Chapter 120: Spoils and Psychological Warfare
Leveraging the force of being knocked back, Sukuna lunged toward Tamamo-no-Mae like an arrow released from a bow, his left hand already gathering enough Cursed Energy for a slash capable of tearing apart a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
The Gargoyle behind him sensed something was wrong and roared as it pursued, its stone wings whipping up a gale, but it was ultimately a beat too slow.
The distance between Sukuna and Tamamo-no-Mae continued to shrink, and the effective range of his slash was within reach; he had even decided how he would tear the Gargoyle limb from limb after dealing with this support Cursed Spirit, before going to settle the score with the brat hiding behind the scenes.
But just as his palm was about to touch Tamamo-no-Mae, at the very instant his Cursed Energy was about to erupt.
"Snap!"
A crisp clap exploded in his ears, and Rin's cold voice pierced through the waves of Cursed Energy:
"Boogie Woogie, activate."
The scene before his eyes suddenly twisted!
The petite figure of Tamamo-no-Mae instantly expanded, the pink Cursed Energy faded, revealing hard stone skin.
It was the Gargoyle!
Meanwhile, the "Gargoyle" that had been in pursuit transformed into the likeness of Tamamo-no-Mae at the same time, landing lightly on the edge of the battlefield.
"Damn it!"
Sukuna's pupils constricted sharply; his palm had already touched the Gargoyle's body.
The next second, a pale gray stone film spread rapidly along his palm, instantly wrapping around his entire right arm, freezing even the flow of his Cursed Energy.
He reacted extremely quickly; without a moment's hesitation, he gathered Cursed Energy into a blade in his left hand and hacked fiercely at his own right arm.
With a "crack," the severed arm fell to the ground, and black blood gushed out, barely stopping the spread of the petrification.
But this brief delay had left him with nowhere to dodge.
"Roar!"
The real Gargoyle had already rushed to the front, its giant fist carrying three times the amplified power, smashing toward Sukuna like a violent storm.
Having lost an arm, he could only use his left hand to hastily block, and the moment the black Cursed Energy collided with the stone fist, the crisp sound of shattering bone rang out clearly.
His body, like a kite with a broken string, slammed heavily into the ground, kicking up a sky full of dust.
Before he could struggle to stand, the roots of the Divine Tree suddenly surged from the ground, and the emerald vines, like living chains, instantly wrapped tightly around him.
The vines shimmered with pale golden sealing Cursed Energy, suppressing his Cursed Energy like iron tongs; no matter how Sukuna roared or struggled, he could not break free in the slightest.
Rin stood before the vine seal, looking calmly at the no-longer-struggling Sukuna, as if inspecting a spoil of war he had just obtained.
The leaves of the Divine Tree swayed gently, and the pale golden Cursed Energy flowed slowly along the vines, suppressing Sukuna's black Cursed Energy until it grew weaker and weaker.
The Sukuna bound to the ground no longer had his previous rage, but instead looked at the youth before him with great interest.
His slit pupils swept over Rin's blood-red eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled into an amused smile:
"Not bad at all, brat."
"To be able to push me to this point, how many more surprises can you bring me?"
Rin did not respond, only closing his eyes as a faint halo of Cursed Energy appeared at his fingertips.
His consciousness sank deep into his memories, beginning to sort through the "spoils" of this battle.
Sukuna's Cursed Technique, that move that had once shredded countless Cursed Spirits and Jujutsu Sorcerers: "Malevolent Shrine."
This was his true purpose for luring Sukuna into the Divine Tree Space.
As Cursed Energy flowed, a pitch-black Cursed Technique pattern slowly formed in his palm, and a cold aura of slashing gradually permeated the air.
Sukuna's gaze fell upon that pattern, his originally amused expression instantly solidifying, followed by a sudden burst of intense delight:
"Oh? You can actually copy my Cursed Technique?"
His voice was full of excitement, his eyes shining astonishingly bright:
"It's been a thousand years, and this is the first time I've met someone as interesting as you."
"Copying others' Cursed Techniques at will... That position-swapping 'Boogie Woogie' from earlier, and the 'Cursed Spirit Manipulation' used to control those Cursed Spirits, they were all acquired this way, weren't they?"
Rin still did not acknowledge him, the Cursed Technique pattern in his palm becoming increasingly clear.
He formed Finger Seals with both hands and softly chanted the incantation:
"Malevolent Shrine."
The next second, a massive black shrine suddenly rose from the ground, stark white bones covered the floor, and the sharp aura of slashing, like tangible blades, sliced through the air of the Divine Tree Space, making it hiss.
Sukuna's grotesque and terrifying Domain was fully recreated in Rin's hands, black Cursed Energy surging with an earth-shattering sense of oppression.
Yet Rin, who had deployed the Domain, did not have the slightest joy on his face; instead, he frowned, a trace of obvious disappointment flashing in his eyes.
He dispersed the Domain, and the shrine and bones vanished instantly, leaving only residual Cursed Energy fluctuations in the air.
This was not what he wanted.
Above the Divine Tree, the sealed Sukuna took in his expression completely.
Although shocked that Rin could fully summon his Domain.
You have to understand, he hadn't deployed his Domain during the fight because he intended to save this trump card to deal with Rin at the very end, but he hadn't expected that he wouldn't even get the chance to use it.
But he more keenly captured Rin's disappointment.
"Hey, brat."
Sukuna suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a confident smile:
"If I'm not mistaken, what you really want is the 'Boundless Domain' version of Malevolent Shrine, right?"
This sentence was like a thunderclap, causing Rin, who was just about to turn and leave, to stop abruptly.
He slowly turned his head, his blood-red pupils staring intently at Sukuna, his eyes full of surprise and vigilance.
Sukuna laughed even more wildly, his slit pupils filled with the triumph of controlling everything:
"You think that just by obtaining my Cursed Technique, you can become as strong as me? Too naive."
His words pricked Rin's mind like a needle:
"Malevolent Shrine itself is nothing more than a simple and crude slashing technique."
"My true strength has never relied on Cursed Techniques; it is my own power that is already unrivaled."
"And this absolute Domain, which evolved into a 'Boundless Domain'—requiring no preparation time, no designated range, and capable of being activated anytime, anywhere—is merely one of my many methods."
Rin's fingertips trembled slightly.
He had always thought that Boundless Domain was an innate talent, and that as long as he copied Sukuna's Cursed Technique, he could indirectly master this power.
But now, Sukuna's words had completely shattered his plan.
Boundless Domain is not innate; it is obtained through acquired "Binding Vows" and "Evolution," and simply cannot be obtained through copying.
The thing he truly coveted was ultimately unobtainable.
Sukuna watched Rin's tense expression, laughing even more triumphantly:
"What? Did your plan fall through?"
He had clearly grasped Rin's psychology; this brat appeared calm, but in reality, he had an extreme desire for power, and "Boundless Domain" was the temptation he could not refuse.
"Want to know how to evolve a Domain into a Boundless Domain?"
Sukuna's voice carried a seductive tone.
Sukuna's voice carried a seductive inflection, coiling around Rin's nerves like a viper flicking its tongue:
"I can teach you. However, the price, well."
He deliberately dragged out his tone, a calculating light flashing in his slit pupils, and finally threw out the condition he had long prepared:
"As long as you enter into a contract with me, when I call out 'Enchain,' you must surrender your body to me for one minute."
"I can assure you that during this time I will absolutely not..."
"Hey? Don't walk away!"
Before Sukuna could finish his sentence, Rin's figure had already turned and walked toward the exit of the Divine Tree Space, without the slightest hesitation, as if that enticing condition were just wind in his ears.
His footsteps did not pause, and his black figure soon disappeared at the boundary of light and shadow in the space, leaving only Sukuna frozen in place, the triumph on his face instantly solidifying.
"Damn brat!"
Sukuna roared in anger, and just as he wanted to say something more, an emerald vine suddenly shot out from the ground, wrapping around his mouth like an agile snake.
It even wrapped tightly around the head exposed outside.
The pale golden Cursed Energy on the vines flickered, completely sealing his voice, leaving only blurred, muffled sounds in his throat echoing in the empty space.
Meanwhile, Rin's consciousness had returned to reality.
He opened his eyes abruptly, and what met his vision was the familiar floor of the training ground, the faint metallic scent of Cursed Tools still lingering at the tip of his nose.
But the next second, a cold sensation pressed against his neck; a sharp short sword was held to his throat, the incantations on the blade glowing with cold light—it was the special grade cursed tool he had previously given to Miguel.
Miguel's face was inches away, his expression so tense that sweat beaded on his forehead, his hand holding the blade trembling slightly, yet he still stared fixedly into Rin's eyes, asking in a hoarse voice:
"What is the code word?"
This was what they had agreed upon beforehand.
If Rin were eroded by Sukuna's consciousness, they would use a code word to confirm his identity.
Miguel was clearly worried that he had been taken over by the King of Curses, having seen him convulsing and his Cursed Energy becoming chaotic after swallowing the finger earlier.
Facing the blade at his neck and Miguel's vigilant gaze, Rin did not panic in the slightest; he just looked at him quietly, his blood-red pupils without a ripple, neither explaining nor answering.
The two remained in a standoff, and the air was filled with a tense atmosphere.
Miguel stared fixedly at Rin's expression, trying to find a trace of manipulation in his eyes.
But in those eyes, there was only the familiar calmness, no arrogance of Sukuna, nor the chaos of being possessed.
After a long while, Miguel finally let out a sigh of relief, his hand holding the blade lowering slowly, and the blade left Rin's neck.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with a wry smile:
"It's a good thing it's you... Except for you, no one could be this calm when having a blade held to their throat."
As for the code word, there was no such thing; Miguel had made it up.
Only then did Rin slowly raise his hand to stretch his stiff neck, his voice slightly hoarse from just waking up:
"The plan succeeded."
He did not elaborate on the details, nor did he mention the psychological warfare with Sukuna in the Divine Tree Space, and even less did he mention that enticing yet fatal contract.
Some things do not need to be known by others.
Miguel did not press for details either, simply nodding and sheathing the short sword, his eyes filled with the relief of having survived a disaster.
Sunlight spilled in through the windows of the training ground, falling upon the two of them.
Rin looked down at his palm; the residual Cursed Energy fluctuations of "Malevolent Shrine" seemed to still linger at his fingertips, and a complex emotion flashed in the depths of his eyes.
Although he didn't obtain the technique for Boundless Domain, at least he had successfully suppressed Sukuna and gained a new Cursed Technique.
And the psychological warfare with the King of Curses had only just begun.
...
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