A cool night breeze swept up a few fallen leaves from the courtyard, scattering them onto the long corridor.
Upon hearing this straightforward request, Naobito Zenin paused slightly as he stroked his beard.
He remained silent for a long time, then sighed heavily and said "Okay."
"So it really has reached the level of contact domain warfare?"
The Naobito Zenin's gaze was deep, and his tone carried a hint of emotion, "You've grown much faster than I imagined."
The current head of the Zenin Clan lowered his voice and said he would give a private instruction in his room later.
This technique, passed down secretly by the Three Great Families, must naturally not be seen by outsiders.
Even ordinary members of the clan are absolutely unacceptable.
The banquet ended quickly, and Lu Ping's room was arranged next to the main residence in his hometown.
He sat cross-legged on the tatami mat.
Lu Ping slowly closed his eyes and began to review the knowledge of Barrier Technique he had plundered from Suo in his mind.
A vast amount of information flowed slowly through my consciousness.
Then, he clasped his hands together and attempted to practice the domain defense technique that only ancient sorcerers were proficient in—[Hollow Wicker Basket].
At first, the weaving of Cursed Energy seemed a bit clumsy.
Although it's impossible to master it completely immediately, perseverance will eventually lead to progress.
This ancient technique has a significant drawback: the hands must maintain a specific hand seal during activation.
However, the [Ten Shadows Technique] are top-tier summoning Cursed Technique.
Faced with the predicament of a closed domain, this move can be used to support the main body, and then a Shikigami's ability can be used to maneuver inside.
Then let another Shikigami find an opportunity to forcibly break through the outer shell of the domain from the outside.
As long as the enemy's barrier is torn apart by external force, its Cursed Technique will inevitably fall into a weakened state of melting.
This is the perfect opportunity to seize victory in one fell swoop.
About half an hour later, there was a gentle knock on the wooden door, Naobito Zenin pushed it open and entered.
He seemed to have just drunk strong tea to sober up, and there was no trace of the tipsiness and excitement he had shown at the banquet on his face.
His expression was unusually calm, revealing a unique strictness and expectation for the next successor.
The old patriarch sat down opposite him and began to impart the fundamental secrets of [Falling Blossom Emotion].
"Avoid enemies that can deploy their domains if possible."
He abandoned his usual casual manner and spoke in an extremely serious tone.
"That's definitely not a scene to joke about."
The Naobito Zenin held up one finger.
"This technique is only suitable for relatively simple offensive Cursed Technique. It can automatically counterattack using the internal Cursed Energy to neutralize external attacks."
The old patriarch's eyes turned cold and stern. "The activation conditions are extremely strict, requiring you to maintain the posture, therefore you cannot move."
"Remember, if it's a curse or a modern rule-based domain with a 'deadly' attribute, never try to withstand it head-on!"
After all, not everyone in this world possesses Six Eyes and can precisely manipulate Cursed Energy to resist damage without any errors.
If the manipulation of the Cursed Energy is off by even the slightest margin, or if the posture of remaining still is shaken by external forces, one will instantly fall into a state of severe injury.
For most sorcerers who cannot use the Reverse Cursed Technique, this is tantamount to a death sentence.
Lu Ping listened very attentively.
He imitated this crucial memory and recorded it using the Three Corpses within his body, using it as a reminder for future combat and practice.
After finishing his instruction, the old man got up to go back to sleep.
Before leaving, the Zhikun man turned back and gave a final instruction.
"Your aptitude is indeed quite good, but not everyone possesses the absurd physique of having Six Eyes —the ability to see through the flow of Cursed Energy at a glance. Don't be discouraged if you can't master it after just one look. You can come to the main family to practice with me these next few evenings, and you should be able to grasp the basics in about three to five days."
The wooden door closed, and the room returned to silence.
Lu Ping mentally compared the two defensive techniques in detail.
Based on his knowledge of the Faso, he judged that it was more suitable to focus on improving [Hollow Wicker Basket] at this stage.
As for [Falling Blossom Emotion], you only need to practice it until it's barely usable, and use it as a backup countermeasure card.
The underlying mechanisms of the two are completely different.
[Falling Blossom Emotion] is a purely retaliatory mechanism.
At the moment of being hit, counterattack with Cursed Energy.
This move itself has nothing to do with Barrier Technique, so it will absolutely not be stripped away by the enemy's domain.
The essence of [Hollow Wicker Basket] is the same as that of Simple Barrier.
It involves covering the body surface with a small protective barrier to counteract the "sure hit" effect granted by the outside realm.
To put it simply, the former means absorbing all the damage.
Without the micro-management skills of Six Eyes level Cursed Energy, one would inevitably suffer some injury, making it only a last resort after being unable to use domain skills.
This was a tactic that Satoru Gojo had no choice but to adopt when fighting the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna.
The latter essentially uses barriers to counter barriers, and this method has a relatively lower casualty rate.
The next morning, the first rays of dawn pierced through the paper window.
Nothing happened that night; Lu Ping spent the entire night reviewing the Barrier Technique he had learned from Faso.
Although this information has been stored in my brain and can be viewed at any time, it still requires constant review to truly understand and master it.
Fortunately, he had an excellent memory, and with his previous experience of studying in the archives, plus the [Three Corpses Manipulation] that could be played repeatedly in his mind to enhance his memory, he learned very quickly.
Taking advantage of the bright daylight, Lu Ping practiced the two moves again in the room.
I haven't mastered [Falling Blossom Emotion] yet, but I've reached the point where I can use [Hollow Wicker Basket], probably because I have a foundation in Barrier Technique.
However, I'm not quite proficient at using it yet.
He checked his internal condition and found that his Cursed Energy had recovered to about 70% of its peak.
"You're recovering well; it's time to head to the Jujutsu High."
Lu Ping pushed open the door, walked through the corridor, and prepared to leave the room.
His gaze swept across the room, and he noticed a middle-aged woman kneeling under the eaves.
That was the woman who sat at the same table as the Ogi Zenin and Maki sisters at yesterday's banquet.
The wife of the Ogi Zenin.
The other person was waiting meekly by the steps, ready to help him put on his shoes.
Lu Ping did not stop.
Through that submissive expression and the sensations emanating from the Three Corpses within his body, he clearly understood the other party's condition.
This woman, who had been suppressed for many years, had accepted the feudal rules of the Zenin Clan for a long time, and her heart had long been numb.
Perhaps only a faint trace of maternal instinct and humanity remains, struggling to sustain her broken soul.
Lu Ping did not display cheap gentleness or persuasion.
As the future head of the family, he spoke directly, "There's no need for shoes. Go back and inform Ogi Zenin to minimize these pointless acts of dividing people into different classes in the future."
The middle-aged woman was taken aback, then respectfully lowered her head and turned to leave.
Lu Ping understood one principle well.
What apathetic people need is another set of rules that can be implemented immediately, not grand principles that everyone understands but are difficult to change in reality.
After saying that, he bent down, put on his shoes, and strode away.
If Ogi Zenin really wants to win me over, it will naturally know what to do next.
After passing through the winding corridors, the vermilion gate of the Zenin Clan came into view.
Lu Ping stepped out of the threshold and stopped on the bluestone path.
He looked up and saw someone he hadn't expected.
Outside the gate, a girl wearing thick black Martin boots and Jujutsu High leaned against the courtyard wall, looking up at the sky, her high black ponytail swaying slightly in the wind.
Kamo Chitsubaki stood there quietly.