Chapter 417: Shogun's Return

A thunderstorm suddenly erupted, spreading through the vast space within Tenshukaku. The roar of thunder was like the cries of a thousand birds, and the purple lightning swept across the surroundings.

The duel between the two was a clash of powers from the same origin, a contest of martial prowess.

In a state of emptiness, Li Mo drew upon the training and understanding of swordsmen from the past, integrating the martial skills of countless Vision holders. All his computational power was devoted to absorbing, summarizing, and integrating these skills.

The essence of various Inazuman martial arts flowed through his mind, and his defense with the Amenoma Kageuchi Blade became increasingly impenetrable.

Originally based on the principles of the Sun Breathing technique, it now merged with the martial arts of a thousand Inazuman warriors, forging a unique path of "Lightning Breathing." This resonated with the power of "Saint Form: Raiden Shogun."

Li Mo grew closer to the Raiden Shogun.

But... the more he improved, the more he felt the terror of the Raiden Shogun.

In the martial arts of Inazuma, the shadow of the Raiden Shogun's naginata was everywhere. For thousands of years, no one in Inazuma had been able to step outside the framework of martial arts she had established.

Every technique was dismantled by her.

Yes, if Morax was the "God of War," then the Raiden Shogun was Inazuma's "God of War." A thousand years ago, she had brought martial arts to humanity. Over the millennia, from the Archon War to the Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah, and up to the present, the evolution of all martial arts had unfolded under her watchful gaze.

He suddenly understood why the people of Inazuma held such deep reverence for the Raiden Shogun.

Li Mo had underestimated the weight of thousands of years of history.

The sword techniques from another world were nothing more than puzzles to her, easily deciphered after a moment's hesitation. The "Sun Breathing" technique, created by the legendary Yoriichi Tsugikuni, was unraveled after a few exchanges.

This was the power of an Archon.

"In this moment, I see the shadows of many schools."

Clash, separate.

Two streaks of purple lightning stood on either side, the light fading to reveal the figures within.

The Raiden Shogun was calm, her breathing steady, her expression indifferent, as if the battle had never begun.

In contrast, Li Mo appeared disheveled. Though there were no visible wounds on his body, his clothes were riddled with cuts.

The naginata was a long weapon. The longer the weapon, the greater its reach, and coupled with her superior skill, Li Mo was at a disadvantage.

Whether in pure strength or martial skill, he was inferior to the Raiden Shogun. From every angle, he was her lesser counterpart.

"I merely borrowed their martial arts. Aren't the Visions all outside Tenshukaku?" Li Mo replied to the Raiden Shogun's question.

Though at a disadvantage, his voice was calm and emotionless, almost in sync with the Raiden Shogun's frequency.

Cold and detached, eerily similar.

"Borrowing the martial arts of others? Such a thing is possible? So, the power you wield is also borrowed from me?"

Though the Raiden Shogun did not understand the magic from another world, she could see that his power was of the same origin as hers. Its external manifestation was strikingly similar.

What she had thought was a coincidence was, in fact, deliberate.

As a successor of the "Hakutaku bloodline," he did not use the secret techniques of the "Hakutaku" lineage but instead employed a system of his own.

He was fighting her shadow.

This unprecedented experience made the Raiden Shogun take him seriously. She raised her free hand and gently moved it sideways.

"Divine Punishment."

Fierce Electro energy gathered, manifesting as a "hand-eye" in the corner of the pure realm. Space and time were distorted, and the area before her was engulfed in indiscriminate Electro energy.

—"Transcendence: Baleful Omen."

The Raiden Shogun was, after all, not Ei herself but her proxy. When she needed to unleash the full power of an Archon, she had to borrow strength from Ei within the Plane of Euthymia.

"Transcendence: Baleful Omen" was such a technique.

Yae Miko's descriptions had been cryptic and hard to understand. After some thought, Li Mo realized one thing: the Raiden Shogun's usual output was inferior to Ei's. "Transcendence: Baleful Omen" was a technique to increase her output.

Just by looking at the terrifying Electro energy enveloping the naginata, it was clear that the Raiden Shogun's current output was far more fearsome than before.

Clang———!!!!

The sound of clashing metal rang out again. In the blink of an eye, the naginata came down in a vertical slash. The sheer speed of the strike was overwhelming, forcing Li Mo to defend with the Amenoma Kageuchi Blade.

In the next moment, they exchanged blows several times in an instant.

The two streaks of purple lightning were no longer evenly matched. One side was completely overpowered by the other. The Electro energy in the air was under the control of a single being, manifesting as a display of divine wrath!

This was the Raiden Shogun.

This was an Archon.

The earlier exchanges had been mere play, an adult humoring a child.

The storm of attacks, like a thunderstorm, left Li Mo overwhelmed. Even if he blocked a frontal attack, the surrounding Electro energy would erode his body. Despite the protection of "Pseudo-Immortality," his body was caught in a cycle of damage and repair.

A counterfeit Raiden Shogun was no match for the genuine article.

What was the way to turn the tide?

A contemplative expression replaced the emptiness in Li Mo's demeanor. Maintaining his state, he pondered the solution.

Most of his usual techniques were sufficient for daily life but useless against an Archon like the Raiden Shogun. His trump card, the "Authority of Beasts," was barely effective. Perhaps it was because Ei had not "given birth" to anything concrete. But all things in the world were born from the world itself, and all tangible things must manifest within it.

The "Authority of Beasts" had room for further development.

However, the current situation did not allow Li Mo to develop the "Authority of Beasts." The Raiden Shogun's lightning had already singed the fur on his fox tail multiple times, causing it to shed several times.

If he had completed the "Spiritual Tracking" and "Impact Staff" techniques, he might have been able to turn the tide. But the techniques created by Aleister Crowley were not something an ordinary person could learn. Even a genius couldn't keep up with Crowley's thinking. Faced with those techniques, Li Mo felt like he was staring at advanced mathematics—some things were just beyond his grasp.

As for other scattered abilities, "Energy Dispersion" was no longer effective. The Raiden Shogun's attacks were overwhelmingly powerful, and their force couldn't be redirected with mere skill.

"Swallow Reversal"—could he wield the Raiden Shogun's power to execute three slashes?

After a moment, Li Mo made his decision.

The Raiden Shogun's attacks were not fast, but each strike carried the weight of a thousand mountains, each blow like a thunderbolt from the heavens. Despite the heavy, sweeping motions, she wielded them with ease. Her martial skill had reached perfection.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Mo used the Shogun's slash to take the brunt of the damage head-on. The fierce lightning engulfed his entire body, but 'Pseudo-Immortality' ensured his survival .

Li Mo managed to create some distance, his mind completely empty.

His martial skills had grown rusty, and his grasp of "Swallow Reversal" was not as firm as it once was. Executing a normal Swallow Reversal was second nature, but wielding it in the "Saint Form: Raiden Shogun" state was uncertain.

But! At this moment, Li Mo was connected to the Statue of the Omnipresent God, drawing upon the martial arts of countless Vision holders.

Therefore, it was enough.

He lowered his stance, pushed off with his legs, and borrowed the force. Closing his eyes, he felt the flow of energy in that instant.

As the naginata descended with divine might.

"Secret Sword: Swallow Reversal."