Chapter 76: Secret Talk in the Tomb Chamber, A Storm in the Jujutsu World
The two continued talking without slowing their pace, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived deep beneath Jujutsu High, in front of the entrance to the Tomb Chamber.
Unlike the brightness on the surface, the space here was shrouded in a faint shimmer of Cursed Energy. Countless wooden doors of archaic design floated in the void, their panels carved with obscure cursed markings that shifted and intertwined at a speed invisible to the naked eye.
More than a thousand doors moved like living creatures. Though they appeared chaotic, they concealed the precise rules that guarded the barrier; even if an ordinary person found the entrance, they would be thoroughly lost in this labyrinth of a thousand doors.
But the moment Satoru Gojo and Masamichi Yaga stood firm at the entrance, all the moving wooden doors came to a sudden halt.
One of the doors, carved with spiral cursed markings, slowly opened before them out of thin air. A gentle glow emanated from behind the door, forming a path leading into the depths, as if it had been waiting for a long time.
"It seems Master Tengen has already sensed our arrival," Masamichi Yaga said in a low voice, stepping through the door first.
Satoru Gojo followed closely behind. The moment he passed through the doorway, the surrounding air seemed to soften, and faint ripples of Cursed Energy circled his body like flowing water, completely different from the biting chill outside.
Walking along the path for a moment, the view suddenly opened up. In a spacious and quiet space, the figure of Tengen floated in the center.
Nearly transparent Cursed Energy swirled around him, and while his specific form could not be clearly seen, he exuded a sense of weight and peace that spanned a millennium.
"Master Tengen." Masamichi Yaga stopped, bowed slightly, and spoke with a respectful tone.
Satoru Gojo also put away his usual casual demeanor. Although he did not bow, he adjusted his sunglasses, and his tone was a bit more solemn than usual. "What is it? Did you specifically ask us to come this time because there is something important to convey?"
Unlike Yaga's respect, Satoru Gojo's attitude toward Tengen was very indifferent.
The Cursed Energy around Tengen flowed slightly. Without any superfluous pleasantries, he opened his mouth and threw out a bombshell: "The balance of the Jujutsu World has been broken."
The voice did not sound like a normal person's tone; it carried a stillness that spanned a millennium, yet it instantly shocked the two people present.
The ease on Satoru Gojo's face vanished completely, and his pupils behind his sunglasses contracted slightly. Although he often joked about "balance," he was well aware of what those two words meant for the Jujutsu World.
Masamichi Yaga took a step forward subconsciously, his tone full of urgency. "Master Tengen, what does this mean? Is it... a problem with the barrier, or has there been a new mutation in the power of the Cursed Spirits?"
Tengen did not answer immediately, but slowly turned and floated toward an elegant tea room deep within the Tomb Chamber.
The tea room was hidden behind a pale golden halo of Cursed Energy. The wooden door was carved with ancient cursed markings, exuding a sense of seclusion from the world.
He motioned for the two to follow. Once the three of them had entered the tea room, he raised his hand to pour them warm tea. The steam from the tea rose, diluting the heavy atmosphere slightly, but it could not alleviate the doubts in their hearts.
In the tea room, the warm tea sent up white steam, blurring the halo of Cursed Energy flowing around Tengen.
He lightly pressed his fingertips against the rim of the cup and spoke slowly. His voice, heavy with the weight of a millennium, recounted the past and present of the Jujutsu World's balance. "A thousand years ago, to protect ordinary humans from being ravaged by Cursed Spirits, I transformed into a barrier covering all of Japan."
"That barrier was not just a shield, but more like a 'regulating valve' that suppressed the concentration of free-roaming Cursed Energy in the world to the lowest level, causing the power level of the entire Jujutsu World to decrease accordingly."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two people in front of him. His tone was calm but contained the weight of the past. "Since then, the birth frequency of Cursed Spirits has gradually decreased, and their strength has tended to be milder."
"Correspondingly, the upper limit of the power of Jujutsu Sorcerers and Curse Users has also stabilized in a relatively balanced range. The three parties check and balance each other; although there are occasional conflicts, it does not lead to the situation spiraling completely out of control."
"This balance lasted for a thousand years, until a few decades ago."
Speaking of this, Tengen's gaze fell on Satoru Gojo, with a hint of understanding. "Your birth broke this millennium of stability."
Satoru Gojo's fingers holding the teacup paused slightly, and a flash of understanding passed through his eyes behind his sunglasses.
Although he had long known about his own special nature, this was the first time he had heard such a straightforward conclusion from Tengen.
Masamichi Yaga also held his breath, listening quietly to what followed.
"Your talent and strength far exceed any Jujutsu Sorcerer of the past. The combination of'Six Eyes' and 'Limitless' placed you at the pinnacle of power from the moment you were born."
Tengen continued, "The power of the world relies on 'compensation.' To adapt to this 'excess' power of yours, the number of Cursed Spirits began to increase, and their strength climbed rapidly."
"On the side of the Curse Users, more people broke through their bottlenecks and became more threatening. This was the first time in the Jujutsu World that the balance of the three parties was broken by the appearance of a single individual."
Hearing this, the figure of Suguru Geto flashed through Satoru Gojo's mind—the close friend who had once stood by his side but later moved to the opposite side. Perhaps he was also a product born from this power imbalance under the 'compensation' effect.
"And now, the second imbalance has arrived."
Tengen's tone suddenly became heavier, causing the atmosphere in the tea room to tense up instantly. "Another person with 'excess' power has appeared. His existence is like a second giant rock thrown into the ocean of Cursed Energy, once again disrupting the balance that was barely maintained."
"The new Special Grade Cursed Spirit you mentioned earlier was not a coincidence, but a 'product' spawned by this imbalanced power."
"That Special Grade Cursed Spirit is just the beginning." His voice carried a hint of warning. "Next, more high-level Cursed Spirits will emerge, and there may even be Special Grade Cursed Spirits far exceeding those of the past. All of this is to 'compensate' for the power of that new strong individual, attempting to regain the so-called 'balance'."
The white steam dissipated, and the tea in the cup had cooled down a bit.
Satoru Gojo put down his cup, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the rim. A complex light flashed in his eyes behind his sunglasses; he instantly guessed the identity of the "new strong individual" Tengen was talking about.
That young man Rin, who could kill Special Grade Cursed Spirits and expand his Domain, had actually become powerful enough to shake the foundation of the Jujutsu World once again.
Masamichi Yaga's brows furrowed even tighter, his face full of solemnity. If it were truly as Tengen said, the Jujutsu World would likely face an unprecedented storm.
The atmosphere in the tea room became heavy because of Tengen's words, and the expressions on Masamichi Yaga's and Satoru Gojo's faces were completely different.
Yaga's shock was written all over his face; he gripped the teacup tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.
But in Satoru Gojo's eyes, an excited light flickered, and the corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously; not even his sunglasses could hide that anticipation.
"Are you saying... that a second'Satoru Gojo' capable of breaking the balance has already appeared?"
Masamichi Yaga's voice trembled slightly. He really couldn't imagine that, besides Satoru Gojo, there would be someone so gifted, and it was that youth Rin, who had only been in contact with Jujutsu for a few months.
"No, not yet. After all, Satoru Gojo didn't become this strong the moment he was born. That young man has not yet reached the strength of Satoru Gojo, but the future is uncertain," Tengen explained.
"This is getting interesting!" Satoru Gojo rubbed his hands excitedly, his tone full of joy.
"I knew that little guy Rin wasn't simple, but I didn't expect him to be powerful enough to affect the balance of the entire Jujutsu World. Now, finally, there's an opponent who can get me excited!"
Tengen nodded slowly, the Cursed Energy around him fluctuating gently. "It is most likely the Rin you mentioned."
"His sudden emergence was too abrupt, and the speed of his power growth far exceeded common sense. He has already severely disrupted the power cycle of the Jujutsu World."
"What will happen next, even I cannot fully predict. What's more troublesome is that I can sense that those 'old monsters' who have been hiding in the shadows of the Jujutsu World for a long time are also starting to stir because of his appearance."
He paused, his gaze falling on the two of them, his tone carrying a solemn entrustment. "In the future, you must pay close attention to Rin's movements. You must not only watch for changes in his stance but also guard against unknown threats that come because of him."
After listening to Tengen's entrustment, the two stood up to say goodbye and left the Tomb Chamber.
Just as they reached the passage outside the thousand doors, Masamichi Yaga looked at Satoru Gojo, who still looked relaxed, and the accumulated anger finally burst out.
He raised his hand and punched Satoru Gojo on the head; the force was neither light nor heavy, but it carried obvious anger.
Surprisingly, Satoru Gojo's "Limitless," which could block all attacks, had no reaction at this moment.
He just covered his head subconsciously. His usual arrogant appearance had vanished without a trace, and in front of Yaga, he was as docile as a cat that had made a mistake.
"Do you have a heart at all, you guy!" Masamichi Yaga's voice was full of frustration.
"You can still laugh at a time like this! Do you know how serious this is? Why did you let Suguru Geto take Rin away in the first place?"
"What if Rin gets brainwashed by Suguru Geto's 'Non-Sorcerers are all evil' philosophy and becomes a second him? Can you afford the consequences?"
"Oh, I didn't have a choice at the time." Satoru Gojo rubbed the spot where he had been hit, his tone carrying a bit of grievance. "You don't know how tricky the situation was back then; I was forced to... And I saw that kid Rin, his eyes were very bright; he doesn't look like someone who would be fooled by Geto into taking the wrong path."
"Give it a rest!" Masamichi Yaga snorted coldly, exposing him mercilessly. "That excuse of yours might fool the students! With your strength, how could you not have stopped Suguru Geto back then?"
"It's just that you went soft, couldn't bear to lay a hand on your old friend, and let him go on purpose! Otherwise, with your skills, he and Rin would never have been able to leave right under your nose!"
Yaga's words were like a key, opening a corner of Satoru Gojo's heart that he did not want to touch.
The ease on his face faded completely, and the smile on his lips disappeared, replaced by a trace of complex bitterness.
He was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "You're right. At that time, I had a 70% chance of catching Geto without hurting anyone... but I still hesitated."
He looked up at the faint light at the end of the passage, his voice softening. "And Rin's attitude at the time was very firm. Even if I had forced him to stay at Jujutsu High, he wouldn't have stayed here sincerely. Don't worry, with me here, I won't let things develop to the point of being unmanageable. I will handle everything."
As his voice fell, Satoru Gojo's figure moved slightly and disappeared on the spot, leaving only a faint trail of Cursed Energy.
Masamichi Yaga looked in the direction where he had disappeared and sighed helplessly, his voice so light it was as if he were speaking to the air. "You guy... when will you finally understand that you are not an omnipotent god? You are just an ordinary person who can hesitate and go soft."
"In this world, how can there be so many things 'you can handle'? You cannot control everything forever."
Only his footsteps remained in the passage, accompanied by that sigh, gradually dissipating into the darkness in the depths.
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