That was right. The technique that split the Moonhowl Wolf King into four pieces was Swallow Reversal. More precisely, it was only an incomplete version of Swallow Reversal.
The Heroic Spirit summoned by Wu Ling's first Spirit Skill was obvious now. It was Sasaki Kojiro.
Sasaki Kojiro, Miyamoto Musashi's famous rival who appeared in countless Japanese stories, was, in FGO, an imaginary figure who had never truly existed. The Sasaki Kojiro who appeared in the Fifth Holy Grail War was only a nameless swordsman who had mastered Swallow Reversal and was forcibly given the name Sasaki Kojiro.
He knew no Magecraft. He did not even possess a Noble Phantasm. Yet even as a one-star existence in the game, he was still someone Wu Ling had willingly used a hundred-year Spirit Ring to summon.
The reason was simple: his swordsmanship had reached the realm of Noble Phantasms, and his technique, though it had no rank in the game and was classified as an Anti-Unit Mystic Sword, was Swallow Reversal.
This technique ignored the concepts of time and space in reality, overlapping two perfectly simultaneous slashes to produce attacks from three directions.
It was a multidimensional refraction phenomenon that surpassed speed, precision, feints, and all such ordinary factors.
A nameless swordsman who knew neither Magecraft nor True Magic had, despite all limitations, reached the supreme domain of the Second Magic.
In the anime, Sasaki Kojiro had once repelled Berserker-class Heracles and Artoria Pendragon, the franchise's iconic Saber, through sword skill alone.
If his weapon, Monohoshizao, had not been too ordinary and developed a chip during his clash with Artoria, even Artoria with A-rank Instinct might have been cut down by him.
In the game, Sasaki Kojiro, with three strengthening quests and one interlude, was also one of the low-rarity war gods. Because the early game had few Servants, he served as the dragon-slaying Sword Saint for a long time. He fought with one-star stats and five-star results. Players once said that if he were given the Saber class, he would absolutely be a five-star Servant.
Most important was his legend. The secret sword called Swallow Reversal had been created to cut down a swallow.
The game had also briefly mentioned that the "swallow" Kojiro cut down was a creature that could split into copies, tear through space, and breathe fire. When Wu Ling first learned about that, he had complained, "The swallows where you live are definitely not normal!"
After considering all factors, Wu Ling had confirmed that his first Spirit Skill would summon him.
The effect of the Spirit Skill suited Wu Ling perfectly. When he used his first Spirit Skill, his physical ability would multiply, and he would instantly learn all of Sasaki Kojiro's techniques, including Swallow Reversal.
At the same time, Sasaki Kojiro's game skills, Mind's Eye (False), Vitrification, and Knowledge of the Sowa, were also added to Wu Ling. Wu Ling had used Mind's Eye to detect Ghost.
Of course, even after using his first Spirit Skill, Wu Ling's current strength still could not compare with the Heroic Spirit Sasaki Kojiro. The difference was simply too great.
A person's physical ability could be raised by ten or twenty percent, but Wu Ling's body had been strengthened several times over all at once. Even so, he could currently force out only two slashes of Swallow Reversal. If he tried to slash out the third by force, his present body would probably split open under the pressure.
Even an incomplete Swallow Reversal still shocked Ghost. He had seen those two slashes clearly.
Ghost understood that the two slashes were not simple feints or flashy afterimages. They were real attacks produced by one person, as if that person had swung once in each of two different worlds, then overlapped those worlds together.
After understanding this, Ghost could not help stepping forward to ask. Wu Ling, who had already noticed him through Mind's Eye, answered calmly.
"Swallow Reversal?"
Ghost repeated the name of that stunning strike again and again. He could not help wondering whether, at the same level, he would be able to dodge it.
Seeing Ghost talking to Wu Ling, Uncle Willow, standing in the distance, nervously straightened his clothes and carefully walked behind Ghost. He lowered his head and waited for the judgment of this Lord Titled Sage.
Although Uncle Willow was already being careful, his movement still distracted Ghost.
Interrupted, Ghost lost the mood to keep thinking. Wu Ling, meanwhile, had earned a measure of his recognition through that strike.
"You are very good. Are you interested in joining our Spirit Hall?"
Wu Ling tilted his head.
"But I already joined before."
Ghost shook his head slightly.
"This is different. I am now inviting you to join the way he joined."
As he spoke, Ghost pointed toward Uncle Willow. Wu Ling understood instantly. If this were a cultivation world, it would be the difference between an outer disciple and an inner disciple.
Without needing to think much, Wu Ling agreed decisively.
"Good. I now promise you this. If the Pope has no interest in you, then I will take you as my disciple."
Even after Ghost directly made such a promise, Wu Ling only replied calmly, "Thank you, my lord."
"Unmoved by honor or humiliation. Very good. I will bring you to meet the Pope today. Is there anything you need to pack?" Ghost praised him with a nod.
Wu Ling did not answer immediately. He tilted his head toward Uncle Willow, and Ghost followed his gaze.
When Uncle Willow saw both of them looking at him, his mind spun wildly. Without hesitation, he shouted, "Young master, please rest assured. We will take good care of your father!"
Wu Ling nodded. He did not mind the change in address. Only then did he answer Ghost.
"My lord, I have finished packing. When do we leave?"
"Not bad..."
The more Ghost looked at him, the more satisfied he became. In the end, he could only use those words to express his feelings.
With the enormous difference in height between them, Ghost simply lifted Wu Ling up. Naturally, spirit power protected him. Then Ghost removed his restrictions and sped toward Spirit City.
Uncle Willow patted the dust around him, looked in the direction where Ghost Sage's back had already disappeared, and loudly praised, "My lord is mighty!"
Only then did he remember that he was still in the middle zone of the Soul Hunting Forest. His expression changed, and he hurried to leave.
As a Titled Sage, Ghost possessed vast spirit power. Under his protection, Wu Ling felt no turbulence at all. He even slept comfortably.
Wu Ling did not know whether they stopped along the way. He only knew that when he woke up, a city more than ten times grander than Notting City appeared before him. He knew this was the legendary Spirit City.
Wu Ling felt as if he were watching a revolving lantern. One scene flashed by, then another replaced it.
After more than a dozen such flashes, Wu Ling arrived at the center of Spirit City, before a towering white palace.
Standing beneath gates several dozen meters tall, Wu Ling deeply felt his own smallness.
Ghost let go and set him down.
"Come. Follow me in to meet the Pope."
Ghost merely showed a token to the guards at the gate. Without even needing a report, he directly brought Wu Ling inside.
After walking for almost five minutes, Wu Ling arrived before the throne in the great hall.
And seated upon that throne was the current Pope of Spirit Hall: Bibi Dong.