Xia Chuan paid no attention to Suguru Geto below him.
At that moment, he was completely focused on experiencing his Susanoo.
As expected, it was still far from complete.
If he compared it to the Susanoo from the Naruto world, his current manifestation had only reached the Third Stage, the incomplete humanoid form.
That was why his own body was still positioned within the abdomen.
The Complete Susanoo, on the other hand, could manifest as a gigantic Tengu-like warrior towering even higher than ordinary mountains, with the user’s true body positioned within the jewel on its forehead.
To manifest the Complete Susanoo, however, he would need ocular power at the level of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
Still, Xia Chuan had only just obtained the Mangekyo Sharingan, yet he had already managed to reach the Third Stage of Susanoo.
He was quite satisfied with that result.
Using cursed energy to directly control the Susanoo, Xia Chuan gripped the sword in its hand and swung it.
A tremendous blade of energy shot forward.
The enormous worm-like cursed spirit, nearly a hundred meters long, was sliced apart in an instant.
The negative energy released as the Grade 1 cursed spirit dissipated was completely absorbed by Xia Chuan’s Mangekyo Sharingan.
In this world of jujutsu, as long as there was a steady supply of curses and cursed energy, he seemingly didn’t need to worry about finding another Mangekyo Sharingan in order to evolve toward the Eternal Mangekyo.
After realizing this, Xia Chuan turned toward Geto.
Seeing that Geto wasn’t summoning any more cursed spirits, he understood that the battle was coming to an end.
It was somewhat disappointing.
After all, experiencing such a tremendous increase in power without suffering any apparent side effects was incredibly satisfying.
The cursed energy surrounding Xia Chuan gradually dispersed.
The incomplete Susanoo slowly faded away as well, eventually dissolving completely.
“…You really showed no mercy.”
Geto walked over with a helpless expression.
“That Grade 1 cursed spirit had been with me for a long time.”
“Still, that terrifying black flame and the armored giant…
Are those the abilities your eyes gained after evolving?”
After Xia Chuan dismissed the Susanoo, Geto approached him.
Xia Chuan nodded.
Amaterasu.
Susanoo.
And an even more refined degree of control over Amaterasu than the standard Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi.
That level of control reminded Xia Chuan of Uchiha Hikaru.
Using Amaterasu felt almost completely natural to him, as though he could manipulate the flames however he pleased.
Of course, Xia Chuan could also sense that his Mangekyo’s ocular abilities didn’t end there.
It seemed that as his eyes continued to evolve, he would be able to obtain even more abilities.
He wasn’t necessarily restricted to having only one ability in each eye.
But those possibilities could wait.
Xia Chuan looked toward Geto.
“So?”
“How would you rate my current strength?”
“Based on your ability to eliminate a Grade 1 cursed spirit with ease…”
Geto’s face still carried an expression of excitement.
“There is no doubt that you’re already at the level of a Grade 1 jujutsu sorcerer, if not higher.”
Of course, Geto could have conducted a more precise assessment.
But after seeing how decisively Xia Chuan had dealt with the cursed spirits, he had no intention of wasting any more of his Grade 1 or Special Grade cursed spirits.
Those were the foundation of his future plans.
Even so, what had happened today could already be considered a miracle.
When Xia Chuan first arrived, his strength had only been around the level of a Grade 2 jujutsu sorcerer.
Yet in just half an hour, he had crossed an enormous gap and reached the level of an elite jujutsu sorcerer.
Even though Geto had played a major role in providing the cursed spirits, Xia Chuan’s ability itself was extraordinary.
A technique capable of becoming stronger through negative emotions…
Geto stared intently at Xia Chuan.
If he allowed Xia Chuan to absorb his entire stockpile of cursed spirits, just how powerful would Xia Chuan become?
Could he defeat Satoru Gojo?
Perhaps.
Perhaps not.
The power of the Six Eyes combined with Limitless was already deeply ingrained in the reputation of the modern jujutsu world.
And Gojo also possessed an exceptionally powerful Domain Expansion.
There was no question that he stood at the pinnacle of modern jujutsu society.
Geto shook his head.
He decided not to dwell on the matter.
“This time, I really have to thank you.”
Xia Chuan smiled.
“As long as it’s within my abilities, I owe you a favor.”
He was still somewhat intoxicated by the incredible increase in his strength.
The gap between the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and the Mangekyo Sharingan was indeed enormous.
Although the man in front of him was a lunatic, he had undeniably done Xia Chuan a great favor.
“Jujutsu sorcerers are all family, after all.”
Geto laughed.
Although he repeated the same phrase as before, this time he didn’t explicitly refuse Xia Chuan’s offer.
Clearly, Xia Chuan’s strength had earned his attention and recognition.
“Geto-sama!”
Mimiko and Nanako quickly ran over once they saw the outcome of the battle.
“Oh, right.”
“Let me introduce you to my family.”
Geto raised his hand and waved toward the people approaching.
Besides the three girls who had been watching earlier, several other members had also been drawn over by the battle.
Xia Chuan wasn’t particularly good at remembering faces, so the two people who left the strongest impression on him were Nanako and Mimiko.
Although their eventual fates in the original story were rather tragic, he remembered them well enough.
“Geto-sama, who is this?”
Someone in the crowd asked.
There was considerable surprise and caution in their eyes as they looked at Xia Chuan.
“Let me introduce him to everyone.”
Geto smiled brightly.
“This is Xia Chuan.”
“For now, you can consider him a business partner of mine.”
“He may come to the Time Vessel Association to work part-time in the future, so make sure you get along with him.”
Xia Chuan heard the subtle attempt to draw him closer to the organization but said nothing.
He did owe Geto a favor.
However, he would only repay it within the limits of what he was willing and able to do.
Helping Geto exterminate all of humanity?
Fighting Satoru Gojo?
Those were obviously outside the scope of what Xia Chuan was willing to consider.
With Geto’s introduction, the members of the Time Vessel Association nodded toward Xia Chuan in a friendly manner.
“Shion, have someone clean this place up.”
“Yes, Geto-sama.”
Shion responded before leading several people away.
Geto then turned toward Xia Chuan with a smile.
“Xia Chuan-kun, it’s getting late.”
“Would you like to stay for dinner?”
Xia Chuan looked up at the sky.
The horizon was already glowing with the colors of sunset.
“No.”
He refused immediately.
Tomorrow was Monday, after all.
He still had to attend school.
And there was a possibility that a certain senpai in black stockings might visit his house.
Naturally, Xia Chuan didn’t intend to stay any longer.
“That’s a shame.”
Geto sighed regretfully.
After exchanging a few words about meeting again in the future, he arranged for someone to escort Xia Chuan down the mountain.
As they watched Xia Chuan descend the mountain, one of the members approached Geto.
“Geto-sama, is that man really your business partner?”
“He seems to still be wary of us.”
Geto smiled.
“That is indeed the case.”
“Based on my guess, Xia Chuan-kun probably hasn’t been a jujutsu sorcerer for very long.”
“Not long ago, he was probably just an ordinary person.”
“Of course someone like that would be cautious around a group like our family.”
“But there’s no need to worry.”
“For now, he can indeed be considered our business partner.”
The other members understood the implication behind his words.
Xia Chuan wasn’t affiliated with Jujutsu High either.
An elderly man spoke up.
“Then, Geto-sama, are you confident that you can bring him into the organization?”
There had been cases of people developing jujutsu abilities later in life.
However, someone who could rapidly rise all the way to Grade 1 was exceedingly rare.
And Xia Chuan’s terrifying cursed-energy characteristics suggested that even an ordinary Grade 1 jujutsu sorcerer might not be able to defeat him.
Although jujutsu sorcerers and cursed spirits were divided into grades, the actual differences in strength between individuals of the same classification could be enormous.
Everyone understood the potential Xia Chuan possessed.
Beyond their envy and admiration, they could clearly see that he might eventually reach the level of a Special Grade jujutsu sorcerer.
If Xia Chuan joined the Time Vessel Association, their ability to challenge the existing jujutsu establishment would increase considerably.
However, Geto shook his head in response to the old man’s question.
“Who can say?”
“After all…”
“True family members aren’t so easily obtained.”