Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 858: 524, The Palace Suppressing Divine Spirits

Jindai Yunwu is dead.

A once-in-a-generation prodigy, an Onmyoji of the Jindai family imbued with high hopes, has fallen in the Outer World.

The blood-soaked Joker card pinned to his chest still silently mocks him.

However, his death is not as shocking as the command “kneel.”

The Onmyoji, with a legacy spanning over a thousand years, holds sacrificial rites for the Jindai family.

Every spring, the Onmyoji priests at the Shrine perform ritual dances with Shikigami under the cherry blossoms to worship the gods.

Though the Onmyoji have rarely participated in the Federation’s wars recently, everyone knows their immense power as the foundation of the Jindai family.

Yet, this mysterious and ancient lineage.

And these formidable Shikigami.

Actually knelt with a “dogeza” bow to a mortal’s command to kneel.

Humiliating.

Reverent.

Not far away, Jindai Yunjue stood dumbfounded, the shock within him even greater than when his blade was snapped by someone’s finger.

He felt a dark surge pounding against his heart, his heart like stiff rock.

Jindai Yunye also stared in a daze, not even feeling the pain from the arm he lost to a sliced playing card.

He sensed something sacred collapsing in his heart.

With this kneel, something holy had also knelt.

How could anything in this world naturally restrain Shikigami?!

On the rooftop, Jindai Sorajima murmured, “Brother Yunlo, what is going on?”

Jindai Yunlo quietly overlooked the world below: “Jindai Yunyi reported that someone can subdue Shikigami. I wondered if that was an excuse for his defeat, but it turned out to be true. Such a person cannot be allowed to live; he will destroy the foundation of Onmyoji, the thing called ‘source.ʼ”

Jindai Sorajima’s face was resolute: “Brother Yunlo, let me take action.”

Jindai Yunlo shook his head: “Don’t worry, someone will act. But not now; this blade is still useful.”

…

…

In fact, everything Qing Chen did was already to the limit.

Jinguji Maki’s blood had a deterrent range of only ten meters, and under the influence of Mirage Tower, Qing Chen couldn’t see Jindai Yunwu or the Shikigami at all.

He had to rely on sound.

So, he charged blindly, with a reckless attitude, rushing through the hundreds of meters between him and the enemies, only uttering “kneel” within ten meters.

Everything seemed flawless. Everyone thought the word “kneel” made the Shikigami bow, but it wasn’t.

What truly made them kneel was Jinguji Maki’s blood.

However, Qing Chen let everyone believe it was his edict that did it, and that was enough.

From now on, he would be the thorn in the side of the Jindai family, while Jinguji Maki could continue her peaceful life.

That was enough.

This is the role of a master.

Yet, at that moment, an unexpected event occurred.

After Jindai Yunwu died, the three masterless Shikigami, as if detecting something, turned into wisps of red smoke and entered Qing Chen’s wrist.

There was an unseen crimson mark on Qing Chen’s wrist, irresistibly enticing to the Shikigami.

Guided by that blood, they coursed into Qing Chen’s body, marching towards his mind, searching for the supposed Divine Bridge.

The true Divine Bridge.

Observing this scene,

Jindai Yunlo’s expression shifted, losing the prior calmness.

He stared intently at Qing Chen: “Ordinary people lack a place in their minds for Shikigami and cannot withstand their backlash! Forcibly accepting Shikigami can only lead to death!”

But upon entering Qing Chen’s mind, the three Shikigami found nothing they sought!

No place of rest existed here!

The building of Mirage Tower began to shake, the Shadow Girl wailing mournfully in Qing Chen’s mind, while Shiva tried to freeze all consciousness within.

Shikigami are the manifested spiritual wills of deceased beings, and these three Shikigami were all vengeful spirits.

When they began losing their sanity, their grudge could almost destroy the world.

Qing Chen felt his mind in chaos, body losing balance, and he fell to one knee.

Under the neon lights of the long street, Jindai Yunjue keenly sensed the anomaly: “Attack!”

He lowered his torso and sheathed his blade.

He seemed like a statue, all his energy and spirit receding into the sheathed blade.

Draw the blade, nurture spirit!

“Kill!” Jindai Yunjue roared, launching himself like a projectile at Qing Chen, the hilt of his katana ejecting from the scabbard, a silver light bursting forth.

As the katana was drawn, the broken edge had been miraculously replaced by a silver glow!

Yet Qing Chen’s consciousness remained entangled with the three Shikigami.

Hearing the wind, he instinctively dodged but couldn’t muster full strength due to the dizziness in his mind.

This first strike of Jindai Yunjue left another severe wound on his chest, forcing him back several steps, staggering to one knee in pain.

But the blade did not stop.

Draw, Iaido, Qieshe Yumian—these formed a continuous killing technique.

In regular Island Country swordsmanship, Iaido is the act of drawing the sword, but in the Jindai family’s way, Iaido is sheathing the blade.

Drawing emphasizes speed, precision, and ruthlessness, cutting down foes with unmatched momentum.

Iaido emphasizes the resoluteness of sheathing, the person must die when the sword returns to the scabbard.

At this moment, the gleaming katana already slashed back, yet Qing Chen had not regained clarity.

If this continued, he would die.

Qing Chen felt the violent agitation of the Shikigami in his mind.

He couldn’t die yet.

No one knew how much a knight would sacrifice for his disciple!

Qing Chen not only needed to clear Jinguji Maki of suspicion,

not only to exact revenge on the Jindai family,

he needed to return alive.

That little girl on the Ferris wheel, standing amidst the fireworks, tearfully said, her grandmother told her there were still things worth looking forward to in her life.

From then on, the little girl kept hoping, watching through the winter window, separated by thick and distant snow, for when that anticipated moment would come.

Now, she had finally found something worth looking forward to in her life, this hope that lasted for nine years couldn’t be so fleeting.

In a critical moment, a resonant roar echoed in Qing Chen’s mind: “Enough! All of you, get in!”

The Shadow Girl still wailed mournfully, yet suddenly found a grand palace bearing down.

The palace abruptly threw open three vast doors, the dark openings sucking all three Shikigami inside.

Bang.

The doors closed once more, and Qing Chen’s mind returned to peace.

The three Shikigami were truly suppressed by the Memory Palace!

The katana approached.

Jindai Yunjue slashed at close range, but suddenly saw the ferocious figure who was half kneeling there pull out a black sniper rifle.

Furious!

Thundering!

The 12.7 caliber bullet spiraled from the gun’s chamber, the precise rifling driving it to frenzy!

The supposedly victorious Jindai Yunjue had his heart shattered at such close range.

With his speed, he could have dodged the trajectory if it wasn’t for the full-force blade draw.

He never expected Qing Chen to carry a sniper rifle nor use an anti-materiel sniper as a close-quarter cannon!

Tonight’s hunt ended with two prodigies dead and one injured.

…

…

No.

It wasn’t over yet.

True hunters are always the most patient.

As Jindai Yunjue died, the blade handler would destroy the blade.

The moment he died, a blade flash emerged behind Qing Chen’s kneeling form!

This slash’s momentum was as long as a galaxy hanging low, the heavenly river’s bed ruptured, and a waterfall crashed down.

Qieshe Yumian!

Yet meeting this silver waterfall wasn’t Qing Chen’s body, but several zhang tall walls of sand suddenly rising from the ground!

Blade flash!

Smoke and dust!

The collision mingled with killing intent.

Jindai Yunxiu’s dozen meters long silver slashing light amidst the autumn’s shocking brilliance, violently split the walls apart.

Landing on Qing Chen.

Thankfully, the walls were sturdy, the blade only pushing Qing Chen more than a zhang away without destroying his vitality.

As Qing Chen looked up, he saw words on the wall.

“Pledge, +1!”

For a moment, Qing Chen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but Zard remained unserious as always.

While thinking, the walls grew once more, firmly trapping the burly, black-suited Jindai Yunxiu inside.

Qing Chen turned and ran, this time genuinely leaving.

Though he successfully suppressed the Shikigami, the burst of the three Shikigami also left him somewhat dazed.

At this point, he was far from his prime, the twenty-centimeter long wound across his chest starting to hurt.

“Are we just letting him go?”

This time, Jindai Sorajima watched Qing Chen swiftly retreat, feeling unsettled.

With Yunyi’s Red Leaf Hunter, Fire Fox, Mountain Child, and now the Shadow Girl, Shiva, Mirage Tower—six Shikigami in total missing from the Onmyoji.

The Onmyoji couldn’t bear such losses, as no new Shikigami had emerged in a thousand years!

Jindai Sorajima glanced at Yunlo: “Brother Yunlo, what do we do?”

Jindai Yunlo said: “I’ll handle it. I’ll keep the Awakener busy, and Yunxiu can finish off the Master of Daytime.”

All plans tonight proceeded as scheduled, but now an accident emerged.

He intended to kill two birds with one stone, but the blade hurt himself.

Ma Mian Luo Cha, Skeleton Woman materialized behind him, but at the moment Jindai Yunlo wanted to send them out, he abruptly looked toward the adjacent rooftop, where he planned to assassinate Si Nianhua.

Under the night sky, a young man in a gray suit leaned on a black scepter, smiling at Jindai Yunlo and Jindai Sorajima.