novelraw Chapter 263-1: Juvenile Nurarihyon Evolves, Retainer of the Ogiwara Clan (1)
Chapter 263-1: Juvenile Nurarihyon Evolves, Retainer of the Ogiwara Clan (1)
[You return once more to the iron cage…]
[The Juvenile Nurarihyon clenches its fists tight, teeth gritted hard, eyes burning with the fire of vengeance.]
[From its expression, it looked as though it wanted nothing more than to break out of the cage right now, follow you to the Tenshukaku, and slay the daimyo to avenge its grandfather.]
[As long as you break the cage, you can release the Juvenile Nurarihyon…]
[Apostle who deceives children, you have fulfilled the relevant conditions.]
[The Origin-Tracing Juvenile Nurarihyon is willing to become your follower. Do you accept?]
“Huh? A follower.”
Lin Xun recalled that the Valkyrie had originally been just an ordinary summoned puppet.
Only after using Refined Copper Essence had she evolved into a follower, and later, when the Doll Mechanist sacrificed himself to grant the Refined Copper Heart, her rank was raised to a growth-capable Watcher.
Followers weren’t much different from normal summons, except they had the added function of being able to equip gear.Their potential was also extremely limited, even inferior to shikigami, since shikigami could simply be leveled up by infusing them with Spirit Essence to keep pace with the Apostle’s current difficulty level.
To upgrade and strengthen a follower, you had to use specific items, the same as with enhancing the Three-Headed Lion.
The Celestial Demon Nurarihyon’s Soul Pearl he held was clearly the designated upgrade item.
Lin Xun thought for a moment and understood, the follower option must have been prepared for Apostles who didn’t have a summoner Shell.
After deliberating, he pressed ‘No,’ intending to proceed with his original plan of turning the Nurarihyon into a shikigami.
[You shake your head and explain that you understand its urgency to avenge its grandfather, but Dharma-Aspect Temple is protected by barriers on the outside, and there is only one pass token. Forcing a breakout would surely trigger a large-scale military siege.]
[Even as a Dragon God descendant, you would struggle to fight so many new god believers head-on.]
[The Juvenile Nurarihyon freezes at your words. Believing it has no hope of escaping and avenging its grandfather, its head droops in dejection.]
[You continue, explaining that while brute force won’t work, there is another way, cunning.]
[As a Dragonborn, you possess an exceptionally unique Art of Transformation, capable of taking on the form and even the aura of any new god believer you have slain.]
[Right now, you will use a new god believer’s onmyoji arts to seal it as a shikigami so you can escape Dharma-Aspect Temple undetected.]
[However, using a sealing artifact to subdue it and casting Onmyo Arts: Exorcism Decree will cause excruciating pain, and it must not resist during the process…]
[Before you even finish speaking, the Juvenile Nurarihyon declares with unwavering determination that so long as it can avenge its grandfather, even if Dragonborn Lord erases its will, it will not resist in the slightest!]
Seeing the moment was right, Lin Xun began the subjugation process.
[You possess the Shell of the Fire-Worshipping Palace Master of Iya Palace!]
[You use the Brilliant Killing Stone (Legendary-grade item)!]
[On the surface of the Brilliant Killing Stone, countless fine blood threads converge, erupting in a blinding flash of blood-red light that pierces the cage and engulfs the Nurarihyon entirely.]
[Soon the light contracts, drawing the Juvenile Nurarihyon into the Killing Stone.]
[Subjugation check in progress…]
[…]
[Sealing item’s rank exceeds the rank of the Origin-Tracing Juvenile Nurarihyon. Check successful!]
[The Killing Stone does not tremble in the slightest, utterly still like a dead object, clearly the Nurarihyon within is offering no resistance.]
[Before long, light flickers on the surface of the Killing Stone.]
[You have successfully subjugated the Origin-Tracing Juvenile Nurarihyon!]
[Holding the Purifying Wand, you formed seals and chanted, “Return to your origin! All Vajras! Shatter demonic barriers! Bind ghosts and subdue yokai! All evils are captured! Everything is purified!”]
[Onmyo Arts: Exorcism Decree activates!]
[Countless golden tadpole-script runes manifest in the air, surging into the Killing Stone…]
[In the darkness, you hear the muffled groan of the Juvenile Nurarihyon gritting its teeth, as if enduring unimaginable agony.]
[Your mighty soul seems to fuse seamlessly with a strange other soul, imprinting a binding pact.]
[Do you wish to erase the Nurarihyon’s will for easier control?]
Lin Xun, as usual, pressed ‘No.’
There was no need to erase its mind, once they struck the Tenshukaku, the Nurarihyon would swear loyalty until death.
[You have successfully subjugated the Origin-Tracing Juvenile Nurarihyon as a shikigami!]
[Current Exorcism Slots: 2/5. Shikigami owned: Origin-Tracing Snow Woman of the Mountain, Origin-Tracing Juvenile Nurarihyon.]
Lin Xun opened the shikigami panel.
[Shikigami: Origin-Tracing Juvenile Nurarihyon]
[Shikigami Level: 30 (+)]
[Shikigami Rank: Epic+ grade]
[Shikigami Equipment: Burlap Garment (Ruined): A coarse burlap garment, ragged and stained with blood, as if recounting all the hardships its wearer has endured.]
[Shikigami Skills: None]
“These stats are honestly garbage…”
It was understandable, an immature yokai naturally had low attributes.
Fortunately, Lin Xun still had a special item to enhance the Juvenile Nurarihyon’s power.
He summoned the Nurarihyon back from the Exorcism Slot, opened the inventory, and clicked the item.
[Do you wish to use the Celestial Demon Nurarihyon’s Soul Pearl?]
[Using this item will greatly increase your shikigami’s stats and unlock related yokai arts…]
[The Soul Pearl glows with a dark greenish-blue radiance before transforming into a stream of light that merges into the Nurarihyon’s body…]
[The Nurarihyon is soon enveloped by a dense aura of draconic essence, rising like mist and shrouding its small form.]
[From within the swirling fog came the anguished cries of the yokai. You could not see its expression, but you could clearly watch its childlike body gradually grow larger…]
[When the mist dispersed, the figure that had been a young child had become an adolescent. Judging by human age, it looked about fifteen or sixteen.]
[Your shikigami Origin-Tracing Juvenile Nurarihyon has grown into Origin-Tracing Nurarihyon!]
Lin Xun quickly opened the panel to check.
[Shikigami: Origin-Tracing Nurarihyon]
[Shikigami Level: 50 (+)]
[Shikigami Rank: Epic+ grade]
[Shikigami Equipment: Burlap Garment (Ruined): …]
[Shikigami Skill: Yokai Art – Phantom Illusion Domain (Epic+ grade): When using this skill, the shikigami can harness soul power (mental power) to create an illusory phantom domain, drawing enemies inside. Within this domain, damage dealt to enemies will be greatly increased.]
[Shikigami Skill: Yokai Art – Death-Substitute Avatar (Epic+ grade): When Nurarihyon takes fatal damage, this skill will automatically trigger. Nurarihyon will use powerful soul force (mental power) to create a death-substitute soul avatar in place, while instantly shifting itself to a nearby safe location. This skill consumes a large amount of the shikigami’s Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo power.]
[Shikigami Skill: Yokai Art – True Celestial Demon Form (Epic+ grade): When using this skill, Nurarihyon will unleash all of its Celestial Demon power, temporarily assuming the form of a deep-sea monstrous Celestial Demon, causing immense destructive force.]
[Because the yokai is still young and cannot fully control this power, after releasing its Celestial Demon strength, Nurarihyon will collapse and die from exhaustion, requiring soul strength to reconstruct the shikigami.]
[You look at the now slightly older yokai before you, understanding this is still not Nurarihyon’s true peak.]
[Once it truly matures into a Celestial Demon, perhaps it will possess strength no less formidable than its grandfather… though the time needed for this growth will likely be measured in decades or centuries.]
“Now this is a stat panel worth looking at!”