Reverse Cursed Technique Release

Watching even a Seven-Ring Soul Sage kneel before Lu Ren, Ji Juechen's sword hand trembled slightly-not with fear, but with excitement.

His dim eyes now burned with searing fighting spirit, like a traveler who had trudged through the desert for ages suddenly catching sight of an oasis.

He had found a goal he could never reach, yet could not help wanting to pursue.

Jing Ziyan's mouth hung open for a long time.

She looked down at the Level 7 Soul Tool fragments scattered across the ground, then glanced up at Lu Ren and murmured:

"That was a Level 7 Soul Tool... Level 7. He took a ranged blast head-on and didn't lose so much as a hair."

Meng Hongchen stood in the distance, covering her small mouth, her aqua-blue eyes filled with shock.

She stared at Lu Ren's back, her heart pounding like a drum. Two rosy clouds rose on her cheeks without her even noticing.

Jing Hongchen drew a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"This little brat," he muttered, towering waves surging in his eyes. "I really can't do a thing about you."

In exchange for never being able to use his first and second Soul Skills, he had gained a permanent sixty-percent boost to all attributes.

He strengthened his Self-Created Soul Skill by revealing information, and his blood contained a deadly poison that even a Level 7 Soul Engineer could not withstand.

How was this a Soul Ancestor? He was clearly a war machine wearing a boy's skin.

If he unleashed all his abilities in full, even Shrek's veteran top-tier Soul Saints might not be his match.

What a lad. What methods.

No wonder he escaped Shrek's pursuit. He really is no ordinary person.

Jing Hongchen praised him repeatedly in his heart.

Lu Ren withdrew his hand. The blood-red markings around his right eye slowly faded, and the surging blood Qi around him gradually subsided.

He glanced down at the Level 7 Soul Engineer kneeling on the ground, vomiting blood without stopping, then looked up at Jing Hongchen.

"Hall Master, aren't you going to bring out those treasured pills of yours to save him? Aren't you afraid he'll just die?"

Jing Hongchen raised his brows slightly.

"It's your poison. Don't you have an antidote?"

An antidote?

Lu Ren froze for a moment.

The poison of the Death Painting Wombs Physique... doesn't seem to have an antidote.

After all, it belonged to offspring born from the union of a Cursed Spirit and a human. With a half-Cursed Spirit, half-human constitution, the toxins in their blood simply could not be neutralized through conventional means.

But he knew one way to treat it: Reverse Cursed Technique Release.

Releasing the positive energy produced through reversal into someone else's body.

Though it seemed like such a simple move, in the entire world of Jujutsu Kaisen, those who could do it could be counted on one hand.

It was something even Satoru Gojo and Sukuna could not do. It depended on innate talent; without that aptitude, no matter how heaven-defying one's abilities were, one could not release it externally.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Lu Ren settled on a plan.

"I'll give it a try." He crouched down. "If it really doesn't work, we'll have to sacrifice some of your pills."

He placed his palm on the Level 7 Soul Engineer's back, activated the Reverse Cursed Technique within himself, disguised the healing positive energy as Soul Power, and slowly poured it into the man's body.

Then he froze.

Because the toxins were receding.

The deadly poison that had seeped deep into the man's marrow rapidly melted away before the positive energy of Reverse Cursed Technique Release, like snow and ice meeting sunlight.

Not only that, but the Level 7 Soul Engineer's other injuries-the internal organs damaged by sword Qi and the flesh sliced open by blood blades-were also healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Lu Ren abruptly pulled his hand away, cutting off the flow of energy.

He stared blankly at his palm, his pupils trembling slightly.

He could actually perform Reverse Cursed Technique Release and use this positive energy to heal others.

What did that mean?

It meant others could also enjoy the fountain that gave him an infinite health bar.

Even if someone died on the spot, as long as they had not been dead too long, he could use Reverse Cursed Technique to drag them back from the gates of death.

Heavens.

He had originally only intended to give it a try, never expecting it to actually succeed.

Lu Ren instinctively swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He abruptly raised his head and looked at Jing Hongchen.

The master of Illustrious Virtue Hall stood with his hands behind his back, his expression unchanged, without any surprise in his eyes.

Fortunately, the positive energy of Reverse Cursed Technique Release looks no different from ordinary Soul Power. I haven't given myself away.

Lu Ren secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

No. I absolutely can't let anyone discover this about me. I'll have to be more careful from now on.

Until he had the strength to stand against the whole world, Lu Ren felt he should keep his head down as much as possible. If he performed too outstandingly, he might attract the attention of Tang San in the Divine Realm.

The Level 7 Soul Engineer let out a low groan and slowly opened his eyes.

He looked around blankly, then lowered his head to examine his uninjured body, a dazed look of having survived a calamity flashing across his face.

"I... wasn't poisoned to death?"

"You should count yourself lucky you're alive." Jing Hongchen's voice was cold and hard as iron, without a trace of warmth.

"H-Hall Master!"

The Level 7 Soul Engineer shuddered all over, immediately rolled over, and prostrated himself on the ground. His forehead struck the rubble, his voice full of terror.

"This subordinate knows his mistake! The Imperial Family Inspection Team was at fault! We shouldn't have caused such a disturbance, much less attacked one of your people!"

He raised a trembling hand and pointed at Wang Shaojie, who was still struggling on the ground.

"It was all him! He embellished the story and incited us to come deal with..."

"Enough of your nonsense." Jing Hongchen waved a hand, cutting off his excuses. "I already know everything."

He turned toward Lu Ren, his tone softening somewhat.

"How do you intend to handle this?"

"You're the Hall Master. You decide." Lu Ren rolled his eyes. "I've already beaten them up. What else can I do?"

"Surely you don't expect someone with no backing like me to kill members of the imperial family?"

"I don't want that mountain of trouble on my shoulders."

He was not bloodthirsty. Killing indiscriminately offered him no benefit whatsoever, so why invite trouble upon himself?

Besides, the way his Blood Manipulation manifested already bore some resemblance to the Soul Skills of Evil Soul Masters. He might even end up branded an Evil Soul Master in the future, so he had all the more reason to watch his words and actions now.

Precisely because of this, he needed to behave well and earn Jing Hongchen's absolute trust.

If even Jing Hongchen thought he was an Evil Soul Master, he would have no choice but to wander everywhere in search of resources.

With that thought, Lu Ren turned and walked toward Wang Shaojie, step by step.

Wang Shaojie sat slumped amid the rubble. Seeing Lu Ren approach, he trembled all over as though all his strength had been drained away.

He pushed against the ground with his feet, retreating again and again, until his back struck a broken stone pedestal and he could retreat no farther.

It was hard to imagine that such a large man could be so consumed by fear that his face had lost all color.

His lips were purple, his pupils unfocused, and a dark wet patch spread across his crotch.

"Don't kill me..." His voice broke with sobs, coming in fits and starts. "Please, don't kill me. I was wrong... I'll never dare provoke you again..."

He was on the verge of tears. His fear of Lu Ren had already reached its peak.

Lu Ren sensed that intense surge of negative emotion.

Fear, abjectness, and despair were continuously transforming into Cursed Energy and flowing into his body.

There was a fair amount, and its quality was pure enough.

He crouched down, bringing himself eye to eye with Wang Shaojie.

Then he reached out and patted the man's shoulder. The touch was light, yet it made Wang Shaojie's body go rigid as though he had been electrocuted.

"I'm in a good mood today, so I'm not going to kill you." Lu Ren's voice was quiet, but every word was as distinct as a knife carving. "But if there's a next time, that might change."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze piercing straight into Wang Shaojie's eyes.

"From now on, if I see you at the academy again, I'll beat you within an inch of your life. Every time I see you, I'll beat you. So you'd better stay afraid of me and keep far away."

"Did you hear me?"

That final cold bark was like ice water poured over his head.

Wang Shaojie shuddered violently, his teeth chattering.

"I-I understand. I understand..."

Lu Ren stood and withdrew his gaze, as though he had finished dealing with some trivial matter.

He turned and walked toward Jing Hongchen, waving a hand.

"Hall Master, I'm leaving. Take your time cleaning things up here."

Jing Hongchen opened his mouth, intending to stop him, but his gaze swept across another figure.

Meng Hongchen was tiptoeing behind Lu Ren. She made a face at Jing Hongchen, her expression plainly saying: That's what you get, Grandpa. This is all your fault.

Jing Hongchen's face darkened further.

He drew a deep breath and slowly exhaled, forcing both his frustration and anger back into his chest.

Then he turned and looked down at the inspection team members kneeling all over the ground.

"One by one, you will give me a clear account of everything that happened. Otherwise, even if some important figure from the imperial family comes, they won't be able to save you."

Xu Mochén had just regained consciousness and lay on the ground with a bruised face and swollen nose. At these words, his entire body stiffened, and then he fainted again.

Wang Shaojie, you've ruined me! I want you dead!