental world upon leaving, a soul-shaking effect is achieved.]
In reality, it can only barely make the opponent's body stiffen for a moment, which can be recovered after a good night's sleep.
But in combat, a moment of stun can be fatal.
"We got it!"
The Kagami Meifu formed a hand seal and pushed out with both palms.
A ten-meter-long white giant hand materialized out of thin air, accompanied by a piercing howl, and slammed down on the gate of the black city.
Compared to the magnificent city, the bone hand was like a drop in the ocean.
But as long as a crack can be made on it, Lu Ping in reality will be momentarily stunned, and the outcome will be decided.
This was the first time Lu Ping had been passively entered into his own mental world, and caught off guard, his brain did indeed experience a brief moment of disorientation.
"Awoo--!!"
A loud wolf howl suddenly rose into the pitch-black world.
In the shadows of the city, a giant wolf, entirely black with glowing eerie green eyes, slowly rose to its feet.
[Shadow Wolf].
The Shikigami's roar in the spiritual world transformed into tangible black ripples that spread outwards. The white skeletal hand that descended from the sky was actually shrunk in size by a circle under the impact of the sound waves.
Not only can they give back in reality, but the Shikigami that have merged with the power of the Three Corpses Cursed Energy also possess the instinct to protect their master in the spiritual world.
The confusion in Lu Ping's eyes vanished instantly, and his usual clarity returned.
"The commotion has become a bit too loud."
Before the giant skeletal hand could fully descend, the entire world constructed of black walls suddenly trembled violently.
The earth split open into countless abysses, and the smooth, mirror-like surface of the city wall peeled away section by section, following its natural texture.
It was as if some ancient being, dormant for centuries, had been completely awakened by that wolf howl.
Rumble--
The wasteland of the entire spiritual world began to shake violently.
Lu Ping stood steadily in place, completely unaffected.
The smooth, mirror-like, and hundred-zhang-high black city wall slowly began to shimmer with dense scales, as if it were alive!
The city wall was moving; it wasn't a building at all.
The falling white skeletal hand and the astonished Kagami Meifu were instantly swallowed by a gaping maw that seemed to come from the abyss.
As the colossal body, several kilometers long, slowly spiraled and writhed, a dark golden head, even larger than a city gate, emerged from the darkness.
With each breath, Nobuko tore apart the entire Sky Manipulation of the subconscious.
It was an enormous, jet-black python!
In the real world, only a moment has passed.
The palms that Kagami Meifu had been pushing out horizontally suddenly trembled, and he groaned, his blood surging violently in his chest.
The soul connection established by the [Yellow Springs Mirror] was forcibly severed by some unknown, terrifying entity.
The chaotic Cursed Energy, like a wild horse, rampaged through the young man's body, causing a severe backlash that Technique Burnout.
He uncontrollably took three steps backward.
Each step left a network of cracks on the bluestone slabs.
He was panting heavily, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock as he stared at Lu Ping in front of him.
A tearing pain shot through the depths of his brain; the Binding Vow mechanism had taken effect, and his memories of the city and the giant python were completely sealed and erased.
Jing had absolutely no recollection of what she had encountered in the spiritual world.
He felt his hands and feet were ice-cold, and a deep-seated fear, stemming from his biological instincts, clung to his heart like a bone-deep infection.
That's the kind of trepidation that ordinary people feel when they encounter a wild beast while walking at night, or when they look up at the top of the food chain from the bottom.
At this moment, Lu Ping slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were clear, his breathing was steady, and he suffered no backlash whatsoever.
Even he himself did not expect that the other party's accidental intrusion would awaken the large Shikigami that was undergoing a transformation in the depths of his subconscious.
In reality, the [Ever-Coiling Shadow Serpent] still dwells in the deepest recesses of the shadows, slumbering.
However, through a brief spiritual encounter, he gained a deeper understanding of the essence of the giant Great Serpent's Cursed Technique.
As a lineage standing at the pinnacle of the Jujutsu World, the Ten Shadows possess not only conventional physical summoning and chimera techniques, but also an extremely advanced method of micro-management.
--The Incomplete Shikigami Manifestation.
Without wasting words, Lu Ping quickly interlaced his fingers, forming the unique hand seal representing the Great Serpent.
Dark, Cursed Energy flowed down his right arm like mercury.
On the surface of the skin, fine Snake Scales were faintly visible.
This layer of scale armor, constructed from pure Cursed Energy, greatly enhances the load-bearing capacity of bones and muscles against gravity and impact.
With the Great Serpent's ability to absorb damage, his right hand was able to withstand even stronger bursts of Cursed Energy.
Lu Ping knew in his heart that he could now deliver that punch with certainty.
Give it your all.
He spoke calmly, offering a reminder, while simultaneously stretching his right fist backward.
The surrounding air began to distort, and high-density Cursed Energy was compressed wildly at the fist, emitting a chilling buzzing sound.
Sensing the oppressive aura, the Kagami Meifu immediately focused its mind.
This Grade 1 Sorcerer, who had been struggling on the brink of death, disregarded the throbbing pain in his meridians caused by the Technique Burnout, and squeezed out all the remaining Cursed Energy in his body, gathering it all in his arms.
My fighting instincts screamed a warning: If I can't withstand this attack, I'll really die.
Both exerted their strength simultaneously.
The air was completely sucked out the moment the fists met, followed by a muffled roar.
A shockwave, visible to the naked eye, spread violently outward from the two individuals.
The strong winds blowing the Zenin monks in the front row made it hard for them to open their eyes, and they all raised their hands to shield their eyes.
The two sisters, Maki and Mai, were protected behind Kikyō.
Through their fingers, they saw that the usually gentle older brother was now displaying an absolutely overwhelming power.
The stalemate lasted less than half a second before the Kagami Meifu let out a muffled groan, forced back another step.
He managed to stabilize his position, but his mind was in turmoil.
His all-out attack was completely suppressed from the front.
The mage in front of me, who had just been promoted to the Semi-Grade 1, had ridiculously strong melee combat abilities.
Jing loosened his clenched fist, his chest heaving, just about to admit defeat.
Just then, Lu Ping's shoulder swayed slightly, and he took a half step back.
"It seems to be a draw."
Lu Ping shook his right hand, which was covered in Snake Scales, and calmly made the suggestion.
This seemingly casual step back gave the other party ample face.
The Kagami Meifu was slightly taken aback, then understood.
The opponent's strength was unfathomable, and their style of doing things was far more sophisticated than those of the Three Great Families whose arrogance was ingrained in their very bones.
In this cruel society of Jujutsu, leaving a glimmer of hope for a declining family is a rare and commendable quality of leadership.
"You flatter me." He quickly accepted the offer and bowed respectfully.
This is already the best possible outcome.
Seeing that her brother was alright, Kikyō finally felt relieved and quickly wiped her eyes before running over to check on his injuries.
The Chojuro Zenin, and Jinichi, who were bringing up the rear, exchanged a glance, their faces so dark they could drip water.
Originally, they wanted to use an outsider to curb the kid's arrogance, but unexpectedly, it helped him establish his authority and even won over people's hearts.
The two old fogies swallowed their schemes and waved away the onlookers.
The noise in the courtyard gradually subsided, and night began to fall.
No one noticed that a casual figure was lying among the dense foliage of a century-old pine tree not far away.
Naobito Zenin had returned sometime earlier.
The old patriarch leaned against a thick tree trunk, carrying a newly purchased wine gourd.
He took in the entire exchange below, especially noting the skill with which Lu Ping delivered his punch and the ease with which he controlled it afterward; a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.
The old man tilted his head back and took a swig of strong liquor, the pungent liquid dripping down his beard.
"That punch earlier..."
The Naobito Zenin smacked his lips, watching the boy's departing figure, and muttered to himself.
"It really wasn't just luck."