"It went inside?"
Kitsune Saiguu looked at the mirror lying on the ground and spoke in surprise.
This fruit was truly magical.
The moment it was eaten, one immediately gained power.
How interesting.
"You want one?"
"A little."
Kitsune Saiguu's answer was hardly surprising.
In fact, it was only natural.
Devil Fruit powers had no side effects and did not affect one's personality.
One only needed to eat one to gain power.
Who wouldn't want such a thing?
Su Han thought for a moment.
There were actually several fruits that suited Kitsune Saiguu quite well.
Giving her a boost in strength would be pretty good.
"Then let's do this. When I get some fruits that fit you, I'll let you eat them."
Kitsune Saiguu, who had just been about to pick up a cup of tea, immediately looked surprised.
From the way he spoke...
It almost sounded as if powerful things like Devil Fruits were plentiful.
"What do you mean by fit?"
Kitsune Saiguu wasn't concerned about Su Han's wealth.
She was simply curious about that word.
What exactly did "fit" mean?
Could it be that Devil Fruits couldn't be eaten if they weren't compatible?
"That's simple. For example, you're not very compatible with the Hormone Fruit. After all, I don't want my lover turning into a man."
A scene instantly appeared in Kitsune Saiguu's mind.
Her fair and attractive legs suddenly becoming covered in thick leg hair.
"Eww..." (TL/N: Eww indeed.)
The terrifying image startled her.
It seemed this was something that really required careful selection.
Pop.
A soft sound echoed through the air.
Mona returned from the Mirror World and excitedly exclaimed:
"Su Han, there's actually a whole world inside there!"
"Though it's a bit unfortunate. There's only this one exit, and everything feels dim and hazy..."
Thinking about having a world of her own,
Mona was practically overflowing with excitement.
This way, she would never have to worry about finding space for books again.
The space inside the mirror was enormous.
Larger than the entirety of Mt. Yougou.
Su Han thought for a moment and offered a suggestion.
"Then why not decorate the Mirror World yourself? If it lacks lighting, add some lamps. If it lacks beds, put some beds in."
"That's right! Why didn't I think of that?"
Mona inwardly cursed herself for being stupid.
Seriously.
She had only been thinking about storing books and hadn't considered decorating the place.
If it lacked lighting, then just add some.
Such a simple matter.
Hu Tao, who had been contemplating her awakening ability, was startled awake by Mona's commotion. When she saw Mona entering the Mirror World, her eyes widened.
"Wait, Su Han, she..."
"Just like you, it's a Devil Fruit power! If you're curious, go inside and play around."
"Of course I want to try."
Hu Tao walked toward the mirror and cautiously poked it with a finger.
Suddenly, a hand stretched out from inside and instantly pulled her in.
"Ah!"
The young girl cried out as her body uncontrollably slid into the mirror.
In only an instant,
Hu Tao discovered that she had arrived in a strange world.
A crimson space stretched before her eyes.
The sky above was gloomy, giving everything a rather eerie feeling.
Behind her was an oval-shaped mirror.
"What a magical place. Is your fruit related to mirrors?"
"Hehe, you guessed it."
Mona stuck out her tongue playfully and began introducing the space.
"I only discovered this place just now. It feels a bit gloomy, but Su Han said it can be decorated."
"I want to turn it into a giant storage space."
"At the same time, I think I'll have plenty of offensive options."
Hu Tao immediately became interested.
"How so?"
Her thoughts had been stuck earlier.
Now was the perfect chance to hear Mona's understanding of Devil Fruits.
Perhaps it would help.
Mona wanted to explain, but this wasn't the right place.
"Let's go outside and talk. Besides, I think Su Han still has a few things he wants me to do."
"Alright."
The two left the Mirror World.
Afterward, Mona began leaving marks on various mirrors while explaining her ideas.
"If we're talking about storage space, mirrors are definitely extremely useful."
"But just now, I came up with another idea."
"Hu Tao, don't you think the Mirror World is connected everywhere?"
The girl recalled the world she had just seen and quickly nodded.
If mirrors were placed throughout it,
then it definitely would be.
Mona grinned and raised a finger.
"Since it's connected everywhere..."
"Doesn't that mean if I place countless mirrors at the same time, I can launch attacks from countless directions simultaneously?"
Hu Tao was stunned by the crazy idea.
You could use it like that?
How was anyone supposed to fight against such a thing?
Mona was very satisfied with Hu Tao's reaction and continued with her second idea.
"I have another tactic. Since mirrors can reflect enemies, could they also record certain images?"
"Even if it's just a single move."
"If I encounter an enemy..."
"Couldn't I release all those recorded moments at once?"
This idea was even crazier.
Hu Tao imagined it for a moment.
If Mona recorded Su Han's attacks,
not many,
just ten sword slashes.
If they were all released at the same time,
Narukami Island would probably collapse.
"You really know how to think outside the box!"
Hu Tao was completely impressed.
This imagination was simply unbeatable.
But what about her own abilities?
Ghosts and emotions.
She had no clear understanding at all.
Hu Tao's previously cheerful face immediately fell.
She looked like a little bitter melon.
Seeing her troubled companion, Mona thought for a moment and offered a small suggestion.
"What do you think the domain of souls is?"
Hu Tao raised her head, thought for a moment, and answered:
"Death?"
"Maybe. But that's something you have to answer yourself. Also, your ghosts don't only cause fear, right? Imagine the strongest possible aspect of the Spirit-Spirit Fruit. Maybe that's your answer."
Mona didn't dare influence her too much.
She merely provided a direction.
Ghosts.
Emotions.
The dead.
Countless concepts gathered in Hu Tao's mind.
Eventually, she thought of a place.
Wuwang Hill.
The final resting place of all living beings in Liyue.
"Perhaps the ultimate destination of every soul is peaceful rest."
Hu Tao suddenly grasped the key.
At the same time, she remembered her family's history.
The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Long ago, it had been no different from other exorcist lineages in Liyue.
When gods died upon Liyue's land,
evil creatures and plagues born from their corpses appeared.
Gradually,
a group of people emerged whose duty was to burn corpses and purify the air.
That was the origin of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
But the true history was that the parlor's understanding of life and death deepened over time.
Eventually, they took on the responsibility of guiding the departed.
Whether evil spirits or wandering souls,
they always sent them where they belonged.
To rest.
Rest was the soul's only destination.
Having understood this,
Hu Tao finally grasped the meaning of her Devil Fruit.
"The so-called Hollow-Hollow Fruit actually allows me to connect with souls more easily, while soothing wounded lands and the souls of the dead."
"And that is the fruit's true meaning."
"The Path of Souls."
"My path is rest."
Countless souls emerged around Hu Tao.
Originally, they possessed all sorts of strange powers.
But now those powers gradually faded.
It wasn't that Hu Tao had dispersed them.
Rather, she had integrated and refined them.
"From now on, you shall be called Black Impermanence and White Impermanence..."
"Your task will be to send enemies on their final journey."
Hu Tao realized her true nature.
At the same time, she gained deeper insight into the path of life and death, allowing her power to undergo a complete transformation.
The souls now not only possessed their previous abilities,
but also the mysterious power to drain life force and send people to their final rest.
Hu Tao named this power:
Yellow Springs.
Neither Su Han nor Kitsune Saiguu spoke during the entire process.
They quietly watched Hu Tao awaken her power.
Only after everything had settled did Kitsune Saiguu ask in slight surprise:
"You already knew this would happen?"
"Not at all."
Su Han shook his head.
If he were that amazing, what would he need the system for?
Sometimes, interfering too much with Hu Tao and the others would only hinder their growth.
So this time, he chose to simply observe.
"Then what about the changes in Hu Tao?"
"She's a member of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Just as Inazuma possesses many mysterious powers, Liyue has them as well. It's just that some of those powers are controlled by humans..."
There were many mysteries surrounding Hu Tao.
For example,
how a mere human could wield the powers of souls and the afterlife.
That likely had something to do with her family lineage.
At least when Su Han asked her about it, she herself didn't know why she possessed such abilities.
According to her,
she had simply acquired them naturally during cultivation.
Her grandfather had been the same.
Looking at the young girl surrounded by dancing souls like a guide of the dead, Kitsune Saiguu could not help but sigh.
"Liyue truly is overflowing with talented people."
Leaving Shenhe's aptitude aside,
now Hu Tao was this powerful as well.
Five hundred years ago,
among the Seven Nations, Liyue had suffered the least damage.
It seemed that wasn't solely due to the Geo Archon's efforts.
A considerable part of it probably came from powerful experts hidden among the common people.
Thinking of this, her desire to cultivate talent grew stronger than ever.
Kitsune Saiguu also wished to restore Inazuma's former glory.
...
The next day, mirrors were delivered to various locations by Sayu and numerous others.
All of them were placed in secure outposts.
There were no concerns regarding safety.
Looking at the map marked with red dots indicating the mirrors' locations, Mona pointed toward Watatsumi Island and asked curiously:
"Why did you send one over there? The distance I can teleport isn't nearly that far."
"What if Kujou Encampment is used as a transfer point?"
Su Han smiled and gave his answer.
That's right.
Mona's ability was centered around herself, allowing continuous movement through mirrors.
Then couldn't it be understood this way?
If she continuously traveled through mirrors, could she move from Inazuma to Liyue?
The idea was somewhat crazy.
But if it worked, Su Han could quickly return from Inazuma whenever he wanted.
He could even travel from Liyue to any nation.
All that was required was bringing Mona along.
"I've never tried that before."
"Then let's test it. The mirror was delivered there last night. Now let's verify it."
"Alright."
The two entered a mirror.
When they emerged again,
they had already arrived at Kujou Encampment.
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