His consciousness felt like it was sinking into a warm, deep sea. As he slowly floated back up, Rin opened his eyes. Above him was no longer the familiar ceiling of his bedroom, but an eternal night studded with countless tiny points of light. The stars twinkled without being dazzling, like crushed diamonds scattered across a dark silk cloth.
A rough sensation came from beneath him. He raised his hand to touch it and found intertwined tree roots, their textures as deep as an old man's palm lines.
Rin sat up and looked around. Without needing to think much, he knew he had once again entered the mysterious Divine Tree Space.
The vastness of this world always amazed him. Each time he entered, his landing spot was completely different. Sometimes it was in a forest covered with fallen leaves, sometimes by a faintly glowing stream, and this time, it was at the intersection of thick tree roots.
He habitually raised his hand. With a thought, a vine glowing with a faint green light emerged from between the tree roots, stopping docilely in front of him, like a mount awaiting orders.
Rin stood up onto the vine. Just as he was about to urge it to fly towards the Divine Tree in the center of the world from his memory, the corner of his eye caught sight of a chubby figure darting past.
It was a round Cursed Spirit, covered in light gray soft fur, with a pair of transparent small wings flapping on its back. Its flight path was wobbly, like a drunk little dumpling.
At first, Rin didn't pay much attention. There were already Cursed Spirits he had previously devoured in the Divine Tree Space, so one more didn't seem particularly strange.
But the next second, he suddenly froze.
He was too familiar with the appearance of this Cursed Spirit; it was precisely one of the hundred Cursed Spirits Geto Suguru had asked him to subdue during the day! The light gray soft fur, the light brown patterns on the edges of its wings, and even the small head-tilting movements it occasionally made while flying, were identical to the Second-Grade Cursed Spirit he had reluctantly swallowed at noon.
There was no mistaking it!
The vine slowly drifted forward, but Rin's thoughts were churning. According to Geto Suguru, Cursed Spirits subdued by Cursed Spirit Manipulation should be stored in the Jujutsu Sorcerer's abdomen, connected to the Cursed Energy storage area. But why was this Cursed Spirit appearing in the Divine Tree Space?
Soon, the outline of the Divine Tree appeared in his sight.
It was a colossal tree that soared into the clouds, its trunk so thick that it would take more than ten people to encircle it. Faint golden light bands intertwined among its branches and leaves, like a flowing river of stars. As Rin approached, the sight before him completely stunned him: the number of Cursed Spirits in the open area around the Divine Tree had more than doubled since his last visit!
Those newly added Cursed Spirits were exactly the hundred Cursed Spirits he had subdued during the day, not one less.
Some Grade 1 Cursed Spirits were chasing and playing around the tree roots, their soft fur gleaming under the starlight. Several Second-Grade Cursed Spirits were perched on the branches, their tails swaying idly. And that chubby, soft-furred Cursed Spirit was huddled next to a pitch-black Cursed Spirit, trying to touch its antennae with its wings. The scene was surprisingly harmonious.
Rin jumped off the vine, his brows tightly furrowed, lost in thought. Why did these Cursed Spirits, subdued through Cursed Spirit Manipulation, enter the Divine Tree Space?
Could it be that this space was not just his soul sea, but also connected to his Cursed Energy storage area? This discovery sent a shock through him—the secrets of this space seemed even more complex than he had imagined.
"My Lord."
A low voice came from behind him.
Rin turned around to see the Bone Cursed Spirit slowly approaching. Its entire body was composed of glowing white bones, and faint blue soul fire flickered in its eye sockets. Since Rin first entered the Divine Tree Space, it had become the "butler" here. Rin would always seek it out first whenever he had questions.
"You're here." Rin nodded, pointing to the frolicking Cursed Spirits not far away. "Do you know how these Cursed Spirits came to be here?"
The Bone Cursed Spirit's gaze swept over the newly added Cursed Spirits, its soul fire flickering slightly:
"Reporting, My Lord, they appeared here in batches over a dozen hours ago. Each time they appeared, it was accompanied by a fluctuation of Cursed Energy originating from you, as if guided by some Cursed Technique."
This answer was largely consistent with Rin's guess.
He pressed further, "Is there any difference between them and the Cursed Spirits I previously devoured through the Sharingan?"
"There's a significant difference."
The Bone Cursed Spirit's voice carried a hint of solemnity. "The previous Cursed Spirits only had a soul form, no physical body. They couldn't leave the Divine Tree Space, nor could they directly enhance your Cursed Energy or physique. But these new Cursed Spirits all possess complete physical bodies, entities composed of pure Cursed Energy. You can summon them out of the space with your will."
Rin's pupils contracted sharply, and a bold idea emerged in his mind. If he could also sculpt bodies made of Cursed Energy for those Cursed Spirits that only had a soul form, would he then be able to summon them out using Cursed Spirit Manipulation?
If this method was feasible, then the Special Grade Cursed Spirits he devoured in the future could not only be used to evolve his Sharingan but also be transformed into controllable combat power! Thinking of this, Rin's heart couldn't help but race. This might be the most unexpected gift the Divine Tree Space had given him.
He looked up at the Divine Tree, the light bands among its branches and leaves still flowing slowly.
How many more secrets did this mysterious space hold? And how would these secrets change his path in the Jujutsu World? Rin took a deep breath, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes. It seemed he needed to spend more time exploring this "secret base" of his own.
Although the idea had germinated, Rin felt a sense of bewilderment as he looked at the Cursed Spirits playing or resting around the Divine Tree.
He hadn't even grasped the essence of the Divine Tree Space, let alone mastered the method of "sculpting bodies for Cursed Spirits." He didn't know what conditions were required, nor how much Cursed Energy to mobilize. It was like holding a key without an instruction manual, having the idea of unlocking something but unable to find the keyhole.
He instinctively walked towards the Divine Tree, his fingertips gently tracing the rough bark, trying to feel the fluctuations of this space. But apart from a faint warmth from the tree itself, there was nothing else unusual.
Just as he was about to turn and ask the Bone Cursed Spirit if it had any clues, the ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled slightly.
Immediately after, the branches of the Divine Tree emitted a subtle rustling sound, like wind blowing through leaves, yet more rhythmic than wind.
Rin abruptly looked up. He saw the thickest main branch of the Divine Tree slowly lower, and a vine with faint golden light bands emerged from among the branches and leaves, drifting towards him. This was the first time the Divine Tree had taken such an initiative, clearly sensing his confusion.
Rin held his breath, watching the vine pause in the air for a moment, but it didn't stop in front of him as usual. Instead, it changed direction and drifted towards the Bone Cursed Spirit not far away.
The soul fire in the Bone Cursed Spirit's eye sockets flickered slightly. It offered no resistance, allowing the vine to entwine itself around its skeletal body.
.....
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