Two slender strands of source power, one blue and one black, slowly approached each other within Zhiyan's cursed energy circulation. Gone was the cataclysmic rejection of his earlier attempt at complete fusion. Instead, they were like two perfectly matched magnets, giving off faint, pleasantly resonant vibrations.
The air warped slightly as the two sources touched. The cursed energy patterns in the training room lit up, releasing a low, melodious hum, as though bearing witness to a breakthrough a thousand years in the making.
Zhiyan focused his entire mind, not daring to be careless for even a moment. He controlled the flow of every thread of cursed energy with absolute precision.
He guided his blue source slowly into the outer edge of Divine Dogs: Black's core, as though planting an eternal anchor within the shikigami's source. At the same time, Divine Dogs: Black's black source followed the pathways of their contract and settled firmly into his own cursed energy core, entwining inseparably with his source.
There was no searing pain, no rejection-only an unprecedented sense of unhindered flow that instantly swept through his entire body.
The once sluggish pathways for converting shikigami power were like river channels suddenly cleared of obstructions. His cursed energy flowed with incredible ease.
The Divine Dogs' perception, speed, rending claws, and wind powers no longer required summoning or a strained cursed energy bridge to channel them. He could call upon them as readily as his own instincts.
Zhiyan's eyes snapped open, an unmistakable brilliance bursting within them. It was the overwhelming joy and excitement of breaking through a bottleneck, the exhilaration of finally releasing power that had lain dormant for years.
He instinctively raised a hand. Without forming a single hand sign, the Divine Dogs' distinctive cursed energy gathered around his fingertips, sharp yet docile, blending perfectly with his own pale blue cursed energy without the slightest barrier.
His shadow stirred gently, and Divine Dogs: Black's outline flashed across the floor before vanishing. The shikigami could synchronize with his consciousness without being summoned.
He could even clearly sense every movement within a hundred meters beyond the courtyard. Even the paths of ants crawling along the foot of the wall were perfectly distinct-the Divine Dogs' extraordinary perception had now become his own ability.
"It worked..."
The words slipped from his lips in a low, hoarse voice, trembling with barely contained emotion. Zhiyan slowly stood, his cursed energy steady yet surging. The sluggishness and draining fatigue that had once accompanied using shikigami power were completely gone, replaced by effortless ease.
His cursed energy expenditure had fallen to a minimum, and the speed at which he could draw upon that power had increased severalfold. This was the fundamental transformation brought about by exchanging sources, a rebirth that shattered the traditional shackles of the Ten Shadows Technique.
He clenched his fists, clearly feeling the power of the two sources coexisting and resonating within him. His heart pounded in his chest, and he could barely contain his excitement.
For a thousand years, every inheritor of the Zenin Clan's Ten Shadows Technique had remained trapped within the framework of "summon and control." No one had ever considered exchanging sources to achieve a profound symbiosis between human and shikigami. Yet, thanks to a single offhand suggestion from Toji, he had actually done it.
This was not reckless devouring, but perfect symbiosis.
Zhiyan calmed the excitement churning within him rather than losing himself in the joy of success.
The successful experiment with the Divine Dogs proved that exchanging sources was entirely viable, and they were far from the only shikigami he possessed. He had currently tamed four kinds: Divine Dogs, Toad, Rabbit Escape, and Nue. Each had different abilities and specialties. If he could exchange sources with them one by one, his current strength would rise to another level.
The Divine Dogs excelled at perception, speed, and biting attacks, making them adept at reconnaissance and close combat. Toad restrained enemies with mucus and excelled at support. Rabbit Escape produced numerous duplicates, nimble and swift, making it ideal for disruption and evasive maneuvers. Nue was currently his strongest shikigami, and its lightning abilities would be his best weapon against enemies.
Four kinds of shikigami, four entirely different sets of abilities. Once he completed Source Exchange with all of them, his combat system would become flawless.
Zhiyan sat cross-legged again, the excitement in his eyes giving way to steady concentration.
The exchange with the Divine Dogs had laid the foundation, making him more proficient at separating and merging sources. For the experiments that followed, he only needed to apply the same approach and proceed step by step. First, he adjusted his breathing, returning his cursed energy to its steadiest state, then completed the exchange with Divine Dog: White.
Next, he turned his attention to the second kind of shikigami lying dormant deep within its contract-Toad.
Toad's cursed energy core was entirely different from the Divine Dogs'. It carried the damp chill of marshes and wetlands, quite unlike Zhiyan's own cool, concentrated cursed energy.
Zhiyan did not dare take it lightly. He continued soothing Toad's consciousness with the gentlest cursed energy, bringing the connection between human and shikigami as close as possible.
Once again, he separated a small strand of pure source power from the edge of his own core-not too much, not too little, exactly matching the amount Toad was willing to share. Toad's source was dark green, moist and viscous. When it met his blue source within his cursed energy circulation, there was initially a slight resistance.
Zhiyan was prepared. Using their contract as a bond, he slowly guided the two sources to accommodate each other, like kneading two different kinds of clay together, patiently allowing them to permeate and accept one another.
His experience with the successful Divine Dogs exchange proved useful now. He precisely controlled the speed and temperature of his cursed energy, smoothing away the resistance bit by bit. At last, Toad's dark green source settled firmly into his cursed energy core, while his blue source took root within Toad's core.
Humm-
The cursed energy in the training room abruptly swelled, and a dense sense of power instantly filled the space. Zhiyan raised his hand, and Toad's cursed energy appeared in his palm without any summoning. Toad's abilities had now become one with him.
It worked!
The source exchange with the second kind of shikigami was complete.
The light in Zhiyan's eyes grew brighter. Without pausing, he immediately turned to the third kind of shikigami-Rabbit Escape.
Rabbit Escape's cursed energy core was exceptionally light and nimble, its chief advantage being duplicates that disrupted enemies. Its source was pale white. With three successful exchanges behind him, Zhiyan's control had become masterful. He used exquisitely delicate cursed energy to communicate carefully with Rabbit Escape's consciousness.
Naturally lively, Rabbit Escape responded to Zhiyan's thoughts almost instantly, separating a strand of its source. Zhiyan separated his own source at the same time. The two light strands of power met within his cursed energy circulation without the slightest resistance. Like wind meeting drifting clouds, they blended perfectly in an instant.
Zhiyan's breathing remained steady, but the cursed energy radiating from him had become deep and vast. Three kinds of power coexisted perfectly within him, never interfering with one another, yet available at any moment. That feeling of complete control raised his understanding of the Ten Shadows Technique to yet another new realm.
Now only one shikigami remained-the strongest he currently possessed, Nue.
Zhiyan's expression grew increasingly solemn as he focused all his attention on Nue's contract. He slowly mobilized his cursed energy, reaching deep into the contract to touch Nue's source. Nue's consciousness was gentle and dignified, filled with loyalty and acceptance toward Zhiyan as its inheritor. Under his soothing guidance, it slowly separated a strand of clear purple source power.
Zhiyan took a deep breath, separated a corresponding portion of his own source, and slowly guided the two toward each other.
Nue's purple source settled firmly into Zhiyan's cursed energy core, weaving perfectly together with his own source, the Divine Dogs' black source, Toad's green source, and Rabbit Escape's white source to form an entirely new cursed energy circulation of symbiosis and resonance. Meanwhile, Zhiyan's blue source left an eternal anchor within Nue's core, establishing complete communion between human and shikigami.
Boom-
An unprecedented sense of power instantly swept through Zhiyan's entire body.
The sources of four kinds of shikigami, four entirely different sets of abilities, had all become part of him. No summoning, no hand signs, no cursed energy bridges. With a single thought, he could use their abilities. The sluggishness of cursed energy conversion had vanished completely, and his expenditure had fallen to a minimum. He had forcibly expanded the upper limits of the Ten Shadows Technique by several times over.
Zhiyan abruptly stood, the currents of cursed energy around him intertwining and flowing. Pale blue cursed energy circled his fingertips, gentle yet powerful. There was not the slightest conflict; instead, it formed a perfect balance.
He closed his eyes, and with a slight shift of thought, the Divine Dogs' perception instantly spread across the entire Zenin Clan estate. The flow of cursed energy in every corner appeared clearly in his mind. Another thought brought a rotating vortex of wind into his hand. A second later, another "him" emerged from his shadow. With a slight lift of his fingertips, Nue's purple lightning lit up, crackling.
Everything was effortless.
Everything obeyed his will.
"It worked... All of it worked."
Zhiyan opened his eyes, their light brilliant as stars. Excitement, delight, and astonishment intertwined, finally drawing a genuine smile onto his usually calm, impassive face.
The smile was faint yet dazzling, like warm sunlight breaking through ice. It swept away his composure and reserve, leaving only the exhilaration and relief of surpassing his limits.
Ever since awakening the Ten Shadows Technique, he had been plagued by sluggish cursed energy conversion and enormous expenditure. Even with harsh training day after day, he had never been able to overcome the technique's inherent shortcomings.
The Zenin Clan's ancient texts, its elders, and its accumulated experience had all told him this was an immutable fact, leaving him trapped within an established framework, unable to advance.
Yet Toji Zenin's casual suggestion, which overturned conventional wisdom, had been like a spark falling into a deep pool, igniting the idea that led to his breakthrough.
He had forged his own path of source symbiosis, replacing fusion with exchange and control with coexistence, completely shattering the shackles that had bound the Ten Shadows Technique for a thousand years.
At this moment, he was no longer an inheritor of the Ten Shadows Technique in the traditional sense.
He was no longer a sorcerer who commanded shikigami, but a unified being living in symbiosis with them. Their power was his power; their abilities were his instincts. The human was the shikigami, and the shikigami was the human. He had truly reached the ultimate state of "human and shikigami as one."
Zhiyan slowly stretched, feeling the surging, freely flowing cursed energy within him. The presences of the four kinds of shikigami lay peacefully deep within his soul, completely synchronized with his consciousness. He could clearly feel the Divine Dogs' loyalty, Toad's steadiness, Rabbit Escape's liveliness, and Nue's ferocity. This feeling of souls connected was something no previous inheritor of the Ten Shadows Technique had ever experienced.
He walked to the training room's window and gently pushed it open. The afternoon breeze brushed his face, sweeping up flower petals in the courtyard. Sunlight spilled over him, making him shine especially brightly. The Zenin Clan's ancient buildings remained solemn in his eyes, but his state of mind had changed completely.
Earlier, at the Cursed Spirit Detention Facility, Toji's casually spoken words had completely rewritten his path in jujutsu. That languid, carefree man who scorned convention might only have made the suggestion on a whim, yet he had broken open an entirely new world for Zhiyan.
Through his own thought and experimentation, Zhiyan had chosen not the extreme path of devouring, but the safest approach, the one most suited to the symbiotic essence of the Ten Shadows Technique. He had transformed that suggestion into power that truly belonged to him.
Zhiyan raised his hand, cursed energy flowing gently around his fingertips and weaving into brilliant light. He could imagine how drastically his fighting style would change the next time he faced a cursed spirit.
Without summoning his shikigami into physical form, he could use all their abilities-perception, strength, speed, and battlefield control-to suppress an opponent from every angle without a single blind spot. Even against higher-grade cursed spirits, he was confident he could handle them easily.
Previously, even against a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit, he had needed to rely on technique and a careful, steady approach. Now, even against a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, he was confident that he could exorcise it using his symbiotic Ten Shadows Technique. This was the fundamental transformation that came with breaking through a bottleneck, an elevation to another level of power.
Soft footsteps sounded outside the courtyard as clan servants passed by, not daring to disturb their habitually quiet and reserved young master.
Zhiyan gently closed the window, shutting out outside eyes once more. The excitement in his gaze gradually subsided, and his usual calm composure returned. Yet deep within his eyes, there was now an unprecedented confidence and edge.
The experiments had been a complete success. He had finished exchanging sources with all four kinds of shikigami, completely breaking the shackles of the Ten Shadows Technique. But he knew this was not the end-it was an entirely new beginning. Source symbiosis was only the first step. Next, he needed to keep refining his resonance with the four kinds of shikigami, mastering the use of every ability and thoroughly honing this newborn power until it became an instinct etched into his bones.
Zhiyan returned to the center of the training room and sat cross-legged. This time, he was no longer experimenting, but consolidating. He mobilized all his cursed energy, slowly circulating it through the new symbiotic cycle. The sources of the four kinds of shikigami trembled gently within his core, blending perfectly with his soul. An ancient yet brand-new power was quietly being born on the Zenin Clan's land, which had lain still for a thousand years.
He could feel that his connection to the Ten Shadows Technique had become closer than ever. The power in his bloodline awakened, and the dormant power of his shikigami awaited his command.
Toji Zenin might already have forgotten the wild idea he had casually suggested. Perhaps he had never imagined that this kid could actually make it work, let alone forge an even more perfect path.
But Zhiyan would never forget how, on that stifling afternoon, that carefree man had opened the door to an entirely new world for him with a single remark.
Through his own persistence and intelligence, he had seized that opportunity and brought true rebirth to the Ten Shadows Technique.
Cursed energy flowed slowly through the training room. The boy sat upright within it, his expression tranquil, yet radiating enough potential to shake the entire Jujutsu Society.
Source symbiosis, the rebirth of Ten Shadows-the era of Naoya Zenin was quietly beginning. His steps would never stop here. Having broken the Zenin Clan's shackles, he now set his sights on the pinnacle of the entire Jujutsu Society.
The wind passed through the courtyard and stirred the training room's window lattice, making a faint sound, as though softly cheering this breakthrough a thousand years in the making.
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