章 23: Chapter 23: Way of the Shinigami(2) and Noble Phantasms

He wonders, is this because of the Soul God Cultivation Method? He uses this method almost every night and days as well for the last three years. Making the progress of his cultivation in soul power, spiritual power and physique show what it currently is today.

Unknown to Xiu Ye, he already had dense soul power every since he awakened his martial soul. He just didn't notice it as there wasn't any other children at the same rank as him.

Speaking of the cultivation method, Xiu Ye would have gone insane for the literal unresting training he had undergo through in his inner world. If it weren't for his stubbornness, determination and will!

Also the fact that his training with Ryūjin Jakka doesn't really kills him, most of the time. And he gets an entire three days of rest every three weeks.

...He needs help.

Now some might say that the biggest improvement he had are his soul power and blacksmithing skills.

They would be wrong.

By night and day, he trained the ways of a Shinigami and other skills within his inner world. And within three years, he achieved the strength and skills unlike anything his past self had.

Zankensoki(Cut-Fist-Run-Spirit): Basic Shinigami fighting techniques he inherited from Genryūsai Yamamoto's memories.

"Zan" refers to sword fighting techniques. "Ken" refers to unarmed fighting techniques. "So" refers to moving techniques. "Ki" refers to Kidō.

Firstly, Zanjutsu(Swordsmanship): sword fighting techniques for the Zanpakutō. The most basic fighting technique. There are three ranks of mastery: Swordsman, Expert Swordsman, and Master Swordsman. At current, Xiu Ye's skills and techniques equals a Master Swordsman.

Hakuda(Hand-to-hand Combat): an unarmed fighting technique that makes use of one's own body in a fight. Physical strength and skill is determined by this class. It is a combination of several martial arts. There are four ranks of mastery: Hakuda Practitioner, Hakuda Combatant, Expert Hakuda Combatant, and Master Hakuda Combatant. Xiu Ye's skills and techniques stands equal to an Expert currently.

Hohō(Movement Technique): the name for all high-speed fighting movements based on the art of Shunpo. It's an important skill for most Shinigami, which incorporates speed and agility. The skill level of Hohō can be enhanced and improved through concentration, training, and mastery of it. Shunpo(Flash Steps) is the greatest expression of the Hohō technique; however there are variations even within Shunpo, which only master Hohō practitioners can use. There are three ranks of mastery: Practitioner, Expert, and Master. Xiu Ye is a Master.

Kidō(Demon Arts): is a form of Shinigami combat based on advanced spells. These spells are produced with strong Reiryoku, now soul power, and fall into two categories: Hadō for direct attacks, and Bakudō for battle support. Kidō spells are triggered by an incantation. Experienced users can trigger them without an incantation, though the effectiveness of the spell may be diminished. There are more to kido but it'll be explained later on. There are three ranks of mastery: Practitioner, Expert, and Master. Xiu Ye is a master Kidō practitioner.

Within three years, Xiu Ye had achieved three master ranks out of from the four Shinigami fighting techniques. Though this was mostly because of an old man's memories.

Nonetheless, as a slight display of strength when he sparred with Tang Wulin, Xiu Ye had achieved skills and strength that no soul master of his current rank should ever hope to have.

Unless he meets an opponent with a wide disparity of strength, like a freaking Titled Douluo, he will reign supreme against his enemies.

'Not only that...' Xiu Ye looks down on his right open hand. A familiar series of steps began in his head. Mots of cyan-blue light lit up around his hand, draining him a portion of his soul power.

"Judging the concept of creation"

"Hypothesizing the basic structure"

"Duplicating the composition material"

"Imitating the skill of its making"

"Sympathizing with the experience of its growth"

"Reproducing the accumulated years"

"Excelling every manufacturing process"

"Trace, On." The light disappeared and an iridescent and jagged dagger that is thin, brittle, and blunt appeared with the handle held by his hand.

Rule Breaker, a weapon that materializes and embodies the Divinity of the Witch of Betrayal. Its effectively nonexistent in its capacity as a weapon, comparable to that of a regular dagger at most, and it would not be suitable for even killing a single person.

Shown by the complex shape of the blade, its actual purpose is that of a key used for rituals that is described as an "indulgence from the Age of Gods that has forgiven anything for one purpose." Such ceremonial knives are designed as mere decoration, and like those, Rule Breaker was created under the school of thought that it was never to be used as a weapon.

Most importantly however, it is a dagger that nullifies all effects created by anything magical, despite whether such an effect is an enchantment, a relationship formed through contact, or even life created through magic. Once it comes into contact with the ensorcelled item or person, enchantments, connections bounded through contracts, and creatures created and maintained by magical energy, they will all be returned to their original components in a state "before they were made." Contracts will be wiped clean and those with life will immediately cease to exist. There is a limit to what it is able to dispel, artifacts on the rank of Divine will never be returned to their original state no matter how low their rank.

Turning and twisting the dagger around his hand, Xiu Ye narrowed his eyes. He didn't know how this dagger or the other weapon into his inner world, but they are useful.

In the description of the weapon and its use, it can dispel anything related to magic, or the energy similar to it. As Xiu Ye's pretty sure that soul power is like mana or something, after all, didn't Huo Yuhao from Douluo Dalu 2 used necromancy?

Xiu Ye found out there were different levels of different weapons within his inner world, and found the limits on what he could and could not project out in the real world.

He calls them, Noble Phantasms.

There are five main ranks: E, D, C, B, A. Noble Phantasms are ranked by their strength, mystery and energy consumption to project. Those called "extremely average" are around the level of B Rank which have strength able to be represented through numbers and show only output of pure physical damage.

Differing from regular attacks, even a C Rank Noble Phantasm is the equivalent of an A or A+ ranked normal attack. It is possible for the ranks to be increased or decreased depending upon certain circumstances.

There were also further different classifications to them as well. Starting from;

[Anti-Unit]: Anti-Unit Noble Phantasms are those specialized against defeating other people in single combat. Compared to stronger weapons, a majority of Anti-Unit Noble Phantasms will not go beyond defeating other beings, no matter how strong the magical energy or curse they wield.

[Anti-Army]: Anti-Army Noble Phantasms are those with a wide enough range to be specialized against armies. They are more powerful weapons than Anti-Unit Noble Phantasms, capable of easily blowing them away, but they must be used more wisely because of their larger cost. Using an A Rank Noble Phantasm takes a great deal of soul power, so they must wait before they can use it again.

[Anti-City]: The classification of Noble Phantasms that has enough range to potentially cover an entire city.

[Anti-Country]: The classification of Noble Phantasms that has enough range to potentially cover an entire country.

[Anti-Divine]: The classification of Noble Phantasms that are effective against Divine Beings.

[Anti-Dragon]: The classification of Noble Phantasms that are effective against Dragons.

[Anti-Evil]: The classification of Noble Phantasms that are effective against Evil.

[Evil]: The classification of Noble Phantasms that are effective against Life and Holy related.

[Anti-Fortress]: This rank has powerful Noble Phantasms that can even blow away solid fortified structures. While the difference between Anti-Unit and Anti-Army is the variation in area of effect, Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasms are distinguished from other categories by the great difference in power.

[Anti-Gate]: The classification of Noble Phantasms that has power capable of blowing away sturdy walls, doors and gates.

[Anti-Mind]: This classification of Noble Phantasms that targets the mind.

[Anti-Planet]: This is a rare classification of Noble Phantasms that can destroy an entire planet.

[Anti-Populace]: The classification of Noble Phantasms that targets the people, whether they are of the masses or they are that of a civilization.

[Anti-Thaumaturgy]: The classification of Noble Phantasms that are meant to be used for the dispelling and destruction of magic and other thaumaturgy.

[Anti-Treasure]: The classification of Noble Phantasms that targets other treasures, potentially including Noble Phantasms.

[Anti-World]: The classification of Noble Phantasms that affect the World itself, including its numerous realities, spacial planes, and timelines.

...Xiu Ye always questions himself on how the fuck, did he get all these weapons.

As example right now is Rule Breaker, a rank C Anti-Thaumaturgy Noble Phantasm only capable of nullifying anything related to soul power.

For Ryūjin Jakka, if Xiu Ye has to judge, it's a rank A as a Anti-Fortress and possible Anti-City level Noble Phantasm for its overall damage, firepower and rich history. This was a Noble Phantasm, an A rank, that he shouldn't be able to project as the soul power needed to trace and use it exceeded his current reserves.

The only reason why he was able to use it without killing himself from over soul power depletion, was because Ryūjin Jakka was a part of his soul and so that made him extremely familiar to its entire structure to project it easily.

Of course if the Zanpakutō spirit would finally give him his acknowledgement, there wouldn't be any soul power consumption needed to summon him.

Dismissing Rule Breaker into particles, Xiu Ye grabbed the black ring attached to a metal chain around his neck.

It was the last gift his big sister, Yu Fei, had left him and it was also filled with the presents that his still unnamed parents wanted to give him for the birthdays they missed.

He didn't really noticed it at first, thinking that it was a nice necklace, until he remembered that he was in a another world with cultivation.

A mysterious black ring? Yeah, as if it didn't reek storage ring or something! Xiu Ye felt like slapping his face for his stupidity because he only found out after an entire month since Yu Fei left.

And he further thought of disfiguring his face, why? Cause he dropped a few drips of blood on it, he found it had a storage space of 20 cubic meters and a butt load of treasures inside the ring! Why didn't he opened it more earlier!

Xiu Ye really felt like attacking the Federation and Spirit Pagoda, if his parents are this rich then he would have lived a comfortable life and probably have resources to probably create a secret organization to challenge their enemies like some OP pampered protagonists he read in fanfics in his previous life.

Within the ring had one ton of different types of metals, books that had all kinds of subjects about the soul master world, some types of heaven and earth treasures from ten years old to hundred years old, and lastly, blueprints and instructions on how to build battle armor and mechas.

If Yu Fei were to know the exact contents of the ring, she would have vomited out blood from indignation. She only dump a couple of metals and ten year old heaven and earth treasures as her own gifts to Xiu Ye into the ring without looking into it.

The contents of the ring was something that not even Soul Kings would have a tenth of it all.

So much for not pampering her son...

As for the culprit? She was happily humming in a unknown location, wondering if her son loved the extra gifts she put in the ring.

She wanted her baby to be prepared is all. Also, others might think she spoiled her son, well they are right, but it was only something that can help him till he's a Soul Elder and the contents in the ring would either be used up or become useless.

Well, the heaven and earth treasures are, she doesn't know how far the metals she left him will remain useful. She isn't a blacksmith. But the knowledge of books and blueprints will be useful for a lifetime however.

...Xiu Ye hasn't met his parents in person yet and he already likes them.

❄️

(AN: I know that it should be magecraft, not magic, but its sounds much more cooler than the former. So I'm just going to stick with the term magic for this fanfic, but if I ever do write a fanfic of Fate, that'll change.)