Sukuna looked down at his blood-stained kimono, the once pristine white fabric now soaked in the dark crimson of the slain gorillas. The sight would have been unsettling to most and him prior to reincarnation, but to him now, it was just another reminder of the raw, terrifying power he now possessed.
Still, he wasn't one to walk around in dirty clothes.
With a thought, he channeled his cursed energy, focusing on the blood that clung to his kimono. The cursed energy flared around him, shimmering with an intense heat that radiated from his body. Slowly, the blood began to evaporate, the cursed energy burning it away without so much as singing the fabric. It was as if the blood had never been there, leaving the kimono spotless once more.
The act was effortless, like breathing. 'Reverse Cursed Technique,' he thought, recognizing the ability he had used. It wasn't just for healing wounds or repairing damage it could also cleanse, purify. It was another tool in his ever-growing arsenal.
Jason glanced around at the destruction he had wrought again, the mangled bodies of the profound beasts, the shattered ground, and the torn-up forest. He couldn't help but smile, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. The power that coursed through him was exhilarating, intoxicating even.
But then, a strange thought crept into his mind, one that seemed almost out of place given the carnage around him.
'This feeling… this body… this power…' He clenched his fists, the cursed energy pulsing beneath his skin, alive and ready to be unleashed. 'It's just not fulfilling without ever experiencing a battle that makes my heart pound.'
The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. As much as he relished in his newfound strength, something was missing. The thrill of a true fight the rush of facing an opponent who could challenge him, push him to his limits, maybe even defeat him. Without that, all of this destruction felt… hollow.
He threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing through the forest like the call of a wild beast. It was a laugh filled with both excitement and madness, a gleeful acknowledgment of the chaos he had caused and the battles yet to come.
The forest around him lay in ruins, a testament to his overwhelming power. But for Jason, now Sukuna, it was merely the beginning. The world he had been thrust into was vast, filled with enemies and challenges he could only begin to imagine.
And he couldn't wait to meet them.
With one final glance at the devastation around him, Sukuna turned and began to walk deeper into the forest, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. The thrill of battle awaited him, and he was more than ready to embrace it.
Profound Calendar – Year 1996
Floating Cloud City, Blue Wind Nation
After about a month since being reincarnated into this world and asking directions as he journeyed through the unknown land.
'Well at least I'm in the Profound Sky Continent…'
Sukuna's thoughts drifted calmly as he approached the modest eastern city of Floating Cloud City, his white kimono flowing gently in the wind, hands tucked neatly in his sleeves. His mixture of obsidian-black and pink hair swayed in the winds gently as he stared at the city.
He paused near the city's outer ridge, his gaze sweeping across stone roads and wooden homes tiled in blue-grey. Of all the lower realms… this city rests quietly at the edge of relevance. And yet it intrigued him.
This city is one of the far eastern strongholds of the Seven Empires on Profound Sky Continent, he thought, recalling as much as he could on the geographical map from when he read ATG which was a long long time ago with most of the details long forgotten.
Floating Cloud City, under the rule of the Blue Wind Nation. Here, strength outweighs coin. He adjusted his posture, glancing at his surroundings as bamboo banners fluttered in the breeze.
'So, how did the novel go again? Hmmm, the MC is the grandson of the Fifth Elder of the Xiao Clan—Xiao Che. Sixteen years old this year. The previous soul was reincarnated twice already Azure Cloud to Profound Sky Continent, and back now yun-Che occupies that vessel'.
He paused beneath the shade of a ginkgo tree at the edge of the market, merchants calling out their wares: jade carvings, scrolls, refined tea leaves. The city inhabitants paid him no special heed an outsider's hair color, his kimono's foreign cut, hardly worth a second glance yet their quiet whispers registered to his heightened senses.
Just another wanderer with weird markings.
'Now, to properly check the town.'
He turned off the main road, cutting through a shaded street lined with peach trees in bloom. He took in every detail and he could up to some extent feel the Qi in the air, the spiritual patterns in the architecture, the faint pulse of profound energy from random passersby. 'Still early stages of cultivation. Most here don't exceed Elementary Profound Realm, in this lower realms… Tch, typical cliché'
'Well… I already knew that this world has a strength-based hierarchy,' he thought, watching a young man shout at a vendor to "know his place." Sukuna's brow rose slightly. 'On Earth, people worship wealth. Here, they bow to strength and It's… disturbingly honest… why the fuck is that idiot shouting?'
He ignored the simpleton and walked up to a group of teenagers chatting by the edge of a training yard. Without raising his voice, he gave a polite cough to draw their attention. They turned and blinked at him curiously.
In a voice both regal and composed, Sukuna asked, "Could you please tell me where the Xiao Clan manor is? I have business with the clan head."
'Hopefully you all wouldn't try to prove superiority and start a fight just cause I asked a question… wouldn't want to spill blood this early'.
The boys exchanged glances, measuring his tone, posture, aura and those weird markings on his face. One of them finally pointed toward a distant set of red-tiled rooftops. "Go straight from here, then take a right at the willow tree. It's the large estate on the left. You'll see a jade gate and white stone lions at the entrance."
Sukuna bowed his head lightly. "Much appreciated."
As he walked, he passed by a decorative arch strung with bright silks and lanterns. Red streamers flowed from balconies, and faint music played from within the Xiao compound.
'A celebration?'
He stopped near a crowd of gathered townsfolk. From the murmurs around him, he picked up the details easily.
" …today's the wedding, between Xiao Che and Xia Qingyue!"
"I still don't understand how that cripple ended up with someone like her…"
"Heh, lucky bastard's all I can say."
Sukuna's eyes narrowed slightly. 'Xiao Che…'
'So… the wedding is already in motion. And so the wheels begin to turn'.
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