Traveling Through Multiple Realms: The Supporting Character's Counterattack

Meanwhile, deep underground in Z City, within the Monster Association.

In a space filled with bizarre instruments and writhing chunks of flesh, the monstrous "Big Eyes," a creature resembling a combination of an arm, brain, and eyeball, lies on a giant chair.

Before it, a screen of light clearly displayed the battle scene in the forest on the outskirts of G City—the image transmitted through a tiny, winged, eyeball-shaped split entity hidden in the distant clouds.

"Oh? It's over?"

The man with the large, bright eyes let out a deep, slightly surprised voice.

The Cutting King secretly left the association to cause trouble for Iaian; it was known, or even tacitly approved.

It also wanted to take this opportunity to personally assess the true strength of this newly promoted S-class hero who had recently gained fame and was said to possess the powerful "Red Lightning" ability.

Even among the many Demon-level executives of the Monster Association, Cutting King is one of the most aggressive and difficult to deal with. Gyoro Gyoro originally estimated that it would be at least a fierce battle where both sides would suffer heavy losses, and at the very least, it would force out more of Iai's trump cards.

However, reality far exceeded its expectations.

The battle, from start to finish, was astonishingly fast.

Iaian displayed an effortless ability to dodge attacks, and at the very end, he unleashed a terrifying fire attack.

Such effortless grace, such deadly efficiency!

"Such formidable strength..."

The core of the Great Eye trembled slightly, and the data stream on the light screen scrolled rapidly. "It seems that this newly promoted S-class hero probably has strength comparable to the Association's 'cadre' level. That flame is very unusual."

However, just as the Great Eye of Light was trying to mobilize its split entities to observe the post-war Iaijutsu state more closely and analyze the residual energy fluctuations, the image on the light screen suddenly changed.

Just as Iai had retracted his fist and the intense heat emanating from his body had not yet fully subsided, he seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head. His gaze, sharp as lightning, pierced through layers of spatial barriers and directly "looked" at the surveillance eyeball hidden in the clouds hundreds of meters above the ground.

Through the eyes of the split entity, the gazes of the Great Eye and the Iai seem to collide across the void!

In that instant, the Great Eyes clearly "saw" that deep within Iai's calm eyes, a fleeting yet incredibly sharp black-red lightning flashed by!

The lightning contained an indescribable aura of majesty and destruction, seemingly emanating from all living beings.

Immediately afterwards—

puff!

The image on the screen instantly turned into a snowflake, and then went completely black.

Its mental connection with that split entity was forcibly severed by an incomparably domineering force!

An eerie silence enveloped the space.

A few seconds later, Big Eyes' deep voice rang out again, carrying a hint of disbelief and an even stronger desire to investigate:

"I was discovered? They were able to detect and precisely destroy my clone, and that power..."

Its enormous eyes slowly turned, gazing towards G City. In the darkness, its whisper carried a trembling excitement:

"Interesting, very interesting indeed! Flames, lightning, and powerful self-healing abilities... Iaian, just how many secrets are you hiding?"

Clearly, the performance of this newly promoted S-class hero has far exceeded the initial assessment, becoming a "variable" that must be taken very seriously and even requires a new strategy to be developed.

……

In the clearing in the woods, the air was filled with the acrid smell of burning flames and the earthy stench of soil.

"Monster Association - Gyoro Gyoro!"

He muttered to himself, his tone calm, yet carrying a chilling undertone.

"It seems that keeping a low profile is impossible."

Iai let out a soft breath, his face showing little sign of annoyance.

Having chosen to step into the limelight and become an S-class hero, one is destined to stand at the forefront of attention and be coveted by various forces.

It was only a matter of time before the Monster Association took notice.

I just didn't expect it to come so quickly, and that it would be a "greeting gift" of the level of Cutting King, and a "attention" of the level of Big Eyes.

"We'll deal with whatever comes our way, whether it's soldiers or floods."

Without further thought, he turned and strode away, his figure flashing a few times before disappearing into the depths of the lush woodland.

The most urgent task is to successfully cultivate the "Water Mirror" realm as soon as possible.

Only by acquiring greater power can we meet the more severe challenges of the future.

Back at the Atomic Flow Dojo, Iaijutsu resumed its regular training rhythm.

However, unlike his previous solitary and arduous cultivation, his current cultivation methods are more diversified.

During the day, he still engages in high-intensity swordsmanship training and physical conditioning, constantly refining his "form" and "strength".

However, during breaks in his practice, he would deliberately relax his mind and stop focusing on "entering" the Water Mirror state, instead trying to "feel" it.

He would sit quietly in the courtyard, feeling the breeze on his skin, listening to the rustling of the leaves, and observing the changing light and shadow.

He would stroll through the city, watching people come and go, listening to the hustle and bustle, and experiencing the joys and sorrows of ordinary life.

He would even take the initiative to accept some missions assigned by the Hero Association, no longer pursuing quick victories, but trying to deal with battles with a calmer mindset, to observe the opponent's attack patterns, and to feel the subtle fluctuations when forces collide.

This method of cultivation, which involves "finding stillness in movement and observing movement in stillness," may seem slow, but it allows Iaido to gain a deeper understanding of the "water mirror" state.

The Atomic Warrior's saying, "A calm mind is like still water, a clear mirror is like a clear mirror," does not mean having a dead heart or being devoid of all thoughts.

True "still water" is an extreme peace and stability of mind, like the eye of a storm, where the outside world is raging and the inner world remains calm and undisturbed.

A true "clear mirror" is an extremely clear and focused mind that can clearly reflect everything in the outside world without being misled by its appearances, and directly points to its essence.

This requires not only mental strength, but also absolute control over one's own emotions and will.

The days passed by.

Iai could feel that his grasp of that mysterious state was gradually deepening.

From initially only being able to occasionally touch upon it during deep meditation, he can now sometimes capture that moment of "clarity" even in intense sparring sessions. Although it is fleeting, it is a good start.

On this day, Iai was practicing sparring with several junior disciples in the training area behind the dojo.

He did not use chakra or Haki, but only pure swordsmanship.

Even so, his swordplay remained sharp and precise, forcing his fellow disciples into a frantic struggle.

Just as he parried a thrust and was about to unleash a diagonal slash, his movement paused slightly.

It was neither due to exhaustion nor a mistake.

In that instant, his mind seemed to detach from the battle itself and enter a peculiar "God's-eye view".

The opponent's wrist trembled slightly due to tension, his breathing became slightly rapid due to exertion, and the subtle deviation in the trajectory of the sword as it cut through the air.

The trails of dust particles floating in the surrounding air, the amplitude of birds flapping their wings on distant branches, even the subtle contractions of his own muscle fibers and the gurgling sound of his blood flowing...

Everything was presented in his "heart" in great detail, as if in high-definition slow motion.

The world seemed to be slowed down, becoming incredibly clear and slow.

But this "slowness" is not stagnation, but a sense of relativity born from ultimate insight.

He can clearly "see" countless changes that may occur in the next fraction of a second and instantly find the best solution.

This feeling lasted for less than half a second.

But to outsiders, Iaijutsu only paused slightly, then with an incredible angle, he gently deflected and guided the wooden sword that his junior brother had thrust at with all his might, causing it to deflect uncontrollably to the side, leaving the center wide open.

The tip of the iaido's wooden sword had already silently come to rest in front of the opponent's Adam's apple.

The outcome is decided.

"Senior Brother...you're amazing!"

The junior disciple stared at the tip of the knife in front of his throat, cold sweat beading on his forehead. Just a moment ago, he hadn't even seen how the Iaijutsu had made its move.

Iaijutsu slowly sheathed his sword, a barely perceptible glint of joy flashing in his eyes.

"You've made a little progress again."

He knew that he was getting closer and closer to truly mastering the "Water Mirror" realm.