I became the Lord of the Eternal World in Tokyo.

Nanjo Manami crossed her arms dismissively and crossed her long legs: "Anyway, I'm about to get a promotion and a raise, so being stuck in the office is just a thing of the past."

—At the foot of a desolate mountain in Kanagawa Prefecture.

The massive, muscular Red Prajna was decapitated, and the shimmering blue demon sword drank its fill of blood.

Yuan Jingping calmly took out a handkerchief from her waist and wiped the bloodstains from her cheek. During her rest, she listened quietly to the servants behind her reporting the day's news.

"Top 100 Ranking of Secret Realm Challenge? Such an empty title is nothing but..."

"Hmm? Saito Ryuichi is number one?"

"Is there another anonymous person who has tied for first place with him?"

"Get the car ready, right now! I need to get to Hamamatsu City as quickly as possible and crush them all."

……

Ten minutes ago, in the projection secret realm.

"Grand Master..."

It took Uesugi Tetsuya a full ten minutes to recover his strength. He reached out and touched the edge of the mist, where he saw that familiar figure as tall and strong as a mountain.

He gripped the hilt of Kaga Kiyomitsu's sword tightly and slowly raised it.

"This time, I can win without using my rage."

To Uesugi Tetsu's surprise, the Great Master, who was not far away, did not roar and charge at him like the humans or demons on the previous thirty-eight floors after he opened his eyes and stood up.

Instead, she stared at him blankly, and gradually a look of great confusion appeared on that huge face made of wood and stone.

This anomaly heightened Uesugi Tetsuya's vigilance once again, preparing him to unleash the Mumei Sword at any moment.

In the suffocating silence, Uesugi Tetsu heard the Grand Master speak, his voice dry and filled with bewilderment, uttering a word he had never imagined before.

"The Great Onmyoji... Che?"

He suddenly looked up and stared into the Grand Master's obsidian pupils.

Does it remember me?

How could it possibly remember me?!

Is this not the present world, but a projection of a secret realm five hundred years after the Warring States period?!

Uesugi Tetsu felt a chill run down his spine.

After gazing at the Great Master for a long time, Uesugi Tetsu couldn't help but ask the question of the great demon he had once personally killed.

"You...remember me?"

Chapter 218 What?! I'm hitting myself?! Two Uesugi Tetsuyas! The imminent arrival of Minamoto no Shizumi.

Uesugi Tetsu gazed at the Grand Master, whose entire body shone with a crimson-gold radiance, awaiting his answer.

"Even though I haven't sorted out my chaotic thoughts, how could I not recognize the person who sent me to the underworld?"

The scorching mountain air flowed from the great demon's mouth.

It stood upright with its enormous body, looking down at the person who had killed it... or should it be called a demon?

Never mind, such trivial details are insignificant.

The Grand Master lowered his head and pondered for a moment before continuing to speak in the silent white space: "The moment I saw you, many things came to mind..."

Did you regain your senses because you saw me?

Uesugi Tetsuya's thoughts suddenly shifted.

It was because I was the one who ultimately killed the Great Master with my sword that he developed such a deep impression of me, which triggered the "bug" in this Warring States Projection Secret Realm.

He pondered for a moment, then narrowed his eyes: "So, how did you recognize me?"

—After all, he has now transformed into his original form using Thousand Faces, and he is not wearing the Prajna Mask at his waist. The Great Master should not recognize him at a glance.

"Hahahaha!"

A rumbling laugh echoed from the cracks in the stone and wood, and sparks of crimson gold shot out with the air currents. The Great Master raised his massive arm, encased in gilded patterns, and pointed it at Kaga Kiyomitsu.

"I was killed by this very katana, how could I not recognize it?!"

Upon hearing this, Kaga Kiyomitsu trembled slightly.

It's probably wondering if it did something wrong.

Uesugi Tetsu finally reacted.

—Although a long time had passed for him, the Daitai Hoshi who was being imprinted before him woke up immediately after his death and saw him and Kaga Kiyomitsu again.

There's no way they wouldn't recognize it.

"So... Che." The Grand Master's gaze was deep and unfathomable. After surveying the surroundings, he asked in a low voice, "What happened? And where is this place?"

"A secret realm."

Upon hearing this question, Uesugi Tetsu temporarily put away his stance, lowered the tip of his sword, and explained briefly: "It is a copy of the projections of many strong people from our era, which then appear in later generations as challenges."

After explaining the current situation, Uesugi Tetsu spoke, revealing the answer that the Great Master most wanted to know.

"—You were indeed killed by me."

The Grand Master, whose body was as large as a mountain, was slightly taken aback.

The bright flame deep within the obsidian pupils flickered.

The face, composed of wood and stone that had been there for thousands of years, was first taken aback, then showed a slight look of disappointment.

Finally, everything returned to stillness, like wood and stone.

Rough and tough.

"Is that so?"

The Grand Master nodded: "It's a real pity that we couldn't nip you in the bud."

But even as it said this, there was not a trace of regret in its tone.

Only after doing everything that should be done can one feel relieved and at ease.

Before Uesugi Tetsu could speak, the Great Master continued, "What about Daruma? Did he escape back then?"

Uesugi Tetsu replied, "They ran away."

The Grand Master couldn't help but show his delight, and even his silvery-white brow bone lifted slightly.

"Don't laugh yet, old man."

Uesugi Tetsu raised his eyes and said calmly, "It won't be long before I send him to the underworld with me, so that he can keep you company."

"I am looking forward."

Unexpectedly, the Grand Master did not get angry or sneer, but instead nodded at him happily.

It lowered its head and stared at Uesugi Tetsuya, whose aura and threat were significantly stronger than before.

“Since I am dead and Bodhidharma has escaped, he will surely reappear before you after he has achieved great success in his cultivation, Che.”

The Grand Master spoke with great anticipation.

"If I had the chance, I would love to witness you two risking everything you have so far to fight each other."

At this point, it paused, and sighed.

"Unfortunately, I will never see it."

This time, the Grand Master's words were filled with genuine regret.

"Have you finished talking nonsense?"

After patiently listening to everything the Great Master said, Uesugi Tetsu asked a question in return.

He raised Kaga Kiyomitsu again and said, word by word, "No matter what happens to Daruma in the future, and no matter whether I kill him or not, it has nothing to do with you anymore."

"Yes, it has nothing to do with me anymore."

The Grand Master took a deep breath, and the gilded patterns on his body burst forth with an incomparably dazzling light.

A tremendous roar emanated from the depths of its body, unleashing wave after wave of spiritual energy.

This is its trump card and ultimate move, which was interrupted by Lei Long and Kaga Kiyomitsu before it was born.

But this time, Uesugi Tetsuya let it do as it pleased.

"Come!"

A full minute later, the Grand Master, whose body was completely overloaded with the Mountain God's Rock Heart, opened his arms and spoke in a resounding voice.

"Che—let me see how much you've improved these past few days!"

Uesugi Tetsuya said happily,

"That's right."

He grinned, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth, but the mask of Shiro Hannya completely concealed his human face.

"Older people should talk less..."

"Do more!"

In the thirty-ninth trial space, which has a volume of 10,000 cubic meters, the opponents who had fought to the death once again charged at each other with all their might.

Amidst the falling lightning, blades, and earth and rocks, faint, unrestrained laughter echoed.

……

The Warring States Projection Secret Realm, Level 40.

Blinded in one eye, missing one hand, with most of his lower body gone, and not a single patch of flesh on his body intact, Uesugi Tetsu lay sprawled on the transparent floor.

Breaths filled with thick blood mist struck the Qi circulation that had been rapidly re-established in the Qi Sea, maintaining Uesugi Tetsuya's basic vital signs.

He rolled over, and it took him a while to refocus his blurry vision.

His fragmented thoughts coalesced into a linear train of thought, and Uesugi Tetsuya suddenly shouted.

"Xiaojia."

Buzz?

Kaga Kiyomitsu, who was being gripped tightly in the right hand, was startled and felt as if his internal organs were about to be shattered.

He coughed heavily twice before asking in a hoarse voice, "Did we kill the Grand Master?"

hum!

Kaga Kiyomitsu echoed in his heart,

"—Of course!"

"I see, we won..."

Uesugi Tetsu murmured, a hint of joy involuntarily appearing on his broken face.

because,

—The Great Mage was killed head-on by himself without using "Wrath"!

Even though Xiao Jia underwent several enhancements, possessing an empty Qi Sea, and having advanced the Natural Mind Flow to the expert level, and also learned the profound meaning of the Sword of No Ignorance...

Even after all that growth and development, he only managed to gain a slight edge over his opponent.

"Grand Master, you are truly powerful."

Kaga Kiyomitsu hummed with delight and raised the hilt of his sword in agreement.

If the Great Master is already this powerful, what kind of methods would Saito Ryuichi, who could easily kill it, possess...?

"Hit! Master! Little Jia wants to hit!"

Sensing what Uesugi Tetsu was thinking, the almost unharmed Kaga Kiyomitsu couldn't help but fly into the air, swaying back and forth with anticipation and excitement.

Uesugi Tetsu: "You bastard, aren't you worried at all seeing your master in such a miserable state?"

"It's terrible now, but it'll be alright in a bit, won't it?"

Kaga Kiyomitsu was the most experienced in this—every time it saw its owner suddenly die, it would hold itself back perfectly fine a little while later.