Yuta Okkotsu took a deep breath, holding his sword with both hands as he looked seriously at the man in front of him.
Gojo Satoru stood right before him.
This man had already lifted his blindfold, and his eyes always radiated a faint azure light, like the clear and bright distant sky. When facing these eyes, Yuta Okkotsu always had the illusion that he had been seen through from head to toe... perhaps, it wasn't an illusion.
Because he possessed the unrivaled combination of the Six Eyes and the Limitless, Gojo Satoru had always been the representative of the most traditional sorcerers. He only used his melee combat abilities and techniques for battle. Even the most famous Cursed Tools he had never used, nor did he need to. Simply exerting the full power of the Limitless made him unrivaled under heaven; why would he need Cursed Tools?
But at this moment, he picked up a weapon.
A khakkhara.
Because of the Cursed Tool Playful Cloud, all Jujutsu Sorcerers who use Cursed Tools know how to handle a three-section staff. This is entirely because the Cursed Tool Playful Cloud is so famous and powerful. After the original Geto Suguru defected, the weapon he used was also the three-section staff Playful Cloud.
At first, Gojo Satoru also chose the three-section staff as his Tsukumogami, but it didn't work—not at all.
It was probably because whenever he used the three-section staff, he always thought of his best friend Geto Suguru, and it felt wrong every time he used it.
For cultivating a Tsukumogami, liking it is more important than anything else. Even though Gojo Satoru could indeed handle a three-section staff well, the fact that he didn't like it meant he couldn't cultivate it into a Tsukumogami, so he could only regretfully give up.
Later, he tried longswords, two-handed swords, and even a large hammer.
But it didn't work.
None of them did.
Gojo Satoru couldn't bring himself to like any of them.
Finally, Utahime Iori suggested: why not stop using weapons that have undergone practical combat evolution and use some ornamental weapons instead? Doesn't the Lord of Curses also use a consecrated Ritual Blade? That's a purely ornamental sword.
A single sentence woke the dreamer!
So Gojo Satoru chose the khakkhara without hesitation.
Originally, the Gojo Family had a connection with Buddhism. Whether it's the Six Eyes or the Limitless, looking deeper, they are always inseparable from Buddhism. Even Gojo Satoru's name is related to Buddhism.
When he first attained enlightenment in high school, he very arrogantly said:
"Throughout Heaven and Earth, I alone am the honored one."
This sentence comes from Shakyamuni.
It could be said that both the Gojo Family and Gojo Satoru himself are inextricably linked with the Buddha.
When Gojo Satoru picked up the khakkhara, he realized immediately that if he were to choose a Tsukumogami to cultivate, there was no other possible weapon besides this khakkhara representing the Buddha.
And the base materials for this khakkhara Tsukumogami were also incredibly astonishing.
In 742, the Japanese student monks Eiryu and Fusho traveled to the Tang Dynasty to seek the true Buddhist scriptures and ordain Japanese believers. At that time, all the monks of the Great Tang remained silent and unresponsive, save for one monk who said, "This is for the sake of the Dharma; why should I spare my life?"
Unexpected events occurred constantly along the way because the ideologies and customs of both sides were completely different, making the journey fraught with difficulties. However, this monk was a man of his word; every time he failed, he would insist on trying again.
To successfully cross east to Japan, this monk traveled through nearly half of China. Finally, on his sixth attempt, he successfully crossed to Japan. His Dharma name was "Ganjin."
He was the protagonist of Jianzhen's Journey to the East!
And this khakkhara was the very one personally consecrated by the Buddhist master during his time in Japan. Unlike the high-quality replica of the Futsu no Mitama given by Dagon, this was the genuine article.
It should have been displayed in a museum or the deepest part of a temple, but when Gojo Satoru came before it and gently stroked it, he had an epiphany. Even without the Tsukumogami Manipulation Technique, he would definitely be able to cultivate this khakkhara into a Tsukumogami.
No, in this case, it shouldn't be called a "Tsukumogami" at all.
This was a Divine Tool—
—[Divine Tool: Six Degrees East Crossing].
Gojo Satoru didn't doubt for a moment whether this authentic Divine Tool could withstand Mirokuji Kirigiri's New Line. What he doubted was whether he could truly cultivate it successfully in a short period. His requirements were extremely high; he not only needed the khakkhara to be activated but also required it to be connected to his own will, allowing him to use the same Fusion Black Flash as Mahito at the most critical moment.
"Concentrate, Okkotsu!" someone nearby suddenly shouted. "Get ready, Satoru is coming!"
Yuta Okkotsu pulled his wandering thoughts back and glanced sideways out of the corner of his eye.
Yuki Tsukumo was holding her whip-like Cursed Tool Shikigami, [Garuda], looking solemnly at Gojo Satoru opposite them.
The situation was now clear: Yuta Okkotsu and Yuki Tsukumo were teaming up against Gojo Satoru. Both Yuta Okkotsu and Yuki Tsukumo were experts with weapons, and they were both Special Grade Sorcerers, making them perfect for Gojo Satoru to practice with... right?
The head of the khakkhara appeared before Yuta Okkotsu's eyes.
"—!"
In a world where even, a startled cry seemed slow, Yuta Okkotsu squeezed his Cursed Energy to the limit to reinforce his long sword. At the most critical moment, he held the sword horizontally in front of the khakkhara.
In the next instant, the khakkhara collided with the blade of the long sword.
Clang!
It was as if a temple bell had been struck; the massive metallic sound hammered at Yuta Okkotsu's ears like a continuous echo. At the same time, Yuta Okkotsu clearly felt the long sword in his hand making a shattering sound. His hand was vibrating incessantly, as if he weren't holding a still sword but a leaping fish.
In just an instant, Yuta Okkotsu's stance was broken.
Thud.
Gojo Satoru's toe struck Okkotsu Yuta's abdomen.
Yuta Okkotsu flew backward like a cannonball. Due to the intense impact and speed, Yuta Okkotsu's backward flight even triggered a sonic boom. This was because he had exceeded the speed of sound while flying back from the massive impact. It wasn't just the force at his abdomen; the physical barrier created by exceeding the speed of sound was also constantly battering him.
"Hey, Yuta, get serious," Gojo Satoru teased.
Before his words could even land, Yuta Okkotsu crashed into the wall of the Hollow Wicker Basket Barrier. A large area of cracks appeared on the Hollow Wicker Basket Barrier, looking like a giant spider web etched onto it.
Yuta Okkotsu opened his mouth, but instead of speaking, he spat out fragments of his internal organs.
The Immortal Technique began to take effect. Even without using the Reverse Cursed Technique, the internal organs inside Yuta Okkotsu's body began to regenerate.
Despite this, when Yuta Okkotsu tried to stand up, his feet felt weak as they touched the ground. He involuntarily fell to his knees, his head hitting the floor.
The long sword in his hand fell to the ground, and the moment the tip touched the floor, the sword shattered into pieces like paper torn apart by a child.
The Buddhist sound of the khakkhara did not interrupt the Immortal Technique, but its divine power invaded his body, causing a massive disruption in the operation of the Immortal Technique. This wasn't a form of destruction but a purification, returning life to its original state.
With one strike to break his sword stance and another to hit his abdomen, the Special Grade Sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu—who could twist off a head in the Star Corridor—was incapacitated after a single exchange.
Yuki Tsukumo, who had originally been in a support stance, gave up completely and complained loudly, "Are you really not using Limitless, Satoru? Why do I feel like every time we train, either Okkotsu or I get kicked around by you like a soccer ball?"
Gojo Satoru laughed heartily.
"Can't be helped, I've become much stronger this past month."
Utahime Iori, who was watching from the side, nodded in agreement.
"Satoru has indeed made rapid progress this month. Now, even without using the Six Eyes and Limitless, just by using Cursed Energy reinforcement and that yet-to-be-completed Divine Tool, he can truly call himself a Special Grade Sorcerer."
"That's also thanks to you, Utahime," Gojo Satoru said with a smile. "I didn't expect that you'd actually be willing to play along with me just because I mentioned an idea. Luckily it succeeded in the end, or else I would have been a great sinner."
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