Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

Shuten-dōji paused, turning back with a look of confusion on his face.

"Different colors?"

"I have never heard of that."

"Hmph, your situation is special. It all comes from that Hundred Demons Scroll. Don't ask me about the specific details; I'm not omniscient."

"By the way, aren't you on good terms with the Lord of a Hundred Tales? Go ask her! There's very little she doesn't know!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi nodded thoughtfully, then quickly asked, "One last question: what exactly is the purpose of those faiths condensing into light?"

This question caused Shuten-dōji's expression to change.

"What's the use? Many gods can condense that faith into divine power, using it as a high-level extraordinary power. Combined with the god's abilities, it can undergo different transformations."

"You've seen my Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. In a sense, it was a way of using the souls of the demons of Mount Ooe, which can be considered a use of the power of faith."

"However, this is not its main function."

Have you ever seen a ship on the high seas?

Shuten-dōji suddenly asked an unrelated question.

Uesugi Kiyoshi didn't know what he meant, but he nodded subconsciously—of course he had seen him before.

"Dreams are actually the [spiritual world], the [sea of ​​consciousness] of this planet."

"Therefore, in this sea of ​​consciousness, gods and ghosts alike are nothing more than a lone boat."

"A ship needs an anchor to come to a stop."

"That faith, which arises from the living beings and ends in your soul, gathers together and becomes your anchor!"

"From the present world, traversing between two realms, the anchor that firmly anchors your soul!"

Shuten-dōji leaped into the air and transformed into a lifelike portrait, leaving only his voice echoing in the Mirage Tower.

"As for the purpose of the anchor, have you ever been swayed by it?"

"Sinking is like the storms in the sea, coming from the sea monsters that stir up waves, or from the capricious heavens."

"But if the anchor is heavy enough, even the fiercest storms cannot capsize your ship!"

"That's why all ghosts and spirits yearn to become gods."

Chapter 162 Apricots and Glowing Grass

Uesugi Seiki is a top student.

Top students generally have excellent abilities in making connections and expanding their thinking.

He understood the parable of Shuten-dōji—that if the number of believers reached a certain level, they could forge their souls to be more resilient, thus avoiding depravity. That was roughly the idea.

Yes, it's not hard to understand. Through "faith," one can strengthen the soul of the "gods."

Thinking about it this way, we can deduce why gods need the prayers of believers to descend upon us—because it makes their souls stronger enough to break through the shackles between dreams and reality.

The only thing that made Uesugi Kiyoshi ponder deeply was that sentence.

Sinking is like the storms in the ocean, coming from the sea monsters that stir up waves, or from the capricious heavens.

The sea monsters that stir up storms can be interpreted as menacing ghosts and gods.

What does the capricious heaven represent?

He always felt that this sentence contained profound meaning.

Also, does Fuyao really know everything about the gods?

Maybe we should go ask about it tomorrow.

Uesugi Kiyoshi couldn't stand this feeling of being filled with doubt; it always felt like a cat's claws were scratching at his heart, making him extremely uncomfortable.

When he came out of his reverie, he turned his attention to Nohara Kyoko in front of him.

At this moment, Nohara Kyoko was secretly observing the murals around the Mirage Tower. Her attention was focused on the self-portrait of Uesugi Kiyoshi, who was dressed in Wufu, with a sword at his waist and a mysterious smile on his face.

And there was the girl beside her, dressed in a light blue yukata, whose appearance was strikingly similar to hers.

For some reason, seeing this scene made her lips curl up in a smile, and she felt very happy.

Perhaps it's because of being with Uesugi-kun? Even though it's just a portrait.

However, as soon as you see this scene...

Whether it's those ferocious monsters or bizarre and fantastical scenes.

It doesn't matter anymore.

In her eyes, there was no place for anything else.

Nohara Kyoko's girlish fantasies were cruelly shattered by Uesugi Kiyoshi.

Uesugi Kiyoshi struggled to organize his thoughts, trying to explain the supernatural, ghosts, dreams, and gods to Nohara Kyoko.

However, halfway through his speech, he saw Kyoko Nohara's undisguised confusion and simply gave up.

Forget it, why would I bother with all that trouble?

Those are apricots.

After reorganizing his thoughts, Uesugi Kiyoshi revealed a faint smile and adopted a more relaxed tone.

"Xingzi, this is my secret base. I just invited you to come and visit."

“You know, I have many unusual abilities.”

"Just ignore that red-haired weirdo, pretend he doesn't exist."

"More guests may come here in the future. Will Kyoko stay here to help me?"

Kyoko Nohara nodded frantically as expected.

She felt a little bit of joy.

Does Uesugi-kun not consider me an outsider by inviting me to such an important place?

She didn't think about where she was, how she got here, or who the Demon King Shuten-dōji was.

She believed whatever Uesugi Kiyoshi said and obediently followed his wishes without any thought of disobeying him.

Kyoko Nohara possesses all the virtues of a traditional Japanese woman: she is innocent, gentle, hardworking, and centered on the person she loves, even if it means isolating herself from the whole world.

These things might not all be worth promoting in today's society, but they are very popular.

At least Uesugi Kiyoshi liked it very much.

Seeing Nohara Kyoko gently following behind her, head down, face flushed, and not saying a word, clearly in the state of a shy little wife, Uesugi Kiyoshi smiled helplessly, stroked his chin, looked at the statue, and began to think about how to maximize the use of this thing.

If Nohara Kyoko could enter, then most people with demon souls would also be pulled into the Mirage Tower by her.

To verify this idea, he once again entered a state of soul synchronization and re-entered the Sea of ​​Gods.

This time, he carefully discerned the thoughts conveyed within the starlight.

There are quite a few acquaintances there.

Without a doubt, there are Dongwen Zhenxi and Liu Longren, these two people who possess demon souls.

However, the light emanating from Azuma Maki was a pale milky white, while that of Liu Longren was orange-yellow. Uesugi Kiyoshi sensed it and realized that if he wanted, he could easily pull these two into his dream world.

Instead of trying, he began to sense the red-glowing stars.

The intention was like a stone sinking into the sea, yielding nothing.

Instead of getting bogged down in details, he quickly shifted his focus and began to carefully sense the countless stars in the sky.

As Shuten-dōji said, the threads of faith are the strongest, and those that look extraordinary are basically extraordinary individuals.

I know quite a few people there.

Thanks to the demon souls of Higashima Maki, Liu Longren, and Xiao Xingzi.

Kudo Yuichi, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, and even Dazai Osamu—whom Uesugi Kiyoshi only met once—were linked by friendship and trust, but that inconspicuous thread was indeed there.

Counting down further, there are quite a few: the two swordsmen of the Dongwen Society, the members of the Dongwen Jue personal guard, the Yakuza gang who have witnessed Uesugi Kiyoshi's power, Ueno Mitsuishi who recently followed him, and even a few delinquents who were intimidated by him and Dongwen Maki a few days ago.

From dazzling to dim, countless shimmering threads weave a tight and omnipresent net, as if enveloping the universe within it.

Calm your mind and focus your spirit.

My eyes opened, and starlight seemed to gather within them.

In just a short while, those enormous, chaotic thoughts nearly drove Uesugi Kiyoshi mad.

He had no doubt that if he opened his mind and accepted the thoughts of all living beings in the starry sea, he would be turned into an idiot in a second.

Before he could catch his breath, he heard Kyoko Nohara exclaim in surprise.

He hurriedly looked back and saw a scene that surprised him.

Orange, blue, and cyan light alternated on Kyoko Nohara.

She was standing in front of the mural of the Hundred Demons Scroll, facing the image of "Yingcao" on it.

In an instant, the image of Yingcao on the Hundred Demons Scroll vanished without a trace.

Nohara Kyoko's pretty face turned somewhat panicked. Her original home clothes were transformed into a well-fitting yukata amidst the shimmering lights.

It was exactly the same as the Yingcao that Uesugi Kiyoshi had seen in the Hundred Demons Scroll, without any difference.

Uesugi Kiyoshi took a few steps forward in a bit of a hurry.

When he arrived at Nohara Kyoko's side, his expression turned strange.

He sensed vibrant life, abundant power, and a mirage-like quality.

This perfectly corresponds to Yingcao's ability to condense the Hyakumonogatari card, as she is a demon.

He paused for a moment, looking at Nohara Kyoko with a complicated expression, then glanced at the statue on the steps to godhood, and exhaled a breath of stale air.

"I see."

"Is this thing used in conjunction with the Hundred Demons Scroll?"