I became the Lord of the Eternal World in Tokyo.

Just then, Shiraishi's voice, tinged with a mixture of doubt and smugness, came from behind.

"Boss, is this secret manual really that difficult?"

Uesugi Tetsu said calmly, "It's just an introductory text to the ninja path. Even if you can understand and finish it in one night, don't be arrogant."

He warned Shiraishi, whose smile was impossible to suppress.

"The path of cultivation is long and arduous. Whether it is practicing breathing techniques, Yin-Yang techniques, or ninja secret techniques similar to yours, the most important thing to avoid is complacency and arrogance."

But we must also remember not to lose our spirit of courage and diligence.

Upon discovering that the ninja manual was far simpler than he had imagined—so simple that he could understand the first page at a glance and comprehend it completely—Shiraishi suppressed a laugh and gave an awkward salute.

"Yes, boss!"

Looking at Shiraishi's smug expression, Uesugi Tetsu knew that although Shiraishi was standing there listening to him, he was still very much present.

But it's another matter if these words don't slip through one's smooth mind.

Uesugi Tetsuya wasn't in a hurry.

People can't teach others, but when it comes to teaching others later, they'll learn it in no time.

He simply said,

"Then let's spend the afternoon practicing here and see how much you can learn."

After having Shiraishi go aside to look through ninja manuals, Uesugi Tetsu also got up from the cylindrical stool next to the stone table and sat down cross-legged facing the sun.

He planned to see how much proficiency he could gain from spending an entire afternoon alone tempering skin during the Warring States period, without using any calming incense ash or taking a medicinal bath.

Uesugi Tetsuya closed his eyes, and with each breath, he directed his inner energy into his skin through continuous circulation, beginning a long and painful tempering process.

……

In the blink of an eye, the sun had already set in the west.

An afternoon passed in the blink of an eye during the physical tempering.

Covered in sweat, Uesugi Tetsu calmly opened his eyes and looked at the notification that popped up after the training ended, after restoring his internal energy to its original position.

Your skill, Corona Breathing, proficiency +2.

Uesugi Tetsu: “…”

For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Although there is a time difference between the Warring States period and the present world, it is absurd that this afternoon of hard training only resulted in a mere 2 points of proficiency.

It seems that trying to grind things up on your own without putting in any effort is too inefficient and highly undesirable.

Therefore, all the necessary supplies for training must be arranged, and you can also exchange training experiences with Okabe Motonobu; there might be some surprises.

Uesugi Tetsu turned his head and silently looked at Shiraishi, who was lying on the ground not far away, flipping through the manual. He noticed that the thickness of the manual on his side had been reduced by one-fifth.

Uesugi Tetsu raised an eyebrow.

Does that mean that Baishi only needs two or three days to finish reading the basics of this manual?

If you hurry, you might be able to learn it all in half a month and then get a basic understanding of it.

This talent...

Could it be that the "increased probability of triggering hidden events" aspect of the identity of the World Walker actually allows him to encounter all sorts of rare talents?

Not sure.

That's a good thing, though.

If Shiraishi is completely ignorant of ninja techniques and can't learn anything even after a month, then he'll have to rack his brains to find the next person with decent talent.

—Not far away, after an afternoon of reading and practice, Shiroshi, feeling that he had become significantly stronger, put away the manual and walked over.

He held up the manual in his hand, his eyes wide, and said, "Boss, this seems really suitable for me."

Compared to her previous hesitation and lack of confidence, Shiraishi is now like a completely different person.

Because the positive feedback he received during that afternoon of learning ninja techniques was so intense, so overwhelming, and so rapid!

Often, Shiraishi would turn to a page, understand the meaning of the picture within a few seconds, and then his body would unconsciously mimic the same pose.

Immediately afterwards, streams of warmth would surge from deep within his body, continuously increasing his power.

With his confidence greatly boosted, Shiraishi clenched his still somewhat heated fist and said earnestly,

"Boss, I will rely on it to become stronger, very, very strong!"

Uesugi Tetsu shrugged noncommittally.

See, this is just the beginning, and he's already getting cocky again.

But he didn't say anything more.

Shiraishi's overconfidence was quickly tempered by reality, which made him behave much better.

—After the training test this afternoon, he had to go find Imagawa Yoshimoto and talk to her about the medicinal bath.

After all, it would be difficult to find these dozens or hundreds of medicinal herbs on one's own, but if this task were entrusted to the Imagawa family, the difficulty would be almost non-existent.

In addition, we also need to show off the samurai Zanzemaru that he specially brought.

Uesugi Tetsu thought for a moment, then blinked when he saw Shiraishi still standing beside him, and took out half a box of pastries from his storage bag.

"I have something to discuss with Lord Yiyuan later. Here, take this box of pastries and enjoy them at your leisure."

Shiraishi, who was about to say something, immediately had his eyes light up when he saw the unfamiliar pastry, and chuckled as he accepted it.

"Yes, boss! As you command, boss!"

Shiraishi picked up the pastries, took off running, and disappeared in a flash.

Uesugi Tetsuya left his small courtyard and asked everyone he met on the way where Imagawa Yoshimoto was.

After asking several times, she was finally led by a maid with hurried steps to a small artificial lake.

"My lord, the Lord is just ahead."

After the maid finished speaking, she quietly and slowly pushed the door open.

By this time, the sun had completely sunk below the horizon, replaced by the faintly visible silver moon and stars.

Under the dim, indistinct sky, Uesugi Tetsu looked up and saw the two people sitting in the small pavilion in front of the shimmering lake.

Okabe Motonobu was eating rice balls and drinking tea, seemingly chatting happily.

Imagawa Yoshimoto simply gazed quietly at the lake, listening intently, only occasionally replying with a word.

Uesugi Tetsu deliberately made his footsteps heavy so that Okabe Motonobu could hear him the moment he took his first step.

Within two seconds, Imagawa Yoshimoto turned around and waved to him.

"Mr. Che, please have a seat."

Uesugi Tetsuya did not refuse and sat down directly on the round stone bench.

Upon seeing him arrive, the smiling Okabe Motonobu immediately and subtly moved the wooden box on the table toward her.

Uesugi Tetsu glanced at it and found that the wooden box contained seaweed rice balls about the size of his palm.

What's so special about this thing...?

"Mr. Che, would you like to try some?"

Imagawa Yoshimoto stood up slightly, took a rice ball from the wooden box, and smiled at him, saying, "I made this rice ball myself."

Uesugi Tetsu raised an eyebrow and accepted the rice ball with both hands: "Thank you, Lord Yoshimoto."

He immediately took a bite.

Ok?

Uesugi Tetsu looked down and discovered that the rice ball contained not only plain rice, but also a lot of fragrant pork floss.

"For me, the process of making rice balls little by little helps to calm my chaotic thoughts, just like the tea ceremony..."

Imagawa Yoshimoto noticed the slight surprise on his face halfway through his sentence, so he added,

"On ordinary days, only Yuanxin eats the rice balls I make, so naturally, I've also stuffed a lot of necessities into this one. You need to be full to have more energy, right?"

The essential item, of course, refers to plenty of meat floss.

For Okabe Motonobu, who has already reached the stage of "flesh-refining," a sufficient supply of carbohydrates and protein is essential; otherwise, even maintaining daily training would be difficult.

Watching him devour the still-warm rice ball, Imagawa Yoshimoto hummed with satisfaction.

After taking the wooden box from Okabe Motonobu's hands, who was guarding the food, and placing it in the center of the table, she got straight to the point and asked,

"Mr. Che, is there anything I can help you with?"

—The fact that Che would specifically seek her out at this time must mean that he has something he needs that "only she can do" or that "she is the first choice."

This is good.

Such a request can help bring the two people closer.

Imagawa Yoshimoto would love for more requests like this.

After finishing the rice ball, Uesugi Tetsuya didn't beat around the bush and directly told the two of them that he wanted a medicinal bath to aid his cultivation, as well as all the types of medicinal herbs he needed.

"Medicated bath?"

Motonobu Okabe muttered something strange to himself.

She shrugged: "I've never heard of any medicinal bath that could shorten this long, arduous process."

After saying that, she suddenly paused, then focused her gaze on Uesugi Tetsuya's exposed skin, squinted, and leaned closer, asking somewhat uncertainly,

“Mr. Che… your skin has changed.”

"You broke through?"

After staring at him for a moment, without waiting for his reply, Okabe Motonobu slowly confirmed, "Mr. Che, you've almost finished the skin tempering in just one afternoon."

"Lord Okabe has a good eye."

Uesugi Tetsu nodded.

After a moment of silence, Okabe Motonobu couldn't help but applaud and exclaim, "Such a change after just one meeting, no wonder the lord gave you such a high evaluation."

Listening to their conversation, Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was unaware of Uesugi Tetsuya's breathing technique, frowned and tilted his head in confusion.

"Yuanxin, and Che... what are you talking about?"

"Eh? My lord, you don't know?"

Okabe Motonobu scratched his head first, then exclaimed in sudden realization, "Oh! I almost forgot, my lord, you're still a bit far from achieving the Qi circulation stage, so I couldn't tell."

Qi circulation?

Upon hearing the incredibly familiar term, Imagawa Yoshimoto blinked, and a moment later seemed to realize something.

That's why it was so shocking.

She suddenly turned to look at the calm-faced Uesugi Tetsu, took a deep breath, and asked with pursed lips, "Tetsu... Mr., you also practiced the breathing technique and completed the Qi circulation?"

Uesugi Tetsu nodded his chin and replied modestly.

"It was only by chance that it was completed; in terms of skill, it is far inferior to that of Lord Okabe."

It actually...did it really finish?

You should know that Che is not a martial arts master who learned breathing techniques from a young age, but an Onmyoji!

Everyone calls him "Onmyoji Che"!

Including myself!

And now, she's being told that this Onmyoji Che is also second to none in the art of breathing techniques.

For the first time, the girl felt a slight sense of frustration. She wondered what she had been trying to cultivate herself for all those years.

Yoshimoto Imagawa gently rubbed his temples with his cool fingers.

But instead of getting lost in thought, she told Uesugi Tetsuya directly that the medicinal herbs for the bath would be ready tonight.

After Uesugi Tetsu explained the effects and "origins" of the medicinal bath, Imagawa Yoshimoto's eyes lit up, and he tentatively asked,

"Since the medicinal bath invented by Mr. Che's master is so effective, could I promote it to the entire Kawa family so that all samurai can use it?"