The inside of the grayish-white bone cocoon
Hoshino's body no longer exists.
The power of the All-Killing Ash Bones was too domineering; mechanical prosthetics, flesh and bones, and even every inch of artificial nerves were completely destroyed by that grayish-white decaying power.
There were no remains, no ashes, as if it had never existed.
Unexpectedly, Hoshino's soul did not return to the Pure Land as usual, but was imprisoned inside a bone cocoon by some strange force.
The power of Jashin.
Hoshino quickly realized that the reason he hadn't dissipated was because of that cold, sinister power from Hidan's ritual.
The Jashin's corruption did not stop with the destruction of his body; instead, it took advantage of his most vulnerable moment to tightly bind his soul, attempting to assimilate it.
Whispers echoed in the chaos, like countless tiny insects gnawing at his will:
"Become my vessel... and you will gain true eternity... Give up resistance..."
Hoshino's soul struggled instinctively, but the Jashin's erosion was like a bone-deep infection, slowly consuming his consciousness.
Until, a faint purple light appeared.
The Priestess Power.
The protective charm that Shion gave him still retained a trace of power at the soul level, transforming into a pale purple barrier that barely resisted the Jashin's erosion.
It wasn't powerful, but it was incredibly resilient, like a last line of defense, preventing the Jashin from completely devouring him.
Deeper still, the power of the All-Killing Ash Bones has not dissipated.
It is no longer a weapon that destroys the body, but has transformed into something purer.
It's like a brand.
Deeply embedded in Hoshino's soul core, it forms a bizarre confrontation with the Power of Jashin.
The balance at this moment is so delicate it's almost suffocating.
The Power of Jashin, like a viscous black tide, continuously eroded the boundaries of Hoshino's soul.
The Priestess Power, like a flickering candle flame, burned tenaciously in the darkness.
Deep within, the power of the All-Killing Ash Bones was like a heavy shackle, or a final anchor point, firmly fixing Hoshino's consciousness at this strange point of balance.
When the Power of Jashin approaches the core, these gray-white patterns will suddenly light up, mercilessly shredding the intruder.
The Mutant Insect Swarm, now without a host, wanders aimlessly around the soul, but its behavior lacks any real direction, futilely resisting the erosion of the Power of Jashin like headless flies.
In this strange balance, Hoshino's consciousness gradually cleared, and he also realized that he was at a delicate juncture between life and death.
They were neither completely dead, nor could they truly be said to be alive.
This state is more dangerous than death.
Because once the balance is broken, what awaits him is an eternal nightmare of being completely devoured by the Jashin.
And that moment is not far off.
The Priestess Power is the weakest compared to the power of the All-Killing Ash Bones and the Jashin; it won't last long at all.
At this critical moment of life and death.
A faint golden light suddenly emanated from the depths of Hoshino's soul; though small, the light contained astonishing resilience.
That was the power he had cultivated for many years, but had almost forgotten—the 'Qi' Divine Machine Hundred Refinements.
In the early stages, the Divine Machine Hundred Refinements provided him with significant assistance, serving as the foundation for his rise.
However, as its strength increased, Divine Machine Hundred Refinements began to be relegated to a supporting role, and was almost forgotten.
After all, Hoshino already knew the technique of 'instantaneous materialization,' but for those powerful individuals, the strength of those magical artifacts was still too low.
Not to mention compared to those strategic-level weapons.
After all, in this Shinobi World with its extremely high ceiling, the art of weapon forging alone has its limits.
Hoshino once believed that the value of the Divine Machine Hundred Refinements was limited to the rapid crafting of magical artifacts, and even considered promoting and teaching it as a basic course at the Reform Society.
But at this moment, this seemingly weak 'qi' was trembling slightly at the core of the soul.
It is neither as pure and holy as the Priestess Power, nor as cold and eerie as the Power of Jashin, nor as violent as the power of the All-Killing Ash Bones.
Peaceful and inclusive, yet containing endless possibilities for change.
The essence of Divine Machine Hundred Refinements is not simply the art of weapon crafting, but rather the understanding of the principles of creation.
It can analyze the structure of everything, and naturally, it can also reshape everything!
The moment this thought arose, the dormant 'Qi' suddenly roared like a spring thunderclap, spreading rapidly through the depths of the soul, like a skillful mediator, moving among the various opposing energies.
Like a Priestess Power spring rain, it revitalized the almost-depleted purple light.
The Power of Jashin is like an iron chain across the river, severing its corrosive tentacles one by one.
The All-Killing Ash Bones are like steel refined through a hundred temperings, tempering their violent nature layer by layer.
"I've been wrong all along... Divine Machine Hundred Refinements is not just a technique for forging weapons!"
Hoshino's consciousness was completely enlightened at this moment.
The golden 'qi' suddenly surged, radiating a dazzling light deep within the soul.
Under the harmonization of this Power of Creation, the three opposing forces began to form a perfect energy cycle.
As if summoned by some unknown force, the Mutant Insect Swarm flocked to this new system and began to reshape the host's body according to some mysterious laws.
Under the command of the Power of Creation, the four forces began an astonishing reorganization.
The All-Killing Ash Bones were the first to respond, their bone spurs combining and piecing together to form a grayish-white skeleton with an aura of decay.
The spine extends into seven unique vertebrae, arranged like the Big Dipper.
The Mutant Insect Swarm swarmed in immediately, no longer wandering aimlessly, but weaving complex Chakra circuits under the guidance of 'Qi'.
Most remarkably, each meridian has a tiny mouthpart that grows at its end, capable of autonomously absorbing surrounding energy to replenish itself.
The Power of Jashin spread between the skeleton and meridians, and the pitch-black energy gradually solidified, transforming into dark red flesh and blood tissue.
What was once a highly corrosive property has now been tamed by 'Qi' into a powerful regenerative ability; whenever tissue is damaged, flesh and blood can repair themselves at an astonishing speed.
The Priestess Power remains a pure, pale purple, swirling around the soul like a veil, forming the final protective barrier.
The most noticeable change appeared between Hoshino's eyebrows.
Four distinct forces found a perfect balance here, coalescing into an unprecedented imprint.
The mark of the Jashin appeared first, forming a standard inverted triangle.
The moment the eerie pattern took shape, a grayish-white bone spike pierced straight through the center of the mark, carving a sharp crack in the black background.
All around, the pale purple Priestess Power spread out like a thin mist, the soft halo perfectly neutralizing the violent aura within the mark.
On the outermost layer of the entire mark, the golden light of 'Qi' slowly flowed along the edges of the patterns, unifying the three distinct powers together.
The moment this mark was created, the four forces achieved an unprecedented and exquisite balance.
They are both mutually restrictive and interdependent.
Whenever one force fluctuates, the other three immediately change accordingly, ensuring that the whole remains in perfect equilibrium.