novelraw Chapter 230-2: The Shikigami Lion’s Brute Might, Onmyo Arts Fall Into My Grasp (2)
Chapter 230-2: The Shikigami Lion’s Brute Might, Onmyo Arts Fall Into My Grasp (2)
[He pulled out a yellow talisman slip. As he chanted, the paper ignited by itself. Tadpole-script runes formed from pitch-black karmic fire surged toward the collapsing Ao-Bozu…]
[As the runes poured into the cyclopean monster’s body, its flesh rapidly swelled. Skin tore and exploded, muscles bulged and knotted.]
[The light in its eye, about to go dark, flared back to life. Its black pupil turned blood-red, brimming with a savage aura.]
[Ao-Bozu let out a thunderous roar and surged to its feet with explosive strength, even mightier than it had been before taking any wounds!]
[Bathed in blood, the cyclopean monk monster advanced in huge strides toward the Three-Headed Lion under its master’s command…]
[“Enough!”]
[A furious shout from an aged woman rang out from below. A massive creature soared over the high platform, opened its sharp bird beak, and clamped down on Ao-Bozu. Then it stretched out its hooked claws and ripped the powerful yokai shikigami in two!]
[A torrent of blood rained down. The two halves of the corpse crashed to the ground.]
[The savage, colossal beast landed upon the platform. Its vast body nearly occupied the entire space.]
[Only then did you get a clear look at it. The monster had the body of a giant hound, a raven’s pointed beak, and a pair of black wings that blotted out the sky.][This was the Karasu Tengu’s true yokai form revealed in full power!]
[However, the Karasu Tengu’s feathers were patchy, its body still covered in wounds, apparently, it had been seriously injured earlier.]
[The Fire-Worshipping Vice Palace Master of Iya Palace slowly ascended the platform and publicly declared that the third duel was the foreign mage’s victory!]
[The opposing onmyoji stared wide-eyed in disbelief, full of resentment and grievance. He tried to argue with the Vice Palace Master, insisting that it was the foreign mage who first cheated and broke the rules, so why was he condemned for responding in kind…]
[But as soon as he spoke, not a single disciple of Iya Palace came to his defense. The entire hall was silent as death.]
[The Fire-Worshipping Vice Palace Master shook her head impassively and thundered, “If your skills are inferior, then hold your tongue. Must you drag all of Iya Palace’s dignity through the mud?!”]
[The old woman’s gaze flickered as she turned to you and continued, “Honored guest, the lion shikigami you command is truly extraordinary. Its power does not lie in sharp claws or swift movements, but in that terrifying regenerative ability…”]
[“Esteemed guest, I wonder if this assessment is correct?”]
[Hearing this, the onmyoji stood dumbly, lips moving for a long while without managing to utter a single word.]
[Below the platform, the disciples of Iya Palace began murmuring to each other, countless envious eyes fixed upon you.]
[Onmyoji could indeed summon many shikigami at once, but when these shikigami died in battle, they could not be revived immediately. They needed long periods of magical nurturing before they could be restored to their former state.]
[The stronger the shikigami, the longer this period. Weaker shikigami could be restored in just a few days, but powerful ones often required months of nurturing, and some even years before they could reappear.]
[For a shikigami like the Three-Headed Lion, able to regenerate on its own, every onmyoji in the world would envy it to the point of madness…]
Lin Xun gave a scornful laugh.
If these onmyoji knew that when a player Apostle possessed the Summoner class, they only needed 1 point of soul strength to fully reshape their summons, they would probably all go insane with jealousy.
[The Vice Palace Master ignored the hollow-eyed onmyoji and led you down from the platform.]
[On one side of the arena sat the yokai Snow Woman still trapped within a barrier.]
[The Fire-Worshipping Vice Palace Master accepted a token from the referee, formed seals, and chanted. The barrier contracted around the yokai, transforming into a shaft of white light that vanished into the token.]
[She handed you the talisman covered in runes…]
[You have obtained Snow Woman’s Suppression Token (Item).]
[Snow Woman’s Suppression Token (Item): A suppression token crafted specifically for the Snow Woman. Unlike a containment artifact, this token can only briefly subdue the yokai.]
[If you click this item, you will release the un-subdued Origin-Tracing Snow Woman. Clicking the item again will seal the Snow Woman. Remaining seals: 3/3.]
[The Vice Palace Master stated plainly that this was your reward for instructing the disciples of Iya Palace. Since the Snow Woman had not yet been subdued and was still unclaimed, you would need a containment artifact and suitable onmyo arts to bind it as your shikigami.]
[“If the foreign mage has any special means to subdue this yokai, that would be ideal. Otherwise, should you find it inconvenient, you are invited to the palace to discuss the details further…”]
[The Fire-Worshipping Vice Palace Master invited you to exchange skill knowledge. Would you like to accept?]
[You smiled faintly and nodded. Under the complex gazes of all the disciples, you walked side by side with the Vice Palace Master toward another palace hall.]
[…]
[Inside the hall, the Vice Palace Master waved her hand, sending the others away, leaving only the humanoid Karasu Tengu by her side.]
[She took out a stack of ancient skill manuals and arranged them on the table…]
[Among them were Onmyo Arts: Exorcism Decree (Epic+ Skill).]
[Onmyo Talisman: Filth Purification Rebirth (Epic Skill).]
[Onmyo Talisman: Karmic Inferno Descent (Epic Skill).]
[Barrier Formation: Earthly Domain (Rare+ Skill).]
[Barrier Formation: Corner Domain (Epic Skill).]
[Barrier Formation: Void Domain (Epic+ Skill).]
[…]
“Good grief… onmyoji have this many skills?!”
Lin Xun’s eyes lit up at once. He wished he could simply execute the Vice Palace Master on the spot, sweep all these skill books into his bag, and claim the old woman’s body as well.
[Because you demonstrated overwhelming strength in the Shikigami Ritual and a mastery of shikigami arts rivaling Iya Palace itself, the Vice Palace Master opened up and shared her techniques with you…]