Destiny Is in My Hands (3K)

Bai Cangshu sat atop the cliff, the muscles all over his body bluish-black as vast patches of necrotic cells regenerated and healed. He chewed a few times before swallowing the cooked tailed beast meat.

His cellular activity grew ever stronger.

Sizzle!

Another bolt of lightning struck his body.

But now, the pain in his body had begun to lessen. Instead, some kind of consciousness began entering him.

You have used the special item, Hakkesshu's Inheritance: Ororchi Yashiro

Determining qualifications...

Qualification confirmed

Bai Cangshu guessed that this lightning-strike test was entirely meant to assess whether a Reincarnator possessed sufficient physical strength and resistance to lightning.

A body that was too frail probably could not withstand the Orochi Clan’s inheritance at all.

Bai Cangshu’s vision suddenly went black. When he opened his eyes again, he was already within his own Consciousness Space.

You have initiated the Special Trial: Ororchi Yashiro

Warning, Reincarnator Ex051. The special spirit entity, Ororchi Yashiro of the Hakkesshu, has entered your body. This trial cannot be terminated. Upon failure, you will suffer consequences including but not limited to soul loss, schizophrenia, dual souls in one body, Body Snatching, and death.

Within the world of consciousness, a flash of lightning appeared. Its original appearance was utterly indistinguishable; its distorted form swayed constantly, writhing through the air like a great serpent.

It was not the stunning woman Bai Cangshu remembered, with her bangs covering her eyes. This was the true soul of the Hakkesshu, passed down through the ages.

Trial objective: Survive the attacks of Hakkesshu: Ororchi Yashiro until its soul energy is exhausted

Trial reward: Inherited Title: Ororchi Yashiro

Bai Cangshu rose leisurely from the Throne of the Heart, then descended to the ground.

Countless yin spirits sensed that the Throne of the Heart had become vacant once more, and Yellow Springs began howling again.

"Seriously, can’t you let us have some peace and quiet for once?"

Satoru Gojo lay in a corner, too lazy to move. He merely lifted one corner of his blindfold and saw the special soul, seemingly formed entirely of lightning and twisting like a great serpent.

He had to admit that his host was exceptionally gifted at stirring up trouble. He always managed to attract bizarre characters.

And every single one of them… was remarkably powerful.

In another corner, the Death God’s spirit body was enormous. It rose from Yellow Springs; the deathly still waters were actually quite comfortable for it. Yet upon sensing Bai Cangshu’s spirit body appear, it still floated upward.

Uchiha Madara, meanwhile, soaked in Yellow Springs with his arms spread wide, as though lounging in some hot spring. A great number of spirit fragments lay scattered around him. Over time, those fragments would gradually dissipate and dissolve, then form yin spirits anew.

He had already realized that death did not exist in this space. It was a massive arena, meant only to allow these yin spirits to continuously evolve through battle.

And according to the silver-haired man in the blindfold, this place was actually a prison—the prison of the heart used by the master of the Throne of the Heart to imprison everyone and obtain their power.

At that moment, beneath his loose, flowing hair, Uchiha Madara’s eyes coldly examined the master of the Throne of the Heart in the sky.

A disdainful curve tugged at his lips. Throne of the Heart? Host? He did not care in the slightest. So long as these eyes of his saw an opportunity, he would reclaim everything.

He had long since grown tired of fighting these mediocre yin spirits. In this space, aside from the blindfolded man, not a single soul was worthy of his regard.

Yet now that Bai Cangshu’s soul had appeared, its solidity far surpassing every other spirit body, Uchiha Madara did see something different.

Lying in Yellow Springs, his eyes revealed clear Sharingan.

"Let this so-called King of the Heart dance before these eyes of mine…"

Bai Cangshu landed in Yellow Springs, and Death Intent Senluo flowed with the waters, washing over his ankles.

It was as though he had not seen the arrogant, amused smiles on Uchiha Madara and Satoru Gojo’s faces. He raised his left hand and crooked a finger slightly at the constantly twisting Ororchi Yashiro in the air.

"Come, mighty heroic soul of the Orochi Clan. Let me see just how powerful the dark side of Earth’s will is…"

Sizzle!

A flash of lightning lit up. The figure that had been twisting in midair a moment ago appeared behind Bai Cangshu like a streak of electricity the next.

Precisely because it was a spirit body unbound by the constraints of flesh could it bring the power of the elements to its absolute limit.

Intense lightning suddenly condensed before the spirit body.

Dark Thunder Fist!

A powerful mass of lightning condensed into a sphere less than a meter wide before violently erupting in an instant.

Bai Cangshu leaned backward, his spirit body bending like a spiritual serpent. Everything below his waist remained where it was, while his upper body had already folded down to the ground.

The fierce lightning exploded, yet it did not directly harm Bai Cangshu’s spirit body.

Ororchi Yashiro’s spirit body did not pause at all. When its thunder fist missed, it stepped forward and directly touched Bai Cangshu’s body.

Crackle!

Bai Cangshu was pierced by the fierce lightning, and terrifying pain swept over him.

This was a world of souls. Physical techniques and extraordinary traits such as Iron Body and Flame Dragon Scales could not take effect here, while lightning itself inflicted additional damage upon spirit bodies.

The blow made Bai Cangshu’s soul body tremble slightly, but his right hand shot up. Bai Cangshu’s tolerance for pain far surpassed that of ordinary people, and he once again fell into that state where pain brought him pleasure.

Whoosh!

The sound of tearing air rang out. Bai Cangshu’s right hand thrust forth like a Magic Spear, moving in a way utterly at odds with the rest of his body.

Ororchi Yashiro’s soul body instantly flashed backward again in a streak of lightning.

At that moment, not only Bai Cangshu, but even Uchiha Madara and Satoru Gojo realized that this newcomer was truly troublesome.

As the wielder of lightning, the force most capable of restraining spirit bodies, its very soul nature had turned into something akin to lightning itself.

The spirit body seemed to blow softly at Bai Cangshu.

The next moment, a bolt of lightning exploded out of thin air before Bai Cangshu’s chest. The scattered arcs of electricity promptly blew apart the Yin Spirit Tower that had just been built.

As pain nearly tore Bai Cangshu’s spirit body apart, he caught hold of a faint sensation.

It was the turbulent power of lightning within the other party’s spirit body—the power of thunder, one of the ultimate forces of destruction used by Earth’s will to punish humanity.

Bai Cangshu now understood why the trial required him to survive Ororchi Yashiro’s attacks until its energy ran out. This special spirit body was nearly impossible to touch.

It was like an Enel with far greater combat experience, moving at lightning speed at all times. And the most direct way to obtain the inheritance, as well as to master Ororchi Yashiro’s power, was none other than to feel it with his own soul!

"Ha, interesting."

Bai Cangshu suddenly stopped pursuing it. He stood where he was and spread his arms.

"Come, Ororchi Yashiro. Let me feel the power the Orochi Clan wishes to use to destroy humanity!"

He looked crazed, no longer trying to evade.

The sight made the smile at Satoru Gojo’s lips deepen. That madness rooted deep in Bai Cangshu’s soul was the greatest reason Gojo acknowledged him. It was the self-awareness shared by those who were different, the irrepressible essence of madness.

Uchiha Madara’s Sharingan slowly turned as well. He gradually rose from Yellow Springs. He admitted that this so-called King of the Heart was not wholly mediocre; the other man possessed an aura he recognized.

The next moment, as though sensing Bai Cangshu’s will, one arm rose from Ororchi Yashiro’s distorted body and pointed high into the sky.

Crackle—

Though this was a spirit realm, an immensely powerful pressure suddenly appeared. It felt as though the entire sky was pressing down upon them, making even spirit bodies feel unbearably heavy.

That finger was clearly pointing at the empty sky, yet Bai Cangshu, Satoru Gojo, and Uchiha Madara all had the same vague feeling.

The instant that finger came down, an incomparably terrifying move would follow.

Ever since successfully using Cursed Blood Homology to purify his bloodline into a Perfect Individual, this was the first time Bai Cangshu had felt death intent so clearly. Aside from the time Roland occupied his body and opposed the Black King, he had almost never felt that he could be killed.

But at this very moment, in this battle of souls, as the Thunder Arrow of Destiny was about to fall from afar, he truly felt a wisp of death intent spreading up from Yellow Springs and wrapping around his entire body.

Is this my death intent?

Ha.

Satoru Gojo had completely removed his blindfold, his Six Eyes fixed on Bai Cangshu’s soul body.

"Seriously, if you take that attack, even if you don’t die, you won’t be able to keep that seat, host~"

Uchiha Madara watched as the entire space seemed locked down by that immense, unspent will, yet Bai Cangshu still stood with his arms spread wide, boldly welcoming the attack. An unconscious smile appeared on his lips, then transformed into fighting spirit as he stepped out of Yellow Springs, muddy yellow spring water dripping continuously from his soul.

"With that kind of aura, if you survive this strike, I will acknowledge that you are worthy of fighting me."

He walked forward step by step, his presence continuously rising. The Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes had already changed form, and even Satoru Gojo shed his frivolous, relaxed demeanor at the sight of that posture.

Bai Cangshu took in everyone’s expressions—the thirty-three thousand yin spirits shrieking madly behind him, as well as the Death God emerging from Yellow Springs, seemingly intending to reap him.

The same arrogant, feverish smile appeared on his face.

"Who do you all think you are…"

"I am the master of this world!"

At that moment, Ororchi Yashiro’s raised, twisted arm suddenly swung down.

The Consciousness Space instantly went dark. Then, a bolt of lightning that seemed to split the entire space apart lit up.

"Behold Heaven’s Will—the final judgment!"

Ororchi Yashiro spoke for the first time, its voice as deep as thunder and as solemn as fate.

Thunder Arrow of Destiny

Sizzle!

The lightning descending from the heavens suddenly fell. The Yin Spirit Tower, already hundreds of meters tall, was the first to vaporize. The instant this attack landed, the aftershock of thunder shattered the howling yin spirits.

Then, within a world that seemed frozen in time, that flash of lightning abruptly struck… that distorted spirit body.

Boom!

A world-shaking blast rang out. Rings of blue-white shockwaves spread continuously through the Consciousness Space, engulfing it entirely. The Heavenly Might of lightning collided with the deathly stillness of Yellow Springs, and white mist swallowed everything.

"Ha… hahahaha…"

Amid the mad laughter, Satoru Gojo and Uchiha Madara both changed expression slightly. Then, both of them revealed looks of intense interest, their faces turning feverish.

That tall figure emerged from the white mist. Clutching his forehead, he laughed without end.

"Destiny is in my hands."