Why is my anime art style so weird?

He stepped over the shimenawa rope and carefully walked onto the path that was surrounded by lava pools but had no railings.

After a while, Xu Ming finally arrived safely on the platform in the middle of the lava pool.

He reached out to the terracotta sculpture atop the stalactite.

Just as he was trying to pick up the statue, his arm accidentally touched the chain.

Swish!

A scene suddenly appeared in front of Xu Ming.

A group of villagers, under the command of several priests dressed in hunting robes and wearing veils, escorted a young man with glasses, handsome appearance, and a refined demeanor who looked like a scholar, to the lava pool.

They chained the young man to a platform in the middle of the lava pool.

Then the endless torment began.

To ensure the young man wouldn't die too quickly, the villagers not only fed him regularly but also assigned someone to give him water to keep him from dying of thirst.

Chapter 391: Flame Soul Jade

Many people have probably tried taking a sauna.

After a few minutes, people usually can't take it anymore. If it exceeds 20 or 30 minutes, they will basically suffer from heatstroke and faint, and need to keep going in and out to replenish water.

It is said that a sauna competition once resulted in a death.

The situation the bespectacled youth faced was no different from that of a sauna; the villagers locked him on a platform above the lava pool, exposing him directly to environmental temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius.

Seeing this scene, Xu Ming felt a chill run down his spine.

He himself had only been on the platform for less than half a minute when he felt unbearable. Not only was he having difficulty breathing, but his whole body felt like it was on fire.

The young man was locked on the platform and eventually died from the heat. His body was covered in hideous blisters, and he was no longer recognizable as a human.

Such a cruel punishment... I wonder what this young man did to anger the Yukinoshita clan.

Xu Ming couldn't stand staying there any longer, so he quickly picked up the statue and hurried back.

After he emerged from the underground passage, Haruyuki Arita and Fujino Asagami quickly returned, bringing with them two headless goddess statues made of different materials.

Now Xu Ming was 100% certain that these small statues were the so-called sacrificial offerings.

Xu Ming was about to use the statue to open the gate to the Palace of Dark Flame when he noticed that Asagami Fujino seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

This was the first time Xu Ming had seen her with such an expression, and he couldn't help but feel curious.

"What's wrong, Fujino?"

Asagami Fujino hesitated for a moment, then took out the red magatama she had obtained at the ancestral shrine.

"This is also what I found at the ancestral shrine."

Xu Ming took the red jade with great curiosity.

Ding!

—Congratulations, host, for discovering the rare material 'Flame Soul Jade'.

This material can be fused with a shikigami, giving the shikigami a certain probability of gaining fire-attribute abilities. (The higher the compatibility, the greater the probability.)

Xu Ming's first thought was to have Erina absorb it.

After all, Erina already possesses fire-attribute abilities, and absorbing this 'Flame Soul Jewel' will further enhance her power.

Even though it was Asagami Fujino who found the item, doing this seems a bit unethical.

However, Xu Ming's consistent view is to let those who are good at something do what they are good at.

Besides, can taking something from your own shikigami be called stealing?

They are all his shikigami; what's his is his, and what's his shikigami is also his.

However, to Xu Ming's utter surprise, Erina's compatibility with the 'Flame Soul Jewel' was only a mere 50%.

A 50/50 chance is an extremely low probability.

Xu Ming wasn't a gambling addict, so of course he didn't want to waste such valuable material.

Out of curiosity, Xu Ming tried to check Arita Haruyuki's compatibility as well, and the result was even lower, only 20%.

Xu Ming hesitated for a moment, then finally checked Asagami Fujino's compatibility.

A number that completely surprised him popped up: 200%!

It went way off the charts!? This is illogical!

Xu Ming is now even wondering if there's something wrong with the system.

Xu Ming actually refused to let Asagami Fujino absorb the Flame Soul Jewel.

It's not that he's stingy.

It was simply because, in his mind, Asagami Fujino should focus on developing the Twisted Mystic Eyes.

This is a powerful ability second only to the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

Rather than giving her another new skill, it's better to refine it to perfection.

Look at Ryougi Shiki, she doesn't do any of those fancy things, she specializes in the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, so she's incredibly strong.

If Ryougi Shiki had learned elemental manipulation like Erina, she might not have...

and many more!

Xu Ming suddenly realized that his thinking was wrong.

Ryougi Shiki has mastered elemental control, but that doesn't necessarily mean she'll become weaker.

She doesn't even need to learn elemental control; she only needs to learn frost control to become stronger and more terrifying.

Just imagine how powerful Ryougi Shiki would be if she could slow down or even freeze an enemy, and then deliver a fatal blow.

Ryougi Shiki is currently a high-attack, low-defense assassin, but everyone knows that the strongest assassin is always high-attack, high-defense, like King Hassan, who wears armor and wields a greatsword.

The reason is that assassins with high attack and low defense have such a low margin for error; if they can't kill others, they will be killed by others.

Therefore, Ryougi Shiki suffered a setback at the hands of Araya Sōren.

Then look at the Sword Saint of Avalon, the Israeli Fighter King, the Axe King of Uruk...

Experience has shown that the mark of a true champion is to learn multiple skills and always keep your enemy guessing.

Upon realizing this, Xu Ming immediately changed his mind and decided to give the Flame Soul Jewel to Asagami Fujino.

Xu Ming then returned the red magatama to Asagami Fujino.

"Since you found this magatama, you should use it."

Asagami Fujino silently accepted the magatama, a moment of hesitation flashing across her face.

Xu Ming patted her on the shoulder.

"The original owner of the magatama would probably prefer that you use it."

A slight sense of relief appeared on Asagami Fujino's face.

Then, in front of Xu Ming, Asagami Fujino pressed the magatama onto her high breasts.

The magatama instantly emitted a bright red light and merged directly into Asagami Fujino's body.

Soon, the system notified Asagami Fujino that she had gained a new ability.

Moreover, because she absorbed the Flame Soul Jewel, Asagami Fujino's soul advanced to level five in one go.

Xu Ming was somewhat surprised.

Why is it that Asagami Fujino absorbs this stuff as easily as eating and drinking water, without any side effects?

Her own older sister, however, was about to fall into a deep sleep.

But then Xu Ming thought about it again and understood.

The key issue is still the degree of compatibility.

The Flame Soul Jewel and Asagami Fujino have such a high degree of compatibility that the energy contained within it must have been actively absorbed by Asagami Fujino. One was willing to give and the other was willing to receive, so there was naturally no issue of adjustment.

My older sister's situation is different. She forcibly seized other people's energy, so she naturally needs to digest it slowly. This manifests as her needing to go into a deep sleep to make the stolen energy her own.

In any case, before the great battle, Xu Ming had gained a shikigami with a soul level of five under his command, which gave him a greater chance of success.

Xu Ming took the statues that everyone had found to the front of the deity and placed them in the three stone platters.

As soon as the three statues were placed on the ground, they simultaneously emitted a fiery red light.

Immediately afterwards, the ground shook violently, and the entire shrine began to tremble, with large amounts of dust falling from above.

Rumble!

The heavy statue began to move slowly, gradually revealing the entrance to a cave.

The entrance to the Dark Flame Palace was also underground; no wonder he had circled around it before and couldn't find it no matter how hard he looked.

Soon after, the tremors stopped, and the entrance to the cave was fully revealed.

"Let's go!"

Xu Ming waved his hand, and the three of them immediately sprang into action.

Chapter 392 The Savage and Cruel Yukinoshita Clan

Haruyuki Arita consciously ran ahead of Xu Ming and went up the stairs into the cave first.

Xu Ming and Asagami Fujino followed closely behind.

Erina, who was resting during the Hyakki Yagyōshō, also sent positive signals, and it is believed that she will be able to regain her fighting strength in a short time.

After entering the underground passage, Xu Ming realized that it was somewhat different from the underground cave where he had obtained the statue.

The passageway was flooded, with puddles every few steps, and warm water dripping down from above from time to time.

The air was warm and humid, like a thick film of water covering my body.

This feeling is like the sweltering heat before a downpour, making one feel extremely uncomfortable.

Tick ​​tock!

The passageway was completely silent, with only the sounds of footsteps and dripping water echoing through it.