Swallow Return

My mind involuntarily began to reflect and waver, as if making that cut was such a foolish and wrong decision.

This is clearly a mind control effect.

At first, Liu Yun thought Oda Nobunaga was very powerful and focused on fighting him. But after only a moment, he felt his mind lighten and all those strange thoughts disappeared.

Perhaps it was because of merging with the nine-tailed fox that her resistance to this had greatly increased—Liu Yun thought to herself.

He himself didn't quite understand why things were going so smoothly, but his subordinates didn't hesitate and continued to swing with all their might.

Although it felt like I had only cut down the clothes hanging in the air without touching any flesh or bones, I still felt a lot of pressure coming back.

Based on the principle that "forces are reciprocal," if one feels the pressure returning to them, then it means that the previous strike must have caused some degree of damage to Oda Nobunaga.

As for whether Newton's three laws apply in a fantasy world... let's leave that aside for now.

In short, it slashed across with all its might, and then a sharp white light flashed. Oda Nobunaga, dressed in his hunting robes and ready for battle, had no time to react and was cut in two.

However, only the clothes were cut in two.

The hunting robe slipped and shattered on the ground, followed by a cloud of grayish-white smoke.

However, Oda Nobunaga's body was nowhere to be seen.

The smoke rose to a height of three zhang (approximately 10 meters) in the air, then suddenly stopped, swirling and lingering. Within the smoke, a half-real, half-illusory human face could be vaguely discerned.

Upon closer inspection, with his broad face, high nose, sharp eyes, and slight beard, he was undoubtedly Oda Nobunaga.

"I never imagined that a technique powerful enough to subdue a great demon and imprison a god would be unable to deal with you, Sasaki Ryuun... What do you mean by saying you are not Sasaki Ryuun?"

The face of "Oda Nobunaga" in the smoke calmly uttered these words.

His words had lost their usual arrogant yet polite demeanor.

His tone was somewhat surprised, but he did not seem alarmed.

The enemy was slashed and then turned into smoke; it was clearly no longer an ordinary human.

However, this is not unusual in this world of supernatural phenomena.

Liu Yun frowned, looked the enemy up and down, and didn't want to answer the question.

But Oda Nobunaga's head in the smoke seemed even more intelligent than in his human form. Without needing a reply, it immediately guessed the answer, then bobbed up and down as if nodding, muttering to itself, "I understand. There's only one explanation: the original Sasaki Ryuun was long dead. Now, he's a soul from another realm, not controlled by the gods, Buddhas, demons, or monsters of Japan, who has possessed my body and been reborn... I actually tried to kill someone who was already dead. No wonder I failed. Fortunately... I had other preparations."

It won't succeed, but we have other plans?

After pondering for a moment, Liu Yun decided that instead of talking to this strange, smoky enemy, he should try slashing it a couple more times.

After all, he didn't understand the situation yet.

But then he noticed a change in his "teammates".

In the spiritual world, the nine-tailed fox and the demon sword princess gradually awakened their consciousness, and Lady Guidie, who had fallen to the ground, also quickly regained consciousness, got up, and looked around somewhat blankly.

At the same time, the oppressive and unpleasant atmosphere that had been gathering over Azuchi Castle dissipated.

Liu Yun didn't understand at first, but after re-establishing a spiritual link with the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Demon Sword Princess, he immediately realized that the seemingly ordinary slash had indeed caused great damage to Oda Nobunaga and broken the magic array in Azuchi Castle.

But... what's with the head still half-hidden in the smoke?

Moreover, this head can speak, clearly inheriting Oda Nobunaga's consciousness.

That means... the problem is still not solved.

Liu Yun didn't know what kind of supernatural power the other party had used, nor did he intend to investigate. Without saying a word, he drew his sword and slashed.

Seeing this through the smoke, Oda Nobunaga remained calm and composed, trying to say something, but before he could utter a word, his head was cleaved open by a sharp blade.

The demon sword "Osafune Nagamitsu" is a weapon that embodies the concept of "severing," capable of subduing everything, whether tangible or intangible. The swordsman, Sasaki Ryuun, is hailed as the "greatest swordsman in the land," and Oda Nobunaga described him as "representing the concept of eternal victory."

Therefore, even though Oda Nobunaga's head was already a cloud of smoke, it still quickly dissipated under this attack, turning into dust and scattering on the ground, becoming still.

Did you make it?

Before Liu Yun could even feel happy, he saw the dust scattered all over the ground suddenly gain power from somewhere, quickly return to the air, gather together, and return to the shape of a big head.

No need to guess, it's still Oda Nobunaga's face.

He could finally finish speaking: "Although my plan has not gone smoothly, I have already made preparations. Now I have become immortal and indestructible, and even the Flowing Cloud Palace cannot kill me."

The phrase "immortal and indestructible body" caught Liu Yun's attention.

In this world of supernatural forces, merely turning into smoke is far from being "immortal." Liu Yun has already killed many of these creatures, whether they were gaseous, liquid, or even bodyless.

Liu Yun was skeptical, but he tried it twice more with his sword.

Each time, he easily broke through the defenses and shattered the smoke-like Nobunaga's head, but he was completely unable to stop it from regenerating.

After repeating this three times, Oda Nobunaga, though covered in soot and looking rather disheveled, revealed a proud and smug smile on his face through the smoke. He raised his eyebrows and said loudly, "Lord Ryuun has won today. But you are still just a mortal, unable to escape the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. There is still a long future ahead, and with my immortal body, I will be able to turn the tide sooner or later."

Liu Yun did not respond.

He knew in his heart that what the other person said was true.

At this moment, the demon sword princess Nagafune Nagamitsu couldn't help but reveal her thoughts through the mental link: "Since my birth, I have certainly encountered opponents who were unmatched, but never before have I felt as strange as today, when I strike the opponent's body, I cannot feel any sensation of severing their essence... It's really bizarre."

The nine-tailed fox, also residing in the spiritual world of Liuyun, finally uttered a weak, faint voice after a long silence: "Could this be the power of the 'Sixth Heaven Demon King, Paranirmitavasavartin'... As long as his heart is undying, his body will be immortal... I thought this was just a legend, and I never imagined that a mortal could actually steal the Demon King's destiny..."

"The Sixth Heavenly Demon King, Paranirmitavasavartin?"

Liu Yun unconsciously read it aloud once.

Then, through the smoke, Oda Nobunaga nodded, revealing an approving look, and took over the conversation in a friendly manner, saying, "Lord Ryuun is not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also very knowledgeable! This is the power of the 'Sixth Heaven Demon King.' Since the monks of Ishiyama and the mountain monkeys of Kai insist on attaching this title to me, I might as well grant them their wish!"

Then the nine-tailed fox explained further, roughly meaning that although Oda Nobunaga has lost most of his power, his remaining body is very tenacious and is in a state where "his fighting spirit and confidence will not diminish and he will not be destroyed."

In other words, we must weaken this guy's fighting spirit and confidence before we can eliminate him.

This sounds like a very difficult thing to do...

After all, Oda Nobunaga's personality from a young age was that he was completely unaware of his own limitations. No matter how disadvantaged he was, he would not fall into self-doubt or self-denial, but would actively seek a glimmer of hope in the crisis.

Previously, the Nine-Tailed Fox sent an incarnation to infiltrate Mori Ranmaru's body in an attempt to bewitch Nobunaga, but the incarnation was instead controlled by Nobunaga... Even the Nine-Tailed Fox, the great demon most skilled at manipulating people's hearts, was defeated, which shows how steadfast Nobunaga's mind was.

Liu Yun was at a loss for what to do.

A moment later, Lady Guicho regained her senses completely. She got up and looked around, feeling quite surprised, not knowing what had happened. Then, instead of asking Oda Nobunaga, who had turned into a smoke-like monster, she turned to Ryuun for help.

Incidentally, when Oda Nobunaga saw this scene through the smoke, he only frowned slightly, almost imperceptibly, before returning to normal.

Liu Yun briefly explained the situation to Lady Gui Die.

After listening, Lady Kicho frowned, nodded thoughtfully, and then looked up at the smoky Nobunaga, lost in thought.

It seems she has a solution.

Chapter 304 Lord Liuyun is far superior to you.

Looking back, after Liu Yun transmigrated to this bizarre and supernatural world of Japan's Warring States period, she didn't have many opportunities to interact with Oda Nobunaga. But those few encounters left a very deep impression on her.

Of course, it's also possible that I was too deeply influenced by Koei Tecmo's works in my past life, which subconsciously raised my expectations.

In short, Ryuun deeply admired Oda Nobunaga's unwavering resolve. While he was confident he could kill him physically, he lacked the confidence to break his fighting spirit.

Now, the other party is in a state where "as long as their heart is not extinguished, their body will not die or perish"...

This is a real headache.

It seems that killing is futile.

We definitely can't let it go.

After all, he is Oda Nobunaga, a powerful figure with a strong ability to stir up trouble. Today, we are mortal enemies. If we let him go, he might be able to regroup and make a comeback, which is absolutely unacceptable.

So what should we do...?

Based on his experiences in the information age of his previous life, Liu Yun could only think of some methods of torture, but firstly, they couldn't be used on the smoke-like Oda Nobunaga, and secondly, they might not even be effective.

Liu Yun felt helpless.

Not only him, but even the well-informed Demon Blade Princess and Nagafune Nagamitsu simply watched in astonishment and confusion, remaining silent.

Even the powerful nine-tailed fox, skilled at bewitching people, said it was powerless.

So, Liu Yun's teammates are now only left with—

Lady Kicho, who was of no help in terms of combat ability and felt somewhat of a burden, was only brought along out of friendship so that she could come to confront Oda Nobunaga.

As the successor of the "Bathhouse Yokai" in Kyoto, she can be considered a "rising star" in this world of supernatural beings, but she is clearly not at the top level and has not reached the point of influencing the world's affairs.

At this moment, she lowered her head thoughtfully, remained silent for a while, then slowly raised her head and said in a deep voice to the head of Oda Nobunaga in the smoke, "I came to Azuchi Castle with no other intention than to ask Lord Nobunaga, if you really decide to kill me, a single sword or a knife would suffice. Why go through all this trouble..."

Hearing this from within the smoke, Oda Nobunaga shook his head dismissively and chuckled, saying, "Madam seems to think too highly of herself. As I just said, I only intended to use you as bait so that the spell could be aimed at Sasaki Ryūun... However, I truly did not expect that such a painstakingly executed spell would fail."

"I see..." A resolute and ruthless look appeared on Lady Guicho's face. As if she had made a decision in her heart, she said in a hoarse voice, "I had thought before that even if Lord Nobunaga wanted to take my life, I would let it go because you had fulfilled my late father's last wish. At worst, I would just die. But today you actually said that I 'overestimate myself'... Such an insult is absolutely unacceptable!"

Then Lady Guidie suddenly turned her head and said to Liuyun indignantly, "Lord Liuyun, you are right. Oda Nobunaga has always been audacious and disrespectful to gods and Buddhas. No matter what adversity he is in, he will never lose his confidence and fighting spirit. He will only become stronger with each setback and will never admit defeat... But after all, he is still a mortal, and a man. So there is one thing that he has always cared about very much, and once he encounters obstacles in that matter, he will become furious and extremely frustrated..."

Her words were not actually very clear or concise.

However, everyone present was an adult, and none of them were slow-witted.

Liu Yun immediately understood what she was saying—although she couldn't be sure of the specific meaning, the general idea was clear—and immediately felt embarrassed.

The head of Oda Nobunaga that was visible in the smoke immediately lost its composure and revealed a look of resentment and malice.

However, this resentful look didn't last long. After a moment, Oda Nobunaga let out a sigh of relief, glared at him with disdain, snorted twice, shook his head, and sneered, "What a woman's view! You're underestimating the heroes of the world. A person with the world in their heart wouldn't care about such nonsense as you say."

"Is that so? Whether you have concerns or not, you know it in your heart. Even if you can deceive others, you can't deceive yourself." Madam Guidie was initially a little embarrassed, but after she spoke, she became more and more fluent and gradually became frank, with a rather righteous tone.

The logic here is probably that as long as I don't feel awkward, it's the other person who feels awkward?

Oda Nobunaga looked away with a disdainful expression.

Liu Yun stood to the side, somewhat at a loss, feeling that the serious atmosphere of a life-or-death struggle had been completely ruined.

Lady Kicho paused for a moment, as if she had thought of something, and a meaningful smile appeared on her lips. She continued, "Your Highness Nobunaga, why do you only like petite girls like Yoshino Ikoma, who are sickly and weak? Even your page, Ranmaru Mori, is of a similar style... Are you going to insist that this is because you lack confidence in dealing with healthy and mature women?"

Upon hearing this, Nobunaga's expression froze amidst the smoke. He then pursed his lips, remaining silent, his breathing becoming slightly rapid, and his eyes seeming to blaze with fire.

Lady Guicho persisted, turning to look at Ryuun, and said in a very manipulative tone, "Actually, it's nothing. After all, most of the men around me have similar interests to Lord Nobunaga. I always thought that was the case throughout Japan. But I later discovered that there are indeed examples like Lord Sasaki Ryuun, who is particularly fond of women who practice martial arts... After all, not everyone is so insecure. So, I must say, Lord Ryuun is much better than you, Lord Nobunaga!"

"Shut up! Even this won't anger me!" Oda Nobunaga finally couldn't help but interrupt harshly through the smoke, scolding, "You don't need to use ambiguous words to entice me! It's clear that nothing substantial has happened between you two! I can see that!"

"That's because I still held Your Highness Nobunaga in high esteem back then..." Lady Kicho's face showed a very complicated expression, but she smiled slightly in an instant, smoothing her hair, which gave her a wicked and alluring charm. She uttered erotic lines in a languid tone: "Now that things have come to this, wouldn't it be a disservice to your arrangements if we didn't do something substantial? Speaking of which... there are some things that perhaps shouldn't be said, but when I fought alongside Lord Ryuun, just the memory of being held close to the waist and having my ear brushed against his, feeling his upright and powerful masculine aura, is one that I can never forget, far surpassing every night I spent with Your Highness Nobunaga. So, when something really happens, what kind of pleasure will it be? I really look forward to it..."

"Shut up! You shameless slut! You..." Oda Nobunaga's face, visible through the smoke, was finally enraged, and he began to curse, even resorting to vulgar language.

Although Liu Yun had felt extremely embarrassed just now, he was finally invigorated at this moment—the other party seemed to have really lost his composure because of this mess, which meant there was a chance to break the power of the "Sixth Heaven Demon King, Paranirmitavasavartin".