Great, we're doomed now!

+4:

[Weakened elemental resistance], [Weakened mental resistance], [Weakened physical resilience]

+2:

[The greed of merchants], [The arrogance of nobles], [The dullness of commoners]

……

Hmm? A second other world!

Ye Shou's eyes lit up, but he paused slightly after seeing the name clearly. Then, for some reason, Uncle Mads's little tune started playing in his mind...

As a "foodie," if you're going to travel the world, you must prepare in advance—don't forget to bring plenty of things like Sichuan peppercorns and star anise!

Chapter 48 My Brother Has Connections to Heaven!

Suna Mountain——

"Please, Keiryu-san! Please lend me your power!"

"drink!"

A tall, illusory warrior flashed through the air, and a strange fluctuation surged into Ye Shou's body. Although his height had not changed, he inexplicably felt that his field of vision had become much wider. His hand subconsciously went to the katana at his waist, and with a gentle push of his thumb, he flicked the tsuba away.

Clang!

His hand movements were completely invisible. A flash of white light pierced the air, followed by the belated sound of air being cut, giving people the illusion of a time-space distortion.

laugh!

A fallen leaf quietly split in two, drifting down as lightly as a feather.

Upon closer inspection, this leaf was not cut vertically or horizontally, but rather "lifted" in two layers, like a piece of paper!

Two identical translucent leaves silently demonstrate a swordsmanship that has already entered the realm of the superhuman!

"……call!"

Ye Shou sheathed his sword, bent down and picked up the two leaves, examining them carefully. For a moment, he could hardly believe that he had cut them with his own hands.

Even highly skilled kendo practitioners could never achieve this; it could even be said to have transcended the scope of modern kendo, existing only in legends and literature—a dreamlike technique.

"If I told anyone, they'd think I was bragging, right?" Ye Shou chuckled to himself, in a good mood.

"As expected of Master Jinglong, his swordsmanship is still superb even after he has passed away!"

[You flatter me. Bored in the mountains, I could only chop leaves and kill swallows; hence this trivial skill, merely to amuse my old age.]

Tsk tsk tsk~ I wonder who you are to the Dragon Slayer Sword Saint from the Type-Moon next door?

Why do you sword masters all speak in the same way?!

Ignoring the secretly pleased Nishikida Kageryu for the time being, Ye Shou admired the exquisitely crafted longsword in his hand with a meaningful look, his eyes filled with undisguised joy.

Although he had some knowledge of swordsmanship, he was still inferior to a true master. The reason he was able to display such divine skill was because he borrowed the power of Jinglong.

—【Spiritual Communication and Spirit Summoning】!

This option, worth a whopping 7 points, has a very simple ability:

Summon a deeply connected spirit to possess you in order to learn techniques from the "past" (but you need to obtain the other party's consent beforehand).

Sounds like an upgraded version of "ghosts"? Actually, they're completely different!

The core of 【Spirit Summoning】 lies in summoning; even if you are thousands of miles away, you can summon the contracted spirit!

The only drawback is that this skill does not change a person's physique, and the effect of spirit summoning depends on the compatibility between the two parties.

In other words, it only cares about summoning the "ghost" to you, and whether the ghost is willing to help you or whether the possession is effective or not is none of its concern!

Interestingly, Ye Shou happens to possess a talent called "Ghost with extremely high purity".

[Ghost] will not actively summon spirits, but it can change a person's physique, especially increasing the compatibility with the "Sword Master" class!

When Ye Shou first saw the [Spirit Communication] skill, his immediate reaction was that he had bought the [Ghost] skill too early, regretting the loss of his six Destiny Coins. However, after careful consideration, he began to realize the secret behind it, tried matching it, and sure enough, it had a miraculous effect!

Simply put, with his current mental strength, as long as he is in Japan and the surrounding waters, he can summon the Kagetsu Dragon of Mount Sukuna and have it possess him. Furthermore, in this state, he can replicate over 90% of Kagetsu Dragon's sword techniques!

—There's no way to use moves that require a high level of spiritual power, since Jinglong is a remnant soul and most of his power is contained within the sealing sword, suppressing Sukuna.

This performance is much better than when he fought Ryomen Sukuna in the mountains last time.

Tremble, enemies! This time, I have the power to reach the heavens!

Ye Shou was also somewhat glad that he had kept the [Ghost Back]. Don't underestimate this thing in high-level martial arts and fantasy, but right now, without this ability, he really couldn't unleash the "one slash, two pieces" strike!

You yourself played a significant role, both physically and mentally, as well as in honing and refining your skills... I have never seen such an outstanding young man as you in my lifetime.

To have adapted to my presence so quickly is simply extraordinary. I never imagined that someone in the modern world could use 'spiritual communication' so well.

"Ha, I was just lucky."

Ye Shouzheng said solemnly, "I should thank you for accepting the contract with me."

[It's alright, you've also helped me reseal Su Nuo... Just don't forget our promise.]

"Of course!" The boy's tone was firm, causing Jintian Jinglong, who was in the Void Realm, to nod.

Jinglong didn't help unconditionally. Although he enjoyed fighting injustice and exorcising demons, it was all for the sake of justice. Now, however, he was fighting for Ye Shou personally, which naturally made things different.

The first one is absolutely inviolable:

His sword only slays demons and "non-humans," never ordinary people. He won't even draw his sword if the demons opposite him haven't committed any evil deeds.

The second is the payment for hiring him:

He valued the kindness of "a meal and a place to stay," and even if the poor villagers wanted to exorcise the demon, they would at least give him a meal, let alone Ye Shouyi, who was obviously a young master from a wealthy family.

So every time I summon him, I have to give him a big meal after the battle, so he can enjoy the pleasure of food after a long time.

The third one is rather special...

That day, if that little girl with the ability to see ghosts (Jianzi) hadn't bravely spoken up, it would have been difficult for you and me to join forces, and sealing Su Nuo would have been fraught with obstacles. In other words, that little girl did me a favor!

I am currently unable to repay your kindness, but if she encounters any difficulties in the future, I would be eternally grateful for your assistance!

"Your Excellency Jinglong, you flatter me. Jianzi is also my friend, so please rest assured." Ye Shou's tone was serious, and he truly meant it.

—After all, the gold coins from seeing the child haven't exploded yet!

As everyone knows, Kuze Yoru is the most loyal of all!

[Hahaha... I didn't find a true successor in my lifetime, but I never expected to meet such a like-minded descendant after my death. What a twist of fate!]

Jinglong was in a very good mood. At first, he thought Ye Shou was a lecher who took respectable women out at night, but now he found him more and more pleasing to the eye. He only regretted that this child was not born hundreds of years earlier.

Otherwise, he might be able to pass on his swordsmanship and create a new school, like the Shinkage-ryu and Hokushin Itto-ryu!

"If you don't mind, I can also call you 'Master'." Ye Shou's eyes were smiling, but it was clear that he was serious.

Even after the possession ends, some experience and memories will remain in his body and mind, much like one-on-one tutoring from a master. His rapid progress is already foreseeable. For that alone, calling him "Master" is absolutely warranted!

"You are no ordinary person. I, Liu Ba, am merely a mentor, teaching a few rustic tricks to country folk. How could I possibly be your master?"

Jinglong refused, but he was still in a good mood.

Your strength can only be developed by yourself; you cannot blindly follow my path, because our 'talents' are different.

"Hmm? This 'talent' refers to..."

I possess the ability to see through evil spirits, while you have the talent of an illusionist.

This statement startled Ye Shou:

I thought Jinglong was going to talk about his "money power".

Illusionist? That has absolutely nothing to do with Ye Shou!

[You really haven't realized it yet... That's right, young people these days aren't interested in Buddhism anymore.]

"...How did we end up talking about Buddhism again?"

[This has nothing to do with faith; I'm referring to a unique method used in Buddhist practice.]

Overcoming inner demons.

A restless mind breeds demonic thoughts, fraught with peril. But if one can vanquish these inner demons, one can elevate their spiritual realm to a higher level.

"I do know that." Ye Shou was still confused.

But that's just something monks say to mystify things; it's not actually that mysterious, hahaha~

Jinglong laughed for a while, as if recalling some past events, before explaining things to Ye Shouzheng in a serious manner.

Most people in the world are just ordinary mortals, but there is always a one in ten thousand chance that a child will have special abilities, like me.

Some can foresee the future, some can ride the wind, some can transmit their voices over long distances... There is also a type that is not outwardly apparent, whose mental power is particularly strong, but who cannot control objects, instead using their own thoughts to influence the thoughts of others.

A large portion of them have degenerated into charlatans... creating 'inner demons' to frighten others and profit from it. I've seen a monk do just that.

He claims he can "save people and demons," getting those "burdened with inner demons" to offer him sacrifices so they can sleep peacefully... How laughable!

"Is this what they call an 'illusionist'?" Ye Shou pondered, having roughly guessed Jing Long's meaning.

He's talking about "ghost brain"!

However, Jinglong may have misunderstood. The "Ghost Brain" is mainly about self-suggestion; causing others to develop inner demons is another matter.

When I possessed you, I sensed that your spiritual power was very special, and you must have a talent in this area.

Don't be disgusted; the same sword, in the hands of a wicked person and a good person, will produce completely opposite results. Since you have this talent, you should cultivate it diligently and use it for good in the future.

"I would like to do good," Ye Shou shook his head helplessly.

His "ghost brain" is not the same thing. The illusions that thing creates can only be seen by himself, so how could they affect others...?

"Ok!"

Ye Shou suddenly paused, thought seriously for a moment, and retrieved his deepest memories from the depths of his mind, carefully scanning them bit by bit.

The bizarre actions in "Baki" are still hard to ignore even now, and the absurdity of the "Demon Brain" ability ranks among the top in the entire series—after all, it was the original protagonist's cheat code.

……yes!

Why can't we go further?

This is a skill from a comedy fighting manga. The author is allowed to spout nonsense about physics, but I'm not allowed to develop some fantastical uses for it?